God is all-knowing!

​Perhaps you have known, even recently, the unsettling and sorrowful experience of receiving a phone call, or a doctor’s report, or an employer’s notice that delivered unexpected and tragic news — “You have cancer.” “We’re letting you go.” “Your loved one has been in an accident.” No matter what form these moments take in our particular situation, they always remind us of our personal frailty and inability to control the details of our lives. I hope and pray this minsters to you that whatever you’re going through that you’ll run to the loving arms of our Heavenly Father. Have a wonderful as you remain in presence knowing that nothing is a surprise to God and He is always faithful. Love you all. 

“Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.” Acts 15:18

 

The great consolation from God’s Word, however, is that God never has such moments. He is never surprised by calamity that befalls us, He is never taken back by sudden tragedy, His plans are never disrupted by the unexpected. In short, He is never at a loss for a solution to any problem…or for the power to implement it… or for the wisdom to make sure it is the right solution.

God knows all His works (and subsequently, obviously, the events those works will be connected with) from the beginning of the world. It is for this reason that God can, and does, give us such rock-solid assurances in the midst of earth-shattering catastrophes. “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5); “my grace is sufficient for thee” (2 Corinthians 12:9); “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28); “trying of your faith works patience” (James 1:3).

My  friends in your moments of overwhelming pain, or grief, or disappointment, flee to the God Who is never disappointed or surprised, but is touched by the feelings of your infirmities. Rush to Him, rest in Him, believe on Him.

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“I press on toward the goal”

​If you know who you are in Christ—that He alone has already made you victorious when you received Him as Lord and Savior—then you can start, run and finish the race like a champion. This truth will set you free to empower you to run like a winner because you already are a winner at the beginning of the race. You either believe this truth or you don’t. It is a matter of simply trusting and obeying, no matter what your circumstances. God’s truth and grace gives you every edge you need along the way. But you have to believe it and apply it to your life. Have a wonderful day as you press on toward the goal and run the race with God leading the way. Love you all. 

 “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 3:14

When we run the race, we have to sync up with God (yield our will, submit our petitions, surrender ourselves, trust and obey Him at His word, believe His faithfulness will meet us at our faith) and press into Him for our every need.

We have to have God’s mind (not our carnally-driven emotions or limited knowledge)—His purpose, vision, focus—to make it through. As we do our part, He will meet us by His grace to help us fulfill His destiny for us. We cannot do it by leaning on our own understanding because our prior training, education and experience will be insufficient for where He desires to take us. Again, only God’s grace is sufficient to help us.

Too many people try to serve God in their own strength, not by His Spirit, which wears people out because God will always call us up higher than we can go on our own. A major key in running the race is to not give up, no matter what. God has predestined our destinies. And we have a choice whether we are willing to cooperate. Jesus is the leader and completer of our faith. And since He endured the cross for our benefit, how can we say “no” to Him?

Our God of all Comfort!

​When we go through difficult times we need to rely on the love of God to sustain us. Only His love could reach the deepest part of us that was hurting. We will feel His gentle arms carry us and cradle us in our difficult times. During these difficult times in our lives, we receive a deeper understanding of God as the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our troubles. When we need comfort most, God is faithful to be there. I want to encourage you that whatever you’re pain and disappointment you’re going through, He just wants to be with you and to weep with you as His heart is breaking with your heart. 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

There are seasons of devastation that we all go through where we are in desperate need of our Heavenly Father’s love and comfort. Let Him carry you through these seasons in your life. You were never meant to shoulder these burdens on your own. God wants to comfort you with His tender love, so that you might be able to pass on the comfort that you have received to others when they need the His love.

Are you troubled today? Come next to God, let Him comfort you. Are you weary and don’t know what to do? Move toward God, lean upon Him, let Him wrap you in His arms. He will comfort you. Are you at the end of yourself, too frozen to move? Turn your head in His direction, whisper with your thoughts, He will hear you. He is the merciful Father and the source of all comfort. Today, come next to Him and be comforted.

What do you cling to?

I believe the greatest lesson of faith is the acknowledgement that God is good—all the time, even when we can’t feel it with our emotions. Oswald Chambers wrote, “Faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. And the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God’s character must be proven trustworthy in our own minds.”  But there are days, which sometimes turn into weeks, which sometimes turn into entire seasons, where our heart wonders, God, are You really good? I pray that the promises of God in His word will help encourage your heart to know that God is good, all the time. Love you all. 



“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:5

Let me encourage you to trust the sovereignty of God. You might ask if God is in control of everything and bad things still happen, how can He be good? When life is hard, do you ever doubt that God is good? When your prayers seem to go unanswered, do you ever secretly think it’s because He’s mad at you or trying to punish you? So do you ever wonder, How could a good God let this happen?

Questions like these are the exact reason we’ve got to trust what the Bible says about who God is. Our feelings can trick us. Our limited perspective of what’s happening in our lives makes it hard to know what exactly is good for us and what isn’t. That’s why when we’re tempted to doubt that God is good, we need to run to God’s promises.

In case there’s still that nagging place in your heart that’s saying, If God is really good, why hasn’t He fixed this? this passage is just for you. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans. 8:28). In other words, a good God makes sure that even the bad stuff gets worked out to our benefit. Be reminded that  “This too shall pass and be redeemed. The more you cling, the more you’ll see He really is good. We can know for sure that He has a plan to make sure even the bad stuff in our lives will be worked for our good. Will you cling to that truth today?

Everything God plans will come to pass, for He does whatever He wishes!

​God is faithful to His word and all His promises are true, we need to always remember this. We may not always see clearly and understand His ways and His timing, but we need to trust that He loves us and that He wants the very best for our lives. We need to ask God to comfort our soul, and remove all fear and doubt and to help us to see past the present circumstances, and give us the patience to wait for His completed work. 

“Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” Isaiah 46:10

Most of us can say that there has been at least one moment in our lives when we have doubted God and His promises.

The evidence surrounding us may seem insurmountable. It’s ok to express our true feelings to God, sharing our frustrations, fears, and doubts with Him. He isn’t angered at our humanity, only when we attempt to cover it up. When we fail He is able to restore us; when we are afraid and doubtful, He reassures us. As brilliant as we may think we are, we simply don’t understand the vastness of God’s ways.

His plans consist of more than just our lives; they are woven together into the lives of many others. He knows the exact time to bring them all together, to accomplish His perfect plan. We may think something insignificant, yet it may have a huge impact on someone else. Sometimes we wait on His promises, but we need never doubt that He will finish it exactly the way He has intended.

Like a child trusts their parents, so we should trust God. Instead of kicking and screaming, throwing a fit when things don’t go our way, we need to snuggle into His arms, telling Him how we feel, and allowing Him to comfort us, and ease our fears. He is God, Creator of all, and His way is always the best way. 

I will Rejoice in Your Word!

​Maybe you’re at a point in your walk with the Lord that you need more in you life and you say to God, “I need more of You. I need to know who You really are in my life.” The Lord is saying to you right now that it is time to start spending time with Him. You must start in His Word and you must make a choice to turn off the other things and start to listen to Him. So pick up your Bible and began reading it. I cannot begin to tell you the change that  will begin in your life and will continue every day. The Word of God will become the greatest treasure you will ever find nothing compares. 

“I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure.”  Psalm 119:162

Taking time alone to study, pray and listen to the LORD is indeed quality time with our Father. It is a time to bond, nothing overall will edified or moved you as much as reading the Word of God for yourself. 

God’s Word to us is very personal and always right on time. It is through study and reading that we learn of God’s will for us. The Holy Spirit will guide, convict and comfort as we need. Our heavenly Father reveals His heart to us through those 66 books of the Bible. Jesus is the best teacher. 

As you study more and pray for understanding the LORD will give you more insight. The Word of God is our treasure, enriching our spirit. Our path will grow brighter with each reading. We no longer will stumble through life but walk boldly with His Word to light our path so our feet do not slip. Jesus is drawing us closer and equipping us for life through the Word.

If you want to find a treasure worth rejoicing over, then pick up the precious Word of God and actually read it for yourself. Read it every day and keep going. You will be changed in ways you cannot imagine

Come to God in faith and call on Him in Prayer!

​Are you faced with a situation in your life that seems like a mountain? Do you feel overwhelmed with life? Unfortunately, life doesn’t wait until we’re strong enough to face a difficult situation before it notifies us of an adverse change. Nevertheless, Jesus has given us the key that will move the mountains out of our lives that prevent us from moving forward in Him. We must come to God in faith and call on Him in prayer. 

“I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.” Mark 11:23-24,

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Through Christ, faith gives us the access we need for our prayers, petitions, and supplications to be heard by our heavenly Father. Faith in Christ gives us the assurance that God exists, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. You may have already noticed that when trouble shows up at your door, there is a tendency to feel all alone and insufficient to meet the demands of the problem. It is for this reason that Jesus instructs us to have faith and only believe when we pray. Faith in God will dispel the forces of darkness, which can come against our minds and our emotions in troubling times.

 

We are instructed by the Lord not to doubt. We are to believe and speak God’s Word in faith against the situation(s) that come against us. As Christians, we are not alone in this world; we have an Advocate, our High Priest who ever lives to make intercession for us. Thankfully, we also have the Holy Spirit; and He is our Comforter. No, you’re not alone. Nevertheless, you can feel isolated. Even so, you must remember to exercise your faith and always pray. With God, all things are possible. The help that you need today is only a prayer away. 

We can either go through our process or GROW through our process!

​What process does GOD have you going through? Did you know it’s through that process that you are going to be molded and shaped into the person that you are called to be? Many times we resist the process that GOD has us in and don’t want to endure it either because of a lack of patience, how uncomfortable it is, or because of the pressure that it can bring. We will find ourselves complaining and murmuring along the way, or wanting to quit when we get overwhelmed, but apart of enduring the process is choosing to be in joy along the way.  

We can either go through our process or GROW through our process! It is necessary and it’s the means for our character to be built up and for us to mature! GOD knows that the current situations that we are going through are important so that we too can achieve the ending result of becoming who HE has destined for us to be. If we patiently and cheerfully endure the process that we are in then it will mature us so that we can have what we need for future situations. Not to mention, our breakthroughs aren’t always for ourselves, but sometimes it’s important to overcome our trials so that we can gain authority over those types of situations, and help others who are going through the same things in the future.

We ultimately have a choice to either go through our process grudgingly or to rejoice in all things and cheerfully endure it. As we praise GOD in the midst of the struggle and choose to be in joy, we will get what we need from our current situations and we will be able to grow and mature from them! What is the process that GOD currently has you going through? Will you cheerfully endure the pressure so that you can become who you need to be in GOD? Press in. Don’t quit. Cheerfully endure your process and let GOD mold you!

“May my cry come before you, Lord; give me understanding according to your word.”

​Maybe you’re reading this message and you are sad and broken hearted. Where you just feel like crying.Your soul hungers for answers and you groan before God. These are the times where we don’t understand His ways – even if we still trust in His heart. Sometimes it’s enough for us to simply cry to the Lord. To vent to Him. To have Him there to listen. It’s reassuring for us to unleash our heart on His shoulders; knowing that He carries all our concerns with such great care. I hope and pray this encourages and comforts you. 

“May my cry come before you, Lord; give me understanding according to your word.” Psalm119:169

Sometimes it’s enough for you to simply cry to the Lord. To vent to Him. To have Him there to listen. It should be reassuring for you to unleash your heart on His shoulders; knowing that He carries all your concerns with such great care.

Where you seek understanding…often. You seek relief from you doubts, fears, and concerns. But it’s almost more important to know that you will be heard. Where you need to know that you matter. That your thoughts, heart, and voice…matter. You need to know and feel like God sees me.

Well He DOES see you. He DOES hear you and you DO matter to Him. He provides you a way for your cry to come before Him and to rest at His feet.

Some days your heart just wants to pour out. It doesn’t want advice or direction – although it might the next day or the day after that. It simply wants to spill. It wants to unleash all that lies within it – the emotion, the feeling, and the questions.

Be thankful that your cry can come before the Lord in those moments and on those days,  that He never gets tired of you and that your not a burden. May your cry come before you, Lord. Today – and always.

And Hope does not Disappoint us!

​How many times have you hoped but things didn’t seem to work out? Where it is so hard to hang on. And yet God ask us to persevere. So we need to get back up and hope again. We know He is real and He will never leave us or forsake us. So, we choose Him and His love for us and we trust in His hope that will not disappoint. 

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5:5 

Today’s verse is talking more than a simple, “I hope so.” No, Paul is talking about a hope that does not disappoint. How many times do you experience that? We have all had times when we hoped, hoped for that job, hoped that our child would not rebel, hoped that we would be able to escape certain consequences. But sometimes it doesn’t work out. It seems that our hopes are gone. But that is not the hope Paul is talking about. Paul is talking about a “persevering hope”, a hope that keeps going until it produces a trust and confidence in God’s abiding love for us. 

Paul writes, “We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Yes, in this world we suffer. We make mistakes, and we live with other people’s mistakes. But through the hope that doesn’t go away, He produces perseverance. This builds our character and faith, resulting in wisdom and ultimately a deep reverence of hope. This hope will not disappoint. It is the result of God pouring His love into our hearts by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Today, trust God. It may be unbearable, but trust God. That trust will eventually turn to perseverance and mature us into an unquenchable hope.