Brand New Baby Jesus

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 NIV) Every child that is born brings joy to people's hearts, but this child in particular came to bring more - new life, joy, love, hope, peace, etc... Because of this birth, we could be born again!! Your spiritual birth is just as important as the day you were born into the world!! Praise God that the brand new baby Jesus could make us so brand new!!!!

The Boy Who Played The Drums

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1 NIV) God has given you gifts... Gifts that are different than the ones your friends and family have. When you use your gifts to bless others, it blesses God!! God wants us to give Him our very BEST!! Just like the little drummer boy - playing his drum was all he could offer, but he played it for Jesus and it was his best. He gave God everything he had! How are you going to use your gifts to bless others and God this Christmas season??

Joy To The World!

"He continued, "Go home and prepare a feast, holiday food and drink; and share it with those who don't have anything: This day is holy to God. Don't feel bad. The joy of God is your strength!" (Nehemiah 8:10 MSG) What are you going to rejoice about this season?!? The JOY of The Lord is your strength!! Jesus gave his life for you! That's something to rejoice about!!

"JOY TO THE WORLD, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing!"

Thankful: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." (Psalm 139:14 NIV) God formed each one of us in his very own image... But each of us unique!! We are FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY made!! God, your works are amazing! #thankful

More Than Our Next Breath

"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18 NIV) Thank God for His grace and mercy. We need Jesus more than anything else in this life. Sometimes we get so caught up in the energized hustle and bustle of this world, that we forget Jesus' promise to us - His yoke is easy and His burden is light. We are so loved!! And we need God more than our next breath!!

He Knows Best

“Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?" (Job 11:7 NIV) Sometimes we think we know what's best for us, so we ask God for that. The amazing thing is that God goes above what we want and gives us what we need! Those trials you are going through right now? God knows you need them to fulfill the huge purpose he has for you. God has not forgotten you!! He loves you so much and he's working in your life!!

Crave

"but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:31 NIV)

Hope is what we crave. All over the world today people are searching and searching for hope - a hope that there is something more, that we were made to do more, and that there's more to life when we die. What is your hope in?? Are you fully hoping in The Lord or are you relying on a "hope substitute" to fulfill your craving?? Don't let the world influence you into believing that there's hope in anything here... God is the only hope!! He is the only thing that can fulfill that craving!!

Give and Take Away

"The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." (Job 1:21 NIV) After Job had EVERYTHING he owned taken from him as a test, he still praised God! God will give and take away, but no matter what you can still praise him for something!! If you've lost someone or something dear to you, turn your face to heaven and trust God to turn it around!!

The Proof of Your Love

"If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:3 NIV) You can do all kinds of "spiritual" things, but if you don't have love you are gaining absolutely NOTHING. Try to live love today! Let it be part of your daily living! "Let my life be the proof, the proof of your love. Let my life look like you and what you're made of.." (The Proof Of Your Love by for KING & COUNTRY)

All Things Well

"He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." (Revelation 21:5 NIV) "You do all things, you do all things, you do all things well." - Tenth Avenue North. When you ask God to do something, even if he doesn't do what you want, His alternative is always good. When you ask for something, it's not about how much faith you have, but who your faith is in. Everything God does is good! Even when He brings you through the dry desert, in the end you are stronger and it always turns out good!! Trust Him that He knows what He's doing!!

Not Where We Belong

"For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." (Hebrews 11:10 NIV) This is not your home. No matter how hard you try to find satisfaction in this world, you won't! Our hope is heaven! You were made for God - to love Him and worship Him!! Have you ever had such a large hole in your heart that nothing can fill it? That's because you were made for a different world! Ask God to satisfy you today... And look forward to heaven - it's where you belong!!!

Through The Pain and Suffering

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18 NIV) God works through pain and suffering... We grow the most on days that our hearts are hurting and hope feels far away. "When we trust Christ, and the mysterious work on Calvary, we trust that He's always up to something good even in the darkest days. In fact, that's probably when He's up to the most good, because that's when the most good grows in me." - Mike from Tenth Avenue North. If you are hurting or going through any pain right now, trust God through it... He's working in you BIG TIME!!

Suitcases

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 NIV) You can't run when you're holding suitcases! Jesus wants you to let go of past mistakes, hurt, insecurities, fear, etc... He wants to carry your bags for you. Jesus wants to give you rest from your burdens! It is hard to let go of the past, but if you don't it will affect your future! Let Jesus take the burden for you!!!

Abundant Life

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10 NIV) Let God steal your trust and attention! He is knocking at your door because he wants to give you life... A full abundant life!! He loves you enough to be integrated into every moment of your life. Be willing to surrender to his better way!! God wants to give you LIFE!!

Identity in Him

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20 NIV) When you give your life to Jesus, you are FREE! Sometimes we get stuck in making our own way and determining who we want to be, instead of looking at who we are in Christ. Your identity no longer has to be found in the good things you do, the clothes you wear, how much money you have, or anything else like that - your identity is found in Christ!! You are dead to your earthly self... You have been made free by what Jesus did for you on the cross! Live in that freedom today and know that your identity is not found in YOU, but in HIM!!

Only Fulfilling Thing

"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind." (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV) This is great wisdom from King Solomon: the wisest man (besides Jesus), who was living the American dream before America even existed. He had the capability to enjoy every earthly pleasure under the sun, but he said that its all worthless and came to the conclusion that we are on this earth for Jesus Christ! Fear God and keep his commandments! This is the only fulfilling thing in all the earth!!

Above All

"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV)

"If Christ is not valued above all, Christ is not valued at all." - Augustine

Once you have seen the Glory of God, you won't want to be in just half way! God's command to put Him first is not arrogant or proud, but gracious! He doesn't hold any good things from us - and He is good! And He knows that the world without Him is wicked! If you have never seen God's glory and power, ask Him to show it to you!!

Forgiven

"Blessed are those
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered." (Romans 4:7 NIV) Being a Christian is not about a decision you once made, a belief you once had, or a day that you were forgiven. It's about living everyday of our lives in the power of God's message and in His amazing forgiveness! Jesus lived the life that we failed to live and died the death that we deserved to die! Don't be afraid to go to God in your sin so you can be forgiven!! You are covered by Jesus' blood!

Search No Farther

"What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV) There is NOTHING on this earth that you will find satisfaction in - people have been searching since time began. People all around have been asking "What's the meaning of life?" No one has found this satisfaction in anything besides Jesus Christ!! "Life seems very worthless under the sun, unless your worth is found in the Son" - Lecrae... Search no farther! Everything on earth has already been tested! Find satisfaction and contentment in The Son!!

Leaders Need A Leader

"Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them" (Acts 6:3 NIV) In order to be a leader, you have to have a leader. God has to be the center of every step you take, every decision you make and every word you say!! When the church in Acts was choosing new leaders, their qualifications were Spirit filled and wise - things you will only have if God is your leader!! Let God lead you!! That way you can be a leader like Him!!

Capable

"But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11 NIV) God believes in you. Even though you might not feel capable of the big things He has planned for your life, He is confident that through himself you are fully capable. Moses was not confident in himself either! But he did what God said to do, and in the end, it payed off!! When God planned your life, he knew exactly what He was doing!! Believe in yourself and trust God with the plans! He has it all figured out!

His Plan For You

"But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel." (Acts 9:15 NIV. This verse is talking about Saul/Paul. When God has a plan, he will do whatever it takes to fulfill that plan. In a period of about 4 days, this man went from being Saul, the biggest Jesus hater, to Paul, who was spreading the news of Christ to the world! God has a huge plan for your life!! He created you to be a world changer!! Pay attention to the things you are passionate about, your talents, things that excite you... God is revealing your next step! You were made to do amazing things! Don't forget that!

Possible with God

Have you set high standards for yourself in life? Don't they sometimes feel impossible? Well, good news - they aren't. Through the power of the Holy Spirit guiding you only, the standards you have set ARE POSSIBLE!

"So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16 NIV)

How do you walk by the Spirit? You have to get rid of your flesh daily. It's something called "Spiritual Breathing" in my devotional -
Exhale: Confess your sin, thank God for His forgiveness.
Inhale: Surrender the control of your life back to Jesus!
YOU CAN ACHIEVE HIGH STANDARDS!!! :)

"Honor Your Father and Mother."

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— "so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." (Ephesians 6:1-3 NIV)

Your parents were put there as your parents for a reason! Honor them and obey them!! God promises that if you do this, you will live a great and long life!! Even if your parents are not Christians, it is still right to obey them, love them, and honor them!! Your mom and dad have lived a lot longer than you and they want the best for you!! Honor them today!!

Unequal Yoke

"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14 NIV) "Do not be yoked with unbelievers,"means that we shouldn't date (or marry) someone who doesn't share the same convictions. A lot of times we think we could win them to Christ, but it doesn't usually work out. This is called "missionary dating" and usually what happens in this case, is that the Christian is brought down by the unbeliever.... Be careful who you yoke yourself with!!! Also, be careful who you choose as your best friends - this same thing could happen!!

Always There

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there." (Psalm 139:7, 8 NIV) There is NO place you can go where God won't be!! Even on days when nothing is going your way and things feel hopeless, He is right there with you! Be strong and courageous! You WILL overcome! God will be holding your hand the whole way through!!

Enormous Trap

"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." (Proverbs 29:25 NIV) The fear of man is a trap. It's fearing what people think of you more than what God thinks of you! Don't get yourself caught in this enormous trap - don't let this fear cause you to make decisions to please someone other than God!! This fear can cause problems, weigh you down, and keep you from God's plan! Run!! Ask God to help you get rid of this fear!!

You Are What You Eat

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Philippians 4:8 NIV)

Have you ever heard the expression, "You are what you eat?" Well this is not only true for your body, but also your heart. When your mind is feasting on dirty TV shows, music with bad lyrics or messages, and immodest and dirty magazines, it's like eating Big Macs non stop. Garbage in, garbage out. You can't live a life of purity if you are feeding your heart garbage - just like you can't live a healthy life on Big Macs and French fries. What do you let your mind eat?

Putting Your Sin To Death

"For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." (Romans 8:13 NIV) Put your sin to death, so that you can live!! What sin are you struggling with right now? Take some time NOW, praying for the Spirit to help you conquer this sin!!! Don't live in your sinful flesh... Live in the fullness of Christ by living in the Spirit, and put that sin to death!! We are more than conquerers!!

Bad Company

"Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." (1 Corinthians 15:33 NASB) Bad company corrupts good morals. If you have standards (morals) in your life, then be careful who you go places with, who you spend your days with, and who you get close with. For example, if you have decided to guard your purity, going to a party with your "friends" where there are tons of people making out is NOT a good choice. Loosing your high standards is a slow fade... White doesn't just change black - it turns many shades of gray first. It starts with one sip, one kiss, one bad word. Brothers and sisters in Christ - BE CAREFUL. Guard yourself!! And get in with the right friends!!! There IS someone out there with standards like yours!!!

Want to know why you feel so empty? A hole in your heart?

"Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?" (Isaiah 55:2a NIV) All of us have this God shaped vacuum inside of us that never stops sucking things up until it is fully filled with the right thing - God. God gave us each a huge craving for Him. A craving that cannot be filled with anything but a relationship with Him!! Imagine you crave chocolate one day.... Eating French fries and cheeseburgers is not going to fulfill your craving for chocolate!

Same way with your heart - your heart longs to worship God, but if you don't know that, the emptiness in your heart feels like it needs to be filled with something. Anything. Everything. Your vacuum starts sucking and you start running after things like shopping, eating, sex, drugs, pornography, etc, and you just keep trying and trying to fill that huge craving in your heart.

Nothing can fill that craving besides Jesus Christ!! The emptiness you feel? That's your heart longing to worship God. Don't let yourself run after things that don't satisfy!! He is the BREAD OF LIFE. The only thing in this world that can fill the void in your heart!!

Modest Is Hottest!! - For the Girls

"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister." Romans 14:13

"Women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self control.." 1 Timothy 2:9a

Guys are stimulated by what they see. So for us, our job is to be careful what we wear! God says to decide that you won't put a stumbling block in front of any of our brothers in Christ. Immodest dress is a huge stumbling block for them! Clothes that are tight, too thin, show too much skin, or don't cover your underclothing (bra straps), can cause the guys around you to think about, and want something that they shouldn't have until marriage.

A few years ago, I read The Modesty Survey (you can find it online - search google and it should be the first thing that pops up on therebelution.com)... It was a survey that guys had done, pretty much telling what causes them to stumble and what doesn't! It's crazy some of the stuff that was on there that you would never think of! I encourage you to read it! (let me know if you can't find it...) Yes, there are some things that would be almost impossible to change, but just always be aware of what you wear! Modest is Hottest!!

PURE

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22 NIV) It's God's plan for you to live a pure life. When you choose purity, you're "saying no to things that can poison and hurt, so you can say yes to something better than you can imagine." God made the universe and he knows exactly how life works best... And he tells us to "run from the evil desires of youth..." PURE means being made of only one substance... Like pure gold. God wants us to be totally devoted to Him in everything!!! He wants YOU to live in purity!!

One of Those Days

"I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint." (Jeremiah 31:25 NIV) When you are having one of those days where you feel tired, frustrated, discouraged, weak, rest in Jesus. He wants us to accept each day - the circumstances and our condition. He wants to refresh and satisfy you. Each day you have two options - giving up or relying on God... Which will you choose?

Free Indeed

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1, 2 NIV) If you are clothed in God and His righteousness, there is no condemnation for you!! Condemnation is disapproval, judgement, punishment, denunciation, etc. You are free from the law of sin and death!! And when Jesus sets you free, you are free indeed!!! Don't ever feel pressured to "work" more for God... It's not about a checklist - its about a relationship!! Enjoy the warmth of His presence!!

Connected To The Vine

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5 NIV) Without God, you can do nothing!! He is the vine, we are the branches. If the branch breaks off from the vine, it can't do anything! But when the branches are connected to the vine, they will grow lots of fruit!! In fact Jesus even said, "You will do even greater things then these." When you are connected to God and you learn to live in total dependence on Him, the fruit that grows on your branch and the things you do will reflect God!! That's how people come to Jesus! - through the life that YOU live!!

Best Friend

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. (John 15:13 NIV) He is the best friend any human being could EVER have. There's nobody like Jesus!! Learn to walk with Him everyday and work through life together! Any time spent with God, is time well spent!! When you spend time with your best friend, Jesus, you will begin to be a better friend to the people around you because Jesus is the real deal!! He will show you what unconditional love and loyalty is!! Thank you Jesus for being such an amazing friend to me!!

God in the World

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12 NIV) God lives in the world through us. He is the light of the world and lives inside us, and when we spend time with Him and grow closer to Him, the light inside us will shine for the world to see!! God wants to use us to bring people to Him!! Are you ready and willing?

Just As You Are

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:41, 42 NIV) Martha was worried about the things that needed to get done in order for Jesus to stay, and Mary was focused on her relationship with Jesus. Although both are okay, Mary chose the better thing. In our lives today, we need to switch the focus from cleaning up our lives and THEN coming to Jesus, to coming to Jesus because he loves us anyway. It is important that we come to Jesus just as we are!! He will show us how to live our lives right... And the amazing thing is that HE LOVES US JUST AS WE ARE. He doesn't love the sin, but he loves the sinner. Thank you Jesus!!!

An Adventure

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." (Colossians 2:6, 7 NIV) So many people in this world live their lives running around in business... These are the people who miss the meaning of life. God wants us to learn to live in full dependence on Him, collaborating with Him to live and work!! When you begin to do this, life becomes an intimate adventure with God!! Live in dependence on Him... Knowing that His power is made perfect in our weakness! Enjoy your adventure!!

Seeking God

"But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 4:29 NIV) Seek God with all you have - you will find Him! Seek Him in good times and bad times... You will ALWAYS find Him watching over you!! He's never far away!!

Strength in Weakness

"Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding." (Proverbs 3:5 AMP)

God wants us to grow strong in our weakness. We are weak, but He is strong... We need to learn to rely on and trust God. Pray before you plan. Don't tell God what you're going to do, ask Him to guide you to what you should do!! Don't rely on your own understanding - you are only looking at a small corner... God is looking at the big picture!! You can grow strong in your weakness by learning to constantly live in complete trust in God!!

NEVER Alone

"The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur."(Genesis 16:7 NIV) There is NO place you can go where God is not there. Even if you think you are in a place in your life where you are extremely lonely, no one to share your heart with, no one to hold you, you are wrong. God is there. He is holding you everyday of your life. When Hagar ran into the wilderness away from everyone, God found her. YOU ARE NEVER ALONE!!! Don't ever let the lie enter your mind that you are alone... Because more important than any other human being, the King of all Creation is right here - in your room, at work, in your house, at school, EVERYWHERE. God is with you always! Don't forget that today!!!

Wait Before You Work

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans." (Proverbs 16:3 NIV) Wait before you work.... This is an act of faith. When you wake up, instead of running right into work, work, work, spend some alone time with God. When you stay close to God, He will guide you when you need to take action. In this over stimulating world, it is easy to lose your sense of direction and forget what's important. God will help you take out unnecessary activities that only use up your energy... He will fix your sense of direction. Look to God for guidance before you work - he can equip you to do less but accomplish so much more.. Wait before you work... It will be worth it!

The Light of Heaven

"The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp." (Revelation 21:23 NIV) Just like plants need the sun to grow and strengthen, we need the light of God's presence to help us grow in grace an strengthen our souls!! When we spend time with Jesus, face to Face, we see tiny glimpses of what will be in heaven... Like the verse said: there won't need to be a sun or moon in heaven!! The light from the Glory of God will be so strong that we won't need any other light!! Here on earth we have barriers between us and His Glory - in heaven, we won't have any barriers!!! Grow strong in the light of God's presence here and now... And be filled with the hope of heaven!!

Brighten It Up

"Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings." (Psalm 63:7 NLT) God can brighten up the dullest, most boring days, and He can add sparkle to your daily routine!! When you do some of the same things every single day, it can dull your thinking until your mind goes into neutral. A mind in neutral is a mind open to Satan and the world. Keep your mind focused on God!! Spend time with your Heavenly Father and talk to him while you do boring everyday stuff! Let God jazz up your everyday life, so that your mind does not slip into neutral!!!

Out of Control

"Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always." (Psalm 105:4 NIV) When you are stressed and your life seems out of control, look to the Lord and His strength. Your innermost being in totally rooted in eternity - don't be afraid to unhook yourself from the disturbances in this world. Jesus' peace is sufficient for you and your crazy circumstances! Seek His face and He will show you things in His perspective!

UNSTOPPABLE

"Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." (Acts 5:38, 39 NIV) Don't be afraid of other humans shutting down what God sent you to do. If what you are doing is for your own good, it will fail eventually. But if you are truly doing God's work, nobody can stop you!!! People would be silly to try to fight against God!!! Has God sent you to do something? GO FOR IT!!!

Our Problems

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 91:1 NIV) An easy life doesn't mean a perfect life. We live in an extremely fallen world and the problems in our lives bring us to God. Anyone can live a perfect life in a perfect world, but as you have probably figured out, us humans are not capable of living with difficulties from this fallen world on our own. Don't run from your circumstances - learn to live in the shelter of the Most High so you can rest in the shadow of the Almighty knowing that he's got it all under control!! Your problems bring you to God!!

Whirlwind

"But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine." (Isaiah 43:1 NIV)

When you are stuck in the whirlwind of life, whisper God's name. "YOU ARE MINE".. He says to us. The One who created the universe has called you by name - there is no reason to be afraid!! Life is hard, but instead of spending your time wishing you had a different life, just accept each day. Walk through holding our Father's hand! You can't change the circumstances, but you can change your approach!

Does God Want Me To Have Fun?

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Philippians 4:8 NIV)

"Does God want me to have fun and enjoy life?" ... The answer to this question is YES. He delights in your enjoyment of things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. When you are about to do something or go somewhere "fun," make sure it falls into this category. Be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear, be careful little feet where you go... When you only entertain yourself with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable, the Jesus light in you will begin to shine brighter everyday!!! God wants you do fun things and enjoy life!!

Rock-Solid Foundation

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8 NIV. He never changes. Jesus is the perfect foundation for your life... He is firm and stable and will always stay the same. When the world is the foundation for your life, it's like living on an escalator. Things change so fast, your emotions are always going up and down, and there are always people trying to get ahead of you. Jesus is a rock-solid foundation!! The more you grow closer to Him, you will start to realize how amazing His stability is! God is the only friend you could ever have that won't move on from you, won't break His promises, and will never leave you!! He is AMAZING!! Live your life on a foundation that doesn't move or change!!!

Living Life To The Full!!

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10 NIV) Live life to the FULL!! Don't walk around with a sour face and a doggy downer attitude all the time... enjoy life!! The more you focus on God and His presence, the more you can just enjoy life! Relax a little! God's got it under control! Remember when you were a kid and you got excited about every little blessing in your life? When you didn't care what people thought? Live in that childlike delight today!! God loves that!!

Human Weakness

Romans 8:26a "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness...." Our human weakness is not a curse. It actually brings us closer to God, because our weakness stirs up God's compassion... His wanting to help. Don't try to hide your weakness from your heavenly Father - He knows what you've been through and how hard life can be! Accept your weakness and let God bless you abundantly through it!!

Come To The Father Of Love

"All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." (John 6:37 NIV) God wants us to come to Him. This doesn't even take much effort on our part.. Just quiet your heart and mind and open yourself up to Him so that He can fill you with His fullness!!! God wants us to truly experience how wide, how long, and how deep His love for us is. His ocean of love can't be measured, explained, or even understood - but it can be experienced!!!

What is Important?

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15, 16 NIV) Time and energy are precious, but very limited. Knowing this, we need to make sure that we only spend time doing what is truly important. As you walk down the path of life with God's word as your light, He will show you how to spend your time and energy. If you don't know what exactly you should spend your time on, start with God first! Spend time with Him everyday and soon it will become obvious to you what is important!!!

Your Robe of Righteousness

"I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10 NIV)

He has clothed us in His robe of righteousness... God's righteousness is a huge gift, bought with the blood of Christ. I know it's extremely hard to think of yourself as "righteous," but in God's eyes, if you are His child, you are righteous. When your behavior doesn't match up to your privileged kingdom position, instead of trying to throw off the robe of righteousness, throw off the wrong behavior. Keep your eyes on God as you learn to walk in righteousness!! It won't be easy, but it will be worth it!!

House On A Rock

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." (Matthew 7:24 NIV) When you put His words into practice, you are building your firm foundation... When the storms in life come, you can be confident that you will make it through just fine. Nothing can shake you. Things like being thankful, humble, loving, etc. are things that add strong bricks to your house on a rock!! Don't put your trust in something that will sink in the storms... God is the only one that won't fail you!! Be like the wise man who built his house on a rock!!

Not My Own Understanding...

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;" (Proverbs 3:5 NIV.) Your own understanding WILL NOT BRING YOU PEACE. That's why God says "Trust in me." Don't let your mind get addicted to understanding - The satisfaction you find when you figure things out is short. And as soon as you understand one thing, your mind will begin to gear up to figure out the next thing. Although you might think that through understanding every situation in your life, you will have more control over the circumstances, this is not the case. Are you in need of some peace in your life right now? Don't rely on your own understanding, but trust in Jesus Christ, the prince of peace, to take care of you and bring you the peace you need!!

Feet Like a Deer

"He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights." (Psalm 18:33 NIV) Even though there are many mountains in life, God will make your feet like a deer, so that you can stand and not fall on the mountain!! When things seem to be going wrong, stop and trust - leave your problems at the feet of Jesus, and then don't think about it again. Rest in His sovereign control. It's so easy to let your mind wander and over think hard situations. THIS DOESN'T HELP! It will make it worse!! Trust God to give you feet like a deer.. He's got it all under control!

Quietly, Patiently

"Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes." (Psalm 37:7 NIV)

Sit quietly in His presence. Let God direct your thoughts for a while. Keep looking at God today while you walk through the day with Him. Don't wear yourself out trying to do it all on your own!! We were made to rely on God! Take time to rest today - God's not in a hurry!! Don't fret when evil things happen in this world - God's got it under control! He will bless you when you sit quietly in His presence. Be patient.

The Hard Road

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." (Colossians 4:2 NIV) Devote yourself to prayer as you walk through today - constantly watching for the blessings God has put in your path... And be thankful for those blessings!!! Jesus is the right path - focus on Him and He will lead you day by day, through blessings and trials, joy and heartache. Stay close to Jesus - this is a hard road that we can't travel on our own!!!

Reckless Talker

"The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." (Proverbs 12:18 NIV) Your words have the power of life or death, healing or hurting, building up or breaking down. Be SLOW to speak - if there's silence, before you say a word, pray "Help me, Holy Spirit." and if someone is talking to you, pray the same thing before responding. Your positive speech will bring joy to you and the people around you!! Don't be a reckless talker today - let your words be meaningful and wise!! Use them to bring healing and LIFE!

The Sacrifice of Time

"Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence." (Psalm 21:6 NIV) The sacrifice of your time and delighting in God make blessings flow in your life like streams of living water. Not only does this bless you, but God is blessed by this too - we are His children and He loves us! He wants to spend time with us! He is blessed when we spend time in His presence!! Time - its all we've got. Sacrifice some of it to God today. He wants to spend time with you!!!

On Our Team

"No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Joshua 1:5 NIV) Nothing can ever separate us from His love. When you feel ashamed and fearful, remember His promise to us. He is on our team! God is not out to get us or find wrong things that we do - He loves us so much more than we deserve! And NEVER be afraid to stand alone. When you stand for what is right, God will stand with you. If God is for us, who can be against us?!?

"Peace Be With You!"

"Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." (John 20:21 NIV) Jesus is with you and within you. When you feel frazzled by your crazy life, look to Him for peace. Slow down just for long enough for Jesus to bless you with His peace! Don't get upset with yourself when you get stressed because of the craziness in your life.... You are only human. Instead, go to the One who can give you PEACE.

The BEAUTY of His Holiness

"And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory." (Isaiah 6:3 NIV) He's HOLY. And the whole earth is FULL of His glory. We are blessed when we praise God for the beauty in His creation! Some people see the beauty in the world and think "Mother Nature" or something like that... But other people see the beautiful things in creation and think "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty!!!" Let that be you today! God made "beauty" to declare the existence of His Holy being!! Worship God in the beauty of Holiness!

The Center

"Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'" (Matthew 22:37 NIV) We were designed to have God as the center of our lives. To love Him with all we have. When we begin to drift away, we feel this tight tug in our hearts. This is the Holy Spirit, telling you to come back! How far will you let yourself wander away? Shorten the rope between you and God... And love Him with your whole being!!! He is the center!

Have no fear, God's love is here!!!

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18 NIV) God's perfect love drives out fear... Sometimes we are afraid of talking to God about our sin (even though he already knows), or just being completely transparent to Him. Let God's amazing love soak your life... Let yourself get filled by it - that way those fears can be totally driven out!! "The one who fears is not made perfect in love." - Don't let this be you. Don't get stuck with fear in your life... Let His perfect love drive it all out. Have no fear, God's love is here!!!

Hope: The Anchor

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain," (Hebrews 6:19 NIV) We have this hope as an anchor for the soul - the hope of heaven. That at the end of this long journey uphill, there is something better! This path is hard, but God says, "I NEVER leave your side, and I NEVER let go of your hand." The rough and uneven road that you are traveling on with God, is ultimately a highway to heaven. I know it's hard - just hold on to the hope that is the anchor for your soul!!

God's Day

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." (Psalm 32:8 NIV) Let God lead you through today. It's going to be rough, but He's got it all under His control. LOTS of time and energy is wasted in obsessive planning... Don't waste your time and energy today - Let God be the manager of today, and let Him direct your steps so that you can enjoy Him and what HE has planned for you today. Let God lead today - this is His day.

Alive In Today

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV) Look for God in everything today. He can speak to you through ANYTHING - sights, sounds, thoughts, impressions, scriptures, etc. When you are determined to find Him in the day, you will be shocked at how alive and moving He is in the world!! God will be active in lots of things around you today - keep your eyes out!!

In ALL Circumstances

"give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV) Give thanks in ALL circumstances. When you feel like your life stinks and you have nothing to be thankful for, thank God for giving you another day. Gratefulness opens the door to God's presence. Today, take it as a challenge to see how many times you can thank God for something.. Then make this a habit. You have so much to be thankful for!!!

SHINE: Be the Lantern in the Dark Room

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16 NIV) What happens when you bring lantern into a dark room? The lantern lights the room up, right? This is the same with us. God is the light of the world. When you ask Jesus to come into your heart, he brings His light. Through your actions, words, and love, the light that lives inside you will shine through you! We live in a DARK world. Let Jesus shine through you so that you can be the lantern in a dark room!! People will see that you are different, full of light, and the glory will one day be God's!!

Teenagers: it's so easy to fall into the trap of being an "average teenager", and just doing what the world thinks all teenagers should do... but don't settle. If you have Jesus living inside you, let Him shine through you by saying no to gossip, not going places that aren't pleasing to God (no matter who else is going), watching the words that come out of your mouth, and showing everyone around you the love that Jesus gives you. It might be hard now, but in the end it WILL BE WORTH IT!! SHINE!!!

Who To Please

"..and find out what pleases the Lord." (Ephesians 5:10 NIV) He is the ONLY one we should try to please. Don't let other people's expectation drive your life - it is impossible to please everyone. Not everyone is going to like you... Don't try to be someone your not so that they do!!! God is the one we should please - and I have good news: GOD LOVES YOU. He loves you unconditionally, and through all your sin. Focus your life on serving the Master - Jesus Christ, and not trying to please everyone else! You can only serve one master!

Replacing Fear With Faith

"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." (Ephesians 6:16 NIV) "Blazing missiles of fear come at you day and night; these attacks from the evil one come at you relentlessly." Use your shield of FAITH to extinguish these missiles, regardless of the feelings you have going on inside you. Through this act of faith, eventually your feelings will fall in line with your faith!! Fear is a trap - if the enemy can get fear into your head, he can pretty much stop you from doing anything for God. Don't fall into this trap!! Replace your fear today with FAITH!!

Closer Than You Think

"NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]." (Hebrews 11:1 AMP) Have FAITH.... God is nearer than you think... Present in ALL your moments. Ask God to open your eyes to see Him everywhere - the more you can see Him in your life, the safer you will feel! This is not some sort of "escape from reality", but more so an escape to the ultimate reality. Have faith - He's right next to you!!

Only ONE Concern

"There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:42 NLT. There is only one thing worth being concerned about - JESUS CHRIST. Most people in the world today, are slaves to time - they have a "busier is better" mentality, and for Christians, it causes God to be squeezed right through the cracks of their schedules. Is that you? Will you choose to change that and walk with God, making HIM your priority? Very few people choose that, but the ones who do are blessed and can be a huge blessing to the people around them!! What will you choose?

The Slimy Pit: How to Get Out and How to Stay Away

"He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." (Psalm 40:2 NIV) "Self pity is a slimy, bottomless pit. Once you fall in, you tend to go deeper and deeper into the mire." Farther down, there is a state that many americans fall into - depression. Your only hope at that point is to look up and see Jesus' shining light. When you keep your eyes on that light, you will start to come up, out of the muddy hole. Then when you come close enough, you can reach out and grab God's hand, so He can pull you out! Are you stuck in that pit? - Look up and look for the light. If not, don't let yourself get there!! Depression is a DARK place, and it all starts with just a little self-pity! How do we stay away from this? Don't ever let the focus be on you and your emotions. Put your focus on Jesus and other people!

Today and Tomorrow

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34 NIV) God split each day into day/night, 24 hour segments for a reason. That's all we can handle sometimes! A lot of times, the overwhelming stress we feel is because we are worried about something after today. God commands us "DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW." Tomorrow will come soon enough and trust me - it will be hard enough on its own!! You only have today... What is God going to do TODAY?

The Path...

"The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand." (Psalm 37:23, 24 NIV) Keep walking with Him. Even though you might feel like you are in a vast wasteland at the moment, just keep holding God's hand... Walking on. It won't be like this forever - eventually the path will turn into green grassy land, full of life! God knows you are weak - he doesn't expect you to go through the path on your own... Cling to Him!!

Look to Jesus.

"Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame." (Psalm 34:5 NIV) Look to Jesus. Sometimes it's hard to look to God in the midst of our mistakes and problems. We usually feel like we have to fix ourselves before we look to Him. When we look in the mirror or look over our lives, what we see is NOT the same thing God sees! He looks at us as His beloved kids!!! Today, instead of trying to "fix" yourself before you look to Jesus, fix your eyes on Him!! Don't judge yourself - praise Him instead!!

The Name of JESUS

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12 NIV) There is power in the name of Jesus. When you whisper His name, He hears it. SO often in the world today, this powerful name is used as a curse word - God hears that too. When you feel distant from Him, trustingly whisper His name! Don't use His name as a curse word!! There is healing, salvation, love, and POWER in the name of Jesus!!

Idols = No Satisfaction

"You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3 NIV) An idol is considered any thing, person, etc, that you put before God. In our world today this could mean a celebrity, a hobby, a possession (clothes/shopping, a car, a phone, a collection of some sort). BE CAREFUL. Although in your mind you might think that if you get enough of that one thing, or if you only met that one person, you would be satisfied, but THIS IS FALSE. Because how much is enough? How much until you will be satisfied? The only thing that can satisfy is JESUS CHRIST! Throw away idols and worship Him alone!! Walk in the light with Him!

My Best Friend

"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15 NIV) Thank you Jesus.... He is the BEST friend anyone could EVER ask for. Although He is the King Of Kings and the Lord Of Lords, He chooses to be our friend. He doesn't hide anything from us... Don't hide anything from Him! Be yourself around Jesus! He knows everything about you! Thank you Jesus for being such an AMAZING best friend!!!

Sticky Webs

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2 NIV) Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Your thoughts of worry are like sticky webs - because when God tries to talk to you when you are thinking those thoughts, His voice gets caught up in all the chaos. Stop worrying... Just long enough to hear His voice. Don't let your mind take over!! Let God renew it!! Having a clean mind will change you!!

Eternity Today

"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV) "When you seek His face, put aside thoughts of everything else." Even though here on earth we can see only a reflection of God, isn't it so amazing to know that one day we will be able to see him face to face? Right now, we can only know part, but one day we will know all of Him!! Seeking him is the most important thing in your life - more important than your schedule and your circumstances. Don't wait until heaven to get to know God - your eternity is now!

Fountain Of Your Life

Psalm 20:7 "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." Do you truly trust Him? Or do you constantly find yourself full of anxious thoughts and worries? As soon as you become aware of anxious or negative thoughts, throw them away - ask God to fill your mind with thoughts that glorify Him only!! If your life is a fountain, your thoughts are like the water pump that controls the whole thing. When you have negative thoughts, the pump stops working and eventually the life that the fountain usually has will dry up. But when you are trusting and thanking God in your thoughts, the life that will come out of that water pump will be so beautiful and attractive to people around it... And continually flowing with Jesus' love! Is your water pump dry and broken? Jesus is the ultimate repair man. Give your thoughts to Him, so your life can be a fountain of life again!!

Time With The Father

Romans 8:16 "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." He is our Father! Devotion to Him is the most important thing in your life. Don't ever feel bad saying no to the world to say yes to God... Time with Him is precious! The world will try to squeeze you into its mold and get rid of time devoted to your Father. Don't let that happen!! Stay grounded in Him!

A New Thing

Isaiah 43:19 "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Stop sticking to your old ways - He is always doing something new in you! Be on the lookout for new opportunities and new forming bridges! Don't live in habit - where everyday, you do what you did the day before... The way you did it before. Be creative!! God is creative! He doesn't want the 365 days of each year to be exactly the same!! He is doing a new thing! Don't you see it?!?

Worshiping HIM

John 4:24 "God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth." When you worship in spirit and in truth, you are worshiping with the angels in heaven, who worship 24/7!! God hears your requests, but your thankfulness and praise opens the door for blessings! Worship him today in SPIRIT and in TRUTH. You have so much to thank him for!!

The Judge

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." (Luke 6:37 NIV) Don't judge yourself or other people!! God is the ONLY righteous judge. God says that there is no condemnation for those who are walking with Him. So for you and all your friends who are walking with Jesus everyday, you are forgiven and shouldn't be judged or condemned! On the other hand, the people around you who don't know Jesus, are lost - lost people will always act lost!! You don't need to judge them! Forgive and you will be forgiven. Let God be the judge today... He knows what's best!!

He's Got It Under Control

"The eternal God is your refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, 'Destroy them!'" (Deuteronomy 33:27 NIV) He's got it all under control. He is there to give you shelter, hold you up, and keep you safe. Learn to trust Him with your whole life! Every situation that comes your way, pray about it. Trust Him. Worrying won't do anything, but praying to the almighty God who holds all the power will do a lot!! Exchange your worry and fear to trust and prayer!!

Delight

"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4 NIV) Take delight in God. Learn to enjoy His presence and learn to love spending time with Him. Even though it is so hard to wake up earlier in the morning to spend time with God, and it may not seem worth it at the time, in the long run it will be totally worth it. Don't let sleep, friends, family, or the enemy keep you from spending time and delighting in God!! He WILL give you the desires of your heart!!

FREE!!

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32 NIV) Jesus is the TRUTH, and He came to set us FREE!! We are free... Free to be the people that He made us to be.... Free to worship Him whenever and however... Thank you Jesus!! Find your security in knowing Jesus, the TRUTH, the one who died to SET YOU FREE!

Only a Sandcastle

"In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly." (Psalm 5:3 NIV) Don't wait until your day has already gotten bad to come to God. Instead, when you first wake up, invite Him into your day! When you wake up, the day ahead of you seems so overwhelming and you feel like you just can't get through it on your own. News flash: YOU CAN'T. But if you change your mentality to "God and you together", it doesn't seem half as hard. We are weak, but He is STRONG!! What seems like a huge mountain to you, is only a sandcastle to God!! Invite Him into your day!!

His Ways

Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways." We will never understand God's ways - they are not like ours! Even when you grow super close to God, His ways will still be a mystery to you!! God doesn't do things that make the most sense to us - He does them His own way!! Instead of trying to figure out why He does what He does, focus on His goodness!! Although we will never be able to fathom His ways, we can taste and see that He is good!! Focus on God's goodness today!!

Wherever You Go

Genesis 28:15 "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Wherever you go, God will watch over you and He will be with you! He's not going to leave you until He has fulfilled His promises!! Wherever you are right now, don't get discouraged - even though it might be hard, God has a plan for a future and hope for you. When you read His word, you will find so many promises to you. He will fulfill them ALL!! If in any area of your life you feel stuck or hurting, pray and trust in God! He promises to bring you out of it!!

Momentary Troubles

"Therefore do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." - 1 Corinthians 4:16-17

Don't lose heart! Even though life is so hard, if you ask God, He will help you cope will everything that comes your way! And keep your eyes on heaven! Your life is just a blink of an eye, but heaven is forever and ever! And every situation and momentary trouble just bring you closer and closer to heaven!! He goes before us and with us everyday - keep yourself focused on Him!!

Rejoicing in Today!

Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." God has this day planned for you, and he is so excited for you to wake up!! He made this day!! Don't wake up grumpy and mad that today is today - lets rejoice and be glad in EVERYDAY! No matter what happens today, be thankful!! Today is going to be a great day! :)

Dependent

"So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10 NIV)

What The World Teaches: Dependency on someone else is a sign of immaturity. When you can completely depend on yourself, you are mature.

What God Teaches: Dependency on God and God alone is the biggest sign of maturity. When you completely depend on yourself, you are immature and sinning comes easier.

He is with us. He is our God. He will strengthen us. He will help us. He will hold us tight with his righteous hand. You can't do it alone!! When God designed the world, he did not create us to run our lives alone - he create us to be God-dependent!! Come to Him today... Don't try to do it alone!

Trusting in His Love

Psalm 52:8 "But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever." Trust in His love always... It's the only love that will never fail you! Keep your attention on Him all the time and don't ever loose sight of His love for you!!

From Trials to Thanksgiving

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6 NIV) Turn your trials into thanksgiving. It's so easy to let hard times and situations make you mad at God, but we shouldn't let that happen. Instead, we should thank God for whatever situation... Although you may not feel thankful at the moment, thanking God can change your heart drastically!! Being thankful takes the focus off of you, cancels your pity party, and places the spotlight on God! Are you having a hard time with something? Thank God for your trials.

Time

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me." (Micah 7:7 NIV) Wait patiently, and watch for God. Although our lives are usually run by time and tasks, God is NOT BOUND BY TIME! The things that He does, don't happen in our timing, either!! We have to learn to master time, or it will begin to master us - today, focus on God, who lives in timelessness!! Don't be a slave to your time!!

In Every Moment

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV) God speaks to us continually, through the things around us! Sometimes he uses words, but usually he will speak to us through loved ones, and through his creation! In fact, you will be able to find him in every single moment when you have eyes that see and ears that hear. When you seek God with all your heart, you WILL find him in every moment! God, please give us eyes to see you and ears to hear you, so that we can find you in every moment!!

Protection = Praise

"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you." (Psalm 5:11 NIV) "God is the firm foundation on which you can dance and sing and celebrate his presence." That should be our top priority - not having a structured life, but to be constantly glorifying and enjoying Him!! He is protecting you!! Cling to Him - striving to keep everything under control is a waste of time! Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus today!! He is our refuge, so praise him!

Your Future

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." (Ephesians 1:4 NIV) He chose you. And he has an amazing plan for your life! Don't get ahead of God though - things need to happen in his timing, not yours. Just trust that His plans are to prosper you and not to harm you - if you know that, you can relax! He's got it all under control!! Let your main focus be on God, and not trying to figure out your future!! I can tell you from experience that our plans are not His plans! Don't let yourself think you have your future all figured out... You don't!! Only God knows!!

A Cheerful Heart

"A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." (Proverbs 17:22 NIV) Just laugh! Sometimes you need to relax, and not take yourself or your circumstances so seriously! We spend so much time worrying about things that we can do nothing about! Just give them to God and laugh a little!! Laughing is so good for you - spiritually, physically, and mentally... And it lightens your load!! Don't miss the Joy of His presence by carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders!! Laugh today!!

Where You've Been and Where You're Headed

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8 NIV)

God has a totally different path cut out for each one of us. For example: Say you had a friend who grew up in an abusive family, and had lots of hard things happen to her, and that made her come to Christ. But you, on the other hand, grew up in a Christian home and you saw how amazing God was in the people around you, so you decided to come to Christ.

Neither one of those situations is a better way. Even though growing up in an abusive family seems bad, maybe God would want to use her because of that in her ministry. See how both situations are completely different, but they are both part of God's plan?

No matter what path God has set out for each of us, He requires the same thing from all of us while we walk down it: to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Him!! If you don't know where you're headed in your life, do those things - you'll find out eventually!!

Alive and Unseen

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV) This world is so crazy and overstimulated that in order to focus on an unseen God, you have to step away from the craziness for a while. It's so easy to fill up your schedule and not have a moment to spare.... But try something today: no matter how busy you are or what you have going on, focus your attention on Him. Spend some time with Him before you do anything. Then all throughout the day look for glimpses of Him in His creation, in the people around you, and in your situations. Every small moment you have with nothing going on, talk to Him. Look for him today - God is never far!!

RESCUED: Out of the Water

"The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." (Jeremiah 31:3 NIV) God has loved us with an everlasting love for so much longer than we could even fathom. And when the time was right, he showed himself to us. He lifted us out of that freezing cold sea of death and despair and set us each on a firm foundation. Praise God!! For so long we swam in that sea trying to stay alive - searching for love and hoping for hope. Until our life boat, Jesus Christ came around and snatched us out of the water!! Thank you Jesus for putting me on a firm foundation!

Divine Joy

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy..."(Galatians 5:22a NIV) Do you have joy? I'm not talking about happiness that you get from worldly things - I'm talking about divine joy, that only comes from God. God wants to plant in your heart, a fountain of joy that overflows into the lives around you! All you have to do is focus on God... Let his joy fill you up today!!!

Today.... How will it be?

We can get through each day one of two ways.

The first way: "And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel." (1 Corinthians 10:10 NIV)

The second way: "to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." (Luke 1:79 NIV)

Either you can grumble and complain and make your day horrible, or you can pick up your feet and walk in the path of peace, shining your light for Jesus Christ!! There is only one thing that can determine if you have a "good day." ... YOU. You choose how it will be. Even if everything is going wrong, you can still choose to have an awesome day!! What are you choosing today?

Battle for Your Mind

"The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace." (Romans 8:6 NIV) There is a huge battle raging for your mind. Satan knows that if he gets your mind, your whole self will go down with it. But you aren't fighting against the enemy all by yourself - God is on our team!! Ask God today to control your mind.. And he will give you his amazing life and peace. If you are reading this, then you are a threat to Satan. He doesn't like anyone who is full of God's power and strength! Don't let your mind be governed by evil flesh... It will lead to death. Give your mind to God!

Continually

"Pray continually," (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV) Don't stop praying and being aware of His presence in your life. Don't try to get ahead of life and plan far out into the future - because that's when you begin to ignore God who sustains you every moment. Be aware of His strong grip holding onto you, and pray continually!

It Covers Us

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8 NIV) Be thankful for his love today... Because it covers all our sins. It is the bleach that takes our blood stained life and makes it clean again. With that thankfulness, love others with the same love he gives you! Love, forgiveness, and grace all go together! Thank you Jesus for your love!!!

Come To Him

"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." (Matthew 28:18 NIV) Even though Jesus has the power to fix every broken part of us, that's not what he does. He wants us to come to him with a teachable spirit and a desire to be helped! God already knows about every detail of you, more so than you even do, so he's the best one to get help from!!! Is there any parts of your life that are so broken? Come to God today, with thanksgiving and teachability, and ask him for help!! He's waiting!!

Are you worried?

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" (Luke 12:25, 26 NIV) Worrying doesn't do anything for you. And as some people might think that's it's just part of life, it is not. Worrying is a form of doubt or unbelief and it gives you the power instead of God. Who runs your life? Do you? If so, then yes, I would be worried too. But if the answer to that is God, then worrying is totally unnecessary. When you start to worry or feel anxious, give the situation to God. He will do one of two things: take care of the problem, or show you how to handle it. Don't worry, he's got it all under control.

This Little Light of Mine

"Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you." (Isaiah 60:2 NLT) This world is so full of darkness from the sin that has overtaken it. When our hearts changed, God poured his light into us so that we could reflect his Glory!! When people see us, they should be able to tell that there is something different, something good that they might want! Be a Jesus lighthouse today!! And don't ever let it be about you... Because its all about him!! Shine your light!!

Feeling empty? Idols and Satisfaction

"You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3 NIV) Anything you put before God in your life, is an idol - Food, sleep, a celebrity, Facebook, friends, clothes, a hobby, TV, fun, music, etc. etc. etc. A good way to find out is to look at what you spend your money on. Your heart is hooked to your wallet. DO NOT FOLLOW IN THE PATTERNS OF THIS FALLEN WORLD - the world teaches that you find satisfaction in earthly things. The only place you can find complete satisfaction, is in Jesus Christ. Without him, you will have a huge God-shaped hole in your heart that will cause you to feel extremely empty. Put God first in your life, and begin to examine your life for potential idols... Then GET THEM OUT!! Let your satisfaction be found in God alone!!

Your Problems in Perspective

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds," (James 1:2 NIV) Hard and challenging times are opportunities. Opportunities to trust God, and to grow closer to him. There is nothing we can't handle!! - we've got God beside us and the holy spirit inside us!! Next time you face a problem or challenge, instead of measuring it up against your strength (where it will always look like a giant), measure it against God's, whose strength makes the problem look like a tiny ant! Stay close to God and don't let your ant-like problem turn into Goliath! Put your troubles into perspective against His strength, not your own!!

Peace

"May the Master of Peace himself give you the gift of getting along with each other at all times, in all ways. May the Master be truly among you!" (2 Thessalonians 3:16 MSG) Let his peace replace your fears and worries. And as soon as your fears and worries are out, stay alert!!! They will try to creep back in! In what area of your life do you need peace today? Ask God for it and get ready for change!!

Just Like Him

"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2 NIV) If you have no idea what God wants you to be, but all you do know is that he wants you to be like him, then aim for that. How do you do that? By spending time in his word, learning his nature, talking to him, etc. Godliness doesn't come from anything you do or a list of rules - that's legalism. Don't get yourself caught up in that like that Pharisees did!! Don't let the rules of being a "typical Christian" get in your head - instead, find out for yourself who God is, and aim to be like him!! God, I want to learn to be just like you!!!

Perfectly Mapped Out

"As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord's word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him." (Psalm 18:30 NIV) God's way is perfect and his word is flawless. He maps out every single one of our days perfectly. He knows the problems we will face that will bring us back to him, the people that we will see who will encourage us, and the opportunities he will give us to do his work. He has it all planned out. Stay conscience of the Holy Spirit today letting God guide you step by step through the day. Don't let your mind get stuck in the mud of the fallen world... Keep your mind in heaven!!!

Receive His Peace

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." (2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV) God's peace is ready to take over us... But how do you receive it? Be still in God's Presence, asking him to control your thoughts. Letting his light soak into your mind until you are glowing with Jesus Christ! Are you in need of some of God's peace? Receive it today.

It's Worth It.

2 Chronicles 16:9a "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." It is so important to spend time with God and commit yourself fully to him. Although sometimes its hard, it is so worth it. God searches throughout the whole earth to strengthen those hearts who are fully committed to him! Sometimes you have to shut the world out for time with God.. Away from all distractions and agendas.... Spending time with God is a wise investment.

Immanuel: God With Us

"The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us"). (Matthew 1:23 NIV) IMMANUEL: God with us.... He is ALWAYS WITH US! Even though in the dark times in your life it is hard to see God, you can have faith and know he's with you. God is kind of like the sun - When everything's going great and your life is bright, he is visible to you. But when life gets dark and times are rough, it is a lot harder to see him... Although if you search for him in those times, you will find that he is always there!! He is with you today!!

His OVERWHELMING Greatness

"Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom." (Psalm 145:3 NIV) Isn't God's presence overwhelming? That overwhelming feeling you get in God's presence is worship - feeling your smallness and his greatness. For me, it is awesome to know that I have a relationship with the one who created the earth, the one who is GREAT in all the earth... And he calls me "friend"!! Don't you feel like that? Don't ever let yourself think that you know and understand God's greatness. None of us do and ever will. I think it would probably take our brain capacity times 100 to even comprehend half of his greatness!! Draw near to him today, and he will draw near to you. And you can experience God's great presence in a way you never have before.

What to Wear

"Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh." (Romans 13:14 NIV) Clothe yourself with Jesus Christ every morning. Spend time with him when you wake up and ask him for his mind, so that you can think his thoughts! This will help you to be well equipped for whatever will happen during the day, and will reduce the worldliness inside of you!! It makes a difference to the people around you too... What will you Wear today? Jesus or the world?

Forever and Ever

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." (Revelation 22:13 NIV) In this fast-paced world that is always changing, there is only one place we can find stability: Jesus Christ. He stays the same forever and ever!! The only remedy for the poisonous threat of uncertainty, is drawing closer to God. He is stable and certain!! Run to the one who never changes!!!

Encouragement for Christians

"The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time." (Psalm 34:19 NLT) When your a Christian, sometimes a sin or a problem in your life will make you feel like its all falling apart - all your relationships, your plans, everything. But that's not the truth. God says that even "righteous people" or Christ followers make mistakes and face problems! Don't ever let yourself think that it's all falling apart - that's a lie that is fed to you by the enemy, who wants you to fail. " ...But the LORD comes to the rescue each time." Yep.. He does. Even though we continue to make mistakes every single day, God's still going to rescue us!! Today, don't let the problems in your life bring you down... They will soon be gone. With Jesus, we are VICTORIOUS!!!

Give God Your Mind

"Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, LORD." (Psalm 89:15 NLT) Sometimes you just have to bring your mind to God for rest, renewal, and new awareness of his presence. Just like Adam and Eve walked and talked with God in the garden, we can walk and talk in the garden of our heart!! Let your mind stop raising and your body stop running, so you can focus on Him!! Let God have your mind!!

Today is a Treasure Hunt!!

"...in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:3 NIV) Before you woke up this morning, God was already working to prepare the path that will get you through today. Go into today (and everyday), knowing that God is in it! There are some hidden treasures in today too... God knows the trials you will face, and the blessings you will receive.... In fact, he planned them all out. Pay close attention to the situations that happen today... Search for Jesus in all of them!! Think of your day as a treasure hunt!!

Beyond Our Understanding

"So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor." (1 Peter 5:6 NLT) God is sovereign over all our circumstances... We need to humble ourselves. What God does, is a lot of times way beyond our understanding! But we need to rejoice in it anyway! Take your eyes off yourself, and fix them on Jesus... Learn to view things from his perspective!! Sometimes we just have to humble ourselves and stop thinking that we know how God works or what he is doing... Because truth is, mostly we don't!! God will lift you up eventually, but for now stay humble!!

He. Is. For. Us.

"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31 NIV) God is with us and for us! God offers abundant life; our job is to trust him and refuse to worry about anything. We really need to watch our thoughts though... They can take us from "God's in charge, I don't need to worry" to "What in the world am I going to do? I have so many problems." Today, switch your focus from the problem to God's Presence!! It's the only remedy!! And don't ever forget that God's on our team!! He loves us and is for us, not against us!! And I've read the end of the story... We are the VICTORIOUS team!!!

Living in the Light

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:7 NIV) When there is sin in your life, instead of hiding it and secluding yourself in darkness, confess your sins and ask for forgiveness, and God will purify your heart!! Live in the light and walk with the One who is the light!! Don't let your sin bring you to a point of liking darkness.... Confess it and get it out ASAP!! Life is so much better when you're living in the light!!

Strength for This Life.

"The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace." (Psalm 29:11 NIV) Life is hard. But God gives us strength to get through everyday, and he blesses us with his peace. His peace knowing that in the end, it will be better. In heaven, we won't have to deal with frustration, hurt, anger, guilt, shame, or anything else that we struggle with today.... Instead it will be just the opposite - Love, joy, peace, and the list goes on!! With God's strength, we can make it through!!

Higher

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9 NIV) He is higher than us in every way. Trust Him today to guide you through, accomplishing His purposes in His timing! It's so easy to make our own plan, and do our own things... But instead, trust God and search for His way everyday!! His way is always better than ours!!!

Unlimited Abundance

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19 NIV) We serve a God of abundance...a God who NEVER runs out of resources. There is no such thing as supply and demand in God's kingdom! His provisions are far too great for us to comprehend!! Do you need something? Or know someone who does? Ask God today, believing in faith that he will provide!!! ...because he will!! His ability to bless us is unlimited!

GPS or Print-Out Map?

"We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God's purpose prevails." (Proverbs 19:21 MSG) What's the last thing that you know God told you to do? That's what you should be doing. In all areas of your life, that's how it works. God never said he would show us a blueprint of our life and give us an instruction sheet - but instead, He said he would guide us step by step. We should have more of a GPS mindset instead of a print-out map. On a GPS, the voice won't tell you the next direction until you've taken the last one it told you to take! Where as in a print-out map, you have all the directions laid out for you to see at the beginning of the trip! Don't expect a print-out map from God, but trust Him to guide you to the next step! Just do the last thing He told you, and listen for His voice!!

Come Near to God...

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (James 4:7, 8 NIV) Say "No" to the devil and he will run. Come closer to God and he will come closer to you. Spending time with our Lord and savior is essential to us. It's not an option. Satan will try to make you feel guilty for spending too much time alone with God, but DO NOT LISTEN TO THAT!! Satan is afraid of our faith, so when he tries to make you feel guilty, hold up your shield of faith! The more time you spend with God, the better. Even though temptation will arise, you will know what to do from your time spent with God!! Come near to God today!!

Weaknesses = God's Power

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV) We are weak, but He is strong. Our power and His don't mix. His grace is sufficient for us! And his power is made perfect through our weaknesses!! God has never told any of his children to man-up or be powerful... But instead, he tells us to let our weaknesses show through, so that his power can sustain us!! He chooses weak ones like us to fulfill his purposes!! Never fear your limitations, but instead, boast about your weaknesses so that God's power will rest in you!! God is a mighty God!! Trust in his strength, not your own!!!

Let Go and Let God.

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." (1 Peter 5:7 NLT) Let go and let God. Give all your worries and cares to him...they won't do any good sitting in your hands! Do you trust God to completely run your life, or do you still try to do some things your way? You can't follow your will and God's will. When things are tough, instead of stressing ourselves out, we need to just learn to let go!! Let Jesus take the wheel! Situations that he's involved in will always turn out to be the best!! He cares for you! Give him all your worries and cares!!

Unlimited Ministry

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 NIV) Are you burnt out? Burnt out with ministry, and trying to meet people's needs? You can't meet anyone's needs with your own resources. Your love, time, energy, and money is limited. News flash: Our God doesn't have limits!! His love continues to pour out. Our love is like a water bottle, but his is like a water fall!! If you are weary, burdened, and burnt out with ministry right now, take some time to let God give you rest, and fill you back up with his infinite love!! That way when you begin pouring back out, the flow will be never-ending!! Don't try to meet needs with your limited resources, but instead meet them with God's unlimited resources!!

Presenting Your Request With Thanksgiving

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6 NIV) Present your request to God with THANKSGIVING. Yes, thank God for your problems as soon as they come. This simple act of thanking can calm your mind down from its anxious thoughts. When a problem comes up in your life, you usually have questions running through your head: What am I gonna do? How am I going to get through this?... But before you get too deep into your nervous wondering, just stop. Thank God for the growth opportunity, and chill out - God is in control. Present your request to him, do what you need to do, and let him do his work!! That's all you can do!! Thank you Jesus for the problems I have in my life that bring me closer to you!!

From self-sufficiency to "God, I need you!"

2 Corinthians 1:9 "Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead." Don't run from the difficulties in your life. They are in your life so that you can learn to rely on God, not yourself. In the world today, they try to teach you that self-sufficiency is what you need... But it's totally not - don't ever rely on yourself!! When you get stressed or into a hard situation, listen for a little alarm going off in your head telling you to rely on God. If you rely on yourself, you might get higher in the worldly stuff that will just go away when you die, but if you rely on God, he will provide you will everything you need and more, and you will be able to have an intimate relationship with him on the earth and in heaven for forever and ever!!! Rely on Him today!!!

Beauty Out of the Ashes

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Don't ever try to undo a decision you made in the past.. It's a waste of time. Instead, give all mistakes you've made to God. He can bring good out of your worst mistake! My God is a God who can make beauty out of the ashes!! And for the future, as much as we should do our best, don't ever expect yourself to be perfect. Mistakes are what humble us and highlight our dependence on Him! Give your past mistakes to God today... And watch what he does!! We know that in everything, God works for the good of those who love him and are called by him!!

Overcome

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33 NIV) Don't try to live a problem-free life, because your expectations on this will never be met... Jesus said that in this world we will have trouble. But instead, keep your eyes on the prize - Heaven. In heaven you will live a problem-free life for the rest of eternity. Also, don't start each day saying "I hope I don't face any problems," but instead saying, "God, I know I will have problems today, so please equip me to get through them... Let's face them together." And be encouraged that we know the end of the story - Jesus has overcome the world!!!

From Bad to Good

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20 NIV) Bad situations are not always bad. Look at Joseph... His brothers' intention was to hurt him, but God turned it around and put him in a high place to save some people!!! Instead of spending your time worrying about getting out of these bad situations, just trust God. He knows exactly what he is doing!! My devotional book says, "This is how you foil the works of evil, growing in grace through the very adversity that was meant to harm you." Relax! God can bring good out of anything!! Trust him!

Finding Security.

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV) You won't find your security in anything that you can see - not your friends, not your schedule, and not by checking off everything on your checklist. Although while searching for security, it may seen like you will find it in something on earth... the truth is, you will not. Focus on God's presence and his overwhelming peace - because that's where you will find your security!!

Our Thankfulness = God is Good

Psalm 95:2 "Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song." God is good. And when we are thankful, it confirms that He really is good. When you tell God what you need, he will provide it for you!! Come to him with "confident expectation" because HE WILL PROVIDE YOUR NEEDS. And when he does provide them for you, it will give you tons more reasons to be thankful... which says that OUR GOD IS GOOD!!!

BELIEVE

1 Peter 1:8 "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy," Even though we have not seen God, nor do we see him now, we love him, and we believe and are filled with this joy that this verse says is "inexpressible and glorious". Seeing is not believing, but believing is seeing. When you believe in God with all your heart, you see him working all around you!!! He becomes obvious to you, even though you've never seen God with your very eyes!! It's so important to spend time with God!!! Let him flood you with his divine presence and inexpressible joy!!!

Only One Master

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24 NIV) You CAN'T serve two masters. If God is your master, you will want to please him in all you do, but do you aim to please people? Don't let people have power over you like that. When you aim to please someone else, you will end up hurt and disappointed. God also says we cannot be a slave to sin or money... Look at your choices in the past week to find out what you have been serving. Aim to please God, because he should be your master!! Who are you serving today?

Complete Trust

"The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that." (Proverbs 29:25 MSG) It is harder to feel God's presence when you are around other people... There's just something inside all of us that makes us want to please everyone. If this is the case for you right now, just whisper God's name... And learn to trust him slowly. When you begin to trust God with your entire life, and you see the blessings, you will never want to go back!! Once you've seen the fire of God, you won't be satisfied with the smoke!! Complete trust in God makes people pleasing vanish!!! Learn to trust him with your life!!!

The Present.

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?" (Luke 12:25 NIV) Worrying about what came in the past and what is coming in the future will not do anything for you. We need to live in the present, making the most of EVERY opportunity.... Nothing that comes in your life is random - it is all planned out by God!! Don't let your moments slip through your fingers, half-lived... Live life to the fullest, walking with God, step by step, and the fulfilling the huge plan he has for you - one small step at a time!

Your Weaknesses = His Perfect Power

2 Corinthians 12:9 "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." Are you lacking in something? Time, energy, money, love, motivation? Great. You have the power of God living in you (if you don't already, than you can).... And his power is made PERFECT in our weakness. We were not made to be self-sufficient, but to be dependent on God!!! Talk about your weaknesses... Most people brag and boast about how great they are, but let's change that. Let's boast about about God's power and his sufficient grace!!! Rejoice in your weaknesses!! His power is made perfect in them!

How To Be Thankful

Hebrews 12:28-29 "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire." We need to be thankful. Thankful for EVERYTHING - every person in our life, everyday, every opportunity, etc. Don't take anything in your life for granted. In order to learn this deep thankfulness, there's some steps you need to take.
1. Acknowledge that EVERYTHING you have belongs to God.
2. Spend time each day learning about God and his nature.
3. Practice seeing things from His perspective.
4. Don't let a day go by that you don't thank God for your life and everything in it!!!

Leader of Your Days

"The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;" (Lamentations 3:25 NIV) Seek God today on everything you do. Instead of trying to draw a mental picture of how today is going to be - who you are going to see, what your going to get done, where you're gonna go... Let God lead your day. God might have a plan for today that's opposite of the plans you made up!! Don't try to determine how today, tomorrow, or any day is going to be - Let the One who created you for a specific purpose lead your days!!! Seek him before you do anything!

Major Jesus Power

Isaiah 40:31 "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." When we're weak, He makes us strong. Don't you feel so weak sometimes? Go to God, tell him how weak you are... Then get ready for some major Jesus power!! He made us weak human beings so we would have to rely on him for the power!! God tells us here, that when we put our complete hope in him, he will give us strength... We will soar on wings like eagles, and we will walk and run and not grow weary or faint. Life is hard... But the same power that conquered the grave lives in us!!!

Ladder or Pit

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV) Problems can be good. But each problem you face could have two different outcomes, and the choice is yours. You can either feel sorry for yourself and fall into a deep pit of self-pity, or you can look at your problem as a ladder. A ladder that you can climb to see your life in God's perspective! After all these worldly troubles, we get to live in a place with no troubles for all of eternity!! Put your problems into perspective today!!!

Steady Focal Point

Hebrews 12:2 "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." God needs to be our focal point. We need to continually fix our eyes on him. If you look at your circumstances for too long, you will be very confused! When a ballerina does a spin, she has to keep her eyes on a steady object, because if she focuses on a moving one, she would most likely loose her balance... That's just like us! - God is a steady focal point. He never changes. When we keep our eyes on him, we can face the challenges no matter how hard they are. When we fix our eyes on our fast moving circumstances, we will loose our balance and fall. Keep your eyes fixed on him today!!!

Be Still and Know..

Psalm 46:10 "He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Be still... When things happen in your life that are not what you had planned, just sit back and trust him! He is God and we are not!! No matter how good or bad we think something is for us, he could be thinking the complete opposite! Stop yourself before you get angry or frustrated at your circumstances... God knows what he's doing!! Be still and know that he is God today!!