Psalms 34:19

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous:

but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. ”

I am so very glad that God is with me.

By definition, affliction is pain or suffering, or something that causes pain or suffering.

I take comfort in that fact that even though I may go through a great deal of things God has promised to deliver me. Not out of some of them, but ALL of them.

My responsibility is to tell God about what I am going through. Not complaining, but informing him. Always speaking the truth in faith. Once I tell him, I then GIVE it to him. Then I must let it go and leave it for God to deal with. This requires faith – trust in God.

Never pick an affliction up again once you have given it to God in faith. This can be challenging but is not impossible. Before you know it, you have been delivered.

Trust God, and stand on his promises. They are sure, and they are true. Be free in Jesus and walk in peace.

Have a blessed day!!

No Work, No Prize

Hebrews 11:6

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

To Diligently seek God means to do so in a way that shows your care and conscientiousness in your responsibilities toward Him.

In our previous post “What Is Faith” we talked about what faith is and what it is not. In this post we are going to discuss how important it is for every believer.

Hebrews tells the we need faith just to be able to please God. Why? Because we MUST believe that God is.

By definition Is, third person singular present of be.

Which basically means an ever present state of to exist or live.

God is ALWAYS here and alive and very real.

In order to come to God, it must be settled in our heart that God Is real, alive, exists, etc. This requires faith. Faith in his word (Bible). Faith in the experiences you have had with God. It is more than moving based on what you have heard others say or do, or more than what you may have seen. Faith is true, deep, and abiding trust in God.

Once you come to this realization, the next step in pleasing him is to understand our walk with God is full of rewards. God rewards those who are willing to do his will (faith without works is dead), by seeking him.

Pleasing God should be the goal of every believer. We should wake up with this desire. We should structure our lives around this goal. As we lay down at night, we should repent if we failed in reaching this goal, and ask for guidance so we don’t make the same mistakes the next day.

To Seek is to attempt to find; to ask for something from someone.

When we diligently seek God, we do so in a way that shows care and conscientiousness in our love and duty towards him. This is an act of worship. We acknowledge God for who he is, we thoughtfully and prayerfully honor him by doing what he has called us to do. This is faith and works in action. This is how we please him.

God is calling us all to a deeper level in him. It will require our full and whole hearted participation to get there. We must diligently seek him, and receive our reward.

You might be feeling that pull of God. Or you might be in the place where there is a void that only God can feel. In either case, the answer is the same – Diligently seek God. Be faithful in doing what God has called you to. Spend time in his word to know him better. Talk with him, ask for what you need, but do not let your wants supersede his will.

Remember, God is a rewarder of those that seek him. He wants to give you what you need. He is just waiting for you to ask. He is waiting for you to seek him.

God is calling you deeper. It is up you to accept the call, and do what is necessary to please him.

By definition faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

Complete is having all the necessary or appropriate parts; to the greatest extent or degree; total.

According to Hebrews 11:1, the Bible defines faith as “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Be definition, substance is the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists and which has a tangible, solid presence.

So then Our complete trust in God is the tangible, solid presence of the things hope for. Our faith is the actual evidence of the things we cannot see.

Faith must move from our head to our hearts and become real. I say this because we can know and understand, and even believe things without them first becoming real to us. A thing is truly real to us it it has moved from our head to our hearts.

The Bible tells us that our mouth will speak what is in our heart (Matthew 12:34) without conscious effort. The thing is so much a part of you that it is spoken without you even realizing it. It is almost like an automatic behavior.

When your faith has made a thing real, it is so easy to speak it daily as an affirmation. But on the flip side of that coin, if you really do not believe a thing it is hard to confidently say it in faith. Rather we cover our doubt with flowery words. But it is doubt none the less.

Faith is bold, it is fearless, and it is unwavering. It has to be bold because we must stand up in the face of the enemy and boldly proclaim the word of God. Faith has to be fearless, because fear has torments. Fear and faith cannot exist at the same time. God’s perfect love casts out fear, and our faith is stronger because of it. Faith must be unwavering because it must stand when tested and withstand the fiery darts of the devil.

No, we are not born with great faith. But we are born with a measure of faith. It is our duty to exercise our faith and allow it to grow into great faith. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Our faith is activated by the Word of God. Faith requires the Word of God to survive.

Those of us wha are in a faith battle need to understand that it IS God’s will that you come out victorious. Yes, he wants to heal you, deliver you, and set you free. No, he does not want to see you fail, fall, or even miss heaven. These are lies told by the enemy over and over again in many different versions. It is the believers duty to take what God says, over the lies of the enemy – every time.

It’s a faith thing.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

“9. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

11. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

By definition, to forgive is stop feeling angry or resentful toward (someone) for an offense, flaw, or mistake. To cancel (a debt).

We all need this from God, others, and ourselves. God freely gives us this desperately needed blessing. We should forgive others as God has forgiven us. Lastly, and sometimes the most challenging, is to forgive ourselves.

Once we repent to God, and ask for his forgiveness from a sincere heart, he does forgive us. He does not even remember it anymore. We, on the other hand, are not always quick to forget. We then torture people who have wronged us, or ourselves with these memories. We bring them up, or a place, thing, smell, song, etc, will trigger the memory, and we being to relive the offense again. If this is you, then you truly have not forgiven.

Just as when God forgives us, he no longer remembers the offense, we must do the same. We must let go of the issue as a whole, especially the details (hurt and pain). As long as we hold on to the memory we cannot truly be free. We continue to bind ourselves and the person who caused it. When we forgive we set ourselves free along with the person(s) who have hurt us.

We all have a past. We cannot continue to hold our past deeds, behaviors, and wrongs against ourselves either. Once God forgives, we must also forgive ourselves. This includes ending the guilt and shame of our past. We cannot allow others to hold us to our past either. Yes, we must accept the blame, yes I did that, said that, caused that, believed that etc. We must have the attitude “But I have repented before God, he has forgiven me. I ask your forgiveness too.” It is up to the other to forgive, or not. Either way, you must forgive yourself.

We all have a past. Even the person you have wronged. You must have an attitude of restoration toward that person. However, you do not have to allow that person to keep you bound to that past because they refuse to forgive. That is between them and God. They may never forgive you, but you can (and should) forgive yourself. Then close the book on that chapter of your life. Move on, but be better than you use to be. Do not repeat those same old behaviors or actions.

We all have a past, but we must let it go to gain the future that God has for us. Freedom is a choice, and it requires strength to receive it by faith, and to maintain it. Not physical strength, but spiritual strength. It is given by God, we receive it by faith through the Holy Spirit, and the word of God. It requires a relationship with God to fully understand and to walk in. But freedom is still ours and is always available to us.

To be bound to the past is also a choice. To do so requires us to refuse what God is trying to do (and give) in our life. Choosing to keep the old, rather then walk in the new. Yes, it is a choice that come with consequences we really do not want. Why not accept forgiveness and all that God has for us?

We all have a past. Even those who would want to hold things against us. We are not perfect, and have done wrong. Even the person(s) who refuse to forgive and forget. We must forgive ourselves and take away the power others would try to exercise over us. We do this by forgetting and letting go of the guilt and shame of our past. Let the blood of Jesus wholly cleanse us, and move on.

Be blessed!

1 Corinthians 4:1-2

“1. Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

2. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

By definition, faith is loyal, constant, and steadfast. True to the facts or the original.

That is certainly true of our God. But should also be true of us, the children of God, joint heirs with Christ.

Faithfulness is a requirement. But please do not confuse being faithful with being perfect. We are not perfect, we make mistakes. However, we strive to reach perfection. The goal is that as we mature and grow in Christ, we make fewer mistakes than we did before.

Perfect is having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be.

Faithful is different. God requires that we remain loyal to him, at all times. That we continue to do the things that we have been called or assigned to by God – without fail. We are not allowed to give up, take a break from, or put it down for a while, then come back to later. We must be steadfast (resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering ).

This sounds as if it is impossible to live up to this requirement. However, it is not. Again, we are not perfect, and yes, there are times where we will miss the mark of being faithful. But this should be the exception, not the rule. Remember, with maturity and growth, should also sharpen our “faithful” skills.

Think of it this way, God is ever faithful toward us. He is there when we need him, he supplies our needs, forgives our sins, extends his mercy and grace towards us, and most importantly, died for us while we were yet in our sins. He is ever faithful toward us. So it is not unreasonable that God requires a little faithfulness from us in return.

God understands our limitations and propensity toward bad decisions and disobedience. However, he does not give us permission to take advantage of his understanding by failing to never strive to do (and be) better. God understands our thoughts and intentions. He knows the reasons behind our behaviors. With that being said, when we are not faithful, he knows and understand the reasons behind that too.

Whatever the excuse for our lack of faithfulness may be, the solution is simple – more of God, and less of us. Most of the time we concentrate on ourselves and the things we are facing or going through. We allow these things to distract us from doing the will of God. Or even stop us from doing God’s will. In every instance, if we concentrate on worship, and magnifying God, the issues we face seem to decrease. This would prevent every opportunity of neglecting to be faithful to God.

The Bible tells us for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We all have made mistakes and failed God. However, we cannot stay there. We must love God enough to mature in him. We must understand both the importance of, and the privilege to repent before God. We serve a God that is faith and just to forgive and cleanse us (1 John 1:9). But we must first be mature enough to confess our sins to God, and ask for his forgiveness. Not being faithful to God is a sin. We have to admit to ourselves that we have not been as faithful to God as he requires. Once we admit this to ourselves, we can move on to admitting it to God, and accepting his forgiveness.

From this point (clean slate), just do better, be better, be faithful to God. Nike said it best, just do it.

Be faithful to God.

God called and chose us for the work. Now it is time to prove to God that his belief in us was well placed. Let’s do the work and make God proud. Let’s be faithful to God.

1 Corinthians 2:6-8

“6. I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

7. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

8. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. ”

Your labor and work is important and necessary for the kingdom of God.

Sometimes we wonder if people are hearing us. Or if we are even reaching the people God has called us to? Or are we effective at all? We get confused by the numbers. These are distractions. Effective tools the enemy uses to keep us from doing what God has called us to.

It is not for us to measure success in this manner alone. The Winans made a song a while ago, the words are so true still, “For We May Never Know”. We dedicate our lives for the cause and we do the work, but we may never know all the lives we touch. We may never see it. Our whole duty is to trust the God of the increase. Our work may be to plant seeds, or water seeds already planted by our fellow laborers. We do not know which we may be, but God is the one who gives the increase. That is what we must trust.

Know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. We need each other, and should never be envious or jealous of another persons’ work or ministry. There are people you may never reach, but God has someone who can reach them. We work together even if we do not realize it. The only requirement is that we be faithful. This is why we cannot be distract by numbers. We must trust the God who has called us and anointed us for the work. Just strive to be obedient and effective in what God called you to. Strive for excellence in your work, giving God the glory. For he is the God of the increase.

Your work matters and is precious to God. Keep on moving and working by faith. Trust that every seed you plant or water in faith, will be increased by God.

Galatians 2:20

“20. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

It is humbling to know that the life we live is not truly ours, but it is the Lord’s.

That being said, it is imperative the in all of our ways we acknowledge (seek God’s will) the Lord so that our feet are directed. Most of the time when we face a decision making opportunity we already know what we want to do. We don’t feel the need to ask God’s opinion as to which way we should go. We are more familiar with making a decision, having it turn out poorly, and then asking God to fix it. We have it backwards.

We have a genuine fear. We feel pressure to make a move, rather than enjoying the peace that God gives us. The peace of God allows us the opportunity to take time to seek his face, then patiently wait for him to reveal the next step to us. The enemy wants you to feel pressure that you must make a move right away. Yet the Scripture says be careful for nothing but in everything with prayer and supplication let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:6-7).

No pressure.

There is no fear in faith. Yes we do live in the flesh, but we live in Faith. This means that through faith we can call those things that be not, as though they were. It also means that through faith we can claim a blessing without tangibly possessing it. Our faith will speak the blessing into existence. This is the life that we have been called to live, By faith we operate in the gifts and the ministry that God has placed in us. This is, indeed, a walk/life of faith. The Bible says “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” Romans 14:23. So a failure to live a life of faith is sin. Fear is the enemy of faith. Fear will make it seem impossible to do things God’s way. Fear can cripple you, and it is directly from the enemy. God’s remedy to fear is his love. Perfect love casts out fear (1John 4:18).

The life we live is not ours, it belongs to God.

Trusting God brings freedom. When we trust (lean) on God for everything we remove the pressure from us, and put it on God. This is God’s will. He told us to cast our care on him because he cares for us (1 Peter 5;7). We remove the burden from us to him when we obey this command. Now this does not mean we have no responsibility when we walk by faith. In fact, we are told that faith without works is dead. God expects you to put some work behind the faith that you have in him. For example, if you are asking God to help you find a job, you are not merely passively waiting. Some works to your faith would include putting in applications, actively seeking interviews, and preparing for interviews before you even get a call. This is faith and works in action.

The life you live is not your own.

But is is yours to enjoy and live to the fullest. God came to give you life and that more abundantly. When you live in obedience according to his word, there is freedom and liberty in God.

Just a word of encouragement.

Don’t allow the enemy to make you feel like a failure or that God has not released you to possess the land.

Trust in the God that called you and walk in obedience. Yes, it is a faith walk. You must possess the land in faith. Believe the report of the Lord.

You may not be able to see it. But as soon as God spoke it to you, it became real.

Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. ”

Trust the God of the promise. Understand that the promise God spoke to you heart is already real. You may not be able to see it yet, but through faith we praise and worship God for it, and we walk as if it is already tangible. We make preparations (adding works to our faith), we move as God leads. Before you know it the promise will come to pass.

Isaiah 46:9-19

“9. Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,

10. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: ”

It is good to know that before your trouble hit you, God had already declared its ending. We can take comfort in knowing not only will God put more on me than I am able to bear, but he also determined it’s ending.

God is in control.

Never doubt that he holds your times in his hand. We should have that Psalms 91 experience “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress:

my God; in him will I trust. ” No matter how intense your trouble becomes, do not leave the secret place. For in there is your protection and strength.

Remember your trouble is designed to make you stronger and draw you closer to God.

Take comfort and know that God is in control.

All of those sayings (cliches) you’ve heard are true. Don’t give up, don’t give in. Keep standing in faith and declaring the word of God. Fight the Good fight of faith.

Just know that you have come too far not to win. It would be a shame if you give up before you finished the test. Get out of your feelings, develop a thick skin, and hold your head up. God made you victorious, you must believe it and start to act like it.

Take comfort and know that God is in control.

Have a blessed night.

2 Corinthians 4:16

“14. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

15. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. ”

It is wonderful to know that Jesus understands stands what it feels like to be tempted, betrayed, lied on, persecuted, to have disloyal friends, etc. Because of this we can come to him boldly and in total honesty. We are free to pour out our heart before him. We don’t have to hide anything from him. But we can tell him any and everything.

This knowledge should give us a sense of boldness, knowing that God understands. To understand that he is willing to show us mercy, and extend the grace we need. There is no need to hold back or hide. He knows how you feel.

Do not allow guilt or shame keep you from coming boldly to God. Yes, he does know, and he also has the answer and remedy. He is the perfect place to be open and transparent. Because as you unburden yourself, God is able to heal and deliver you at the same time.

He knows how you feel. Come boldly to him and receive help.