We Live in Hope

Adam's sin guaranteed for us a life of struggle and trials; even creation suffers for it. Hopelessness constantly nips at our heels. A hopeless life is a disheartening existence, which crushes our soul and affects our health in body, soul and spirit (Job 17:15).

Yet, when life stomps on our last strand of hope, many humans will valiantly knit another one to keep from falling into the abyss of depression and hopelessness. Our indomitable human spirit refuses to give in or to give up.

The good news is that our earthly reality is only a shadow of what God prepared for His Saints (1 Chronicles 29:15). God is our only real hope in times of trouble. As we walk in His truth, we are totally alive and joyful (Proverbs 13:12).

God reminds us that we are aliens and pilgrims on this earth, serving God until our graduation day when we shall receive our eternal rewards (1 Peter 2:11). Our hope in eternity allows us to live in Christ's victory - steadfast and immovable for the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:54-58).

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is our living hope, our incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that never fades away. God reserves it in heaven for all Believers, and gives us faith that our trials are only temporary (James 4:13-14).

God's hope fills our hearts with His peace and joy by the power of His Holy Spirit, regardless of our horrifying circumstances (Romans 15:13). We trust in His salvation for our body, soul and spirit throughout our lifetime (1 Peter 1:3-6).

God gives us His rest and safety in this world. We rest in our secure hope in Christ without fear of the future (Job 11:18-19), and the Lord takes pleasure in us (Psalm 147:11). God is our shield in times of affliction, and He lifts up our head when depression attempts to overwhelm us (Psalm 3:2-3).

Prayer:

Father God, we sleep in peace without fear, because You sustain and provide for us, even in overwhelming circumstances (Proverbs 3:4-6). We rest in the fact that You have a perfect plan for our life, which will not harm us, and which is for our benefit. Due to Your love, life will in no way irrevocably harm us (Jeremiah 29:11).

You work out every issues for our ultimate blessing (Romans 8:28). We have constant access to Your compassion and sustaining peace, which produce hope in us, and never disappoint us through every trial. Your Holy Spirit pours out Your love into our heart, because even while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:2-7).

Thought for the Day:

We live in strength, dignity and courage without fear, because of our secure hope that Christ in us fights for us against all of the negative aspects of our existence on this earth. 

- Job 13:15; Joshua 10:25, John 5:6

God's Amazing Love

There is no pretense, politics or procedure that we can use to impress God to love us more than He already does (John 3:16-17). Jesus’ love fulfills the Biblical law (Matthew 5:17-20). He approves of us just the way we are (John 15:12).

Our union with Christ draws us to walk in obedience to Him and His Word. His love for us by His Spirit is proof that His new life resides within us (John 13:34-35). The world is drawn to the family of God, when they see His love in us.

God gives us His heart of agape love for all fallen humanity. This love transcends the earthly realm and it fills us with the Spirit of God. His love in us is the common denominator that makes us all equal to one another.

Due to the humility we learn through squarely facing our imperfections, we can love others without judgment or expectations. We live as continuous examples of Christ’s sacrificial love to our family and to everyone we meet.

       

When life heats up the fiery furnace for you, do not worry, because Jesus is right there with us (Daniel 3:25). When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we have nothing to fear, because He is the God of the valleys too (Psalm 23).

God's amazing love provides us with salvation, sustains us through every adversity, and strengthens us through every trial. He is all we need to live a fulfilled life bursting with joy and peace, which wipes away all anxiety and depression and gives us hope.

Prayer:

Father God, help us to live for You with our whole heart, mind, strength and soul. We want to plug into Your plans for our life, so that we can serve You, bless one another, and share Your amazing love with everyone we meet.

Teach us to live in step with Your Spirit and to love as You direct us. Allow nothing in my character or behavior to dim the light of Your Divine love through me. We count it as a privilege to be called by Your name and to express Your love to the world.

Thought for the Day:

God loves us at all times, and enjoys fellowship with those who completely trust in Him; He give instant access to Himself to those who are covered by the blood of Jesus, who obey His Truth and who walk in His ways.

- Psalm 9:10; Ephesians 2:18

Be Anxious for Nothing

There are so many issues in life that cause us stress, anxiety, depression, and even terror at times. We take medication to calm our nerves, to cheer us up, and to anesthetize the pain; but this is only a temporary fix at best.

We often find it difficult to release our grip on worry and anxiety. Trouble vexes our soul, and we see no hope or way out of our dilemma. However, this is due to our finite focus, and our limited viewpoint. Actually, we are winners, not whiners.

God's Word offers us good advice for eliminating these negative reactions to trauma, grief, stress, anxiety, etc. We do not need to carry our burdens alone, or to succumb to these negative emotions, which ruin our health in body, soul and spirit.

No issue is too small to take to the Lord in prayer, or mountain too high to climb once we realize that God actually cares that we cannot open the lid on that bottle, find our lost treasure (Luke 15:8-10), discover where we left our glasses, owe a financial bill that we cannot pay, etc.

Once we focus on the almighty power of God in the universe, our issue seems petty and inconsequential. As we trust Him with each new stressor, our faith in His faithfulness increases, because He proves Himself to us over and over again.

God helps us to understand the root cause of our issues. He gives us the courage to face the pain they bring, and to receive His healing for them. God's freedom is worth the fear of vulnerability initiated by the darkness we feel, in order to resolve the hidden concerns in our soul.

God teaches us valuable life lessons through our circumstances; we learn to allow patience to perfect us, rather than spending all of our energy in the futile exercise of attempting to control life, and we also realize the value of walking in the Spirit rather than reaping the consequences of our own misguided choices.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that You hold all of the issues of life in Your hands (Job 12:10). You give us authority over every principality and demonic influence in our life (Ephesians 6:12-13). As we focus on the victories You already gave us, and turn our gratitude into praise, we find it easier to trust You with each new problem that arises.

Thank You for teaching us to focus on Your faithfulness rather than on the mountain of circumstances before us. Help us to stop wearing masks and to openly request prayer support from those who love us and faithfully walk with us through this life. Give us the wisdom to obey You each moment of our life and to walk in the center of Your will - the happiest place on earth.

Thought for the Day:

When we take every issue to God in prayer, and thank Him ahead of time for working them out for our good, He floods our heart with His peace, which has no basis in our circumstances, but is rooted and grounded in His love.

- Romans 8:28; Philippians 4:7

A World of Hurting People

We live in a hurting world. Everyone has their issues to deal with, and some of them are all alone. We can help to alleviate this problem, and to make a difference in our sphere of influence, by having empathy for everyone who crosses our path.

As we walk through a public place, sit at a traffic light, stroll through our neighborhood, or wait for an appointment, we can start to notice people. We intently look at their face and study their body language to tell if they are weary.

In our world of financial instability, job insecurity, relational failures, depression, hopelessness, anxiety, stress and grief, people need to know that someone cares about them. God cares, and He wants us to care too.

Most people manage or anesthetize their trauma by burying it in their subconscious mind or dulling their pain with addictions. The Holy Spirit will help us to look beneath the mask of determination and business they adopt, in order to see those who need our help.

A simple smile will do wonders. When God "highlights" a person for us to speak to, we can say, "Excuse me. I do not mean to impose on you, but I just want to tell you that God loves you and has a perfect plan for your life."

Some may reject our outreach; but many will thank us, and others may even cry to know that they are not alone in their personal horror of life. We also help others, when they are rude to us, by showing kindness to them.

We can compassionately ask people, "How is your day going?" This allows them to vent to us; and once they do, we can offer, "May I pray for you?" If they say "yes", then we can further ask, "May I pray right now?"

Of course, "Charity begins at home." So, let's observe our relatives and those in our church family as well. Look in their eyes and ask, "How is your day/week going?" Then, just listen. Do not offer advice or lecture, criticize or belittle them. Just care.

Prayer:

Father God, there are so many hurting people in this sin-cursed world. Use us as emissaries of Your love and care for them. Keep us tuned into the guidance of Your Holy Spirit during each moment of the day. Give us Your holy boldness to compassionately empathize with others by reaching out to those You highlight for us to approach.

Remind us not to allow our worldview, political preferences, religious differences, habits and hang-ups to divide us from those we encounter each day that need Your help. You call us to laugh with those who rejoice, to cry with those who are hurting (Romans 12:15), and to help them to turn to You in their struggles. We look forward to your next divine appointment for us.

Thought for the Day:

Everyone on this earth is doing their best to fight through hopelessness, to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, to battle their demonic oppression or possession, and to control their circumstances; God is their only hope of a better life now and throughout eternity; let's boldly share Him with them.

A Good Marriage - Complementing One Another

It is a known fact, one that is the brunt of many jokes, that men and women are different. We have diverse strengths and weaknesses, physical prowess and looks, talents and abilities, and outlook on life.

Jesus changed the thinking in the world about the role of women. He championed equality, as do many of the other Biblical authors. God's Spirit teaches us how to value one another's differences and to depend on each other's strengths.

God uses our distinctive characteristics to influence the world around us. He also uses traits, which we share in common and that are similar in strengthen, to impact our home, workplace and community.

We complement each other through our gifts and talents, and we complete each other through our individual strengths. We also make it a point to compliment our spouse rather than to tear each other down or to criticize one another.

I like to encourage couples to live within their means in order to allow the mom to stay home with their children - at least during the first five formative years of their life. Once they enter school, then mom can work at a vocation during those same hours.

Of course, in our modern world, fathers often take that role of raising the babies while mom uses her skills in the workplace. The individual that is the most nurturing and empathetic works best in this stay-at-home role.

God is the actual head of the home, the husband submits to Him, and the wife submits to her husband (Ephesians 5:23). The husband loves and leads his wife as Jesus does the church, by laying down his life for her.

A husband is a servant leader, not a dictator. He considers his wife's needs before making any decisions; and he never makes pronouncements without first giving her the opportunity to speak for herself, especially when the choice will impact her life.

Prayer:

Father God, Your Word shows us that Jesus had strong women in His life: Mary Magdalen, Martha and Mary - the sisters of Lazarus, etc. You created men and women differently, but equally. We are co-heirs together with Your Son, and Your Spirit works in everyone's life the same way.

Help us to grow together in our relationship, rather than to pull apart. We want to work in unison to further Your Kingdom, and to be an example in our marriage of Your love for the church. When others look at our marriage, we want them to see Your hand in promoting our cooperation with and nurturing of one another.

Thought for the Day:

We submit to one another as equal co-heirs with Jesus of God's entire Kingdom, batting ideas around until we find a plan of action for which we both approve, and in which we share in the excitement as we work together as a team.

Our Identity in Christ

 

As humans, we are so hard on our self. Perfectionistic attitudes drive us to attain more, reach a higher level, get that promotion, increase our bank account, get that raise, live in a showcase home, marry the right person, etc.

We forget basic attributes like empathy, compassion, and love for our self and others. We bully our way to the top, regardless of who we step on during our ascent. Then we discover that the top is lonely and ultimately unfulfilling.

Daily affirmations of our identity in Christ, taken directly from God's Word, is the only way to attain the fulfillment that we seek. They build our confidence in God's love, plan and provision for His Saints. They teach us humility and kindness, and how to walk in God's Spirit (Galatians 5:15-25).

These positive thoughts give us more energy during the day, peaceful sleep at night, and joy with each new morning. They have nothing to do with our earthly experiences, but everything to do with our identity in Christ. We set our mind on wisdom from God's throne rather than to worry about finite issues.

All negative emotions are red flag to alert us to the fact that we are not meeting a need that we have. If we do not heed their warning, they affect us in body, soul and spirit with ill health, mental illness and spiritual apathy and despondency.

Rather than disparaging our self over a short-coming, we lift our failings up to the Lord. Failings are temporary misjudgments, but never the failures, which Satan tries to convince us that they are. We may lose a battle, but Jesus already won the war on Calvary's cross.

The blood of Jesus brought us into the family of God through salvation; and the sanctifying work of God's Spirit in our life makes us worthy, lovable and beautiful in the eyes of God. He sees us clothed in Christ's righteousness, and calls us His own.

Prayer:

Father God, Your Word has a major impact on our physical, mental and emotional health, our spiritual maturity and our overall world view and perspective about life. Remind us to keep a record of our internal dialogue with our self, and to come to You to discover the truth about any lies perpetuated in our mind by our caregivers and the devil.

When we walk in Your will for our life, we are excited about our vocation, fulfilled by our ministry, thankful for our relationships, and amazed at our strength in Your joy. Thank you for freeing us from the dysfunctional memories of our past, which influence our current thoughts and emotions, and affect our health in body, soul and spirit.

Thought for the Day:

Once we properly assimilate the memories from our past, which are stored in our subconscious mind, and which inflict their power over our current thoughts and emotions, we are free from their intrusion in our life and their effect on our health.

Healthy Living - Minimizing Stress

When I was 40 years old, my former husband told me that he saw no option for us, but divorce. I thank God that He used this potentially crippling event in my life to teach me valuable spiritual lessons that improved every area of my life.

I worked four jobs at one time - so that I could pay my bills and to start a savings for those unexpected issues in life that demand payment. After adhering to this schedule for over a year, my health suffered.

I got sicker than I have ever been in my whole life before or since that time. I was trusting in myself to provide for my needs, rather than trusting God to continue to meet them. I lived in continual stress, which is a silent killer.

It saps the life out of our soul, ties our stomach in knots, shoots unnecessary adrenaline into our blood stream, and causes our abdominal organs to leak, which falsely activates our immune system.

My moral in this story was to minimize the stress in my life. Doesn't that sound wondrous? It is. Now, I have been doing this for years - although, at times, I do take on more than I should, in order to help someone who needs my assistance.

I am learning to breathe deeply all day long, and to cut out any unnecessary activities; and then, to simplify my life by decluttering my home, my schedule, my possessions and my soul - my thoughts, emotions and choices.

I highly recommend this protocol to good health. This also reduces our physical pain, bowel issues, heart and lung problems, susceptibility to bacteria and viruses, our attitude, habits and appetite, etc.

Surrendering to God's plans for us prevents stress that causes future illness in our bodily organs, our judgment, our memory, our emotions and our relationships. We simply eliminate one issue at a time, until the peace of God rules in our heart.

Prayer:

Father God, Your Spirit wants to lead us through our day at work, home, community, church and at play as long as we take the time to seek Your will. You want us to let go of trying to control everything, to admit that we are powerless, and that we need Your power in our life. This is the first step toward healing our spirit, soul and body.

You plead with us to allow You to be the Almighty One in our life. When we surrender to You, everything always works out for our good, even the negative things (Romans 8:28). We cannot change people or all of our circumstances, but You can and You will - if we live each moment in total surrender to You. Surrender is our doorway to total freedom.

Thought for the Day:

When our workplace, home life or community involvement start developing into a pressure-packed existence, and the demands on our life prove unrealistic, this calls for prayer to submit them to the Lord; God calls us to live a life totally surrendered to Him and to be led by His Spirit, rather than existing in a life driven by the expectations of other people or events in our life.