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The awesome future ahead of us is guided and directed by the Holy Spirit. He knows our frame, our calling, and desires of our hearts. He unfolds and illuminates God's will for our lives... "But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God." (‭I Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭9-10‬ NKJV) Our human mind can't fathom everything God has in store for us. It's impossible for the natural mind, according to this passage, to comprehend the Divine roadmap prepared from eternity for our lives. But God does reveal His grand purpose by the Holy Spirit. He is revealing these things little by little. There is a perfect timing for the great things God wants to do through us and in us. If we trust Him, have our spiritual ears and eyes attuned to His Word and His voice, and abide in the Vine, we will have a front row seat to His ultimate destiny for our lives... "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." ‭(‭John‬ ‭16:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬) The Holy Spirit guides us into God's will and truth. There are ideas and thoughts that frequently enter our mind about future direction. Some of these ideas are born of the flesh and will never bear the lasting fruit of God-breathed possibilities. But the Holy Spirit will illuminate those dreams born of God, unfolding His perfect will in all things. Remember that faith is being willing to live with questions. It's okay to not know everything we want to understand. We trust in the God who reveals as He wills. He's prepared wonderful gifts for us and by faith, we will see them in His perfect time.

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The Goodness of the Lord

We know that goodness is an innate part of the character of God. The bible tells us He is good to those who fear Him…

“Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭25:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

With so much calamity and evil in our world, we need to remind ourselves daily that God is good, and that His desire for us is rooted in intentions of goodness and mercy, which He has promised to follow us all the days of our lives…

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

God promises to crown the year with goodness (Psalm 65:11). Our part in this plan is to believe in faith that His goodness will intersect with our lives, and to expectantly wait on His goodness and mercy to find us. We proactively wait on the Lord, walking in what we know He has revealed, trusting that He will deliver us from the traps of the enemy, and looking for His face to shine upon us…

“Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ My heart said to You, 'Your face, LORD, I will seek.’ Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27:7-9, 13-14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The psalmist says that all hope would have been lost unless he believed - believing that God’s goodness will be made evident in his life, his family, and all things within his stewardship.

We, too, have this hope. God is not finished with us, and there is hope that He will make a smooth path in the midst of our enemies - that He will reveal Himself to us clearly at our midnight hour - that He will not abandon us when we need Him most.

This is God’s goodness and mercy, waiting for us as the months and year unfold. We can be of good courage as we wait on Him.

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The Goodness of the Lord We know that goodness is an innate part of the character of God. The bible tells us He is good to those who fear Him... “Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭25:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ With so much calamity and evil in our world, we need to remind ourselves daily that God is good, and that His desire for us is rooted in intentions of goodness and mercy, which He has promised to follow us all the days of our lives... “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ God promises to crown the year with goodness (Psalm 65:11). Our part in this plan is to believe in faith that His goodness will intersect with our lives, and to expectantly wait on His goodness and mercy to find us. We proactively wait on the Lord, walking in what we know He has revealed, trusting that He will deliver us from the traps of the enemy, and looking for His face to shine upon us... “Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, 'Seek My face,' My heart said to You, 'Your face, LORD, I will seek.' Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27:7-9, 13-14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The psalmist says that all hope would have been lost unless he believed - believing that God's goodness will be made evident in his life, his family, and all things within his stewardship. We, too, have this hope. God is not finished with us, and there is hope that He will make a smooth path in the midst of our enemies - that He will reveal Himself to us clearly at our midnight hour - that He will not abandon us when we need Him most. This is God's goodness and mercy, waiting for us as the months and year unfold. We can be of good courage as we wait on Him.

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Preserving Our Relationships

The people whom God has brought into our lives are worthy of the highest priority. That means that we can choose every day to value, honor, and invest into those with whom we interact. One way we can do this is simply using discretion. We can understand more about discretion from Proverbs…

“The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression.” (Proverbs 19:11 NKJV)

Discretion means we give careful thought to the words we speak before we let them fall from our lips. It means we make a habit of thinking first before speaking. We don’t allow our intense feelings of anger, or any other emotion, to rule us. Discretion is a skill that comes with maturity and the exercise of using it at every opportunity. The author if Hebrews explains how this happens…

“But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14 NKJV)

Just because we think something doesn’t mean we need to say it right at that moment. There may be a more opportune time to discuss a matter. We consider carefully every aspect of and the consequences of speaking.

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Redeeming Brokenness God redeems and restores broken lives. Whatever past life a person has experienced, and however painful it may have been, God takes these broken pieces and redeems such a life for His purpose... In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7 NKJV) We all could rehearse the regrets and "if only's" of our lives - mistakes we have made and failures we have endured. And while many of these regrets were certainly not reflective of God's best for us at the time, He still uses it all to make something really beautiful. How does He do it? He forgives. We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of every sin. He releases us from the debt of sin. Every regret, failure and sin is forgiven when we ask (1 John 1:9). This is probably one of the most difficult promises of God to access because of the shame that sin brings. We have no issue with God's initial pardon of our sin when we get saved, but we wonder how He can continue to grant such an unmerited gift to us over and over. Forgiveness originates with God. He qualifies the need for such cancellations of debts over and over in Scripture. We see the need to forgive between ourselves... “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.” (Luke 17:3 NKJV) We also see the need to frequently access God's forgiveness... “And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.” (Luke 11:4 NKJV) He heals. Salvation and forgiveness is only the beginning. Once we surrender our lives in faith to God, He embarks in the process of making us whole... "He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds." (Psalms 147:3 NKJV) God's supernatural healing comes through a variety of godly resources - walking in community with brothers and sisters in Christ, daily engaging in the disciplines of prayer and God's word, asking for help from trusted friends, pastors, and counselors for those "big rocks" in life that don't fall off so easily. He redeems. We are trophies of His grace. We are living proof that God can salvage brokenness and painful, even traumatic events that comprise our past. Through His redemptive work, He helps us make peace with our past. It becomes a significant part of our history, but not our present and future. "O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life."(Lamentations 3:58 NKJV) He restores. Whatever losses we have incurred through our mistakes and failures, God gives back to us one-hundred-fold... "‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.” (Haggai 2:9 NKJV) We need not mourn for what could have been or all that might have happened if we had only acted differently. We serve a restoring God who ultimately brings us to His destination for our lives. Just as this verse states, the glory of the latter - those years to come - will be greater than the former - those years which have passed! We receive His forgiveness, healing, redemption, and restoration when we choose to walk in these beautiful spiritual truths, believing and trusting in the Author and Finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ.

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The Lord's Counsel

Finding God's will is such a very important part of our Christian life. We often find ourselves at a crossroad of sorts - choosing a mate, choosing a university, changing course in our career, starting a new business, or making a significant commitment. How do we access that which God wants, and be able to distinguish it from something born from our own fleshly desires? We desperately need the counsel of the Lord to distinguish between His will and our own. His counsel comes in many ways, but we can completely depend upon it... "I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons." (Psalm16:7 NKJV) His counsel can many times be found in the wisdom of godly people. It is in these times that we need to hear God's wisdom from trusted and godly men and women in our lives. God will confirm such counsel to us in our own spirit as He "instructs us in the night seasons." We all have thoughts and plans. Some are really of God's design and some are born of our own intellect or passion. What we need in times of decision is God's heart and mind, revealed through trusted people... "Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days. There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the LORD’s counsel—that will stand." (Proverbs 19:20-21 NKJV) We want our plans to succeed - to stand. A God-plan may not appear to be successful in the initial stages, but will ultimately bear fruit in the end. When we follow the Counsel of the Lord, and the voice of the Holy Spirit, we can be patient and persistent. When we follow our own plans, we can be insecure and unsettled when challenges come. God-plans don't come with a guarantee of smooth sailing at every turn. However, if rough waters are a part of the plan that Jesus blesses, it makes more sense to have Jesus in our boat. We can face challenges with peace, faith, and confidence, knowing that this is God's idea, not our own. The difference between a God-plan and a self-plan is not that one is smooth sailing and the other is difficult. If that is our standard, we would miss out on many divine opportunities. No, the difference is that one will stand and the other will not. Can we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in others? Blessings will overtake us when we do so... “And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:” (Deuteronomy 28:2 NKJV) Our task is to hold on to plans with open hands, submitting them and surrendering them to Jesus daily. In the end, we only only want what God truly wants in the end. Allow trusted counselors to speak the wisdom of God into your ideas. Listen for God's voice. He is speaking. He will guide our steps and bring about His purpose.

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The Delivering Power of God

Deliverance is a benefit we experience from being a child of God. Most Christians naturally attempt to do all they can do when calamity happens. We use every resource available to us to change a negative situation but often times, to no avail. For those times when all we can do is just not enough, we have need of divine deliverance. We need Jesus to intervene on our behalf and deliver us out of our present fearful or threatening situation, and into His arms of safety and provision. The psalmist reminds himself and us of God's delivering power... "He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the Lord was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me."(Psalms 18:16-19 NKJV) We all have been overwhelmed with the deep waters of fear and uncertainty. The enemies of doubt and unbelief surround us like a strong army at times, and make us feel as if all hope is lost. But we have a Deliverer, our Lord Jesus, Who snatches us out of such deep waters, and delivers us from the enemies that surround us. In the midst of a situation too strong for us, Jesus shows Himself strong on our behalf. Most all of God's men needed deliverance at one time or another -  Jacob was delivered from his unscrupulous father-in-law to birthing a nation; Joseph was delivered from prison to second in command of all the nation; Paul was delivered from being a murderer of Christians to become an apostle and author of many books of the New Testament. David was delivered from the unrighteous and murderous hand of Saul to become King. We all are being delivered from a temporary place of insecurity to His perfect will and promise for our lives. As painful as your present circumstances can be, be encouraged that God will not leave you in such a place. God is not trying to teach us a lesson, nor is He punishing us for past failures. Rather, He is forming in us His character because He delights in us. The destination of our deliverance requires greater faith, more intimacy with God, more strength to overcome the challenges that lie ahead for us. The David that slew Goliath wasn't ready for the throne. But the David that was delivered from Saul was ready. God has a perfect timing. This same God Who delivered us from sin and death will yet deliver us time and again from every enemy.

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God's Answer in Times of Trouble

We all have experienced what the bible calls a "day of trouble". This "day" of which we are speaking could represent any number of desperate situations and duration of time in which we find ourselves. It's truly referring to a time or season of testing. It is in these moments that we need God to answer us from heaven... "May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high! May He send you help from the sanctuary And support you from Zion! May He remember all your meal offerings And find your burnt offering acceptable! Selah. May He grant you your heart's desire And fulfill all your counsel! We will sing for joy over your victory, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand. Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God. They have bowed down and fallen, But we have risen and stood upright. Save, O Lord; May the King answer us in the day we call." (Psalms 20:1-9 NASB) None of us are exempt from these kinds of days, but we all as Christians can access the Lord of Heaven and seek the answer of His presence, His wisdom, and provision. This psalm can be a prayer-declaration of faith that can change our spiritual atmosphere! God will answer you in the day of trouble and set you securely on high. He will send help from the sanctuary, God's people, as well as from Zion, His heavenly domain. God will use your Christian friends to be a help to you. He will also supernaturally organize blessing from heaven. He remembers your faithfulness of the past, the seed you have sown in the lives of others - He has not forgotten all the great work you have done. He's going to grant your heart's desires. He knows every request you bring before Him and will fulfill those things for which you've been believing for years. You are his anointed. Don't trust in the strength of your intellect or human wisdom, but in the mighty Name of Jesus. He alone will give you strength to stand and not fall. The King will answer when you call! Praying the psalms reminds us of God's faithfulness and promises in the dreadful day of trouble. 

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Intentional Faith

Faith is such a vital part of our Christian walk. It produces a steadfast endurance in our souls when we choose to believe God's Word above the scattered thoughts that come to our mind. God wants to liberally equip us with the Mind of Christ - His thoughts and wisdom: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (James 1:5-8 NKJV) This passage was very misunderstood to me as a young Christian. It seemed to me that God was being harsh and strict - if you mess up in your faith, if you doubt even just a little, no blessing for you. You're done - you're a spiritual failure - don't expect anything from God. That is not what the author is saying. What is evident here is the absolute importance of developing and strengthening our faith if we are to fully receive all the benefits our Heavenly Father has promised. He loves us and wants us to benefit from all of His resources, including wisdom. He wants to answer our prayers. He wants us all to grow in our faith,  being fully devoted to Him. But to truly position ourselves to receive from our Heavenly Father, and benefit from all that He has, we have a responsibility on our part: to reject doubt and unbelief, and intentionally believe in God's word, His faithfulness, and character. Having intentional faith is about believing in spite of our feelings, or the reality of natural circumstances. It is choosing to trust in the goodness of God, even when we don't see it clearly. The responsibility is on us to make choices every morning as to what we accept and what we reject. The Bible is true, without error, eternal, unchangeable, and His promises are "yes" and "amen". Whatever circumstance is rising up in your life, it must eventually bow to the powerful and wonderful name of Jesus! That's the truth. And that is what you must choose to declare, to pray, and think about. We don't deny our doubt. We don't pretend everything is okay. But we make a faith declaration in the middle of the circumstance and speak what we know is true. We become unstable when we don't act on the biblical truth that we know. We become double minded when we allow circumstantial evidence to win the day. Let this prayer become a way of becoming intentional in your faith today... "Lord I position myself today to receive your best for me. I can't control this circumstance but I can choose to believe that You are good, You are with me, and You are more powerful than the doubts that plague my thoughts. I trust you and ask You to go before me today. I rely on your strength and wisdom. Help my unbelief and give me a stronger faith in Jesus' name."

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The Third Day

There's something powerful about the principle of the "third day" in the bible. When we read "after three days" or "on the third day", there's a prophetic implication of resurrection power - the power that raised Jesus from the dead on the third day. The promise to Joshua was that in three days they would cross over into this new land: "Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 'Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’ ” (Joshua 1:10, 11 NKJV) Coming into this land, God's people faced all kinds of danger, being pursued by their enemies. Days 1 and 2 must have been so fearful for them. But then on day 3 everything changed... "They departed and went to the mountain, and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them. So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over; and they came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them. And they said to Joshua, 'Truly the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.' ” (Joshua 2:22-24 NKJV) First, we know that the officers went through the camp encouraging the people that after three days they would cross over the Jordan. Second, we have this reference of the spies. What is so significant is that they were being pursued, and they were in grave danger. But God delivered them on the third day. Third, the spies began to understand something that was happening: the inhabitants of the land were fainthearted because God's people were advancing. This is a spiritual principle that takes place even today in the spiritual dimension. The enemy of our soul despises our presence and the impending victories to come for us. He doesn't want us to walk into the promises of God. He really is "fainthearted" and fearful of all God has promised us. But this fearfulness was a sign - that the land truly did belong to God's people. Truly The Lord has delivered the land into your hands this morning. Spiritually speaking, the first and second day are times of death and burial. It's dark, difficult to navigate, and seemingly at our worst hour. But the third day is coming for you! You may be being pursued this morning by accusations, intimidation, and other demonic agenda. If the enemy can keep you from the promises of God, he has won. But if God is for us, who can be against us? Consider such opposition a sign from God that the enemy is running scared because he is losing territory to you. You are coming into God's promises. Be encouraged that your day 3 is on the horizon - a day of deliverance from the desert dryness into God's promises. Don't lose heart and grow weary from doing good. God is with you.

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Crossing Over

There is a great purpose God has ordained for each one of us. There will come a time when Jesus calls us to something greater - a vision bigger than ourselves. Staying where we are will not be an option. God will call each one of us at some point to "cross over"...

"On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, 'Let us cross over to the other side.' Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him." (‭Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭35-36‬ NKJV)

The idea of crossing over is not referring to heaven. Rather, this is your next step - your next assignment. The great thing is that Jesus goes with us. Not only that, but other "little boats" - may journey with us - other Christians who share this sense of purpose and calling...

"And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?' " (Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭37-38‬ NKJV)

So, once again, we are surprised when resistance appears as we are moving toward God's purpose. Waves of fearful circumstances will come from time to time. But Jesus is in the boat. Just like the disciples' appeal, "Don't you care that we are perishing?", we wrongly assume that He's not aware of the storm, and that these treacherous circumstances are too big even for God Himself.

"Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, 'Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?' " (‭Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭39-40‬ NKJV)

For so many who go through such storms, the "great calm" is rarely experienced. Jesus, being much more powerful than the storm, rebuked it and commanded peace. He can bring this great calm to our souls when we acknowledge His power in such a moment of crisis. It is true that Jesus is rarely early when He shows up. He's usually there at the darkest hour - that moment of crisis. But He's there. He doesn't cause the storm, nor does He want the storm to overtake us and kill us. But He is absolutely present. And His purpose in the midst of the storm is not to harm us, punish us, or teach us a severe lesson. His goal is the strengthening of our faith. That's the purpose storms serve. They bring us to that place of putting our faith in action. What will we now do with what we know?

You see, Jesus can speak peace to every storm. But I believe He had hopes that His men would have been able to, by faith, speak to that storm themselves. But God is patient with us, and the present assignment is just one of many we will encounter in our lifetime. There will certainly be more storms ahead - greater assignments - new opportunities for ministry, personal growth, serving, and blessing. We will always have a need to cross over to the next step in God's plan.

I know that this storm is a test of our faith. The way we respond to this present storm sets us up for the greater works Jesus has for all of us. Faith can grow and become stronger. That's the ultimate result of the storms of life if we respond appropriately.

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God's Faithfulness in Times of Trouble

We all go through times of uncertainty, where we have to believe God will come through for us. Circumstances could turn for the worst unless God intervenes on our behalf. It's in these times God proves Himself faithful. His promises of deliverance from the grip of the enemy are sure and true... "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn." (‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭1-5‬ NKJV) The waters of the challenges of this life may be fiercely roaring and mountains may be shaking, but God is in our midst and we will not be moved. This doesn't mean that we won't be tested - but it does mean that His purpose for our life will prevail. The roaring and shaking only reveals the substance of our faith. Is God faithful? Are His promises true? Is God good and righteous? Will He be with me through the roaring waters? These are the questions that demand  a kind of steadfastness - an unmovable heart... "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." (‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭15:58‬ ‭NKJV‬‬) We can be firm and steadfast in our resolve to trust in our Heavenly Father during such times. We won't be moved to waver in our faith. We won't allow our mind to linger on negative outcomes. We choose to believe in God's faithfulness. And when the next test comes - and it surely will - our faith is much stronger and our confidence in God remains firm. The passage above in Psalm 46 reminds us that God waits until the break of dawn to give His help. Sometimes we find ourselves confused and struggling with the darkness of these times of testing. But the dawn is coming! This darkness is always going to have to yield to the light of His presence. This is a great passage to recite and pray when the waters are troubled. Speak these words out loud and let your faith rise up. God will show up for you.

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Thank God!

This Thanksgiving day, praise God through whatever season of life you’re currently in, whether it be a difficult or favorable time. Don’t just listen to this song, absorb it, singing it throughout the day.  Allow God to change your heart.

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Good to Give Thanks

It's a good and appropriate thing to give thanks to the Lord. It matters not whether life is happy and abundant, or difficult and painful. We can never go wrong by verbalizing our gratitude to our Savior... “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭92:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ I'm so thankful to God for friends, family, and all that He has done in my family's life. We as Christians all have a unique life story that includes His grace and forgiveness. We all have a reason to sing praise and give thanks... “I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me. O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭30:1-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Where would we be without the Lord? I'm reminded of God's intervening power on our behalf in so many situations in life where, if it were not for God, we would all be in a much different place today. We can be thankful that God heals us, brought our souls up from the grave of sin and death, and has sustained us. When we cry out to Him, He always hears us. He makes us overcomers and causes us to defeat those enemies who seek to come against us. He had healed us from disease, sin, and brokenness - restored us and reconciled us to Himself, delivering us from darkness. He brought our soul up from the grave - we have peace with God through resurrection power of the Holy Spirit who daily empowers us to live for Him. He has kept us alive for a purpose far greater than we could imagine in our own strength. It's so true that if it were not for God's intervening on our behalf, our lives would be much different... “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, When men rose up against us, Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us;” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭124:2-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ We have good reason to give thanks and sing praise to God! If it were not for God, we would have been swallowed alive by the issues of life. I'm so grateful to Him today for His grace and mercy.

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The Attitude of Gratitude

This is that time of year when we hear so much about being thankful. It is my hope that the year thus far has been filled with blessing and favor for you. Likely, many reading this have had good reason to give thanks for all God has done for us. Alternatively, others have had a year filled with disappointment and loss. It could be that there are those who are asking, "Why should I be grateful? How can I be grateful with all that has happened to me?" When we don't have the luxury of choosing our preferred life, and circumstances are imposed upon us that we despise, we do have the option of our response. We still have a choice in the way in which we respond to life. We get to choose our attitude. Gratitude is an attitude. It's one we choose to adopt and express, and not always reflective of what we may or may not feel at the moment. We can put it on, even when it feels like it doesn't fit with the current status of our life. One way we can move towards a response of gratitude is worshiping Jesus. When we acknowledge to God that we are blessed and thankful for all He has done for us, this attitude changes everything. Take a look... "Bless the Lord , O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord , O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So  that  your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." (Psalm103:1‭-‬5 NKJV) To bless the Lord is to worship Him. We intentionally recall all His benefits - many blessings we easily forget when going through trials and troubles. We pray His Word, speak it out, praise Him and thank Him for all He has done. This act of holy worship produces a grateful heart. Some may say, "But my life hasn't been so blessed this past year. What if there are things  that have happened for which I shouldn't be grateful?" The Apostle Paul tell us... "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (I Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV) "Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!"(Psalms 107:15 NKJV) Paul says it right - "In everything give thanks." Gratitude is an exceptional alternative to whining and complaining. Gratitude will pave the way for joy to emerge in our hearts and brush off pettiness. It will enable us to see the good in the bad, and beauty in the ugly situations of life. Having a thankful heart positions us to walk in grace with others, and to always be mindful of our own shortcomings. The glass is half full, God is still good, and the temporary setbacks and frustrations we encounter will pale in this intentional attitude of gratitude. We focus on what we have, rather than what we don't have. We have hope and not despair because God is still in charge. So in everything give thanks today, as gratitude will change our perspective and our lives.

[kirktodayblog-blog]

Dealing with Betrayal

Part 2

There's nothing more painful than to be betrayed by someone we have trusted. The loss of such a relationship can be grievous and difficult to process and understand.

Betrayal comes in many forms - a spouse who is unfaithful; a trusted friend who turns on us; a beloved family member who rejects us; a companion who falsely accuses us. Part of the sting of these types of situations is that we feel stuck - helpless- truly in need of God's intervention but yet unable to move forward in reconciliation.

Let's look at the words of Jesus...

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:43-45‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Here are some helpful recommendations we can glean from this passage-

1. Change your philosophy and thought process about people. Jesus started out with, "You've heard it said, 'Love your neighbor, hate your enemy' ". Isn't this true for all of us? Haven't we all grown up with a rather skewed concept of how to deal with unloveable people? Think about what we've been taught by well-meaning relatives and friends throughout the years. When a loved one becomes an enemy, we become conflicted about what we feel. We tend to "write them off", become vindictive or vengeful, setting out to have ill intentions as our plan for dealing with a painful betrayal of a loved one. We must reject the thought of hating people as a reasonable and Christian approach! Check your thoughts and adjust them.

2. Love them. This is where we get stuck. "But I don't love this person!", you might say. You may actually feel anger and hatred towards them. We have all been there. But loving someone has nothing to do with what we feel, but rather, what we do! Remember, loving anyone in life is a choice. But loving our enemies requires the help of the Holy Spirit to act on it. Ask for God's help in choosing to love the unlovable.

3. Forgive them. This also is a choice, and one you may have to make daily. It's an intentional release of any debts owed to you - fair treatment is a big debt. Forgiveness doesn't mean that trust is restored. Nor does it mean things go back to the way they were automatically. This will require much time in many hurtful situations. But it's a necessary part of our personal well-being in our spirit.

4. Bless instead of curse. Speak blessing over those who have wronged you. We have a tendency to want to share with others our injustices- mainly to gain empathy for our plight. Resist the urge. It will come back to you eventually. We can't take our words back after we've spoken them. Choose the high road of blessing over cursing.

5. Do good. Think about the acts of love and generosity you freely give to those whom you love. Then just do those very same things to your enemies.

6. Pray for them. God is in control of situation s of betrayal. Give it over to God. Give this person into the hands of God and His will.

One final thought: we don't have to trust those who betray us. Reconciliation does not mean that trust must be automatically restored. But we are commanded to love. If we were enemies of Christ, yet loved by Him, then we have no choice but to respond in like manner...

“For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

[kirktodayblog-blog]

Dealing with Betrayal

Betrayal is a painful part of the fallen human condition. There's nothing that hurts like someone who has violated our trust.

King David was on the run from his own son, Absolam. He felt the sting of dishonor and betrayal from within his own family. But David still pursued his God. He knew that even in spite of his own failures as a father, that God would still be faithful...

"LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, 'There is no help for him in God.' Selah But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the LORD with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O LORD; Save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the LORD. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah". (‭Psalms‬ ‭3‬:‭1-8‬ NKJV)

If we are going to lead others and do great things for God, we will all eventually have an appointment with betrayal. People will do and say things that are mean, hurtful, and spiteful. People we thought were trustworthy will prove themselves otherwise.

David speaks of painful betrayal again in Psalm 55...

“For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; Then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, My companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, And walked to the house of God in the throng.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭55:12-14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Many scholars believe David was referring here to a man named Ahithophel, a trusted counselor and friend, who assisted in Absalom's treachery against David. This type of betrayal Jesus knew well at the hand of Judas. No betrayal hurts like someone we loved and trusted.

But we can take great solace in God's grace and mercy when this happens. God will fight for us and vindicate us. Those who walk in integrity have nothing to fear. When someone attempts to falsely accuse us, or betray us, God will save us and redeem the situation...

"As for me, I will call upon God, And the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice. He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, For there were many against me." (Psalms 55:16‭-‬18 NKJV)

God can redeem our souls in the midst of the most painful betrayal. For those enduring the rejection of a loved one through misunderstandings and stubbornness of heart, remember that God hears you from His holy hill today. We can pray that the lies of accusation that are whispered into the ears of undiscerning people will come to nothing in Jesus' name. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but God delivers us from them all. We pray for our enemies and speak blessing and redemption to every evil intention.