 
Hope for a New Day Devotional

Diane K Hiltz Chamberlain

Copyright by Diane K Hiltz Chamberlain

Smashwords Edition

Acknowledgements

What a God I serve; that He would speak to my heart, in such a way; that His words would not only bring healing to me but to others, who are hurting deeply too! I may be the author of this book but I give honor, glory and praise; to the One, who truly inspired my thoughts, with these beautiful words of hope! Thank you Jesus...for not only saving my soul but preserving it, by shedding your light down upon my fingers, as I typed each word; spoken from your heart to mine!

I would also like to reach out to the hurting one right now and dedicate this book to you! My prayer; is that your heart will be truly touched and moved, by each written word; just as they have helped me so many times, during the difficult moments that I have faced within my own life. Always know that there is hope in God and it doesn't matter what the circumstance attempts to convey to you because these difficult moments that you face can never stand up, to the power of a great and mighty God.

*100% of each book sale will be going towards the "Diane K Chamberlain Ministries," as a means of furthering the gospel; to others who live in despair.

Introduction

Do you feel as though the darkness of a day is overtaking you? Are you looking for hope but find that only despair stands before you? "Hope for a New Day Devotional," will bring a new start to your day, while shining the light of God's hope; upon a pathway that had at one time faded away, due to overwhelming moments of pain, heartache or just a bad day.

"Hope for a New Day Devotional" contains 70 powerful devotions that will sooth the hurting soul and replace despair, with an everlasting peace; that can calm any storm that may be raging within. Each devotional will replace the dark and negative thoughts and feelings of a circumstance, with a light of hope; where you can once more experience the presence of God, rather than the weak moments of affliction; that have attempted to take you down.

As we live in the end times; we are constantly being faced, with one problem or another; which only drains us, of the hope that we once experienced through God. "Hope for a New Day Devotional," will help your eyes to become opened to the truth that will not only bring renewed hope into your life but these words of truth, will also become a means of escape, from the darkness that once separated you from life and God.

Each devotional is not only filled with words of hope and truth but with words that will truly connect you; to the presence, of a great and mighty God...a God that will sustain you, until the difficult moments cease to rage no more.

Table of Contents

A Sustaining Strength

Reacting to a Moment of Trial

Standing on the Promises that Will Keep Us Standing

Are We Allowing Negativity to Rule Our Hearts?

Rejoicing through a Trial

Serving a Risen Savior Rather than a Dead Circumstance

A Shelter of Love

A Mighty Shield that Counteracts the Blows of Evil

Are We Making Friends with God or our Problems?

Listening for God's Truth Rather than Listening to our Thoughts

Exchanging Weakness for Strength

Letting God Lead Us One Step at a Time

Where Are Our Thoughts Taking Us?

A Powerful Light that can Detour Us from Satan's Snares

A Mighty Warrior that Saves Us from Defeat

A Settled Back Feeling that God is in Control

A Different Love

Leaving Weakness Behind to Pursue God's Strength

Where Do Our Words of Trust Lead Us?

Praising God through Affliction

God's Timing Leads Us to His Best

Thoughts that Lead to Peace

How are we Viewing Weakness?

Seeking to Find God's Best

Anxious Thoughts that Steal our Peace

Doubt...the Culprit that Robs Us of God's Blessings

Taking God with us into Battle

Arms of Comforting Love

Words of Trust that Can Overcome Weakness

Truth...a Key that Can Unlock Our Hearts and Free Us

Connecting with a Powerful God

Committed to Christ through Moments of Affliction

Peace and Rest...a Remedy for an Ailing Soul

Truly Believing in the Power of God

Walking Past the Fault to See a Great Need

Pursuing the Good Things in Life to Experience God's best

One Day at a Time

Strength for the Journey

Walking In Sync with God

The Lord is My Shepherd

A Haven of Rest

The Pruning Process

An Emptiness that only God can Fill

Unforgiveness...a Road Block that keeps us from Pressing On

Limiting God's Power

As One with God

Fearing the Storm

Faith and Trust...Roads that can Lead us Away from Despair

Looking for the Reason Behind the Problem

A Truth that can Free Us from Moments of the Past

Renewed Day by Day

A Great Love that can Become a Remedy for a Hurting Soul

Refined in His Presence

Turning Complaint into Praise

Peace Comes through Good Thoughts

A Powerful Presence that Brings Darkness to Light

Always Faithful Until the End

Trials that Change with Time

Crucified with Christ

A Powerful God at Work through a Weak Circumstance

Yesterday is Gone and a New Day Begins

Handing the Reign of our Lives Over to God

Are We Allowing Evil to have Control?

The Positive Things that can Lead Us Away from Negativity

A Source of Strength that Outweighs Our Own

Wings of Faith

Stepping into God's Footprints

God's Beauty for Our Ashes

An Extra Ordinary God

Are we Looking into the Eye of the Storm?

A Sustaining Strength

What would we do without God's strength? How could we remain standing, during the difficult moments and do we truly see that it's only because of His strength; that we remain standing? As we begin; I would like to share a Bible verse with you, from Joshua 1:9 and we read..."Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

What does it really mean to be strengthened by God? It's so easy to say..."the Lord is my strength" but are we experiencing the moments of strength that only God can offer us? As I was reading this passage this morning, one of the first thoughts that came to my mind was this...just think, when we accepted Christ to live within our hearts, we not only invited Him to live within us but we also became as one with Him. In other words, when He walked into our lives, His peace became our peace...His love became our love and His strength became our strength. Let's ask ourselves a question today...are we taking advantage, of these great benefits that God is offering us or are we falling prey to the circumstance, while we only reap the negative response, from each trying moment we experience?

Our minds have a way of convincing us, that we cannot make it during a difficult moment of adversity but it's only because we are too tightly focused on the problem; rather than focusing on the powerful God that lives within us. When we choose to acknowledge God, rather than the problems we face, then we will come to see that with every step we take; God is there...walking throughout the day with us, while He holds us up with His sustaining strength. Once we are able to experience His everlasting strength...a strength that is limitless; then we will find that He can be the same sustaining God, through any other circumstance we face.

Reacting to a Moment of Trial

How do we experience God's blessings, through moments of trial? As we begin; I would like to read a Bible verse from James 1:2 and we read..."Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

How are we reacting to our moments of trial? Are we afraid to accept what is happening to us; with fear that we may see ourselves as a failure? We must remember that when we listen to this kind of voice; we are only being deceived by Satan. He is the last one; that would ever want to see us come out, of the moments he placed us in. So many times, we are afraid to accept these hardships that we face in life and rather than dealing with them; we attempt to be strong on our own but over time, we soon discover that this only leaves us with a life that is drained, while continually feeling defeated.

When we can see our circumstances, as opportunities to receive God's richest blessings, rather than viewing them, as moments, when we feel rejected and worthless; then we will begin to see a new strength and growth spring up within us. The verse above says; to count it all joy, when we face various kinds of trial because these moments produce a greater strength, which will make it much more difficult, for Satan to attack us the next time.

Let's face it...we all go through difficult times of hardship but when we are willing to accept our moments of circumstance and view them as an opportunity, for God to perform a great and wondrous work within us; then we will be able to leave the feelings of defeat behind; in order that we may gain God and His richest blessings; even through our darkest moments of affliction.

Standing on the Promises that Will Keep Us Standing

As we enter the hump of the week; we can feel drained and sometimes discouraged but one thing we must remember; no matter what we are facing or whether it be the beginning...middle or end of the week; God is there for us all the time and He never grows weary of us but rather, He is there...waiting with open arms, for us to enter and find renewal through Him.

As we begin this morning; let's ask ourselves a question... "Are we standing on the promises that God gives us in His word or are we standing on the thoughts that seem to be dictated to us, through our circumstances?" Today, I would like to share a Bible verse with you that has truly meant a lot to me, during the past 25 years of my life and it's found in John 14:18, and we read..."No, I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm...I will come to you." This verse is one of the many promises that God has made to us through His word and we must remember that no matter what the circumstance is trying to convey to us; our God is a god that stands on His word and remains faithful to us; despite the circumstances that enter our lives.

I will never forget the moment, when God revealed this loving and powerful verse to me. I was facing one knee surgery after another and due to the circumstances I was facing; I began to feel very distant from God. As I opened my study bible one day; God began to open this beautiful promise to me and it was as if He was saying to me..."Diane, I will not abandon you or leave you as an orphan in your storm but I will come to you." At that moment; I began to see myself; as though I was out on a stormy sea. The waves were billowing around me and the sky was very dark. As I began to realize that I was all alone, while facing this boisterous sea of circumstances; I cried out in desperation to God. Within a short time; I began to see someone approaching me; on my stormy sea of despair and as I looked closer; it was Jesus...walking out on the water to me. As He approached me; He caught me in His arms and looked at me, as though to say..."Diane, I am here and I will remain with you, until your storm has passed." From that moment on; He held my hand and waited the storm out with me and when His purpose for the storm was complete; He gently took me by the hand and led me to shore, where He placed me on a new path...a path that has led to this moment in time. What a God!!

No matter what kind of storm you may be facing this morning; get your focus away from the deceitful lies that Satan is attempting to convince you of and look for Jesus instead. He is longing so much to walk out to you today, on your stormy sea of despair, so He can hold your hand and wait out the storm with you; just as He did for me. When we can see God, as a god of His word, rather than believing deceitful words that are only conveyed through a circumstance...words that only keep us in bondage; then we will begin to feel God's presence comforting us, until the storms of life pass by.

Are We Allowing Negativity to Rule Our Hearts?

Are we truly finding hope in God today or is fear, anxiety and frustration ruling our hearts?" Today, I would like to share a couple Bible verses from Mark 5:35-36 and we read... "While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher anymore?" (36) Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, "Don't be afraid; just believe." Can we say that the people in this story were placing a limit on Christ's power, by what they saw with their own eyes; rather than believing in what Jesus could really do? Let's go back into verse 35, where is says..."Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher anymore?" When they spoke these words; they were limiting God, by what they saw with their own eyes, rather than the faith they should've had, in God's Son, Jesus Christ. Are we doing the same? Are we limiting the greatness of God's power, by what we experience, feel and see around us?

Hope is never going to be found and faith is never going to be able to take flight, when we are limiting the power of God within our lives. When we lack hope and faith; it's because we have allowed the circumstance, to have rule over our hearts and lives. When a circumstance begins to take root within our hearts and we allow it to continually grow, due to a lack of faith, while limiting God's power within our lives; then we soon discover that we have not only limited God, from working in our lives but we have turned the power over to Satan, while we allow him to work in a limitless way. Once we do this; then we soon see that little roots begin to grow from the main root of our problem, until Satan has full control, over the circumstance.

The only way we are going to be able to deaden the root of circumstance that has consumed our lives; is to get back on the right path and begin to focus on the limitless power of God, through His word. When we begin to see how great God can be; then the power will be shifted away from evil, so God can begin to deaden the root of circumstance. From there, we will no long see a faith that has fallen to the ground but rather, a faith that has wings and can soar into the heavens; where we can always find ourselves truly connected, to a God of limitless power.

Rejoicing through a Trial

The sun may not be shining out my window and the temperatures may be a little cooler today but the light and warmth of God's presence is shining within my heart! As we begin; I would like to share a well-known Bible verse with you, which is found in Psalm 118:24 and we read... "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

Do we realize what power lies, within a heart that truly rejoices? I have come to see that the word "rejoice," can become a powerful weapon; that stops evil in its tracks. I remember a time in my life, when I was going through overwhelming moments of pain, as I was facing one knee surgery after another. One day, while Keith was at work; I sat in the recliner and looked up to the picture of Jesus that we had hanging over our fireplace and as I began to talk with Him about my pain; I broke down and said..."Lord, I need you...I need your help; to relieve me from this awful pain I'm experiencing." Within a short time; God began to speak to my spirit and say..."Diane, rejoice." From there...I looked up to God and said..."Rejoice...that doesn't make sense to me." At that moment, I was so caught up, with the pain I was experiencing; that rejoicing seemed to be the last thing, I would think of doing but as I sat there and began to think about what God had laid upon my heart; He took me to a Bible verse in II Corinthians 12:9 and we read... "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." I began to see that rejoicing not only meant that I was trusting God, to do a great work within me but as time passed by; I also began to see that when we rejoice through our weaknesses; then we are shunning the works of evil, to believe in a God that is more powerful than our weaknesses.

A heart of rejoicing can truly become one of the strongest weapons, to stop evil in its tracks and when we can truly lift our heads to the heavens and rejoice; especially through times of affliction; then we can live with the confidence that God's powerful presence is at work within us.

Serving a Risen Savior Rather than a Dead Circumstance

Death may have tried to defeat Christ but He lives and is now victorious, over everything that is evil! What a Savior He is!!

As we begin today; let's turn to I Peter 1:3 and we read... "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," Can you imagine what it was like, before Jesus went to the cross? Hope only came, when Jesus gave His life for us, on an old rugged cross and even though we face uncertain times in our lives; we live with a true and living hope because of a resurrected Savior! Praise God!

Why do we sit in our ashes of despair, when there is a God that is alive within us...a God that is greater and more powerful, than anything we face? Do we realize that when we succumb to our circumstances; that it's as if we are placing Christ back into the tomb? People...we need to open our eyes today and know that we serve a risen Savior...the One, who longs to be there for us and love us, as no other can love us.

Our circumstances have a way of placing us in a deep pit of despair but when we allow Christ to rise up within us and have His true and rightful place within our hearts; then we have the hope of walking away from the bondage that attempted to defeat us. I remember a time, when I truly felt, as though all hope had left my life. One day, as I sat...talking to God; I began to see a vision, within my thoughts. At the time, I was sitting, in this deep, dark and dirty pit of despair. With each attempt I took, to climb out of the pit; I only found myself back down, where I first began to climb but as I cried out to Jesus; He came down from the cross and found me and as I looked up, through the darkness of the pit; I saw the brightness of a hand reaching down to me. As I reached for His hand; He lifted me out of the pit and rescued me, from what I saw, as total defeat.

Why are we attempting to climb out of a pit of problems, when we do not have the strength or means to remove ourselves, from these pits of despair? We must remember today; that we serve a risen Savior...a god that is alive within us and when we cry out to Him and come to the realization that we can do nothing without Him; then and only then, will we find ourselves free, from the place of bondage, where Satan had attempted to defeat us.

A Shelter of Love

As I sit here this morning; I'm listening to the sound of rain, outside my office window and as I begin my time with God; it is my prayer, for His peace to enter my day; just as the rain is softly falling down around me. You know...we do not have to take refuge, in the feelings that attempt to bring us down, when we can enter a place, where God is always there to calm the storms within us.

As we begin; I would like to share one of my favorite Bible verses with you, from Psalm 32:7 and we read... "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." We have the hope each day; that when we are facing a terrible storm in our lives; that we have a safe refuge to run to...a place where we can leave the feelings and thoughts that attempt to weigh us down; to enter a place, where God can surround us with His presence and peace. You ask me...Diane, how do I get there? Where is this place of refuge you are talking about? I have found this place, to be within the heart...a place, where I can turn inwardly and commune with God, rather than the problem.

So many times, we face a trying moment in our life and instead of running into the shelter of God's almighty wings, through prayer; we turn to the problem and allow the problem to abuse us, while we become weary, due to seeking a way out, on our own. If we walked out into our backyard and saw a dark sky, with a rain storm headed our way; we wouldn't stay outside and allow ourselves to face the danger of the storm...would we? In a similar way, we shouldn't stay outside the shelter of God's loving arms, when it comes to a stormy circumstance. When we see a storm of problems...brewing on the horizon; we need to turn inwardly within our hearts and seek shelter, within the arms of a powerful God. When we choose to do so; then God will protect and sustain us, until the storm passes by and while we are sheltered within His presence; His peace will surround us and calm the storm, with songs of deliverance.

God has given us a choice in life...we either can turn away from the storm and run into His loving arms, through a heart of prayer and a close connection with Him or we can choose to allow the storm to have control over us, while we become beaten and battered by each wave of circumstance. I don't know about you but I'm not going to stand out in the rain and allow the storm to have control over my life. God has already made a shelter available to us, under His almighty wings of love. Now the choice is up to us...are we going to seek shelter in Him or continue to allow the storm to have control over our lives?

A Mighty Shield that Counteracts the Blows of Evil

I have come to see, that when we can look for the good through the bad; then we will always have our heads high into the heavens, rather than deep, into a pit of despair. As I begin; I would like to share a Bible verse that God led me to and it's found in Deuteronomy 31:8 and we read... "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." As I read this verse this morning; the first thought that came to my mind, was how God not only walks with us but also before us. When we invite God into our moments of trial; He becomes a shield before us; that walks us through the unknown and dangerous territory, where evil resides.

When we learn to truly put our trust in God, rather than listening to the voice of circumstance; then we will have no doubt within our hearts and minds that God is there for us. We need to remember that God doesn't give us these words of promise; only to turn His back on us and walk away. He is a God that not only created us but loved us so much; that His heart became completely devoted, to caring for our hearts, even while facing the darkest moments in life.

As we learn to trust God; we will soon feel His powerful presence walking before us, as He shields us and takes the blows upon Himself; that were intended to destroy us, through the hand of evil. We must come to realize; that there is no other way but God and when fear and discouragement, attempt to edge their way into our hearts; we need to identify these moments, as a deceiving trick from evil...to keep us from truly experiencing the presence, of a God that can become a strong and mighty warrior for us...a warrior that defends us and blocks the power of evil, from completely destroying our lives.

When we have a powerful God living within us; we have the assurance; that even though we may walk through a deep dark wilderness of despair or the valley, of the shadow of death; we have nothing to fear because when we place God ahead of the circumstance; He will always walk before us...no matter how dark the path may seem.

Are We Making Friends with God or our Problems?

Have we made God a defeated god in our lives; even before giving Him a chance to work...due to the way we respond to a circumstance? Today, I would like to share a Bible verse with you, from Ephesians 3:20 and we read... "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,"

Do you find that it's so much easier to believe the words of a circumstance, rather than the words of promise that God gives us, through His word? You may be wondering why I'm asking you this question but I have come to see, through my own moments of affliction; that the circumstance truly has a way of presenting itself to us; in a way that can convince us; that its power is greater than anything...including God's power. These circumstances we face; seem to tell us that our problems are too great for us to handle and when we come to believe these words that enter our thoughts; then we quickly discover that we lose the faith and trust we need, as a means of allowing God to work through these problems in our lives.

After just finishing a great project for the ministry; that will truly open doors for us; to reach out and help many in despair; I was hit last night, with some bad news and I'll tell you; there is definitely a battle going on, between good and evil. Satan seems to be working overtime, to destroy the work of God but after gathering my thoughts together last night; I began to pour my heart out before God. You see...I had to rearrange my thinking and put God where He belongs in this battle...at the head of it all, so I could turn my thoughts away from the words that were being dictated to me by evil. After pouring my heart out before God; I began to feel a peace enter my spirit and I was able to sleep with no problem. Even after waking up this morning; Satan was in full force again...trying to convince me that we were going to lose this battle but then God gave me these words this morning, as I was getting around and as they become words of encouragement to you...they are definitely touching my own heart, as though God is saying... "Diane, it's going to be alright."

Let's stop and ask ourselves one more question, as I close... "Why do we have God living within our hearts, if we are going to make friends with our problems?" I have come to see that when we make friends with our problems; then it's as if we are tying up the hands of God, so He cannot do the work that we need Him to do. Today, we need to begin this new week, by shunning the negative thoughts that Satan is attempting to use against us and stand up...shake the circumstance from us and anticipate God's presence, as we begin to watch a powerful God, begin to work within our lives! Amen!!

Listening for God's Truth Rather than Listening to our Thoughts

Do we realize that we can only obtain the real truth that comes from God...the truth that can always keep our minds and hearts free, from doubt...fear and confusion; when we hold to God's teachings, rather than our own man-made wisdom? When I write or read God's word, for my morning devotion and evening blog; I always want God's wisdom to shine through, rather than my own thoughts, words and feelings. I have found that there is a genuine peace that comes from God's heart to mine, when I listen for His wisdom and understanding, rather than what may be on my mind at the moment and if I'm following through with God's wisdom, then His words will also become a gift of peace, to those who read them. When we choose to twist God's words and make them to our own liking, then we are only going to face days that are filled with frustration, confusion and doubt, which only brings about deep heartache and moments of despair.

Let's turn to a Bible verse, in John 8:31b-32 and we read..."Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. (32) Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

The only way we can know that God's truth is shining through what we read in His word; is when we feel His heavenly peace flooding our souls. God has given us a heart of discernment and a conscious, so we can know if we are walking in the right direction with Him or not and when we choose to ignore these feelings, in order that we may fashion God's words, after our own liking, then we are only going to find ourselves on a detour road that will never take us anywhere in life.

When we truly experience God's truth...through His word, while we talk with Him, then His words will always become the key that unlocks our hearts and frees us, from the thoughts of negativity that can only imprison us and keep us distant from Him.

Exchanging Weakness for Strength

As I was talking to God this morning; I was asking Him to give us something special today that would be uplifting and encouraging, as we begin a new day and He led me to a few verses in Matthew 11:28-30 and we read..."Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

After reading these verses this morning, I decided to look up the definition, of the word "yoke" and this is what I found..."Fitted on the neck of oxen for the purpose of binding to them the traces by which they might draw the plough, etc." As I read the meaning of the word "yoke", in comparison to the verses we just read; I see how our circumstances can feel, as though we are wearing a heavy yoke about us...a yoke that can weigh us down, due to the symptoms of our problems. The reason why we feel drained and overwhelmed by our circumstances; is because this heavy yoke about us, which stems from the symptoms of the problem, is also connected to the full weight of the problem. Even though the problem may remain with us for a while; the only way we are going to be able to press on; is to exchange our heavy yoke of negative thoughts and feelings, for the yoke of peace that God offers us.

When we choose to wear a yoke of bondage, while facing moments of adversity...a yoke that only makes the journey, that much more difficult, than we are always going to feel the need to give up on life. We need to become humble during these difficult moments and admit to God that we cannot carry this heavy load alone and when we do, than we will be willing to hand over the heavy yoke of bondage, for God's yoke of peace.

Letting God Lead Us One Step at a Time

There can be moments, when we feel as though we cannot get through the days that lie ahead of us but I find, it's because we are too focused, on too many days at a time...days that haven't even been created by God but if we can just see each moment...of each day, as footsteps that have been left behind, for us to walk in, then we will not feel so overwhelmed, as we enter a new week.

Today, as I was looking for a Bible verse to write on; God lead me to I Samuel 30:6 and we read..."And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God."

There can be days, when we feel as though we are the only one facing an overwhelming circumstance and because of this, our day can begin on a bad note. Seems like all we view around us, is a circumstance that will eventually overtake us and place us in a permanent pit of despair...where we will never experience joy and happiness again but as I read this Bible verse, in I Samuel 30:6; I was reminded of the countless times, when David faced the opposition but through it all; he did not allow the circumstance to weaken him in his faith but rather, he reached out to God and drew from the strength that God could only give him, during these overwhelming moments in his life. David could have focused deeply on the plan; that the people spoke of, for stoning him but would that have helped David's situation? First of all, if David was to focus deeply on these moments, then his thoughts would have severed his connection with God and second of all, David would have experienced needless moments of suffering, which God never intended for him to go through.

How are we viewing this new day? Have our minds entered our yesterdays; to the place, where all we think about, is what's next or what can go wrong? We need to remember that if we are anticipating more problems to arise; then we may just experience more problems; to the stack of problems that we may already be dealing with. We are never going to experience the joy and peace that God longs to give us, when we are allowing the weaknesses within our lives, to take us deeper into a pit of despair.

As we face this brand new day; let's start out, by anticipate God's best, while we seek for the things that will bring a good report into our lives. When we choose to go this route with God, then we will definitely find the best that God has to offer us and not only that but we will find; that by beginning on a good foot today; this will enable us to follow in the footsteps of a mighty God, as each day unfolds and continues to bring us the goodness of a great and powerful God.

Where Are Our Thoughts Taking Us?

Do we truly know where our thoughts are taking us each day? We must remember that there are only two paths in life. We will either be on the pathway that leads to God's best or we will have fallen off the beaten path, to enter a detour road that only leads us to further problems. I have come to see, through my own life, that it's all to do with the way we think and react to life's circumstances. Our thoughts and actions play an important part, in where we are lead in life and when we dwell on every detail of a problem; then those thoughts begin to take us down a road that can make us feel distant from God, while Satan takes control and enhances the problems we are already facing.

Let's turn to a Bible verse, in Romans 8:6 and we read..."The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace."

The only way we are ever going to remain connected with God, is when we keep looking straight ahead, for the footprints that He leaves behind, for us to walk in. We must realize that there will be moments, when the footprints seem unclear, due to the fog of a circumstance that Satan attempts to place before us but when we strive to look through the fog of circumstance, than God will see our desire and allow us to experience His light through the fog, as a means of helping us, to continually walk in His footsteps. God never said that life would be easy...even as a Christian but when we choose to keep pressing on; despite the problems we face, then we will begin to see that there are rewards in doing so, as we begin to gain a greater strength, for the journey.

A Powerful Light that can Detour Us from Satan's Snares

As I was beginning to get around this morning; God began to speak to me about the word "overwhelmed." How many of us can say that we are feeling overwhelmed by the weather...an illness...pain or some other thing? It's so easy for a problem to take us to a place, where all we feel is darkness around us...a place where we seem to keep stumbling over our problems, while we attempt to press on, from one day to the next.

As we begin our study; I would like to read a verse in Psalm 119:105 and we read..."Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Do we realize that when we don't apply God's word to our daily lives and the circumstances we experience, than there is no light to guide us along the way? When we become too wrapped up, in the problems we are facing; there can be times, when we unknowingly push God out and when we do, then the light of His presence no longer shines down upon us, which only allows ourselves to experience a feeling of total darkness...a feeling as though we have been abandoned and left to suffer with the problem.

The only way we are going to be able to see our way, through the dark moments of circumstance, is to allow God's words of truth, to become like a flashlight that can illuminate our pathway and make the way clear and open to us. When we take God's words and not only read them but truly soak them up within our hearts, then God's presence will shine through us; to overcome the dark moments of trial that we are facing at the moment.

At one time, in my own life, God allowed my mind to visualize a setting, where I was sitting in the midst of my problems. All I could see within my mind's eye, was me on a chair, in total darkness but the moment I cried out to God for help and began to humble myself and apply His words to my life, than it was as though a bright spotlight shown down around me, as God's presence began to illuminate the darkness of my circumstance. You know, it's so easy to say...I understand God's word but have we truly placed His words within our hearts, so He can cultivate them and bring them alive within us?

We need to come to the realization that God never intended for us to remain in darkness, when His light can illuminate the darkness within us that attempts to destroy our lives. The question we need to ask ourselves this morning is this..."Has God's word become a bright light that can illuminate the darkness with us or have we allowed the light of God's presence to burn out because we are allowing the circumstances in our lives, to overwhelm us and become more powerful, then the presence of a powerful God?

A Mighty Warrior that Saves Us from Defeat

It's so easy for us, to believe the words of a circumstance but do we truly believe that there is a God that loves us so much; that He was willing to give up the dearest One to Him...His Son, Jesus Christ? If we were to slow down and shift our thinking, from an overwhelming problem, to a powerful God, than I truly believe that the circumstance would no longer weigh us down but we would soon see that there is a God that is lifting us up, with His great love.

As we begin, I would like to share a verse with you, in Zephaniah 3:17 and we read..."The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing." What a beautiful verse that truly depicts the depth of God's love and power, for our lives. I think the part of this verse that truly stands out for me, is where it says..."the Mighty Warrior who saves" because I have felt God to be my mighty warrior, many times. Even though the fiery darts of circumstance came my way; there was a time in my life, when I began to see God standing before me...as my Mighty Warrior...the One who took every blow of circumstance for me and even though I felt the side effects, to each blow; God was taking the blunt of everything upon Himself and this is where I began to truly experience the depth of God's love in my life.

There are times, when I write; that I like to slow down and look out my office window and concentrate on the power of God, through what I see around me. If it's been a rough day; I begin to feel each difficult moment melt away, as God takes the heavy yoke from me, while He exchanges these difficult moments, for His loving peace. God is all around us and many times we don't experience His power and love because we have allowed our problems, to place us in a wallowing hole, where all we concentrate on, is our moments of despair. We need to take the time to rise above that wallowing hole and allow God to lift us up, on wings of love...wings that can transport our spirits, to a place, where all we feel is the presence of a loving God.

A Settled Back Feeling that God is in Control

You know, it's so easy to start a day, with dread and fear...wondering how this is going to work out or what is going to happen, if this goes wrong but rather than dreading the unknown moments that lie ahead of us; we should be anticipating God's best. Today, as I was searching God's word, for a Bible verse or two, to share with you; God led me to Psalm 112:7-8 and we read..."He does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what may happen. For he is settled in his mind that Jehovah will take care of him. That is why he is not afraid, but can calmly face his foes."

Are we convinced within our hearts, that there is a God that not only resides within us but also a God that will always take care of any circumstance that may arise within our lives? What happens, when we get too caught up in our problems? We begin to think thoughts that keep us from trusting God and when we begin to wonder this or wonder that; then our imagination begins to go wild, while Satan fills in the blanks to these unknown and questionable thoughts.

When we truly feel the presence of God residing within us, than we will have a settled back feeling; that no matter what may arise; our God will be there for us...to take care of each circumstance that may come in our direction. When we choose to trust the circumstance, above a powerful God, than we make God a weak God in our lives, while the circumstance continues to go out of control. We must remember that no matter how powerful a circumstance may appear...our God is much greater. Many times, I think we never find the answers to life's problems and many times, we suffer and wonder where God is; because we are allowing the problem to have preeminence over God.

As Christians, we should never allow fear and dread, to take over our lives, when a powerful God resides within us. The moments we experience, may allow us to feel overwhelmed, to the place where we question God but when we truly know that He is there for us, than we can trust Him to see us through the difficult moments in our lives; despite what the problem may be attempting to convey to us.

How do we react to a new day? Have we already allowed fear and moments of dread to fill our minds and hearts or are we lying back...relaxed, with a settled feeling; that my God is going to take care of everything? When we choose to walk in God's footsteps, one step at a time and leave the unknown moments that lie ahead up to Him, then we will not have a reason to dread or fear anything in our lives.

A Different Love

As I sit here...the light is slowly coming through my window, as I anticipate the day that God has made for me. I don't know what I'd do, if God never created new days, with new beginnings. Can you imagine picking up, from where we left off, in our yesterdays? God has given us a gift of hope and we can truly rely on His promises, to see us through any difficult moment.

As we begin this morning; I'd like to share a Bible verse with you, from Numbers 23:19 and we read..."God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"

It's so easy to think of God in human form, while facing overwhelming moments of despair? We know that God resides within us but at the same time, we can find ourselves viewing God, in the way we experience other relationships, here on earth. There can be days, when we experience a lack of love...rejection and a heart that never seems to care, for what we may be experiencing for the moment and as our hope begins to dwindle, through what we view around us; we also begin to view God's love in a similar way. Questions begin to pop up within our thoughts, while wondering if God even cares or loves us anymore.

Even though our circumstances have a way of dictating our thoughts; we must remember the promises that God made through His word...such as..."I will never leave you or forsake you" and "No, I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm...I will come to you." We also must remember that God stands for truth and when we choose to think on the positive things that will bring good thoughts of hope to us; then these thoughts will become seeds...planted within our heart that will begin to spring forth, with a renewed hope that will continue to keep us standing; despite the circumstance.

Leaving Weakness Behind to Pursue God's Strength

Let's ask ourselves a question, as we begin...what are we pursuing today? Are we pursuing our problems, as a means of figuring them out or are we pursuing the things that will bring a good report into our day? Today, I would like to share a Bible verse with you, in Romans 14:19 and we read..."Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification."

How many times do we sit back and wait for God to do all the work in our lives, while we get upset because He doesn't make a way for us? I've heard people say in the past... "pray for peace" but is prayer the only thing we should do? We find it easy to pray and beg God for His help, but yet we turn back to pursue worry and doubt, while we wonder why God hasn't answered our prayers.

In Romans 14:19, we read this morning that we should make every effort to do what leads us to peace. Are we doing that today or are we so caught up, in what is going wrong around us; that we have found ourselves sitting in a wallowing hole of despair? I truly believe that what we seek after, is what we are going to find in life...so if we are seeking peace and God's guidance, even while facing a terrible storm in our lives; then our actions are going to send a clear message to God that even though we are in the midst of a storm; we want His help...as to how to walk out of the storm. On the other hand...when we choose to pursue our problems; then all we are going to find is that we have become caught in web of despair, where Satan has full control, of the circumstances that we are experiencing for the time.

As I looked up the word "edification" this morning, this is one of the definitions I found..."spiritual improvement," so if we place this definition of "edification," into the Bible verse we just read, than this is how it would read..." Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to "spiritual improvement." We need to remember that God doesn't want us stuck, in a trap of despair but rather, God longs for us to experience His best, through the worst. We need to realize that if we pursue our problems to a greater degree; then our actions are only going to take us off the beaten path; to a place, where we feel lost and distant from God.

New growth and a greater strength are only going to be found, when we are willing to give up the weaknesses in our lives, to experience and pursue a God of great strength. When we choose to pursue weakness; then weakness is all we are going to end up with in the end but when we choose to pursue a strong God and the best He longs to give us; especially during moments of despair; then in the end, we will find God's best, as we grow spiritually and become strengthened through the weakness, we once experienced.

Where Do Our Words of Trust Lead Us?

As the light is slowly coming into my office; it appears as though it's going to be a cloudy day but no matter what kind of a day it may be; we have the assurance that God is in every minute and every second of the day...for He has control over all things.

Let me ask you a question, as we begin..."Can we honestly say that we truly trust God, for everything in our lives?" Today, I would like to share a few Bible verses with you, in II Corinthians 3:4-6 and we read..."And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." It's so easy to speak words of trust but where do are words take us from there? When a storm is brewing and all we can see are the dark clouds of circumstance heading our way; how do we react to the storm?

Yesterday, as I was doing some work to prepare for my book release tomorrow; I faced a very overwhelming obstacle in my path...one that Satan definitely was trying to use against me, as a means of destroying, what God had planned for the moment. I have to admit...the moment it happened; it felt as though my heart had sunk to my feet but as I began to gather my thoughts and relax; I knew that the only one who could fix this dilemma was God.

After finishing my day; I went to take a relaxing shower and as I prepared to go to bed; I told God that I needed my rest and that I was giving 100% of the problem to Him, so He could go to work, while I slept. After falling asleep; morning quickly came and as a awoke, Satan was already at work...trying to implant negative thoughts that would destroy the prayer that I had just prayed last night but again...I quickly gathered these thoughts and gave everything to God and said...whatever direction you take me, with this problem; I know it's for your best and I will trust you.

As I began to get around this morning; I felt an overwhelming peace come over me and by time I had got back online; the problem was already resolved. There are still a few glitches that need to be ironed out but God made the way and I continue to stand on His promise to me today; that He will continue to make the way, until the problem is completely corrected.

As we face overwhelming challenges within our lives; can we honestly say to God..."I don't know which direction this circumstance is taking me but God, whatever you decide, is fine with me? Do we truly know without a doubt that whatever decision God makes for our lives, will work out for our best or do we feel the need to tell Him...the Most High God, what to do?

When we truly place our trust in God; that means that we leave the final outcome up to Him...knowing that whatever He has planned for our lives, will work out for our good. Can we say that we are living our words of trust or have they just become habitual words that only fall powerless to the ground? Until we come to the full realization that only God can make the way; we will continue to suffer needlessly and face battles, whose only aim is to separate us, from the presence of a great and powerful God.

Praising God through Affliction

As I began to get around this morning; God began to lay the word "praise" on my heart. At first, I didn't know how God was going to use the word praise, in my writing but as I began to search for a verse or two, in relation to what God was laying on my heart; He led me to Acts 16:25-26 and we read..."About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. (26) Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose."

How many of us can honestly say that we can praise God, during the difficult and trying moments of adversity? It seems as though we are always ready to praise God, when He blesses us but can we continually have a heart of praise; not only through the good times but the bad times too?

Do we realize that praise becomes a message to God...a message that says that we trust Him completely, even while facing the most difficult storms of circumstance? When we can praise God, for who He is, then we are saying..."God, even though these moments are not always easy to endure; I know that you can make a way because you are more powerful than these moments I'm experiencing."

I can't even begin to imagine what Paul and Silas went through. Here, they were beaten badly and then they were not only thrown into prison but their hands and feet were shackled, so they could not move. Imagine being in the same position continually, while experiencing a great depth of pain. Could we do as they did and praise God, through all that they endured? The only way, we are going to be set free, from the depth of despair, as Paul and Silas were, is to praise God. Don't we realize the power that comes, from a heart of praise? Even though pain and heartache may have us presently shackled to a prison cell of despair; we can have a settled feeling within us that when we praise God and focus on Him; that He will come to our prison cell of despair...place His powerful key in the prison door and free us from the shackles of circumstance.

God's Timing Leads Us to His Best

God is in control of all things and when we experience God at work in our lives; we come to see that God can turn anything around, in a moment's time. As we begin today; I would like to share a Bible verse with you, in Habakkuk 2:3 and we read..."For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.

Our circumstances can attempt to convince us that there will be no end; to what is hurting deep within us but we must remind ourselves that everything is in God's time and when we focus on this thought, rather than what the circumstance is trying to convey to us; then we will always have a hope within us that will sustain us and carry us through, until this present trial comes to an end.

When we read stories in the Bible, about Joseph, Moses, Abraham and Sarah, along with many more; we see that God did not always turn their circumstance around immediately but rather, He used what they saw as an overwhelming moment of despair and eventually turned it into something greater. One character that has always impressed me in the Bible is Joseph. He went through moments of beatings, imprisonment and rejection from his own family but yet a day came, when God turned these moments of despair, into moments of blessing. In God's time...He eventually exchanged a life of deep pain and suffering, for a time, when Joseph was chosen by Pharaoh, to be ruler of all things. We need to ask ourselves a question today..."Is that a God that would fail us?" I think the problem we face, is that we expect God to turn our circumstance around immediately and if He doesn't; then we automatically fall prey to moments of defeat.

When we choose to trust God, during a trying time in our lives; then we are not only saying that we believe in what He can do for us but we are also willing to leave the timing up to Him, as to when He is going to turn our circumstance, into something better...something that will truly bring honor and glory to His name. The moments of trust, may also become a long and wearisome road, where we wonder, if we will ever come to the end of our journey but when we know in our hearts...truly know, that God will never fail us, while we choose to view the purpose behind the circumstance, rather than becoming caught up, in every symptom of the problem; then we will be able to continue our journey and know that in God's time, He will bring us to a place, where He will exchange our weak moments, for the best that He has to offer us.

Thoughts that Lead to Peace

It seemed as though God took me on a spiritual journey, with Him this morning. As I began to seek God's guidance, as to what I should write about, I was first led to the word "reminisce," then as I began to search for verses pertaining to that word; God then led me to the word "reflect." As I continued to seek His wisdom, for my writing this morning, He led me to a verse in Philippians 4:8, and we read..."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." When we read this verse, we see that it works with the words "reminisce" and "reflect;" as this verse illustrates, how we should think into the past and present time.

If we were to stop right now and focus on what we are thinking about, are we visualizing good thoughts or negative thoughts at this time? Whether we are thinking on the past or present moments, we are only going to experience a true and lasting peace, when our minds our on the good thoughts that connect us with God.

I like to look at this verse, as a check list for my life. In other words, am I thinking on the things that are true, noble, and right? Am I thinking on pure and lovely thoughts that allow me to experience what God is offering me or am I thinking on every negative thought that will only connect me more deeply with the problem that I may be facing at the moment?

Do our thoughts represent thoughts that could become a message to God...a message that reveals a heart of praise to Him today or does the message from our hearts, relay a message to Satan; that he has greatly affected us, which will only open more doors for him to enter, while bringing more despair into our lives?

We need to remember that our thoughts relay messages and these messages either reveal a heart of trust to God or a heart of weakness to Satan. What are we reflecting on today? Will our thoughts become messages that will usher in many blessings from above or place us in a deep, dark pit of despair?

How are we Viewing Weakness?

How are we focusing on our day to day struggles? Do our minds view our circumstances, through a worldly eye or a Godly eye? In other words, are we seeing these difficult moments, as a time, when new growth can take place...a time, when God is at work in our lives or has our focus become too tightly fixed, on what the problem is trying to dictate to us? II Corinthians 12:10 says..."That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

It's so easy to have our minds conformed to the way the world responds to a problem but I have learned over time that these difficult moments aren't meant to bring us low but rather, they are meant to turn our weaknesses into strength...a strength that only God can offer us. Rather than focusing on what is going on around us; we should be looking for the changes that God longs to do within us. We must remember that God never allows any difficult moment, to enter our lives, unless He can use it for something good; otherwise that would make Him a defeated God.

Do we delight in weaknesses...insults...hardships...persecutions...and difficulties? Remember...we can only experience the benefit of God's strength, when we are weak. Rather than looking for the worst that could come from a trying circumstance; we should be looking for the purpose and true reason, for why God is allowing these moments, to enter our lives.

Seeking to Find God's Best

Last night, as I was shutting my computer down, to get ready for bed; God began to speak to my heart on the word "seek." I don't think we realize it but when we find ourselves seeking after the wrong things in life, then we are only going to reap the things that will make us feel distant from God, while the doors to God's richest blessings remain closed to us. Today, I would like to share with you Matthew 7:7 and we read..."Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:"

What are we seeking after, as we begin this new day? Are we knocking on doors that can open up God's blessings to us or are we knocking on doors that will only allow the pain and heartache in our lives to increase? Do we realize that when we choose to dwell or focus totally, on a circumstance; that this is a form of "seeking?" Our thoughts and hearts are either going to direct us to the good things that God longs to offer us or our thoughts and hearts can end up taking us off the beaten pathway...down a detour road that can lead us into another trap of despair, set up by Satan.

I have come to see that our thoughts become little messages that either sends a message of trust to God or a message of weakness to Satan. No trial, we face in life, is ever easy to rise above but when we choose to walk away from the doors that can lead us to further destruction; to knock on a door that can open up hope, strength and new growth, then we will find ourselves walking further away from the problem, to experience the best that God longs to give us, through the problem.

I remember a time in my own life, when I was facing one knee surgery after another. After growing tired, of the first few surgeries, I used to say to God..."What's next?" Over time, I quickly learned to keep my mouth shut because I began to realize that these negative thoughts and feelings, were only leading me to more despair.

Our thoughts and hearts are either going to make room for God to work or they are going to shut Him out of our lives, while allowing Satan to feast even more, on our weaknesses. Are we checking to see where our thoughts are taking us today? Are we choosing to seek and knock on the doors that can open ourselves up to God's richest blessings and a healing or are we allowing our thoughts and feelings to lead us directly to other doors that will only keep the despair alive within us?

Anxious Thoughts that Steal our Peace

As I woke up early this morning and was beginning to start my day, it felt as though Satan had every anxious thought going through my mind...thoughts that were leading to days that had not even existed. As I caught myself thinking in this way...I said to myself..."No...stop this Satan!" Immediately, God began to remind me, of how easy it is, to allow anxious thoughts to invade a day and ruin the precious moments that God has in store for us.

How many of us can say that we become anxious or worried about our tomorrows, before they even arrive? I think we all become anxious about the unknown days ahead of us but where do these anxious moments lead us? This morning, I would like to share a verse with you, in Matthew 6:34 and we read..."Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Do we realize that when we add the unknown problems, from days that have not existed yet; to the present day moments; then we are only allowing the circumstances of that day to become even more overwhelming and burdensome? In other words, we are allowing needless suffering to enter our lives, just by the way we think. God never intended, for us to think in this way. He knew that we would have enough to deal with in one day and that is why He only allows one day at a time, to enter our lives. When we race ahead of Him, then we will soon discover that we have fallen off the beaten path, to a place, where Satan enters and steals the peace and joy, we once had.

I remember a time, when I was first starting out my ministry and there would be moments, when I had myself living a complete week, before each day arrived...all because I was allowing myself to think too far ahead. Later, I came to see that the moments I worried about, actually never happened and I soon learned that my anxious thoughts were only making my life miserable and most of all...God was not in these moments.

When we choose, to allow our hearts and thought, to walk through one day at a time, just as God intended for us to do, then we will find that life can be easier, than what we first thought. Personally...I had to see that taking one step at a time; meant that I was only supposed to live one day at a time and once I left the worries and anxious feelings behind, I began to not only enjoy my day but I also began to hear the voice of God more clearly within my spirit.

Doubt...the Culprit that Robs Us of God's Blessings

Do we realize, that we can miss out on so many blessings...simply because we doubt? As we share in this time of devotion; let's turn to Matthew 17:18-20 and we read... "Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. (19) Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" (20) He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Do we truly see our faith, as a connection between us and God? When we lack faith within our daily lives, then we have also lost a powerful connection...a connection that can draw us to the most powerful source around, which is Jesus Christ. I often think of this, in similarity, to a phone connection. When we have a clear connection with our phones, then we can call whomever we want and we will always reach them without any difficulty but when a wire has been damaged or there is interference in the connection, then it makes it difficult to hear, what the other person is saying. In a similar way, when we have a true connection of faith...between us and God, then we will not only be able to hear His voice within our spirits but we will also receive from Him, in return...for the things that we lack within our lives. What happens though, when we allow doubt to creep in? Doubt can become a damaged wire or interference that keeps us distant from God, where our connection with Him becomes weak. We find that doubt only makes it that much more difficult, to hear the voice of God, while doubt also becomes a bad source of interference that blocks us from receiving the best that God has to offer us.

When we truly believe and come to accept a God, who is a limitless God and when we choose to stop limiting His power through doubt, then and only then, will we begin to truly experience the complete fullness, of a God who can do above and beyond, what we could ever imagine.

Taking God with us into Battle

Today, God led me to the story of David and Goliath and I would like to share some Bible verses with you, from I Samuel 17:45-46, 48-51 and we read... "David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. (46) This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. (48) As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. (49) Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground. (50) So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. (51) David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword."

How is it that we read a story such as this and think to ourselves; that stories like these...reflecting the power of a great God, were only for that specific moment in time? Have we lost the anticipation, for God's power to work within our lives? Do we not believe that our God is the same powerful God, as He was then?

When we read this story of David and Goliath; we see men that were killed, as they faced a giant that became more powerful than the sword but then David stepped in and killed the giant, with only a sling and stone. When we view this story, through our own eyes; we wonder how a young man, with a small stone, could kill this giant, named Goliath but when we view this story, in the way that God intended for us to view it; then we see a young man, who went to face this giant, in the power of the Lord of hosts. It wasn't the stone that killed this giant alone but rather, it was the power of a mighty God that entered the stone, when Goliath was struck down to the ground.

Are we entering a new day, with our own powerless swords, while facing the giants that may attempt to enter our pathway or are we equipped with the power of a great God...a God that has always remained the same, in power and great strength. When we come to the realization that we have a great and powerful God living within us, then it won't matter what giants enter our path because we will be able to go into battle with confidence...knowing that the Lord of hosts, will always be there, to win the battles for us.

Arms of Comforting Love

It seems that there have been so many lately, who have become overwhelmed by the pain and heartache they are experiencing, so God has laid it upon my heart, to write on the word "comfort." Let's turn to John 14:16-18 and we read..."And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; (17) Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (18) I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."

A circumstance can make us feel so alone and even allow us to feel overwhelmed, to the place where we only see the problem before us. When we find ourselves face to face, with a trying problem, then we only begin to see the darkness around us. We may even feel that the sun will never shine again, within our spirits, which only makes us feel, as if these moments will become our fate in life.

I remember a time, when I was going through a very difficult time of counseling, for sexual abuse. I would say that this moment in my life happened over 20 years ago. At that time, I had to be hospitalized because I had completely collapsed, under a weight of deep pain and heartache. I remember a time, when Keith had come to visit me and after he left; I looked down, at the tiled floor...feeling very hopeless, while thinking that I was not going to make it through this very difficult time in my life.

Later, as I progressively got better; I began to see that these moments I experienced, where like a season in my life...a time, when God had a lot of work to do in my life. He needed to remake and remold my heart into something new that could be used for Him, at this present time.

No circumstance we go through will ever be easy and there may be such overwhelming moments, during this season in our life but we must remember that God is there for us. When we are Christians, we have the Spirit of the living God living in us and no matter what the circumstance attempts to say to us...God is there to comfort and sustain us, until He has finished the work that He has begun, through the circumstance.

I came to see, throughout my life; that God only allows difficult moments to enter our lives...only because He has a plan and purpose for them. When you feel as though you cannot make it...turn to the God that lives within you and know that He is there...wrapping His arms of love, around broken heart.

Words of Trust that Can Overcome Weakness

I think that many times, we lack trust in our lives because we are too tightly focused on the power that comes from an overwhelming moment of circumstance. What we need to do today, is find a way to visualize God, as something greater than the circumstance, so our words of "trust" can become stronger than the weaknesses we are facing.

As we begin; let's read Psalm 18:2 and we read..."The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." In order for us to find a way to trust God, during the difficult moments; we must first see Him, as something stronger and greater than the power that is presented to us, through a circumstance. Let's take this verse apart and apply these truths to our lives; that they may be etched upon our hearts, in a way, where we can reflect back on them, during the difficult times.

First, we see that God is a rock....in other words, we see Him, as someone that is great...someone that cannot be moved. From there, we see God as our fortress or someone who surrounds us and becomes a place of refuge, where nothing can defeat us. Then we see God as our deliverer...someone who has the power to come and rescue us, from the grip of the enemy's hands. Then we see God as a shield...someone who will stand in front of us and protect us and keep us standing, even while facing the blows from the evil one. Finally, we see God, as "the horn of our salvation," which resembles great strength.

Let's ask ourselves this question today...if God's word says that nothing can move Him or destroy Him...and if God's word says that He will surround us, with His powerful presence and become a great shield that stands before us and protects us, while allowing His strength to become our strength and if He is a God that can snatch us away, from the powerful grip of evil, then why are we running to our problems, which are much weaker, than this powerful God we serve? Sometimes, I think we need to have an eye opening experience, when it comes to trusting God. We can find it so easy to say..."Yes Lord, I trust you" but are we only speaking words or have we allowed our words to take flight, by the way we truly believe...as a means of allowing these words to become a form of action that truly says to God..."I trust You."

When we are willing to ignore the power of evil, through a trying moment in our life and reflect on the true promises that God gives us through His word, then our trust in Him, will become the key that unlocks our prison cell of despair and sets us free.

Truth...a Key that Can Unlock Our Hearts and Free Us

How do we obtain the truth that can set us free from despair? Is it something we pray for or what must we do, to receive the truth that can take us away from a place of deceitful lies, to a place where we are surrounded by the presence of a loving and peaceful God? As we begin; let's turn to John 8:31-32 and we read..."To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. (32) Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

How can we discern between the truth, of what God is trying to reveal to us and a deceitful lie that Satan is attempting to use against us, as a means of confusing us and making us believe that his words are truly from God, when they really aren't? The first thing we learn this morning is that we need to focus or hold tightly to God's teachings and no other. We need to set aside our own opinions and thoughts and search God's word, so He can show us His truth...the only words of truth that can set our minds free, from doubt and confusion. When we allow our own thoughts to interfere with God's truth, we soon find that we are only adding fuel, to a fire that is already burning within us.

When we choose to search God's word, for a real truth that can free us, during moments of despair and we allow His words of truth to become a part of our daily lives, then we will be able to use His truth, to put out the flames of deceitful lies. You see...when Satan attacks our thoughts with lies that appear to be words from God, then it's as if he has started a fire within our soul...a fire that He tries to use, as a means of destroying us within, while attempting to take us away from God but when we hold tightly to the words of truth that God gives us in His word, then these words can be used like water, to put out the flames of deceitfulness.

Connecting with a Powerful God

A new week can sometimes seem difficult, especially if the week before this one, was filled with pain, heartache or some other circumstance. Often, we can find it difficult to see anything good, after moments like these but I have found that when we anticipate God's best, through a heart of prayer, then we will truly find the best that He has to offer us.

As we begin; let's read James 1:6 and we read..."But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." Let's ask ourselves this question today...how can we anticipate God's best, if we allow our prayers to be filled with doubt? In other words, when we pray and talk to God, where is our heart, once we leave that moment of prayer? Are we closely connected with God in prayer at one moment; while we leave that moment...to enter another world of worry, fear, and doubt? We will never be able to anticipate or receive God's best, when we cling to what is wrong or what may go wrong.

When we pray, we must have hearts that are truly longing and reaching out; to a God that we know will never fail us. We need to have our thoughts fixed on what God can do, rather than what may go wrong. When we allow doubt to creep into our thoughts and prayers, then we become like the waves of the sea; as one minute we attempt to move forward with God, through a heart of prayer; only to draw back to our problems later, through thoughts of worry and doubt. After a while of experiencing moments like these; a storm begins to brew within us, as we begin to feel tossed back and forth, with confusion, frustration and anxiety. We will only experience a lasting peace within our lives, when we have hearts that turn to God, with a true heart of prayer...a prayer that connects us to the presence of a great and powerful God, while leaving the negative thoughts and feelings behind.

Committed to Christ through Moments of Affliction

Today is a brand new day...a day that God has replenished with His loving mercies and strength...a day of new beginnings! Let's ask ourselves this question, as we begin..."How do we view our circumstances and does our relationship with God remain the same, even though we face moments that seem out of control? This morning, as I was getting around, I was beginning to feel the weight of a busy work week but then God reminded me, of all He went through for me and within a moments time; I was saying to Him..."If you could go through the extreme for me, then I can go through the extreme for you."

As I was searching for a verse or two this morning...as a means of encouragement; God led me to Job 27:2-4 and we read..."As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made my life bitter, (3) as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, (4) my lips will not say anything wicked, and my tongue will not utter lies."

The book of Job has become one of my favorite books of the Bible, while facing very overwhelming moments in my life. When I read this book of the Bible; I feel connected to Job, even though our circumstances have been very different and as I faced my own moments, when I felt as though I would not make it; I was encouraged by the way Job remained committed to God, while facing deep moments of adversity.

Today, as I read these verses in Job 27:2-4; I was reminded of how Job remained faithful to God, even when He knew that God was allowing these bitter moments to remain in his life, for a reason that he did not understand at the time. You know...it's so easy to love and praise God, when everything in our lives are going well but can we say that we are truly committed to God, when the storms of life make us feel, as though they are about to take us down? Have we allowed our circumstances to control our relationship with God, to the place that we love Him, when everything is going well, while we walk away from Him and make Him distant in our lives, when everything is going bad?

I remember a time in my own life, when I was facing one knee surgery after another. There were moments, when the pain was so out of control and I couldn't seem to see a glimpse of hope at all. As Keith was at work one day; I sat in the recliner and looked at God's picture on the wall and said to Him...with tears coming down my face..."How am I going to get through this and why are you allowing so much affliction, to enter my life?" As I quietly sat there...God began to speak deep within my spirit and all I remember Him saying that day, was this..."Diane, rejoice." As I sat there; trying to figure out what He wanted me to grasp onto; I began to reply back to Him and say..."Rejoice...that doesn't make sense. God, can't you see that I am in pain?" Then He took me to some Bible verses, in II Corinthians 12:7-10, which now have become my life verses and I learned that when we rejoice, through these difficult moments, then we have truly begun to trust in God because when we rejoice through suffering, we are doing two things...first, we are sending a clear message to Satan; that his dart of affliction isn't going to affect us, which makes him powerless in our lives and second of all, we are believing that God is going to work through these difficult moments and bring about something good, through these awful moments that we are presently facing.

Can we say that we have remained committed to God, through moments of suffering? Can we say, with all our hearts that we trust Him, through these moments of affliction and truly know in our hearts that He would never allow these moments to enter our lives, unless He had a purpose for them? When we relate our moments of suffering to Christ's moments of suffering, then we will be able to find the strength to remain committed to Him...just as He remained committed to us and His Father in heaven. There's a song that goes like this..."After all He's done for me...after all He's done for me; how can I do less than give Him my best and live for Him completely, after all He's done for me." Let's ask ourselves one more question, as I close..."Are we giving God our very best; even when we are at our worst?"

Peace and Rest...a Remedy for an Ailing Soul

How many times, do we forfeit peace and rest because we allow the frustration and anxiety of a circumstance, to rule over our hearts? As we begin; let's read a couple verses in Philippians 4:6-7 and we read..."Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (7) And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I have found within my own life, that prayer is the remedy, for calming a storm within the heart. We can pray for peace, until we are blue in the face but until we are willing to let go of the circumstance and give everything to God, through a heart of prayer, then we will continue to live with anxiety, frustration and any other negative feeling that attempts to place our hearts in bondage.

In addition, we should also have hearts that are filled with thanksgiving to God, rather than hearts that wallow in self-pity. When we wallow, in a deep pit of despair, with our circumstances, we will soon find that we become stuck, in the mire and muck of our problems. When we are willing to exchange our problems, for a heart of thanksgiving, then this actually can become a way of revealing our trust, to a God that we believe, is strong enough to overcome the problems that are ailing us.

Peace and rest is only going to be found, when we are willing to quit holding tightly to our circumstances. We need to take our hands off the problem and take hold, of a strong and mighty God...a god that can work in ways that we can never begin to imagine.

Truly Believing in the Power of God

One thing I enjoy about the early mornings; is the freshness of a new day...a day that feels as though it's a gift that has been given to me from God and as His gift slowly opens before me; I see new and wondrous things; that He has waiting for me to enjoy throughout my day.

As we begin this brand new day together; let's read a few Bibles verses from I John 5:3-5 and we read... "In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, (4) for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. (5) Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."

Do we realize that when we truly have a deep and lasting love for God; then we will automatically aim, to do what is pleasing before Him? When we have this kind of love for God; nothing will seem difficult or burdensome because our love will draw us to His presence, in a way that will become a deep longing within the heart; to always do what pleases Him. I think at times; that we make life too difficult. Pleasing God should never be a chore; that we find difficult to do. When we have a love for God; that matches up to His love for us; then as children of the most high; we will have hearts that long to fulfill His desires for our lives. Think of it this way...when we love a child or spouse or parent; nothing will stop us, from doing the things that will make them happy. Well...in a similar way, when we have a true and lasting love for God; then His desires will become our desires.

There can be times, when the obstacles standing before us can seem overwhelming and impossible to get around. Life has a way of taking us down paths that seem to keep us tired, drained and overwhelmed but we must remember that everyone born of God, can overcome the things of this world because of the power that lives within us. Our love for God should also connect us, to a faith and trust; that says that we can overcome anything in life. When we truly believe that the God we serve and love has a limitless power; then we will automatically look for these obstacles to crumble powerless, to the ground before us.

I love the final verse, in our reading this morning, which states... "Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." Let's ask ourselves this question, as I close... "How can we say that we believe that God can do anything in our lives; when first, we don't believe in the power of God?" In other words, our hearts have to match up with our words and if we say we believe in the power of God but yet we turn back to worry, fear and doubt; then our words aren't going to stand, with the power that comes from the One, who can do all things. We need to come to the realization today; that in order for us to overcome the evil that surrounds us in this word; we must first believe, with a complete heart; that God's power is greater than the evil in this world and when we choose to truly believe this in our hearts; then we will find that we can overcome anything that comes our way, through the power of Jesus Christ.

Walking Past the Fault to See a Great Need

Do we realize that our sight and our thoughts; are actually what leads us through our day? In other words; the way we view life and the way we think; actually become paths that either lead us in a positive or negative direction.

As we begin; I would like to share a Bible verse with you, from Luke 23:34 and we read... "Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. "And they divided up his clothes by casting lots."

How many times do we look at the fault of another person, rather than seeing the need of their heart? Sometimes, I think it's in our nature; to look at someone and pinpoint everything that is wrong, rather than caring about their heart and where they are headed but we need to remember that when we react to people in this way, then we are not reflecting Christ in our lives. We need to remember how Jesus handled his life, as He walked here on earth and follow the example that He left behind, for us to live.

Jesus became a great example of love, as He died on the cross. Here, he had been beaten...spit upon and totally rejected, by those, who at one time, had followed Him; but yet, through all His pain and agony; He cries out... "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." In other words; His thoughts completely bypassed, what was done to Him; to see the need of their hearts. Jesus could have spoken out in anger to the crowd but even through many hours of suffering; His heart remained loyal to His Father in Heaven; as He spoke out, with a heart of love; while caring more, for the sins of the world, rather than the temporary moments of pain and rejection.

Do we see ourselves, as people, who are walking directly in the footsteps of Jesus? In other words; can we truly say; that we are looking more; for the need of a person, rather than the fault? We all live in an imperfect world and our lives will not be made perfect, until we reach heaven; so with this thought in mind...we are no better than the next person. Just think what this world would be like, if everyone could walk beyond the faults of others, to see the need within another person's life?

Pursuing the Good Things in Life to Experience God's best

Isn't it good to know that we no longer have to live in our yesterday's but instead, we can reach out, to a brand new day; that God has created, just for us!

As we begin; I would like to share a verse with you; that God has laid upon my heart

and it's found in II Corinthians 5:17 and we read... "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new."

Why do we choose to live in our yesterday's, when God has already wiped those days from the slate? How many times, do we attempt to walk into days that are behind us; as a means of repairing moments that were broken or just to dwell on the mistakes or problems we endured at that time? One thing that God has taught me; is that the past is not a place to enter alone because when we enter the past, through our thoughts; then we are also going to become vulnerable to more of Satan's attacks. As Satan sees us reflecting on a weakness of the past; he also enters these moments with us, while attempting to create more problems; then what we first began with.

I believe that Jesus created new days; so rather than living with our weaknesses; we can strive for a new beginning...a time, when we can leave the cares of our lives behind; to enter new and fresh moments with God. How are we ever going to experience the best that God has for us today; if we are camping out, in the backyard of our past? In order that we may experience new and better things to come; we must first be willing to leave the excess baggage of the past...in the past.

As we begin a brand new week and a brand new day; we are being given the opportunity by God, to also walk in brand new footsteps; that can lead us to new and exciting moments that God has in store for us; but first, we must anticipate His best and as we pursue the good things that God longs to offer us today; we will truly find them. It's about time; that we let go of the things we cannot change and reach forth, to the things that God so lovingly offers us...in this brand new day.

One Day at a Time

Aren't you glad that God only allows us to live, one day at a time? I can't imagine doing a full week of work, in one day but do you realize; that we attempt to do that through our thoughts? Let me ask you a question, as we begin this morning...how many days are you living at this time? Confused? Well...I have come to see that we can be living for today, while our thoughts are attempting to live in days that haven't even come into existence yet. Today, I would like to share a Bible verse with you, from Matthew 6:34 and we read... "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

I remember a time, when I first began to serve God and as the ministry began to grow; I got into a bad habit of looking into other days ahead and my thoughts were so deeply implanted into days that hadn't even been fashioned by God; that I began to feel drained and overwhelmed with anxiety and frustration. As time passed; God taught me that I needed to look at each new day, as one new footprint...designed by Him; for me to walk in. When I came to see that all I had to do was step into that one footprint; then I began to slow down and walk in sync with God.

It's so easy to want to get ahead of God but we find that these moments only allow us to walk into unknown territory; where Satan can have his way with our minds and hearts. I love the Bible verse I shared with you this morning because Jesus is saying that we have enough to deal with in one day; so do not worry or be troubled about the days to come. You know, when we think about it; it's as if we are walking into darkness, when we move ahead of God; since these moments have not yet been designed by Him; so how can we live in moments that have never been brought into existence? How many times, do we find that the moments we worry about; never even happen, in the way we first thought? We must remember that when we live in unknown moments; then worry begins to set in...along with many other negative thoughts and feelings; which will only allow us, to drift away from the presence of God.

What are we thinking about right now? Are we pursuing this day only or have our thoughts begun to enter days that God hasn't even thought of Himself? Life can be much more at peace and closely connected to God, when we step into one footprint or one day at a time.

Strength for the Journey

It's a beautiful day here and after getting up this morning; I went and stood out, on the front porch and as I began to take in some deep breaths; everything felt fresh and alive around me...with a hint of pine in the air. What a way to wake up! If we could just leave the difficult moments, from our yesterdays behind and pursue the fresh and new things of this day; we would soon see that God has truly given us a new beginning.

As we begin; I would like to share a couple Bible verses; that God has laid upon my heart today and they are found in Philippians 3:13-14 and we read... "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, (14) I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

How many of us can honestly say; that we can find the strength through Christ, to press on with life; even while facing a difficult circumstance? In this reading; Paul was in prison but even through the hardships he faced; he never allowed these moments to take him down and out of commission with God but rather, Paul continued to minister to people; even while facing prison time and the unknown moments that stood before him. As we continue to study these verses further; Paul also admits that he is not perfect and may not know everything he needs to know but at the same time; he wasn't going to allow these moments or the moments of the past, to get in the way, of pressing on with God. Paul realized; that the only way he was going to be able to reach for the prize; would be to let go of the past and continue to move forward and pursue the calling that God had placed upon his life. Are we following Paul's example today? Are we pursuing the prize that awaits us or are we too caught up, in the problems that surround us, from day to day? We need to realize that our problems are only going to become excess baggage that weighs us down and until we are willing to let go of the excess baggage and leave it along the wayside; then we are going to face even more difficult moments ahead and the journey is only going to become more difficult.

We need to remember that in order for us to run the race and gain Christ, in a greater way; we must first find the strength through Him, to leap over these obstacles that get in our way. The worst thing we could ever do; is stop in the middle of the race and give up...thinking that there is no way, for us to overcome the obstacle that's standing before us. As we run this race called life; we must continue to press on and not look back or around us and never, never size up the problems that get in our way but rather, we must take a leap of faith and allow God to lift us up and over each obstacle that gets in our way. When we choose to do this; then we will find that we are one step closer, to the prize that awaits us in heaven.

Walking In Sync with God

Even though there may be moments in a day, when we experience pain and heartache; we have the hope that a new day can offer us better things to come and this gives us a reason to rejoice..."for weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning."

As we begin today; I would like to share a Bible verse with you, from Proverbs 19:21 and we read... "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." How many times do we try and get ahead of God; only to fall flat on our face? We make plans, as though we know exactly what should happen in our lives and when it doesn't go our way; we find that the letdown takes us into a deep pit of despair. From there, we feel as though God has abandoned us; when all along, we have been the one, who has made ourselves distant from God, as we race ahead of Him; to pursue our own thoughts and desires.

The day that we chose to accept Christ, to come and live within our hearts; became the day that we also agreed to share our lives with Him. In other words; we can gather our thoughts and ideas together and lay them before Him but then we must wait for His response, as to whether we should proceed any further. Think of it this way...we can't see what's ahead of us but God can and if we are making plans but not seeing the worst that could happen down the road; then we could end up in more problems, then what we may already be experiencing. On the other hand...when we choose to lay everything before the feet of Jesus and wait for His response; then we will be giving Him the opportunity, to look down the road for us and see if it's safe for us to proceed, with the plans and ideas, we wish to pursue.

We must remember that our thoughts and plans may not always line up with God's plans and that is why we must turn to Him for the answers. We also need to come to a realization; that God's plans and ideas for our lives, may not always seem good to us but when we not only learn to trust God for the answers but also for what we cannot see ahead of us; then we will live with a peace that will become an open pathway; to the best that God longs to give us.

The Lord is My Shepherd

Today as I was sitting here in my office...looking out into the backyard; I was thinking on what God would have me write about today; as a means of encouragement to us all. While I talked quietly with God; my thoughts were being taken to the 23rd Psalm. How many of us have memorized these verses or quoted them repeatedly but have not truly felt the depth and meaning of each word and how they can be applied to our daily lives?

As we begin; let's read the 23rd Psalm and then we will take apart each verse and see how they can be used in our own personal lives... "The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. (2) He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, (3) he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. (4) Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (5) You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (6) Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

First of all, we see that God becomes our shepherd or caretaker...the One who watches over His own and is constantly concerned, as to what is taking place in our lives and because God is always there for us; we lack nothing in life because He gives us exactly what we need...nothing less and nothing more.

God not only becomes the Shepherd; that cares for us but He is the One, who can lead us away from the traps, snares and circumstances; that can attempt to lead us over a cliff of destruction. When we are willing to listen for His voice and obey Him; we will find that He can lead us to the quiet and peaceful places within the heart; where He can renew us in His Spirit.

Also...God knows that there will be times, when we will walk through the dark and dismal moments of trial but when we are willing to allow Him to walk with us; then we have no reason to fear the unknown moments that stand before us. When we have the most powerful being, walking with us, in the midst of darkness; then we soon see; that the light of His presence, illuminates the darkness around us and becomes the light that can lead us out of these dark moments of circumstance. Yes...there may be times, when God actually allows us to walk through these difficult moments for a period of time; where we come face to face with the enemy but as He anoints us, with the oil of His great power and strength; we come to see; that nothing can touch us or destroy us; for His goodness is with us and when we allow Him to always be there for us, during these difficult moments; then He will continue to be the great Shepherd, who will guard, guide and protect us...all the days of our lives; until we take that final step into Heaven.

A Haven of Rest

It's another beautiful morning here and as I have been sharing my thoughts and feelings with God this morning; He has laid some very special verses on my mind, to share with you today. As we begin; let's read a few bible verses, from Psalm 107:29-30 and we read... "He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. (30) They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven."

I would say; that through the past 20-25 years of my life; I have had a favorite hymn; that has always been of comfort to me; while going through overwhelming moments of pain and heartache. We all seem to hold a special Bible verse or two, close to our hearts but one hymn that God has used many times in my life to comfort me and reassure me of His love, is..."The Haven of Rest" and here are the lyrics to this song... "My soul in sad exile, was out on life's sea, so burdened with sin and distressed, till I heard a sweet voice, saying, "Make Me your choice"; and I entered the "Haven of Rest"! (Refrain) I've anchored my soul in the "Haven of Rest," I'll sail the wide seas no more; the tempest may sweep o'er the wild and stormy deep but in Jesus I'm safe evermore. I yielded myself to His tender embrace, in faith taking hold of the Word; my fetters fell off, and I anchored my soul; the "Haven of Rest" is my Lord. The song of my soul, since the Lord made me whole, has been the old story so blest; of Jesus, who'll save whosoever will have; a home in the "Haven of Rest." How precious the thought that we all may recline, like John, the beloved so blest; on Jesus' strong arm, where no tempest can harm, secure in the "Haven of Rest." Oh, come to the Savior, He patiently waits, to save by His power divine; come, anchor your soul in the "Haven of Rest," and say, "My Beloved is mine." (Refrain) I've anchored my soul, in the "Haven of Rest:" I'll sail the wide seas no more; the tempest may sweep o'er the wild and stormy deep but in Jesus, I'm safe evermore."

It seemed as though the past few days; God has brought this song to my thoughts several times and as I was searching for a Bible verse or two this morning; He led me directly to Psalm 107:29-30. Whenever I think of these words; I picture Jesus, as a safe haven or place of refuge; while out on a stormy sea of circumstance. I know in my heart; that when I choose to leave the circumstance behind and seek shelter, in His "Haven of Rest;" then I will be sheltered and cared for, until the storm passes by.

How many times, do we become so caught up in the storm; while we size up the waves of problems; that seem to keep smacking us in the face? Don't we realize; that if choose to stay within the storm, rather than walk away from these moments; that they will only continue to batter and beat us up, until we can no long keep our heads above the waters of circumstance?

Today, we need to stop focusing on the storm around us and what is attempting to drive fear within our thoughts and begin to look for a shelter; where we can hide away from the storm and the only shelter that I have found, to be safe and secure; during storms like these; is in the shelter of God's almighty wings. We must remember that we do not have to allow these stormy waters to abuse us and pull us, into the depth of despair, when we can seek a strong shelter in Jesus...a shelter that can weather any storm that may arise within our lives.

I love the chorus to this song, which says... "I've anchored my soul, in the "Haven of Rest," I'll sail the wide seas no more, the tempest may sweep o'er the wild and stormy deep but in Jesus, I'm safe evermore;" which means that the storm of circumstance can become wild and out of control, within our lives but when we allow Jesus to become our safe shelter or "Haven of Rest;" then we can rest assured; that we will be safe, until the storm ceases to rage no more.

The Pruning Process

I have come to see that it's so easy to get caught up in the moments that only allow us to view despair; that we easily forget; that there is a powerful God that can exchange these trying moments, for the best that only He alone can offer us.

Today, as we begin; I would like to share a few Bible verses with you, from Romans 5:2b-5 and we read... "And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. (3) Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; (4) perseverance, character; and character, hope. (5) And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."

It's so easy to get caught up, in every negative moment of our circumstance; that we completely bypass the good that God longs to give us through the problem. As we view our problems through our own eye; we easily see moments; that only point us down a road that leads to total defeat but if we were to view our problems; in the way that God is trying to convey them to us; we would soon see that God longs to produce something greater and stronger within us...something that will allow us to mature in Him, rather than ourselves.

Many times, I have looked at my moments of pain and heartache; as though God is pruning me back. Have you ever pruned a rosebush? Sometimes, we can think that this process is going to harm or hurt the plant but as we approach a new springtime; we begin to see that through those cuts we made; there is fresh and new growth appearing before us and as time continues to pass by; we not only see the new signs of growth but we also see that we have more roses than before. In a similar way; there may be moments, when God needs to spiritually prune us back. As God begins this work in us; He knows that we may experience pain and heartache, from the cuts that He has allowed but as time goes by; He knows that our moments of suffering will produce a stronger life; that will be able to persevere and be strengthen in a hope that will keep us strong in Him.

No trial we face is ever easy and the pruning process can seem like it takes forever to heal but when we rest in the knowledge; that our God has everything under control; then in His time, we will begin to see new sprouts of growth appear; to a place, where we can produce much for Him.

An Emptiness that only God can Fill

This morning, as I was preparing to do my exercises; I sat on the floor and began to have a heart to heart talk with God. As I was opening myself up to Him; I was thinking on how easy it is to lean on our problems and the things of this life, rather than a strong God; that can keep us standing; despite the weight of a heavy circumstance. As we continued to share together this morning...heart to heart; He led me to a couple Bible verses in Philippians 4:12-13 and we read... "I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want. (13) I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength into me; I am [self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]. (Amplified Version)

True contentment lies in the heart of the one, who can see life, through God's point of view, rather than their own. Paul never concentrated or focused on the things he lacked in life but rather his focus remained on the life that God had called him to live for Him. In this reading; Paul had completely detached himself, from the essential things of life; to focus on the eternal and what was awaiting him. Why do we focus on moments that are only temporary...moments that only lead us into a pit of despair; when all along, our focus should be on the prize that awaits us in Heaven?

When we choose to focus more, on the things that we feel we need in this life; then we soon find that we stop leaning on God and instead of being closely connected with Him; we become deeply connected with the things in life; that will never lead us anywhere but into more problems. If we were to be honest with ourselves today; we would discover that our longing for the things of this life; is really only a longing to fill an empty void within our lives...a void that can never be satisfied without the presence of God.

When our hearts and souls are experiencing an empty feeling within; due to a difficult life; are we focusing on the things in life that can only bring us temporary happiness or are we allowing God to fill the empty voids, with a true and lasting peace? When we choose to make God first, while choosing to depend on His limitless strength; then we will come to see that we don't need the things of this life to satisfy us.

Unforgiveness...a Road Block that keeps us from Pressing On

I have come to see; that how we begin our day; is how our day will continue. If we allow the cares of this life to weigh us down; then we will experience a heavy burden...all throughout the day but when we choose to rise above these difficult moments and seek a powerful God instead; then we will begin to see how God can exchange these trying moments, for moments of peace and goodness.

As we begin; I would like to share a couple Bible verses with you, from Ephesians 4:31-32 and we read... "Put out of your life all these things: bad feelings about other people, anger, temper, loud talk, bad talk which hurts other people, and bad feelings which hurt other people. (32) You must be kind to each other. Think of the other person. Forgive other people just as God forgave you because of Christ's death on the cross."

Are we learning to truly forgive those who come against us? Forgiveness can sometimes be, one of the most difficult things to do; especially, if someone has hurt us deeply but we must remember, as Christians; that we are not supposed to react to people, in the way the world does but instead, we are supposed to be willing to lay our feelings to the side...walk beyond the fault and truly see the need; just like Jesus would do. When we can see the need of the person, who has hurt us, rather than what they have done wrong; then we will truly become Jesus' disciples and be able to reach out to them; despite the things they have done against us.

Do we realize that when we fall into a trap of unforgiveness; that we have once more entered Satan's territory; where he can continue to use the hardened feelings within us; to abuse us and lead us further away from God? I think the most difficult moment that I have had to face, in regards to forgiveness; was when I had to forgive my grandfather, for sexually abusing me. I knew deep down; that if I couldn't find a way to forgive him; then how could I ever expect God to forgive me, for the sins that I had committed. I learned over time, to turn my anger into pity for him and when I did; I found a way to see my grandfathers need, rather than the fault that had been committed against me. Do we realize that God does not see sin, as though one is greater than another? We must realize that when God looks down on us and sees sin in our lives; He's not weighing our sins on a scale, to see who is committing the worst sin. No...instead; God sees sin as sin.

When someone has deeply hurt us; we need to slow down and say to ourselves...how would I want someone to respond, to a wrong that I may commit against them? Would we want them to forgive us? Unforgiveness not only leads us into Satan's territory, where he can use these moments against us but unforgiveness becomes a road block; that not only keeps us from pressing on but also from sharing the love of Jesus, with those who definitely have a need within their heart.

Limiting God's Power

This morning, as I was getting around; I was thinking, of how easy it is to limit our faith in God. Do we realize that when we limit His work within our lives; that it's as if we have bound up His hands and said...this is all I believe you can do?

As we begin; I would like to share a story with you, which is found in II Kings 4:1-6 and we read... "Now the wife of the son of one of the men who tell what will happen in the future cried out to Elisha, "Your servant, my husband, is dead. You know that your servant honored the Lord with fear. But the man to whom he owed money has come to take my two children to make them serve him." (2) Elisha said to her, "What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your woman servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil."(3) Then he said, "Go around and get jars from all your neighbors. Get empty jars, many of them. (4) Then go in and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour the oil into all these jars, and set aside each one that is full." (5) So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They took the jars to her, and she poured. (6) When the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another jar." And he said to her, "There is not one jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing." After reading and studying these verses in my Bible this morning; I came to see a prime example of limited faith in God. The oil that the woman and her son, were pouring into the empty jars, was being sold, as a means of paying off her husband's debt. With each jar they collected; that represented their faith in what God could do. In other words; God's provision, was only as large, as their faith and when they ran out of jars; the oil stopped flowing.

Are we limiting God today? Do we allow our faith to only extend to a certain degree, while we miss out, on what God could truly do within our lives? Are we too busy testing the waters with God, rather than diving in; to see what God could truly do for us? How many times, do we sit and say..."Where is God...why hasn't He helped me?" Maybe we need to look deep within our hearts and see if we have allowed God to freely work within our lives or if we have Him bound up...due to a limited amount of faith.

When we choose to see God, as a god that is only able to do so much; then that is what we will reap. We need to remember that our faith will be the determination, as to how far God can work and help us. The question I often think of is this..."Why do we choose to allow the most powerful being, to reside within us but yet we see Him, as a limited God?"

The only way we are going to experience the fullness, of a powerful God; is to let Him have free reign, over our hearts and lives. When we can truly understand the power of God and what He can do for us; then our faith will soar to a place, where we will begin to see the full extent of God's power...at work within our lives.

As One with God

I just love it; that God makes all things new! I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like; if we had to live in our yesterdays. What a God; that He would free us from the overwhelming moments of the past; to give us a fresh start and a new beginning!

As we begin morning; I would like to share a Bible verse with you, from II Corinthians 5: 17 and we read... "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new." When we invite Christ, to live within our hearts; then that means that we leave the old life behind; to begin a new life with Christ. In other words; our lives should have a complete change; as our thoughts begin to think on the good things of God, rather than the negative things that are brought on by evil. The way we see life should also change, as we begin to look through God's eyes, rather than our own; while we listen for the voice of God within our spirits, instead of the voice of desire and self-will.

Having a true relationship with God can make all the difference in our lives and when we choose to know God; in a greater way, then our circumstances or self-desires; then the bumps in the road, will begin to smooth out; as God makes a way before us. I've come to see that having a personal relationship with God, doesn't mean that we just know about Him but rather, it's a time, when we share our complete lives with Him and become as one with Him. As the relationship grows; we learn to lean on God, rather than ourselves and the things in life that tend to bring us down. Let's ask ourselves a question this morning..."For what reason, have we asked God, to live within our hearts?" Have we just allowed our hearts to become a shelter for God; where He only resides within us or have we laid out the welcome mat for Him because we truly long to share in a close relationship with Him? There is a difference, between knowing God and only knowing of Him. We can study the Bible and memorize verses or even say...I know about this story in the Bible but when it comes down, to a true relationship with God, where do we stand? If we were to meet Christ face to face; would He recognize us, as a close friend?

We are only going to be able to experience the fullness of a powerful God and come to truly know who He is; when we are willing to quit making friends with ourselves and the circumstance. One day, we will all stand before God and as He approaches us; will He say that He knew us? Will He remember the moments that we shared together with Him and the relationship we formed over the years or will He see us as a stranger? When we are willing to open up our lives to God and allow Him to be as one with us; we will truly come to see a God of great power and strength...a God that can walk with us...love us and detour us away, from the snares of the evil one.

Fearing the Storm

Just think...the difficult moments that we have faced in our yesterdays are gone and today, as we begin this new day; we have the hope that they will never return to us again. What a God; that He would spare us of these difficult moments and renew us in His presence today!

As we begin; I would like to share a Bible verse with you; that is found in Matthew 8:26 and we read... "He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm." Today, can we say that our faith is soaring into the heavens or has our faith only become words that fall powerless to the ground?

It's so easy to be caught up in the storm of circumstance; that we forget who is stronger than the storm. When we become caught up in the huge waves of problems and the boisterous sea of doubt and fear; then we begin to believe in the circumstance, rather than the power of a great and mighty God. I truly believe that it's Satan's mission; to not only afflict us but to get us caught up so deeply into our problems; that our focus becomes distracted, from the One who can truly calm these storms within our lives.

Why do we fear the storms of life, when we have a God; whose peace can calm the waves of circumstance and sustain us, until the storm has completely passed us by? Do we lose our faith at times because we only see the bad moments that stand before us? Well...if we are going to have genuine faith; then we need to believe, in what we cannot see, rather than what we are seeing before us. For example; we may be struggling, with health issues or financial problems and we can't see any way out but when we take our focus away, from the deep thoughts of our problems; then we will begin to focus on the true cure, which is Jesus Christ...the One who can calm the storms within our lives, while giving us a true and eternal peace; that will not only strengthen us but also become the cure to doubt, fear and an unsettled heart.

Faith and Trust...Roads that can Lead us Away from Despair

Isn't it good to know that God is there for us; whether it's through the good or the bad times? We must remember that God isn't only there to rejoice with; when everything is going well but He is there, to also share in our needs and when we choose to turn to Him, during the difficult moments; then we will soon find that we have the greatest source of all things; walking close beside us. What hope!

As we begin today; I would like to share a Bible verse with you, from Hebrews 11:6 and we read... "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

When we come to God with a need; do we truly know in our hearts; that He not only exists but can do all things for us? We can find it so easy, to come to God and beg Him for His help, during desperate times of need but do we give Him our need, in a way that allows Him to work it out according to His will or are we determined that He is going to do it the way we expect Him to; only to experience a big letdown, when He doesn't do it the way, we first thought He would? When we truly know who God is and what He stands for; then our faith will relay a message to Him; that we trust Him, to fix the problem; in the way that He sees best. In other words; when we hand our need over to God and are willing to leave the need with Him; then we can say with confidence... "Lord, fix this need; in the way that You know best. When we are willing to give our needs to God in this way; then we will find it much easier; to wait upon Him, as He works to accomplish our need...His way.

Once we are willing to truly understand God and leave our need in His hands...knowing that He can lead us in the right direction; then we will soon find that He rewards us, with the best that only He can offer us. Many times, I think that we say we trust God but then our actions show that we are still clinging to the problem, as though it's a security blanket. As long as we cling tightly to the problem; God will never be able to take the problem and work with it; as a means of mending the broken pieces; so He can make all things new again within our lives.

Faith and trust should never become words that are only spoken but faith and trust, should be a form of action that says...I believe in the power of God...a power that can take hold of my need and work with it, in a way that I cannot do. When we have that kind of faith and trust in God; then and only then, will we begin to see what God can truly do, within our lives.

Looking for the Reason Behind the Problem

I wonder why we are so shocked, when something goes wrong in our lives. Is it that we feel as Christians; that we should never go through anything bad? How is it that we have seen Jesus go through the worst; out of love for us but yet, we feel at times; that we should never suffer? I think that if we could look at these moments of suffering, through the way God reveals them to us, in His word; then we would be able to find the strength we need; to walk through these difficult moments with Him. We must remember that if we are viewing these moments of trial, through the world's eye; all we tend to think about; is how we can get through the trial and how awful these moments can seem. Do we realize that when we look at our moments of affliction through a negative eye; that this is when we begin to allow anger, anxiety, fear and doubt, to become our close friends; while we gradually lose hold of God's hand?

As we begin; I would like to share a few Bible verses with you, from I Peter 4:12-13 and we read... "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. (13) But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."

We must remember that these moments of affliction aren't here to bring us down but rather, we should find a reason to rejoice; as we are sharing in the sufferings of Christ and just as Jesus brought about a better life for us, through His death on the cross; He also longs to produce better things for us, through the difficult moments we face. You say...but Diane, I don't understand what God is doing and how long will these moments last? Well...the best advice I can give you; is to start out, by removing your focus away from the problem. Do we realize that when we search for the answers to our problems on our own; that we begin to open more doors; for evil to enter our lives? For example; I went through a time, when I was experiencing one knee surgery after another and due to those overwhelming moments; I began to say to God...ok, what's next and do you know that something always followed those words. I quickly learned to get my focus away from the problem and quit asking questions like that. From that moment on; I began to see that God had a reason, for the moments I was experiencing and that I needed to start searching for the reason behind the problem, rather than the problem itself.

When we are willing, to truly see that good can come about through these moments of trial; then God will begin to reveal the great work that He can do, through these difficult moments we face. One thing we must also remember and that is this; if we are focusing so deeply on our problems, then we are also going to keep the door of our heart, shut to God; so He cannot enter and do the work; that can eventually turn the circumstance around, while restoring our lives back to Him.

A Truth that can Free Us from Moments of the Past

Many times; I speak of the moments, when we experience the negative feelings in our lives; such as fear, doubt, and frustration but how many times, do we feel, as though God may never forgive us, for the things of the past? You know...Satan has a way of whispering defeated words within our thoughts...words that attempt to convince us that God no longer loves us or will ever remove the moments of pain and heartache from our lives, due to past sin but these deceitful words, are only to keep us down and out of commission with God. When we choose to believe the lie, rather than the truth; that is found in God's word; then we find ourselves giving up and giving in to Satan's tactics.

As we begin; I would like to share a Bible verse with you; that God has laid upon my heart and it's found in Isaiah 1:18 and we read... "Come now, let us settle the matter," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

I love this verse, in our devotion today because God is speaking heart to heart with us and saying...now people, let's sit down and talk about this, as though He is trying to clarify His words of truth to us. As God continues on; He begins to say, that He can take; what we see, as the worst sins and forgive them; in a way that will make us feel, as though we never did anything wrong. I truly believe that God is not only a loving God but a fair God. He doesn't look down from heaven and say; that this person's sin is worse than another person's sin. Instead, He views sin as sin and since God sees sin in this way; then it shows that He is a God that doesn't judge us, for the wrong in our lives....in fact, He is more concerned about the need behind the sin and He is looking at what allowed us to sin and is more interested, in fixing the need, so we don't sin again.

Many times, I think we look at God in the wrong way; as there can be times, when we feel as though He will strike us down, for the wrong in our lives but while we are thinking those thoughts; we have forgotten that His Son paid the penalty for all our sin and once we ask for forgiveness; then our sins are forgiven and remembered no more. The thing we need to do today; is start out on the right foot, by not listening to the deceitful lies; that Satan attempts to implant within us and begin to look to God's word; for the truth that can free our hearts and remove us from bondage. Once we are willing to see our sins, in the way that God views them; then we will also learn to forgive ourselves, as He has forgiven us.

Renewed Day by Day

How is it; that we can be renewed inwardly; when we are feeling as though we are wasting away outwardly? I think what happens; is that we get caught up, in the symptoms of our problems; to the place that we begin to believe what our circumstances are telling us; rather than seeing; that God could be using these moments, as a means of renewal. Have you ever heard the saying...no pain...no gain? Well, in a way, this is what we are experiencing. In other words; God is allowing us to be taken down; to a place of humbleness; so that we can rise up with Him, rather than ourselves.

Let' begin by reading II Corinthians 4:16 and we read... "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." This Bible verse has always been a favorite of mine because I remember many times in the past, when I felt as though my trials were overtaking me. In fact, I used to think that I was going to either die from the chronic pain I was experiencing at the time or the deep heartache, I was going through but God showed me in this verse; that even though we may feel, as though we are slowly dying...due to the overwhelming moments of trial; we are really being renewed, through these difficult times.

I know that I have shared this with you before but one moment in my life that seems to stand out the most; is when God allowed me to fall...to a place of humbleness before Him. I never realized that I had been holding so tightly, to the reigns of my life; until a day came, when I fell beneath a weight of problems. I was hurting so deeply; that all I could do; was to write in the steam of a shower curtain... "Oh God, help me!" To some; that may seem a little strange but to God it wasn't. This moment in my life became the time, when God saw my humble heart...falling before His feet.

We need to realize that our problems are not meant to destroy us but rather, they are meant to build us up; so God can remove the flaws that are hindering us, from completing His plan and will for our lives. It's about time; that we release the reigns of our lives, into the hands of a powerful God and quit listening to the voice of our circumstance. When we are willing to see these difficult moments, as an opportunity, for God to work in our lives; then we will be able to press on, with the confidence; that my God is working, to make all things new.

A Great Love that can Become a Remedy for a Hurting Soul

There are many in this world; that I may never meet; that feel unloved and tossed to the side...many who need to hear that there is someone, who can love them unconditionally and never walk away from them. As I was searching for the right Bible verse that God would have me share with you today; He led me to I John 3:1 and we read..."See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him."

In this life we live; it can be difficult to trust another person's love. We may hear the words that they are speaking but there can be moments, when action doesn't follow the words we've been told...which only leads to a feeling of rejection and abandonment, while living with a shattered heart.

As I was reading I John 3:1 this morning, something really struck me about this verse that I hadn't noticed before. First, the verse speaks of God's great love for us...a love that has made us His children but then we read this part of the verse that says... "For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him." After reading this part of the verse, the first thought that came to my mind was this...how can anyone share a real, true and lasting love with another person, if first, they don't know the One who represents the word love? In other words, if we haven't experienced a true and lasting love that only comes from Jesus Christ, then how can we know how to share a real love, with others around us?

Jesus Christ was the first One, to demonstrate a true love, when He suffered and died for us. In John 15:13 we read..."Greater love has no one than this: than to lay down one's life for one's friends." Jesus demonstrated a great love for us, when He laid His life down for us, on an old rugged cross. He gave up everything in His life, so that we could know without a doubt that He truly loved us. When we are willing to lay our life down, by caring more about the other person; then we have truly received the love within our hearts that Jesus demonstrated to us many years ago.

We do not have to live, with a feeling of rejection and abandonment, when there is a God, who has already proved a true and lasting love to us. All we have to do is receive His love within our hearts and allow Him to be a friend, who can fill the lonely moments in our lives, with His loving presence.

Refined in His Presence

Isn't it a good feeling; to know that no matter what kind of a day is ahead of us; that God is there...to share in our day and what a better time, to open ourselves up to Him; then in the morning hours; when we first awake?

As we begin today; let's turn to a Bible verse in Job 23:10 and we read..."But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold." We all experience moments, when we feel as though we are walking through a fiery trial. The pain and heartache that enters our lives can be so overwhelming at times; that we feel as though the trial will overtake us but do we realize that God has a time, for everything in our lives...not only a time to walk through these difficult moments but a time, when He can release us from these moments; to give us something greater, then what we first experienced? It's so easy to think that just because we are Christians; that everything should always go well but we must remember that God is refining us; in a way that will make us more like Him.

Many times, while facing overwhelming moments of pain and heartache; we find it in our nature, to want to escape the flames of our affliction. It's so easy to say..."God, just take me away from these awful moments" but if God was to do that; then would anything change, for the better in our lives? I remember many times, within my own life, when I would sit and beg God to remove me, from the awful pain and heartache I was experiencing. I even tried at one point, to make a deal with God but I quickly found out that God wasn't wanting to make a deal with me; but rather, He had a plan and in order for His plan to succeed; I first, had to be tried through the fire of affliction, so that I could be made stronger, for the plan and purpose, God had in store for my life.

There can be times, when we feel like we are traveling through unknown territory. Since we are not familiar with what is happening; we tend to experience fear and anxiety, which only tries to make us run, from these unknown moments but if we were to turn to God, with a heart of trust; knowing that He already knows the way; then we would have the confidence, to step forward and face whatever we may have to walk through. We also need to remember that God doesn't allow these unknown moments to enter our lives, unless He can use these moments, to refine us and make us stronger, for the purpose He has in mind for our lives.

Each moment, of pain and heartache that we experience, can seem as though we are walking on hot coals of affliction. There can even be times, when we feel like giving into the flames, while we long for them to destroy us, as a means of escaping the pain and heartache in our lives but until we are able to trust God, to walk us through the fire of affliction; we will continue to suffer needlessly; in ways that God never intended for us to suffer. Rather than falling prey to the fiery flames of affliction; we must remove our focus away from the flames and take hold of God's hand; for it's only when we do this; that we will be guided safely through the fiery moments of affliction; to a place, where we can be refined like gold.

Turning Complaint into Praise

! Isn't it good to know that no matter what kind of a day we may be facing; that we have God close by? Even though the dark clouds may roll in and the rain begins to fall within our hearts; God is there to catch every teardrop that falls and He not only holds them within His loving hands but He takes the tears and waters the seeds that He has planted within our hearts, so He can produce new and lasting growth within us. Wow...what a God!

As we begin today; I would like to share a Bible verse with you, from I Thessalonians 5:18 and we read... "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." As the week is coming to a close; what can we praise God for today? In other words...what positive thought of praise can we exchange, for a thought of complaint? I have come to see that when we focus deeply on the bad moments that we have experienced; then we begin to open doors that allow Satan to come in; as he attempts to do more damage within our lives.

If we could take a difficult moment; that we have experienced during our week and look for the good through the bad; then our moments of complaint, would turn into a heart of praise. We already know that we are going to face difficult times in our lives, due to living in an imperfect world; so why not choose to walk beyond the worst; to look for God's best. When we begin to seek and look for a moment...when God's presence entered the storm; then we soon will see that the positive thoughts begin to close the doors, where Satan once entered; so God can move in and continue to work; from where He left off.

Peace Comes through Good Thoughts

God sure is good and when we see a new day before us; we can also live with the hope that our God has the power, to exchange the difficult moments in our lives, for something brand new and beautiful.

As we begin today; I would like to share a Bible verse with you, from Psalm 9:1 and we read... "I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds." How often do we speak of the good things; that God has done within our lives? It's so easy to get caught up; in every detail, of what goes wrong around us; that there can be times, when we allow our thoughts and speech, to take us to a place, where all we do is wallow in our moments of circumstance.

This morning, as we continue...let's turn to another Bible verse, in Philippians 4:8 and we read... "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." God never said in His word; that we should think on everything that goes wrong but rather, His desire; is that we think on the things that bring a good report within our hearts and thoughts.

Do we realize that when we allow our thoughts to drift us away from the positive things of life; then we also find ourselves in Satan's territory; where he can continue to control and manipulate us...along with our circumstances? I have come to see over time; that whatever our thoughts are fixed on; that is where our heart will be also.

One of the most dangerous things to get caught up in; is to not only dwell, on the negative things; that are already going on around us but to also think about the things that could go wrong. When we do this; then we have opened a door, for Satan to enter; where he takes the weak thought and attempts to lead us down another path of destruction...in other words...our thought becomes his desire. We must learn to keep the door of our heart shut to evil, by remaining focused on God, with positive thoughts; that will allow us to remain close to Him and distant from evil.

A Powerful Presence that Brings Darkness to Light

As I sit here, in the early morning hours of my Saturday; I am viewing a cold and cloudy sky. Moments like these can make us feel down and depressed but no matter what we experience in life...whether it be bad weather or an uncertain day; we have the assurance that God's light can penetrate any form of darkness and bring hope, where once there wasn't any hope to stand on. As we begin today, I would like to share a Bible verse with you, in Job 12:22 and we read..."He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light."

It's so easy to get caught up in the darkness of a circumstance that we forget that there is a powerful presence that can bring any form of darkness to light. I remember a time in my own life, when the darkness of my deep despair was continually overshadowing me, until I could barely hang on anymore. The weight of pain and heartache had definitely taken its toll on me; to the place where I was slowly slipping over a cliff that was leading me into a deep pit of despair but one day; God allowed me to see that His light and presence alone, was greater than the darkness that was attempting to overtake me. As I thought on this; I began to imagine myself sitting in a chair...all alone, in darkness but as I was sitting there and crying out for help; a powerful presence of light entered those dark and lonely moments; as if a spot light shown down upon me...illuminating the darkness that had once surrounded me. As I came to see that it was God, coming to my rescue; I also began to see that even though there was darkness in the distance; it was not able to enter the light that had begun to surround me. From there, I began to see that even though my darkness, was speaking words of defeat; it could not follow through, with what it was dictating to me because someone more powerful, had stepped in and brought my darkness to light.

We can experience moments in our lives, when we feel as though the darkness of a circumstance is going to destroy us but when we reflect on the powerful presence of God; we will quickly see that His light can destroy any form of darkness that may attempt to destroy us.

Always Faithful Until the End

We can experience a storm that seems out of control, until God brings a new day into our lives...filled with His mercy and grace. This is the hope we live for...that God will always be there, to make all things new. As we begin today; I would like to share a few Bible verses with you that are found in Lamentations 3:22-24 and we read..."Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. (23) They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (24) I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."

A circumstance sure has a way of dictating total defeat to us. The symptoms of our problems can attempt to tell us things like this..."you will never make it"..."there's too many things wrong, for God to fix," which only attempts to convince us that our problems are more powerful than God. The one thing I've learned over time is that we need to shake the circumstance from us and get our thoughts back on course, with the promises God gives us in His word.

There are several things that will help us, as we face these overwhelming moments. The first thing we need to follow after is God's love, rather than the circumstance. When we truly see the love that God has for us; then we will be able to trust Him and walk away from the deceitful lies of the circumstance. Second...we need to see each day, as a new beginning; rather than a continuance, of where we left off yesterday. When we allow our problems to carry us, from one day into the next; rather than acknowledging a day, filled with new mercies from above; then we have found ourselves on a detour road that will only take us deeper, into Satan's territory. Yes, we may have a situation that isn't always resolved right away but we must not allow ourselves to be caught up in these moments, where they become like a web of problems; where Satan continues to have control over them and us. Instead, we should allow our faith to take us above the problem; to a place, where God can work, rather than evil.

When we can truly feel and experience God's love for us and look for God's new beginnings; rather than allowing ourselves to be caught up in the past moments of circumstance; then we will no longer see our problems, as a path that is leading us to total defeat. Instead, we will have a faith and trust in God that will help us to see the reason and purpose behind the problem, rather than always feeling, as though we are standing face to face with the problem.

God's mercies and truth are two things that keep our hope soaring above the problem and until we truly believe in what God can do, through His loving mercy and truth; we will always feel held in bondage, with the circumstance. Today, we need to begin our day, by communing with God, rather than the problem, so we can begin to see the truth, of what He is trying to convey to us. When we seek Him, the problem will begin to fade into the background, while we begin to see a God of great love and mercy...lifting us high above these moments of despair.

Trials that Change with Time

We can experience the bitter cold moments of trial that seem to make us feel discouraged and alone but when we view these moments, through a window of hope; we quickly see that these are only moments and these moments won't last forever but rather, they will change with time.

As we begin this morning; I would like to share a familiar Bible verse with you, which is found in Psalm 30:5b and we read..."...weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." God has designed a day, so there is darkness and light and when He designed these two separate times in our day; He did it with the intention that we would have light to work with and darkness, for a time of rest. Even though the sun may set, at a certain time of the day; we have the hope that it will rise again in the morning. In a similar way; our trials can seem, as though we are facing a never ending time of darkness. We sit and wonder, if we will ever see the sun shine, within our hearts again but just as God allows the sun to shine each day; He also has control, over the dark moments too and even though we may feel like we will never see the light again...a time will come, when the sun will peek through the darkness and bring light back into our lives.

When we visualize these dark moments of trial; all we want; is to quickly walk out of these moments and enter the light of a better day but when we view these moments through God's eyes; we see a time, when God longs for us to lean on Him and allow His presence to guide us safely through the darkness; until we once more reach the light, of a brand new dawn. When we choose to run through the dark moments in our lives; as a means of escaping the darkness; we are only going to suffer more, as we fall over the obstacles that Satan sets out before us but when we allow God to take us by the hand and lead us carefully through the darkness, then God will be able to lead us around the obstacles and prevent us, from further moments of suffering.

Do you feel, as though you have been weeping, through a night with no end? Just remember the verse we shared this morning..."weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning." These words of hope are not just words for us to read but they become promises from God; that even though we may be walking through a moment of sorrow, pain, and heartache; a morning will come again, when the light of His presence, will once more lead us to a new day, where He will wipe the final tears from our eyes and allow joy to enter our lives once more.

Crucified with Christ

Today, as we begin, I would like to share one of my favorite Bibles verses with you, which is found in Galatians 2:20 and we read..."I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

When we turn our lives over to God and ask Him to come into our hearts and forgive us of our sins; then it's as though we have been crucified with Christ. As our old life begins to die and fade into the background of our lives; Christ becomes the replacement, for the old life and now fills the empty void, left by sin. In other words; we have allowed Christ to clean out the clutter of sin and the past, as we lay out the welcome mat, for Him to enter in and begin a new work within our lives.

Now that Christ resides within us; what happens from here? Do we allow Him to do the work; that only He can do within us or have we allowed Him to be shut up within our hearts, while we tie His hands up and take control, over our own lives? It's so easy to say that we are Christians and that Christ lives within our hearts but we must remember that He is not just living within us but He also longs to do His best for us and the only way we are going to be able to experience His best; is when we allow Him to do His work...His way.

I remember a time within my own life, when I felt as though I was fighting every battle that could ever come in my direction. I was dealing with two bad legs, while being counseled for a past sexual abuse and I found myself so caught up, in the wallowing hole of my own problems that there was no way that I could see anything beyond that. Over time, I finally began to realize that I was trying to figure out my problems and make them work my way, rather than turning them over, to the God that was already there for me. I began to see a picture within my mind, where I had locked God within my heart...with His hands tied up...due to the way I was reacting to my circumstances. I came to see that the only way that I was going to be able to unlock the door of my heart and allow God to work; was for me to fall to my knees and begin to realize that Christ was there for me and that I didn't have to do anything but hand the reigns over to Him. Once I did that; God not only freed me, from those moments of despair but He also placed me on a new path of hope, where He could use the past circumstances, to reach out to others in need.

Have we checked our hearts lately, to see what place we have given Christ within our lives? When we look deep within ourselves; do we see a God that is at work within us or do we see a God that has been invited to live within our hearts...only to become tied up and restricted from doing His work, due to our reaction to a circumstance? We must remember that Christ died to free us from bondage and when we accepted Him to come and live within our hearts; it was with the intention that He could have complete control over our lives. Are we giving Him first place in our lives and have we been truly crucified with Christ? When we can allow God to have complete reign over our lives; then we will not only have a close connection with Him but we will begin to see lives that are truly experiencing, the best He has to offer us.

A Powerful God at Work through a Weak Circumstance

Today...let's talk about our weaknesses vs. God's power. It's so easy for us to become caught up, in the weaknesses we experience from time to time; that we forget how powerful of a God, we have living within us. As we continue...let's read II Corinthians 13:4 and we read..." For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God's power we will live with him in our dealing with you." When we read this verse; we begin to think about God's Son on the cross. Even though Jesus walked this earth and performed many miracles; the symbol of the cross became a weak moment of pain and suffering but these moments, when Jesus was mocked, ridiculed, rejected and beaten; was only allowed by His Father, as a means of displaying His great power, through these weak moments that His Son endured. In a similar way; we too endure weak moments of pain and heartache but one thing we must remember, is that God only allows these moments to enter our lives; so that His great power can be seen, to an unbelieving world, in the end.

For many years of my life; I went through one knee surgery after another, as a means of correcting a problem from birth. From there, I went through sexual abuse and the two years of counseling it took, to come out of the awful moments of deep heartache. If that wasn't enough; I lost all hope of having children and the moments of loss just continued to mount up. I found that when I viewed these problems through my own eyes; I only saw total defeat and a God that no longer loved me but when I began to see what God was longing to do through these moments of weakness; I began to see Him take each weakness and exchange them, for something greater; that His power may be seen through my weaknesses.

You know...we have our thinking backwards at times because we are so caught up in what we feel and think about our circumstances; that we end up traveling down the wrong road. We need to quit viewing our circumstances, through our own eyes and begin to look through God's eyes and as we anticipate what He is up to, then we will also begin to experience a hope that says...my God is at work through my weaknesses; that His power may be seen through me.

Yesterday is Gone and a New Day Begins

As I started my writing today; I decided to look up the meaning, of the word "mercy" and this is what I found..."Compassionate treatment...a disposition to be kind and forgiving...something for which to be thankful; a blessing." Now let's read Lamentations 3:22-23 and see how the meaning of the word "mercy" is displayed within these verses and we read..."Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. (23) They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

What would we do, if we didn't have a God of mercy, living within us...or otherwise a God that is compassionate, kind and forgiving? We may look at our yesterdays and dwell on the past but God has chosen to walk beyond our yesterdays; to see the need of our heart, for today.

How many times, do we lose out on the blessings that God longs to offer us, in a brand new day...all because we are dwelling on moments that don't exist anymore? The only way, we are ever going to experience God's best; is when we choose to leave our yesterdays behind and continue to pursue what is before us. When we choose to dwell on our yesterdays, we have only removed ourselves, from the presence of a great and loving God, while we begin to enter Satan's territory. Once we enter our yesterdays and wonder this or wonder that; then Satan is going to fill in the blanks to our questions and create more havoc in our lives, than what we first began with.

God has blessed us all with a brand new day and don't you think that if God wanted us to continue on from our yesterdays; that He would have never allowed one day to end, so another day could begin? God gave us the night, to rest from a day and this is a time, when God quietly pulls down the shade to one day, so He can create a new day...made from a God, who has so much compassion, love, kindness, and forgiveness.

The world we live in does not display a perfect heart of love and mercy, so it's not always easy for us, to see God, as a God of love and mercy but when we choose to journey back, to an old rugged cross; we will be reminded, of the love and compassion that was shown to us, by God's Son...Jesus Christ. When we can separate our thoughts, from a worldly way of thinking, then we will anticipate a brand new day and rather than pursuing our yesterdays; we will begin to pursue the blessings that God has for us, in this brand new day!

Handing the Reign of our Lives Over to God

Let me ask you a question, as we begin..."Can we truly say that we are turning to God, as our complete source of provision or are we looking within ourselves, for the answers, as to how we will meet our own needs?" Today, I would like to share two separate bible references, throughout this devotion and the first one I'd like to begin with, is found in Philippians 4:19 and we read..."And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." Do we realize that God holds all the resources within His powerful hands that can meet each need in our lives? We must come to the place; where we truly accept that the only way our needs are going to be met, are through Jesus Christ. Yes, we have to work and not be foolish in our ways but we must also count on God, to become the complete provider of everything. I have found that when I think about how I can make this work or that work...it never comes to pass but when I hand everything over to God and say...You, Oh Lord, are the only One, who can make this work; then I not only find that He is able to meet the need but I have also seen that I am giving God plenty of room to work, while I back off and wait for Him to finish.

As we continue on; let's read Proverbs 3:5, which says... "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;" Are we doing as the verse says? In other words...do we trust God, to take care of everything in our lives or are we looking to ourselves, for the answers? We must remember that when we lean on our own understanding; that it's as if we are putting all our weight, on a weak pair of crutches and if we continue to lean too hard; we are headed for a fall. Do we realize that we are nothing, without God? When we come to truly see this; then we will have no reason to lean on our own thoughts and desires but rather, we will always turn to a God that is much more powerful, then our weak circumstance.

Today, can we say that we have chosen to lean completely on a strong God, by the way we react to our circumstances or are we just telling God that we trust Him, while we turn back to our own thoughts, doubts, and concerns? We must realize that God will never be able to meet the needs of our lives, until we are willing to let go and give Him the space He needs to work. Once we are willing to say..."Ok God, here are my needs...you fix them;" then we will begin to see each need replaced, with the provisions that can only come from God's storehouse of blessings.

Are We Allowing Evil to have Control?

Let's ask ourselves a question as we begin this devotion..."Why are we leaving the power of a mighty God behind, to cling to the so-called power, of a weak circumstance? Why are we placing God in the shadows, while we allow the circumstance to stand before our face? Today, it's time to make a change and put God in His rightful place...a place where His presence stands before us, while we allow the circumstance to fade into the background.

As we begin today; let's read Psalm 24:8-10 and we read..."Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors; that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah"

Who are we turning to, during the difficult battles? Have we looked beyond the circumstance; to give praise to a powerful God? If not, then the only option available; is to sit in the midst of the battle and allow the enemy to abuse us, as he attempts to take us down. I don't know about you but I would rather use words of praise, to become a powerful weapon; as a means of bringing down the strongholds that Satan has afflicted me with, while allowing God to become my mighty warrior, during these difficult moments of battle.

The moments, when we suffer needlessly; only come about because we have allowed ourselves to succumb to the moments of circumstance that has entered our lives. The only way these fierce battles are going to come to an end; is to not add more fuel to the fire of our problems but rather, to take words of praise and allow them to become mighty weapons that can strike down the forces of evil. Remember...we do not have to allow these painful moments to dictate our lives or lead us further, into a deep, dark pit of despair, when we have a powerful God living within us.

Let's ask ourselves one more question this morning...how can praise become a weapon, to ward off evil? In my own life; I have come to see that Satan not only afflicts us but he is also standing in the shadows; to see how we are going to react to the attack. When we succumb to the attack and allow our thoughts, feelings and actions, to turn from something positive, to something negative; then Satan knows that his plan is working but when he afflicts us and we begin to utter words of praise to God, even if it is only thanking God, for who He is; then Satan begins to realize that this attack hasn't wounded us or destroyed us, which only makes him powerless.

How are we reacting to our circumstances today? Are we reacting in a way; that is allowing Satan to see that he is winning the battle or are we fighting back, with words of praise? Remember...when we praise a mighty God, then we not only allow our words to become a weapon, to strike down the forces of evil but we are also joining forces, with the most powerful God...a God that can remove us from the battleground; to a place of safety, where He can heal our wounded spirits!

The Positive Things that can Lead Us Away from Negativity

What's on our minds today? Are we thinking about the good things that God is more than capable of sending our way or have we already written defeat, on every day of this week? As we begin; I would like to read a couple Bible verses, from Philippians 4:8-9 and we read... "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. (9) Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

I have come to see that these verses that we just read; can become a good checklist, for our daily lives. In other words; can we say that we are seeking the things in our daily lives that are true...noble...right...pure...lovely...admirable...excellent and praiseworthy? We need to realize that we are never going to be able to find peace, through the negativity that attempts to take over our thoughts, due to a trying circumstance. Negative thoughts are only going to take us down a detour road, where we continue to experience the blunt of the storm. I have come to see that when we can take a negative thought and exchange it for something positive; then peace begins to override the moments of anxiety, frustration and fear.

When we can learn to follow the example of Christ, rather than following the example of Satan, through a trying circumstance; then we will experience a calmness that can enter our spirits, even in the midst of the fiercest storm. We do not have to wait for the storm to cease, when a powerful God resides...even in the midst of the storm. One thing I've learned about storms; is that there is a place, which is called the "eye of the storm"... a place where everything becomes calm and at peace; so when we are seeking God, even while the storm of circumstance is raging around us; then we have the assurance that He will lead us to a place, where we can be sheltered and protected...a place where His peace will surround us and sustain us, until the storm passes by.

A Source of Strength that Outweighs Our Own

As we begin this devotion together; I would like to share a Bible verse with you, from I Chronicles 16:11 and we read... "Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." Do we realize that the only source of strength that will see us through a day; is the strong and powerful strength that comes from Jesus Christ? We can get all the rest we need and take care of ourselves physically, but the only One who can hold us up and keep us standing, is Jesus.

How many times, do we find ourselves staring into the face of our problems? As we do so, we begin to feel drained, frustrated and a feeling begins to overtake us; as though to say..."Give in...this is too strong of a battle for you." Why do we experience overwhelming moments like these? Could it be that we are too busy looking directly into the face of our problems, rather than rising above them; to seek a God that is more powerful? When I think about moments like these; I see a person, who is overwhelmed by a problem in their life. Rather than seeking God; this person chooses to dwell on the problem. With every thought, worry and fear; the problem begins to take a toll on this person, until they become completely weakened by the problem and from there; Satan continues to feast on this person's heart and mind, as he sees this as an opportunity, to take full control of their thoughts and feelings.

We need to remember that if we are going to keep ourselves distant from Satan; we must allow God to strengthen us, through our weak moments and that is only going to happen, when we look to God, rather than the problem. Satan cannot work on strength...only weakness, so when we allow God to lift us high above our problems; to a place where we find faith, trust and hope, rather than fear, doubt and frustration; then we will truly discover a strength that can keep us on our feet, as we continue to journey through life with God.

Wings of Faith

I have come to see over time; that when we pray and ask God for His help but yet turn back to worry, doubt and fear; then we only allow our words to fall powerless to the ground. Our words of prayer should have wings of faith attached to them...a faith that will carry our prayers into the heavens, where God resides.

As we begin; I would like to share a Bible verse with you, from Matthew 21:22 and we read... "And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." Prayer time, in my own life becomes a very special time, when I not only commune with God but I also wait for His response, as He speaks within my spirit. How many times, do we go to God with a need; only to turn back and dwell on the problem that we just recently prayed for? Instead of dwelling on what's wrong; we should be anticipating God's best; for this is what faith truly is.

Let's ask ourselves this question today...how do we commune with God in prayer? Do our prayers become quick words or a to-do list for God? When we enter the presence of God, we should see Him as a good friend to talk to...a friend that we not only share our needs with but a friend that will respond and share in our moments of need. There are two prayer requests that I tend to give God quite often. The first is for strength for my day and at night, I pray for His peace, so I can relax from a busy day. When I ask Him for these things; I don't just ask and walk away but rather, I anticipate His strength through my weakness, as though I am waiting for a very important package to arrive within my heart and at night, I settle back and begin to relax, as I wait for God's peace to put me to sleep.

How are we communing with God and what are we doing...following our prayers? Do we see ourselves, as people who have made God our best friend, while we share our complete day with Him or have we become people who pray...only to go back to the wallowing hole of despair, where we allow our circumstances to keep us in bondage? We need to not only talk with God but we need to make Him our place of refuge...a place where we can find relief, from the problems we face in life. When we are willing to turn to God and make Him our best friend, while we seek shelter, under His almighty wings, through moments of prayer; then we will begin to see the power of a mighty God at work within us.

Stepping into God's Footprints

Just think...this is a brand new day...filled with brand new beginnings and how we choose to start this day, will either lead us down a pathway of God's best or Satan's worst. When I begin my day and I seek God, from the very start; then His steps allow me to follow His desires, while they point me in the right direction that keeps me distant from evil.

As we begin today; I would like to share several Bible verses with you, from I Peter 3:13-14 and we read... "Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." When we choose to enter a day, by following in the footsteps of God; we may face the opposition, as his aim is to take us away from God. We can wonder why these moments are entering our lives, when we are always trying to do what pleases God but we must remember that the fiercest attacks come, when we are trying to live our lives; in the best way that will reveal our love to God.

There are some people who feel that Christians should never suffer, as they question God, as to why the sinner continues to be blessed, while they struggle through life but we must remember; that as Christians, we are always going to face battles in our lives, as Satan attempts to remove us, from the presence of God. One thing I have come to see, within my own life; is this...the time we truly need to be concerned, about where we are headed in life; is when we are never facing moments of adversity because this could possibly be a sign that there is nothing there, for Satan to come against.

Jesus became the complete example for us, when He went to the cross. The road He walked was never an easy road and even at the end of His journey; He was mocked and ridiculed, by those, who at one time, had followed Him. Even His disciples never had it easy and when we read stories in the Bible about Joseph, Jeremiah, Job, Moses, along with many more; we see people, who never lived a lavish lifestyle and they always continued the struggle with God, as they faced the opposition many times in their lives.

We may have moments in our lives, when we suffer, for what we see as good but this is not a time to grieve but rather a time to rejoice, for we are truly suffering for the cause of Christ. Just as Jesus gave us His love, through a brutal death on the cross; we are now giving Him our love, as we continue to lose things in life and struggle, for His name. We need to remove our thoughts, from the worlds view and begin to see these moments of adversity, through the eyes of Christ and when we do; we will truly find the strength we need, through Him, to continue the journey that is before us.

God's Beauty for Our Ashes

As I'm sitting here in my office this morning; I am truly enjoying this brand new day that God has laid before me! This morning, the sun is shining...the squirrels are playing and God's presence surrounds it all...praise Him for that!

You know, there can be moments, when we feel as though we will always remain within our ashes of despair, due to the long and drawn out period of adversity but God reminds us in His word that a day will come, when He will exchange our sorrow for joy and His beauty for our ashes. As we begin today; let's read a verse from Isaiah 61:3 and we read... "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, (2) to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, (3) and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."

Do we truly believe that God has the power to turn our circumstances around or have we come to believe; what is being dictated to us, through the circumstance? Do the words we tell ourselves speak of faith, trust and hope or are they ordinary words that only become a speech; that we speak, as a means of convincing ourselves that life will eventually get better?

I have come to see that anything that portrays a deep and hurtful circumstance cannot remain that way forever, when we have an undefeated God, living within us. I think the problem begins, when we allow a circumstance, to lead us off in the wrong direction and as we travel down this unknown road; we tend to believe the words that are being directed to us, through the problem, while we become distant, from the presence of a powerful God that is more than able to turn our circumstances around.

We must remember that even though our circumstances can place us in ashes of despair; there is a God that can pick up each tiny piece of ash and form them into something beautiful; that can bring honor and glory to His holy name. I remember many times, in the past years of my life; when I would say to Keith..."This is the way it's going to be." I would even question God's love for me and wonder where He was but I came to see that everything had to be done in His time and in His way and when I finally chose to walk with Him, rather than ahead of Him; He began to show me...step by step; the plan He had for my life. You know...those difficult moments not only taught me how to get in sync with God but they have now taught me; how important it is, to continue to remain in sync with Him; so as you can see...everything we go through, definitely has a reason and a purpose behind it all.

Today, we may be weeping, due to the overwhelming moments of pain and heartache that have entered our life but with God; a time will come, when He will remove the darkness of pain and sorrow and replace these moments, with joy and peace...as He removes us from our ashes of despair; to give us His very best!

An Extra Ordinary God

When we feel as though a circumstance has become more powerful than God; these are the times, when we need to read verses like Genesis 2:5-6 and we read... "Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, (6) but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground." Just think...at this time, there was no vegetation on the earth...no person to till the soil and plant seed...or any rain upon the earth but then the power of God steps in and allows streams of water to come up from the earth; as though there was a huge sprinkler system there and from there the whole surface of the ground was watered. If we could read verses like these, while facing difficult moments in our lives; then we would once more be able to connect with the power of God, rather than the so-called power that is being shown to us, through a moment of affliction. The problem we face so many times; is that we are taking every part of the problem apart; never realizing that we are exposing the works of darkness before us. Rather than doing this; we need to reflect on God's words and read stories of how the power of God was displayed in other people's lives; such as Job, Jeremiah, Joseph, Moses...etc.

Today, we need to realize that God's word was never intended, to be read like a novel but rather, God's word should become a book of tools that can cultivate our lives and produce new growth, rather than allowing the weeds of circumstance, to overtake our hearts and lives. Just remember...if God allowed this huge sprinkler system; to spring forth from the earth; then why would our problems be too difficult for God? We need to quit allowing this so-called power that stems from a circumstance; to continually flourish, while these moments attempt to choke out our lives. It's time for us, to allow the power of a great God, to step in and pluck up the weeds of circumstance; as we allow God to continually work, at cultivating our lives, so new growth can begin.

Are we Looking into the Eye of the Storm?

Today, I am enjoying a beautiful and peaceful morning with God, as I prepare to write. You know...we can look out a window and see a beautiful sunny day but what happens when the dark clouds begin to move in? Do we allow ourselves to be caught up in the storm; to the place, where these negative thoughts and feelings begin to remove us from the presence of God's perfect peace?

As we begin today; I would like to share a favorite Bible story with you and it's found in Matthew 14:28-31 and we read... "And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou; bid me come unto thee on the water. (29) And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. (30) But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. (31) And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" How many times, do we say to God..."I know that you can do all things in my life" but yet we go back to our wallowing hole of worry and fret; only to lose out, on all that God can do for us?

Every time I read this story in the Bible about Peter; my mind gets drawn into the story, as I see a man, whose faith began strong; only to find himself sinking into the waters of fear and doubt. Do we realize how easy it is to speak words; for words flow easily from our lips but what happens, when a storm moves in and we begin to see the wind and waves of circumstance become boisterous around us? Do we get caught up in the moment; to the place, where we allow the circumstance to have control, rather than remaining true, to the faith we once spoke of?

Each circumstance we face in life has a way of convincing us that we will never make it; while Satan works overtime, to have control over our thoughts and feelings. He knows that we can be easily weakened, when our thoughts get caught up in these negative moments; so he continues to work and work, until we have fallen so low; that we begin to find ourselves distant from the presence of God.

How do we keep our faith strong? One thing we need to do; is to stop speaking words that have no form of action behind them. Our words must tell a story to God...a story that says..."I believe, oh God; that you can truly do all things in my life." In other words; our hearts should follow after each word we speak and when we allow our faith to become strengthened in this way; we will not only be speaking a message to God; of our faith and trust in Him but it will be as though we are walking on the water to Jesus, while our eyes become distant from the storm...only to connect, with the most powerful being...the One who can remove us from the storm, while placing us back, on a pathway of peace and goodness!

Author Diane K Hiltz Chamberlain

Visit Diane at Risen Hope Ministries – http://www.risenhopeministries.com

