The scripture in this devotion lays very heavy on my heart. I have always enjoyed this piece of scripture, but never really thought about it in depth until now. I never imagined writing on these subjects, I always assumed that it would require some kind of special knowledge that I did not have to accurately respond to these scriptures. Sunday as I watched Dr. Charles Stanley on relevision with my papa, he caught my attention rather quickly as he addressed this scripture. Then, Sunday night, as I watched, "A Walk to Remember" the pastor in the movie was also preaching on this. So, now since the Holy Spirit has been "messing" with me, I guess it is my turn to respond as well.
Galatians 5:7-10
7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty.
Of course in this scripture, they are discussing whether or not to be circumcised. In the days of the bible that was a big argument and still is in some places today. While reading this though, it made me think of how many times we let people make specious srguments about whether or not we should do certain things and make certain decisions in situation that partaking in only confuse us in the end. We let people persuade us into doing so much. Some call it persuasion, some call it a bribe, while others especially people my age call it peer pressure. I have been in numerous situations since Middle School where I have been pressured to do and partake in things that I did not want to do. Sometimes I fell into that persuasion even though I knew that it was out of the will of God. Others, whether it be adults or those my age, all fall subject to matters that are sometimes out of our hands such as drugs, alcohol, sex, lust, and pure confusion, which leads to our falling short of the glory of God. As Christians we were made to build relationships with others, be "fruitful and multipley", be happy, and so much more, but any of these things done out of the will of God can only go unnoticed for so long. I am not by any means pointing fingers at anyone, just mentioning situations that sometimes cause this utter confusing spoken of within the scipture.
Galatians 5:16-26
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[a] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Galatians 6:1-10
1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
From these passages of scripture we are given lists of things to do and not to do. But, have you ever thought about it, and I mean really thought about it? Is the list of things that we should not do that satisfy our sinful nature really all of that important or things that we really want or should do anyway? And, are the things listed that satisfy the Spirit really all that hard to do? Often when we think of the Bible we do not see it as anything to pay attention to, we see it as a book of laws and laws only, not guidance, just laws and a list of do's and don'ts. So, if you really want to satisfy your sinful ways, disobey the Bible. You can only live in an unGODly manner so long until you have to pay the price. We often play it off as, "Oh, well I'll just go ahead and sin tonight because I am going to church in the morning and that will make up for it." Excuse me, no sir or no ma'am, it will NOT. It is hard, believe me, I have had my fair struggle with sin. But, when it comes to this our feelings of, "Well, I do not really want to do that or I really do not feel like acting that way" try to remember that Jesus probably did not feel like dying on the cross to save our sinful souls either, but HE DID. So, why can't we do something a little less selfish for once? WE were born sinful, but it is our choice whether we continue that life of sin or choose to live it for someone worth our while. Do you disobey God because you worry what others will think if you do not go with the flow? Do you fear that they will think of you as the goodie two shoes, Sister Christian, who always goes against the flow? Although that may get tiring, the harvest is just ahead.
Joyce Meyers inspired a statement in the mind of a very dear friend of mine very similar to this, "Each time that we do something that we know is wrong we get a small callous on our heart. When we continuously sin it grows until we are immune to God's prompting that we are doing wrong." How big is your callous? Have you thought about your actions lately? I've thought about mine, and surely am not satisfied, because we all make mistakes. Although some are smaller or larger than others to us, they are all the same in God's eyes. the good that we do, also, is measured the same. God sees all that we do, each little bit that we do that is bad means just as much to him as the greatest sin in the world and each little good thing that we do is just as much to him as leading someone else to Christ.
As a Christian we have the opportunity to impact other's lives for the good, but also things we do can make a negative impact on the lives of those who look up to us and attempt to follow the path that we have. You cannot look at the verses of scripture as a to-do list. For instance, "I was nice to someone today, I'll check that off" or "I could not control my sinful desires today, I'll work on that tomorrow." That is not how it works. From experience we all know that we don not follow lists that we make so well. The scripture speaks about the Spirit. Well, the Spirit produces the fruit in your life. Have you ever thought about fruit on a vine, the branch does not decide to bear fruit it just does because it is connected to the vine. Well, if we disconnect ourselves from God, we disconnect the branch from the vine and shall bear no fruit and reap no harvest.
John 15:4-5
4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Remain in God and do not sin against him, therfore do not satisfy your sinful nature but the Spirit. God is with you through everything regardless of the sin or heartache. Repent of your sins, and you shall be forgiven. "Ask and ye shall receive." Every need shall be provided and you will surely reap all that you sow, whether it be good or bad. So, keep that in mind, I sure will be right here with you each step of the way fighting the same battles against sin as you. In his most glorified name!!
AMEN!
HE IS WITH YOU!!!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
I TRUST You Not To GOSSIP
I am about to tackle a tough subject...whether I should or not! Gossip! Read, and reflect on times when you may have opened your mouth just one too many times! I know that I have and that we are all guilty of it at times! I TRUST You Not To GOSSIP!
Scoundrels hunt for scandal; their words are a destructive blaze. A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.
Proverbs 16:27-28
"Plant a little gossip, and you will reap a harvest of regret." I found this quote by an unknown author and it completely sums up what happens when you gossip. What do you get out of it besides mounds of trouble for you and the ones in which you were gossiping about. It is called Drama! I don't know about you but I get tired of being associated with drama and lots of time I found myself dead in the middle of drama and not being the cause of any of it! Words are containers for power. They have the power to hurt, the power to love, the power to encourage and the power to discourage. How do you use your words? Do you use them to show compassion for others or lack there of? Do you lift people up with encouraging words? Do you share the words of Jesus Christ? I am guilty of using my words in all of the above! Some being good ways and some are obviously not good ways to share your knowledge.
A gossip tellls secrets, so don't hang around with someone who talks too much.
Proverbs 20:19
Growing up where I have it is hard not to be in the "know" at a very early age! A small town with roughly 2500 people, its hard not to know everything there is to know about each individual and family! But, that does not give others the right to share the things that luckily are not already out in the open. These days it is hard to find people in which you trust. I know it is for me anyway! When I find those worthy of my trust, I often find myself wondering when they are going to betray that trust! Its hard to feel that way, but when it has happened too many times to count, you begin to depend on that concept! With God, you can place your trust in HIM knowing that nothing you ever feel, or do, or say when you are among the deepest of conversations with the FATHER will be revealed! That is the way it should be with everyone, but sometimes we are not that lucky. I think we have to face the heartaches placed among us by the tongues of others in order to find our strength in God, and face the many other heartaches this world has to offer in order to prosper and learn the lessons that God has prepared for us to learn!
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Exodus 20:16
One of the greatest Ten Commandments is this. "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." Despite hard feelings, or decisions that you do not agree with, or a situation that is a flat out mess altogether, you still have no right according to the Word of God to do such things. If you do not see it with your eyes, do not create it with your mouth: Is one of the best ways that I know to sum up this very important matter that we are all faced with at one time or another.
Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but to trust the Lord means safety.
Proverbs 29:25
Living life fearing your whole world being flipped upside down time and time again due to the decisions that others make to scatter words, true or untrue, that spread like wildfires, is the worse fear to have. Why waste your time placing your trust in others that you do not know from one day to another if they can return the favor and be that trustworthy person that you believe them to be, when you have someone who gave his life, his all in order to gain your trust! Can you place yourself in HIS position? During Jesus' life leading up to his death on that cross he faced trial after trial, he faced the people who did not believe that he was who he said he was. He faced those who doubted his goodness and his love. He faced those who just did not believe a word he had to say. But yet, for all of those who did not believe, there were many who did, hopefully just as you and I believe. We place our trust in people who could be gone or who could betray us tomorrow, we place our trust in love that perhaps will not last another day, and some wealthy enough to do so place their trust in money to get them through the trial of their life. We think we have everything all figured out. We think that we understand everyone and everything in life that there is for us to understand, but in all reality, WE DO NOT HAVE A CLUE! We think that we can dictate others every thought and move by only speaking a few words. We cannot do anything of the sort. Only when we "Trust in the Lord with all our heart; and do not depend on our own understanding." Proverbs 3:5 will we then gain the true understanding that we need in this life.
The two terms Trust and Gossip go hand in hand. How you ask? Well sometimes in mid desperation we share things about ourselves, our personal life and struggles with others who in the heat of the moment with good or bad intentions share those things with someone else, and then one thing leads to another and the everyone knows how you feel about something and that is all she wrote. Gossip is a weapon larger than any gun where a three inch tongue can ruin a person six feet tall. Trust is one of the most important characteristics you find in a person. It is said that, "The man who trust God is the man who can be trusted." When you find that person, whether it be a best friend, a family member, just a typical friend, or a spouse you know that you are okay. But once you find that trust, once it is broken it may can be repaired bt things will never be the same. Daily I find myself struggling in this world wondering who I can trust...even though that question has the easiest answer in the world, I still find myself doubting the trustworthiest person in my life. Shortly after pondering the thought I realize that if I place my trust in my Jesus alone, I will be okay. So will you! Whether we want to believe it or not, the only person in this world that we can place our full trust alone in is Jesus because we can TRUST HIM NOT TO GOSSIP!
You all may be wondering why I would tackle such a subject to talk about, and some things are best left unsaid! I just hope this opens the eyes of many and helps them and myself think a little harder, or maybe even twice before we open our mouthes to certain people about certain things, when we have a one true Savior who can give us just as much peace and comfort with any situation! I hope I did not step on too many toes, but maybe if I did you will reach the same realization that I did!
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, help us to be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to become angry even with so many trials coming our way. Help us to use you as our only source of trust because we know that in you all things are possible and that you can meet our every need! Help us to trust in you alone and be the people that you had in mind on the day of our creation even if that means bringing us through many valleys on the way to becoming that person. Thank you for all of the many blessings that you have bestowed on us and help us to understand that even in our deepest despair a blessing will always be found. In your Holy, Trustworthy name we pray! Amen!
God Bless!
Scoundrels hunt for scandal; their words are a destructive blaze. A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.
Proverbs 16:27-28
"Plant a little gossip, and you will reap a harvest of regret." I found this quote by an unknown author and it completely sums up what happens when you gossip. What do you get out of it besides mounds of trouble for you and the ones in which you were gossiping about. It is called Drama! I don't know about you but I get tired of being associated with drama and lots of time I found myself dead in the middle of drama and not being the cause of any of it! Words are containers for power. They have the power to hurt, the power to love, the power to encourage and the power to discourage. How do you use your words? Do you use them to show compassion for others or lack there of? Do you lift people up with encouraging words? Do you share the words of Jesus Christ? I am guilty of using my words in all of the above! Some being good ways and some are obviously not good ways to share your knowledge.
A gossip tellls secrets, so don't hang around with someone who talks too much.
Proverbs 20:19
Growing up where I have it is hard not to be in the "know" at a very early age! A small town with roughly 2500 people, its hard not to know everything there is to know about each individual and family! But, that does not give others the right to share the things that luckily are not already out in the open. These days it is hard to find people in which you trust. I know it is for me anyway! When I find those worthy of my trust, I often find myself wondering when they are going to betray that trust! Its hard to feel that way, but when it has happened too many times to count, you begin to depend on that concept! With God, you can place your trust in HIM knowing that nothing you ever feel, or do, or say when you are among the deepest of conversations with the FATHER will be revealed! That is the way it should be with everyone, but sometimes we are not that lucky. I think we have to face the heartaches placed among us by the tongues of others in order to find our strength in God, and face the many other heartaches this world has to offer in order to prosper and learn the lessons that God has prepared for us to learn!
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Exodus 20:16
One of the greatest Ten Commandments is this. "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." Despite hard feelings, or decisions that you do not agree with, or a situation that is a flat out mess altogether, you still have no right according to the Word of God to do such things. If you do not see it with your eyes, do not create it with your mouth: Is one of the best ways that I know to sum up this very important matter that we are all faced with at one time or another.
Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but to trust the Lord means safety.
Proverbs 29:25
Living life fearing your whole world being flipped upside down time and time again due to the decisions that others make to scatter words, true or untrue, that spread like wildfires, is the worse fear to have. Why waste your time placing your trust in others that you do not know from one day to another if they can return the favor and be that trustworthy person that you believe them to be, when you have someone who gave his life, his all in order to gain your trust! Can you place yourself in HIS position? During Jesus' life leading up to his death on that cross he faced trial after trial, he faced the people who did not believe that he was who he said he was. He faced those who doubted his goodness and his love. He faced those who just did not believe a word he had to say. But yet, for all of those who did not believe, there were many who did, hopefully just as you and I believe. We place our trust in people who could be gone or who could betray us tomorrow, we place our trust in love that perhaps will not last another day, and some wealthy enough to do so place their trust in money to get them through the trial of their life. We think we have everything all figured out. We think that we understand everyone and everything in life that there is for us to understand, but in all reality, WE DO NOT HAVE A CLUE! We think that we can dictate others every thought and move by only speaking a few words. We cannot do anything of the sort. Only when we "Trust in the Lord with all our heart; and do not depend on our own understanding." Proverbs 3:5 will we then gain the true understanding that we need in this life.
The two terms Trust and Gossip go hand in hand. How you ask? Well sometimes in mid desperation we share things about ourselves, our personal life and struggles with others who in the heat of the moment with good or bad intentions share those things with someone else, and then one thing leads to another and the everyone knows how you feel about something and that is all she wrote. Gossip is a weapon larger than any gun where a three inch tongue can ruin a person six feet tall. Trust is one of the most important characteristics you find in a person. It is said that, "The man who trust God is the man who can be trusted." When you find that person, whether it be a best friend, a family member, just a typical friend, or a spouse you know that you are okay. But once you find that trust, once it is broken it may can be repaired bt things will never be the same. Daily I find myself struggling in this world wondering who I can trust...even though that question has the easiest answer in the world, I still find myself doubting the trustworthiest person in my life. Shortly after pondering the thought I realize that if I place my trust in my Jesus alone, I will be okay. So will you! Whether we want to believe it or not, the only person in this world that we can place our full trust alone in is Jesus because we can TRUST HIM NOT TO GOSSIP!
You all may be wondering why I would tackle such a subject to talk about, and some things are best left unsaid! I just hope this opens the eyes of many and helps them and myself think a little harder, or maybe even twice before we open our mouthes to certain people about certain things, when we have a one true Savior who can give us just as much peace and comfort with any situation! I hope I did not step on too many toes, but maybe if I did you will reach the same realization that I did!
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, help us to be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to become angry even with so many trials coming our way. Help us to use you as our only source of trust because we know that in you all things are possible and that you can meet our every need! Help us to trust in you alone and be the people that you had in mind on the day of our creation even if that means bringing us through many valleys on the way to becoming that person. Thank you for all of the many blessings that you have bestowed on us and help us to understand that even in our deepest despair a blessing will always be found. In your Holy, Trustworthy name we pray! Amen!
God Bless!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Stuck in Neutral? Put Yourself Into Spiritual Drive!
Do you feel as if you are stuck in a rut lately? Are you bogged down with your everyday life? When is the last time that you made time for Jesus? All of these questions apply to everyone reading this. We all have those days where we just do not have the desire or the will to spend a little time with Jesus. For some of us, it is not just one day, it is an ongoing thing. At least, it was for me before I opened my big green eyes to all of the blessings that God has bestowed on me.
Once you have found your desire, do not be afraid to share it with others. This is where your 'Spiritual Growth' comes into play, it definitely did for me. At first, I tried to fight it. I did not want it, and you could ask me why, but my answer would simply be, I do not know. My advice would be, once you find it, do not fight it. I have received numerous blessings since I began sharing the word of God, and my testimony through Him. That is why I began blogging, that is why I go to Salkehatchie, and it is why I do most of everything that I do in my life now. You may always feel like a spiritual baby, and that you will stay, until you seek your growth or are blessed with. So, be blessed and be a blessing to others. Reach out and find what you are searching for in Christ. If you have weaknesses, trade them for God's strengths. Cast all your cares upon the Lord as the scripture below reminds us, because HE does care, and he will prevail in every little situation. So it is time to move from Neutral to Drive...sometimes it may feel as if you jumped into Reverse, but sometimes you have to go backwards to go forward.
God Bless :)
Kaitlyn
Philippians 2:13
"For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."
No one else can give you the desire to develop a spiritual relationship with God except Him and the Holy Spirit. Did you spend your whole childhood in church? I did. I have very fond memories of my church and my church families and all of the pastors in between the ones we had when I was an infant up to the one that we have now. Somehow I became lost on my spiritual walk with God. It has taken me a long time to work back up to that bond that others long for. I got to a point where I just did not feel like reading my bible, praying, or keeping a prayer journal... Honestly there was no "I don't feel like it", I just did not want too. We tend to get so wrapped up in others and other activities and things that we forget to focus a little bit on the one who made this life in which we live possible. If you asked me now if I was a spiritual person, my answer would be yes. What if I asked you the same question? What would your answer be?
It is a struggle to take time out of our ever so busy schedules to praise the Lord. Most peoples reaction to that statement is, "Well, I go to church every Sunday!" Kudos to you for that one, that is awesome... But what do you do in the meantime? Do you even give anything that you heard on Sunday a thought? I used to not. I used to go to church because it was a weekly ritual and I knew that I had to light the candles or sing in the choir. Then, it all began to matter more than life itself one day. Church became MY LIFE and MY ALL! I went through a lot to get to that point though, I dealt with a lot of heartache in many areas of my life, without going into too much detail, I will just say that I had some major eye opening experiences... All of which led me to something that I would give my last breath for and that is Salkehatchie. Everything kind of ties together for me. What is your story? I know you have one! A few tips, if you do not feel like praying or studying the word of God, it is normal, we all go through that, it is one of the many struggles we face as Christians, I call it 'The Devil Standing in Our Way'. When placed in that situation, explain it to God, be honest with him. He will bless you with the desire at the perfect time. Too, discipline yourself. You know how most people are really strict on themselves with exercising, dieting, sports and relationships, for a little while anyway? Add Jesus to that list of committments, the desire will follow.
1 Chronicles 22:19
"Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD.”
No one else can give you the desire to develop a spiritual relationship with God except Him and the Holy Spirit. Did you spend your whole childhood in church? I did. I have very fond memories of my church and my church families and all of the pastors in between the ones we had when I was an infant up to the one that we have now. Somehow I became lost on my spiritual walk with God. It has taken me a long time to work back up to that bond that others long for. I got to a point where I just did not feel like reading my bible, praying, or keeping a prayer journal... Honestly there was no "I don't feel like it", I just did not want too. We tend to get so wrapped up in others and other activities and things that we forget to focus a little bit on the one who made this life in which we live possible. If you asked me now if I was a spiritual person, my answer would be yes. What if I asked you the same question? What would your answer be?
It is a struggle to take time out of our ever so busy schedules to praise the Lord. Most peoples reaction to that statement is, "Well, I go to church every Sunday!" Kudos to you for that one, that is awesome... But what do you do in the meantime? Do you even give anything that you heard on Sunday a thought? I used to not. I used to go to church because it was a weekly ritual and I knew that I had to light the candles or sing in the choir. Then, it all began to matter more than life itself one day. Church became MY LIFE and MY ALL! I went through a lot to get to that point though, I dealt with a lot of heartache in many areas of my life, without going into too much detail, I will just say that I had some major eye opening experiences... All of which led me to something that I would give my last breath for and that is Salkehatchie. Everything kind of ties together for me. What is your story? I know you have one! A few tips, if you do not feel like praying or studying the word of God, it is normal, we all go through that, it is one of the many struggles we face as Christians, I call it 'The Devil Standing in Our Way'. When placed in that situation, explain it to God, be honest with him. He will bless you with the desire at the perfect time. Too, discipline yourself. You know how most people are really strict on themselves with exercising, dieting, sports and relationships, for a little while anyway? Add Jesus to that list of committments, the desire will follow.
1 Chronicles 22:19
"Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD.”
Once you have found your desire, do not be afraid to share it with others. This is where your 'Spiritual Growth' comes into play, it definitely did for me. At first, I tried to fight it. I did not want it, and you could ask me why, but my answer would simply be, I do not know. My advice would be, once you find it, do not fight it. I have received numerous blessings since I began sharing the word of God, and my testimony through Him. That is why I began blogging, that is why I go to Salkehatchie, and it is why I do most of everything that I do in my life now. You may always feel like a spiritual baby, and that you will stay, until you seek your growth or are blessed with. So, be blessed and be a blessing to others. Reach out and find what you are searching for in Christ. If you have weaknesses, trade them for God's strengths. Cast all your cares upon the Lord as the scripture below reminds us, because HE does care, and he will prevail in every little situation. So it is time to move from Neutral to Drive...sometimes it may feel as if you jumped into Reverse, but sometimes you have to go backwards to go forward.
1 Peter 5:7
"Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you."
God Bless :)
Kaitlyn
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Persistence+Faith=Perserverance
Genesis 29:16-20
16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”
19 Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
In this passage of scripture, we see, Jacob was desperately seeking Rachel, he loved her and would do anything to get her, even work for seven years. Can you imagine working for seven years to earn something or someone? Or not even that, but working a certain amount of years to achieve a specific goal that you have set for yourself? I can. Daily I aspire to be so many different things and to achieve many different goals in my life in order to lay a path for me to follow in my future. My goals consist of getting into a good college, having a career, possibly becoming a writer of some sort, serving God by helping others, and doing some work in the mission field. The main key to attaining all of this is PERSEVERANCE. Surprisingly, persevering is not as simple as it may seem to be. In order to persevere you have to be persistent in all that you do. Anything that stands in your way, any trial that you are faced with, any valley that you are taken through, you must be willing to persevere through it even if it means Calling on the name of Jesus to help you to do so.
Exodus 9:1
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.”
In order for Pharaoh to "LET HIS PEOPLE GO", it took many acts of God and a lot of coaxing from Moses. Moses never gave up, even though he wanted to many times. Remember what God had to say to Moses in order to get him to attempt this challenge anyway. The main point of this is that Moses succeeded and that the Hebrews were free from slavery. Although, they did not act the way they should have acted after their chains of slavery had been broken, they were still free and it was by the mighty works of God that this was possible. Moses knew that if he continued to listen to the guidance from God that he could achieve this task. Are you listening to what God is telling you to do? Are you in the midst of a difficult situation and things are getting worse instead of better? Or have you ever been in this situation? I'm sure you have, I will admit that I have. It is hard to listen to God, because we are so set in our ways and set on planning our lives the way that we want them to go. To God, I almost believe that he enjoys it in a comical manner when we make plans for our lives, because he already knows how everything is going to play out for us even up until the day we take our last breath, so it is funny to Him when we do such. I have planned many things in my life, and something always stands in the way of the plan working out like I think that it should. Therefore, I end up not only having to persevere through the situation, but I have to then persevere through the failure of the plan that I had made to make the previous situation better. So, it is much easier to cling to the Father, because in the end persistence always wins, and His plans for you to prosper will prevail, in His timing.
1 Kings 11:1-3
1 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.
It is evident that King Solomon failed himself, and God in marrying these foreign women who indeed led him astray. His failures were not worth it. What is failure? Is failing to you making a bad grade, betraying a loved one, hurting someone, hurting yourself? You can fail at many things. What is most important after you fall is whether you get back up and try again. Someone once told me, "You are not measured by the number of times you fall, but by the number of times you get back up." I believe God feels that way about us too. He is always waiting on us, he never gives up on us, for he knows already before it happens when each failure of our life we occur. Faith through these failures of our life is what keeps us going. When this faith, this faith that never quits, is added to a little persistence we then find that we are able to PERSEVERE through the aching of this life no matter what the case may be.
I challenge you to listen to what God has to say to you. What is he telling you to do? If you have not been doing it, do it! Yeah I know, easier said than done right? In the trials of our life we need to be ready to take any step or do anything possible to persevere right through it. We cannot let our turmoiled lives affect the plans that God has for us, even if we are not in control of the current situation that we are in. There will be a day when we will not have to worry, or struggle, or persevere anymore, but until that time we have to keep on keeping on by the grace of God our Father!
Persistence helps you to pray and believe that God knows best, even when he says no.
Always remember that you will fail or fall many times in your life, but the only way to persevere is to have the faith to GET BACK UP!
God Bless! <3
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