“My dear friends, you have always obeyed God when I was with you. It is even more important that you obey now while I am away from you. Keep on working to complete your salvation with fear and trembling, because God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:12-13 NCV https://www.bible.com/105/php.2.12-13.ncv
Where does my strength come from?
“God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!” Psalms 68:35 NLT https://www.bible.com/116/psa.68.35.nlt
“Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 NLT https://www.bible.com/116/1th.5.17-18.nlt
When Satan attacks you like the crow attacks the eagle, don’t waste your time and energy in fighting him. Call upon God. Raise your heart, soul, and mind to Him in prayer. As you lift your words up, ask God to help and save you. Like the crow, Satan doesn’t tolerate the atmosphere and will not stick around.
“He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. He counts the stars and calls them all by name. How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!” Psalms 147:3-5 NLT https://www.bible.com/116/psa.147.3-5.nlt
“God, examine me and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any bad thing in me. Lead me on the road to everlasting life.” Psalms 139:23-24 NCV https://www.bible.com/105/psa.139.23-24.ncv
““Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow and difficult to travel is the path that leads the way to [everlasting] life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 AMP https://www.bible.com/1588/mat.7.13-14.amp
“Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. The burden that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light.”” Matthew 11:28-30 NCV https://www.bible.com/105/mat.11.28-30.ncv
The impossible load that we carry each day can be unbearable. We call it anxiety, stress, depression, or even an I don’t care attitude. Jesus is asking you to give all your heavy burdens to him. Some baggage is light, some are heavy, but when you put them all together you are being crushed under an invisible load of problems. You are downhearted and it is hard to function when you are mentally, and emotionally broken.
Jesus is standing at your heart’s door asking you to surrender your burdens and problems to him. Then you will enjoy the true peace that is offered to you. So think of things above the sun (God) and not below the sun (Earth), your spiritual, mental, and emotional health will be transformed.
“Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.” Romans 12:2 NCV https://www.bible.com/105/rom.12.2.ncv
Let God carry your load! With God all things are possible.
When I opened my You Version Bible app this morning, the first thing I saw was the statement below. ⬇️
I was so happy to be notified that I was being prayed for. It didn’t bother me that thousands of people received the same notice from You Version.
PRAYER IS THE B E S T GIFT YOU CAN GIVE.
Please surprise someone and send them a prayer by writing a note, card, email, text or give them a call and pray together over the phone. It’s a blessing for both you and the receiver. 🙏
I wasn’t too happy to have my motive known by my husband in manipulating him to take me shopping. I told him we were going to a store that I knew he wanted to go too. Which happened to be in the same shopping center of the store that I wanted to go too. I made it sound like it was for him and once we got there I said, “can we run into Michael’s, it looks like there having a sale.” Gary was spot on when he said that I had an ulterior motive. It did not feel good to be dishonest to my husband. Gary still took me where I wanted to go but, he was so upset he waited in the car.
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”” Jeremiah 17:9-10 NLT https://www.bible.com/116/jer.17.9-10.nlt
The Lord knows all of your thoughts and motives. He knows if you are truly moved by compassion to help someone in need. Or looking to feed your own ego. Are you looking for glory? Are you seeking for recognition? You know, the pat on the back from friends and family or maybe it’s the good feeling you get when the person looks up and genuinely thanks you.
What if their is no recognition, no pat on the back from friends, and no thank you from the person you helped. Would you still go out looking for people to help no matter what the circumstance may be. That is what we are called to do. No hidden agendas. Let the Holy Spirit lead and guide you to share the love of God for God’s glory. When God examines your heart he will find it pure and faithful.
Kristin, my daughter, loves to remind me when I sent her to the church and forgot to put underwear on her. Even at 3 years old, she knew something was missing that day. During prayer, she lifted her dress up over her head and announced, ”I have no panties.”
That’s what happens when we get so busy. We find ourselves going through life on automatic not focused on what we are doing. The Bible reminds us to guard our hearts and keep our minds on God. A guard from the lies of the evil one, that we are fine without God. Kristin may have looked cute, but she was not fully clothed. We do not want to look good on the outside but be empty without God in the inside.
“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:13-18 NIV https://www.bible.com/111/eph.6.13-18.niv
With the armor of God on, you are fully dressed and ready to face whatever challenge comes your way. God bless you, 🙏
Are U Up for the Challenge? 