The next time you feel worthless, or insignificant…look outside at the little birds in the tree. Our Heavenly Father knows the moment any tumble from the sky, but you also need to know that you are so much more valuable than any little bird in His eyes. ( Matthew 10:31) To God, you are esteemed, treasured, and cherished. So today, if your self-worth is in the toilet…go outside and look at the birds.
Month: November 2016
Proverbs 13:10 ” Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”
Arrogance and conceit can only bring out the worst in people. A prideful spirit will tell you that you’re better than everyone else and can do as you wish, but this only leads to problems when you come across someone with that same attitude! This Proverb advises instead that we take our practical spirituality and accept counsel from others.
II Corinthians 4: 1-2 ” Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.”
In a Believer’s life I think there isn’t anything potentially more volatile than secret sins. Hidden sins will lead us to compromise and dilute the truth in our own mind…rationalizing things until we can live with ourselves. They cause us to hide things out of shameful awareness and dispair…which spirals us down the slippery slope into depression. Secret sins need to be dealt with…not left to simmer and develop into more. Besides, you’re only fooling yourself if you think that hidden sins are really hidden.
Psalm 16: 2 ” I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.’ “
Without the Lord in my life I have nothing. Without His constant love and guidance, I am adrift in a chaotic and scary world. Without God’s mercy and grace I am condemned by my sinful actions. Without my Father, I am alone and separated from His love. Without Jesus, my sins will ultimately send me to hell. Without the Holy Spirit next to me, I have no counsel. Without the Lord in our lives…we have nothing…nothing but fear, turmoil, and condemnation.
John 6: 67-69 ” ‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.’ “
Other followers had turned away, but the Twelve Disciples knew something they didn’t. They had the certainty and assurance only given to them by the Father above. And this faith that Jesus was truly the Messiah was evident in Peter’s response…”Who else can we follow, for only You have the Words of Life…only You are the long awaited Messiah.”
Jeremiah 23: 23-24 ” ‘ Am I only a God nearby?’ declares the Lord, ‘and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I can not see him?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord.”
God is omnipresent…present everywhere at the same time, which is extremely difficult for the human brain to wrap itself around. We would like to put God in a nice simple box, but He can’t be contained…His power and majesty unable to be held within the boundaries. So attempting to escape the Lord is futile…there is simply no hiding place that the Lord can’t find you. You may run, but you can’t hide. The Lord will pursue you to the ends of the earth until you finally turn to Him…so why not do it today? Really, aren’t you tired of running?
Numbers 13: 27-28 ” They gave Moses this account: ‘We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.’ “
In Exodus 3:8, the Lord had promised Moses a land flowing with milk and honey, and the 12 spies hadn’t denied this was what they observed. But of the 12 spies, only Caleb and Joshua brought back a good report…the rest only saw the negatives and potential threats. How many times have you allowed the word “but” to totally stop the will of God in your life? How many times have you heard the voice of the Lord, but the “giants in the land” scared you into doing nothing? It’s time to move beyond fear, and what we perceive as unsurmountable odds…it’s time to claim our nation again for God.
I John 4:1 ” Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
When you hear something and it doesn’t sit well inside…implement the “smell test”. It may look fine from the outside, but when you really scrutinize or “smell” it, you discern something is bad. As Believers, we need to be ever diligent of truths that seem to be a little bit off… that are corrupted or slanted just enough that they become untruths. Therefore, examine closely everything you hear and judge for yourselves if it is worthy to be received or not.
Psalm 47: 7-8 ” For God is King of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne.”
God is still on the throne. The Lord’s sovereignty and dominance is in operation in the world, and no amount of human speculation can compare to His plans and purposes He has in store for this nation…this world. Lord, You sit on Your throne judging righteously and reigning over the nations with grace and mercy. We ask for a spirit of unity to sweep over the earth that we may become one under You.
Numbers 15: 37-38 ” The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel.’ “
These tassels were to be a visual reminder to obey the Lord’s commands, but in Matthew 23:5, Jesus accused some of the Jewish Leaders of making their tassels so extremely long as to make a show of their religious look. He went on to say, “Everything they do is done for men to see…” In many ways we can do the same, attempting to “look” super spiritual when we’re in certain crowds. God doesn’t look at our outward appearance…He looks at the heart. The Lord is saying to us – trim your tassels …get rid of your religious spirit and focus back on Me.
Safetypinlove 