Posts filed under ‘Perseverance’
God Will Act For You!
As I sat at the feet of the Lord Jesus today He spoke to me some wonderful words of healing. I know you my friend are in a place where you need the Lord to act on your behalf. We must trust in the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act.
How do you wait for God to act when your world seems to be spinning out of control? How do you stop anger when you see godless people getting what they want? David tells you, you are to do something else! In verse 3 he shows you what you should do in order to not become angry.
· You must trust in the LORD
· You most certainly must do good
THEN verse 3 goes on to say you will live safely in the land AND prosper.
It may not happen immediately but it WILL happen. You must learn to wait for God verse 7 instructs you. I want to print the entire 37 Psalm here for you (bold print is mine). I encourage you not to scan over it but to really read it in depth and rest in it. You are to “be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act.”
1 Don’t worry about the wicked
or envy those who do wrong.
2 For like grass, they soon fade away.
Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.
5 Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
7 Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.
8 Stop being angry!
Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper—
it only leads to harm.
9 For the wicked will be destroyed,
but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.
10 Soon the wicked will disappear.
Though you look for them, they will be gone.
11 The lowly will possess the land
and will live in peace and prosperity.
12 The wicked plot against the godly;
they snarl at them in defiance.
13 But the Lord just laughs,
for he sees their day of judgment coming.
14 The wicked draw their swords
and string their bows
to kill the poor and the oppressed,
to slaughter those who do right.
15 But their swords will stab their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
16 It is better to be godly and have little
than to be evil and rich.
17 For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,
but the Lord takes care of the godly.
18 Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,
and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
19 They will not be disgraced in hard times;
even in famine they will have more than enough.
20 But the wicked will die.
The Lord’s enemies are like flowers in a field—
they will disappear like smoke.
21 The wicked borrow and never repay,
but the godly are generous givers.
22 Those the Lord blesses will possess the land,
but those he curses will die.
23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
24 Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand.
25 Once I was young, and now I am old.
Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned
or their children begging for bread.
26 The godly always give generous loans to others,
and their children are a blessing.
27 Turn from evil and do good,
and you will live in the land forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice,
and he will never abandon the godly.
He will keep them safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will die.
29 The godly will possess the land
and will live there forever.
30 The godly offer good counsel;
they teach right from wrong.
31 They have made God’s law their own,
so they will never slip from his path.
32 The wicked wait in ambush for the godly,
looking for an excuse to kill them.
33 But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed
or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.
34 Put your hope in the Lord.
Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you by giving you the land.
You will see the wicked destroyed.
35 I have seen wicked and ruthless people
flourishing like a tree in its native soil.
36 But when I looked again, they were gone!
Though I searched for them, I could not find them!
37 Look at those who are honest and good,
for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.
38 But the rebellious will be destroyed;
they have no future.
39 The Lord rescues the godly;
he is their fortress in times of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them,
rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them,
and they find shelter in him.
Want to receive Sandra’s FREE monthly newsletter in your email? Sign up today!
Be Stong and Finish The Task
So many of us can tend to give up when we do not see change in a situation we are believing God for. Or we may tend to lay down a ministry He has called us to because we listen to the voices in our head which tell us we were not called in the first place. I have been in these places in my life and I can tell you they are not where God wants us! (I share some of these stories in my book!)
In the book of Zechariah we see God encouraging His people to rebuild His Temple. For more than 15 years God had been using His prophets to urge the small remnant of Jews who had returned to Judah to rebuild the Temple AND their nation. God is a God of restoration! No matter where we have been or what we have done; He wants to restore us! But we, like the small group of exiles who had returned from Babylon, struggle and become discouraged over the opposition we face. We look at an impossible situation and ask how? What we must stay focused on is that our God is all-powerful and He CAN do ANYTHING! In Zechariah 8:6 God Himself says “All this may seem impossible to you…But is it impossible for me?”
I love how our Father God never gives up on us. He encourages us, loves us, and wants us to be victorious! In verse 9 of that same chapter He spoke to me some very profound words when I was “wondering how and when.” He said “Be strong and finish the task.” Here He was giving the Temple workers a little push and He was doing the same for me, and He wants to do that for you as well.
We tend to slow down, stop, or quit when we do not see something manifesting in the natural. We may allow little words of “well maybe I missed God,” or “maybe the timing is not now or it must not be God’s will.” Let me instruct you here and now, these are words from the enemy! God ALWAYS wants you to do something for Him. You are here to be His hands and feet. Think of this; if the apostle Paul would have used his circumstances to determine whether he had missed God or not, then Paul should have stopped at the first, second, or even the third time of opposition. God’s will for us to do something for Him and His Kingdom is not determined on anything in the natural. We are to walk by faith not by sight and trust that He IS God and we are His vessels. We are not to look at the lack of people responding to our ministry, whether we are too tired to go on, or the work is too hard, or when we don’t know what to do next, or there is not enough money. None of these or any other sense-realm circumstance is to determine what God can do and what He wants us to do for Him. We are to stand and know with God ALL things ARE possible and we are to be strong and finish the task for Him!
Know someone who is facing a storm they can’t seem to get out of? Sandra’s book The Drying Pot; And The Refining Fires Necessary to Become a Vessel Used By God is a book of trials and triumphs! She takes you through her real life trials and how she overcame! See how you can move God to change your situation!
Want to receive Sandra’s FREE monthly newsletter in your email? Sign up today!
Join our Fan Page
Should Christians Set Goals and Resolutions?
Several things ring true this time of the year: people are thinking about new beginnings and making New Year’s Resolutions and the weight loss ads seem to multiply on TV! Many of us fall into this trap year after year, but how many of us actually get beyond January 31st?
So why don’t we keep those lists we make? What it really boils down to, is most of us are not serious enough to change the life we have. We get caught up in the moment and simply think we will do it this time. I believe each of us truly has the desire to change but how is the question. How do we change? And is God motivated by our resolutions and goals?
One great thing in our lives is God never changes. “For I am the Lord, I do not change.” (Malachi 3:6). We take comfort in knowing “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Hebrews 12:8). Even though God does not change it is vital that we DO change. We must change. And we must come to realize setting goals is not about what we want to do, but what God wants to do through us!
Our goals need to reflect Him in our lives no matter what they are. If we want to loose weight or kick a bad habit we can stand on Romans 12:1 “…to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God…” And in every area of our life we are to be about His Kingdom and significantly change our own little world by setting goals which agree with God’s. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt. 6:33)
I for one want 2010 to be a year filled with milestones and accomplishments for Him and His Kingdom. Not another year of “I should have, I could have, or I would have if only!” I am encouraging each of us to make our year to be more about Kingdom exploits (Daniel 11:32) by setting goals God would have us set. We need to take the time to sit with Him and ask Him what He wants for 2010. What can we do to increase His Kingdom? What can we do for Him? What goals do we set for each area of our life spiritually, physically, mentally, socially, and financially?
Why not take each area listed above and sit down with Him and ask Him what two things does He want you to work on and change in 2010.
Remember to make your goals S.M.A.R.T. — Specific (not just lose weight but instead lose 35 pounds by such-n-such a date); Measurable (Can you tangibly show you met the goal?); Attainable (Do not reach too high, but don’t reach to low either); Realistic (“never buy shoes again this year.” – better to say I will only buy 1 new pair of shoes every other month (obviously this is for me not you); and Timely (set a date — not too close and not too far away).
Then place them in your Bible to look at each day when you have your quiet time with Him and make this faith declaration with me:
“I stand in agreement with God’s Word that says He wants to give me a future and a hope. I offer these goals and plans to you Father. I know Jesus I can do all things through you who gives me the strength. Help me Holy Spirit as I challenge myself to see exploits done for the Father’s Kingdom through my life. Lead me as I set these goals and help me to stand on Matthew 6:33 and make your Kingdom first in my life and Romans 12:1 as I crucify my flesh and bring it into submission. I praise you and thank you now that it is done in Jesus Name!
Now you can get this G.I.R.L.S. Daily Blog right in your very own Email, Messenger, Skype, or Twitter! Click Here to subscribe for FREE!
Get Your Freebies!!!
A Christmas Gift for You!
One of the biggest problems I see people face is not thinking well of themselves. And when it comes to loving oneself sometimes that is even harder. However, God wants us to love ourselves and the Word of God tells us it is His desire for us to love ourselves.
Matthew 19:19 tells us to love our neighbors AS ourselves. Now if we are to love them AS we love ourselves then God must want us to love ourselves. He must want us to think highly of ourselves. (Do not confuse thinking highly with being proud, arrogant, or haughty) God wants us to love things about us, however most focus on what we do not like about ourselves.
We do not like our hair, or our hips, or our nose, and we fixate our minds on what we do not like; instead of looking inside as our Father does and focus on the real us, not the outside shell we live in, but our inside self – who we really are!
The Bible talks about love and walking in love and this applies to us; not just to others. As we learn to walk in love with others we will feel better about ourselves too. We must learn to accept who we are. And the parts we don’t like; we give them over to God and allow Him to lead us and perfect in us what we cannot.
The more time we spend with God and realize His love for us, the more we will spread that love to others and even to ourselves.
As a gift to yourself this Christmas why not focus on how great you really are. Not what you look like but who you really are. Focus on how much your Heavenly Father loves you. Focus on how much others love you.
God wants you to remove all of the thoughts you have about yourself which do not line up with His Word. You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)!
You are the best present you can give to your Father in Heaven, you are the best present you can give to someone else, and you ARE the best present you can give yourself this Christmas Season!
Now you can get this G.I.R.L.S. Daily Blog right in your very own Email, Messenger, Skype, or Twitter! Click Here to subscribe for FREE!
Facing Doubts
Click Here to Listen to This Blog
Have you ever thought about what we would do if Jesus walked as a man on the earth today and He performed the miracles that we read about in the Bible?
Many of Jesus’ followers were eye witnesses to the amazing miracles Jesus worked in His life while he was here on the earth.
They watched firsthand as Jesus turned water into wine, restored sight to the blind, healed infirmities, and brought the dead back to life.
I believe that most of us today would probably doubt just as most of them did.
Today Twitter would be full of tweets, blogs would be over run with accusations, and the TV news shows would continue to sow seeds of doubt and discord and tell of the lies and tricks of this man named Jesus.
However, in the face of our doubts, no matter how strong or cynical, Jesus is still the miracle worker today as He was then.
He is still the one who today heals, frees, and even raises those from the dead!
The question is:
Do we trust that He can do anything in our lives today?
Do we trust that He can and will provide our every need?
Do we trust He can open blinded eyes in the spirit realm and in the natural?
Do we trust He can and will do the miraculous?
In John chapter 11 we read the story of Martha and Lazaras.
Martha had spent a lot of time with Jesus; He had been at her home on many occasions and yet she doubted that He could bring back her brother Lazarus once he was dead and in the grave. She had no confindence in this man Jesus whom she knew well she had doubt that she would see Lazaras rise up from the dead and walk out of the tomb he had been in for 4 days.
In v. 24 Martha says to Jesus
“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
She first believed if Jesus was there her brother would not have died, but now he had, and even though she believed Jesus was the son of God, it never occurs to her that he can raise Lazarus from the dead. Or if it did occur to her she did not believe it could happen.
It had been 4 whole days that he was lying dead in the tomb. How could Jesus bring him back now?
She allowed her grief and her five sense realm to dictate to her what her belief should be.
What is your situation and your five senses telling you or leading you to believe about a situation you are in?
Martha knew in the natural that Lazarus had been dead too long; too long she thought for even Jesus to do anything about it. A little side note to notice; even though Jesus knew she had doubts, Jesus still called to Lazarus to come forth and right before Martha’s doubting eyes she watched Lazarus walked out of the tomb alive and well!
I love that- he had compassion on them all – he has compassion on us too. Martha, Mary, and all those who were there mourning with them all saw the power of Jesus. Many of them had heard or seen his power before, yet they did not believe he could do the impossible. We are like this, we see God do many miraculous things in our lives, yet when we face our hardest trial we do not think he can come through Martha and Mary both told Jesus if he had been there Lazarus would not have died – they had faith for that, however, they did not ever once believe he could just return life back to Lazarus very dead body. And we do the same thing, we can believe God can do one thing but not another.
Doubt according to the dictionary means:
to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe.
to distrust
to fear; be apprehensive about.
Jesus instructed us over an over in his word to believe, only believe.
Mark 11:24 What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
All throughout the old and new testament we hear story after story of those who believed God gave them what they believed for.
Jesus asked us to only believe he could, when we believe He can, he honors that belief is a key element to victory over your situation.
When we choose to believe and not doubt we will see a breakthrough.
We cannot let our doubts keep us from experiencing Jesus’ life changing power.
We must trust Him and stand back and watch him work in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
We are to only trust Him
That’s what He wants to know do we trust Him? Do we believe he is the same Jesus who walked the earth and raised Lazarus from the dead?
Is he the same?
Yes! Hebrews 13:8 says
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
What he did then, he can and will do now but we have a part to play we must believe and not doubt!
Now you can get this G.I.R.L.S. Daily Blog right in your very own Email, Messenger, Skype, or Twitter! Click Here to Follow for Free!
