This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow. -Isaiah 48:17
Walking with God is wonderful. It is good to know that we can rely solely on the Lord to lead us through life without having to depend on ourselves. After all, this is how the plan was meant to be originally. God’s initial design is still in effect regardless of the self-sufficient and self-promoting way of our society.
Many people in this world have and support the mindset and behavior of doing things in their own fashion and within their own strength. However, none of us actually do anything completely by our own ability.
It is the Lord who enables us to breathe, think, walk, talk, eat and so on. We do not go about our daily living without him.
We need God.
Yes, some people do succeed and prosper apart from a surrendered relationship and fellowship with God (also remember that it is God who allows all things to be possible), but at what later cost? There will never be a long-term enrichment or fulfillment. There will never be a foundation built on solid rock. “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” Matthew 7:24-27
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. -Philippians 4:13
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. -John 15:5
By putting a full trust in the Lord to lay all our concerns before him we receive freedom. The liberty and privilege of living a more abundant life of peace, hope, and faith. We are secure to know that our life is protected in the hands of the father and not in the unreliable and deceitful hands of the world.
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. -Psalms 16:11
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. -Ephesians 1:4-6
To me, the little things are what count. These so-called little things are actually big things in my life.
I am thankful for so many things the Lord has given to me, blessings that far passed what I expected just to bring me comfort and joy, and to make my life a little easier within the struggle.
The two major things which I consider huge I am most grateful and thankful for is how God provided me with a beautiful, wonderful mother and dog who enriched and enhanced my life experience as I grew and further matured. I have such fond memories.
I am grateful and thankful that I have a sound mind, a roof over my head, water to wash up in, food to eat, and so on.
What tops it all, is that I have a close intimate relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who has occupied my spirit, and who has been with me all of my life right up to the moment when I first accepted him as preteen.
I am so grateful and thankful that God chose me to be one of his adopted children before the foundation of the world was created.
For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.” So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen. Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?” No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. -Romans 9:17-23
But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The LORD knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the LORD must turn away from evil.” 2 Timothy 2:19
But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. 1 John 3:8-10
The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the godly will flourish. There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Proverbs 14:11-12
When we become saved (a born again Christian) God’s holy spirit comes to literally dwell within us. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself -1 Corinthians 6:19
The spirit is our helper and comforter.
Not only does God endow us with supernatural abilities (spiritual gifts) he divinely enables us to become holy by gradually perfecting/changing us in Jesus Christ’s image.
We will never be flawless within our fleshly bodies in this fallen world and we will at times sin, however, our sin will be less and it won’t be constant or intentional.
During those periods we may suddenly or accidentally slip up, we acknowledge our error to God and receive his forgiveness. Always requesting in him that he aid us to improve.
No one sincere takes the Lord’s grace and mercy for granted, knowing that he blessed us within this way should encourage us to look forward with appreciation and motivation to cooperate.
The true Christian does not practice sin as a way of life. The way of life puts sin out of practice.
Anyone who claims to be living in the spirit yet does worldly things routinely is not a legitimate follower who surrendered to Christ. When embraced by the holy spirit, everything starts to change- desires, thoughts, personality and foundation. One’s entire manner of being has become refashioned. God’s essence brings a purity to the presence.
I knew a man years ago when I was a young child, I think I was around ten or eleven (around that time I had accepted Jesus). He was an associate of my family. He used to treat me funny until one day he came to my home and witnessed me reading my bible. I don’t know what his problem was, I was just a kid.
Anyway, this married man called himself a person of God and of the church but would come over to my house asking if he could use our VCR (this was back in the 1980’s) to watch porn tapes he had brought over. He also pinched one of my mother’s friends on her derriere at the staircase.
Now my point is also that he acted negative toward me for a while and I hadn’t done anything to him but it was alright for him to fulfill his lustful desires apart from his wife. Typical judgmental so called/false Christian behavior.
This is why so many professing Christians/followers of Christ leave a bad taste in other people’s mouths and bad impressions of what true Christians are and represent.
It used to be said that the worse kinds of people are the ones in the church. Whether some deserved that reputation or not depending on opinion the main focus of everything is to get it together with God because only he can make things right for everyone.
My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. -1 John 2:1-6
Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:12-13
For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me. -Colossians 1:27-29
From the depths of despair, O LORD, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. LORD, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. I am counting on the LORD; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. –Psalms 130:1-5
There are people who believe that they have done far too many terrible things in life for God to forgive and save them.
Out of extreme shame, guilt and sorrow over their mistakes these people conclude God would never sympathize or accept them.
The taunting and haunting residue from past or present deeds, inspire them to feel doomed. They imagine the worse possible outcome and are left to feel unworthy to come to God as they expect nothing but his severe wrath and punishment.
Many of these people beat themselves up over and over again struck by memory after memory then tortured by fear and a sense of being lost with no kind of hope.
However, God/Jesus wants to erase those bad reflections. He wants to stop that self-abuse. He wants to heal that pain. He wants to exchange wrath and punishment for grace and mercy. He wants to offer a wonderful end result. He wants to replace mental anguish with peace. He wants to pour out his love. He wants to recruit into his family. He wants to cleanse and purify to make a new. He wants to eradicate false belief- so that true belief is in him.
There is no greater example than of the story of Saul/Paul in the bible. He was “a chief of sin” yet overcame by the favor and power of the Lord.
In Paul’s wicked days he persecuted and murdered Christians but God had an incredible conversion ahead for this man who became one of the most beloved disciples of Jesus Christ. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. -1 Timothy 1:16
You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. –Galatians 1:13-16
No matter what you’ve done if you honestly know and admit that you are a sinner who needs deliverance, believe that Jesus is God, believe that he came to die in place of you to save you from your sins, believe he was buried in a tomb and was resurrected three days later, and approach the Lord Jesus with true remorse and sincere repentance then surrender your life to him you will have salvation.
Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” -Mark 1:14-15
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law. –Romans 3:21-31
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. –Ephesians 1:3-8
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. -Psalms 34:18
I know it hurts so much when you lose someone you cared for to death. The more you loved that person the more pain you feel. It is so beautiful and dreadful at the same time. The beauty lies within the affection, the dread lies within the separation.
Though nothing can ease the injury that reflects from the broken heart may there be the comfort in knowing for the believer and those who believed that their beloved is now within a better place.
Yes, we grieve and are heavily bereaved because we miss them so dearly. But it was in God’s will and maybe he took them home to release them from any further suffering.
Nevertheless, our departed are in the best hands of our Lord and savior/heavenly father.
Also, let there be comfort in knowing that one day we will be reunited with the ones we loved- and there will be no more sadness, no more crying, no more pain and no more death. Only love, peace, and happiness forever more.
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9
O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! -Psalms 139:1-7
What is done behind closed doors and in front of mirrors can be kept hidden unseen from others, and put far behind as to never have existed.
The walls of a room will never talk, the doors of a room will never open up to reveal anything that ever took place, and the mirrors within a room will never again reflect a scene displayed from the past.
One can even lie to themself, denying what no one else could prove unless there was substantial evidence or a credible witness.
The truth would be portrayed as a lie for as long as one continued to not admit, or forget.
Going back inside the rooms through the doors to look back into the mirrors sometimes can force or incite one to face a reality they may not prefer to accept.
The fact that even though actions and things will sometimes be or remain unknown to anyone else- it is still definitely known.
God knows.
No matter how hard one tries, how hard one runs, how hard one pretends they can never escape the one who is aware of all things.
No one can masquerade or play a charade on God.
Stop running, trying, and/or pretending and confess to the Lord what he already knows so that he may give you a peace, comfort and joy that the world does not give, understand, and is unable to take away.
Why carry a burden when you do not have to. Our good Lord is ever so merciful and full of grace. He is just waiting for anyone to come to him as he is ready to forgive, forget, and fulfill with a life of restoration and purpose to all those who surrender to his everlasting love and divine perfection.
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. -1 John 1:9
Daily Inspirations By Miss LaToya Lawrence 