There is no doubt about it, our bodies are going to die and decay one day.
However, our soul and spirit are eternal.
Even if we end up going or are destined to head to the right place, some of us may still dread or have an uneasy feeling about the process of the transition.
No matter how any of us perceive the occurrence to take place whether the experience is peaceful and pleasant, or eerie and overwhelming due to the unfamiliarity that will become familiar, we still do not exactly know what to expect.
Delving into the unknown can be scary or exciting- or both- depending on the way we look upon things.
Death is a reality none of us can escape. It will come for us all one day. But death is a doorway to a better life for those of us who are safe and who believe.
We just must be prepared to eventually take that journey knowing that it can happen at any second, minute, hour or day regardless of how young or old we are.
Tomorrow is promised to no one.
The timeline of our lives was already written and known within the heavens before we came into being.
For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.– Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. -1 Peter 2:9
Isn’t it wonderful to shine in the light of the Lord?
The light of the Lord that shines upon one is distinct. There is nothing to compare it to, and nothing will compare to the radiance that it brings or gives.
When we bask in the glow of God’s divine love and teachings, we experience an exhilaration only his spirit can emit.
Self-control, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, kindness, forbearance, peace, joy and love is what makes the light shine bright when it reflects though us in representation of our Lord Jesus.
In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:16
We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9
Begin the new year off right. Invite the Lord, God into your life. Then put and keep him first in everything you do.
Life will not be free of problems but the circumstances will be less complicated and they will run smooth while your heavenly father leads the way.
God knows what is best for us he knows what we need, he knows what to provide, and he knows what is ahead.
God is utterly in control of all our situations.
Have hope, keep the faith, and call on God daily all throughout the day by developing a close personal relationship with him.
Share any concerns you may have with the Lord. Consult with him on your ideas. Ask him for guidance, direction and instruction on how to comply with his will in your life.
Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. -Psalms 55:22
There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him. -Luke 2:40
God is essential to our overall health and wellness. He genuinely does give us a peace and a joy in the midst of good or bad times- I can definitely attest to this fact. In my case, the difficulty and trouble did not affect or touch me at all during past situations.
I was content in what may have seemed like a misfortune or struggle to some and to those who were responsible for trying to sabotage my life back then.
People of the world are not capable of understanding the power and authority of the spirit.If you were to give your allegiance to the world, they would love and welcome you as one of their own. But because you won’t align yourself with the values of this world, they will hate you. I have chosen you and taken you out of the world to be mine. -John 15:19
I have been very spiritually inclined since my youth and am in tune with my spiritual gifts of wisdom and discernment.
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. “See, all your angry enemies lie there, confused and humiliated. Anyone who opposes you will die and come to nothing. You will look in vain for those who tried to conquer you. Those who attack you will come to nothing. -Isaiah 41:10-12
The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. -Psalms 121:7-8
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. -Isaiah 43:2
The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you. Psalms 9:9-10
Yes, we live in an unpredictable world. A problem or tragedy can hit at any time.
It is tiring and unhealthy to constantly panic about events that are entirely out of our control. Anxiety will drive one to become restless and stress will cause one to suffer ill health.
Just give it to God and let him handle whatever it is that is going on in your life whether good or bad.
Isn’t it so much better to sit back, relax, and totally allow the Lord to steer your ship?
We sail with comfort to enjoy a much better ride than if we ourselves were the ones in charge to operate. Not only is God our ultimate guide but he is the one source that is able to provide definite stability and confidence within any uncertain situation.
And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:19
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
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. -1 Corinthians 13:11
I remember during my twenties I was very strong in prayer and talking to God, and getting feedback from the Lord.
Although he stays the same within his character situations do incline to change depending on our behavior, growth, trial, outlook, and so on. Many factors can play a role in our relationship with God.
I’ve noticed through various stages of my life from childhood to adulthood the different ways I’d feel the Lord’s presence and recognized his footprints making an impact.
He was always there but incorporated his provision in a wide range of demonstration according to how I progressed, and spiritually matured.
For example, when a baby is weaned off the bottle and can begin to eat solid food, they soon learn to balance drink with a cup and thoroughly chew with their teeth. The baby is starting to develop into a state where the parent doesn’t have to feed them as an infant need to be fed anymore.
Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. -1 Peter 2:2-3
The child is becoming capable of feeding themself with the nurturing beforehand of the parent and the maturing of the body.
Eventually the child will walk on its own, talk, use the toilet on its own and then start school. So, the child will still need their parent’s guidance and supervision, however, the parent no longer has to carry the child in the way they did before.
Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. -Colossians 2:7
Once we get to the levels where we need to be there are higher steps in experiencing the way God can and does work in our lives. He deals with us at our own pace he meets us where we’re at he knows if we are ready or not to move forward in certain areas and how we’ll be responsive.
Our experiences teach us, strengthen us, and enable us to deepen our relationship with the Lord if we allow our hearts to be directed through him.
Even when we don’t willingly desire to go through the bad times (and who does) he brings us out of our circumstances as better people. We then notice and hear his voice in an array of discerning ways.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. -James 1:2-4
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. –Philippians 1:6
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10
Isn’t it something how certain people will judge you by social status, or measure your worth or success by what type of job or material possessions you may have or own?
A lot of individuals tend to go by what they see on the outside of a person’s life and what they know by what has been revealed about them. But what about the realities of that person which have not been showed to those individuals and circumstances not yet unveiled to them?
Does not knowing about another person’s attributes or capabilities make them any less capable or valuable? Absolutely not!
There are people walking around in high positions and gaining notoriety for things they didn’t actually earn or deserve.
If a person has not reached a particular level of achievement within life it does not mean or signify that they aren’t sufficient or talented enough in the specific area whatever that may be.
True success is not based on the opinions and desires of the world.
It does not matter what shifting individuals think or believe about us. It only matters what God knows about us.
The Lord created each and every one of us with a unique purpose to carry out. He gave us all that was required within our gifts, talents and abilities to perform our mission.
It is not up to anyone but God to determine what success means for the life we were given.
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. -2 Peter 1:3-4
Daily Inspirations By Miss LaToya Lawrence 