Category Archives: God

Removing Every Hindrance

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“Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored]”   Joel 2:12 (AMP)

If you have ever traveled in a car with kids, you know that you are going to be questioned.  Every time I have taken my family on a drive, my children would inevitably ask at the half way point during our trip, “Are we there yet?” No matter how far you are traveling, all children seem to be programmed to ask this question.

On those long trips to Florida when the kids were getting impatient, tired, and weary of traveling, I was tempted to stop about half way, give up and turn around. But all along the way, we would call Nana and Papa just to hear them say, “Keep coming, we have cookies baked and the fishing poles are ready.” That was all we needed.  Everyone was energized with a burst of energy.  The children settled back down so we could keep traveling.

In your journey through life, the Lord knows when you are getting weary from so many obstacles and hindrances as you get closer to your destination. Call upon the Lord, “Are we there yet?” He may say, “Not yet, just keep on coming.”

God has eternal blessings that are far beyond what we can comprehend and they are right around the next curve. He has blessings in store that are far beyond the fresh baked cookies that we looked forward to at grandma’s house. His blessings are beyond what our mind can fathom but we must stay on the path that leads us there.

I learned a valuable lesson years ago as I traveled with the children.  When I got upset with them, I would be tempted to stop and forget about the vacation.  I could not give in to their tiredness.  I had to resist getting upset when they were tired of traveling. I had to rise above my own tiredness and do what was right.  I had to focus on keeping my heart right even if their hearts were not.  Keeping your heart right towards others will keep you on track, as you travel towards your eternal home.  Don’t stop half way on your journey by getting offended at someone.  Keep on track, keep on the highway!

Listen to what the Lord says, “Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and every broken fellowship is restored. ” Joel 2:12

Walk in the Way God has Commanded

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“You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land which you shall possess.”  Deut. 5:33

You Shall Walk

The Lord has a path on which we are to walk.  We are to walk in His ways regardless of our circumstances.  God promised us in Deut. 5:33 that if we walk in His ways, we will live a long life and things to work together for our good.  Even when our circumstances do not appear to be going as planned, if we walk in the ways of the Lord and trust what He has promised in His word life will go well. This does not mean there will not be any problems. As we walk down the path of life, there will be bumps in the road.  Things will happen that we did not plan on, but nothing should change the way we walk.  We must still walk in His ways and not veer to the right or to the left.

When our son was in a coma, I could feel the pull moment by moment to give in to fear and to give up and accept the report of the doctors.  The doctors said my son would be in a vegetative state if he came out of the coma. But I resisted the pull and I didn’t give in.  I trusted in the Lord.  God said He would show us the path of life for our son. He said our son would live and not die.  As I read God’s Word, He encouraged me to not give up.

“The eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing for joy…” Isaiah 35:5-6

So, I walked in the ways of the Lord, believing His Word. The path of life for our son had been prepared ahead of time and now we had to embrace it by faith. Faith is the assurance of things we hope for even though we may not see them yet. We saw him lying in a hospital bed unable to move, talk or communicate in any way.  But we did not give in to what we saw.  We had to believe what we did not see.  We believed that he would walk and talk again……and praise God he is walking, talking and serving the Lord today.

Whatever you are going through do not give up, give in, or stop walking and trusting in the ways of the Lord.  His ways are a high-way above the circumstances. The high-way is the way of faith, believing what God says and not giving in to fear. Don’t let your circumstances dictate your thoughts and convince you that God is not faithful. He is faithful.  He will work all things together for good for those who trust in Him. Trust Him and ask Him to show you the path of life.

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasuresforevermore.  Psalm 16:11

God’s Will for Your Life

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“Our Father which art in Heaven, hollowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven…”   Matthew 6: 9-13

Have you ever wondered what God’s will for your life is? His will is simply for us to live and maintain His kingdom here on earth. God’s kingdom is distinct and a different way of life. Jesus taught us how to pray for the kingdom to come on earth, how He would work in us, and showed us how to live and work inside the kingdom. When Christ is in you, it is a perfect fit! He is in you, you are in Him, and you are both in the kingdom. It is Christ that works in both of you to accomplish His good pleasure.

I have found that I can pray the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done”, and then resist the work of Christ in me. I had to learn the difference between my will and His. My will consists of doing whatever I want to do, as much as I want to do it. If I live according to my will, then I will eat all the food I want, spend all the money I want, and then whine because I am overweight and broke. When I submit and abide by His will, then I have boundaries and parameters. I am doing what He wants me to do when I surrender my life to Christ and ask Him to be in charge.

Your life will not be complicated if you surrender to God’s plan and will for your life. It is Christ working inside of you, changing your will to do the Fathers will. Take time to read His Word and you will soon see who you are. You are His child and an heir. You will live as an heir, a joint heir with Christ. When you get a glimpse that you are here on planet earth as an heir to establish and maintain your Father’s kingdom, it will change your agenda for the day.

Pray this simple prayer, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Are you Stressed, Tired, and Burnt-out?

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“Oh God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land…”   Psalm 63:1

Life can be very difficult at times.   The stresses that we face each day can often be overwhelming and leave us exhausted and frustrated.  There is a deep well within us that must be filled up daily. When this well has not been filled, you will find yourself dry and thirsty.

Jesus said, “If any man thirst let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:37) Jesus is the fountain where we go to drink; He  is a fountain that will never run dry. When we spend time with Him praying and reading His Word, we are drinking from the “living water”. The Word brings life and refreshing to our spirit just as a drink of natural water refreshes us when we are dry and thirsty.

Are you stressed, tired, and burned out from the pressures of life? IF so, I would like to encourage you to get up early in the morning, and spend some extra time drinking from the Word of God. Drink until you are filled up with a renewed strength. As you spend time in the Word, you will also experience a renewed hope that everything is going to  be all right.

I am Safe During any Storm!

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   “For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock.” –  Psalm 27:5

If tomorrow you have a “day of trouble” can you keep your heart fixed on the goodness of the Lord? When you keep your heart fixed steadfastly on His goodness you are able to weather any storm. You will travel safely though the terrible storm just like Noah was kept safe inside the Ark.

Think for a moment, what if the Holy Spirit quickened to your heart that you must be prepared for a “day of trouble,” what if He said this day is coming soon and you must get prepared. The way to be prepared is in that same verse. David said: “He will hide me in His shelter.” I believe that being hidden in His shelter works in two ways:

  1. As a Christian we are safe and hid in Christ, so we must never give in to fear. (Colossians 3:3) If you are in Christ, you are hidden from the powers of darkness.
  2. We must hide God’s Word inside our heart.  You hide the Word of God in your heart by memorizing it, and meditate upon it.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” -Psalm 46:1.

In a time of trouble He is there.  As you hide God’s Word in your heart your spirit man is prepared to be steadfast, unshakable, and unmovable even through the toughest storm.