When God Celebrates

 

 

It may seem like such a small victory, but one person turning their life over to Christ is THE MISSION being fulfilled of reaching the entire world with the gospel. Just like the world celebrated when one small step was taken onto the moon, so God celebrates when a lost person takes a small step of faith and trusts Him with their life. That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

The Bible talks about a celebration that also takes place when someone makes a small step of faith. I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.- Luke 15:10 NIV When our mission is accomplished, even with just one person, God celebrates, and we should celebrate too.
 

~From God is Like a Rocket Launch: 30 Day Devotional For When You Are Looking for Purpose by Chris Stanley 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

Stand Strong

 

 

There are five major ways through which the devil attacks in order to steal God's Word from us. Intense pressure, persecutions, cares and worries, deceitfulness of possessions, and several forms of lust (or strong desires.) If you stand strong through adversity, refusing to yield to these areas of testing, you will be blessed.

 

~From From Devastation to Restoration (30 Day Devotional by Kayode Tadase

 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

Ask God For A Heart of Flesh

 

 

The Lord wants to give each of us a "heart of flesh" so that we will be pliable and responsive to Him. When touched by the finger of God, a tender heart yields to the pressure and assumes the form He desires, much like a lump of clay that allows the potter to determine the shape of the vessel.

To aid in this process, God has sent the Holy Spirit to indwell each believer and awaken responsiveness in him or her. By yielding to the Spirit's promptings with ready obedience, the heart becomes increasingly tender and sensitive to His leading. The Lord is able to impart greater understanding of His Word to a soft heart because it has faithfully accepted and obeyed previous teachings.

Any resistance to God will result in hardening. But those who are accustomed to intimacy with Christ—which is the result of submission to Him—will be quick to deal with sin and return to the place of obedience and blessing.

People with tender hearts stay closely connected to the body of Christ, seeking to build up and encourage others in their walk of faith. Such individuals are not only receptive to what God wants to tell them; they are also teachable, in that they are willing to listen and be corrected by others.

This week when you read your Bible and pray, let your heart be soft toward the words of God. As He pokes His finger into each hard area, listen to His instructions, and rely on the Spirit's power to help you yield and obey. Let Him shape you into a beautiful and useful vessel. 

~From Pastor Charles Stanley, Intouch Ministries, intouch.org

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

Let Jesus Reign In Your Life

 

 

We sing songs with lyrics that invoke God’s presence and blessings to rain down on us, but what if we’ve gotten it all wrong this whole time? What if it isn’t “let it rain,” but rather, let it reign. Like, let God’s power reign over you. Let His comfort reign through you. Let His peace reign inside of you. It’s not water falling from the sky. It’s His sovereignty ruling in your life. Reign is what kings do. So if we call Jesus the King of Kings, it’s about time we let Him be King over our situations. If He’s the Lord of Lords, then let’s allow Him to be Lord over our worries, anxieties, and doubts. He says that His thoughts and His ways are higher than ours, and the only way they get on the same wavelength is when we holla at Him first, before we create chaos in our lives.

~From Bamboozled by Jesus: How God Tricked Me Into the Life of My Dreams by Yvonne Orji, Actress and Comedian 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

No Matter The Mess, Go To God

 

 

It’s hard to ask the Holy Spirit to cleanse us, because it means admitting our brokenness. Often, we’d rather hide our mistakes or try to self-help our way to Jesus. But the Gospel isn’t about pulling ourselves up to God’s level. It’s about God sending His Son down to ours.

Your past doesn’t have to paralyze you. Your mistakes do not define you. Your brokenness is not too big for the God who set the stars into motion.

Sometimes, the most faith-filled thing we can do is come to God in the middle of our mess, acknowledging that it’s too big for us to clean up.

The truth is, none of us can deep clean ourselves. Our mess is a reminder that we need a Savior, and His name is Jesus.

Pray: God, I come to You today feeling the weight of my mistakes. Remove my guilt and shame, and remind me of Your love, forgiveness, and mercy. Help me overcome any unbelief in my heart, and strengthen my faith so that I can serve You. In Jesus’ name, amen.  

~From Deep Clean: Getting Rid of Shame, Toxic Influences, and Unforgiveness Devotional on YouVersion 

 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

God Is Working On Your Behalf

 

 

When you're in the middle of a painful situation, it can often feel like God isn't doing anything about it. But it's vitally important for you to trust Him during this time, because He is working in your heart to make you more like Christ . . . and He is working behind the scenes to orchestrate your new beginning.

James 1:2-4 says, Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete.

The truth is, God uses the difficult times in your life to build your faith, develop your character, and make you stronger. In fact, how you respond to life's difficulties has everything to do with the next steps for your life.

So, what should you do when you're stuck in a difficult spot?

 

1. Never give up!

2. Avoid blaming God.

3. Do what's right.

4. Don't isolate yourself.

5. Don't stop believing!

 

~From "What To Do When You're Stuck," Enjoying Everyday Life, Joyce Meyer, joycemeyer.org 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

We Long For God

 

 

We all struggle with the temptation of idolatry in forms as numerous and diverse as us. But let’s not forget that the “one thing” our soul truly longs for is for God to occupy His rightful place in our lives . . . and as He does, our story will be much different than this man. 

 

~From The Study Of Mark Devotional, Part 5 on YouVersion

 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!