“As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul,” 1 Samuel 18:1, ESV
Friendships are vital in our walk with Christ because, in them, we are sharpened and are held accountable by one another. It’s not about your win in this race; it’s about a corporate win that makes this journey worthwhile.
In Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 it says: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”
Never underestimate the power of two hearts knit together for God’s purpose.
If you desire this type of friendship, are you leading by example?
Well said...
“Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.” Isaiah 55:6, New Living Translation (NLT)
To “seek” is to tread or to follow (for pursuit or search); specifically to worship. In the English Dictionary, to seek is to attempt to find (something).
The reason there aren’t many seekers of the Lord is because we have the wrong perspective of what it means to seek. Our seeking is more than an attempt to find something. It is how we worship; it is a full persuasion that God is who He said He is, and He will do everything He promised He will do.
The truth is, every Christian isn’t seeking God. Just because you are praying doesn’t mean you are seeking God. To seek is to frequent God’s company and search His Word for wisdom and direction until you receive what He has promised you. It is constantly asking, “OK Lord, I did step one. Now, what is step two? OK, I’ve obeyed You here. Now, what do You want me to do next?” It is constantly checking in with Him to navigate you to the victory He’s promised you.
Are you seeking??
“Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces” Psalms 34:5, NLT.
For many of us, it doesn’t take much. Just a small amount of adversity and we are offended with God and ready to give up on Him. We don’t understand why He let things happen, and it makes us afraid to trust Him.
We even go as far as saying "if He truly loved us, He would do something about our situation".
But yes....God’s mind is focused on, “I do love you, and if you trust Me, I will do something.”
If you trust and believe, He will keep His promise to you!
Understand that God’s not intimidated by your anger with Him. As He did with Job, He will speak to you from the whirlwind. So many of us are angry with God when He’s not the problem.
In this hour, we must be fully persuaded and confident in the love God has for us like never before. We must be confident that He has a plan for our lives and His plans are good. If we trust Him, He will do what He promised He will do.
In the meantime, keep your glow. Maintain the joy in your stride. Don’t stop talking about the goodness of your God and His amazing grace because, He will escort you to victory!
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7 Amplified Bible
Maintaining a right perspective is very important in life. A wrong perspective produces wrong actions, and a right perspective produces right actions. It is our responsibility as believers to look at every situation from God’s view; by asking ourselves, “How does God view my life? How does God view this situation I am facing right now? What is the big picture?” Asking ourselves these questions will help us keep our minds sound so that we can make wise and sound decisions that we will be proud of later.
A sound mind is a level-headed and well-balanced mind that sees things under the light of God’s truth. Jesus was able to respond properly in every situation He faced because He maintained a right perspective, and the great news is, we have the mind of Christ as born-again believers.
Therefore, we too can do the same ;)
“He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love” Ephesians 4:16, New Living Translation.
No matter how you may feel, you valuable in God’s Kingdom. You are an instrument in His symphony and a beautiful expression of Him in the earth. No more valuable than any other part, but valuable nonetheless.
You are vitally important to your brothers and sisters in Christ whether they realize it or even acknowledge it.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
99.9% of the time, whenever we assume something, our assumptions are usually wrong. When we assume, we are making judgements without knowing the real facts.
Assumptions have a way in keeping our minds preoccupied all throughout the day, and if we aren’t careful we will create emotions about something that doesn't exist and hasn’t been proven to be true.
Typically, assumptions are negative and can send a harmful message to our physical body and quite naturally, the body will respond as if everything it feels is real.
Don’t let assumptions ruin you. If you feel it’s important to know something, it is wise to ask. We can’t think on “whatever is true” if we don’t know what is true. We must get the facts so we can have peace of mind.
“Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” Ephesians 4:15 (NLT)
The smallest adjustments in life can make a world of difference. Accept the challenge to make the adjustment that the Spirit of God is challenging us to make. Whether it is in our attitudes, in how we view things, in how we approach things, or adjusting our focus from what we want to what God has said in His word, let's make the adjustment.
That dynamic and mature woman that is truly living the God-kind of life is not far away. With His supernatural help, we can make the adjustments and be all that He’s called us to be for His glory!
“For the LORD comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song” Isaiah 51:3, ESV.
Take a moment and make every word of this verse your own.
For the LORD comforts me; He comforts all my waste places and makes my wilderness like Eden, my desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in me, thanksgiving and the voice of song.
These words are from God’s heart to encourage and strengthen you.
If you only knew the depth of His love and how much He cares about every detail of your life.
He has not left your side or left you comfortless and without hope. He will comfort your waste places. Every area that you may have wanted to give up on because it seemed hopeless, He will enrich and minister healing.
Those dry and barren places in your life, He will cause them to flourish. He will turn your sadness into joy and gladness. You will see just how good your God is, and you will sing.
All of this, because you are His daughter, and there’s nothing you can do to change how He feels about you!
Period!!!
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness,
neither shadow of turning” James 1:17, KJV.
So many of us go throughout our entire life trying hard to make others happy, feeling a need to please, and never wanting to disappoint those we love. The reward may be their smile and gratitude, but the consequence is pure exhaustion.
God is the same way. Don’t try to work so hard to win the affection of a loving God that is already fully convinced of His love for you. Ease up on yourself and begin to enjoy the Lord, enjoy your life, and enjoy the relational treasures He has given you. They are rich blessings designed to enrich your life, not add sorrow to it.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,” Isaiah 61:1, NIV
People with broken hearts will hurt you before you hurt them; reject you before you reject them; leave you before you leave them - All in attempt to protect their hearts from experiencing more pain.
I’m so thankful God comes after us in our broken state. He’s not afraid of us hurting Him; He’s not intimidated; He heals our hearts, fills us with His love, and reassures us that we’re going to be ok. Then He sends us out to minister healing to others.
You can be healed and can be free to give and receive love. You don’t have to be a victim. You ARE victorious through Jesus.
It takes courage
to tell the truth
to follow your heart
to do something alone
to make yourself vulnerable
to leave a longtime love
to trust again
to speak up
to wait on God’s best
to start something new
to admit your own ignorance
to believe things will change
to give expecting nothing in return
to be yourself
Often we find God saying throughout Scripture, “Be strong and courageous.” “Take heart.” “Take courage.” While negative situations come to deflate and discourage us, God gives us the necessary ingredient to face life’s challenges head on—courage.
Even though you don’t express specifically what you need help with, He already knows.
Let God give you the courage you need in order to do what you never thought you could do.
Let Him give you the courage to succeed past your limitations, to face tomorrow, to enjoy life today, to face your fears, to change your world, to face your inner critic, and to embrace the truth of who you are in Him.
Be courageous!!
