HAPPY THURSDAY!
Today’s scriptures are about faith. Bible.com didn’t post any devotional scriptures today, so I wanted to write about what it takes to make your New Year the best it could be, faith. I was reading a lot of Facebook statuses today, and a few people mentioned that 2010 wasn’t a very good year for them, but 2011 will be a better year. I thought about how I used to say that every single year, but year after year, I would get the same results. I then thought about how 2010 was such a good year for me, despite going through a divorce, being bankrupt, and losing one of the most special people in my life, my Grandmother. The average person would’ve buckled under the pressure of these things, but I am a blessed child of God.God has truly given me beauty for ashes. In every test I faced, I just remember that the Lord is in control, and I am still blessed. I know that weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning, and I continued to praise God. I never hated anyone, or was even angry when people tried to purposely hurt me. I was quick to forgive, and I stepped away from negative people and negative thinking. As a result, I’ve never had to want for anything this year. I’ve been able to take several vacations, going to places I never thought I would go, moved into a new home, a new office, have a new love in my life, and have experienced great concert and plays; I could go on and on. I haven’t gone without anything I needed or wanted because I obeyed God, and embrace the seasonal changes that took place. I took them for what they where, lessons, and I learned from them. I rejoiced everyday, and not just when things were good.
One of my favorite passages in the bible is when He said, “Ask, Seek, Knock”. Jesus said: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matt. 7:7-8) I think this the key to having everything that you want and desire out of life. At the same time, it requires action—faith and works. So if you want a great 2011, you have to make it great. Pray and ask God to show you His will for you, ask Him for what you desire, and how you want things to go. Then work towards it, and He’ll give you everything you need to obtain it. Trust me; He’ll let you know if what you ask for is the right thing for you.
Nobody’s life is 100% happy and blissful all of the time, that’s unreal. If Jesus, the beloved Son of God, suffered you too will suffer; there’s no way around that. However, suffering is a state of mind, it’s temporary, and God has made it so that time heals all wounds. We have so much power, but don’t know how to tap into it. There are many different things out there to see and do. It wasn’t until I got out of my own world, that I was able to see the spiritual world that was introduced to me by Jesus Christ. Freedom is bliss! So no matter what you go through in life, know that you’re free. The more you seek the Lord, the more you’ll be able to rejoice through the trials of life. The more you seek pleasing Him, rather than pleasing yourself, the more you’ll be able to appreciated and spot His blessings. God knows what’s best for us, and He’ll answer our every prayer, but He’ll answer it how He sees fit, so rejoice in everything that comes your way!
Tomorrow I’m going to take a piece of paper and write down all of the things I want, and hope to accomplish, in the New Year. I’ll then reflect, and see how many of those things can and will be used to serve God. Then I’ll pray and ask, seek, and knock. I’ll seek His will, and pray for His wisdom. I’ll expect Him to give me all of the things I ask for according to His will, and I will see them manifest. It seems like James had all of the answers when he wrote this passage, the New International Version of the bible titled it “Submit Yourselves to God”; please take a moment and read this today. It’s written: You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (James 4:2-3) Please keep this in mind when you’re writing out your New Year’s resolutions.
Faith is like a muscle, it you don’t use it, it’ll weaken, and you’ll have no power behind it. You must exercise your faith every day. When you pray, know that you know that because you stamped that prayer with the Name of Jesus it will be answered. I remember when I used to pray with so much doubt, that I would end my prayer with “if you see fit please bless me with this…” That’s okay to say, but I said it because I doubted that He was going to answer my prayers, because I didn’t think that I was worthy. I used it as an excuse for my weakened faith muscle, so when my prayers wasn’t answered I could say, “I guess it wasn’t meant for me”.
I’ve learned over the years that I am worthy because I am a child of God. It has nothing to do with me, but it has everything to do with Jesus. When I pray in Jesus’ Name, God is answering me on the Merit of Jesus Christ—like I have the best co-signer in the history of the world! Anything His Name is stamped on will be heard. However, if you don’t know Him as Lord and Savior you have nothing, or no one to help you along the way. You’re living life on the roll of the dice, but with Jesus He’s a sure thing. Take the few moments to get to know Him, by taking the God Quiz today. My favorite verses today are: So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Matthew 21:21-22)
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I love you!
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