Forgiving One Another

We need to start talking to the one who is they only person that can change any situation that may come our way. 

It's time to turn to the Healer and leave it all at His feet and watch what He will do.

God Bless.

The question is not “Did you get hurt?” The question is “Are you going to let the hurt harden you?” Wouldn’t you prefer to be “tenderhearted, forgiving one another”? Try these steps:

Decide what you need to forgive. Be specific. Narrow it down to the identifiable offense.

Ask yourself why it hurts. Why does this offense sting? What about it leaves you wounded?

Take it to Jesus. Talk to Jesus about the offense until the anger subsides. And when it returns, talk to Jesus again.

Tell your offender. If it feels safe, simply explain the offense and the way it makes you feel.

Pray for your offender. You cannot force reconciliation, but you can offer intercession.

Conduct a funeral. Bury the offense in the cemetery known as “Moving on with Life.”

This is how happiness happens.

-Author Unknown 

When Your Running Short On Kindness

Thus little devotional is some food for thought.  We need to keep our emotions in check and live by the spirt and this little devotional set's us on the path to do just that.

God Bless

When You’re Running Short On Kindness

Kindness is such an important fruit of the spirit in our lives. And it is the light of Jesus we shine in a dark world.

But have you ever noticed that when you’re tired or you’re experiencing times of great pressure, you start to feel like you’re running short on kindness?

When this happens, there’s only one thing to do. Run to Jesus! He’s the Source of the fruit of the spirit in our lives. He’s the One who enables us to be gracious, thoughtful, and helpful to others. We don’t do it by our own ability. 

That’s why Jesus said, “Come to Me.” Don’t look at the circumstances that have risen up against you. Don’t look at the people around you and say, “Well, they never help me. They don’t care anything about me.” When you’re looking at circumstances and people, you’re looking in the wrong place.

Look to the Lord! You can always get a fresh supply of kindness from Jesus because He has an abundance of it, and He’s eager to minister it to you. He’s waiting with open arms, eager to help you, to pour out His mercy on you, and to lift the burdens off your shoulders. 

Don’t wait until you’re in a desperate situation to draw near to Him. Come to Him every day. Spend time with Him every morning in the Word and in prayer before you see anyone else. When you live in continual fellowship with Him, nothing will ever be able to drain God’s peace, love, joy, and kindness from you. 

-Author Unknown 

The Pain Won't Last Forever

Food for thought For all of us who are dealing with pain so deep, you feel as if you can't put one step in front of the other. Be encouraged by the words below. 

God Bless. 

The Pain Won’t Last Forever

Adapted from the resource Healing the Soul of a Woman - by Joyce Meyer

Like you, I have faced difficult times in life, and I have learned to tell myself, “This can’t last forever. This, too, shall pass.” When you are going through hardship, deep disappointment, or some struggle that seems impossible, it’s easy to be tempted to think, I cannot stand this for one more day.

The devil takes advantage of our hurts and wounds and tempts us to think several times a day that our trials are going to last forever, that we will hurt for the rest of our lives, or that the negative effect of our problems will be permanent. We think, and sometimes fear, our pain will follow us everywhere we go for as long as we live. The truth is nothing on earth lasts forever. The only thing we have that is eternal is our life in Christ. In the context of eternity, the struggles that seem unending in this life are actually quite brief. God always wants to heal us, restore us, and deliver us.

Chances are, you can look back over the course of your life and remember other times you have been hurt. God has been faithful to bring you through those times; you can be confident you will make it through this current challenge again through Christ, who gives you strength (Phil. 4:13).

Paul’s point in 2 Corinthians 4:17–18 is that seasons of difficulty always pass. They do not last forever. Going through trials is tough, but God is always with us—helping us, encouraging us, and fighting our battles for us. He never wants us to stay in pain. He always wants to heal us.

When you are tempted to become discouraged because you feel your journey to healing in your soul is taking a long time, remember: “This, too, shall pass.” Your afflictions may not seem “light and momentary” to you right now, but from the perspective of eternity, they are. No matter how difficult your situation may look, God loves you and has a good plan for your life. Your future is bright, and He is preparing you for something great.

Romans 8:28 (ESV) says that we can know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. God can take even the hurts and wounds we endure and use them for good in our lives. They won’t last forever, and He will use them to strengthen us and to bless and help others.

Prayer Starter: Father, I know that nothing on earth lasts forever. Help me to understand Your great love for me and that You are always with me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Quote Of The Day - An Affirmation To Say Everyday

Leaving it right here....

God Bless.

 Quote the Day -Joyce Meyer

“An affirmation to say everyday: The healing power of God is working in me right now. Eveyr day I get better and better in every way.” 

– Joyce Meyer

For The Lord Is Our Judge

Let God be the judge of any and all situations. Judging others is too big of a burden to bear so why pick it up when there is already some one, who is the only one to carry it while knowing how to remove it from your life.

God Bless. 

For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us.

Judge – Lawgiver – King. These are words not used lightly and all of them come with great responsibility and authority. Kings influence many people with each decision.  As believers we are subject to God like He is our King, our Lawgiver, our Judge. It is Christ to whom we will give an account...and Him alone. Jesus is the only person who could have saved us…and He did.  Praise God that we have a merciful, just, and loving King who is worthy to be praised!

Verse/Commentary courtesy of 'Verse-A-Day' android app.

http://www.verse-a-day.com/Apps

Inspiration - There Are No Orphans

This...you are loved. You are wanted. You are needed. You were made for a purpose. 

You were made for such a time for this! Be encouraged and keep running your race.

God Bless. 

Inspiration 

There are no orphans in God’s house. There are no "step-kids." All of us who are led by His spirit are His rightful children. He chose us and He loves us. We are equal in His eyes. God does not have a favorite kid. We are all His favorites. He desires to shower us all with His blessings and He desires us all to be obedient. He loves us equally and disciplines us equally. We are part of one big blended family.

Prayer

Lord, I am so happy to be a child of the King. You chose me to call yours. You grafted me into Your family and gave me a place to call my own. I am surrounded by Your love and the love of every other believer who is led by Your spirit. In Your family, I will never be orphaned. I will never be alone. Amen.

-Author Unknown 

Developing Great Faith

Love this. May it be so, Lord, and may we develop the faith we need to live for You.

God Bless.

Developing Great Faith

Adapted from the resource The Power of Being Thankful - by Joyce Meyer

Little faith can become great faith as we use it. As we take steps to trust God, we experience His faithfulness and that, in turn, encourages us to have greater faith. As our faith develops and grows, our problems have less power over us, and we worry less—that’s something to be grateful for.

We can choose to think about what God can do instead of what we cannot do. If we continually think about the difficulty of our situation, we may end up in despair, and that means we feel unable to find a way out. We feel trapped, and then it is easy to panic and begin to do irrational things that only make the problem worse. But the Bible tells us that God always provides the way out (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). Even though you might not see the way out right now, one does exist, and God will reveal it as you trust Him.

Prayer Starter: Father, I thank You that my faith can grow stronger as I put my trust in You. You are greater than any problem I will ever face. When I focus on You, I know that worry and despair will fade away. Thank You for Your faithfulness and Your work in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Grace And Truth

Learning to live like Jesus can be overwhelming but what also can be overwhelming is accepting everything he has done for us. 

May the little devotional below be of help.

God Bless. 

How does Jesus receive us? I know how he treated me. I was a twenty-year-old troublemaker on a downhill path. And though I’d made a commitment to Christ a decade earlier, you wouldn’t have known it by the way I lived. Finally I came to Jesus, and he welcomed me back.

Please note: he did not accept my behavior. But he accepted me, his wayward child. He said, “Come back. I’ll clean you up.” He was “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Not just grace, but truth. Not just truth, but grace. Grace and truth.

Grace told the adulterous woman, “I do not condemn you.” But truth told her, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). Jesus shared truth but graciously, and Jesus offered grace but truthfully. Grace and truth. Acceptance seeks to offer both. This is how happiness happens.

-Max Lucado App 

Free From Fear

No more fear of man! Say it again, no more fear of man! May this little devotional help in getting rid of this fear.

God Bless.

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. - Proverbs 29:25 (NIV)

PROVERBS 29: FREE FROM FEAR

The phrase the fear of man describes the unhealthy fear of what other people may think of us, say about us, or do to us. It is not related to a fear of men in general, but the fear of being rejected, criticized, or judged. When we fear other people, we give them a measure of control over us, and that is not how God wants us to live. He wants us to allow the Holy Spirit—not the fear of what others may think or how they will respond—to lead us and direct our decisions.

We must choose between being people-pleasers and being God-pleasers—we can’t be both. The fear of man leads many people away from the will of God. Paul writes that he would not have become an apostle of Jesus Christ if he had tried to be popular with people (Galatians 1:10). We learn from his comment that in order to serve God and live in the center of His will, people will sometimes be displeased with us.

People want us to do what they want and what gives them pleasure, but God calls us to follow Him, no matter what it costs us. Jesus wasn’t popular with many people around Him, but He didn’t allow their opinions to control His choices. When God called me into ministry, many of my friends and family members rejected me because they thought what I was doing was wrong. I have now been in ministry for almost 45 years and can’t imagine how miserable my life would have been had I chosen to please people instead of pleasing God.

I urge you to always follow God even if He leads you into something that people disapprove of or do not understand. Don’t allow the fear of rejection to cause you to disobey God in order to please people because you will miss your opportunity to follow His plan for your life.

Remember, the fear of man is a trap, but if we trust God, we will be kept safe.

-Joyce Meyer Ministries 

A Prayer For Peace

I may have posted this before but it bears repeating especially in such a time as this.

God Bless.

A Prayer for Peace

God, thank You for caring for us. You know the things that have been weighing us down with worry, anxiety, or fear. Right now, please guard our hearts and minds with Your peace.

Help us fix our minds on You, and on Your Spirit. Thank You for promising to bring us life and peace. We can rest … because You make us safe.

-YouVersion

A Prayer For Healing

May this find you striving towards the healing you are searching and believing for.

I may have posted this before but it also needs repeated for the encouragement you are searching for.

God Bless.

A Prayer for Healing

God, Your Word says You answer people when they call on Your name, and You deliver them. Right now, we ask that You would heal those who are sick and hurting. And whether Your healing comes today or 10 years from now, we will continue to praise You, even as we wait for answers.

-YouVersion

A Prayer For Unity

We need unity and I will keep posting this little prayer until we wake up and stop giving Satan an inch.

God Bless.

A Prayer for Unity

Jesus, thank You for overcoming the world. Because of that, we can experience unity with You. Help us to see all the ways You are at work around us. Draw us closer to You, and help us to look out for the interests of others.

We want Your kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven, so unite us in purpose, so that nothing will keep people searching for You from believing in You.

-YouVersion

Getting Rid Of Hidden Sin

Scripture 

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. - Proverbs 28:13 (NIV)

PROVERBS 28: GETTING RID OF HIDDEN SIN

Proverbs 28:13 reminds me of John 3:20, which says, Everyone who does evil hates the light.... Trying to hide our sins from God is useless, because He sees and knows all.

It is our secrets that make us sick. James 5:16 says we are to confess our faults to one another so that we may be healed and restored. Evil hates the light, but God is light (John 9:5), and He calls us to live in the light and be the light of the world (Matthew 5:16; 1 John 1:7). This means we cannot hide our sins and walk in God’s will at the same time.

I think we experience freedom when we realize that God sees and knows all things and that nothing and no one is hidden from Him. Admitting and confessing our sins is equivalent to gathering them up and throwing them away. We give them to Jesus, and He gives us His forgiveness. What a wonderful exchange! He forgets our sins and removes them as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).

If you have hidden sin in your heart, I urge you not to live one more day that way. Talk to God about it, and, if needed, speak with a trusted and spiritually mature leader or friend about it. Talking with someone else about our sins is often very helpful. As the old saying goes, “Confession is good for the soul.” Telling someone about our sin may be embarrassing, but a little embarrassment is worth the freedom we gain from no longer carrying the burden of secret sin. 

-Joyce Meyer Ministries 

Amen!!!! Word's of wisdom...

God Bless.

Bless Your Enemies

Every one has enemies but what we do in handling them will define us forever.

Remember,  it is always best to do it God’s way even when we don't see any change. 

God Bless.

Scripture

Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them. - Proverbs 24:17-18 (NIV)

PROVERBS 24: BLESS YOUR ENEMIES

These verses say that we should not be happy when bad things happen to our enemies. The Lord disapproves of this, and in fact, it makes Him angry.

It’s so easy and natural to be happy when someone who has hurt or taken advantage of us must face the consequences of their actions. Our first thought is usually, Good, You deserve it. But that is not the attitude God wants us to have. He is our Father, and He wants us to imitate Him in every situation (1 Peter 2:21). Being able to pray for our enemies, bless them, and have true compassion on them when they encounter trouble is powerful (Matthew 5:44). This ability is not based on our feelings; we can only do it with the help of the Holy Spirit and by making decisions according to God’s Word.

Jesus prayed for those who crucified Him, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). And when Stephen was being stoned to death, he prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60).

When people hurt us, we tend to assume they have done it on purpose. But we must remember that “hurting people hurt people” and often are not even aware of their actions. This does not mean they are not responsible for what they do, but that we should trust God to deal with them in His way and in His timing and never be happy when they fall or face difficulty.

-Joyce Meyer Ministries 

Six Sayings Of The Wise

Wisdom alert!  Be encouraged and keep the faith and run your race to the fullest.

God Bless.

Scripture

Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach. - Proverbs 22:17 (NIV)

PROVERBS 22: SIX SAYINGS OF THE WISE

In Proverbs 22:17-29, we find six sayings of the wise. These are the sayings of the sages, who were usually older men of greater-than-average wisdom and had experienced a lot in life. I will summarize them here and want to encourage you to study them more deeply on your own.

1. Proverbs 22:17-21 – Listen to the wise and apply their teachings to your heart. Wisdom is available in every area of our lives, and if we seek it, we will find it. When we find it, we need to apply it to our lives in practical ways.
2. Proverbs 22:22-23 – God is our vindicator, and He always brings justice to us, which means that He makes wrong things right. If we take advantage of someone or take a person to court to collect a debt when we know they are poor and need help, God will vindicate them, and we will lose what we paid trying to collect from them.
3. Proverbs 22:24-25 – I often tell people they could change their lives for the better if they would simply change some of their friends. The people with whom we spend our time are very important because they can influence us strongly. We become like the people we are around.
4. Proverbs 22:26-27 – Don’t agree to take responsibility for someone else’s debts if they don’t pay them (i.e., cosign for a loan). If you do, you may end up losing what you have because you have to pay a bill for someone else. It may be difficult to say no, but it’s better to follow wisdom than to be sorry later on.
5. Proverbs 22:28 – In Old Testament times, boundary lines were marked with a simple stone. To move the boundary line on property you had inherited—boundaries established by an ancestor—was the same as theft. This verse is another encouragement for us to be honest in everything.
6. Proverbs 22:29 – People who are skilled in their work will be promoted and serve in high places. A skill is something we develop through use over time. God gives us abilities, but He expects us to work with and strengthen them. As we do, we become highly skilled.

-Joyce Meyer Ministries 

We Serve A God

Thanks you, Lord. May these word's below resonate in our soul's and in our mind's.

God Bless.

We serve a God Who will never allow something major in our lives that can’t help us. He won’t allow any tragedy into our lives that can’t be used for our benefit. He can take something that is terrible and work it out to where it is a blessing in the long run. We often cannot see that in the short-term, but it is a truth that we find in Scripture. 

Life is full of epic challenges and obstacles, and we must find ways to overcome them. Some obstacles in life are small and easy, but some may seem nearly impossible. Life’s obstacles can bring fear. When we come to those obstacles and they look scary, we may wonder how in the world we can possibly conquer them. 

Often, God will give us things in life to test us. Such testing is designed for us to be strengthened. Every time we do any type of exercise, we are strengthening our bodies. We actually strengthen our muscles by tearing them down. Most exercises are developed in a way that tears down so that our bodies can rebuild stronger. That’s the whole purpose of a test or exercise, and such is the same in our spiritual lives. 

God will send testing our way. If we can work through it and get over the obstacles, it will strengthen us so that next time we will be able to do something greater.

-Author Unknown 

He Himself

This is such a powerful little devotional as well as an encouragement for those of us who struggle with what get's thrown at us.

God Bless.

He Himself

Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested. (NLT) -Hebrews 2:18

It happens.  Life gets so tough and in our mind we discredit God.  We ask ourselves, "What can the Bible have to say about my situation?" or "How can Jesus even help?"  This is not the time to get angry and turn against Jesus.  He knows exactly what you are walking through.  You are not alone and he has felt your pain.  Cry out to Jesus with your heart.  Take comfort from these words in the Bible.

Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://www.jctrois.com/dailybibledevotion/

Who Am I

This is little devotional is for all of us who struggle with the purpose of our lives and why am I here and all the rest of those negative thoughts.

Praying this will be an encouragement to keep going and seek the will of God for our lives. 

God Bless.

Who Am I?

But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! (NLT) -1 Chronicles 29:14

When you fully recognize everything you have comes from God, it's only natural to question your importance.  For Him to love you so much to bestow meaningful gifts, comfort you, or speak to you as only our Lord can, it makes you feel special.  Soak up this feeling of significance.  God considers you to be very important and He treasures you greatly.

Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://www.jctrois.com/dailybibledevotion/

Clear Purpose

Need a clear, concise reason as to why you are here? May you find encouragement and possible answers in this little devotional. May you run to the Lord asking Him your questions for He is faithful to reveal to you His plans and hopes for your future.

God Bless. 

Acts 18 Purpose - Why are you doing this?

Acts 18 starts off in a dark place. Paul heads to a city called Corinth, renown by the God-fearing for being one of the spiritually darkest places in the Roman Empire. Yet God had a plan for Paul to reach the hearts of many people. In Daniel chapter 1, Daniel thrives in the pagan city of Babylon because he knows why he's there. If you're not sure why you are where you are, take a moment and ask Jesus, "Are you in this? What is my purpose in this?" You can thrive in the darkness if you know why you're there.

-Author Unknown 

He Will Make Your Rough Places Smooth

Amen! These are some good, solid, and encouraging words written belong. So be encouraged and keep the faith.

God Bless.

“The valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills made level. The curves will be straightened, and the rough places made smooth” Luke 3:5, NLT.

You will experience God making your rough places smooth. Every area of your life is being smoothed out by the Spirit of God. You will see a constant provision and flow of His wisdom as you’ve never seen. Some of His wisdom, you will ask for, and at other times, it will just come to you from those around you without asking. This wisdom will help you make wiser choices that will help to smooth out your life. You’ve endured hardness, but your life isn’t supposed to be hard and rough all of the time. Follow His wisdom and counsel. The Lord wants to make your rough places smooth.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for speaking directly to my heart. You are my God, and no one can do what you do. Some areas of my life have been rough and hard. I receive your wisdom and invite you to come in and smooth out every rough place. Thank you for smoothing it out, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

(Read Isaiah 40:4; Proverbs 13:15)

-Author Unknown 

There's Got To Be More

Love this little devotional and the words written as well as the intent of the devotional. 

May you find it as much of an encouragement as I have.

God Bless.

There’s Got to Be More

Do you ever have the feeling that you are chasing something in life that won’t fully satisfy you? Pay attention to that feeling. It’s from God.

We’re not just talking about substance abuse issues, although drinking and pursuing other addictions are certainly ways of chasing something futile. But we’ve also known a lot of “good church people” who sit in a service every week—or who preach from a pulpit to those people—who feel themselves to be far from God. They’re “successful” or “put together” or “righteous” on the outside, but they’re missing God on the inside. They keep busy with religious practices and work, school, or family, but it just isn’t enough. They long for God to feel real to them.

That longing is the first spiritual awakening for all of us finding our way back to God: “There’s got to be more.”

When you long for a love that is deep and satisfying, when you want to give yourself to something that will truly make a difference, or when you seek answers to life’s most difficult questions, you are looking for God. You’ve really got two options: you can keep searching to fill these longings on your own, or you can look to the One who gave you those longings in the first place.

Our longing for real love goes all the way back to how the human race was made in the first place. God intended that we experience his love both directly from him and through others we relate to in a healthy way. What we long for, God doesn’t just have but actually God is. He is love and he pursues us with love.

We’ve heard it said that every man who knocks on the door of a brothel is really looking for God. If you are knocking on the door of some self-destructive behavior or relationship, you might actually have arrived at an important point in your journey back to God. Why? Because the disappointment you inevitably feel in cheap substitutes will make you wonder where you can find real love. Will you open yourself up to letting God fill your longing to love and be loved?

What do your activities this week suggest about what you think will satisfy you?

-Author Unknown