Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6

 

Today’s verse brings a vision to mind of a momma bird flying back to her nest to feed her little babies. With their heads held high, mouths wide open, they eagerly wait for momma to drop a morsel of food into their tiny mouths. Yet, one of the babies is trying to feed on a bug that landed on the nest and has difficulty catching it. In the end, he went hungry, while the other birds are fed and nourished.

 

By now you are probably wondering if I was asleep, dreaming this stuff up. I promise I was awake. But, let me share the correlation between today’s verse and my vision.

 

Do you want a blessing from God? I think we all do. Yet, we are oftentimes like that little baby bird, distracted by the things of this world, and we miss God’s blessing when we take our eyes off Him and rely on our own resources to keep us satisfied. Just like the momma bird, God has something very satisfying to share with you, but you must hunger for it. He won’t give it to you unless your desire is for Him.

 

Need a blessing in your life? Hunger for God’s goodness, live a life of righteousness, and protect yourself from the things of this world and God’s blessings will keep you satisfied in life! God bless!  

 “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.” John 12:46

 

Safety is paramount these days. When someone is injured on the job, it cost the employer money and lost productivity. To encourage employees to work safely, many companies have signs in view, showing the number of days the company has gone without a loss time accident. As the days grow in number from the last incident, it makes the employee think they don’t want to mess up that positive trend so they do all they can to be safe.

 

As we go through life, we all have spiritual accidents where we really mess up, possibly costing us our witness, reputation and the effects of a horrible mistake can be felt for a significant amount of time. Think about one of these occurrences in your life. Let’s be honest, you most likely weren’t living in the light of Christ. You were probably in the shadows of your reputation, thinking you were safe and comfortable. Eventually the light exposed your errors and the price you paid for it was costly. How can you keep from making the same mistake? How can you distance yourself from the last devastating event?

 

Every day you walk in the light of the Lord, you add another day to your safety record. Yes, you’ll sin occasionally, but keeping your focus on God and staying away from the dark practices of sin will help ensure your safety for another day. It takes work to avoid sin, but God gives us His Helper, The Holy Spirit, to guide us, strengthen us and keep us on the path of spiritual safety. Pray daily for His guidance as you add another day to your spiritual safety record. God bless!

 …for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

 

Christmas Eve, a time to celebrate the birth of Christ and share our love with family and friends. No doubt 2020 has been a rough year and many have lost loved ones due to Covid-19. In addition, there is the separation of family members who have to stay quarantined or in a facility where no visitors are allowed. And then of course there are families broken apart by divorce, leaving family members to celebrate alone. Whatever the situation, many will be alone during this holiday season.

 

I can tell you though, at my lowest times, the only place I could look to for relief from my loneliness was God. As a result of my seeking after Him, He made His presence known in my heart and comforted me when no one was around to share this special moment of celebration.

 

Maybe you are at home right now thinking about your dire situation. Put your heart in the hands of God and let Him comfort you in this moment. He can’t relive moments from the past, but He can start a new life for you and bring happiness and blessings in the quietest day of your life. Find your perfect company with the Lord today. God bless!

 

Finally, all of you, be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.        1 Peter 3:8-9

 

It’s the start of Christmas week. Many families will be gathering to celebrate the birth of Christ. Sadly, there are family members that have had their feelings hurt by other members in the family circle and carry with them bitter feelings. As a result, attitudes, actions and words can dictate the dynamics of the family gathering, making for some tense moments.

 

Friend, don’t let the past imbitter your celebration of the birth of Christ. Today’s passage gives some great advice on how to navigate the holiday gatherings with those who you are not fond of or fear will take a punch at your spirit. Keep your calm and season your gathering with blessings to others, even your enemies. We are reminded that when we bless others, a blessing can be expected in return from God.

 

As a child of God, that bitter person, most likely needs to see the heart of Christ. You can be that tender heart and light that will help bring them from their darkness. Trust me, if they are bitter, they are in the dark and need your guiding light to bring them to peace with you and family. Pray to God for strength and His guidance as you gather this holiday season. God will help you navigate the holidays and bless you in the process!

 

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. Proverbs 25:28

 

I have to admit, I got caught up in my emotions during last night’s SEC Championship college football game with Alabama defeating Florida. My wife is a devout Alabama fan, myself an Auburn fan. Alabama has a great football team, but for me, I don’t care to see Alabama keep winning. Every time I see them score, I get worked up to say the least.

 

As I pondered the game and my emotional state last night, I thought to myself, its simply a football game. Why do we get so worked up over something we have no control over and truly doesn’t even impact our life? Good question and sometimes hard to answer.

 

Today’s verse provides some sound advice on preserving our faith, “a man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” Truth is, when we get all twisted up in our emotions, we let down our guard and sometimes evil and dark thoughts creep in and poison our attitude. As a result, actions and bitter words come out, potentially damaging our witness.

 

Lesson learned for the day, keep those emotions in check. Without guarding your emotions, you’ll end up sounding and acting like someone on the opponent’s team (Satan) and we don’t need for him to score one over on God’s winning team! Keep your emotions in check friend! God bless!

 

 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

 

During this Christmas season, organizations and people find creative ways to tap into everyone’s generosity by providing gift drop boxes at places of businesses, people standing by the roadsides asking for money and even at checkout you are often asked if you want to donate to a certain charity. To be honest, it can be overwhelming with all these requests to give. Then I look at my bank account and think to myself…I sure could use some donations. Can you relate?

 

No doubt there are many people in need. I encourage you to not stop supporting those in need. The old saying…”you reap what you sow” is true, especially when it comes to giving. Every time I have given, God has blessed me either financially or by other means. I never go without a meal, shelter or clothing (my wife can attest to that). God will do the same for you.

 

Your few dollars might not seem like much, but when you bless someone else, God will bless you. Even if you don’t feel like you have much to offer, God will increase your giving in a way only He can do. Give and leave the rest up to Him! Your giving will reap a plentiful harvest of blessings! God bless! 

Asking with faith

 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,

8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 1: 6-8

 

When I was a kid growing up, I recall asking for things from either parents or elders. Oftentimes they would always say “What’s the magic word?” upon my request. Of course, it was always “please” and generally my wish was granted.

 

There is one thing necessary when you come to the Lord with a request, faith in Him! So often we come to the Lord with a request and in the back of our minds question whether he will fulfil our request or work things out the way we want. When your request comes with lack of faith, you might as well forget asking. So why is faith in God so important with your request?

 

Obtaining the Lord’s help is a two-part process. Your faithful request and His response. When you put your faith in Him, you are posturing yourself for how He handles your situation and the response He provides. Yes, He might not hand it over on a silver platter, but through faith and trust in His wisdom, you will be grateful for how He responds. Trust me friend, He knows what’s best for you. Sometimes He doesn’t completely fulfil our request because he knows the full blessing will be a distraction for your relationship with Him. I am living proof of God’s goodness with His metered blessings.

Next time you ask God for something, have faith in His response and be willing to receive what He provides OR doesn’t provide. He loves you more than anyone and anything in this world and will give you the very best when your faith is strong! God bless!

 

 

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

 

This morning I woke up with a portion of this verse on my mind “love will cover a multitude of sins”. I’m fully aware of the scripture and every time it has new meaning. This morning I recalled moments in my life when I haven’t been the best husband, the best father, the best co-worker and friend. Although, at times, I have failed to live up to certain standards, my heart has always been full of love for the people within my circle of influence.

 

Mind you, love doesn’t correct my wrongs in life, but love is the glue that binds me to those whom I share life with, either in the homeplace, at work, in my community and church. To me, love is the primary purpose of my existence as a child of God. Jesus Himself said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God and love your neighbor. (Matthew 22:36-40)

 

When I’m dead and gone, my prayer is that those whom I’ve shared this life with will remember how much I loved them.

 

How about you? Is your life seasoned with love? Sometimes the hardest thing we can do is love other people, especially our enemies. Yet God commands us to love those who persecute us. I encourage you to click this link on LOVE and read the scriptures about love in the bible.  If you are a child of God, love should be the foundation for your existence, as a light into this dark world. Let love be the memory of you when you depart from this world. Love covers a multitude of sins! God bless!

 

Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t understand now, but afterward you will know.” John 13:7

 

There was a time in my life when everything seemed to be spiraling out of control. I prayed and prayed for God to intervene and stop the madness, but things continued to crumble and fall apart. I recall standing alone in my house, feeling helpless and without direction. The weeks and months that followed were an emotional roller coaster and I struggled to keep it together. The whole time I kept asking God what He was doing.  

 

Looking back now, I can see the hand of God specifically working to create a new me and a future that couldn’t have been planned any better by myself. Yea, I struggled and went through some periods of severe heart break and momentary depression, but it was for my good to strengthen me and help me become the person I am today. And I can honestly say I am blessed beyond measure.

 

He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Isaiah 40:29. While God was doing a mighty work in my life, He certainly sustained me, to help keep me going, day by day. All I could do was wait on the Lord to see where the next chapter would take me.

 

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31. Maybe you are going through a difficulty that has you feeling helpless and totally out of control. I can tell you this, when you are out of control, God is in control and He is working something better for you. Until He delivers the finished product, wait on Him, trust that He is working on your behalf and know that God has His best planned for your life. Trust Him while you wait on the Lord! God bless!

 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Galatians 5:16

 

As a kid growing up on a farm in mid-west Illinois, I recall some winters where we received a lot of snow and it was challenging for me to walk through it. Fortunately, my dad had big feet and if I allowed him to walk ahead of me, I could walk in his footsteps to keep myself from getting bogged down in the thick snow. On occasion I might try to make my own path, only to get cold, wet snow falling into my shoes and feet freezing. I learned pretty quick it was best to follow in his footsteps.

 

Today’s verse gives some great advice for God’s children. Follow the footsteps of God and you will never find yourself stuck in the muck of life. He has clearly laid out the path for us through scripture and our personal attendant, The Holy Spirit, to guide our every step to keep us from messing up. Unfortunately, satan will always be there to tempt you to make your own path, and the convince you it will be a shortcut to where you want to go, but as soon as you take a few missteps, your walk won’t be any easier and most likely more difficult.

 

We have a loving Father who wants the very best for us. He offers His protection and wisdom every day in the choices we make and the path we chose to follow. The choice is yours. But understand, there are always consequences to the decision you make to march on your own. Follow in the footsteps of safety and let the Holy Spirit guide you each day as you navigate this life. God bless!

 But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Luke 18:16

 

Sadly, a family in our community recently suffered the tragic loss of their young son. There are no words that can heal the brokenness of this family’s loss. I personally know several people who have lost their young child and the healing process never ends.

 

As I was sitting in church this morning, praying for this family, God laid today’s verse on my heart. You see, in the middle of Jesus’s ministry to the adult population, Jesus took a moment to receive these young children into his presence, by allowing them to sit on His lap and embrace them with His love. What a beautiful moment to see Jesus bless these little ones.  I can only imagine the beauty of Jesus receiving young children in Heaven, embracing them with His arms and loving them as His very own.

 

Words can provide little comfort for those grieving here on earth, but the reminder that Jesus has promised theirs is the kingdom of God hopefully will provide some peace and comfort knowing their child is in the presence of Jesus Christ and one day, we will join them for all eternity.

 

May God’s presence surround you with His love and healing during this most difficult time. May the comfort of knowing your loved one is in a perfect place, bring peace to your grieving heart. God bless!

 

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33

 

Do you find yourself competing against the clock? Seems like there is never enough time in the day to accomplish all you need to? Between my OCD and drive to accomplish things, my daily schedule is always packed at work and home. Wish you could add more hours to the day?

 

Let me share a secret with you on how you can gain more time and accomplish more. Today’s verse provides the answer. Give God time FIRST in the day and He will make each hour more meaningful and productive. Trust me, seriously, trust me. I practice this every day at my work. Before I start the grind, I walk around my office building and pray, asking God to provide me wisdom and be productive. When I do, even I am shocked at how things work out and the accomplishments noted at the end of my day.

 

You might not think you have time to give to God in prayer, maybe a short devotional and trust Him with your challenges. God is the maker of time and He can take your 15 minutes of focus on Him and double your productivity.

 

This holiday season will be busy and your agenda is tiring just at first glance. Don’t get bogged down by time. Give time to God and watch the results of your willingness to seek after Him first. He is the time maker and will get you through each day with time left over. God bless!