"Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord, And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.

Jeremiah 31:16

Some of the most troubling times in life come when those we love get "off course", headed in the wrong direction. Their failure to conform to the right way of life, brings painful times of grief and worry. You do all you can to help "right their wrong", but your attempts are futile. Completely drained physically, mentally and spiritually, you drop to your knees and call upon God for help. Have you been there? ‎

The thing you always need to keep in mind is God hears your painful cries and He is already working in your life, and the ones you love. You must surrender your attempts to fix them and trust God as He works in the situation. Yes, your loved one may be so caught up in pride and wrongful living and you wonder if they will come back to their senses. It hurts when you see them going about life all wrong, but trust God and rely on Him to strengthen you. He has a plan for this troubling moment, so don't mess up His plan....if you do, it will bring further chaos. 

Maybe you have a wayward child or family member, making wrong choices. The pain and worry is overwhelming. Been there, so I can tell you...Pray about the situation and trust God. Trusting God is the only thing you have to hold onto in the moment. He will work through it and bring resolution His way. Trust Him in every battle and He will comfort your spirit, dry your tears and bring peace in unpeaceful times of life. 

God bless.

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.". 

2 Corinthians 12:9

January 28, 1986 the space shuttle Challenger lifted off its launch pad, 73 seconds into its flight a rubber o-ring seal failed, hot gases caught fire, causing a fire and breakup of the shuttle, killing all 7 aboard. How could something so small, cause the destruction to a gigantic spaceship? A detailed investigation revealed NASA engineers had warned the launch team of the freezing temps and it's effect on the o-ring seals. Pressured to make the flight happen, they launched anyways only to find it a failure. As a result, NASA was grounded from flights for 3 years, so they could correct any wrongs.

I've found, in my life, when I fail God and sin, He is able to take those failures and help me correct the wrong so I can resume my spiritual flight. Some of the best mountain top experiences, in my journey with Christ, have launched from the darkest times in my life. His Holy Spirit is provided to help engineer my life so I fly safely....but when I don't listen to that engineer's warning....I crash and burn. 

If you want to have a successful flight with Christ, listen to the voice, His Spirit, He freely gives to every child of God. He sees problems ahead and can help you avoid catastrophy. Listen, act to make necessary changes so you can fly without problems to avoid a spiritual accident.

Have a blessed day.

     

Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

One of my favorite things to do is ride my motorcycle. Most days I'll ride 50-100 miles. To ensure it runs efficiently and not break down along the road, I always use genuine parts  made by the bike's manufacturer. 

One time I used another brand oil filter to save money and I had a difficult time removing it at the next oil change. I ended up taking it to a shop and let them remove it safely. The few dollars I saved on the filter was used up, and more, on the shop fee. Since that time I have never deviated from genuine parts for my bike. 

When you accept Christ into your life, you have His backing of 100 percent, worry free eternal warranty that has no conditions and never expires. To ensure your daily ride runs smooth, it's always best to invest in His ways, following in obedience and trusting the day to His care. When we think we know what's best for us and deviate from His standards, we soon find ourselves broke down along the highway of life. Our deviation from His genuine ways could cost us a lot in our witness and repairs to our spirit take a lot of time. 

Friend, pour yourself into God, trust He knows what's best for your life and never take the world's ways over His. When you stay true to God, your life will always be ready for the daily journey. God bless.  

The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself. Proverbs 11:25

Here in the last week I have joined the ranks of my fellow family members and friends as we take care of my grandmother and her transition from living 98 years in a home to a nursing home facility. I see the labor of love from my mother, who has exhausted everything in herself, including her health to care for the one who has cared for her since birth. Putting her life "on hold" has been the case for many years now. My grandmother is beyond blessed to have a loving daughter who has given her the best care possible. 

Today's verse speaks volumes of being a generous person. Not only in financial resources, but through acts of kindness and expressions of love....even at times when your body is tired and ready to give up, even at times when the receiver of your generosity shows no signs of gratitude and speaks harshly in response. It takes a generous spirit to endure and keep giving when nothing is returned. My mother has been the finest example of this generous soul and spirit. I am so blessed to see living proof of generosity and love through my mom's commitment to care for her mother. 

There will come a time in your life when "self" must be put aside and you will be required to give unconditionally and go that extra mile to help a loved one. Are you equipped for that journey? Like my mom does daily, pray for God to sustain you and help you maintain the right mindset. He will do it if you lean on Him. There is no way my mother could have done all she has accomplished over these years without God's strength, support and His unconditional love. Go the extra mile for others and see your well of life refill with God's blessings ten-fold. Reach out and help someone today. God bless.

We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 1 John 4:6

 It seems wherever you go these days you'll find someone who doesn't speak the English language. You overhear them talking in their native language and you wonder what they are saying. Unfamilar to you,  you move on and don't waste your time trying to understand. It can be frustrating for both if the two languages try to communicate with one another. 

How true it is for those who have never accepted Christ. As they encounter a Christian, they get frustrated because they don't understand their reasoning, how they act and talk. It's foreign to them.

2 Corinthians 4:4 states that the "god" (Satan) of this age has blinded those who do not believe. So, as Christians, God expects us to reach out to the lost, how can we communicate with them if they don't understand the words of God? Prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Let me say this, it's NOT YOU who saves someone, it's God. His Holy Spirit comes upon those unbelievers who begin to see the light of Christ. I have never seen an unbeliever accept Christ without His Spirit working in advance of hearing the word. God longs for everyone to come know Him and He works in the lives of everyone to bring about awareness and the realization that they need a Savior.  Some begin to accept this fact and their hearts condition themselves to hear and respond to God's calling. Others, their hearts are like concrete and they refuse to acknowledge the truth. Pray especially for those lost souls. 

Be the example God wants you to be as His representative in this lost and dying world. Pray for those you know who are outside the faith. Through the Lord's work in your life, your conversations with others and your commitment to God using you, those deaf in the Spirit will be able to hear the truth and accept Christ. Keep praying for the lost. 

God bless.

For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. Hebrews 2:18

The old saying...."no sense in reinventing the wheel" is very sound. If tasked with a certain assignment, it's always a good idea to see if someone else has worked through it and can provide guidance to get-r-done!

For me, I know the God blesses obedience and it's my goal every day to avoid temptation so I won't sin. Well, that sounds like a great idea, but each day I wake up with good intentions, the devil also has plans to ruin my day. He throws temptations my way every day, all throughout the day, making it a challenge to stay focused. Can you relate? 

So how can we go through each day, trying to live the obedient life God calls us to live? By staying in constant communication with God through the Holy Spirit He gives us. Jesus Christ faced temptation all through His life. He drew upon the power of God to sustain Him and keep His life free from sin. This same God, same power, same victory over sin is available to all of us...if we simply remember to draw upon His power. When we do it with our own strength, we reinvent the wheel of righteous living....and most times we fail when we go at it alone. 

Draw upon the Lord's strength and power to turn from temptation and find blessings rain down on you for your faithful obedience and trust in Him! Have a blessed day.

As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. Psalm 18:30

 Ever cut grass, trying to cut in a straight line, only to look back and see how crooked your line was? I've done that on several occasions and the bad part is those lines in the grass take time to grow and make the crooked path disappear. 

Walking a straight and forward path in our Christian journey can be just as challenging. Things along the way distract us, looking to the right or left....even behind us, we veer off course. When we pause for a moment to look behind us, whew...we see such a mess of our life, and realize this mess will be obvious to us and maybe others for a while. Embarrased, ashamed and feelings of guilt overwhelm our spirit. How can we continually walk in a straight line as Christians? 

Focusing on a fixed object and heading in that same direction will ensure a straight line. God's word is the very thing that should be centered in our life to provide direction to keep us heading in a straight line. When we put the book down, we take our focus off where we are heading and find ourselves with crooked paths and a spiritual mess. Stay in the word daily and never loose sight of God's instructions for life. They are sound, right and will keep you safe as you journey through life. God bless friends.