Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8

Have you ever been cold and then stood next to someone; between the two of you, enough body heat was generated to warm both of you up. When we stand next to another person, the body heat seems to radiate all around us. 

This world can make us feel like we are out in the cold, exposed to the elements of life. Heartache, sickness, disappointments....just to name a few, can rob us of the loving warmth we desire to feel in our hearts. The more cooler we become, the less effective we are able to serve God in the capacity He designed for us. That's why it's so important for us to continually stay close to God. Prayer, bible reading and conversing with fellow believers are just a few of the things we can do to keep us closer to God. 

Have things in your life been chaotic lately and you just want to run and hide? Step inside the cloak of God and let His loving arms wrap around you, to warm your spirit and give you hope for another day. He loves you unconditionally. If you are a child of God, He welcomes you with open arms to seek Him and draw closer to Him. Find the warmth of God today, seek Him out, He is there! 

God bless.

Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase. Proverbs 3:9

Stop and take a look around you for one minute (if you are home). What do you see? A lot of things or very little? Realize what you possess has been provided to you through God's goodness. Yes, you might have gone out and purchased it with your "hard earned money"...but God gave you the talents and abilities to perform your job and the physical condition to do it daily and earn money. God has blessed you, are you a blessing to God?

Once we realize the stuff we have is the result of God's goodness in our lives, we will truly appreciate it more and thank Him for His blessings. The danger is when we start to buy things that exceed our capability to pay for the new stuff and struggle to live day to day. Tithing, do you give to the Lord? Do your monthly bills exceed what you give to the Lord? That's the reality check right there! When your all your possessions consume every penny from your bank account and you have none for the Lord, I can assure you His blessings will no longer flow. 

It's a checks and balances system. Check your possessions against what you are giving to God. Thank Him for what He has provided for you and honor Him with through financial contributions and your time. By doing so, your life will be in tune with God's blessings account. Thank Him today. God bless.

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

When working on the farm, we utilized a John Deere Gator. This 4 wheel drive vehicle would take me through the most rough terrain, muddiest ground and even cross a creek and drive up and over the steep bank. I always knew I could get around the farm in this vehicle regardless of the environmental conditions.

Life can be just as challenging to navigate. Each of us wants assurance we can get from sun-up to sun-down without much effort and pain. But the reality is, life is not easy. Disappointments, challenges, heartaches, stresses and the worries, each day can bring, make you feel stuck...spinning your wheels going no where. 

Friend, climb aboard God's vessel and have the assurance He will see you through each day. Yes, the days forecast may not always be sunny, but with God, you can have the assurance that He will carry you through each obstacle and breakdown in life with His overwhelming power to overcome the greatest obstacle.  He is larger than life and the ground in which you walk. Why not put your faith and trust in Him today? He has your back and loves you. 

Climb aboard the "over-comer", He is ready and capable of taking you through this day. Get on board with God!

Have a blessed day.

Now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother lying sick with fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them. Matthew 8:14-15

In today's passage we see three things happen. 1. Jesus presence in Peter's house. 2. Jesus saw a need, reached out and healed her. 3. She arose from her illness and was able to serve Him. 

This story gives us a good model to go by when requesting Jesus assistance. First and foremost, is Jesus present in your life? You can't expect a miracle if your life isn't completely open to Him. Does your needs line up with His will? This lady didn't ask for assistance, but Jesus had a need and healed her so she could serve Him. When Jesus responds to our request, we need to be ready to serve in whatever capacity He has directed us. He oftentimes will heal us just enough so we can serve Him 100 percent. We may not always feel 100 percent, that's when we rely on His strength. 

What's your need today? Make sure you've opened your heart to Him, line up your desires with His will and be ready to serve once He responds. Your purpose is to serve Him....let Him prepare you for that special service He has called you to do for His glory. Give God praise for the presence of Jesus in your life today. God bless.

 But at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Acts 16:25

"Hey, you look nice today", "Great job", "you are an awesome person". Praise, it gets our attention. We like it when someone takes a moment to give us praise or compliment us. Praise makes everything bad that's happened seem to dissolve and our spirit is uplifted. 

God is no different, He loves to be praised! As a child of God, we need to understand 2 concepts...1. This world is NOT our home. We are just here for a little while to serve God and follow His will for our life. 2. We will encounter trouble in this life. As foreigners in this land, are vulnerable to Satan's attacks either by personal circumstances or from other people. Until you reach Heaven, life on this side of eternity won't be perfect...so expect trouble. 

Paul and Silas were beaten with rods because of their testimony about Christ. Beaten and shackled by their feet, they laid in a prison cell with pain. But, at the midnight hour, a spirit of worship came over them...praising God and singing hymns. They got God's attention. When God showed up the prison walls shook and doors were opened, chains fell off. At that moment, prisoners and the guard came to know Christ 

Where are you in your walk with the Lord? Is His presence in your life obvious to those around you? Maybe you are suffering because of your faith. Praise God regardless. Call out to Him with thankfulness and praise. He will respond with His healing hand and comfort you in the midnight hour. God can use any circumstance to bring glory to Himself. All He needs is an obedient child ready to ignite the flame of praise and let His fire consume all the bad around you. Praise God today and see the troubles of life turn to ashes. Have a blessed day!!!

Then Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. John 6:35

You ever see or hear those commercials talking about a new drug that will help with this or that illness? Then they list all the possible side effects. Finally they say..."if you experience any of these symptoms, stop taking the medicine and see your doctor immediately".

Tragically, so many people these days self-medicate on things of the world to cure them of their emotional or physical distress. Alcohol, drugs, smoking, prescription drugs, uncontrolled spending,  living a carefree life, extreme exercising and dieting. All of these things have negative side effects like poor health, bankruptcy, missed days at work or school, isolation from friends and family, jail....even death. It's so easy to  to get caught up in these things...many lives have been ruined through addictions.

Today's passage clearly states where we can get help for our daily struggles, pains and insecurities... through Jesus Christ. A personal relationship with him is the key to helping you work through the daily challenges of life and the painful experiences that want to send you into depression and self medicate in worldly toxins. By surrendering everything to Him, you open the door to His Holy Spirit who can sustain you no matter what you are going through in life. 

How about it? Have you been serf-medicating, hoping to give you some relief...but the side effects are more damaging than the medicine of choice? STOP taking the medicine and see Jesus immediately!  He can and will help you. His love and presence in your life has no negative side effects and last for all eternity....it even helps others around you when you are fully medicated on His Spirit! Won't you come to Him today for all your emotional and physical needs...He has the medicne that cures it all. Have a blessed day friend.

For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. Psalm 37:10

For a teenager, one "zit" on the face can have devastating effects on that day's outlook. It consumes their mind and tarnishes their self confidence....worried what others will think about their appearance. They want to look perfect....like the images on many fashion magazines....perfect skin, hair just right and of course that perfectly shaped body. But, after a few days, that zit slowly fades away. You look and look again...."where did it go?". Whew...confidence restored, maybe I can get a date this weekend. Lol....the pressures of teenagers. 

For adults, we seem to encounter these people "monsters" in our life at church, workplace or maybe even next door. They are rude, negative and always grouchy...and possibly have you targeted for their grief and misery. It seems like they disrupt your quiet, safe little world. You pray they'd simply go away. Then one day, they are gone. They either got fired, moved or decided to pick on someone else. Praise the Lord you say and trust in better days. 

Is there someone in your life today that is causing you grief? Just like a teenager's zit, they influence your entire day's outlook and all you want to do is run away and hide? Hang in there friend! Lift them up in prayer and ask God to give you the strength to stand strong in your faith and not let them influence your day. He that is in YOU is greater than he that is in the world. Your zit monster will eventually go away one day if you have patience and trust God in answering your prayers. We aren't promised a perfect world, so don't think each day will run smooth. No matter how rocky the road is, God can smooth out those brief moments of grief. Stay in prayer and lean on Him for strength. 

Don't let the zit monster take away your joy! Cover it with the Lords help and proceed with joy! Eventually he/she  will go away....keep the faith! God bless.