Things will work out

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Have you ever had a bad day from beginning to end. I’m talking about waking up with aches and pains. Hit your pinky toe on the bed on the way to the bathroom. Go to brush your teeth and you forgot to buy more toothpaste. Get your clothes for work but you have to change because you spilled something in it. Late to work because of a flat tire. Get to work and get everything is in chaos. Get home from work and everybody needs your help. I mean just a bad day. But something or someone speaks something to you that helps to calm you down. Even in the midst of everything that happens.

HERE IT IS…

The Lord is close to you. Even when he seems far away. He is close to you. All hell is breaking loose. He is close to you. When you is all you got. He is close to you. Everything breaking down. He is close to you. Even when there is nothing you can do. He is close to you. How do I know? He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. So when you’re going through and your spirits are low God will come and rescue you and lift you up. He is on his way.

Love like Him

“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Reading the book “The 5 Love Languages” has been a blessing to me personally. But to also hear the stories and experiences of others who have read it are also amazing. When I read it I not only learn a lot about myself. It causes me to reflect on things in the past and how things could have or should have been handled. I know I can’t go back in time to right those wrongdoings so I’ll make sure that I try to be better in the future. Through the changes and the hard times.

HERE IT IS…

I had to learn my love language and 5 is a good number, however, I believe that there are more than that. While I had to learn God already knew what mine is. He loved me through my changes and hard places. That’s what we are supposed to do for each other. Love is an action and can take on many forms. It can be showing up and doing. Or showing up and doing nothing. In either case we are to love each other like God loves us. I know God laughs, gets mad, frustrated at times with me. Which we will with each other. But the love stays there.

Renounce it.

“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I love the movie coming to America. This movie makes me laugh no matter how many times I see it. One, just one, of my favorite parts is when Prince Akeem is renouncing his thrown on a train full of strangers. He is yelling and shouting about his willingness to renounce his throne to Zamunda in order to be with this women he has fallen in love with. Here is where I look deeper. He yelled it with the intention that no one would know what or who he was. So even if he did renounce his throne no one would care.

HERE IT IS…

Would you openly declare that God is your God. Jesus is your savior in a room where it mattered? Would you be willing to risk it all seemingly like Akeem and renounce all those things that are keeping you from God? Are willing to be loud and obnoxious about who and what God means to you. Will you openly profess your love for your God understanding that you are giving it all up to serve him? Will you renounce your earthly throne for a heavenly future?

Good!

“Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭26‬-‭28‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Make sure that you read the whole two verses. This out of the Message version and it is so good. Why? It displays just how we are able to see God in every aspect of our lives. When we are tired, He is there. When we don’t know how or what to pray, He is there. In our inability to make words of our feelings, He is there. Get this and don’t miss it. Even in our dark, deep, isolated, sorrowful, lonely, unloveable state, he keeps us present before God.

HERE IT IS…

That’s how I know. You should know. We should know that EVERYTHING works out for good. Even when we try to fail we win. Even when we try to run we still come out on top. If you love God He has called you to do something. Because He loves you, he won’t let you fail and make all the things you see as bad work out for your good. Because He knows you better than you know yourself. No matter what it will work out l. Not only work out, but work out for your good.

Imitation

“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, right? That’s what they say. That’s supposed to make the person you’re copying or imitating feel good. It’s supposed to give that person a feeling that they have done something right. When you are able to act like that person would and do as that person would it would make them proud. Do you make God proud? Do you make him look at himself and say “good job” to himself when it comes to you?

HERE IT IS…

Show God that you you have been paying attention to him. Flatter him by doing what he would do. He wouldn’t cuss that person out. He wouldn’t talk about that person. He wouldn’t do the things we have done. Instead he would treat them the way have had treated us. Yeah just think about that for a second. The way God has treated and helped and covered and lifted us in our low deep dark places. We should imitate Him towards others!!!

Patience

“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Have you seen those videos of pets and children being placed in front of some sweet snack that they like or want and the parent then walks away? The object is to see if the child or the pet will have patience enough to wait to get what is going come to them if the successfully wait. The parent gives the child or pet extra treats if they wait until the parent comes back.

HERE IT IS…

Has God ever told you to wait on something and you were hard headed and went and got it on your own? Then when you went to go get what you wanted you couldn’t get exactly what you wanted but you settled just to say you got it? But then you waited on God, and the thing he told you to wait for. The thing he told you you would have. He gave you more than you thought you would get? Just keep waiting because you will receive more than you can ask or think. It’s coming your way…

Do you Love Him?

“Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I love that video that was going around a lot of the little girl asking her dad, “Do you love me?” She was all in his face and climbing on him and repeatedly asking “Do you love me?” With different voice inflections with each time she asked, “Do you love me?” With each question asked and almost annoyed and matching her different inflections in her voice he answers, “Yes!” Even though she kept asking the same question over and over again, kept giving her the same answer.

HERE IT IS…

God may ask us verbally like Jesus did Peter. After each time God gave him something to do but Peter got annoyed (like we do) and asked him, “Why do you keep asking me that, you know I love you!” What he is simply saying is that if you love me like you say you do then do as commanded to do. If you love God then love each other. If you love God and answer each time he ask whether verbally or in action, we are to respond with verbal and action assurances. Love each other. Not just the ones closest to you. But everyone around you. Do you love Him?

Working inside and out

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I was watching a video of a man who was making a vase out of an old rotten piece of wood. While looking at the wood from the outside by me I thought that the wood was no good. It had, what seem to be, to much damage on the inside to be used. I knew he would have to scrape out all the bad wood but from my point of view the way the outside looked and the inside looked I knew it wouldn’t be good. After the man got rid of the rotten parts on the inside, he took the bad parts off the outside.

HERE IT IS…

Why don’t you listen to what God says about you, rather than what others say about you. We all have some issues. We all have some problems. We all have experienced some for of trauma that has scarred us internally. But if we allow God who is an expert at using broken pieces to make a beautiful masterpiece has everything he needs to make you into what he has called you to do. There may be some things he has to carve out of you and off of you. In the end you will be brand new.

Fools Gold

“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I can remember as a child being told, and as a parent telling my children that nobody can make you do anything. For me, it was either laughing out loud or making people laugh out loud. For my children it was the same. Sometimes my parents would have to talk to me about who I hung around and paid attention to because I was always getting distracted or in trouble. Not because I was the one (all the time) doing it. I was the one getting caught laughing (or doing it). That’s when I started to pay attention to who I was around.

HERE IT IS…

Nobody can make you do anything you have the choice to do it or not. However, even if you don’t do it and still hang with them you will still have that label on you. Sometimes it’s not the actions that get you into trouble but the people that you are around. The saying goes, “If you want to know what type of person you’re dealing with, look at their friends.” That will tell you a lot about a person. A fool stays with fools. But a wise person knows where wisdom comes from.

Take a N.A.P

“He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I read a study somewhere that said taking naps helps rejuvenate and replenish the bodies abilities and function of the organs and the brain. Literally suggesting that taking naps helps your body to recover faster and perform better. I use to wonder why my kids would come back from daycare and preK and even kindergarten so hyped up. Those naps are rejuvenating them. I have even read that in some place in China you are allowed to take naps at work.

HERE IT IS…

God renews our strength. How? Just look at verse two.

“He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

He does all of this to prepare you for what’s to come. Because even when you walk through dark valleys that try to take you out, you have been restored and renewed in Gods strength. So keep on keeping on and allow God to give renewed strength. Take a N.A.P. And receive
New Anointed Power