God is With You

This is a message that has been burning within me. I read Haggai chapter 1-2 and felt the Holy Spirit say something very important, "I am with you." Haggai 2:4-5 (ESV), "Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit remains in your midst. Fear not." Compromise with the world is dangerous; pleasing God should be most important in our lives. When we know God is with us, especially in the hard times, we can be courageous enough to do the right thing even when it's hard. 

These last few weeks have been hard for me. I was faced with a choice, to live in willful ignorance or face my weaknesses. When faced with choices between ignorance and knowledge, choose knowledge. Even though it was painful in accepting my weaknesses, I know the Lord was with me which gave me strength. Draw strength and courage in knowing God is with you through it all. In the good places and the bad. The times of success and times of failure. He is the good Father; he will not leave you no matter what. He knows our weakness and every mistake we have and will ever make; he loves us and accepts all of who we are. He knows all our struggles; we can trust him to help us.

It is more important now more than before that we stick to the truth of God's word. I went through a season where I constantly fought negative thoughts against myself; I had to hold fast to the Lord's promises. God's word is a weapon against the enemy's lies. Professing and meditating on God's word is essential in this time period. The more we draw closer to God, the more we will walk in love.

Profess and share the good news of the gospel; walk in love. "What ever you do, do all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV). Stepping out in faith can be scary, but knowing God is with you enables you to push through the fear. Don't run from the pain or fear or trouble, what ever you are facing. God is with you; he will not leave you. Push through, and trust in the Lord's provision.

Verse of the Day:

“I will not forget you. See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.”

- Isaiah 49:15-16 (NKJV)

The Lord’s Grace and Love: Fighting Temptation

A couple nights ago, I prayed for the Lord’s help. I am weak without Christ; I have been fighting temptation. The Father is so merciful and loving; His answer to my prayer showed love and gentleness. After prayer, I studied verses about temptation. I found strength in the word; what happened next was amazing. When I thought I was done reading, started laying down to sleep, I was lead to read 1 Peter 4:1, Jeremiah 3:13, 1 John 4:10, 1 Peter 2:10, and 1 John 3:16.

1 Peter 4:1 (ESV), “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” This is saying that we are to resist our fleshly desires and look to be lead by the Holy Spirit. This also reminds us that we have a Lord and savior that sympathizes with us; Jesus shows us how to handle temptation in Mathew 4.

The Lord is merciful and loving; He desires a relationship with us. When we fall into temptation and sin, He is looking to show us love. Jeremiah 3:13 (ESV), ‘“Only acknowledge your guilt, that you have rebelled...and not obeyed my voice,” declares the Lord.' He desires us to simply return to Him; acknowledge our fault, and ask for help. He is a loving and caring Father, who is looking for a relationship with us. We can run to Him when we fall, because we can be confident that He loves us, as said in 1 John 4:10 (ESV), “In this is love. Not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

When we fight temptation, we can be sure that we are not alone. He has not left us defenseless; the word of God is powerful. Use scripture to resist temptation. Follow the Holy Spirit's lead. He is good, faithful and loving. He will never leave nor forsake us. He is not angry when we sin, but rather compassionate and desires us to return and seek Him.

Verse of the Day:

1 Corinthians 10:13

Chapter of Study:

Mathew 4

Jesus Loves You and Is Always With You; He Lives

This week I have been experiencing loneliness, stress, and anger because of the corona virus. I know that a lot of people feel the same way. I ran errands the other day and I came across this aura of uncertainty, aggression, and stress, mainly on the road. After a little bit, I started to 'adopt' those feelings as if they were my own. Feelings are contagious; lets make peace and love contagious. In this time of uncertainty, we need to cling to the Lord. It can be easy to grow tired and frustrated; it is essential that we pray, and seek time with him. The Holy Spirit is our guide and our comforter.  

I went to the park by a lake earlier, the same day I ran errands, and during my walk to the lake the Lord opened my eyes to see the beauty in his creation. I saw love in every tree, every patch of grass, every patch of dirt, the lake, and every living thing. I felt surrounded by God's love. The Lord used nature, today and in the past, to let me know that he's there. At the store, the Lord opened my heart and eyes to show me how he viewed his children. We are precious to him, and he loves us.

Even in the midst of the anxiety, Jesus was there.

I wrote two journal entries that night, the first was about the exhaustion I felt after running the errands. But I felt I wasn't done writing, so I wrote the second. This one was about my experience earlier that day. The Holy Spirit reminded me of the love that He showed me that day. Instantly, all of my problems blew away. There is nothing that compares to His love! He wants you to know that he loves you and is with you through it all! 

Thinking back to my own hurdles in life, before all this, I know the Lord is good. He loves us and wants the best for us. I can tell you from the Bible, and my own personal experience, that the Lord will always use the difficult times for good. Spend time with God, and read the Bible. His word is powerful. His presence brings peace. There is no one like our God. Trust and stand firm in faith. 

Verses of the Day:

Jeremiah 29:11, 13 (ESV), "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for a welfare, and not evil, to give you a future and a hope." 13"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Philippians 4:6 (KJV), "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

Read the post The Lord is Our Provider for more.