 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. (John 15:9)
We must be careful of what and who we place our trust in. Misplaced affections can so easily be turned into the sin of idol worship and pride, causing us to long after things that are imperfect. Oh how the enemy longs to turn our affections away from God and place our hope in people or things that cannot satisfy, or love us in return, let alone save us. If the enemy ever tries to convince us that God’s love is not enough, let us remember that no human being, not nothing, not nobody, can fill that void. Only the flesh craves the imperfect after the heart and soul has come to know that: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) “Can you imagine being loved like this? It would change your life. You would want for nothing.” When will we learn that God Is Enough? Once we accept this truth we can stop looking for people and things to fill that void, or give us what God has already provided. GiGi❤️
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 “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial.” (James 1:12a)
Perseverance means to continue to work at doing something despite difficulty or delay in being successful. The same God that delivered us aforetime, will deliver us today. He is faithful that promised. Once upon a time, there was a donkey. It was a stupid, stubborn old donkey and even the farmer who owned it didn’t like him. The farmer owned a large property and one day he heard in the distance the loud, distinctive “eye-ore, eye-ore” of the donkey. He found the animal at the bottom of an old abandoned well. Exasperated, the farmer rang his neighbors and asked them each to bring a shovel. He’d had enough of the stupid donkey, so he had decided to bury it in the well. All of his friends came over and together they started to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey protested loudly, braying with all of his might, but after about 10 minutes, he stopped. The farmers kept shoveling. After a while, someone decided to have a look into the well to see what had happened to the donkey. What he saw astonished him. Instead of being buried, the donkey would dodge the incoming dirt, standing on the ever-increasing mound. Now the mission changed and the farmers went from trying to bury the donkey to trying to save him, shoveling more and more dirt into the abandoned well until he jumped out of the top victorious. Upon his release, the farmers all dropped their shovels and applauded the old stubborn beast with a newfound admiration. No matter what the enemy puts in our way to prevent our victory we must be still and hear from God. Then, and only then, will we be able to use each obstacle as a stepping stone to victory. GiGi❤️ 
“Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?” (Matthew 18:33) One of the best ways to resolve our ill feelings toward someone is to pray for them. We will find that it is impossible to pray for someone and be offended by them at the same time. “I heard of a man who had made complaints against his minister, and his minister wisely said to him, ‘Well, let’s not talk in the street; come to my house, and let us talk it through.’ He went, and the minister said, ‘My brother, I hope that what you have to say to me is going to bless me; no doubt I have my imperfections as well as any other man, and I hope I will never be above being told of them, but in order that what you have to say to me may be a blessing let us kneel down and pray together.’ So our quarrelsome friend prayed first and the minister prayed next, both briefly. When they rose from their knees, he said, ‘Now, my brother, I think we are both in a good state of mind; tell me what it is that you have found fault with.’ The man blushed, and stammered, and stuttered, and said, he did not think there was anything at all. except in himself. ‘I have forgotten to pray for you, pastor,’ he said, ‘and of course I cannot expect that God will feed my soul through you when I don’t even mention you at the throne of grace.” Ah, well, if you will exercise yourselves with intercessory prayer for your brethren you will forgive their tempers, you will overlook their rashness, you will not think of their harsh words; but knowing that you also may be tempted, and are men of like passions with them, you will cover their faults, and bear with their infirmities.” Charles Spurgeon “‘Let us pray first,’and it will often happen that through prayer the differences will soon be forgotten.” GiGi❤️  Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. (Titus 1:9)
This morning as I prayed I remembered that thing that God continues to deal with me about and I laid it before Him. It’s a nagging fault, something I continue to slip up with and continue to pray about because it's fundamentally foundational that our character represents Christ at all times, in all things. I also know that if I let it go and shrug it off as a small offense it will grow into something far more egregious. I thank God that I can surrender it to him, and yes, over and over again, because He’s not counting. When the foundation is properly placed a building will stand for decades. When there is a flaw it is just a matter of time before it crumbles. Our foundation is built through studying the Word of God and receiving sound doctrine. It is our beginning work, bearing all before God, leaving no rock unturned that helps to establish us. Why is it so essential? If the foundation is sound the house will stand. For, we know that inevitably we will be tried by fire. “Do look well to the foundation, and to the secret part of your dealings with God, because there is a fire coming which will try all things. There was a bit of a flaw in the foundation, but nobody saw it; for the builder covered it up very quickly. The walls were built, and built well. It seemed clear that the fault down below was of no consequence whatsoever. How long was this the case? Well, the next year nothing happened: a longer time passed away, and then an ugly crack came down the wall. Had there been an earthquake? No, there was no earthquake. Perhaps a cyclone had struck the work? No, there was no cyclone: the weather was the same as usual. What was the cause of that gaping space which marred the beauty of the building, and threatened to bring it down? It was that blunder long age: that underground neglect produced the terrible mischief above, which would involve a great expense, and perhaps render it needful to take all the building down and start all over. Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 On Christ, the solid rock I stand! GiGi❤️  “A friend loveth at all times. (Proverbs 17:17)
We can spend a great deal of time in search of a loving and faithful partner and a dedicated friend. Yet, “there is no friend like the lowly Jesus, no not one.” As we search for that relationship that will fill that void, let us not forget that it is the loving friendship with Christ that makes our natural relationships sweeter, “The love of Christ casts not out the love of relatives, but it sanctifies our loves, and makes them sweeter by far. Remember, dear hearer, the love of men and women is very sweet; but all must pass away..and then what will you do? Oh! to have the love of Christ!” Therefore, let us be careful of how we place more trust in our earthly relationships than we do in our friendship with Christ. Let us also be reminded that having Christ as a friend means it makes us enemies of the enemy. We might resent the attacks but we should “think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: (1 Peter 4:12) Charles Spurgeon wrote, “O, Christian, because Christ sticks close, the devil will stick close too; he will be at you and with you; the dog of hell will never cease his howlings, till you reach the other side of Jordan…Satan will be persevering, in hopes that Christ may forget you; he will strive after you, and strive until he shall see you safely landed in heaven. But be not disappointed: the louder Satan roars, the more proof you have of Christ's love.” Dear Lord, help us to understand and know the value of a Savior that sticks closer than any brother. It is the only relationship that we will take with us to glory. “Oh! Thank you that we are able to call you friend. It is one of the sweetest blessings in the world.” GiGi❤️  “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” Colossians 3:13
We tend to hold on to the negative experiences and forget the positive so easily. Forgiveness allows us to see through God’s lens so that we can move forward. Two friends were walking in the desert. They had very little water left. Soon they started to argue over who would get the last few sips. In the heat of their fight, one friend slapped the other in the face. The friend who was slapped felt hurt. But he said nothing. He wrote in the sand with a twig, ‘Today, my best friend slapped me in the face.’ They soon came across an oasis. The two friends dove into the water. Suddenly, the friend, who had been slapped earlier, started drowning. His friend swam to his rescue. When he recovered he carved on a stone, ‘Today, my best friend saved my life.’ The other friend asked, ‘When I slapped you, you wrote it in the sand. But when I saved you, you wrote it in stone. Why is that?’ The friend replied, ‘When someone hurts you, write it in sand. Where the winds of forgiveness can erase it. But when something is done for us, out of love, engrave it in stone. Where the winds of forgetfulness cannot erase it.’ Let go of all the negative energy. Taken from: https://www.touchonelife.org/the-sands-of-forgiveness/ GiGi❤️  “I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; and to, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down, Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it and received instruction.” (Proverbs 24:30-32)
Proverbs 24:30-32, provides us with an analogy of the believer who has been lacking in tending to the things of God in their lives. Notice the stone wall that has been created to mark boundaries has fallen down. Where the borders were once distinct and clear, thorns and weeds have grown up making it difficult to even see where the wall once existed. This is the individual who has become distracted and therefore, negligent. Perhaps that distraction is brought on by life challenges, a new relationship, job, money, etc., or something as simple as a cell phone. John MacArthur wrote, “If the enemy can’t destroy you he will distract you.” Furthermore, “If the enemy can distract you from your time alone with God, then he can isolate you from the help that comes from God alone.” If he can distract us then the distraction will cause us to stop enforcing our boundaries. We then allow things in, engage in things, say, do things that are against the very principles that kept that boundary in place. Biblical principles, not only create boundaries for us but, are a compass that navigate us back to God. The word of God is a stone fence, providing order and keeping out things that don’t belong. GiGi❤️  “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
Choose faith over fear. It may appear bleak at times and the world may offer us alternatives, but choose faith over fear. When we are caught between two decisions, one quick and one easy, one taking us away from God, the other longer and perhaps arduous but draws us nearer to Him, Iet us choose the faith journey over immediacy. Many have found that they had increased their burden rather than lifting it when they chose not to wait on God. When they chose not to trust Him. “As for me and my house I will serve the Lord.” Spurgeon wrote: “Who have done great things? Not men of fear and trembling, men who are afraid, but men of faith, who had bold fronts and foreheads made of brass—men who never shook and never trembled, but believing in God, lifted their eyes to the hills, whence comes their strength…Faith is mightiest of the mighty. It is the monarch of the realms of the mind. There is no being superior to its strength, no creature which will not bow to its divine prowess. ..There is nothing like faith. Give us faith and we can do all things. Choose faith over fear and do the right thing. GiGi❤️  “Thou God seest me…” (Genesis 16:13)
Loneliness can be experienced where there is the absence of quality connections with others. Relationships have to be nurtured, time has to be invested, and sacrifices will have to be made in order to build and maintain healthy connections. All of us experience a sense of belonging and connecting with others and that desire comes from God. It is a desire that drives us to Him. It provides us great satisfaction to know that we are seen, heard, by our God who is always with us, ever present. We should challenge our loneliness by reminding ourselves that God is near. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “He is here, close by my side, and not by me only, but in me; within this heart; where these lungs beat; or where my blood gushes through my veins; or where this pulse is beating, like a muffled drum…God is there.” It will take us nurturing our relationship with Him to always have this awareness. It will take a devotion to prayer and spending time with Him. Remember, healthy relationships are nurtured relationships. GiGi❤️  "For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Luke 11:10)
We don’t know what the Lord is doing in the lives of others, and how he is moving. Our Lord is not just moving in the lives of the godly; he is moving in the lives of the ungodly because he is still in the soul winning business. “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44) Many a time in the hour of sickness, and in the time of woe, God has heard the prayers of the unthankful and the evil. Do you think God gives nothing except to the righteous? What were you when you first began to pray? Were you good and righteous? Has not God commanded you to do good to those who are evil? Will he command you to do what he will not do himself? Has he not said that he “sends rain on the just and on the unjust,” and is it not true? Is he not daily blessing those who curse him, and doing good to those who despitefully use him? This is one of the glories of God’s grace; and when there is nothing else good in the man, yet if there is a cry lifted up from his heart the Lord often agrees to send relief from trouble. Now, if God has heard the prayers even of men who have not sought him in the highest manner, and has given them temporary deliverances in answer to their cries will he not hear you much more when you are humbling yourself in his sight, and desiring to be reconciled to him. Charles Spurgeon Don’t give up on people, pray for them. GiGi❤️ |
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