“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NIV
Life with Jesus is a journey of overcoming and conquering, first steps and new beginnings.
It is an adventure of discovery and healing, of bold moves and humble hearts.
It is about facing difficulty with courage and having peace in the midst of uncertainty.
It is possible because Jesus promises to be with you every step of the way.
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.”
1 John 4:18 NIV
When fear rises up to dismantle your faith or weave it’s tentacles around your feet to trip you up, you must remember this fact: You have nothing to fear.
You are loved.
Jesus walked the earth, spoke truth to all who would listen, healed broken bodies and restored broken souls to God. It was His love that breathed life into the first lungs of man and His word that drives out the darkness within you.
What drives fear out?
Love.
The love of Jesus.
What if you make a mistake? Will God reject you?
No. Jesus took your punishment upon Himself so you can live fearlessly.
Jesus stands with you and will not abandon you.
Don’t let fear be the reason you shrink back.
Face your fear today, surrounded by the assurance that you are fully loved and fully supported by the Maker of the universe Himself.
Hang your hat on His love and get down to the business of loving others with the confident abandon that comes with it.
What are you hoping for today?
“Wait, Israel, for GOD. Wait with hope. Hope now; hope always!”
Psalm 131:3 MSG
Hope now.
Right now.
While you wait.
While you are stuck.
Open wide your heart and let hope flood in.
Let it wash over your mind and fill your spirit to the brim.
There is no better day than today.
There is no better time than right now.
No matter what is going on around you, hope is available to you.
Jesus died on the cross, destroyed the power of sin and rose again to eternal life.
He is alive.
He is holding out eternal hope to you.
Don’t procrastinate hope, you have permission to hope now – no matter what.
“My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.”
Psalm 25:15 NIV
Holding onto resentment is like walking around with a chain around your ankle.
It starts as a small cord and develops into a strong chain that you drag around.
Sometimes a small cord of fear becomes a snare that holds you back.
Sometimes a resilient string of hurt traps you from moving forward.
Maybe a trap of bitterness has wrapped itself around your ankle.
And if you don’t acknowledge it, it will become crippling.
Look to the Lord to release you from a snare of resentment that is holding you back today.
He is the only one who can heal your heart.
Who are you looking to heal your heart today?
If it is anyone else but Jesus, you will be disappointed and frustrated.
“For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit.”
Romans 8:5-6 NET
God has given us the ability to imagine our day, our tomorrow, our future.
Paul said that the imagination shaped by the flesh is fear and death and that the imagination nourished by the Spirit of God is life and peace.
The thing is, we get to choose which imagination we live in.
We get to choose our thoughts and not live in a world where they choose us.
A world where they hijack your day and lead you to a mental torture chamber.
My friend, God gives you Himself fully and His power lavishly to you.
Yes, you.
Ask Him.
You need help and God will help you.
He will empower you to take hold of your thoughts and submit them to Him.
He will empower you to leave the fearful imaginings on the floor and take hold of the truth of God in your life.
He will empower you to see yourself and your future from His perspective.
Where is your head?
What is it filled with?
What do you need God’s help with today?
“So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy) but in the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:5 AMP
When your faith rests in the wisdom of man, it will falter because at it’s best, it is a human attempt to explain divine power.
When your faith rests in your own feelings, it will surge and wane like the waves of the sea.
When your faith rests on your past experience, it can morph into whatever you have experienced, good or bad.
When your faith rests in the Son of God it is like a solid rock upon which the waves of emotion break, the wisdom of men shatters and He becomes the foundation of truth that gives your experience perspective.
Don’t make your decisions based on how you feel, what others say, or what happened in the past.
Ask Jesus to lead you and He will. The One who died for you rose again and sits at the right hand of God will show you the way forward.
He is bigger than your fears, knows what to do with your worries, and is working behind the scenes to bless you.
May today be filled with the promise of the finished work of Jesus and bring you to a new level of faith that is not tossed by emotions but anchored in God’s unchanging love for you.
“But GOD’s not finished. He’s waiting around to be gracious to you. He’s gathering strength to show mercy to you. GOD takes the time to do everything right—everything. Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.”
Isaiah 30:18 MSG
You can’t see what God is doing “behind the scenes” in your life but He is working.
You don’t know how He is going to meet your needs, but I know that He will.
You don’t have to worry about the why’s, how’s, or when’s.
Jesus comes to you so that you can receive all God, your Father, has for you.
I am praying for you to experience God’s matchless, unbroken companionship while you wait for Him to do what only He can do.
I am praying that you will experience His victory, favor, love, peace, and joy, while you wonder how He is going to do it.
I believe that God is preparing things for you right now and that they will be right on time (maybe not your time but in His time).
While you wait, trust.
While you trust, worship.
While you worship, rest.
Have an amazing day enjoying what you have while you wait for what God is preparing for you.
“For He, God, Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down or relax My hold on you! Assuredly not!”
Hebrews 13:5 Amplified Version
God will not leave you without support.
Jesus is bigger than your situation.
He will not leave you helpless.
He will not relax His hold on you.
He will make a way where there seems to be no way.
As you face the challenges before you, know that God is beside you in them.
All things are possible with God.
“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.”
Psalm 68:19 NIV
Every day brings new choices to make, new challenges to face, new fears to conquer, new burdens to bear.
Every day also brings old memories that linger, mistakes still bearing consequences, fears that refuse to die, emotional baggage that demands space and attention.
God will bear your burdens every day.
Old, new, heavy or light.
Everyday.
You may not know what burdens will be thrust upon you today but God does.
He stands with open arms and strong shoulders to bear them for you.
What burden do you need God to bear today?
God loves you beyond measure.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8 NIV
You Are Loved.
You are loved today, tomorrow and will be loved every day until your death and then beyond into eternity.
Nothing can separate you from God’s love.
Not fear.
Not shame.
Not worry.
Not finances.
Not circumstances.
Not the rules of men.
Because of Jesus you can live in the glorious freedom of being a cherished child of God.
Are you?
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