4GIVEN

The enemy of trust is a character flaw that we all need checked in our spiritual life from time-to-time. Fear. One of the enemy’s most popular weapons that he uses against us. Worry, anxiety, fear…can overwhelm us with a thick shadow of darkness, controlling our every move and decision. Here’s the deal, in order to fully trust God, you must know God and the only way to know God is to know His Word (John 1:1). Daniel 11:32b says, “The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” When we drink deeply of His Word and let it fill our minds and hearts, the sovereignty of God will become clear to us, and we will rejoice in it because we will know intimately and trust completely the God who controls all things for His perfect purpose.

Look at this way, God could have brought Christ to this planet by His word alone! Yes, Jesus is the promised Messiah and yes, prophecy mandated that Jesus had to come from the seed of David. But, not let’s forget who established the prophecy. My point is, Jesus would not have been able to fulfill the prophecy without mother’s womb. God’s gift (Psalm 127:3-5) of life flows through the womb of woman aka mother. In my humble opinion, Mother’s Day is everyday. It’s really difficult to squeeze in one day a year the reflection of how much we love our mothers everyday of the year. I am referring to both, the living and the mothers who have been called to glory!  I am thankful for my mother and the sacrifices she made and makes even till this day. I would like to say Happy Mother’s Day to every Mother and may God bless and keep you all! 

If Jesus paid our sin debt in full, why do many try to work their way into heaven? Jesus paid it therefore you can’t earn. Paul makes this point exceedingly clear in Ephesians 2:8-9, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Now, this doesn’t suggest in anyway that we stop serving and giving God our time, talent, and treasure. However, Paul is simply clarifying that salvation is priceless and this gift keeps us humbled! Mark Roberts said, “Our works do matter to God. But we must never think of them as a means to earn what God freely gives: grace, mercy, love, salvation, new life. Good works come as a response to the activity of grace in our lives. Yet, we must always remember that our salvation does not come by our works. This means, among other things, that you don’t have to get it all right to be in a relationship with God. You don’t have to be perfect, or even close. You don’t have to have perfect, unfaltering faith. You don’t have to have perfect theology, as if this were possible for fallible humans. Rather, you need only to receive God’s grace in faith and allow it to transform your life.”

If God doesn’t will it, it will not happen! I get it! It’s hard when prayer requests go unanswered or desires go unmet. I too feel deflated and frustrated with God. Hope turns to hopelessness, confident expectation becomes disappointment and faith turns to despondent despair. I have learned that when God says NO, He KNOWS more than I do. It’s not an easy pill to swallow neither was the tablespoon of castor oil my momma use to give us boys at the beginning of each winter season. I have learned that if I don’t like God’s answer, I can respond with expectations that He has something greater planned (Proverbs 16:1), hope in that He will deliver on His promises (Acts 13:13-41), and His peace (Phil 4:6-7) that will comfort me while I wait on Him. God might not always say ‘yes’ to our requests but He will always say ‘yes’ to His will, plan, and purpose for our lives!

My prayer today Lord, is that you give me a heart of purity. Lord, You said in Matthew 5:8, ” Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Lord, oh how I want to see You in my life, marriage, and family every day! Lord forgive me for the times when You showed up and I ignored You. Forgive me for the times when I muted Your heavenly voice. Forgive me for the times when You touched me and I failed to acknowledge You. Oh Jesus, in Your presence there is peace, comfort, and understanding. Lord, I acknowledge Your presence today and I thank You for never turning Your back on me!! In Jesus name, amen!!

We have all tasted or dealt out a little contention in our days. Whether we were the sender or the receiver doesn’t matter. Self preservation (PRIDE) often lead to contentious behavior. Did you know that contention is a spirit? Phil 2:14, “Be ever on your guard against a grudging and contentious spirit..” It’s very difficult to fellowship with someone operating in this spirit. Solomon suggest that it’s better for a husband to isolate himself from such a person than to share a home with his wife (Prov 21:9). Commentator Paul Koptak said, “Scripture makes it clear that quarrelling is a sign not of godliness, but of worldliness (1 Corinthians 3:3; James 4:1). Believers must make no room for contentiousness in their lives, taking care not to yoke themselves to those characterized by such an attitude—whether male or female—as it results only in ruin. If one is married to a quarrelsome spouse, God will provide the grace to lead by example and encourage him or her in what is right, seeking God’s glory and the good of all involved (Matthew 5:43–48; Proverbs 25:21–22; 1 Peter 3:1–2; 1 Corinthians 12:7–16).

I heard it said, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is not promise, and today is a present.” We have a tendency to spend too much time relishing on the past. For some, the past has anchored their ships at the port of life. For others, their ominous past and falsely perceived hopeless future impedes in living a full and victorious life in Christ Jesus. Here is some OT advice found in Isaiah 43:18, ” “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” Perhaps the prophet understood that you can’t start the next chapter in life if you keep reliving the last one. In the NT, Paul in Philippians 3:13 mentioned the painstaking effort it takes to forget about his past and what a past he had (Acts 22). God doesn’t remind us of our past because He prefers to propel us to our future! You can’t undo your past but that doesn’t mean you have to take out a 30yr mortgage to stay there. You can move forward to the next chapter of life in Christ with confidence knowing that He causes all things to work together for your good and His glory (Rms 8:28).

I have heard it said that not everyone is born to be great but everyone can become great.The definition of greatness is knowing your purpose in life and sowing into the lives of others.

 Truett Cathy founder of Chick-Fil-A created the 1st chicken sandwich in the fast food industry. In the year 2000 it became a billion-dollar company. 

God has deposited a gift in you that is far greater than you could ever imagine. You are set apart for a special purpose mainly to bless the lives of others – that’s why God predestined you for greatness! Do you remember the story of Moses? God plans was to use him in extraordinary ways however at his birth, powerful people wanted him dead. BUT (GOD)providence intervened (Exodus 2:10). To move forward into your greatness, you must learn to say goodbye to yesterday’s tragedies and baggage. So don’t let your past, people, or your present prevent you from moving onto the path of greatness that God has predestined for your life even before He said, “Let there be light.”

The sin of pride is the sin of sins. We’re warned to guard our hearts against pride lest we too “fall into the same condemnation as the devil.”(1 Timothy 3:6)

The sin of pride is a preoccupation with self. It is thus very fitting that the middle letter in the word is “i.” Pride is all about “me, myself, and I.”

C.S. Lewis said, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” 

If humility is the opposite of pride why do so many fail to walk in ‘it’. Well, one of the most difficult virtues to ascertain in life is the ability to walk in absolute humility. St. Augustine listed “the three greatest virtues of Christianity: humility, humility, and humility.” 

We, as a Christian force should be humbling ourselves and teaching the current generation the importance of turning back to God, and understanding that our nation ceases to be blessed if we do not acknowledge Him. Our nation does not need the prideful boasts that “WE” will overcome, but the humbling pleas that God will forgive, be merciful, and restore His favor to this nation! (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Psalm 34:1-3, “I will praise the Lord no matter what happens. I will constantly speak of his glories and grace. I will boast of all his kindness to me. Let all who are discouraged take heart. Let us praise the Lord together and exalt his name.”

 You see, It doesn’t matter how bad it may seem, God has already worked it out for your good and His glory! So it’s up to us to give Him the praise and honor that He rightfully deserves.