Effective planning that leave us with less of God and more of us are not that effective as we think. In the book of Proverbs, Solomon discussed the relationship of man’s planning and God’s directing work multiple times (Proverbs 16:1; 19:21; 20:24). One example of this is found in Proverbs 16:9: “A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps” (NKJV). Humanity regularly plans and prepares for future events, but in each case God directs the outcome.

Here’s and example of the Lord directing the steps of humanity as seen in Psalm 37:20–26. David, the second king of Israel, wrote this psalm in the later years of his life (Psalm 37:25). Part of the psalm contrasts the actions taken by the Lord toward the wicked and the righteous. In verse 22 David discusses “those the Lord blesses” and “those He curses.” The blessed are the righteous under the Mosaic Law, while the cursed are the wicked (see Deuteronomy 27—28). The righteous man, who delights in the Lord, is promised “firm steps” (Psalm 37:23). He can move forward with confidence because, “though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand” (verse 24).

My brothers and sisters, we are finite in every way and God is infinite in every way. God omnisciently knows the end from the beginning and we futilely try to predict (plan) the end from the beginning. In both examples, do you notice the starking and obvious contrast? If you do, then you should be so confident about God’s plan that you don’t get upset, angry, or bitter when things don’t go the way you planned.

At the end of the day, it’s wise to plan for the future, but we should find comfort in that, ultimately, God directs (orders) our steps. His plans will always lead us in a good path…the right path—one we should all rejoice in because His plans always prevail!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#GodOrderedPlans

To those of you who are grieving the loss of a loved one, I want you to know that you are not alone. I’ve heard it said, “Grief is love with no place to go.” Though this statement may sound good, I don’t totally agree. Love is transcendent and if God can pour out His love to all of humanity from the third heaven, I believe that it would be safe to opine that our loved ones who now reside in the third heaven with God can also feel the our love that continues to resonates for them within us.

Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

If they can witness and cheer for us then I am pretty positive that we can and they can sense the love that continues to remain in each of our beings!

Make no mistake, love comes before grief and love with be there during and after grief!

So, if this messages is speaking to you in your grief journey let me encourage you with these words found in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#GriefJourney

Clearly, the Bible teaches the Devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy. From the early chapters of Genesis to the final chapters of Revelation, the Devil aspired to take good things created by God and either steal them (e.g., snatching people from God), kill them (e.g., enticing humans toward self-harm), or destroy them (e.g., destroying churches through persecution). False spiritual teaching is dangerous because it follows the same nefarious game plan.

The phrase “steal, kill, and destroy” comes from John 10, where Jesus gives a couple of His “I am” statements: “I am the gate” (i.e., the way to salvation; John 10:9) and “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). He contrasts Himself with the “thief” who wants to steal the sheep, and the “hired hand” who runs away at the first sign of a wolf. It is in this context that Jesus explains, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

The obvious way in Scripture that the Devil tries to steal is stealing people away from God. By planting mistrust about God, the serpent was able to steal Eve’s trust away from God. The result of Eve and Adam’s sin was humanity’s defection from living under God’s authority to being resentful residents of “the dominion of darkness” (Col. 1:13). Like a kidnapper luring a child away from his parents, the Devil continues to “leads the whole world astray” (Rev. 12:9).

I could belabor this point, but let’s jump to the good news and I am happy to say that in the end, Jesus wins! Literally, we know the end of the story and if you don’t, I invite you to read the entire book of Revelation.

Now then, before you jump into the book know on the front-end there are a lot of challenges, with understanding the different symbols, different imagery, different descriptions, and there’s a lot of debate in the church about what this or that means, however Revelation 11:15 does a great job summarizing the book and it reads, “Then the seventh angel then blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.’”

If this non-exhaustive message speaks to you and the enemy is hot on your trail or your going through some trials, I encourage you to remember these words written in 2 Timothy 4:8,”The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen!”

Pray with me:

Father God, hasten the coming of that day, and we collectively pray this with confidence today amidst all kinds of turmoil and uncertainty around us. We praise You because we know, that in the end you will reign forever and ever. And so we put all of our trust, our hope in You today. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#JesusWins

God dispenses miracles to those who believe, courage to those who live by faith, hope to those who dream, love to those who accept, and forgiveness to those who ask!

Bottom line and hands down, there is absolutely nothing that our God can’t do and the only three things that He will never do is lie, die, or fail! Numbers 23:19 (AMP) “God is not a man that He should tell or act a lie…..” and Proverbs 30:5 (NIV) says, “Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in him. People Will Fail You, But God Will Never Fail You.”

In this powerful word of encouragement, I wanted to remind you of those three important facts. Additionally, also remember that God always stands by His Word to perform and God and His Words are One. Those who have ever received supernatural intervention of God in times past, were those that chose to trust in God, Who cannot lie, die or fail. So today, no matter what has happened, always place your trust in the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

PRAY With Me: Father God, what a privilege it is to Have a Heavenly Father that will never lie, die or fail His children. I trust in You today. I rely on You. I throw all my challenges both good and difficult on You. I know you to be consistently faithful Who has promised. Therefore, I believe in miracles, I have courage to live by faith, I have hope to dream big, and I accept Your love and ask for Your forgiveness over and in my life; In JESUS’ MIGHTY NAME, amen and amen!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#GodIsSimplyAmazing

It’s certainly okay not to be okay. For some people taking this stance or position may be hard to do. Well, if that’s you, you are in good company. Paul felt the same way but after pleading with God 3 times to remove a metaphorical thorn in his side this is what he said in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “Each time He [God] said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”

I am sure if you you do some of your own personal digging you will find several foundational scriptures and encouraging stories that will remind you that you’re not alone. We’ve all been there and to be totally candid with you, I’m there right now.

But let me be clear, being okay with not being okay is in no way throwing in the towel. However, it’s simply not giving up and trusting God no matter the circumstance.

If you can relate to this message today, I don’t know what you’re going through that has caused you to not be okay. But I do know that God can restore the dry places in your life. You must remind yourself about the things God has done for you in the past. Then with humility, go before the Lord and plant seeds of good works (walk in love, serve others, and give to those in need) in your tears (sorrow, sadness, anxiety, or depression).

Galatians 6:9 says,”So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” and Psalm 126:5 says,”Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.”

Yes it’s okay to not be okay, but it’s not okay to stay in that place and soak.

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#itsoknottobeokay

Father God, I stand on your promises O God, and I shall not be afraid of the terrors of the night or the pestilences and deadly diseases and viruses that stalk the world and our nation. I shall not be afraid of the disaster that strikes for I put my trust in you, Almighty God, the Creator of the entire universe.

I stand on your promise that even if a 1,000 may fall at my side or 10,000 at my right hand, it shall not come near me. These evils shall not touch me. I put my hope and trust in you. You are my Lord, my Savior, and my God. You are my refuge and shelter from the storms of life. So, I declare now that no evil shall conquer me. No Plague shall come near my dwelling.

I ask for your mighty angels to protect and watch over me, my family, my friends, my neighbors, and my loved ones. I pray that you watch over our nation, O God. I pray for the hearts of the people to be turned back to you. Give us a heart of repentance O God. Help us make a new commitment to follow you with all our hearts.

I pray that sickness, disease, and ungodly viruses be crushed under our feet in the mighty name of Jesus. Rescue us, O God, for we love you. Protect us, for we trust you. We call upon you in this hour. Hear our prayer, O God. Be with us in these troubled times. Let us show the love of God and be a blessing to those around us. I pray in the mighty and matchless Name of Jesus Christ. May we be covered in your precious blood. In Jesus name, amen and amen and amen!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#ProtectedByGod

It was evening, Jesus and His disciple were on a boat, sailing across the Sea of Galilee to the country of the Gadarenes. In the course of their voyage, there was a great windstorm that troubled the water violently and large waves emerged and were breaking into the boat such that the boat was becoming full and they were in danger of sinking. The disciples set to work, trying all they could to save the boat and their lives. But their effort did not pay off and the danger of their sinking was obvious to them.

However, Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And Jesus woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Afterward, He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” (Mark 4:35-41; Matthew 8:23-27, Luke 8:22-25)

You and I most likely would’ve reacted the same way the disciples reacted in that boat if we were there. However, here a few lessons the disciples most likely learned and we too can learn from their extreme sailing experience:

1. God has a solution for every storm in life.
2. ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).’
3. Faith enables us to tap into God’s supernatural power to overcome any storm that will rear its ugly head in our lives.
4. Even though Jesus is with us, we aren’t immune to problems, challenges, and unexpectedness.
5. God knows and sees the storm before they occur in our lives but, we must call (pray) on Him to respond to the storm.

My brothers and sisters, Jesus already knew His disciples lacked faith hence the reason He took them on that very wet instructional journey. He wanted to use the event of the storm to teach His disciples about faith because He knew that in order for them (including us) to lead their lives as Christians they would need faith to propel the gospel message and to withstand the wave of persecution that was yet to come.

I pray this message helps someone today who is presently in the middle of storm and if that’s you remember that faith doesn’t always take you out of the storm, faith reminds you who has the power to calm the storm.

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#FaithInTheStorm

Faith doesn’t always take away the pain, faith gives us the ability to handle the pain!

I betcha I didn’t get a whole lot of amens after reading this statement, but l wanted to remind you (including myself) that God never wastes pain. Meaning, the Lord always uses the pain of our trials, struggles, failures, heartaches, and adversity to accomplish His ultimate will, plan, and purpose.

Here’s something else to remember, our greatest good and God’s glory are not mutually exclusive: that is, God does not allow us to suffer for His benefit alone. Rather, our greatest good and God’s glory are mutually inclusive: consequently, if the ultimate emphasis is not God’s glory, then it cannot be for our greatest good; and our greatest good cannot be achieved without ultimate emphasis on God’s glory. I believe Paul hit the proverbial nail on the head in Romans 8:18, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

The pressing reality of everyday life is that yes, pain hurts, but only a gracious God who is in complete control of all things can bring out a transcendent good from pain, hurt, and sorrow. Subsequently, because God is sovereign, the Christian’s hope is that no pain ever escapes from God’s control, and thus, suffering is never for nothing.

The Christian’s encouragement is that no pain is ever random or meaningless; instead, God only allows what He wills, and He only wills what is for our benefit. After all, it is only the God of the Bible who can make dry bones breathe again, bring existence out of nothing, and light out of darkness. Additionally, let us never forget that God does not delight in afflicting and grieving His people; rather, He delays as long as the honor of His name and the safety of His people will permit. Psalm 34:18 reminds us that, “God is near to the broken-hearted and He saves those with a crushed spirit.”

If you or someone you know is going through the fire please encourage with these words! God doesn’t waste our pain, grief, or heartaches. Romans 8:28 should uplift all of our spirits because it reminds us that, “God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.”

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#FaithIsNotPainless

Life was never meant to be easy. The truth is the older we get, the harder life gets. Nobody on this planet has life figured out completely and nobody gets through life easily. We all have struggles, heartaches, backaches, and headaches. Granted, we may not have the same struggles, but we all have our own things to get through. We deal with sickness, loss of loved ones, financial problems and so many other things and it is never easy. We all have to go through school and graduate and find jobs and try to figure out what we want to do with our lives and who we want to spend it with. We often worry about the future and we attempt to predict what the future holds, but that is impossible and something that only God knows.

The only real certainty that we have as followers of Christ is that we never fight our battles alone. Before Moses led the Israelite across the Red Sea he too had to be reminded of this fact confirmed in Exodus 14:14, “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

I get it and I know that at times life’s challenges can be so dire that we come to the absolute end of ourselves, unable to see a way through. But we have a saving grace in our God, who hears our cries and is mighty to save. I Peter 5:10 reminds us that, “…after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you”

At the end of the day, in every life situation, good or bad, we have to learn to trust God. When life is good and everything is going right, we often forget to thank God for what He is doing in our lives and giving us the good things. The moment that things take a turn for the worst or we run into obstacles, we go running to God asking Him for help and pleading for Him to lead our path. Instead of doing this in difficult times, we should be running to Him at all times, no matter if they are good or bad, this will strengthen our relationship with Him. Therefore, I encourage you today not get discouraged when times are tough. Always remember that anything is possible with God, He will get you through the hard times if you let Him. Continue to trust in God and don’t forget that faith doesn’t always take you out of the problem, faith takes you through the problem!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#GodIsWithYou

Father God, You are in control over everything and nothing is impossible for You. You transparently see every infinitesimal detail of my life, and You and only You can redeem every part of my earthly and heavenly stories. Holy Spirit, I freely invite You to fill me with Your limitless strength, stamina, power, and save me from my emptiness, weariness, and brokenness. Do what only You can do in me and through my life. In Jesus’ name who can do exceedingly and abundantly above all that I could ever ask or think through the matchless power that resides in me. Amen and amen!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#PrayerIsOurWeaponToWin