Don’t give power to stress, frustrations, or problems. Think of those things that are true and worthy (Phil 4:8)!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

God didn’t just breathe life into us in the beginning (Gen 2:7). God breathes life into us every moment. When that breath from God is withdrawn, our life is over. Psalm 104:29 confirms, “When you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.”

In the Gospels, both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ himself tell us that everything we have, everything we do, and everything we are is given to us from heaven—which means that it comes from the Lord our God. Jesus said this in John 15:4-5, “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.”

Some may not support the general claim that “without God I can do nothing” because by implication it strips away their ability to do something. Well, if that’s you, Jesus (the incarnate God) himself said this in John 5:30, “I can do nothing by Myself…..” In the latter part of this passage of text Jesus said, “I don’t seek my will, but the will of the One who sent Me.”

Hence my point; with God (His will) all things fall into place and without God (my will) things fall to pieces! I would hope you would choose the former!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#notmywillbutyoursbedone

Choose to live in peace and by faith. Seek forgiveness, not revenge. Live in the present, not the past. Dwelling on that which should have been and reliving past hurts will keep the negatives of the past alive and bring constant internal conflict. You deserve better! Move on! Move forward! 2 Thessalonians 3:16 says, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.”

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#LiveAtPeace

I don’t know what giant(s) you’re facing today, but I do know a God that can slay any and all giants wrecking havoc in your life!

I am talking about the same God that slayed Goliath. Yes, I know David brought the sling and 5 smooth stones from the nearby valley (I Samuel 17), but it was God’s wind that killed the giant (Jehovah Ruah).

Oops, I almost forgot to mention that David brought something else with him to the battle in the valley of Elah…..his faith in God! Some might say that it was only the anointing, but let me remind you that Saul was also anointed. God could have used Saul and yet He did not.

When David heard the smack Goliath was shouting about the God of the armies of Israel (I Samuel 17:22-24), his faith propelled him into action and the rest is his-story!

Perhaps, Jesus whispered into David’s spiritual ear what the scripture in I John 4:4 shouts into our spirits today………”But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people [giants], because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#GreaterIsHe

Stop with the stinking thinking! If your memories or past don’t add value to your today or future quit thinking about it. I can assure you that God isn’t stewing on it! Paul put it this way in Philippians 3:12-14, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

Please make note, the enemy uses these negative sound bytes and past clips to devalue the progression you’ve made in your life! The worst lie ever told was a partial truth and as we all know, the enemy is the father of partial truth whereas God is the Father of indefinite truth!

Unfortunately, most people find it difficult to let go of their negative past because they don’t appreciate their present. If that’s you, I encouraged you to reframe your relationship with your past and the only way to accomplish this is to stop focusing on the past! Ruminating on past hurts is the point of origin, the root of suffering; hence it is the cause of suffering.

Paul’s (Saul) past wasn’t glorious and yet God used (inspired) him to write nearly 30% of the New Testament Gospel. With that said, he new a thing or two about the benefits of forgetting his past and pressing forward!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#LetItGo

Although our stories may be different; one things is indisputably common to those who belong to the family of God and that common thread/chord is that we owe all to Jesus.

Now then, it’s pretty obvious that we could never repay God for what He did for us through His son( Ephesians 2:8-9). However, this declaration simply acknowledges that we are extremely grateful for God’s sacrificing love, kindness, goodness, grace and mercy!

Having said that, we acknowledge our gratefulness to God in Christ Jesus through wiling praise, worship, and service! Romans 12:1 confirms, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship [and praise] Him!

I don’t just owe it all to God in Jesus because of the ‘stuff’ He blesses my family and I with; I owe it all to God because He is perennially good and His mercies endures forever! (Psalm 100:5 and Psalm 136:1).

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#IOweItAllToJesus

The truth is, we don’t know what the future holds, but when we give our lives to Jesus, He can be trusted with our future. Regardless of how difficult it feels or how many struggles we face, we can still trust Him to bring about good in our lives. Life experiences has taught me that despite the highs and lows, God promises us a bright new future (Jeremiah 29:11).

Paul said this in 2 Corinthians 4:6-10, ”For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.b This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.”

Here’s another truth, God’s promises are not canceled by our brokenness or hurts. Miracles are a part of His plan. When life gets ominously uncomfortable, we can often feel imprisoned by our circumstances and our choices. In this current season of uncertainty, we may feel helpless and overwhelmed. But we still have the same access to God’s mercy, grace, power, and presence.

So, if your life isn’t a bed of roses remember what is broken can be mended, what hurts can be healed, and no matter how dark it gets, Jesus is the Light of the world! God will always pour out His strength into us during our storms. He shelters us with His love, compassion, and mercy. He overcomes our brokenness and hurts with His love, peace, hope, and faithfulness. He is consistently working behind the scenes, through many hearts and lives, to strengthen us and bring us through!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#LightOfTheWorld