Bread of Life, JIL

” REJOICE IN OUR CONFIDENT HOPE. BE PATIENT IN TROUBLE AND KEEP PRAYING.” ROMANS 12:12

Trouble always seems to find us. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we are doing, evil seems to be right around the corner. The devil seems to be right behind us at every turn. We, however, have the power to not only confuse him but also to defeat him. We have a hope in Jesus. We should be rejoicing in this hope everyday. Romans tell us that we should have a confident hope. There should be absolutely no doubt about it. When bad times come we should be trained to go to our Lord in prayer before anything else. We should take the time to go to him in prayer and ask for his divine help. There is no better place to be in times of need than in prayer. We must then believe that we have received even if we may not see the results immediately. Our Lord has promised to be with us in every situation. He has promised to go before us and pave the way. We must remember that HE never fails us. He has never failed on a promise and he never will. That is the confident hope that we need. We may not always get the result that we think we should get but the Lord has the overall picture and the correct answers. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” PEOPLE DO NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE; RATHER, WE LIVE BY EVERY WORD THAT COMES FROM THE MOUTH OF THE LORD.” DEUTERONOMY 8:3

Just as our cars and trucks run on fuel to keep them going, so too, do our bodies run on fuel. It is necessary that we eat the right foods to make our bodies healthy, therefore, we able to keep moving properly each day. Without properly feeding our bodies we would not be able to focus well each day. So, we have to make sure we are feeding our body good fuel and not bad fuel each morning. It is important for us to remember that we were created a spiritual being. It is through our spirit being that we communicate and do as our Lord tells us. In order for our spirits to be alert we must also feed it on a daily basis. It needs spiritual food only received by reading and meditating on the word of God. It needs to be built up by praying and talking to the Lord each day. Without our daily intake of his word and our close relationship of communication with the Lord, our spirits will starve. It is easy to forget that our spirits need strength just like our physical bodies. We must train ourselves up to keep our spirits strong in the Lord. We must remember that we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” AND YOU MUST COMMIT YOURSELVES WHOLEHEARTEDLY TO THE COMMANDS THAT I AM GIVING YOU TODAY. REPEAT THEM AGAIN AND AGAIN TO YOUR CHILDREN. TALK ABOUT THEM WHEN YOU ARE AT HOME AND WHEN YOU ARE ON THE ROAD, WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO BED AND WHEN YOU ARE GETTING UP. TIE THEM TO YOUR HANDS AND WEAR THEM ON YOUR FOREHEAD AS REMEINDERS. WRITE THEM ON THE DOORPOSTS OF YOUR HOUSE AND ON YOUR GATES.” DEUTERONOMY 6: 4-8

” STUDY THIS BOOK OF INSTRUCTION CONTINUALLY. MEDITATE UPON IT DAY AND NIGHT SO THAT YOU WILL BE SURE TO OBEY EVERYTHING WRITTEN IN IT.” JOSHUA 1:8

The Lord our God is as close as we allow him to be. We are living in some very trying times. We need to get and stay as close to our Lord as we can. We need to wrap ourselves with his blanket of comfort. We need to wrap ourselves with his promises and always be reminded that he is by our side in every circumstance. It is easy to get involved in the wickedness of this world. We are surrounded all day long with what the world believes and how the world works. Because we live in this world, we must strengthen our faith in God. We must remind ourselves of his commandments for our lives and we must remind ourselves of his mighty promises. We must stay in constant communication with our Lord. We must involve him in everything we do. We must talk with him and listen to him. He must be the first and the last person we talk and listen to each day. He is our source and not the world. As this world becomes more and more frightening, we have the comfort of our Lord at our fingertips. He is beside us, in us, and with us everywhere we go. We must believe and receive from him and be doers and not just hearers. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” EVERY WORD OF GOD PROVES TRUE. HE IS A SHIELD TO ALL WHO COME TO HIM FOR PROTECTION.” PROVERBS 30:5

Our Lord God in heaven is truth! His holy word provides us with his truth each day as we read it and meditate upon it. It is very hard for me to sometimes believe the truths of God. When I am going through rocky times it is hard for me to understand that the Lord is by my side and that he is protecting me all along the way. But God’s word is true, honorable and right. If I read his word for what it is, the truthful word of my living God in heaven, then I can do nothing but believe what he says. My faith allows me to be strong in him. I have learned that I must take my time and absorb all of the wisdom and understanding the Lord has given me. With his strength I can do all things. I can climb the highest mountains. I can crawl out of the deepest caverns of my life. I can rise above all of the sadness, doubts, worries and fears that try to overcome me. I have had to train myself up in his word to a point where he is the first person I go to in times of trouble. I have to believe that he is the only one who can get me through all of my troubles in this world. This training is an ongoing practice that never ends. It takes strength and courage to be able to do this. Much prayer and praise are required. But if we come to him, he is our shield and our protector. He will lift us up and make us stronger. He is our one and only Lord! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” HIS FAITHFUL PROMISES ARE YOUR ARMOR AND PROTECTION.” PSALM 91:4

Violence in our great nation has become a norm rather than an exception. The children in our schools as well as those of us who merely walk down the aisles of Walmart are open to the relentless evil that lurks at every turn. It is an absolute terrible day when a child cannot go to school and be safe in doing so. I was an elementary school teacher for 5 years and yesterday’s massacre of 18 people in an elementary school in Texas hits me close to home. Our children are carefree with the faith in us as adults to protect them. This country made a decision many years ago to take God out of our schools. When we did that, we left our children open for things to happen just as it happened yesterday. I hear all of the talking heads on the news talking about gun control and armed guards at our schools, but I hear nothing about what has happened to our society since we as a country have withdrawn from our God in heaven. There is a greater push today, than ever before, for us to walk away from our God. Psalm 91:4 makes it very clear that it is the promises of God that are our armor and protection. We must believe in him. We must begin to put him back into our lives, our schools, our business, our government and even our churches. It is time to begin to realize what the real problem is. We, as a country, have turned our backs on God. We follow our own hearts and do what we think is right. We have turned away from the Christian principles by which this country was founded. We have decided to be like the rest of the world and allow our government to run our lives. You and I need to bow down before our God on this day and ask his forgiveness. We need to truly pray for our country, our schools, our children and our leaders. We have no choice. The Lord is the only way out of this mess we have created. We still live in a time of Grace. We need to take advantage of that and ask our God in heaven for mercy upon this great country before we lose it forever. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS.

” AND WE KNOW THAT GOD CAUSES EVERYTHING TO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO LOVE GOD AND ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE FOR THEM.” ROMANS 8:25

As a human being living in this world, I have had my share of problems in life, just as everyone has. However, I have learned throughout the years that I have had to surround myself with God’s word and promises. Through some pretty harsh circumstances, I have learned that my Lord God in heaven has always been there for me. I have learned that God has a plan for my life and that he is doing everything he can to be sure it is fulfilled. Because of some of my actions and disobedience at times, it has taken me longer to reach the goals the Lord has set for me. As long as I live on this earth I will continue to strive to listen and do as the Holy Spirit tells me. That is not easy. I am continually surrounded with the ways of this world. I am continually bombarded with lies and other falsehoods put forth by this world. But because I have a strong faith in what God tells me through his scriptures, I been blessed to always end up where the Lord wants me. Through all of my mistakes God has caused everything to work together for my good because I love him. We all make mistakes and always will while living in the world. God knows this and is always there to pick us up and put us back on the path he has set for each of us. We must always be faithful and believe that our Lord God never fails! He is always faithful no matter what the circumstances are. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” SEEK THE KINGDOM OF GOD ABOVE ALL ELSE AND HE WILL GIVE YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART.” LUKE 12:31

When I stay focused on God’s word, I find that my life seems to flow in the right direction. As I walk through my day, I know that I must stay focused on my Lord at all times. Even when I come to a road block my focus on the Lord allows me to think of him first which allows me to ask Jesus to help me with my problem. When I do this, he is always there to help me. However, if for one moment I take my focus from him and put it on the problem the problem becomes larger and often times unbearable. I have learned that I must continue to train myself up in the Lord. I must always involve Jesus in my problems. Struggles are a part of life. We will have disappointments and failures that try to take us down. But if we allow Jesus to help us through, there is nothing we can’t do. It is only when we take our eyes off of him that we fail. We must continue to build up our faith each and every day. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD, WALK IN HIS WAYS, OBEY HIS COMMANDS, HOLD FIRMLY TO HIM, AND SERVE HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND ALL YOUR SOUL.” JOSHUA 22:5

As I continue to live in God I continue to learn. I’ve learned that what I think I know I really don’t know. I know that from Joshua I have to walk in the Lord’s ways, hold firmly to him and I must serve him with all of my heart and soul. Before I can do any of these commands, I must know what his commands are for my life. As I pray and meditate upon his word every day, it seems the Lord reveals a new revelation in my life. The problem that I have is that I don’t always listen and do as he instructs me to do. As I live my life in this world I seemingly live it by becoming a part of the world. I do worldly things and I continue to think in worldly ways. In order for me to overcome the world and it’s ways I have to be able to live in the spirit. My God is a spirit and he created me a spirit. I am a spirit living in a world of reality. The Lord has shown me that reality in my life is not what I see and hear from others, but instead, it is what my God tells me and shows me through his Spirit. I must retrain myself to live in God, to live in the spirit realm. It is important that I am able to shut out the world and it’s ways when I am meditating upon his word. It is important that I look at things through God’s eyes and not my own. When I am able to do this I am able to better understand his commands, his ways and to hold firmly to him. I am better prepared to serve him with all of my heart and soul. I must stay focused on the Lord and keep him near my heart everyday. I must be able to hear and believe him and not the world. He is my God and I serve only Him! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” HE CALMED THE STORM TO A WHISPER AND STILLED THE WAVES.” PSALM 107:29

It doesn’t seem possible to walk through a complete day without some kind of problem rising up to defeat me. I rise each morning thanking my Lord God in heaven for another day on this earth. I thank him and praise him for the many gifts he gives me each day. He supplies me all of my needs physically, mentally, financially, emotionally and spiritually. He is with me throughout all of the day and gives me the strength to take each step. Whenever a storm cloud rises over head, he is there to help me. Whenever the problems of life begin to overcome me, he is there to calm them. It doesn’t make a difference whether my problems are large or small he is always there to comfort me. He is always there to take me by the hand and lead me through the fire. He is always there for me to talk to. His mighty presence is always right beside me. All I have to do is ask and he answers. He is my comfort, my peace and my guiding light. Without him I am nothing but with him I am everything! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“AND YET, O LORD, YOU ARE OUR FATHER. WE ARE THE CLAY, AND YOU ARE THE POTTER. WE ARE ALL FORMED BY YOUR HAND.” ISAIAH 64:8

Each of us was individually formed by the hand of God. We each have our own characteristics, our own beauty and our own distinguished look. When the Lord created us, he sent us into this world. Because of the sin of Adam, we all entered this world as sinners. It doesn’t matter what we looked like we are all sinners. Because of Adam we are sinners, but because of Jesus we can become redeemed. God is not finished molding us into what he wants us to become. Accepting Jesus into our lives is just the beginning of our journey. The Lord wants us all to become strong in him. It is actually very necessary that we become strong in Him. The devil fights extremely hard to keep us as sinners within his grasp. He doesn’t want our faith to grow or want us to trust in our loving God in heaven. He wants us to fail and become parts of his army of evil, doubt, fear, anger and unbelief. Our Lord wants the opposite. We must, however, decide on our own where we stand. The Lord gives us a free will to choose right from wrong. He wants only those who are dedicated to him. He wants us to trust him in all areas of our lives. He wants to keep molding us into who he needs us to be. When we fall, he wants us to come to him for protection, encouragement and love. He wants us to spread that message to all of those around us. Yes, we are all sinners but through our potter’s great hand we will become what He wants us to be! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” HE WAS HANDED OVER TO DIE BECAUSE OF OUR SINS, AND HE WAS RAISED TO LIFE TO MAKE US RIGHT WITH GOD.” ROMANS 4:25

I often set and ponder why my Lord Jesus would go to the cross and die such a terrible death. Each time I begin to think of this the Lord reminds me that he loves me unconditionally. I can sin but if I am truly sorry and repent of my sins then he is there to forgive me. I am human and was born with a sinful nature. I cannot overcome that nature without the help of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I must stay focused on him each and everyday. I must remember that he died, went to hell and was raised to life on my behalf. I must remember that I am human and will continue to make mistakes but Jesus is always there to pick me up. If I am truly sorry for my sin then he is there to forgive it. I cannot do anything without him. When he rose on that third day he made you and me right with God. He fulfilled all of the requirements necessary for us to get to heaven. We must, however, continue to believe and trust in our Lord. We cannot try to do things on our own or we will fail miserably. Jesus loves us and we must continue to believe that, no matter the circumstances. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” ABRAHAM NEVER WAVERED IN BELIEVING GOD’S PROMISE. IN FACT, HIS FAITH GREW STRONGER, AND IN THIS HE BROUGHT GLORY TO GOD. HE WAS FULLY CONVINCED THAT GOD IS ABLE TO DO WHATEVER HE PROMISES.” ROMANS 4: 20-21

” AND BECAUSE OF ABRAHAM’S FAITH, GOD COUNTED HIM AS RIGHTEOUS.” ROMANS 4:22

It is very easy for me to say that I believe in all of God’s promises. It is easy until the time that I need to see the results of his promises, but they have yet to be revealed in my life. As I search through God’s Word, I have found that many of those who believed whole heartedly in the promises of God never lived to see the results of his promises. They never lived to see the results of their faith in God. Whether I live to see the results of his promises in my life really doesn’t matter. If the Lord is ready to take me home before I see the results of my faith, then I am happy. I have found that my faith in what God says and does in my life is so important because of his righteousness. There are many times that I stumble along the way, but he restores me, and puts be back on track. When this happens, I only become stronger in my faith because of his faith in me. Anyone who knows me well knows that I love baseball. I heard a young player tell a reporter the other night that he is doing one of two things in the game he loves and plays everyday. He and his team are either winning or they are learning. As I step back and look at the game of life I can truly say that I am either winning each day with Jesus by my side or I am continuing to learn by making mistakes with the Lord by my side correcting me. Building faith is a matter of learning each day through the lessons of life. However, we must learn through the mistakes we make and continue to build our faith. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THE RIGHTEOUS PERSON FACES MANY TROUBLES, BUT THE LORD COMES TO THE RESCUE EACH TIME.” PSALM 34:19

” TAKE REST ALL YOU WHO PRAY TO THE LORD. ” ISAIAH 62:6

I know that in my life I have troubles and struggles each day. Some are mental and others are physical. Some are caused by the enemy who is fighting me because of my belief in Jesus, some is caused by self-inflicted wounds and others are caused by the things going on around me. I really believe that since becoming a Christian I have endured more issues than I did when I was living a life of sin. This is understandable since the devil doesn’t want me following Jesus. Some may ask then why try so hard to follow Jesus if it only causes you problems? My answer is twofold. First, he is the way and the only way to salvation, to everlasting life and a peace of mind. He loves me and the more I meditate upon his word the more I understand that. The second reason is that the Lord has prepared me for this moment in time. He has given me all of the tools I need in order to be successful. He has provided me with the Holy Spirit who lives in me, he has provided me with a praying attitude, and he has provided many promises in his word that explain to me that he is always in control. He has a master plan, and I am a part of it. No matter the size of my role in his plan it is huge in the eyes of the Lord. He loves me and will never allow me to fail. I must, however, be totally committed to him in all areas of my life. This has not always been easy and continues to be a struggle at times, but He assures me that I will never fail with him in charge. Each and every one of us have the same Jesus in our lives. We have the same promises and the same tools. I pray that each and every one will continue to pray and believe no matter the struggles and problems you are having. With complete faith and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ we cannot and will not fail. We will always be successful. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” AND SO, I TELL YOU KEEP ON ASKING, AND YOU WILL RECEIVE WHAT YOU ASK FOR. KEEP ON SEEKING AND YOU WILL FIND. KEEP ON KNOCKING AND THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED TO YOU. FOR EVERYONE WHO ASKS, RECEIVES. EVERYONE WHO SEEKS, FINDS. AND TO EVERYONE WHO KNOCKS, THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED.” LUKE 11:9-10

I have found that being persistent in my prayer life is vital to communicating with my Lord God. Not only do I need to present my prayer request to him, but I also need to continue to thank him for the answer he has so graciously given. With faith I believe that he has answered my prayer and that it has been executed in my life. I may not see the result right away, but I have the trust in my Lord Jesus that it is answered, and the results are on the way. I must remember the promise that my Lord God has given to me. Whatever I ask for I receive and whatever I seek I will find. I must be persistent in my prayer request and persistent in my praise and thanks to him who gives to me so generously. Jesus never fails! It is not a sin to remind him of his promises. My Lord God in heaven wants me to know his word and all of the promises for my life. If I know his promises and pray his promises, then I must believe that I will receive his promises. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” LOOK, I HAVE GIVEN YOU AUTHORITY OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY. ” LUKE 10:19

When our God in heaven sacrificed his one and only son Jesus Christ, he provided to each of us the opportunity to not only receive his salvation for our lives, his healing in our lives, and his forgiveness for our sins, but also to receive power in our lives here on this earth. The power in the blood of Jesus in beyond comprehension. With the name of Jesus, we have the power to defeat the devil and all of his army. We have the power given to us to defeat all of our problems, our doubts and fears. We have been given the power to defeat fear, anger and rage. Our God in heaven has given us all of the tools necessary to live a successful and joyful life right here on this earth. We must, however, trust him with all of our strength, mind and soul. We cannot, even for an instant, allow the enemy to control our thoughts and actions. It is important to live in the shelter of our Lord. It is important to be faithful in our actions on his behalf. We should stay focused on him and not on the things around us. We should listen to him and not to those around us. We should be able to talk with him 24/7 without hesitation. We must walk with the confidence of God and not the arrogance of this world. Our faith in Jesus must be solid and non-wavering. We must believe that we receive because God is our Source. If we have the faith to do these things, we will then be able to stand against the evil that comes against us and live a wholesome life for Christ until his return! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” SO, BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS! DO NOT BE AFRAID AND DO NOT PANIC BEFORE THEM. FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL PERSONALLY GO AHEAD OF YOU. HE WILL NEITHER FAIL YOU NOR ABANDON YOU.” DEUTERONOMY 31:6

When I grew up, I was always trying to be someone I wasn’t. I would intently watch others and do what they did. I carried this trait into the early stages of my adult life, and I will tell you from experience, that I was miserable. The Lord has made it very clear to me on many occasions, that he has uniquely made each of us for a purpose in our lives. When I was trying to alter my personality or change the way I said or performed in front of others, I was outside of his will and the way he wanted me to be. He had given me a certain personality because he had duties for me to perform that needed my personality. I was never and I still am not the most outgoing person you will ever meet, but the Lord has shown me that he is always with me, always by my side. If the Lord puts me in a situation where I feel uncomfortable, his is faithful to remind me of his presence in my life. He always goes ahead of me. He prepares the way. I don’t have to change the way he made me in order to perform my work for him. All I have to do is love him, believe in him and trust him to go before me. I am reminded all of the time that I can do all things with him but without him I can do nothing. PRASIE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“WHO CAN LIST THE GLORIOUS MIRACLES OF THE LORD? WHO CAN EVER PRAISE HIM ENOUGH?” PSALM 106:2

The mighty miracles of God are all around me. As I continue to read and meditate upon God’s Word each day, I become so blessed by his presence in my life. As I begin to meditate and read his Word, I am always reminded of miracles happening around me. The sun rises each morning, and the moon is seen each evening. Every breath I take each day is a miracle of God. Every snowflake in the winter that falls and every flower in the summer that grows, is a miracle of God. Every step I am able to take each day, every word I am able to speak, every color I see and every thought that I have are miracles of our God in heaven. Without my mighty God in heaven, I would not exist and would not be able to enjoy the great family and friends he has surrounded me with. I am reminded every morning that I should praise him for all of the simplest of things in my life. Things that I take for granted should not be. They should be recognized as wonders of our mighty God. Our faith, our salvation, our healings, the forgiveness of our sins and his love for us should all be recognized as miracles of God. We should never lack in our praise for him and to him. Without him we are nothing. Without him we can do nothing. WE SHOULD PRAISE THE LORD IN AND THROUGH ALL THINGS IN OUR LIVES. HE LOVES EACH AND EVERYONE OF US AND WE WHOULD LOVE HIM BACK!

” THIS GOOD NEWS TELLS US HOW GOD MAKES US RIGHT IN HIS SIGHT. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED FROM START TO FINISH BY FAITH. AS THE SCRIPTURES SAY, ‘ IT IS THROUGH FAITH THAT A RIGHTEOUS PERSON HAS LIFE.’ ” ROMANS 1:17

Faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is where it all starts. Without complete faith in him, in his actions and in his promises, I have no future and no hope. I have found that the stronger my faith is in his purpose the more trust I have gained in what my Lord God can do in my life. When I awake each day, I thank the Lord for what he has accomplished in my life. I acknowledge him first and foremost to begin my day. It is like having a good breakfast to get my body ready for the day. It needs nourishment and refueling every morning. My Spirit is no different. It needs nourishment and refueling each day. My Spirit needs to be refreshed with God’s Word. It needs to be surrounded with the promises from and praises for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The first thing I need to do is talk with him each morning by praising him and praying to him. I meditate upon his word and listen carefully to his Holy Spirit for instructions for my day. In my life he has to be first in every aspect of what I do. He helps me to keep the faith that I have and to build more faith as I go out into the world each day. Every moment in my life is capable of bringing surprises. Some are good and some are not so good. However, by beginning my day at the Lord’s breakfast table prepares me for whatever those surprises are. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” IF ANY OF YOU WANTS TO BE MY FOLLOWER, YOU MUST TURN FROM YOUR SELFISH WAYS, TAKE UP YOUR CROSS DAILY AND FOLLOW ME.” LUKE 9:23

Everyday that I am able to open my eyes and observe this beautiful creation called earth I know that my day will probably not be perfect. As a follower of Christ I will have difficulties in my life. I was not promised, that once I became a follower of Jesus, my life would become perfect and without challenges. In fact it is quite the opposite. I must always remember that my faith needs to be constantly reinforced and my trust in my Father should be made of great strength and knowledge received from him. Just as Jesus had a cross to carry for me on the day he died, I also have a cross to carry each day. I have problems and mountains to climb. I have valleys that I need desperately to climb out of. I cannot do all of this on my own. My faith in Jesus and my trust in his promises are my foundation for a sweeter life on this earth. I must always remember that with the Lord by my side that there is nothing that can overcome me but that I am the overcomer. With every breath that I take I must remember to praise him each day for the answers to my prayers and for his help in carrying my cross. I must surround myself with his holy word and magnificent promise in my life. And, I must continue to pray to him for all things. He is my life and my soul and my every breath I take! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” AND YOU MUST LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART, SOUL AND STRENGTH.” DEUTERONOMY 6:5

As I come before my Lord each day, I have learned that it is most beneficial that I come with praise and thanksgiving. My Lord loves my praises, and he wants to hear my gratitude for his presence in my life. Praise is such a vital part of my prayer time because it allows me to get close to God. As I praise him, I can just relax knowing that I am in his presence. Tears of joy may flow or just the loving comfort of his harms wrapped around me may help me to be reassured that he is with me and always will be. He loves me with all of his might, and I should love him with all of my heart, soul and strength. My prayer time is more than taking my problems to him, although that is a part, but it is showing my love and gratitude to him. It is showing that I trust him and have faith that he will guide me through trials, temptations, over mountains and through deep valleys. He is my Lord and I love him with all of my heart, soul and strength! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” LET THEM TURN TO THE LORD THAT HE MAY HAVE MERCY ON THEM. YES, TURN TO OUR GOD, FOR HE WILL FORGIVE GENEROUSLY.” ISAIAH 55:7

It doesn’t matter how unfaithful we become or how far away we run from the Lord our God he is forever faithful. If we just turn around and run back to him for forgiveness of our sins, we will be forgiven. We can never run too far or run too fast to get away from God. He is always there waiting for us to turn our attention to him. He understands that we will eventually get tired and realize that there is no other way through our problems. His forgiveness is there for us when we finally come to our senses. He is all powerful and has all of the answers. Yes, we can be stubborn and run in the opposite direction from our God for a long time. But it doesn’t make any difference. When we turn and bow down to him, asking him to save us and forgive us he is faithful. Isaiah 55:7 tells us that he forgives generously. We have a wonderful, caring and loving God. He understands us better than we understand ourselves. He loves us more than we love ourselves. PRAISE THE LORD IN AND THROUGH ALL THINGS!

” THE LORD IS COMPASSIONATE AND MERCIFUL, SLOW TO GET ANGRY AND FILLED WITH UNFAILING LOVE.” PSALM 103:8

I thank the Lord everyday for his love and compassion in my life. I can truly testify that I am a prime example of those who love the Lord but often times strays from his word. I find myself saying things and thinking in ways that are far from the truths of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is very easy to become negative in our thoughts, words and deeds. He reminds me that he is my Lord and that I should always stay focused in his loving and compassionate word. It is not easy. However, fortunately he has a love and a compassion for me and my life, that I as a human, will never understand. I must totally trust in him to pick me up each time I fall. I have no strength without him. I am nothing without him. However, I am everything with him. Jesus is my Lord and my Savior. No matter how far I fall he is always there to pick up the pieces and put me back together. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THE LORD DIRECTS THE STEPS OF THE GODLY. HE DELIGHTS IN EVERY DETAIL OF THEIR LIVES. THOUGH THEY SHOULD STUMBLE THEY WILL NEVER FALL, FOR THE LORD HOLDS THEM BY THE HAND.” PSALM 37:23-24

As we continue to build our faith, we continue to trust our Lord more faithfully in all areas of our life. We can walk freely through each day with the confidence that the Lord is with us in every step that we take. If we should hit a bump along the way, the Lord will stop us from falling. Our Lord has our interest at heart. If we trust him, he will not allow us to fall but instead will stop us before we fall flat on our face. He loves us and will help us in every little detail of our Life. No matter the size, large or small, he is there. You and I must do our part by staying completely focused on him and nothing else. We should not try to do things on our own or try to figure out why this or that happened, but instead, turn every detail over to him. He will direct our every step if we just allow him to. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THE LORD TAKES PLEASURE IN ALL THINGS HE HAS MADE.” PSALM 104:31

Our Lord God in heaven created the heavens and the earth for a distinct reason. He created you and me for fellowship with him. He loves us and wants us to succeed in everything we do. He is our Father and wants to be involved in all things that we do in life. He wants to talk with us and talk to us. He is a caring, loving and an exceptionally giving God. However, he does not and never will force you and me to do anything against our will. He has given us a free will and we have the option to accept him or deny him. He loves us and cares for us very much, but he only wants those who truly love him and truly want to be with him. Our Lord created us for his pleasure. He wants not only to be involved in our lives, but he also wants the praise that he so richly deserves. He wants to be glorified and given credit for his grace and gifts in our lives. We should not be doing good in this world in order to reach heaven, but instead, we should be doing good as a result of accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and therefore, leading a life that truly represents him. Let us praise our Lord God and give him the glory he so richly deserves. We shouldn’t be fearful of him but instead trust him in our lives and be a pleasure to him. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” MY THOUGHTS ARE NOTHING LIKE YOUR THOUGHTS, says the Lord. AND MY WAYS ARE FAR BEYOND ANYTHING YOU COULD IMAGINE.” ISAIAH 55:8

” FOR AS THE HEAVENS ARE HIGHER THAN THE EARTH, SO MY WAYS ARE HIGHER THAN YOUR WAYS AND MY THOUGHTS HIGHER THAN YOUR THOUGHTS.” ISAIAH 55:9

WOW! What explanation points our Lord God in heaven has put on how wide and far his thoughts and ways expand. There is no end. He has blessed each of us with a brain that is beyond comprehension. It is believed that most of us have never and never will use all of the capacity the Lord has provided to us through this tool. However, even the brightest of those in this world have no chance against God. There is no way we can imagine what God is thinking and what he is doing. The only way we have any ideas is by what he has told us through his holy word. We can rest assured that what he has revealed to us is just a very small fraction of his thoughts, ways and strengths. Our God is in complete control. He knows exactly what he is doing. He has a plan in place that has been in place for thousands of years. He has a plan for each of us and one that we may or may not have had revealed to us. No matter, we must be patient before him and let him work. We cannot try to outguess him. We should instead spend our time reading and meditating upon his word, asking him to reveal to us our purpose in his plan. We should continue to be in prayer and to praise him everyday for his many ways and his great love for each of us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” SEEK THE LORD WHILE YOU CAN FIND HIM. CALL ON HIM NOW WHILE HE IS NEAR.” ISAIAH 55:6

As troubled times continue to surround us, we can rest assured that our Lord God is still very close. Jesus continues to set at God’s right hand continuing to plead our case before him. He has sent his precious Holy Spirit to live within us. The Holy Spirit directs our ways and leads us to those who need our help. We must listen to him very closely as his voice is very gentle and sweet. He has no intentions of forcing himself upon us. He is our God, and he loves us, but he has given each and every one of us a free will to do as we choose. If we are not listening to our Lord, and what he tells us, then we are opening the door for the evil one to plead his case in our ear. Our focus will be on the evil ways of this world and what it can give us. We are human and cannot resist the devil on our own. We need help. We need the spiritual help that the Holy Spirit is sent to give us. We must, however, focus on the things of God and not the things of this world. We must be consistent in our reading of the bible. We must be consistent in meditating on what he telling us. We must be consistent in praying to our Lord on a regular basis and we must be consistent in our praise time for our Lord in heaven. It is up to you and me as to how we live our lives. We have a choice. On one hand we have Jesus who loves us, cares for us and wants to save us. On the other hand we have a relentless evil that is constantly in our ear and pushing us to the brink hell. Let’s make the right choice while there is still time. The windows of Christ are still open but our time is getting short. Love him, choose him and do as he asks! PRASIE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THE LORD IS LIKE A FATHER TO HIS CHILDREN, TENDER AND COMMPASSIONATE TO THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.” PSALM 103:13

Our God in heaven provides you and me many promises throughout his holy word. In order for us to be beneficiaries of his promises we must believe and then receive. Many times, we seem to read right through them, not understanding or taking the time to meditate upon them. As we push them aside, we are willingly not acting upon his promises. He is faithful in all that provides. He is faithful in all of his promises. We, however, must do our part. We must believe and receive. We must, many times, step out in faith in order to be able to receive from God. To accomplish that we need to feed our faith on a daily basis and starve any fear and doubt we might have. Fear and doubt will do nothing except to steal our gifts from God. We must be doers of his word and not hearers only. Let’s continue to strengthen our faith on a daily basis and not allow doubt or fear to enter! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” WHAT YOU SAY FLOWS FROM WHAT IS IN YOUR HEART.” LUKE 6:45

The words that we speak are extremely powerful. The bible tells us that our tongue is like a double edge sword. It can speak evil as well as good. Of all the lessons to be learned the taming of the tongue is the hardest. You and I cannot tame our tongues without help. We have that help right at our fingertips. Our Lord! If we surround ourselves with the word of God and surround ourselves with his righteousness, we will begin to see others and situations through the eyes of our loving God. When we are surrounded by his love daily, we will begin to practice it in our lives and our hearts will begin to fill up with his love. When his love becomes a way of life it, in turn, helps our language reflect our life in Christ. It is so true that we speak what we think and believe. If we are living our lives in this world alone and putting ourselves out there without protection, then we are going to be filling up with thoughts of evil, immorality, doubt, fear, worry, sickness and disease, just to name a few. Our lives must change after accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, so that our thoughts and desires will become fruitful in our words. Let us all surround ourselves with the love of Jesus and let our lives and words reflect our life within him! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

LET ALL THAT I AM PRAISE THE LORD.” PSALM 104:1

We all go through difficult times in our lives. Unfortunately, we sometimes stray from the path in which our Lord has intended for us. It is very easy to get down in the mouth and begin to feel sorry for ourselves. It is easy to take out our frustrations on those around us. Is this what Jesus wants us to do? I know not! No matter what each of us is going through or how serious it is the Lord reminds us that he is with us in all situations. He has given us the ability, as born again Christians, to recognize good from bad. We often times, when going through these situations, know exactly what we are doing. But we also recognize that we are the children of the living, breathing God in heaven. Whether the devil is attacking us or whether we are letting ourselves, our emotions and feelings get in our way, our Lord is right there beside us. He is there to remind us to re-focus, get back on the path set before us and lead our lives in joy and not unhappiness. It doesn’t matter where we find ourselves in life we must be able to recognize and then take action. We must be able to praise the lord in all and through all situations. We must be able to do these things with everything we are. We must be able to do this with every breath we take. We must give it all in praise to the Lord our God in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES BIRTH TO THE SPIRITUAL LIFE.” JOHN 3:6

The Holy Spirit is the third person of our God almighty: God the Father, God the Son and the precious Holy Spirit of God. John 3:6 plainly tells us that the Holy Spirit gives birth to the Spiritual life. You and I are spiritual beings living on the earth in a non-spiritual environment. All things that go on in this world are driven from the spiritual realm and not our earthly environment. There has been and continues to be a great spiritual war happening between good and evil and the end is very near. In order for us to live a strong life of faith we must understand or at least try to understand the spiritual nature of the happenings of this world. As we see things happening through our earthly lenses we don’t see fully and don’t understand the nature of why things happen the way they do. However, if we listen to the Holy Spirit and begin looking at things through the lenses of our God, we can take heart and continue to build upon our faith with the confidence and strength that our Lord has provided to us. We live in a busy world. We must be able to take the time to be silent before the Lord and listen to what he is telling us. As we meditate upon his word and pray, we must also listen to him. It is so easy to get involved in this world and forget with what faith and effort we must live our lives with Christ. Take the time and listen carefully and let the Holy Spirit minister to you. Praise the Lord with every breath you take. Continue to trust in him and do as he ask you to do. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!