JACKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(1st Thessalonians 3:12) "May the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another"
Unfortunately there are a lot of people around us whom are not enjoying life to the fullest.
They are existing, but not increasing.
They live one lonely day after another locked in lonely solitude because they cannot get over or get thru bitterness caused by the past.
The real test of "trust" in a relationship, is to be able to share your secrets and struggles, your inner fears and failures… intimacy based on honesty.
Perhaps you’ve been so hurt by a relationship that you’ve said, “I will never trust anyone again.”
Friend God does not want you to live that way!
To never trust again is like living in a tower.
You’re safe from life’s threatening grasp, but you’re so detached from life, that you lose consciousness of people, places, dates, and events.
You talk only about the past because you stopped living years ago.
It takes courage to be honest with God, and even more to be honest with one another.
The relationship between Adam and Eve is described in these words: “They were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (Genesis 2:25).
They were open and transparent with one another because there was nothing to hide or to be ashamed of.
There was yet no sin that caused separation and betrayal.
Good news! “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).
If I am describing you this morning, then you need to know that there is some "good news" for you in this reading.
God’s healing process can set you free to taste life again, trust again, and live without fear.
Don’t isolate… celebrate!
Regardless of whether you’ve lost a marriage, a partnership, or a personal friend, you’re still alive!
Are you ready to live, or are you going to continue rehearsing what no one, including you can change… that is the past?
Know that God wants to set you free today.
Know that you can be set free from your past and given keys to unlocking the chains that have bound you for so long.
Its time to start living… not just existing.
Jesus said, I am come that they might have life and that more abundantly! (John 10:10)
He also said Him whom the Son sets free, is free indeed! (John 8:36)
The Bible says we need to look forward… not backward .
What do we look ahead to you ask?
We look “unto Jesus the Author and the Finisher of our faith”, and we look for His second coming!
“To them that look for Him will He appear” (Hebrews 9:28)
It seems right now every one is looking to man for the answers to our world problems.
I wonder if we might find answers direction and wisdom a whole lot quicker and more satisfying… if we made it a priority “to look unto Jesus”?
To seek God for answers and direction.
(James 1:5-7) writes saying “if any one of you needs wisdom let Him ask of God who is more than willing to give it to us liberally, but when we ask doubt not, for he that doubts is like a reed blown n the wind tossed this way and that.
Let that man know that he will not receive anything”.
Come on folks its time we start to walk our talk, and let God be true and every man a liar.
God said what He meant and He meant what He said.
(John 10:10) “I am come that you might have life and that more abundantly”
It’s time to believe it!
Good Day!
(John 11:35) "Jesus wept"
I personally hate to see people in pain.
It drive me nuts when there is nothing I can do to help relieve their suffering.
And the truth is… the things we say and do to help one person who is suffering, sometimes doesn't seem to bring any relief at all to another persons suffering… specially in the face of emotional pain.
Dr. Colin M. Parke’s said, “Grief is the price we pay for love.”
?
The more you love someone, the more you grieve their death.
Shock, disbelief, confusion, depression, emptiness, and anger are all part of the process.
When Jesus arrived at the home of Lazarus, His friend had been dead for four days and his sister Martha was very upset with Jesus.
?
She wanted to know why Jesus hadn’t come sooner or prevented it altogether.
“Why, Lord?”
It’s a question we all ask when we’re overwhelmed with grief.
And what was Jesus’ response?
The Bible says that seeing Mary and the other mourners, “Jesus wept.”
He felt their pain then, and He feels your pain today as well.
And because He did, He made it okay for you to grieve too!
Tears don’t represent a lack of faith, they just mean you’re human!
The One who gave you the ability to love, understands sorrow and loss, that’s why He gave you tears.
There is a wonderful old song called "Tears are a language, that God understands".
So how do we, or should we mourn the loss of a loved one?
One counselor says, “Awkwardly, imperfectly, and usually with a great deal of resistance.
Some mourn with anger and attempts to reason things out. ?
Some flounder through… kicking, screaming and wailing, until they finally reach a peaceful state called acceptance, and then they continue on thru life with a huge ache in their heart.”
But acceptance doesn’t mean giving in to despair… because we all need to realize “the parting is for a moment and the reunion is for eternity".
Paul says, “We will all be changed… in a flash… in the twinkling of an eye… at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality… then the saying that is written will come true”.
“Death has been swallowed up in victory" (1st Corinthians 15:51-54).
One day, death will be no more!
So until that time, let the Holy Spirit comfort you with the same hope that Paul talks about.
And make sure that you have prepared yourself for that "meeting in the air".
Good Day!
(Revelation 21:27) "And there shall in no wise enter into it (Heaven) any thing that...maketh a lie."
As a spokesman for the kingdom of God, there is nothing more important to me than my credibility.
That’s why I work at trying to be as honest and forthright as I can with the things I speak about and the topics I let myself be involved in.
And what comes out of my mouth is something I really, really guard.
For it is from the mouth that flow the intents and the thoughts of the heart. (Matthew 15:18) and (Hebrews 4:12)
The Bible talks a lot about what proceeds from a man’s lips and his mouth.
There is an old proverb or quote form Abraham Lincoln that says,
“It is better to keep ones mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open it and leave no doubt”.
(Proverbs 17:28) also supports this piece of advice concerning our lips and that which we allow to issue from them.
“Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise… and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding”.
Unfortunately the fact remains as well that gossipers and people who can’t tame or bridle their tongue, and what comes out of their mouth, tend to also embellish and “fudge” the truth a bit.
(Proverbs 6:16-19) “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him…
1)haughty eyes,
2) a lying tongue,
3) hands that shed innocent blood,
4) a heart that devises wicked schemes,
5) feet that are quick to rush into evil,
6) a false witness who pours out lies,
7) and a person who stirs up conflict in the community
In our list from (Proverbs 6:16-19)… “The Book of Wisdom” tells us there are six things that God hates, and the seventh is an abomination to Him.
Two of those things that God hates, are a "lying tongue", and "a false witness".
One of the biggest problems with many of the movies that are produced in Hollywood… is the common theme of "deception", and unfortunately that influence has and is permeating our society.
When it comes to telling the truth, here are two amusing stories:
One morning a mother was out shopping when she bumped into her son at a shopping mall.
Angry and alarmed that he’d skipped school, she demanded to know why he wasn’t in class.
She listened patiently to his explanation and then replied, “I’m not accusing you of telling a lie, but I never heard of a school giving time off for good behavior.”
A dentist with a hypodermic needle in his hand said to a patient sitting in his chair, “You might feel a little sting… on the other hand, it might feel as though you have been kicked in the mouth by a mule.”
As with our world today we smile at these “little white lies”, but the moral of these two stories is clear.
A lie is a lie, no matter how innocent or trivial it may be.
And once you tell enough of the little white lies, it gets easier and easier to tell the whoppers as well.
Sometimes the truth hurts… but never as much as being told a lie.
And always remember, a wise and prudent man knows the difference between telling some one the truth that they know will hurt another…
and when to keep his mouth shut.
When you fail to tell the truth you lose your credibility.
When that’s gone, it may take you a long time to get it back, if ever.
That’s why the Bible says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another that ye may be healed” (James 5:16).
When you open up and share your struggles, you set others free to do the same.
And in the process, you are both made whole.
Our motto as Christians and believers should be to always “tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God”!
I want to encourage you today to examine your heart and the things that you feel you must talk about, repeat, and expound upon.
There is nothing more dislikable than people whom always have an opinion about everything and whom tend to monopolize a conversation, always expressing their opinion even though they may not have all the facts or know the full story.
As children of God lets be careful that we always examine the things that we speak on or endorse or promote.
Ask our selves “is it necessary or helpful for me to voice my opinion”
and when I do… “do I truly know all the facts and do I truly know what I am talking about”.
Let’s be careful that our conversation be filled with encouragement and truth.
And let’s be absolutely certain that the words we speak are filled with truth and fact… not “here say, half truth or outright lies”.
I have learned over the years that when I tend to listen first, I get more opportunities to influence others, than when my lips are always moving.
Good Day!
(Lamentations 1:12) "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?"
The longer I serve Him… the more grateful I am for the sacrifice of Christ… and the extent to which our great God and Creator, Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ, who went to the cross in obedience to the Fathers will… too provide this wonderful life of salvation that we enjoy as believers and followers of Christ.
I honestly do not know why people in general cannot come to the point of faith and thankfulness to Him for His free gift of salvation… a free gift given to every one of us… a gift received by choice (our choice) a gift that allows humanity (you and I), to enjoy a life of freedom and a life abundant, for now as well as in the age to come.
(John 10:10) (For I am come that you might have life and that more abundantly”
I said it’s a free gift and its attained by choice!
That’s all simple trust and faith and obedience.
(John 3:16-19) “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Whoever believes in Him (in Jesus) is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
This is the verdict… Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil”.
With out any demands other than we simply believe in Jesus Christ… and that we receive the light and reject the darkness.
I wonder, do you and I, or the rest of the world even understand the cost… the agony…. the pain that God Himself went thru to allow His own Son to hang on that cross… to be crucified… and there by, “pay the price” for yours and mine, our redemption?
You've probably heard or read this story in the past, but it illustrates so vividly the cost of Gods love for us… a love given so that we could have a right standing with God the Creator, free from the guilt, condemnation, judgment and penalty of sin… for with out the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22-23)
This story is a poignant example of the sacrifice that God made for you and I.
John Griffin, who controlled a railway drawbridge over the Mississippi River, took his young son to work with him one day.
After putting the massive drawbridge up, Griffin was eating lunch when suddenly he heard the whistle of the Memphis Express roaring toward the crossing.
Leaping from the observation deck he ran to throw the control switch.
Glancing down, his heart stopped!
His son had fallen into the gears, trapping his leg in the cogs.
Desperately he tried to devise a rescue plan, but there was no time.
His son was down there… but there were four hundred passengers on the train!
Griffin knew what he had to do.
Burying his face in his arm, he pushed the master switch just in time to lower the bridge into place as the train thundered across.
Then raising his head he looked into the passing windows with tear-filled eyes.
There were businessmen casually reading the newspaper, ladies sipping coffee, and children eating ice cream.
Nobody even looked at the control house or glanced down at the great gearbox.
In agony Griffin cried out, “I sacrificed my son for you people, doesn’t any of you care?”
But as the train rushed by, nobody heard the anguished father’s words.
O my friend… lets not forget what God did for each of us, and lets continue to consider and remember the cross where God allowed His Son to be sacrificed so that we might live.
Like John Griffin, God is asking, “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?”
The question then becomes, “What…shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:22)
There is only one right answer to that question… “Today, accept Christ as your savior, your ransom, your deliverer, your salvation".
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:32)
Good Day!
(1st John 3:2) "We shall be like him."
I am thinking and praying this morning for the many people in my little piece of the world who are struggling with their bodies for whatever reason that might be.
Let every parent of a disabled child write these words on the bedroom wall.
Let the debilitated, infected, bedridden, and paralyzed put themselves to sleep with the promise that one day soon “We shall be like Him.”
Let amputees and the atrophied take this promise to heart, one day soon “We shall be like Him.”
Let those who's bodies are not working as they were created to, hold to this promise and hope, that one day soon "we shall be like Him".
Lately we have experienced the news that several of our family… and several of our friends are experiencing a breakdown in their bodies.
Several of them have left this world and gone home to be Jesus… while several more are laying in hospital recovery rooms under medical treatment to help relieve the medical issues they are facing with bodies that are failing them.
But friend of mine I need to tell you one more time that there is hope in the midst of these trials and afflictions.
One day we shall graduate from this version of life into His likeness.
Here’s what the bible says is going to happen when He comes again the
second time and we are called to me Him in the clouds of the air, and we experience our “resurrection… or “catching away” so that we will ever be with the Lord.
The bible says there will be no sickness, no dying, but we will be changed…
In our society today there is way to much focus on our bodies and how they look to the world around us.
Billions of dollars are spent each year on body augmentation, sculpturing, and beauty aids.
You can't sit down to watch a television program or surf the internet with out being inundated by commercials and ads that want to sell you body building equipment, diet foods and diet pills and a variety of supplements to help you cope with the changes that we are facing in our bodies.
But truly to what end and purpose?
Ultimately these bodies we live in are going to age and die.
And then, we will be changed we will have a spiritual body.
In our current state, our "un-regenerated flesh" battles our "regenerated spirit".
Our eyes look where they shouldn’t.
Our taste buds desire the wrong things.
Our heart knows we shouldn’t be anxious, but our mind still worries.
Hear what Paul says about these bodies that we are so infatuated with.
(Romans 7:22-23) “I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me (my body) covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge” (from The Message Bible)
In heaven, our “parts” will no longer rebel.
Your new body will be a spiritual body, with every part cooperating toward one end.
Joni Eareckson Tada, who has been confined to a wheelchair since age 17, says, “I can’t wait to be clothed in righteousness, with a new body… without a trace of sin.
True, it will be wonderful to stand, stretch, and reach to the sky, with a body that feels no pain or physical hindrances… but it will be more wonderful to offer praise that’s pure from the distractions of the body.
I won’t be crippled by those distractions, disabled by pain.
I won’t be handicapped by half heartedness or discouragement.
My heart will join with others and bubble over with effervescent adoration.
We’ll finally be able to fellowship fully with the Father and the Son.
For me, this will be the best part of heaven”.
So lets start taking the focus off of our "sinful fleshly bodies" and put the focus where it belongs, "on our inner man"… lets work on our “inner man”
that part of us that truly is us… and prepare it for our new bodies.
For those who are struggling with sickness and disease remember that one day soon “we shall be like Him.”
Let that be your focus!
Strengthen and encourage your self today with this thought and this hope.
The rapture is coming… soon the church (which includes you and I)… will be caught up and away to be with Jesus… and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
From (1st Corinthians 15:50-58) I find my great hope…
“I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Listen, I tell you a mystery… We will not all sleep (or die), but we will all be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound, the dead (our bodies)… will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
For the perishable (our bodies)… must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
When the perishable (our bodies) has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal (our bodies) with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true… “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death is your victory? Where O death is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law…. but thanks be to God… He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm.
Let nothing move you.
Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Good Day!
(Psalm 34:19-20) “The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all”
The bible tells us that the most righteous person to walk the earth… (his name was Job)… endured an astronomical amount of affliction.
Christ, the Son of God… endured severe pain both physically and emotionally.
The Bible say’s that “Jesus wept” (John 11:35)
He was betrayed, beaten, mocked, and tortured as He faithfully walked out “the will of the Father” by dying on the cross.
Sacrificially, and once for all humanity… God’s only Son made a way for us to escape the deadly consequences of sin in this world… but it requires suffering and affliction.
There is no greater love than His love for humanity.
But if God’s Son suffered affliction, Christ-followers can expect nothing less.
Though joy, blessing, and peace are very much a part of our everyday lives in Christ… “affliction” is an ever-present problem for each of us as well.
But because of the cross, and Jesus example, there is hope even in suffering.
Jesus said, “in this world you will have trouble, but I have over come the world. (John 16:33)
The dictionary describes affliction as “a state of pain, distress, grief or misery which is described as a cause of mental or bodily pain, as sickness, loss, calamity, or persecution.”
In (1st Samuel 13:22) God said that King David was “a man after mine own heart”, but even David was not exempt from certain forms of affliction, and was very familiar with trying times and difficult circumstances.
As a young man serving in the palace, King Saul (because of jealousy) wanted him killed, and while escaping the king’s jealousy and rage, David narrowly escaped death several times.
Before he came to the throne, every time he turned around it seemed that David was faced with affliction both emotionally and physically as well.
And it was while hiding in a cave on the run from King Saul that David penned this Psalm.
“Although both the righteous and the wicked have troubles, the outcome of their circumstances is different because of their different relationships with the Lord,” (Psalm 34:19-22)
We need to understand and know that God knows and sees everything, and is concerned for the good of those who love Him.
David… the same man God choose to be Saul’s successor, often had to run for his life.
David who defeated Goliath and was anointed of God, made King of Israel, a man after Gods own heart… also experienced emotional pain, injustice, and unfairness of life just as you and I often experience it in this life as well.
We are not promised that it will be easy to follow Jesus… but we are promised that He will be with us in trouble and with long life He will satisfy us. (Psalm 91:16)
Jesus suffered great affliction while here on earth.
He knowingly accepted the walk to the cross and everything that came with it… and on the way to the cross, He cried in the garden to His Father in heaven over it begging “if possible, let this cup pass from me!
Jesus is our model for understanding suffering and righteousness… and within the comforting pages of Gods word we are taught that God often allows believers to suffer so that they become more like Jesus in their character, and so that we can connect with others in the midst of their suffering as well.
In our weakest moments, when our anguish and affliction are too much to bare, Jesus meets us in the midst of our suffering on a personal level.
When David describes believers as the “brokenhearted and the crushed in spirit”… he is not referring to depression or despair in the context… but rather it is intended to describe the believers “ongoing attitude” of repentance and humility before God.
We have a very real enemy, who the Bible reminds us aims to “kill, steal, and destroy.”
But Jesus came to give us life to the full. (John 10:10)
It’s not easy, but life isn’t a downer following Jesus.
The joy and peace we have in Him sustains us through every trial, supernaturally.
Faith isn’t a false sense of being okay when we’re not, but a faithful trust in who God is… and whose we are… even in the midst of and through all of the hard issues of life.
Verses 11-22 of Psalm 34 were written by David to teach the strength and the victory that awaits those whom will put their faith and their trust in the Lord.
“Come, my children, listen to me;” the Psalm reads, “ I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”
David took the opportunity to leave a legacy of wisdom for the next generation, testifying to God’s goodness.
“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies,” David wrote, “turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:13-14).
The way David describes God to the youth of his nation reflects the personal relationship he had with Him: “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles”.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:17-18).
We prepare our children and others in this life by speaking these words of wisdom to them because we know how hard life can be, and how good and faithful our God is through it all.
“The Lord is the unfailing deliverer of the righteous, and he holds the wicked accountable for their hostility toward the righteous.”
In the Old Testament affliction was often related to an outward sign of sin, but David’s experience with Saul shows even the righteous can experience affliction at the hand of someone else’s sin.
Sin permeates the world, and therefore so does injustice, pain, heartbreak, sadness, sickness, and death.
Jesus came into the world and sacrificed His life “once” for all, to replace the penalty of death for sin with forgiveness, mercy, grace deliverance and salvation.
He saved us.
But it’s our choice to believe in Jesus and follow Him.
It’s our decision to accept the free gift of salvation in Christ.
But even when we follow Christ faithfully, our own sin and the sins of others interferes and wars against our lives, and wreaks all kinds of havoc.
The world is harsh, cruel, and full of pain and injustice.
In (Matthew 5:33) Jesus said “the rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous”, meaning that we are not exempt from the afflictions of this life.
Everyday we experience sickness, sadness, heartbreak and death.
In Jesus, we have a friend who has endured affliction, and understands and empathizes with us according to (Hebrews 4:15)
Affliction can be a hard subject to reconcile to our good God, but He isn’t afraid of our questions, or our anger on account of our circumstances or those of others.
We are welcome to bring any and all of our afflictions to the feet of our Father in heaven who hears us, sees us, understands us in the midst of it all, comforts and consoles us.
His love for us cannot be outdone or undone.
He is faithful, He is good, and He is as close as the mention of His name.
He invites all those who whom are tired, weary and worn out from the struggles of this life with this personal invitation to all,
“Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest for your soul (Matthew 11:28)
Good Day!
(James 4:1-3) “Where do wars and fights come from among you?
James asks us; “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the desires that battle within you?
You desire but do not have, so you kill.
You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.
You do not have because you do not ask God.
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
Today I want to discuss with you the number one reason for unanswered prayers in our lives.
What did James mean when he said, “you have not because you ask not, and when you do ask, you don’t receive because you ask amiss, or with the wrong motives”.
The main reason we experience unanswered prayers is because of wrong motives and wrong focus.
The biggest reason we don’t experience answered prayers is because we are usually asking to satisfy our own desires and pleasures.
And that is because we have the wrong focus in life!
We don’t have because we don’t abide in Jesus… and we aren’t focused on the Kingdom of God and His plan for your life.
Don’t get me wrong… It’s okay for us to ask God for things, but we need to remember the motives behind what we are asking for.
Motivation is what pushes us to accomplish various things in life, but sometimes we are motivated by and for the wrong reasons.
And in most cases, we are motivated by pride and selfishness, looking only for our own satisfaction with little regard for the Kingdom of God and the people that He wants us to be an influence to!
When we want something badly, we will do almost anything to satisfy our desire.
But what if what we seek, is not from a healthy place in our hearts?
(Proverbs 16:2) “All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.”
Pride and jealousy are negative motivators that entrap our minds to seek out our own desires, which are often contrary to the will of God.
Unfortunately most of us ask for things out of selfishness and pride!
(1st John 2:15-17) tells us, “Do not love the world or the things in the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life… is not of the Father but is of the world”.
Unfortunately all of us are motivated by “the lust of the eyes”!
We want what we see and therefore think that’s what we need… and unfortunately most people have their affections (or their eyes) set upon the things of this world and not on the Kingdom of God.
We are all tempted and enticed into actions that we know deep down aren’t necessary or right.
(Proverbs 29:23) states, “A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.”
(Matthew 7:7) states, “Ask, and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you.”
Let me ask you, have you truly been seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness?
(Matthew 6:33) says “seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you”!
Jesus taught in (John 15:1-8). “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser… If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
Did you get that?
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you”.
That’s how you get prayers answered… by abiding in the vine!
If you are seeking things in your own strength and your own desires, then you are not abiding in and with Jesus.
The exact definition of "abide" is to remain, continue, and stay.
So, if we are asking God for a thing while not abiding in Him, and we are continually living for ourselves… we should not expect to receive answers to the things we want, because we are asking to satisfy our own selfish desires and pleasures.
We have not because we don’t abide in Jesus… because we decided to take control and go down our own path.
We lust and strive after things of this world because of jealousy and pride.
So, let me encourage you today to revaluate your motivation in life.
Start with Gods help to abide, to be conscious of, to dwell and to reside as much as possible in His presence motivated by love for Him.
Begin studying His word as if it’s the only reliable source of information for your life, and begin applying it to your life?
Let us give our pride, our willfulness, our selfishness, our desires, and our motives over to God… so that He can show us exactly what we need according to His plan for each of us.
In reality, all we need is God and when we surrender our will to Him we do not need anything else for God knows our needs, and He is faithful to give us what we need, especially when we come into agreement with Him.
It’s okay to ask God for things… but remember the motives behind what you are asking for.
Good day!