Tag: Circumstances

Posted on

A Kinder Place

OCTOBER 16

MATTHEW 7:11_If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children…

If you are in the neglected, abused, abandoned, category—my heart breaks. I trust God to show Himself strong. I want to bring you to the place of understanding that God’s heart breaks for you. Even if you needed some type of corrective discipline, God would never design it through neglect, abuse, or abandonment. 

We are not in heaven. We live in a fallen, sinful world. Bad and evil things happen. God’s part is to pull us out of the pit. He wants to bring us to a kinder place (which will still have trials and troubles).

Praise God for Psalm 40:2 (KJV), “He [the LORD] brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”

God promises to use all the circumstances of life for your good. Remember Romans 8:28 (KJV), “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

God promises never to abandon us. Deuteronomy 31:6 (KJV), “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them [your enemies and God’s enemies]: for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”  

You’ll be a stronger, wiser, and more compassionate person because of the pain you’ve known.

PRAYER

Great God, Only You can make my pain into something good. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                                 

Christ knows all my pain—He is right there with me!

Posted on

Nothing …

OCTOBER 8

MATTHEW 7:9_Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask…

You cannot control the circumstances of your birth. You cannot choose the family into which you are born, neither your race, your country or culture, physical features, nor your time in history.

You may, or may not, be born into a religion. When you reach an age of understanding—religion is something you can choose.

Because this entire devotional blog is based on the Sermon on the Mount, the direct words of Jesus, it is my hope you find the answers to life in Christianity.  Christianity embraces all people as God’s children.  Regardless of the circumstances of your birth, your family, your race, country, culture, or physical features, God wants you as His child.

Jesus says in John 10:29-30 (KJV), “My Father, which gave them [Christians] [to] me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my father’s hand. 30 I and my Father are one.” Well, there you go! Out of His own mouth Jesus makes it clear that none is greater than your Heavenly Father.

Nothing in life no matter how devastating it may seem to you, can take you from Jesus.

PRAYER

All Powerful God, Praise You that nothing can pluck me out of Your hand. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                             

Christ says nothing can take me from God—I choose Him!

Posted on

The Bottom Line

SEPTEMBER 21

MATTHEW 7:5_Thou hypocrite…

Jesus knew two things in the incident of the woman taken in adultery. He knew the condition of her heart now, and in her past. He knew the circumstances which led to this incident.

We can’t expect our earthly authorities to know all of this, but the Holy Spirit can reveal truth. Besides the fact that He knew her heart, Jesus had the ability to read her heart in her facial expressions and body language. 

There was something else Jesus knew: the hearts of the Scribes and Pharisees who brought her before Him. He knew more about them than they knew about each other, or even about themselves.

John 8:5-6 (KJV), “Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such [adulterers] should be stoned: but what sayest thou?’ 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him …”

Jesus understood the real purpose for the Scribes and Pharisees bringing the woman. It had nothing to do with justice of the Law. It had nothing to do with adultery.  The bottom line was to bring Jesus down. At the time this occurred Jesus was in the temple teaching. The Pharisees’ goal was to cause Jesus to look ignorant before the multitude of followers who sat at His feet.

If Jesus were a true God-fearing Jew, He would uphold the Law. If He didn’t enforce the Law, then everyone in the temple that day would know Jesus was a heretic.

We’re not finished with this subject yet!

PRAYER

Father God, Help me become discerning of the hearts of others. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                              

 Christ knows true hearts from false—He helps mine!

Posted on

Covenants of Your Youth

MAY 23

MATTHEW 6:6_But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet…

There are times when it is appropriate to talk with your loved one publicly. Those conversations are not from the depth of the heart.

Private conversations build love. The more private the conversation, the stronger the love.  The more private the conversation, the better you get to know each other—the more trust builds.

Falling in love with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit follows the same path. 

For true love to develop between people you need to be of the appropriate age. You also need to be in the appropriate circumstances in life. It requires a man and a woman—not a boy and a girl. 

For true love to develop with the Savior, the younger you get to know Him, the better. I Timothy 4:12 (KJV), “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

Make a covenant with God in your youth. Ezekiel 16:60 (KJV), “Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.”

God remembers the covenants of your youth.

PRAYER

King of Kings, I praise You that I am not too young to make a covenant of love with You. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ loves children and youth—He loves me!

Posted on

Open Your Eyes

JANUARY 28

MATTHEW 5:9_for they shall be called the children of God.

How do you find peace?

Peace comes from connecting the soul (mind, will, emotions) with the spirit. When the soul connects with the spirit, which is connected to Christ, it experiences confidence and security—regardless of circumstances. 

When peace is dependent upon life’s circumstances being exactly as you want, seldom will you find inward peace. 

Open your eyes.

See Jesus at work in your life.

Hear Him calling.

Focus on Jesus in the midst of your storms (physical, spiritual, or psychological).

Believe Jesus is who the Bible says He is.

Experience the peace that overcomes life’s circumstances.

John 16:33 (KJV), “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me [Jesus] ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

That verse says a lot! This life will not always go the way you want. Life comes with trouble. Jesus lets you know that He’s got this. That doesn’t mean you won’t hurt, moan, groan, and cry. If you didn’t do any of those—you wouldn’t have trouble.

Agree with Jesus and let Him overcome your world. You will be a child of God!

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, I praise You for overcoming the world. I know You can overcome the storms which rage within my soul. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                    

Christ gives peace—To my soul!