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Times are hard, but I want to encourage everyone to take a deep breath. Remember that no matter what things look like, you are precious to God. You are the object of His intense love and adoration. Romans 8:28 tells us, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
So, all that matters at this point is for you to qualify for God's good - love the Lord and walk in His purpose. Many of us say we love the Lord, but permit me to use scriptures as the measuring stick on this issue.
How do you love the Lord? Jesus said that those who love Him will apply His teachings (John 14:21). This means you need to read the Bible to understand what He said and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in doing what He said. So, if you say you love the Lord, do what His Son says. Start honoring His sacrifice and don't reject it. This might seem overwhelming to think about, but once you commit to doing better, God steps in to help you.
And it is imperative to walk in the purpose of God for your life. You may not know the exact call of the Lord for you, but the wonderful thing is that Jesus said that we are to love others and treat them as we would desire to be treated. Start, but don't end, with this. Be careful how you talk about people. Even the way you think about them needs to change. As your attitude toward others changes, you'll notice you treat people better and start to see them with a godly perspective.
Plus, share the good news that Jesus died to rescue souls from hell. Mark 16:15 - He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. This is an act of love to Jesus, God the Father, and your fellow man. And don't just speak it, let your life be a page others can read about God's love and His Son's sacrifice. This requires submission to the word and knowing that being a hypocrite is not an option. You have to walk in the fear of the Lord, as that will please Him and also establish the guardrails that will keep you out of trouble.
Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive, and that applies to every area of our lives (Acts 20:35). So, please start praying for people. You can't expect the prayer support of others to be effective if you only pray for yourself. Be sure to give generously in the place of prayer, your time, your money, and your skills. Call on the Lord to help you change and make intentional choices that reflect His will. He is honor-bound to step in and do the heavy lifting as you seek to live according to His purpose.
I know, we all want to hear that Jesus loves us and not think about what that means. True, He loved us enough to die on our behalf. He loves us still and serves as the high priest interceding for us before the Lord. But, to reap the true benefits of Christ's sacrifice, we have to make Him our Lord and do what He taught us. Please, don't limit your blessings. Whatever you are enjoying now is because of God's grace (Hosea 14:8). Invite Christ into your life and let Him lead you to the more that is available for you. A table is being prepared for you in the presence of your enemies (Psalm 23:5). Don't you want to sit and eat?
The Lord will help you pick Him and His ways each and every day, IJMN, Amen. I pray He wraps you in His arms to shower you with blessings and compassion. I pray that you will keep your eyes on Him, inviting Jesus into the boat of your life and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you in all things. I pray that when things don't make sense, you will seek and receive the peace of Christ and that you will be a vessel through whom that peace is conveyed to others. May the light of the Lord shine in you everywhere you go. Amen. God bless you!
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How many of us feel some sort of pressure right now? It could be the pressure to perform and produce under unrealistic expectations at work. Let's be honest, fewer staff are doing more nowadays. Or there might be a problem in your family that's creating pressure. You look all around but see no reasonable solution. Same with money. Not having enough for basic needs will keep most up at night.
These and other pressures are acknowledged in the Bible because God knows they affect mankind. He therefore provided plenty of insight on how we should navigate the pressures of life. Consider what Jacob said of his son Joseph and how he described the younger man's experience.
Genesis 49:23-25 - With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. /But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, /because of your father’s God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the skies above, blessings of the deep springs below, blessings of the breast and womb.
Despite everything Joseph went through, he remained steadfast in his obedience to God's instructions and laws. The pressures posed by being sold into slavery by his brothers and thrown in prison on false accusations didn't cause Him to turn away from his father's God. Indeed, that same God helped him during those years of unfair treatment when Joseph had no choice but to accept his fate. In the end, he rose to fame and fortune. His 'defeats' led to victory, and his blessings stretched to his descendants.
In these challenging times, God wants you to remain strong in the face of life's pressures. He wants you to fix your face like flint, remembering that He will get you through everything. He desires that you show Him you trust Him again to usher you to the victory you allow Him to design for you. It's not easy, and He knows this. You might see people engaging in immoral things and still advancing, but God wants you to remain on His path of righteousness. Many of those people who appear to have gone ahead of you didn't do things God's way, and so their 'accomplishments' will end up as fool's gold. Very pretty but not real and thus of no value.
If you choose to walk with the Lord and let Him direct each step you take, the end result will be one that is secure. There will be blessings that you enjoy and that your descendants and others will benefit from as well. This is because He has promised to bless the heirs of those who love Him up to 1000 generations (Exodus 20:6). Plus, the main advantage is entrance to heaven.
Remember the Parable of the Sower? Jesus warned His disciples about four categories of people they would evangelize to. Of that group, two of them deserve our attention. One group will receive God's word with joy but walk away from salvation due to a time of testing, meaning the pressures of life (Luke 8:6;13). Another group will also receive the word with joy, but will succumb to the worries of life and/or other factors. For this category, pressure can cause them to stall in their Christian journey, thereby preventing them from maturing in faith, spiritual strength, and receiving God's blessings (Luke 8:7;14).
We must stay steady amid the challenges and pressures life brings us. Remember that although problems are real, God's word is more real - all who trust in Him will not be disappointed. Always turn to Him first with every problem, knowing that He is the God of Strategy and will show you the right path to help you overcome the pressure. Fast, pray, give thanks, fellowship with others, call on your prayer group to join you, and seek answers in the Bible. Remind yourself of the times He saved you or someone else. When you get through the pressure by His grace, be sure to share your testimony and publicly honor Him. This pleases Him and opens the door for even more blessings.
God bless you, and welcome to the 500th Praise & Pray (for others)! Come ready to praise the Lord, then we'll pray for our personal needs today. If you have a petition, feel free to share. I ask one thing only - if you share a prayer point, be sure to also leave a comment praying for someone else who left their prayer request. Participants will support in prayer as the Holy Spirit leads them. Join us at 11:45 am EST with your communion elements ready. We’ll take communion together around 11:50 am, just before fellowship begins at noon. See you then!
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