February 9th, 2010
Dear Valentine,
You have always been there for me even while I was being formed in my mother’s belly. (Jeremiah 1:5)
You formed every part of my being. (Psalms 139:13)
You know me better than I know myself. (Psalms 139:1-4)
You comfort me during my time of need. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Your love runs so deep that nothing and I mean nothing can separate me from it. (Romans 8:38-39)
Your presence saturates my very being with peace. (Exodus 33:14)
You are always thinking of me. (Psalms 139:17)
You protect me from all evil. (Psalms 121:7)
You are faithful to me. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
You always fulfill Your promises to me. (2 Corinthians 1:20)
You have an answer to all of my problems. (Proverbs 8:14)
You are omniscient – all knowing. (Isaiah 46:10)
You are my confidante. (Psalms 40:4)
You are my guide. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
You are the pinnacle of all of my friendships. (Proverbs 18:24)
Sweet Valentine, you mean the world to me. I wouldn’t trade You for riches or any other material thing because Your value far exceeds things created and/or manufactured here on earth. You treat me so much better than I treat You. And You continue to put up with my faults and my shortcomings. Even on my worst days, Your love doesn’t change for me. Everyday, You manage to wrap Your loving arms around me to tell me how much You love me. Even though You share your love with others, You have a unique way of making me feel like I am the only one. How sweet this is! I love you my Valentine.
Tags: Love, valentines day
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January 29th, 2010
Have you ever been connected with someone who perpetually overpromised and underdelivered? I certainly have. A person of this type makes you question every word that they have spoken. Sadly, these people set expectations in the minds of others and disappoint them time and time again. Unlike people, though, God delivers on every promise that He has made. His word is bond and He has fidelity with it.
I have had my fair share of being let down by people but the disappointments simply reinforced and further solidified my relationship with God. We must guard against putting all of our trust in man. Man is full of fallacies and broken promises.
We sometimes get connected with the wrong people and make faulty decisions for which we have to pay for later emotionally and/or physically. Nevertheless, we must continue to pay God all the glory, honor, and praise that is due to Him.
God will carry us through the broken promises in our lives. As we continue to lean on Him, He will comfort and heal us internally. Though man may fail us, God will not.
Tags: Broken promises, disappointments, overpromising, underdelivering
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November 30th, 2009
Taking tests in school can be an agonizing experience. You’re sitting at your desk trying, with all your might, to answer the questions correctly while the instructor sits quietly. There are a limited number of questions you can ask the teacher and generally they respond using a monosyllable. The teacher has prepared you in advance for this test and you’re unsure whether your memory bank consumed all the needed information. This is how life is when God test us but He provides us with a cheat sheet – the bible. Every problem you go through in life can be easily understood and dealt with through the word of God. And as we go through these trials, God is quiet. He is earnestly watching how we’ll respond to the vicissitudes of life under pressure. For this is what displays the heart of a person.
The purpose of trials is for us to grow spiritually, to gain awareness on adjustments we must make, to reveal to the Lord what is truly in our hearts, and to draw us closer to God. If you are being tested right now, take a multidimensional look at yourself and ask these questions: Am I walking through this trial without complaining? Am I drawing closer to the Father? Am I learning more about myself and God during this time? If you answered ‘no’ to any of these, then you need to make some adjustments. When you don’t make the appropriate changes, you may find yourself in an overextended trial or you’ll keep going through the same trial over and over. What might have taken one year to learn can take many years if we’re not careful. We assume we’re waiting on God to deliver us but in actuality He’s waiting on us.
The children of Israel were a disobedient and stiff-neck group of people. Because of this, God led them through the wilderness for forty years before they were able to partake of the land of promise. God did this to humble and test them, to know what was in their hearts. Unfortunately, it took the Israelites forty years to get it right. Once they made the decision to believe God no matter the cost, God fulfilled His end of the bargain. Let’s not model after them in murmuring and complaining against the Lord. Let us walk through our trials gracefully and learn what God is teaching us during these dark times. Allow God to further develop you into the person He would have you to be.
Reference Scripture (NKJV):
Deuteronomy 8:2
And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart , whether you would keep His commandments or not.
Tags: Trials
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October 9th, 2009
A close friend of mine once posed the question, “why does God allow for bad things to happen to good people?” Oh how I wish I had a concrete answer for this question. I love to share how wonderful, marvelous, majestic and glorious my God is to people. However, when I am hit with a question which no one can fully articulate but God, it perplexes me.
The reality is God promised us we would experience suffering and pain but just like Jesus we must endure and keep running the race of life. More than anything, I am taken back to hear people quickly point the finger at God every time something bad happens. Consider the story of Job… God allowed the devil to kill all of his livestock, servants, children, and wife and no one once blamed the devil for the tragedies in Job’s life. Job blamed God and Job’s friends blamed him… The devil was the real culprit so why didn’t anyone bring light to this fact?
We must be mindful that God has given man free will which is the ability to make our own choices. Some choose to do bad while others choose to do good. This is what instigated the fall in the beginning with Adam and Eve. Though the devil tempted them to do wrong ultimately they made the decision to eat of the tree of knowledge. The moment they disobeyed and partook of the fruit, sin entered the world.
If God was traveling hither and thither intervening in every bad situation, we would be living in nirvana. We would literally experience heaven on earth. If this were to happen, why should we look forward to heaven? The truth is this world is full of evil people and they have made Satan their god. Whatever Satan whispers in their mind, they adhere to it. This leaves a lot of innocent people open and vulnerable for attack.
I believe prayer is the key to our protection. Pray for your loved ones earnestly each day because we have an enemy out there who hates children of the Most High God. Some of our heartfelt questions may not be answered until we meet Jesus face to face. Instead of asking “why”, start preventing the problem through continuous prayer and supplication.
Tags: bad things happen, Suffering
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September 25th, 2009
All of us find it much simpler to hate our enemies. When someone does us wrong, we would rather wish harm upon them instead of loving them as God would have us to do. When we respond viciously towards our enemies, how different are we from them? Are we exhibiting brotherly love as required? Are we representing Christ in a worthy manner?
To show love does not mean you have to become “buddy-buddy” with your enemy. It means to pray and speak blessings upon your enemy’s life and not curses. It means to supply your enemy with resources to meet their physical need: food and clothing. It means to treat your enemy as you would like to be treated. When you do these things, you are, in essence, ministering the love of God through the life you live.
As you remain faithful to walk in love, you will heap coals of fire on your enemy’s head. In other words, your enemy will be so remorseful, ashamed, and convicted that it may lead them to repentance. Through your acts of love, you can influence another lost soul to join the kingdom of God. What a powerful principle to know!!! Make a decision to represent Jesus and walk in love!
Key scriptures (NKJV):
Romans 12:20-21
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Matthew 5:44
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
Tags: love enemies
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