The Lord does not delay

"The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises... He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you ..."  II Peter 3:9  AMPC

You may think God isn't doing anything about your situation, but He is.  No, He may not be giving you instant healing and outward help; you may not see anything happening with the physical eye, but He is doing a change within you, around you, and with all involved in your situation.  Therefore, know that God s doing something even though you don't see anything happening, and His something is always perfection.

My friend, stay in faith, stay focused on God, and your breakthrough will come at just the right time, in just the right way, and with multitudes of blessings to follow.

Walk out your calling

“… be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this, you will never stumble or fall.” II Peter 1:10

What are you great at?  What comes naturally to you?  What makes you feel great about yourself?  What do you do that inspires others, and helps them to enjoy their lives more?  Whatever it is, (as long as it lifts up, is God-inspired, and bring love, peace, and joy), then do it with all vigor and might.  The Word says that when you work on your calling, you will never stumble or fall, so share your gifts, work on your calling, and be a difference maker… this darkened world needs you!

 

The attributes of God

“And in exercising knowledge develop self control, and in exercising self control develop steadfastness, and in exercising steadfastness develop godliness, and in exercising godliness develop brotherly affection, and in exercising brotherly affection develop Christian love.  For these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep you from being idle or unfruitful unto the full personal knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” II Peter 1:6-8

When you take time with God these attributes grow in you, which only lead to God-given blessings and knowledge.  As well, these attributes bring freedom to your soul - and freedom  is what living in Christ is all about.

Humility, balance, and faith.

“Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you.  Cast all of your cares upon Him, and be well balanced (mentally and physically), for Satan roams around like a lion seeking someone to devour.  Withstand him, be firm in faith…”  Adapted from 1 Peter 5:6-9

Humility, mental and physical  balance, and faith all have one thing in common:  The blessing and favor of God over your life!!

Above all else

“Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others]. [Prov. 10:12.]” 1 Peter 4:8 AMPC

Love is powerful.

Love overcomes evil.

Love brings healing.

Love conquers sin.

Love easily disregards an offense.

Love never fails.

Love never dies.

Love reigns.

Love is God living within us.

God is love!

 

A clear conscience

“[And see to it that] your conscience is entirely clear (unimpaired), For [it is] better to suffer [unjustly] for doing right, if that should be God’s will, than to suffer [justly] for doing wrong.” 1 Peter 3:16-17

A clear conscience brings clear thinking, peace-filled hearts, relaxation, and freedom from guilt and condemnation.  A clear conscience is a vital weapon against Satan, and a gateway to Jesus.  A clear conscience gives insight to the incomprehensible, and answers to the unanswerable.  Therefore, live with a clear conscience, live in peace and harmony… live to see Jesus.

 

True beauty

"But let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which [is not anxious or wrought up, but] is very precious in the sight of God." 1 Peter 3:4 AMPC

Real beauty comes from the heart. It shines far brighter than outer beauty, it shines with the glory of God, and it is what God sees you as.  Real beauty is Jesus!  Therefore, no matter how hard you try to dress yourself up, change your appearance, pretend to be something your not, God still sees you. So, make sure your heart is beautiful (by holding tight to Jesus), and no matter what your appearance on the outside, your inner beauty will bring others flocking to wherever your at - enabling you to give non-believers a touch of Jesus, in which they will one day hand their lives over to Him so their beauty can shine through as well.

By His wounds

"... By His wounds you have been healed."  1 Peter 2:24 AMPC

Because of Jesus, you have been set free of all your sins.  Because of Jesus, you have been healed of all your ailments.  Because of Jesus, you are alive.  Because of Jesus, you have been redeemed.  Because of Jesus, you can truly live a joyful, blessed life.  Because of Jesus, you get to sit here today and read this.  Because of Jesus, you can conquer all the forces of Hell.  And, because of Jesus, you are destined for VICTORY.   

Thank you sweet Jesus!!

More precious than gold

“[You should] be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations.  So that [the genuiness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold…”  1 Peter 1:6-7

Trials and temptations refine those of us that call ourselves children of God - they refine us into His likeness.  Therefore, we should go through them in joy and peace, embracing them with all boldness, knowing that the perfection of our faith is at hand, and when we come out on the victory side we will be more precious than perishable gold.

Arise and shine

“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”  Isaiah 50:1

Today is a brand new day - the glory of God is upon you.  So, arise and shine, and live this day out to the fullest - being a blessing and being blessed.

Yes or No!

“… do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath; but let your yes be [a simple] yes, and your no be [a simple] no, so that you may not sin and fall under condemnation.” James 5:12 AMPC

Yes or No – make it one or the other, period.

Sin is sin, period!

“So any such person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is a sin.” James 4:17 AMPC

If you are like me, you can probably think of many things you’ve ignored, knowing you should of done, but, instead, talked yourself out of or pretended to not know – in essence, you and I have sinned, but we’ve tried to make it right somehow… nope, doesn’t work that way – sin IS sin, period.  So, I believe it is time for people like you and me to grow up, stop being selfish, and start making waves for Jesus - It is time to get real, get with God, do the right thing (even when we don’t feel like it), and start making a difference - It is time to live to please God and stop living just to please ourselves.

Proud and haughty

“… God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but give graces [continually] to the lowly… So be subject to God… Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you.   Come close to God and He will come close to you…” James 4:6-8 AMPC

Remember, you are God’s child, you are not God! So, remind yourself who and Whose you are so that you don’t sell your soul out to Satan – engulfed in sin, stuck at the bottom of a bottomless pit, fighting a battle that has no victory.

The tongue is a fire

"And the tongue is a fire... With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who were made in God's likeness! Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing.  These things, my brethren, ought not to be so." James 3: 6, 9-10 AMPC

Our tongues can lift up, tear down, bless, curse, love, hate, win, lose, help, and hurt; our tongues can bless lives, or ruin lives.  So, let's take some drastic measure to keep our words full of life, full of praise, full of love, full of blessings, and full of kindness.  Yes, it is easier said than done, but if we want all that God has to offer for our lives, it is something we must do.  So, starting today, let's put a bridle on our tongues, and make sure that all the words we speak are good and God-approved... guaranteed, it is definitely worth our while.

Faith without works

"So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead)." James 2:17 AMPC

In other words, actions definitely speak louder than words!!

Be a doer of the Word of God

“But be doers of the word [obey the message], not merely listeners…” James 1:22 AMPC

Every night, right before bedtime, ask yourself if you’ve done something good for someone else that day, if you haven’t then some definite changes are in order.  As for me, I’ve been quite selfish lately, so today I begin fresh and I choose to go through the rest of my life by doing at least one nice thing for someone every single day.  How about you?  Will you join me?

The victors crown

Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victors] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12 AMPC

There are two ways to go through trials: patiently or impatiently.  Patience will lead to blessings from God… the victors crown of life, which means, (to me), that impatience will lead nowhere… the victors crown of death – YIKES!!   So, wait on God with all patience – blessing and victory will be yours for doing so.

 

Consider it all joy

“Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.  Be assured and understand that trials and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.” James 1:2-3 AMPC

I know that joy is the last thing many of us can focus on when trials come out way, but I believe if we can step back from our trials and tribulations, instead, focus on God, then we will be able to go through our trials in peace, joy, and confidence, knowing that God has a good plan for us – we can continue to enjoy our lives throughout the entire ordeal.  Therefore, put all focus on God and I believe that His joy will begin to drown the fears and sorrows, and will envelope us from within enabling us to live in peace and confidence.

 

God will never fail you nor forsake you

“Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avariance, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] [Josh 1:15]” Hebrews 13:5 AMPC

Love God above all things, and, in turn, God will give you all things in just the right amounts and at just the right times... God will never, ever, let you down.

This God-given life.

“So then, brace up and reinvigorate and set right your slackened and weakend and drooping hands and strengthen your feebled and palsied and tottering knees, [Isa. 35:3]

And cut through and make firm and plain and smooth, straight paths for your feet [yes, make them safe and upright and happy paths go in the right directions], so that the lame and halting [limbs] may not be out of joint but rather may be cured.” Hebrews 12:12-13 AMPC

In other words, stand up and fight for this God-given life of yours ~ stand up and live like God has planned for you to do!!

 

Look to Jesus

"...  Look away [from all that will distract] to Jesus..." Hebrews 12:2 AMPC

Take yourself, your selfish wants and desires, your anger and resentment, your haughty attitude, and your ungodly desires, give it all to Jesus, make Him your main focus.  If you do, you will soon realize that you have a life truly worth living and breathing for.

What is faith?

What is faith?

It is… “the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].” Hebrews 11:1 AMPC

Faith is believing God even though nothing in the real gives you any sign of the things you are believing for.

Be a detour to God

“But our way is not that of those who draw back to eternal misery (perdition) and are utterly destroyed, but we are of those who believe [who cleave to and trust in and rely on God through Jesus Christ, the Messiah] and by faith preserve the soul.”  Hebrew 10:39 AMPC

As God’s children, we have paths that many in the world do not follow, and it is important to not let the world deter us from our paths, leading us to misery.  So, let’s refuse to be led astray, and, instead, be a detour to Christ to help save the souls of those lost in this world.

 

Our personal representative

“For Christ (The Messiah) has not entered into a sanctuary made with [human] hands… but [He has entered] into heaven itself, now to appear in the [very] presence of God on our behalf.” Hebrews 9:24 AMPC

We have a friend on our side at all times, His name is Jesus – our personal representative and life-line to God.  

My goodness... Jesus loves us so much!!

Mercy and grace

“For I will be merciful and gracious toward their sins and I will remember their deeds of unrighteousness no more. [Jeramiah 31:31-34]” Hebrews 8:12 AMPC

You are forgiven, you are redeemed, and you have the Key to life, Jesus Christ.  So, unlock the door of your heart with the Key and start living – your quality and quantity of life depend on it.

Jesus is alive.

"Therefore, He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them." Hebrews 7:25 AMPC

Jesus is alive, always and forever, and when we really, utterly and truly, realize that He is alive and well then a whole new spark should light up on the inside of each one of us.  Friends, He is always with us, never leaving nor forsaking us - WOW! Therefore, whatever is going on in your life, remember, Jesus is going through it with you, which means, that we should live like we can conquer the world and be the victors that Jesus paid the price for us to be.

Hope

"... we who have fled [to Him] for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before [us].  [Now] we have this [hope] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it - a hope] that reaches farther and enters into [the very certainty of the Presence] within the veil, [Lev. 16:2]"... Hebrews 6:18-19 AMPC

When we put our hope in Jesus we can never lose,  we can never fail, and we can never be brought down... Yes, when we put our hope Jesus our victory is certain.

Reverence for God.

"In the days of His flesh [Jesus] offered up definite, special petitions [for that which He not only wanted but needed]... and He was heard because of His reverence toward God [His godly fear, His piety, in that He shrank from the horrors of separation from the bright presence of the Father]." Hebrews 5:7 AMPC

When your revere God over and above all else, your prayers get heard - your prayers get answered.  Therefore, spend extra special time with God and let Him know how much you love Him just because He is Who He is, and when your time of want and/or need comes about, He'll hear you and He'll come running to your aid.