This Confident Hope

It's often said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. And it can seem so much easier said than done. We sometimes tend to give up just a few steps past the starting line, or perhaps just before the finish. But it helps to carry on when we run alongside someone; our spouse, a brother/sister, or a best friend. Someone who will encourage us to keep walking when our legs get tired, someone to always run with us even when we're out of breath, someone to help us get back up, to be there to strengthen us & tend to our wounds when we fall, someone to keep going with us long after we've passed the finish line, and someone to stop and hold us when we just can't take it anymore. God will always be that person, no matter what and nothing can ever separate us from His great love. When it seems like we don't have anyone to go on our adventures with us, we really do. God will carry us through the bad times, and walk with us during the good. God will sust...

Whatever you are going through, give it over to God fully and trust that He is working on your problem, even though it doesn't feel as if anything is happening. Everything seems so unclear but you are not alone, so never fear! Whatever comes your way, trust in Him and you won't be shaken! You stand on the rock! Happy Independence Day!! Be safe and remember to celebrate your own independence from sin! "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6) "He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God." (Psalms 62:6-7)

Whenever I know someone who "walks away" from God or denies God's love and the opportunity to become a Christian, I always tend to needlessly worry about what can happen. I don't need to worry though, because God is always working in all of our lives. So I know that as long as I have planted a seed and helped it sprout to the best of my abilities, something good will come about as a result of my efforts. When God sets up a divine appointment for us, we have that choice to plant a seed and help it grow, or to leave the ground fallow and unkept. A barren field with so much potential, untouched by someone with their own potential to change or perhaps even save someone's life. Just a moment of care or an act of kindness can make a lifetime of a difference. So what will you choose to do?

It takes just one spark to ignite dead grass. Literally speaking, it takes just one person with a powerful word to preach to ignite a fire for God within the hearts of those with dead spirits. Whenever there is a fire, firefighters do their best to put it out. They use all the resources they have to extinguish this dangerous situation. Spiritually speaking, the devil is like a firefighter. He sees that dead spirits have lit up due to a spark. He does his best to extinguish and bring down the fires within our hearts. But we all know that when there is a fire with a lot of room to grow, it will likely grow. And when it grows, it gets hard to fight. The flames become too big and the heat is unbearable. When the devil realizes he has limited resources in which to put out this fire, he runs. This huge fire is an example of when we unite to fight against the devil. Great things happen when we unite. When the devil sees that dangerous situation of a fire for God in our hearts, h...

God is the event planner or coordinator. We are just the messengers; the inviters. We are here to spread the good news. We have been called to spread the message and invite people to what God has planned for them and the greater things He has in store. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called. Go out and be His disciples! Spread His message of unchanging love, perfect grace, and endless mercy. It's all about the invitation. As long as it's in the hands of the invitee and you have planted the seed, they have choice to attend the most important event of their lives: their time of salvation. A simple invitation/conversation can make a lifetime of a difference. Be a light and give that invitation. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."...

We've all heard habits are like ropes: we weave a strand each day until the habit becomes too strong to break. We need to "soak our ropes in gasoline and set them afire," so to speak. Forget about those habits and those times that have caused you shame and regret. Leave them in the past. Let God build a new rope which will provide enough support as you climb it in order to reach the greater things He has for you.