Gratitude Friday

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

A month of May is coming to an end; to God be the glory. Thirty days of being carried by grace and mercy, showing up every day without fail. What more do we want to give Him our gratitude?

Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV): The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
    his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.
    Great is your faithfulness.

The first day of this month was different from this day of the month, and tomorrow will be different from today, but great is His faithfulness. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. That is why it says in Proverbs, “He is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. And let us be grateful for having a name that is trustworthy.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Are you encouraging one another to love and do good deeds?

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

It’s funny how if I were to tell you each and every day to love and do good deeds, you might think I am crazy, because you would say that’s obvious, especially for a believer. But you would be surprised how easy it is not to love and do good deeds, especially in unfavorable situations. Whether we like it or not, we will find ourselves in such situations. So while we still can, let us consider how to motivate one another to love and good works.

Hebrews 10:24 (BSB): “And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds.”

This is not just telling people to love and do good works because anyone can do that. This calls for us to reflect and think intentionally about how to spur (provoke/stimulate) one another. As I have mentioned , people lose momentum; that’s why we need to be observant. People go through challenges , and sometimes those experiences discourage them from showing love and good deeds because some have not received anything in return. In a world of give and take, it is easy for believers to fall into that trap.

Takeaway: Let us not grow weary in loving and doing good.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

One of your tools should be encouragement.

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

I know, encouragement this, encouragement that. Why is it always about encouragement? Just take one person you know and ask him or her at the end of the week how many discouraging situations or words he or she heard or found himself or herself in. You will understand why, as a support system, your ready tool should be imparting grace to your listeners .

Ephesians 4:29 (ESV): Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

We choose what to say; there is no way I can claim I didn’t have a choice but to say it. And that’s why Paul states , “Let…”
Additionally, we need to note the phrase “as fits the occasion,” which means there are times when you are joking, times when you are rebuking, and times when you are building others up. Some people have rebuked when they should have encouraged , and they joked when they should have rebuked .

Takeaway: Discern the occasion so that you don’t speak carelessly , and most of the time it is not hard to discern the occasion, but sometimes it is easy to confuse one occasion with another.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Avoid Hasty Judgments

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

This week, we will be discussing how to be a better support system. It is easy to view people’s situations and judge them, but as a support system for someone, you need to avoid hasty judgments. Let us examine Job’s support system , Eliphaz, who rushed to conclusions .

Job 4:4-5 (NLT): Your words have supported those who were falling; you encouraged those with shaky knees. But now when trouble strikes, you lose heart. You are terrified when it touches you.

First, we would like to applaud Eliphaz for the courage of speaking first. He started well by commending Job for his good deeds, but then he decided to throw in a “BUT.” One thing about using a “but” is that it can cancel out all the good things that were said before, as we tend to focus on what comes after the “but.”

Avoid commending people with a “but”; rather, say what you want to say , whether good or bad, especially when you wish to encourage or comfort them. One of the conclusions that Eliphaz made is that Job cannot apply what he was teaching others.

Takeaway: What do you do when you experience the same thing for which you were encouraging or comforting someone to stand firm or stay strong?

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Gratitude Friday!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward
Another Friday to give that present to God. Stop withholding that gift. It’s another week, and you are safe , and most importantly, you are loved.

Psalm 107:1 (ESV): “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”

It’s no surprise that His love is unwavering and endures forever, for He is love. So today we are to thank God for that-that in Him there will never be a shortage of love. No matter how much hate the world or people give you, His love stands firm.

And if you are in an unwavering situation or on shaky ground, you are welcome to hold on to His love. If you have a million, you can bet on it. I am joking. But let us thank God today for His steadfast love that endures forever.

Takeaway: God is good, and this is not just a statement. He is good, and you should be grateful for that.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Keep waiting; strength is on the way!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

Yesterday, I spoke about how waiting requires strength; today, I am here to tell you that sometimes it may feel as if you are not being strengthened, but continue to wait. As long as you wait, strength will find you. And remember, we are waiting for the LORD. So today, we will examine one of the famous scriptures.

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV): “But they who wait for the LORD will renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

What’s interesting is what Isaiah says in the previous verse: “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall” (Isaiah 40:30), which means men (human beings) can only go so far with their own strength; sooner or later, they will faint. But those who wait for the LORD will walk and not faint.

So for my people who are waiting, know that we must wait so that we won’t faint.  As long as we can do it by our own strength, sooner or later we will rely on that, and sooner or later we will faint. Therefore, let us take joy in our waiting.

Takeaway: Do you know how it feels to soar on wings like eagles?

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Waiting requires strength!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

We are approaching the sixth month, which means half of the year is nearly gone, so for my fellow waiters, it feels daunting. I found myself contemplating the following question: Am I waiting for God, or am I hoping something will come my way while I wait? You wait differently when waiting for God versus waiting for something to arrive. One reason we become frustrated during our waiting season is that we are not waiting for God; rather, we are hoping something will come our way. That’s why, when the small things you believe you deserve pass you by, they frustrate you.

Psalm 27:14 (ESV): “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!”

You must be strong while waiting for the LORD. Why? Because God does not operate according to our timeline.  Just because you are anxious and shaking does not mean God has to be anxious as well. Paul told us, “Do not be anxious about anything…” This means that in this world, nothing will cause God to be anxious. We simply need to have the strength to persevere while waiting for the LORD.

Takeaway: What situation or thing threatens your waiting season? Ask God for strength.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Gratitude Friday!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

Another week to be thankful. I have come to the conclusion that once you stop being grateful, you start to complain. Have you ever wondered how it feels to go through an entire week without peace of mind?

Colossians 3:15 (NIV): “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

If you are in Christ and the peace of Christ is not ruling your heart, it is because you have not allowed it to. We were called to peace; what a privilege it is. So today, let’s take time to say, Abba, Father, we thank You for the peace of Christ. Sometimes, if not most of the time, it seems as if you are out of touch with reality when you live in this peace. It doesn’t make sense to those around you when you are at peace , but the situation does not permit you to be at peace.

Takeaway: What are you grateful for today?

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Have you committed your ways to the Lord?

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

“Are we actively aligning our actions and decisions with God’s will?” is a question we should ask ourselves daily. It is better to involve God in every step of the process so that we won’t have to call on Him when things go south. If we pray only when we are in trouble, then we are in trouble. Read that again.

Psalm 37:5 (ESV): “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.”

We want God to act, but we don’t do our part. This is the formula:
Commit + Trust = Act
One of the hardest aspects on our side of the formula is trust. This is what I have learned: if you lack patience, you will struggle to trust. Furthermore , in order to commit, you must trust, and to trust, you must commit; therefore, there’s no shortchanging our part.

Takeaway: What have you committed to the Lord today?

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Once you think you have arrived, you will never be committed.

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

She said, “We have arrived at her place.” He answered, “We can sit down.” Once you think you have arrived, you become comfortable, and you don’t see a need to commit yourself. As we become like Christ Jesus, we will never reach a point where we are fully like Him as long as He hasn’t returned. This means we have to keep straining toward what is ahead.

Philippians 3:13 (NIV): “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,”

Forget what is behind; you need to be focused if you want to be committed. When we tend to be distracted, we struggle to fully commit ourselves to a cause. One thing is certain: you will be distracted; that’s why Paul said, “Forgetting…” meaning the distraction won’t just go away by itself; you have to take action. No matter how committed you were last year, last year is over; you must forget and focus on fully committing yourself this year.

Takeaway: What are the things you are struggling to forget, whether good or bad, that are preventing you from moving forward?

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!