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!

Are You Fully 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.

We can all claim commitment, but it is in our obedience that we see who is truly committed. Being fully committed pays off, whether in your career, school, or to God. Those who are committed are recommended. This week, we will focus on commitment, as we are living in times when people jump from one thing to another in a short span.

1 Kings 8:61 (NIV): “And may your hearts be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

It is non-negotiable that when we commit our hearts to God, we must do so fully. There’s no room for partiality, and some of us struggle because our hearts’ commitment to God is intertwined with other commitments, preventing us from fully committing to Him. Remember, He is a jealous God, and this is not a secret.

Takeaway: Are you living by the Holy Spirit, or are you treating the Holy Spirit like a policeman? He is only needed when there is trouble. Obedience will truly take you places; you can trust that.

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 Friday to be grateful. The week is about to end, and here we are, preserved once again. I believe there might have been some ups and downs, but in the midst of that, we still say thank you, God. As today marks the second day of the fifth month, God has been faithful, and His grace has kept us.

Psalm 118:8 (ESV): “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.”

“Ma’on” is a Hebrew word meaning “dwelling place” or “refuge.” Today we want to thank Him for being our refuge, a place where we can always run to or even dwell in. Remember that you need not put your trust in men; even in the darkest hour, remember to take refuge in the LORD.

Takeaway: Where is your dwelling place? Read Psalm 90:1 and meditate on it.

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

What have you decided in your heart?

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.

No one wants to receive from someone who is giving unwillingly because it doesn’t truly feel like receiving whatever is being offered. If you know you can only give 30 minutes of your time willingly and we need 2 hours, it’s better to give 30 than to give 3 hours with an unwilling heart. Otherwise, you might end up damaging the work or not doing it as needed, since only 30 minutes of your 3 hours is done wholeheartedly; for the remaining time, you will just be dragging yourself to do it under compulsion. What do we have today?

2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESV): “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Allow me to say that “cheerful givers” get the work done.  That’s why, at times, we struggle to complete tasks; we work with people who are reluctant, making it seem as if they are forced to perform the work.

Takeaway: Are you a cheerful giver? In all aspects of your life, not just with money. Conduct a self-inventory today.

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

People are struggling to receive; give and remain silent.

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.

Imagine giving someone one million and even forgetting that you gave them that kind of money. The same applies to the love you give, kindness, etc.  However, the problem is that we have made our right hand so close to our left hand that whenever the right hand gives, we want to ensure that the left hand knows.

Matthew 6:3 (ESV): “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”

Even if they don’t clap, you are not giving for their applause. It saddens me that people can struggle in church and prefer to seek help from outside rather than reach out to their brothers and sisters within the congregation. I believe it’s because we have created a culture where givers want to be celebrated, and receivers feel ashamed to receive.

Takeaway: Let us learn to give and remain in the unknown. Humble yourself; you give because you have received. And as for us receivers, there’s nothing wrong with needing; it is merely a situation, not your position.

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

God is not part of the crowd.

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 to you and me is a gift, so let’s cherish it.

Just because the crowd is pleased doesn’t mean God is pleased. I grew up in an environment where we constantly lived to please people; that’s how we felt good, and this is what we aspired to. We couldn’t understand when you told us it was okay to do things in secret and not let people know. So I had to learn the hard way to rid myself of that, and I still struggle with it from time to time. But thanks be to God.

Matthew 6:1 (ESV): “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”

I believe one of the most dangerous words is “beware” compared to “do not,” because when you are warned, it is easy for you not to take it to heart. But beware of acting for the crowd, because sometimes you might be entertaining the crowd while God is not part of it. God sees in secret; be assured of that.

Takeaway: What has helped you deal with people-pleasing, and how has that affected your service to God?

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 to you and me is a gift, so let’s cherish it.

If there’s something I do best, I would say it is expressing gratitude. I have learned to give thanks in all circumstances, which was not always the case. So we are going to use our Fridays to give thanks to God. Five days is a lot for various things to happen, both good and bad, hard and easy, but at the end of it, we want to say, Thank you, God.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV): “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

In Christ Jesus, giving thanks should be a way of life. We shouldn’t struggle to show thankfulness; people must know that you are always ready to express appreciation. They must not doubt that you will return kindness.

I know that in some circumstances it is easier to say it than to do it, but as I mentioned, this should be our way of life, not something we do only in certain situations. That’s why Paul told the Thessalonians that “in all circumstances…”

Takeaway: What are you thankful for this week?

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