Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light trust in the name of the LORD. Isaiah 50:10

Only the peace of God will quiet our minds and put our hearts at rest. We must place our hand in his as little child and allow him to lead us into the bright sunshine of his love. He knows the way out of the dense, dark forest, so may we climb into his arms, trusting him to rescue us by showing us the shortest and most reliable road.

Dr. Pardington

Becoming Unshakable

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers/sisters stand firm. Let nothing move you.

1 Corinthians 15:57-58

Stand firm, God's Word says. Let nothing move you.

The Evil One would unleash his fury against you. His goal is to cause you to abandon your belief in a heavenly destiny. But we know who we are; we know that victory is ours, we know that, while we may fight the battle, the Lord has given us the victory. Therefore, we will not be shaken!

Amen

Question for thought:

When are you the most tempted to quit or give up?

What do you say to yourself when you experience a temporary setback?

Destined For Victory

With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

Psalm 60:12

We know the story: David knocked out the harassing Goliath with a simple stone expertly flung between the giant's eyes, then cut off his head with a sword.

David stated it in simple, yet powerful words: "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty... It is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give all of you into our hands" (I Samuel 17:45-47)

Whatever we face, we can go in the name of the Lord. Whatever threatens, whatever challenges, whatever defies us will have to reckon with God. The battle is His, and the victory is ours.

Remember: we are not spared from battles. There can be no victory without it. But the promise of God's presence and power goes with us and gives us courage.

Question for thought:

If you knew you could not fail, what would you attempt?

Destined To Produce Fruit

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me an I in him, he will bear much fruit.

John 15:5

Did you know that you were destined to be productive? To accomplish great things? In today's complex world it is easy to feel useless. We are overwhelmed by artificial intelligence pressured by busy schedules, and wounded by cultural prejudice, making us feel inadequate and isolated.

Being a Christian should make a difference. Why, then, does being a Christian sometimes make the struggle seem worse? I believe, first of all, it is because a person who belongs to Christ is out of step with the sinful world. This battle is only won by laying hold of the truth of God's Word.

When you are overcome by feelings of worthlessness and defeat, let God breathe new life into you by telling yourself this truth: No matter what I've done or what I've been because of Jesus, I now have the ability to live a life worthy of the Lord. I may not be able to please anyone else, but I can please Him. I can bear the fruit of good work. I am growing in the knowledge of God.

Colossians 1:10-12

We need to be productive and fruitful. Why settle for mere survival.

Question for thought:

When was the last time you prayed with someone instead of promising to pray for them?

Destined To Be Like Christ

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Romans 8:29

We are related by adoption through the new birth experience that makes us family, but none of us resembles the other, at least not on the outside. Our relationship comes through His blood that was shed for us, blood that covers our sin.

In time, we do grow to be more like each other, though in fact it is Jesus who we are growing more to be like. You and I have been destined to be conformed to fit, as it were, into the image of Christ.

Strange as it may seem, even our struggles and our pain can help us to be more like Christ. The struggles of our life are the heat that brings the impurities to the surface. God does not cause the struggles in our life, but He can use them if we allow Him to.

Let us let the pain of those struggles motivate us to seek Christ at a deeper level and bring us closer to His Word and to His principles for living. Our problems can been the very thing that give us more compassion, patience, and tolerance with others who are struggling.

I want to look like Jesus.

Question for thought

In what ways do you think you are more like Christ than you were several years ago or months ago?

Destined For Relationship

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God...

John 1:12

The Creation, by James Weldon Johnson:

I am not sure about God being lonely, but here in The Creation Johnson attempts to describe the blackness before God created light. The words he uses describe the darkness, the hopelessness of life without Christ.

God created physical light by setting the sun in our sky. But creating spiritual light required more than His creativity, it demanded His sacrifice. And here is where his Son comes in.

By sending His Son, Jesus, God the Father gave us spiritual light. He showed that He was willing to give himself. We no longer have to live apart from Him. We each can accept His Son.

We believe the fact that He died for our sins, and we enter a loving, personal relationship with our true Savior.

It is amazing that we can know Him. It is even more amazing that a relationship with God is the destiny of everyone who turns his or her spirit over to Jesus Christ.

As sons and daughters we are now full heirs to the family fortune and estate: Romans 8:17

Designed for relationship with God, destined to sonship in His Son, Jesus. Accepting Him is the first step in the first strategy to becoming an overcomer. It is where all life begins where eternity begins.

The struggles you and I have are not eternal, but our life in Christ is.

Question for thought:
How do sons and daughters of God approach problems differently than those who have no relationship with him?

Enjoy