How many times have you told yourself, “Yeah, I’ll do it, I’ll do it” only for ‘it’ to never get done? Stop putting off those ‘it’ things–we all have them–and do them! You will immediately feel better and be that much closer to your goal.
Ecclesiastes 2:24-25: “A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?”
As June draws to a close and July comes marching in and we watch our summer trickle by, a reminder to enjoy each and every day. God creates us for His joy and to be joyful. If every day is a drudgery, then you’re wasting your life and again insulting God. With Him, we find joy and provision. With Him, life becomes the most precious gift that we MUST NOT WASTE. So every day be grateful, joyful, and look around you. It is His gift to us. All of it. Embrace it. Love it. Cherish it and all those in your life. Soon, very soon, it will be over.
Ecclesiastes 7:10: “Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions.”
Don’t live in the past! Quit beating yourself up over something long over. You can’t change it. You can only move forward. Each day is a new opportunity to live God’s fullest potential for your life. Don’t waste one more minute of it! It’s an insult to God to waste what He has given. Carpe Diem!
1 Corinthians 9:24: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”
A reminder as we head into the weekend of summer busy-ness to keep working for the Lord. Keep fighting for His plan in your life. Keep plugging away no matter how overwhelming life may seem. Keep Him in focus and let the messiness of life and sin fall away. Our prize is eternal. Be in it to win it!
1 Corinthians 10:13: “…God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
My husband is going through a hard time at work and I reminded him of this verse. God never gives you more than you can bear. He has a purpose is all that He does and all that happens in your life. You don’t have to understand it. You just have to have faith that God will handle it and will overcome it.
Romans 3:23: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
This is for the perfectionists out there (myself included). We all fall short. Period. No way around it. Because of sin. Be gentle with yourselves when you do sin. Ask for forgiveness and give it to God. He knows. He understands. He forgives. He loves. Then move on with your life. Quit living in the past or the vicious ‘what if” cycle that only saps your energy and your mind. Embrace the here and now. The rest is dust.
Romans 1:20: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
Most people read this verse as the reason there is no excuse to know God (I posted on this HERE if curious). What I want you to see in this verse is how God is everywhere, always, in nature, in everything on this planet. All you have to do is look. And He is there. Appreciate Him. Every moment of every day. Cause one day the life you know will end.
1 Peter 2:9: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
Two points here:
Genesis 50:20: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
This is Joseph telling his brothers that what they did to him (threw him in a hole, sold him into slavery, landing in jail and all the other resulting hardships he had to endure as a consequence) were God’s plan. Man intends evil; God intends good. God brings good out of bad intentions. Joseph forgave his brothers and left judgement to God.
This is a reminder to all of us that despite the crap circumstances we may find ourselves in, God has a plan and it is for good. Sickness, death, tragedy, loss of a limb, senseless violence, financial troubles, bankruptcy, emotional trauma, depression, or overall sense of being lost in this chaotic world, God is there and He is working for good in our troubles. Have faith. Trust in Him. He will do the rest.