Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. — Romans 5:3 (AMPC)

It’s important to renew our minds, but it’s also important to realize that this process of reprogramming or renewing our minds will take place little by little. Don’t be discouraged if progress seems slow, or when you have setbacks or bad days. Just get back up, dust yourself off and start again.

When a baby is learning to walk, he falls many, many times before he develops the ability to walk without falling; however, the baby is persistent. He may cry for a while after he falls down, but he always gets right back up and tries again.

Learning to change our thinking works the same way. We struggle and fall down, but God is always there to pick us up. Rather than get frustrated, remember to do what the Bible says and “triumph” in your hardship, because the very fact that you’re struggling means you’re fighting the good fight of faith.

There will be days when we don’t do everything right—days when our thinking is negative. But never stop trying. God is gradually bringing us around to His way of thinking, as long as we don’t give up!

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Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. — Psalm 62:1-2 (NIV)

Has this ever happened to you: You break a rubber band while trying to stretch it around something. You can’t find another one, so you try to fix the broken one by tying the ends together.

Sometimes in our daily lives, we stretch ourselves beyond our capacity, and we snap like the rubber band. We think we’ve fixed the problem by simply tying the ends back together. But soon we fall into the same behavior that caused us to break down in the first place.

Over time with repeated exposure to stress, our lives begin to resemble that worn-out rubber band. It can completely deplete us.

Ignoring God’s laws and His ordained limits for our lives will ultimately cause burnout. You simply can’t continue to overwork your mind, emotions and body without eventually paying the price. But that’s not how God wants you to live.

Adjust your perspective to match God’s. Seek His peace and His pace for your life. Respect your body. Treat good health as a priceless gift. Don’t waste the energy God has given you on stress. Save it for living and enjoying life!

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But I say to you, love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him]. — Matthew 5:44-45

Have you ever seen someone receive a blessing from God and felt like they didn’t deserve it? Have you seen good things happen to someone who has hurt you?

When a person who offended you gets a blessing, it can grate on you…at least it did for me until I learned how to forgive.

The Bible says that good and bad things happen to both the righteous and the unrighteous. When someone who’s hurt you receives a blessing, it makes it even harder to forgive them, but you are still called to pray for them.

I want to encourage you today to bless the people who have hurt you by praying for them, even though you may feel hurt and irritated by them. When you pray for people who have hurt you, it’s a choice you make. And forgiveness is based on your decision – not a feeling. But there’s healing in that for you.

A forgiving lifestyle helps you become more like Christ. As you learn the importance of forgiveness and begin to pray for blessings for those who have hurt you, your heart will heal from bitterness, and your personal growth will lead you to the blessings God has planned for you.

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Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]. — Romans 8:1

When I ask large audiences how many people spend their lives feeling guilty, my guess is that at least 80 percent of the people raise their hands. I was part of that 80 percent until I decided that I was not built for guilt, and I was not going to continue to allow a renegade feeling to rule my life.

I studied God’s Word about guilt and studied His character and nature until I was totally convinced that God is not the source of guilt.

I see guilt as an illegal alien that attacks our mind and conscience, attempting to prevent us from enjoying anything God has provided for us. Guilt has no legal right in our lives because Jesus has paid for our sins and misdeeds. If it is in us illegally, then we need to send it back where it came from—which is hell!

Refuse to let guilt steel your joy any longer. You must remember that you are not built for guilt. Deal with it aggressively anytime you experience it by receiving God’s love and grace.

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He who gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes [from their want] will have many a curse.— Proverbs 28:27 (AMPC)

I’ve discovered the best way to deal with money is to give it away. And we need to keep on giving, especially during challenging financial times. This is a key factor in helping us maintain a biblical focus on our finances.

It’s always possible to live by God’s financial principles, even in difficult times. You might find yourself in what seems like an impossible financial situation and feel like you’re in no position to give, but don’t let that stop you. God will help you when you simply work with what you have.

Luke 19:17 tells us that God is pleased when we are faithful and trustworthy in very little things. When we are, it says He will give us authority over bigger things.

Proverbs 28:27 says, He who gives to the poor will not want…. If we obey God with our finances, even when we don’t have much, and give to help other people, God will provide what we need. It’s just that simple. Choose to be a giver today, and you will not lack anything.

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This [day in which God has saved me] is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. — Psalm 118:24

God wants us to have joy in the midst of our ordinary, everyday lives—even on the worst days.

There were times in my life when I dreaded facing each day. All I could think about were my circumstances—wondering how Dave and I were going to pay the bills or get everything done that we needed to do. Sometimes I wanted to pull the covers over my head and just stay in bed.

I was so wrapped up in worry that I was missing the point: God had created a new day, and He created it so I could enjoy it.

Every single day is filled with all kinds of situations that could upset you—things like losing your car keys or getting caught in a traffic jam. But you can choose to be at peace and in control in the midst of them.

When we take our minds off of ourselves and our circumstances and put our focus on God and loving others, we are embracing an attitude that honors Him and enables us to view every day as an exciting new gift from God.

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Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become restless and disturbed within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence. — Psalm 42:5

People experiencing tragedy often become emotionally unstable and need to express their grief somehow. They may cry uncontrollably, and tears or other feelings of distress can come and go when least expected. Confusion, anger, fear, depression and waves of overwhelming feelings are common. In times like these, I believe it’s wise to look at King David.

In Psalm 42:5, we see that when David was feeling depressed, he resisted it. He didn’t sink into it or get into the pit of despair. He described how he felt, but he made a decision not to live by his feelings. He praised and trusted in God.

Most of us go through emotionally difficult times when tragic loss occurs, and we need to give ourselves time to grieve. As we go through the process, God wants to comfort us and give us the grace we need to get through it. Those who are walking by faith in God will come out of it even better than when they went in.

If you are hurting right now due to a loss in your life, I want to tell you that a new beginning is in front of you. Trust and praise God like David did. What Satan intends for your harm, God can turn around for your good!

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For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. — Hebrews 4:12

When people ask me where to start reading the Bible, I tell them there’s really no wrong place to start. You can study anything that’s going to help you.

When I first started studying the Word, I didn’t have very good relationships because I didn’t really understand what love was. So I studied the subject of love, and I learned that it’s more than just a gooey feeling. It’s a decision you make about how you’re going to treat people.

By studying what the Bible says about love, I learned how to love. Then my life began to change.

Whatever you’re dealing with, you can find scriptures about it by using a concordance. For example, if you’re dealing with anger or fear, flip to the concordance in the back of your Bible and locate those words to see which scriptures talk about those issues. Ask the Holy No matter where you start, remember that the Word is alive and God wants to speak to your heart today!

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Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example or pattern for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.— 1 Timothy 1:16

Marriages are not as good as they could be when someone holds on to offenses and hurts that their spouse has caused. I know it’s difficult to completely open yourself up when you’ve been hurt, but nobody can promise that loving someone won’t hurt. In fact, you can’t really love without being willing to be hurt. It’s not possible.

Real love shows mercy and forgives. Love keeps giving the other person another chance. Love is willing to keep trusting them over and over again, expecting them to do the right thing the next time, believing the best of them.

I realize there might be big hurts in your marriage, along with little things you deal with daily. Still, you need to decide to let go of its irritating hold on you. Then, pray and lean on God for the grace and strength to truly forgive.

If you’re struggling with unforgiveness in your marriage, ask the Lord to reveal what has caused you to feel bitterness or resentment. You may be surprised at what He reveals to you, but when you see the truth, decide to let go of the offense. Decide to forgive your spouse and walk in patience as you treat them with God’s amazing, unconditional love.

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May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness and patience of Christ.— 2 Thessalonians 3:5

Picture your life as a jumble of shoestrings all tied up in knots, each shoestring a different color. Each knot represents a problem, and the process of untangling those knots and straightening out those problems is going to take a bit of time and effort. It took a long time to tie all those knots, and it will take some time to straighten them all out.

In our modern, instantaneous society, we tend to jump from one thing to another, but God never gets in a hurry. He never quits or runs out of patience. He will deal with us about one particular thing, and then He will let us rest for a while—but not too long. Soon He will come back and begin to work on something else. He will continue until, one by one, our knots are all untied.

If it sometimes seems that you’re not making any progress, it’s because the Lord is untying your knots one at a time. Let His patience develop in you, and sooner or later, you will see victory in your life and experience the freedom you have wanted for so long.

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This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful. — Joshua 1:8

God tells us that the more time we spend meditating on and speaking His Word, the more we will see the benefits in our everyday lives and even have a closer relationship with Him. He even promises we’ll be prosperous and successful! (See Joshua 1:8).

I can testify to this because I have made it through many trials and even devastating times by believing and confessing the Word of God over my life.

There’s something powerful that happens when we speak His Word out loud. It’s the way we learn to purposely think right thoughts, especially when we make the Scriptures personal confessions of faith.

It’s great to read the Word and receive it in your heart, but when you confess it out loud, you actively interact with what God says and release its power into your life.

I encourage you to spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word, lining your thoughts up with it. But I also urge you to speak the Word. You can make up your mind to work toward changing your life by saying what God says. Read His Word and speak it over your circumstances today.

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Be merciful (responsive, compassionate, tender) just as your [heavenly] Father is merciful. — Luke 6:36

It’s the most outrageous thing. The more I think about it, the more amazed I am. It gives blessings that are undeserved and withholds punishment when it is deserved. It’s absolutely the greatest gift you can give someone.

This gift is called mercy. See, Jesus came to earth and gave us mercy, so we need to learn to give mercy to others.

By Christ’s example, we’re taught to love and pray for our enemies. We’re taught to be friendly to those who do not treat us as we would like to be treated. We are told to give to and care for the poor and helpless who will never be able to pay us back.

We can give to people who will give us gifts in return. But we’re more blessed when we choose to give to those who cannot pay us back—that’s giving mercy.

The greatest gift you can give God is to become more like Jesus. You can do that by treating others the way He has treated you. Give those around you the greatest gift they could ever receive from you: mercy.

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And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you–and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.— Mark 4:24 (AMPC)

If you’re a believer, you probably think some Scripture-based thoughts throughout each day, but think about this: Are you mixing them with negative thoughts or just any random thoughts that come into your mind?

For most of my life, I simply thought about whatever fell into my head. Much of what was in my head was either lies Satan was telling me or just plain nonsense.

Read Mark 4:24. It tells us the more time we spend thinking about the Word, the more power and ability we will have to walk in it. It also says the more we read and listen to the Word, the more revelation we will receive to understand it.

In the flesh we are lazy and want to receive from God without any effort on our own part, but that’s not the way it works. You will only get out of the Word what you are willing to put into it.

I encourage you to make a decision to meditate on God’s Word every day, because every moment you spend absorbing it, the more virtue and knowledge you will receive from God.

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It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. — 1 Corinthians 13:5 (AMPC)

We all get hurt sometimes, and it’s vitally important to learn how to forgive quickly so we can be spiritually strong and healthy. For example, if someone has hurt you, don’t spend the next 10 years of your life hurting yourself by hanging on to that offense. Most likely, the other person isn’t even thinking about you, while you dwell on the incident for years. That only hurts one person—you.

When we walk in unforgiveness, we try to “keep score,” viewing ourselves as better than the other person.

Back in the early days of our marriage, when Dave and I were fussing and fuming at each other, I would bring up stuff from the past that he couldn’t possibly remember and Dave would say, “Where do you keep all that stuff?” Well, I had a place, and it was all in there eating at me. And every new thing Dave did wrong was added to this list until it became a bitter giant in my heart.

Thank God I’ve learned a better way to live! When we walk in God’s love, we find freedom by keeping “no account” of wrongs done to us. If you’re hurting from the pain of unforgiveness today, ask God to help you stop keeping score. You can let go of your bitterness today.

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There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and make himself enjoy good in his labor. Even this, I have seen, is from the hand of God. — Ecclesiastes 2:24 (AMPC)

Enjoyment is the fuel we need to reach the finish line of an endeavor with a good attitude. We may drive ourselves to finish, but somewhere along the way we will probably become bitter and get a chip on our shoulder if we don’t lighten up and take time to celebrate the journey.

Too many people work constantly and stress themselves out, feeling guilty about enjoying and celebrating life when God has clearly ordained and commanded both labor and enjoyment. Ecclesiastes 2:24 says that it’s good for us to relax and enjoy ourselves in the midst of hard work.

Our thinking has been warped in this area. Satan has managed to deceive us, and by doing so he succeeds in keeping people weary and worn-out, feeling resentful and taken advantage of because of excessive work and responsibility.

We need times of refreshment and recreation as well as work and accomplishment. You should be diligent in whatever task God has placed in front of you, but make sure you find a healthy balance by learning to reward yourself and celebrate your progress. God thinks you are worth it!

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Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh. — Proverbs 4:21-22 (AMPC)

The Bible is no ordinary book. The words within its pages are like medicine to your soul. It has the power to change your life because there is life in the Word!

When you discover the power and truth of God’s Word, you will begin to see changes in your life that only this truth can bring. You will also learn how to recognize the lies that the enemy tries to bring against you.

If you are just starting to study the Bible or feel intimidated by it, don’t think you have to read it all at once or understand everything right away. Be patient with yourself. The important thing is that you start somewhere and stay determined to stick with it. Because every time you study the Bible and pay attention to what you’re reading, you’re learning something.

Proverbs 4:20 (AMPC) says, My son attend to my words… This is important to understand because attending is more than just reading—it means to meditate on the Scripture or roll it around over and over in your mind.

As we spend time reading and meditating on the Word of God and learn to agree with it above all else, we will be filled with the life and healing power of God.

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Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes].— James 1:17

When we experience terrible tragedy, being angry with God is quite common. People frequently ask, “If God is good, all-powerful, and full of love for us, why didn’t He stop the thing that caused the pain?”

This is where Satan seeks to build a wall between God and the hurting person. He seizes the opportunity to say, “God isn’t good, and He can’t be trusted.” However, we know according to the Word of God, the truth is not in Satan—he is a liar and the father of lies.

Read James 1:17. Everything good comes from God. God is good, and He cannot be anything else. Furthermore, He doesn’t change. He’s perfectly stable, faithful and consistent. He is good—all the time.

It’s obvious that God doesn’t always stop tragedy, and we honestly don’t always know why bad things happen. First Corinthians 13:12 says …Now I know in part (imperfectly)… . We have to remember that faith will always require us to accept unanswered questions, and we must come to the place where we’re satisfied to know the One who knows all, and place our trust in Him.

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If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love [for others growing out of God’s love for me], then I have become only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal [just an annoying distraction]. — 1 Corinthians 13:1

Early in our marriage, God had to teach me that truly loving Dave meant that sometimes I would have to make sacrifices. Up until that point, I only wanted my way and was very much like the noisy gong mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:1.

Love is the highest form of maturity. It often requires a sacrificial gift. If love doesn’t require some sort of sacrifice on our part, we probably don’t really love the other person at all. If there is no sacrifice in our actions, we are most likely reacting to something nice they did for us, or simply pretending to be kind to gain some control over them.

It is important to understand that true love gives of itself. So your decisions should always have your spouse’s interests at heart. When you do, you’re giving of yourself.

God’s desire is for husbands and wives to love each other sacrificially and unconditionally. This means you don’t get your way all of the time. But the good news is, when a husband and wife sacrifice their selfish desires, they will have a triumphant marriage!

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You [spiritually] blind guides, who strain out a gnat [consuming yourselves with miniscule matters] and swallow a camel [ignoring and violating God’s precepts]! — Matthew 23:24

It’s hard to believe how many denominations and independent churches there are today, yet there’s only one Bible, one message.

But over the years, because of pride and narrow-mindedness, people have felt the need to develop a myriad of churches and church groups—even different versions of the Bible—to support different interpretations of what they believe the Bible says.

I’ve come to realize that none of us are 100 percent correct. Most of the things we fight over are petty. In Matthew 23:24, Jesus told the Pharisees that they strained out a gnat but swallowed a camel. They had gotten so picky about the little things that it prevented them from dealing with the truly important things.

If we allow prejudice, hatred and division to have a place in our lives, we’ll be powerless to stop them. Only agreement and unity in the love of Christ will bring the power to defeat prejudice. And the love of God is always greater than critical, divisive attitudes toward others.

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And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. — Romans 8:28

Abuse means “to misuse, to use improperly, to use up or to injure by maltreatment.” The effects of abuse can be devastating and long-lasting. Many people never recover from it.

There are different kinds of abuse: sexual, emotional, verbal, physical. No matter the form, the results are always terrible. It will keep you from functioning properly and prevent you from receiving and experiencing the righteousness, peace, and joy of God’s kingdom.

I understand this firsthand because I was abused throughout my childhood. Thankfully, I don’t just know the power of abuse, but I know the great power of God’s love. Because of the love of God, my past doesn’t have to affect my future anymore.

If you’ve been abused in the past, understand today that God loves you. Nothing can separate you from His love. He has made a way for you to be free from your past and to enter true Kingdom living.

With Jesus, there is hope for newness of life. Will you receive His love today?

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