JFor the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him. You have done foolishly in this; therefore, from now on you shall have wars.— 2 Chronicles 16:9

God is looking for people who are passionate about the things He is passionate about. He is looking for people who will wholeheartedly pursue Him. He is looking for people who will love the people at their jobs, in their neighborhoods and homes; those who are committed to loving the lost, the poor and the needy. He’s looking for those who are willing to start doing what the Bible tells us to do.

Second Chronicles 16:9 says that God is always searching to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him.

Are you one of those people? If not, I want to encourage you and let you know that you can be that person who God seeks.

Whether you have known the Lord for many years or you are just beginning your new life in Him, you can be that person who will passionately seek God and listen to the Holy Spirit. You can be that person who can actively make a difference in the lives of hurting people.

Today, rise up and be the person God is looking for.

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Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and loving-kindness and truth go before Your face. — Psalm 89:14

God is just. It’s His character—who He is—and it’s something He wants us to pursue.

Justice seeks to make wrong things right. We are agents of God that He can work through to fix injustices in the world around us. Every time we see something that’s wrong, our first response should be to pray about it. Our second response should be to ask ourselves, What can I do about it?

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the needs we see around us. So we look at things and think that it’s someone else’s problem, and we wish “they” would fix it! We wish “they” would do this and that.

Have you ever stopped to ask, “Who are they?” I think “they” are us—you and me! You may not be able to fix everything, but you can do something. Don’t look at injustice and do nothing. God did not create you for inactivity and passivity, and He wants you to ask Him to show you what you can do. He created you for enthusiasm, zeal and passion. He put gifts in you to be used for His glory and to help other people. So, live a life of justice today.

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Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth! — Psalm 46:10

One of the most important things we can learn in our world today is how to be still.

I believe that one of the most significant reasons so many of us are burned-out and stressed-out is because we don’t know how to be still. We don’t really know God and do not acknowledge Him. And it’s only by spending time getting to know Him that we learn to hear His still, small voice so He can direct our paths.

We need to learn to be quiet on the inside and stay in that peaceful state so we are always ready to hear the Lord’s voice. Many people today run from one thing to the next. Because their minds don’t know how to be still, they don’t know how to be still in their hearts.

If we’ll just slow down, and quiet our minds enough to hear the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we can live in a place of peace, ready to respond obediently. It is easy to see that leading a peaceful, happy life, free from exhaustion and burnout, is not all that complicated as long as we remain still before God.

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The wicked flee when no man pursues them, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous are bold as a lion.— Proverbs 28:1

Some people exude boldness, while others struggle with living boldly as a beloved child of God. I had that problem until God showed me some important keys that helped me live boldly, and I want to share them with you.

1. Refuse to live in fear. Fear is epidemic in our society. The Bible instructs us in Hebrews 10:38 to live by faith and not draw back in fear.
2. Put setbacks behind you. You are not a failure because you try new things and they don’t work out. You fail only when you stop trying. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and if you do, recover quickly and press on.
3. Don’t draw comparisons. Boldness will be impossible as long as you compare yourself to others. Boldness comes from accepting who you are and being the best you can be.
4. Be willing to take action. Search your heart and ask yourself what you believe God wants you to do—and then do it.

Pray about these four keys and ask the Holy Spirit to help you live them out. In Christ, and by His grace, you can have confidence and be filled with boldness.

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But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.— Romans 5:8

Have you ever wondered if you are good enough for God to love you? Unfortunately, many people believe God loves them only as long as they don’t make mistakes.

Perhaps it was this outlook that caused the psalmist to ask, What is man that You are mindful of him?… (Psalm 8:4). Yet, the Bible tells us that we are God’s creation—the work of His hands—and that He loves each one of us unconditionally.

Let’s face it: Jesus didn’t die for you because you were great and wonderful; He died for you because He loves you. Romans 5:8-9 confirms this truth by telling us that He died for us while we were still sinners.

God loved you enough to give His only begotten Son, not only to die for your sins, but also to cover your daily mistakes. He loves you so much, He wants you to live each day in power and victory.

God loves you, and He wants you to believe it and receive it all the time…even when you make mistakes.

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If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.— John 15:7

Most Christians know the importance of reading the Bible, but many do not understand the importance of abiding in the Word and allowing the Word to abide in them.

When we are diligent to study the Word and hold it in our hearts, we have instant access to Scripture whenever we need it. And Jesus promised that we can ask for whatever we need in prayer and receive it.

Abiding in the Word and allowing the Word to abide in us makes us true disciples of Jesus (see John 8:31). It gives us more power in our prayer lives, and having power in prayer gives us power over the enemy.

Are you abiding in God’s Word…and allowing it to abide in you? If the answer is no, I encourage you to take action. Make reading and studying the Word a priority. Start memorizing scriptures and tucking them away in your heart. Then, when you face the battles of life, you will be fully armed and prepared to win the war.

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Anytime I am having difficulty trusting God, I remember things He has done for me in the past and I am reassured that He will do it again.

I have kept journals for forty years, and I ran across one recently from the 1970s, when I asked God to provide me with a dozen new dishtowels. Dave and I had no money to purchase them, and since I was just beginning my journey of trusting God, I approached Him as a little child and asked for them.

Imagine my elation when a few weeks later, a woman I was barely acquainted with showed up at my door and said, “I hope you don’t think I’m crazy, but I kept feeling that God wanted me to bring you some new dishtowels!” I got so excited that she was shocked until I explained to her that I had asked God to provide them. That is one of my vivid experiences with the faithfulness of God, and there have been many others through the years.

In the Bible, we read that when David needed to kill the giant, Goliath, and everyone was discouraging him and telling him that he would fail, he remembered the lion and the bear that he had previously killed with God’s faithful help. His faith was strengthened and he went on to slay Goliath. (See 1 Samuel 17:34-36.)

I want to encourage you to take time, perhaps even right now, to make a list of some of the times you have experienced God’s faithfulness in your own life. I can assure you that it will feed your faith and enable you to trust God more easily for the current needs in your life.

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One of the ways we can discern that we are truly trusting God, rather than merely trying to trust Him, is whether or not our souls are resting in God’s faithfulness. If I say I am trusting God, but I continue to carry the weight of the burden by worrying and being anxious, then I have not released the burden to the Lord. I may want to. I may be trying to. But I have not done it yet.

Understanding this has helped me to learn what real trust in God is. It is more than words—it is releasing the weight of my burden; a decisive action that brings rest to my soul (mind, will, emotions).

Just imagine that you are carrying a backpack filled with rocks everywhere you go. You take it to work, to the market, to church, and it is a heavy burden, but you continue to carry it. Now imagine that you decide to drop it—just think how much better you would feel and how much easier everything would be.

That’s the way it is when we worry and carry the weight of burdens with us instead of entrusting them to God. We continue functioning and doing what we need to do, but the weight of the burden places a great deal of stress on us and makes our life very difficult. You can decide to drop your burden today by trusting God, if you choose to, and you will be glad you did.

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All of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. — Matthew 26:41

The night before Jesus was crucified, He gathered the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane and made just one request: All of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).

All the disciples had to do was stay awake and pray, but they kept falling asleep. Jesus, on the other hand, did pray, and an angel strengthened Him in spirit, enabling Him to endure the cross. The disciples didn’t pray—they slept—and proved that the flesh truly is weak.

To me, this story proves the critical importance of prayer. As Christians, we must realize that without daily prayer and interaction with God, we have nothing.

We all struggle with living according to our “weak flesh,” but when we make prayer a priority, God strengthens us in the spirit, allowing us to overcome the limitations of the flesh.

What are you relying on for strength today? Your flesh? Or are you experiencing the power that God so graciously gives us when we come to Him?

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Is not My word like fire [that consumes all that cannot endure the test]? says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks in pieces the rock [of most stubborn resistance]?— Jeremiah 23:29

What do you usually think of when you hear the word “confession”? Many people think first of the definition that has a negative connotation—being forced to admit you have done something wrong. But when we agree with God’s Word by “confessing” it out loud, the result is always positive.

An acquaintance of mine says we cannot defeat Goliath with our mouths shut. When David was preparing to do battle with the giant Goliath, he ran toward him, confessing out loud what he believed the end result of the battle would be: “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand… “(1 Sam. 17:46 AMP).

This is a good example of how we should approach the enemies in our own lives. We must open our mouths and speak the Word of God.

I strongly encourage you to confess the Word of God out loud daily. Each time a thought comes to your mind that does not agree with God’s Word, confess the truth of His Word out loud, and you will find that the power of the Word will overcome the lie.

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O fear the Lord, you His saints [revere and worship Him]! For there is no want to those who truly revere and worship Him with godly fear.

— Psalm 34:9

I remember a morning when I sat down to pray and instead began to worry about whatever my current situation was and to consider what I was going to do about it.

Suddenly I heard that still, small voice inside my spirit say, Joyce, are you going to worship your problem or Me? See, God was more than willing to handle my problem if I was willing to forget it and spend time worshipping Him.

When we worship the Lord, we release the emotional or mental burden that weighs us down. It is swallowed up in the awesomeness of God. When we keep our eyes on Him and worship, we will always see His plan for our lives work out all things for our good.

The Bible says there is no lack for those who truly worship the Lord with godly fear. Do you want to be sure all your needs will be met? Then remember to worship, not worry.

Regardless of the difficulties you face, just keep praising God and giving Him glory. Faith will rise in your heart, and you will overcome.

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For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

— Ephesians 6:12

Are you facing challenging circumstances? Are you in need of provision in some area and not sure where it’s going to come from? Many Christians today are dealing with serious hardships. Some have lost their jobs and benefits. Others struggle with critical health problems and live with constant concern about how to cover the cost of medicine and doctor visits in addition to simple necessities such as shelter, food and clothing.

There are many things in the world that threaten us. But our biggest enemy—fear—is not “out there.”

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that we are at war not with flesh and blood, but with the enemy of our souls. We must not be confused about the identity of the enemy in our battles.

Thankfully, our unseen God is more than capable of dealing with our unseen enemy. When we come to a deep understanding of God’s unconditional love for us, we realize He will always take care of everything that concerns us.

You don’t have to be afraid of your unseen enemy. Trust in God, the only One who can defeat the spiritual forces of darkness.

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The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity], to proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound].

— Luke 4:18-19 (AMPC)

I come from a background of abuse and was raised in a dysfunctional home. My childhood was filled with fear and torment.

As a young adult trying to live for Christ and follow the Christian lifestyle, I believed that my future would always be marred by my past. I thought, How can anyone who has the kind of past I do ever be really all right? It’s impossible!

But Jesus said, The Spirit of the Lord is on me…He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners… Jesus came to open the prison doors and set the captives free.

I couldn’t make any progress until I realized that God wanted to release me from the prison of my past. I had to believe that neither my past nor my present determined my future, unless I let it. I had to let God miraculously set me free.

You may have had a miserable past that continues to affect your present in negative and depressing ways. But I say to you boldly, your future doesn’t have to be determined by your past or your present! Let God break off the chains of your past.

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The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, You have dwelt long enough on this mountain.

— Deuteronomy 1:6 (AMPC)

The Israelites wandered around in the wilderness for 40 years to make what was actually an 11-day journey. Why?

Once, as I pondered this situation, the Lord said to me, “The Israelites couldn’t move on because they had a wilderness mentality.” The Israelites had no positive vision for their lives—no dreams. They needed to let go of that mentality and trust God.

We really shouldn’t view the Israelites with astonishment because most of us do the same things they did. We keep going around the same mountains instead of making progress, and it takes us years to experience victory over something that could have been dealt with quickly.

We need a new mindset. We need to start believing that God’s Word is true. Matthew 19:26 tells us that with God all things are possible. All He needs is our faith in Him. He needs for us to believe, and He will do the rest.

The Lord is saying the same thing to you and me today that He said to the children of Israel: “You have dwelt long enough on this mountain.” It’s time for us to move on!

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In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins. Beloved, if God loved us so [very much], we also ought to love one another.

— 1 John 4:10-11 (AMPC)

Everyone desires to be loved and accepted. But many of us try to find happiness the wrong way. We attempt to find it in getting, but it is found in giving. The love of God is the most wonderful gift we are given. Once it flows to us, it needs to flow from us to others; otherwise, it becomes stagnant.

Love must give because that’s its nature.  First John 4:11 highlights how we must give the love we receive: Beloved, if God loved us so [very much], we also ought to love one another.

Living in God’s true love is a process. First, God loves us, and by faith, we receive His love. We then love ourselves in a balanced way, give love back to God, and learn to love other people.

Love must follow this course or it is not complete. Once we have God’s love in us, we can give it away. We can choose to love others lavishly. We can love them as deeply and unconditionally as God has loved us.

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For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent].— Ephesians 1:5 (AMPC)

Why does God love us as imperfect as we are? Because He wants to—it pleases Him. It’s in His very nature to love us, no matter how sinful our actions may be.

God conquers evil with good (see Romans 12:21). He does that by pouring out His limitless grace upon us so that when we sin, His grace becomes greater than our sin. And just as it is impossible for God not to love, so it is impossible for us to do anything to keep Him from loving us.

God loves because that is His nature. He is love (see 1 John 4:8). He may not always love everything we do, but He does love us. God’s love is the power that forgives our sins, heals our emotional wounds and mends our broken hearts (see Psalm 147:3).

God’s love is unconditional; it is based on Him, not us! Once you realize that God loves you regardless of what you have or haven’t done, you can experience incredible breakthrough. You can quit trying to earn His love and simply receive it and enjoy it.

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Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. — Philippians 4:11 (AMPC)

The Bible teaches us to be content no matter what our circumstances may be. The apostle Paul wrote, Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am.

Contentment is a decision to be happy with what you already have. Unfortunately, we usually learn to be content by living discontented lives for a long time and then finally saying, “Lord, I don’t want to live this way any longer.” But it doesn’t have to be that way.

You can choose to be content every day. This is worth more than all the material possessions you could possibly accumulate in a lifetime.

Paul made this clear when he wrote in 1 Timothy 6:6, …Godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain.

What is sure to make us happy? Choosing contentment in the Lord, every day. Saying to God, “Lord, I only want what You want me to have,” is the only way to have real peace and lasting happiness.

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How many of us can actually say, “I am not jealous of anyone else or envious of what others have. If God gave it to them, then I want them to enjoy it”?

The Word says, Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV). I believe God tests us to see if we will live by this verse.

There are times when He will put somebody in front of us who has exactly what we want—just to see how we will respond. Until we can pass His “I am happy for you because you are blessed” test, we are never going to have any more than what we have right now.

If you have asked God for something and He hasn’t given it to you yet, rest assured that He is not holding out on you. He simply wants to make sure that you rid yourself of jealousy and make Him your top priority.

God wants us to prosper in every way. He wants people to see His goodness and how well He takes care of us. But we must desire God more than we desire His blessings.

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Every day we encounter two different kinds of shame, and it’s critical that we know the difference.

There is a type of shame that is normal and healthy.  For example, if I lose or break something that belongs to someone else, I feel disappointed about my mistake. I wish I had not been so careless or negligent. I am sorry, but I can ask for forgiveness, receive it and go on with my life.

Healthy shame reminds us that we are imperfect human beings with weaknesses and limitations. It reminds us that we need God.

Unfortunately, when the healthy shame doesn’t stop there, it becomes unhealthy and poisonous. When a person doesn’t ask for or receive forgiveness, they can punish themselves and start to hate who they are.

Don’t spend your life in this position. Remember your rightful position as an heir and child of God (see Romans 8:17). Unhealthy shame will make you forget who you are in Christ, but healthy shame will remind you that you’re nothing without Him. Today, ask God to help you discern the difference.

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Do you ever wonder what life was like for Adam and Eve before they sinned?

Genesis 2:25 tells us that though Adam and Eve were naked in the Garden of Eden, they were not ashamed. I believe that in addition to indicating they were without clothes, this scripture also implies they were totally open and honest with each other—not hiding behind any masks, not playing any games. They were free to be themselves because they had no sense of shame. Once they had sinned, however, they hid themselves (see Genesis 3:6-8).

If not for the work Jesus did on the cross, all of us would have to live with the overwhelming shame of sin. But because of His sacrifice, mankind has the opportunity to enjoy perfect freedom with one another and with God.

Unfortunately, most of us still live with the burden of shame, even though the Word of God promises us and assures us that we can be free of it (see Isaiah 61:7).

God can deliver you from shame. Pray and ask Him to set you free from the shame that tries to build up within you.

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