Enduring Faith

 

    Faith is not a one time choice. It is a part of your life.  You are called to endure when things are uncertain, scary, or quiet.  When faith gets hard turn to God in prayer.  He may tell you to trust Him.  When He does, then go to God's Words.  Read His promises.  Remember all the times He has come through for you.  Remind yourself that you are not alone in this and that He will come through again.  Remember the end game goal.  You are living life now that is flawed and hard sometimes, but your faith is working to have eternity with God in perfection.

    Your faith is like a muscle.  You have to work it out.  When things are hard that is when you find your limits and then you start working to be more faithful in those areas.  Your are working to be steadfast under every trial and find renewed strength in the Holy Spirit.  Your faith is where you find strength, hope, and the ability to endure.

    Faith is often compared to athletic training, especial cross country running.  It gives you a visual of what is happening in the spiritual.  The path has ups, downs, unseen holes, heat, cold, and other elements that make it unpredictable.  The secret is to stay focused on the end goal so that you can remember what you are living for and fighting to have a close relationship with God.

    You are not able to endure on your own.  You need the Holy Spirit to help you.  He is your spiritual guide.  He will lead you through the danger and hard times.  He wont lead you around, but He will get you through safely if you trust Him.  As you go through things He will provide you understanding and wisdom.  It can take what feels like a really long time (years) to get through some things, but in the spectrum of eternity it is not that long.  It is for your benefit that you go through it.  It will burn away things that put distance between you and God leaving your more pure than when you began.

    Faith is a life journey.  It is not a one time event of declaring your believe in Jesus.  It is deciding to walk with Jesus for the rest of your life.  This path is not always understood by people, but you are doing as God commanded and that is what matters most.  

    Enduring faith is learning how to love like Jesus, confront sin, and be angry without sinning.  You learn grace, mercy, kindness, and more.  You shed preconceived ideas of what being a Christian is like a pushover, doormat, or being perfect.  You learn how to judge according to God's standards.  You do not judge people, you judge sinful behavior.  This takes time and maturity.  This does not happen over night, in a year, of even a few years.  Your maturing will look different from other people.  Some areas will come easier for you and you will have to work harder in other areas.  

    The things to remember is that you will never be done in your journey in faith until the day you meet God face to face.  When you enter Heaven you will finally be the perfect version of yourself.  You will be ready to worship and live with God without any distractions.  All the things that tear you apart, hurt, or confuse you will be gone.  This is what you are working toward.  In heaven you will no longer have to be strong or courageous because there will be nothing to fear.  You will be your truest self without any defenses, walls, or need for security because you will have everything your need and more.

Joshua 1:6-9, Judges 6:33-35, 7:23-25, 8:10-12, Psalm 46:1-3, Isaiah 40:28-31, Romans 5:3-5, 15:12-13, 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, Galatians 6:7-10, Hebrews 12:1-4, & James 1:12-15

God's Weapons

 

    Christians are spiritual warriors for God.  Our battlefield is unseen.  It manifest in the world, but the front line of battle is in prayer and spending time in God's Word to understand better how He fights the battles.  If you are a Christian, then you are a weapon to be used to show Jesus to the world.  You are not called to be nice, but you are called to be loving.  Telling the truth is not nice, but it is kind.  If you do it in love, then it can change the things happening around you.

    Like it or not you are in spiritual warfare.  You have a few options.  First, you can try to run away, but turning your back on the enemy only makes you vulnerable   Second, you can pretend it is not happening or ignore what is happening.  This will not change things for the better and eventually it will affect you.  Third, you can face it your way and burn out quickly.  Fourth, you can face the enemy with God doing it His way.  This is the only way to find victory and see the change that will honor God.

    There is no place for the apathetic or lazy Christian.  If you accept all the perks of being in God's family, then you are called to be in it with everyone else to honor God.  Love is is an action word.  Sometimes you have to fight for love to thrive and grow.  When you fight with God then you will have less battle scars or spiritual or emotional wounds to heal from.  When you fight with God then you will see victory where it was impossible.

    Your weapons are the armor of God.  You trust your commander not to lead you astray. Unlike human battles you will never be a pawn.  Things may happen that are unfair, but you live in an unjust world.  The difference is that God is right there experiencing it with you.  He will not abandon you.  He has given you everything you need to succeed.  You just need to learn how to use the armor of God to be successful and glorify God.

    Being God's weapon is not fighting a common battle.  You are fighting for what is good, just, and will glorify God.  You fight because you love Him which makes you passionate.  You are not called to be passive or a pushover.  You would not stand by and allow someone to hurt someone you love.  The same rule applies, but the battle is faced spiritually.  When you are facing the spiritual warfare you can see God fight for you.

    God will use your strengths and weaknesses, your talents, reasoning, resources, and reputation to fight His battles.  He gives your the Holy Spirit, ability to pray, His Word, faith, humility, truth, and wisdom to fight for Him.  You are valuable to God and have what it takes to fight with Him.  Where the world broke you is where you can be used the best to reveal who God is.  That is your battlefield (aka ministry).  

Exodus 14:13-14, Judges 7:15-16, 9:50-55, 14:5-7, 15:14-17, 2 Chronicles 20:21-24, Psalm 31:9-13, 83:9-18, 149:6-9, Isaiah 9:2-5, 10:24-26, Jeremiah 51:20-23, Matthew 15:13-14, Romans 6:12-14, 2 Corinthians 4:5-7, 10:3-8, Ephesians 6:13-17, & Hebrews 4:12-13

Faith Guide

 

    You are blessed to have the Bible, the Word of God, to guide you throughout your life.  You have at your fingertips the answers to all your crossroads, problems, and mysteries that need to be answered now.  When you pray and get into God's Word, you will find revelations for yourself in truth.  You knock and God will answer.  Jesus left the Holy Spirit to live in all who follow him to be a moral and spiritual guide in life. He will give your strength and comfort to face anything.

    You have the Bible and the Holy Spirit to guide your faith, but God also provides faithful friends.  These are true friends that will tell you the truth even if it hurts your feelings, pride, or find embarrassing.  They do this to support your walk with God and keep your from making a fool of yourself.  It is done in love.  They pray over you, for you, and with you.  They are there when life is hard and they support you when you need support.  Prayer partners and Biblical friends strengthen your walk with God.

    Having confident people in their faith directing you can give you confident.  It is important to know the difference between confidence and arrogance.  They hold you accountable because they depend on you holding them accountable.  They are a part of your life even if you don't get to talk everyday.  When you are ready to give up, they help you keep going.  

    Your true faith guide is the Holy Spirit.  He will place the right people in your life at the right time.  Some will be there for the long run and some for a season.  Some will teach you lessons and others will encourage and be friends.  No matter who He puts in your life the most important relationship is with God.  Allow the Holy Spirit to convict, encourage, and comfort you in every stage of life and it's journey.   He will place people in your life that will go into the battles with you.  

    If you follow the direction of the Holy Spirit you will be set free from fear, anger, hatred, doubt, and other things that push you away from God.  The more you are in God's Word, praying, and embrace healthy friendships the stronger and bolder you will become in your faith.  He will heal soul and emotional wounds if you accept His love.  Knowing that you are loved by God changes things in your favor.  You get to where you can love faithfully.  He gives you confidence while teaching you self-control.

    When you start maturing in your faith you can stop asking God for assurance.  You hear the Holy Spirit and you know that you have to start moving to get the clear picture.  You know that when you start going in the wrong direction that you will be redirected.  You don't need the whole life map.  You start going in trust and know that you will end up where you need to be.  You understand that you are serving God throughout the journey.

Joshua 1:6-9, Judges 7:7-16, Psalm 32:8-9, Proverbs 3:5-6, 27:9, Isaiah 41:8-10, 48:15-19, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, Ephesians 2:8-10, Philippians 4:10-14, & Hebrews 11

Put Faith in Action

 

    Faith without works is dead because unless you live out your faith it is not real faith.  Demon and Satan believe in God.  They obey God, but they do as ordered out of fear not love.  Faith is action motivated by love that trust God like a child.  It will have you do things even when you don't understand because you know God will not drop you.

    When you do not know who God is or trust Him, then you cannot live out a life of faith.  It starts small.  God calls you to believe in Jesus, then be baptized.  You don't fully understand, but you step out in faith and put it into action by declaration and baptism.  Then you spend time learning and understanding God better as you become a disciple.  You learn your gifts and how to use them for God while changing your lifestyle to be more like Jesus.  As you grow you are called into deep situations where you have to rely on faith.

    When you hesitate you start doubting, you allow fear in, and you stumble.  You have to depend on God to be able to see Him work in and around your life.  It is the step of faith that make your purpose in life clear.  You can't pray for something and then just sit there expecting God to do everything.  You have to do your part.  You grow stronger, bolder, and more outspoken because you have experienced God's love, miracles, and closeness.

    When you live a life of putting your faith into action you are have God's grace and favor.  He knows you will not do it perfectly, but you at least try. You are not a manufactured Christian, but a real person that loves Him and is devoted to do what He calls you to do.  It is experiencing life with God that makes you different from the world.  

    It is your faith that gives you the confidence to ask anything of God.  It is your heart that makes it where God wants to give you the things that ultimately makes your life better and serves a purpose.  He will give you things in abundance, but your treasure is not what the world considers treasure.  

    In life you see a person that grew up knowing they were loved to have more confidence in life over the people who did not have that security.  It is the same for true Christians.  When you know you are loved by God you live differently, more confidently.  Even if you did not have that growing up, you can have that now.  You are loved.  You are not alone.  You can do anything with God's support and guidance.

Genesis 27:28-29, Numbers 11:7-9, Deuteronomy 33:26-29, Galatians 5:5-6, Ephesians 2:8-10, Colossians 3:22-25, Hebrews 11:1-10, James 1:22-25, 2:17-26, & 1 John 3:18-20

Praying for Reassurance

 

    Worry and fear do not add any value to life.  If anything it takes away from your health, time, and joy in life.  It takes work and faith to trust God, but the goal is to trust God in all things and situations.  While you are building your faith it is okay to pray for reassurance.  

    Gideon prayed for reassurance and God gave him what he needed.  Depending on where you are in your journey of faith will depend on how God answers.  There comes a point where you either trust Him or you do not.  If you are learning to trust, then He will be patient.  If He has proven Himself and you know the truth, but you still insist on reassurance He may be silent.  He may be like you know what I told you to do, now go do it.  If the path is unclear always ask for reassurance on which direction to go.

    Before you go to God in prayer for reassurance ask yourself why you need it.  Are you stalling?  Are you avoiding responsibility?  Are you afraid of making the wrong decision?  Are you unclear on if you heard God's voice or your self-talk?  The reason is important for you to understand what you really need because deep down you know God will not lead you astray.  

    God is patient, but there comes a point where you are expected to act in faith.  If you refuse, then you are sinning.  If you want your hand held, then you are pushing the limits.  God is there.  He will not leave you.  He is working all around you and protecting you.  What more do you need?  Gideon requested a lot from God and God always came through.  He will do the same for you.

    When Gideon met the angel that gave him his first instructions, he asked him to wait while he got an offering.  Gideon was always asking, but with a humble heart it is always received well.  Ask all your questions to God and find wisdom, knowledge, and joy.  Gideon matured and started serving God with preparations for war.  However, when it came down to act, he made request out of fear or reluctance.  It could be interpreted as arrogant.  

    When God gives you direction your response needs to be to act in faith.  He understands if you are not there yet, but keep taking steps in faith.  You will find strength, boldness, and ability as you go not before.  The request for reassurance is a sign of weak faith.  You start with faith of a new born baby, but you should be maturing little by little.  Do not stay an immature Christian.  That does not honor God.  

Genesis 24:12-14, Exodus 4:1-17, Judges 6:36-40, Psalm 23, 27:1-6, 34:15-18, Isaiah 41:5-10, Matthew 11:28-30, 16:2-4, Mark 9:23-24, John 14:27-29, 20:28-29, Romans 8:38-39, & Philippians 4:6-7

Finding Favor

 

    Some people are put in this world given favor by God to serve a purpose, some get favor for what they do, and some inherit favor by accepting salvation.  No one earns God's favor.  His favor is a blessing given in grace and goodwill.  God delights in the humble and obedient heart that seeks Him for love, guidance, and wisdom.  It is this heart that will receive His favor.

    Being favored does not change who you are at the core.  If you have fear, doubt, or anxiety then it only becomes more apparent.  It is in God's favor that you can learn to let go and remove from your life, but it does not mean that it will just disappear.  You are human.  You will have human responses to life.  You are not perfect.  Own that, face it, and go to God with all your perceived and true faults.  Let Him tell you what needs to change and change it.

    God will be patient with you if you need patience.  He will ignore request if you are just trying to buy time.  He knows you.  He knows what you need.  He will push when you need a push and He will be gentle when you have hit your point where you just can't go forward without Him.  These are signs that you have God's favor because you belong to Him.  He will give you what you need as you need it to do your assigned job for Him.

    You know you have God's favor as a Christian because it is sealed by the Holy Spirit.  He gives you spiritual gifts as God provides for your physical needs.  The Holy Spirit will help build you up to become someone that God will use.  He will help you let go of your insecurities, move past weaknesses, and stop comparing yourself to others.  Your path with God is designed by God just for you.  You are not in competition with anyone else, but your past self to be better today than yesterday (closer to God today than yesterday).   

    The Holy Spirit will build your confidence in God through God's Word, prayer life, and seeing God work in your life.  In return for being given all that God gives you, you give back.  You give your tithe, time, and abilities.  You prepare for service, present yourself to God, put down anything in between you and God, and pour our what He gives you onto other people.  You become a living sacrifice to be a true ambassador for God in this world.  In time you could be a person that you never thought you could be if you faithfully trust God.

Genesis 6:5-8, Judges 6:17-24, Psalm 5:11-12, 84:10-12, 90:13-17, Proverbs 3:1-4, 8:32-36,12:2, Matthew 6:25-27, Luke 2:52, John 20:28-29, & 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

God's Patience

 

    God is patient with all people.  He gives you the time to make decisions.  He tells you what He expects, but waits on you to decide if you will comply, how you will comply, or if you will comply in obedience.  You know He is patient because He could have destroyed humanity whenever He wanted.  He allows you to live in your sin.  He is longsuffering to show you what love really is and how you can be loved the way you were meant to be loved.

    God is patient because He has held back the judgment that the world is destined to endure.  He is giving everyone a chance to turn away from their sins and follow Jesus.  He is waiting to forgive those whom ask to be forgiven with true repentance in their heart.

    God's patience reveals mercy.  Maybe you have been enduring His correction to get you where you need to be and now He is giving you peace.  Maybe you are coming out of a trial and are finding healing from a long hidden emotional or spiritual wound.  Maybe He is giving you a time of rest after working diligently for Him for a long time.  His mercy for you is personalized according your relationship with Him and needs.  

    Mercy is not getting what you deserve which is different from grace where you do get what you do not deserve.  Once reveals how you fall short of God's standards and the other reveals God's unconditional love.  You see this in your life.  It is revealed in your prayer life and walk with God.  The closer you lean into Him the more clearly you can see it.

    It is ignorant to call God impatient, intolerant, or uncaring.  It is fooling to demand that God meet you at your level and be okay with your lifestyle.  God is not going to change who He is for you.  He is showing you that your life is better if you change to His standard.  He is good because He gives you time and all the chances to live a life of faith following Jesus.  He is patient because He restrains His power.  He does this because He loves you.

    God wants you to understand what patience really is.  Patience is an active use of strength in the spiritual world. It is not just waiting.  It is actively choosing not to act and to restrain what you could do.  It is proof of strength, not weakness.  It is also a gift of the Holy Spirit where some people can have a supernatural ability of patience to face trials and help the church grow and develop.  

    Pray that you are able to see God's patience in your life.  Ask Him to help you be patient when you are spiritually ready to go through trials.  Patience is active which means it has to be worked out.  To workout active spiritual aspects means you have to go through things.  It is important that you do pray to have them and to build them up, but the timing is not always right.  If you are spiritually beat up, then allow God to give you rest and heal you so you can be strong enough to endure.

Exodus 34:5-7, Numbers 14:17-19, Judges 6:17-40, 7:9-11, Psalm 86:14-17, Isaiah 30:18, Romans 2:1-4, 9:20-24, 15:5-6, Galatians 5:22-23, Colossians 1:11-14, 1 Timothy 1:15-17, 2 Peter 3:8-10

Unseen Blessing

 

    God is trying blessing His people all the time.  Sometimes you get so busy in your life that you don't see what He is doing.  Sometimes you reject the blessing because you don't feel worthy, unaware that it is a blessing, or some other hang up.  Some times you loose your blessing because you choose sin over God.  Whatever the reason you may not have a blessing comes down to you and your choices.

    Blessings are divine gifts, spiritual favor, and hidden protection given by God.  His blessing are outside of the physical world, but impact it directly.  God works behind the scenes for the good of His people.  He offers grace, eternal reward, and daily preservation.  Many of these are not big moments.  They are in the details.  They are little things that make life better.  Pray that you recognize God's blessings and do not overlook them.  Pray that you accept them and stay where you can keep them.

    God's blessing can be seen in everyday life or in the miracles.  Gideon defeated the Midianite army of 32,000 with 300 men.  David defeated a scary giant with a stone.  Jesus fed thousands with five loaves of bread and two fish.  Life is full of scary giants and impossible moments, but this is when God can really shine in your life if you let Him.  If you let Him, then you are blessed and those around you that get to watch your story happen.

    God is the resource for all that you need, but He gives up and beyond that because He loves you and is generous.  He gives you the Holy Spirit for comfort and good counsel.  He gives you people in your life to make it fulfilling.  He gives you purpose.  He also supplies all that you need to live this life that He has given you.  

    God has blessed you with His Word, the Holy Spirit at salvation, the armor of God, strength, boldness, and more.  This is not insignificant.  He has provided you everything you need to overcome your sins.  You have a mind to think and make decisions.  You have free will, so you can never say you were forced in choosing Him.  He has blessed you with the ability to hold onto peace.   He has blessed you with love and a future.   He has blessed you with the ability to love.  You are blessed with relationship and the ability to have one with Him.

    Your entire life is a blessing.  You are a blessing.  You are not disposable, but it is your choice to be empowered or not.  The freedom that God has blessed you with is a choice.  He has blessed you with the ability to have wisdom that comes with knowing who He is.  He is truth that gives understanding through the Holy Spirit.  You are blessed with faith that cant be seen.

Judges 3:9-11, 6:14-34, 11:29-31, 14:5-20, 15:14-16, 2 Kings 6:16-17, Psalms 103:1-5, Luke 9:1-6, Romans 4:20-25, 1 Corinthians 2:6-9, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Galatians 5:16-18, Ephesians 1:3-8, Philippians 4:10-14, 1 Timothy 1:12-14, 2:1-7,  2 Timothy 4:16-18, & Hebrews 11:1-2

Let Go

 

    Letting go is one of the hardest acts of faith.  Letting go of control feels unnatural, but it is the only thing to give you real peace in life.  You have to trust God to have control over all the aspects you don't know about.  When you do, your part becomes simpler.  Trying to control everything steal joy, time, and bring unneeded anxiety into your life.

    Gideon rallied a powerful army for God, but God had him remove almost all his warriors.  He was left with only 300 to leaving about 1000 opponents to each Israelite warrior.  Gideon did this on faith.  He had already seen God provide, so he was confident in God in this.  God wanted it this way, so that there would be no doubt who brought the victory.  Gideon had to let go of potential pride, fear, and doubt to allow God to lead.

    God is bigger than anything you define as big.  Your problems are big to you, but they are not even problem to God.  Trust Him to handle it.  I promise He will do a better job with it than you would on your own.  He will protect your heart, soul, and mind if you allow Him.  He will protect your body and keep you alive until the moment it is your turn to go home.  He has whatever is bothering, scaring, or hurting you.  He has not left you alone to face it solo.

    You may feel exposed, vulnerable, scared, and defeated, but God is working in the background.  You will be victorious to glorify His name as long as you don't get in your own way.  He is trying to give you blessings.  Are you accepting them or missing them because you are too focused on the problem and not Him?  Are you faithful enough to keep the blessings or do you self-sabotage what He is giving you?   This is something you need to pray over in your life to see what you refuse to let go and how it is affecting your life.

    Letting go is hard.  It does not feel right.  You are called to walk in faith not feelings.  When you do you become strong.  Life becomes less chaotic in your head.  Your feelings direct you to notice things, but they don't control you.  They have a real purpose, but your mind and soul are what need to be in control of your decisions.  It is a decision to allow God to be in control and stop obsessing on things you can't control.  If you refuse to let go of what God has called you to let go, then you are sinning against God and it will put distance in your relationship with Him.

    Everyday has new challenges and concerns.  This is why you need God every day.  The sooner you get with God in your day the better your head space will be and your decision making process.  Letting go may just be your ministry.  When you master it, you are able to help and encourage other people to learn how to let go and the benefits.  That does not mean you won't have your days where things get to you and you struggle.  It means that letting go becomes a part of your daily life because you understand that He is your only real security.

Judges 7:7-16, 1 Kings 17:8-16, Psalm 46:8-11, 55:20-23, Proverbs 3:5-6, Philippians 4:6-7, & 1 Peter 5:5-7

Refinement

 

    God will put challenges in your life to stretch your faith, show other people the way, or redirect you.  Sometimes the trails are more than you can handle.  These trails are refining you.  Gold and silver have to go through heat that will break down the elements to get to its purest form.  Your gold is your heart and soul.

    Refinement chips away at what you hold onto instead of turning to God.  It will chip away at your finances, relationships, work, pride, appearance, hormones, and anything else that weighs you down in life.  When you endure and allow God to work in you though this process it is making you more your truest holy self.  You are becoming more like Jesus and when the day comes you can face God in confidence.

    Refinement that comes from God will whittle down your life to make it simple, so you can rebuild it to be the life God designed for you.  When life gets hard remember that God is with you.  Instead of panicking thank God for what He is doing in your life and lean on Him more.  Trust His process as it gets hard.  Life is not about always being happy, but refinement can produce joy.

    During the refinement process listen for God's voice.  Refinement is not an easy process.  It is painful, but when you get through it your soul will be more beautiful.  You will be unhindered by what you got through.  Fear can be removed.  Going through a little pain now is so much better than an eternity of pain or a lackluster Christian life.  You have to be refined to be a Christian that lives out your purpose in life.  You have to overcome fear to be used by God.

    Refinement can be struggle, disappointment, rejection by people, being overlooked, attacked, helplessness, terror, persecution, and facing impossible situations.  The purpose is for you to see your need for God in every situation.  You need God in every phase of life.  When you do, you get deliverance, discovery of truth, blessings, and victory over what you faced.  Commit yourself completely to God so that you do not hinder your process.

Deuteronomy 20:8-9, Judges 7:1-6, Job 23:10-17, Psalm 66:8-12, Proverbs 17:3, Isaiah 48:8-11, Zechariah 13:7-9, Malachi 3:2-4, Luke 21:34-36, Romans 5:3-5, Philippians 1:3-6, Hebrew 12:10-11, & 1 Peter 1:6-7

You Get What You Give

 

    A principle of God's is that you get what you give.  Jesus basically said that you sow what you reap.  If you are generous, kind, and loving, then you typically get that in response.  If you are angry, bitter, or have a bad attitude, then you typically get negative attitude back.  If you live a life of faith, then you will see God working in your life.

    God wants a personal and intimate relationship with you, but you have to want it too.  What you put into your relationship with God will be reflected in the kind of relationship you have with God.  If you feed humility, then you will remember all the blessings that God has given you.  If you feed pride, then you get spiritual amnesia.  Pride wears down faith.  This is why arrogance will make you fall and probably humiliate you.

    If you allow God to work in your weakness, then you are more apt to stay humble and be a working agent for God.  When you are humble, you notice when opportunity is knocking and obey God's commands.  You see yourself in a healthy perspective.  You are not prideful, but you don't beat yourself down either.  You know who you are, where you stand with Jesus, and you work toward your purpose with confidence (not arrogance or pride).

    When you rely on God you find strength.  You see victory in life.  You have purpose that people cannot take away.  It is only when you stop relying on God that you begin to fail, stumble, and fall to pride.  Hidden pride destroys relationships and makes life more difficult.  Thank God for your weaknesses in life that cultivate you into a stronger warrior for Him.  Pray over your hard relationships, times, and difficulties in life to see if they are rooted in pride or a weakness to be used by God.

Judges 7:1-3, 8:13-22, Psalm 103:1-5, Proverbs 11:25, 19:17, 30:7-9, Luke 6:37-39, 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, & Galatians 6:7-10

Key to Strength

 

    God is the key to true strength.  You may not be physically strong, but if you are spiritually strong and follow Jesus faithfully, then you can do anything.  God helps you through the impossible.  He gives you courage to face fear, persecution, and pain.  He gives you the Holy Spirit which is your inner power to see past all the obstacles and distractions to what could be and what needs to be done.  God makes you stronger than you know.

    Strength takes daily exercise.  It does not matter if it is physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual.  If you want to be physically strong, then you have to lift weights, do mobility exercises, stretching, drink water, and eat healthy.  You have to prioritize your health.  Mental and emotional strength requires controlling your thoughts and taking steps daily for self-control.  Spiritual strength comes by spending time with God in His Word, prayer, and walking in faith.  Take what you learn everyday and apply it to your day.

    Life can be scary.  You may feel fear, overwhelmed, intimidated, exhausted, inadequate, and weak.  You need to acknowledge the feelings to figure out how to move past or work through them.  Ignoring a problem does not make you strong.  It makes you weaker.  Feelings that control you paralyze your progression in the life you are trying to build with God.  God commanded you to be strong and courageous in your obedience to Him.   Do not allow feelings to discourage you from your calling.

    Embrace your weaknesses.  It is in your weakness that God can shine in your life.  He can use them so much better than your strengths.  They allow you to be open to Him and the key to His strength.  You need God to be strong.  When you obtain God's strength you gain confidence in what you are doing.  You may never get stronger in that area, but the strength that God provides overshadows your weakness.  You are not a victim. It is an opportunity to be more, not less.  It is a part of your testimony.

    You may be the underdog.  You may be the runt.  That is okay.  It is always an amazing story when the underdog becomes victorious over the obviously stronger opponent.  The runt has to fight to survive, so it normally becomes stronger than those around.  Moses, and Pharoah, Gideon with the Medianites, David with Goliath, Esther and Human, and the list goes on.  The element that they possess that their opponent does not is that they trusted God.  

    In life it may look like there is no way, but God will make a way if it is a part of His plan.  His way will be obvious and grand after the fact, but if you don't trust Him then you could get destroyed.  Practice focusing on God with the little distractions and when the big things come it will be easier to focus on Him instead of the problem.  You have to practice faith to have strong faith.  Focus on God instead of searching for the key.  God will unlock and open the door for you.  You just have to be watching and ready to move.  The joy in trusting the Lord is your strength.

Joshua 1:6-9, Judges 7:7-13, 8:10-12, Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 46:1-3, 73:21-26, Isaiah 40:26-31, 41:8-10, Luke 9:12-17, 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, & Philippians 4:10-14

Assignment

 

    Your purpose in life is to discover your assignment for this season and this time in your life.  Some callings never change, but how you serve and obey does.  Each season in life has a purpose.  It is unique for you to be able to do good works.  Some assignments are to prepare you for a bigger purpose and work on building your faith.  Faith is built on trusting God in all circumstances.

    To understand or even find your assignment you need to go to God in prayer and study your Bible.  It is in your time with God that you are able to best prioritize your time.  Once you have prioritized your life, then you are able to start working each step of your assignment from God to fulfill your purpose in life.  

    Working through your assignment will help you face doubt, fear, anger, confusion, and false gods to be able to see more clearly who God is and His purpose for you.  God prepares you at a pace that symbolizes the importance and what you can comprehend.  Sometimes it will be a big push.  Other times it will be a slow growing process.  Neither are very comfortable, but you know God is working in you and it makes it worth while.

    Gideon lived in fear when an angel came to him declaring him a warrior for God.  He could hardly handle it, but he was faithful.  His father was over the pagan religion in his village.  His first assignment from God was to destroy all the idols.  He was faithful, but he did it in the dead of night because he was afraid.  His confidence didn't come until later after watching God provide over and over again for every assignment.

    As a Christian, your first assignment is to be baptized.  It is a small act of obedience.  If you can't be obedient there, then God will not give you more important assignments.  After you do fulfill the first assignment the others will depend on your relationship with God, your willingness to be obedient, spiritual gifts, personality, and your weaknesses that He can use to become strengths for Him.  

    The more you trust God and obey His instructions the more focused your assignments will become.  Your assignments start with you and move out layer by layer of people in your immediate circle to the world.  Facing your family and loved ones may be harder than facing strangers, but you have to start with the people you know and love.  Your assignments will always be different formats of putting God first, replacing sin with His presence, and calling sin sin.

    Living out your faith will say more than the word you use to try to convince them that Jesus is the way to salvation and true joy in life.  Trust God to take care of you as you go into the world boldly for Him.  He will never abandon you.   Find people in your life that will encourage you to to accept your assignments and calling in life.  Those are the people that truly love you and will be there for you.

Genesis 18:9-12, Judges 6:14-35, 7:1-3, Jeremiah 1:5, Matthew 25:23, Acts 1:7-8, 1 Corinthians 7:17-19, 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, Ephesians 2:8-10, & Philippians 1:3-6

Who Are You?

 

    Have you ever looked in the mirror and asked yourself who am I?  You are who God says you are.  How do you know what God says you are?  You go the Bible to find the promises that God has made you.  You find how He describes His people and His enemies.  You figure out what category you are in and what category you want to be in, then you know where you stand with God.  When you know where you stand with God, then you know who you are.

    Your identity is not defined by the world.  God created you with your identity to be loved, known, and understood.  The world (Satan) will mess with your head if you allow it and he will confuse you.  God wants you to know how loved you are by how He made you, forgiven you, and gave you purpose.  You were not an accident.  You were not a whim.  You were chosen, created, and cared for from design to who you are today.

    God's love for you helps you overcome fear, low self esteem, rejection, or insignificant feeling to be courageous, capable, equipped, valuable, accepted, and purposeful.  Being a child of God empowers you to step out of the shadows to be the person He created you to be.  Life will try to tear you down, but the more you lean into God, the more strength you gain.  You become bold in your faith as you start seeing yourself through God's eyes.

    If you are Christian trying to mature in your faith, then you are a mighty warrior for God.  Your fight is done in prayer not physically.  You trust God to take care of all the things you can't fix on your own.  You may not feel strong, but do not give up.  The daily battles are making you stronger.  You are stronger than you think you are.  God's love gives you strength to do more than you are capable of doing on your own.

    Who you are matters.  It is the most important thing because it is your character.  Your character will define your actions.  A Godly character will answer God's calling well, but a bad character will abuse His calling and make it about themselves or how it could serve them instead of God.  Take the time to really look at who you are.  Is it the person you want to be?  Are you following Jesus to be more like him?  Do you want to change?  Are you listening to what God is telling you about who you are?  

Genesis 1:27, Joshua 1:6-9, Judges 6:11-12, Psalms 138:1-3, 139:13-16, John 1:10-13, Romans 8:26-30, Ephesians 2:8-10, & Colossians 1:11-14, 3:12-15

Overlooking God

 

    God meets you where you are and shows you how to follow Him faithfully.  It is your responsibility to grow and mature in your walk with Jesus.  You will never see everything that God is doing in and around your life, but you can see Him working if you look for it.  Do not ignore or overlook what He has done in your life.  Do not forget the sacrifice Jesus made so you can have salvation.

    God is with you every step and every phase of life.  He sees you.  He know you.  He will not abandon you.  Talk to Him boldly.  Ask Him all your questions and turn to His Word to find the answers.  Dig in and go deep.  You will find the answers that you need in life, but they will not always be what you want to hear.  Do not ignore what God tells you just because you don't like it.  You have to embrace all of the truth, not just the parts you like.

    You will find strength in God's truth.  It will enable you to live a bolder and more confident life for Him.  It is not an easy journey.  You have to face who you are and see your own short comings.  People may tell you that things are alright, but if God says they are not then you have to listen to Him over your peers.  You have to be willing to follow Jesus even when no one around you will.  The more you learn, listen, and obey the stronger you will become.

    Strength does not happen over night.  It takes time.  You have to constantly push past your comfort sone.  You have to endure a small amount of pain today to be able to face big things in life.  You want to be able to face reality through God's perspective.  You do not want to crumble under the pressure.  

    God has not changes.  His promises have not changed.  It is your perspective and response that changes throughout life.  When you respond in obedience life doesn't get easier.  It gets clearer.  You are empowered with purpose and passion to do what God has called you to do.  What applied when the Bible was written applies now.  He does not lie, so you can trust the truth.

    You can't overlook your journey.  You can't jump to the end and be this strong bold person for God.  It takes daily steps.  It takes prioritizing God, focus, and time.  Do not overlook your relationship with God.  It is the most important relationship of your life.  Accept the lessons that God is teaching you and trust that it will serve a bigger purpose down the road.  Hold onto your hope of salvation.  Trust that He will deliver you through the hard times.  

Genesis 16:13-14, Judges 6:7-14, Psalms 121:3-4, 139:1-6, Isaiah 49:15-18, Micah 6:8, 7:18-20, Matthew 22:37-40, Acts 17:30-31, Romans 3:23-26, Ephesians 6:5-9, & 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, 5:16-18

Abundant or Oppressed

 

    God is generous.  He wants to give to His people.  He wants good things for you, but He is not a push over.  You cannot take Him for granted and expect abundance.  You ignore Him and abuse the relationship, then He will put you in a place of oppression.  It is punishment, but it is the kind of punishment that is meant to benefit you.  A little hurt today is better than an eternity of hurt.

    A core principle is that you get an abundant life through your relationship with God.  Obedience leads to good things.  However, you live in the world where Satan has great influence.  You can be obedient and bad things still happen.  This is when you look inward and pray for any hidden sin.  If none is found, then ask God to reveal the truth.  Sometimes bad things happen for your benefit, slow you down, or for the benefit of someone else.  It is not always because you have sinned.  In these times hold onto the truth and keep your focus on the eternal instead of the current situation.

    If you feel like you are experiencing oppression, then turn to the Bible.  Pray over your feelings and truth to be revealed.  Not every feeling is accurate.  Feelings are indicators, but not truth tellers.  Get the true description of oppression from the Bible.  If you are truly being oppressed, then ask God to reveal the reason.  If it is due to personal sin, then repent and work toward making things better in life.  If not due to your personal sin, then ask God to show you how you can be used in this season.

    God is faithful.  He provides what you need in life.  He gives abundantly.  He is your defender.  He is your true refuge.  He is your liberator from suffering, evil, and hate that happen when you are oppressed.  God is loyal even when you are not.  His loyalty does not mean approval.  You have to repent your sin and return to God to get in good standing.  God has already gone up and beyond.  Everything else is up to you.

    Rebellion will lead to oppression, but that does not mean that God has abandoned you.  You can still find Him.  When you repent you can find the blessings in the small things.  You can see Him in the unexpected.  Gideon was blessed while hiding from his oppressors in a wine press threshing wheat.  You can expect blessings, but you can't expect how they will appear.  Blessing happen because He loves you.  Oppression happens to redirect you.

Deuteronomy 9:7-10, 28:45-48, 1 Chronicles 21:13-21, Psalms 9:7-10, 72:12-14, 130, Isaiah 54:11-15, Luke 4:18-19, John 10:6-10, 2 Corinthians 9:6-9, & Ephesians 3:20-21

Service for God

 

    Christians are called to serve God, but there are different ways to follow your calling.  You may be a leader in the church, community, or government.  Your service could be providing for physical or financial needs of people in the church.  You could help the poor.  You could go out into the world as a missionary.  You may be a prayer warrior, encouraging other Christians, provide wisdom and guidance, teach, be a protector, fight legally for God's way, or serve in some other area.  The part that matters is that you follow God obediently in your calling.

    Serving God is surrendering every aspect of yourself to Him and following Jesus' lead.  This may include always having to be in the spotlight, getting attention, or living a constantly stimulated life.  You may have to embrace a slower lifestyle and learn the value of the mundane life.  

    There is a lot of value in the careers that are over looked that provide for the family and bring service to people's lives.  These people have the opportunity to share Jesus to all types of people.  Some of these are plumbers, electricians, farmers, mechanics, and more.  It doesn't matter so much what you do in life as long as it is in service to God first, then your family.  God would not ask you to do anything that would leave your family worse off.  

    Serving God also means that you have to be willing to change course.  God may not keep you doing the same thing for your entire life.  He may place you somewhere else to serve.  He presents opportunity to understand Him better and serve well.  It normally starts off slow and boring.  There is purpose in that.  He is giving you the opportunity to prepare for what will come.  He tries to grow your faith and make you strong to face anything.  There is a lot of preparation before a big event.  People only notice the reveal, never all the work that got to that point.

    There is peace to be had in living an ordinary life of service.  It can keep your perspectives clear.  It can help you see more of what God is doing in the back ground.  It is an opportunity to seek God in the normalcy and not just when thing are chaotic or bad.  Walk with Jesus, so that you do not get used to life without him.  

    Do not allow life to become a routine without God or you will miss out on a lot of blessings and possibly really hurt the church along the way.  You were born to have an abundant life with Jesus, but that also means taking the time to invest in the relationship without getting bored and walking away.  Be thankful for the mundane and preparation that God places in your life.  It is a gift and will serve a purpose one day.

Leviticus 26:3-5, Judges 6:11-26, Psalms 1, 83:9-18, 100, Isaiah 33:10-13, Joel 2:18-24, Matthew 25:40, Mark 10:41-45, Luke 3:15-18, Romans 12:1-2, Galatians 5:13-15, Colossians 3:22-25, & 1 Peter 4:10-11

Being Commissioned

 

    If you are a Christian, then you have been commissioned by God to serve in His church.  Your commissioning will be personalized, but it will come down to living a life that brings glory to God, make disciples, and be brave enough to get out of your comfort zone.  God will protect you and give you the strength to do what He called you to do.  His commissioning for you will call you to be someone more than you are today.

    God uses ordinary people to do amazing things in life.  He will give you a clear calling, so if you are confused lean in closer for clarification or understand that it is not your calling.  He has given you the authority in Jesus' name to do your calling.  Your commissioning gives you purpose and joy in life even when it is hard.  You get joy because you are experiencing His love and able to share it.

    Being commissioned is a call to service.  You are not the hero of the story.  You are getting in the dirt to meet people where they are.  You are living out to the best of your ability what Jesus did for you.  God met you where your were and He showed you a better way.  You are the vessel for God's love in life and message.  You will have to speak truth when it is hard.  Being commissioned by God typically doesn't make you popular.  Your job is to call people to repentance and return to God.

    When you are serving God most days are mundane, routine, and appear boring.  You are doing small things, but God is using them to build something strong.  The big moments are few and far between for the average person.  You spend years preparing for the moments and they are typically over before you even realized that they were big moments.  You have to start appreciating the small moments and noticing the little things that God does everyday like a rainbow, smile, or something personal that you needed in the moment.

    To obey your commissioning you have to spend time with God and talk with Him.  This is how you get in tune with Him.  It makes it easier for you to know the right thing at the right moment.  You don't need to over think it.  You just need to be in the moment with Him.  You have to be aware of His presence.  The best thing you can do for yourself in life is to discover your calling and accept God's commissioning.  It is an honor to serve Him.  

Genesis 16:7-16, Exodus 3:1-3, Numbers 22:21-27, Deuteronomy 32:19-27, Judges 6:11-12, Isaiah 6:8-10, Jeremiah 1:4-5, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18, Acts 1:18-19, 26:15-18, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, & Ephesians 1:15-23

Commander in Chief

 

    God is the Commander in Chief of all nations.  He rules the entire world.  He controls the world you see and the supernatural world.  He commands His armies.  He is the Lord of Host.  He deserves respect and devotion.

    Serving God is a personal choice.  If you choose to serve Him, then you are all in.  There is no half way doing things when it comes to His service.  Doing things grudgingly, for appearances, or to earn points will not be acknowledged by God.  He cares about your purpose along with your dedication.

    He calls you to work united with His people.  You work toward peace within His church.  The world acts as your enemy because it first hated Jesus.  You are to be united, bold, and work in strength to try to get the people of the world to come to Jesus.  If they do not, then you are not called to bow down to them.  You stand firm in God's commandments, especially love.  Do all things motivated in Christlike love, never hate.

    Serve God in love and faith and you will be blessed.  Stay in His Word, prayer, meditating on what the Holy Spirit enlightens you with, and focus on the eternal future.  This will keep your perspectives holy.  They will help you fight against temptation that causes moral decline, hate, fear, and other things that will destroy what you have or are building with God.  If you discover you are not being obedient, then repent and do what you have to to get back on track.

    To serve God you have to prepare the next generation to serve God.  Do not drop the ball.  Do not become apathetic.  Do not think that it is someone else's responsibility, calling, or job.  If God puts it in your path, then it is your responsibility.  The Holy Spirit will equip you with what you need to do the job.  Do not over think it.  Keep it simple.  It is all about building relationships and allowing them to grow.

    Serving God will call you to give up your personal comfort, preference about life, and sometimes happiness to serve a greater good.  It may not benefit you directly, but in the long run you have to trust that it will benefit everyone impacted.  

    Serving God requires you to call sin sin.  You have to be bold and strong to confront the evils of the world.  You need to learn kindness that declares God's truth in a way that will help people in the long run.  You don't have to be a confrontational person to speak truth in love.  You are not trying to hurt or humiliate people, but a little hurt today is better than a big hurt down the road.  

    Serving God will bring conviction into your life about what you put above God at times.  Sometimes you compromise small standards to serve a momentary desire.  Allow the Holy Spirit to convict and reveal the truth, so you can repent and draw closer to God.  When you put it behind you, then God can use it in your service.  Ask yourself this: Do I want to be remembered for my faith or some other reason?  The answer will reveal where you are today.  It also indicates the impact you have on other people's lives and the impact that you leave in God's name.

Deuteronomy 31:9-13, Joshua 5:13-15, 24:14-24, Judges 2:10-15, 21:24-25, Psalms 24:7-10, 145:1-7, Proverbs 11:14, 14:12, Ephesians 6:10-12, & Revelations 19:11-16