03
Jun '21
Don’t Give Up!
03
Jun '21
Forget the former things, Kristie; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:18-19)
Have you ever felt weighed down by your past?
As we journey through life in our walk with God, we must refuse to allow the past to define us.
Oftentimes, the enemy will try to remind us of our past in the hopes of causing us shame and delay us in fulfilling our calling here on earth.
What a fool he is!
Because Jesus died on the cross, He has already paid the price in full for our guilt and shame… past, present, and future!
In times when we feel like we have run into a brick wall, it may be because we are forecasting our past into our present and future.
Satan will try to shoot arrows against our minds in the form of illusions concerning our future.
He will cast doubt for what lies ahead.
When this happens, your job is to not give up!
The truth is that your future is firmly planted in God’s hands. Not once has He let you slip from His fingers or allowed you to be stolen from Him.
As a beloved child of the Most High, your duty is to keep believing God can do wondrous things for you and through you.
If you feel like you are in the midst of a dry wilderness, refuse to be halted by the obstacles that come your way!
Keep moving forward in child-like trust and dependency on the Lord, knowing that He wants what’s best for you and will be faithful in delivering you safely!
No matter how small, each step you take while grasping the Lord’s hand will enable the path before you to gradually open.
Where there once seemed to be no way, now lies a new path of hopeful abundance!
Know that the Lord is doing a new thing in you, for you, and through you. He is saying to let go of the former things, and look to Him regarding the future. Rejoice, for a new stream of His faithful abundance is springing forth amid the barren wasteland!
Don’t give up!! Amen!! Don’t give up!! I repeat, Don’t give up!! When the enemy brings discouragement just meet him with Thanksgiving of Praise to God for answering your hearts prayer, that very special unspoken request is known to God!! If you maintain consistency throwing praise back in the Devils face when he brings those filthy stinking lies, it’s like hanging a no vacancy sign on your heart/mind.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
03
Nov '20
Get Up and Dust Yourself Off
03
Nov '20
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. (Hebrews 12:13)
One time when I was praying from a very sad place I wailed, “Lord, what do I do?” The sweet Holy Spirit answered immediately, “get up and dust yourself off!”
God doesn’t say you shouldn’t stumble.
He says when we do, get up quickly!
He says staying down turns the injured leg into a broken leg.
He knows we will have events that knock us down emotionally and physically, but He promises He will walk through them with us.
I will run my race no matter how messy it looks…no giving up & no staying down!
Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees. (Hebrews 12:12)
Wow! When I read this devotion I about had myself church. I pray it encourages you today, no matter how you feel, look up, get up and never give up. No matter how many time you get knocked down, keep getting back up. He sees your determination, and when you do everything you can do, that’s when God will step in and do what you can’t do. Now, get up and dust yourself off! Hallelujah!
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
23
Aug '19
Don’t Give Up!
23
Aug '19
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer. (Romans 12:12)
Have you ever felt like quitting? Have there been moments in your life when it seemed that all the effort and energies you were investing in something made no difference? Maybe you feel this way right now. It’s as though your life, career, finances or marriage is stuck like a tire in mud. No matter how hard you press the accelerator, you never get traction — you never make any significant progress.
Times like these are frustrating. They drain our hope and weary our spirit and soul. And if we’re not careful, they can drive us to the point of giving up.
Jesus had something to say about one of the things that causes this kind of frustration, hopelessness and weariness of heart. He addressed the issue of giving up on our prayers.
There are periods when it appears that all of our prayers about something or for someone are not making a difference. From all outward signs it looks like God is ignoring our cries and requests. The energy we’re pouring into prayer seems to be wasted and useless. Nothing is moving forward and changes are not happening, in spite of all our intercession.
When situations in life seem stuck, and our prayers feel fruitless, we’re tempted to give up — we’re tempted to quit praying. When this temptation comes our way, we need to be reminded of a teaching Jesus gave. Knowing there’d be seasons like this for all of us, Jesus provided us with specific instructions about how to handle them:
“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint/never give up.” — Luke 18:1
Without going into the particular story Jesus used, it’s helpful and important to focus on the lesson Jesus wanted to get across to us. His point was for us to never give up the practice of prayer and to never give up hope for answers to our prayers. Understanding that we would be tempted by what appeared to be lack of progress or answers in response to our prayers, Jesus said , “Keep on praying!”
“The Greek term Jesus used for the phrase “never give up” is very descriptive and powerful. It means, “to refuse to become a coward; to not lose one’s courage; to not grow faint or despondent; to not lose one’s heart or soul in a matter; to refuse to let weariness win; to not quit.”
What situations are you praying about that seem to stay the same? Who have you been praying for without any apparent results? What are you asking God to do for you that hasn’t yet happened?
Don’t quit praying! The delay is not a denial. God may want you to adjust your prayers, change some attitudes or address some issues in your life, or simply wait patiently for His timing, but one thing He doesn’t want you to do is to quit praying!
After reading this devotion I was encouraged to keep on praying and my prayer today is that you also “keep on praying” no matter what your facing, no matter how down and defeated you may be feeling at this very moment, don’t give up, keep on praying. No matter how dark and hopeless a situation might seem, never stop praying.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Psalm 94:18-19
19
Apr '18
Standing Firm
19
Apr '18
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13)
A couple of months ago, I shared my faith with my neighbor. The conversation went well (from my point of view). The next thing I knew she hosted a luncheon and invited all the neighbors but me. After hearing about the event I felt sad and discouraged. I thought about what I had said to her and wondered if I had offended her. As I prayed, the Lord spoke to my heart and reminded me that persecution comes in various forms. I am responsible to speak as the Lord leads me; but I cannot always expect the outcome to be as positive as I would like. The Lord softened my heart to pray for her and to ask for another chance to speak to her again, not in anger for being left out of the party, but in simple love for her.
It is not always easy to be strong in the Lord and to stand firm and not give up. Are you standing firm? We have to learn to praise God and share Him and talk about Him, especially when times are calm. Today we have the Holy Spirit and we have free speech. If we cannot stand firm for Him now when times are easy, how will we handle persecution leading to death when times become tough? God will protect you in His way with His results. Nothing can separate you from the love of God. Do not allow your pain, pressures, problems or even persecution to separate you from pleasing Him.
I feel we have all experienced some form of persecution because we stood fast in our faith and will continue to but I love today’s devotion. We need to be encouraged to stand fast in our faith, pray for and show love to those who persecute us and know that in the end He is faithful and He will strengthen you to run this race. I am reminded of 2 Timothy 4:7, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Stand firm, don’t give up and go to God in prayer.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is James 1:21
17
Apr '17
Don’t Give Up
17
Apr '17
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (Galatians 6:9)
I recently read. We often find ourselves determined to reach out and help someone we know who is in great need. But when we fail to see improvement right away, our resolve can weaken and we may eventually give up. We discover that what we hoped would be an immediate change has become an ongoing process.
The apostle Paul urges us to be patient in helping one another through the stumbles and struggles of life. When he writes, “Bear ye one another’s burdens” and so “fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2), he is comparing our task to the work, time, and waiting it takes for a farmer to see a harvest.
How long should we keep praying and reaching out to those we love? “Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (v. 9). How many times should we reach out? “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (v. 10).
The Lord encourages us today to trust Him, to remain faithful to others, to keep on praying, and to not give up!
Father in heaven, we ask for hope and perseverance to continue reaching out to others. Amen.
Have a wonderful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Galatians 6:1-10