“For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office.” -Romans 12:4
Just imagine if we cheered each other on as much as we talk about one another. Let’s get real this month about being more like Jesus. Yes, we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). Yes, we are the apple of His eye (Psalm 17:8). Yes, we are blessed going in and blessed coming out, (Deut.28:6) but are we really producing the good fruit in our lives? Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Mark12:31); however, lately I have seen more sinners loving better than the body of Christ does. We ought to be on our knees repenting and committing to not only say we will do better, but actually do better.
Ever thought about fasting for ten days of saying nothing negative. Nothing negative about others and nothing negative about ourselves. Yes, before you get upset I know that fasting pertains to food, but it is much deeper than that. It is sacrificing the flesh. Too many times we are blaming the enemy instead of dying to self. Listen, I understand that people get on our nerves and we say, ‘you don’t know what they did to me,’ etc, but if we have an issue with someone, I will have to say that it has more to do with ourselves than the other person.
Please let’s stop stirring up strife. Buckle down to discipline our flesh, especially our mouths. The tongue is unruly evil, full of deadly poison (James 3:8). It is better the keep our mouths shut than to become a stumbling block. Let’s represent Christ well. As we stay in our lane, run our race, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus; we will have no time to be in comparison, jealousy, and strife.
Let’s be supportive, encouraging, and helpful, not hurtful. Let’s make Poppa proud. I am cheering each of you on to complete the work He has called you to do. Don’t try to be a thumb if He equipped you to be an arm. Let’s stay in our lane and hear Him say, Well done my good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:23).
Until next time, be positive and be your brothers’ and sisters’ best fan!! Let’s go win the world together! ❤️
Tina Bassett resides in New Martinsville. She is a single mom of three beautiful daughters: Rachel, Charity, and Destiny. She is the director of the greeters/ushers, serves on the prayer team, and also participates on the praise and worship team at her local church. She loves animals and the beach. More than anything she wants her life to reflect God’s love and have an impact on those around her.
Hey guys! As I’ve told you before… I LOVE FIRE! It was one of my obsessions and I have kept the love of it even in my healing.
I also have a problem with picking stuff up off the altar after I have laid it down (spiritually). So, how are these two things related?
Well, let me ask you a question: What does fire do? If something is on fire what changes? It burns and consumes all that it touches. Fire can be a good thing or a bad thing.
Usually when we think of fire, we think about houses burning to the ground and people losing everything. There is a good thing about the consuming power of fire. You see, when we lay something down on the altar, we as humans have a habit of picking it up off the altar and reclaiming it.
Fire fixes that problem… we can’t pick up what God has consumed in His holy fire! My friend Chris Sarver has a song that says “I know what you can do with just a flame until there’s nothing left, let it all burn. And come alive in the ashes that remain.”
When I heard that it wrecked my whole thought pattern. To really be free you have to allow God to burn away what He needs to. When you and I do this, we will find and be in true freedom. I know it’s hard, trust me but it’s necessary for our deliverance.
I struggle with this just as you do. Its not easy giving up something, that’s why God has to burn it so we don’t pick it back up! Today I’d like to challenge you to allow God to burn up the things within you that are not of Him.
I love you guys! God Bless! Peace out Peeps!
Hannah Benson — known for her big heart, her kindness, and her eagerness to serve — is the author of the Overcoming Autism blog.
Hannah was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 14, and now uses this media platform as a way to reach out to those living with Autism and other handicaps. Hannah shares tips and coping skills for those with Autism and for family and friends of those who have been diagnosed; she also relates her life to stories in the Bible and chronicles the lessons she’s learned along her journey.
Hannah Benson can be found on Instagram @hannah_benson94 or on Facebook on the Overcoming Autism Hannah’s Story.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:17).
I have to admit – I am not the world’s best shopper. I do not like going to the mall, searching from one shop to the other, trying to find that one perfect gift. I seriously doubt that I have ever found the absolute perfect gift for anyone. What about you?
Do you know, when it comes to gift giving, God is in a class all by Himself. When He sent Jesus, He sent the absolute best. Jesus has always been, is now and always will be perfection personified. He is perfect and He is also exactly what we need in order to have eternal life.
Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” We must always remember that He came here in human form in order to identify with us in our struggles and our weaknesses. The difference was – He never sinned. He was sinlessly perfect – something that none of us have been able to accomplish in our lives.
However, He is with us to help us be the people we can never be without His help. In this sense He is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Paul pointed to this in Philippians 1:6: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Now let us go back to the gift giving. Whether we like to shop or not, isn’t it great to buy presents for the people we love? God love us before we were ever born. That is why He gave us Jesus. Why do we love Him? I John 4:19 says “We love him, because he first loved us.” No doubt about it – Jesus is the perfect gift.
Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.
Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter — Breanna.
Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.
So… we all have friends right? Of course we do. Some of us have several.
There can be several levels of friendships. There is that casual friend, you know the one you may see once in awhile or maybe chat on social media here and there. Then, there is the good friend, the one you keep in touch with weekly or more.
You can also have the “BC” friend, aka before Christ. You still keep in touch but not like before. Your new self scares them.
Then, you may have the lifelong friend; they know pretty much everything about you. Or the best friend, the one you call no matter what time it is to talk you through whatever is going on.
You get what I’m saying. A friend is someone you don’t take advantage of, you are there for them as they are for you.
Can you have more than one friend? Absolutely, we all need friends. I have a few of all the ones listed above and I cherish them dearly. But keep in mind, you aren’t always going to agree and that’s ok. Just remember this is someone that you can count on, trust, confide in.
A friend is that person that shows up at your house when it is a total disaster or you are in your nastiest sweats and t-shirt and they just want to hang out and have a cup of coffee or tea. They don’t care about all the mess.
Proverbs 27:17 says… As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
Ok, so we have discussed normal friendships, but let’s look at a friendship that might be a little out of the ordinary, maybe even taken a little too far. When that happens it puts a major strain on the friendship. You get jealous when they hang out with others and don’t involve you. You want their complete attention. Is this really a friendship or an obsession? This isn’t healthy for either person.
We have to be careful with our friendships and we can’t smother one another. That is the one true way to ruin it. We love hanging out with them but they need their space also. We can’t get all bent out of shape when they say, “I need my space” or some me time. It doesn’t mean they don’t want to be your friend, they just might need time to reboot or recharge.
Friendship is a gift, so let’s be sure to honor their boundaries. I hope this inspires someone today.
Be blessed and always remember to never let your cup be empty.
Lou Ann Virden is the author of the blog Farmhouse, Coffee and Jesus. She is very active in her church. She volunteers in the food pantry, usher/greeter team, and cleaning crew. She is on the prayer team, is over the sound room team, and she writes the newsletter for her church. Lou Ann and her husband Donnie will be relaunching The Refuge 180 Evangelism Ministry. They have been married for over 40 years. They live on her husband’s family farm with their dog Hunter. In the summer they are busy canning what they harvest from their garden. Her hobbies include going to the beach, reading, camping, and serving however she can. She hopes that her blogs inspires someone that might be dealing with a similar situation.
And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men (Luke 2: 13-14).
On the night that Jesus was born good tidings were given to some shepherds in a field. These were tidings of peace and God’s good will toward men. God’s good will toward us is truly amazing and certainly worthy of discussion. Let us look at four things that God’s good will toward us entails.
Firstly, it is God’s will that we repent of sin in order to be saved. II Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” No sin is too great for God to forgive because He desires so much to save us. After all, that is why Jesus came to this world.
Jesus knew His mission well and fully accomplished what he set out to do. Isn’t it wonderful to know – even before we were born – Jesus came looking to save us. He even declared this in Luke 19:10: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Secondly, it is God’s will that we establish a close relationship with Him through prayer. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: “I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” (I Timothy 2:8) God wants to hear from us. He cares, He listens and He answers.
Thirdly, it is God’s will that we worship Him in spirit and in truth. Speaking to the woman at the well, Jesus said, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him” (John 4:23). Surely, He is worthy to be worshipped and there is no better time to worship Him than right now.
Finally, it is God’s will that we live holy lives. I Thessalonians 4:3 says, “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification…” As we endeavor to live free from the sins of this world, we bring glory to the One who saved us. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Our actions, words and thoughts need to reflect our commitment to our Heavenly Father.
God’s good will toward us is evident throughout the Bible. It is also true that God has given all of us a free will. He allows us to decide whether or not we desire a relationship with Him the way He desires a relationship with us.
During their wandering in the wilderness God told the children of Israel, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). He placed the choice before them; He places the choice before us.
Since we know that God’s will toward us is good, we should be able to make the choice that Joshua made. These are the words from Joshua himself:
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the Flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell; but for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).
So, let us surrender our free will to God’s good will. He desires the best for us and will prove that to us throughout our lives.
Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.
Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter — Breanna.
Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.
Genesis 16:13… Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.”
I watched a movie the other night about a woman named Kate who suffered with ALS, a debilitating disease, and my mind went to the Biblical account of Hagar. Although the movie centers around the life of living with ALS and its effects of gradual loss of function, there was a subplot that caught my attention.
See, Kate was a classical pianist and had dreams of continuing in this field. During her time as a pianist, Kate met two men. One of the men was also a musician and the other was a successful business man with high aspirations for a lavish life. Kate married the latter and although their life appeared to be good, when Kate was diagnosed with ALS, the fractures in their marriage began to show. Long story short, Kate had given up playing the piano for the life she chose and although her husband took care of her for as long as he could, the truth was, he didn’t really ‘see her’. He had an image that he had created of her, but it wasn’t who she really was and honestly, she had given up who she really was for a life that she thought she wanted. The other man that was also a musician ’saw her’. He saw who she really was, but she married for other reasons. There was a quote in the movie by Kate as she was talking to her young female caregiver that directed my thoughts to the story of Hagar, Sarai, and Abram:
“Why is it that we want the ones that don’t see us, instead of the ones that do?”
As soon as I heard this phrase, my thoughts went to the verse in Genesis 16:13 that says, “You are the God who sees me.” There is a storyline here that follows the path of unbelief, doubt, discouragement, hopelessness, trying to help God out on His promise, and even resentment, pride and anger. In a nutshell, the Lord had promised Abram (before his name was changed to Abraham) that he would be the father of many nations. It had been ten years of waiting to have a child. Sarai (also before her name change) began to lose hope in the promise that she would have a child so she told Abram to go lie with Hagar in order to bring forth a child. Hagar conceived and after the conception, she began to treat Sarai with contempt. In return, Sarai began to treat Hagar so harshly that she eventually ran away. Such a crazy storyline really and there are many different messages within this chapter but for the sake of this writing, let’s focus on what happens after Hagar runs away.
Hagar was found by the angel of the Lord beside a spring in the wilderness. In the midst of their conversation, Hagar was told to go back and submit to the authority of Sarai, but with a promise that she would be given more descendants than she could count. She was told that she would have a son and she was to name him Ishmael, which means God hears, “for the Lord has heard your cry of distress.” Hagar took this even further by declaring that “You are the God who sees me.”
See, in the midst of all the events surrounding the conception of Ishmael, God saw Hagar. After conceiving, she began to treat Sarai with contempt. It’s possible that she began to feel more important for having been able to conceive and began to look down upon Sarai for her inability to conceive. That, after all, is the meaning of contempt: the feeling that another is beneath, worthless, or deserving of scorn. Obviously, that was the wrong attitude to take, yet at the same time, Sarai and Abram agreed to this plan. One can only wonder what Sarai was feeling that may have been compounded by the treatment of Hagar. Harsh treatment ensues and Hagar runs away. Imagine for a minute if you will, this crazy story of Sarai trying to help God fulfill His word, bringing Hagar into the plan, then turning on the very one that you brought into the plan that you devised.
This is where we find Hagar by the spring in the wilderness. Alone, probably scared and uncertain. Wondering what she will do now with a baby on the way. Where will she go, how will she live. What even happened?? Can you imagine her thinking? She was brought into this plan and everything had gone wrong. Does anyone see me??
In the midst of whatever she was pondering, we do know that in verse 11, the angel states that the Lord had heard her distress. Distress means extreme anxiety, sorrow or pain. That sounds pretty intense, don’t you think? We can only imagine what that looked like for Hagar because we aren’t given the full account of her feelings, but distress is stated in verse 11 and it was real. It was the total of all of her feelings, doubts, fears, sorrow, anxiety, worries and everything in between and how she was viewed by others in the midst of it all. Pregnant, unmarried and on the run.
Isn’t this us somewhere along the line? How often are our circumstances confusing or maybe they seem to be going the opposite direction of the Word of the Lord. Maybe we have prophetic words or promises and everything seems to be going opposite of the promise. What if our circumstances take a turn that are anything less than desirable? Fears, anxieties, worries, doubts, uncertainties, feelings of abandonment or loneliness, being misunderstood and truly ‘unseen’. Yeah, people may pass us each day, but are we really seen? Do they know our heart, can they see the deep places that hide in the crevices that are hard to articulate at times? Can they see past our exterior and our actions to see the person that truly lies underneath? Are we treated harshly in the midst of doing life? Maybe we’re seen by how others want to see us, rather than for who we really are? Are we treating others with contempt due to our pride becoming central because we finally feel we have purpose? Maybe we’re hurt and angry, sad and full of fear. Maybe, just maybe, we really just desire to know that we are seen for who we really are… understood… known.
Hagar’s words, “You are the God who sees me” hold so much more meaning than just being seen by the spring in the wilderness. I believe it means that she was ‘known’. In her distress, she was seen… she was known by the Lord. One of the hardest things in this life is walking through hard times and wondering if we are actually seen and known in the midst of it all. It’s easy to feel forgotten, overlooked, passed by, and to fall into distress. The state of anxiety, sorrow or pain that life has a tendency to pull us into at times. It’s then that we try to work things out ourselves, devise plans, take matters into our own hands. We cry out for someone to hear, someone to see, someone to act. This whole story is about this very thing. Yet, in the end, we come to find that there is One who truly sees… the Lord.
Today, as we ponder the depths of this story, let’s make it a declaration today:
YOU ARE THE GOD WHO SEES ME!!
I am known by you.. truly known. My way is not hidden from you. You hem me in behind and before (Psalm 139:5).
I call on the Lord in my distress and he answers me (Psalm 120:1).
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known (1 Cor. 13:12).
It’s in those times that we cry out to the Lord, that we can be confident that He hears us, He sees us and we are fully known by Him. What confidence that brings to the human heart even in the midst of difficult times. We can so easily be flipped outside of this confidence when we give way to our circumstances, thoughts and feelings. At the base of every wrong thought, every lie, doubt, fear, insecurity, anxiety, and everything else, is the idea that we aren’t seen or heard. We’ve been taught to take care of ourselves. We try to earn what has been freely provided to us by His death, burial and resurrection. We are now His children.. you are HIs son, His daughter. But the great thing is this, He is the perfect Father. He has your best interest at heart and although life happens, it’s in the midst of life that we truly find Him.
We learn about His great love for us and how His heart breaks when ours is broken. So much so that He collects our tears in a bottle. You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book (Psalm 56:8). The nature of God is beyond our comprehension. But, listen, every time you go through something, He is there. He sees you with your heart broken, He sees your disappointment, He sees it all. None of it escapes His sight. He even sees our greatest joys. I think sometimes we just need to be reminded that He really is there… always… even in the dark moments where we feel like we are barely moving. He is there.
Come back to this Truth. Stay there. Even if you don’t feel it. He is a good, good Father and every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of Lights who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17).
Sometimes it’s in the places of uncertainty or the hard places, that the Truth that He is the God who sees you becomes real to us. In the midst of it all…
He truly sees you…
He truly knows you…
He will meet you by the spring in the wilderness…
Just hold on…
Deidre Gaines resides in West Virginia with her husband and best friend, Richard. She has three grown children and one granddaughter. Deidre is a Licensed Minister, Prophetic intercessor, blogger (Shamar), speaker and encourager with a heart to see the nature of Jesus put on display for the world to see. She is passionate to see His love, unity, presence, power and authority transform hearts, cities, regions and the nations through bringing glory and honor to His name. Deidre desires to see the church walk in the fullness of His Kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, Matthew 6:10. She enjoys spending time with her family, sports, crocheting and being outdoors. Especially taking rides in the side by side with her husband Richard.
Today, I want to share a personal story with you about the growth of the Lord in my life. A few months ago, the Lord told me I would need to remain flexible in order to succeed through the upcoming call and plan the Lord had for my life.
And I thought to myself, well that seems easy enough Lord, yes I’ll do it. Until it came time to actually live it out, haha. Saying yes and living that yes can be two very different things.
And so the testing and refining season began. I had been given some great prophetic words over my life. Little did I know that they would then begin to be tested and purified in me and my walk with the Lord. I entered a very hard season in my life and many times, didn’t know if I would make it out. But, GOD.
This may seem small to you, but we all have our things, right? This is one of mine and a huge testimony of the work and growth i’ve had in my life with Jesus along my side.
Recently, my husband and I were supposed to have a date day. If you are married with small children, you know just how much of a rarity and reward that can be. We were looking forward to it all week. We had a babysitter and planned out the things we would do just spending that sacred time together.
Well about 4 am the day of, he woke up with the stomach flu that lasted for about 16 hours. I have never seen him this sick, it was intense. Of course, we didn’t get to go out together.
Then I dealt with the lies and fear of the enemy that my children were gonna get it and so on. The enemy continually lies to me that if I stopped doing ministry, he would stop attacking my family and that the reason they get sick so much is because of my obedience to the Lord. Well, we all know that is a lie, so we press on.
But, my point is this: probably only a year ago, this would have upset me so deeply. I would have pouted, complained, all the things; even possibly moped around for days about this. Sounds crazy, but this used to be my reality. If my plans were affected, it would wreck me. But… growth and healing in Jesus.
The day this happened though, of course I was sad, but I remained unshakeable. I told the enemy that this wasn’t going to stop me in any way and I meant it. I was not moved by this. It hurt to not go, and it hurt to see my husband this sick, but I remained strong. Like a tree planted by the water (ref. Jeremiah 17).
The Lord told me a while ago to remain flexible. He told me this is a way to combat the enemy and successfully do the work He was calling me to. I would have to get over myself enough to truly trust the Lord and be flexible, no matter what came. See, frustration is a control thing, which is rooted in fear or distrust of the Lord.
If we really believe God knows the end from the beginning and works all things for our good, then we can work with whatever situation comes our way. We can say, okay Lord this is not what I would have preferred, but I still trust that there can be good that comes out of this because that’s what your Word says. Although this hurts, we will remain flexible and just plan this another time.
I truly handled yesterday so much better than I would have, even probably a few months ago. I was sad, yes, but I didn’t let it get to me. I took it as it came (not that we should expect sickness) and I handled it as best I could and gave the rest to God. I prayed for my husband but he still wasn’t better in time. I could have been mad at God, but I wasn’t. I share all this to say, be flexible. Be immovable. Be unshakable. Be firm in the Lord and trust in Him, for regardless of what comes: He is STILL GOOD!!!
Hannah Smith, author of the Moving Mountains blog, is a woman who feels she has experienced a lot of life in her 33 years.
At 19 years old, Hannah joined the Army. After moving around the country, getting a divorce and losing what seemed like everything, she landed back where God wanted her in Ohio, even though she fought the whole way. She is now a devoted follower of Christ and seeks the Lord with all she’s got.
Hannah is married and a RN, but works as a stay-at-home mom to her 3 children per instruction from the Lord.
She loves to hike, travel, drink coffee, and talk about Jesus. Hannah also has a heart to create a home and life in which she can be a safe place for the hurting and the broken. Her biggest piece of advice would be to never tell the Lord you will never do something- because He will most likely then ask you to do that very thing, LOL!
To her readers, Hannah says, “I believe that God set every single one of you reading this apart, for such a time as this. It is my hope and prayer that God would use the words I say to change your life in a way you and I never thought possible!”
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).
When my wife, Sara, and I have gone to New York City, we have often traveled by train. Amtrak takes us right to Penn Station in the heart of Manhattan.
Taking the train, it is necessary to travel light. First of all, we are only allowed one suitcase and one carry-on per person. Secondly, when we get there, we have to catch a taxi to our daughter’s workplace or to her apartment. As you can imagine, it is no fun to drag a bunch of luggage around.
Job 14:1 says, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.” By nature, life itself has a certain amount of weight we all must carry. However, the truth is that we make it so much heavier because we fail to accept Jesus’ invitation to come to Him. You see, He wants us to travel light. God’s Word teaches us how to travel light- less baggage and more freedom.
First of all, we must learn to lay aside anything that weighs us down. In other words, refuse to carry unnecessary weight. Hebrews 12:1 says, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” We would not run a physical race with weights attached to us. Likewise, we cannot run a spiritual race while weighted down either.
Sin is heavy enough. Guilt and condemnation are companion weights that are attached to sin. When God forgives our sins, the weight of sin, guilt and condemnation must fall off of us. Then God helps us live righteous lives when we determine to live above the sins of this world. I Peter 2:11 speaks plainly of our responsibility concerning this: “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” What about other weights that we can cast off?
Unbelief is certainly a weight we must deal with. Matthew 13 gives an account of the unbelief that was rampant in Jesus’ home territory. It was so bad that He was unable to do many mighty works because they would not believe. Our Lord wants us to believe Him for big things; our Lord wants us to pray for big things. Exercising our faith takes away the weight of unbelief and causes us to see the great things He can do in our lives.
Fear is another weight we are not expected to carry. When we truly belong to God, we are secure now and throughout eternity. The following Scripture is very familiar, but it bears repeating:
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7).
Secondly, we must learn that we do not have to understand everything. Have you ever been guilty of overthinking? I certainly have. Overthinking serves to crowd our minds and pull us away from our dependence on God. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” There is freedom in knowing that He knows the way when we are not sure where to go or what to do.
Finally, we have to learn to take the time to pray. When we pray, the weight of life becomes so much lighter. I Peter 5:7 exhorts us to cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” We can pray about anything and everything. If it concerns us; it concerns Him.
So, if we ever go to New York City on a train- leave the extra luggage behind. While we go through everyday life let us drop the unnecessary weight so that we can enjoy the abundant life that Jesus came to give to all of us.
Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.
Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter — Breanna.
Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.
“…forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:13-14
Recently, I heard a minister say, “Stop worrying about hindsight so God can give you insight.” I want you to ponder that thought for a few minutes. Clearly, the past cannot be changed, but it can be erased. Yes, you read that right! Your past can be erased!! That is one of the great things about God, when He forgives, He also forgets (Isaiah 44:34).
So first things first, if you already know God then you know that He loves you and has your best interests in mind. However, if you are reading this and you are thinking, yeah that would be nice! Someone actually forget my past! Let me introduce you to my very best friend, Jesus.
To have a relationship with him all you have to do is confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, that he lived, died, and rose again. Repeat after me, Lord Jesus, I come before you to say thank you for dying for me. I confess my sin and ask you to come into my heart. Your word says that when I confess my sins that You are faithful and just to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). I receive what You did for me on the cross and I thank You for accepting me through Your blood. I ask this in Jesus name Amen!
Well, congratulations and welcome to the best family ever, the family of God! You can call on the Lord day or night and He promises that His eyes are upon you and His ears are open to your prayers (Psalm 34:15). How cool is that?!
The God of the whole creation now dwells inside of you. He sees you and now your past is gone as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).
Now, as you start this beautiful journey with the Lord or if you are continuing this journey, please remember that God does love you. He knows how many hairs are on your head and He created you for purpose (Luke 12:7; Ephesians 2:8-10).
Allow God to give you insight to what His plans are for you. I guarantee His plans are far beyond what you can think or imagine. Begin to seek after Him and always remember a relationship is two-sided so God does talk, if we only listen. Until next time, know that you are perfectly loved and the insight you have now is far better than hindsight.
Tina Bassett resides in New Martinsville. She is a single mom of three beautiful daughters: Rachel, Charity, and Destiny. She is the director of the greeters/ushers, serves on the prayer team, and also participates on the praise and worship team at her local church. She loves animals and the beach. More than anything she wants her life to reflect God’s love and have an impact on those around her.
I wanted to talk to you guys about bondage and how it can sneak up on us if we are not careful of our actions. It can happen so fast that by the time you realize what happened you are so entangled that you actually need someone else to come up beside you and help you.
My friend has this little shih tzu who is so ornery and in a matter of like 3 minutes, he got into my friend’s yarn and got himself so wrapped up that you could say he was in bondage. My friend spent almost 3 ½ hours to get him completely free.
Thats kind of what we do… we get ourselves in big messes and it takes a long time in the natural to clean it up. Sometimes we can’t clean it up on our own, sometimes we need another believer to help us and pray with us.
That is why it is so important to be careful of what we do and say. I am preaching to myself here. Sometimes these messes can be fixed quickly, other times it takes years! I have been there!
I have messed up so much before with my friends and my church family that at one point, nobody wanted anything to do with me!
God is STILL cleaning up that mess, but I can tell you there is progress. All of this was caused because in my mind I was held in bondage by autism. I, and other people, had placed me in this box.
I had to CHOOSE to break out of the box and not allow myself to give in to the behaviors that autism had instilled into me all my life. I still struggle everyday to walk in that freedom but as my friend says, I might miss it from time to time but my batting average is getting better.
I love you guys, God bless, peace out peeps!
Hannah Benson — known for her big heart, her kindness, and her eagerness to serve — is the author of the Overcoming Autism blog.
Hannah was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 14, and now uses this media platform as a way to reach out to those living with Autism and other handicaps. Hannah shares tips and coping skills for those with Autism and for family and friends of those who have been diagnosed; she also relates her life to stories in the Bible and chronicles the lessons she’s learned along her journey.
Hannah Benson can be found on Instagram @hannah_benson94 or on Facebook on the Overcoming Autism Hannah’s Story.
by leaps and bounds 