Words of Inspiration BlogInspirational and Uplifting

Whatsoever Things Are Lovely

Philippians 4:6-9 -  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Dear Friends – Staying in peace in times of turmoil and stress, how hard it is. Settling it in your heart, what you’ve believed and received, is a must in today’s world, and certainly the foundation of a peace-filled existence. Scripture exhorts us to be anxious for nothing. But often we display just the opposite characteristics. I believe that the mind with its constant barrage of questions, concerns, doubts and fears, trips us up quicker than any other storms we may face in life. Staying in peace is both physically and mentally rewarding in that when fear and doubts come we know what we have believed and with our mouth we confess it. It sounds like a simple enough task, a rather menial endeavor, but think again. Staying in peace takes extreme discipline for even the most committed of followers. When the storms are raging in life it’s easy to start to focus on the waves. It’s easy to take our eyes off the Savior and begin to fret. And as the boisterous waves of life’s calamities and hard places continue to pick up strength and speed, it becomes even harder to stand.

But stand we must. Stay in peace at all costs. Run to God at these times and get alone with Him. He knows your heart before you call. He is aware of your needs before the prayer is spoken. But in your time alone with Him pour out your requests and supplications, make them known to Him heart to heart, then thank Him that He’s heard and will answer. How precious that no matter our problems, no matter what troubles us and keeps us on the run, we have a Savior that is ever at our side, looking for fellowship with us, to comfort us and settle us, to establish us in His way.

Yes staying in peace is a precious gift. That is why scripture says it “passeth all understanding”. For we ask ourselves how can we stay in peace in the torrential onslaught of mental and emotional turmoil? How can we stay in peace in the face of physical distress? Can we stay in peace in the midst of financial difficulties, for ourselves, for others? What about wars and rumors of wars? It is possible to truly trust God so much that these things don’t distress us and cause us to fall? Can we trust Him to such a degree that we spend our days looking for ways to comfort and strengthen others rather than worrying unceasingly about our own difficulties. This is the peace which passes understanding. This is the peace we experience through Christ Jesus, knowing He will keep our hearts and minds because they are committed to Him.

It seems impossible at times to stand believing, committed, trusting in Him at all costs, but to experience that peace that passes understanding, I promise you the end result will leave you strengthened, refreshed, encouraged, with a new perspective on your circumstances and the possible outcomes. What good is worrying about so much in life when in reality we can usually change very little? And so much time spent worrying about things that may never even happen can steal the moments we could be living, laughing, helping others, all of which have much more benefit than pacing the floor and wringing our hands in dismay when we have allowed problems or people to overwhelm us and send us reeling out of control.

No, we must not allow ourselves to lose another moment of this precious gift of life so lovingly bestowed on us by our Savior. It may not make sense to some lost in pain and despair. Some may ask how can just staying in peace change the situation or the outcome of such? First of all, it passes understanding, meaning we as mere humans can’t really understand how God can bring peace in troubled times just because we are trusting Him. But this loving Savior does bring peace when we choose to walk in it and above all stay in it. I actually put this to the test in my personal life. First I gave God a week, just baby-steps. In prayer I decided to trust Him with issues in my life that seemed too big to ever be resolved, with people that were difficult, and with situations I had no answers to and felt it had become my lot in life to just suffer through every day rather than walk in victory. One week. That’s how it all started and I can say it was the best decision of my life.

Circumstances may not have changed that much but I changed. My perspective on life changed. The realization of what was important and what was not changed. Trying to justify myself and my feelings changed. For ultimately God forgives us our frailties and failures and expects us in turn to forgive others. Let the sin debt be paid, friends, yours and others with whom you have to do. And those “others”, well they changed too because they saw the glorious work God had done in me. I started with baby-steps and am now experiencing leaps and bounds on my spiritual journey.  And all because I made the quality decision to trust God and stay in peace.

At the end of the first week, I found myself at a crossroads. Would I pick up the old life of worry, anger, fearfulness, or would I go on for another week of staying in peace? It wasn’t a hard decision. I was definitely feeling “lighter”. The old baggage had been tossed aside so I decided another week would be good. At the end of the second week, well I was no longer at a crossroads asking what I should do. No, I knew I was on a bountiful path that could only lead me to beautiful new beginnings. Since this “staying in peace” journey began I have 3 books on amazon.kindle and 3 books on amazon in print. Amazing that what I had been trying to do in my own strength for so many years miraculously turned around because of that baby-step week. I say none of these things would have come my way had I continued in struggling, worrying, unforgiveness, and all that entails. I trusted God and He met me at every need. I trusted God and He gave me a new life, a new purpose, and truly joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Truly, it has passed all understanding. I would not trade the old life with it’s worries, concerns, failures, uncertainties and drama, yes, always drama, for the peace I have found in Christ alone. I’ve been blessed, truly blessed, above and beyond anything I expected at the outset of my little baby-steps. My heart is at rest, my mind is at rest. It was an even more surprising  life-changing event because I’ve always been somewhat of a worrier. Now when thoughts trouble me, when I feel that urge to pick up the old life and take matters into my own hands, I commit it to Him. I commit it to Him knowing He is taking care of all things much better than I ever could. I commit it to Him knowing He is for me and not against me, and that all things are working together for my good. I commit it to Him, take my hands off, walk away in peace, that peace that passes understanding, and focus on the good that I can do, those that I may help in some way, or just relaxing and living the life God has called me to live. It’s gloriously liberating and freeing.

I pray these words of inspiration have encouraged you to stay in peace today, my friends, and begin to live the abundant life Jesus died to give us.

In His Love,

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Spiritual Discernment

 Philippians 4:7-8 - And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Dear Friends – It is my prayer that this article will somehow bring enlightenment on your spiritual journey and reacquaint you with the fact that our feelings can at times be deceiving. Our feelings are often the product of our thoughts, and without discipline our thoughts can run amok, leading our feelings down the same path. Feelings and emotions must be controlled if we are to grow in our relationship with the Lord. False emotions, like fear, can wreak havoc on our love walk, and be prohibitive in our prayer life. If you find yourself drowning in a sea of emotional turmoil and negative feelings, it’s time for a mental checkup, what’s real and what’s not? What must I attend to and what am I wallowing in?

In the above passage of scripture, we are given a list of things to think on. Beloved, we at times do have thoughts that are destructive to our self image, and we at times do have thoughts that are destructive to our relationships. But a well disciplined mind, a mind that is not allowed to race out of control and be carried away by every emotion or feeling, can be achieved. Look at the above list and ask yourself why are we instructed on what we should think about? I believe God knows how debilitating our thought life can be, how crippling our emotions can become if not kept in check. If we allow ourselves to have thoughts of self degradation or self pity we begin to isolate ourselves and perhaps even to the degree of accusing others of just not understanding rather than admit our thought life and feelings might in fact be in error. In the cloudiness of too much negative thinking, we too fall prey to a lack of understanding and lose our good judgment. Too much time spent in pondering our inner lives, the whys and wherefores, is unproductive and can lead us into depression, or deepening depression should it already be present to some degree. That is why God instructs us to think on things that have virtue and value in our lives. If we constantly tell ourselves we’re worthless and useless, before long we will start to believe it, and once we believe it, we will begin to act on it. But if we are thinking on things that are beautiful and of good report, even if we must use discipline to do so, we will by the same token feel more at peace with ourselves and with the world around us. And as you begin to take  captive every negative thought, before long this discipline will have a great reward. You will have a renewed strength and joy, a peaceful countenance to which you may not be accustomed and that in itself might require adjustment and a “settling down” if you will. You will no longer be tossed around emotionally by every careless word spoken by others. The things that used to so easily offend you won’t seem so important anymore. And above all, you’ll get a free pass off the emotional roller coaster that is so destructive to our personal lives.

Scripture says in Hebrews 12:12-16 – Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13 Make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. 14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. If you are in sorrow and weakness today,  overwhelmed by negative thoughts and feelings, take heart my friends. Through Jesus, you can turn and let it be healed, for crippling emotions will lead you off course. Follow peace in your life for where the Spirit of the Lord is there is peace. Root out any bitterness in your soul. Let the grace of God soothe the dis-ease in your life and save you from the hand of the enemy that is too strong for you. If you allow yourself to be overcome and taken down by negative feelings and emotions, others will naturally go down with you. Be the bridge of hope for your friends and family today, a bridge that leads to exceeding great joy. Believe God’s best for your life and you’ll be the best for others.

There are harsh facts in life that of course cannot be denied or ignored. There are things in life, people and situations, that need our attention, and some well-thought-out plans.  Scripture says in Proverbs 16:3&9- Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. 9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps. God has given us freedom of choice, freedom of will, but it is up to us with His help to choose our way wisely. We are a living testimony to those around us as to how we handle stress and turmoil, what we do with the exceeding good things that come our way (will we use them for selfish purposes, squander them, or use them for God’s glory), and whether our joy is real or just a deceptive portrayal to hide the out-of-control emotions and feelings we may be dealing with on the inside.

May these words of inspiration encourage you this moment, these words of encouragement open your eyes to the abundant life that awaits you through faith in Christ Jesus. Yes, you or a family member may be seriously ill, but choose to believe the good report about this illness. Stand on God’s word that says  “by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). If you are  troubled and embittered, anxious or fearful, believe His word that says ”Fear not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God… ” (Isaiah 41:10). For all that we face in life (scripture says “there is nothing new under the sun”) is covered by God’s marvelous grace and in this grace there is nothing lacking, nothing missing. Because of God’s grace no weapon formed against us shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). Test the waters of your emotions and feelings, dear ones. Ask God to show you what’s real and what needs to be discarded. Ask Him for an abundant supply of spiritual discernment that you might be able to shun the offenses and learn to walk in love. Your feelings should not be controlling you. Rise up and take control of them in truth.

In His Love,

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Psalms 28:7 -The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in  him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

Dear Friends – Have you ever had anyone in your life at any time that  you trusted completely with every aspect of your life, spirit, soul and body?  If not, that is common among men.  But if so, it is a rarity. And if so, were you at any time disappointed in their actions or responses to you in certain situations? It’s probably safe to say that if you ever put your total trust in another human being you were most likely let down at some point, perhaps embittered and angered, or even ultimately disillusioned in the human response to the sufferings of others. But we can rejoice that that is not the end all or final say in our suffering. Praise God, He has made a way in our suffering and shortcomings to remain safely in the palm of His hands. The above scripture says my heart trusted in the Lord and He helped me, so I’m going to praise Him with a song. May these words of inspiration open the eyes of your heart to see that total trust in God brings rest to our weariness, calm for our anxiousness, and peace to the troubled life.

Beloved, total trust in God, like His glorious grace and mercy, is a priceless gift, a pearl of great price. Total trust in God through faith in Jesus Christ, His Son,  will never disappoint us in any situation. Being able to freely go in and out and find pasture with God is a most blessed condition. To fully let go of our stresses and worries, especially as concern situations and circumstances for which we can do little to bring about positive change, allows a sense of freedom we don’t allow ourselves to experience as we should and as the word of God so lovingly instructs us. This freedom in turn stimulates a creativity and desire for spiritual growth, to reach higher with God, to have a more intimate relationship with Him, a deeper fellowship, to truly know Him as we are known.

In this life, we will have trials and tests. In this life we will have sorrow and pain, but our God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think  in any situation if we are trusting Him and looking to Him for help. If in our relationship with God we wait patiently for His way, we will not be ashamed.  If we wait patiently for the Lord to show up we can be assured He will be right on time. And when He shows up He will renew our strength, we will mount up with wings as eagles, we shall run and not be weary, we shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). We may not understand why things happen as they do, but dear ones, undesirable things are going to happen in life anyway. Yet our Lord stands waiting for our call to Him, anxious to deliver us and help us. He can take what the enemy means for evil in our lives and use it for good, for His glory. Oh, wouldn’t that be so much better than going it alone my friends?

Scripture says in Proverbs 3:5-6 – 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. What freedom to live and grow, to explore the world around us and it’s endless opportunities and possibilities. With God at the helm of your life beloved, there are no limits to what you can both accomplish and experience. Yes, we, with our limited vision and understanding, may question our lives and the world around us, but acknowledge Him in everything and allow Him to show you the way. If your pain is overwhelming and the suffering seems endless, His shoulders are able to bear it. Just humble yourself under His mighty hand and He will lift you up and hold you with His righteous right hand.  He sent His Son to die for us that we might be reconciled to Him and that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Allow your heart to trust Him totally for His love is everlasting, His care is eternal. Scripture says in Isaiah 40:28 that the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, neither is weary, and there is no searching of his understanding. His wisdom is truly infinite and His compassions fail not, they are new every morning.

So we may not understand it all, but we can trust a God that does. If our way is unsure before us we can trust that He knows the way we should go. We can trust that He who began a good work in us will complete it. He will never leave us or forsake us. There is no predicament we can be in that God is not right there with us. There is nothing that can separate us from His love and nothing is too difficult for Him. Ultimately scripture says in Isaiah 46:4 – And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you; I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. Yes, know today that He made us, He will bear every burden and destroy every yoke, He will carry us when we can no longer stand on our own, and will deliver us home safe. What a great day that will be, my friends, and all it will cost you is total trust in Him, complete and total trust.

In His Love,

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May these words of inspiration encourage you today that Jesus is our Peace. He made a way to Peace with God through His sacrifice on the cross. We have only to believe it and receive it.

John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto  you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Dearest Friends – Having peace with God for many people seems an impossible task. It is so easy in today’s fast pace to forget that peace with God is a state of being to all who believe in Jesus and His completed work for mankind.  And the peace that Jesus left to us is not just a state of peace with God but an actual state of wholeness. This peace is not a matter of trying to obtain it through some formula or good works and deeds. This peace is free to all who will receive it. Just as we receive grace to help in time of need, and mercy from the throne room of God, so peace is given to us through faith in Jesus.

In Philippians 4:6-7 scripture says we are to be anxious for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving in our hearts, making our requests known to God, and in this we will have the peace of God that passes all understanding which will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. It is a very powerful passage of scripture and yet we must not miss the simplicity in its understanding. For to humble ourselves and pray, to seek God’s face in any circumstance, to have an attitude of thankfulness before Him, and to receive great peace in return is most assuredly a cause for rejoicing.

Scripture goes on to say  in Romans 5:1 – Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. What a treasure to have peace with God!  The peace the world gives is unstable and fleeting at best. We remain fearful and troubled if we look to the world for everlasting and life-changing peace. But once we are at peace with God, once we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, what joy awaits.

We must allow His peace to envelope our hearts. We must allow this peace to calm our fears and drive out our anxieties. Precious ones – you may be in heaviness at this very moment. You may be struggling with many of life’s perplexing issues, but look up and see our Jesus seated at the right hand of God, ever living to make intercession for His people, and know that you are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:5).

Friends – Our God is for us and not against us. He promised He would never leave us or forsake us. Jesus came not into the world to condemn the world but that we might have peace and that the world through Him might be saved. His word says in 1 Timothy 3:16 – And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. And this He did because of His great love for us! Open your heart to Him today. Let His peace have rule and reign in your life. We are made perfect and upright by our faith and trust in Him and scripture says in Psalms 37:37 – Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

The grace of our Lord be with you all.

In His Love And God Bless Each Of You!

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Give Me Liberty

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. ⁶In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths

Beloved – We’ve all heard the phrase “Give me liberty or give me death”, but how many of us in life have stopped to consider just what that phrase means. Through many years of struggle, I have finally come to learn that the liberty we have through faith in Christ is a freedom few experience in their lifetime, and yet it is one of the greatest gifts God has given us. To experience liberty in Christ we have to first believe that He is and that He came to save us, thus our faith is activated and strengthened as we continue to acknowledge that fact. Following faith though is trust, and experientially I find trust a bit more difficult to walk in, nevertheless the word of God says in 2 Samuel 22:33 – God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.

Relationally we may have gone through despairing difficulties, loss of loved ones through death, or loss of faith and trust in a marital relationship, if not loss of the relationship altogether. Whatever the overwhelming difficulty has been in one’s life, trusting God and believing He has our best interests at heart when we are in so much emotional pain or physical pain, it is certain that the greater our suffering, the greater our need to trust God and stand in faith, believing He loves us no matter how one’s situation may be playing out. The word of God says in Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. So God is in essence saying to us while we may not see it, we can believe Him for it, we can trust in Him to sustain us till His help arrives, His answers come, and we are brought through every trying and painful situation and able to walk in the liberty that comes only in Jesus, for again the word of God says in Luke 4:18 – The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised…

God is our salvation and our rock. We can depend on Him knowing He will come to our defense and our aid as we are standing on His word and waiting for Him.  We can stand on His word knowing it will not fail. He will come to our aid and do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Dearest friends, remember that God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.  Scripture says, “if now I have found favor in thy sight, I pray thee, oh Lord, show me YOUR way.”  Yes, God’s way is the best way and God’s way will lead us on a path of sure footing and sure victory.

It is my prayer that these words of inspiration have brought you encouragement and comfort on your spiritual journey. May the God who created all things bless you today with His love and mercy, and may the words of inspiration found herein give you pause for thought as you reflect on your life and the will of God for your situation. And may you especially know the love of God and receive God’s grace to help in time of need and be filled with inner peace.

God Bless!

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