Month: February 2023

Are You Feeling Lost?

Are You Feeling Lost?

What’s going on in your life?  Is everything good and running peacefully?  Praise the Lord!

Or are you feeling lost, alone, or hurt?  Do you feel like you’re wandering in a desert without a map?  Do you have problems at work, money troubles, or is there distress and anxiety in your life for other reasons?

LOST can mean:  beaten down; defeated; forlorn; vulnerable; alone; disoriented; off course.

As the Scriptures reveal, God is very aware of those who are lost or hurting or sick; and He is waiting to help you.  Just turn to Him and let Him know what you need.

“My people have become lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray . . .  (Jer 50:6 NASB)

All too often, our ‘shepherds’—our pastors or advisors, the people who were supposed to be watching over us and protecting us—have steered us in the wrong direction or into the wrong decision.  And we have been immeasurably injured as a result.  That was never God’s plan for you.

For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  (Mt 18:11 NKJV)

Jesus has come to save everyone who is lost, as well as everything that has been lost.  He can restore all lost sheep and all seemingly hopeless situations. He will restore “lost” opportunities and provide better ones, praise God!

But Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a physician, but sick people do.” (Lk 5:31 ISV)

For I am the Lord who heals you.  (Exod 15:26 NKJV)

People with health problems and serious medical diagnoses need God, their Healer.  They need His wisdom, guidance, and healing power.  And Jesus loves to answer prayers and to heal the sick and the hurting.

The Son of Man came to look for and to save people who are lost.  (Lk 19:10 CEV)

Jesus is actively looking for all who are “lost” so that He may save, heal, help, and bless you.  Seek out a trustworthy and reliable Pastor or a minister of the Gospel who can help you in seeking the Lord.  God bless you!

Love & Obedience

Love & Obedience

We have studied, on more than one occasion, the various blessings of obedience to the Lord and obedience to His Word.  A long life is one such blessing as we see in the verse below.

Keep God’s laws and you will live longer; if you ignore them, you will die.  (Pro 19:16 GNT)

But there’s another aspect of obedience that I’d like us to consider today.  It’s the fact that love and obedience go hand-in-hand.  Similar to:

  • peanut butter and jelly or
  • shoes and socks or
  • a pencil and pen set.

Let’s look at some Bible verses about this topic:

Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.  (Joh 14:21 NLT)

When we receive and obey God’s instructions, we demonstrate our love for Him as well as our respect for Him.  As we live obediently, God promises to return our love and to give us revelations of Himself and His ways. Wow! That is not only a blessing but an honor.

But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and follow it.”  (Lk 11:28 NASB)

We are BLESSED when we hear God’s word and allow it to influence and direct our lives into living obediently to His ways and commandments.

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome . . .  (1 Joh 5:3 NIV)

Lastly, for those of us who love the Lord, His teachings and lessons are not taxing to obey.  Rather, we enjoy availing ourselves of the grace of God that He gives us in order to live in obedience to His commandments.  Hallelujah!

God’s Works Are Perfect

God’s Works Are Perfect

The word perfect means being entirely without fault or defect; complete.  We can see how God’s works are rightly described as perfect.  Here are several verses from the Bible:

He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just.  A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.  (Deut 32:4 NIV)

As for God, his way is upright; the word of God is pure; he is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.  (Ps 18:30 ISV)

And they will say about you, “The Lord always does right!  God is our mighty rock.”  (Ps 92:15 CEV)

These passages from the Scriptures remind us of how truly awesome and good our God is!  His ways are just, and He is faithful and upright.

God’s actions are perfect, and His character traits exhibit justice and mercy, as well as an ability to forgive repeatedly. When the Bible mentions “works,” it is discussing such things as actions, tasks, activities, and results.

Not only that, but God’s word is PURE—which means free from anything different, inferior or contaminating, free from foreign or inappropriate elements.

When we make the Lord our safe haven, He will shield us from evil and all harm. 

Several Bible verses remind us that God cannot lie.  (Num 23:19; 1 Sam 15:29; Heb 6:18) So in any circumstance or challenge of our lives, we can always rely upon the truth that ‘The Lord always does right!”  Be encouraged, strengthened, and emboldened in your faith in Jesus Christ, dear friend.

Let Your Love Increase & Overflow

Let Your Love Increase & Overflow

Our love for ourselves and for other people should be increasing and overflowing as we mature in Christ and in our relationship with Him.  Here are some key Scriptures:

A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  (Mt 22:39 NLT)

We can’t learn to love our neighbor, until we learn to love ourselves—by the grace of God.  God loves us as we are, even though He knows all about our weaknesses and our past.  God’s love is mature and steadfast and doesn’t accept offense.

And this I pray, that your love may abound more and more [displaying itself in greater depth] in real knowledge and in practical insight . . . (Phil 1:9 AMP)

As the verse quoted above says, our love will display itself in greater depths as the years and our experiences in Christ continue.  This will make us better spouses, parents, neighbors, and witnesses for the Kingdom of God.

And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone, just as we do for you.  (1 Thes 3:12 CSB)

As we grow in our awareness of God’s steadfast and unfailing love for each one of us, individually, the Lord will trigger a yearning in our hearts to show God’s precious and anointed love to everyone with whom we come into contact. May your joy abound and be shared with everyone you meet!