Be Repositioned

 Psalm 130:5 I am counting on the LORD; yes, I am counting on Him. I have put my hope in His word. When your trust is in the Lord, you are unshakable! Storms may come and shake you up, but you will not be broken. Like a tree, with firm roots, you may be swayed left and right but you will still be standing. It is the same with the storms of life, they may come and pull and push you, but when you are rooted in Christ, those storms will not break you. Like the bible says, the weapons will form but they will not prosper (Isaiah 54:17). I've just been swayed by the storms of life on some areas of my life, which left me with no any other option but to put my trust in the Lord; to completely surrender to Him as the situations were out of my hands. I feel bruised but I am still standing and rejoicing that God came through for me.  Sometimes victory takes a while to be evident, but we just need to hold on to His word. If He promised you healing, a breakthrough, promotion or something, don&#

 2 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always,   pray without ceasing,   in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. God expects us to rejoice in every situation, not because we pretend the situation is not dire, but rejoice because we know He is with us in ALL circumstances and His presence makes all the difference (ask Daniel, Meshack, Shadrack and Abednego ). They found themselves in crazy situations, almost losing their lives but the Lord was with them. That made the difference! Which is why He expects us not to worry about the storms of life, but to pray continually, leaving those difficulties with Him, in order for Him to deliver us from them. He's already told us to bring all burdens to Him, as our yoke is heavy for us (Matthew 11:28). This verse further tells us to give thanks. To give thanks because He is God and if He allows something to happen to us, it is because He already has a way out of it, and that way out, will bring Him honour and gl

 Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. The currency in the kingdom of God, is faith. Hebrews 11:16 says we cannot please God without faith, we may do all sorts of things trying to live a holy life, but if we do not have faith in Him, we cannot please Him, it is a waste. If you can recall that after God gave His only Son for us, the law was cancelled  where during the times of Moses, it was about what you do to please God, following law and repenting and offering sacrifice to ask for forgiveness. It was all about what you  can do, to please God. But what Jesus did for us, it is no longer about what we can do, it is already done. For us, we just need to believe; believe  in the unseen, believe the word of God. Basically believing in the unknown, but having that full confidence in what God has said, by faith.  Our job is to do things that strengthens our faith, like soaking ourselves in the word of God, being expectant of what God

 Psalm 121:1-4 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—   where does my help come from?   My help comes from the  Lord ,   the Maker of heaven and earth.   He will not let your foot slip—  H e who watches over you will not slumber;   indeed, He who watches over Israel   will neither slumber nor sleep . In times of trouble, do not despair. Like David, in the book of Psalm where he was encouraging himself, he was reminding himself where his help comes from. Indeed, the help comes from the Lord! At times we may feel our help comes from people or medicine or some other object but the bottom line is that our help comes from the Lord (He may use any resource, but He is the Source). God is in control, He sees and knows everything. We are told that nothing catches God by surprise, that He is aware of everything   that   happens . Therefore, we should rest in Him, remembering that nothing is impossible for Him (Luke 1:37). The book of Psalm further  emphasizes this, by indicating that God is not man

 Numbers 6:26 May the LORD show you His favor and give you His peace. Favour gives you an advantage that you didn't deserve, access to things that you didn't work for. Thus, the favour of God, can allow you to be favoured amongst the rest, chosen for something that you didn't deserve. God knows that here on earth, our strength and influence can be limited, where we find ourselves  the mercy of other people. But when you are a child of God, all you do is seek God and His kingdom and He will work out the rest (Matthew 6:33). He will take care of you, because you take care of His kingdom. Being selfish doesn't work in the kingdom of God. Seeking His kingdom can include you disregarding your needs and wishes, and going after what God has assigned you, which could be taking care of someone else's needs. However, the good news is that as you do that, God takes care of your needs and more. He will give you an advantage where you didn't deserve it. Also, in the times we

 Galatians 6:10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. There are a couple of bible verses that urges us to do good, to those in need. This bible verse furthers tells us that we should do good, especially to those in the family of Christ. I think that is important. Fair enough that we are all God's creation, He loves us all. It is right to do good to all His people. However, it is even better that we do good to those in the family of faith. This is linked to sowing in good soil and sowing in bad, rocky soil. Sowing in people that are not part of the family of faith, may for example find use of your seed in something destructive. Fr example, someone who is an alcoholic, when you give them money (as an example ) there is a good chance that the money will be spent towards the addiction. Yes they may have their own reasons why they do that and why they are in that state (not our place to judge). Compare that

 Psalm 9:1 I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. We are in a season of giving thanks to the Lord, for all He has done. An attitude of gratitude pleases the Lord. There is so much to be grateful for, we just need to take a moment and see. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 say s: " Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances ; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." God says we must give thanks in ALL circumstances, not in happy circumstances but in trying circumstances too. It may sound odd, but God wants us to rejoice even when things don't seem ok, don't go our way because that is actually the time that God has an opportunity to show His power, in our lives. Where we may feel we have reached the end of the rope, it is when God intervenes, to get the honour and glory. Praise the Lord for all He has done, for what He is currently doing (behind the scenes) and also for what He will st

 Mark 16:15 And then He told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. This is our ultimate assignment. To go and spread the good news about Christ. One may ask, what makes it good news? There's so much that can be said about that but the good news is that Christ is alive. God gave up His one and only Beloved Son to die a painful death, for us. This sealed the promise that God is for us and with us. That now we ca come boldly  at His throne with no shame or fear of being condemned and rejected all because of the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross. The good news is that His pain, the stripes H endured on the cross, is our healing (Isaiah 53:3-5). That we shall not die no more, we have been saved, our salvation  was secured by Him on the cross. Also that we are forgiven , God doesn't  see our sins but He sees us as His righteousness, not as a result of our works, but because of Jesus who paid  it all (2 Corinthians 5:21). But most importantly that

Proverbs 17:17 A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. I take this as a challenge, for each one of us to evaluate ourselves on these two aspects...What kind of friends are we, are we loyal or backstabbers? When others go through a tough time, are we there to support them or do we see it as a burden and run away? A simple way of testing yourself on how you should handle a situation, is to ask yourself, what would Jesus do in this situation? Remember He came to lead the way, to be our example of what our Father had designed us to be. Don't look at what others do, or what those people in need, would've done if roles were switched, no God doesn't look at that...We are all work in progress, don't follow someone who's leading you straight to a pit. Look at Jesus, that's your model. God's ways are not your ways (Isaiah 55:9), fair enough. However, you must remember that greatness lives in you- the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:4), hence, wh

 James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. We have a good, good Father, who cares so much about us. This verse seeks to make us realize that God sends us gifts at all times, which at times we may be blinded that they come from the people giving us, but the truth is, God controls everything and everyone. When God wants to bless you, He places that in someone's heart to bless you with something. Definitely He is our provider! With that said, He can provide  for you indirectly but the reality would be that He has blessed you using someone or something. This is something that we should note and acknowledge that He's the one providing for us, even if it's through an institution or a person, He made a way... A simple example that made me realize  this reality was a while back, when I was pregnant , a family friend gifted  me with this warm, beautiful gown, which  I didn'

 Luke 6:28 (NLT) Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. This is a difficult one. As humans, the first instinct or thoughts you will have about those who curse and hurt you, wouldn't necessarily be to bless and pray for them. However, we already know that things in the kingdom of God, works vise-versa. God wants you to bless and pray for those that hurt and wish bad for you. This is what separates the good from the best. God wants us to have a pure heart, one that is not full of hate and revenge, but that is forgiving and kind. I think mostly, this is to realize that those that do bad and wish bad for others, are still in the dark, they haven't been exposed to the love of God. The love of God is able to turn your anger into compassion, realizing that whoever does such things, must be sick and must be dealing with serious issues. Therefore, instead of carrying their burdens on your shoulders, God invites you to bring all those issues to Him, for He cares for you

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 Isaiah 60:3 All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance. God has great plans for your future (Jeremiah 29:11)! He has already said that we are the salt and light to the world, to bring His kingdom on earth (Matthew). Through the light that He shines in and through us, people will be draw to this light, attracted by who God is and what He is all about. Similar to the insects that get drawn to a globe at night that is switched on, that is how it will be. The bible tells us that even kings, people of prominence will be drawn to this light, to see the radiance of God through you. What we need to remember, is that we may not take the glory for ourselves, as all of that will be as a result of God working in and through us, to be glorified. When God finally prepares the table in the presence of your enemies (Psalm 23), remember who did it for you and acknowledge Him and most importantly thank Him. He loves you and He will prosper you in due season, you wi

 Psalm 103:19 The LORD has made the heavens His throne; from there He rules over everything. God Almighty is Creator of everything, heaven, earth and everything in it. He is who He says He is. There is no king other than Him, the throne belongs to Him, where He rules everything.  The bible has a number of stories that shows the power and might of God, where He shows that He rules and controls everything. From healing the sick, delivering  people from the evil spirits, where He resurrect the dead, where He parts the seas, just to name a few. He is even able to rearrange the order of things, where the unqualified becomes powerful and occupy high positions! He's able to do the amazing. But can we also agree that even today, God is still doing the impossible? The problem is that we tend to believe  in coincidences, than believing that God is able to orchestrates  things to be. We tend to see victory and start patting ourselves at the back, without recognizing that the victory came thro

 Hebrews 13:16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God. God's will for us, is a life of selflessness, of being considerate and helpful. It pleases God when we extend and become a blessing to others, particularly  those that are in need. This helps God be magnified in those that are on the receiving end, where they see God blessing them through others. At the same time, God tests us if we will be open and share with others or  if we will be selfish and greedy. May the grace of God help us pass the test... When we remember what God said to Abraham, which is also applicable to us, as His blessing flowed to us as well; where in the book of Genesis, God said He will bless him to be a blessing to others. This means, when God blesses us, it is not just for our own benefit, but that blessing is meant to also touch other people's lives. In Luke 12:48 which talks about the idea that "to whom much is given, much is require

Colossians 3:1-2 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. We have gained a new life in Christ when we received Him into our lives, where the bible describes the act of being baptized as dying with Christ and rising with Him, to a new life. Therefore the old life being gone and new one have arrived. This means, this is not just an act, but by faith we receive being guided by the Holy Spirit, living a life that is no longer self-driven but God controlled. In this case, we are no longer worried about the things of the world, but are setting our thoughts on things above, as in Matthew 6:33 where we seek the kingdom of God first, and leaving the rest for God to add unto our lives as He knows we need those things. In practice this means, you don't spend most of your time worrying about getting a new car, but you put your focus on God, on the things He has assigned you and l

 1 Peter 4:10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others , as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. Very important to note that each one of us, have been given gift(s) by God to serve others. These comes in different forms, and are used to be a blessing to others. These gifts are basically natural abilities that God has given us, that comes easily and can be done without forcing and training as such. The bible describes some of these as preaching, encouraging others, gift of prophecy, performing  miracles, healing, gift of knowledge etc.  We may ask why God has given us these gifts, and it is simple, to serve one another, to be a blessing to those around us. For example, if God has gifted you with a gift of healing, God will use you to bring relief and healing to someone that He may direct to you. In this case, by design, you may not refuse or deny the person that chance to access healing through you, as that would be selfish and that wo

 Psalm 34:4 I prayed to the  Lord , and He answered me.   He freed me from all my fears.  Prayer is an important  aspect of our lives, a tool that we use to communicate to God everything that is in our hearts. God is so close to us, so close like our breath. This is described in the book of Acts 17:28 and it says: " He is the God as close to you, as near to you as your own breath! He is the God in whom “we live and move and have our being”. This paints a picture that God sees every moment of our lives, whether we are sleeping, awake, working, praying,  He sees and hears everything. Therefore, there is no such thing that God doesn't hear you pray (which you can assume to be the reason for the lack of answers to your prayers). Remember, we don't operate on the same timing as God. This means at times the answer has already been given, but it will manifest at the right time (which could be in a few days, months or even years). That means God was strengthening your faith and de

 1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. This is another instruction from God, to love one another as we are told that love covers multitudes of sins. When you think about it, what God did for us by sacrificing His Son for us, that was love (John 3:16) where that act of love, resulted to multitudes of our sins to be covered and forgiven. A powerful and noble act. Therefore, God as our Father, He wants us to display similar characteristics like Him, which one of them is to show love to one another. We may recall the two commandments that Jesus simplified from the law of Moses in Mark 12:30-31 where Jesus said:  " Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.   The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” This talking about love, which shows the importance thereof. Over and above loving God with our everythin

 Psalm 19:7 (NLT) The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. Just like our earthly parents, who want what's best for us, they may introduce rules or laws that seeks to protect and ensure that the children grow well in character. Same with the Lord, whose instructions are perfect, in a sense that they bring life and they revive our soul. We get our instructions from the Lord through His word, primarily. This is our book of life, that serves as a communication to us from God. When you have spent some time reading the bible, you would realize that it has all the answers you need in life. The trick that opened my eyes, is to recognize that God uses the stories that are in the bible, to communicate to us as well. Not only where those things were applicable to that generation, but recognizing that you can apply what the bible says in your life too. For example, say you read the book of 2 Chronicles 20 abou

 3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. Our soul prospers as we feed of the word of God and connect and stay in His presence. Afterall, He told us that He is the bread of life, in John 6:35, where He says whoever goes to Him, will never be hungry nor thirst. Therefore, His presence gives our soul life, we will live for eternity. However, God wants us not to prosper  in our soul only, but for our physical, mental well being to be in order as well. This verse emphasizes that we need to be in good health and prosper  in everyway.  What we need to realize is that God wants us to be healthy, strong so that we may thrive and do His will. What good will it do when we are sick and unable to live the life He ordained  us? The sickness definitely comes from the enemy, who would like to oppress our bodies and minds, so that we are consumed with sickness and unable to live a prosperous life. Infact, in Isaiah 53:3-5, we see that

 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.  Just as we spend more time in His presence, we start reflecting His image! We are being transformed into His image, from glory to glory. It is true what Romans 12:2 says:  " Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind ."   The more we read His word and get guidance on how to live our lives, is the more we are transformed to who God has created us to be. In the first place, God created us in His image (Genesis 1:27). Therefore, let us allow the Lord's glory to be reflected in and through our lives. Being the hands and feet for Jesus provides an opportunity for the Lord's glory to be displayed in our lives. God commissioned us to go and be the salt and light to the world. Hence, do not dim your light to fit in, but allow the

 Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor (NIV) Another version says two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. God has placed strategic people in our lives to help and bring relief to us, to make life easy. Also He has ordained people in our lives  as destiny helpers; those people that will help us succeed in our assignments  that God has given us. We need to recognize and acknowledge  them, so that  they feel appreciated and can continue providing the help that we need. These people can help us get unstuck, where we get frustrated and not knowing how to proceed, they may help us accelerate where we could've been slow in some areas. They are a blessing in our lives. The opposite is true. There could be people in our lives that serve as stumbling block, where  they don't see the value in what we do, and this is simply because they are not given the vision we have. They will not see what you mean. An

 Colossians 1:13 For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son By choosing God, we have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness, the kingdom of destruction. We were born sinners, as the bible tells us but we were given an opportunity to make amends with our Father through the blood of Jesus on the cross. The blood has rescued us from the darkness and now we can see the light. It's like being blind folded, you see nothing until the blind fold is removed, and now you can see the difference, you can see the light, you see where you are going. This through the word of God where we are told that His word is the lamp to our feet and the light for our path (Psalm 119:105). Meaning, the more you soak yourself in His word, is the more your path is illuminating, it is the more you are guided on the steps you are to take. That makes a difference! The opposite, which is the darkness, a lot can happen, you may stumble and fall, get hurt

 Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want .  One of the well-known bible verse, which I hope we can get the meaning thereof. Like David, we can confess that the Lord is our Shepherd! A shepherd is the one that guards, keeps, directs and feeds the sheep. Basically the one who takes care of the sheep. The shepherd makes sure the sheep is well and not lost, wondering around. The shepherd protects its sheep against wild animals that wants to devour its sheep. God is exactly that  for us. He looks after us day and night. He ensures that we are protected, we are fed, and that we have direction. Considering all of that, then why worry? That's why  David says I shall not want; basically I have everything, God will work it all out. Protection, provision, guidance and well being, all covered. With God on our side, we have everything . Trust in Him, surrender your life to Him and be His sheep. Be a willing sheep, to be guided, led, provided for and taken care of. God doesn't f

 Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  The Lord allows His children to undergo suffering as a way of discipline, to strengthen and to equip them. 1 Peter 5:10-11 says: " Yes, you will suffer for a short time. But after that, God will make everything right. He will make you strong. He will support you and keep you from falling." This shows that when you are in a season of suffering, do not think the Lord has forsaken you or that He doesn't exist, it is part of the process. Remember how gold gets to be shiny, it goes through a purification process at a very high temperature, where all the impurities are removed so that it may display it's beauty. Same with God's children. They don't get to be handed the inheritance without preparation and being equipped. Even Jesus had to carry His own cross before His glory was revealed  to all to see. This is precisely that. Tha