Be Repositioned

 James 1:7 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. Our Heavenly Father is a loving father, and that is who He is. Matthew 7:11 says: " So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him." This verse makes a perfect example that as parents, we find ourselves giving good gifts to our children as we love them, sinful as we are. Thus, how much more will our Father who loves us so much, with His unconditional, never-ending  love will He give us His children?  We must never think of God as the one who brings bad things in our lives, He cares for us. It is actually the devil that wants to bring destruction to our lives (John 10:10), as he is jealous  of our relationship with our Father and the destinies that God has for each one of us. The story of Job exp...

 2 Corinthians 9:7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” The scripture is clear about us giving in the form of tithes and offering. In the Old Testament , people were required to give through their animals and crops they grow, giving them back to the house of the Lord as an act of gratitude. The principle still remains, where now this could be in a form of money. What we need to realize is that we don't give because the Lord is in need of our  offering, but we give as an act of obedience and also a request for the Lord to bless the rest from the portion given. This is a principle that allows us to reap where we sow. As individuals, we can decide for ourselves where we sow, do we sow in earthly places that may not yield any results or do we decide to sow in the kingdom of God, where God sees the act of obedience and promises to open the floodgates of he...

 1 Peter 4:10 God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. This is so important to remember!!! God created us different, unique for a reason. He made each person special, filled with gifts and talents that God would use to bring glory and  honour unto Him. God never mass-produced us, as copies, there is a reason for that. As this verse for today says, God blessed each one of us with a gift, from a variety  of gifts so that we may serve one another, be a blessing to others. This means, what God put in you, is to be used to bless others . Hence, you cannot be selfish with  your gift, as by so doing, you may be denying someone an opportunity to be blessed through you. Also, we need to remember that one day we will account to God on what we did with the gifts He gave us. The parable of talents in the bible is precisely this message (in the book of Matthew 25:14-30). God wants us to use what He b...

 Numbers 6:24-26 ‘May the LORD bless you and protect you.  May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you.  May the LORD show you His favor and give you His peace.’ Receive this word and prayer over your life. That the Lord bless and protect you, smile and be gracious to you and also for Him to show His favour on you and give you  His peace. This consists of the ingredients  that would give you a prosperous, healthy and peaceful life. We all need His protection, His favour in areas we struggle with, for Him to be gracious and bless us and also to give us His peace in the midst of all that is going on out there. Receive it and believe that God is able to show you His goodness in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13). The thing about the bible, it is not just about the account of what people went through previously and recorded into a bible just as a story book, but these are the words that are spirit-breathed, powerful and sharper than the double-edged  swo...

 Colossians 3:16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. Three critical lessons this verse is teaching us. One, to let the message about Christ fill our lives. This is only possible if we have heard the message, the good news about what Christ has done for us. Also, most importantly, to believe this message, which will fill our lives as we are now convinced. Secondly, to teach and counsel others. The Lord has given us His grace and mercy to have heard about this good news, now that we have received  it and live it, we need to also  open others' eyes as well, so that they can find the gift of salvation as well. Thirdly, to have a cheerful heart, sing praises to the Lord for He is good. Praise and thank Him for all that He is done. Thank Him for His faithfulness. This will lead us to having a grateful heart and lifesty...

 Psalm 107:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. We give thanks to the Lord, not because He blesses us with things, but because of who He is. May we take a stand of separating the two, so that we don't appreciate  and love God only because of what He does for us, which would lead us loving Him less when we don't see the answers (say in the wilderness). Because  the God of the mountain is still the God in the valley. He is with us through thick  and thin, and that is what we should focus on, His being and character. Focus on His love for you, His gracious  nature, His faithfulness to never leave nor forsake you. With you keeping your eyes on Hm in this way, you will always have a grateful heart, lacking nothing. This is why Matthew 6:33 tells us to seek Him and His righteousness, where all the other things, He will add to us as we prioritize  Him and His will. Our job is to seek Him, focus on Him and do His will. It ma...

 Psalm 23:6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever. I believe and I believe! God has proven His goodness in our lives, over a long time. All it takes, is paying attention to detail and recognizing that a lot of things don't just happen, it is the grace of God. I know it may be difficult to touch and feel the goodness of the Lord when you are in the wilderness , but even so, there are things that you can still see the hand of God over. Take the children of Israel when they were in the wilderness for example , God performed so many miracles, that would convince them that He is with them and for them. He protected them, provided for them and kept them alive however, they kept complaining and forgetting the very last big miracle He performed for them, due to what they were focusing on. Could it be that we also do the same, we fix our eyes on the challenges and start feeling as though we are on our...

 Galatians 5:25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. This simply means that we are born again, and by so, God has placed  His Holy Spirit in us, as our guide, our help and comforter. We no longer live off by what our flesh dictates, but as the word of the Lord says, as guided by the Holy Spirit. This is inline with what 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: " This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" Now that we belong to Christ, our old self has died,  and we rose up with Christ. Our old way of doing things, preferences, fleshy desires have gone, and now we are clothed with the Spirit. Some people may find this as a negative, that their old lifestyle has been cut short, which  has been of the world; but what they don't realize is that what they have gained surpasses what they have lost. By being a new creation, you have been cleansed off all your...

 Micah 7:7 As for me, I look to the LORD for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me. This is so true for me, my help comes from the Lord. Over the years, I have learned to put my trust on the Lord, no matter the situation may be. It is true  that nothing is too big or too small for the Lord, He says if it concerns you then it concerns Him; and it should be brought to Him. This inline with Psalm 121:1-2  that says: " I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?   My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. " This is the confidence that we should have at all times. Life is full of curve balls, one needs to know exactly where to run to, when times are tough, and having a standpoint  that God is my refuge, helps as when  storms hit, you go straight to Him without bothering and putting a burden on people, but you go to the Source. God does not expect us to burden our loved ones with our trouble...

 1 Corinthians 2:9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” The promises of the Lord are wonderful and worth the wait! They are so outstanding that even our eyes have not seen such, nor ears heard,  or our minds imagine! This must be big! Can you believe and receive what the Lord has for you?  Of course,  there's a small condition of which we must not miss. The last part that says "...for those that love Him". This means, these blessings God has in store, are for His children that love Him. May we ensure that we don't lose hope in Him, even when we don't see change, know that God is behind the scenes working  it all out for you. Remain loving and acknowledging Him in your life. Isaiah 40:31 say s: " but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall wa...

 Colossians 3:15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. As the body of Christ , we are called to have peace in our hearts. This is by no means implying that we will have peace because there are no storms, but it means even during the storms, we will still have our peace in our hearts. This may seem contradictory, but this links with the bible verse in the book of Philippians 4:6-7 that says: " Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and  thank Him for all He has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." This is a mouthful, precisely what the verse for today is talking about. In order to have peace in your heart, you must not worry, instead take everything in prayer to God and tell Him everything and also be t...

 Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. God cares for us and when He sees us hurting, in distress, He comes in to heal and comfort us. This verse today reminds us that whenever we face difficulties, situations that breaks our hearts, we have a Father that is there for us to take away the pain. Which is why He is called Jehovah Rapha, our Healer because indeed He is our Healer. Our confidence is found in Isaiah 53:5 which confirms our healing,  and it says: " But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed." The stripes Jesus endured on that  day, secured our healing. This is something that has already been finalized , that we are healed. Furthermore, the beatings ensured that we are made whole! This shows that it is the desire of the Lord to see us whole, not broken, hurt and not being our best versions. Therefore, should you find yourself not whole, run to our ...

 Proverbs 10:17 People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray. Discipline is part of life. Like earthly parents, who discipline their children when they've done something wrong, or are headed in the wrong direction, they get disciplined to ensure that they don't go astray . It is the same with the Lord, who wants to see us walking on the right path. This means when He sees that we are diverting and moving away from the right path, He would show us in order to bring us back on the right path. In this verse we learn that when we accept being corrected and molded by God and through  His people on earth, we get to be on the pathway  to life. Of which that's what we desire. But when we don't listen and ignore the correction, we will be led astray. Therefore, it is in our best interest to be open to discipline and heed the call. When we are given guidance and instructions to improve, let us humble ourselves and allow t...

 1 John 3:18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. They say actions speak louder than words, indeed this verse is saying exactly that. We are taught that we must love one another , our enemies included, but it is not enough that we say that we do, when our actions say otherwise. Remember in the kingdom of God we don't return evil with evil, instead we do good to those who persecute us. Matthew 5:44 puts it nicely and it says: " But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!" This is putting it into action, when those who persecute you are mean to you, you love them and take them to prayer. You don't pray evil for them, you pray for God to have  mercy on them, for their repentance  and for God to forgive them for what they do for they do not know what they do (as Jesus said). You'll never know whose soul you are saving for praying prayers like that. Furthermore,  in Proverbs 25:21 says: ...

 Titus 3:4-5 But— When God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, H e saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah, our sins have been cleansed away and we have a new life, in Christ Jesus! We are saved, not  by our own doing, but by the grace and mercy of our Lord, who displayed His love for us through His beloved Son. He showed how much He love us and how compassionate and kind He is towards us. May this reality sink in your heart, that you are not concdemned for your sins, panishment is not waiting on you, because of the blood of Jesus. This however is applicable to those who have welcomed Jesus is their hearts as their Lord and Saviour and I pray that if this is not the case for you, that you would seek Him as soon as possible, because tomorrow is not guaranteed, which is why the bible tells us to stay ready, like the brides with their...

 Hebrews 4:16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. The Lord is merciful,  and He is always awaiting us to approach Him, as His children. The devil has a tendency of filling our minds with thoughts  of shame, guilt, which will make us condemn ourselves and feel worthless to approach God. May I remind you that Jesus already went to the cross, died and rose again. This means, the measure to cleanse our sins and take away our shame has been completed, in full! This giving us the courage and boldness to approach  God for anything, because we are cleansed and no longer have to pay for our past. The moment we accepted  Jesus into our lives, that's when all sins were cleansed,  and shame taken away.   Therefore, as God's children we need to align to what God says about us. We must never allow the enemy to lie to us and keep us bound and in sin. Jesus co...

 1 John 4:7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. God is love (1 John 4:8) and He teaches us to love. To love Him, love our neighbours, and to love ourselves. We are told that love comes  from God, so anyone who loves, is a child of God and knows God. This is certainly one indicator if a person knows God or not. It is one of the fruits of the spirit as indicated in the book of Galatians 5:22-23.  Furthermore, the bible tells us how to tell if someone comes with the spirit from the kingdom of God or from the kingdom of darkness. 1 John 4:2 says: " This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God." Thus, anyone recognizing Jesus, acknowledges our Father, who is love. This as a result that Jesus came to show us a glimpse of our Father, His heart. When we look at how compassionate, loving, kind, selfless Jes...

 John 16:33 "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Jesus warned us well in advance, that in life, we will have trials and  tribulations, and sorrows. However, He comforted us that those trials will not overpower us, we will emerge victorious from them because of the victory He has obtained  for us! He says He has overcome  the world, meaning He defeated everything,  and it is done. This means, whatever we may face, we must not be fearful that it will overpower us, because He is on our side and He died on the cross for our regard, we have victory already. Be comforted, where you may be facing challenges, know that you are not alone, your brothers and sisters in Christ are also facing similar (different phases/season and different battles). But most importantly, know that God is with you. Just like He was with Daniel in the lion's den, or t...

 Colossians 4:6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. Proverbs 18:21 tells us that the power of life and death are in your tongue . What you say, may either build or break. Hence the verse for today, urges us to be gracious, kind so that we will have the right response for everyone. Right response doesn't necessarily refer to a Q&A session, but it refers to for example , if someone was to approach you, asking for advice  on something that is bothering them, your response could either give them hope or bring despair. Therefore, we need to always be ready to give the right response. Also, right response doesn't mean lying to them, as a cover-up from them being hurt, but it means you tell the truth in a kind way, where you may also provide possible solutions or perspective that would make them feel hopeful. Remember that God has entrusted us to His children, who may not even have a relationship with Him; in thi...

 Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. Best believe that God says you are the light of the world! God created you to bring light to the world, the space  you are in as per His purpose for your life. This light you need not  have to dig it up or crack your head about "being it" but by being obedient to the Lord, you bring out that light naturally. By embracing who God created you to be, not copying others and forcing yourself to be something that you are not, you are being that light. Remember, God does not create copies, as He has a special purpose for each one of us, which is why we are unique  to even our siblings whom we are born from the same parents with. Also, to remember that because the Holy Spirit lives in you (1 John 4:4), He is able to shine His light through you, as you become obedient to His leading. Therefore, never think small of yourself, God created you and chose you to be the light wherever He h...

 Job 19:25 “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and He will stand upon the earth at last. When life happens, and things don't go as well as we thought they will, are we still confident that God our Redeemer will come through for us? Or do we automatically start believing that God does not exist? Like Job, who went through so much but held on to his faith, knowing that God never changes, He lives and will redeem him, it is the kind of conviction we need to have for ourselves. What we learn from Job, is that the devil went to God and after an engagement, God allowed the devil to test Job's faith and love for God. The devil thought Job loves God because he is blessed with everything. But God had full confidence on Job that he would not change from his position about the relationship he has with God. Indeed, that was the case. This proved that Job knew God lives and that He loves him and would come through for him. It is on the same basis that we should have the same beli...

 Hebrews 11:6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him. The currency  of the Kingdom of God is faith. Faith forms the foundation of our relationship with our Father. We have not seen Him with our own eyes, but faith tells us He lives,  and He is who He says He is. Which is why the bible makes it clear that we walk by faith not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). This means everything we do, we do it because we have faith that it will work out based on what God said , His promises on our lives. Therefore, it is impossible to please God without faith. We can't wait to see it first before we believe it. For instance, the gift of salvation (Ephesian 6:8-9) came by us believing without having witnessed Jesus being crucified on the cross and resurrecting in three days. However, we believe the word of God that is in the bible because He is faithful,  and He is no...

 Psalm 55:22 Give your burdens to the LORD, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the Godly to slip and fall. God cares for you. He doesn't need you to carry life's burdens on your shoulder,  but He is inviting you to bring all your burdens to Him. It may be difficult  to do so, as it is human nature to be concerned about things that  are not alright, but the reality is that God  does not want us to be pre-occupied and worried by issues and matters. As our Father,  He has invited us to offload by Him, thus by prayer as described  in the book of Philippians 4:6 that  says: " Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything . Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done." This clearly describes what God expects us to do when we encounter challenges. You pray about it! Tell him what you need, thank Him for what He has already done in the past, thus showing gratitude and recognizing Him that He is able to do all thin...

 Proverbs 11:25 The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. This must be linked to the verse about reaping what you sow. Simply put, when you look after God's things and people, God looks after you. This I'm speaking from experience. I always find myself stuck and frustrated when I focus on my problems, it will seem as though I don't get any solutions or breakthrough. But the moment I put those aside and focus on how I can be of service to others, I find joy and peace, plus somehow  God resolves my issues as well; things will fall into place without me forcing them. This is where this verse says when you refresh others, God will refresh you. When we look at Jesus, who was showing us our Father, we realize that He is generous, selfless, kind, considerate, helpful and all the good characters. Which shows that God wants us to be like Him, as He came to be our model. You don't have to have millions of rands to start being generous, ther...