It’s A Light Thing

So often in life we face many trails, tribulations and struggles and things that seem to break us down. Today, I want you to look beyond the surface, see beyond what you are going through right now. What you are facing now is only a light thing to the Lord!  You must remember that no matter the situation, God is in the picture, and he is watching over you. I want you to begin to see God, working the situation out for you. Because my friends, God is working it out. He is concerned about you.

I know you may not be where you want to be in your life right now, but don’t despise your humble beginning “He That Will Rise, Let Him Begin Low”, after you have suffered awhile, God will restore you.

 

8We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 2 Corinthians 4:8

You cannot allow your sight to be limited by your current situation, you must be able to see God through any situation in life that you face. Remember it’s only a light thing.  In life we wish we could take the easiest way through our trails, God in his wisdom knows that is not the right path for us to take.

~Be Careful Who You Place The Blame On When Things Do Not Go In Your Favor~

It’s A Crushing Matter

  In Ancient times in order to produce olive oil, the olives had to be crushed using very large millstones, to extract the oil.The crushing allowed the oil to flow from the olive oil, and was the only way the oil could be extracted.

Our lives operate in very much the same way. Our struggles, our trails and our tribulations, seemingly overwhelm us, the pressure seems to mount, and we feel like we are being crushed. We as a result of being crushed by life, cry out to God for help.

Often times, we cry out to God, in the middle of our “crushing”  and it may seem like relief from the pressure, cares and stresses of life, cannot come fast enough. One must realize that the “crushing” you feel is apart of God’s plan.

God’s word informs us, that we are like clay, in his (the master potter’s) hands.God takes our “crushing” moments, and uses them as an instrument for his glory, he uses our “crushing” moments, to shape and mold us.

6O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. Jeremiah 18:4

Sometimes, when we are being “crushed”, we get broken, hurt, misused and abused by life and people. The pain we feel, the tears we cry, the night’s spent wondering why, through our season of “crushing”, were not in vain. You see, God in his love for us, draws us to him in his loving hands, and like clay that is broken, remixed and reused, God never throws us away, he gathers us back in his arms and reshapes and restores us again.

It is this period of “crushing” that one experiences in their life, that allows the oil (anointing)  to flow.

Are you ready to be “crushed”, so that the anointing can flow? What do we have to fear, we know that our trails, tribulations and struggles are not sent to kill us. God has promised us, that he would be with us, we may go thorough the fire (a period of crushing), but God has his hand on the thermostat and I’m glad about it!

Home Court Advantage

Have you ever played basketball? When one plays basketball on a team there is something called home court advantage. I want you to imagine that you are on a basketball team, and it’s game day, and your team has home court advantage.

You and your teammates are in the final quarter, the score clock is running low. Your teammate is cornered in, looking for someone to pass the ball to he spots you, and passes you the ball. You begin to make the final drive to the basket, members from the opposing team, stop you right before you get ready to make the lucky basket that will help send your team to victory, you get cornered and are forced to pass the ball.

Life is like that, so many times we face so many obstacles, that sometimes we begin to feel overwhelmed. We find our self stressing out over things, many times that we cannot control. In the basketball game of life, we find ourselves cornered, options and choices running low, the pressure to make a decision mounts. Many times it may seem like, we break free, only to run back into opposition. However, you have Home Court Advantage.

When you find yourself running into a wall of resistance, a wall of problems, a wall of situations that seem insurmountable, there is someone there patiently waiting for you to pass them the ball, your teammates name is Jesus. He’s standing there patiently waiting, without complaint while you’ve tried everything on your own, tried your own moves, tired your own tricks, he has sat right there, when you got up, dusted yourself off and began again, only to feel like you’ve run into a brick wall, or a repeating cycle. He has stood right there patiently waiting.

  Pass him the ball! We are instructed that when things become too much for us to handle, when they become overwhelming, when they begin to cause blood pressure issues and began to affect every area of our lives, to pass the ball to him.  God’s word tells us to, cast our cares on him, because he cares for us {1 Peter 5:7}.

In other words, when you’ve looked around and seem to find yourself all alone, God is right there waiting for you to pass him the ball. You must realize that God is with you, and because he is the greatest power you shall not be defeated, you my friend have home court advantage.

28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

When things become too much for you to handle, when the cares of life seem to much to handle, give everything to God, he’s waiting on you, he will give you peace and rest, and he will make your burdens much easier to bear. 

The Mirror Effect

Our view of God never changes, we see him as a provider, a comforter, a deliverer, a healer, a way maker, a strong tower, our refuge, our shelter, our own human language cannot find the words to describe all God is to us, He is simply God, and besides him there is none other! Deuteronomy 4:35

Now what Satan aims to do, is change how we see ourselves, he attempts to change & alter our self image, he attempts to change & alter our self esteem. Satan then seeks to change how we believe that God sees us, you must look in the mirror & say God, help me see myself the way you see me.

You see, God is who he says he is, God can do what he said he can do, God got all the power, and he holds all the answers, God told us that through him we could do all things, God’s word ought to be alive and active in you, it ought to be made flesh in your life. The entrance of his word, giveth life unto you!

Find Your Place {Part 1}

There’s come a point in life, where one must reevaluate their life. You could say that one is taking a hard look at the man or woman in the mirror. I personally have reached many stages in my own life, where I have had to reevaluate my life and it’s direction, my goals, and my own progress toward my intended objectives. It has been well noted that taking a reflective look on one’s self and one’s actions is not always easy, nor is it always an activity one looks upon with undiluted pleasure.  As human beings we all find it necessary to sometimes give advice to our friends, sometimes showing them their own faults, character traits that need to be changed or just allowing them to look at themselves. The necessity we all feel to reevaluate our lives, goals and accomplishments is driven by the desire within each of us to find our place.

God himself commands us to examine, or revaluate ourselves. {1 Corinthians 11:28} Truly finding one’s place is something one cannot do, without divine help and intervention. I find that when evaluating or examining ourselves, one comes up with a lot of questions, but no answers. Could it be possible that we are seeking the wrong sources, and the wrong advice to provide answers to questions that only God can provide a real answer to?

Trust: What It Really Means!

Come take a seat, and lets talk for awhile, let’s talk about trust, not between human beings, but between you and God! Trust.  Any relationship if it is to thrive and grow must be built on a solid foundation of Trust. However, trusting God, is not always easy. The believer does not find it hard to trust God when things are going well, and when we have success. The challenge is trusting God with your secrets, inner failures and fears. Trust involves honesty with yourself and God. Once one learns how to trust God with their life, one can survive any storm. (Psalm 91:1-2)

I urge you to trust God, you have nothing to fear. Truth be told, when we choose to be honest with God, we are not revealing anything to him that he does not already know. God does not have to wait for us to make a mistake, he already knows us through and through, he knows when we will have failures and successes, God even knows our every thought! Trusting God is a way of showing our love towards him. (Psalm 94:11)

When we pray and talk with God we must do so with confidence, leaving no room for doubt. God’s love for each and everyone of us is indescribable, there is nothing on earth to which we can compare God’s love to, God only asks that we accept his love, and trust him.

Are You Ready To Get Started?

Sometimes I wonder, if God is really trying to drive the point home about trusting him in difficult situations. I began to examine the book of Job, and when Satan and God had their conversation, I inserted my name everywhere Job’s name was. I said to myself, could God, have had that conversation about me?

You know, sometimes I’m not so sure that God could have that conversation about me, there are many times where I feel I let him down, disappoint him, disrespect him, and do exactly the opposite of what he requires of me, but then those are normal human feelings.

However in life we may not really be ready to get started. There are so many tasks that lay ahead of us, that we are depending on others to help us do, I think God wants us to realize that we are equipped to do these things ourselves, sometimes we can become so dependent on others that we forget what we are truly made of.  Queen Esther learned that she was equipped also, and has a book named after her in the Bible. The Book of Esther, with only ten chapters is a very unique book in the bible, in that it does not mention God’s name even once, however his power and his method’s for delivering his people can clearly be seen throughout the text of the book of Esther. The only other book in the bible not to mention God’s name is the “Song of Solomon”. However, the book of Esther displays God’s providence in difficult times and that he comes through for his people.  {4:14} {4:16}

The Time Is Now:

I truly believe that God uses each of our situations to show us, what we are truly made of. Often God wants us to take a reality check, there is a difference in relying on God, and being dependent on people. Have you noticed, like me, that it seems God will give you a vision, he will give you a dream, and in the physical many of us don’t feel like we can accomplish them, nor does it seem like we have the resources needed to make them a reality, we know that without God’s help they wont come to pass. Often we focus so much on getting our dreams, goals and visions for our lives to being a reality that we forget about our present, however this is a dangerous thing to do, it is our present that lays the foundation for our future.

What’s Hindering You?

Is it possible that you could be so focused on your future, that you have forgotten to lay down good foundations for your present? Are you waiting on others to help you accomplish what God has already equipped you and given you the tools inside of yourself to do? So, what’s hindering you? Is it a lack of faith, determination, motivation? Every time we don't trust God, we show doubt in him.

Are You Waiting Or Procrastinating?

31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Truly waiting on God, requires action on our part. So are you truly waiting or procrastinating? While we are waiting on God, we are still supposed to be going about the business of our daily lives. While we wait, we are to renew our strength, ,work with haste and not grow so easily tired or burnt out. We should stop to enjoy life, without feeling that we are not making adequate progress. This verse speaks of ACTION, not sitting at a stand still. So whatever excuses you’ve used in the past, they no longer work, go right ahead and toss them out the window with the bath water, God does not need our assistance to make good on his word, it is our responsibility to work, with faith, motivation and determination, trusting that God, who directs the affairs of our lives, will give us the ability and tools required to accomplish everything that’s set before us. So, Are You Ready To Get Started?

~Waiting On The Lord, Means To Have Faith/Confidence In Him, We Are Equipped To Do The Work & Accomplish The Tasks Before Us!~

The Fight Of Your Life!

Imagine yourself in a ring, a boxing ring of sort’s. You don’t know how you got there, but you're there. There’s a crowd watching, your suited up and your opponent is in the corner getting revved up and ready to go. You approach your opponent with some signs of nervousness, wondering what am I doing in this ring? 1,2,3 The Bell rings, and the fight commences.

The fight goes on for sometime, it’s really hard to tell who has the upper hand. You get some hits in,  they got some hits, in and it seemed like the fight dragged on for a while. Your coach in your respective corner, saw that you were getting tired, and called a break.

Your coach mentors you over in the corner, gives you water, gives you a few tips on how to defeat your opponent, then in amazement you look again, and instead of your coach “pep talking”  you, it’s God himself, who is encouraging you, God says, my  child, the race has been rough, the fight has been long and draining, but you're not out for the count. You see my child, the devil your adversary, wishes to destroy you, but the fight is rigged in your favor, I know things are tough, I know at times you have felt like you wanted to give up, throw in the towel and  call it quits, but God says, you must continue, this is “The Fight Of Your Life”, you must get back in the ring, you must continue fighting, now is the time, where you must make every effort to bring your dreams, goals and visions for your life to pass, I will help you, God says to you, you were born to do the things I have planted down in your spirit, no one else can give birth to them, now is the time, and now is the season.

Noticing that your time in the corner is fading away, you ask God, has my living been in vain, and he says no, your living has not been in vain, he says to you, continue fighting for I am with you, continue fighting for out of great struggle comes great victory! God says to you, my child, its time for you to go back into the ring, but remember because I am the greatest power, and I am with you, you shall not be defeated.

You rush back in the ring, to begin the fight, and the scene slowly fades away…..

~Everyone That Is In Your Ring, Is Not In Your Corner~

The Roller Coaster Of Life

Imagine yourself riding an awesome  roller coaster, it’s at the latest and greatest theme park, I have decided to ride with you, although we pick different buggies, you a lover of roller coasters, and me scared to death of them. We approach the ride with trepidation, and excitement. The roller coaster locks, us in, it’s path unknown. The roller coaster hits, bumps, glitches and shakes, shaking us and our confidence in the process. The roller coaster goes over hills and glides through falls, each one, seeming quicker than the other, each turn, curve unexpected takes our breath away. The roller coaster thrills us, excites us, scares us, and frightens us, every time we prepare our nerves, something new, greets us, on a ride in which we cannot stop and seemingly have no control over. Such is Life.

Life takes us along a journey, each new day brings challenges, excitement and elements of fear of the unknown. Often it seems like we are locked in a journey or path and destination, unknown to us. We climb towards mountains, and race toward valleys, our struggles and triumphs seem to fall into a steady rhythm. Life offers us thrills, it greets us, excites us, scares us at times and even frightens us, we prepare ourselves, and often find our preparation for naught, for this new obstacle, this new struggle we could not foresee, it caught us, by surprise.  Such Is Life.

At times we felt alone, at times we questioned why, at times we looked around and wondered why didn’t I die? At times we felt unsure, often wondering “Lord, what have I done to deserve this? At times it seemed like God, offered no reply. At times it felt like time moved too fast, and at other times the wait seemed unbearable, we wondered aloud through our moments of triumph, victory and defeat, when oh, when will this ride end, the ride slowly calmed, peace it seemed in the midst of the storm had finally arrived, we looked around surprised to see Jesus sitting peacefully by our side.

~Playing In The Background, “Just for Who You Are” by Earnest Pugh~

There Is Nothing & No One Like God

There is nothing {no situation}, in our lives that is beyond the reach of God's hand. There is nothing {no issue(s)}, that arise in our lives, that catches God by surprise.

There is nothing {no infirmity}, of which you can't be healed & made whole. Have you forgotten that there is no power on the earth or in the heavens, that is greater than God?

God~Must Be 1st!

I believe that the most difficult thing to do is Praise God when things are not going well, when our backs are against a wall, when all hell seems to be breaking loose in our lives, but those are precisely the times when we should Praise God, even the more, for we owe God a praise. However, so many people are walking around giving God their leftovers, leftover money, leftover talent, leftover prayer life, leftover worship, oh but what if God gave you someone’s leftover breath, do you think you would be able to breath?

6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:6

What if God gave us some leftover sunlight, would it still warm the earth anew? What if God gave us some leftover rain, would it fall from the sky to wash the earth clean? What if God gave us, a leftover anointing, would we be as effective? What if God gave us leftover grace, would we have made it out alive, in a place we knew we should not have been in the first place? What if God gave us left over mercy, would you have still just caught the STD and not the HIV? What if God, Oh What if God, decided to give you leftover salvation, would all your sins, still be washed away? What if God decided to give you leftover sanity, would you still know him as a keeper? What if God, decided to give you leftover time, would you be able to accomplish everything that has been set before you?

33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

God should be first in our lives, not an afterthought, someone we reach out to just when we need him, someone who’s only called on in cases of emergency. I don’t know about you, but I enjoy hearing from God daily.

I put him first in everything I do, for it is in him I move, breath and have my being. Don’t get it twisted, we would be nothing without God, we could do nothing without him.  It  is because of his grace and mercy that we made it through the most difficult parts of our lives,it’s because of his grace and mercy, that we didn’t commit suicide,committing to death everything God had placed within us.

It’s because of his grace and mercy that we didn’t die of a drug overdose, don’t get it twisted, my friends, readers, haters, and family, you didn't get where you are in life on your own. How do I know this, I tried it on my own, I couldn't make it, without God holding my hand.

So if you find yourself, giving God your leftovers, and not putting  God first in your life, I urge you to do so today, he will make a change in your life, and your life will be sweeter with him as your guide.

Read More @ adifferentmeandyou.wordpress.com

Your Next Step……

Every move you make, every single day,every time you pray, every step you take….

Wherever you may happen to be as you read this post, turn to your neighbor, turn to your friend, turn, turn to anybody and say to them with conviction, “My Next Step Is Destiny”!!

Relationship With God 

It is impossible to walk with God, have a relationship with God and your life not be changed, God always inspires us to reach for more, believe in ourselves and our abilities. God loves to remind us that he can do the impossible and that with his help we can achieve the seemingly impossible. 

24And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. Genesis 5:24

The more you walk with God, the more your life will change, often we feel like we are walking thorough life in circles, or a cycle like the children of Israel were when they walked in the desert for forty years.

Repeating Cycle’s/Roadblocks

However, you are not in a repeating cycle, even though you may not think you are making progress, you are.  A cycle is a roadblock, something that frustrates you, such as when people lose their wallet, they search and search and search, with one determined focus, getting their lost or misplaced wallet back.

While walking with God, we fight battles of both spiritual and physical warfare.  It is not enough to just pray in the spiritual, and to conduct spiritual warfare and ignore the reality around you.

How I Conduct Spiritual Warfare

The following is a journal entry I wrote not too long ago, when I was fighting a spiritual battle:  

God, I have been in Spiritual Warfare since I have been sleep last night, the devil knows that I fight on all fronts, and that I’m just positioning myself for victory, my actions, my prayer life, my conversation and my relationships have all been in one direction, totally focused on the battle at hand. I have had people sing, read & even pray for me. I have used everything at my disposal to fight this battle. I refuse to concede defeat, I realize that often I must go through, to get to my breakthrough. God, could I be aiming at too many things at one time, thereby rendering myself ineffective at obtaining the victory over just one thing? Could I have my hands set to do too many things? God how can I regain my focus? How can I give the tasks in front of me 100%.  God I have so many things I want to see you do in my life, I realize that I must wait on your perfect timing, but honestly I am tired of waiting. God, there are so many people close to me who need a breakthrough, need a miracle, they need you to come through for them, or they just won’t make it. God I have faith in the tools you have given me, and I know you will use the tools you have placed in my hand to be effective against the battle at hand. God even I, find myself needing your help and I am totally dependent on you.

!Your Next Step Is Destiny!

Let’s Take A Walk

If I may take the liberty, I want you to imagine yourself walking in a prairie wilderness, with God, all around you are just lush grass, flowers and trees as far as your eyes can see. You can feel his presence beside you, the weather is warm and the sun is shining just right with a slight breeze. As you walk, you begin to tell God all your troubles, all your heartaches, all your struggles. God turns to you and says, my child tell me about where you are now. You begin to tell God how your struggling, you feel like your not going anywhere, your tired of working towards your goals and dreams, you feel like things would be going better for you if you were back home, or if you could just be anywhere else than where you are now. You reflect with regret on some of your past mistakes and choices. God looks at you, with eyes filled with love, and with his still quiet voice, he says,  My child, do you not know that I who created you, had a plan in mind for you before you were born, that I who created you, knew what tasks you would face, knew what battles you would triumph in, I who created you, filled you with creativity and knowledge, filled you with ideas and concepts. I make all things well, as you have been walking down life’s journey, I have been right here beside you, at times you felt alone, you couldn't feel my presence but I was still here, at times you called out to me, in desperation, in despair, in anguish, it hurt me to see you so, but my hand was still here to guide you. You see my child, only you thought things in your life were delayed, only you thought that you were not moving fast enough, you saw everyone else succeed, saw everyone else move ahead in your eyes and you questioned me. You wondered what was taking so long, why were my promises so far off for you, while others around you seemed to get blessed every day, living half the life you live. You see my child, while on the surface it looks as though those around you are really doing well they are not really living, just functioning through life.  My Child, I who have started a work in you, have you just where you need to be, walking with me, you can never go wrong. Each day of your life, you have been walking with me, and I have always guided you where you needed to be, I know what’s best for you, and I made a plan for you before you were born, I considered all the obstacles and trails and tribulations you would face, and I made them all work for your good and according to my plan, and now Your Next Step Is Destiny, That’s only if you choose to continue to walk this journey with me, God then says, Will You?