The Problem Have you been struggling a lot lately? It seems that you have been attacked from all directions: family, health, job, finances, with more bills than money coming in? Let's look into Deuteronomy 7:1-2 "“When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and m

"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!" (Psalm 27:13-14) The Problem: Prayer Taking Too Long to Come to Pass When the answers are taking too long to come to fruition, trouble mounts, and you are overwhelmed on every side. The trouble seems to be never-ending. In the natural, it appears that God is i

(Genesis 8:21) “The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in His heart: ‘Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.” God does not want worship that is a lot of show and no heart. Just as described in (Matthew 6:5), “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the st

(Jeremiah 31:3) “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” You Are Loved Unconditionally We were not brought into the world for our parents, friends, or ourselves but for God and His purpose and His glory. Isaiah 43:7-11 “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made." Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf. All the nations gather together, and the peoples asse

By Sandra Smith If you're reading this with a heart full of shame, confusion, or pain that you can't put into words — I want you to know something before you read another sentence. I've been exactly where you are. I Know This Pain Firsthand I didn't grow up thinking my marriage would hurt me. No woman does. But I lived through an abusive marriage, and I know what it does to a person. It chips away at who you are. It makes you question your worth, your mind, even your faith. Y

(Luke 19:37-40) "When He came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 'Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!' Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, 'Teacher, rebuke your disciples!' 'I tell you, He replied, 'if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Do you thank God

“Therefore, He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25) Numbers 2 describes the order of the 12 tribes of Israel and how they were to be positioned around the Tabernacle. God has a purpose for everything He does, and it is or will work out for our good. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His pu

“Then the Lord gave these instructions to Moses and Aaron: “When the Israelites set up camp, each tribe will be assigned its own area. The tribal divisions will camp beneath their family banners on all four sides of the Tabernacle, but at some distance from it.” (Numbers 2:1-2 NLT) In Numbers 2, the Israelites are on the journey to the Promised Land. Leaving Egypt, they will not automatically enter into the Promised Land with ease. They have a wilderness period to t

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 2:5) As with all people, I am sure you struggle with issues bombarding you and the negative thoughts and emotions that follow. How do we counteract that when it does not seem to end? Read your Bible! It is your weapon against Satan! Even Jesus used the Word of God when He was tempted in the desert. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God,

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." (James 1:2-5) Being a child of God, you will get a spiritual workout. There are times when God will allow trials that will stretch you

"For we who have believed, do enter that rest." (Hebrews 4:3) There is a rest, a peace that you have in your spirit when you believe first of all in Jesus Christ. "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6) Jesus is the one who died for our sins, and by believing, repenting, and receiving Him, you are forgiven of your sins, made righteous through His shed blood on the cross, and have a promised home i

"Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ Are not the Abanah a

(Ephesians 5:14) “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." It is time to rise above the situations at hand that have kept you stuck and going nowhere. Stand with confidence in who you are: a child of the Most High God! (Deuteronomy 1:6-8) “The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, 'You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the m

Our “Abba” Father—Our Daddy God (John 4:24) “God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” How do you spend your time with God? He is not only your El Shaddai, your Almighty God, but He is also your Abba Father, your Daddy God who longs to be with you. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4) Do you spend quality tim

(Acts 9:9 & 15-16) “For three days he was blind and did not eat or drink anything”…..”Go! This man is My chosen instrument to carry My Name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for My Name.” Why Lord, So Long? We often ask, me included, during extremely trying times, “Why God? Have you not heard my cry” and “Why is this suffering, this trial that seems to have no hope and only darkness, seem to

(Daniel 3:30) “Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.” There are Seasons You have been going through a season of trials from every direction. Trouble in your family, your emotions, your job, and your finances; it seems as if you have had Satan’s complete attention! There is a season for everything, even the trials that we go through, and trials do have a purpose! Trials teach us, develop our gifts, increase our strength and f

(John 11:40) “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” You may be surrounded by many issues in your life right now, and fear has overwhelmed your heart. You have trouble in every area, with your finances, with your children, with your relationships, and maybe even your health as well. The troubles you face are beyond your capability to take care of them; you don’t know what you are going to do. Fear has set in—you need a miracle. (R

(Isaiah 48:2) "For they call themselves after the holy city, and anchor themselves upon the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is His name.” A boat out to sea will be tossed to and fro when a strong wind comes up. The waves of the sea will splash up against it, tossing it all about, and the proper anchor can hold it and keep it from being carried away by the waves and turned over. Are you anchored to the Most High God? Do you place your hope in Him through Jesus Christ?

The Lord says that in this world we will have trouble. We live in a fallen world. He gave us free will, and some use their free will to the disadvantage of others, and then there is Satan who “Roams the earth seeking whom he may devour.” We, ourselves, also experience things we have done that we regret. The Lord wants us to move on, go forward, and not look back. (Philippians 3:14) “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” He tells u

(Matthew 21:19) ‘ Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately, the tree withered.” When Jesus comes into your heart, and you truly surrender all to Him, self, self-righteousness, and self-works die, and His Spirit and the freedom and grace that come with His Spirit come alive in you! (Galatians 5:16-18) “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify th