It is during the darkest moments of our life that we must shift our focus to clearly see the light.

I thought of this today as my daughter shared an insightful truth with me.

My daughter battles anxiety at times.  When driving, there are some long bridges over deep waters that cause her anxiety.  She has prayed about this for months and I believe God is showing her ways to overcome it.

Recently, as we headed out of town, we came to a bridge that has in the past caused her anxiety.  She drove over it without saying a word or even slowing down.  When we arrived on the other side she said, “thirty-five seconds.”

I just looked at her as she responded, “it takes thirty-five seconds to get across that bridge.”

She went on to explain that if she shifts her focus and concentrates on something else, the bridge does not cause her to be anxious.

Aha.  This, you see, if a biblical truth.  And an insightful perception.

Isaiah 26:3 says; You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

Peace comes only when our focus is on God and His word.  We can’t focus on what is going wrong or lack or how someone has hurt us. We must focus only on God and His word.  That is, if we are to remain in peace.

Many things will try to get our focus.  Sickness will attempt to get our focus.  Lack will demand our attention.  Our jobs or ministry may require our focus.  Yet, one truth remains.  God will keep us in perfect peace as our mind is stayed upon Him.

Philippians 4:6 is another scripture that talks about where our focus needs to be.  It says; “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

When anxiety about a certain thing tries to overwhelm you, refuse to be anxious.  Instead pray about your situation.  When you are finished praying, thank God that He heard you and has answered your prayer.  Then go a step further and thank Him for everything He has done for you.  Enter into thanksgiving!  As you do, you will find, your mind is again on God and His word. Once your mind is back on God, peace will flood your mind and your heart.

It is when our heart is at peace that we can hear Gods voice.  If we remain anxious, we are unable to hear God clearly.  Oh! But when peace floods our soul.  Then we can hear the voice of God.  When we hear His voice, He will tell us what to do.  For this reason alone, it is vital we keep our eyes and our thoughts on God.

Romans 4:19-21 says; And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 

Abraham refused to get his focus on his age or Sarah’s womb.  He kept his focus on one thing.  He focused only on what God had said.  He was fully persuaded that God would do what He said He would do.  He refused to give his attention to anything else.

This is what we must do in every situation that is not in agreement with God’s word.  We must refuse to focus our attention on the problem.  We must instead keep our focus entirely on God and His word.

It may mean more time in the word of God.  It may mean more time in prayer.  Whatever it means, do it.  It will be time well spent.

God will keep you in perfect peace, regardless of what is going on around you, as you keep your focus on Him.  If something other than God and His word has your attention today, it is time to change your focus.

Meditate on this:
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Colossians 3:2

Today I came across an old email from one of our partners.  It is power packed!  If you will do what she is doing, you too can begin to see the results she is seeing.

I have said it over and again, life and death are in the power of our tongue and we will eat the fruit of it…good or bad.  Here’s the email…

I have been on high alert in noticing changes in atmosphere throughout the day.  When I am suddenly upset by something, I start declaring the opposite of what I am feeling. 

Thursday night when my husband and I discovered something one of our kids had not taken care of.  Instead of complaining and expressing my disappointment at a pattern I was seeing, I began to declare that this particular kid was a good worker, that she grabs hold of responsibility and gets so much done.  I declared that she saw things that needed doing and did them, and on and on.  I declared everything good I could think of instead of my anger and disappointment.

I am totally stunned by what happened!  Friday morning, she got up and did all of her homeschooling work without being told.  She works for me so came and told me she was working, and we had a constructive time of working together.  She goes to cosmetology school in the afternoons, but the power was off, so she came home and worked all afternoon doing laundry and picking up her room.  By dinner time her room was cleaned up more than I have ever seen it.  The clutter and stuff is gone, everything super tidy.  I could hardly believe my eyes! 

Have my words been cursing her every time I have been disappointed in her behavior?  Am I the reason she has not been thriving? Lord, thank you that you are changing this!

This makes me want to declare good things over my family all day!  I am declaring all of the things that we need and laughing.

Yes!  I believe God is exposing the enemy’s plans!  Even when I didn’t have time to read your email I didn’t miss out! God is so good!

Blessings to you!

J.

This my friend is what happens when we stop saying what we see and begin saying what we want to see.

I love what she said, “have my words been cursing her every time I have been disappointed in her behavior?”

That is exactly what we do!  By our words we are condemned (or our children are) and by our words we are justified.  It is a simple truth.  If you want to see change, create it.  Create it with the words of your mouth.

We create change the same way God did, with the words of our mouth.

God looked out into the darkness, the place of absolutely nothing and spoke.  He created everything we see today with His words.  Your words have the same power and the same anointing.

If you want to see things change, speak faith filled words.  If you want to see atmospheres change, fill your atmosphere with God’s word.  If you want to see your children change, speak what you want to see over them.  Don’t allow anything else to come out of your mouth!  Declare His word and watch it change everything around you.

Our partner ended her email with I believe God is exposing the enemy’s plans.  Yes, amen!  This is one of the plans of the enemy.  To get us, by our words, to come into agreement with his plans for our kids.  I refuse, I hope you do too.

Meditate on this:

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.  Ephesians 4:32

Up ahead we saw blue lights.  “Uh oh.”  Breanne said.  I thought, “it must be an accident.”  However, as it came closer, I realized what it was.  “Pull over!”  I said.  “It’s a funeral.”

I don’t know if you do this in your city or not, but we do.  If a funeral procession is approaching all cars pull over to the side of the road and stop.  And wait for it to pass.  We do this out of respect for the family.

Once we were moving again, Breanne said, “you can tell when you live in a small town, everyone pulls over for a funeral.”  I agreed.

As we continued to talk, I realized something.  I know from experience, one of the worst things about losing a loved one is watching the rest of the world move on while you feel your world has come to a screeching halt.

I remember sitting at the funeral home, planning Jesse’s funeral. I could see outside.  Cars were zooming past.  People were walking down the sidewalk.  Workers were working on the roads.  And I thought, “it seems so odd, it feels like our entire world has come crashing to a halt, yet everyone is going on with life.”

Today I realized, as we were stopped on the side of the road, that our respect was speaking to that family who had lost their loved one.  It was saying, “We see you.  We know your world has stopped for a moment, out of respect, we are going to stop with you for a few moments.”  It is simply a way of letting them know we care.

Romans 12:15 says; Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 

Galatians 6:2 says; Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

I know I have written a few times on acts of kindness lately.  And perhaps you are weary of that message.  However, I believe with all my heart that it is God having me see these things and share them with you.

1 Corinthians 13 says; Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

The Living Bible says it like this; If I had the gift of being able to speak in other languages without learning them and could speak in every language there is in all of heaven and earth, but didn’t love others, I would only be making noise.

If we say we are Christians but fail to love others as Christ loves the church, we are only making noise.

We can speak in tongues day and night, but if we have not love, we have nothing.  God is love.  He expects us to show love, every day and in every situation.

He wants us to stop and think.  To listen to the hurting.  To help them if we can.  He wants us to rejoice with those who are rejoicing.  He wants us to weep with those who are hurting.  To comfort them.  To lift their arms when they are too weary to hold them up.  In doing so, we glorify God.

My friends, people are hurting in the world.  They are all around us.  We need to help them if we can.  It can’t always be about us.  We must be about our Father’s business.  And His business is to love others and to bring them to Christ.  Sometimes all it takes is a smile.  A hug.  Pulling over to the side of the road and waiting for their loved one to pass.  It doesn’t always take something huge…small things that can make a big impact.

My prayer for us today, is that God will lead people across our path that we can encourage and lift.  May we love them as Christ does.  May we be His light that shines in their dark times.  Equip us to do just that Father, in Jesus name.  Amen.

Meditate on this:

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Colossians 3:17

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.  James 1:22-25

This scripture came to mind today as I had a chat with my daughter.

We were talking about my vehicle.  I had recently put tinting on the windshield to help with the glare of the sun.  It is something Breanne had done on her vehicle and it stopped her from having headaches caused by the brightness of the sun.

While it did darken my windshield and really cooled off the vehicle, I could not keep it on.  I had to have it removed.  For some reason, on this vehicle, it created a mirror image of the dashboard.  It gave me a headache.  It was as if I was always looking at a mirrored image of the dashboard through the windshield.

The funny thing is before I had the tint put on the windshield, I did not notice that the dash was always visible in the windshield.  However, after it was illuminated by the mirrored look of the tint, I notice it constantly.  Apparently, Breanne does too.

She said to me today, “thanks Mom, I never noticed Brandon’s dash in his truck windshield until you had that put on your vehicle, now I see his dash in his windshield too.”

I responded, “Oh I know, I have never in my life noticed that on a vehicle until that mirrored looking tint, now it is all I can see.”

Then it hit me.  That’s exactly what happens when we look into the mirror of the word of God.  At least if we choose to be doers of the word of God.

We look into His word and see how we are supposed to be.  What we are supposed to look like as sons and daughters of God.  We see, in His word, the image of Christ and how we should act.  How we should love.  How we should forgive.  What our priorities should be.  We see all this and once seen; it is not easy to forget.

I know when God is dealing with me personally, it is truly as if He puts a mirror to my face and shows me things I need to change.  I am thankful for those times.

I am thankful for the times the mirror of His word shows me pride in me.  Or shows me unforgiveness, or bitterness in me.  I don’t shrink back at those times, but I run into Him instead.

I am thankful when He takes His word and shows me things I need to change.  Behaviors I need to modify.  Ways I need to treat people. Looking into His word does that for me, quite often, as a matter of fact.

I had a friend who used to say, “You can’t unscramble eggs.”  True statement.  And you can’t un-see something you have seen in the word of God.  You can’t simply look away and ignore it, that is if you want to please God.

I encourage you today, look into the word of God, see what it says you should be.  See what it says you should act like.  Let His word teach you how to love.  Let His word show you exactly what you look like in Him.  Let the mirror of His word transform you into the image of Christ.  Walking like He walks.  Talking like He talks.  And loving like He loves.

Meditate on this:

The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.  1 John 2:6

I shared with you yesterday about my Aunt Sherry and canning beans.  After I wrote that motivation, the Lord began to show me some things.  Things that I want to share with you today.

It has been about seven years ago that my Aunt taught me to can and freeze foods for winter.  The first year was expensive for me.  I had to buy jars, lids and all the supplies.  And I bought beans, potatoes, cucumbers.  Everything I wanted to can or freeze and put up for winter, I purchased.  It was that way for the first four years or so.

Each year, I purchased jars and supplies.  Each year, I purchased the beans, cucumbers, potatoes, peaches, apples.  All the things I wanted to put away, I bought.

There is something else I did each year.  I always, always canned enough extras to give away.  For four years, I gave away canned green beans.  Lots of them. I gave away canned potatoes, peaches, apples, and pickles.  Year after year, I gave.

After a few years a friend of mine called and asked if I needed some jars.  “YES!” I said.  The jars were the most expensive part and I was so thankful for her offer.  On my next trip to Ohio, I came back with a carload of jars.  I was blessed!

I have used those jars for years AND I gave some away.  You see, I need a continual harvest, therefore I continually give.

After four years, something changed.  I no longer had to purchase beans.  My Aunt Sherry would call and say, “we have extra beans, if you want to pick them, they are yours.’

Now, my beans were free.

Then she would call and say, “do you want to do pickles?  I have extra cucumbers, come get some if you want.”

For the past few years I have not purchased beans or cucumbers.  But this year…oh! This year is the kicker!

This year my Aunt Sherry is giving me beans and cucumbers once again.  But it doesn’t end there.  At the beginning of planting season, my Uncle Bobby called and asked what kind of beans I liked.  I told him.  He then told me he was planting me a row of beans and two rows of potatoes.  All I had to do was come get them.  Oh my!

And again, it didn’t end there.  My Mom’s new husband called and said he was going to plant me some potatoes.  I only needed to come dig them.  Oh, my word!  Double portion.

I always buy enough potatoes to keep for several months, besides what I can.  This will save me over a hundred dollars.  I am blessed.

But it didn’t happen overnight.  And it didn’t happen without my participation.  I sowed.  And sowed.  And continued to sow.  Year after year.  I sowed everything I am reaping this year over and again.

You can’t tell me sowing doesn’t work.  You have come too late for that.

2 Corinthians 9:6 says; The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 

Luke 6:38 says; Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. 

If you want a harvest, it only comes one way.  Sowing.  And it doesn’t come overnight.  You must make up your mind that you are going to be a giver.  You will give consistently.  You won’t quit giving until you see harvest.  Even then, you won’t quit giving until you see the double portion.  And certainly, don’t stop giving then.  After the double portion will come overflow.

This year, I have two, not one, two gardens of beans to pick from for free.  I have two gardens to dig potatoes from this year.  I have all the jars I should need this year.  I am ready and willing to do the work to bring in my harvest.  I am seeing overflow in this area.

It is teaching me how to see overflow in other areas of my life.  I will have to do the same thing I did with vegetables and jars…sow and sow again.  In my sowing, I shall surely reap.  I did not allow myself to become discouraged in my giving and I am so very thankful for that.  God is faithful.  A man will live entirely by what he sows, I am seeing this truth in my own life.

This analogy may sound odd to you – but it is teaching me the laws of seed time and harvest in a practical way.  One that I can implement in every area of my life.  I am so excited to be seeing a manifestation of my years of faithful giving.  I am so excited to be seeing my harvest in such a wonderful way.  I am thankful to be reaping where I have sown.  Praise to the Lord of the Harvest.  Thank you, GOD, for the increase.  May we each see increase this year, in Jesus name.  In practical and in supernatural ways.

Meditate on this:

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.  Galatians 6:9

This time of year, always excites me!  I am watching my little garden grow.  I can see it is almost harvest time.

While looking at my garden last week, I thought, “any day now I will receive a call from my Aunt Sherry.”  She will say, “get your stuff ready, I am canning beans.  The next picking is yours.  And cucumbers are almost ready for you to make pickles.  Count your jars!  Make sure you have enough lids, get ready!!!”

As if on cue, I got that call today.  And it excited me all over again.  Within days I will have enough freshly picked and canned green beans to last all winter season.  I will have enough pickles made and canned to last as well.  It’s hard work, but I love it.

I was thinking about all this as I went through my jars, checked my lids and got everything ready.  You see, when she calls, even though I have not seen her beans, I know this is going to happen quickly.  Before I know it, I will have my canning done and put away for another year.

I don’t question whether she is telling the truth or not.  I know she is.  I am absolutely persuaded what she said would happen, will indeed happen.

I believe.

Oh, if we could feel the same way about God.  That when He speaks, as He already has in His word, we are fully persuaded it will happen.  We need only believe.

We are hearing and hearing prophetic words about harvest season coming upon us.  But do we believe?  Are we getting our stuff ready to receive it?  Are we ready if it happens today?

If you look in my dining room, you will see I am ready for my natural harvest season.  I have boxes of jars.  Bags of lids ready.  I have everything I need for pickling.  I am ready.  When she calls, I will load my stuff in my vehicle and head to her garden, fully prepared.

Today I must ask myself this question; am I as prepared for the harvest God says is coming?

Is my faith where it needs to be?  Do I need to enlarge my capacity to receive?

If you are believing God for a vehicle, are you prepared?  Get things in order as if it were coming today.

If you are believing God for finances to pay bills, make a list of the bills you would pay if that money were to come today.

If you are believing for restoration in a relationship, make things ready.  Ask God what He would have you do to prepare for what is coming your way.

As much as I believe the word of my aunt, I can believe Gods word even greater.  Therefore, I need to act like it and prepare for harvest.

Just as I heard my Aunt Sherry say, “get ready!”  I am hearing God say the same thing today.  Get ready.  Prepare the way of the Lord.  He is coming and His reward is with Him.  Are you ready?

Meditate on this:
For nothing will be impossible with God.  Luke 1:37

I have not been able to get the veteran whom we ministered to last week off my mind.

While I know he is eating well, no longer hungry, I also know there was something that touched him even more than the food supplies. It was a human touch.

When I reached for his hand to pray, something broke. I took his hand in mine and placed my other hand over his. As I did this, he began to weep. Not shed a few tears, weep uncontrollably.

In that moment I knew there was something he was lacking even more than food. It was the human touch. The caring of another human being.

I shared the story of the veteran with you, but that is not a rare event for Breanne & I or this ministry. This is a lifestyle for us. We often come across people who don’t have enough to pay for their groceries. Or people who need food. Or people who have hit a rough spot and we sow into their lives. As I thought on all this today, I realized something.

In this fast-paced, social media world we live in, the human touch is becoming less and less available.

We text instead of talk. We meet on facebook instead of meeting for dinner. Personally, I don’t’ think this is a good way to go. We need each other. We need connections and interaction.

Yes, people need money. Yes, they need food. They need to pay their bills. However, I think even more than that they need to know someone cares. A simple act of kindness. A human touch.

Proverbs 16:24 says; Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. (NLT)

It only takes a moment to speak a word of kindness to someone. It costs us nothing. It brings healing to a wounded soul.

Taking the time to show someone we care, especially a stranger, can change their life. It can be the reason they can hope again. It may be the very thing they need to get back up and try one more time. Your words of kindness have great power. Your acts of kindness can heal a wounded soul.

Colossians 3:12 says; Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;

Hebrews 6:10 says; For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

When we show genuine acts of kindness, God is glorified. To me, that’s the best part of all. His light shines through us during these times. All true hope is in Him and if we can point others to Him, that’s the greatest thing we can do for them.

I read a scripture in Acts 28:2 that caught my attention today. It says; And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold.

Today I want to challenge you to begin to show unusual acts of kindness to those that God leads across your path. Speak kinds words. But not only that, show them you care. Give them a hug, or a handshake. Look them in the eye and listen, really listen to their heart. In doing so, you are allowing God’s light to shine through you. His love is shining through you in every act of kindness. So…go ahead…let your light shine!

Meditate on this:
Continue in brotherly love. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2

There are some lessons God has taught me that return to my mind over and again. In word and deed is one of those lessons. I hear those words and I know exactly what God is talking about and what to do.

I think of it each month when I receive magazines filled with anointed articles from different ministries.

I am often taken back to the day I picked up one to read and the Lord asked me a question. He said, “in word or deed?”

It was several years ago, I was reading one of these magazines and God said, “do you enjoy that?”

“Yes!” I said. I went on to pray a prayer of blessing over that ministry. He said, “you are to bless them, you are receiving the blessing, you know it takes money to send these out, you are in ministry, bless them for blessing you, not in word only, but with your actions….in deed.”

These monthly magazines are a blessing to me, I enjoy them. I thank God for them. I am thankful for ministries like Kenneth Copeland, Jerry Savelle and others who send them out to me…free of charge. I am thankful and I pray for them, but that day God was saying something different to me. Being thankful and praying was not enough.

Since that day, I bless them not only in word, but also in deed. They faithfully sow into my life and I faithfully sow into theirs.

There are ministries that pour out to people every single day. It is their passion to do so. And God says in His word that we are to give back to them. We should never take and take and take and never give back – that is NOT God’s way. A person who continually takes and never gives back will not prosper.

Galatians 6:10 says; Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.

Today God was talking to me about this again. He was reminding me to bless those who continually bless me. These ministries send out things each day or each week or each month that speaks to my spirit, speaks to my heart – the least I can do is bless them with a love offering…the very least.

1 John 3:18 says; My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

This scripture is saying to put action to your love, if someone sows into your life, sow into their life and do it with an action, give back.
I love the way the New Living Bible says it; Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions. Show it by our actions. Friends, have you been blessed by someone? Has someone sown into your life, freely? If so, take a moment and bless them today. Love them in word, pray for them…but love them in deed also, send them a love offering to let them know that their gift to you does not go unnoticed – and that it is greatly appreciated. Show them by your actions today.

I think of the veteran who called us this week. We could have prayed for him and that would be great. We could have even shared the gospel with him, that would have been great also. But he needed to eat. We not only showed our love in word but in deed also. In doing so, his soul was blessed and his body was blessed as well.

As I look around my life, I see numerous people who give to me. They send magazines, they send emails. Some even call to offer to pray for me. They are freely giving to me and I desire to freely give back to them. Beyond that, I know it is what God would have me do. To love them in word AND IN DEED.

The Bible says we are blessed to be a blessing. Today, you may not think you are blessed, however, I imagine if you looked around, you would see how very blessed you are. We all have something to give. We are blessed to BE a blessing. May we all be a blessing this day – in word and in deed.

Meditate on this
The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 1 Timothy 5:17

Pride is a subject we seldom hear taught about in church these days.

However, presently, I am seeing God work on this attitude in many of those around me.

Just this week, Breanne and I were talking. She said to me; “I believe I have walked through this season to get rid of pride.” I could understand exactly what she was talking about.

It has seemed to me that God is constantly dealing with me about pride in my heart. Granted, I pray often for God to remove all pride from me and cause me to have a humble heart. I am thankful He is continually dealing with me about pride and humility.

It has been a few years ago now when I received a letter from a pastor friend. He instructed me to deal with any and all pride in my life. He shared with me what the word says about pride. Reminding me that God doesn’t exalt those who have pride, only the humble.

His words are always with me. I practice humility. I ask God to reveal any pride in my heart and He does. He does even when I don’t want to see it.

A few days ago, someone made a comment to me about a decision I had made for me personally. Immediately I felt the need to defend myself. I thought, “how dare they say that?” My reaction was not righteous indignation, nor was it righteous anger. Nope. A few minutes later, after I defended myself, God spoke to my heart and called it what it was. PRIDE.

Oh, my word! Every time I think I am humbling myself; pride rears its ugly head.

Pride perpetuates anger and hurt. And it keeps us from the restorative effects of conviction. It keeps us from humility. It even keeps us from reconciliation

Proverbs 11:2 says; When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.

Proverbs 29:23 says; A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.

James 4:6 says; But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

I love how the Passion Translation says James 4:6: But he continues to pour out more and more grace upon us. For it says, God resists you when you are proud, but continually pours out grace when you are humble.

I don’t know about you today, but I continually need more and more grace poured upon me.

Proverbs 16:18 says; Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

I was speaking with a friend about this. I made a comment that I believe to be so true. I said, “If we could learn one lesson, I think it would really change our lives. That one lesson is this; it is not all about ME.”

That is a lesson God has been working with me on for several weeks. I keep finding myself in situations that are not comfortable, or not going the way I want them to. When I do, He reminds me of this truth. It is not about you.

As I thought about this today, I had to wonder. Why is God working in many of my closest friends on the same thing? Why is God dealing so heavily with pride? I believe I know why.

I believe the answer is found in 1 Peter 5:6; Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.
I believe we are in due time. I believe it is time for God to exalt His people. However, God does not exalt the proud. Only the humble are exalted in God. Therefore, we must get rid of all pride. If we refuse to humble ourselves, we do not qualify to be exalted in God. You cannot have it both ways.

Pride brings destruction. A humble heart is someone God can and will exalt. Pride is ugly. It is the root of so many sins. Refuse to allow pride to have a place in your heart. Humble yourself, today, under the mighty hand of God…and He will exalt you.

Meditate on this:
If you bow low in God’s awesome presence, he will eventually exalt you as you leave the timing in his hands. 1 Peter 5:6 Passion Translation