Trust in His Word!

Isaiah 55:11 (NASB)

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

If God said it, then it has to happen. Whatever God has spoken over me is never a maybe, but always a SHALL. How often do we forfeit the peace that should be ours by not trusting that what God says is true? There are so many promises in the Word of God for us to hold on to. There is something in the Bible for every situation and for every circumstance. God Himself has declared that His Word will accomplish what He sent it to do. God cannot lie; we can rely on His Word.

What God knows about me is more certain than what anyone else thinks about me. What God has spoken concerning me is as sure as the sun rising in the east. Even if I don’t see it today, I can trust that it’s on the way. I am confident that God will complete the work He has begun in me. I may not have the time, skill, or resources to do it on my own, but that’s just how the Father works. If you could do it on your own, you might not want to give Him the glory for it.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s Word is eternal. Speaking to your mountain in faith will move it. Imagine how much more you can do if you speak to your mountain in faith with God’s own words! Consider how much more powerful your prayers can be if you pray God’s words back to Him. He told us that they can’t return to Him empty. We can also honor God with our obedience to His Word. If He can but speak creation into existence, surely His Word is enough to sustain us throughout this life.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. ~Psalm 119:105

Be Better and Do Better

Luke 12:2-3 (NASB) But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops.

Don’t worry; God sees it all. Be very careful that who you are in public is who you are in private. When the cloak of darkness starts to lift, you don’t want to be caught with your proverbial pants down. Hypocrisy is distasteful and will hinder your witness for the Lord.

Over the years I have seen “popular” people come and go. Scandals have dethroned many figures in authority. Dark deeds coming to light have ousted people from coveted leadership roles. The principle of reaping what you have sown is tried and it’s true. In the book of Esther, Haman has gallows constructed that he ends up hanging from. Plotting and scheming against people in closed and private meetings will not protect you. God is omnipresent, and some of the very people you are plotting with already have plans to get rid of you.

You can also rest assured that all the garbage being said about you in the shadows will be revealed, right along with the deceitful acts against you. Psalm 37 tells us not to worry about wicked people for they will be cut off and wither. We can’t focus on what other people are doing to us, or what we can do in retaliation. We have to live according to what we know is right according to God’s Word. Do all you can to clean up whatever needs cleaning, so that you can proclaim that you aren’t what or who you USED to be. Let your dirt be in the past, not in your present. With the aid of the Holy Spirit, you can be better and do better.

The Price Tag of Integrity

The definition of integrity, according to dictionary.com is the “adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.”  There shouldn’t be any amount of fame, fortune, or status that would cause you to compromise your integrity.  Almost daily we are bombarded with headlines of someone’s dishonesty and subsequent fall from grace.

In our culture, it is perfectly acceptable to cheat, and in some cases it’s even encouraged. Things range from pilfering supplies at work to claiming other people’s children on tax returns. Cheating has been so integrated into our society that it seldom surprises anyone that a child lied about his/her age to get a social media account or free meal at a restaurant. Athletes are encouraged to enhance their performance through whatever means necessary, but then are ostracized and rebuked when they get caught.

The understanding is that everyone does it, so it’s okay as long as you don’t get caught. My friends, it simply is not true. The little fibs, the omissions, the hidden truths are just Satan’s way of leveraging your deliverance from sin. Don’t believe for a moment that he won’t slap you in the face with it when you least expect. Integrity is PRICELESS! Don’t sell your character short by lying, cheating, or stealing, no matter how insignificant it may seem. You answer to a higher authority than this world.

Ephesians 5:3 (NASB) But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;