“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.” Isaiah 11:6 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.11.6.ESV
“And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” Revelation 5:5 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.5.5.ESV
“They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of Lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” Revelation 17:14 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.17.14.ESV
THERE IS NO ONE, NO THING LIKE OUR GOD
There will be a day when mercy and judgement kiss. On that glorious day we will know peace at a level that we’ve not ever experienced.
God is the lion of Judah who has and will conquer our enemy for all of eternity;
He is equally the lamb who was slain that redeemed me from the hands of death, the evil one, the sin that taunts me even on today, and my God, that Lion of Judah, that pure spotless Lamb, will rule and reign forever more.
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.” Joel 2:12-13 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jol.2.12-13.ESV
Day 5 – Repentance & Cleansing
Scripture: Joel 2:12–13
Why: Fasting is often paired with repentance—not to earn forgiveness, but to realign with grace.
“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” Philippians 4:6-7 MSG https://bible.com/bible/97/php.4.6-7.MSG
It seems as though telling myself not to fret or worry, seems a bit unrealistic. However, if God says to not do it, then what do I do instead, and how do I put this into practical application?
Theses are the steps, I believe, convert our/my worries into prayers and into conversations with God instead.
Believe God is listening: In order to believe God is listening we must believe that He exists to lead and guide us. “Look at this: look Who got picked by God! He listens the split second I call to him.” Psalms 4:3 MSG “I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might, I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens.” Psalms 77:1 MSG
Believe God is for us: God loves us. He truly wants what’s best for us. “Pushed to the wall, I called to God; from the wide open spaces, he answered. God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid; who would dare lay a hand on me? God’s my strong champion; I flick off my enemies like flies. Far better to take refuge in God than trust in people; Far better to take refuge in God than trust in celebrities. Psalms 118:5-7MSG
BelieveGod sees us: God already knows what we struggle with, what we celebrate and sees us. He is watching, waiting to be invited into, not only our struggles, but our celebrations too. “God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too— your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful— I can’t take it all in!” Psalms 139:1-6 MSG
Believe God is who He says He is: This is probably the most important step. The previous three steps are much more challenging to apply if we don’t simply take God at His word, in His Word. “If we take human testimony at face value, how much more should we be reassured when God gives testimony as he does here, testifying concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God inwardly confirms God’s testimony. Whoever refuses to believe in effect calls God a liar, refusing to believe God’s own testimony regarding his Son.” 1 John 5:9-10 MSG “The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It’s written, I’ll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I’ll expose so-called experts as crackpots. So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn’t God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered stupid—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-21 MSG “What you say goes, God, and stays, as permanent as the heavens. Your truth never goes out of fashion; it’s as up-to-date as the earth when the sun comes up. Your Word and truth are dependable as ever; that’s what you ordered—you set the earth going. If your revelation hadn’t delighted me so, I would have given up when the hard times came. But I’ll never forget the advice you gave me; you saved my life with those wise words. Save me! I’m all yours. I look high and low for your words of wisdom. The wicked lie in ambush to destroy me, but I’m only concerned with your plans for me. I see the limits to everything human, but the horizons can’t contain your commands!” Psalms 119:89-96 MSG
Believe for Salvation: It is crucial that we believe that Christ died for our eternal salvation. That He came so that we can be with Him for all of eternity. “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.” John 3:16-18 MSG
Believe you have Access to the presence of God: The Holy Spirit is the person of God that leads us while we wait for Christ to return. This encounter with God, counters every lie and misleading of this lost world. “This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.” John 3:19-21 MSG
Believe prayer is talking directly to God. Prayer is our direct line to God in heaven. Our CEO, HR and advocate all wrapped into one. There is no being put on hold or AI generated phone service, He speaks in every language (because He designed us and every language that represents us), He sees you, He hears you and is eager to guide you on the perfect plan and purpose for your life. Below are some verses on prayer: “Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.” James 5:16-18 MSG “God can’t stand pious poses, but he delights in genuine prayers.” Proverbs 15:8 MSG “God keeps his distance from the wicked; he closely attends to the prayers of God-loyal people.” Proverbs 15:29 MSG “God, come close. Come quickly! Open your ears—it’s my voice you’re hearing! Treat my prayer as sweet incense rising; my raised hands are my evening prayers.” Psalms 141:1-2 MSG “I’ve thrown myself headlong into your arms— I’m celebrating your rescue. I’m singing at the top of my lungs, I’m so full of answered prayers.” Psalms 13:5-6 MSG
I am truly leaving today’s blog with such encouragement of these collection of verses. I pray that we each have a God-encounter, that we take prayer more serious but also more reachable and accessible than we did before. That today is a day that we celebrate the access we have to God, to His Plan and Purpose for our individual lives and for the corporate good of the Church. That prayer is a first thought to our day not a last resort to life’s problems. Amen!
““Yes, indeed—God is my salvation. I trust, I won’t be afraid. God—yes God!—is my strength and song, best of all, my salvation!”” Isaiah 12:2 MSG https://bible.com/bible/97/isa.12.2.MSG
“It is only when you understand the transcendence of God that you see how amazing his immanence is, and what a huge privilege it is to be able to enjoy intimate friendship with God.”
The Bible with Nick and Pippa Gumble, Classic version 2025, day 33
We get to have an intimate relationship and friendship with God.
Transcendence means: God exists apart from, and is not subject to the limitations of, the material universe. He is above and beyond, surpassing and excelling, greatly superior to us.
Immanence means: it is possible to experience his immediate friendship.
What that spoke to me was, God doesn’t need me, He wants to be in my life, just because of the me He created, to be a deep, intimate friend to Him. He owes me nothing. He gave me life.
The real question is: “What will I do with the gift of life, He gave me?” Knowing that He did not HAVE to create me or you, but He did. Knowing this, leads to the realization that you and I must have a purpose. The meaning of that gift of life given to you and me, is to find out why & then use every ounce of breath we have in our lungs doing exactly that.
Psalms 25:14-15 the Message
Lord, You are my creator as well as my best friend. Help me remember that if and when I lose sight of that. Amen.
Are you lost? Christians and non-Christians alike hit seasons in their life when everything feels like it’s falling apart. Good news, feelings are not facts, they’re just feelings and this too shall pass. If you’re anything like me that last sentence made you cringe, a little angry or if you’re willing, gave you a different perspective. Which leads me to my next question.
Do you want to be found? Specifically, by God? Most of us put God in a corner, in our most desperate times, in an attempt to fix the problem ourselves. We fail to realize, God, doesn’t care how you got there, He only cares that you want Him in all areas of your life. Even the messy parts, yes, the really messy stuff that you probably even contributed to, rather indirectly or directly. God just wants to be with you. That’s why He created you. You were created for the sole purpose of being in relationship with God. It was His plan before you were ever born.
No matter where you’ve been. No matter what you’ve done or how far you’ve run, He’s there, waiting to find you. So I’ll ask you again, “Do you want to be found, by Him? Are you aware that you’re lost and need Him?”
“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?” Matthew 18:12 ESV
Dear Lord, I am lost and ready to be found by YOU! Like a wandering sheep, I had no idea how bad things would get apart from You. I just want to be in Your presence, in Your care and lead by You. Amen
Give it all…“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,” Ephesians 3:20 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/eph.3.20.ESV
Sundays are my favorite day of the week. I get to go worship the one true God that has led me through my darkest hour yet also has shared in my joy in my most celebrated moments. He is truly my most prized possession.
I don’t deserve it, I couldn’t earn any of it, yet here I am emptying all my junk on Him while He pours out mercy, love and grace to me. Sundays, I get to celebrate this God who is not mad at me, but madly in love with me, with other believers.
It’s mind blowing that He, the uncreated one who created everything…
“Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them. They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed.” Psalms 22:3-5 BSB https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.22.3-5.BSB
Today, is a great day to go be with people that believe what God says, about everything. We need His guidance, His wisdom, His direction. Today, I challenge you to go to church.
What have we come to as a nation when we call good evil and evil good?
After the attempted assassination of our former president, Donald J Trump, I saw posts making light of it. Some even said it was staged after one innocent bystander was killed by a stray bullet and two others are in critical condition.
We can do better than this. I believe that when a nation honors God, Biblical principles and has a conscience for truth, we do better.
Let’s take our eyes off political opponents, media hype, misleading headlines and simply look up. God does not need to be found, He needs to be invited into our mess so He can clean it up.
Would you consider inviting God into your mess today?
Fourth of July is more like a week long event of carnivals, parades, BBQ’s, and of course, fireworks. My hope is that though none of those things are bad, in fact, all are very good, we realize what happened on this day, hundreds of years ago.
It’s our Independence Day. It’s the day that we put everything on the line by signing the Declaration of Independence. If we won the American Revolutionary War, we would be free from all British rule but if they won, we would lose everything and once again, be under the British regime.
As we play patriotic songs, light up the grill, shoot off the fireworks, take a minute, close your eyes, face up to the sky, arms raised high and thank the good Lord, the brave men that led the way for the Independence you and your family have, because of today.
God bless! And God bless America! From sea to shining sea!
As an American writer and Christian, I must pause, every year to reflect on my religious freedoms. Many people that I’ve met throughout the years have shared their fight to acquire these freedoms that I have never been without.
With that introduction as a backdrop, I am here to express my sincere gratitude for my country, my faith, my church and my family. The United States is not perfect. We still experience growing pains from remaining to be the melting pot of the world. I want to thank everyone prior to me that fought for the freedoms my family and I enjoy to this day.
I highly recommend listening to Max McClean’s reading of the Declaration of the United States of America.
Just when the enemy thought he’d won, the stone began to roll, Jesus rose with a good morning stretch, folded His grave clothes, and placed them on the alter. (My paraphrase)
You may feel defeated but thank God feelings are not fact. They are simply an indicator to what’s going on inside your heart and soul. Like the indicator light on the dashboard of a vehicle. The fact is, we win with Jesus. Every time, every day, every circumstance. Not even death could hold Him down, darkness cannot comprehend His light. Defeat is impossible when all things are possible with Jesus.
Today is a great day to resurrect the living God in your heart.
Prayer
Lord, I believe that You were born of a virgin, sent by God the Father, to conquer sin and death for me. You were crucified, and on the third day, You rose from the dead. You ascended onto heaven and are preparing a place for all who believe! I believe! Help me with my doubt as I walk this out! In Jesus name, amen!
“so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:15-16 CSB
Here we are at the end of our journey. We have conquered much, these past few months together. We have fought for our minds to embrace a truth about who God is to us, who we are to Him and why that matters. Taking our eyes off of what we see in this world while we long for the unseen treasures of eternity.
As you have probably discovered, there is no generic formula to get from the beginning of your time here until you pass on through to eternity. You are a unique, designed being, on a set course, for an eternal destination.
Where we spend eternity will be determined by who we put our trust in. We can put our trust in The One who designed and created our inmost being, before we were given, on loan, to our mother’s womb, or we can live our lives with no creator in mind at all. Whichever we choose, time ticks and eternity awaits our last tic on the clock because nobody makes it out of here, alive. We are not promised tomorrow. We cannot change the past. Today is meant to be seized with eternity in mind.
I leave you with some real questions. Where will you spend eternity? How will you spend your daily 1440 minutes as you walk out the timeline given to you that disrupted eternity? Do you know who God is to you? Do you know who you are to God? Do you know that where you spend eternity is anchored in those last 2 questions?
Only you can answer these questions honestly. If you do not know where to start, start with the Salvation prayer then by reading the book of John, Acts and Romans, in the Bible. I recommend the, The @YouVersion Bible App has a permanent spot on my home screen. http://bible.com/app , so you can pick a version of the Bible that is easy for you to understand and memorize.
Salvation prayer: Lord, I admit that I am a sinner. When I have sinned and when I sin, I sin against You only. I believe that You were born to a virgin, lived a sinless life, was crucified for no crime but for my sin to be erased, that You died and rose from the grave, conquered sin & death on my behalf, that You are in heaven preparing a place for me; and I believe that You are coming back for me, to be with You, for all of eternity. I confess to You Lord my sin ( confess whatever comes to mind) and I believe that my confessed sin is erased at the cross where You willingly laid down Your life for me. Lord, I believe Your word is an echo of Your heart and I will study, meditate and keep it in my heart and mind, daily. Amen.
“Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.” 1 John 3:18 CSB
“Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing.” Philippians 2:14-16 CSB
“Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 CSB
We are treasures of clay. We are the broken pots, made from clay, repaired with Our Maker’s grace, mercy, forgiveness and love. We are a beautiful display of His strength empowering our weak spots. We have so much to look forward to when these earthly “jars of clay” are replaced with robes of righteousness on our perfect bodies and repaired souls that will never break again.
It’s hard to imagine when we are still in this foreign land with familiar sin. But we do not belong here but for the time we are on loan here. That might just be why our struggles seem many and our victories seem few. Our victories in heaven will exceed the victories on earth beyond our imagination. The point is this, if you’re struggling in your present moment there is a future awaiting you that will blow your mind. What’s the catch then? To believe that Jesus is who He says He is, Did what thousands of witnesses claimed He did & believe that He did it all for YOU!
Making peace with our past, embracing our present makes looking forward to the future reachable, almost tangible while we wait, if we would just believe.
Lord, help us envision the tangible You that we read about in the Bible. Help us with our unbelief and help us apply what we do believe. We look forward to Your return Lord. Let us be caught living on purpose when You get here again. Amen.
“Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 CSB
“Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! I say, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him.”” Lamentations 3:22-24 CSB
Each day we have a choice to make. Many times those choices are made under stressful circumstances and many are made out of joy. Whether you are experiencing a mountain top season or a deep valley of disparity or somewhere in between, the daily present choice is the same. To either do the best we can with what we have or to be immobilized by difficulties, apathetic by indifferences or even procrastinating from thinking you have plenty of time. All 3 of these mindsets are not holy, eternal minded mindsets. They are mental distractions that keep us from our present goal, to win the day. The day will come and it will go regardless of our response to it. My question is this. How many days will pass before we wake up to the reality of time, and how precious it is to not waste a minute if it?
We have each been given a specific time in history to impact eternity. Not just our personal eternity but others as well. Today, use the day to live in the present, to embrace it, to fight through it to do your best to shine. You could be the only glimmer in someone else’s “today”.
You might be thinking, yea that sounds nice but you do not know what I am going through. You are right. I do not. However, I know you have survived 100% of what is behind you because you woke up today. That’s a win. That’s a reason to celebrate.
Living in the present has more to do with gratitude than has to do with circumstances. I would go as far as to say that 80% of how we respond to our circumstances is based on how much we are grateful for.
This man, Vic Vujicic, completely changed my perspective on gratitude. Here is a video that’s about 8 min long “Never Give Up” https://youtu.be/wBCfxhyEDB0 His testimony is incredible. Here is a YouTube link to watch the story that 60 min did on him a couple of years ago. https://youtu.be/aRXdT06bbW8
Lord, I pray that we gain a perspective on living in the present that makes us high-impact, low-maintenance, testifying, warriors for You. That our light would shine so bright the devil would flee and the angelic choir would sing as Your presence gives us the strength and joy, to endure this temporary timeline as we await eternity. Lord, help us seize the day in awareness of Your presence, Your truth, Your power, Your love, Your grace and through Your eyes. Amen.
“Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13-16 CSB
“For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.” Romans 15:4-6 CSB
Referencing the past can be therapeutic or it can be the reason we need therapy. The contrasting difference is how we process a traumatic past, or a comforting past that we cannot retrieve, in times of present trouble. We are not designed to live looking backward. We are designed to move forward until the day we die. We move forward in age, knowledge, hopefully wisdom and definitely each day brings us closer to where we will settle for eternity.
Our past is meant to help us not repeat things that did not point us to our God-given purpose, to form spirit-filled habits that keep eternity on our mind.
The past is over. The present is where living happens. The past can weigh us down or it can lift us up or teach us in our present situation. The choice is ours. We absolutely have a choice to live in today in spite of a rocky, train wreck of a past. A positive memory can be the grounded, reminder that life will get better if we just hold on a little longer.
The “ugly journal” I spoke of in earlier weeks is a great place to leave a traumatic past and learn from it. A memory book of all of life’s best moments and milestones is a great way to frame those sweet memories and legacy you will soon leave behind. There are many ways to process our past but dwelling on it and rehearsing the past uses up your present time, that you cannot get back. Once that time is used up, it is gone. Start today. If the suggestions here seem unreachable then it is time to talk to a professional counselor or therapist.
Do not waste one more minute on a past that you cannot change. You have a beautiful eternity to prepare for. I promise you that this eternity I speak of does not live in the past.
Lord, we need Your Holy Spirit to help us deal with our past so that it does not steal time from our present. Help us seize the day with eternity in mind. Amen.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 CSB
“For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do. Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one that does it, but it is the sin that lives in me. So I discover this law: When I want to do what is good, evil is present with me. For in my inner self I delight in God’s law, but I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself am serving the law of God, but with my flesh, the law of sin.” Romans 7:18-25 CSB
The struggle is real. Am I right about it, or what? We are messy people. No one is free from the temptation of sin until Jesus returns. Once we understand that the struggle is real for ourselves we can have empathy, without judgement, for others that struggle more publicly. Private or public sin is equal. Stop judging others for their struggle, even if it is repetitive. The Bible says judge not or you will be judged for you will be judged to the extent of the thing you are judging others for. (Matthew 7:2-6)
We basically have enough of our own sin to deal with. Much like seizing the day, we must focus on our own sin. How I hear it in my head, when I’m comparing my sinful nature, to someone else’s sinful nature, “Mind ya business, you got enough of your own sin to battle.”
Does that mean we do not pray for that person or direct them where we have experienced victory? Absolutely not. What it means is do not ever raise yourself above someone else thinking you have conquered sin and they have not. That is where pride comes before the fall, your fall. (Proverbs 16:18)
In order to apply what we are learning through studying God’s word and utilizing tools like this devotional, “Nobody Makes it Out Alive”, we must focus in on our own individual lives first. We have no business telling others how to live their lives. Once we gain victory over a sin in our own lives that will be the testimony that speaks to someone else struggling with the same sin. My gramps used to tell me that having 2 ears and 1 month is God’s proof to listen more and talk less. Wisdom without application is reduced to knowledge without power. Excessive knowledge without application becomes pride. A head full of knowledge, telling everyone else how to live, is not a testimony, it is annoying.
Start with you. End with God. Nothing can separate you from God but you. Run to the Father every, single, time you sin. He is not surprised and He is waiting for you. If we truly want to apply these principles, we must admit we are sinners. Each day is a new beginning. Compare yourself to God not others. That will keep you humble while you are living your best life for God.
Lord, help me wrap my head around what I need to be doing so that my life will live out loud the testimony of a life in Your hands. Have Your way with me, Lord so I can be shaped and molded and prepared for eternity. Help me be a testimony to others that are struggling. Let my victories be a testament of You and not me. I cannot conquer sin without Your strength. Amen
“Trust in the Lord and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act, making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday.” Psalms 37:3-6 CSB
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalms 139:23-24 CSB
In order to maintain this mindset of seizing the day we must review what we have learned, contrast against what the Bible says about it and then apply it until it is as natural as breathing.
We need to review what goes against our natural instinct to do, especially, when it is centered around our sinful nature and bad habits. It took time to learn those habits and behavior it might take a bit to unlearn it and replace it with what is good. You are not alone. God is with you, cheering you on. You will have some wins and losses but in the end, you will shine like pure gold, if you keep your focus on eternal things.
A review of the last 5 weeks: Week 1 Distractions: we discussed 7 temporary things of this world that get in the way of an eternal mindset.
Week 2 The Battle Belongs To The Lord: We battled through 7 common disappointments and misunderstandings that lead to confusion about who is, ultimately, in charge and responsible for our lives
Week 3 Grief: We learned about processing loss, hurt and unplanned disappointment so that we can pick up the pieces and move forward. A tough but necessary week.
Week 4 Nothing Wasted: We identified areas of our life that were more challenging than others and allowed God to show us He can turn any mess into our victory if we let Him.
Week 5: Focus: We turned our focus from who the world says we are, what the world says we should focus on; and made some decisions to focus on who God is to us, who we are to God and why that matters.
We can read, study and memorize quotes and verses, however, if we know what to do but never make the effort to do it, we will find ourselves wasting time we cannot get back. That’s the bad news.
The good news is, starting today you can stop going through the motions and apply what you have learned. Nothing changes, if nothing changes. Seizing the day is not about perfection it is about progress. If you try and improve by 1% each day, doesn’t seem like much, right? But if you do nothing your progress remains at 0% improvements. But after 100 days increased by 1% a day you reach 100% improvement vs doing nothing remains 0%. The point is this, 100 days will pass regardless. It’s you vs you.
Lord, I need Your strength, empowerment and wisdom to review and apply what I have learned so far. More knowledge is good but to do it is better. Let me not waste one more minute gaining knowledge without application. Amen.
“Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.” Psalm 51:16-17 MSG
“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love. He will not always accuse us or be angry forever. He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his faithful love toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalms 103:8-12 CSB
The maintenance plan to embracing or seizing the day rests on whose hands you place your day, your life and your reactions in. Have you or do you remember the acronym K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Silly)? We overthink and complicate things by rehearsing and agonizing over a past we cannot change as well as worry about a future that has not arrived yet.
I read somewhere that around 97% of the things that the average person worries themselves sick about never even happen. I found the information when I was struggling with severe panic and anxiety attacks. One of the application exercises I did, per my counselor’s suggestion, was write down the last 10 things I remembered that triggered a panic attack. Then write down what the actual outcome was. In my own writing, one hundred percent of what I was running through my head, DID NOT happen. I just sat there staring at it in disbelief. Almost trying to convince myself that I was wrong, it must have been much worse but it was not worse. In fact, everything worked out in one way or another with minimal issues. All of those scenarios had workable solutions that I learned to adjust to and live with. I still struggle from time to time with anxiety but the majority of the time I can practice that simple exercise in my head and it helps me put things in perspective. In fact, one of my coping phrases that came out of that season in my journey is this: “Everything is going to be okay. It may not be the okay I planned for but, ultimately, it will be okay.”
Lord, I know You are with me, that You want what’s best for me. I believe if You allow something or someone to come into my life or leave, it is for a purpose. My days are numbered. I do not want to waste my day on anguishing on a past I cannot change or a future I have not seen yet. I choose to seize the day rather than to have the day seize me. Amen
“For he knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass — he blooms like a flower of the field; when the wind passes over it, it vanishes, and its place is no longer known. But from eternity to eternity the Lord’s faithful love is toward those who fear him, and his righteousness toward the grandchildren of those who keep his covenant, who remember to observe his precepts. The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.” Psalms 103:14-19 CSB
“Think over the things I am saying [grasp their application], for the Lord will grant you insight and understanding in everything. Remember Jesus Christ [the ever-living Lord who has] risen from the dead, [as the prophesied King] descended from David [king of Israel], according to my gospel [the good news that I preach], for that [gospel] I am suffering even to [the point of] wearing chains like a criminal; but the word of God is not chained or imprisoned! For this reason I [am ready to] patiently endure all things for the sake of those who are the elect (God’s chosen ones), so that they too may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it the reward of eternal glory.” 2 Timothy 2:7-10 AMP
What we focus on matters. Faithful people of God who experience life in its fullness know that focusing on what is in front of you is way more productive than rehearsing a past you cannot change or worrying about a future that hasn’t happened yet. Rather people of faith wake up to an overwhelming desire to speak to God about the day they have been gifted. They actually look at waking up as a gift from God, willing to live that day out with a sense of purpose and a Holy Guide to lead the way. People of faith understand that just as much as they are on loan to this space and time; the day that they awake to is also on loan to them. These, people of faith are defined by their Creator, not the ebb and flow of this world, but by the hope of heaven shaping and molding them into a perfect piece of the puzzle in the family of God. People of faith find their peace in knowing that though this world is filled with it’s troubles, this is not their final destination but a mere journey to prepare us for our heavenly home. They do not hang on to the temporary things of this world but cling to the hope in a heaven that has no more death, sin, tears, disease or even weeds in our garden. People of faith seize this gifted day as one day closer to heaven.
People of faith focus on what Jesus did FOR them and realize that there is nothing they can DO to make Jesus love them any more OR any less. They realize that Jesus went to the cross while they were still in their sinful nature, which is now, we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23-24) People of faith are reminded that the sin they struggle with today, is a reminder of their need for their only hope of our Savior and Forgiver of our sins, Jesus.
Lord, help me grab hold of this “people of faith” mentality so that I do not waste one moment in my head or of my time and resources on things of this temporary world but also understand that this is a necessary part of the journey to You. Help me walk by faith of an unseen heaven in the middle of a tangible mess of this world. I choose to seize this day with a heaven bound focus. Amen.
“So then, being always filled with good courage and confident hope, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises]— we are [as I was saying] of good courage and confident hope, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore, whether we are at home [on earth] or away from home [and with Him], it is our [constant] ambition to be pleasing to Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:6-9 AMP
Nobody Makes It Out Alive Week 5 Focus Day 6: Labels that last
“And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. For those whom He foreknew [and loved and chose beforehand], He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son [and ultimately share in His complete sanctification], so that He would be the firstborn [the most beloved and honored] among many believers.” Romans 8:28-29 AMP
What we believe about ourselves matters. People will try label you, parents will try, our significant others, family, friends, politics, media markets, so many forces outside of you try to define who you are by labels.
We can be defined by our role in others lives like mom, dad, sister, brother, auntie, uncle, daughter, son, there are tons of role labels. The majority of these types of labels are mostly positive and true.
But labels like ugly, useless, dumb, lazy, stupid, weak are used to keep us from knowing our value as God intended. If these kinds of labels have been spoken over you, they can blur the image and sometimes blind you from who and what God has labeled you. These labels can “stick” to the point that we come into agreement with them. This is exactly what the devil wants. Because if He can convince you that you are invaluable then you will willingly give up your place within God’s Kingdom. You will miss out on the abundant life God intended for you right now. Do you really want to trade that for lies?
How do we undo the verbal accusations that have been engraved in our mind? We have to start with what God says about us. Your homework today is to take the two verses in today’s reading, everywhere you see the words“those” and “us”, replace it with your name. We, you and I, are “those” and “us”. Do this by reading it every time one of those devil labels try to stick.
I take notecards, rewrite the verses with my name in them so that I can easily tape them to my bathroom mirror, put them in my car or tape them to my desk at work. Some of us need to be reminded more than others depending on how long we believed these lies about us. It’s okay. What matters is what you believe about what God says about you. You can remove the labels, from the devil, and replace them with labels from God’s word. Then the next time the devil uses someone to blur your vision about being the image bearer of God, you can choose not to accept the label in the first place by becoming a nonstick surface for anything but God’s truth about you.
Lord, give me the diligence to do this homework and learn who I am to You so that I know and believe the truth and will have an antidote ready to combat every lie about me. Help this become a holy habit in my life when I am believing the lies that blur or blind me from Your truth. Amen.
“And those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified [declared free of the guilt of sin]; and those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity]. What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us?” Romans 8:30-31 AMP
“And those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified [declared free of the guilt of sin]; and those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity]. What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us?” Romans 8:30-31 AMP
God has an incredible track record of keeping His promises. Since, He is eternal, has no beginning (like birth or being created) or no end (like death), God is still holding at 100% of the promises He made, He has kept and fulfilled 100% of those promises. I realize that we are waiting on a few more, but given His track record of thousands of years since creation, I am trusting, believing and with great excitement, as well as reverence, preparing and waiting with confidence, that the rest of His promises will come through, too.
But the promise that changed my eternity is what Jesus did for me on the cross. He paid my debt for my sin, while I was a sinner, He conquered sin and death, just like He said He would, and while He is in heaven preparing a place for me, He’s telling our Father all about me but covering my sin with His righteousness so that our Father only sees, the me, that He created, not the me, that I made a mess of. They are discussing how madly in love they are with me and how they can not wait to share the home they made, just for me. My God is the perfect picture of promises made and promises kept.
My friend, the same is true for you, if you would just believe that God is who He says He is, that you are who He says you are and that it matters enough to you, to get in His word and define that, for you. Get in His presence and talk to Him. What a privilege it is to have access to God anywhere and anytime. You have VIP passes, with no restrictions to God’s ear, His heart, His chest to lean against, His lap to crawl up on and His embrace.
The only thing standing between you and God is your hard head and hardened heart. The world did that to you, not God. God is waiting on You, you are not waiting on God. God never left you. That’s a fact and a promise.
Lord, help us get a true vision of the promise keeper that You truly are and help us see ourselves as You see us. In this world, there is much confusion and false narratives about You but the Bible stands as a written witness to what a loving God You are. That You never change. You are ever constant in this world that is like shifting sand beneath our feet. I pray that we place our trust in the promise of who You are. That we stop looking to the world for heavenly answers. Amen.
“Who is the one who condemns us? Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay our penalty], and more than that, who was raised [from the dead], and who is at the right hand of God interceding [with the Father] for us. Who shall ever separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? Just as it is written and forever remains written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE ARE REGARDED AS SHEEP FOR THE SLAUGHTER.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us].” Romans 8:34-37 AMP
From the Depths of Kell 