Today we recognize love. Love bear a resemblance to a lot of things to different people. Some people prefer to ignore this day because love has not presented itself in the manner they had hoped.

Oh, but love has been revealed.

I Corinthians the 12th chapter provides a list of gifts that are “loaded” and waiting to be released by you, given through the Holy Spirit. Chapter 13 goes on to express 3 gifts that all confessing believers should have, but the greatest of the 3 is love.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV)

If you have experienced love and understand what it means to be loved, your desire is that others share in the same untainted beauty of love. Anyone you love, you desire to be with them. Being in the presence of God and experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit, makes our spirit yearn to be with Him.

There’s no greater presence to be in.
There’s no better company to keep.
There’s no greater gift to receive than from the Creator of Love.

Never was a more important declaration made than this: God is love.

God doesn’t just love; He IS love. His nature and essence are love. Love saturates His very being and drives His decisions. Because God’s very nature is love, He MUST demonstrate love.

If we can experience a portion of His power here on Earth, I can only imagine what it would be like to sit in His presence, where the angels worship and His throne resides. Just as we long to be close to Him, God our Father, desires to be with us.

And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you[a] are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” 2 Corinthians 6:16 (NKJV)

Your body is the temple of God; He regarded our bodies as being holy, devoted, and designed for a special purpose; your body is regarded as HOLY! A temple is like a shrine – it is a sacred place. It is not only where the spirit lives, but is where you worship, honor and reverence our Savior Jesus. That is why it is CRITICAL that we conduct ourselves – our temple as a place of honor. God regards our bodies as sacred, but how do we regard our own bodies?

• How we behave, how we speak, what we allow into this sacred shrine through our eyes and ears are critically important so that we do NOT defile the temple.
• The things we say, the things we do, how we converse with one another, the lack of respect we show one another as children of God.

The greatest thing we can do for our bodies is to make them into a temple for God’s Spirit to dwell and allow love to be demonstrated on this Earth, as it is in Heaven.

The Spirit of God wants to be where we are. He wants to love you like none other. The question is, do you want him to? Why does God love us? It is because it is who He is: “God is love.”

He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:8 (NKJV)

The book of Proverbs provide wisdom and knowledge in every aspect of our lives. This one particular verse, I have read, re-read and read again countless times. I came across it the other day and POW…another perspective came across my little ole’ mind.

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1(NKJV)

Normally when I read this scripture, I think of the other person- the person in the receiving end of the conversation. If I am calm in my reaction to someone who is negative in their response to me, when I respond in a peaceful tone, it will calm them.

Whelp!

How can I calm someone if I am not calm? The Bible provides basic instructions for us to self-reflect on who we are and how to become better people in Jesus. This scripture is personal.

A soft and gentle and thoughtful answer turns away wrath, but harsh and painful and careless words stir up anger. Proverbs 15:1 (AMP)

My soft answer will turn away MY wrath (anger). If I respond in the same negative tone as what is reciprocated, those words will not only cause me to become more angry and frustrated, but also to respond in an angry tone. It has to be in YOU first.

Protect your peace at all cost. Recognize what you cannot control. Get rid of toxicity in your mind, relationships and clean your space.

Speak softly and forget the “come back.” Your peace has a far greater price than moment of satisfaction and the reward of keeping your peace has more long term positive affects than the moment of embarrassment or point-proving that you are aiming to produce.

When we typically think of a fall or falling, it is not a good feeling. Can you imagine walking in to work, headed towards the escalator, with coffee in your hand and all of a sudden…

BOP!

Coffee spills all over the place. There’s no doubt that something will be sore on your body- even if it’s just your brain being sore from embarrassment. Lol.

You are looking around to see who notices, you have to pickup your belongings (if you were carrying anything) gather yourself, your thoughts, and get to your destination.

Not a good feeling, right?

How can a fall be good? When you are in a position of imbalance, unable to stand, you need assistance. This is even true spiritually.

• It’s unfortunate that your heart was broken. It’s unfortunate that you loss your job.
• It’s unfortunate that your child strayed from the morals and values you instilled.
• It’s unfortunate that your life was threatened – but your life was not taken.

A fallen posture means that you needed some assistance to get up. When you are in a low place, you recognize that you cannot make it on your own. Your ears are no longer dull of hearing the word of God. Your heart is open to receive correction. Your mind recalls that person who once invited you to attend a church service with them. The veil of sin can be removed and your spiritual eye is wide open to see the works of the flesh, the works of the Spirit, and just how much your Father loves you to keep you even when you ignored Him.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The fall prepares you for victory.

“The righteous may fall seven times but still get up, but the wicked will stumble into trouble.” Proverbs‬ ‭24:16‬ ‭CEB‬‬

A just man can fall 7 Times, but please don’t count me out. That 8th time, when I get up, I’m getting up in victory. I’m getting up in power. I’m getting up in strength; because the number 8 signifies resurrection and regeneration.

The number 8 equals 7 plus 1 and since it comes after the number 7, which itself signifies an end to something, 8 is also associated with the start of something new.

Let me help you:

When the whole earth was covered in water, it was Noah (who was the 8th person) that stepped out on God’s word against the odds.

It is said in The Bible that Jesus rose on the first day of the next week from the day He was crucified. If that is the case, it was the 8th day which was chosen by God.

After you have fallen, do not stay there. GET UP!

When the prodigal son was in a pig’s pen, he fell to the shame of his sinful ways but when he came to himself, he stood up, and went back to his father.

So what if you have fallen. We all have. Here is the kicker: You may have fallen, but don’t stay there. That fall was good and so was the ground you fell on.

“The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Matthew‬ ‭13:23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Mondays are sometimes challenging to get back into the routine of the work week; especially after a 2-day weekend. By the time the weekend begins, it’s back to work.

Meh…

Today, as I reminded myself of who my Father is and what He is able to do, I thought that I should send you a simple reminder as well:

Today is not the day to be mediocre (ordinary, common, second class or second-rate).

Nothing God does is just enough, to just get by.  He always does above and beyond, which is why He can promise to do more than we can think or imagine.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,” Ephesians 3:20 NKJV

In other words: Never let good be good enough. Don’t settle for mediocre. Your Father doesn’t create in mediocrity.

• When He created the Earth, it was good and very good.
• When He created you, it was wonderful.
• When He created you, He created a masterpiece- one of a kind creation.

Everything He does, He does well. Today is NOT the day to settle for ordinary. Do you know why? Because God, our Father, by our Lord Jesus, is able to do above and beyond what we can imagine, according to the POWER that works in us.

So you choose; you can decide to be a shallow stream of water that will dry up in certain seasons or you can be filled with rivers of living water.  I decided to allow the power of God to work through me and to understand what He wants from me, by creating a prayer through the word of God. This is my daily prayer before I begin communing with the Holy Spirit. I hope it blesses you to pray according to the word as well.

“Father I thank you. Thank you for giving us an abundant inheritance that we did not deserve. There is nothing we could have done to earn this inheritance, but you were willing to send your son Jesus, who caused us to be benefactors. I humbly and graciously thank you for your benefits.

I pray in the name of Jesus, that you would grant me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of You, through the aid of the Holy Spirit. That the eyes of my understanding may be enlightened and that I may come to fully know what is the hope of your calling in me. I ask that you give me spiritual insight into your word during this stage of my journey, for the people you are leading me to speak to. Speak through me boldly and powerfully; only so that you receive the glory and the recognition. In Jesus name amen.”

This prayer was derived from Ephesians 1:17-18. I crafted it late last year and have included it in my time with the Lord.

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding[a] being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:17-18 (NKJV)

Oh My Goodness! Good morning to each and every one of you. It is good, because our Father is good.

I woke up this morning, sluggish, thinking of all the things I had to do and how I have not effectively managed my tasks to make my days productive. With my shoulders drooping and my feet slowly sliding from the mattress to the floor, I got up and began to move around. I took my vitamins, got the children ready for school, went to the store, sat down and began conversing with my Father, by way of His word and with direction of the Holy Spirit. I prayed and spoke my prayer that I pray over myself, daily –  my crafted for myself, through the word. Then, I asked the Spirit to direct me on what to read today. I messed around and read the word for the day and I received so much joy. I’m typing frantically, because I am excited to share it with you!

The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. Psalm 118:24 (NIV)

This is the day! This. IS. IT!!! THIS…is the day. Not tomorrow, not next week, not yesterday. This is not the year…this is the day!

• This is the day, your strength is renewed.
• This is the day, you refocus on what is important.
• This is the day, you manage your task to accomplish all that you need.
• THIS is the day, that you stop granting access to toxic thoughts and toxic conversations the ability to defile your spirit.
• THIS is the day you put God first.

THIS. IS. THE. DAY.

How is this the day? Well, why not today?

Honey, access has been granted for us to obtain spiritual blessings in heavenly places. All we have to do is pull them down. Don’t you wanna see His kingdom here? It is in you and THROUGH you that we can see the Kingdom of God here!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, Ephesians 1:3-4 (NKJV)

You mean to tell me that I have EVERY spiritual blessing available through Christ, in the Heavenly places? Think about this. If we have access to EVERY. SPIRITUAL. BLESSING, then why are we allowing the enemy to take control of our lives, our minds, our finances, our children? If i have EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING, I can pull down strongholds.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 2 Corinthians 10:4 New King James Version (NKJV)

The key is being able to access those blessings and the only way we can do that is by the spirit and through the spirit. We have to always remain open. We are a vessels of God. We have to allow Him to fill us with those spiritual blessings.

We have some key benefits (blessings) as a result of the relationship we have with our Father, through His Son, Jesus Christ.

• He chose us, before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4)
• We have been adopted into a royal family (Ephesians 1:5)
• Irregardless of our past mistakes, we have been accepted. Our Father sees us as the apple of His eye (Ephesians 1:6)
• Because He loves us as a mother, who stares into the eyes of her newborn child, our Father redeemed us from our mistakes by the blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:7)

I do not care what others may have said about you, and what you have come to believe about yourself. God has spoken some GOOD things about you! This. IS. THE. DAY that you begin believing your Father!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11-13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Imagine being a fighter. You have been fighting for years. Your retirement is nearing. There is just one more fight and this fight is the biggest fight of your life.

There’s just once catch: You know that you are going to lose. There is absolutely no possibility of winning. Nope. There is no having faith. There is no prayer you can pray. This is not a David and Goliath situation- well it is. You are David, but this Goliath you will not take down.

You seen it. You know it. You have been told it. In fact, everyone knows it, and I mean everyone. Without a shadow of a doubt, your chances of beating the champion are none to none; but…you STILL. Plan. To. Fight. You are still developing strategic plans. You are still training. You are still mentally preparing.

If this were you, why would you still fight?

1. Pride?
2. Anger – That you still had to fight, although you knew the outcome?
3. Earthly gain?

This actually is a true story. Since the beginning of time, satan knows that a war is brewing and that he will not win. There is a spiritual battle like none other that is slowly coming together. He attempted to overthrow God in His early days and was cursed and denounced from the heavenly realm.

“How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ Everyone there will stare at you and ask, ‘Can this be the one who shook the earth and made the kingdoms of the world tremble?” Isaiah 14:12-14, 16 NLT

Since that time, Satan has been setting the stage for the ultimate battle.

So what’s the point of fighting?

He knows that he cannot overthrow God’s kingdom. He tried that already. Pride has blinded his mind from reality. A part of Satan’s continuing ambition and drive to replace God, is the yearning to have others worship him. If you do not remember any thing from any other devotion, please remember this:

Anyone who has to ask for permission to do anything – is not IN control; they are UNDER control!

Okay- it’s like this: Why would I listen to my co-worker for job instructions, who has absolutely no authority in position, when my manager has given me specific job instructions which will ultimately meet team, departmental, and company goals? Listening to my co-worker will get me fired. Listening to my manager could get me a raise, a promotion, or even a bonus.

Listening to the directions of the enemy will get us destroyed. He cleverly was able to con Eve and Adam into eating forbidden fruit, thereby overthrowing Adam’s God-given rule and authority over the world.

“Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” Genesis 1:26 NLT

Listening to the guidance and aide of the Holy Spirit will produce an eternal reward unlike anything we can see or even imagine.

“But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” I Corinthians 2:9 NKJV

Well what foo is Satan fighting for, if he already lost?

Since he cannot defeat God, the enemy is trying to destroy anything connected with God. He wants to mentally and emotionally hurt God. He wants to destroy God’s miracles – which is you.

When someone is trying to break you to your core, oftentimes they do not directly hurt you. They try to get to the core of you, by affecting the things you care about the most. A jealous friend will gossip about you to your closest family and friends, maybe sharing things you asked her to never repeat. A bitter spouse will sow negative seeds about the other parent, in an effort to make God’s reward, the fruit from your womb, turn their backs on you.

• Satan is trying to make you refer to God as “the universe,” denying his existence.
• Satan is trying to make you follow after your fleshly desires versus being sensitive to the cries of the Holy Spirit.
• Satan is trying to confuse you into thinking God made a mistake – that you were actually supposed to be a man instead a woman, so that he can steal your mind, kill your peace, and destroy any chance of you ever witnessing Jesus’ glorious reign.

We do not know…we don’t know, what it is to be in the presence of God. But guess who does? Satan himself knows:

“You were in Eden, the garden of God. Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone — red carnelian, pale-green peridot, white moonstone, blue-green beryl, onyx, green jasper, blue lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald— all beautifully crafted for you and set in the finest gold. They were given to you on the day you were created. I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian. You had access to the holy mountain of God and walked among the stones of fire. “You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you. Your rich commerce led you to violence, and you sinned. So I banished you in disgrace from the mountain of God. I expelled you, O mighty guardian, from your place among the stones of fire.” Ezekiel 28:13-16 NLT

Since Satan is no longer allowed to dwell in the midst of the holy angels- beauty unparalleled- he wants to prevent YOU from experiencing the fullness of Christ, in all of His glory and majesty. Satan’s desire is to destroy the miracle God created. His special creation. You. When God saw you, His Love was magnified. You became the Apple of His eye.

“For thus says the LORD of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.” Zechariah 2:8 NKJV

• Satan is making you so overwhelmed with work, life and family, that you do not communicate with your Father to pull down strongholds and activate your weaponry.
• He is making you so focused on things, that you fail to seek the Kingdom of God about all else.
• He is overloading you with work demands and project plans, that you fail to read your Father’s plan (the word of God) for your day to be guided and for you to connect with the spiritual realm, to find your lost brother and sister or to encourage the feeble-minded.

Satan cannot touch God- but he can try to manipulate God’s children.

Do you see how valuable you are to the Kingdom? Open your eyes. God created you like Him. We were the ONLY creation that God blessed after creating us. So the blessing of God was ordained from the beginning:

“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28 NKJV

You are so valuable, that God, your Father, sent someone to die for you to bring you back to Him. God knows I could not imagine one of my children missing or loss. Imagine your sins are what detached you from your Father, and reported you missing from the Kingdom. Well, that is the case.

Sin hides us from our Father. A missing persons report has been filed. Can you imagine him saying: “Children, children, where are you?” This very thing occurred with Adam. God was looking for Adam. He could not find him. Adam had sinned. He had disobeyed his Father’s request to not eat from a specific tree. Adam did and he was no longer pure or in control. God said: “Adam where are thou? My child, where are you? I can’t find you?”

God does not play hide and seek. He plays no games about his babies. He is seeking for you. Come out from underneath the rock of sin- the heavy burden you have been carrying…the shame of your past, and seek for reconciliation with your Father. He is waiting with open arms.

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” James 4:7-8, 10 NKJV

Have you ever felt stuck? You took a few steps backwards, thinking that a familiar place would provide some comfort, but that was useless. You tried to take a few steps forward, leaving old things in the past and looking forward to new things – but that appears to be much more challenging. What do you do? You feel stuck. Out of place. Blah! Let us look at it from another perspective.

Perhaps you have been placed on a shelf.

When I was a little girl, our summers were filled with trips to farms miles away from where we lived. My grandmother (affectionately called Granny) loved going to the farm. She understood that winters could be brutal around here; having food- her type of food, at arms length was critical. She would not have to wait for her children to get off of work. She would not have to worry about picking through over-picked and out of season fruits and veggies – she did not have to wait for someone to prepare food for her. A quick march from her living room to the kitchen and in the pantry and voila!!! – southern food in a matter of minutes. Granny could eat what she wanted and when she wanted it.

My Granny raised 11 children – 7 girls and 4 boys in the bayou of Alabama. This place actually made the big screen. If you ever watched the movie, Forest Gump, one of Forest’s closest friend’s was Bubba Gump. Bubba was from a city called Bayou La Batre, Alabama. Guess what? That little town is made up of most of my family, where my mom, aunts, and uncles, great uncles – all were raised.. Granny knew how to survive – to take a little and create a lot. She understood how to prepare food and make it last.

My cousins and I had so much fun, roaming through the fields with Granny and our aunts; picking greens, string beans, strawberries, corn…you name it!

We would arrive home with trunk loads of boxes and garbage bags of greens. We would do as she and our aunt instructed, to prepare for preservation. We would help Granny pick the vegetables and prepare them for cleaning and cooking. Then, Granny implored a process called canning.

Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed and sealed in an airtight container. Canning provides a shelf life typically ranging from one to five years, although under specific circumstances it can be much longer. A freeze-dried canned product, such as canned dried lentils, could last as long as 30 years in an edible state.

This process made me think of you. Yes you. Perhaps you have been canned – placed on the shelf. You have been given picked out (come out from among them – 2 Corinthians 6:17) to be received by Jesus, cleaned up and preserved for future use. God has preserved you, a specific time to be taken off the shelf, for future use. At just the right time, The Father will send the Holy Spirit to pull you off the shelf, and grant you a seat at the table that He has prepared.

Don’t get weary. Do not give up! While you are waiting, just like those canned string beans and other veggies, allow your spirit to become established, settled and strengthened you – so that you are perfect!

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 1 Peter 5:10 (NKJV)

Your misfortunes are not God’s will. Stop holding yourself hostage. It is not time. At just the right time, you will be pulled off the shelf.

God is using you for future use or more like you are being preserved for something or someone greater!! When God “shelves” you, He is shaping, forming and molding you for an even more powerful effective ministry, for His Kingdom. His timing is perfect.  Shelf-life causes our self-confidence to die and our God dependence to grow. He wants us to totally depend upon him. He teaches us about shelf life and the significance of being placed on the shelf. God is not in a hurry to take you off the shelf. Don’t rush the process.

Preservation prevents defilement.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:11-15 (NIV)

The human perspective on suffering is based upon a personal point of view. Because we take it personal, and we have been told that God is in control, we believe that all of the events in our lives – everything that happens (good or bad) must be an act of God and under His divine direction.

If this is true, how would our Father’s love be reconciled with our pain? In other words, wouldn’t this be conflicting? This type of thinking would seem as if God is bi-polar. Here you say you love me, but you hurt me? We call this type of behavior abusive, when a man or women is in a relationship.

Why would we attach this type of character to a pure and holy Father who created LOVE? You say that you love me, and you hurt me because you love me?

You inflicting me with pain means that you love me?

NOOOO!

Every good and perfect gift comes from the Lord.

James 1:16-20 (AMP)
16 Do not be misled, my beloved brothers and sisters. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow [a]cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes]. 18 It was of His own will that He gave us birth [as His children] by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of His creatures [a prime example of what He created to be set apart to Himself—sanctified, made holy for His divine purposes].

God is in complete control, but He does not control us. If He controlled us:

• We would not choose idol god or sin over a loving Father.
• If He controlled us, we would all be saved and honor Him for who He is and what He means to us.
• If our Father controlled us, He would not have to provide reminders to us of how much we need Him or how often we fail to include Him in our lives or how we go throughout our day…not even speaking to Him.

God being in control means that once we align our will to His will, regardless of our past mistakes and issues, He will cause everything to work for our good. Whatever calamity or tragedy that the enemy throws at us, God can use it for our blessing and our benefit, which is the ultimate reason why we give Him thanks.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans‬ ‭8:28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When we enter God’s presence in the midst of our problem, He can move on our behalf. While our thoughts can be all over the place, we can resort to a place of refuge and strength.

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.” Psalms‬ ‭46:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When we learn this characteristic of our Father, then we can change the way in which we communicate through prayer:

“Father I thank you that You are with me in this. I do not know HOW you’re going to work it out, but I KNOW that you will. You are with me, because you said you would be and because you said it, that is enough for me to stand on.”

Our Heavenly Father will meet us where we are, during our suffering moments.

God desires to connect with you, but you have to open your mouth, speak to Him and let him in. You must invite him into the situation. As soon as trouble arise, we often call on our closest acquaintance, sibling, friend or mentor for a word of encouragement, when our first resort, should be to speak to the Holy Spirit, to make intercession on our behalf so that our Father can send help NOW!

In the midst of suffering, God is still full of faithfulness.

“This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”Lamentations‬ ‭3:21-22, 24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We could have been swallowed up and consumed, but He stepped in and told the enemy: “No! That is enough.”

Let us search our own ways and our hearts today. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to our Savior. Let us not make our praise a prisoner of our emotions but rather a way of releasing ourselves to our Father.

Thank God for your sufferings. It was your sufferings, that brought you to your knees and made you lift up your head to our Redeemer.

It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes. Psalm 119:71 (NKJV)

If you were forced to decide which child you would grant access to Heaven or to Hell, could you do it?

1. What would be your criteria?
2. What would be the requirements?
3. Would those requirements pertain to you as well?

Your entire relationship with God is based on grace. You are saved by grace AND live by grace.

How dare we attempt to make The Lord choose who to extend His grace to.

He loves us all equally. It’s the sin that He hates because He understands the origin of it and the plan of it!When we begin to pick and choose who to extend salvation to, we relieve ourselves of being a servant and create our own thrown. There is only one.

“The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.” Psalms‬ ‭103:19‬ ‭CEB‬‬

The grace of God is unrestricted and accessible to all of those who seek for it.

“All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, but all are treated as righteous freely by his grace because of a ransom that was paid by Christ Jesus.” Romans‬ ‭3:23-24‬ ‭CEB‬‬

• Are there people in your life you believe are not worthy of God’s grace?
• Are there people in your life to whom you are not willing to extend grace?
• Take some time to ask God to show his grace to them and ask God to help you begin the grace of forgiveness.