The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by His purpose and for His purpose. -Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life

So often we act like everything going on in our lives is all about us. We focus on what needs to be fixed in our families, our careers and our lives. Soon that focus becomes fixation and we approach God, asking Him to change our circumstances and situations.

Of course our heavenly Father wants to hear our petitions. But even more importantly, He longs to hear us thanking Him for all that He’s blessed us with. He wants to hear our praise and worship, acknowledging that He is the one true and living God. He desires to have a relationship with us, not only when things are going badly but when everything’s going well, too.

Your purpose is so much bigger than you may think. First and foremost, it is to glorify the One who created you. When you place your focus on Him, it’s a lot more difficult to focus on self. And keeping our focus on God is something we should strive for on a daily basis. Make your mantra, “It’s not about me - it’s all about God!” If you’re trying to figure out what your purpose is, this is the best place to start.

Blessings,

Joyce

Phil 3:17-21 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Pressing on…
Pressing in…
Pressing upward…
As we awake to a new day, the Son is sure to shine in our lives as we seek the Lord.
Learning to press in during the difficult times is much needed today.
Seeking Him and learning to press in during the quiet times is refreshing to mind, body and spirit.
Pressing upward and reaching for the goal in Christ Jesus is life changing…

As we embark on a new beginning with a renewed hope for a brighter day just learning to love as Christ loved will help us through it all…

Press on, Press in, and Press upward today…

Isaiah 43:1-3 But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ”Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

When the waters in our life rise and it seems to overtake us, there is something we must hold onto and that is; “Fear Not, the Lord has redeemed us and called us by name”.

This week has been full of challenges, but it is a time that I am learning to sit, walk and wait upon the Lord.  His perfect peace is needed most in the midst of tragedy and resting in the palm of His hands brings that perfect peace.

May you know this kind of peace in your storm… Truly He is Sovereign and He is merciful, we must not faint nor lose hope…

He is our Hope!

So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten. . . (Joel 25:a)

Have you ever had a bad day or week that seemed to never end? For some people, it may have been an entire year that brought nothing but heartache and despair. Most of us have experienced periods of bad times in our lives that just wouldn’t quit.

In the book of Joel, the prophet describes how a cloud of locusts settled on Judah, killing and stripping every green thing from the land. During his day, locusts ate up all the peoples’ crops and green plants, leaving nothing behind except brown and empty lands. This was pure devastation.

Joel sees the locusts as a judgment from God and begs the people to turn away from their sins and repent. He calls on the priests to declare a fast and gathers the people to God’s house to cry out to the Lord. The people respond and beg God to spare His people.

God responds by driving the locusts from the land. He then promises His people that He will restore the years the locusts have eaten.

I’m not saying that the hardships you may be going through has been caused by some sin in your life. What I am saying, however, is that you do need to cry out to the Lord and keep calling on His name until relief comes or He gives you peace about your situation.

Only God can restore what’s been taken away from us. We try so many other things to ease our pain or help us when we’re in distress. God should always be our first choice when things in our lives are going badly. If you find yourself in a place where your need restoration, don’t lose hope. All is possible with God.

Blessings,

Joyce

Gal 5:22,23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Being diligent in our daily walk bearing up the fruit of the spirit is much needed…

Are we wearing the garments of fruit today?

Do we walk with the adornment of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness or self control?

We can be adorned with this beautiful cloak of colors when we are walking with the fruit of the spirit. The Bible displays this life verse with a beautiful picture of God’s love for us…

Fruit are not only delightful and healthy for the body, but in a study on these verses it will help one understand the attributes of what God intends for us to walk out in the spirit. As you research the words in scripture there are so many verses that pertain to them.

Love: 1 Cor. 13:8 “Love never fails”

Joy: Neh. 8:10 “for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.”

Peace: Romans 12:18 “If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Patience: Luke 21:19 “By your steadfastness and patient endurance you shall win the true life of your souls.”

Kindness: Col. 3:12-13 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Goodness: Psalm 34:8 “O taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man who trusts in Him”

Faithfulness Psalm 36:5 “Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the Skies”

Gentleness: 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

Self Control: 2 Peter 1: “and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;”

In seeking the Lord this week ask Him to show you the ‘fruits of the spirit” and how to share them with others as well. Placing your focus on God and His attributes will help to produce the fruit in our lives. Just think of a garden; when an apple orchard is pruned, and well taken care of it produces luscious apples, but if left alone and unattended it will produce foul fruit. So are the fruits of the spirit, we must tend to this precious garden God has placed within us. We cannot manufacture the fruit of the spirit; it must truly be a well watered garden. Now its time to get planting…

At a time when so many people are hurting and searching for an answer, Believers have the one thing that can help them — Jesus Christ. Do you struggle to share the gospel with those in need? Sometimes I do, but I’ve come to understand over the years that the Holy Spirit always helps me when I step out in faith. I’m encouraged when I remember the Christians from the first church.

The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.

The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is ” ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:1-20)

How can we not share Jesus with those who may need Him most? My prayer daily is that the Lord will give me a spirit of boldness to tell others about Him so that they too, can be saved. God’s been too good to me for me not to share the gospel with those who need to hear it. I love Jesus with all my heart and I want to take as many people with me to meet Him one day. Consequently, I have no choice but to be bold for Christ.

Blessings,

Joyce

Thinking upon cave experiences one would think of a cold dark dreary place, but in Elijah’s story it is a sort of refuge, a place to find rest and safety. A prophet in his time Elijah was sure he was the only one left and those who rejected God were trying to kill him. Yet in the moment of stillness came the voice of the Lord.

 (1 Kings 19:9-18  There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”  The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”  Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.”)

       The Lord is rendering and preserving a people who will also not bow down to Baal’s of this generation. God is seeking a people set apart for His work and those who will do His will. Are we ready to go and reach out to those around us and share the good news of faith. Are we like Elijah at times, hiding in a cave and not stepping out to hear the voice of the Lord.

     At times we may want to hide in a cave and spend a night just to rest, but there is so much more to life than being a cave dweller. Its time to take hold of Gods promises, stand firm, press on and believe for the best. God is preparing a people for His work… Will you stand today and pray? Believe for the best!!! God is Able!