BLESSED FOR A PURPOSE

'Afterwards they will come out with great possessions.' Genesis 15:14 NIV

When the children of Israel were leaving Egypt, God transferred the wealth from one nation of people to another. And he did it overnight. That's because his people were called to fulfil his purposes in the earth. After 400 years (ten generations) of making bricks, polishing brass and sweeping floors, God said in essence, 'It's payday! All that stuff you've been scrubbing and shining is going to be yours.'

Let's be clear, the Bible teaches that money isn't offensive to God; the misuse of it is! One pastor says: 'Money speaks. It says to land, "I can own you." It says to buildings, "I can build you." It says to vision, "I can fulfil you." It says to a missionary, "I can support you." It says to poverty, "I can feed you." And it says to opportunity, "I can accept you."' Why did Pharaoh pursue the Israelites? To get back the wealth of Egypt. Stop and think about that! The devil doesn't care who gets the money, as long as it doesn't go to God's people or fulfil his purposes. Satan dreads the thought of a generation of prosperous believers committed to reaching the world with the Gospel. And he will keep us enslaved to ignorance if he can.

'But I'm not a slave,' you say. How about slavery to debt, or hopelessness, or fear or old habits? God wants to set you free from anything that keeps you from fulfilling his will. Once you realise that, you'll start to pray in earnest and believe God for the resources to do it!

HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

'There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.' Proverbs 18:24 NIV

To fulfil God's plan for your life, you need relationships with the right people, those who stick by you come what may. Remember Jonathan, who loved David even at the cost of his own life? And Ruth, who loved her mother-in-law Naomi and gave her a reason to live again? God can introduce you to such people and help you build a relationship with them. Think about it: he wouldn't say, 'It is not good that man should be alone,' then ask you to live in isolation (Genesis 2:18 NKJV). Sometimes when you're by yourself, you're in the worst possible company!

But you may need to be healed within before you can build healthy relationships and make healthy choices. That means learning to differentiate between 'using' relationships and 'heart ties'. Blood ties don't wear as well as heart ties. Allow God to work on you and when you're ready, he will facilitate the necessary introductions. In the meantime, get to know him better because he's the source of true self-esteem. If your last relationship stripped you of self-worth and drained you spiritually, use this time to get back on your feet. You may never have this opportunity again! Begin to love like God loves. He sees our imperfections, handles our rejection and loves us regardless. Knowing that will help you not to discard a good person because they did a bad thing. Would you throw your car away because of a faulty part? If God forgave you the way you forgive others, could you stand (see Psalm 130:3)?

Ask him today to show you how to build healthy, fulfilling relationships. He will do it!

'STRESS FRACTURES'

'He gives...strength to the weak.' Isaiah 40:29 TLB

Sports Illustrated magazine says, 'Stress fractures begin when the shocks and strains of playing game after game create tiny cracks in outer layers of bone. When those cracks become large enough to cause severe pain, they are known as "stress fractures".' If you've ever had a stress-fractured mind, you can relate. It eats at you by day and keeps you awake at night. And if you try to 'medicate' it with alcohol, or drugs, or an affair, or overeating or a hyperactive lifestyle, it gets worse.

What should you do? (1) Change your focus. 'Come to me...and I will give you rest...Let me teach you...and you will find rest for your souls' (Matthew 11:28-29 NLT). 'He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak...they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength' (Isaiah 40:29-31 TLB). Instead of struggling alone with the burden, share it with the burden-bearer and let him strengthen you. (2) Lighten up! 'A merry heart does good, like medicine' (Proverbs 17:22 NKJV). Don't make such a big deal out of everything! Lighten up and laugh more, especially at yourself! Do you even remember the last time you enjoyed a good laugh? Accept your imperfections. Let some stuff go. Stop trying to be Wonder Woman or Superman. Get away for some fun. Yes, you need fun too! Cancel some of your not-so-important meetings.

If you want things to change, you will have to change them. Today talk to God; he knows how to heal stress fractures.

LOVE

1 JOHN 4:18 says "THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE"...

love is defined as fondness or devotedness...

in true love, there is no fear.

exercise:

imagine it is freezing cold outside, you somehow manage into your house through a thick snowstorm.

you find a warm rug and a cozy place beside the fireplace with a mug of hot chocolate milk.

the very feeling is so relishing.

  similarly, when we find ourselves in the storms of the world whatever they might be, we find rest only on our knees in the presence of God.

no storm is greater than God.

"WE NEED NOT FIGHT OUR BATTLES ALONE."

love of God is so out of the world that he himself gave his son's life as a sacrifice on our behalf. the perfect solution for the salvation of men.

God wants us to be with him forever.

through his love, we are saved.

that same love should be within us exerting its power over others.

Jeremiah 31:3 (BBE) " From far away he saw the Lord: my love for you is an eternal love: so with mercy, I have made you come with me."

God says his love is eternal.

he is always open to embrace us, to protect us under his wings.

it is up to us to take his path in every circumstance as we are given free will.

he is always with us even when we feel alone.

relationship with him through spending time with him daily will give us an understanding of him.

reading the holy bible and praying should be our daily routine.

it will surely give us life.

the love which we experience in God will surely radiate to the world.

                 BEING THANKFUL

James 1:17 (CEB) Every good gift, every perfect gift, comes from above. These gifts come down from the Father, the creator of the heavenly lights, in whose character there is no change at all.

sometimes we wonder what is behind us and what we are going to face.

we always tend to remember all the noxious things of the past.

t's okay to be down at times.but we need to remember there is one who has created us and brought us so far. if you are reading this you are not among the 285million people in the world who have a low or absent vision.

when we were children we look up to our parents to fulfill our needs and wishes.
but there is one who has created everything for us including us.
he is almighty and all-powerful, who is always the same in the remote past or our distant future.
he is the one who holds our future.
he is our provider.

we may wonder how is it possible?
we should remember that the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink were all given freely.
all the clothes we wear, the homes we reside, everything is given to us by him the almighty.

exercise:

take a pen and paper
make a list of what all you have
paste it above your desk or in your bathroom
go through the list while brushing or while working, you will be thankful.
you will find the change creeping inside you towards better
life is a precious gift given to us by god
let us make it something magical, inspirational & exemplary to others.

cancel the negatives with our positive talk.

God is for us 

"Jeremiah 29:11(CEV) I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering"

pray and find your destiny.god is behind you.
leave your imprint on the lives you come across.

next post.................... "love"