Waiting on God: Overcoming Frustration with Faith

I love this picture.

I love this picture because it communicates a frustration I used to have in my daily life.

Waiting on the train.

Now that was an exercise in patience! Delay after delay, and when it finally turned up there were no seats left, people would all rush and push to get in so desperate to get to a job, that I'm willing to speculate most of them didn't even like! Let me go further, I was rushing and pushing to go to a job that I didn't even like!

I should add, at that time I thought that was an exercise in patience.

Yet that was no exercise in patience....no no. That was child's play.

Patience when you have an electronic board updating you minute by minute with the progress of the train, is no exercise in patience at all, managing frustration? Perhaps, but patience certainly not. And some of you may be ready to fervently disagree, but this I tell you, that was the patience of my flesh - this kind of patience will fail you it is totally inadequate when it comes to waiting on God. (the Bible is so full of these examples I cannot even begin to quote them!).

Now I find myself waiting on a promise from God, one where I do not know the minute nor the hour nor even the day. One where there is no update, there is no person to consult on alternative methods of travel. There is but One who controls the timing. On this journey I am on, I realise this is a test. This is about Godly patience, a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

I wrote a post on how much faith do you have where I articulated that its easy to say you believe in God within the realm of your understanding, dealing in the physical and what you can see, but would you still be able to believe in Him when your circumstances defied your understanding?

I have been waiting on God on a promise for a while now, (8 weeks or so without work or pay...yikes!) and previously when I spoke about this, I spoke about how frustrating it can be. Though I have grown since then the recognition of everything I have written about in this post, doesn't mean I don't suffer moments of frustration.

This then is my test. God is asking me a question. What do you believe in more? Me or your circumstances? It is written "not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God" (Zachariah 4:6) but do you believe this? Do you actually believe there is nothing outside of the scope of My power?

In essence God is asking me how much faith do you have?

Praise God for He is worthy of praise! Because He has built me up to this point that I may learn this lesson, for my own good. For how do I grow in relationship with God without Him increasing my faith? How do I get to a stage where I can say "I walk by faith not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7) unless He puts me in these situations?

So here is what I have learned. Give in to faith.

The Spirit and the flesh are contrary to one another (Galatians 5:17), so ultimately God is telling me to make a choice. He has said I have told you to "be still and know I am God", I have given you the gift of the Holy Spirit for believing in my Son. I have taken you on a journey and taught you along the way, now choose. Will you believe in me or what your eyes have seen, which can never see me?

My answer?

I choose believing in God.
I choose His word, and His Word, to give me the peace that I need to wait on Him.
I choose to be thankful to God even when I don't understand.
I choose to wait patiently not knowing the minute, hour or day because its a privilege to wait.
I choose to cast down every argument and high thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5) including what I think.

Because peace is so much better than anxiety:
I choose my faith over my frustration.

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The Weight of Destiny

Ecclesiastes 1:9 New King James Version (NKJV)

9 That which has been is what will be,

That which is done is what will be done,

And there is nothing new under the sun.

I find myself struggling today.

In the world the saying goes "be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it". This in itself speaks to something strange about the human condition. 

You can be given precisely what you want thus satisfying that desire, which should be a good thing, yet encounter some self-inflicted problems as a result. 

I find this to be the problem. I have long been searching for my purpose in life, a question common to many, I searched in many places before I knew God. Exploring my interests and talents, trying many different careers and yet did not find my purpose or fulfilment in those things. 

Now I have a relationship with God, I asked Him. And, kind of to my surprise. He told me.....

God has revealed to me what His purpose is for my life. This should be a tremendous blessing, yet instead of jubilation, I today felt the gravity of own decision making.

We are not to fear anything but God, yet if there is one thing that scares me the most, it is this:

Unfulfilled potential.

Potential is the scariest word in the dictionary, because the difference between your potential and your achievement is down to you. 

Therefore, you cannot underachieve if you do not know your potential and there is a solace in that. It becomes that much easier to reconcile my position in life if I do not know the fullness of what I could achieve.

Now I could have a hunch or human judgement about my potential, but humans are fallible beings. Even if you told me I should be great, if it doesn't pan out I can rest on the solace of phrases like "it just wasn't meant to be".

Yet now God has told me what He sees for me (at least in part). Infallible God. Alpha and Omega, knowing the beginning from the end has told me what He wants me to do.

This then has caused the evolution of potential into something far weightier still.

Expectation.

Gone is the solace of "it just wasn't meant to be" and has been replaced with the uncomfortable potential truth of "I just didn't live up to His expectation". 

And I am terrified.

And the craziest thing about all this? I asked for it. Be careful what you wish for indeed!

The wisdom of Ecclesiastes 1:9, gives hope, I know this is a sign I need to grow spiritually, and I will do what I have learned to do along this journey. 

Turn to the word of God and I will be sure to post a follow up to this once I have the answer.

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He Is Risen! Do you want a new start?

Matthew 28:6 New King James Version (NKJV)

6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Rejoice for He Is Risen!

Previously I wrote about the sadness you can feel on Good Friday, understanding the humiliation and pain Jesus suffered on his way to, and on, the cross.

But that wasn't the end of the story....Celebrate for He Is Risen!

Yet...why should we celebrate? If you are new to faith you may not know what He did for us on the cross, or why His resurrection is significant:

Romans 6:4-9 New King James Version (NKJV)

4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be [a]done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been [b]freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.

2 Corinthians 5:17 New King James Version (NKJV)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Jesus died that we may be reconciled with the Father and have a new beginning. 

Often times in life, people relocate to different homes, towns, or even countries for a fresh start; I have done the same when I was younger. Before I left my father told me: "Be careful when you are trying to have a new start, that you are not bringing old problems. Make sure what you are really not trying to run away from is you."

This is so true. I have made plenty of mistakes in life, but I thank Jesus that He saw me through, even before I really knew Him! Maybe you're feeling like you are coming out the other side, or perhaps you still in the midst of the storm, where you are still dealing with some of the consequences of some previous decisions. 

God loves you just as you are. You haven't made a mistake too terrible for Him to redeem. Jesus came for you too. He does not require you to do anything before you come to Him.

Maybe you're tired of your current situation, feel like you're in a rut, or you know its time for to make a change. Jesus gave the world hope and a new beginning in the resurrection. The good news? 

You can have a new start too.

Below is a simple and effective prayer to make Jesus the Lord of your life and have a new beginning. When you do, take the time to meditate and truly believe in Him and His power. 

Then say out loud:

Lord Jesus,

I believe in the resurrection,

I believe that you rose again,

Come into my heart,

I repent of my sin,

I make you my Lord and Saviour.

Amen.

(Scripture to back this up)

Romans 10:9-10 New King James Version (NKJV)

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Understand that Jesus lives on the inside of us, who believe in Him. He is eternal and alive and well today, touching lives just as He did when He was incarnate on earth. 

If you did as the scripture says and prayed that simple prayer, you have started your walk of faith.

Congratulations!

Download a free Bible app like YouVersion or any you prefer; maybe you prefer a hard copy? Get a Bible at your local bookstore. Pray that God that He leads you on this walk and He will guide you faithfully.

Glory to God! Hallelujah! Praise His name for it is worthy to be praised!

Good Friday: Remembering Jesus

Romans 10:9-10 New King James Version (NKJV)

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

There are many of us around the globe, on this day, who experience "bank/public holidays", time off of work, time to spend with our loved ones, thanks to Lord Jesus.

Let us then, not forget why this day has come to pass. Please, if nothing else:

Read on Good Friday,  what Jesus did for us and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and saviour.

Start your journey with Christ. Whatever you are going through God loves you and He is waiting for you to turn to Him.

Download a free Bible app like YouVersion today (I am not affiliated with them nor am I paid, I just want you to have the word of God) or buy a Bible, however your means allow.

What Jesus Means To Me

I woke up touched. Frankly words failed me. It was a struggle to even write this post.

But I want someone to see what Jesus means to me, and if they can accept Him as their Lord and saviour this is the best gift I can give back to God.

If this post touches you in any way, take some time to praise God, accept Lord Jesus into your life. If you are already a believer, maybe you've lapsed or backslid in your journey, reconnect with God as your heart leads.

This is the first Good Friday in my entire life when I have woken up emotional. It's also the first Good Friday where I truly believed in my heart in Lord Jesus, and confessed He was my saviour. In other words, its the first Good Friday when I loved Jesus.

If you are not a believer you will likely not understand and that is OK, as I have stated, I was the exactly the same. Though I could list so many reasons, because God has been so faithful and good to me, I will state just one:

He is the reason I am alive today.

The invisible hand of God has kept me alive all this time, saved me from making a mistake too grave, for my own sake. Thanks to Lord Jesus and what He did on the cross.

I wonder if you took the time to reflect on your life right now, even if you don't believe, can you think of any situations that you know you didn't get yourself out of? Did you pray to God, and even though you did not know Him, He answered and saved you? That is one of the many reasons why I am so thankful.

To get to this point I had to set aside my pride. I had so many questions: "Who is this God that I should play by his rules? I mean he made the rules anyway why should I be so grateful for something He decided to do? Why make me this way with a sinful nature and then require me to thank you for forgiving me? The answer?

Romans 9:20 New King James Version (NKJV)
20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”

He's the boss! Ask yourself, when you were born what exactly did you do become alive? Were you in control at that moment? Did you choose to be born? So who gave you life? We need to be humble and accept God is in control and always has been.

Afterall, God Himself is humble. This is what He did for us:

Philippians 2:5-11 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Humbled and Exalted Christ

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it [a]robbery to be equal with God, 7 but [b]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God Himself, made man, humbled Himself and was obedient unto death. For US. If Jesus is humble, who am I not to be humble?

And the reason this is an emotional day, is I can imagine the pain on the cross. The humiliation He endured, being spat on, slapped and mocked on his way to die. You wouldn't want that inflicted on someone you love, especially now I am aware of all the things He has done for me, and upon your own reflection for you too.

But this is Jesus.....

Even death could not hold Him.

He rose again! Defeated even death.

He lives on the inside of every one of us who believe in Him. He is alive and well, overcoming death in His glory, that we might live! Not just now, but inheriting the promise of eternal life.

Glory to God. Hallelujah! Praise His name because it is worthy of praise!

Jesus makes me better everyday. Jesus does so much for me, and has changed me in so many ways for the better, that if I wrote them all here this post would take up your whole day.

So I appeal to you, take this day to remember Jesus.

Accept Jesus as the Lord of your life and be saved.

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How Much Faith Do You Have?

God is the Provider. He has shown us this Himself, time and time again. So imagine your rent/mortgage is due, your bills piling up, your money dwindling and food running low; if God spoke to you and said "Be still, and know I am God, I will provide" would you be able to wait in faith, or rely on your own strength and scramble for the nearest classified ad and a way to get money fast?

Be honest would you even believe it was God who spoke to you?

How much faith do you have?

Jesus told us himself:

Matthew 17:20-21New King James Version (NKJV)

20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Yet I am 100% certain, that if I told a mountain to move it would not go anywhere.

Faith is the bedrock of your relationship with God.

It is so fundamental, that the picture of faith is painted all across the ages of the Bible, and is expressed in the current age in a multitude of ways.

I would be overstepping my annointing to fully get into what faith is here, and speak with an authority that God has not bestowed upon me. So let me tell you what I believe.

Yes faith is the "substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1), this cannot be disputed and has to mentioned.

For me, part of making that tangible is to describe faith as believing in God for who He is. That means believing in God for everything He says He is (Provider, Comforter, Father, Protector and so much more!) and has done. Ever.

The truth is we all say we have faith, but do we actually? Do we actually believe God for who He is? That He is the Old & New Testament God, that all the miracles He performed then, He could do today?

It is easy for us to say "yes, of course!" until it is tested.

Ask yourself, if you were faced with the some of the same obstacles that the people faced in both the Old and New Testament would you have the fortitude to wait on God, regardless of what the circumstances looked like? Imagine being the Israelites with the Egyptians charging at you, the panic is well documented, but actually put yourself in their shoes and imagine it. Could you at that time "walk by faith and not by sight?"

You should be calm knowing God has got this, but would you be?

Would you honestly be able to say, "I believe in God so much I believe for the miracle He is about to perform", regardless of what your eyes told you?

As always I do not ask these questions to condemn anyone, nor should you feel condemned in reading them. For I am on a journey, and I can honestly say I am not there yet.

God has challenged me to increase and renew my faith daily.

So I will, and I pray that you will too.

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God's Perfect Timing: My Imperfect Frustration

(Written in real time as I am going through it)

Today has been a very trying day - and its not over yet!  For 6 weeks I have been waiting on the fulfillment of one of God's promises to me. The hour is coming and now is (see what I did there...).

He has told me this promise is to "imminently" come to pass. The trouble with using the word "imminently" is that its HIS word, used to increase MY expectation (so that I am waiting in faith, not doubt as doubt leads to unbelief) but waiting upon HIS timing. I don't think I need to mention how God's timing, definitely is NOT, the same as your timing. This is torture.

Wait on the Lord ; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord !
Psalms 27:14 NKJV

I feel like the word "courage" should be double underlined, bold, in neon colours, pulsating with an accompanying GIF. God told me to be still and know He is God, he has instructed me not to work during this time, for six weeks  this has now been the case.

Whilst I am still renewing my mind its hard to watch as bills come due, my bank account being empty, direct debits bouncing, food is dwindling (I mean is God telling me I could lose a few pounds? It's getting serious out here!), the cash in my hand is dwindling to nought and God is choosing now as a time to test my faith.

There is nothing about my present circumstance that says God is just about to come through and despite all of this my spirit is expectant......but my flesh is frustrated, anxious, hungry, wanting to take control of the situation.

Wanting to disobey God.

What I am experiencing is exactly what is stated in Galatians 5:

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Galatians 5:17 NKJV

So now I know this is what is happening, and I cannot stress to you how hard this is, what exactly am I going to do about it?

I have learnt from my mistakes in the past, and I want whoever is reading this to pay close attention. Whatever you feed at this moment is going to determine if you are going to remain walking by faith, or slip into the flesh and fall short of your blessing.

So right now, as you are feeling frustrated.

Feed. The. Spirit.

Turn to the word. This is why it is good to be armed with the word of God memorise it, and it you're not there yet just know what to search for.

I am pasting these in real time, because I am ministering to myself, if you find this useful let me know in the comments/add your more verses:

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23 NKJV
God let me know about the power of faith confessions, but furthermore, holding fast to those confessions, for He is faithful and He will come through for me.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
Proverbs 3:5‭ NKJV
This is saying trust me, trying to operate by what you see and understand is making you nervous.

Be still, and know that I am God;
Psalms 46:10 NKJV
Relax, know that God has this under control.

I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:12‭-‬13 NKJV
This is a growing point. I'm not here yet but I need to learn how to be content whatever the circumstance. But that last sentence is power, if you find yourself in this situation saying that out loud is so powerful. I can do all things through Christ who strenghthens me.

So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts. ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you  shall  become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”
Zechariah 4:6‭-‬7 NKJV
This is telling me switch your perspective, the mountain before me shall become a plain by the Spirit of God. My God is bigger than my problem!

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1‭-‬2 NKJV
Look to Jesus for strength, on this race of endurance.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
James 1:2‭-‬4 NKJV
Thank God for the trial and the work He is doing in me. Amen!

This is a journey, this is hard, I don't pretend to understand it or understand God, but what I can tell you is if you ever find yourself stuck like me, feed the Spirit. Turn to God not away from Him. Use every tool and resource He gave you to overcome and stay in obedience.

I hold fast to my confession. I believe the blessing is around the corner. I believe I will make it, even if I am a few pounds lighter by the time I get there.

Psalms 51:1-2 : Why Feel Guilt?

At first glance the meaning of this verse is simple enough, but it ministered to me in an unexpected way before I wrote this post. I previously wrote about the benefits of meditating on the word, and I encourage all believers to do so. It will make the word come alive.

This verse takes me back before my journey began, when in my ignorance of the faith, I saw Christians as judgemental, always looking to elevate themselves for their "righteousness" and look down upon me with condemnation for my "sin". 

I saw God as unjust. I would say things like "Why would I want to serve a God that is always reminding me of my sin?", "I mean these are his rules anyway, what kind of God makes a human who can sin, then demands that they don't? Isn't that just setting me up for failure?". In short I didn't see my sin as some "great transgression" that I should seek compassion and forgiveness for. I was generally a good human being, I didn't commit any crimes, was generally nice to people. I thought I was doing just fine by myself.

Therefore, I was incapable of feeling any guilt for my sin, I just didn't see an issue.

I wonder how many of you are in this place right now reading this? Having seen this verse you are still on that place of your journey asking these type of questions?

To those people I would like to confess something. As I write this now, this to me, is one of the most powerful verses that can minister to my everyday life.

When you decide to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, and take that initial step of faith, you will have to give up on some things. Faith in Lord Jesus, that He is the son of God, that the trinity is real, that the Father is the God of all creation, is the beginning of your journey. From there comes the next part which is relationship. God always knew you, but you have only just come to know Him, and you will have to get to know God.

As your relationship with God grows, you'l become aware of all the things He has done, not just in the Bible, for you. 
Personally. 
You will come to know how good He is, how for everything that He has done, does and will do for you; He requires very little in return:

Deuteronomy 10:12 New King James Version (NKJV)

12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

Knowing He will work all things for Your good because you love Him (Romans 8:28). There are so many verses about how good God is when we obey that I couldn't list them all here, but God is faithful, and He wants to bless us. 

Understand I am saying all of this and I've only really been born again 3/4 months! When you realise how good God is for us, working all things for our good, blessing us, being patient and so much more; you will feel a tremendous amount of guilt when you let Him down. 

You will learn about that character of God, I am still learning believe me, but what I can tell you is that He is forgiving, compassionate, patient, gracious, merciful and so much more! Yes we will let God down but He gives us hope, that as long as our heart is for Him and we have faith, He gives us grace.

God does not want you to feel condemned. I realised that on my journey, those were flawed human beings that made me feel that way and not representative of God. 

God wants you to seek Him. 

God doesn't want you to sin, for your own good.

So seek God with all your heart, stay in faith and be encouraged knowing that God sees that your trying and His mercy endures forever! (Psalms 136).

Start Your Day with God

How you start your day is important.

Before I knew God, I used to work in "The City" in London. I was in the financial industry, and I cannot stress to you how important it was for me to wake up in a good mood. I NEEDED to have a cheerful morning before I walked out my front door and began that commute to work. Because that commute...well it was something!

Crowded trains, (that's if they came on time or at all!), struggling to find a parking spot at the train station because they were always closing sections to work on it, not being able to take the bus because they were unreliable, battling whatever weather came my way, power walking to the office because of strikes on the underground it went on and on. By the time I got to work I'd be lucky if I could crack a smile.

How I started my day was important, but it was so important to me then because what I had was happiness. Happiness in my own strength.

And it was fragile.

So fragile that all it took was a commute to work for it to be shattered and I have to build it up again.

God gave me something far greater. God gave me the ability to experience His joy. Through God, and only through God, you can experience joy through your trials, in fact God actually wants us to:

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
James 1:2-4 NKJV

So I know for a fact, if I was still working that job, with God in my life it wouldn't matter what the commute was like, because it would be His will for me to work there, I would know He is in control, and that the trial was for my own benefit.

Yet I could only do that by walking in the spirit.

Walking in the Spirit

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: [a]adultery, [b]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, [c]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [d]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:16-23 New King James Version (NKJV)

So I don't have that job anymore, (God has me on a different path for which I am so grateful) but I do have God.

I can't tell you how much better my days are when I start my days with Him:

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:1‭-‬2 NKJV

Living Colossians 3:1-2, is what keeps me in the Spirit and gives me joy. I cannot tell you enough how joyful I feel starting my day with God. When you set your heart and mind on things above it will help you stay in the Spirit and be loving, joyful, peaceful, longsuffering, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and have self-control regardless of the chaos thats going on around you.

Theres a saying that goes "you get out what you put in". I believe God responds to You how you respond to Him. Put him first in Your life, He will bless you at the beginnings of your day.

Put God first place in your life. Start your day with Him and see the difference it will make to your life.

Verse of the Day: Psalms 24:1

Good morning!

Recently I wrote a blog post about meditating on the word. So I feel led by the Spirit to create a new series based on the, Verse on the Day from the YouVersion app, to encourage you to pause and think about what these verses mean to you, as a way of meditation.

So please comment below what this verse means to you (you don't have to sign up to anything to comment). Remember, that we are all in different season in life, and so this verse means to me can be different then what it means to you and that's ok.

Father, I thank You for the gift of the Bible. That You have left us this text that it may  minister to us. I thank You that Your perfect word speaks to us regardless of what season we are in. That the perfection of Your foresight created a timeless word that was relevant for generations past, and those to follow. That what is written can minister to me regardless of what season I am in, so perfect is its construction That through this text, we get to know You.

I pray that whomever reads this, let a seed of good habit be sown on fertile ground within their heart, that they may seek You, that this may a step on their walk of faith. I thank You for the provision of this blog, for the anointing on my life, for whoever is behind the Verse of the Day, that the word of God is being shared globally and Your presence is everywhere. Amen.

The earth is the Lord ’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.
Psalms 24:1 NKJV

It just so happens that I had to meditate on this verse very recently, and spoke to me about doing the will of God.

In this season of my life God has instructed me to go to Africa. I am of African descent but I was born in the West, and whilst I have been back to my native country I have very little experience of it. I did intend to return to Africa one day in the future, but God said that day is TO-DAY. So I wait patiently for Him to bring His plan to fruition.

This verse, however, speaks to me because of my reluctance. Do not believe the picture of Africa that you have been shown on TV. It is not a "dark continent" of abject poverty. Yes there is poverty, but so too is there great wealth, a middle-class, basic amenities, great cities, public transport, technology, careers being made, businesses, beautiful homes and it goes on and on.

BUT....the rules of engagement are very different and many nations are still developing. In all honesty? I just do not know how to survive there on my own. There are differences with the West, and I will have to sacrifice many elements of my lifestyle, it will be a big adjusment.

So I did what anyone would do. I complained and wailed to God. "WHY GOD!!?!", "WHY AFRICA!!?!", "Why didn't you say go somewhere nice like Miami, or Barbados?". Unsurprisingly God chastened me, yet not just for my disobedience. He chastened me and said "The earth and everything in it is mine, do you despise My creation?

That moment changed my whole perspective. Whatever my thoughts of Africa as somewhere that wasn't as "nice" as Miami didn't sit well with God. And He was right.
So not only do I need to do as He says and go where He sends me, I need to be happy about it.
Still I had all these plans for my life and things I wanted to do, and frankly this wasn't one of them. So it wasn't easy to get to that point where I was happy to obey, but what helped me get there? I really had to think on Psalms 24:1, and then turned to the thing God left us.

Scripture:

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Matthew 6:33 NKJV

Delight yourself also in the Lord , And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Psalms 37:4 NKJV

“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be  in the country. “Blessed shall  be  the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. “Blessed shall  be your basket and your kneading bowl. “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
Deuteronomy 28:1‭-‬6 NKJV

God was showing me He is faitful, He has a plan and will for my life: for it to be blessed. I just have to do what He says, go where He says and see the beauty in all of the earth, because it all belongs to Him.

I hope you see that meditating on that verse took me on a journey, it turned me to other areas of the Bible which ultimately meant I spent more time on the word and thinking about God.

So what does this verse mean to you? Did it take you on a journey? Comment below and share your story, or just spend some time thinking about it today.


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Meditate on the Word

Good morning/afternoon/evening wherever you are in the world. I am so thankful to have you look at this blog today. I truly welcome you, and pray that you find this useful.

We are so connected in this day and age. That we talk hasn't changed, but how we talk certainly has. One of the most powerful weapons for God, and against the enemy is social media, unfortunately the devil can also use it as a distraction. It is an entire post by itself to talk about the dangers of social media, how it too can be a wile of the devil so I won't focus on that now.

Having apps on your phone that can turn your attention back to God, is so important, I cannot stress that enough. I personally have You Version installed, and its an excellent resource because one of things it does, is show a notification for the verse of the day. A simple and effecive way to make sure that you are getting some of the word of God, even if by accident.

So when I turned to Twitter this morning, and saw my feed popping up with the verse of the day, I was happy that the word of God was being shared.

Yet it made me think.

How many people actually reflect on what they are sharing?

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Joshua 1:8 NKJV

God is the great I Am, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. So the fact is He again gave us the Bible that we may meditate on His word, and have good success. Meditating on the word is for our benefit, but we have to meditate to get the benefit. This means more than giving it a fleeting moment of our attention, but spending some time reflecting on what we have seen.

On my own faith journey God has challenged me using this verse so many times:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Philippians 4:8 New King James Version (NKJV)

And what more praiseworthy and noble than the word of God?

So you're reading the verse of the day, or you're going to share it on Twitter, why not add a couple of lines about what that verse means to you? Or how it challenges you to do something different in our life? 

Whatever you do, if you're going to start off by reading on the verse of the day, remember you're on a journey. Don't stay in that place. Start by reading on the verse of the day, then the chapter, then the book. Perhaps try following a Bible reading, after that and as your relationship with God grows, He will lead you on which scriptures He wants you to read.

In this age of distraction turn you focus back to God, meditate on His word, and see how it changes your life.

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An Open Letter to God

Eli

Somewere on Earth

By way of the internet

God

The City of the Living God

Mount Zion

Heavenly Jerusalem

God,

Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Greetings from earth, I thank You that I am able to enjoy your creation for another day. How are you? How is Lord Jesus? I thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit, Your Spirit, that dwells within me.

It seems silly to pray that this letter reaches you well, for you can hear even my thoughts. For an all powerful God it is entirely true, that this has reached you as soon as the words have been typed. Still it is the sentiment that counts. I hope that this letter finds You, that You may know I was concerned about and cared enough about You that I wrote a letter.

Over the past few days You have challenged me to study the topic of thanksgiving. At first glance it seemed entirely simple: remember to say thank You to God. Yet as I continued on this journey, on day 1 I felt convicted that I had grossly underestimated my ingratitude. Yet, hopeful because of Your love, grace and mercy, and indeed my love for You, that I could rectify that swiftly. On day 2, I felt like I had failed to utilise the power of thanksgiving the very day after you had taught me, yet taught me about giving thanks to you all the same.

The lesson? That giving thanks to You is as individual as our relationship with You. So on day 3, another day when I had planned to write a post, for the benefit of others, of all the ways you could show your thanks to God, I am stuck again. I understand that we can sing hymns, praise, attend worship services and so on, but that just seems so....impersonal. In addition, singing simply is not a gift I have.

In prayers and meditation to You it seemed one word kept coming back relationship.

The word "thanks" seems insufficient somehow, and the more I meditated the more I wanted my thanks to become an expression of gratitude, from an utterance to an action.

Faith requires a living relationship, that we love you. Spurn routine in favour of that which is heartfelt, and it certainly feels routine simply saying thanks at the beginning of a prayer. In the flesh we say things like "what do you get someone who has everything?". Indeed, what can I give to You God that You do not already have? For the world and everything in it belongs to You.

If you know someone intimately, the solution is to give them something from you. Uniquely yours, that you may show them they are in your thoughts, and you have taken the time to give them something specific to them. To me this is one of the deepest forms of gratitude, that whatever your resources you cared enough to be deeply considerate of them as a person. In other words, it is a gift that can only be given by you to them. A personal expression of gratitude.

So I am hoping that You help me grow in relationship with You. That my thanks can grow from thanking You for the things You have done for me, to thanking you with true reverance for who You are because I know You. I am learning that this walk by faith was perhaps called a "walk" on purpose. It is not a sprint. I have a lot to learn.

I look forward to hearing from You, and that all is well. Please pass on my sincerest thanks to Lord Jesus for what He did on the cross.

Yours faithfully,
Eli

That Friday Feeling!

Quick post.

I woke up this morning, thanked God just for being a God, (I learned that recently), before thanking Him for a bunch of other stuff.

Then after spending time with God, I turned over to my phone picked it up, and went to Twitter.

And the number 1 trending item? #FridayFeeling. And I remember what that was like! Looking forward to the weekend being filled with so much joy because work is almost out, looking forward to those two days a week before crashing on Sunday because Monday is around the corner.

So overrated!

God wants you to have that Friday Feeling....EVERYDAY! One of the fruits of the spirit is joy. He literally wants you to be happy. I mean check this out see what God can do for his people:

Isaiah 55:12 New King James Version (NKJV)
12 “For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands

I mean you feel happy when the birds are singing, but mountains and hills?!?!

Psalm 146:5 New King James Version (NKJV)

5 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God

Happy is he indeed.

Lastly:

Psalm 118:24 New King James Version (NKJV)
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

God wants you to have that #FridayFeeling everyday. Trust me accept God into your life you'll be waking up Monday morning like its Friday.

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I mean...really God!?

Exodus 20:5 New King James Version (NKJV)
you shall not bow down to them nor [a]serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting[b] the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me

(This post is raw:unedited off the top of my head and how it came out)

Understand that. FOUR GENERATIONS. I mean one I definitely understand, their kids? Maybe I can stretch to that, maybe they were there/grown, didn't have anything to say for themselves, didn't defend God. But the two after that?!?! I don't even know my grandparents, let alone their grand parents! Yet I find myself in the midst of a spiritual battle, birthed before I was even thought about and I can't help but wonder if they offended/transgressed against God (because things are starting to get weird, and its only going to get worse before it gets better).

And if one of you did (whichever ancestor it was) shame on you! Someone should've slapped the taste out of your mouth for even thinking about coming against God (Not to incite violence but you get the idea - saying that I'm air slapping these people right now). You're dead now I'm the one fighting!

I do not blame God, not even one bit.

The truth is I probably need to ask for forgiveness for the title, but I promised honesty when writing this blog. I'm struggling today.

It is written:

Ephesians 6:12 "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of [c]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

I have read the Bible before my walk with God began proper, I used to see these phrases and think "that was a terrible time to live in, at least we're not out here fighting demons now!". How wrong I was, demons are real and so is the struggle.

The real problem is, there's something in the blood. Something about ancestry and decendancy that means I have to be the one to fight for my ancestors inequities. You can find yourself going down a dark hole questioning the why of it all, but you wouldn't complain if the same mechanism meant you inherit the wealth/promises of your parents. In believing in Jesus, thats what happens, we become the adopted children of God and inherit His promises. So just as Job said, we have to take the good and the bad.

Back to this fight, it would be better if I had a tag-team partner. Someone to tag out to when I need strengthening myself....but I find myself alone. It's the hardest thing I have had to face, because few people even understand what you're going through, theres no precedent for my exact circumstances in the Bible, and the One that can help does things according to His will and His timing; and that can be painful.

Crying out to God: "God I need help, remove this cup of suffering! You are an all powerful God why not just make it go away?" and His response? "Not my will". Everyone has heard "to whom much is given much is expected/required" well here's where it came from:

Luke 12:48 New King James Version (NKJV)
48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
So I'm hoping this is all because God has a high annointing on my life, and this is part of the preperation, right now however it doesn't make me feel any less stuck, any less alone.

So I find myself hoping that this is so hard, because God has given me so much, and therefore so much is required. Pray for strength you'll all say, but that doesn't help my motivation. And I can be strong and just as distracted by how I'm feeling or the urge to do something, ANYTHING, else.

Reflect on this, just yesterday I put up the importance of being thankful. If you watch the video you'll note, (hint:please take notes they will be invaluable!) Dr Charles Stanley makes a number of good points on giving thanks.

I'm not going to give the game away so I will just focus on these:
1. It keeps our focus on God rather than our circumstances. Thanking Him may not change our circumstance but our attitude towards our circumstance. (into the Spirit as opposed the flesh)
2. Praise and thanksgiving energizes us. So when we are feeling negative. We should Thank God.
Yet but one day later. I'm struggling. I am struggling to implement the very thing I was so elated about yesterday. God gave me a long list of things to do, in the midst of the warfare, and because of my lack of motivation, feeling alone, needing a break from all this - which I can't have because both my salvation and those around me depends on it - I am struggling!

So I flailed/prayed to God and he gave me a verse:

James 1:23-27 New King James Version (NKJV)
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

Understand this wasn't my prayer, it went something along the lines of "SENNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDD HEEEEELLLLLPPPPPPPPPP!"

Head coach God, basically just said "get your head back in the game, we just ran this play yesterday!". I wanted to share this with you all though, and let you know this is the struggle. It happens. I literally made a post about giving thanks yesterday, watched a video about all the benefits, the NEXT day the test came and I still couldn't do it.

It happens sometimes, and if you're going through the same thing, read my example and I hope it helps you feel, this is normal.

This faith journey is going to take you to many places. It is written our weapons are not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:4). What God is really doing through his instructions is giving me weapons (still doesn't make this easy).

 Giving thanks to God is a weapon, because it keeps you in the spirit and allows you to access the other fruits of the spirit (read Galatians 5).

What helped me come out of this situation was writing this blog, because it made me thankful. That God ministers to me, that I can reach out and try to help others, that I have this outlet of expression, that I have faith in God.

It gives me great joy just writing this post hoping that it helps anyone out there, even just one person.

I didn't plan this blog, and that's how it goes with God sometimes. I wanted to write a blog on "how to give thanks to God" and He turned it into a testimony. I had it all planned out my head to write about how you can sing hymns, listen to praise music and sing along, attend worship service etc.

In writing this I came to realise the fact that I can be used by Him this way, for His glory, is the best thanks I can give to Him.

So thank You, God. Hallelujah!

Thanksgiving Everyday Part 1.

God challenged me to read about thanksgiving.

Easy right? I mean there is Psalm after Psalm, and verse after verse, on giving thanks to God.

Right at the beginning of my journey I said to myself "assumptions are the enemy of understanding". And so I diligently try to understand every fundamental concept: what is faith? what is worship

And so what exactly is thanksgiving? Why is God asking me to look into this? What do I have to be thankful for? When am I supposed to thank Him?

Personally I always turn to the scriptures first, and then sermons etc. after.

At first, it was just about building good habits. Then I realised there is so much misunderstanding out there that you can be misled, and if you get the foundation of your faith wrong, the building upon which it stands will falter. Equally a sermon, even the best of them, cannot tell you everything about the text in the 30 minutes to 2 hours that they have. The Bible just has too much depth! (Side-note make sure you read the Bible!)

I am not saying do not watch sermons, read bible commentaries etc. I am saying pray to God for a spirit of discernment should you choose to do so, to make sure the interpretation is of Him; and understand that they should not be the only source of your faith building.

So I did the work and I read, noted and meditated....then I went to YouTube and came across this video:

This is one the greatest videos I have ever seen, and I urge you to watch it. Dr. Charles Stanley talks about thanksgiving far greater than I ever could.

This video awakened my eyes to the frivolity of my earlier questioning, but far more poignantly, the grace of God, and how much He does for us.

I have so much to be thankful for! And yet I hardly ever thank Him. Yes I thank Him in every prayer, but I can do more.

I am ashamed at my lack of thanks.

So I write this post convicted.

I have fallen short of God's glory once again.

I have sinned.

I have, in yet another area, fallen short of the standard God has set.

I am not unique in my expression.

These are phrases all too familiar to those on the journey of Christianity. The idea that this walk is too hard, and far from being emboldened at the prospect of being saved, often people spurn the faith for the fear and dislike of feeling judged (a whole post in itself).

So you may be thinking typical. This stated of as being thankful to God, and ended up in being a day of feeling condemned by Him......

But Wait!

I did state I was feeling convicted. Yet, do not confuse this with feeling sad. Far from it. For in my conviction I have hope. I'm also delighted that my shortcoming may help you:

2 Corinthians 12:9

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

This verse is so empowering. The sooner you understand that the Word of God is a powerful tool, the sooner you will see the words give life. My short-coming can be shared with you that, you might benefit, and I am all the more happy to do so because when I decrease, Christ increases within me.

I want you to understand as a reader, that but a few short months ago my elated reaction would not be possible. This is only through accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and saviour, that I can rejoie in my conviction and feel empowered to better myself.

Only through faith in Jesus, can I speak to you this way.

And so I end this post thankful. 

Thankful that God is God, thankful to God that you have read it, thankful to God that I was able to write it, thankful to God I can read, thankful to God for water, thankful to God for...(you get the idea)

I am thankful to God. For everything.

But then....how exactly do I show my thanks? (Part 2 coming soon!)

A Heartfelt Welcome

Prayer: Father I thank You for the provision of strength to write this blog, this being an expression of love to You, may it be pleasing in your eyes. Heavenly Father, You are a provider, a comforter, a teacher and more to me than I could articulate. I have received blessings, promises, grace and mercy which I am not deserved of. I thank You for the anointing You have placed on my life, and though time and time again I have fallen short of your glory, you still favour me as one of your own. My gratefulness is abundant and so is my humility.

I pray that sharing my vulnerability, flaws and growth from drinking the spiritual milk as a babe to being mature may help whomever stumbles across this blog, and reads the words on this page. I pray that I do not overstep the measure of faith You have given me, nor my anointing, that I mislead but one child of God or soul who reads this blog. Let me stay in humility and be a witness to the Light that I may direct people to Him.

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Welcome

This is my faith journey. My name is Eli. This was the name God gave me, and the name by which He always knew me, though not as I was always called (maybe I will do a post on that someday!).

Honestly...Welcome! This is an emotional post for me, as in the prayer that you see above this is truly for God. That others may know the goodness of Him, and what it is like to grow spiritually. There is such great power in testimony, because in seeing what someone has overcome, it gives you hope for what you are going through. Often, however, this is not until the end of the journey, but what of the beginning or the middle? Of course, you do not know how it ends, but you can still garner hope and strength that your flaws and struggles are normal.

The good news for you, is I am basically at the beginning of my faith journey. Spiritually a babe drinking milk. God has faitfully kept me from disaster all my life, I learnt this on reflection, but it was truly late 2018 and early 2019 when I took this faith journey seriously and was born again.

Everyone is welcome to read this blog, new to the faith or veteran, born again or just curious. Whatever walk of life, Christ welcomes you all, and seeing as no servant is greater than the master, I welcome you all too.

I am not a minister, I am not a pastor, I am just a regular person. I will share whatever I can of myself, both where I have been and where I am going. I did experience some domestic violence in the home growing up, parents divorced though not until my early 20s, relationship issues with my father (ongoing and unresolved), on the whole? My childhood was a happy one.

Neither do I have any achievement which is spectacularly good. I had a tumultuous period in high school (though still left with As and Bs), paid for my own university degree and graduated with honours (though on my path I have no used it), I have lived abroad by myself for a time (invaluable!). I do not descend from great material wealth, nor have experienced the depths of material poverty.

I am an imperfect being brought to Christ, by the grace of God, that I may know and serve Him.

I say that to manage your expectation, I do not pretend to have this all figured out. This is my walk by faith, stumbling and all.

More so I say this inspire you, that anything you see here is possible for you too. That the grace and mercy I have received from God is for you too. That God does not require you to reach a standard before You come to Him. That you may come as you are. This is how gracious God is.

In coming to God however, be prepared for a rollercoaster journey. To be born again means you will HAVE to forsake, some (and this is an entire post if not sermon), of your old ways and relinquish your pride that God may shape you. Frankly, this means acknowledging your sin, actually doing something about it and changing your life. Accepting his chastening for He does this to those whom He loves.

Do not be afraid of this, I am still sinning in ways and asking forgiveness daily, but my heart is for God and I am trying. Be prepared to try. Do not try to manipulate the Bible, or when God does speak to you (which He does) justify your behaviour. Come to God, give him your heart and see where He will take you!

This is the journey that I am on. A sinner no greater than anyone else, searching and finding his identity in Christ, and giving an honest account of what that's like.

I'm approaching 30 for context. So whilst there will be no profane language, and all are welcome, I can't promise that some of the topics will not be mature. I pray that I am led by the Spirit in all that I do, and this is no different, so be prepared for anything.

So there is no theme to this blog, it is a journey. I am excited to share this with you all.