Journey Through the Book of Psalm–Psalm 3

Blessings to all of you who have decided to join me in this amazing journey through the book of Psalm.  I have to admit that I love to praise and worship God so this journey is befitting for me and anyone else who loves to exalt the name of God.  It is my prayer that as we journey with God through the reading of His word in the book of Psalm, God causes us to grow and draw closer to Him in our daily walks.  I pray that you are being blessed each and every day!  If you missed the 2nd installment of this journey, you may read it here.

O Lord, I have so many enemies;
    so many are against me.
² So many are saying,
    “God will never rescue him!” Interlude^[a]

³ But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;
    you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
⁴ I cried out to the Lord,
    and he answered me from his holy mountain. Interlude

⁵ I lay down and slept,
    yet I woke up in safety,
    for the Lord was watching over me.
⁶ I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies
    who surround me on every side.

⁷ Arise, O Lord!
    Rescue me, my God!
Slap all my enemies in the face!
    Shatter the teeth of the wicked!
⁸ Victory comes from you, O Lord.
    May you bless your people.

David had many enemies in his walk with God and the same may be true for many of us.  There are going to be those that oppose of our relationship with God and seek to destroy our relationship in any way that they can.  If this is the case, we must learn how to lean on God just as David did.  He asked God to shield him from his enemies and not only that but to repay his enemies for attempting to destroy him.  Just as David declared in this psalm, victory comes from God so no matter what or who we are facing in life, we can trust that God has everything under control.

I pray that you are blessed as you journey through the book of Psalm.  I pray that your relationship with God is strengthened and that your understanding of God’s word is enlightened.

Please feel free to leave your comments and feedback as we journey through God’s word.  I would love to hear how your life has been transformed by reading the book of Psalm.

Blessings and Divine Favor

Journey Through the Book of Psalm–Psalm 2

Blessings all and welcome to the 2nd installment of Journeying through the Book of Psalm with Dr. Inspire.  If you missed the 1st installment, you can read it here.  I love the book of Psalms because it is a book of praise and worship unto our Heavenly Father.  It is a book that causes us to take note of how great God is in our lives and that there is victory in our praise.  As I say, a praise a day keeps the enemy away!

Why are the nations so angry?

    Why do they waste their time with futile plans?
² The kings of the earth prepare for battle;
    the rulers plot together
against the Lord
    and against his anointed one.
³ “Let us break their chains,” they cry,
    “and free ourselves from slavery to God.”

⁴ But the one who rules in heaven laughs.
    The Lord scoffs at them.
⁵ Then in anger he rebukes them,
    terrifying them with his fierce fury.
⁶ For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne
    in Jerusalem,^[a] on my holy mountain.”

⁷ The king proclaims the Lord’s decree:
“The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son.^[b]
    Today I have become your Father.^[c]
8 Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance,
    the whole earth as your possession.
⁹ You will break^[d] them with an iron rod
    and smash them like clay pots.’”

¹⁰ Now then, you kings, act wisely!
    Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
¹¹ Serve the Lord with reverent fear,
    and rejoice with trembling.
¹² Submit to God’s royal son,^[e] or he will become angry,
    and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities—
for his anger flares up in an instant.
    But what joy for all who take refuge in him!

Psalm 2 so eloquently reminds us that God fights for His people.  Those that are on God’s side can expect an eternal inheritance and reward from God.  On the other hand, those who refuse to submit to God’s authority will experience His wrath.  Thank God that we can find refuge in Him!

Please feel free to leave your comments and feedback as we journey through the book of Psalm.

Blessings and Divine Favor

Journeying through the Book of Psalm: Psalm 1

Join me as I journey through the book of Psalm, a book of praises and worship unto the one and only Living God.  A praise a day keeps the enemy away!

Oh, the joys of those who do not
    follow the advice of the wicked,
    or stand around with sinners,
    or join in with mockers.
² But they delight in the law of the Lord,
    meditating on it day and night.
³ They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
    bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
    and they prosper in all they do.

⁴ But not the wicked!
    They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
⁵ They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
    Sinners will have no place among the godly.
⁶ For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
    but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

Psalm 1 encourages the child of God to delight himself in the word of God.  It is only in God’s word that we are able to grow and experience fruit that remains in our lives.  We have to be careful to not get caught up in the conversation and company of those who do not trust in our God.  Doing so will only leave us depleted of our faith and render us incapable of receiving all of the eternal blessings that God has so graciously stored up for His children.

Please feel free to leave your comments and feedback about Psalm 1.  How has it been a blessing in your life and your Christian walk?

Blessings and Divine Favor

When You Don’t Know What to Do

Blessings to all!

I decided to write this post on this morning because I was just sitting and thinking to myself, “what do you do when you don’t know what to do?”

This question applies to so many areas of my life right now, and I am sure that we all have been there at some point in our lives.  One thing that I can say is different about this time around is that I am learning how to trust God more and more.

So, “what do you do when you don’t know what to do?”  You just have to trust God.  You have to believe that God knows what’s best for you and will lead you in the right direction for your life.

At times like these, I put my faith in the word of God that declares:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5, NLT).

The safest place to be is in the will of God….when you don’t know what to do allow God to make the next move in your life.  When you are unsure, it is so easy to make mistakes and sometimes those mistakes can be devastating to your future.

If you are in a position in your life right now where you don’t quite know what your next move should be, trust God.  Let’s stand together in faith and believe that God will lead us to exactly what we need for this time and season of our lives.

I am praying for you and believing God with you!

Please leave your comment, feedback and suggestions.  I would love to hear about how you deal with uncertainty in your Christian walk!

Blessings and Divine Favor

Living A Faith Filled Life

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1, NLT

My pastor preached an awesome message on last night entitled, “Living in the Unseen.”  Some messages that we hear are truly transformational and cause us to experience spiritual growth and abound to new levels in God.

Faith is a topic that I talk about often and one that is very familiar to the child of God.  The word of God tells us in Romans 1:17:

This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.

It is by faith that we are declared righteous in the eyesight of God.  Faith is so detrimental to our relationship with God that the Word of God warns the believer:

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

There is no way for the child of God to access all that God has without faith.  It is impossible for the believer to experience God’s abundance if he does not learn how to live by faith!

God has given each and every one of us a measure of faith (Romans 12:3).  With this knowledge, we understand that it then becomes our responsibility to exercise the faith that God has freely given us.

God has given all of us the ability to live an abundant life.  The difference between those of us who do and those who don’t is faith.  Do you believe God enough to live in the unseen?  Do you have to first see in order to believe?  The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:7:

For we live by believing and not by seeing.

Are you living today by what you believe or by what you see?  If you are not living your life by faith, I am here to tell you that there are many things that God has for you that you will never access!

Consider this scripture:

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
    and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
    for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9, NLT

The only way to access these unseen, unheard of and unimaginable things is by tapping into them through your faith!

I encourage you to seek God and ask Him to teach you how to access the faith that He has made readily available to you and me.  God wants us to live in His overflow, but we can only do that by living a life full of faith!

Please leave your comments, feedback and suggestions!

Blessings and Divine Favor!

Is God With You at Work?

So, another thing that I love to do is read…when I get the time, that is!  I don’t read nearly as much as I used to years ago.  However, I know that any good writer is also an avid reader.  So, it is my hopes that I can inspire you as I am inspired by the things that I read.

In looking for a good book to read next, I stumbled upon Sandi Krakowski’s Top Book Reading List for a Powerful Life and Business.

I have to say that since I have gotten serious about blogging and writing, I have been following Sandi Krawkowski and she is absolutely amazing.  First and foremost, she is a woman of God with a beautiful spirit.  Secondly, she has a wealth of knowledge that she shares openly and freely and that is something you don’t find a lot of in this day and time.

With that being said, I chose one of the books off of her list to start with.  The book is entitled, God With You At Work by Andy Mason.

 

I just started reading the book on last week, and I have really been encouraged.  The one thing that I love about the book already is that the author, Andy Mason, stresses the importance of relationship with God.  Everything in our lives, including our success in our personal and professional lives, stems from the breadth and depth of our relationship with our Father.

The author does a great job of utilizing personal testimonies to drive home the faithfulness of God.  There is nothing that we cannot achieve in our lives if we can first believe God.  God is ready, willing and able to open doors in our lives that no man can close if we are able to tap into the revelation of who God truly is and who we are in Him.

If you are a writer, you know how important it is to maintain a constant flow of inspiration so that you have what you need to inspire others.  I am glad to say that this book is doing just that for me.  It is really doing a great job of imparting inspiration, encouragement and revelation and that is what I look for in anything that I listen to or read.

I will be posting updates on this book every Thursday until I complete the book and then I will be moving on to another book in Sandi’s list until I have completed them all.  I encourage you to join me on this journey to creating a better life and business.

Please feel free to leave your comments, suggestions and feedback.  If you have read the book, I would love to hear how the book has touched your life.  If you are in the process of reading the book, please join the discussion.

Blessings!

Do You Mind Waiting on God?

Have you ever heard the saying, “Patience is a virtue?”

I would agree.  I believe patience is next to godliness.  I’m sure you wonder why I say that.

First, let me admit that I have a BIG problem with patience. In all honesty, I am not patient at all.  I am almost led to believe that it is the thorn in my side that I keep asking God to remove, but it seems to remain!

With that being said, I don’t know a Christian that has not battled with impatience at some point in their lives.  I just believe that by nature, people have a measure of impatience.  The culture of our society does not make things any better.  We live in a microwave, “I want it know”-type society.  We want everything fast, and we want it served exactly the way we like it.  Everytime!

Now this is where we run into problems with God…

God is not a “have it your way” type of God.  In the book of Isaiah 55:8-9, God informs us that:

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
⁹ For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways
    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

It looks to me as if God already knew from the beginning of time that man would have some problems.  Not only would we have problems, but we would experience major difficulties in conforming to the ways of God.

Wrapping our mind around the way that God thinks is a monumental task in and of itself.  God told us in Philippians 2:5:

 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Say what?  And what does having the same attitude as Christ had mean for us as believers?  If you go on to read the rest of Philippians 2 you gain an understanding that having the attitude of Christ refers to “obedience.”  Another much dreaded word.

All in all, having patience reflects an attitude of giving over to the divine will and plan of God for your life.  It means recognizing and acknowledging that God knows whats best for you.  You may feel as if certain things will never happen or that you are behind schedule concerning some areas of your life.  But guess what?  God already knew where you would be at this point in your life and He has already made provision for you!  Now, that’s good news!

Listen to what the word of God says concerning God’s view of time in 2 Peter 3:8-9

⁸ But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. ⁹ The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

Did you just read what I read?  Yet another twist in this mystery!  According to this passage of scripture, God’s delay has absolutely nothing to do with Him.  It has everything to do with US!  When you have a revelation of this scripture, you experience God’s love for His people.

Now this changes everything.  It changes our entire attitude about having to wait on God.  In actuality, we are not waiting on God, He is waiting on US!  Isn’t that something?

God wants to give us time to get things together in our lives so that we can enjoy the fruit of our blessings.  If God were to give us certain things now, the truth of the matter is that we may end up losing them just as quick as He released them into our lives.

I don’t know about you, but I want fruit that remains in my life.  I don’t want a TEMPORARY blessing!  I want all that God has for me and I want to be able to enjoy it for all ETERNITY.

The God that we serve is an eternal God and the way that He views things is from an eternal perspective.  If God has you in a “holding” position, I encourage you to seek God.  Seek Him for the “why” behind your current situation.  Why has God not released what you have been asking Him for?  Could it be that He is waiting on you?

Please leave your comments and your feedback.  Have you ever had to “wait” on God?  What did you do while in your “holding” position? 

When You Are Dealing With Unforgiveness

Unforgiveness is a huge thorn in the side of many Christians and non-Christians alike. This is a stronghold that must be addressed because of the serious ramifications of allowing it to go unchecked.

Unforgiveness affects every area of our lives: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

A case in point that helps drive home the dangers of unforgiveness is the story of Cain and Abel. I can’t help but think about the fact that Cain could never have imagined that his refusal to put his emotions in check would lead him to murder his own brother.

Cain’s story demonstrates the dangers of unforgiveness. Cain became angry with God first and foremost because things did not work out for him the way he intended.

Because Cain refused to correct the breach between God and himself, his anger and unforgiveness began to fester and manifest into hatred and eventually murder.

My whole goal in recapping that story is to demonstrate how unforgiveness grows and continually manifests itself. It is our responsibility to put unforgiveness in check. If we don’t, we can take heed to the word that God spoke to Cain:

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? ⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Unforgiveness and anger open the door for the enemy to come in and wreak havoc in our lives.

In the book of Matthew 18:23-35, the Word of God teaches us that when we refuse to forgive, we are turned over to torturers (demons).

We are tortured in our minds, in our hearts and in our spirit. God did not make us to hold unforgiveness. When we do, it places extreme stress on our minds and bodies.

Unforgiveness will many times manifest itself as physical illness in the lives of many people.

Forgiving others ensures that we remain physically and spiritually healthy.

Unforgiveness also causes a breach between God and His children. We cannot receive anything from God when we walk in unforgiveness because it damages our faith. When we refuse to forgive others, we lose confidence in our relationship with God and we can’t approach Him in faith.

The word of God tells us in Mark 11:22-26 that if we expect for our faith to work, we cannot come to God holding things in our heart against others. God also tells us that we cannot expect to be forgiven if we can’t forgive others.

One thing that has helped me when I feel like I have been wronged by others is remembering all the times that God has forgiven me. When I think about how God forgives me over and over again and continues to extend mercy unto me, it brings everything into perspective.

If I want to continue to receive God’s mercy, I must give mercy to others.

I will be the first to admit that forgiving others is not always the easiest thing to do. However, it is a must in the life of a believer.

If you are holding unforgiveness, the first thing you must do is make up in your mind that you will forgive.

The word of God tells us in Romans 12:19 that vengeance belongs to the Lord and it is His job to repay those that hurt us in life.

We have to release our hurts to God and allow Him to do His job. He is going to be just and fair in the way He deals with those who have hurt us.

The second thing you must do is lean on God for your strength. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit helps us in our infirmities (Romans 8:26-27). It may be hard for you to formulate the words to ask God to help you.

All you have to do is just give over to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to take the lead. Lastly, whatever God instructs you to do, be sure to obey God. Don’t fight against the counsel of God.

God knows best and His ways are not always our ways (Isaiah 55:8)

Follow His way because His goal is to bring healing to all parties involved in the situation. Trust God and let go!

Prayer for Healing From Unforgiveness

“Father God in the name of Jesus… touch my brother/sister on today.  They are struggling with unforgiveness and they are seeking you for their healing.  God, you are a healer and you have promised us that if we ask anything in faith, you will grant it to us.  I pray that healing be their portion on today and that wherever hurt resides, you will replace it with your peace and your joy.  Lord, help my brother/sister let go on today and trust you. I declare that the stronghold of unforgiveness is broken as they give over to your divine will.  In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen!”

Please leave your comments and feedback below.  If you have additional insight on the topic of unforgiveness, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Blessings!

 

You Are Special To God

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. Psalm 139:14, NLT

I love reading this scripture over and over again because it reminds me of just how special I am to God.  The Word of God is full of wonderful affirmations just like this one!  Just in case you forgot, I wanted to remind you of just how special you are to God on today.

The Word of God declares:

Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

In this scripture, David asks God to keep him as the apple of His eye and to hide him under the shadow of His wing.  We are, indeed, the apple of God’s eye.  There is nothing that we will ever go through in life that God is not aware of.  He cares about you on today, and you are special to Him.

There is absolutely no one else like you in all of the earth.  God has created each and every one of us for a special purpose.  No one can do what you do!

God declares in His Word:

I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
    Before you were born I set you apart
    and appointed you as my prophet to the nations. Jeremiah 1:5

In this verse of scripture, God had to remind Jeremiah just how special he was to Him.  God knew both you and me before our parents ever thought about us.  He has set us apart for Himself and called us out to do a work just for Him.  I don’t know about you but that makes me feel special!

Again in the book of Matthew 10:30, the Word of God declares:

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.

Now if that’s not special, I don’t know what is.  God has taken the time to number the hairs on the head of every single person in the world.  Not only that but He knows the difference between your hair and my hair.  What an awesome and loving God we serve!

I pray that if you have lost sight of just how special you are to God, reading this has encouraged you and reminded you that God loves you and you mean the world to Him.

 

Please leave your comments and feedback below and let’s share the goodness of our Loving Father!!

Divine Blessings and Favor

10 Scriptures to Battle Depression

In the midst of all the discussion surrounding Robin Williams’ recent death, I have really been thinking about the relevancy of depression as it relates to the body of Christ.

The sad reality is just like there are a lot of depressed people in the world, there are just as many depressed Christians.

What does the word depression mean?

Depression refers to an act of depressing or a state of being depressed as:

1.  a pressing down (lowering)

2.  a state of feeling sad

I am sure that you get the point from this definition:  

Believers should not be depressed!

You  may say how could I make such a rash statement.  First and foremost, please understand that I am not approaching this topic from a judgmental stance.  I know that we all battle with different things during our Christian walk: depression being one of them.

The point that I do want to make is that when we, as believers, battle things like depression, we must seek out God’s truth on the matter.  What does the word of God tell us on this matter?

I want to give you several scriptures that you can read and meditate on.  If you are dealing with depression or you know a friend/family member that is, I pray that God meets you at the point of your need on today.  I pray that love, joy and peace be your portion on today and that the King of Glory lifts up your bowed down head.  Be blessed!

Psalm 42:11

Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and my God!

Deuteronomy 31:8

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.

Psalm 34:17

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.
    He rescues them from all their troubles.

1 Peter 5:6-7

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

John 16:33

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Romans 8:38-39

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

l praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. ⁴ He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

1 Peter 4:12-13

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. ¹³ Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

Isaiah 41:10

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Psalm 32:10

Many sorrows come to the wicked,
    but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.

What scriptures do you rely on to help you make it through trying times in your life?  Please leave your comments below.

Divine Blessings & Favor