God's Song

spiritualinspiration:

10 Great Quotes from Max Lucado

We know Satan will attack weak spots first. Forty days of fasting left Jesus famished, so Satan began with the topic of bread. Jesus’ stomach was empty, so to the stomach Satan turned. Where are you empty?

Times of testing are actually times of training, purification, and strength building. You can even “consider it pure joy … whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2–3)

Myriads of mighty angels encircle us, the presence of our Maker engulfs us, the witness of a thousand galaxies and constellations calls to us, the flowing tide of God’s history carries us, the crowning of Christ as King of the universe awaits us, but we can’t get our eyes off the doodlebugs of life: paychecks, gadgets, vacations, and weekends.

When God locks a door, it needs to be locked. When he blocks a path, it needs to be blocked. When he stuck Paul and Silas in prison, God had a plan for the prison jailer. As Paul and Silas sang, God shook the prison. “At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose” (Acts 16:26)

God uses closed doors to advance his cause. He closed the womb of a young Sarah so he could display his power to the elderly one. He shut the palace door on Moses the prince so he could open shackles through Moses the liberator. He marched Daniel out of Jerusalem so he could use Daniel in Babylon. And Jesus. Yes, even Jesus knew the challenge of a blocked door. When he requested a path that bypassed the cross, God said no. He said no to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane so he could say yes to us at the gates of heaven. God’s goal is people. He’ll stir up a storm to display his power.

Imagine considering every moment as a potential time of communion with God. By the time your life is over, you will have spent six months at stoplights, eight months opening junk mail, a year and a half looking for lost stuff (double that number in my case), and a whopping five years standing in various lines.

The dynamic of giving grace is the key to understanding grace, for it is when we forgive others that we begin to feel what God feels.

Want to see a miracle? Plant a word of love heartdeep in a person’s life. Nurture it with a smile and a prayer, and watch what happens.

You are a custom design; you are tailor-made. God prescribed your birth. Regardless of the circumstances that surrounded your arrival, you are not an accident. God planned you before you were born.

Before he went to the masses, he went to the mountain. Before the disciples encountered the crowds, they encountered the Christ. And before they faced the people, they were reminded of the sacred.

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spiritualinspiration:

God is a God of Second Chances-and third and fourth and even more chances. He loves you. God’s approval is not based on your achievements. It is based solely on the fact that you are His child and He sees the best in you. There is nothing you can do, and there’s nothing anyone else can do, that will ever change your value in God’s eyes. But you have to do your part. Quit over-analyzing your faults; stop taking an inventory of everything wrong with you. You make mistakes, ask for forgiveness and then move on. Don’t become overly concerned if you are not changing as quickly as you would like. Stay focused on what you can become, and God will get you to where you need to be.

spiritualinspiration:

Did you know that God was thinking about you before you were ever born? He knew everything about you before you were in your mother’s womb. He created you on purpose, for a purpose. He carefully planned who you would be, the color of your hair, the color of your eyes and skin. He gave you gifts, talents and abilities to be used for His glory. He took one look at you and said, “Approved.”

No matter how you may be feeling right now, no matter who’s approval you didn’t get on this earth, know that Almighty God loves you and approves of you today. There’s nothing you can do now or ever to change that. You may be thinking, “I’ve made so many mistakes, how can God approve of me?” Understand that when God sees you, He separates you from your behavior. He may not approve of your actions all the time, but He desires to help you grow and make better choices.

Today, receive His love and acceptance. Allow Him to work in your life. Allow His love to empower and strengthen you because you are approved and equipped to live in victory all the days of your life!

spiritualinspiration:

Anytime you set out to do something great in life, there will be critics. If you’re going to be a great businessperson, coach, student, leader or employee, there will be opposition. The more success you have, the more opportunities there will be for distractions. The higher you go, the more haters will come out. When you start stretching to a new level and pursuing what God has placed in your heart, the jealous people, the critical people, and the small-minded people come out of the woodwork and start making negative comments, but you don’t have to let that distract you.

If you are under pressure today, if the critical voices are coming against you, know that it’s because you are making a difference. Don’t let them throw you off course. Instead, dig your heels in, set your face like a flint, and say, “I will not get distracted. I will not get drawn into battles that don’t matter. It doesn’t matter what others think; it matters what God thinks!”

Today, look beyond the critics. Stand strong in adversity. Press forward to what lies ahead and win the prize of life that He has prepared for you!

spiritualinspiration:

Find Your Perfect Fit
by Joyce Meyer

[Urged on] by faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went forth to a place which he was destined to receive as an inheritance; and he went, although he did not know or trouble his mind about where he was to go. —Hebrews 11:8

If you are doing nothing with your life because you are not sure what to do, then I recommend that you pray and begin trying some things. It won’t take long before you will feel comfortable with something. It will be a perfect fit for you. Think of it this way: When you go out to buy a new outfit, you probably try on several things until you find what fits right, is comfortable, and looks good on you.

Why not try the same thing with discovering your destiny? Obviously there are some things you cannot just “try”—such as being an astronaut or the president of the United States—but one thing is for sure: You cannot drive a parked car. Get your life out of “park,” and get moving in some direction. I don’t suggest going deep in debt to find out if you should own a business, but you could begin in some small way, and, if it works, take it to the next level. As we take steps of faith, our destinies unfold. A confident woman is not afraid to make mistakes, and if she does, she recovers and presses on.

Lord, I want to be moving in the right direction with my life. I trust You to guide my steps as You did Abraham. Amen.

spiritualinspiration:

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:14, NIV)

“I’m God’s masterpiece. I’m wonderfully made. I’m talented. I’m original. God has given me everything that I need.” That’s what David was saying in Psalm 139. He praised God for making him in an amazing way and declared that what God had done was wonderful. Is that how you started your day?

Most people think they are being humble by putting themselves down. They say, “Oh, I’m not that talented. It was no big deal.” But really, we should be bold like David and say, “I’m amazing. I’m a masterpiece. God made me and He doesn’t make junk! I am equipped, I am empowered, and I am amazing!”

Today, make the decision to stop putting yourself down; stop focusing on your flaws and comparing yourself to others. Your Creator says “you are a masterpiece.” It’s time to get in agreement with God and realize how much He loves you. It’s time to realize how special you are. Make the shift by changing your words and start by saying what David said!

liyahetman:

For you!