Dictionary.com mentions “wise” as “having the power of discerning or judging properly as to what is true or right; possessing discernment, judgment, or discretion.”  Thesaurus.com gives the word “differentiate.”  Some of us don’t differentiate between what we ought to do, that is, follow what God requires of us to do and act as Christians verses doing what the world does, in relation to how we act and react when things get hard.  The Bible tells us that who we hang around is a determinant to how we will respond…our character.  Our character can be off-centered when we hang around people that aren’t trying to do what God requires.  It is too easy to envelop ourselves with principles that are in opposition of Christ.

As Christians, we must be careful how we act and respond.  If we hang around people who don’t care for God’s law, we are subject to become just like them.  To say you are not like the people you call “friends” is not a wise statement because just like we are what we eat, we are who we hang around!  Some of us need to go through our Contacts in our phone and press “delete” on anybody that has no desire to follow Christ.  We can’t expect to get right and do what God says if we are constantly around people who care nothing about His Commandments.

The Word of God is real.  The life God wants us to live is real.  We have two very different routes we can take: right or wrong.  Do yourself a favor and “delete” those people in your life who have been in the same position all their lives but are steadily attending church, as if attending church is all that God requires.  If they haven’t changed yet, press “delete” because they probably are lying to themselves and don’t want to change in the first place.  You know who these people are! I am not telling you anything that you haven’t heard.  Discern who is and who is not good for your life journey and kick them off your path because you have a desire to follow Christ and they are hindering you from doing it.  It’s hard enough to do what’s right so adding someone in our life who has no desire to do right is a stumbling block.  Do yourself a favor. Press DELETE.

Be Blessed,

Today’s Scriptures:

1 Corinthians 15:33 NLT | New Living Translation

Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”

Proverbs 13:20 GW | God’s Word Translation

He that walks with wise people will be wise, but whoever associates with fools will suffer.”

Thank God that He hears us and will respond in His time. The timing of God is absolute; His answers fix our problems and calms our mind. He issues peace when we need to remain calm and wait on His answers. In the storm, even while we are there, God promises to never leave our side and He grants us peace in knowing that He will bring us through it.  We will learn from it. 

Remember, God watches over His Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12). Rest assured that God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). Just pray and make your requests known to God (Philippians 4:6).  He wants to know how much you really believe Him to fix it in your favor. Trust God’s timing because when it comes your time/turn you will reap the benefits of having to wait on Him (Galatians 6:9). 

STAY ALERT: Don’t get lazy and slack in your prayer life because your prayer life is what sustains you while you are waiting on Our God to perform miracles and respond to your situation!  You distance yourself from God when you don’t pray enough and listen enough to His reply.  The enemy is always lurking; he is trying to destroy you (John 10:10).  If he can keep you from praying, he will try.  You have to be steadfast and continue the routine of prayer to God for yourself and for others (1 Corinthians 15:58).  Fixate on the fact that God will see you through! Stop always looking at how big you think your problem is because no matter the size (Ephesians 3:20), God is able to handle it and exceed your expectation, all while He places the enemy under your feet (Romans 16:20).  Read your Bible.

Today’s Scriptures:

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭65:24‬ ‭NLT‬‬ | New Living Translation “I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!”

Matthew 28:20(b) NLT | New Living Translation “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Philippians 4:7 KJV | King James Version And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

If you don’t spend time praying to God and reading His Word how do you expect to defeat the enemy without The Holy Bible as your whole armor?  You can’t make it through tough times if you don’t know what the Word of God says about you being more than conquerors through Him.  Don’t short change yourself and get lazy to the point where you are not communicating with God.  Sometimes we have to stop talking and actually listen to what The Lord is telling us.  We get so hung up with stress, depression, and anxiety that we often forget that God has the ability to change our lives and provide a supernatural breakthrough!  Will you do the work in order to receive the reward, the breakthrough?

Give more time to God and watch your situation began to turnaround for your good.  Pray for others as well so that they may be able to defeat the enemy and regain their strength.  Finally, we as believers in Christ Jesus must get to know Him and do our part to read and study His Word as well as communicate, through prayer, with The Master.  If you don’t, you will forget and lose sight of what God is trying to do in your life because you are blinded by your circumstances.

Today’s Scriptures:

Romans 8:31,37 GW | God’s Word Translation

What can we say about all of this? If God is for us, who can be against us? The one who loves us gives us an overwhelming victory in all these difficulties.

2 Timothy 2:3-4 NRSV | New Revised Standard Version

Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier’s aim is to please the enlisting officer.

Ephesians 6:11-13 CEB | Common English Bible

Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and his powerful strength. 11 Put on God’s armor so that you can make a stand against the tricks of the devil. 12 We aren’t fighting against human enemies but against rulers, authorities, forces of cosmic darkness, and spiritual powers of evil in the heavens. 13 Therefore, pick up the full armor of God so that you can stand your ground on the evil day and after you have done everything possible to still stand.

John 10:10 KJV | King James Version

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

James 5:16 KJV | King James Version

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV | King James Version

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Living in the abundance of God doesn’t mean that you will not go through tough times.  It means that you will pass through the tough times with God as your protector.  He will provide whatever you are in need of if you would only trust and believe that what He promised, He will fulfill.  Just wait.  It’s still coming.  Don’t give up! Hold on to your faith! I know He will make your enemies be under your feet.

Whatever you’re facing, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Cry out to God and keep believing Him.  Repeat His Word and keep it in your heart.  Say His Word so your mind will block all your fears.  Put your worries in His hand.  He will work it out!

Today’s Scriptures:

Romans 16:20 NIV | New International Version

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Galatians 6:9 Berean Study Bible

Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up.

Your prayer life and your reading of The Word of God will sustain you while you are waiting on The Lord to perform a miracle in your life, to answer your prayers.  You can’t get lazy in God.  Being a believer is much more than what you say.  If you don’t know God’s Word how can you wait in expectation for anything He can do for you?  Do you know that His Holy Word is filled with promises to you as His child?  These promises are not dependent on you, meaning He gives out of his lovingkindness to you, not what you should get (mercy), but what He wants to give (grace).

You must grow your relationship with God so that when hard times arise, you will be able to be confident, waiting on God, for your deliverance instead of letting depression beat you down and cause you to harm yourself.

Many people are walking around depressed, stressed, tired, angry about their lives and they do not rely on The God of Peace to sustain them while they are going through valley situations.  Encourage and uplift people and start with you.  Start to communicate with God (through prayer and praise).  Repent for your sins and cry out to God for His help.  He will come through for you in His time, not before then.  Hold fast to your faith and wait in expectation for God to perform miracles in your life.  Believe that He is able to do what you need Him to do!  He will only do what’s best for you.  Wait on the Lord.  (Psalm 27:14 (KJV) says “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on The Lord.”) While you wait, let God apply His peace to your life so that you can wither the stormy days.  Trust and wait in expectation.  Be Blessed.
Today’s Scriptures:

Micah 7:7 AMP | Amplified Bible

But as for me, I will look expectantly for the Lord and with confidence in Him I will keep watch;
I will wait [with confident expectation] for the God of my salvation.
My God will hear me.

Psalm 5:3 NLT | New Living Translation

Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

Psalm 55:17 NLT | New Living Translation

Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the LORD hears my voice.

Jeremiah 29:11 CEB | Common English Bible

I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope.

Jeremiah 1: 12 ESV | English Standard Version

Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”

Isaiah 65:24 NIV | New International Version

Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

Isaiah 59:1 NIV | New International Version

Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.

Protection, Power & Deliverance for the Humble

Psalm 37:24 NLT | New Living Translation

Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.

 Psalm 145:14 NASB | New American Standard Bible

The LORD sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down.

 Job 5:19 ESV | English Standard Version

He will deliver you from six troubles; in seven no evil shall touch you.

 Luke 10:19 Berean Study Bible

See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you.

 Job 22:29 GWT | God’s Word Translation

When others are discouraged, you will say, ‘Cheer up!’ Then he will save the humble person.

Greater Grace to the Humble

James 4:6 NIV | New International Version

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

 James 4:10 KJV | King James Version

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

James 4:6 NASB | New American Standard Bible

But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”

 Luke 14:11 NLT | New Living Translation

For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

 John 1:16 ESV | English Standard Version

For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

-My Prayer-

Oh Lord, what can I say about who You are in my life?  Can I offer anything to you?  Yes, Lord, I can offer my life to You.  You love me and You provide for me.  The sun, the Earth, stars, land, sea and us belong to You.  We are subject to Your commands.  God, I want to be better, do better and get better because You spared my life, again.  Thank You for Your grace and mercy.  You are infinite.  No one compares to You.  The devil must recognize You as the only Sovereign God, every knee must bow.  I thank You for seeing better in me.  Help me to see You, even in storms.  Fix my eyes upon You, that I may learn from You.  Forgive me for not giving You all of me.  I ask this humbly.  In The Name of Jesus, Amen.

Today’s Scripture:

Psalm 116: 1-6; 13-14  | God’s Word Translation (GW)

Honestly, patience seems like the hardest thing to do when you are faced with obstacles you can’t control. Our inability to trust God, to our fullest, is what causes us to become depressed while waiting on God to turn things around. Remember, God will. He hasn’t forgot about your struggle. He knows exactly where you are and He is right there seeing if you will give it over, fully. Let God work on it. Let God figure it out. He has the solution and He promised to never leave us alone. He will answer. Just wait and believe that He will, no matter the obstacle! 

Even if you caused it, He is so faithful and will help, anyways. Wait. Keep praying and keep believing. He does not disappoint. I know this because He has never let me down. Others can testify to the same.
Today’s Scriptures:

“But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

http://bible.com/116/php.3.16.nlt

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:1-3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

http://bible.com/116/heb.12.1-3.nlt

“Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:2-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

http://bible.com/116/rom.5.2-6.nlt