Do Not Quit

Do you not know that in a race all runners run but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24

The book 'Lose your Quit'  by Danny Cahill, The Biggest Loser Ever, is a wonderful read. It is about his journey to drop almost 400 pounds and the incredible struggle. His book will help anyone who wants to give up on something, not just weight loss,as it highlights his battles and how with the help of God he overcame his challenges. I was privileged to hear him speak at a health food store in Tulsa and got an autographed copy of his book. It has helped me with my writing perseverance.

 Is there an area in life you are about to give up on? Perhaps you are discouraged over a lost dream or not being selected for something such as a school or job. God works in mysterious ways to give you the desires of your heart. When you feel as if all hope is lost, hang on and keep going. God is there to see you through.

Get into God's word and let it penetrate your heart and soul. His word can help you with whatever it is bogging you down. No situation is bigger than God Danny would say and I would say too.

PRAYER: Lord when I feel like giving up I need your strength to see me through. In Jesus' name.Amen.

Love On!

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44

Let's face it. Some people are hard to like, much less love. I have had friends not like me anymore and unfriend me on Facebook. Ouch, that stings, especially for someone who is a people lover. No matter if someone loves, likes, or is kind to us, we still need to press on and love on. God commands it.

I recall a neighbor we had several years ago who used to do mean things and it would irritate my husband. I would in a 'preachy' way quote the scripture above. Never, at this point, feeling the sting of rejection from friends, I pressed on, happy with my life. Then it happened. My personality or something started irking a few people and I had friends not like me. I was sad. I obsessed over it lots. But I knew God was going to get me through this and help me grow as well. Perhaps it was a training ground for my devotion writing. If that is the case I guess I need to thank those who have snubbed or hurt me. If you have been hurt or rejected by friends or family it is painful. But we need to love, keep on living life, and learn to let it go and forgive even if the person never seeks forgiveness for their hurt or ever offers an explanation.

Today if you are experiencing this in any way, give it to God. Do not hate these people but feel sorry for them that they are missing out on a wonderful friend and then just pray for God to bless them. It will make you feel better.

PRAYER:I love you Lord and I thank you for all things in my life as they help me grow and develop as a believer. I give my hurt and pain to you to use however you will. In Jesus' name.Amen.

Pesky

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 1 Corinthians 10:12

I love to sit out on my back porch when it is cool but I hate annoying flies. Swatting at them to go away gets to be common place. One day I was thinking, wouldn't it be nice if sin could be like those pesky flies and just keep bugging us so we would recognize it and therefore run the other way, hopefully? 

Sadly, sin is a master of disguise. Satan has lots of tricks up his sleeve to deceive believers,even sometimes those who think they can never fall into his trap. Beware, and know that sin creeps around and catches even the most well intentioned off guard. Sins as simple as cheating, lying, gossip, hate, or being ugly can grab hold of anyone. The way to ward this off is to stay grounded in the truth found only in God's word. Opening up the Bible only for a few minutes on Sunday is not going to be sufficient. If this is your desire maybe you need to ask yourself if you truly love Jesus or are just a church member. 

Make it a point to make God a ritual in your day as important as eating, for after all it is your spiritual food. 

PRAYER: I love you Lord and forgive me for the times you really could not tell it by me just claiming to be a Christian and doing nothing more. Create in me a hunger for the truth. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Under Attack

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

When you hear the words "under attack" what comes to mind? For me I think of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor or in my own life time, the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks on 9-11. Surprise attacks on American soil are sure attention getters. That is what our enemy wanted in both cases. 

As a believer in Jesus Christ we find ourselves under another kind of attack almost daily. It is called 'Spiritual Warfare' and the attacker is Satan, the great liar, deceiver, killer, and accuser of the brethren. His mission is threefold: to kill, steal, and to destroy. His army are demons and people on Earth he has tricked into unknowingly work for him. Oftentimes when we hear of evil being perpetrated on people through people like Hitler we know Satan had control of him. How else would he do such unspeakable atrocities to the Jewish people? Many churches do not even talk about Satan and choose to brush him under the church rug. Believe you me, he can escape from under any rug, in or out of church. 

Today harden not your heart. Do not feel it is kooky to resist the enemy. He hates the word of God so pick up your Bible and make him mad.

PRAYER: No weapon the enemy forms against me will prosper. It says that in the Bible. I choose to run towards you and run away from evil. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Keep Running!

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24

I have been running for years, actually since I was on the high school track team at age 15, then on into the military, and now because I like to. Yes I actually like to run. When I used to miss a day my husband noted a personality change and would say kindly "go run." Afterwards I was a new Becky.

It is necessary to "keep running" or "keep going" on lots of things in life. There is a saying "when the going gets tough the tough get going." Whatever the task ahead of you that overwhelms you, with God you can keep going and not quit. The enemy, Satan, is who tries to get you feeling a "can't do" attitude. He does not want you to progress and feel good about yourself. Instead his mission would be to get you to drown your problems in alcohol and become addicted or make wrong decisions based on wrong emotions. 

Whatever it is that has you troubled today, know God has your back and He is only a prayer away. Keep on running!

PRAYER: I know I can do all things with your help. I will not allow a purist of discouragement from the enemy to get me down. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Ready For Christmas?

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,and the government will be on his shoulders.And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Six months of shopping days left till Christmas. Time for card shops to put out their Christmas ornaments and gift wrap. Seems advertising for this special holiday comes earlier each year. When I was employed by Hallmark cards, customers would often remark to me about the extremely early timeframe  in which the Christmas products went on the shelves. We commercialize this day of Christ birth so much it can start to loose its' significance. It is up to each family to manage the celebration amongst all the hype merchants throw at us.

Every day we should be aware of, and in celebration of Jesus, and not just save this time for Christmas. Wake up daily and say "hi Jesus, it's me." Spend time alone with God in His word daily. For young moms this can be challenging but try incorporating your time with your children to train them in godliness. If they are older insure they know mommy has this very important thing she does daily and get them started in the same great daily habit.

Half the year is left so why not make sure Jesus is first, truly first each day!

PRAYER: Thanks for the miracle of Christmas. I purpose to make every day your day. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Shhhh!

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Psalm 34:13

How many readers would say they think they have a trouble controlling their mouth? This could be as simple as lying, yes even white lies, or gossip? Our mouths can get us into major trouble and even wreck relationships if we are not careful. It is essential to think before we engage our mouths and speak. Wanting to share  opinions sometimes is unnecessary and indeed can backfire. The less said the better is often the key. 

Let's say you are in a room with Jesus and someone is arguing with Him. Do you suppose He would continue on? First of all, He would not be verbally battling someone. We as His  followers are to set an example in words and deeds. Often it is easy to let situations make us get upset or even something someone has said to hurt us. Best to overlook an offense and be at peace than to try to start a war of words. 

Try something if you will. Make a list of people you feel angry at and ask God to help your speech and thoughts towards them be kind and pure. 

PRAYER: Today and every day Lord help me live a life pleasing to you in the things that I say and do. In Jesus' name. Amen.