Author: steps2successwithspiritualsolutions

It takes faith, trust, courage, and perseverance to serve God in today's unstable world. Yet, we are never alone. Pray every day and pray often. Study the Bible. The Scriptures are a Love Letter from God to those who accept Jesus as their personal Savior. You will receive comfort, knowledge, and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. "I have loved you with an everlasting love." Jeremiah 31:3. Be blessed in Jesus' name. Amen.

Take No Thought

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Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Matthew 6:25-26

When we take into our hands the management of things with which we have to do and depend upon our own wisdom for success, we are taking a burden which God has not given us and are trying to bear it without His aid. We are taking upon ourselves the responsibility that belongs to God, and thus are really putting ourselves in His place. We may well have anxiety and anticipate danger and loss, for it is certain to befall us. But when we really believe that God loves us and means to do us good, we shall cease to worry about the future. We shall trust God as a child trusts a loving parent. Then our troubles and torments will disappear, for our will is swallowed up in the will of God.

If we educated our souls to have more faith, more love, greater patience, a more perfect trust in our heavenly Father, we would have more peace and happiness as we pass through the conflicts of this life. The Lord is not pleased to have us fret and worry ourselves out of the arms of Jesus. He is the only source of every grace, the fulfillment of every promise, the realization of every blessing.

Let us turn from the dusty, heated thoroughfares of life to rest in the shadow of Christ’s love. Here we gain strength for conflict. Here we learn how to lessen toil and worry and how to speak and sing to the praise of God. Let the weary and the heavy-laden learn from Christ the lesson of quiet trust. They must sit under His shadow if they would be possessors of His peace and rest.

From Amazing Facts Devotional for August 8, 2018

Humility and Meekness

Practical Messages for Impractical Times

Jesus Christ- the Son of God-always kept a low profile. From His lowly birth in a stable to His death on the cross, Jesus never sought attention, fame or monetary gain. He always directed His praise toward God-His Father. It was other individuals that spread the word regarding the miracles that Jesus performed. He knew the benefits of humility and meekness. When He was confronted with the question, “Who are you?”, Jesus’ reply was “Who do you say I am?”

It is our duty to never bring attention to our accomplishments in life. Only God deserves the praise and all the glory.

“Humble me. Humble me, O Lord. Humble me, humble me that I may do your will.”

Dear God, Please help me to put myself aside and to always give you the praise for my accomplishments. Amen.

Sonya Johnson Ruiz

The World

Practical Messages for Impractical Times

Therefore, “Come out from among them and be separate,” says the Lord “Touch no unclean thing and I will receive you.” 2 Corinthians 6:17

After hearing a wonderful sermon-testimony on Sabbath, we sat down and enjoyed Christian fellowship and a delicious plant-based lunch. One of my friends expressed how good it felt to be among believers. We chatted about how different our lives are since we have whole-heartedly committed ourselves to God.

The Apostle Paul in his writings always emphasized the importance of social fellowship among believers. He understood the importance of worshipping and spending time with each other outside of the weekly church services. We are able to pray, and provide emotional support for one another, which incorporates godly principles and imparts strength.

It is no greater joy than to be able to share testimonies, and talk about God’s grace and mercy, and how our lives are so much better with God. However, as believers we must be well-rounded in our knowledge of life. Learning encompasses studying the Bible, praying, being outdoors in nature, taking vacations, pursuing education, developing hobbies, and helping those in need. We are to be aware of social injustices, political changes, local and world news, and the clean, fun activities that exist for our enjoyment. Whatever we participate in should acknowledge that God is first and foremost in our lives.

Our lives are purpose driven-not to focus on pleasure seeking activites-but, to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to be unified with each other.

Dear God, Help me to renounce the world and live a purpose driven life. Amen.

Sonya Johnson Ruiz

Loving Others

Practical Messages for Impractical Times

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them…Love each other with genuine affection, with brotherly love and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:9-10 NLT

How important is love? Love ranks as the first attribute in the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. The life of Christ demonstrated the godly way to love others. Whenever He interacted with individuals, regardless of their character, background or status, He showed unconditional love. Their physical needs were always priority as evidenced by the miracle of feeding the multitude with five loaves of bread and 2 fishes in Matthew 14:13-21.

What are the ways we show others that we really do not understand what God’s definition of love is? It is truly amazing the level of selfishness and mean-spiritedness that exists among those that claim to follow Christ. We must align our character with God’s definition of love.

Dear God, I have not loved you or others as I should. Please forgive me and teach me how to love unconditionally. Amen.

Sonya Johnson Ruiz

For you, for all

For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. John 13:15

“JESUS carried the awful weight of responsibility for the salvation of men. He knew that unless there was a decided change in the principles and purposes of the human race, all would be lost. This was the burden of His soul, and none could appreciate the weight that rested upon Him. Through childhood, youth, and manhood He walked alone. Yet it was heaven to be in His presence. Day by day He met trials and temptations; day by day He was brought into contact with evil and witnessed its power upon those whom He was seeking to bless and to save. Yet He did not fail or become discouraged.”

Amazing Facts Devotional Our Example (excerpt)

Priceless

Practical Messages for Impractical Times

So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

Have you ever looked in the mirror for reasons other than styling your hair or putting on make-up? Have you used the world’s superficial standards as an evaluation tool to criticize your outward appearance? If your answers to these questions are no and yes, then you are not alone. You are part of the majority of individuals who engage in self-destructive behaviors.

The human body is the most phenomenal aspect of the Creation story in Genesis. “Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils and the Man became a living person.” Genesis 2:7 Reading the story of Creation is a boost to our value, our worth, and our self-esteem.

We are priceless. Our hearts beat, lungs expand, kidneys cleansing, digestion occurring, brains computing, eyes and ears providing visualization and sounds of the environment spontaneously without us even thinking about the processes. God’s love for us is evident everytime we speak. From the progression of a baby making sounds to the development of spoken words, we display that we are truly God’s masterpiece.

If you are still struggling to love yourself, Luke 12:7 reminds us that God knows the numbers of hair on our head. Validate yourself on a daily basis by proclaiming who you belong to and who cares for you more than any other individual.

Love God! Love yourself! Love Others!

Dear God, Thank you for creating me in your image and breathing life into me. Help me to discard the world’s standards and accept your great love for me. Amen.

Sonya Johnson Ruiz