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.

Meditate on these things

Meditate on These Things

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
13 I can do all things through Christ[b] who strengthens me.
19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Philippians 4: 4-9, 13, and 19 NKJV

Today’s Devotional-The Word that Feeds Our Soul

Posted by Sonya Johnson Ruiz

The Condition of the Heart

But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. LUKE 8:15

At any time, the receptiveness of your heart will determine your response to God’s word (Luke 8:5-18). If your heart is like the trampled ground, hardened by the sin of bitterness and unforgiveness, you will be unable to accept a message from God. Though you hear the words of the message, you will remain unchanged. If your heart is like the shallow soil, on top of a rock, you will accept God’s word in your mind, but the truth will not penetrate your heart to make a difference in your actions.

A heart like thorny soil is a life that is distracted by the cares of the world; the pursuit of earthly pleasures prevents God’s word from taking hold and producing righteousness. The heart that is like good soil receives a word from God, applies it, and brings forth fruit in due time. This is the heart that Jesus desires in us, for the fruit will be a Christian life.

Any time you hear a word from God, whether through Bible reading, prayer, or worship, the way you respond will depend on how you have cultivated your heart (Hos. 10:12). How do you develop a heart that is like good soil? Repent of any bitterness, anger, or unforgiveness that is hardening your heart. Meditate on God’s word until it enters deep into your heart and not just your mind.

When you read or hear a word from God, apply it to your life and let God bring His word into reality in your life (Gal. 6:9). Protect your lifestyle. See that you don’t devote all of your energy to worldly concerns, rather than to pursuing your relationship with God. The condition of your heart will vary, depending on how you cultivate it. If it was receptive to a word from God yesterday, this does not guarantee it is receptive today. Daily prepare your heart for the word God has for you!

From Today’s Devotional-Experiencing God Day-by-Day

Producing the Fruit of the Spirit requires obedience to the Word of God.

Sonya Johnson Ruiz

Repentance

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” MARK 1:14-15

Repentance is one of the most positive of all words. To repent means to stop going one direction, to turn around completely, and to go the opposite way. Repentance involves a dramatic and decisive change of course. God urges us to repent when the path we are taking leads to destruction. Repentance will save us from disastrous consequences! What a wonderful word! How comforting that the Creator loves us enough to warn us of impending danger!

Our problem is that we think of repentance as something negative. When we recognize our sin, we prefer to “rededicate” our lives to God. We may even tell others we have resolved to be more faithful to God than we were before we failed Him. Yet the Bible does not speak of rededicating oneself. It speaks of repentance! Repentance indicates a decisive change, not merely a wishful resolution. We have not repented if we continue in our sin!

From Today’s Devotional-Experiencing God Day-by-Day

Sonya Johnson Ruiz

Great is thy Faithfulness

I praise God for what He has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? Psalm 56:4 NLT

Dear God, Thank you for always keeping your promises and never-failing me; no matter my sinfulness, or unbelief. Please help me to trust you always. Amen!

Practical Messages for Impractical Times Sonya Johnson Ruiz

Attending Church is not Enough

Many attend religious services, and are refreshed and comforted by the word of God; but through neglect of meditation, watchfulness, and prayer, they lose the blessing, and find themselves more destitute than before they received it. Often they feel that God has dealt hardly with them. They do not see that the fault is their own. By separating themselves from Jesus, they have shut away the light of His presence. Desire of Ages Ellen G White

Faith that Works Morris L Venden

May 28
Repentance

NO EXCUSES IN CONFESSION

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9.
It is only when we have experienced genuine repentance that we can make a genuine confession. Perhaps one of the best ways to test the genuineness of a confession is to realize whether or not there is any excuse added to the confession. If I come to you and say, “I’d like to ask you to forgive me. I am sorry that I lied about you, but if you weren’t such an ugly person I wouldn’t have lied in the first place,” you can know immediately that I have not had genuine repentance!
The problem of self-justification began in Eden. Adam blamed Eve for his problems, and Eve blamed the serpent. We are told that “when sin has deadened the moral perceptions, the wrongdoer does not discern the defects of his character…and unless he yields to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit he remains in partial blindness to his sin….To every acknowledgment of his guilt he adds an apology in excuse.”–Steps to Christ, p. 40.
There is no chance whatever for genuine reformation apart from repentance. Have you ever had someone tell you to “say you’re sorry”? Did that make you sorry? Have you ever told someone else, perhaps your children, “Tell them you’re sorry”? Does that make them sorry? Unless we are truly sorry, our confessions will be worthless, and no reformation will result. We all know by experience that we cannot reform ourselves, but as we get a glimpse of Jesus, and see the disappointment on His face, and see His love for us and His long-suffering, then we will experience true sorrow for sin.
It is only as we accept the mercy and the compassion of Jesus that He can, through us, pass on His mercy and compassion to others. Jesus is the only One who can give you peace. He loves you. He gave Himself for you. He will not judge you unfairly. His heart of love is touched with the feelings of your infirmities. As we come to understand His love and how much pain we have brought to His heart by our sins, we will be truly repentant, truly sorry for what we have done to hurt Him. The confession that springs from sorrow for hurting One who loves us will not give excuses, but will be heartfelt. And the result of that will be reformation.

I had to share this Devotional. The poignant Word of God lets us know when we give half-hearted confessions that Reformation cannot occur. Have you ever wondered why you are not growing spiritually? It’s something to think about.

It’s me, it’s me, oh Lord standing in the need of prayer.

Sonya Johnson Ruiz

The Word of God

The Word of God is Straight Forward
Practical Messages for Impractical Times

Romans 12:9-18 New Living Translation (NLT)

9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.
12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.
15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.
16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.
18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

Live for God as if it is your last day.
Preparing for Kingdom life one day at a time.

Sonya Johnson-Ruiz