Spiritual Nourishment for Our Soul [with Podcast]

https://anchor.fm/sonya-johnson-ruiz/embed/episodes/Spiritual-Nourishment-for-Our-Soul-e1ce4bu

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. Psalm 34:19

Yesterday, I listened to the testimonies of individuals who admitted that 2021 was their most challenging year. Although filled with many difficulties, they made it through. Many of us can relate to a year filled with economic hardships, health issues, losing loved ones, and devastation from natural disasters. My testimony includes facing homelessness after receiving notice of intent to sell the house I had leased for six years. Even with faith more diminutive than a mustard seed, God lovingly extended His grace and mercies by relocating me to the beautiful Florida Coast.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers them out of them all. Psalm 34:19

God’s promises are always “Yes” and “Amen.” Yet, we worry and fret during our seasons of trials and sorrows. What is lacking in our lives? We are discouraged because our mind is focused on our limited abilities. We cannot recognize the Omnipotence of our Heavenly Father because our knowledge of God is too little. But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken since you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God.” Matthew 22:29.

Prayer is the secret of spiritual strength and connects us to Divine Power!

When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him. Psalm 91:15

Recently, I read an article on prayer. The author stated, “Prayer changes us by nourishing our faith in God.” Immediately, I thought of the conditions of the desert, lacking water most of the year, yet there are plants and trees, which exist. Yes, my soul was dehydrated. As a result, my faith cannot grow and I lack spiritual insight. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Isaiah 43:19

God desires that we receive His abundant rain that quenches our thirsty souls. Prayer communicates to God that we desperately need Him. Who does not require daily spiritual nourishment? Doing our part allows us to receive unlimited blessings of strength that enable us to persevere and endure our hardships. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5. What a powerful promise! To receive the spiritual insight of wisdom and discernment from prayer. Much prayer gives us much power!

Prayer is a direct connection to our Spiritual Team:

  1. And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Romans 8:26.
  2. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus…1 Timothy 2:5
  3. “It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear.” Isaiah 65:24

Prayer is the channel of communication between our souls and God. God speaks to us through His word; we respond to Him through our prayers, and He always listens to us. Prayer, EGW

Many are spiritually dehydrated because they do not know the Scriptures. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Knowledge of God’s promises allows us to think and live differently. It is with an assurance that we receive peace, joy, confidence, and contentment from ongoing prayer and study of the Word of God.

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

A known fact is that yo-yo dieting leads to discouragement and often a state of malnutrition. The body is weakened, eventually causing the individual to give up. Overwhelmed by the busyness in our lives, we forget to put God first. To receive spiritual resilience, we must seek God daily, which takes commitment and a review of how we spend our time. Our praise and worship of God require consistency. We should not factor God into our schedules. Avoid spiritual malnutrition by praying and diligent study of the Bible. Remember, our Team is available 24/7. Call on the Lord! And be persistent in your prayers!

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Psalm 34:17-18

Prayer: God, we are thankful for a new year. And we desire to have a closer relationship with you. We ask forgiveness for excluding you from our lives and pray for wisdom as we seek knowledge through the Scriptures. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen. © 2021 Sonya Johnson, Faithful Fishers, and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries

The Conflict: Is it Divine Retribution or Not? [With Audio Link]

https://anchor.fm/sonya-johnson-ruiz/embed/episodes/The-Conflict-Is-it-Divine-Retribution-or-Not-e1cclnn

Have you ever wondered why your friend or family member is experiencing hard times that seem to last forever? It is a high probability that you may think, “What are they doing wrong?” Remember Job? Job’s friends blamed him for being the cause of his severe sufferings. Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” Job 1:8 NKJV. Considering that God spoke to Satan about Job’s righteousness, we realize that Job’s friends were mistaken.

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12-13. We also receive trials and sorrows that are purposed to change our characters, to align with Micah 6:8, Galatians 5:22-23, and 1 Corinthians chapter 13.

It is quite interesting that many believers accuse God of pouring out wrath against other faithful believers during their seasons of suffering trials and sorrows. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”John 16:33. In this scripture, Jesus was giving words of encouragement to His faithful followers [past and present]. And we understand that Jesus is referring only to the righteous because King Solomon tells us, “Good understanding gains favor, But the way of the transgressor [the unfaithful] is hard. Proverbs 13:15

How did the concept of God’s Divine Retribution against believers begin? It is a false concept from our greatest enemy! Yes, Satan desires that we view God as a harsh and unloving God. Because of Lucifer’s pride, disobedience, and irreverence to God, he was cast out of heaven. Satan uses personalized temptations to attempt to make us fall. He is relentless in his desire to turn us away from our Heavenly Father. 

With research, I found the philosophy of Retributive Justice as the closest concept to the fallacy of God using “Divine Retribution against the faithful.” 

The concept of retributive justice has been used in a variety of ways, but it is best understood as that form of justice committed to the following three principles: (1) that those who commit certain kinds of wrongful acts, paradigmatically serious crimes, morally deserve to suffer a proportionate punishment; [Excerpt] https://stanford.library.sydney.edu.au/archives/sum2016/entries/justice-retributive/

Throughout the Old Testament, God’s Divine Justice was brought against the husband and his family, disobedient children, and single persons [of the Nation of Israel] who intentionally disobeyed His laws. Unbelievers, whether single or families who practiced abject wickedness [paganism] were destroyed. Many [21st-century belivers] have created a middle ground, which is doing what is right–faithful obedience to God most of the time. We have become so accustomed to taking God’s love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness for granted, that we often forget to confess and repent of our sins. Unfortunately, our love of compromise will lead to the consequences of God’s divine justice.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

In reading the book of Leviticus, chapters 17-20, God gave many laws against pagan practices. Although one cannot imagine that people who proclaimed their belief in God and were freed from harsh enslavement would engage in these practices, we realize from the world we live in that the wickedness of evil has no boundaries. Remember, the unbeliever thinks as Pharoah stated, “Who is this God, I do not know Him?” It is the professed believer who renounces sin by accepting Jesus as their personal Savior. Our Teacher, the Holy Spirit, and the Bible provide the knowledge and wisdom we need to learn what God requires, Righteousness By Faith as evidenced by obedience.

Yes, through the Scriptures we find that God uses Discipline and Divine Justice to resolve humanity’s disobedience.

The Sin: Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. Numbers 12:1.

God’s Disciplinary Action: Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood at the door of the meeting tent, and called Aaron and Miriam. When both of them had come near… And he sees the form of the Lord. “Why then were you not afraid
To speak against My servant Moses?” So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed. And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper. Numbers 12:8-10

The Sin: Lot’s love of materialism led to greed for the property that appeared pleasing to his eyes. And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. Genesis 13:10

The Sin: And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.” Genesis 19:5

Lot’s Plea for Mercy:

Then Lot said to them, Please, no, my lords! Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. Genesis 19:18-20

Evidence of God’s Grace and Mercy:

See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. And he said to him, See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. Genesis 19:20-23

God’s Divine Justice: Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. Genesis 19: 13, 24-27

God’s Grace and Mercy for 21st Century Believers

Jesus sacrificed His life that we may have Redemption for our sins. We must not be desensitized to the present wickedness in our world nor the frequency of our intentional sins. Matthew chapter 24 is often used to boast that The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age have not been fulfilled, which is true. “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away.” James 4:14

The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.…2 Peter 3:9-10

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness…2 Peter 3:11

Prayer: God, we are thankful for being alive and well in the new year of 2022. Our desire to live faithfully in obedience is because of our love for You. Please forgive us for our transgressions. Lead us, direct us, and protect us from the snares of Satan. Anoint us with the Holy Spirit that we may have wisdom and discernment. Jesus, we thank you for the sacrifice of your life. As we redirect our focus and worship you this Sabbath, we pray for the blessings of spiritual strength as we seek Your divine purpose for our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen. © 2021 Sonya Johnson, Faithful Fishers, and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries

Staying In His Presence Written and Audio

https://anchor.fm/sonya-johnson-ruiz/embed/episodes/Staying-In-His-Presence-e1capg6

Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart (Psalm 119:2)

Seeking God requires humility, obedience, and desperation. When one thinks of desperation–a state of despair that results in rash or extreme behavior, the reaction is justified because we view our situation as hopeless. But spiritual desperation brings about the desire to stay in God’s presence through persistent prayer and diligent study of the Scriptures. Our stormy trials should not be the catalyst for reaching out to God for help. Our Heavenly Father desires that we seek him faithfully every day.

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” Psalm 27:8

When the busyness of life is overwhelming, God gently reminds us that we are not praying and studying as we should. God is creative. Still, He uses ordinary methods to get our attention. Can you recall a few reminders that increased your awareness that you were no longer putting God first?

Our lifestyle choices reveal if God is first and foremost in our lives. Starting our day with worship places us in alignment with His purpose and plans. Dedication to God requires a heart prepared to serve and filled with love for our Savior, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit provides discernment of the Scriptures, which offer godly standards for our thoughts, behaviors, and choices. Jesus serves as our Heavenly Intercessor, presenting us as forgiven to God, our Father.

Satan, our enemy, uses deception to convince us that staying in God’s presence is impossible. Pay close attention to the distractors that the evil one uses to destroy your peace. The ordinary daily occurrences that we react to with unholy emotional responses are intentionally thrown our way–temptations are the only method Satan can use to make us fall. React differently to the individual driving recklessly and cutting you off, breathe a prayer of gratitude that your guardian angel prevented an accident. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

We have an Omnipotent and Omnipresent Spiritual Team who is available 24/7 to lead, direct, rescue, and comfort us as we contend with the vicissitudes of life. Prayer is our lifeline, allowing us to receive the power of the Most-High God. Make it a practice to “Whisper a prayer” throughout your day. Staying in God’s Presence is always possible when we are intentional. Be blessed and enjoy the peace that Jesus promises us.

Prayer: God, we thank you for your unmerited grace and mercies given to us every day. We ask forgiveness for not seeking you as we should. We need your guidance and direction as we continue in this journey of life. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen. © 2021 Sonya Johnson, Faithful Fishers, and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries

Watch “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” CeCe Winans and Mom Winans on YouTube

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” Lamentations 3:22‭-‬24 NKJV

Prayer: God, we thank you for a new day. And we ask you to guide us through the noise and busyness of life. In Jesus’ name. Amen. © 2021 Sonya Johnson, Faithful Fishers and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries