Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

If human beings do not understand or acknowledge our dependency on plant and animal life then we certainly fail to acknowledge our dependency on God–Sonya Johnson

Before I was six years old, my grandparents and my mother had taught me that if all the green things that grow were taken from the earth, there could be no life. If all the four-legged creatures were taken from the earth, there could be no life. If all the winged creatures were taken from the earth, there could be no life. If all our relatives who crawl and swim and live within the earth were taken away, there could be no life. But if all the human beings were taken away, life on earth would flourish. That is how insignificant we are.
Russell Means, Oglala Lakota Nation (November 10, 1939 – October 22, 2012).

Despite our lack of understanding or acknowledgement of a loving Creator, God gave His Son, Jesus to die for us. With Redemption from our sins, we gain wisdom of our purpose on earth. And then we spread the gospel to others which places us on the highest-ranking of needful things.

Devotional—The Struggle of Sanctification—Our Quest for Love

“Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.'” Genesis 2:18

From a loving God who created us in His image, we were given the ability to love. The central theme of the Bible is love which is demonstrated throughout the Old and New Testaments. God loves us unconditionally. Sadly, our love for God is inconsistent. Humanity is the only created being [except Satan and his angels] to follow our heart’s desires and boldly disobey the Creator God.

Our Creator God is aware that we need love. In Jeremiah 31:3, God validates His position of love for humanity. “…I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

The need for love is the one concept that unbelievers and believers agree on. “All of us have an intense desire to be loved and nurtured. The need to be loved…could be considered one of our most basic and fundamental needs.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sapient-nature/201401/the-need-love

As believers, we do not agree with the unbeliever’s mindset on whom we love first and the pursuit of love.

Jesus tells us who we are to love first: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). Jesus also emphasized that loving God requires the surrender of our entire being. Still, we need the intervention of the Holy Spirit to give us daily guidance and the strength to overcome temptation. Prayer ensures that our decisions reflect a love for God, especially when we are fighting carnal desires.

Our quest for love often leads us into temptation, placing us in spiritual jeopardy. Satan is also aware of our need for love. He sends people who appear to love God but have hidden ungodly traits and habits. “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9

Because God is all-knowing [Omniscient], His love includes protection against spiritual, emotional, and physical harm from evil. Unfortunately, our emotions override the Holy Spirit’s warnings. Pray for spiritual discernment before you become involved in any relationships—friends or romantic. God knows the true nature of every heart. Remembering that our insight is limited, we acquiesce to His perfect ways and rely on God to give us loving relationships.

Do not trust your emotions! Love, at first sight, is based on external factors. Love is often confused with infatuation. Feeling good about a person based on appearances or spoken words can lead to deception. Pray for guidance! “… the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7, last part).

Yes, God said it was not good for us to be alone. And we do not like being alone. God created the institutions of the family and marriage. And, Jesus had friends. Remember, His divinity gave Him spiritual insight in every situation. Do not allow yourself to feel desperate! At times, we will live in solitude which is designed to give us spiritual growth.

God’s divine plan and purpose for our lives usually do not align with our desires. He is concerned about our righteousness—right living. Read Jeremiah 29:11. Pray and ask God to reveal His plans for your life.

Our quest for love should always lead us into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. The love that we receive from God is preparing us for eternal life. With surrender, the Holy Spirit changes our characters, and we are molded into the likeness of Christ. The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) is evidence of our spiritual growth and development. Every day, God rains down His love on the hearts open to receive His abundant blessings.

“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'” (Matthew 22:37-39)

God is more interested in the love that allows us to form a relationship with His Son, Jesus. Our love is demonstrated by our faith, trust, obedience, and loyalty to God. Always let your quest for love be for God first!

Prayer: God, we surrender our hearts, souls, and minds to love You from now throughout eternity. Thank you for Divine guidance and protection. We love You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Devotional—The Struggle of Sanctification—Hannah, a Daughter of God

Hannah’s Hope and Perseverance

Imagine that God has answered your prayer for a godly husband. Not only is the man righteous, but he is also wealthy. Hannah was that woman. Yes, Elkanah, a Levite was a person of financial wealth and a man who feared and reverenced God. It is not his wealth that deserves the focus. God’s order for the family has never changed. He would never answer a woman’s prayer for a husband with a man who could not financially provide for a wife and children. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow” (James 1:17).

Although God has ordained their marriage, Hannah’s life reveals suffering for two reasons, “…but Hannah had no children” (1 Samuel 1:2). Secondly, Elkanah’s decision to marry a second wife, Peninnah [to have heirs] produced chaos in their home. “So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children” (1 Samuel 1:6 NLT).

The consequences of not waiting on God and resolving our challenges with our solutions will always produce sorrow. Hannah did not disobey God, yet, she suffered because of her husband’s lack of faith in God.

The question of “Why did God tolerate polygamy in the Old Testament?” has many believers perplexed. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). The marriage of one husband and one wife is God’s original plan. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8). God does not tolerate sin as we imagine. We suffer dire consequences for the disobedience of fulfilling our carnal desires including separation from God.

Marriage is a covenant between God and both spouses. When one spouse is thinking and living outside of God’s will, both will suffer. Elkanah’s decision to marry a second wife produced devastating consequences. Hannah suffered taunting from Peninnah year after year until finally she was overwhelmed by the continuous torture, “therefore, she wept and did not eat.” (Verse 7)

In exasperation, Elkanah responds, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” (1 Samuel 1:8).

We cannot define his response with today’s thought processes. Even so, Hannah would never disrespect her husband because of her love, honor, and reverence for God and her husband. Although his answer seems unusual, Elkanah’s words gave Hannah a glimmer of hope, “So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh…” (1 Samuel 1:9).

In the bitterness of her soul, Hannah wept in anguish. Yet, her prayer of commitment to God is exceptional, “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut” (1 Samuel 1:10 NLT).

The rest of the story demonstrates God’s love and faithfulness to those who possess faith, obedience, and commitment to God. Daughters of God dedicate yourself to obediently serving God. Mothers, pray over your children daily and raise them in the ways of the Lord. God is looking for faithful women who will cry out in times of anguish for guidance and deliverance. We must be a modern Hannah in our journey with God. Remain faithful until Jesus comes again. God, the Giver of good gifts promises to give us restoration and victory!

Prayer: God, we thank You for the special place we hold in Your heart. Give us the strength to persevere with faith and obedience. Jesus, we love you and ask this prayer in Your Holy name. Amen.

Devotional—The Struggle of Sanctification—God Protects the Righteous

Deliver me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Your precepts. Psalm 119:134

Have you ever been falsely accused? It is a terrible feeling to know that you are innocent but feel hurt and helpless. 

In the late 90s, I was working on a job in New York City commuting Monday-Friday from New Jersey. My day started at 6 am and I returned home between 6 and 7 pm. The job had excellent benefits. I decided to have a dental consult at the UMDNJ School of Dentistry. The determination was made and I was accepted as a patient. With the work being performed by senior students [under the observation of their Clinical Doctor] a procedure that took one visit to a regular Dentist would require two visits.

With adequate accrued PTO [Paid Time Off], I submitted the request and received approval. All was well until the Administrator received notice that Human Resources made a mistake in calculating my time off. Once recalculated, I exceeded my accrued hours. The following day, I received disciplinary action from the Administrator for a probationary period of six months. Yet, God would intervene. I filed a harassment grievance that included prior incidents. God had a ram in the bush—the Deputy Director was aware of my unfair treatment. He met with the Executive Director and verified the harassment was truthful. And when the investigation was complete, praise God, I won my case!

Throughout the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, we are shown despite humanity’s immediate reaction of fear, when we approach God in prayer, we can have the confidence that He always brings victory!

“And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.” Exodus 14:10

When the Israelites faced the Red Sea, they feared the Egyptians because of their faithlessness. Fear led to anger and they blamed Moses for their predicament. “Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness?” (Exodus 14:11). They were unaware that the Great God who freed them from captivity already had a victorious plan.

God’s answer: “And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace” (Exodus 14:14).

Our enemies may appear to triumph. They may speak deceitful lies against us. But remember God is aware of our spiritual warfare. Never forget, our God is a Warrior who always wins!

Pray with conviction and faith, believing that God will resolve every situation that Satan attempts to use to destroy your character. Praise God in advance for His Divine Intervention. The Holy Spirit will guide you. Remain silent when confronted. Pray a silent prayer and turn and walk away. Never forget that God, the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Guardian angels are present in every battle we face.

Prayer: God, we thank You for being our Heavenly Father. Please help us to overcome the giants of warfare. We pray for peace despite our circumstances. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.