Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

Many individuals place enormous emphasis on the Easter holiday, yet, they have not surrendered their hearts to serve our Lord and Savior. Celebration of a “Holy Week,” “Lent,” or attending a yearly church service to commemorate Jesus’ resurrection is meaningless without surrender. The appreciation of Jesus’ great sacrifice must infiltrate our hearts 365 days a year. Our thoughts, habits, decisions, and lifestyles reflect whether or not we have a heart-to-heart relationship with Jesus Christ.

Faith, obedience, love for God and others, and striving for holiness indicate our loyalty to God. Discipleship is praying as Jesus prayed, “Not My will, but Your will be done.” Daily worship through prayer and study of the Scriptures keeps us on the Path of Righteousness. Are we glorifying God? Our goal is to hear, “Well-done.”

The Time is Near–“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” (Revelation 22:12-13).

Prayer: Jesus, we praise You for laying down Your life so that we may be redeemed from our sins. We desire to consecrate our lives to You. Give us strength as we prepare for Your soon coming. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer. We ask this prayer in Your Holy name. Amen.

In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. (Psalm 62:7-8)

Although our worldview is to strive for independence, that concept can never be an actual reality, God created humanity to rely on Him and each other to live a productive life. Self-reliance always produces internal conflict. Why? When we lose our desire to seek God for help because of a spirit of independence, a chasm of separation forms between God and us.

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing. (John 15:5). Jesus reminds us of our inability to be faithful, obedient, and have spiritual growth without a steadfast connection to Him.

The times that we are overconfident–relying on our ability to resolve our life challenges will end. Eventually, we will face an obstacle that requires God’s Divine Intervention. The frustration builds, yet, our limitations are God-designed. Either we rely on God or ourselves. Our finite intellectual resources can only take us to a certain point. We become weary from failed attempts to resolve the hardships. The unresolved outcome leads us to pray, “God, I need Your help!,” or to feel angry and abandoned, asking, “Where is God?”

“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17)

God reminds us of the human effort required to stay connected to Him. Abiding in His presence is a daily intentional endeavor. We determine in our hearts to seek God by placing Him first in our lives. Not only during hardships but also in peaceful times. When our dependency on God becomes a standard, we confidently proclaim that God will never leave or forsake us!

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:30-31)

“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” (Psalm 24:1).

Have you recently seen or touched the baby soft petals of a rose? What about the virtual fields of lavenders swaying in the wind that take your breath away? Imagine the rolling tide of dancing waves contrasting a turquoise ocean that displays its majestic beauty. All of the natural delightful gifts from the spoken words of the Creator God are designed to bring joy to our hearts.

Despite Satan’s attempt to destroy our peaceful state of mind, we can always find healing from the inviting arms of nature. If we spend time surrounded by the earth’s beauty, the psychologists and therapists would have a substantial decrease in their patient case loads. And Big Pharma would not be a super power dispensing anti-depressants, anti-anxiety meds, and sleep-aids as if our lives depended on it.

Last year, I left the concrete jungle and moved to the Florida Space Coast. On a weekly basis, I stand in awe of sea gulls gliding, pelicans posing on one leg, and the dolphins playing in the Atlantic Ocean. This is my dream of success, enjoying the serenity that comes from God’s spoken words.

I invite you to leave your virtual world once a week and explore the beauty of our earth. Your appreciation of our Heavenly Father will become deeper. Truly, He is a loving God.

“Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:31)

Prayer: Thank you, God. Amen

The Devotional read “As we walk with Jesus in this life, we may be filled with His love, satisfied with His presence. When the Lord’s people are filled with meekness and tenderness, they will realize that His banner over them is love, and His fruit will be sweet to their taste.” EGW

The vicissitudes of life has many believers living in a state of emotional turmoil. How often we forget that we have Jesus, our Burden-Bearer. Yes, Jesus extends the invitation to give Him all of our cares, sorrows, the little annoyances, and our daily challenges.

“Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].” (1 Peter 5:7, Amplified Bible)

Have you made it to this point in your spiritual journey? No? You are not alone. Many of us struggle with letting go of the daily challenges of life. We wait until we are totally overwhelmed and then wonder, “Where is God?”

“Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24).

God is just a prayer away. Learn to pray immediately. Be intentional and express your innermost feelings to God. Thankfully, we do not have to pray repetitious prayers.

The angel told Daniel, “Then he said, ‘Do not be afraid Daniel. Since the first day you begin to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.'” (Daniel 10:12).

Jesus forewarned us of the trials and sorrows we would have, yet, we have the greatest option, “Prayer brings us into His presence and gives us peace in our stormy struggles.”

Gods promises are “Yes and Amen.” Embrace Jesus’ invitation to give your cares to Him and you will proclaim, “Truly, His banner over me is love!”

Prayer: God, we desperately need Your divine intervention. Please give us peace and the faith to wait on your answer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.