Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

There is a Time for Everything

Happy Sabbath

The Desire to Have a Higher Quality of Life

Here’s to our Health!

We can agree that each day brings its challenges. As we struggle to resolve yesterday’s problems, tomorrow arrives, bringing with it additional hardships. Will it ever end? Not really, but we do have an option. What changes can we make to improve our quality of life?

First, we must take a deep look at our priorities and goals. Our lifestyle and pursuits indicate the hierarchy of what we consider to be important. Every individual has unique interests, and that’s okay. If fashion is our first love, then our focus will be on the latest trends. We will have a strong desire to pursue a glam lifestyle with a room-size closet full of clothing and accessories.

Our choices are always indicators of our priorities.

How did we react to purchasing during the pandemic? “In the U.S., consumers spent $211.5 billion during the second quarter on e-commerce, up 31.8% quarter-over-quarter, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.” https://www.jpmorgan.com/solutions/cib/research/covid-spending-habits

Without discipline and self-control, our desires escalate, and we never reach the point of saturation–we are unable to stop ourselves from the spending frenzy, nor do we embrace the concept of “enough is enough.” It is the pursuit of our “wants” that drives innovative ideas and the war between businesses to fight for a competitive edge. Supply and demand is a powerful force, meet the consumer’s demands or face declining sales with the possibility of bankruptcy.

And voicing our demands works quite well. Consumers spent more than 900 billion dollars online during the pandemic in 2020. And our expenditures were well beyond purchasing essential items. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/06/consumers-spent-900-billion-more-online-in-2020-mastercard-report-says.html

How did we end up compromising our quality of life?

We are stressed because our pursuit of happiness depends on the acquisition of tangible items—the habit of seeking self-satisfaction is driven by the opinions of others. Convincing the consumer that we cannot live without upgrades is the foundation for successful marketing and advertising. We are spending billions on personal desires. The price is costly. Our mental and emotional health has plummeted. Depression, anxiety, and constant worries prevent any chance of possessing the beauty of having peace and inner joy.

Even so, we have a growing number of people who are concerned about their frazzled lifestyle and poor quality of life. They have developed a plan of escape. The decision to opt out of the stress and emptiness from pursuing things is on the rise. Yes, we have a diverse population of individuals who have opted-in to live the country life, van life, and tiny-home life. While some may see this as unrealistic or an easy way out, it takes inner strength and hard work to make a plan, sell your material/tangible items, and distance yourself from mainstream society.

When I experienced a significant life event last year, I begin to reflect on the quality of my life. “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. Yes, I had to start life over, but something did not feel right. I begin to pray for a change in my environment. Six months later, God answered my prayer. The change that I prayed for was in my immediate future. The landlord notified me that he was selling the property.

Alone, I drove a 20-foot U-haul truck 1500 miles, which resulted in living on the road for four days. The further south, I traveled the hotter the temperatures and the more frequent the rainstorms. Although my overnight stays were at hotels, the move from Texas to Florida required creative solutions. For 12 hours a day, I lived out of a truck. During the daytime hours, I had to GPS local supermarkets to replenish my food and ice to keep my essential food items cool.

The days were long. I looked forward to the rest stops to walk and take short naps. Replenished, I pushed toward my goal. Still, it was the most incredible experience to enjoy the scenic ride, complete with witnessing the beauty that still exists on the planet Earth. It was a tough, and tiring journey, but I did it! The decision to have a higher quality of life forced me to rethink my priorities, and I took active steps to pursue my dream.

In Genesis chapter 1, God provides us with a complete description of Creation. God made a perfect, beautiful home for the first married couple with all types of animals to care for and an abundance of flowers and trees. Does that prove that God desires for us to have a peaceful and joyful existence?

We are promised a reward to live in the New Heaven and New Earth when we are faithful to God. Until Jesus comes again, we can have a higher quality of life. It was not God’s original plan for us to live in the noise and busyness of the concrete jungle where trees and flowers are nonexistent. We have a greater appreciation of our Creator when we can contemplate on His goodness in a peaceful and beautiful environment with sunshine and fresh air where you can hear the birds sing and commune with Him in nature.

Pray for change and the strength to improve the quality of your life. But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Bible Study: Genesis 1

God, we need your help to change. Our desires have prevented us from having peace and joy. We admit that our lives are out of control. Please reveal to us how to live a peaceful and productive life. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Don’t Look Back

“For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,” says the LORD, “plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

When we commit to serve God, He allows us time to get rid of the things that interfere with serving Him. God says that His name is “Jealous.” He requires loving Him with all of our heart, soul, and mind. If we fail to remove the obstacles, He intervenes to remove the people, places, and things that prevent us from putting Him first. God removes the toxic relationships, the job that consumes our thoughts and time, and the worldly friends or habits that bring temptation into our life. Everything we love or give our time and attention to will either honor God or conflict with His plans for us.

“But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. 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 43:18-19

God’s ultimate plan is to reward us with eternal life. We can accept or reject His plans, but we cannot waver between our desires and His plans. Serving God requires total surrender, humility, obedience, and above all, faith.

Our daily prayer of “Not my will, but your will be done” keeps us in sync with God. Do not be surprised. The outcome of this prayer is the removal of people, places, and things from our lives. Remember to thank Him, and don’t look back.

Bible study: Isaiah 43

God, we thank you for removing the obstacles that interfere with having a relationship with you. Please give us the strength to move forward. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.

The Loss of Spoken Words

We live in a time where the busyness of this world has produced a loss. We have lost our desire for spoken words. Sadly, we think nothing of texting someone who is grieving or in a struggle, “I am praying for you.” But the reason we have lost the desire for spoken words that are full of heartfelt compassion is much deeper, “we have wandered away from Jesus, our first love.”

The Apostle Paul knew the importance of the body of believers maintaining contact with each other: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11. But more importantly, he knew that maintaining our relationship with Christ is vital for spiritual growth. Jesus is coming soon to give everyone their reward. It is time for us to renew our covenant vow by returning to our first love. Only then will we desire to build each other up with spoken words of compassion and hope.

And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. 1 John 4:21.

God, we have lost the desire to encourage one another because we have lost our first love for you. Please forgive us and give us the strength to return to you. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.

The Consequences of Self-Reliance

Testimony: Many years ago, I witnessed to an individual about the Ten Commandments, and He accepted the fourth commandment:

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it, you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days, the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11

The Test of Faith

The dilemma is that he was in his late 50s, and had longevity on his job of 12 years, but he had to work on Saturday. The loss of a job close to retirement age not only eliminated a much-needed paycheck, it also included loss of health benefits. I can remember the phone call as if it was yesterday: “Please pray for me. I have decided to speak with the General Manager and tell him that I am no longer able to work on Saturday. This may mean the loss of my job.” I did not console him. I asked if I could pray, and I prayed a prayer based on Malachi 3:10 [the test of faith, obedience, and God’s promise to supply all of our needs].

Fifteen minutes later, I received the follow-up call. The job requirement included working on Saturday. His manager advised him to think about the dilemma overnight, and they would meet the next day. The following conversation was the testimony of divine intervention. After our call, he immediately returned to the manager with his letter of resignation. I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! Isaiah 65:24. God provides supernatural miracles that our finite minds will never understand. Not only did he keep his job, his performance evaluation included a merit raise.

We do not enjoy the perfect peace of God because we are interpreting the scriptures to fit our desire to possess worldly goods. Our careers, jobs, and bank accounts have become our idols of worship. God is no longer our Jehovah-Jireh. Our perception of God changes according to our presenting challenges. We are happy because we are in a “season of plenty.” The abundance of our finances (which all belong to God) has convinced us that we can do good deeds to make up for our disobedience of self-reliance.

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.” Malachi 3:10

God was fully aware that the ability to work and provide for ourselves would result in separation from Him. Malachi 3:10 requires faith, trust, and obedience to God. Our part is the human effort of giving back ten percent of all increase plus an offering based on our love for God. Did God give you the blessing of saving money off of a purchase that was supposed to be $500, yet you only paid $200? Then God blessed you with $300, and ten percent is $30 tithe. Were you blessed with free items? Did you faithfully give tithe and offerings as thanksgiving for the free blessings? The storehouse that God is referring to is not our growing bank accounts.

You may say, “But I am struggling, how can I possibly afford to give 10% of my meager funds?” But without faith, it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6. Lack of faith leads to disobedience. We cannot receive the reward of eternal life possessing doubt, disbelief, and faithlessness.

The last five years of my nursing career brought about a change that I did not think was possible. I decided to give up working on the Sabbath. Yes, I am aware that illness is 24/7, and nurses provide much needed care. But working on the Sabbath was a distraction. I could not enjoy the blessing of serving God on the Sabbath because on Friday [preparation day], I had to include preparing for working on the seventh-day that God ordained as holy.

I had a tough decision to make. This was a management position that paid the highest salary that I had received in my nursing career. But it involved being “On Call” rotation for ten days, which equated to working two Sabbaths a month. Even so, my commitment to God superseded my job. I prayed, took the giant leap of faith, and resigned.

My relationship with God experienced an all-time high. Finally, I would enjoy the Sabbath again, a total focus on God, and receive the blessings of a spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional renewal. God truly rewards us when we put Him First!

Not only did God bless me with a work-from-home position as an auditor of Medicare records, but He also opened the windows of heaven and blessed me with a salary increase. Please know that the focus is not on financial gain. The requirement from God is that we seek Him first! You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you. Exodus 34:14

Self-reliance also produces selfishness. We console ourselves by asking those in a struggle, “How are you doing?” Yes, we will offer to pray for them. However, we have no intention of helping them financially. “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” Matthew 6:24. Providing for others financially is a requisite that God commands us to do, But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 1 John 3:17.

Our gifts to help those in need must originate from our love for God. Remember, many philanthropists donate money but do not serve God. Being a good person who performs good deeds is very different from accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Finally, self-reliance causes us to place ourselves on a performance scale. We begin to focus on doing the works of performing good deeds; donating clothing, distributing spiritual tracts and books, running errands, taking individuals to medical appointments, or to shop for food, etc. He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5

Pray and ask God to search your heart and reveal to you the works you perform to overshadow the sins of self-reliance and the love of money. Put God first! Cease the habit of rewarding yourself. Jesus has the greatest reward of Eternal life if we renounce our sinful desires.

In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?…John 14:2

Bible study: Exodus 20

Prayer: God, we ask you to search our hearts and reveal to us the sins that keep us from seeking you first. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.

Preparing to Move?

When God told me to relocate from Texas to Florida, I hesitated. Was this my desire? But when God is ready to fulfill the plans that He has for us, supernatural things begin to happen. The miracles that come into fruition proclaim that God is in control. Then it is up to us to obey and move forward.

It took two months to separate, donate, and pack my personal belongings. Yes, I had many challenges, including the Texas storms that left me without running water for ten days, but my focus never changed. I was aware that the moving date was February 25th, and I did what was required to meet the deadline.

Recently, I have noticed that my faith is not growing as it should. Through my prayers, I asked God to show me what I need to do for an increase in faith. God always answers prayers. I read a devotional this morning that reminded me that this world, in its present state, is not the believer’s permanent home.

And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5. God has plans to move us to a perfect, new home [the New Heaven and New Earth]. Without the chaos of sin, death, or disease, we will experience complete joy and peace. No more race relation issues will ever plague us again.

I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.…” Revelation 21:2-3

We have become too comfortable with our present living arrangements. Every day should be a day of preparation to move to our new home. When Jesus comes again, it is not a secret that we will receive the reward of eternal life if we faithfully serve God. Redirecting our focus on God’s promises will allow us to maintain a joyful, peaceful life. Stay encouraged. We are nearing home!

Bible study: Revelation 21

God, thank you for reminding us that you have plans to move us to the New Heaven and New Earth. Please give us the strength to endure. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

It’s Getting Way Too Complicated

Many individuals are verbalizing that they are overwhelmed from trying to serve God. What makes us become discouraged in our spiritual journey? Has God made it impossible to serve him, according to His requirements? I have noticed that many preachers, pastors, teachers, and believers promote a “philosophical” approach to serving God. Following trends and prevailing schools of thought always get us into trouble.

God gave us the Bible, 66 books that we can study for ourselves. The Bible is our road map, spiritual mirror, reveals God’s character, His promises, and tells us the only way to salvation, which is through Jesus Christ. The Bible provides us with the victories and defeats of humanity along with the ever-present God always standing by to deliver us. Please remember to pray and ask for the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth and to give you wisdom before studying the Word of God.

Secondly, we are bombarded with too many religious visual and audio messages. Check out the various social platforms. Countless messages tell us to do this or that, define our feelings, defend various interpretations of the truth, and promote methods to conquer your depression, anxiety, worries, etc. Yes, I watch sermons, listen to audiobooks on the great controversy between good and evil, and music that honors God. But I measure the content of the video against the Bible, and many teachings/music are not from God.

This is the dilemma for many of us who enjoy clean, fun-time on Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, etc. Social media videos can easily become an addiction. Where does the time go? Hours pass quickly when we are having fun. Establish a time-limit. You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you. Exodus 34:14

Our love for God translates into spending time with God. Yes, I pray throughout my waking hours of the day and night. But I spend time alone worshipping God in prayer, praise and worship, and studying the Bible, which gives me the knowledge and courage to change, and build my relationship with Jesus Christ. Time with God is essential to establish a strong foundation in serving God.

1. “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'” Matthew 22:37

When we are in love, that person is the object of our attention and affection. Establish and maintain your relationship with Jesus by worshipping God through prayer, praise, listening to inspirational music, and studying the Bible.

2. 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

Like a little child who does or says the wrong thing, saying “I’m sorry” is the simple act of acknowledging wrongdoing. God tells us to confess our sins to Him. He knows if our repentance is genuine or fake.

3. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23

Yes, we must change our thoughts, behaviors, and actions to reflect the character of Christ. God never leaves us alone to handle life’s challenges. We have supernatural help through Christ. Still, it takes human effort plus divine intervention to live righteously.

4. So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments.” Genesis 35:2

So, yesterday, I watched a video of a young believer who proclaimed that God spoke to her and revealed that her struggle in serving Him was due to her love of secular music that promotes sexual immorality. The comments that followed were vicious. But the most thought-provoking, “You Christians have to give up too much to serve God.” We cannot stand on the fence nor is there a gray area or a middle ground in serving God. Read Revelation 3:14-22 to become familiar with believers who want the worldly pleasures mixed in with serving God.

There is a recipe for making our relationship with God less complicated:

Add lots of love, heaping amounts of faith and trust, cups of obedience, and immeasurable patience. It takes courage to change!

Increase your time with God in prayer and studying, and decrease your time on social media or your other time-consuming habits. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the people and content that promotes the truth, which honors and glorifies God. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

God, we ask you for the Holy Spirit to give us discernment to recognize truth from false teachings. And we also ask you to give us the courage and strength to serve you with our whole heart. Thank you for your unconditional love, grace, and mercy. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.

Still Have Concerns and Worries?

Accepting Jesus as our personal Savior brings responsibilities to maintain the relationship between God and ourselves. Our covenant with God requires us to believe that He is Omniscient–All Knowing and Omnipotent–All Powerful. God told Moses, “Tell them, ‘I AM’ sent you.”

“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?” Jeremiah 32:27. God is a keeper of His promises. God does not require us to carry the burdens of life without His divine intervention. We dishonor God with our doubts and unbelief. God expects us to keep our part of the covenant by faithfully trusting and waiting on Him in good or challenging times.

We are to live a life by faith and purpose-driven with the intent to serve God and others.

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6.

In His mercy, God made a covenant with Noah to cleanse the earth of humanity’s wickedness. “Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth.” Genesis 7:6. Although Noah was mid-life, he was faithful and demonstrated complete obedience by building the ark according to God’s instructions.

In comparison to biblical times, we have an easy life. We perceive our lives as unbearable because we do not want to experience the suffering of trials and sorrows. God will allow what is needed for us to experience complete dependence on Him. Our covenant with God is a vow for us to “believe in Him, and to patiently wait until He brings us victoriously through our challenges.”

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Bible study: Genesis chapters 5-9

Prayer: God, we ask for forgiveness for responding to our suffering by worrying. It is our desire to completely trust you with our lives. Thank you for the Sabbath and your daily gifts of grace and mercy. We ask for the strength and courage today to faithfully serve you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.