Happy Sabbath Become a Peacemaker

Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they will be called the Children of God. Matthew 5:9

“Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Excerpt is from Today’s Devotional–Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus–George R. Knight

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2021

Highs and Lows

What you need to know for the Highs and Lows

This life is full of ups and downs. There are moments when it seems as if you’re touching the hem of heaven because they’re so dazzling. And others when it seems you stand on the brink of hell because they’re so heart wrenching.

We can tend to feel far away from God in both. When times are good, we forget how much we need Him. When times are hard, we wonder why He has forsaken us. And yet both of those responses are only our humanity talking.

Neither height nor depth…will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39

God’s affection for us is the same at the highest and lowest moments of our lives. The heights of success and the depths of despair cannot separate us from Him. His love is the one constant we can count on no matter what.

Take comfort in this, friend: Whether this is your best day on earth or one of your worst, you will never be alone or unloved. Not even for a moment.

-Devotional encouragement by Holley Gerth, from her blog Heart to Heart with Holley.

Do you desire righteousness?

With the fourth beatitude we have reached a major turning point. The first two exemplified a turning away from our human weakness and sin, while the third expressed the Christian’s humility in light of that weakness. The fourth, by way of contrast, is a turning toward the positive aspect of Christianity. It is a hungering and thirsting to be right with God and to be like Him. Thus the Christian life is more than a mourning over past sins. It is also an intense desire for present and future righteousness. Excerpt from Turn your Eyes Upon Jesus by George R. Knight

What a defining point for our relationship with God: We must desire righteousness!

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2021

Ten Percent of Our Time

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:15

It is easy for me to give back 10% of what I receive financially or for items that are an asset. But as I searched for scriptures on how God expects us to use our time, the reality is that most days with the exception of the Sabbath, I fail to worship God even 10 percent of the 24 hours He has blessed me with. Yes, this fact about how I spend my time does concern me.

Would you agree that God deserves more of our time everyday?

It is a personal decision to dedicate more time studying, praying, singing, and praising God. I do not intend to make my worship ritualistic. An increase in the time that we spend worshipping God will certainly increase our faith, trust, and result in a deeper relationship with our Heavenly Father.

With more time spent in worship, the Holy Spirit will reveal our character flaws, and have the opportunity to teach us what God requires of us to live Holy and righteous lives.

What about the increase in our faith? The challenges in the season of darkness will not overwhelm us because like David said, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” Psalm 23:4, we will become totally dependent on God in times of adversity.

God, we have identified a serious problem, our time spent with you is insufficient in comparison to the blessings of your grace and mercy that you continually give to us. Please forgive us for our sins. We make the commitment to spend more time with you everyday. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

© 2021 Sonya Johnson Ruiz

The Darkest Valleys

The moments we feel helpless and hopeless are the moments we must humbly seek God through prayer.

The valleys are the seasons of darkness that God is using to develop you not destroy you!

Without faith it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6

Prayer is our direct link to God. Even when we do not know what to ask for the Holy Spirit presents our petitions to God in a manner that He will hear and answer.

Consider this: I am the LORD, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is there anything too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27 NLT

Ask God to reveal the characteristics in your life that are displeasing. Most of us struggle with faith. When all is well and we are happy and content, we shout, “Hallelujah!.” Even so, in our low times are we still happy and praising God?

Although I spent thousands of hours studying nursing theory, it was the clinical practice that proved my knowledge, and skills of judgment and critical thinking in giving care to my patients. Faith is belief in God when we are on mountain highs and in valley lows. Faith is knowing and believing that the Almighty takes impossible situations and works them out for our good and His glory.

When we are walking through the valley of darkness, it is a journey in which we move forward with God. We are never alone!

Psalm 23 is the expression of having faith in God and a powerful proclamation of God’s love and presence in every situation that we face.

God, we are not feeling our best right now. But we know that you are doing a great work of transformation within us. Thank you for loving us and taking time to develop our characters. In Jesus’ mighty name, we pray. Amen.

© 2021 Sonya Johnson Ruiz

Happy Sabbath God’s Spiritual Spa

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy. Exodus 8:11

It was reported that our former first lady, Melania Trump visits the spa on a daily basis, sometimes twice a day. There is a common thread among humanity, we require love and attention. Life is harsh! Whether one is wealthy or impoverished, hungry or full, no one is spared from the vicissitudes–a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant–of 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

What makes the difference to having and living everyday with peace and inner joy is our response to the never-ending struggles. If we are seeking solace or answers from nature, spas, yoga, meditation, sleep apps or deep-breathing exercises then we are relying on alternative therapies instead of God, our Creator.

Throughout the Bible, God instructs us to remember. Why? We look at our reflection once or twice a day and quickly forget what we visualized. In fact, we can look in the mirror in the morning and by the evening when we look again, we may not even recognize the image we see. It is the fleeting moments that affect us but we don’t have the ability to grasp or control them.

So, we embrace the hardships and the rigors in our lives as if they were newborn babies. And then the bitter fruits of doubt, discouragement, anxiety, worries, and depression take root, and begin to flourish.

Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. Isaiah 40:28

Omniscience–all knowing is a quality that only God possesses. The Creator of humanity was fully aware that we would have a poor memory of who He is when our trials hit. Yes, God knows how easily we become overwhelmed. Hence the reason, He created us with the desire to seek Him for love and attention. But God does not force us, contrary to what Satan wants us to believe, we are not enslaved. We have the freewill of choice to serve God or not to serve Him.

If we say, yes to God then He provides us with the knowledge to be overcomers.

“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?” Jeremiah 32:27

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, and he watches over you very carefully]. 1 Peter 5:7 AMP

God expects us to acknowledge, remember, and obey His commandments everyday. For 24 hours from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, our Creator gives us the solution to overcoming the ruggedness of life by spending one-to-one time with Him. We receive a much-needed break by observing the Sabbath. 24 hours of God-time erases the stress from the vicissitudes that burden us from the other six days of the week.

We have our Creator who says, “Remember the [seventh day Sabbath] to keep it holy,” and I will commune with you and re-energize, refresh, and strengthen your soul. We have God’s Spiritual Spa available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week where He sends our Comforter, the Holy Spirit to dwell with us. But the Sabbath is Holy! It is our prime time to devote one complete day to our Creator. All we have to do is obey and shut out the issues that trouble us the other six days of the week.

Membership in God’s Spa gives us free access to the Spiritual Team of God, the Father, Jesus, His Son, the Holy Spirit and the countless army of angels who never sleep or grow weary. Our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual components must have daily communion with God to function properly. We should worship God everyday, but He set aside and designated the Sabbath, 24 hours as Holy.

Our perception of God along with our definition of holiness impacts our desire to obey the fourth commandment. Serving God is up close and personal. I decided that I would stop following humanity’s strategies to obtain peace, contentment, and inner joy a very long time ago.

We cannot compete with God! If we believe that we were created in the image of God then we should bow down and worship Him with faith, trust, and obedience. It is when we fail to obey by immediately communicating with God in prayer that our emotions escalate, and we worry as the unbelievers do.

God has given us a membership with unlimited access to His Spiritual Spa. Our membership was paid by the precious blood of Jesus who sacrificed His life that we may have redemption. He is alive and serves as our Heavenly Intercessor soon to come again for the faithful. So go ahead, take your daily visits and enjoy your weekly sabbaticals in the only spa that provides communion with the Trinity Godhead.

Jesus told us exactly what He would provide for us, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

Prayer: Even so, come Lord Jesus is our prayer. God, our Father we love you. It is our desire to embrace the membership to your Spiritual Spa paid by the blood of your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for the Sabbath and for loving us. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

© 2021 Sonya Johnson Ruiz, Steps 2 your Spiritual Success

Haven’t you Heard?

Recently I watched a movie about a powerful, affluent person who thought more highly of herself than one should. As she spoke to the other individual, with all of the arrogance, superiority, and pride reflected in her demeanor and tone of voice, she stated, “You must not know who I am?”

I have come to the realization that under most circumstances that adversity causes amnesia. When we experience the trials and hardships of life we often forget who God is. Because if we remembered that God is powerful, merciful, and loves us, why would we become discouraged, anxious, and worried?

“To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One. Isaiah 40:25

The prophet Isaiah reminds us that we serve a loving, merciful, and powerful God. Yet, we respond to our challenges as if we know nothing about our Heavenly Father.

Studying the Bible provides us with the ongoing knowledge of God’s character. We falter and become despondent because our relationship with God is based on yesterday’s Bible study, or last week’s virtual sermon.

Even so, God always rescues us.

Yes, God is aware that we are weak and He takes action. Because of His unconditional love, He used the prophet Isaiah to provide words of comfort to the Nation of Israel, a disobedient people who did not do their part in serving and worshipping God everyday.

Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. Isaiah 40:28

We can easily form the habit of daily worship by making the effort to “just do it.” I can remember the first time that I watched someone use their thumbs to text at a warp speed. I asked myself if it was possible for me to give up my one finger approach to texting. Since our internet service is out in our Texas town, I am writing this devotional using my cell phone typing away with two thumbs. You may think, “how else would you text?” But I can assure you that learning to thumb type as a senior was not an easy accomplishment.

With motivation and determination if we can learn new skills, certainly we can show our love and gratitude to God through consistent study and prayer on a daily basis.

Worship is defined as treating someone with the reverence and adoration appropriate to a deity. And there is no other person or object that deserves our worship but God.

Of all the promises in the Bible, this is my favorite: He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Isaiah 40:29

Haven’t you heard, haven’t you read? Our God is the Almighty and He is Awesome!

Bible Study: Isaiah 40

God, thank you for always reminding us of your love, mercies, and power. We ask you for the strength to do your will. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

© 2021 Sonya Johnson Ruiz