Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10 NLT

I would like to say Happy New Year and a big thank you to all of my supporters who are reading the Devotionals and Motivational messages that God has blessed me to write.

I pray that you will remain encouraged as we enter 2020; yes, you will experience obstacles and severe trials, but never forget, God always loves you. Continue to Study the Bible, and Pray, Be Faithful and God will take care of you.

The time draws nearer for the Second Coming of Christ; May we dedicate and consecrate our lives in 2020 to further the gospel and strive for a closer relationship with God.

Praying for blessings of love, peace, and joy beyond measure in 2020.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2020

My father taught me, “Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live. Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. Proverbs 4:4-7 NLT

Today is December 31st, the last day of 2019 and many will debate whether or not today is the last day of this decade. According to Konstantin Bikos, lead editor of timeanddate.com, he states, “”In terms of counting millennia or centuries or decades, it doesn’t really matter,” Bikos told CNN. “It’s a man-made system…” CNN

What is most interesting is that many of us place our focus on man-made systems and tangible items that really do not matter. In fact, we are so distracted by social injustices, political snafus, entertainment gossip, the advancements in technology, financial gain, purchasing houses and new vehicles, or climbing the professional career ladder that our priorities have driven us to actively pursue the common, the ordinary, and to enjoy the irreverent things in life; the things that do not matter to God.

God has provided the blueprint for what is important in our lives; Studying the Word, praying, seeking knowledge, possessing faith, hope, love, good judgment, and wisdom are the attributes that God desires for us.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from God. James 1: 5-7 NLT

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV

We must let go of everything that is ordinary, common, and irreverent; it is only by praying and asking God, that we can attain knowledge of the things that are preventing our spiritual growth. God will always reveal to us the things that we need to let go of.

Prayer for today: Dear God, We ask you to forgive us for our sins, and shortcomings, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and to fill us with your Holy Spirit. Please reveal to each of us the things that we need to let go of in order to serve you completely with all of our hearts, souls, and minds. We love you and we ask this prayer in the worthy name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019

 

 

 

 

“She replied, ‘My lord, you made a vow before the Lord your God when you said to me,’ ‘Your son Solomon will surely be the next king and will sit on my throne.’ ” 1 Kings 1:17 NLT

When King David was very old, Adonijah the son of one of his wives, Haggith, made a decision based on his feelings of entitlement and schemed with his cohorts to crown himself the next King of Israel. Realizing that his father was nearing death, Adonijah seized the opportunity to gather those who were loyal to him and secretly planned a ceremony appointing himself as the next King.

Although succession to the throne was determined by the reigning King, Adonijah possessed a spirit of rebellion against God and refused to live accordingly. “Now his father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time…” 1Kings 1:6. Adonijah’s vanity was boldly displayed when he flaunted his takeover to the people of the city with chariots, animal sacrifices and most of the royal officials to celebrate his claim to the throne.

Even though Adonijah excluded those who were loyal to King David, God proved that He is still in control. For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all. Luke 8:17 NLT.

For every deceitful plot, God always has human eyes and ears to be in the right place at the right time to see and hear the secret and wicked schemes against the Chosen of God. “Then Nathan went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, and asked her, “Haven’t you heard that Haggith’s son, Adonijah, has made himself king, and our lord David doesn’t even know about it? 1 Kings 1:11 NLT. Nathan the prophet admonished Bathsheba to immediately approach her husband, King David, if she valued her life and the life of her son, Solomon.

As customary, in the royal house, a wife lived in a separate court from her husband; face-to-face communication did not occur unless she was summoned by the King or until she sent a request and received permission to visit, to act in any other manner was a sign of contempt and disrespect which could be punishable by death. Bathsheba exercised unwavering faith when she followed the advice of Nathan the prophet to visit her husband without permission and because of her obedience, she was readily accepted by David. “Bathsheba bowed down before the king. ‘What can I do for you?’ he asked her. 1 Kings 1:16 NLT. It was God who allowed Bathsheba to receive the King’s immediate favor.

As we continue to read chapter 1, God’s plan for Israel is revealed: Solomon the son of David and Bathsheba was to rule as King and David appointed the rightful successor, Solomon as the next Ruler. When Adonijah and his supporters received news that his brother was anointed and named King they feared for their lives; however, God works according to his plan, it was not the appointed time for the enemies to be destroyed, Solomon who was a God-fearing man spared the life of his brother and those who participated in the conspiracy to overtake the throne.

When we experience false accusations or persecution in our lives because of our belief in God, we have a powerful God who will fight our battles and we will have the victory. Fear not!

For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” Deuteronomy 20:4 NIV

Even when we are at fault due to our sinful spirit of rebellion, and we are the reason for our downfall, as long as we confess and pray for forgiveness, God will intervene on our behalf. Yes, we may have to endure the consequences of our sinful actions; but we must not feel forsaken, God is long-suffering and extends His love to us although we are undeserving of His grace and mercies.

Bible Reading: 1Kings chapters 1 and 2

Prayer for today: Dear God, We ask forgiveness for the times that we have possessed a spirit of rebellion against you and your precepts. We pray for your Divine intervention and blessing upon our lives to faithfully obey and wait for you to solve our problems and fight our battles in this life. We ask for wisdom as we seek knowledge by studying your Word. Thank you for the sacrifice of your Son, Jesus that we may have Eternal life. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3: 5-6 NLT

Have you ever been accused of something that you did not do? Most of us can answer yes to that question: whether the incident occurred in childhood or as an adult, false accusations always cause damage to the innocent victim. False accusations are deliberately created because the accuser possesses negative emotions toward the accused and that is the foundation that enables the diabolical lie to begin. Those who have been victimized usually have suffered undeserved consequences in the form of punitive actions that resulted in many losses including their good reputations.

There is a fact of life that we must understand and accept: Satan has power! He has the ability to remind us that he contrived a deceitful plot to place doubt in the minds of Adam and Eve which led to their willful decision to disobey God’s command not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Fall of Humanity began in the Garden of Eden and Satan is still actively pursuing those who were created by God. Satan is fully aware of our weaknesses through observation; he listens to our spoken words, he observes our behaviors, and he uses the ungodly character traits that we possess to tempt us into committing sinful actions against our bodies and against other individuals.

Ungodly character traits include negative emotions=Sin in our lives!

“Pam (2013) defines negative emotions ‘as an unpleasant or unhappy emotion which is evoked in individuals to express a negative effect towards an event or person.’ ”

What are some of the negative emotions that we are capable of possessing? We may harbor jealousy, covetousness, unhappiness, anger, fear, guilt, disgust, shame, contempt, or pride. Yes, within each of our hearts we possess the darkness of sin; those seeds of wickedness waiting for the right person or the perfect situation to activate negative emotions that we displace and use to hurt others, or we internalize and we use to hurt our own bodies.

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? Jeremiah 17:9 NLT

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8 NIV

Through the study of God’s Word, we are forewarned of the condition of the human heart; no one is exempt because all were born in sin and shaped by iniquity, Psalm 51:5. It is me, it is you, it is every one that is capable of possessing the evil traits that lie dormant within our hearts. Even so, God has not left us in a hopeless situation; it is our choice to succumb to evil tendencies, traits, and emotions.

One of my favorite religious authors who wrote this in the 19th-century states:

The tempter can never compel us to do evil. He cannot control minds unless they are yielded to his control. The will must consent, faith must let go of its hold upon Christ before Satan can exercise his power upon us. But every sinful desire we cherish affords him a foothold. Every point in which we fail of meeting the divine standard is an open door by which he can enter to tempt and destroy us. Desire of Ages 125. Ellen G. White

Remember that Satan is the greatest Accuser against humanity; it is his mission to use the weaknesses that lie within our wicked hearts to always present us as guilty before God. Yet, the Accuser forgets that the Plan of Salvation includes Redemption and Forgiveness for the accused:

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

It is you, it is me, it is all of us that stand as the accused before God; however, Jesus serves as our heavenly Intercessor who is waiting to defend us, extending love, grace, and mercies when we confess and repent of our sins. In the heavenly courts, we are never viewed as the Victim, we are the Redeemed whose sins have been washed away by our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!

Stay in His Presence

Bible Reading: 1 John 1

Prayer for today: Dear God, We pray this prayer of forgiveness for the wickedness of our hearts displayed by negative emotions, and hurtful words or actions against others and ourselves. It is our desire to be cleansed from all unrighteousness and to be filled with your Holy Spirit. We love you and we thank you for the death of your Son, Jesus, that we may be redeemed from our sins. We ask you to, “Create in us a clean heart, O God, and to renew a right spirit within us.” Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in the Worthy Name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019

 

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

Upon the completion of the nursing program, I had yet another major hurdle to jump and that was to take the NCLEX RN licensure exam. Without successfully passing the exam, all of my educational achievements were meaningless; if I failed to pass, I would only possess theoretical knowledge without the ability to practice nursing. There were many changes that I was required to make; giving 100% dedication to my studies, and placing all social activities on hold, but the sacrifice was well worth it, going through the struggle as a student enabled me to graduate with honors and enjoy a 40-year nursing career, prior to retiring.

Do you remember when you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? Even with living a sinful lifestyle, you found out that there was a God who would readily accept you, and He would forgive you of all of your sins if you only asked Him. Were you excited when you realized the Plan of Salvation offered forgiveness and a new life through Christ if you simply believed, and prayed a prayer of confession and repentance? As a new Believer, the peace that came from knowing that you were forgiven provided the fortitude to keep moving forward in your spiritual walk with God.

Yes, as Believers, we are forgiven! Even so, it takes more than just knowing that we are forgiven, we must live our lives as one who is forgiven. Redemption mandated that Divinity become humanity; Redemption required the death of Jesus; Redemption of humanity caused unjust cruelty against Christ, the Son of God who endured rejection, suffering and the shedding of His blood in order for humanity to be forgiven.

Living as if we are forgiven requires giving up our desires, the submission of our will to God through humility and obedience, diligent prayer, and consistent studying of the Word of God. Our character must reflect the Fruit of the Spirit, and we must love our neighbor-that includes everyone as ourselves. There is another crucial aspect of living as if you are forgiven: Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 NIV

It takes our everything to serve the Lord! We cannot hold onto worldly pleasures and live a Holy life.

God loves those who He created in His image, and would never ask anything of us that His grace and mercies would not make possible for us to achieve. It is only by the power of God that we are able to live as if we are forgiven.

Divine Intervention plus Human Effort equals a Victorious Outcome

Although studying the Word of God, provides us with a spiritual knowledge base of who God is and what He requires; it is not enough, we must live every moment of our lives as David prayed: Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Bible Reading: Psalm 19

Prayer for today: Dear God, You have given us everything that we need to live our lives holy and acceptable unto you. We ask you to forgive us for taking your grace and mercies for granted. We confess that we have allowed ourselves to be swayed by the pleasures of this world and have forgotten that you sacrificed your life in order for us to be saved from our sins. We ask you to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and to fill us with your Holy Spirit. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in the Worthy Name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 NLT

It is the season to love, to share, to be happy….even so, there are some who do not view the holiday season or any other time of the year to simply reach out and to bless others. Because of sin, our hearts possess a natural tendency toward darkness which displays itself by the inability to give and to receive love. When we do not possess true agape love, our lives are self-centered, always striving to please our personal desires. The focus to pursue what makes us happy is in conflict with our purpose in life; loving and serving God and loving and serving others.

For the Believer, our purpose in life is already pre-determined by God; we are to love one another, and that love will manifest itself by extending what God has blessed us with to bless others. When we are unable to possess true agape love, we do not possess the Fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23, which are necessary characteristics in order to fulfill God’s future purpose for us to live in the New Heaven and the New Earth.

No, loving others is not easy, but a Christlike love means loving, forgiving, accepting and honoring even those who are different and difficult. We can only give love when our hearts are full of God’s love. That is our only option. Any other attempt to define loving others simply will not work!

Love God, Love Others, Love yourself

Bible Reading: Galatians 5

Prayer for today: Dear God, We thank you for the ability to love you and to love others. We ask forgiveness for not obeying your commands to give unconditional love. During this time of the holiday season, please help us to realize there are individuals who do not have the necessities of life. We thank you for the abundance that you have blessed us with and we ask that you direct us to those who need our help. We pray for obedience to follow the purpose that you have for each of our lives. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019

 

 

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4

How is it possible, after experiencing all of the struggles in life that we will be able to live in a perfect world without tears, death, sorrow, crying, pain or any disruption of peace and happiness? Our finite minds cannot imagine living on a New Earth void of sin and all of its terrible effects; even so, we must accept the promises of God as the absolute truth.

God was fully aware of all of the adversities that we would face in our lifetime, and He knew that many believers would succumb to accept the worldly belief that “you only live once.” But for those of us who love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, soul, and mind and possess complete faith, trust, and obedience to the will of God for our lives, we believe God’s promises of another life and that is Eternal life.

We must think about the many blessings and miracles that God has given to us when we needed it, and wasn’t He always on time? There is nothing that we can do by human effort to achieve the rewards that will compare to the promises of God for those who remain faithful to him. Remember that God does not ask for our help in the fulfillment of His promises; all He asks of us is to be faithful and just believe.

If God said it, then He will do it. He is Omnipotent; He is Omniscient; He is love; He possesses the power that we can never fully comprehend. Oh yes, a change is coming!

We must prepare ourselves now by letting go of all the distractions that appear to fulfill the emptiness in our lives. Make the commitment to search for the treasures of hope and promise by diligently studying the Bible; stay connected to the Vine-Jesus Christ through the daily communication of prayer.

It is the power of God that brings forth change; He is waiting for us to take action by having unwavering faith. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He is our all and all.

Have faith in God to bring the end of tears,
Have faith in God; no death, no pain, no fears.
Have faith in God through the eternal years.
Have faith, dear friend, in God. Unknown

Bible Reading: ” Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s house. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” John 14:1-4 NLT

Prayer for today: Dear God, We are your children who have wavering faith; we are those who forget about your love, your power, and your precious promises that one day a change is coming. We ask forgiveness for the times that we are filled with doubt and the times that we forget just how Omnipotent you are. Forgive us for attempting to use our feeble abilities to help you instead of exercising our faith and believing that you will provide for all of our needs according to your riches in heaven. We pray for the humility to accept your will for our lives. Thank you for the death of your Son, Jesus Christ who arose from the dead and will come again to give us immortality and the reward of life in the New Heaven and the New Earth. We ask this prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019

We must learn to give everything to God in prayer. Always live by Faith! Miracles still happen.

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 1 Peter 1:18-19

During one of our recent Mother-Daughter visits, I realized that it is a great blessing to have a mother who is a believing Christian. As we reflected on Jesus’ blood sacrifice for us and our part in honoring and valuing the gift of Redemption, she made a profound remark, “Many individuals feel that when they stop living a worldly life or give tithe and offerings that they are sacrificing, but sinful human beings cannot sacrifice, we do what is required of us out of love for God and the fact that Jesus died for us.”

Our lives are a priceless gift from Jesus Christ, God’s only Son who agreed to die for humanity even before we were created. In order to comprehend what it took for the Plan of Salvation to be brought into fruition, we must realize that there was communication between God and Jesus. Because God is Omniscient, His Son, Jesus is also Omniscient; both were aware that when humanity was created, the chain reaction of doubting God would lead to disobedience, and as a result, we would fall into the abyss of sin, and the dilemma of choosing good over evil would continue throughout the ages.

Yet we are still making the decision to live according to our interpretation of Salvation.

Chance is our enemy; we may doubt that it will ever happen to us, but eventually, we pay the high price by suffering the consequences for our disobedience and disregard of warnings.

Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14 NLT

There is a current trend of the “inclusion of all” among believers, and they feel that their social circle should include relationships with unbelievers. We cannot hang out with those who are not walking in the light. It is a false concept that the believer will sway the unbeliever; even when Jesus’ disciples witnessed they went out in pairs. Separation is part of the boundaries that God has established for us and with good reason: Without God, we do not possess the strength to overcome temptation; and even with God’s promise of deliverance from temptation, we should not willingly place ourselves in situations that will lead to compromise.

He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? Luke 6:39 NIV

Do not be deceived! Walking in the light is a daily struggle of denial to sin and a steadfast commitment to God. When we fail to follow God’s commands, we will always pay the consequences for disobedience. God is fully aware of our plight to choose sin instead of righteousness, and He has provided us with a Spiritual Network which includes a unified Body of Believers.

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Romans 15:5 NLT

There is a common bond amongst believers, our love for God supersedes everything else and our lifestyle is a reflection of that love. We have committed our minds, bodies, and souls to accept Righteousness by Faith; we love others as Christ loves us by extending forgiveness; we graciously accept our commission to witness and to serve those in need; we are preparing for the Second coming of Jesus Christ by giving up anything that compromises our relationship with God, and above all, we seek harmony and peace with all individuals regardless of their ethnicity, religious or socioeconomic backgrounds.

Yes, we acknowledge that we are imperfect sinners, yet because of God’s grace and His mercies we are extended forgiveness by the confession and repentance of our sins to God, and we are grateful for God’s new mercies that are extended to us every day of our lives.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 ESV

We must possess the mindset of living an uncompromised life; doing whatever it takes–giving up people, places, and things–in order for us to Walk in the Light.

Bible Reading: John 8:12-30

Prayer for today: Dear God, We ask forgiveness for living a life of compromise. We have not taken the time to really reflect on the greatest gift from your Son, Jesus; His death and resurrection have made it possible for us to walk in the light. We pray for the strength to change and to give up everything that prevents us from preparing for Eternal life. We pray for the unbelievers that as we witness they will receive the gift of Salvation because you desire that none will be lost. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.