Tag: Faith Love Trust Obedience

Do You Have the Right Friends?

Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional – September 27, 2024

“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad Company corrupts good character.’ ” —1 Corinthians 15:33

Scenario: You strive to have a strong relationship with Christ by studying the Bible and praying daily. Although life is not perfect, you are still joyful and Christ empowers you with his Living Water as you strive for the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). You love God and love others as Jesus commands. Now, imagine this water pitcher filled with beautiful fruits representing yourself.

Godly Character Traits

“Blessed are those whose lives have integrity, those who follow the teachings of the LORD.” —Psalm 119:1

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” —1 Corinthians 13:4-7

“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” —Proverbs 19:17

Not one of us is perfect. Every Christian with a converted heart strives to faithfully obey God and travel the Journey of Sanctification, becoming more like Christ. Reflect on your circle of friends—their demeanor and character should also reveal that they are Christian Believers striving to live righteously filled with love, integrity, and unselfishness,

“Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” —Ephesians 4:32

Exactly what does this mean? Every Christian endures a daily struggle. God expects believers to be a Family of God. We should have Christian friends who can encourage us with Bible Scriptures (God’s promises) and also pray with us when life is overwhelming. We cry and laugh together.

“The Bible commands us to pray for one another, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16, ESV). God manifests Himself in many ways when praying together and for each other.” Thursday Theology

There are warning signs that God did not send certain people into your life. Beware of friends who never speak of God’s goodness, rarely have time to talk, are always too busy, or only text, “Praying for you” when you are discouraged. Texting is not as effective as hearing kind and compassionate spoken words and a heartfelt prayer. When we embrace individuals as friends who believe in God but are not practicing true Christianity, we continuously pour ourselves into them, but receive nothing in return.

One-sided relationships produce the Empty Pitcher Syndrome—we are drained spiritually, mentally, and emotionally which also affects our physical health. If we continue to pour into people who are unable to reciprocate, we lose our joy and peace. Our relationship with Christ is disrupted when He fills us only for us to end up mentally and emotionally drained.

Christ’s earthly journey was not easy. He relied on God for spiritual strength. It is important to pray, study the Bible, and learn God’s Loving Character, so we learn how to love others. “They will know we are Christians by our love.” Christ pours into us and Christian friends pour into each other. As Christ loves, we are to exemplify the same unconditional love toward each other.

“…we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…” —Colossians 1:9-10

Lord God, we pray for You to reveal the people who we are unequally yoked with and are keeping us drained. You have commanded us to be loving and kind, always lifting each other up in prayer. We ask You to send us dedicated friends who love You. Be with us in our friendship circles. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

© 2024 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

Jesus, Our Divine Helper

Our Daily Walk with Christ – Sabbath Devotional – September 20, 2024

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.'” —Hebrews 13:5

Love, joy, peace, and happiness are God’s Divine gifts to every Christian believer. Sadly, these gifts are often not enjoyed by the followers of Christ. Two prevalent reasons prevent us from enjoying God’s abundant love and blessings: We do not know God, the Father’s Loving and Righteous Character [failure to study the Bible] and We have placed our confidence in human perception and reasoning, which is quite limited. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9).

For three years, I missed out on the monetary rewards my insurance company offered their subscribers. One day, I received an email that stated, “You are missing out on Free benefits.” When I set aside the time to research the reward section of the website, I was shocked at my loss, yet, I was determined to move forward. This year, I am participating and have completed 90% of the requirements [I receive $120 a year for 30 minutes of activity 10 days a month, quarterly rewards to purchase OTC products, and $15 to complete a wellness visit with my physician, etc.] Once I possessed knowledge of the perks, I decided to opt in and so far, have received $300.

How well do you know God’s Divine Character? Without diligent study of the Bible, we cannot have a healthy and joyful relationship with Christ who has promised to take care of us. Lack of knowledge results in missed blessings. No, not all of our blessings are monetary. We can live a mistake-free life by praying and relying on Divine Guidance. Our willingness to seek and obey God eliminates all consequences that result from “thinking our own thoughts” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The Plight of Humanity: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” —John 16:33

Jesus’ Promise to Always Help Us: “It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).

The level of Divine help available to the faithful believer is unlimited. When we reflect on Jesus giving His life for us then our gratitude is expressed in surrender, obedience, and steadfast faith. If we humble ourselves and pray, we receive Christ’s Intervention every day. Cooperation with Divinity is required to stay on the Path of Righteousness. Never forget God’s priority is to save our souls—Revelation 22:12.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” —James 1:17

God, we thank You for Your faithfulness and unfailing love. As we travel in our journey of life, we pray to align our will and desires with Your perfect will. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

© 2024 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

Jesus Is The Way, The Truth, and the Life—We Are Never Alone!

Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional – September 19, 2024

God is LOVE. Gifted to humanity from God, the Father is Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. Prayer connects us to Christ, our Heavenly Intercessor. If we ask for wisdom then we see life through spiritual eyes. The plans God has for us extend beyond our earthly journey. In John 14, Jesus gives us the promise that He is preparing a place for us in heaven.

“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

Yes, life is a struggle, but we are never alone. Although we experience adversity and turmoil, Jesus promises deliverance and victory. Pray in faith, be patient, and ask God to reveal His plans for the given day. Strive to always obey God’s will. The planet Earth as we know it is slowly coming to an end. It’s time to see the big picture of receiving eternal life. Jesus, our Triumphant King is coming soon to give us a forever life! Amen.

Lord, we thank You for the precious gift of Your life. We seek to do God’s will and ask for the Holy Spirit to impart guidance, wisdom, discernment, and the strength to live as overcomers. We ask this prayer in your Holy Name Amen.

© 2024 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Humility to God

Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional – September 16, 2024

“…God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time…” —1 Peter 5:5-6

Humility is not an innate character trait. As an infant matures into the toddler stage, they portray defiance against most things. The toddler stage is one of the most trying and critical stages of psychological development. If parents do not set boundaries then they will nurture the defiance, and defiant children mature into defiant adults.

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” Luke 6:46

“God sets up resistance to proud people. Pride, a grave sin in Scripture, is the foundation of other sinful actions. Lucifer exemplified pride when he raged against God (Isaiah 14:12–15), and the first humans displayed pride by disregarding God’s explicit command (Genesis 3:1–7).” Got questions.org

“The Israelites’ persistent struggles with God were often rooted in their pride and unbelief (see Exodus 32:1–6; Hosea 13:6; Amos 4:1–5). Whenever humans sin, their actions can be traced back to a rejection of God and His commands, which is a manifestation of pride.” Got questions.org.

We became followers of Christ to be transformed into His likeness (His Righteous Character), to surrender in faithful obedience, and one day receive our reward of eternal life. Personally, I desire more than living an earthly life infiltrated by corruption, social injustice, and the promotion of the Capitalism credo to be successful and rich.

‘Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” —John 14:1-3

Have you reached a point in your Christian journey where you desire what Christ promises? Humility requires loving Christ, obeying God, and serving Him with steadfast faith and heartfelt obedience. Daily we reverence God by praying for His will to be done in our lives. The Holy Spirit communicates God’s will through our thoughts and the Holy Scriptures. God never coerces us to obey Him, we must make the decision to follow through in obedience.

Lord God, we desire to serve You. With humility, we pray and ask for Your will to be done in our lives. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

© 2024 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions