Tag: God

Giving God Your Best

Our Daily Walk with Christ Sabbath Devotional – August 23, 2024

“In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.” —Proverbs 3:6

The struggle to put God first impacts every Christian Believer. Still, in this modern world, we can put God first through consecration, prayer, Bible study, and monitoring our time closely. We make plans that either include or exclude God. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes…” (Proverbs 3:5-7).

Excerpt from Livingontheedge.org: “First, God has a plan for every nation on this earth. In addition, He has a plan for every man, woman, and child on this planet, too. His plan can be contained in one word: LIFE. By comparison, Satan has an agenda as well. His agenda can be summed up in an opposing word: DEATH. He has an intricate plan for every nation and every person, and it’s to steal, kill, and destroy.

“It is incredibly easy to think the world consists of what we see in our worlds every day, and completely miss the larger picture. There’s an invisible battle happening all around us: life and death are fiercely competing for our devotion.” Livingontheedge.org

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” — 1 Peter 5:8

The apostle Peter describes every believer’s struggle with spiritual warfare in their earthly lives. Jesus told Peter, “Satan is trying to sift you like wheat, but I am praying for you.” Following Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter’s internal struggle of fear included denying Christ three times. Yet, he was reconciled with Christ and became an integral leader in the “Day of Pentecost” [Acts 2].

Reflection: Are we denying Christ by our desires, decisions, and lifestyles?

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.” —2 Timothy 1:7

To give God our best requires steadfast spiritual strength, the human effort of perseverance, resistance, and the ability to say no when everyone else is engaging in worldly pleasures. We pray often to receive Jesus’ Divine Strength and Wisdom through the Holy Spirit, yet, we must exercise the gift of self-control in our daily activities of life.

“Be holy, for I Am Holy.” —1 Peter 1:16

Living holy requires our cooperation with God. We cannot achieve holiness without the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Giving God our best is to have planned times of worship twice daily. Prayer keeps us connected to God, the Source of Power. Studying the Bible is necessary because God communicates His Righteous Character and His expectations of our daily walk with Christ. The Holy Scriptures define living holy.

“My people perish for lack of knowledge.” —Hosea 4:6

The Bible is our Spiritual Guide and Roadmap, preparing us for our reward of eternal life. The Old Testament tells us of the real-life struggles of individuals like Joseph [sold into slavery by his brothers, Elijah [Queen Jezebel seeking to kill him], Queen Esther [boldly entering the King’s presence without an invitation], and Daniel [in the lion’s den]. From the New Testament, we learn Christ’s earthly life and His love, devotion, and obedience to God, His Father.

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness.” —Isaiah 41:10. BSB

Our confidence in God’s Love and Sovereignty gives us strength and the courage to fight the good fight of faith when we face temptation and daunting situations. Giving God our best is placing all of our faith and trust in Him. Knowledge of God’s Divine Character produces obedience in the heart of a true believer who allows the Holy Spirit to convert their hearts.

Give God your best by praying throughout your waking hours, studying the Scriptures, and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you on the Path of Righteousness. Having confidence in God, who will never fail you, requires astute knowledge of His loving character. God has promised to always give us victory when we strive to give Him our best. Sabbath Peace and Blessings!

Lord God, we thank You for Your Divine Love. It is our desire to give You our best. We ask for the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. We pray for a blessing as we celebrate the Sabbath. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

© 2024 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

With Joyful Expectation, Pray, and Wait On God

Trust in the LORD, and do good, dwell in the land, and feed on his faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noon day. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him…” Psalm 37:3-7

God is a Loving Heavenly Father. God is a Promise-keeper. God is All-knowing, which includes our lives from beginning to end. What God is Not, He is not a God of instant gratification, He knows what we need when we need it. God’s ultimate goal is to save our souls by sanctifying us through the Holy Spirit. Therefore He will not bless us with anything that interferes with His promise to give us eternal life.

“Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need.” —Hebrews 4:16

Pray in faith and wait on the Lord. Jesus has invited us to the Throne of Grace to receive His Divine help. God will never fail us. While waiting for our blessings, we should excitedly wait as children anticipating wonderful blessings from the Father above.

Lord, we thank You for Your loving care and faithfulness toward us. We ask for strength as we walk daily in this journey of life. We ask this prayer in your Holy Name, Amen.

© 2024 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

The True Cost and Challenges of Following Jesus

Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional – August 19, 2024

“When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’ ” —Mark 8:34

There is a stark difference between Jesus’ requirements to follow Him and the Compromised Christianity practiced by many of today’s believers. Jesus says that we must deny ourselves, and take up our cross to be His disciple. The life of a true converted believer is not easy. We must relinquish our desires by surrendering ourselves to God daily: “God, not my will, but Your will be done.”

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” —Mark 8:36-37

Pursuing success, financial wealth, relationships, and pleasure has never been included in the spiritual journey of the followers of Christ. Chasing the world’s prosperity and marrying unbelievers is history repeating itself [the days of Noah]. Jesus forewarns us of the consequences of choosing the world, the loss of one’s soul is the loss of the reward of Eternal life.

“…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…” —Joshua 24:15

“In the simplicity of humble faith ask the Lord to open your understanding, that you may discern and appreciate the precious things of His Word. Thus you may grow in grace, grow in simple, trusting faith.” God’s Amazing Grace, EGW

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me.” —John 15:4

“Our Saviour compares Himself to a vine, of which His followers are the branches. He plainly declares that all who would be His disciples must bring forth fruit; and then He shows how they may become fruitful branches.” Reflecting Christ, EGW

“…Be holy, for I Am Holy.” —1 Peter 1:16

Faith, humility, surrender, obedience, much prayer, fasting, and study of the Holy Scriptures along with abandoning all worldly habits, desires, and lifestyles including liaisons with unbelievers are required to follow Christ. Our earthly lives are the only opportunity for our characters, minds, and personalities to be changed into the likeness of Christ.

The human effort of cooperation with God joins us with God’s plan to save our souls. We choose Christ and the Holy Spirit transforms us daily into the likeness of Christ’s Character. Sanctification is evidenced when our desires change and we pursue righteousness. We stop watching, listening, and chasing sinful pleasures, nor do we seek success because Jesus is our First Love.

The believers whose hearts are converted love God and cherish Jesus’ selfless sacrifice on Calvary. We do not have ambivalent feelings over giving up everything for Christ. When we are dedicated followers of Christ, we prepare daily for Kingdom life with our Triumphant King. Reflection: Where do you stand in your relationship with Jesus?

Study Mark chapters 8-10: “…the follower of Jesus—whether the disciples 2,000 years ago or disciples in the twenty-first century— [must prepare daily] for the challenges that come with discipleship.” SSNET

Lord God, we pray for the strength to persevere on this tumultuous journey. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to lead us on the Path of Righteousness. We love You for Your great sacrifice that we have the opportunity to inherit eternal life. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

© 2024 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Need Help? Pray!

Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional – August 12, 2024

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” —Hebrews 4:16

Have you ever needed financial assistance and felt intimidated or anxious just by the thought of asking someone for help? We have a Loving Father God who invites us to pray and ask Him for help. Our prayers receive a Divine Chain Response: We pray and the Holy Spirit takes our prayers to Jesus, our Heavenly Intercessor. Our Triumphant King, Jesus Christ is humanity’s Righteous Mediator.

Yes, we have a Loving Savior, Jesus who receives our prayers and answers them according to His will and our needs. Not only in our challenges do we receive help, but the Holy Spirit also guides us to make the decisions in our day-to-day lives that always end in victory. Put away the fears that keep you from reverently and boldly praying to God, our Heavenly Father for your needs.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” —James 1:17

God reminds us that He is the Giver of all good gifts. From the breath in our bodies to the strength needed to persevere day to day, we receive all from God. Our Father God knows what we need when we need it, yet, He is not intrusive, we must invite Him into our challenges. Put away the doubt that God’s promises are not for you. Anyone who uses their faith and comes to Jesus in prayer always receives His help.

Lord God, we thank You for allowing us to come boldly before the Throne of Grace so we can receive help in our time of need. We ask for a blessing according to Your will. Thank You for hearing and answering our prayer we ask in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.

© Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

Love Empowers Us To Remain Committed to Christ

Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional – August 9, 2024

“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” —1 John 4:16, ESV

“True holiness is wholeness in the service of God. This is the condition of true Christian living. Christ asks for an unreserved consecration, for undivided service. He demands the heart, the mind, the soul, the strength. Self is not to be cherished. He who lives for himself is not a Christian.”

“Love must be the principle of action. Love is the underlying principle of God’s government in heaven and earth, and it must be the foundation of the Christian’s character. This alone can make and keep us steadfast. This alone can enable him to withstand trial and temptation.”

“And love will be revealed in sacrifice. The plan of redemption was laid in sacrifice—a sacrifice so broad and deep and high that it is immeasurable. Christ gave all for us, and those who receive Christ will be ready to sacrifice all for the sake of their Redeemer. The thought of His honor and glory will come before anything else.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 48, 49.

“Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life ” (Revelation 2:10). With courage, we serve God with conviction. Directing our daily thoughts to reflect on the Majesty and the Glory of Jesus’ Holy Name allows the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us with Spiritual Strength. If we are faithful, one day, we will receive the reward of eternal life.

Lord God, we pray for our hearts to be filled with Your love. Give us the strength to sacrifice our all for You as You did for us. In Jesus’ Righteous Name, Amen.

© 2024 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

Achieving Health and Happiness Through Christ

Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional – August 6, 2024

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them…” —Genesis 1:26-28

From studying the Creation Story, we find that Jesus [who created us in His image] desired humanity to exist on an aesthetically pleasing planet. Although the progression of human-made implementations has resulted in much damage and destruction to Planet Earth, God has reserved many areas that human hands cannot touch.

Yes, the universe still displays the breathtaking majesty of Jesus’ Holy Name. Have you ever gazed into the night sky? The moon and the constellations of stars are simply amazing. During the day, the sun’s rays impart energy to all human, animal, and plant life. Yes, we have a beautiful world and would understand God’s loving character if we would explore His handiwork in nature.

The Four Gospels reveal that Jesus used scenic areas to teach the multitudes about the love of God and the plan of salvation. Yet, Jesus often isolated Himself by retreating to mountainous areas to pray for hours and to spend intimate time with God, His Father. We need alone time to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to us through our thoughts to comfort and guide us through life’s journey.

“Mark 6:31-32: After an intense period of ministry, Jesus and his apostles are so busy with people coming and going that they don’t have time to eat. Jesus says, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” They leave by boat for a secluded spot. This is an example of Jesus teaching his disciples the importance of solitude.” Time spent with God alleviates all frustrations and faithlessness.

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life…Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? —Matthew 6:25-26

One can only imagine that it was a wonderful experience for Jesus in His earthly life to enjoy His own creation of the rolling grass, fields of flowers, and the sun in the sky shining its rays of energy on the Son of Righteousness who created the elements. The beauty of nature reveals God’s overwhelming love for humanity and reinforces our faith in Him as a loving Heavenly Father who cares for us.

“The faith which you have [that gives you freedom of choice], have as your own conviction before God [just keep it between yourself and God, seeking His will]. Happy is he who has no reason to condemn himself for what he approves.” —Romans 14:22

Faith in God provides mental, emotional, and spiritual stability. When we use our faith to embrace God’s love, He rewards us with the spiritual gifts of strength, joy, peace, and happiness. Do you have faith? Yes, every human being has received the God-gifted measure of faith. We use our faith to accept Jesus and to believe in the Plan of Redemption and Salvation, yet, many miss out on God’s benevolence by ignoring the benefits of enhancing our health by enjoying the natural environment.

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him…?” —Psalm 8:3-4

The Christian Has Many Sources of Happiness: “THOSE WHO FIND true happiness must have the blessing of Heaven upon all that they possess and all that they do.” EGW

As a former Behavioral Health Nurse, 99% of our patients admitted to the unit were diagnosed with Depression. When we conducted their Intakes, all were “homebound,” not due to physical limitations, they shared the common practice of spending their free time staying in the walls of their homes. Confining oneself indoors impacts all facets of our psyche and damages the structure and function of our physical body.

Going outside to take a walk and looking at the majestic trees and the sky will alleviate many burdens. As we visually take in nature, we can talk to Christ, our Heavenly Intercessor and Best Friend. Nature redirects our focus from problems to God, the Problem Solver. Trade in screen time for 30 minutes of outdoor activity. Even if you live in a bustling city, find a park and listen for the bird’s chirping melodies who praise their Creator throughout the day.

God’s Goal for Our Earthly Lives: “Beloved, I pray that in every way you may prosper and enjoy good health, as your soul also prospers.” —3 John 1:2

Making a change by enjoying the beauty of nature allows our moods to stabilize and our overall health to improve because we behold God’s love for us. Joyful believers embrace the health and happiness that God gives us. Living happily now is possible! Yes, we need innovative technological advancements, but you and I are too distracted by technology! Go outside instead of devoting your life to screen time.

The Change of Our Lives in Heaven: Jesus tells us, “But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection” (Luke 20:35-36). Although we do not know what our lives will be like in the New Heaven and New Earth, one thing is for certain eternal life will not consist of living inside our homes watching screens.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” —John 10:10

The abundant life that Christ refers to is not the worldview of buying temporary earthly trinkets and tangible goods. Our efforts to create a happy and joyful little heaven on earth begin with the knowledge and possession of Christ’s Character: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” —Philippians 4:13

God’s Spirit cannot dwell in us if we are downcast, depressed, anxious, and worried. Exploring and worshiping God in nature will change your behaviors and your perception. God’s magnificent love will permeate your minds, bodies, and souls. Yes, we can enhance our happiness, joy, and contentment by frequently visiting and worshiping God in natural surroundings. Following Christ’s example will allow Him to give us optimal health and happiness.

Daily Affirmation: I am a son or daughter of Jesus, my Triumphant King who loves and died for me, so, I proclaim my love for Him through nature which reveals God’s Agape Love. He is the King of Glory! Give Jesus the praise! Hallelujah and Amen!

Lord God, we thank You for the wonderful gifts of salvation, a beautiful world, and the promise of eternal life. We love You and praise Your Holy Name. In Jesus’ Righteous Name, Amen.

© 2024 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions