Tag: Joy

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

Are You Thriving? Peace, Joy, and Happiness are God’s Gifts

Are you Thriving? Peace, Joy, and Happiness are God’s Gifts Devotional Reading and Podcast

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” –3 John 1:2

With the escalation of sinful worldviews and the decline of morals and values, the life of a follower of Christ may portray one that consists of only a few friends or even isolation. Many believers are living a life without any close friends. Even those who routinely attend church may feel lonely. Yes, good friends are a rare find.

Still, we have options! Do not trade in your gifts of peace, joy, and happiness for discouragement and depression. There are positive changes we can make to ensure that we grow spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.

Best Philosophies– Be content with what you have. Be willing to learn, and frequently ask yourself, What if I’m wrong? Get involved in church outreach ministries.

Best Character Traits–Love God, Love others, Laughter, Humility, Kindness, Gratitude, Forgiveness, and Help those in need.

Best Relationship–Jesus Christ is our Savior, but He also desires to be our Best Friend. Get to know Jesus by reading the Gospels–Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. A heart full of Love and forming the habit of frequent Communication is the foundation for building a forever bond with Christ.

Pray several times [whether you choose short or long prayers] throughout the day and evening bringing the power and presence of the Holy Spirit into your life. Prayer is simply talking to God. No one has to teach us how to pray! Strive to become a Man or Woman of God!

“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

Fruitful Habits

Pray—The Holy Spirit provides guidance, discernment, wisdom, and strength. Every day study the Bible and pray to receive restoration from the Holy Spirit.

Purpose—Utilize your Spiritual Gifts and Creativity to witness the love of Jesus. Volunteer at a homeless shelter, food pantry, community center, or church. Offer to teach others creative skills. You are called to reach out to desperate people living in desperate times.

Patience—Develop an Intentional Mindset to stop a spirit of annoyance or impatience. Practice Self-Control to change your inherited or learned behaviors that are not in sync with the Fruit of the Spirit. Present your dreams and goals to God and wait for His answer. If you need help with patience, God has a proven method of teaching us how to wait.

Perseverance—Build your Spiritual Strength and Endurance by learning how to apply the lessons learned from Biblical characters. God’s promises are still valid today. The righteous are the recipients of those many promises of blessings and protection. Spiritual Transformation can only occur when there is a union of Human Effort and Divine Intervention

Increasing Physical Strength–Move your muscles by exercising at least 3-4 times a week. Walking is not only excellent for muscle tone, but it also improves cardiac-respiratory function and produces hormones that combat discouragement and depression.

Going Solo is a way of life that many choose to embrace. Incorporate some fun into your life. Take day trips, travel, nature outings, boat rides, craft classes, and many other options are available. Get out of the house! Explore the beauty of our earth.

The well-kept secret? God created us to live happy, healthy lives despite the condition of our world. The good wishes in the letter to the Elder regarding prospering are not referencing financial wealth. Do not let your desires or emotions prevent you from prospering in the peace, joy, and happiness that is part of God’s original plan for humanity. The righteous have a Father who has promised to be with us even until the end of the world.

“For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.” –1 Corinthians 15:53, NLT

We are sojourners living in a temporary earthly home. Our character is the only thing we will take to heaven. Joy, peace, and happiness are gifts from God. Do not live a miserable life on this earth! It will be a hindrance to receiving your heavenly reward. Remember you are the only person who can keep you from living your best [earthly and heavenly] life!

Prayer: Lord, we pray for the restoration of our peace, joy, and happiness. Help us to have a heart filled with gratitude. Because of Your great sacrifice, we can live with You eternally, if we so choose. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

© 2023 Steps2successwithspiritualsolutions

Enjoy the Here and Now

SHOUT the Cry of Victory 30 Days of Prayer Day 25–Preparing for Eternal Life One Day at a Time

The Lord cares about our lives now; He wants the best for us now.

In reading the story of Creation following the completion of days 1-5, we are told, “and God saw that it was good.” But on day 6, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” In Genesis 1:31, it is evident that God was abundantly happy and well-pleased with the final results of our earthly home. Only who would enjoy this more than wonderful place?

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Genesis 1:26-27.

Although our earth is no longer a Garden of Eden, we are constantly reminded of God’s love of aesthetic beauty and tranquility. We can explore the endless boundaries of the geographical phenomenon of nature. The plant and animal kingdoms were created for humanity. Only the human body, which is fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God, places one in awe over the earthly home that the Master Designer lovingly gifted to us.

The kingdom Plantae includes organisms that range in size from tiny mosses to giant trees. https://www.britannica.com/plant/plant/Definition-of-the-kingdom. The foliage, species of flowers, the grassy coverings, most trees, and the vast majority of plants belong to this category, shrubs, vines, flowers, fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

Does God want us to enjoy our lives? Yes, He does! We are made in His image with the ability to utilize five [highly complex] senses to appreciate our earthly home. The animal kingdom includes all species of mammals, reptiles, birds, insects, and more. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. Genesis 1:29. We have the blueprint for the original diet, which provides a variety of healing nutrients.

So why aren’t we enjoying the here and now? We have become addicted to our home environment fixated on virtual technology. The hoarding of material possessions has nearly wrecked our sanity. We worry about money, careers, the opinion of others, success, etc. The statistics of Mental illness has far surpassed the COVID-19 pandemic–970 million people have a mental illness or substance abuse problems. We are taking a pill to function in every aspect of our lives, and Big PHARM is well-pleased.

You may not agree with my statements. However, I worked as a Behavioral Health nurse for many years. The Intake Assessment of 99% of patients with mental health disorders including morbid obesity revealed that they rarely enjoyed the benefits of nature or outdoor activities. Anxiety, depression, food and substance abuse addictions, and a variety of mental health challenges would improve with the adjunct therapy of time spent in nature.

It is time to challenge and change our current lifestyles. Get out of your indoor home and explore your outdoor home. God has provided everything that we need to enjoy our lives. We have God’s promises that He will supply all of our needs. “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?'” Matthew 6:31. Simplify your life by eliminating the toxic people, counterproductive places, and the overabundance of things [inanimate objects] that leave us empty, and always provoke the desire to have more.

Human Effort + Divine Intervention = A Victorious Outlook and Outcome

“We must live a twofold life—a life of thought and action, of silent prayer and earnest work. The strength received through communion with God, united with earnest effort in training the mind to thoughtfulness and caretaking, prepares one for daily duties and keeps the spirit in peace under all circumstances, however trying.”― Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing

Prayer: Please, help us, Lord, to have eyes to see and hearts to believe. Give us the strength to discard unhealthy habits and to live with a spirit of gratitude. We ask this prayer in the Worthy name of Jesus. Amen. © 2021 Sonya Johnson