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3 Ways to Keep God’s Word Close

We are very fortunate in this century to have the Word of God so near to us. The Word is near us in terms of accessibility. The Word can be in hard copy; in audio or video formats; on television; on the internet; on your cell phone, e-reader, or computer. There are also different translations available to study from. Compared to the biblical times when the Word of God was read at specified times when the people of God gathered, we have it available at all times. The nearness of the Word of God leaves us with no reason for not knowing it.

Unfortunately, sometimes we become distracted with life and don’t keep God’s word as close to us as we should. However, Deuteronomy 30:14 offers us some insight on how to keep the Word near to us.

1. READ THE WORD

At home, early in the morning, in the afternoon, late a night, anytime or anywhere we can read the word. I usually read in the early morning and prayer before breakfast. While driving to work, I may listen to a sermon or I pray the scriptures I read earlier that morning. Depending on the activity of the day, I may be able to slip in a short message or read. At night l enjoy having a cup of tea J and reading either a book or the Bible just before sleeping. Other times, while doing other tasks I would listen to the Bible on my Blackberry using You Version – it’s a great tool.

2. SPEAK THE WORD

If you know the Word you will speak it. I would purposely make an effort to repeat certain scriptures I read as go through the day. During prayer, I would confess in faith specific scriptures I have written out. I have seen the Lord faithfully honor these promises that I have held to. If we take God’s instruction, the word of God should constantly be in our mouth. We should be talking about the Word morning, noon and night; when we lay down to rest and when you get up (Deuteronomy 6:7; 11:19). As we do this we are not only edifying ourselves but we are teaching our children.

3. THINK THE WORD

If you are constantly speaking the word – whether in prayer, in daily conversation with friends of family, occasionally meditating on it throughout your day – then it becomes embedded in your mind and heart. You would be thinking on good, lovely, profitable, wonderful thoughts because the Word is of God and God is good. This for sure will help to erase negatively from your thinking. You will grow from grace to grace and see life from God’s perspective and not the world’s.

LIVE OUT LOUD THE WORD

Once you’ve got the Word in you – mouth, mind and heart – you will know God’s desire and you will act in a way that pleases Him. When you walk in obedience to His Word, then you will see God’s many blessings in your life (Deuteronomy 28: 1-14). When you keep His Word, your soul will prosper and so will all other areas of your life (3 John 1:2).

Therefore, keep the Word of God near to you always and treasure them more than your necessary food (Job 23:12).

What do you do to keep the Word of God close to you? Share and encourage someone.

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Insatiable Desire? God Satisfies!

2 Comments / Spiritual Success

Sometimes, I like to watch home design shows. I like to see the transformation from old and dated to the new and sleek designs. While watching, I’ve come to realize how unsatisfied, discontented and unhappy people can be. We always want more.

Have you ever realized that people never seem to be satisfied? If we have a great job, we want a better one. If we are small business owners, we want a large corporation. If we have a house, we want a bigger one in a more upscale community. If we have a car, we want a newer one. As for electronics, what we have today does not suffice for tomorrow.

Our lists of wants grow more and more each day. No matter what we have, we want for more, we want better. We are always wishing and striving something more. Even if we have learned to be happy or content with what we have, society bombards us (television, radio, internet, magazines), vying for our attention, trying to convince us that we need more!

Although there isn’t anything inherently wrong in trying to improve or to achieve something better, there is danger in focusing on these things too much. You can become distracted from your God-given purpose. You are not here just to gain and keep all for yourself. You have an eternal purpose. Your first priority is to know God for yourself – daily seeking after Him and doing what pleases Him (Matthew 6:33). Then, you should make Him known within your sphere of influence using the uniqueness of you (Matthew 28:19-20).

Sometimes, the seeking after things is an indication of your desire for something more. No one can ever be fully satisfied until he knows Jesus and has a personal relationship with Him. I’ve heard it said that sometimes the things you desire or long for can lead you to God – to the very Source of whatever you are seeking. God calls out to us many times even in the midst of our seeking things to come to Him (Isaiah 55:1-2). He is the only one who can truly fill our deepest longing – to know our Maker and to worship Him.

Is there something you are trying to achieve that consumes you so much that you don’t have time to connect to God? Are you seeking after everything but the righteousness of God? Or do you long for more of God but instead find yourself going after other things?

The reassurance you have is that God knows your needs and desires and He is able to provide them. All He asks of you is that you make Him your priority. He wants you to first love Him and seek after Him and walk in righteousness. As you do this daily, your heavenly Father will not only provide your needs but will also grant you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).

Today, long for God. Have a desire for God and not for the things that will never satisfy. God is able to satisfy you.

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Courage in the Face of Fear

Spiritual Success, Success Keys

“Be strong, be courageous!” It’s a phrase that you often hear but when you are going through a challenging situation, finding that courage is tough at times. But really, what is courage? Courage is fighting through fear. It’s the grace to keep going forward when all else is against you. It’s the ability to keep moving forward when you feel pressed and you’d rather retreat or to stay where you are.

At times I have wondered how people like Moses fought for the freedom of the Israelites. Or how the New Testament church stood strong when persecuted and some were even killed for the sake of the gospel? What about those who fought for their freedom and rights during the civil rights movement? I could keep asking about others but I am not here to raise issues about anyone rights. I am here to ask this: How do you make it through life’s battles when fear seems so strong and overwhelming?

Recently, while watching a movie (a rare occasion for me) I thought about this and realized that people fought through fear and stood their ground for what their believed in dangerous and threatening times. One thing they all had in common was courage. But how did that courage come? That common thread of courage wasn’t based on self confidence. The recounts of history through books, movies and other types of media show where this courage originated from. These people who stood for righteousness and fought for justice knew the word of God. They put their trust in God.

When Joshua took over the leadership of Israel – God commanded him to be strong and to be courageous. Why? The responsibility before him was not short of daunting. He was about to lead Israel into many battles before they could receive their inheritance. God knew he needed the Word to get him through the battles ahead.

I don’t know what battles you are facing today or what fears the enemy use to intimidate you but you know that you need to forge ahead to win the battle. When you face battles in life – whether personal or on behalf of others – fear can rise up in your heart. But God says to those who are His – be strong and be courageous.

Throughout scripture God commands us not to be afraid. In Joshua 1, God gives us the success key for any battle. He points us to His word – to mediate on the word of God, to speak what God’s word says over our lives and over our battles and to “live out loud” a life pleasing to God. God has promised us that through total reliance His word, we have the ability to be prosperous in life and to be successful in all we do. When we rely on the Word it gives us the ability to move from fear to courage because we are not focusing on ourselves but on the ability and availability of our God to fight for us.

In the midst of your battles, rest in this Word and obey God’s command to be strong and be courageous. Use the Word, use the power that God has given you and you will win every battle.

Be strong and be courageous.

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Ask & Be Joyful

4 Comments / Spiritual Success

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It is often said that if you don’t ask you don’t know or if you don’t ask you won’t get. That is so true whether you are asking a friend, a stranger or God.

Jesus says in John 16:23b -24 (NKJV), “… Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

So, now let me ask you, what is it that will make you happy or cause you to rejoice in God? What would light up your world? Maybe I can ask you a different way: What is it that you deeply long for?

Have you asked God for it? Or have you failed to ask God for it? Maybe you do ask but not consistently or persistently. Or have you decided not to bother God with your request because you don’t believe God will give you?

This scripture really speaks to me and hopefully to you. Whatever you ask God – your Heavenly Father – in the name of Jesus (using His authority as the great I AM), God will do it. It is as simple as that.

Ask and you will receive that your joy would be full and complete. God – the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit – all want you be happy, all want you to be full of joy.

Sometimes we can often complicate matters with our “logical” thinking. But we should take God’s word as truth and go to Him asking with the heart attitude of a child. To ask implies that you have an expectation to receive – just like any little child. The instruction is very clear – ASK. The result is guaranteed – YOU WILL RECEIVE. The why is evident – THAT YOU WILL BE JOYFUL.

Look at it another way. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked this question to Bartemeus (Mark 9) and now He’s asking you. Bartemeus asked Jesus for the one think that would make his life better, fuller, happier – to be able to see. What about you? What’s that one thing or those few changes that you need Jesus to do?

Think about it. Then ASK and keep on asking until you receive. Then rejoice in Him.

So, what are you asking God for?

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Believe God

Spiritual Success

I have often heard people say, “I believe God,” or “I’m believing God for a breakthrough.” The question is: Do we really believe God?

In Mark 9:17-29 when Jesus delivered the man’s son from the deaf and dumb spirit, Jesus said, “If you can believe all things are possible to him who believes.” It sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Yet it is a hard saying for most of us. This father, as much as he wanted his son to be well, as much as he believed Jesus could help him, still had some lingering doubts (Mark 9:22, 24). The doubts were so probing that he asked Jesus to help him overcome his unbelief.

As we read the conversation Jesus had with Martha prior to calling Lazarus back to life, He focuses on believing (John 11:17-41). Although Jesus asked Martha if she believed He was the Resurrection and the Life and that all who believe in Him will never die, her response wasn’t direct. Her positive answer was qualified,“Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world” (John 11:27 NKJV). Somewhere there was a hint of unbelief in Martha. As they went to the tomb and Jesus requested the stone to be rolled away, Martha raises an objection to this (John 11:39). Martha still didn’t realize that Jesus intended for Lazarus to come alive then and that He was the Resurrection and the Life through whom all men will live now and eternally. Jesus again reiterated the need to believe, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

When we believe God all things – everything – will be possible for us. When we believe God, we will see His glory in our lives. Our faith in God is directly related to the success and triumphs in our lives. The extent to which we believe God determines the miracle we receive. If you believe God and His ability to heal you, to give you success in all you do, to provide for you, to help you do anything, then indeed nothing will be impossible for you.

Jesus is challenging us to believe Him and not the negative things we see happening in our lives. Unbelief lurks when we put our focus on the problem and not on God and His power to save, to heal, to deliver, to provide and to make the seemingly impossible possible. Unbelief comes if our focus is off base – when we focus on the problem and become overwhelmed, when we take the ill advice of well-meaning others that is against God’s will or when our negative self talk bombard us. Whatever you focus on the most, you believe the most and you receive also. So it benefits us to purposely focus on God, His promises (the Word) and His power to make all “impossibilities” happen.

At all times, let’s BELIEVE GOD.

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