Draw Me Close..

My encouragement to you this week is to work to draw closer to God. We ask so much from God but it's important to have a relationship with God. Let God recognize who you are by drawing closer to God every day! God will always be faithful to those who are faithful to Him.

Into your arms, I'm drawing near again, To dwell with you is my only heart's desire. Draw me close, closer than before, closer than I ever been. 

These are lyrics from William McDowell from His song Closer/Wrap Me in Your Arms. The lyrics in the song say exactly where our hearts should be directed. We should all want to dwell with God. No, I don't mean in the after life but to dwell in His spirit. Feeling that closeness to God. Knowing that He is near. We must make effort to be with God daily. Work to draw closer to God. I don't mean make some great effort but simply giving God some time. Wake up fifteen minutes earlier maybe and pray. Take 5 minutes some time in the day to thank and praise God. Open the Bible maybe before the day and at night. The little things you can do to draw closer to God. It doesn't take a crazy effort but it is a necessary thing to do. Drawing close to God gives us so much hope for our troubles. We know that our faithfulness to Him will NEVER be in vain. Not that God is a genie. But even the peace in a tough situation that is not getting better is something we can thank God for and understand better when we draw close to God.

We always are asking so much from God. We always want God to work on our behalf and that is great. But is God our first and last choice? Or just a last resort? God should always be our first and last choice. Period. But as I said, we keep looking to ask God for something. We have wants and needs from God. And God knows that. he is our source of happiness. But I tell you that it is important you get to know God. You have get to know who God is and who He is to you. Have a real relationship with God. Inform yourself of who He is through prayer and reading the word. Next put what you learn in application. If you have to learn to forgive because God forgives, do it. Learn it now. Lastly, get intimate with God. Pray and pray some more

Purpose! Let God Move Yours

My encouragement to you this week is to live each day with purpose! Live with goals in mind, passion in your heart. Give God your plans and strive to them. Don't let obstacles allow you to quit. Or you'll never see God's faithfulness work for you. You are chosen. You are special. Get what's yours!

Live with some purpose. What is the definition of purpose? 1. the reason for which something exists or is done, made,used,etc. 2. an intended or desired result; end; aim; goal.  So what is your aim or desired result for yourself today? This week? This year? What do you want to see change for yourself? What gives your purpose to exist? We have to own these things! Have a goal in mind daily that you want to see accomplished. Be proactive about it. Place some passion into this goal. If you want to see your deepest desires come into fruition, you are going to have to sweat! And be OK with that. Be OK with having to work hard. Be OK with being that much closer to your goal.

Please make sure you give God your plans! Tell God what you want no matter how absurd it may sound to the world. Give it to God and He will give you the direction you need. He will open doors that no man can shut. He will make a way. He is a keeper! He is the keeper that will never fail you. Give your plans to God! Give God all of the glory! Give Him the praise because He will come through!! Keep praying. Don't let yourself be discouraged by obstacles. Those are going to happen. Period. There will be all types of obstacles to impede you and tell you that you are a fool for praying and believing something will change. DON'T GIVE UP. Quitting is for people who don't understand God will get you through. Job lost everything in days! Still knew not to quit on God. You don't either. Obstacles will come. It really sucks too. I know because it happens to me but I know God is amazing! Trust in God and keep heading forward to your goal!

You are Chosen by God. God wanted you. God wants you to be happy. God wants you to be successful. God wants you to experience peace. You are special to God. That doesn't mean that you'll have an easy route there but I promise you'll get there. Get what's yours! Get what you came for. Don't let yourself be beaten into submission. You will cry, sweat, hurt but you will get there. Live with purpose. Move with some passion in your heart. Push yourself..Be Blessed..

God's Strength, Your Strength....Victory!

My encouragement to you this week is to let God push and build the strength within you. You have the power to overcome a lot! Push yourself. Ask God to use your strength and add His strength. Keep praying and never stop going! You will struggle but you have the strength to overcome.

"My God is so big, so strong and so mighty. There's nothing. my God cannot do" This was part of one of the first songs I ever learned as a child in church. It was just a song to me then and now as I reflect on it, it is a message I realize more and more each day. My God is big, mighty, and strong. He has strong shoulders that can carry any load that I am putting on Him! I trust God to carry my burdens. i trust God to be all of my strength and all of my help. But do I trust the strength inside me? I know that my strength does not parallel God, but there is a strength in me that God put there! I am not weak. Through Him who lives in me there is great strength! There is great strength in me! There is great strength in all of us! We are chosen by God to be made for struggle.

God has placed some strength in all of us that we don't realize until it is really time to put it to work! There are some of us who feel like we are incapable of so much on our own. That is not true. Yes, we turn to God but God put a strength  and ability in all of us! Not in some people. You think that you have to run to others to always get you through but God didn't design you to always look to other's strength! He put something in you! Use what God has put in you. You have the strength and power to overcome so much if you are willing to try. Push yourself! How will you know what you are capable of doing when you are always placing limits on yourself? How can you know that God is with you and will help you when you are always quitting at the first sign of trouble? Find your strength in the Lord! Remember God does not fail! God will not use this opportunity to fail you. Draw your strength from knowing that God is not a failure! There has never been a fight God has lost!

Ask God for His strength to add on to yours. Believe me, I know it can get so hard to be in good spirits in the midst of trial. Just trying to be in good spirits can be so draining. It can be so physically exhausting. It can be so emotionally exhausting. Crying all the time. The pain never stops. Please Saint, hold on! God is going to pull you through. Push yourself as tiring as it's already been. Do it! You have to win this fight. You cannot afford to lose. Find the strength in you Saint! Ask God to be all your strength when yours runs faint. God is going to handle it. Keep praying about it! Get on your knees and cry out to God. God will listen. He will not turn His face from you! This will be a struggle but you can handle it. You can do it! You have the greatest help you will ever need. Use God! Dig deep and get the strength in you!..Be Blessed..

God Won't Fail You!

My encouragement to you this week is remain encouraged no matter how it looks until your miracle arrives!  Don't you dare lose hope in God. God has never failed you and He isn't going to now! It hurts but trust He will step in on time. He will keep His promises to you. KEEP PRAYING and KEEP TRYING! God will make a way!

Your miracle is on the way! Your day of peace is on its way. I know what it feels like. I know the thoughts that go through all of our heads. I have bee so discouraged again, again, and again about some thing that hasn't happened for me yet. I think the thoughts like, " what happened to my life?' "This is it for me. I'm not going to make it through this. "Maybe this is what my life will always be like." THEN after I come out of my troubles, I ask myself, "How in the heck did I start doubting God's power and God's promises for me?" God has NEVER failed me! God will never fail me! What ever I am going through now, God won't fail me on this one! Some of us have been dealing with the pain for weeks, months, and year but BUT I am telling you DO  NOT give up! You had better not!

   I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? (Psalm 121:1-2)

 God is all of our help! We have all suffered setbacks in our lives. In this time of uncertainty,  our personal struggles can bring fear and doubt into our lives.  It is hard enough to survive much less have any hope for the future. But God is our help! All of our help hat we will ever need. God's promises are real. Marianne Lord says this, "God always has  a plan.  For believers, whether you are experiencing a time of peace in your life or enduring the heat of a painful struggle, you have the assurance of knowing that all things are being directed by the hand of God.  When it seems as though you are being defeated, it just means that your victory is near.  There is nothing to fear in any battle  for the war of life has already been won at the cross!  Never surrender to him what Christ has paid a price to give you!" I know it hurts. The pain may seem almost unbearable. But please hold on to you faith. If you are willing to struggle and endure, this means you are willing to be saved! Tears will be shed. Days of pains will happen. But I promise you God will give you a little something daily if you are willing to hang on to him. God is working on it. Open your heart to see God work. Your battles are not yours to fight when you surrender them to Christ.  Whatever valley of despair you may be in right now, remember that it is not your permanent location. This won't always be your life! Things will change! Yes, it's been a long time but this won't be your forever! God promises you that!

Isaiah 58:11  The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.

You must keep trying to get your life together. God is a powerful Savior and He can turn it around in a second. But I ask you to get trying. You will have setback after setback. Yes, I said it. I am not going to lie to you. It will happen maybe once or a few times. You have to keep a positive attitude.  People with positive attitudes see setbacks for what they really are. When you have a setback, it’s not a brick wall that must be climbed. You’ve merely met a gate; it may delay you for a second, but if you open that gate and move through it, you’ll soon be on your way. Believe in God and I promise you, though yo may struggle, you'll get there. Next thing, get a plan for what you want to happen for yourself. How can you want a victory but not have a clue to get your victory? Sometimes it is out your hands but you have an idea of what you want your life to be. Even if your plan is only prayer because that's all you can do, have a plan! But for some of us who aren't willing to take control, you have got to get off your butt! Yes, God's plan will be the plan that happens at the end but present what you want and how you plan to get there and let God order your steps. Lastly, believe in yourself. Believe in the power of God. But push yourself. Please push. Believe in yourself that this will happen for you! This is going to happen. Pray!Pray! Pray! Believe in God! Believe in you! God won't fail you! Be Blessed!