Tag: devotional

If You Made It, They Can Too!

Author, Nicole L. RossLeave a comment

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If You made it, they can too!

Do not ever be ashamed of who you are, where you are from or what you have been through.  Everybody has a story, and that story is what makes each person unique and an individual.  Sometimes we may feel as though we do not want to share our story, not realizing that your story could help someone else.  In all honesty, what you went through in life is for someone else.  The storms in life, trials and tribulations we face are only temporary.  Once they are over we move forward and by sharing we help someone else move forward.

The bible declares that we overcome by the blood and of the lamb and the word of our testimony.  This means that if we are to truly be victorious and overcome the troubles of life, we have to share our testimony with others.  I believe that God showed me this a while ago when I was at a very dark place in life.  It seemed as though hardship and suffering lived on my doorstep and I really did not know how I was going to make it through. It was by the grace of God that I did.  Surprisingly to me however, when I did almost immediately He began to send people to me that were going through the same things I had been through.  People I didn’t even really know very well or who I had only spoken with maybe once or twice, basically complete strangers.  They would always say that for some reason they felt compelled to talk to me.  This is when I knew that what I had been through was not just for me.  The pain and hurt that I endured was a tool He wanted me to use for ministry.  Who better to encourage than people who I could relate to?  People who I understood their story, because it was so similar to mine.  I quickly learned that when dealt with the right way, in the end these encounters were for my good but more so for His glory.

Another side of this issue is that far too many people expend tremendous energy to hide their pain, health problems or troubles just to function in this world.  Why this is so, I don’t know.  In my opinion, either they are ashamed or don’t feel strong enough to be honest or maybe a little or both.  Bottom line, you simply never know what someone is going through.  Some people wear their hard times on their shoulders and want to complain and tell the whole world about it, but a lot of people do not.  Think about this the next time you are ready to laugh or point the finger at someone.  Instead, make a decision to be kind cause truth be told we are all fighting some kind of battle.

The highs and lows, ups and downs should all be considered a beautiful thing.  Life may not be perfect, but it is beautiful.  Life is not fair, but God is.  A lot of people say they want to be used by God, and here is a perfect way to do so.  The next time someone comes to you broken, be the glue to help them get it back together by being transparent and showing compassion.  Often we are quick to share the good, now let’s really make the devil mad and flip the script a little.  As you encourage people, let them know that if you made it, they can too. #iDeclare #IfYouMadeItTheyCanToo

 

Prayer:

Father God in the name of Jesus, I thank you for my story.  Although there are times when I did not understand nor enjoy what I had to endure, I now understand that it was all for my good and for your glory.  I decree and declare that I will use my life as a ministry to help uplift the Kingdom of God.  I will not be ashamed of who I am, where I am from or what I have been through.  In Jesus name, Amen.

 

Scripture Reference:

Revelation 12:11 KJV “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

Mark 5:19 ESV “And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

Is It Possible to Trust, Even When You Don’t Understand?

Author, Nicole L. RossLeave a comment

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 Is it possible to trust, even when you do not understand?  The initial response for most people would be no.  We have a tendency to want to know everything before the word trust can be applied, when in actuality there are a lot of areas in our everyday life where we trust and have no clear understanding at all.  For instance, we get into our car everyday and drive it, not understanding how everything under the hood works.  We trust the car enough to get in and go so we can reach our destination.  This same theory is true for when you sit down on a chair.  You may not understand what the chair is made of or how it was constructed, but you trust it enough to sit down on it in hopes that it will hold you up and keep you off the ground.  The second trust is broken it is very, very hard to get back. It’s like a crisp clean sheet of paper.  Once that paper is crumbled up, it is close to impossible to ever get it back to that same crisp sheet it once was.

Taking all of this into consideration, why is it so hard then to trust the one who created all things?  Why are we hesitant to trust the one who formed heaven and earth, trees, cars, chairs and even humans?  In my opinion people have such a hard time trusting God because a lot of times they cannot comprehend or understand what He is doing.  We trust the chair, even though we’ve seen it fall on the ground several times.  Yet, God has never ever failed us and our trust in Him does not come quite as easy.  If nothing else, look at His track record.  It’s solid.  Every time you have been through a storm in life you have come out victorious.  In spite of every storm, heartache, pain or disappointment, by the grace of God you made it through.

In Isaiah 55, the Lord declares that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.  In essence that means there are going to be quite a few things we do not understand in this life.  Never let your inability to understand turn into distrust and you trying to take matters into your own hands.  Love is trust and if we really love God like we say we do, then we must trust His plan even when we don’t understand.  Trust that you are where God intended for you to be at this very moment.  Every experience, good or bad, is all apart of His divine plan for your life.  Planning and preparation are good, but doing so without the peace of God is not.  In other words, when you make your plans, if those plans do not go quite as you intended you should still have peace and know that it’s going just the way God intended for it to.

You may not understand what is happening in your life.  It may be craziness all around you.  It is times like these where your declaration of trust is put to the test.  You say you trust God, but do you really?  Your lights have been cut off, it’s the weekend and you know you paid your bill.  Do you trust Him?  You go to work early, stay late and have excellent reports from your superiors yet they give the promotion to someone else.  Do you still trust Him?  You lose your spouse then two days later your parent or sibling.  Do you still trust?  These are all situations that if you haven’t already had to deal with, it could come knocking at your door any day.  Will the love you have for God and the trust you talk about rise to the occasion?  Is it possible to trust even when you do not understand?  Absolutely.  You just have to have an intimate relationship with your creator so if and when the time does come, you can rely on His strength inside of you to make it through and not your own. I challenge all of my readers to make a choice.  Decide today that you will trust God no matter what.  When you do, you will have a quiet confidence and peace about all things.  #iDeclare #IsItPossibleToTrustEvenWhenYouDoNotUnderstand?

Prayer:

Father God in the name of Jesus, please help me to trust you at all times.  I need your help Lord because there are times when I do not understand what is going on, but I do not want that to pull me away from you.  I decree and declare that the spirit of God inside of me will rise and give me strength in times of uncertainty.  I will trust in the Lord until the day I leave this earth and join You in Heaven.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

Scripture Reference:

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV “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.”

Isaiah 55:8 NIV “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.”

Jeremiah 17:5-9 NIV “This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” The heart is deceitful above all things  and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

Blood is Thicker Than Water…Or Is It???

Author, Nicole L. RossLeave a comment

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Growing up, I’ve always had a very tight-knit and close family.  My mother has seven siblings, all of whom live in the same city.  Holidays, birthdays, graduations, any type of celebration you can think of was always such a big event within our family because we all came together to show love and have a good time.  To this very day, my family is still extremely close and I wouldn’t trade any of them for the world.  That being said, I have also come to learn that not everybody’s family is like mine.  Some people don’t have close relationships with their parents, siblings, aunts, uncles or cousins.  Some people come from a small family and most of them have passed away.  Whatever the structure is, all families are different which got me to thinking about the phrase “blood is thicker than water”.  What that has always meant to me is that family sticks together and you never let someone who is not apart of the family come in and tear it apart.  Ok, this sounds good in theory, but truth is some people who may not be your blood will treat you better and love you more than any blood relative you have.

Family is not always blood. True family is those individuals in your life who want you in theirs, the ones who accept you for who you are.  The ones who would do anything just to put a smile on your face and who love you no matter what.  If you have people who God has placed in your life who may not be related to you, but who are concerned about your well-being and who have welcomed you into their life with open arms, embrace it.  If they love on you and treat you with sincere compassion and kindness, thank God for them. These people are what I like to call divine connections and they are heaven sent by God to show you just how much He cares for you.

I consider myself blessed because I have the best of both worlds.  A loving, fun, down to earth family who I know only want what’s best for me and has my back no matter what.  And I also have a few people in my life who I know have been sent as divine connections, to further exemplify the love that God has for me.   God shows His love to us in so many amazing ways.  Yes, He provides the physical needs in our life such as food, shelter, clothes, etc.  But it’s the other small things that we sometimes take for granted such as relationships that He is also concerned with. Some people will hurt you, but we must remember that not everyone is like that.  There are a few people who God will send your way just to bless you.  They will always encourage, lift up and support you in such a way that you know it’s nobody but God.

Thank God for your family, those who are blood relatives and those who are not.  Either way you look at it, there will always be a select group of people you hold near and dear to your heart.  Keep it that way.  These are the people who are going to make this journey called life a lot more endurable.  So the phrase “blood is thicker than water” may or may not always be the case.  The reality is, it does not matter.  Stick with those who are for you.  Who have your best interest at heart.  And who are overall concerned about your well-being.  Anyone who does not meet the required criteria, relative or not, do not deserve a place in your life.  #iDeclare #BloodIsThickerThanWater…OrIsIt???

 letstalkaboutlife365.com(familylove)

Prayer:

Father God, in the name of Jesus. I thank you for my family and I thank you for the divine connections you have placed in my life.  I decree and declare that only those who are for me will earn a spot in my life.  I ask that You would use me to bless other people’s life, the same way you have sent them to bless mine.  I honor you and thank you for caring about the small things in life, such as relationships and blessing me with people who love and care for me with a sincere heart.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

Scripture Reference:

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”