Tag: Testimony

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.”

You Are Never Alone

Author, Nicole L. Ross1 Comment

“The Lord was with him…” has been an ongoing theme in my research over the past few weeks.  As I began to meditate more and more about what this really means, I decided to write about.  Saved or not, here is a question I want to ask, do you believe that the Lord is with you? If so, do you believe He’s with you at all times?  What does that mean for you?  Because of the fact that this is something that has come up repeatedly, these are questions I had to seriously sit down and think about.  I do believe and take solace in recognizing God’s presence in my life.  And I believe that He is ever-present at all times, no matter what kind of situation I am in I can say with confidence and peace in my spirit that He is there.  I consider there to be many different answers to that last question, but success and favor are two that immediately come to mind.  Now, when I looked up the word favor, it says an attitude of approval or liking and to show approval and preference for.  Achievement, victory, accomplishment and triumph are a few words synonymous with success.  So based on my response and the definitions listed below, I think it is safe to say that if the Lord is with you at all times, success and favor are bound to be with you as well.  But let’s pause for a minute, what about trials and tribulations?  If you have trials and tribulations, any unwanted obstacles, situations or circumstances does that mean that God isn’t with you?  Absolutely not.

God being with us is a marvelous thing, and according to His word, He is most certainly with us at all times.  This doesn’t mean however, that everything will always be terrific or that there won’t be any difficulties that you have to overcome.  What you have to understand is that no matter how tough or bad it may feel, every time you come up against a hurdle, once you jump over it will actually push you even further towards success, if and only if you allow it to.  Remember, not only is the teacher quiet during a test, but the teacher is right there the entire time overlooking the class to make sure everything is done the right way.  Now let me add this food for thought… many people think that when they are going through a test in life, God is trying to teach them something. Not so my friends! A good teacher does not use a test to teach you something. The test measures what you already know.

Success is a state of mind.  So as you take the good with the bad, trusting and holding on to the fact that God is with you in all things will enable you to walk lucratively, with your head held high no matter what.  God wants His children to be successful, victorious, triumphant, etc.  It is just a process that we must go through to get there.  #iDeclare #youareneveralone

footprints-in-the-sand

Prayer:

Father God in the name of Jesus, I come thanking you for your presence in my life.  Thank you for allowing me to understand that just as you were with the men and women in the bible you are with me.  I decree and declare that I will walk in the success and favor that comes with your presence in my life and that no situation (positive or negative) will change that.  I thank you Lord for working everything together for my good and for Your glory. Please help me to pass and every test that comes my way.  Failure is not an option.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Scripture Reference:

Genesis 39:2 KJV “And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.”

James 1:2-4 NLT “Dear brothers and sisters,when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”