Guard Your Heart and Mind

 “Above all else, guard your heart,

for everything you do flows from it.”

Proverbs 4:23

“ Just as there are certain chemicals, hormones, and bacteria in our foods that can build up in our bodies and be harmful, there are all kinds of toxic thoughts—bitter, cynical, negative thoughts—that can build up in your mind and do great damage. They become part of who you are. That’s why the Scripture says to make guarding your heart and mind a top priority. If you’ve allowed those thoughts to take root, they will poison your future and sour your relationships.

It’s important that you cleanse your mind of the bitterness, the low self-esteem, the negative words spoken over you, the condemnation from past mistakes, and the discouragement that’s trying to become a part of you. You have to make a decision, rather than dwelling on those thoughts, you will dwell on what God says about you. If you keep your mind filled with thoughts of hope and faith, those toxic thoughts will grow weaker, and before long they won’t have any effect on you.”

~ Joel Osteen Devotional

God’s Grace

 “Grace and peace to you from 

God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 1:7

“What is the grace of God? Simply put it is God's favor and kindness toward us. God rains down grace on all mankind. He gave us the beauty and wonders of nature that we see each and every day. He gives us near misses when accidents are heading our way. He often brings us the right thing just in time. And He also gave us an innate conscience to know right from wrong. All these things are common graces, and everyone born on the earth has the benefit of them.

The best grace is that God purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave all our sins. This immeasurable gift was given to you when you believed. You didn’t work for it and you didn’t even deserve it. If He stopped there it would have been enough, but He continues to give us even more grace, kindness, wisdom, and understanding. What an awesome God! For He so loved the world that He gave His only Son.”

~ BibleStudyTools.com

God’s Love For Us

 “For this how God loved the world:  

He gave his one and only Son, so that 

everyone who believes in Him 

will not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

The God who created the universe, the most powerful being ever, loves you personally. Try to wrap your mind around that. He loves you — not just people in general, but you as a person. He cares about your life and wants to be part of it.

Even if you’ve spent your whole life running from God or done things you regret, He still loves you and wants to have a relationship with you.

God’s love is unconditional and infinite — far, far beyond what even the best of people are capable of. God commands those who follow Him to love one another. Among sincere believers whose hearts God has changed, you can see an imperfect picture of His love.

But even the best at loving others will fall short, and they'll tell you to go to the source.

 The Bible is a compilation of the words God gave people so we could know more about Him. The Bible says God loves you whatever state your life is in.

~ cru.org

God Is Trustworthy

“Trust in him at all times, you people;

pour out your hearts to him,

for God is our refuge.”

Psalm 62:8

 “God’s presence is all around you and is truly all you need.  His life is what will bring you strength.  Trust only in God.  And don’t just trust in the good moments or the bad ones, but trust God in every single moment.  Trust him always!

~ Anonymous

God’s Protection

 “The Lord will keep you from all harm - 

he will watch over your life, the Lord will watch 

your coming and going both now forevermore.”

Psalm 121: 7-8

“This song expresses assurance and hope in God’s protection day and night.  He not only made the hills but heaven and earth as well.  We should never trust a lesser power than God himself.  But not only is He all powerful, He also watches over us.  Nothing diverts or deters Him.  We are safe.  We never outgrow our need for God’s untiring watch over our lives.”

~ Life Application Study Bible

God’s Perspective

“Your word is a lamp for my feet,

a light on my path.”

Psalm 119:105

Jesus referred to the importance of having a healthy perspective. In the famous Sermon on the Mount He challenged His listeners’ understanding, giving them a new way of looking at many aspects of life.  He then said, “The eye is the light of the body.  So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness.” Jesus was teaching that the way you see things isn’t just important, it is critical.

Our perspective will affect how we perceive and respond to the world around us; it will influence our attitudes to relationships, work, money, and life itself. But our perspective is not necessarily fixed.  It can be influenced by what we experience, whether through our upbringing, education, work or life events. These can all impact, negatively or positively, on our understanding of who we are, how we live, and how we respond to our circumstances. Depending on how they see themselves and their world, different people can react very differently to the same situation.

But how can we know if our perspective is healthy, as Jesus said? If our perspective can be influenced by individual circumstances, how may we know if the way we see things is correct? King David, who wrote many of the Psalms, spoke of God’s Word as that which gives direction and clarity of vision in our lives: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105), “the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” and “the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Psalm 19:7b,8b).

As we read the Bible, believing it to be the inspired word of God, our perspective will be shaped by God’s truth. Then we can interpret our circumstances and experiences through the lens of God’s unchanging wisdom.

~Understanding the Gospel

 

Rejoice!!!

 “This is the day the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24

“Such a powerful reminder to us: True joy is never dependent on our circumstances. And though we may know this in our head, it might be hard to walk out every day. Learning to choose joy in hard times takes effort and action on our part; it requires our hearts to be set on Him. God is faithful to help us so that we can choose well. And we can be assured that in His grace, He has made every day, and for that gift itself we can “rejoice and be glad in it.” No matter what we face, we can still believe in God’s goodness and love, for that’s what carries us through the most difficult of seasons.”

~Ibelieve.com