Your Strength

“You are my strength, I sing praises to you;

you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.”

Psalm 59:17

“I am your Strength.  The truth about Me especially precious on days when your in inadequacies are screaming at you, telling that you just can’t go on.  Knowing Me as your Strength is like having a guide who is always with you - showing the way forward, clearing away obstacles, empowering you to take the next step.  I hold you with my right hand, and I guide you with my counsel.  Since I am omniscient, knowing everything, My counsel provides the best wisdom imaginable.  So don’t fret about weaknesses.

~ Jesus Always Devotional by Sarah Young

 

An Open Mind

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened…”

9 benefits of having an open mind:

1. Become enlightened. The Bible speaks of the “eyes of your understanding being enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18). A great truth about God is that He is open-minded, even with those who are close-minded towards Him. God is passionate about people, even those who deny His existence. He is excited when we discover our life’s purpose and passionately pursue it. Being spiritually enlightened requires that we be open to God’s word and vision for our lives. When we partner with God, we gain wisdom and understanding regarding our purpose on earth. Open-mindedness unlocks the door to purposeful living.
2. Learn and grow. Living with an open mind helps us to learn and grow. It empowers us to be proactive and solution-oriented, allowing every situation, circumstance, and person to be our teacher … this is when real growth and transformation happens.
3. Discover new opportunities. Some have said, “An open mind is a theatre of opportunities.” A person with a closed mind tends to see difficulties, not opportunities. An open mind seeks out opportunities and sees life as a basket of possibilities: every task becomes an opportunity to learn and to add value. With this mindset, life is full of promise.
4. Step out of our comfort zone. Being open-minded is one of the most difficult things to practice. Most of us are raised with certain belief systems and core values that keep us confined in familiar spaces, around familiar faces; when faced with conflicting ideas or beliefs, we may struggle to be accommodating and accepting. Adopting an open mindset forces us to step out of our comfort zones into unfamiliar places. This has the benefit of enlarging our sphere of influence, making our interactions with others more impactful.
5. Gain confidence. When faced with a daunting task, a close-minded person would respond, “I can’t;” an open-minded person would say, “Tis better to try and fail, then to have never tried at all.” With this attitude, each successful attempt builds confidence, until you start believing, “Nothing is truly impossible, after all!”
6. Gain humility. Living with an open mind gives you the confidence to say, “I don’t know.” Sometimes we confuse “not knowing” with mediocrity. Whenever I’ve admitted my vulnerabilities and been bold enough to say, “I don’t know,” I’ve discovered great freedom: liberty from needing to have all the answers and openness to new information and ideas.
7. Increase creativity. Natural creativity and open-minded thinking are like 2 peas in a pod. To be open-minded, our minds need the freedom to explore new territory. Creativity helps develop right-brain thinking, enabling us to think outside the box. Whenever possible, practice and develop your creativity: daydream, explore new life experiences, volunteer or participate in creative projects.
8. Develop new friendships. Seeking out new friendships and relationships requires a certain level of tolerance, openness, and acceptance. Open-minded people look at the heart of a person and not the outward appearance. They see people beyond their titles and labels. With an open mind, we’re more likely to meet new people with unconventional appearances and foreign accents, thereby expanding our networks and social circles.
9. Make life more fun. Having an open mind allows us to see the world as a vast place full of possibilities. It awakens curiosity and joie de vivre. Each day becomes this wonderful new adventure, making life more fun and enjoyable.

~ uwana.Wordpress.com 

Be Compassionate

 “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love

one another, be compassionate and humble.”

1 Peter 3:8

Everywhere you go these days, people are hurting and discouraged, and many have broken dreams. They’ve made mistakes; their lives are in a mess. They need to feel God’s compassion and unconditional love. They don’t need somebody to judge and criticize them. They need somebody to bring hope, to bring healing, to show God’s mercy, to be there to encourage them, to take the time to listen and genuinely care. Our world is crying out for people with compassion, people who love unconditionally. The apostle Paul says that God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. If you want to live your best life, you must keep your heart of compassion open to be kind, caring, gentle, and loving. You need to be on the lookout for people you can bless. You can make a difference in other peoples’ lives. When God puts love and compassion in your heart toward someone, follow that love. Don’t ignore it. Act on it. Somebody needs what you have. Be a person of compassion.

~Joel Osteen Devotionals 

Lean On Me

 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and

lean not on your own understanding.”

Proverbs 3:5

The world has taught us that we are very capable of handling anything that comes our way. Many of the methods don’t include the power of God ⚡, but that of man. As a child of God, put your trust in Him instead of the many ways of the world (Psalm 20:7). 

When you trust in God with all your heart, it means that you leave no room for doubt. You believe what He says because you know He is always right and will never deceive you. God sees the bigger picture and therefore knows what lies ahead of you and what you don’t see. Trust in God in every situation and relationship in your life.

Trusting God comes naturally when you know Him and how He works. It’s hard to trust someone you don’t know and can’t rely on. God is trustworthy and faithful and has proven Himself throughout the Bible. When you spend time to read the scriptures, you will know God and His ways and be familiar with His will. 🧐

God expects that you will trust Him with all your heart, not just a part of it ❤. When we don’t trust Him wholeheartedly, we question His abilities and tuck in a Plan B, just in case He doesn’t come through. Put your complete trust in God knowing He won’t let you down.

Many times we try to figure things out in a situation yet we don’t always have all the information. The second part of verse 5 tells us not to depend on our understanding of things because we could be wrong 😕. You may have misinterpreted someone's words or underestimated a certain danger or threat. 

We love being in control and tend to stay away from anything that makes us lose our grasp of any situation. That is why Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still,” meaning that we should stop striving to do things in our strength. 

~ lordsguidance.com

People Need People

 “Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:12

As human beings, we are social creatures by nature. Instinctively, we don’t like feeling alone, and our bodies and brains actually function better when we are surrounded by others. We are basically wired to be social.

If you were to google “why humans need humans” or anything along those lines, you’ll find a plethora of articles explaining why social connections and friendships are vital to our health and well-being. Outside of our family units, when we have friends we can lean on, laugh with, cry with, and talk to, we are nourishing ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally. We need that connectivity not only to survive, like this article suggests, but to thrive. Whether you’re someone who prefers to have just a few really close pals, or you’re a social butterfly with a lot of friends, at the end of the day, we need those relationships.
Here are the top three reasons we need friendships in our lives!

Friendships improve our health

Research has shown that having strong social connections is vital to our health. For starters, it can reduce stress levels, ward off depression and suicide, lower the risk of dementia, heart disease, and cancer, as well as boost our immune system…and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. It’s also easier to exercise and live a healthier lifestyle when you have the support of friends and family. 

Friends extend our life expectancy

Aside from improving our overall health, maintaining friendships can also add years to our lives—just like regular exercise, healthy eating habits, and not smoking. Multiple studies have found that people who have positive relationships with their family, friends, and community are happier and tend to live longer. Some studies have even gone as far to conclude that social belongingness is just as important as physical survival needs, such as food and shelter. 

Friends make life more fun

This might not be a mind-blowing revelation, but friends bring an abundant amount of happiness to our lives. While I’m sure you can find enjoyment doing certain things solo, I’d argue that most things are more fun when you do it with someone else. There’s an unexplainable joy that comes from sharing experiences with people we care about.
Studies have shown, including this one conducted back in 2011, that having meaningful social relationships affects our neurobiological endogenous opioid system (think endorphins), triggering the part of the brain that makes us feel good. Simply put, connecting and interacting with our friends gives us happy feelings. Ever caught up with an old friend, then felt really good afterwards? Those are your endorphins kicking in, telling you that what you just did is healthy for your emotional and physical health! 
So, no matter what stage of life you’re in, make it a priority to get out and do things with your friends. Whether it’s a quick phone call or grabbing lunch, keep your friends close and remember to have fun!

~ ifit.com

Why Do Bad Things Happen

 “God has a reason for allowing things to happen.

We may never understand His wisdom, but

we simply have to trust His will.”

                                          Psalm 37:5

The popular phrase “everything happens for a reason” gets said a lot by Christians and non-Christians alike. When something happens to us in life, we may wonder if there is a deeper reason behind it. Most of us may have felt at times that something happened according to God’s good and gracious plans. But does the idea that everything happens for a reason align with what the Bible teaches?

God is sovereign and in control of all things. What God orchestrates and allows is meaningful, significant, and purposeful. Though everything may not happen for a reason, what we find in the Bible is that God will redeem us, restore us, help us, and cause a good outcome for those of us who love him and follow Him.

~ christianity.com

You Have A Guardian

 

Today's Scripture The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:7–8, NIV

You Have a Guardian Our Guardian God is right by your side to protect you today. He guards you when you go out, and He guards you when you return. He guards you now, and He will guard you always. You can’t go anywhere without your Guardian God. That’s why you can live from a place of peace, a place of faith, even though there’s turmoil all around you. Stay in peace. God didn’t say you wouldn’t have to face these things. But He did promise He will rescue you from the trouble. He has a hedge of protection around you, a blood line that the enemy cannot cross. God has been guarding you since you were born. If you knew all the things God has already kept you from, you wouldn’t worry about what you’re facing now. You would stay in peace, knowing that God has you covered. You’re not at the mercy of fate, bad breaks, or a dreaded disease. Stay at rest, knowing that no weapon formed against you will ever prosper. ~ Joel Osteen Devotional