I Stand At The Door

 “Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come.”

Revelation 3:20

“Jesus is knocking on the doors of our hearts every time we sense we should turn to him.  Jesus wants to have fellowship with us, and he wants us to open up to him.  He is patient and persistent in trying to get through us - not breaking and entering, but knocking.

Leave the door of your heart constantly open to God, and you won’t need to worry about hearing his knock.  Letting him in is your only for lasting fulfillment.”

~ Life Application Study Bible

Believe

 “For God so loved the world

that he gave his one and only Son, that

whoever believes in him shall not

perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

“To “believe” is more than intellectual agreement that Jesus is God.  It means to put trust and confidence in Him that alone can save us.  It is to put Christ in charge of our present plans and eternal destiny.  Believing is both trusting his words as reliable, and relying on Him for the power to change.  If you have never trusted Christ, let this promise of everlasting life be yours - and believe.”

~ Life Application Study Bible

Be Strong and Courageous

 “Have I not commanded you?   Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the

Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

“When God commissioned Joshua, he was told three times to be strong and courageous.  Here Joshua was given the same kind of encouragement from the people.  Apparently, he took God’s message to heart, and found the strength and courage he needed in his relationship with God.  The next time you are afraid to do what you know is right, remember that strength and courage are readily available from God.”

~ Life Application Study Bible

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