Our culture is so motivated by people comparing themselves to other people. Marketing always seeks to compare the product that they are promoting, to be much better than all others. People get deceived every day.

When, instead our focus needs to be to seek where our value and worth comes from, which is Christ; not from how we may measure up to others.

Galatians 6:4 ” Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.”

2 Corinthians10:12-14 ” We won’t dare compare ourselves with those who think so much of themselves. But they are foolish to compare themselves with themselves. We won’t brag about something we don’t have a right to brag about. We will only brag about the work that God has sent us to do, and you are a part of that work. We are not bragging more than we should. After all, we did bring the message about Christ to you.”

It is so silly when workers for Christ doing His Kingdom purposes -may compare themselves to each other and have envy develop for what their brother is working to do for the Kingdom. As the scripture says, all that we do here is for God’s Glory, (not man’s glory).

James 3:16 says: ” For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”

1 Corinthians 4:7 says: “What is so special about you? What do you have that you were not given? And if it was given to you, how can we brag?” Point well taken, without the Lord, we would not have anything, God loves us enough to give us many good things, the purpose to receive all that God has given, is for God to use you to share your gifts, and all He has given to you with others.

My mentor for 40 years, Joanne used to say, “He wants you to have many gifts, because He trusts you with those gifts. If there is a gift you have not yet received- ask Him for that gift, of course, only God knows when you should receive those gifts, so trust Him, do not compare yourself to anyone else or envy anyone else.”

We are all here to do God’s will and His purposes.

God loves you and He sent His only Son Jesus to die for all of your sins, then He overcame death, and rose again so that we all have the same chance to live eternally because of His great sacrifice. Ask Him into your heart today, ask Him to cleanse you of all sin, and believe in Him and what He has done for you! Ask His Holy Spirit to fill you, to lead and guide you through life and to give you revelation about God’s word. Freely receive all that God has for you, No more envy for His abundance is promised to all who have faith in Jesus!

Because of the steadfast love of our God, each day is a chance to start over again. Maybe yesterday was filled with a sense of defeat and sadness, but as people of God- we need to always let go of each day and look forward to the promises of God’s word.

Isaiah 55:11 reads: “That’s how it is with my words. They don’t return to Me without doing everything I send them to do.”

Lamentations 3:22-23 reads: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

These are amazing declarations of God’s unwavering love and mercy for us! These verses bring hope and comfort to believers, just as they did for the people of Israel and their laments of the destruction of Jerusalem. The prophet Jeremiah is thought to be the writer of Lamentations, his words would serve as a “beacon of hope”(William David LS Journal) amid suffering in those times.

We all have days that we suffer greatly as we reflect on our pain and losses. Lamentations reminds us of God’s unwavering love for us and His mercies that He promises us-will always be with us. He also reminds us of His unfailing provision of His support, even when we may give up on ourselves. Be assured, God will never give up on us!

Come to Jesus, receive His steadfast love for you. He sacrificed His own life, forgave us of all our sin, all we need to do is ask for His forgiveness, believe that He is Lord, that He died for you, rose again from the grave -so that you who believe in Him may have a chance to have a new life. Pray now, also ask the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh, be your comfort and your guide through God’s word- and your life everyday! Jesus is our only hope!

“Who is Worthy?

There is no one who is worthy of the grace and mercy that God gave us through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. As people, no one is better than the other. True Christian humility avoids self-exaltation. The word says those who are greatest among you should take the lowest rank. Luke 22:26 ” Don’t be like them. The most important one of you should be like the least important, and your leader should be like a servant.” Verse 27 says that He (Jesus) had been with you as a servant. Jesus, though He was God, gave up His privileges and took the humble position of a slave, He lowered Himself to human status and died on a criminal’s cross.

Philippians 2:5-8 “And think the same way that Christ Jesus thought: Christ was truly God. But He did not try to remain equal with God. Instead He gave up everything and became a slave, when He became like one of us. Christ was humble. He obeyed God and even died on a cross.” Paul reminds the Romans that God is the One who places Spiritual gifts within the body of Christ. Every member is given a special function. We all belong to each other. Romans 12:5 “That’s how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are a part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another. “So rather than thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to think, we should love each other and strive to live in harmony with each other. Ephesians 4:2-3 says: “Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. Try your best to let God’s Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace” More often than not people compare themselves to others, are critical of others. Even though Christ was tempted just as we are, He chose the path of humility, love and sacrifice, even to the end crying out to the Father to forgive them, for they did not know what they were doing; thinking to the last breath about each one of us. Thank You, Father God for allowing us another chance to live eternally even though we did not deserve it at all. You are truly the greatest Father of all.

If some of you reading this have never asked Jesus to be Lord and Savior of your life, now is a perfect time. “Jesus who knew no sin was made sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God.”

2 Corinthians 5:21

Jesus died for your sins , rose again so that we all have a chance for salvation! Ask Him today to forgive you of all sin, to come be Lord of your life, and to fill you with His Holy Spirit. The Spirit leads and guides us through the Bible and directs our steps, also gives you the power to obey what God directs you to do.

Ask Him to come be your Lord today and your life will never be the same. Our salvation is the greatest Father’s Day gift to God and to us.

“I look to the hills! Where will I find help? It will come from the Lord, Who created heaven and earth. The Lord is your protector, and He won’t go to sleep or let you stumble.” Psalms 121:1-3

There was a time in my life when the abuser that we thought was our provider, someone who would protect us all, went ballistic due to drugs and alcohol, he destroyed the “home’ that we lived in, even tore the toilet out of the floor and smashed it. It was an empty shell. I was in great despair, I climbed up on the stone foundation and looked to the Lord, this scripture came to mind immediately. My God is so faithful! He gave me a vision of a new house sitting on that foundation. I had no means to do this, no man had the means to help me. But my God showed me that it would be so. I believed Him.

A few years later, there was a new house sitting on that junk filled, broken foundation. It was miraculous!

I never forgot the reality of the promise God’s word showed me that day, I will forever be thankful for His word to me.

Mac Laren Commentary from Bible Hub described this in three steps: Look to the Hills:

1. The look of longing, a resolution born from intense longing. Directing his eyes further than his eyes can see to the loftiness that natural sense, may not behold. The ability to divert one’s attention from things that were to things that seemed far off, but yet to come.

2.The reality of human weakness. The higher our expectation, the more painful the realization that we are not able to reach this on our own.

3. Our assurance of Faith. There will be no receipt of divine help, unless there is a sense of need for divine help.

Like Asa of Judah in Chronicles. He was engaged in a battle against a great multitude of enemy. He said,”We have no strength against this multitude, yet we put our eyes to Thee!” There before them were 100,000,000 soldiers Ethiopian army, and 300 chariots (2 Chronicles 14). After Asa called upon the Lord, they defeated this army miraculously.

Glory be to God!

Call on His name today! If you have never asked Jesus to be Lord of your life, now is the time. Just say Jesus, forgive me of all my sin! I believe that you died for me and then rose again so that I might have eternal life with You one day! Fill me today, with your power, by your Holy Spirit, who will direct my life, direct your truth through your word, and make my life new in You , In Jesus” precious name!

Amen!

” Don’t fall in love with money. Be satisfied with what you have. The Lord has promised that He will not leave us or desert us. This should make you feel like saying, “The Lord helps me! Why should I be afraid of what people can do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6

And religion does make your life rich, by making you content with what you have. We didn’t bring anything into this world, and we won’t take anything with us when we leave.” 1 Timothy 6:6

“I pray that God will take care of all your needs with wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus! May God our Father be praised forever and ever. Amen. Philippians 4:19-20

We need to watch and pray, that we do not fall into temptation of idolizing material things more than Spiritual things. As the scripture says we came into this world with nothing and we will not be carrying anything out of this world. People get so stressed out about material things, yet we should have a loose grip on things that pass through our hands, we are but sojourners here. When we have given our lives to Christ, our lives are no longer our own. The most important thing we are blessed to do, is to tell others about Jesus, share our own testimonies, and teach others about a better way that God sent His own Son to live among us and teach us, through His living word!

If you have never asked Jesus to be Lord of your life, do it right now! Jesus came to live among us because He loves us. He forgives us of all sin, He willingly laid His life down for our redemption, so that each one of us is set free and we all have a chance to rise again with Him just as He did. The grave could not hold Him he rose again for each one of us. We serve a risen, living Savior! Tell Him that you love him, He will forgive you of all sin, and you will forever be His.

Be content-He is all we really need!