You're Not Alone

Doing life is scary. The bills that need to get paid, the successes we so desire to obtain, the future we want to build; all of it becomes daunting especially when we're alone. But the good news is, you're not alone.

For a while, I had been fearful of my future. Just the thought of being single scared me. 

I have no one to fall back on when things get bad. No one to help me when I need help. No one to comfort me in my hardest moments. 

I'm all alone. 

But it was in that moment when God told me "You're not alone and you were never alone. I am with you."

I've heard many people tell me "don't worry God is with you." But it never clicked with me until God himself told me that He was with me. 

It was then that I realized that the God who split the Red Sea and made a way for the Israelites was with me. The God who led Gideon and 300 men to defeat a whole army of Midianites was with me. The God who helped David defeat the unbeatable Goliath was with me. The God who gave his beloved son Jesus to save us was with me. 

The same God who did the impossible back then is the same God who wants to do the impossible with your life today. 

You're not alone. You were never alone. God is with you. 

We don't have to be afraid of doing life alone because we have the most powerful and mighty God with us at all times. 

When I look back at my life, God was always with me. It was God who opened the door for Living Revelations to grow and touch lives all around the world. It was God who provided me a job to provide all my needs and more to bless others. It was God who brought me an amazing community and church that I now serve. And I believe it will be God who will continue to build my ministry and use my life to point others to Jesus. 

Whatever season you may be in, know that God is with you. 

Isaiah 41:10 says, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." We don't need to be afraid of doing life alone because we're not alone. We have a mighty God who is with us and for us. God is here to help us because he wants the best for us. 

In Judges 7 we see God telling Gideon to take his men to defeat the Midianites who were very powerful at the time. However, Gideon's army was weak. Gideon's response to God was, "Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” (Judges 7:15). 

God responds with, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive." (Judges 7:16). 

God didn't need Gideon to have a strong army because God was strong enough to defeat the Midianites. In fact, God told Gideon to strip down his army to only 300 men to fight against the thousands of Midianites. 

Why did God ask Gideon to only bring 300 men? 

Because God wanted Gideon to know that He was enough. God too wants you to know that He is with you and He is enough. 

You may be weak, but God is strong enough. You may be incapable, but God is more than capable. Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,"

Will you surrender your life to a mighty God and trust that your life is in good hands? Will you step out in faith and do what God has called you to do, knowing that he goes with you?

It's tempting to take things into your own hands when you're afraid of what life holds. But you don't need to settle for less than God's best. You can live life boldly because God is with you. So remember, you're not alone.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that I don't need to live in fear because you are always with me and I am never alone. 

How To Wipe Anxiety Away

We've all struggled with anxiety. The feeling of unease and pressure in our hearts can be overwhelming. There are many ways to temporarily get our minds off of our anxiety, but how do we permanently wipe anxiety away?

Anxiety starts with fear and worry. Negative thoughts start speaking loudly in our minds that bring unease. We then start losing hope and that's when anxiety comes in.

We become desperate to do anything to get ourselves from this anxious state and turn to anything that we believe will fix our anxiety.

I've been there before and maybe you have too.

I've tried to do many things that I thought would fix my fears but at the end, I was left where I started. Hopeless and horrible. 

There's only one solution I found that could wipe away my anxiety and that is to run to Jesus.

Jesus has the power to quiet our souls. 

If voices of fear and doubt torment your soul, run to Jesus. Jesus has the power to quiet your soul and fill you with his peace.

Anxiety happens when our trust is no longer on God but on the things of this world. This world is unreliable so when we try to rely on an unreliable world, we invite anxiety into our lives. It's no wonder that many of us struggle with anxiety. But if we put our hope in a mighty God who is always for our good, we will find rest.

Psalm 62:5 says, "Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him."

If you have any bit fear in your mind, run to Jesus before it gets worse. And if it's already worse, know that Jesus can heal anyone no matter the condition.

In Luke 4 we see Jesus encounter a man who was demon possessed with an impure spirit. Jesus simply told the impure spirit to be quiet and go away and instantly the demon left the man. Luke 4:35 says, “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him."

Just as Jesus was able to silence the demonic spirit in that man, he too can silence our anxious thoughts.

When we turn to the things of this world to cure our anxiety, we will find ourselves temporarily cured but even more hurt down the road. But when we turn to Jesus, we will find ourselves cured without injuring ourselves just as it happened with the demon-possessed man in Luke 4.

Jesus has the power to drive out the spirit of fear within us and leave us unharmed.

2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

We were made to enjoy life with power, love, and a sound mind, but the enemy tries to take this away from us by tempting us to run to the things of this world as a temporary solution to our anxiety.  It's tempting to run to relationships, people, or entertainment to get our mind off things, but these things were never made to bring us a sound soul.

Jesus is the key to a sound soul.

Where have you been running to for help? Will you run to Jesus and place your hope in him? Will you surrender your life to Jesus and believe that only he knows what is best for you? 

When we are feeling anxious, we must learn to run to Jesus. Nothing can shake us when our hope is placed on a loving and faithful God. Accepting Jesus allows us to step into a life where anxiety is wiped away. So remember, only Jesus can wipe anxiety away.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that I can always go to you to find rest for my soul. 

What Are You Delaying In?

What have you been putting off to do? We all have things we know we need to do, but many times we chose to delay in doing them. Our goals and promises stay on our to-do list that never gets touched. We must realize that the detours we take will hurt our future. What are you delaying in?

"It can wait...I'll get on it once I'm not busy...Just one last time... It won't hurt me.."

Have you caught yourself saying these things?

I know I have.

These are statements of delay. We say these things to excuse ourselves from doing what we know is right to do. Our delays have allowed us to put things that are long-due back to our to-do list.

When we delay in doing things, it makes us feel better because we're not saying no, but later. But doing things later is just as bad as not doing them because God has a time and season for everything.  God's will was meant to be done in his time and not our time.

Delaying is just as bad as not doing. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, "There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens."

God has a time for everything, and when we chose to put off what God is asking us to do, we miss out on God's beautiful plan for our lives.

God will not delay in doing his part, but we must not delay in doing our part. 

Many times we excuse ourselves from doing what God wants us to do now by saying, "God can wait." But God makes it clear in his word that we are not to delay. Ecclesiastes 5:4 says, "When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow."

In Luke 9 we see Jesus asking a man to follow him. But the man's response was, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family” (Luke 9:61). Jesus replied to the man in Luke 9:62 saying, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

This man didn't say no to Jesus, but said: "I will, but first.." Because the man delayed in doing what Jesus had asked of him, Jesus no longer saw him fit for his kingdom. Even though the man's answer was not a "no" but "later", it still wasn't a good answer for Jesus. Jesus needed him that day, not later.

How many times have we said "I will, but later" to God? Have we responded to God like this man in Luke 9? God sees our delays as disobedience. He can't bless those who are not willing to surrender their lives to him.

God will not delay in bringing his promise to us, but we must not delay in obeying what God has asked us to do. 

What have you been putting off to do that you know you need to do? What promise have you made to God that you have not yet done? Is it spending time reading God's word? Is it letting go of the things God has asked you to let go? Is it forgiving someone that you know you need to forgive?

Whatever your delay may be, know that it is blocking you from receiving God's perfect blessing upon your life. God wants to bring you victory, but it starts with your surrender. Our victory for tomorrow starts with our surrender today.

The enemy will tempt us to delay in doing what God has asked us to do because he wants to delay our victory. The enemy will do anything he can to prevent us from walking into our destiny. But if you could walk into your destiny today, why wouldn't you take that step? If you could be set free today, why would you delay?

God's promises will be revealed later, but he's already starting his work in you today. Isaiah 43:19 says, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up..I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." God wants to move in your life now, but you must let him.

What you do today matters to God. Your daily obedience to God will craft your path to victory. If you've been wanting to surrender your life to Jesus, now is the time to do it. So remember, what are you delaying in?

Don't Look Back

Moving on is hard, especially when it requires us to leave our place of comfort. It's easier to hold on to the good than to let go for the better. But if we keep looking back, we will never reach our destiny. We must keep moving forward and not look back.

There have been many times in my life when God has asked me to let go of good things for better things. You might ask, well why is it hard to let go of something good if God has something better?

The problem is  I couldn't see what the better thing was at the time. 

And it's always going to be like that for you and me. Maybe you're at a point in your life where God is asking you to move on, but your scared because you don't know what's ahead of you.

That's how God works; he will always ask us to let go and move on without us knowing where or how we will be. 

But it's in those moments of doubt when God challenges me and says, "Why do you need to know beyond what I'm asking you to do? Don't you trust me? Have you forgotten that I have always been faithful and never once failed you?"

Moving on becomes easy when we realize God is moving us to a better place. 

Hebrews 10:35-36 says, "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."

This verse reminds us to now throw away our confidence in God. He is good and will only ask us to do things that are for our good. Only through doing God's will can we reach our destiny. 

The story of Lot's wife in the Bible reminds us to not look back when God is trying to move us to a better place. 

Lot and his family lived in Sodom and Gomorrah, the city that God was about to destroy due to the sin and evil that was going on in that place. But God was merciful to Lot and his family and sent 2 angels to rescue them out of the city.

As they were leaving the city, the angel warned Lot and his family and said, "don't look back, and don't stop.." (Genesis 19:17).

But Lot's wife looked back.

Genesis 19:26 says, "But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt." Because Lot's wife looked back, she missed out on the blessings that God had planned for her.

I wonder why Lot's wife looked back. Maybe she looked back for the same reasons we look back on things that God has asked us to let go.

If only Lot's wife knew that God was taking her to a better place. Instead of leaving her city with a dreadful heart, she should have left with a grateful heart to see that God was merciful and had plans to bless her and the family.

Many times we dread letting go of the good things in our lives because we fail to see God's merciful heart in asking us to let go of those things. God wants to bless us and take us to our destiny, but we must have the confidence to follow God wherever he will lead us.

What is God asking you to let go? What's holding you back from moving on? Will you trust that God is good and only has the best in store for you?

We can't reach our destiny if we keep looking back. The enemy will use our past to keep us from moving on to the good plans that God has for us. Looking backward will never help us move forward. 

Isaiah 43:18-19 says, "Forget the former things; do not dwell in the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up..I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."

When we hold on to the past, we miss the new thing that God is trying to do in our lives. Often the new things that God is trying to bring in our lives will come through our struggles. But God promises in this verse that he will make a way in our wilderness. This may be a season of suffering, but it is also a season where we will see God move like never before.

Let go of the past because God has a new future for you. God will ask you to let go of good things for better things. So remember, don't look back.

Prayer: Lord, help me to not look back but to move forward into your beautiful plans for me. 

God Knows Your Needs

We all have fears and worries. Your worries may be different than mine, but we all stress about going thorugh life with unmet needs. The only way to take away the worries of this life is to entrust them to a God who knows your needs.

I sat in my bedroom filled with worries and fears running in my mind.

"What if I end up miserable and unhappy God? What if this won't work out well? My ultimate question to God was, "Are you sure?"

How many of you have worried about your circumstances and asked God, are you sure? 

When things don't look good, it's easy to doubt God. Instead of proclaiming his goodness, we start questioning God's goodness. Instead of proclaming his power, we start professing our weaknesses. But it was in my moment of telling God my worries when he took me to Matthew 6:31-32 which says, "So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’..your heavenly father knows that you need them."

Here I was spending my time telling God my needs when he already knew my needs. 

God tells us in Matthew 6 to not worry because he knows our needs. We don't need to spend time dwelling in our worries and asking God "are you sure", because he already has in mind what our needs are from the very beginning. 

God knows our needs and will meet above our needs. 

Trust God in whatever he may be asking you to do, because he knows your needs and will always tell you to do what is best to meet your needs. God will never ask you to do something that will harm you or leave you with a miserable life. The enemy wants us to take things into our own hands and away from God's hands, but we must remember that only God can give us what we need. 

Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek first his kingdom and his rightesouness, and all these things will be given to you." This verse reminds us that our needs will be given to us. God never asks us to worry about our needs, but to simply put him first and to seek his will and he will provide all our needs. 

How beautiful is that? We have a God who loves us so much to tell us to not worry but that he will take care of us. When we have truly grasp how much God loves us, we should have no more room to worry. 

Matthew 7:11 says, "If you who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" God is a good father, and just like any good father, he will take care of us.  

Because God is almighty and above all, he can provide us more than what we need. Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us," 

God doesn't just give us what is good enough, but he gives us the best. That's how great God's love is for us. He gives us more than what we ask and could ever get ourselves. 

If you're in a season of waiting for God to answer your prayer, hold on to his love and goodness. God knows what you need and intends to give you more than what you need. 

Will you let go of your worries to God and trust that he will take care of you? Will you surrender your life to God and obey what he's asking you to do?

God wants to bless you, but you must be in the position for God to bless you. You must be in a position of surrender so God can give you your needs and desires. God cannot bless those who are trying to take things into their own hands. He can only bless those whose arms are stretched out to receive his blessings. So remember, God knows your needs.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that you are a loving God who knows my needs and will give me more than what I need.