Real friendships are few and far between especially in our society today where children grow up and leave town and job relocations are becoming the norm.  Everyone needs a friend to encourage and support them during their tough times, and if you are fortunate enough to have a good friend then you truly are blessed.  Many people depend on Facebook to keep in touch, but when you really think about it, how many of your Facebook friends can you count on to be there if you were to call them at 2:00 in the morning with an emergency and you need help?  I dare to say, not many would answer your call.  True friends are rare and it is not good for anyone to be alone.  Have you ever been lonely in a crowd?  It’s possible, and one major cause of depression is being alone or feeling lonely.  A friend understands you and will believe in you even when you don’t believe in yourself.  A friend will be there during the good times and the bad and wants nothing but the best for you and will do anything to help you reach your goals in life.

Can you imagine having a friend that will love you at all times and will be with you now and forever more? Jesus Christ wants to be your best friend today and He will stick closer to you than a brother.  People will come and go but your heavenly Father has promised to never leave nor forsake you.  The Bible says that no greater love has any man than the one who will lay down his life for you.  God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son and all you have to do is ask Jesus to become your friend.  A friendship with Jesus will heal you; it will sustain you and it will provide the emotional and spiritual strength you will need on your journey through life.

What a friend we have in Jesus and you need to experience His love for yourself.  Don’t go another day by yourself.  Jesus is waiting and He will change your life forever.

The Biblical story of God commanding Abraham to offer up his beloved son, Isaac, as a sacrifice in the land of Moriah leaves no doubt that God will provide the right thing at the right place and at the right time.  The fact that Abraham was obedient to God that he would give up his son, the son that he had to wait over 25 years for, the son that God has promised to bless him with got God’s attention, and because of his obedience, God provided a ram on the mountain  for Abraham to sacrifice in place of his young son.  God was testing Abraham.  He wanted to find out if Abraham would obey. He was testing what was in his heart and Abraham passed the test.  Abraham was at the right place because God told him to go to Moriah and he went.  God then provided a ram just at the moment that Abraham would have slain his son.  God stepped in and stopped Abraham just at the right time.Abraham called God Jehovah Jireh – God our provider, so everyone would know that God provides.

Ask yourself this question.  Are you willing to give up the most precious thing in your life and give it back to God at this very moment?  Obedience is better than sacrifice and that is what God is looking for in each one of us.  He wants us to know what is really in our hearts.  God knew us while we were in the womb, so He knows everything about us, but we only learn through life experiences what we will and will not do.  Philippians 4:19 says that God will supply all of our needs according to his riches in glory.

Purpose in your heart that you are going to pursue the kind of faith that Abraham had in that you become willing to give back to God everything that He has given you to be a steward over in this life.  It could be your spouse, child, job or ministry.  It doesn’t matter what it is.  Your relationship with God should be the most important thing in your life.  Everything else you have, God gave to you.  It really belongs to Him and is under His control and is just in your hands for a short time.  Seek first the kingdom of God and you will see that Jehovah Jireh is faithful.

Have you ever been in a situation and you found yourself asking “where is God?”  In Job 23: 8-10, Job said that he could not find God no matter where he looked.  It didn’t matter if he went forwards or backwards, if he looked to his right or to his left he could neither feel God’s presence or perceive if God was there with him.  Job was at the lowest point in his life when he spoke these words, yet despite everything Job held on to the belief that God is always there.  Job realized that he was being tested and he wanted God to see that his faith in Him was as good as gold.

All the heroes of the Bible – Abraham, David, Joseph, and Paul, just to name a few, came to this same conclusion – that God is all the time working in our lives in secret.  He is working everything out for our good and all we have to do is trust Him.  You will not always know why you must go through certain challenging times in your life, but remember that God has a perfect plan and a process for your life.  God will work everything out for your good.  He will personalize your journey to the point that you will look back on your troubled times and say “thank God, you were there all of the time.”

The Lord has promised never to leave nor forsake you and He is reshaping you so that you become more and more like Him every day.  You are more than a conqueror because of the power that is within you.  Don’t lean to your own understanding trying to figure out what God is up to.  Trust Him and know that He loves you with an everlasting love and the work that He is doing in you will be completed.  Your momentary afflictions are preparing you for what is to come.  Do not be moved by your circumstances.  While you are on this earth, things will continue to change because they are all temporary.  The things that concern God, the things that He is working hard to change in you, cannot be seen but know that they are the most important because they are eternal.

After you have been tried, will God find your faith to be as good as gold?

The Bible tells us the story about a woman who perceived that Elisha was a prophet of God so she prepared a room in her home so that when Elisha travelled through town, he could have a place in her home for him.  No one told her to do it, nor did Elisha ask her to do it.  She did it because she wanted Elisha to have a comfortable place to rest and it was important to her that it be in her home.  It’s interesting that no one else offered to make room for Elisha.  This woman did this and it got God’s attention.  Because this woman had done something for him, Elisha asked her what could he do for her?  Elisha was told that she had no son and that her husband was an old man.  Elisha prophetically told her that in one year’s time a son would be born to her.  She could not believe it at first, but it did happen and this woman received a miracle from God that she probably had stopped hoping for.

Having a servant’s attitude is a sure way to position yourself to receive God’s blessing on your life.  Elisha represents the word of God and this story is an example that we all should make room for God and His word in our lives.  This woman received a prophet and was blessed with a prophet’s reward as promised by God.  God’s word is true and you should purpose in your heart to read God’s word every day.  In the beginning was the word and the word was God.  Reading the word of God will cause you to think at a higher level than you would normally.  God’s word will bring revelations into your life that will be a blessing to you and your family.  God’s word will bring discernment into your life and will enable you to make wise decisions.  Reading God’s word will bring the presence of God into your life and into your home and you will always know what God’s will is for you. God’s word will heal, restore and guide you into your destiny.

Position yourself to be blessed today and get God’s attention in  the same manner that the woman in this story did.  Remember, the Bible says that we will reap whatever we sow.  Sow kindness and you will reap kindness.  Help someone in need and when you need help, someone will be there to help you.  Become a God-chaser and watch the blessings of God over take you.

There are two kinds of people in the world.  One person wakes up and says “Good morning Lord.”  The other type of person says “Oh Lord, it’s morning!”  Every day that you wake up is a good day, and it is a day that the Lord has made and you should be glad and rejoice in it!  No one should take for granted that they are alive today.  No one has been promised tomorrow, and that is why you should make the most of today.  It doesn’t matter what your circumstances might be, if you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you have much to be thankful for.  Many things that you will experience in your life will not be of your choosing; they will just happen.  Having joy is one thing in your life that is under your control and it must come from the inside out.

Life is often challenging at best, but Believers have the spirit of God within them.  Therefore, you must learn how to be content in whatever state you find yourself in.  Contentment depends on your relationship with your heavenly Father and nothing else.  Life is full of changes; people change, you could change your career, move to another state or change jobs but for a certainty, the one thing that will never change is that Jesus will never leave nor forsake you.  The goal is to not let your circumstances control you, but you should always be in control of your circumstances.  Knowing that you are in the hands of God gives you the advantage you need to succeed in life because God is the strength of your life.

Psalm 16:11 says that “in your presence there is fullness of joy.”  Commit every day to the Lord and invite Him to be involved in whatever you do and you will experience the joy that the Bible talks about.  When your heart becomes over-whelmed, go to the rock that is higher than you are; go to the rock that is above your problems.  “The name of the Lord is a strong tower and the righteous run to it and are safe.”  (Proverbs 18:10).  The joy that God gives to His children are to be enjoyed by His children and no one can take it away.  Walk in the spirit and let the joy that is within you change you and change those around you.

There is a story about a young boy who kept standing up on the pew in his church and no matter how many times his mother told him to sit down, he would stand up anyway.  His mother took him out of the service and had him sit down in a corner outside the sanctuary because of his behavior.  The little boy angrily told his mother “I might be sitting down but I’m standing up on the inside!”

That’s the attitude Christians should have in our world today.  Many challenges will come your way but you must get back up and ‘stand up’ on the inside.  The enemy of your soul would like to discourage you and cause you to give up, but in order to fight the good fight of faith, you must keep your eyes on the Lord and run your course with endurance.  The Bible tells us not to put away our confidence and after we have done all we can do, we are told to stand.

At a low point in his life after returning from war and finding his family and all the other women belonging to the men in his army had been taken by their enemy, David did not give up.  It would have been easy to give up especially when everyone around him wanted to stone him because they blamed him for their pain, but David did not rely on anyone for support.  He encouraged himself in the Lord and we all need to learn how to do that.  David was a warrior; he was a fighter and that spirit within himself is what caused him to ‘stand up’ on the inside.

Paul and SIlas were in prison praying at midnight and at a time when their circumstances were bleak, they praised their heavenly Father.  These two men showed us that your circumstances do not define who you are.  Who you really are comes out in a time of crisis.  They had something on the inside that surpassed what was going on around them.  The spirit of God cannot be imprisoned or held back by chains.  Prayer and praise not only set them free but released the chains of everybody around them.

Purpose in your heart that no matter what you are going to encourage yourself in the Lord and ‘stand up’ on the inside.  God sees all things and God knows all things and He knows exactly how to set you free.  Don’t worry about what is going on around you. You have a freedom in Christ that no one can take away from you.  “Let every thing that has breath praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6).

Many believers do not realize the daily battles they fight are all orchestrated by Satan and they are designed to discourage us and steal our joy, peace and especially our faith in God.  God knew that man, in his own strength, is no match for Satan so God has provided us with armor that we are to put on every day.  With this armor nothing can defeat us; without this armor we will lose.

God’s armor consists of truth, righteousness, gospel of peace, faith, salvation, Spirit of God and prayer.  Living in truth is the only thing that will truly set us free.  God gives us the righteousness of Jesus Christ and the gospel of peace leads us to salvation.  Faith will cause Satan’s fiery darts to have no affect and the Word of God is a lamp to our feet.  Praying without ceasing causes us to maintain that daily connection with our heavenly Father.  If we remember to clothe ourselves in this armor, we will not only win the spiritual battle we must fight, but we will be able to die to our flesh and live the godly life that God expects of His children.

Putting on the whole armor of God should become as natural as putting on our clothes every morning.  Satan wants believers to be so weak that they give in to every temptation that he puts in their path, and that is why we must be diligent in preparing ourselves each and every day.  Some people may not recognize the schemes of the enemy but when you live in fear for your marriage, children, job, finances and your health Satan will take advantage of you hoping that you will turn away from God and live for self.

God’s Word tells us that after we have done all, we are to stand.  When your journey on this earth is finished, the only one standing should be you, the child of the Most High God.

Have you ever wondered why the wicked seem to prosper while the righteous seem to suffer?  No one can control what happens to them, but we do control how we respond to our trials and tribulations.  Psalm 37, written by David, gives us a divine prescription on how we are to handle ourselves, especially when we look at the life of a believer versus the life of the wicked.  The grass might look like it is greener on the other side, but what we must remember is this is not Heaven.  We are heavenly beings having a spiritual experience and our reward is living in eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Earth is the closest the wicked will ever get to Heaven.  They will spend eternity in a lost state separated from God. God has given us instructions on how to live successfully while on this earth in Psalm 37.

Believers are to:

1) Trust in the Lord

2) Delight ourselves in the Lord

3) Commit our way to the Lord

4) Be still before the Lord

5) Do not fret

6) Do not become an angry person

Trusting God means we are submitted to obeying God and doing His will in all things and at all times.  Delighting ourselves in the Lord means that we are doing what pleases God, dying to ourselves.  Commiting our way to the Lord is daily putting ourselves, everyone we love and our businesses into God’s hands so He can order our steps.  It’s also important to be still in the presence of God; waiting on the Lord and not try to get ahead of God.  God does not want us to fret or become hot and bothered or frustrated because we are not where we want to be at this very moment. Last but not least, we are not to become an angry person or harbor bitterness in our hearts over anyone or any situation. Release people to God and let go of the pain they brought into your life.

We all know that it is better to be saved by the blood of Jesus than to live this life without knowing Him.  This Psalm tells us that evil men will be cut off but those who wait on the Lord will inherit the earth.  That is one of the amazing promises that we have and we must hold onto it.  We must purpose in our hearts that we are going to take God’s prescription every day just like we take a prescription from our doctor if we want to get well.  Your doctor wants to take good care of you so that you live a long time.  He will not do anything to harm you.  How much more is God’s love for you when He knew you before you were born.  He wants you to have life and life more abundantly not just here on this earth, but for all eternity and God’s prescription will never expire.  It was good enough for David, and it will still be good for your children’s children.

One word from God will change your life forever.  However, you must believe what God has told you and most importantly, you will have to fight for its manifestation.  Satan will always challenge the word God has given to you, but the truth of the matter is he can’t change the word.  You must fight the good fight of faith every day, and one way to do this is to not allow anger, jealousy or a critical spirit into your life.

In this life you will have trouble.  In this life you will have people disappoint you, lie about you and prove to be unfaithful especially when you need them the most.  God is the only one who can change another person and you must release people who hurt you to the Lord.  Don’t let negative feelings hinder you from receiving all that God has for you.  Jesus came to this world to give you life and life more abundantly and an abundant life can be yours if you let the Holy Spirit control everything you do.

After you receive a word from God, don’t just write it down and put it away in your dresser drawer.  Speak over that word; prophecy over that word and declare that God’s word will come to pass in your life.  God’s word, whether it is His written word, the Bible, or a rhema word given personally to you, guard it in your heart and always believe it will come in God’s timing.

One word from God changes everything.  You don’t need 100 words because God’s word brings life just as it did in the beginning when He created the heavens and the earth.  God’s word is powerful and He is not man that he can lie.  God is God and He is so good at it.  You must live your life walking by faith and not by sight and you will see the goodness of the Lord upon your life.

This question was first asked of by the Lord after telling Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son in the following year.  What made this question so meaningful was the fact that Abraham was 99 years old and his wife, Sarah was 90 years old.  Both Abraham and Sarah laughed when told this news because it was humanly impossible for this to happen.  But the Lord had to remind them that there is nothing God can’t do, and because God is a promise-keeper, one year later Isaac was born just as had been promised.

That is a vital question for every Believer to ask themselves today.  If you have yet to see a promise that God made to you maybe last year or five, ten years ago, do you still have faith that it will come to pass?  God has a way of doing things so that no one else can take the glory for it.  This is what He did with Abraham and Sarah and it is the same with us today.  How could anyone look at the baby Isaac without accepting the fact that Isaac was a miracle.  Abraham and Sarah were well beyond the child bearing years but the truth is there is nothing too hard for the Lord!

You must walk in faith and continue to believe in the promises of God because they will come to pass – they must because God is God and if He said it, it will happen.  Have no doubt about it.  It’s never too late with God.  Believers must accept the fact that God’s timing is different than their own, but in due season God will show you His faithfulness and He will show you that He will do exceedingly more than what you have asked for or even thought of.