If you saw a friend on the side of the road with a flat tire, you would not hesitate to pull over and assist them.  You would help them take the old tire off and put on  the new tire.  You would not just look at them and drive by.  That is your friend and you would do whatever it took to get them back on the road.

Certain life events can slow anyone down and even cause them to stop and not be able to go any further.  That is where you come in.  Everbody is going somewhere on our journey through life and God wants you to help those who need it.  You never know when you will be the one in need.  It’s a sin not to help if you have it in your power to help someone else.  A word of encouragement, providing a meal to a family in need, mowing a neighbor’s lawn or just calling someone up just to say ‘hello’ will go a long way to impact the life of someone who needs a friend today.  We are all so busy and many of us do not even slow down long enough to see a brother or sister in need.  We are so self-centered that nothing else matters but what we are going through.

Lend a hand to someone; let them know that you are willing to pull over and help them get back on the road.  The Bible tells us that what we have done to the least we have done to our Lord Jesus Christ.  Become the hands and feet of Jesus.  You may be the light that opens their heart to receive the greatest gift of all – eternal life.  We are known by our love for one another.  Make a difference and remember what you sow, you will also reap.

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

It’s not easy to let go and accept the things we can’t change, and sometimes it’s even harder to change the things that need to be changed; and harder yet, is to have the wisdom to be able to distinguish between the two.   Wisdom is the key to living a successful life and if you don’t have it, the good news is all you need to do is ask God for it.  God will not hold back.  He has promised that if you ask for wisdom, He will give it to you.  The Bible tells us that wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy.  You know when you have wisdom.  Some people describe it as that gut feeling you have deep inside that is directing you on what you should or should not do.  It’s been said that wisdom is a lifetime of listening when you would rather have been talking.

Wisdom begins with prayer.  When challenges come in your life, the first person you should talk to is God.  God not only hears your prayers but He will answer your prayers.  God will speak to you through a word from another person you trust.  God will also make sure you hear a certain sermon, or song that will minister to your soul and you will immediately recognize that it was not just coincidence.  Pray daily.  Make God a part of your personal life every day and ask Him to get involved in everything you are involved in and you will feel His presence because He is faithful.

Often, God makes us wait and it is not an easy thing to wait upon the Lord.  It is difficult but it is also rewarding.  Waiting is not a waste of time.  It is for your benefit.  Know that God is working behind the scenes not only on the matters that concern you but He is also working on you.  Over time, you will discover that the things that use to bother you no longer bother you.  You will discover that your compassion for others has grown.  You are able to see the little things going on all around you and it is all making you into a gentle and loving person.

Wisdom will also help you to accept what God allows to happen in your life.  In this life we will have trouble so says the Word of God.  You cannot get angry at God because He let trouble come your way.  Wisdom will help you to understand all things will work together for your good.  Your part in trouble is to be faithful to God and trust Him.  Surrender everything to Him and know that God has not stopped loving you, but it is because He loves you, He will turn things around for your good.  When you are able to say as a child of God “not my will but your will be done” you have obtained wisdom that will enable you to live a victorious life.

God wants you to be happy and fulfilled and the only way to do that is to have wisdom, pray, learn to wait on God and to accept what God allows into your life. Then, you will be able to accept the things you cannot change; change the things you can and be able to know the difference.

I’ve often wondered why athletes always say “Hi Mom” when they are being interviewed and never “Hi Dad.”  Could it be that Mothers hold a special place in the heart of their children that no one else comes close to?

Today is the day we honor our Mothers.  You can’t put a price tag on her value when you consider all the many roles she has to play day in and day out.  Mothers protect, support, teach and remain loyal all the days of their children’s lives.  Mothers have a natural instinct that is amazing to watch.  Mothers are the first teacher that a child will ever have and their influence will go far beyond any other influence in a child’s life. No matter what her child goes through, whether it be good or bad, whether her child follows her advice or not, a Mother will never stop loving her child.

Children, if you are blessed to still have your Mother with you, show her that you appreciate everything that she has gone through for you.  If your Mother is no longer alive, stop and thank God for all that she taught you.  You will never know all that she went through to mold you into the man or woman God wants you to be.  Fathers, show your appreciation to your wife for being the Mother of your children by blessing her with something special today.

Mothers, I salute you and I pray that you are known as a Provers 31 woman.  Thank you for all the tears you have shed; the times no one stopped to thank you for the sacrifices you made both seen and unseen and for your faithfulness and comitment to your Family.

Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless Mothers all over the world today.  Give them the strength they need from day to day.  Give them wisdom and courage to face tomorrow and give them the desires of their hearts.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

It’s safe to say that not all of us have a true friend.  You might have many aquaintances and a few people that you spend time with but a true friend is hard to come by.  A true friend is there with you when everyone else has left you.  A true friend is loyal, dependable and committed to helping you to become all that God wants you to be.  A true friend refreshes you when you are down and reminds you of all the times you have bounced back in the past and assures you that you will do it again.  A true friend remains by your side when everything is going right and refuses to leave when everything is going wrong.  A true friend is not with you only for as long as you meet their needs, but is with you when he/she has to do all the giving because you are not able to. There is a beautiful illustration of a true friend in 2 Timothy 1:16.  Paul gives us insight as to his relationship with Onesiphorus, the one who ‘refreshed’ him.

Refreshing each other should be the goal of every true friendship.  People will come and go in your life.  Each has a specific part to play in making you who you are intended to be.  Some will be in your life for a season; others will be there during the good, the bad and the ugly.  Once the people in your life have proven what part they are to play, you will cherish the ones who define what is real and what is not.  Unfortunately, some people will want to be a part of your life only because of what you can do for them.  They are not real.  Fortunately, some people,maybe one or two, will  take your hand and go with you no matter where your journey takes you.  Thank God for those people and make it a point to be as good a friend to them as they are to you.  Iron sharpens iron so do whatever you can to refresh your friend(s).  A little act of kindness may be just the thing to heal their broken heart.

If you are wishing for a true friend today, there is a friend who will stick closer to you than a brother.  This friend will never leave you nor forsake you.  This friend will take you by your right hand and tell you not to fear because He will help you.  (Isaiah 41:13). What a friend we have in Jesus.  Jesus Christ is the best friend you will ever find.  Seek Him today and you will find him.  He will impact your life in such a way that you will eagerly want to introduce Him to others who are lonely, hurting, fearful and afraid.  You don’t have to be alone another day.  Jesus will love you like no one else.  Jesus is a true friend!

The Bible defines faith as the ‘substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.’  It is faith that makes you more than a conqueror.  Faith will cause you to get back up when you have been knocked down.  Faith will not allow one to quit when the going gets rough.  Faith will hold you steady when everything around you is falling apart and faith will cause one to focus on the things that are not seen and not on the things that are seen.

There are many things that can cause you to become discouraged in life but Believers have victory through Jesus Christ.  Therefore, you must believe that all things work together for good, and when tough times come, it is faith that will help you to move forward.  Today’s strength will come from remembering what God has already done for you.  If you are a child of God, nothing can ever separate you from His love so guard your heart with that thought.  You will never have a problem that God cannot solve and no matter what the circumstances of your life might be right now, encourage yourself in the Lord.  You have this present victory.

The just shall live by faith and if you follow that rule, you will win.  You have much to not only be thankful for but you have much to rejoice over because ‘your light afflictions cannot compare to the glory that will be revealed. (Romans 8:18).

Jesus Christ came to this earth for one purpose and that was to reconcile mankind back to God.  Through  the sin of Adam and Eve, every man and every woman lost that divine intimacy that had once existed between God and man.  God is a God of love and He is a just and righteous God.  Once sin came between man and God, God’s love and mercy would not allow Him to stay separated forever.  It was out of love that God gave to the world His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. God’s gift cost Jesus His life and because he was crucified for our sins, every one can be forgiven; because Jesus was raised from the dead, every one has been redeemed.  All we need to do is ask Jesus to become our Lord and Savior and live a life worthy of a child of God.

Jesus died for our sins but He arose on the third day and because He arose, every child of God will never see death but will pass from death into a life that we can only imagine.  As Jesus was hanging on the cross, He made the statement “it is finished.”  What He meant was that everything had been done according to the will of His Father to restore a relationship that could not be restored any other way.  No one could ever work hard enough or be good enough to merit eternal life on their own.  Once you accept Jesus as your Savior, you become part of the family of God.  No one can then pluck you out of His hands.

It’s amazing that all it takes is a believing heart when you consider the price that Jesus paid for redemption but it is true.  The blood of Jesus that was shed was and is good enough for the salvation of every one no matter who you are.  If you are living you life without Jesus, don’t go another day without asking Him into your heart.  If you are walking with Jesus, reflect on the goodness and grace of God.  No greater love can be found than the love Father God has for you.  Believe it.  Trust it and thank Him every day for it.

Your journey here on earth will have its ups and downs.  You will face small problems and you will face big problems.  It’s safe to say that at some point you will even face an impossible situation – something that is beyond the resources of mankind.  It might come in the form of your health, your finances, facing a natural disaster and even death.  Impossible situations can only be resolved by God for it is He and He alone who has authority over heaven and earth.

The Bible gives us evidence that Jesus spoke the words ‘peace be still’ to the wind and the waves and the storm ceased.  Jesus cast out a legion of demons from a man’s body and restored him to normality.  A woman touched the hem of the garment of Jesus and she was made whole from a disease she had for 12 long years.  Jesus showed that he has power over death when he called out Lazarus from his grave and Lazarus came forth still wrapped in his burial clothes.  Jesus riased the 12 year old daughter of a Roman ruler from her death bed after announcing that she was only sleeping.

In the Kingdom of God the supernatural is normal.  Healing, restoration and restitution dwell where God is.  There is nothing impossible with God.  God wants His children to believe that that same power that Jesus has is also available to them.  Having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ gives everyone access to the power and authority found only in the fourth dimension.  Human resources are limited here on earth, but in the fourth dimension, there is a power that comes from the throne room of Almighty God.  Therefore, if you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior it doesn’t matter if you are facing an impossible situation today.  God can and will empower you to not only face it but to bring you through it in a manner that brings glory to Him.

Psalm 46:10 says “be still and know that I am God.”  Do not fear what lies ahead of you.  At the name of Jesus every knee must bow.  Walk in faith and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He has been raised from the dead to give you life and life more abundantly!

Everyone likes to remain in their personal comfort zone for many reasons; going outside of the comfort zone can cause anxiety and even pain.  Personal trainers push their clients to go beyond what’s comfortable so that they achieve more with the goal of getting your body at its maximum strength.  No pain – no gain is often used to help motivate people to go one step further than they did the day before.

God works the same way.  God pushes us out of our comfort zone so that we can maximize our effectiveness in His Kingdom.  Do not be afraid to do a little more or go just a little further in unchartered territory.  It might be painful but there is a blessing on the other side.

When you are faced with difficult situations and you feel like you can’t do it anymore, remember these three things:

1) Believe that God will hear you when you pray and He will answer you

2) Persevere in what God allows in your life

3) Look forward to what God is going to do to deliver you

Sometime in your life, you will run into a situation that only God can get you out of.  Open your heart to Him and tell Him you need Him and then believe that God will answer your prayer.  Don’t doubt it for a second.  God is there and He wants nothing more to deliver you.  Don’t waste time asking ‘why did this happen to me?’  Believe that you will see the goodness of the Lord.  You won’t know how or when but God will bring you out.  Faith will keep you holding on to the God of the impossible.  Wait patiently for Him and in due season,you will reap a great harvest. If you have a vision, write it down.  It may tarry but the Bible tells us that it will surely come; that it will not lie.

Just beyond your threshold is a destiny that is abundantly more than what you have asked for.  Anticipate it; believe in it and pray over it.  God will never let you down.

Do you know that fear is contagious?  It’s like watching someone yawn, before you know it, you are yawning.  Therefore, it is important that we learn not to fear and the only way to do that is to know the depth of the power that lies within you because you are a child of God.

The 20th chapter of Deuteronomy tells us that when we go to battle with our enemy and our enemy might have a lot of weapons and appear to be stronger than we are, we are not to be afraid for “the Lord thy God is with thee.”  It goes on to tells us not to allow our hearts to faint because God will fight with us – to save and deliver us.  If we become terrified, others will notice that we are afraid and they, too, will become fearful. Fear spreads quickly and how can you win a battle if you go into the battle afraid to fight.

Speak to your fear; speak to your situation that looks like it will destroy you.  Words are powerful and Believers have been given authority over serpents; all we need to do is know who we are in Christ and engage in that divine authority that is there to help us.  If you are totally surrendered to God, you will become fearless as the enemy flees from you time after time after time.

One of the weapons we have to fight fear is to pray in the Spirit.  Praying with words of understanding is powerful but praying in the Spirit puts you on a higher level.  The Holy Spirit is in total control and will direct you in this heavenly language that is just between you and your Heavenly Father.  If you do not yet have this gift, ask God to touch you and He will activate this part of Himself within you that will only serve to draw you closer to Him.

“For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand and say to thee “fear not, I will help you.”  (Isaiah 41:13).

When you experience what you might identify as a crisis in your life, it could be that it was allowed by God to become a divine design.  A crisis is never planned nor expected but it has been allowed to come into your life because your heavenly Father thought that it would be the most profound way to teach you a life lesson that you will never forget and to let it become part of your testimony – a testimony that will glorify God. The Apostle Paul, in his writings to the church at Corinth, testifies of the many things that he had to experience, such as being stoned, beaten, ship wrecked, hunger, thirst and differences with fellow believers.  Yet, he pointed out that these things all led to further the gospel.  Things do happen to us but they have a purpose – a divine purpose and God will use it not only for your good but for the good of His kingdom.

Nothing will ever just happen to you without it having a purpose.  Look at your life situations with spiritual eyes and ask God to show you His plan to use it for His glory.  It is not God’s plan to destroy you or cause you to turn away from Him.  The Apostle Paul was in the center of God’s will but was not spared tribulations that would have destroyed a lesser man of faith. God’s plan is to have a relationship with each one of us and when you find yourself in a hard place, cry out to God and He will hear you and He will deliver you – not some of the time but all of the time.

Job was a honorable and righteous man who lost everything but he remained faithful to God and was so blessed that the latter half of his life excelled the first part of his life.  Joseph experienced 13 years of hard times but through it all never lost his faith and became the second most powerful person in the land of Egypt.  These men were tested and their test turned into a powerful testimony that still shines today.

Life is a journey that has many twists and  turns, many ups and down and good times as well as bad times.  How do you respond when things just happen in your life?  Will God find you faithful at the end?  WIll you hear “well done thy good and faithful servant?”  God is in control and when you submit and allow Him to mold you into what He wants you to be, you will know that no matter what it looks or feels like, God has a plan for you and you will only accomplish His will after going through His divine design.