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INSPIRATION
Are You
Ready?
- by Priscilla
What does God
have in store for you? You are more than you can
envision. Are you ready?
Imagine how
David must have felt, a shepherd chosen among others
perceived to be “better men”, to be anointed king of
Israel. (“Man looks at the outward appearance, but
God looks at the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16-7. ) Blessed
by the Spirit of the Lord as a youth he returned to his
“ordinary life” until God was ready to implement His
plan. David’s time to receive the kingdom had not yet
arrived…So what did David do? He dwelled in a place of
peace, meditated on the Word of God and battled both
lion and bear in defense of his flock…all the while
being prepared for what God called him to do.
When the
appointed time arrived, all of Israel was being menaced
by the Philistine army, lead by a giant of a man called
Goliath. Among all these “religious men” only David
had no fear of him. Because he had a “relationship”
with God, he did not rely on outer armor. He put on the
“breastplate of righteousness” and the shield of
faith”. In his heart he believed the promises of
God…and with a slingshot and one stone he
triumphed!
Standing in
the wake of a giant is overwhelming. Yet, it is
necessary if we are to progress. We cannot move forward
while standing still. We can stand taller and be all
that God created us to be, even when we are not sure how
we are going to do it. God will make use of our
experiences from the past and our present talents in
ways we did not dream possible. Are you ready?
Who or what
is the “giant” that stands in the way of your blessing?
Is it loneliness, unhealthy relationships, fear of
failure, financial woes, disappointment, low self
esteem, or is it simply a less desirable version of your
self threatening to return?
Are you
willing to do the work necessary to help you grow
spiritually tall and strong? Realize you cannot do it
alone! Lean on the strength of Almighty God and echo
the words of David with conviction…Speak to your “giant”
it has no power over you! What is a giant compared to
God?…
“You come
at me with sword spear and javelin, but I come against
you in the name of the Lord Almighty…This day the Lord
will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down…and
the whole world will know there is a God..”- 1 Samuel
17:45-47
It's
Not Over !
- by Priscilla
In the book of Ruth we are
introduced to Naomi, who is
living her life according to
appearances. She believes that
God has dealt "harshly" with
her. In a fit of self pity she
begins the journey to her
homeland of Bethlehem,
accompanied by her
daughter-in-law, Ruth. She
believes her life is over.
Like
Naomi, you may believe that life
has not been kind. You may be
tempted to give up and settle
for things as they are rather
than the way they can be.
Understand that your life is
just beginning. No matter what
the past has been, there is a
bright future for you. No
matter the shortcomings of hurt
and pain that you have faced or
are facing now, healing and love
are available to you.
As
you face each day, know that
your life is not an accident.
You are here for a reason, That
reason is to express God.
Today, find a way to express
love - love of God, love of
yourself and love of humanity.
Engage in behavior that makes
you feel valuable. Shift your
attention to that which is
working in your life.
"Then
the women said to Naomi,
'Blessed be the Lord, who has
not left you this day..." - Ruth
4:14
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