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“So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2:21‬ ‭ Genesis teaches us many things including how God made man and how the woman was made from man's rib by God. The Bible says that the man fell into a deep sleep and that is when God created the woman from the man's rib. God could have done it while Adam was awake. See when we are asleep we don't doubt if God can or will do what were praying for, we don't have a million questions about things, and we don't worry about ourselves or anything else. We fully trust God. I have seen something before that said, "Give it to God and rest." The Bible says, "Cast your burdens on Him and He will give you rest." It was best for the man to be asleep because He wasn't in a state of having to be worried or confused, God always knows best and He always does things in the best way for us. Don...

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:4‬ ‭ Love is something that we cannot explain every feeling and form of. We oftentimes are blessed enough to see love whether it be a mother/daughter type love, a friend type love, a family type love, a coworker type love, or even a relationship type love. Love comes in so many different forms but is always shown in these ways, The Bible says it is patient, kind, does not envy or boast, is not ignorant or rude, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrong, rejoices in the truth, always protects, trusts and hopes, always preserves and never fails. When you love someone those are the traits that are meant to happen and to be shown through your love. You should always look at those verses to be reminded of what love really is. Your love for others is because of His love for you. The Bible tells us that we love others because He first loved us. We are the example of how Jesus lov...

“I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭9:13‬ ‭ As humans we make promises with the intention of keeping them, but most likely we don't. We try to but we don't know what the future holds or what will come up, so most of the time we unintentionally break our promises that we meant to keep. Some people make promises with no intention of keeping them. God made a promise from the first book of the Bible that being Genesis, He made a promise after the flood that He would never flood the earth again, He then make a way we would remember that promise that being the rainbow. Even today when it rains we oftentimes see a rainbow of that reminder. If God made a promise in the first Book of the Bible then I am more than positive the promises He has made to you and over your life He will keep. You might have had other people make a promise to you and break it but God doesn't do that. Today, hold on to the promi...

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” Proverbs‬ ‭31:25‬ ‭ Have you ever been driving or riding in a car with someone when the fog was so much that you could barely see 2 feet in front of you? Most people get nervous driving in the intense fog because you never know what is ahead. That's kind of how life is we don't know what is ahead of us so we are fearful of what we cannot see. The Bible has a verse that can calm us in this sense of not knowing what is ahead, the verse is Hebrews 11:1, it says for us to believe even when we cannot see, that is what faith is. If we put all of our faith in God then we will never have a reason to fear. God doesn't wait until the last minute for us but He waits for the right time. Today, if you're fearful of the future remember the verse this blog is based on. We have to be fearless of the future and laugh without fear knowing that God hasn't forgotten us and never will. He will always ...

“Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.” Matthew‬ ‭8:26‬ ‭ We've all heard the saying the calm before the storm. As storms came through my area today, I was reminded of the story of Jesus calming the storm. As you can see this verse says that after the storm stopped there was suddenly a great calm but if you go to the first of the story it says it suddenly struck. Whatever you're facing in your life right now that suddenly happened to you is not going to last forever, once God calms that storm that is in your life there will suddenly a great calm. Notice that it says suddenly, the things that God is going to do for you will happen suddenly, there will be no warning for the wonderful things. Hold on to that promise because God will do it. God is at work for you at this exact moment. When you come through what you're going through know that when you're through it ...

“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew‬ ‭6:21‬ ‭ Today's world teaches us to be so lukewarm and to accept things we know aren't right. The world wants us to accept hatred and be full of greed. If we follow the world we lose our soul in the process. We can become everything that is considered cool in this world but that will not get us very far in our walks with God. To be cool and accepted by the world means nothing if it cost you your soul. Your soul is so important it doesn't only create who you are but it also is where your eternity will be. I can tell you this for you to be rich in earthly pleasures is to be poor in a relationship with God. I'm not saying for us to have money means to not have a relationship with God, but if your sole focus is on money and any other earthly thing then your focus is taken off of God. When you focus on God He handles your life and anything in it. Stop worrying about what it means to be cool ...

“When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:39‬ ‭ Stop letting things that are out of your control stress you out. God knew it would come to this, but He also knew how and when He'd get you out of it. When Jesus was in the boat and the storm came He was still asleep, He didn't wake up and panic. He knew who was in control and at the second of His voice it would become calm. I've noticed that when I stress over something that is out of my control and not even close to happening yet that it was a waste of my time to even worry because God works it out. The last time I stressed over something out of my control God spoke to me and said, "It's not worth worrying about because I've already worked it out!". I then felt a peace come over me and didn't worry about it again. As time went on God did just as He had promised to me. Today, remind yourself that...

“She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.” Proverbs‬ ‭31:12‬ ‭ If you're in a relationship the best way to grow closer to each other is to grow closer to God. I have seen an illustration of this once and it was a triangle God at the top, it showed that the closer you get to God the closer you get to each other. That's exactly how you grow closer, the more you love God and understand His love for you the more you know how to properly love each other. So many things cause relationships to be unhealthy, so when you learn how God has designed you to love your partner, you will overcome the unhealthy parts of a relationship. If your relationship is healthy that doesn't mean that you shouldn't both grow closer to God. If you're single no matter your gender read Proverbs 31, if you're looking for a man become what a Proverbs 31 wife should be, if you're looking for a wife those are the traits that a wife should have. No one is perfect but someone wh...

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”James‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭ Oftentimes when we pray we think that God has forgotten us because He hasn't answered us quite yet, but that isn't the reason at all, it's usually because we have backed into sin, or just backed away from our relationship with God. I have learned that God is often quiet for me because He is working, or my Bible has been closed far too long. When we don't spend enough time reading the Bible or in prayer as often as we should, we become comfortable, which is scary because we become okay without depending on God. A relationship with God is like two people holding a rope on each end, when we go close God goes closer to us, but when we back further away He doesn't move. If you ever feel like you aren't close to God anymore remind yourself that it was you who moved and not Him. The Bible tells us th...

“The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”” Genesis‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭ Once you learn to hear God's voice clearly the other voices around don't seem to matter anymore. The enemy will constantly tell you lies like you're not good enough, God won't come through for you, you're being too calm about this situation, get mad at them and judge them and so many more things. The way you can always tell if it's the Holy Spirit is if you hear voices of truth, the Holy Spirit will tell you, I will prosper, God has never failed me why would He start now, my joy comes from the Lord, I am strong in Christ, my hope is found in God and so many more promises. You can learn to tell what is from the enemy only if you're listening. As a teen growing up one of the biggest lies the enemy would tell me that would work and break me down was I was ...

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs‬ ‭4:23‬ ‭ Friendships, jobs, relationships, and anything else in life can at times take up more space in our hearts than God. We can't spend so much time chasing appreciation, fame, money, and people. When we let these things consume our hearts whether we realize it or not they become above God. The Bible tells us to love the Lord with all of our hearts, all of our souls, and all of our might. You can't keep letting others push God out of your heart. Make sure that you have God as your top priority and not others or anything else. Your heart has to be after God fully because all things flow from our hearts. Jesus focuses on our hearts because it is our hearts that determine where the course of our lives and what it is. God is the most important in our lives. The Ten Commandments, it tells us to not have any other idols. In a sense when we let things become more important than God then we are ...

““My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” Isaiah‬ ‭55:8‬ ‭ When we are praying for something we always question how God will do it, next time you come to a crossroads of wondering how He will do it instead focus on that He will. When God says He will do something you can count on, it might not be when or how you thought but it will come to pass. Our human minds are only capable of imagining so much, the Bible says that our ways are not His ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. The thoughts and ways that you think God will do something for you most likely arent it. You can't sit and wonder how all the time, instead get up and put your faith into action by trusting God by knowing He will and trusting Him with how! The Bible teaches us to put faith to work! Today, make sure you're putting your faith to work rather than focusing on how He will do as He has promised you. You are getting just what God ...

“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah‬ ‭40:31‬ ‭ God oftentimes changes our circle so that He can change our lives. I heard a preacher once say that you can't walk with the chickens and fly with the eagles. If you spend your entire life surrounded by the wrong people you will never end up where you're meant to be. It's like a baby bird, if the mother doesn't push it out of the nest it will never learn to fly, God sometimes has to push our circle away from us for us to become who we are meant to be. The people that we surround ourselves with matter because it does affect who we are and who we become. We each have free will and some people choose to use it the wrong way, which is why if you're called by God and want to live the right way you cannot constantly be surrounded by those who don't. The right people will inspire you, uplift...

“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Psalms‬ ‭37:23‬ ‭ Today, let's think and study the story of Esther, she went from being an ordinary person to her cousin telling her to go to the King to become the queen and then she was called to meet the King as he was searching for a new queen. She was pretty much going to an audition to be the queen. So many times in life we fear to take a risk that we know we need to because we fear failure. Look at Esther she didn't only become queen, but she also saved all the Jews including her cousin and herself. She was called to take the risk of failing because she had to in order to do what God called her to do. Esther even took the risk to go into the inner court un-invited which was something no one was supposed to do but she knew that she had to do so to save her people like God has positioned her for. He had called her for such a time as that!  You can't live life out of fear of failure. ...

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John‬ ‭1:5‬                Today's world is full of so much darkness and hatred, it needs a light to shine for Jesus. There was a Sunday school song most of us knew growing up that went like this, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, hide it under a bushel, no, I'm gonna let it shine." Today, we are so quick to let bushels in life hide it such as popularity, other's approval, embarrassment, and anything else in life. We let others dull the light that we are meant to shine. The light you have for God is the most important thing in your life, we can't let anything take that away. Shining a light for the world to see means doing good deeds expecting nothing in return, being kind to everyone no matter if you get that in return, following God's will for your life, and most of all living a life pleasing to God. You can't shine a light for others to see and live ...

“Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” Galatians‬ ‭1:10‬ ‭ You are a child of the One True King so stop trying to act, dress and talk like the world and start to act, dress and talk like you're a child of the One True King. Stop trying to impress the world and win their approval because all that ends up giving you nothing for its approval but God's approval gives you everything including a Heavenly home for all of eternity. We often times try to fill the void in our hearts of approval through social media, popularity, intelligence, and even acceptance from those around us. The Bible teaches us that true wisdom is found in God, we know that His approval is what truly will satisfy our hearts. Think about the story in the Bible of the woman at the well she was trying to satisfy her thirst from the earthly water, but Jesus told her He had water that would never make her thirsty again. ...

“There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭16:9‬ ‭ I was praying about what I should write tonight and God reminded me of something that happened today. This is something that is going to seem like it doesn't make sense but just bear with me. This morning early it was thundering, we have a fenced-in yard and our dog was out, it is terrified of storms it started jumping on my window from our porch it woke me up thinking that it had jumped through the window, but it hadn't so my husband let it in. God showed me this moment in my head and said, "How many times do we jump through a window instead of waiting for God to open the door." Think about that for a second. We are so quick to become impatient waiting on God to open the door that we make a way for ourselves and it isn't where we are meant to be. If you've been praying for that door to open no matter what it is don't jump through the window the Lord is comi...

“Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.” ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4:2‬ ‭ We oftentimes put off telling someone what we know is right for them to hear whether it be advice, the gospel, or helping them see their wrongdoings because it "isn't the right time" but it doesn't matter what time it is when God calls you to tell someone something from Him. I have learned that when God is showing me something that I need to tell someone I shouldn't wait, I should tell them right when God tells me to because that is holding their blessing back from them. We should patiently correct this verse says as in we should be patient with people when we tell them that their sin doesn't align with the word of God. We should be patient with them as God has and is patient with us. You cannot expect God to not be patient with someone when He has been patient with you, the Bible says that G...

“For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes.” Proverbs‬ ‭5:21‬ ‭ When you meet someone, always ask God to reveal their true intentions to you. It's better to know sooner than later that they're not meant to be in your life. There is still a prayer you can pray that has often worked for me, but you have to mean it sincerely because God wants honesty with us. If you have someone in your life you are unsure is meant to be there, pray and ask God to remove them if they aren't meant for you. This prayer often can come with pain. The hard thing in life is that everyone you care about isn't meant for you, but the good thing is God chooses the best people for us. You can't continue to keep people in your life that you know aren't meant to be there because they are only holding you back. I know it's hard to let go but God's plans are always best. Look at the story of Ruth she let go of her family and followed her mother-in-law Naomi ...

““Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”” Luke‬ ‭8:48‬ ‭ The problem with the world today is we depend so much on our own understanding and less on our faith in God. The Bible tells us so many times to have faith. Those who were healed by Jesus He often times said, Your faith has healed you. See like the woman with the blood issue who touched Jesus' garment, she had enough faith and trust to know that if she could only touch Him she would be healed. If you take the problems and circumstances you face today and reach for His garment He will always come through for you. Jesus is as alive today if not more than 2,000 years ago, but the very best part is we don't have to search very far for Him. Today, touch His garment and reach to heaven with praise, prayer, and worship. All He is waiting for is your touch. Anything you face in life God can fix but remember that what you're facing now will someday make sense and is worth facing the mountain fo...

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” Ephesians‬ ‭2:8‬ ‭ We each spend so much time trying to be perfect before we pray and go to church, but we have to remind ourselves that God knows we are a work in progress. Let's think back on the story of the woman at the well. Jesus went up to her and told her she was living with a man that was not her husband. Jesus never went to that well for water, He went to the well for her. He didn't go to her when she had her entire life put together and was out of her sin, He came to her where she was although everyone else was judgemental of her and shamed her. You have to stop feeling ashamed of the sin in your life and go to God from the place you are now. I heard a saying once say you don't go to the shower clean to get washed so why would you come to God without sin to be baptized? You come to God for Him to cleanse you not to be perfect when you get there. God meets us...

“You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” 1 Peter‬ ‭3:4‬ ‭ Don't let the world dictate what the definition of beauty is. The world will tell you that you have to be perfect in every aspect but God's beauty standards are much different than that. The Bible says that He judges on the heart. Someone can be "perfect" in the world's beauty standards but it means nothing if their heart is ugly. This generation is different because we have social media to compare ourselves to others, but we have to remind ourselves that what truly matters is how we act and treat other people. Your looks won't get you very far in life but your kindness, hard work, love, compassion, and trust in God will. Today, remind yourself that the true beauty standard is something that you already are one of that being God's greatest creations and all you have to do is let the f...

““I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.” Revelation‬ ‭3:8‬ ‭ There is a promise God has given me over my life for about five years now, it's something that I think of often and remind myself of what God said. I needed a reminder that I have something to look forward to for me to still accomplish for God. I prayed for a sign about it, which I haven't prayed for in a really long time. Today as I went about my day I completely forgot about it, tonight I received a text and it was more than a confirmation for me because it was something out of the ordinary for the person who sent it to me and they agreed that it was a sign about what I prayed about. It reminded me that although I sometimes need encouragement and a reminder that things will come to pass as God told me that He is faithful to His word and will always remind us. I think so many times when I feel like Go...

“But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.” Jeremiah‬ ‭18:4‬ ‭ When we hear stories in the Bible like David and Goliath, Jonah in the belly of the whale, Esther becoming Queen and saving the Jews, Daniel in the lion's den, and any others where God does the impossible. Those stories are hope for us to know that what we face is able to be fixed by God because He done it for them. God is going to use your story in the same way, you might not be written on the pages of the Bible but your story of what you are surviving now and have survived will help so many people. God will use you and the things that you face as an example of His power, love, strength, joy and miracles today. Sometimes we just need a reminder that God is still in the miracle and saving business. Today, let God use you as a vessel for Him and to show the world of what He can do! You are chosen by God and anointed for His glory! You will und...

“But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” Revelation‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭ Being a lukewarm Christian is a scary thing to be, it's somewhere that some of us end up and others never want to go. It's when you know you have drifted into the world but choose to stay where you are and continue to try and please God without accepting that you need to change your choices. Being lukewarm is a terrifying place to be because you're in the in-between. God never intended for us to have to endure knowing about sin and death or even to face it, but when Adam and Eve chose to fall into sin it caused us all knowledge of sin from then on. We each have a choice to do what is right or to do what is wrong, if we continue down the path we know to be right and focus on what God tells us then we will have an eternity in Heaven, but if we choose to cave to our sinful nature and do what our flesh wants we will have an eternity in hell. If you think the thin...

“Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field.” ‭‭Ruth‬ ‭2:8‬ ‭ This verse in Ruth shows her steadfast faithfulness. She stayed where God and Boaz told her to even when it meant not returning to her family, she had also just lost her father-in-law, brother-in-law, and husband. Instead of going home to her family, she told her mother-in-law, Naomi, "Wherever you go, I will go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God." Ruth was faithful to God and her people even when life seemed unfaithful to her. The story goes on to her meeting Boaz, and marrying Him. From her lineage came King David. Ruth's love story has inspired many people to wait on the one. See what we notice is that she found love and she found the one meant for her, what we don't focus on is the pain she faced...

“The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised.” Genesis‬ ‭21:1‬ ‭ Do you ever have those days where the doubt creeps in unknowingly and tells you that what God has promised won't happen? Let's think of this story in the Bible where someone doubted that God would do what He said, but God did it anyway. Sarah and Abraham were promised a child from God. When Abraham was told by God this he laughed, knowing that he is one hundred years old and doubtful that it will come to pass. Sarah overheard the conversation between God and Abraham and she laughed to herself. God asked Sarah why she laughed, and she responded and said she didn't, and God said, yes you did laugh. As you know the story goes on to tell us that Abraham had a child with the servant because he was impatient in his doubt, but God still blessed him with the promised child Isaac. This story not only teaches us that we should not doubt God's promises and that we also shouldn't take thi...

“They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”” John‬ ‭8:7‬ ‭ Jesus was the one person in this world from the beginning of time to the end that is worthy of being rude and judging someone by their sins, but He didn't. He didn't spend His time on earth chasing every sinner and making them feel bad for their mistakes, instead, He found them in their sin, was kind, and encouraged them to turn from their sins. We should spend our time helping others turn from their sins not judging them for them. In the Bible, there is a story that I have always loved because it really shows Christ's true love for us. Here is a short reference to it to refresh your memory if you do know it. There was a woman caught in adultery, Jesus was in the crowd and they were waiting for Him to slip up and say something that they could trap Him in. They kept demanding Him to give them an answer, He stood up and said, ...

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭6:5‬ ‭ So many times in life we don't communicate with God unless we need Him for something for us. It's like a child that gets bored with a toy and drops it until it can't find another one to play with. We think it's okay to use God when He's needed and toss him to the side until the next time we do, but it's far from the truth of what we need to be doing. The Bible says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." You can't love God and not have communication with Him or serve Him every day. If you feel like you have been doing this or currently doing this think about how God always listens immediately, His love and devotion for us should be enough for us to want to serve Him daily. God isn't a medication we can take when needed, He is needed daily. Make sure that God is your priority...

““Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.” Genesis‬ ‭3:2‬ ‭ We tend to be so quick to say that others don't have an impact on our decisions in life, that we don't let others help us make choices. The first person ever created was Adam, then his wife Eve. Eve was deceived by the serpent which was the devil in a form of a snake who told her to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. God gave them one command and that was to not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. The enemy deceived Eve which led her to deceive Adam to eat it also. When someone makes a bad choice that is close to us oftentimes they deceive us into doing it also. They will make us fall into sin like they are. It is so important to be close to those who are on the right path in life and have the same values and beliefs as you so that you will not slip into sin. Today, make sure you're being cautious as to whom you are around and are getting close to you,...