Day 19- Never Give Up

Sometimes in life, we have a dream in our heart that for some reason doesn't ever seem to be fulfilled. It could be wanting to find a spouse or a getting that promotion in your job, maybe it's getting your dream job or house , but for some reason, days go by, weeks go by and sometimes even years go by but still that dream goes unfulfilled.

The worse part is that the devil always tempts us in our empty spaces; so if your dream is to find a spouse, suddenly you're going to start seeing lots of happy couples strolling on by hand in hand where ever you go, or if it's a promotion, it will seem like, everyone around you getting promoted and the list goes on. 

It's in times like these that we think, 'God, look, I'm right here. I'm doing all I can; I'm working hard, I'm praying to  you and praising you, why have you forsaken me?'

We get down and discouraged and we feel like giving up.

But let me encourage you today because God has not forsaken you, he has  invested too much in you to ever quit on you so don't give up.

Truth is, sometimes in life we are too willing to accept less than we deserve, so for example, the we believe that the first person that enters our life is the one or the first job we get, we think that that's what God has in store for us or the first house but sometimes God tests us. He sends the wrong people, the wrong things happen to us and we end up going through pain we could have avoided if we waited. 

However, even during those times, God is working in our lives. He is building us, our strength, our character. 

You may say, 'But I've been waiting for so long, God couldn't have been building my character, I've been waiting for years.'

Yes, you may have been waiting for years, but perhaps the reason you've had to wait is because you haven't learnt the lesson God intends for you to learn? Maybe it isn't even you, maybe it's the other person tied to your destiny; God is working on them.

Perhaps God is trying to teach you patience. Whatever it may be if that promise was placed in your heart, God will bring that promise to pass.

In times like these, all our bad memories tend to pop up in our minds. Everything bad that has happened, the devil also likes to remind us of the way we feel by telling us 'You're too old, you're dream is never going to come true.' or 'You might as well give up now, you had your chance at a happy marriage but you got a divorce, no one is going to love you now' or 'You in so much debt, you'll never get that house, that car.' 

But do you know that everything the devil tells you is a lie. You should rejoice when the devil tells you those things because whatever he tells you, the opposite is true! You need to have courage and faith in your God. Confess good things and good things will come your way.

Remember, God would never place you in a situation you cannot handle, he already knows how much you can take, he already weighed it out on his scales, he already knows that what you're going through will strengthen you so never give up.

This reminds me of the story of the fern and the bamboo:

The Fern and the Bamboo

One day I decided to quit...I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality...

I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

“God”, I said. “Can you give me one good reason not to quit?”

His answer surprised me. “Look around”, He said. “Do you see the fern and the bamboo?”

“Yes”, I replied. “When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.

I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth.

Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed.

But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.

And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.

But I would not quit. The same in year four.

Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.

Compared to the fern, it was seemingly small and insignificant.

But just six months later, the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing roots.

Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.

I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.

“Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots?

I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you.

“Don’t compare yourself to others.” He said. “The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern.

Yet they both make the forest beautiful. Your time will come”, God said to me.

“You will rise high.” “How high should I rise?” I asked.

“How high will the bamboo rise?” He asked in return.

“As high as it can?” I questioned. “Yes.”

He said, “Give me glory by rising as high as you can.”

I left the forest, realizing that God will never give up on me.

And He will never give up on you.

Never regret a day in your life.

Good days give you happiness; bad days give you experiences; both are essential to life.

Serenity isn’t freedom from the storm, but peace within the storm.

Day 18- He Thinks You're Wonderful

You are God’s masterpiece.

Yes, you! You are God’s amazing work of art and he adores you. You are worth much more to him than any of his other creations.

There wouldn’t be enough money in the world to purchase you; no gold pure enough, no diamond big enough, he wouldn't trade you for anything! Nothing will ever change that.     

He loves you, not because of anything you’ve done or didn’t do; not because you follow him resolutely or because you give lots of offering in church or anything; he loves you even if you don’t do any of those things because your heart and soul is worth much more than to him than anything else.

If Leonardo Da Vinci hadn’t painted the Mona Lisa, would it be worth as much? Who knows? But because it was his painting; he whose art works are known and are revered among artists, its worth was recognized.                         

The artist that created you is also the one that hung each star in the sky, the one that mixed the colors of the rainbow and paints every sunset.  He’s also the one who can part oceans and bring forth rain to quench the thirst of the Earth. He is the beginning and the end, the Great and Mighty God of the universe and he created you. How much are you worth?  

Are you worth oceans and skies? Are you worth suns and moons? Surely, you know, he thinks you’re worth more than a thousand burning suns. He sent his divine son, his child, to die so that he could be closer to you. You’re a fragile work of clay and dirt yet he sacrificed his greatest treasure for you.

Did Da Vinci count each stroke as he painted the Mona Lisa? Did he count each crease on her dress, each strand in her eyes? Maybe not.

But your creator has numbered each hair on your head, he carved each line on your hands and gave you a unique fingerprint, even the strands in your eyes are unique. If that wasn’t enough, he also hears each word that you speak, catches each tear that you cry, wrote each of your days in his book.  He thinks you’re worth dying for.

He's crazy about you, he thinks you’re the most wonderful and magnificent of all his creations.

He wants you to know that it's time for you to start loving yourself 

and seeing yourself as he sees you; like a masterpiece. 

Day 17- Dealing with Criticism

You decide to go to the famous Louvre museum in Paris. You walk in casually expecting it to be like any other trip to a museum, but from the moment you observe the art pieces, you are captivated; the art pulls you into a world of wonder, mystery and intrigue, even the very walls seem to be a masterpiece. However, as you continue your adventure, a particularly famous piece catches your eyes, you gravitate toward it. There before you stands Leonardo Da Vinci's most valuable painting; the Mona Lisa. You marvel at it as you suddenly realize that this painting is one of the most famous paintings in the entire world, it's so intriguing, so intricate, yet so.... overrated.

Okay, role playing time is over. I chose the Mona Lisa as the art piece in this scenario since its fame is unrivaled. It is an amazing piece, surely, but the Mona Lisa can help me explain something very interesting that both you and her have in common; critics.

You are basically an art piece in God's exhibit, and everyday you have people all around you who speculate and criticize your every move that's why today I wanted to write about dealing with criticism.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people all over the world go to the Louvre museum and look at the Mona Lisa. If she could talk I'm sure her tale would be more fascinating than anyone could ever imagine, but let's just say for our purpose that you asked her about what people have said about her, she might respond like this; "They say that I am amazing, I am a masterpiece, and I'm worth more than any other painting." or she might reply "They say I'm strange, that they don't understand what my painter was trying to portray, that my nose is too long or my neck is too short"
All in all, this painting being the most famous is equally the most criticized.

In life, we also face criticism of perhaps a similar kind but it's not what people say that matters so much as how we deal with it.

So what does the Mona Lisa do? I think that this is interesting, because no matter what people say about her, whether good or bad, kind or unkind, civil or impolite, she just smiles.
She doesn't cry about it, or quarrel about it, she doesn't hit the person or ask Leonardo Da Vinci why he painted her that way. All she does is continue being herself.

You may say 'But the Mona Lisa is a painting, of course she'll react that way, she doesn't have feelings like I have!"

You're right, you do have feelings, I understand, but not everyone will take that into consideration. So how do you deal with those feelings?

Firstly, Don't get offended.
Ecclesiastics 7:21 reminds us; "Do not pay attention to everything people say"
People say lots of things and if you let it get to you, you will just end up hurting yourself so don't get offended.

Secondly, learn from it if you can.
Proverbs 26: 11 says that a fool does the same foolish things over and over again.

Sometimes criticism can help us grow. It can be a form of correction.
When you were younger (or maybe even now) if your mother or father were to tell you to keep a good posture, you would have done it, right? And in the end you would have looked more confident and also your spine would be aligned avoiding back pains.
Another example can be seen in medicine, if a doctor insults a medical student for not doing a procedure properly, the student may at first feel upset about it  but all in all they know that a persons' life is in their hands and they will fix the problem and graduate as a better doctor.
Same with you, for example let's say someone tells you 'Your work is untidy.' Then that's something you can work on, try to make your work more tidy or if someone were to tell you 'You're looking fat', listen to what they said and if you agree that you're overweight, then do what you need to to get in shape because a lot of health problems can occur if you're overweight. 
Criticism can teach you something worthwhile if you'l let it and you will end up being an even better person.

Thirdly, let it go.
Forgive them, pray about it if you need to and move on. Move on as swiftly as possible because in life, we waste too much time thinking about what other people did or said to us when they're not even thinking about us at all.

Criticism can do one of two things. It can either make you a better person or it can make you a bitter person.

If you yourself find yourself in a position where you have to critique another person, or if you're in a job that requires it, try to follow these rules:
T-Is it true?
H- is it Helpful?
I-Is it Inspiring?
N- Is is necessary?
K- Is it Kind?

You may say, 'But I can't always be kind, sometimes brute force is necessary!' 
You may be right but you should try to be kind most of the time, you never know what the other person is going through.

So next time you're tempted to get sad and down due to criticism, just like the Mona Lisa; remember your worth and just smile.

Day 16-All to Win Your Heart

Genesis 22  tells of a particularly interesting account. It is a story of a faithful servant of God who was asked to do something very difficult. Before I get into that story though, I think in order for us to understand it we should try to place ourselves in a similar situation.

So think of that thing that is most important to you in your life; the dream, relationship, job, item; whatever it is, think about that. Imagine that after all this time God has finally granted you this which you've been dreaming of for as long as you could possibly imagine; so you get it and finally you're happier than you've ever felt. However, one day God tells you, 'I want you to sacrifice this to me.' In other words he asks you to give it up. How would you respond to that? What would you do?

Someone in the Bible was told to do just that but it was perhaps even more difficult for him. This person was Abraham and he was told to sacrifice his only son, a son he awaited for twenty-five years. 

Genesis 22:2 states "Take your son, your only son- yes Isaac, whom you love so much- and go the the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you." 

Abraham, of course, did as God told him and took his precious child, tied him up and laid him on the alter. Then, Abraham picked up his dagger and attempted to do what God had told him. 

In the end, however, God sent Abraham a ram for the sacrifice and he got to keep his son. 

I can imagine the relief Abraham must have felt when he realized that he didn't have to sacrifice his son. 

You may ask, 'Why was that story so significant?' 

Firstly, because this scenario showed the amount of faith Abraham had in God. Abraham trusted God in spite of the fact that he had asked him for the most precious of all his treasures, (a treasure he wasn't even sure he was going to get) and he was willing to give it up to please God.

Secondly and this is the interesting part; eventually God did that very thing that he had told Abraham to do. He sacrificed his only son! The former story was a depiction of what God was going to do in the future.

Imagine, God loved us so much that he gave up what was most precious to him in order to save our souls'. He wanted us to know that he isn't angry and that he wants to have a relationship with us. 

Abraham loved God so much that he was willing to sacrifice his only son but God didn't want Abraham to face that pain.

However, God went through that pain because he loves us so much. He allowed his only son to be sacrificed so that all people could be saved; he broke his own heart so that ours could remain whole.

So if you still think God doesn't love you, think again because what he did was something difficult; he gave up the most precious of his treasures and he did it to win your heart.   

Day 15- Guard Your Heart

The world out there is full of corruption. Corruption, really, is anything that does not adhere to the scripture.  Crimes, violence, fraud, lust, you name it; corruption is not something our present day society is lacking in.

God forbade many of the actions that people of this world somehow believe is right to do. Why did he forbid it? Because it is unholy and unrighteous but since the beginning of time, the devil always tempted us to break rules that God specifically tells us to obey.

Let's take a journey back hundreds of thousands of years ago, back around the time when God created the Earth.

Back then, the forbidden object in question was the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; when Adam and Eve broke this rule and ate the fruit they suddenly became aware of the difference between what is good and what is evil, furthermore, they became aware of themselves and up to this day we have this knowledge. Had they not eaten the fruit, our oblivion would have saved us a great deal of trouble because if we didn't know the difference between good and evil we wouldn't be held accountable for our actions.                                                                               

For example, if your one year old child were to take something from a store, you would think that it's because they don't know any better, but  if someone older were to take something, it would be seen as stealing because they do know better.

In other words, had they not eaten the fruit, in our world, good and evil wouldn't exist; or at least not to our knowledge.

But now that we know the difference between good and evil we are held accountable for our misguided and corrupted deeds. 

Adam and Eve broke God's trust and that's what pushed them into the era of sacrificial offerings. Many people back in those times (the old testament times) were too poor to offer sacrifices to God and back then, it was only through sacrifices that the people could have fellowship with God, but lot's of people could not afford to give sacrifices. 

Now God loved us too much to continue with this trend so instead he sent his son Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice thereby ending the era of sacrifices and commencing this new era whereby we can all have fellowship with God through Jesus. So Jesus became the sacrifice through which we can now have fellowship with God.  

Rules are not there to harm us, but they are usually placed to protect us. Why would God tell us to do something if it isn't in our best interest? If you understand God's love for each of you, you would realize that nothing God tells you to do will harm you.

Romans 6:16 states "You are the slaves of the one you obey"

So if you obey the rules of this world, the world is your master but if you obey God then he is your master.

Time is a very interesting thing; it's a cycle. If we look at things that happened in Biblical times, we'd realize that a lot of those things are also happening today, for this reason we must guard our heart's and pray that God helps us in these trying times.

Day 14 - Count Your Blessings

Everyday we live out a production of our very own; it's a one time production that plays out uniquely everyday from the moment we are born until the day we die.

We need to remember the fragility and transitory state of our being and be more grateful for this masterpiece called life.

Hearing the air rustling through the treetops, the scent of freshly baked bread tickling your senses when you pass by a bakery, what about the simple sensation of air filling your lungs thus quenching the never ending thirst of your body? These are a few of the simple pleasures in life because if you have ever experienced  any of these -which I daresay you have- you my friend are alive and life is most precious therefore we should all be thankful for it.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 states "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ concerning you"

You may say, 'But how can I thank him when my life isn't as wonderful as I expected?' 

You are alive aren't you? You have a home, don't you? You have food to eat and clothes to wear; you have more than lots of people have to be grateful for.

You may then respond. 'Well, that's alright but I mean my dreams, they haven't been coming to pass, I've been waiting for so long, I feel like it will never happen.' 

Well, maybe it's not the right time for those dreams to come to pass, or God has something ever greater in store for you, so be thankful, because it was God himself that placed those dreams in your heart and surely in the right moment they shall come to pass, perhaps not in the exact way you're expecting but certainly they shall as long as they are right for you.

We sometimes forget that our God, aka, the creator of the universe, the Great I am, the one that placed each star in the sky and stills raging storms, the God that commands armies of angels, the one with the strength to rock nations and split oceans who is also gentle enough to knit babies in their mothers’ wombs; controls our life. What do you have to fear?  

It is said, ‘If you cannot be grateful for what you have received, then be thankful for what you have been spared.’ Powerful words indeed; you have no idea what God may have protected you from when your dream didn’t come to pass or that time when your prayers seemed to have gone unheard or unanswered.

It's regrettable to know that sometimes, the only time we notice our blessings is when we no longer have it or see someone else who has less but is somehow happier than we are. For example we only appreciate food when we see people that are hungry or we only appreciate our family when we see a person that has lost theirs.

Count your blessings because the devil will always remind you of the things you supposedly don’t have, when truth of the matter is, you have more than you could fathom. You certainly have more than he does, he fell from grace, the same grace that God is graciously pouring all over your life. 

Be thankful for food, clothes, your eyesight, for laughter, for a roof over your head, shoes on your feet, your family, that you're safe, sure; you may not have all you may want, but you have more than you could ever need 'so count your blessings, name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.' 

Day 13- Character Changers

An excerpt from "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson goes like this

"To begin with, for you to be here now trillions of drifting atoms had somehow to assemble in an intricate and intriguingly obliging manner to create you. It's an arrangement so specialized and particular that it has never been tried before and will only exist this once. For the next many years (we hope) these tiny particles will uncomplainingly engage in all the billions of deft, cooperative efforts necessary to keep you intact and let you experience the supremely agreeable but generally underappreciated state known as existence"

So there you go, you exist, now what? Well now it's time for you to experience the world. And the world is going to change you and not only your physical body but also your character and it is your character that is important. 

We all experience 'life'. We eat, we sleep, we breathe air, we sense our emotions welling up, we laugh until our laughter bursts into a shower of tears. In life, our experiences mould us, the good and the bad, they help complete us (and yes, everyone goes through tough times). Like a mallet and chisel, life carves us into these unique beings that we are.

From the beginning of your existence to the very end, life will throw you everything you could possibly need to create you into a person that possesses the superior qualities of a perfect human being. ‘What are these qualities?’ You may rightfully ask, well, these qualities can be found in Galatians 5:22-23, they are; love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control. These are also known as the fruit of the spirit.

 And like all fruit we must bear it. These qualities are those that a person that walks in the spirit possesses, and they will surely take time and effort to master. But thankfully, we don’t have to work very hard to find experiences that will test our virtues because life is constantly testing us for these qualities and lucky for us, it never runs out of lessons.  

‘How do these lessons come?’ They tend to come in our everyday life, for example;                         

The traffic is there to teach you peace and patience.                                                 

The person begging at the side of the road; they’re there to teach you love and meekness.               

The kind person that holds the door open for you, they’re there to teach you goodness.                 

That problem you think is going to take you to your grave, that’s going to help build your faith. 

Your accomplishments, they’re there to give you joy.  

The thing you’re addicted to, that’s there to teach you self control and how to be gentle with yourself.

There are countless ways life will present these lessons to you and there are just as many ways to react to them but all fall into two main categories; firstly, you can either resist the lesson and end up having to go through it countless times until you learn it or you can learn the lesson and when you have to go through that lesson again you would have mastered it already.

Think of your own character, are there some things you need to change or some tests you haven’t been passing?

It won’t be easy to change and many people only master these in their old age, but nothing worth having is easy to get and God hasn't given up on you, therefore you have the strength, so keep persevering and you will surely receive your just rewards.

Day 12- Having Faith

Lights out, curtains drawn, you stand in the middle of the stage, the onlookers' stares scrutinizing you as you carry on your very own production of 'Your Life Story'. The spotlight blinds you as you work up the courage to begin the act. The stage is set, your cast awaits their queue, and there directing it all is God, he is also the playwright and designer of your grand display. He prompts the cast to come and go in turn and reminds you of the lines your clouded mind forgets. Behind the scenes your angels are all at work ensuring the set is just right and Jesus is there too, he's the technician, certifying that the lighting is perfect and that each sound resonates flawlessly for each scene. The reliability of your crew encourages you and you step forward and begin.

God is in complete control of your life; from beginning to end. It is a mysterious a beautiful thing when we realize that our life, like a play, is being delicately and precisely orchestrated by an all seeing eye. An all seeing eye that knows our strengths, weaknesses, who we are and perhaps what we could potentially become and plays his cards accordingly. It should be easy to have faith if we understand this.  

Hebrews 11:6 states "And without faith, it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of  those who diligently seek Him."                     

So why is it that during the rough times in our life we find it difficult to trust that God has everything under control? It's because we don't have faith in him. If we don't have faith, how can we trust him?

To put it another way; imagine you are a firefighter, there is a building raging with fire before you. Every person but one has evacuated the building, that one person is at a topmost floor. You and your team get as close as you can but you still can't reach the person. In the heat of the moment, there is only one thing left to do, they have to jump. You tell them to jump and that you will catch them and lead them to safety. The smoke is blinding the person and in their panicked and pressured state they bluntly refuse preferring death by fire than a fall from the high building. You tell them again to jump as you will catch them but they still don't trust you, even as the building collapses around them your reassure falls on deaf ears. Only after what feels like a century of trying do they succumb and finally you are able to take them to safety.

Why is it that we don't have faith in God in our bad times? Well, it's because just like the person in the burning building, we are afraid. We don't trust what we can't see, what we don't have explicit proof of and so we are afraid that if we take that leap, we would succumb to the pain and pressure that the situation seems to be leading us to. I mean why didn't God protect us from the bad thing in the first place? 

This is why we need faith. If the person, in the scenario above, had jumped out the first time they were asked, they would have fallen safely into the secure arms of the firefighter, they may have come out less injured if they had. It's the same way with God. If we stop fighting him and start believing that he is still doing great things in our lives we will have more faith and he would be able to do bigger, better and more wonderful things in our lives

It is said, "Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of faith is to see what you believe."- Saint Augustine. 

If you place your faith in God, he will never let you down. 

So, If you need a hero in your life, look no further than the Almighty God , because he cares for you. Have faith in him, believe in him and know that he has your life in the palm of his very capable and more than qualified hands. Is there any safer place than that?

Day 12- Never Stop Praying

Prayer is a powerful thing. 

Through prayers, we can confess our sins and gain peace, we can break generational curses from our family line, we can ask for that which we want and need, we can also just talk to him about simple things like our day. Not only those things but it is a time of intimacy with God. It is the one time when you; bare and broken as you may be, can go and and talk to your creator.

1 Peter 5: 7 says "Cast all your worries on him, for he cares for you."
God is a gracious, loving God, he is so filled with love and mercy for us that he reminds us constantly in his scripture that he is for us and not against us. 

Pray for yourself, your family, your loved ones, your friends, your neighborhood, your neighbors, your country, the world. Pray about everything. 

We need to remember that prayers are very powerful therefore before we do anything we should at least whisper a prayer. It may be before you drive to your destination, you can ask God to protect you on the roads from all accidents so that you can go and return safely. It may be prayers to protect your family in their going out and coming in. It may be prayers for protection from dangerous and deadly diseases or for his favor in your endeavors or his blessings on your dreams. Even for things you worry about in the future, for example, praying that God sends you the right spouse who you can get along well with or that your child is born healthy and whole or that you will always be employed and never jobless. Anything you can possibly think or worry about, you should take it to God in prayer. 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 reminds us "Pray without ceasing." 
God listens to our prayers, he loves us, he wants us to live a full, happy and wonderful life. He doesn't want us to live life in sorrow or fear, he wants to help us, he wants to be our vindicator and the rock on which we stand so live life boldly and fearlessly, relying on God for help and he will not let you down.

I am For You 

I am for you, I am for you,

How many times must I say it for you to believe?

My heart is faithful, my love is true

I’m right here, you don’t have to grieve.

Come to me; tell me your tale,

Tell me of the happiness or the pain

I’ll hear you, my love; I’ll listen to your wail

And I’ll pour my peace on you like rain

I want to spend time with you, my love,

When you’re with me, you’ll surely be fine

Because there are no arms on Earth, or in heaven above

That you’d ever be safer in than mine 

Day 11- You're Worth It!

Always Have, Always Will

In the womb; I knitted you there,

I watched you grow my work of art,

I heard your every cry my dear,

I’ve collected your tears in my heart.

I’ve written your everyday,

Because I want to protect you as you come and go,

With me I want you to stay,

And about your sins, I already know.

I’ve thought about it all my heart,

Trust me; you need not be afraid,

As far as the east is from the west, your sins will part

Because you are precious; for you a heavy price I paid

And I know the plans I have for you

So worry not and be still,

For I will triumph, I’ll be loyal and true

Because I love you; always have, always will.

Do you know how much God loves you? I doubt you would be able to fathom it if you tried. Okay, think of the person or thing that is most precious to you, okay now multiply that by infinity, that's how much God loves you. Still can't imagine it? Let's try something different then.

Role playing time! Imagine you are a sculptor and you've crafted the most beautiful glass sculptures, so happens these sculptures have come to life. So you have these walking, talking, breathing beautiful glass sculptures. I'm sure you'll be thrilled but one day one of your precious sculpture's, that you adore looked in the mirror and said, 'Master, why didn't you make me as beautiful as that other sculpture?' What would you do? What if the sculpture said 'Master, I am worthless! or 'Why didn't you  give me what that other sculpture has?' or 'I've made too many mistakes during my existence.'

Okay so role playing time is over. In the above scenario you were in the position that God faces everyday. I'm sure that you, his beautiful sculpture has asked him at least one of those many questions. You may have thought of what you may have said or done in the above situations, let's take a look at what our Master said.

When we ask, 'Why didn't you make me as beautiful as that other person?' 

he says "You are my masterpiece" Epehsians 2:10 "You were created in my image" Genesis 1:27

When we say "I am worthless." 

God says "I bought you for a high price" 1 Corinthians 6:20 "You are precious to me, you are honored and I love you" Isaiah 43:4 

When we ask "Why didn't you give me what they have?"

God replies "I know the plans I have for you, I have blessings just for you, I have success especially for you but everything in its time." Jeremiah 29:11 

When we say "I've made too many mistakes during my existence"

God says "My grace is sufficient for you." Corinthians 12:9.

Truth of the matter is, God faces this and more everyday for example, what if one of your sculptures had said "I hate that sculpture I'm going to destroy it!' or 'I don't believe in you so I'm going to find another master!"

You wouldn't like it if one of your sculpture's were to destroy another unique sculpture that you handcrafted and worked hark on! 

And I'll be honest with you here, I doubt anyone would love you as much as the one that created you. Do you think another person would love and take care of your creations as well as you would. They wouldn't know how! They may like it but they would never understand the trouble you went through or the time you put into it, they may break it or damage it or even throw it away. 

God created you, you are his masterpiece and prized in his eyes always so chin up and remember that no matter what he will always, always love you!

Day 10- Don't Worry

 Life is rough, there I said it; life is rough and none of us are going to get out alive. So why is it that we worry so much? 

We worry about our schedules and whether we're going to get where we need to be on time, we worry about our deadlines, we worry about our futures and whether our dreams are ever going to come to pass, we worry about whether we will ever get married and have a family or when we get married we worry if our relationships are good or whether we'll be able to pay the bills and the list goes on. 

Why do we worry so much, Matthew 6:27 states "Can any one of you, by worrying add a single hour to  your life?" In effect this scripture is asking, are you going to get anything worthwhile from worrying? 

The truth is that sometimes we spend so much time worrying, we forget to enjoy our lives. We forget that we have no control over the universe and no matter what we do or how much we worry we may not be able to change anything, so all we end up doing is stressing ourselves unnecessarily. 

God can protect you from every thing you're scared about. 1 Peter 5:7 reminds us "Cast all your worries and cares to God, for he cares for you."  

It's good to be cautious and plan for the future but worrying never gets us far. So always remember that every minute you worry you lose 60 seconds of happiness and try to worry less from today.

Day 9 - Don't Judge by Appearances

Everyday we live, we see people, we interact with them on a daily basis, be they friends, family, acquaintances or strangers We interact with them at our place of dwelling, at our school's or at work, we may see them at church, a party or function or at the grocery store on drive along side them on the highway. As humans these interactions are normal but do we take the time to realize that just like us, they too are facing the storms of life?                                                                                                         You may see a lady walk past you in the street and look down at the way she looks and dresses but if you were to see her everyday life you'd realize she is a single parent. You may look at the smartly dressed man with the big house and think, 'I wish I could be that rich.' but if you were to know his story you'd see that he is drowning in debt. You may look at your friends and colleagues and say 'I'd be happy if I were as successful as them.' not realizing that they may be successful but there family life isn't going that great. 

Most times we judge by appearances and most people appear to be happy or some people might appear to be grumpy or rude, but you never know what they might have gone through before you met them. 

Matthew 7 :1-6 talks about judging people, it says "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye and then you will clearly see to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

What this passage is saying is this; we look at other people and we see their faults and sometimes we ourselves have a bigger  problem but we tend to reprimand them for their misdoings and not realize that we need to change ourselves. 

God doesn't want us to judge each other, that is not to say that you shouldn't be smart with the choices you make and the people you befriend, but remember that everyone is going through their own process. God judges each of us based on our intentions, he is the perfect judge. He knows each of us, our thoughts, our actions and why we make the choices we make, therefore we should leave the judging to him. 


There is this story on moralstories.org. It goes like this;

Think Before you Judge

A doctor entered the hospital in hurry after being called in for an urgent surgery. He answered the call asap, changed his clothes and went directly to the surgery block.  He found the boy’s father pacing in the hall waiting for the doctor.

On seeing him, the father yelled, “Why did you take all this time to come? Don’t you know that my son’s life is in danger? Don’t you have any sense of responsibility?”

The doctor smiled and said, “I am sorry, I wasn’t in the hospital and I came as fast as I could after receiving the call and now, I wish you’d calm down so that I can do my work”.

“Calm down?! What if your son was in this room right now, would you calm down? If your own son dies while waiting for doctor than what will you do??” said the father angrily.  The doctor smiled again and replied, “We will do our best by God’s grace and you should also pray for your son’s healthy life”.

“Giving advises when we’re not concerned is so easy” Murmured the father.

The surgery took some hours after which the doctor went out happy, “Thank goodness! your son is saved!” And without waiting for the father’s reply he carried on his way running by saying, “If you have any questions, ask the nurse”.

“Why is he so arrogant? He couldn’t wait some minutes so that I ask about my son’s state” Commented the father when seeing the nurse minutes after the doctor left.  The nurse answered, tears coming down her face, “His son died yesterday in a road accident, he was at the burial when we called him for your son’s surgery.  And now that he saved your son’s life, he left running to finish his son’s burial.”

http://www.moralstories.org/think-before-you-judge/

Remember, judging a person doesn't define who they are, it defines who you are.

So next time you feel like judging someone remember that you don't know the full story of their life -you don't know their destiny-, and be more sympathetic because 'one by one makes a difference collectively' and your simple act of consideration can result in other people learning from you and being more considerate also!"

 

Day 8- After the Rain, Earth Hardens

Life is full of challenges, in fact, with it's obstacles, twists, turns and loops; the emotional roller coaster of life is perhaps by far the most amazing thrill ride yet. However, during our times of adversity, we may not compare our lives to the excitement and thrill of a roller coaster but perhaps we may instead compare it to a painful, turbulent walk through hell.

Many people may look at life and think of it as being difficult. They see everything wrong in the world and in their own lives, so much so that they don't even realize that everyone; before our time, during our time and even after our time has faced, is facing or will face turmoil, just like we do.

For example, the apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians; 
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:12-13
Therefore, not even the great apostle Paul was exempt from 
adversity, however he understood that God, who loved him, gave him the strength that he needed to face each adversity. 

Everyone, since perhaps the beginning of time, have asked themselves why they must face the difficulties that they did. Answers have been sought and answers have been found; maybe it was punishment from God for sins committed, maybe it was due to a generational curse. As time evolved so did the answers; maybe it's due to bad genes or perhaps they haven't been properly educated. 

The truth is much simpler though; the many adversities that we face, however painful they may seem, or unfair they are or intimidating they may be, they are there simply to help us grow. 

You may think, 'Well surely that couldn't be true! God wouldn't put me in such a difficult situation just so that I grow'. But in fact, that is the precise reason why you're going through whatever you are. 1 Peter 1:6-7 states;"In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."

This is scripture is saying that our adversity is there in order to increase our faith in God. To put it another way; just like a coal must be put under pressure to become a diamond so to must we undergo trials in order to develop into something more beautiful than we are. Like a Chinese Proverb says "A diamond with a flaw is worth more than a pebble without imperfections"

No one would understand this better than Job, lot's of unfair things happened to him, not over the expanse of many years or months but in one day everything Job treasured was taken away from him. His friends chastised him but I love his response, he said in Job 13:15
"Though he slay me, yet I will hope in him". It takes a lot of faith to trust in God when the world is against you, it takes even greater faith to trust in God when it may seem like even he is against you, but that was the faith of Job; a type of faith we should all strive for.

Another point worth remembering is that all things work together for good for those who loves God Romans 8:28. What that means is that although you may be going through some pretty tough times right now, all these things are going to fit together perfectly in God's master plan for your life. 1 year or maybe 5 years from now you may realize that the adversity you went through today was preparing you or guiding you to something far greater, beyond your sight at this time. 

Always remember when you're going through Life's storms that God loves you and that each of our lives on Earth is a temporary state of existence, also that trials are there to make us stronger!

I hope to encourage you today and to do so I thought that this poem might be useful; 

Don't Quit by Edgar A. Guest

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a fellow turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow -

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than

It seems to a faint and faltering man;

Often the struggler has given up

When he might have captured the victor's cup;

And he learned too late when the night came down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out -

The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It might be near when it seems afar;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Day 7- Devil Bow Down!

The world is full of evil. In every part of this world we find murders, stealing, idolatry, treason and the list goes on but today I don't want to talk about the evil in our world, but the evil in our everyday lives.                                                                 
John 10:10 says that the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy. He'll work through people, through circumstances, through your past, the things that hurt you, he'll find any small hole in you and try to rip you apart.

He'll say things like ; 'You're not good enough, You've done too many wrong things. God doesn't love you' if you've sinned or  'You're going to be alone for the rest of your life, you'll never find anyone who can love you.' if you're looking for a partner, or 'Your dream is never going to come true, quit now, this is as good as you life will get', if you're waiting for your dreams to come to pass.

But let me encourage you today because everything that the devil tells you or will ever tell you is a lie! John 8:44 says "He was a murderer from the beginning not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." Don't let that lying devil confuse you into believing in his wicked schemes any longer.

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

So how do we fight them? Ephesians 6:11 tells us to put on the full armor of God, it continues in verses 14- 18 , "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth bucked around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."

Also, James 4:7 tells us "Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

So next time the devil tells you that you aren't good enough say, "Stop right there devil, Romans 8:37-39 says that I am more than a conqueror and that neither  death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God!"    

When the devil starts telling you that you're going to be alone say "Deuteronomy 31:6 says that the Lord will never leave me or forsake me, Philippians 4:19 states that God will provide all my needs according to his riches in Glory and Proverbs 18:22 says A man who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord"

When the devil tells you Your dream is never going to come true, remind him "Jeremiah 29:11 says that he knows the plans he has for me, plans to prosper me and give me hope and a future"

When the devil comes to you with sickness tell him "Isaiah 46:4 says Until my hair is grey and white he will take care of me, he said he will carry me and save me"

When he tells you that what you're going through is too difficult remember Isaiah 55:8-9 which says "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are  you ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than thoughts."  and Isaiah 43:2 "When you go through deep waters I will be with you, when you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown, when you walk  through the fire of oppression you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you." 

God knows what he is doing, he can undoubtedly, without fail, take care of you and your life, don't let that lying devil keep you down and back in life. You are a child of the most high God, an heir, remember who you are!

2 Corinthians 11:14 reminds us that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, be aware of the people around you and of your own thoughts and stand guard at the door of your mind. 

So next time the devil dares to look down on you, remind him who you are and to whom you belong and say Devil bow down!

Day 6- Dealing with Sorrow

William Shakespeare, in his play, Much Ado About Nothing, wrote "Everyone can master a grief but he who has it." In this quote, Shakespeare was saying that a person who is not going through sorrow finds the sorrow of another easy to face, but if he himself was facing it, he would find himself difficult to console. 

As humans we face sorrow more times than not, but it is 'how' we handle it is more important that the number of times we've faced it.

The question is; how should we face sorrow? 

Firstly, as Christians we must face everything we go through with faith, believing that God has a bigger and better plan for our lives Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us of this. Through faith in our God, we are able to have peace knowing that even in times of sadness he is putting the pieces in place in our lives.

Secondly, sometimes unfortunate things happen perhaps at home, at work or school or even during our everyday errands which may trigger sad and negative thoughts, this is why we need to always remember to guard our hearts, Proverbs 4:23-26, because there is a constant war going on inside our minds. 

Thirdly some of the people in our lives; be it our friends or family members, may have a negative influence on our spirit through their words or actions, and this may cause us to feel discouraged.

A Japanese saying goes like this, "An apprentice near a temple will recite scriptures untaught". The meaning of this is that our environment helps to shape our character. If you are surrounded by negative unhappy people, you may find yourself becoming just like them. It may be better if you kept your distance if you could or try to ignore their negative actions or comments by being positive.

The Bible also encourages us by reminding us that God comforts us when we face sorrow. Psalm 34:18 states "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."  So we need not fear or be dismayed. Our heavenly father is nearest to us when we are sad and that is something to be joyful about!

So whenever you feel sad, remain encouraged remembering that you are very lucky and that God would never put you in a situation he thought you couldn't handle.