Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

This life can be scary and uncertain; thank God, He is there and can put reassurance back into the equation. The problem stems from the removal of God from a person’s life. It is a person telling God that they know what is best for the situation. In the attempt of trying to restore the brokeness, they end up acting tough and trying to solve the problem alone. It ends up blocking out the grace and help God offers, often through others who care for the individual.

I wanted to encourage you that even though what you are looking at today may seem hopeless, God is still there. He is just waiting for us to let go of our pride and turn it all over to Him. It is a matter of accepting His help and the help of others. Just because we are not all put together, it doesn’t mean we are worthless. The Creator didn’t think so, and that is why He gave us life…both physically and spiritually. He is Emmanuel, God With Us.

Before I end the devotional for this week, I wanted to share a couple of things in my life that made me think about God being in our stories. It made me put into focus our underlying need for Jesus, and that He so desperately wants to have a relationship with us. The first situation involves my Husband’s son. My Husband and I would love to see Him turn His life over to God. The Lord has allowed this young man to come to the end of himself; he apparently is now in a recovery plan for those with addictions. We are interceding and praying that this will open a door for him to give his life totally to Jesus! The second thing is for my Sister and her husband to be open to receiving assistance from the Church and individuals who love her. She doesn’t have to fight the battles alone. My Husband and I know what they feel like; it is so natural for us to act like we can accomplish anything in life alone. In doing this, we end up only getting the realization that we have removed ourselves from people; we actually are all alone. Let us all take the time to seek God, and ask Him to guide us and give us His wisdom. Please take the time to share about turning yourselves over to His Spirit, and what that looked like in your lives. Let us let Jesus give us a future and a hope!

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%202%3A1-2&version=NIV

The first thing about this devotional you might be thinking about, is how a Scripture about a census fits into God moving? Well,  it opened up the doors for Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem.  It ended up ushering in the birth of King Jesus!  Yes, it was a very difficult trip for the couple, but it accomplished the promise of the Messiah.

I wanted to encourage all of us to put on the Armor of God, Ephesians 6:10-18.  There is a specific reason that it is called the Armor of God; the reason being, it is only possible by the power of the Holy Spirit. I know in my own strength I would not be operating in His truth, would not have the ability to stand in his righteousness, would not be showing peace wherever I am called, would not be having faith, would not be recalling the Word of God, and would not be reminding myself that I am saved and am a Child of God.

As a Child of God, the journey involves being a soldier equipped with the proper tools of battle.  When we go forward in the power of the Holy Spirit, we will see God enabling us to conquer our enemies: ourselves, others, and the Devil.  As my Pastor has encouraged us to do, let us pray without ceasing [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18].  The battle is the Lord’s, as Zechariah 4:6 shows. 

The final thought I wanted to leave with you is how you never know how God is going to use you in the future. We just need to be prepared to be sent. It is not, like my Father has shared with me, that we are the only ones God can use. If we don’t allow the Father to use us, He will then use another person. Isn’t it exciting knowing Christ!?

Galatians 5:16-18

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Galatians/5/type/kjv

As Children of God, we have the desire to want to follow the Spirit’s leading. We also, though, have the flesh tugging at us. We have a Spiritual battle going on inside us. In order to overcome this struggle, we should not spend the time debating which road to go down. We need to advance forward on the way that is true, that is holy. When we are pursing this, we will have not chosen the way of our flesh.

Paul has shared, in Galatians 5, the beautiful fact that obeying the Spirit’s leading doesn’t put you under the law.  To me it emphasizes the part the Spirit plays, in breathing new life into individuals.  While thinking about this, God reminded me of how many times David mentioned how his soul thirsted after Him.  The Father wants us to be in fellowship with Him.  He is not going to always be striving with us.  He desires a love relationship on both sides.  He is peace!

If we do falter, God is there to forgive us and to restore us back to Him.  This forgiveness, His wanting to spend time with us, is sweet!  David described this in Psalm119:103.  God put the love for His law in the Psalmist’s heart, and will do this for us as we seek Him.

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