ROMANS 5:8 NKJ “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Too often we go through life wandering from person to person, possession to possession, and success to success, trying to find the love we long to experience.  But God has proven His love for you. So, believe it. God died in your place suffering the punishment for sin that you deserved, so you could go free. God was more willing to suffer Himself than to see you suffer (1 John 4:9-10). Of course, the devil constantly tries to get you to doubt that God loves you. That is why you must rely on what the Bible says and not what your feelings or circumstances may tell you. You do not desire pain or loss.

So, it is with God. He desires good for you even more than you do. And He demonstrated at Calvary that He would put your interest before His own. There are at least two reasons why God loves you so much. First, it is His nature to love. The Bible says that God is love (1 John 4:8). Love is the word that best describes God’s nature. Second, you are God’s creation. God loves you just as good natural parents love their offspring. People may not seem very special to others, but to their mother and father they are always special. This should help you understand how God could really love you even though you may not love yourself that much. Also, God sees you as you can be and will become not just as you are now. God has faith in you and in His ability to make you someone special. You should choose to believe what the Bible says: God loves you and He cares about you! 1 Peter 5:7 AMP “Casting the whole of your care — all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all — on Him; for He cares for you affectionately, and cares about you watchfully.”  God fully loves you. Believe it.

Romans 12:2, AMP “Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind…”

The primary purpose of the Word of God, the Bible, is to change the way we think about ourselves, about others, about issues of life, and about God.  The reason why many people today are not happy, the reason they are not enjoying life is simply because they have trained their minds to think and dwell on the wrong things. They have trained their minds to worry, to be anxious, and to be fearful. They have trained their minds to complain. They have trained their minds to blame others for their mistakes and situations. They have trained their minds to see the negative in everything. They have not trained their minds to see things from God’s perspective. The truth is that just as we can form these negative mindsets, we can retrain our minds and form positive mindsets. This transformation can happen as we renew our minds to the Word of God and develop positive attitudes. This does not happen instantly. You have to make a conscious effort every single day until a good habit is formed. I encourage you today to choose to live a life of a positive attitude of faith, gratitude, praise, thanksgiving, forgiveness, love, joy, self-control, long suffering, contentment, gentleness, obedience, and humility, based on the solid foundation of God’s Word.

JAMES 4:7 NKJ “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

 The Greek word for resist literally means to stand against. It means to withstand and oppose. The English word resist means to stand against; to strive against; to obstruct; to act in opposition to; to exert oneself so as to counteract or defeat; to refuse to give in. The opposite of resist is to agree with and to yield. This scripture is written to believers. It does not say the devil will flee from you whether you resist him, or not. Rather, you must actively resist the devil if you do not want his plan to steal, to kill, and to destroy, in your life. We are to yield to God in all things but yield to the devil in nothing. God and the devil do not come to us in person. Rather they come to us through thoughts which originate from either God or the devil. We choose which one we yield to and which one we resist by how we respond to the thoughts and ideas that come our way. We yield to God by making His word the final authority in our lives. We resist the devil by refusing to think, speak, or act in accordance with his suggestions and ideas. We choose rather to think, speak, and act in line with God’s Word, the Bible. Refusing to accept less than the perfect will of God is resisting the devil. Standing against sin, sickness, poverty, and fear is resisting the devil’s agenda.  Walking in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), is resisting the devil. Spending time in prayer and fellowship with God is resisting the devil. Being thankful is resisting the devil. Praising God and talking of His goodness and faithfulness is resisting the devil. The devil cannot overcome you if you continue to resist him, in faith (Ephesians 6:16, 1 Peter 5:8-9).

Hebrews 4:16 NKJ “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Let me ask you: When you are wrestling over a tough decision, whom do you consult? When things start going in the wrong direction at work, where do you turn? When the kids are driving you crazy, the bills pour in, the relationship starts to sour, or the medical test comes back positive, what do you do? A lot of us seek counsel from a friend. Many will consult the wisdom of the world. Brethren, there is nothing wrong with any of those options. But allow me to share with you the first thing you should do. Whatever your question, your pain, or your challenge, take it to God in prayer. The phrase “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear”, is from a hymn. That hymn encourages us to take all our worries and anxieties to God in prayers; as we often bear needless pain when we neglect to turn over troubles, fears, and worries to God, who holds our future in His hands. Prayer is not about formulas, rituals, impressive words, or flowing oratory; prayer is about touching the heart of the Father!  Hebrews 4:16 is meant to describe our prayer life: drawing near to God’s throne of grace, boldly, to receive mercy, find grace, and help in time of need. Do not be afraid to talk to the Lord Jesus (your High Priest) about anything. Not only does He understand, but He knows how to help you so you can overcome and have victory. Remember, Jesus loves you enough to die for you. And He also ever lives to intercede for you. So Jesus not only understands what you face, but He is able and willing to help you.

Proverbs 18:10 NLT “The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.”

It seems like we are living in a world that is out of control, doesn’t it? Every time we turn on the news or check the headlines, we see another crisis, hear about another controversy, or read about another tragedy. As believers, regardless of the terrible circumstances in our world, we are not without hope. God has laid out a plan of protection for us. There is something important we must do: we should expect God’s protection, and thank Him for it. However, we must remember that we receive from God only by faith. So if we do not believe God will protect us, we are, in effect, hindering God’s protection. So we need to feed our faith on the promises in the Bible concerning God’s protection for His people. In Isaiah 54:17 the Bible says “No weapon that has been made to be used against you will succeed.” Luke 10:19 declares “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Psalm 34:7 NIV: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.”  2 Thessalonians 3:3 NIV “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” Then we also need to express our faith in thanks to God every day for His protection. The ninety-first Psalm can help us do this. I recommend you make it personal and speak it often. God can protect us, whenever, wherever, and in whatever situation!