Life is hard...

Life is hard & unfair, loved ones will hurt you, bad things happen to good people & there will be things you won't know until you get to heaven! No one is exempt, but what a relief to know that God's love is bigger than anything this world can do to us & that Jesus lives in us. Only with His love can we move through the inevitable pain this life brings. His love gives us His perfect peace, but we must be purposed in receiving it. Being purposed is spending time with Jesus, being in the Word & renewing our mind with His truth. Jesus said we'd experience tribulations, trials, distress & frustrations but for us to have courage, be confident, certain & undaunted because He's overcome the world. This promise is ours, but we have to be purposed in taking it every hour of the day-choosing to believe when we see no indication in the natural. Saying scripture out loud will strengthen you & give you stamina despite the negative you're witnessing in the natural. You're standing on what God will deliver...not what you see. Then you continue to say it over & over, believing God, not figuring out how God will deliver His promise...just believing He will. Stand on your promises daily-exercise your privileges. I speak scripture out loud throughout the day-I have to or I would be discouraged very quickly. Jesus tells us He's deprived this world from harming us & that He's conquered it for us. I choose to believe this promise because Jesus said so. Then I ask Him to help me if I have unbelief & I do, but I don't allow it to linger. I have to pull it down with His truth. Believing God takes effort. I say following Jesus is a full time job, but the pay is good & the benefit package exceeds what one would dare dream or imagine! Likewise, unbelief doesn't pay good & will lead one into poverty that perpetuates into future generations. Stick with Jesus-He & His love will never fail you. His blood has removed every one of your sins-past, present & future. Let Him love all of you-don't hold anything back. Put your hope in Him all day long. When grief comes like a robber in the night, His love will sustain you & His hope will hold on for you because He loves you so. He will make a way for you when you can't see a way. Don't try to figure out how He will do it...your mind will reason you out of believing His promise-just choose to trust Him. No one can believe for you...that's why it's called a personal relationship. Life is hard, but Jesus is Lord & He's overcome this world! This is your promise, but it's only powerful to you if you believe it. Do you? (John 16:33, Heb 6:19, Mk 9:24, Eph 3:20, 1 Cor 13:8, 2 Cor 5:19, Rom 5:8, Ps 25:5) 8/19/13CIFL-LMM