Forbes Found The Lord

I may not know the bible cover to cover, but if there is anything I have learned from attending church, and personal study, it's that as long as you are worshiping the Lord and giving glory to His name, the devil will never stop coming after you.

I am trying very hard to eliminate all the ways that I create opportunities for the serpent to get in. Don't give him a foothold!

1 Peter 5:8 says "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

I have always been careful of "speaking things into existence". If you say "I'm never going to get that job", you probably won't. If you say "I'm never going to make my fitness goal", you probably won't. I feel very strongly about not doing this in your relationships as well. With significant others, friends, family, and God.

Too often I hear

*My wife never does....

*I wish my husband would just....

*I could never get my friends to.....

*I'll never be as devout as.....

While you may be poking fun and making light of a situation and laughing with someone in that moment, you know who else hears those statements? The devil. And you know what he does when he hears that? He uses it. When you display a shortcoming or a weakness, he will slip in and find a way to use them to pull you away from God. If he hears that there is something in your marriage, friendship or spiritual journey that is making you unhappy, he will bring that forward ten-fold to try and keep you down and break your spirit.

God is so good today! (Not that He isn't great EVERY day!)

I woke up feeling truly blessed. I have a beat in my heart and breath in my lungs. I was lucky enough to come to a job that ensures my needs are met every week.

I got to have lunch with my younger brother today, who is normally so busy that we hardly see each other. I am thankful that he and his family are well, and that he had time to come see me. He will never know how much I really cherish moments like that with him.

On a bit of a side note, I wanted to take a second to put in writing one of the many ways that the Lord has shown me that He is listening, and He's here for me. Several months ago, I tossed a bunch of wildflower seeds into my empty flower bed in front of my house. I didn't have much hope that anything would come of it, since we don't take very good care of that part of the house. After a few weeks, it became overgrown with weeds again and no sign of flowers. I was a little bummed, but was expecting that outcome. I had even asked my husband to just take the weedwhacker out there on the next sunny day and clear it all out. Fast forward to yesterday: My husband and I were listening to a song called Flowers on our way home from church and it basically talked about how you will go through some hard times and wonder why God is keeping you in that situation, but to remember that He is a good God with a good plan. That he is planting seeds, and eventually you will see that "flowers grow in the valley." The lyrics really touched me and I thought it was beautiful. Well, wouldn't you know....we arrive home and pull into the driveway and WHAT DO I SPOT ACROSS THE YARD?! Little pops of color in my flower beds! While the flower beds were still overgrown with weeds and quite the eyesore, about 10 random wildflowers grew! Gorgeous oranges, purples and pinks. And it made me think, I am the flower bed. I am messy and broken and full of sin, but that doesn't mean that God can't make something beautiful grow there if I just trust His plan and let Him work!

Feeling sad? John 14

Feeling betrayed? Psalms 27

Feeling like a big sinner? Psalms 51

Feeling worried? Matthew 6:19-34

Feeling scared? Psalms 91

Feeling like God's not listening? Psalms 139

Feeling a lack of faith? Hebrews 11

Feeling lonely? Psalms 23

Feeling bitter? 1 Corinthians 13

Feeling low? Romans 8:31-37

Feeling stressed? Matthew 11:25-30

Feeling overwhelmed by the world? Psalms 90

Feeling like you need a Christian friend? Romans 8:1-30

Feeling the need for protection? Psalms 121

Feeling selfish? Psalms 67

Feeling afraid? Joshua 1

Feeling a lack of teamwork? Romans 12

Feeling of opportunity to come to you? Isaiah 55

Secret to happiness? Colossians 3:12-17

Feeling unfruitful? John 15

Feeling broke? Palms 37

Feeling untrusting? 1 Corinthians 13

Feeling hurt? John 15

Feeling discourage at work? Psalms 12

I am in such awe of my God today.

The past 6 months have been really difficult for my husband and I. He was unexpectedly let go from his job back in October of 2023 and has been looking for work ever since with no luck. All of the financial burden fell on me which was hard, because we were already barely scraping by as it was. (Big shoutout to my mother who has been the biggest help through this! Could NOT have done it without her)

About a week ago I was driving home from work after putting in 12 hours at the office. I was exhausted and already in a constant state of stress over bills. And a conversation with my mother about money sent me into a full spiral. I was sobbing so hard that I had to pull over on the side of the road. And while I sat there and cried the hardest I have cried in a very long time, I called out to God. Like, actually yelling. I begged him to hear me. I begged him to help me. To help us. I told him I was so scared and didn't know what else to do. When I finally composed myself, I got back on the road and finished my commute home.

A few hours later, while sitting on the couch, I had a random thought of "what ever happened with the unemployment claim we filed??" Turns out the claim we thought had been denied was actually approved and they just needed a copy of my husband's social security card! So I sent that in and he was approved to start receiving monthly payments! It wasn't a ton of money by any means, but it was more than what we were currently trying to work with and I was SO relieved. I cried again and thanked God over and over for the blessing. Little did I know, He wasn't finished.

A few days later, after months and months of applications and interviews and getting no offers, my husband was offered a full time job with scheduled overtime! With this money coming in we will finally be able to catch our bills back up and keep food on the table.

I've been having a hard time the past few weeks and I'm not going to lie, my faith has been tested a bit. But while "doom scrolling" Tik Tok the other night, I came across a video that really spoke to me.

The gentleman in the video stated that when someone is going through a tough battle, people often tell them that God will never give you more than you can handle, and that is simply not true. You will not find that promise anywhere in the Bible. In fact, the Lord actually tells you that there will be hardships and suffering in your life!

In Isaiah 43:2, Jesus says "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

Notice how He says WHEN and not IF? But He also says that when those things happen, He is with you! Protecting you and seeing you through it!

He absolutely WILL give you things that you can not handle.....on your own.

Because He wants you to turn to Him during those times! Give those battles to God. Lay those struggles at His feet and walk through it hand in hand. And when you come out on the other side victorious, GLORY BE TO HIM!

My God is so so good to me!

My husband and I have been really struggling financially the last few months. Things have been REALLY tight and there have been times that we haven't had very much to eat because we were making sure the bills were getting paid. Instead of stressing out and crying and going into a panic, I reminded myself that the Lord will provide!

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?. Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the feild, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you - you of little faith? So do not worry, saying "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?". For the pegans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own.

Matthew 6:25-34

This morning I pray for anyone who does not have the wisdom to see when God is trying to remove someone from their life. For the people that keep allowing serpents to return. Sometimes we outgrow friends, especially when we grow in our faith. The length of a friendship does not always reflect a healthy friendship. If your involvement with certain people causes you pain or stress, or causes you to sin, be deceitful, or stray from your walk with God then they are not a friend that you should keep. And you might find yourself thinking, well I can still be their friend, I just won't participate in THAT part of the friendship anymore. But the Bible warns: Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? If you play with fire....or even stand too close to it....

The Lord said "The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

The Bible mentions the topic too many times for it to not be taken seriously.

Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character." 1 Corinthians 15:33

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs 13:20

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. Galations 5:13

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn to tear you to pieces. Matthew 7:6

Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 2 Peter 3:17

But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolator or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. 1 Corinthians 5:11

A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. A violent person entices their neighbor and leads them down a path that is not good. Proverbs 16:28-29

Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit. Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts. Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. Proverbs 26:24-26