In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

Becoming a follower of Christ means becoming more aware of our failures, and of how we fall short of God’s holy standard. It’s a life of acknowledging that we can’t get to heaven on our own, and giving our lives to the only one who can make us righteous before God.

It’s when we do this that, while we don’t become lights of the world, we are able to point to the one who is.

His light fills us to the brim, to the point where we run over. This is how Jesus continues to shine his light in this dark world, through his children.

We are not the light, but are called to be witnesses of the light. We are called to carry out the deeds of our Father in the light, because he is the light. What is done in the light, cannot be done in darkness.

This means that we must live holy, as he is holy. We must let his light shine in this world, because it desperately needs to hear his message. This world of darkness must be lit up with the fire of the Holy Spirit.

The Christian life is a life of imitating Christ the Lord. His love that he has shown us both on the cross, and in how he lived his life, demands a life long response. It’s through our humbleness before him that we become the lanterns of the Holy Spirit to shine in this world of darkness and decay.

The Christian life is not a life of perfection or self righteousness, but a life of constant repentance and humility before the Lord. It’s acknowledging the futility of trying to be righteous in our own, and letting his righteousness flow through us.

We can’t let the light shine if we dim it with the mask of our self righteousness. God is trying to call those around us to himself, not to his to servants.

It’s through Christ we are saved, not ourselves or our works.

Let’s start acting like it.

Trust that He will protect your heirs from harm and turn enemies into allies 🙏💫.

Remember, Moses found his power in God’s presence, and even mighty Pharaoh and his army met their end. 🌊⛰️.

Remember, no matter what comes your way, entrust everything to God — the Most Merciful, Most Compassionate. In His hands, we find true victory and peace 🌟🕊️.

Keep faith, stay hopeful, and let His light lead your way. 💫✨

Many wonder, did God create evil?

At first glance, it seems simple—no. But if God created everything, where does evil come from?

To understand, I like to consider the nature of cold and darkness. Cold doesn't truly exist, does it? Cold is merely the absence of heat. Similarly, darkness isn’t a substance, but the absence of light. We can study light and warmth, but cold and darkness are only defined by what is missing.

You can’t add "cold" onto something; you can only remove heat, as known as the movement of particles; from it. In the same way, darkness is simply the absence of light, because light is the well known observable and measurable active force.

Likewise, evil is not something God created but rather what occurs when His presence is absent from our hearts. Love and faith, like warmth and light, bring life and meaning. Without them, the coldness of evil emerges.

Thus, while God created everything, evil arises when we turn away from Him, leaving a void where His goodness should reside.

I drew this after watching Ep9 of Andor today bc this line especially felt so real in today’s world.

I don’t stand for the s**t our government is trying to pass off as ‘Christian’ and ‘good for Americans’. It’s a load of freaking bull, and I’m not standing with it until the day it starts looking like they’ve actually picked up Bibles and understood what Jesus meant by ‘love your neighbor’.

I know I haven’t posted in a long time, but I just want to take a moment to remind you all of just how GOOD our God is.

He’s not JUST a miracle worker. Our God is so good that He would lay down His LIFE for us. He would humble Himself, become a man, and suffer through this life just to save us from our sin. He gives us a new identity and a new life out of PURE LOVE. An UNCHANGING, UNDYING, UNCONDITIONAL love.

God does not love you any less because of your sin, even though He should. God does not hate you because you do things that hurt Him, even though He should. Our God is gracious, kind, forgiving, and FAITHFUL. No matter what happens, God will ALWAYS come back. God will NEVER turn His face from you, unless you decide to reject Him.

He chooses to take US into eternity with Him, to cleanse US of our sin, and to wipe OUR sin away. He put us within the bounds of time so that we could escape the sin that is also bound. He WILLINGLY sacrifices Himself… for us.

Our God is good, y’all. Just remember that.

*Continual Praise to God*

Every day I will praise you. - Psalm 145:2

*Today's Scripture*

*Psalms 145:1-13*

David’s Psalm of praise.

*1 I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. 2 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. 5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. 6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness. 7 They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. 8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. 9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. 10 All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee. 11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; 12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. 13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.*

*Today's Devotional*

On a road trip to Montana one summer, we stopped at a rest area to stretch our legs. Inside one of the buildings was a young man who was singing a familiar praise song as he mopped the floor. Then he started singing the hymn “It Is Well with My Soul.” I couldn’t resist. When he called out the phrase “it is well,” I repeated it. When he sang, “with my soul,” I echoed the words. Together, we sang the last line: “It is well, it is well . . . with my soul!” He grinned, gave me a fist bump, and said, “Praise God.” When I got back to the car where my husband was waiting, he asked, “What’s with the big smile?”

Think of the things for which we can praise God, such as His goodness, righteousness, compassion, promises, provision, and protection. And Psalm 145 is one of many psalms that urges us to continually praise Him. David wrote, “Every day I will praise you” (v. 2). Many people praise God by playing an instrument; others by reading or reciting Scripture; or by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16). Some express their praise through liturgical dance. But all genuine praise springs from hearts that are full of gratitude.

Our spirits were designed to praise God. It’s because of His sacrificial love for us that we can say with confidence, “It is well with my soul!”

*Reflect & Pray*

When do you find it easy to express your praise for God? What might help you focus on praising Him in a new way?

*Dear God, I want my life to be one of continual praise and worship. May You alone receive all the glory.*

*Today's Insights*

The book of Psalms is divided into five books or divisions (Psalms 1-41; 42-72; 73-89; 90-106; 107-150). And within these books are subdivisions or collections of psalms. For example, Psalms 120-134 are known as the Songs of Ascents. Another subset of psalms are Psalms 146-150, known as the Hallelujah Psalms because they begin and end with the words “praise the Lord” (Hebrew, halelu-yah).