"It's Time For A Heart Check"

Reflections4Life June 24^th, 2018

“It’s Time for a Heart Check!”

“When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them.” Isaiah 41:17

Scripture Contemplation: Genesis 4; 15; Isaiah 41; Matthew 25:31-46

What resides in your heart? Who does your heart stand in allegiance with? If you were to stand before the judgment seat of the heavenly Father, today—based on your actions of late and your heart and thoughts at this very moment—can you say that God will say to you, “Well done my good and faithful servant”, or will you hear: “Depart from me you worker of iniquity, I know you not? We have entered a crucial time in this earth. It seems that more evil is prevailing and many are doing nothing to stop it but instead are either celebrating it, ignoring it, tolerating it, doing it, or behaving like it is the most natural thing in the world; agreeing with the evil and not standing up to fight or prevent it. It is time for a heart check before we move so far into evil that we are exactly where the enemy wants us to be, separated eternally from God.

I decree that this week’s Reflections is a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart mind and soul. Spend some quality and quiet time in the presence of the Lord this week. Set aside some time to do a heart check, and search the contents of your heart. What resides in our heart often determines our actions. We often do or not do something based upon what we believe or do not believe in our hearts.

In Need of a Spiritual Enema

Jeremiah 18:12 “But they say, ‘That is in vain! We will follow our own plans, and will every one act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.”

Daniel 11:27 “And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed.”

One of the things that I know—God is aware of all things; especially the condition of our hearts and our state of minds. We cannot hide from God our intentions. We cannot lie about what we really mean or what we are really going to do, because God already knows. Many are following their own plans, their own agendas, while others refuse to admit when they are wrong or have made a mistake. The hardening of their hearts has caused them to be deaf, dumb, and blind, making their hearts not only full of greed but also evil.

We stand in need of a spiritual enema. Too many are desensitized to the atrocities that take place every day. Hearts have grown so cold, that they stand idly by and allow evil to prevail.

When we do not commit our ways, our thoughts and our heart to God, we run the risk of falling prey to our own ego, selfish thoughts, and ways. Everything becomes me, me, me. All about what self-wants, even at the destruction of innocence. Power is a drug. The more you have of it without God in the lead soon corrupts the person and all who are around them.

It’s time to do a heart check and repent before it is too late and we are utterly destroyed by our own machinations. Those who know God and are true believers must stand up, repent, and do as God has commissioned us to do; even if it is not the most popular thing to do at the time.

2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

We are our Brothers and Sisters Keeper

Genesis 4:9-10 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” ¹And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.

Matthew 25:37-40 “…‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

I cannot look at the state of affairs in the world we are living in and accept that this is God’s way when I know it goes against everything that God stands for and what those who are true believers stand for. Far too many of us have lost our way. Our hearts have become too darken to see the light or hear and receive the word and chastisement of our Living God.

Some have become their own gods in their mind; doing what appeases them while systematically trying to destroy anyone that may oppose them, and call it doing what is best for the whole. Though it may seem that these people are prospering and getting away with such atrocities, God says otherwise. Be certain whatever we sow, and whatever we have done to others will be done to us, to our children, and even our children’s children.

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

Finally

Beloved, what is the state of your heart? Have you stood up for righteousness sake? Or, are you one to complain but never step up to the plate to make a difference? Is your heart malleable, supple in the hands of God Almighty? Or has it hardened so much that even the atrocities done to innocent children do not ignite anger on their behalf?

It is time to take a stand against evil, a stand against anything that opposes the will and plans of God. We are ambassadors of Christ. We are the reflection of God in this earth as believers. We cannot turn a deaf ear or blind eye to what is right in God’s sight because we fear being in the minority. We both stand up for righteousness and do what is right or we fall prey to the wiles of the enemy, destroy ourselves, and possibly curse our legacy for generations to come.

My Beloveds, May the spirit of peace and prosperity finds permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you. Let God have reign in your heart. Check the status of your heart daily, allowing the love of God to penetrate it. Do not be afraid to stand for what is right in a place full of people going left or in an opposite direction. God is calling us to a higher place and it requires a heart that sold out to Him. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing.

©2018. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.

"All You Need Is In Father, God"

Reflections4Life™ June 17, 2018

“All You Need is in Father, God”

“Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, and extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him— his name is the Lord. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” Psalm 68:4-5

Scripture Contemplation: Genesis 2:24; Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Joshua 1:9; Psalm 103:13; Psalm 127:7-5; Ephesians 5:25-37; 6:1-4;11-18…

©Ruthe McDonald.

H

 appy Father’s Day! I extend greetings and exaltations to each and every father and father to be. Not just for today, but for each and every day that you are granted to be alive in this earth and having an impact in a child’s life. Whether you are a biological father, surrogate father, mentor, bonus-father (I don’t like to use the word step!) If you are a father figure in any kind of way, having an impact on so many impressionable lives and in the lives of young men who may be young adults but still need and yearn for a father in their lives. I salute you with the love of God, and pray that the blessings of God fill you, and surround you, as you yield yourself to the grace and will of God. Whatever you think you may lack, know that it all can be found in Father God!

I declare and decree that this week’s Reflections will be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart mind and soul. Yield all that you are and who you desire to be to God today. There is nothing you need or desire that cannot be found in the Father God. Even as mature adults, we never stop needing the love and guidance of our parents. Their wisdom is invaluable. Nothing matches Father God's wisdom. Spend quality time in the presence of God this week. You may have known Him as your Deliverer, Healer, Friend, and Savior. Now let Him be the Father you need.

Long Lasting Seeds

Proverbs 26:6 Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

A parent that loves that child will chastise them and lovingly discipline them when they are in error. The Word of God admonishes us to train up a child in the way they should go. Parents are responsible for instructing their children and raising them to be responsible and accountable for their actions. More times than not, a child will do what they see more than what they are told. Most children are a reflection of who we are as parents and what we believe. We cannot expect our children to do the right thing if they have never seen what the right thing is or have been taught.

It is not love or wisdom to give our children everything that they want. Nor is it wise to allow them to raise themselves or believe that there are no consequences for their actions. They will not only correct them when they are wrong but also praise them when they are correct. A Parent will lead by example. When they fail or fall, will not hide it from their children but instead, make it a life lesson, teaching their children responsibility, accountability, and humility.

What a parent teaches their child in their formative years, will never depart from them. It is a seed planted, growing throughout the years, a small acorn, growing into a strong and indestructible oak tree. Strong and mighty in all seasons.

My husband and I were talking about this earlier last week about the lessons and foundations we received as children. The foundations we received shaped who we are. However, our lives may have taken different paths, and though he may have studied and believed in another way of life for a while, at his core was always what he was taught as a child. It is what remains at his core and reminds him of who he is and what he truly believes in relation to his relationship with our Heavenly Father.

The teaching of our children is most important to our children’s self-worth and identity. There are far too many God-fearing believers missing from children’s lives.

All We Need is in Father God

Joshua 1:9  “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

There is absolutely nothing we stand in need of that cannot be found in Father God. Do you know how much God loves you? Do you know that He already knows your thoughts before you think them? Did you know that He would leave the company of 99 believers who have found themselves in Him just to search for you if you did not know Him and was lost, having trouble finding your way? You matter! You matter to God. Everything about you, God cares. All that you need and have been searching for is all in Him. God has it all. He knows where you need to be, needs to go, how to proceed—all of it! God knows all about you.

What is holding you back from going and yielding to Father God? What keeps you from trusting God? Was it a prayer you believe He did not answer? Is it current trials and tests that seem to be going on forever? Trust me, I understand. I am right there at this very moment in my life. Yet, I love God and believe that all that I need is in Him. He has the answers and the keys I need to unlock the doors. When the due season comes, I will use those keys as He instructs. He sees what I cannot see and when the time is right, He will reveal all and make the understanding known.

God admonishes us to be strong and courageous and not to be discouraged. He is with us wherever we go; even in mistakes, He will be there. There is nothing hidden from God. He knows everything! I do not know about you, but I feel comforted by that fact. For when I cannot find the words to pray; when I am at a loss and need direction, I can literally cry out to God, and my Daddy will be there, knowing what is best for me. Always! My Heavenly Father will never leave me or disappoint me; even when I feel let down by Him, somewhere down the line of time, I will be given understanding and insight, gaining wisdom that I am certain I will pass along.

Beloveds, do not mistake the chastisement and discipline of God as rejection. Do not pout like a child who does not get their way and plays on the parent’s heartstrings. God is bigger than whatever you are facing or will ever face. He is able to discipline you with love and still bless you with your heart’s desire. Not because of how good or perfect you seem to be, but by His grace and mercies, and because He has made promises to us and will not go back on His word.

My Beloveds, May the spirit of peace and prosperity finds permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you. All you need and desire is in Father God. His love is unconditional. Strength, peace, joy, healing, grace, creative ideas, purpose…all of it is in God. Allow the Father that place in your life; to fill every empty part with His love and presence. You will never regret saying yes to God. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!

©2018. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.

"In The Arms of God"

Reflections4Life™ June 10, 2018

“In the Arms of God”

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” Psalm 91:1

Scripture Contemplation: Joshua 2; Psalm 5; Psalm 31; Psalm 91; Philippians 3; 2 Timothy 4; 1 Peter 5…

I

n our lifetime, we fall for many things: people, words, promises, lies. We fall, as well, into diverse situations, sometimes not aware of how we got there. Yet, in other instances, having consciously made a decision but are too ashamed to confess it, causing many to needlessly stay in a situation while their hearts and souls harden and they become desensitized to the word, voice, and a touch of God. Instead of running to God—straight into the arms of God—we have a tendency to run away and try to hide from God.

I decree that this week’s Reflections will be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart mind and soul. Allow the Heavenly Father to pour into you. Let God grant you what you have been searching for all along but did not know how to find. Refuse the urge to turn away but instead fall into the arms of God. I guarantee, there is safety in His arms.

A Place of Power

Isaiah 52:10 The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

There is nothing on earth that can outdo the protective arms of God. The arms of God are a place of power and deliverance. It is a place of total assurance. There is no condemnation. There is no pain. There is no looking over your shoulder. There are no lies. Though there is a truth that may sting and hurt a bit; there is no harm.

In the arms of God, there is healing and unconditional love. Many of us are blind and have no understanding of this power because we have listened too long to the lies and whispers of the enemy. For so long, many have searched to fill a void, an emptiness in their hearts, with temporal things. At first, they feel satiated and complete. Then after a while, feelings of emptiness and longing stir once again. They’re soon looking to someone or something else to fill that emptiness, only to repeat a painful cycle.

While seeking and searching high and low to fill a void, to appease that ache, God is there. He is there waiting to receive us into the shelter of His arms. He calls to us. He reaches for us. However, all too often, we reject God. We reject His hands and His love. But the enemy will have us to believe that God has rejected us.

Know this in your heart and soul: Just because you may not have received an answer to your prayer in the way in which you were expecting, does not mean that God has rejected you. Just because you have prayed for something and it did not come to pass does not mean that God has rejected you. Just because you received a no, for now, does not mean that God has rejected you. God has not rejected or abandoned you. A no right now does not mean it will always be a no. It can simply mean, not yet.

God’s Greater Plan

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.

Numbers 23:19 God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

Beloveds, allow this to ruminate in your heart and mind: Sometimes God has something far greater than you could ever imagine for yourself. He does things in His way and His time but it is always for our good. God cannot lie. He will keep His promise to you, and give all that we expected and more.

Many of us have placed our trust and belief in others and things, only to be sorely disappointed repeatedly. It has, for many, led to a jaded mind and heart, unable to believe anyone. As a result, some have placed God on that same level as man.

Rest assure; whatever God has spoken and promised to you, it will happen in the due season. We have to be certain we are ready, living our lives accordingly. Otherwise, we can find ourselves out of position to receive the manifestations of the blessings.

Beloveds, we have listened to the wrong people and the whispers of Satan for far too long. We have put our trust and faith into people and things that have no idea who we are and what God has ordained for us. We have fallen for the lies of the enemy, believing what he has spoken concerning God and us. To the point, that some have become so despondent, they have taken their own lives.

It is time to change the station and hear what God is saying, to listen, and believe His words of truth and deliverance. Fall into the shelter and love of God's arms. Let Him love us, restore, and strengthen us. What do we have to lose?—Nothing but past hurt and shame but so much greatness to gain.

My Beloveds, May the spirit of peace and prosperity finds permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you. Fall into the arms of God where there is always room for you. Fall into the shelter and safety of the arms that have been open for you since you entered this realm of time. Receive freely what Jesus has already paid for in full. Receive the comfort and peace that can only come from a Father who loves you, accepts you, and sees you just as you truly are. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!

©2018. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.