"Life"

Reflections4Life™ July 9, 2017

“Life”

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” John 10:10

Scripture Contemplation: John 1, 3, 6; Isaiah 2:22; Joshua 22:5; Ruth 4; Psalm 16…

©Rue Fox

Life; it is all around us, even among death. As one life transitions, another life is being born into the world that will either draw them to God or away from the ways of God. Because no matter what path is chosen in life, God is always there in our midst knocking on the doors of heart, covering us even when we have rejected Him.

I declare that this week’s Reflections are a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart, mind, and soul. Rejoice in the Lord for life. It may not be everything you want it to be. You may have needs and are waiting for your prayers to be answered. In the meantime, celebrate the gift of life that God has granted you in spite of the ups and downs and hiccups on the road. Let this week find you thanking God for every single moment, every breath, and every opportunity to seize this gift of life and become all that God has ordained.

We are faced with many difficulties in our life’s journey. Sometimes it feels as though the world and God are against us. We ask God, why. Why me, Lord? What have I done to deserve a life with so much heartache, pain, and disappointment? Why does it feel like the enemy is always winning? We question if God is even here; if He is listening. Yet God reminds us that He is with us even when we cannot feel Him or trace Him. We are often touched by the evil, the sin that people commit. Their actions affecting us.

God has given everyone the freedom to choose his or her path in life, to choose to do right or to do wrong. Often times, people’s choices have a profound impact on our lives. Sometimes the consequences of their actions touch our lives in very painful ways. Yet, it does not mean that God loves us any less, or that He is not there with us through the storms. We must conclude to live our lives with such a determination that no matter what we experience, what comes to us, we will strive to live our best, making the most of what we have.

Life is not a guarantee but a gift each day. Life is not fair but God is just. Some people live their lives with no regard for anyone else’s life, let alone their own. The Father reminds us that it rains on the just and unjust alike. We may have difficulty reconciling in our minds the goodness and love of God when we have either experienced hardships or devastations personally or witnessed it among our loved ones and even perfect strangers. Yet, that is where faith comes in.

Though we do not understand now the cause, continued heartaches, disappointments, and hurts we sometimes suffer; we must continue to look to God to strengthen us and to make us stronger in our weaknesses and to carry us through those dark times when we feel abandoned and rejected by our Creator. We must diligently remind ourselves of the promises of God because it is easy to forget when we are faced with a storm so devastating it feels like we are going to drown.

God is there in the midst. Though it seems like He is not listening or answering our prayers, He is. The fact that we are still alive, in the land of the living, breathing another day testifies to His love and belief in who we are and what He has ordained for our lives. All we have to do is accept it. Trust Him where we cannot trace Him and live this life to the best of our ability by giving it our all and surrender all to Him each day we are granted. The Father will protect us.

The very things we have endured and have overcome are the very things that set us apart and prepare us for the call and anointing that God has placed on our lives. It brings life to our testimony and is the story behind God’s glory shining in our lives. Our harvest will come from the pain, trials, and tests we have endured. We will rise up, bless the name of God, and thank Him that we yet again, have triumphed and have defeated the plans of the enemy to destroy us and separate us from the Love of God for all eternity. I have read the book, Beloved and the ending is the same: WE WIN!

The enemy will continue to use his limited time on this earth to try and stop us any way he can because even he knows he has already lost. Occasionally you just have to throw your head back and laugh at the enemy! Oh, he tried it! However, God has already declared us the winner. We just have to believe it, and walk in that knowledge with all manner of confidence. No one and nothing can stop God's blessings on our life but us! No one has that kind of power unless we give it to him or her by falling for his or her lies. So...go on and laugh at the enemy and liars that tell you that you cannot. Walk with your head held high, basking in the love and light of your Creator; walking in the greatness that is already in you! Celebrating this life He has given you!

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. Life is a gift and what we do with our gifts has an effect on the people around us. The choices we make will always have an impact on others, whether directly or indirectly. Though the life being lived by others may have impacted us, God has made a way for us to escape, endure, and move on: through Jesus Christ our Lord. We are free. As with anything in life, it must first start in our minds and our hearts. When we are free there? Everything else follows. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!

©2017. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.