Sunday, February 24, 2019

"Have Confidence"

Reflections4Life February 24, 2019
“Have Confidence”
“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.” Hebrews 10:35
Scripture Contemplation: Job 4:6; 31; Psalm 10; Ephesians 6; Hebrews 4; 13…

For all the bravado that many of us portray, we still lack one thing that keeps us from fulfilling our many hopes and dreams. We talk a good game. Say all the right words. We even manage to encourage others. Yet, we fall short most times of our own goals and finish lines because we lack confidence. God admonishes us to not lose confidence in the face of adversity. There is a reward we stand in confidence.
I pray today’s Reflections is a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart mind and soul. I decree it be a continued source of comfort and healing. Trust God with all of your heart. Become bold in Christ and stand in confidence with the assurance that all that God has declared and decreed for your life shall come to pass.
It is not just confidence in ourselves—confidence that we can accomplish our goals. It is the lack of confidence that we have in God and His word. The disconnect that occurs within us when we do not believe and cannot see for ourselves the very promises of God for our lives and the words He has spoken over us.
Most certainly it appears to others that we have everything together. That, we are bold and confident in our lives. Even when we fall short from the mark or the finish line, we quickly assess the situation and say that God just has bigger plans.
What a bunch of malarkey that is ninety percent of the time! Sure, God has plans. However, part of His plans is that we succeed in our goals. That we cross that finish line. That we would finish what we started. It isn't God, but our own lack of confidence, insecurities, and lack of trust in the word of God and who we are in Him.
Too many of us have missed opportunities because we lack the confidence to follow through. We lack the trust in God's word and in our ability to handle what comes next. Sometimes we lack the confidence to be successful. we compare ourselves to others and what their success seems to be, yet not knowing their battles or trials or journey. Comparison is a thief of joy and confidence.
Then, there are some of us who have suffered for so long, having had more tragedies than triumphs, that we don't know how to handle success. We are afraid of the unknown of success and having to maintain it. We lack the confidence in ourselves to continue to grow and flourish and have continued success. Hence, we sabotage our own efforts. We began to question ourselves and our blessings. We start to doubt God and ourselves, making room for fear and unbelief which ultimately cripples us—stopping us from moving forward.
My Beloveds, may the spirit of peace and prosperity find permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you.  Don't be scared, beloved. Don't be scared of failing or making a mistake. Be confident in who you are. Have confidence that God will keep His word. Be confident in your successes. That they will not only last but continue to grow into the vision that God has shown you. Your past does not dictate if you're worthy or deserving of great success. No. You are deserving by the share fact that you belong to a great God that would have nothing less but the best for you. Be confident always. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!
Original post-September 25th ©2015. Updated ©2019. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.



Sunday, February 17, 2019

"Remember Your Strength"

Reflections4Life February 17, 2019
“Remember Your Strength”
“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” Isaiah 40:29
Scripture Contemplation: Joshua 14; Job 4; 12; Psalm 18:2; Proverbs 8:14; 1 Peter 5:10…
©Ruthe McDonald.

Sometimes we have to revisit past lessons to remember who we are and whose we are. Life can get a little rough and the storms overwhelming; even for the strongest of believers. But it will never change who God is nor the strength that He has placed in us. We must continue to remind ourselves of how strong we are, because God made us so, even in our weaknesses.

Originally posted on March 5, 2017...

I declare and decree that this week’s Reflections will be a continued source of encouragement and enlightenment for your heart, mind, and soul; bringing you peace in every area of your life. Remember: The Joy of the Lord is your strength. Do not get quiet during the test and storms when it comes to praying and speaking what God has promised you, though it may seem as though God is silent; He is waiting for YOU to speak the words He has already spoken to you. Remember that you have been declared the winner.
I did NOT go through all of those tests and trials and tribulations to give up now. I DID NOT make it through horrendous times; heartbreaking times just to let the enemy gain the upper hand and steal my joy and cripple my faith. NOT. HAPPENING. I will remember the strength that is within me every time some new roadblock, twist, turn, or test comes my way. I will remember that I already have the victory and that the joy of the Lord is my strength. What He's done before, He will do again...and I win!
Far too many of us are giving up when the enemy comes knocking at our door or knocking us down. Get back up and remember whose you are. Remember that you have gone through other things and made it through.
Oh. Sure. You are probably saying what so many others and I have said: "Why? Why do I always have to go through something? Can I get a break?" Trust, I have been there, done that and the truth is, we do get our break. We can have peace in the midst of a storm. Just as it was spoken to me, I will say to you: To whom much is given, much is required. I know...that is not what you want to hear right now, but it is the truth.
God has equipped you and He has chosen you. The call and blessings on your life require a certain level of molding and shaping and testing; a certain level of heat. However, you will make it through if you remember that God is with you and that there is a purpose for your life. Also, a purpose for the pain you have and are enduring.
You will never know your purpose or full potential if you are not willing to risk it all and get out of your comfort zones. I did not want to settle. I did not want to get to a point in my life and wonder what could have been if I weren't so afraid or dared myself to keep pushing forward although the tests and trials seem so overwhelming and never-ending. I must—we must—endure like good soldiers, believing and standing on the Word of God.
My Beloveds, may the spirit of peace and prosperity find permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you. If you are not happy; if you know there is more; do not allow fear, weariness, any tests or trials, or the whispers of the enemy to stop you. Have faith. Remember all that God has already brought you through. Remember the strength that lies within you. You earned that! Now use it! You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!
©2017. Updated ©2019.  Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.


Sunday, February 10, 2019

"Love Yourself"

Reflections4Life February 10, 2019
“Love Yourself”
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:14 
Scripture Contemplation: Psalm 139; Matthew 22; Ephesians 5; 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Corinthians 12; 1 John 4:16

©Ruthe McDonald.

I cannot begin to express how important it is to love yourself. When you love yourself, the chances of you allowing anyone to treat you less than you deserve are slim to none. How can we say we love God, who resides in us, and not love ourselves, when God Himself, has chosen us? What’s not to love? We have to begin to see ourselves through the eyes of God and stop loving ourselves based on what we see in the mirror and hear from others. Loving yourself is a heart and soul matter, and if you allow God in, His love changes everything.
I decree that this week’s Reflections will be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart mind and soul. Let this week fill your hearts with the words and love of our heavenly Father. Allow His love to blanket you and soothe all the rough and hurting places; bringing you comfort and a new perspective. Allow the Father to show you truly how to love yourself; to love yourself without pompousness or the exclusion of others but bringing a healthy dose of self-love and confidence.
Admittedly, there are those who have loved themselves and still found themselves in relationships that nearly destroyed them. Why? Because, although they loved themselves, they allowed their love for that person to supersede the love and concern they had for themselves. It is a beautiful thing to love with all your heart and soul, to give your all to another, not holding back. However, it is even better when you love yourself so much, that you don't forget to take care of your needs and recognize when you are being treated less than you deserve.
Love can be blind. Blind to the faults of others. And blind and deaf to our mind screaming for us to wake up and pay attention to those signals that are warning us about the danger. It may sound selfish and contrary to what you may have heard and been taught in the past; but after God, you must always put yourself first. You must take care of self, first. Love yourself the best first. At the end of the day, if you are not all right, no one else will be. And if you don't put yourself first, nine times out of ten, you will find yourself at the end of a relationship, used, abused, broken, burned out, not knowing who you are and how you got there.
I speak to you Beloved, from my truth. I speak from experience, not merely observations. If I can save you at least one-tenth of the heartache I have endured and experienced, then what I endured was not in vain but for a greater purpose. Love yourself, Beloved.
You know what else I have learned? 1. You may not see everyone’s intentions in the beginning—God may have designed it that way—but when it is time for the truth to be revealed, you can count on God making that known. That usually occurs when God is ushering you to a new level in your life’s journey. 2. Healthy self-love is one of the most beautiful and attractive things to witness in a person. Not arrogance or pompousness, but self-assuredness, a confidence that you can handle whatever comes at you, especially with God on your side, and the ability to recognize when others no longer love you, or only desire to use you, and those that just don’t deserve a relationship with you. And when people’s intentions and hearts have changed.
My Beloveds, may the spirit of peace and prosperity find permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you. My self-love is not predicated on someone else's opinions or thoughts of me. Their opinion no longer takes up space; a space that is reserved for the encouraging and purposeful words of my Creator and the voice of self that has been developed and strengthened over the years of intimacy with God. You are blessed. Now go … and be a blessing!
©2019. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.

Sunday, February 03, 2019

"Beleive With All of Your Heart"


Reflections4Life February 3, 2019
“Believe With All of Your Heart”
“And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” Genesis 15:6
Scripture Contemplation: Genesis 15, Deuteronomy 28; Exodus 4; Luke 8; Hebrews 4; 11:6
 
© Ruthe McDonald. "Believing God Wholeheartedly"
I get it. Trust me; I do. I can hear some of you now—how can I continue to believe when everything around me feels and looks like the opposite of what I am believing for, and have been promised? Yet, this is exactly what God desires for us to do; to believe Him with all of our heart, regardless of the circumstances and situations we may be currently facing. Yes, it is hard to maintain a level of unwavering faith when faced with impossibilities. However, we serve a God that specializes in the impossible, and who has a proven record of keeping His word.
I decree that this week’s Reflections will be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart mind and soul. Rest at the feet of God this week; casting all of your cares on Him because you know in your hear that God has never let you down and whatever He has spoken over your life, it is coming to pass if you faint not and keep believing just as Abraham believed.
Yes. There are many things happening in our lives, in this world, that have us questioning what we believe, who we are, and Who God is, if He is even there; if He is real or not. Oh! God is real! There is a personal relationship waiting for us to embrace so that we may experience the fullness of being in a relationship with the Lord, God, Almighty.
We are in a world surrounded by fakes, phonies, liars, and thieves. It is regular den of iniquities, perpetuated by the father of lies and king of this world. Yet, Satan is still no match for who God is and whom we are in Him. And when we believe God; believe in His word and His promises, we not only gain strength and fortify our faith, we emit an energy into the atmosphere that must align itself with what we are believing and the words we speak to ourselves.
There is no half-stepping in faith. We cannot continue to ride the fence in what we believe and expect to see the manifestations of the promises and blessings of God in our lives. As well as have our prayers be effective and fervent, and capable of changing not only our own lives and circumstances, but also those we pray for and who are connected to us.
It takes a certain amount of vulnerability to believe God with all of our heart. For many, we are use to putting faith and belief in people and trusting in their words; that we have become jaded over time because of their failure to keep their word and commitments. Their words have become empty promises, untrustworthy, and lacking no value. Sadly, we project their shortcomings and failures onto our relationship with God. When God gives His word, we can be certain that His word will accomplish what He sent it to do. It will not return to Him void.
How much are you willing to give up, to sacrifice to keep your word? To your children? To anyone? Well, times that by eternity and you have what God has done for us even while we are yet still sinners, rejecting Him, His ways, and His love. Even when we doubt His words, and allow unbelief to settle in, and fear to cloak itself around us like a blanket, God’s promises to us do not change but remain the same, waiting for us to catch up so that we may walk in the promises and fulfillment of His word for our lives.
My Beloveds, may the spirit of peace and prosperity find permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you. You have tried many other things, including believing in other people. How about, you begin to believe God with all of your heart. You have nothing to lose but everything to gain. When you believe with all of your heart in God, and all that He has spoken to you, promised you, you create an atmosphere conducive for the impossible, the supernatural, and the miraculous to take place. You make room for God to be God in your life 24/7. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!
©2019. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.



































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































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