"Free"

 Reflecions4Life™ July 3, 2022

“Free”

“It was for this freedom that Christ set us free [completely liberating us]; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed].” Galatians 5:1 

Scripture Contemplation: Psalm 118:27; Isaiah 61:1; Zephaniah 3:20; Acts 7; 2 Corinthians 3:17

I declare that this week’s Reflections are a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart, mind, and soul. The Father has freed us from many things by His giving of His only begotten Son, Jesus. There are benefits of the Kingdom of God that we have yet to tap into because we have not realized just how truly free we are. Make time this week for you and God. Get to know His heart, His voice, and His face. The Lord will show you just how free you truly are.

There is a certain kind of freedom that comes when you are in a relationship with God that cannot be compared to anything else on this earth. It certainly is something that is better experienced than explained. I will venture to say that when you are finally ready to walk in the will of God for your life, you will not be disappointed. Not in the heavenly Father. When you learn to trust God with everything, you will find that committing to Him becomes easier. And when you are committed to your relationship with the Father, you will understand true freedom and just how free you truly are.

Please do not get it wrong; there are tests, trials, attacks from the enemy, and all manner of things that come our way when we are walking with the Lord. We become walking targets because of our relationship and faith, and the enemy wants nothing more than to pluck us off; to steal, kill, and destroy us and our faith and belief in God. Yet, when we are in a relationship with God, the battle is not ours but His. When we learn to trust God, we come to understand that the enemy has waged a war against God and will try to use us as pawns and weapons in his fight. But he has forgotten—he has already lost the war the moment Jesus died on the Cross, reclaimed the keys of life and death, gave them and the Holy Spirit to us, then ascended into heaven, freeing us from a life of sin and death with the ability to repent and the freedom to choose our path in life.

2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom].

Beloved, there is nothing better than having true freedom, and that freedom comes from being in a committed relationship with the Highest and having Holy Spirit reside in us. Because wherever the Holy Spirit is, there is freedom. When we yield to Holy Spirit within, we will find that choosing to do what is best and right for our walk is not hard. In each circumstance or situation that arises, we have an advocate with the Father and the Holy Spirit within, guiding us, and fighting for us. We just have to recognize our freedom and walk in it with confidence and assuredness.

The truth is many ascribe to God the same characteristics as a man. We expect God to fail us, or not do what we need and when. We think God has forgotten or abandoned us and that, He has not heard or listened to our prayers. While we walk in this frame of mind, the enemy wreaks havoc and we block ourselves from hearing, seeing, and recognizing God or knowing the Holy Spirit. God is not man; neither are His ways like men.

Isaiah 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.

As a young girl, I remember going to a church that was extremely strict. As I look back, there was no true worship, either. It made God seem so unloving, harsh, and unforgiving. There were so many things that you could not do that it made it seem as though a life with Christ was anything but freedom but instead more bondage; like a prison sentence to life that was dull and gray with no vibrancy, no color or warmth.

I felt stifled in that environment. In my heart, I knew that it was not right. That was not the God I came to know and love as a little girl. That did not sound like the God that reached out to me as a child through the moon and stars and intrigued me to get to know Him. The "god" being presented in that church was not the same God I knew that had covered me and soothed me. I understood that as we got older we would learn and understand more, or at least we were supposed to. However, what I was being taught was binding not freeing. So many rules that it literally hurt my head and my heart. My spirit would not conform. Holy Spirit residing in me would not leave or be squelched. I knew in my heart there was more to God because I had already tasted of His goodness and was touched by His spirit of freedom, and there was no going back.

Beloved, far too many have been led to believe and see God for who He is not. In doing so, they have associated God with nothing but restrictions, rules, bondage, and no freedom. You cannot trust someone you are afraid of. And you cannot commit to someone you cannot trust. There is order and decency in the Lord. There are things that God does abhor that are sins. However, there are so many more yes' with God than there are no’s. So much more happiness and uplifting words of encouragement and teachings of love, light, and healing than there are of damnation and shame. Yet, most will not know this if they do not have a personal relationship with God.

True freedom comes with an intimate relationship with God, where you learn for yourself, through your own personal walk with God, who He is, and who you truly are in Him. Where you learn to trust Him with your entire being. God wants us free. Because a free heart and mind can receive all that He has ordained and can serve and be an instrument of change on this earth, helping to free others from their own bondages and false impressions of who God really is. You happily commit to a relationship with the Father.  Light cannot do its job if it is hidden or dimmed because it has been restricted to shine. That is like telling the Sun it shines too brightly so we are going to wrap a shade around it. No.

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. There is freedom in God, in a relationship with the King. A kind of freedom you have never tasted or dreamed of, but always hoped for, and the only way to truly receive and understand it is to be in an intimate relationship with the Heavenly Father. Get a firsthand account. You will not be disappointed. Not with the God, I serve. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!

©2022. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.           

"Thank You!"

Reflections4Life™ August 6, 2017

“Thank You!”

“I will give You thanks with all my heart; I sing praises to You before the [pagan] gods.
I will bow down [in worship] toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word together with Your name. On the day I called, You answered me; and You made me bold and confident with [renewed] strength in my life.” Psalm 138:1-3

Scripture Contemplation: Psalm 138; 1 Samuel 2:1; 1 Chronicles 20; Daniel 2; John 11:41; Revelation 11:17…

I decree that this week’s Reflections will be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart, mind, and soul. Allow the grace of God to cover you and fill your heart. Let your heart be filled with hope and peace as you give God praise; thanking Him for life, His love, His covering, and His forgiveness. A grateful heart will open long awaited doors.

If there is one thing that I have learned growing up, was that a posture of gratitude got you further along than an attitude of sniping, griping, and self-entitlement. Sometimes, all a person desires is a simple Thank you. A sign of recognition, of gratitude, that they are appreciated; that their efforts are not only noticed but also accepted and not taken for granted.

How many times have you encountered a person, a proprietor, a sales person that felt disgruntled because of a bad day, but when someone gives them a genuine thank you, they seem to light up, and get a dose of energy? No one wants to be taken advantage of or looked over for the work they are doing. Even if it were a person’s job to serve, they still would like to hear thank you, to know that their efforts and their work are being appreciated.

A simple thank you can change so much in a person’s life. It can give them strength. It can bring encouragement; giving them that extra zip and push that they need to continue with what they are doing. There are not many in the world that desire his or her efforts to go unnoticed or not appreciated for what they do. Yet, many people are over looked, passed by, their efforts never mentioned, their work never acknowledge. Many taken advantaged of; their kindness being taken for weakness.

Can we be honest today? Whether it is someone we know or ourselves, we all know someone that everyone calls on to for help or assistance knowing that there is a ninety-nine percent chance that he or she will say yes. There is that person we all know that people consider an easy mark for their kindness. However, does that give us the license to abuse their kindness? To take advantage of their gifts of help? No. It does not. Though they may have a kind heart and possess the gift of help, does not mean we a have a right to take advantage of them, nor does it mean they do not deserve to be recognized for their kindness and all the work that they do. Even if it is one’s job to serve—they are still worthy of hearing, thank you, and being shown gratitude.

What about God? How many times has our heavenly delivered us, provided for us, got us out of sticky situations, and in the moment we may say thank you, but then we start to take advantage of His grace and mercies? How many do you know that willfully sin, because they believe that all they have to do is repent the next day? I have overheard some people blatantly and proudly say that they are going to intentionally sin and ask for forgiveness tomorrow. Wow! My question is: What happens if you die in your sins? What if you do not get the opportunity to repent? What if, although God has forgiven you, there are unseen consequences for your actions? Here is what God says about this:

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked [He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]; for whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap.

Have you given a simple thank You, Lord, for being woken up today? Or for having a meal, clothes to put on, a roof over our heads? How about saying grace. When was the last time you said grace before commencing to eat your food? Or to have your family around you? Or for the job, you have, even though it may not be the one you desire right now? How about giving God thanks, being grateful for having provision until you get the position that you desire? Did you thank God today for your family? Friends? Being in your right mind? Health?

I can go on. The truth is, we get comfortable in our lives. We get comfortable and take for granted the things we have and that are readily available to us. When we get used to the blessings we have and the accomplishments we have made, some of us forget about where we have come from, or about how hard it is for others at this time; especially if we are not surrounded or see people that are struggling and in need. The truth is for some, that they do not want to be reminded of where they came from. They do not want to see where others are struggling and have nothing because they have in their mind and heart that they got where they are by themselves and that others can do the same if they want to.

Listen, Beloved, we all have our own paths to walk, our own relationship with God to cultivate and grow. No one truly knows what is in our hearts but God. Yet, we do owe it to ourselves to remember that but for the grace of God, our lives could be far worse than it is. We are fortunate to be where we are in life, and a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving goes a long way. Not only are we honoring God for His blessings, be we open the eyes and ears of our heart to those around us. A heart of gratitude, a spirit of Thanksgiving allows us to see the need in others and propels us to become who we truly profess to be as children of God. A simple thank you goes a long way in people’s lives and in the heart of God. Our attitude determines our altitude and a simple thank you can change not only the lives of others but ours as well.

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. I take this time to thank you for your fellowship, friendship, and spirit of community. Thank you for those who have brought my new book, What Love Teaches Me. I pray that it is a blessing to your soul. It is with gratitude and a heart full of love that I thank God for His kindness, grace, and mercy. I know that without Him, I would never have made it through the storms of life. He is my anchor. Guess what? He is your anchor, also. Trust Him where you cannot trace Him. And thank Him for what He has already done and is about to do. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!

©2017 Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.

"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.

"Did You Ask?"

Reflections4Life™ March 19, 2017

“Did You Ask?”

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you…” Matthew 7:7

Scripture Contemplation: Deuteronomy 32:7; Joshua 9; 1Samuel 1; Esther 5; Philippians 4:6…

©Ruthe McDonald.

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. Do not be afraid to make your petitions to Lord be known. Let this week find you walking in confidence and faith. Believe in God to answer your requests. Spend intimate with the Father so He may fill you with His wisdom.

Do we really ask for what we want, anymore? Do we ask God what He thinks; for His wisdom? Has disappointment and unanswered prayers kept us from asking God for what we desire? Do we no longer seek God for His instructions? Many have suffered disappointments. They find their faith, not at a level it may have been once before. Yet, God will remind us to ask; to speak aloud and ask for what we want and to ask for His wisdom.

There have been times when God has asked me, did you ask for what you want? Did you ask for My wisdom or opinion? I had to ask myself, did I ask God? Did I submit my petition to the Lord? Did I seek His counsel before doing forward with certain plans? Did I assume the answer would be no, or the prayer was not going to be answered? Did I think this was the will of God for me?  I had to search myself. Because there are times when my faith has not been on the level it should have been, and times I have acted hastily without seeking His counsel. Sometimes the cares of this world can overwhelm us that we begin to move with the current of the world, and not the current of God. We forget the promises, we stop seeking His will, we succumb to what only our natural eyes can see, and we often forget about all the answered prayers we previously received, Our memory becomes shortened because we have moved out of faith and have begun to walk by sight.

It is not hard to overlook the one simple act of actually asking. When we are caught up in the way things appear to be, often times God is the last One we go to. When we seek Him, we are not asking or seeking, but instead telling God what we need, and informing Him of made up plans. I am guilty of this behavior. I either have asked but did not believe or have confidence in what I was asking for. Or, I did not ask God or seek His will, and went ahead with plans that were not favorable or what God desired for me.

1 John 5:14-15 (AKJV) 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: 15 and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Jeremiah 29:11-12 (AKJV) 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

For many of us, our confidence has dwindled. We no longer ask boldly or according to God’s will for our lives because we have not spent any quality time in the presence of our God to know His will for our lives. We lack understanding, faith, courage, and wisdom. We have no confidence in God; no confidence that He will answer when we ask. We have come to this sad conclusion because we do not know God. We have no knowledge of who our Father truly is. If we have no knowledge of who He truly is, then how can we ask and believe that whatever we ask for, He will give it to us. How can we know that He blesses our plans?

Beloveds, it is time to seek the will of God for our lives. It is time to ask God to fill us with His knowledge and wisdom. So, that we will understand and believe in our hearts that whatever we come to Him for, He will indeed answer us. We have been on a lone search for answers for far too long. Too many of us are crashing and burning when all we need to do is seek God. Seek His will, the Kingdom of Heaven, and ask God in confidence for what we want.

We have made decisions in our lives and wonder at our failures or the uncomfortable situations we find ourselves in. This is when we ask ourselves, did I ask? Did I ask God for direction, His will, and His instructions? Or, did I just do what I wanted or what someone else said I should do without seeking wise counsel?

The pendulum swings both ways. Will we receive everything we ask for? No. For those with children, would you give your children everything they asked for? God has given us freedom to choose. That includes the paths we take. Whether or not we desire to listen and heed to His counsel. We cannot blame God for the actions we take when have not sought Him or His will. When we have not asked for what we want, or for His directions.

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. God will answer, and sometimes His answers are not what we were expecting, but He is answering. Be confident in knowing that God does hear you. Never allow fear to keep your heart closed to a Father that only desires the best for you; whether you are seeking an answered request or His wisdom concerning a situation or direction; ask. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!

©2017. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.

"It is Broken!"

Reflections4Life™ February 26, 2017

“It is Broken!”

“…Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and the keepers were guarding the door of the prison. And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison; and he smote Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise up quickly.” And his chains fell off from his hands.” Acts 12:6, 7

Scripture Contemplation: Exodus 1:14; 2:23; Joshua 24; Ezra 9; Acts; 12; Romans 8; 12; Galatians 4; 5…

©Ruthe McDonald.

Whatever you believe is holding you back? It is broken. Whoever has had a hold on you—whether through their actions or words—it is broken! Those entire negative words that held you bound and hostage; making you feel impotent and insignificant? Broken! Beloved, whether you knew it or not, I am here to inform you, to remind you that those things that have long bound you are broken! How do I know? God has told me so, and I have experienced the revelation for myself

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. Let this week find you in deep meditation and intimacy with God. The Father wants to remind you of His promises and that you are no longer bound to the chains that once held you immobile. You are free. Now you just have to believe and accept that truth.

Beloveds, I must come to you from a place of love and experience. There is no need for me to sugarcoat my life's experiences. It is incumbent upon me to be transparent and have authenticity in my life and to who I am. To walk in and receive the manifestations of the blessings of God, then our minds must know and accept the truth. It must be free from the chains that have long bound us to a life of stagnation, fear, mediocrity, self-loathing and hatred, and a mind that is tortured and enslaved to the whispers of Satan.

Hear me today; there is more to your life than what some have led you to believe. There is more than you previous experiences have led you to believe. At the crux of it all is realizing and believing in your heart and mind that what God has for you is for you and that every chain in your life that has bound you; every shackle that has held you in a position are now broken. In fact, they have been broken for a long time, but you just needed to accept and believe this truth and see yourself through the eyes of our Creator, the One that created you in greatness, for greatness.

Our minds are powerful. We can literally think our way out of blessings, as well as into blessings. When we think on things for so long, and we entertain the constant lies and whispers of the enemy and the lies of the cohorts he has recruited to help steal from us, destroy us, and kill us—our heart begins to believe those things and our lives become a reflection of what our heart believes. We began to draw to us—like magnets—the very things that we do not want in our lives. Yet, our thoughts are on the negative. The constant barrage of lies and vitriol weakens us. Nevertheless, God desires for us to let go; to close our ears; to pull down those strongholds, and not entertain or think on the whispers and lies but instead speak His word and promises, counteracting the lies of the enemy before they are embedded in our hearts.

God has already released us. We are already free from those shackles. All we have to do is seek the face of God and His will. Meditate on His word and His promises. Denounce the contrary thoughts and whispers of the enemy and say what God says concerning us.

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. Declare and Decree what God has spoken, to the atmosphere. "I declare and decree that I am all that God has ordained me to be! I walk in the greatness that He has created in me, I am free and forgiven from all things in my past; including the harmful and hateful words, and lies spoke into my life. I denounce everything that does not line up with God's promise for my life. I walk confidently today, and each day in the victory already afforded to me! I am free! And every shackle and chain are broken!" You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!

©2017. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.