THE DECLARATION SERIES: "I Declare, I Will Keep My Vow to God"

   Reflections4Life™ March 6, 2022

"I Will Keep My Vow to GOD!"

"You look to Egyot for security and help without consulting Me. You seem to think that Pharoah is the answer. That Egypt will protect you from harm. But because you cling to earthly power of great nations, you will be disappointed and ashamed..." Isaiah 30:2,3 (VOICE)

Scriptures for the Series: James 4; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 119:11; Lamentations 3:40; Psalm 51:10; Proverbs 11:28; Psalm 37:4; 42; Luke 3:4; Psalm 66:9; Isaiah 30:2,3

Welcome to part ten and our final declaration in the Declaration Series. I Will Keep My Vow to God. It is easy to say the words; to make a vow/promise to GOD when you feel on top of the world or even when you are going through and are desperate to get out of a situation. We vow to God to trust Him and follow Him always. Sometimes in the middle of following the will of God, we are faced with opposition. Some so strongly that they would rather turn back to their old ways in order to find comfort and safety in what was. 

I decree that this week's Reflections4Life will be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart, mind, and soul. Keep your vow to GOD. Whatever you have promised God to do, or made a vow to do, do not go back on that vow. Take time this week to revisit all of the vows or agreements you made between you and God. Have you honored them? Have you continued in the path He created for you? Sometimes what lies between us and the manifestations of our blessings are keeping the vows we made to Him. 

We pray and we pray, asking the Lord to show up on our behalf. We even make promises to God. We promise to do such and such if He would deliver us and bring us into a new place. If He would deliver us from our current circumstances. We vow to serve Him always; to never look back and go back to the person we once were.

Perhaps you made a different kind of vow to the Lord. Maybe you vowed to sow seed every month for a year. But somewhere along the way, new bills popped up. Emergencies appeared and your money was funny. Who knows the reasons but you and God. In any case, you did not keep that monetary vow to the Lord. Though it was going to a ministry or cause, the vow is still between you and God. Time pasts, but you never revisited those vows. Guess what, Beloved? You still have to honor those vows, unless God tells you otherwise.

Maybe you are like the children of Israel. After years of bondage, you are free. Free from a bad relationship, an unhealthy way of living, using drugs, abusing your body, stealing, etcetera. You know what God brought you out of. Now, you are walking in your freedom. You are thriving and pushing forward. But then, just as you are getting comfortable with your freedom, and you are starting to thrive, here comes the enemy. God is allowing the opposition to come at you. It is threatening your peace and a new way of life. It's a little bit harder fighting for what you have and what you want. Now, doors seem to be closing. The progress you were making is at a standstill. In fact, some of you may have lost some things, while others may have lost everything. Now the enemy is whispering in your ears that it was easier when you were not saved. You had it better when you were doing your own thing. Or, you try convincing yourself that the abuse wasn't so bad. That at least you have a roof over your head and food to eat. At least you did not have to wrestle with this new kind of enemy; where nothing is familiar. You start thinking you would rather go back to what you know than to go any further ahead, uncertain. 

Like the children of Israel, you start to justify the sins and bondage of Egypt. at least you had food to eat, a place to sleep. At least you did not starve. The food was okay. You didn't have to worry about if your own crops would make it. Responsibility wasn't on your shoulders.

Beloveds, it always looks easier when you look backward. It is easy to forget the harshness of the past when what you presently face seems overwhelming and not to mention scary. The unknown before you seems impossible, while the past now seems okay for what it was. The Devil is a Lie! Beloved! That is a smoke and mirrors trick from the enemy. Nothing in the past that God delivered you from is worth breaking your vow to God. Your vow to serve Him, trust Him, believe Him, love Him, rely upon Him. 

This world cannot give you a tenth of what God has for you. It cannot comfort you in the manner that God can and does. The world's systems will always seem right and fair at first. But in time, you will see the truth and understand that God is the only entity that will always have your best interest at heart. That, in God, lies the answers to the fulfillment of your dreams and the vows made to God. To, love Him, serve Him, and follow Him with all of you. Ride out the storms of life and trust God in the midst of all things. 

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. God will finish the work He has started in you. He has, in fact, already finished His work. But you will never know this if you do not keep your vow to Him; to follow and serve with all of your heart, mind, and soul. He is doing great work in your life. You are blessed. Now go...and be a blessing!

©2022. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved. 

The Declaration Series: "I Will Clean Up My Life"

 Reflections4Life™ January 30, 2022

"I Will Clean Up My Life"

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; restore within me a sense of being brand new." Psalm 51:10

Scriptures for the Series: James 4; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 119:11; Lamentations 3:40; Psalm 51:10; Proverbs 11:28; Psalm 37:4; 42; Luke 3:4; Psalm 66:9; Isaiah 30:2

Welcome to part five in our Declaration Series. Having a clean heart and mind is imperative to living the life that God ordained. Certainly, there is His permissive will. Yet we desire His perfect will for our lives. Living a clean life, with a clean heart and mind, allows us to hear God clearly and see the vision plainly. When we are polluted with the debris of life, it makes it difficult to receive what God has for us. Because, most often, an unclean life is accompanied by guilt and shame. God wants us free from all of that.

I decree that this week's Reflections4Life will be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart, mind, and soul. Spend time this week doing a self-inventory of your life. Ask yourself if things are holding you back, keeping you from moving forward in God. If there is, ask the Father to clean your heart and mind; to get rid of those things in your life that would hinder you from moving freely in His will for you. The Father has so much to give you and share with you. You do not want to miss this season.

I do not know about you, but I do not want to doubt God and His will for my life any longer. I recognize now, that when doubt is present in my life, it leads me to do things and to think a certain way that only hinders God from moving freely and the way He desires in my life. I have had enough of missing opportunities and the move of the Spirit because I allowed myself to get out of alignment with God and His path of righteousness. I want my faith to be so strong that there is no room for doubt to get in, let alone take a breath.

This can only happen if I daily clean my thoughts and watch what I allow to infiltrate my spirit. Also, what I allow to enter my eye-gate, ear-gate, mouth-gate, and thought-gate, just to name a few. Beloved, we are responsible for what we bring into our sphere of influence. Just as our parents had (or should have) protected us from things that were not beneficial to us as children, as well as, from any other dangers that would bring harm to us; we must protect our spirit. We must protect ourselves from getting polluted with the things of this world. Anything that would take our minds and hearts away from the heart and will of God, is pollution to our spirits. 

Do you know why the Bible talks about pouring new wine into new wineskins instead of old wineskins? Because the old wineskins have been stretched and still carry remnants of the old wine. If you put new wine into the old wineskins, they would contaminate the new wine, and also, the old wineskin would burst.

If you truly desire what God has for you and do not miss out on anything ordained for your life, then you have to clean up your life so you can receive what God has for you. Cleaning up your life is a task of laying aside the old things; those things that have kept you separated from God. It consists of asking God to clean your heart and purify your mind. You do not want old things and stinking thinking contaminating what God has for you or blocking you from receiving all of it.

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. Clean up your life. Get rid of those things that hinder you from receiving all that God has for you. Invite God in to show you what needs to go and how to get rid of it. Though some things might prove difficult, allow God to be your strength. Confess, repent, and move forward in the Lord, receiving what He has ordained just for you! You are blessed. Now go...and be a blessing!

©2022. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved. 

The Declaration Series: "I Will Return Quickly to the Lord"

 Reflections4Life™ January 23, 2022

"I Will Return Quickly to the Lord"

"We must search and and examine our hearts; we must return to the LORD." Lamentations 3:40

Scriptures for the Series: James 4; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 119:11; Lamentations 3:40; Psalm 51:10; Proverbs 11:28; Psalm 37:4; 42; Luke 3:4; Psalm 66:9; Isaiah 30:2

Welcome to the fourth week in our Declaration Series. We have declared to submit to the Lord, to listen to His instructions, and to store His instructions in our hearts. This week, we declare to return quickly to the Lord if and when we may find ourselves walking outside of His will. Beloveds, do not delay in quickly returning from God when you find yourself going down the wrong path and away from God's will for your life.

I decree that this week's Reflections4Life will be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart, mind, and soul. Examine and search your ways this week. Do a heart check and honestly ask yourself if you have been following the precepts of God, or have you deviated from His path and gone rogue? There are times when we think we are still on the righteous path, only to find out that we are far from God's path and have ventured on a path dictated by our flesh.

After much searching and examination, we often find that it is not the obvious things that have changed or led us astray from the paths and things of God. It is often the small things, subtle habits, and idiosyncrasies that have caused us to veer off the path of righteousness. Soon we find ourselves far from where God has called us to, often wondering how we got there.

In the Song of Solomon (2:14-16), it is the small foxes that spoil the vine.  A small unassuming animal that if ignored or often goes unnoticed, gets into the vines and spoils its crops or eats its fruits before anyone has a chance to harvest its best. It is often the small things that we do here and there that sabotage our righteous walk and relationship with God. The small things that we often ignore or say we will take care of later, knock us off the path of righteousness and living holy for God. These same habits that we will suddenly find a problem and interference with our walk, in God.

The Father has given us the charge to examine and search our hearts, our actions, our walk, in Him. To see if we truly are on the right path of His righteousness. Or if we have unknowingly taken a detour because of all those small choices we have made along the way. Oh! Trust that God has always sent His word, a reminder, His messengers to tug at our hearts. To engage us in conversation and get us back on track.

The longer we stay off the paths of righteousness, the harder it is for many to return to God. Many find themselves going further down the rabbit hole, away from God and His ways, and the peace that can only be found in God. If you find yourself in this position, Beloved, return quickly to God. Repent, seek God, and follow whatever He leads your heart to do.

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. Quickly return to the Lord. Search and examine your heart. Let God show you what resides there and where you lost your way. Though some things might prove difficult, allow God to be your strength. Confess, repent, and move forward in the Lord, receiving what He has ordained just for you! You are blessed. Now go...and be a blessing!

©2022. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved. 

The Declaration Series: "I Will Hide His Word in My Heart"

 Reflections4Life™ January 16, 2022

"I Will Hide His Word in My Heart"

"Deep winthin me I have hidden your word, so that I will never sin against you." Psalm 119:11

Scriptures for the Series: James 4; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 119:11; Lamentations 3:40; Psalm 51:10; Proverbs 11:28; Psalm 37:4; 42; Luke 3:4; Psalm 66:9; Isaiah 30:2

Our hearts are a sacred place. A place that is only truly known, 100% by GOD and ourselves--if we are honest with ourselves. In our hearts are hidden many things, from childhood to the present moments, and even thoughts and feelings concerning the future. GOD knows all of this, too. He especially knows if His word is hidden there, also.

I decree that this week's Reflections4Life will be a continued source of inspiration and encouragement for your heart, mind, and soul. Each time you read and hear the word of God, do not only hear it but also let it marinate and find a place deep in your heart to settle in. Hide the word of God in your heart so that you will be reminded of Him, His Word, and promises to you.

Thank you for coming back and fellowshipping with us this week. This is the third lesson in our DECLARATION SERIES. This series was inspired by a New Year Eve's message given by Bishop Dr. Roberta Moore of Victory Christian Tabernacle Ministries. What if we declared over our lives and into the atmosphere, our intentions for this year? Decreeing--making it law--to live by this year? Most, if not all resolutions, hardly make it past the first week of the year and are forgotten by the end of the month.

I will hide His Word in my heart. Another way to say this would be: I will hide His INSTRUCTIONS in my heart. When we hide the instructions of God in our hearts, we remember what He has called us to do. We remind ourselves how He desires us to live, and we are also reminded not to sin against Him. His instructions/Word clearly informs us what would be and would not be pleasing in God's sight. What is acceptable and not acceptable. 

When His instructions are hidden deep in our hearts, we cannot say we do not know what God expects or desires from us. Nor can we say we do not know or understand what is a sin or not sin against GOD. The Father has made His word clear. He does not deal in grey areas but in black and white. The only way to know and understand these things about GOD and His Word is to study. Study and meditate on them every day. Take time to not only pray but also read and meditate on the word and speak the word out loud.

When you make up in your heart to abide by His word, you are choosing to listen to GOD. You are making the choice to walk in wisdom and not sin against the Father and short-change yourself from a life that He has ordained for you, as well as a multitude of blessings He has for you and those He has called you to.

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. Hide the word of GOD in your heart. Meditate and study it day and night. Let be a light in your heart that guides you and keeps you from sinning against GOD. Though some things might prove difficult, allow God to be your strength. Confess, repent, and move forward in the Lord, receiving what He has ordained just for you! You are blessed. Now go...and be a blessing!

©2022. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.