In our hearts we plan our course, but the Lord establishes our steps. This is a classic example of being laborers together with God. When our plans are based on the knowledge of God’s word, we will always be on track for success. It’s not so much about our “know how” in doing a thing, opposed to the way it’s done. With any God given assignment, our footsteps should be ordered by the Lord, so He can direct our path more precisely (Psalm 37:23). A good plan may seem to be the way to go, but if it’s not a God plan from conception, there will be open doors for unnecessary problems. In our hearts is where our plan should generate from. In this way, since the Lord is always speaking to our hearts, it’s more of a sure shot of God’s involvement from ground zero. God said in His word, “Acknowledge me in all your ways, and I will direct your path” (Proverbs 3:6). Whatever your God given plan may be, stay in God’s face for constant direction and guidance to see it through. Not sharing your plans with anyone outside of your fellow laborers of the plan. Many times the plan is great, and the start of the plan looks really good. But you got excited and told the wrong person during your ascension, and that person deep down was envious or jealous of you. Bad energy can cripple or hinder a great plan. Keep your plan to yourself, let them see your smoke afterwards. The opposition to a God given plan is ultimately doubt and unbelief. Let God order your footsteps, they’ll be more sure and steady.

Can you consider it joyful when you fall into various temptations. Now this is an event where as you did nothing to cause the problem to come. But you fell into it because sometimes life just shows up. In these times, with the understanding of the ultimate purpose of God behind it, we can be emboldened in trusting God’s word, we can have joy during the temptation. The joy of the Lord is our strength, so as we stay strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10), no matter what life throws at us we can handle it. The testing of our faith produces perseverance, and those proclaiming to be christians must be prepared to live a life that insists on depth of character and tried integrity. These necessary attributes will carry any person through various temptations victoriously. Our faith must be tried as well as the word of God you’ve received in your heart, it demands to be tested. In other words, the trouble we experience here on earth is nothing compared to the glory that shall be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). This is light stuff for the active, persistence, never giving up faith believers in God. We can count it All Joy.

To be humble (having true humility) is to know your strong enough mentally, and physically to handle or overcome a situation or circumstance but you chose to de-escalate the problem by showing love instead of retaliation. That takes much practice and dedication to our faith in God. God is strongly encouraging us to humble ourselves or in reality, He will humble you (it won’t be a pretty sight). Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). The Lord will allow us to stumble along the way of our journey to keep us from destruction down the road, or from falling too hard. Walking in love will accentuate our awareness to walk in humility towards each other. Our faith in God will keep us on track, and therefore keeping us under the mighty hand of God in that He will lift us up in due time. It is better to willingly humble ourselves, then to be humbled by God. He will get our attention by allowing certain things to happen to us so we can start thinking about relaxing our headstrong attitude, if that’s the case. The dirty weed of pride starts in our mind. Once we think we’re better than others, that is the beginning of sorrows. Many times we can feel we should be further along in our accomplishments in life. But staying steady under the mighty hand of God until He feels you’re ready for promotion, this is the way.

David speaks here of giving thanks to the Lord and proclaiming His greatness. David walked very closely with God. During his battle against Goliath, and before killing the giant, he slade the bear, and a lion for practice. God had to be with David who at the time was still a young boy. He had good reason to give thanks to the Lord and to proclaim God’s greatness in himself. We are to let the whole world know of the greatness of the Lord. Spreading the good news of the gospel and doing the work God called us to do. Giving thanks to the Lord helps keep us in the faith zone of trusting somebody we can’t physically see. Our faith is always accentuated and regularly refreshed by staying connected to God verbally as well. We release our faith by confession of God’s word on our lips. Giving thanks tells God you believe He’s listening and that He’s actually there. Knowing without ocular proof can only be by faith in what you blindly believe, and trust with all of your heart. With this kind of conviction in trusting, your five senses don’t matter anymore, and have no part to play in the decision making of any important event, campaign, or crisis. You are now walking on water with Jesus not phased by the wind, the storms of life, or anything anymore because you have found the secret to victorious living. Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatest.

Not in our own strength is what the Lord is encouraging today. We are laborers together with God, and not outside of Him energizing and creating in us the power and desire for good works. Through our spiritual connection with the Lord, He can live, move, and have His being in us (Acts 17:28). His existence in us is for Him to take the wheel of direction for our lives straight to victorious living. He is desirous of fulfilling His good purpose in you. Fulfilling God’s good purpose in our lives, is to live to help people discover Jesus, and His gift to mankind. The gift to mankind is salvation from the sinful life every human was born into. This sinful life we have all experienced because no one has been counted worthy of themselves (Romans 3:23). We were born into sin but the way has been made to escape from going to hell by Jesus Christ, thus the word salvation (Psalm 51:5). This is the love of God in action sending His only begotten Son as a living sacrifice to satisfy Justice in the Halls of Almighty God. The sin of mankind may not seem that big of a deal because of the way this demonically ruled world system has been set up. Since the devil got rulership from Adam and Eve, he has the legal right to rule the earth or influence it through his followers and ignorant christians. Let the Lord do what only He does best and make you a better all around person living above the unnecessary garbage of this world and nasty people.

Paul wrote two thirds of the new testament bible. He could honestly say, I have fought the good fight of faith, and having kept the faith he could die honorably before God and mankind. After his transformation (he got saved) from Saul, to Paul, he got on board helping christians instead of killing them. God can use the same thing that was fighting against Himself and turning it or the person into one of His most valuable servants. This fight of faith is considered a good fight because we always win. Our faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God (Hebrews 10:17). There are different levels of faith. We determine what level we want to be at. The fight becomes more easily handled with strong faith opposed to little faith or weak faith. We want ever-increasing faith, which means we are always pouring into our ears that which makes for greater faith. Keeping the faith as Paul did requires mediation in God’s word day and night (Joshua 1:8). In doing so, we make our own way prosperous. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). But we become more than conquerors because of our faith. Allow your faith to have the experience of learning from the ups and downs of life.

All things are possible with God, which makes sense. It’s not even a question of whether God is able or is He willing to help us (John 15:7). His desire is that we believe He’s willing, and more than able to help. The Lord can shape and mold any situation to conform to your prayers. God simply needs something to work with. Get a scripture to stand on, which addresses your situation or circumstance. Mankind has the dominion in the earth as per God, so we must give the Lord permission to intervene on our behalf (Genesis 1:26-28). Ask and you shall receive, knock and the door will be opened, seek and you shall find (Matthew 7:7-8). We must activate our belief system, (our faith) by actions. Stepping out on what God has already said in His word concerning our welfare and direction in life, and for guidance to the prosperity He promised all who believe, and trust Him. Where man’s natural help ends, God’s supernatural help begins. Dreams hold our unborn realities which come to life by following God’s plan for our life. Some people find the secret to living their dreams because they are sensitive to their human spirits or intuition. That is where God speaks to us, most times unawares by most people. You say, “I had a feeling, or something told me to do that”. These are interventions from Almighty God giving you inside help for all things pertaining to life struggles, and more. On this level of hearing God’s voice, all things are possible and more probable because of your faith in God and trusting His word of promise (Isaiah 25:64).

Every storm passes after a while. This includes the storms of life. Now what should be our position, or our stance during the storm, we will unpack this today. Blessed is the one who endures trials. It’s not meant to kill you when it has been released by the Lord. Oh yeah, God will allow bad situations to come to you for your training in faith. We cannot know what’s really good, if we’ve never experienced the bad. You can’t totally appreciate sunshine without occasional rain. Happy and to be envied is the person who is patient under trial. When that person who stands up under temptations has stood the test and been approved, he or she will receive the victor’s crown of life. God has promised this crown of life to those who love Him and will fight the good fight of faith going through the fire, and not have the smell of smoke on them. The proper outcome from being patient under trial or crisis is not being unhinged or sustaining any damage to you whatsoever (physically, mentally, or emotionally). God will protect us during the storms, and make us stronger because of it. Every Storm passes in time, including the storms of life. It’s what you do with it when it comes your way.

Putting our hearts into whatever we do in life is the way of excellence. When we worship God with all our hearts and all our souls, and all of our minds, that gets His attention like nothing else. As people mentally assent to something it’s not the same as when your heart is in it. When our hearts are totally involved with a task, we give so much more towards it. The Lord is desirous of worshippers to worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). He wants us to put our hearts in it, not just our minds. Our new recreated human spirits are our true heart’s input. Because of the new birth, our hearts have become sensitive to God as to Him being able to impart the help that makes all the difference, His grace. Whatever we do in life, working at it with all of our heart will always produce a better expected end, than a flip idea not from God. We can’t see what’s coming down the road of life, but God knows our beginning and our ending and all that’s in between. Allow your heart to take the lead, you’ll find God’s help there when you do.

Having confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see is having faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. It is the reality of believing that God will manifest a heartfelt confession of our expectations concerning things we’re trusting Him for. With our hearts, (our spirit) we believe unto whatever victory we’re desirous of, and we declare and decree with our mouths that which we want. There’s a conviction of reality from the unseen realms that our faith can pull into this earth realm for hands-on use to help us for victorious living. We walk by faith not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), so our confidence must be in our faith, and our faith must be deeply planted in God, especially His words of promise to us. Our title deed (faith) is dependent upon our knowledge of the bible. It becomes more and more legit as we grow our faith in God. Meditate in this book of the law day and night, and you will make your own way prosperous (Joshua 1:8). We all believe something or other, but once we get a handle on believing like this, from the very recessive of our hearts we can change our lives for greatness.