Tag: Bible

Small fern with glowing blue and yellow roots in dark forest soil
A Date With Destiny

4/26 From Darkness to Light: A Seed’s Journey

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Small fern with glowing blue and yellow roots in dark forest soil

Mark 4:26

Then Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is like a man who plants seed in the ground.”

From this birthday verse, you are reminded that all seeds are planted, anchored, and supported in dark, rich, soil which is filled with nutrients and hydration. Lush green leaves, hearty vegetables, fragrant blooms, and delicious fruits are sustained by a crucial process which occurs just below the surface, out of view. What looks like ordinary dirt, becomes a food and flower factory, once the tiny seeds split open and take root.

Functioning in the image of your Creator, you spend your time planting seeds of hope and promise into the world around you.

Many of the seeds you sow are done in secret and remain hidden. You are not boastful or arrogant about your charitable contributions or personal sacrifices. You attend to the needs of your family and community without recognition or fanfare.

Sometimes you may feel as if your efforts are unappreciated or even unwanted.  There are times you are tempted to believe that you are wasting time and energy because you can’t see the fruits of your labor.

Thankfully, you have the Word of God and His wonderful creation to remind you that a seed hidden in the darkness is a harvest waiting to happen.

As trees mature and produce seeds, their tiny promises of life are dropped into the surrounding soil where they remain unseen during the germination phase. In the dark, a seed breaks open and new life is begun. There is a waiting time before the shoot appears. There is another waiting time before the harvest comes.

In the same way, your good works and loving efforts may often be hidden in the dark for a time, but this doesn’t mean they will remain unfruitful.

When the time is right, God will bring your results into the light, much like the tiny plant which emerges from the dark soil. Your random acts of kindness and quiet loving gestures will not remain hidden in the darkness. The results will become visible, and each tiny sprout will deliver the promise of a bountiful harvest.

You may not always receive human recognition or praise for the contributions you make. Sometimes your good intentions may even be misunderstood. God knows what is in your heart and He promises that someday you will enjoy a beautiful harvest which far exceeds your expectations.

Learn more about april 26
Person hiking on mountain trail with backpack and trekking poles during sunrise.
A Date With Destiny

4/25 Creative Collaboration: Fulfilling Your Destiny

lastwordrecovery
Person hiking on mountain trail with backpack and trekking poles during sunrise.

Proverbs 4:25

“Keep your eyes focused on what is right. Keep looking straight ahead to what is good.”

You do not consider your life to be your own. You know that your life is set on a specific course designed by God. Your existence holds significant implications for future generations and you do not take this responsibility lightly.

This knowledge doesn’t indicate an attitude of presumption or arrogance, but rather, a position of humility. You know that your role is one of duty, rather than that of comfort and self-indulgence.

You know that without God’s gift of guidance, you would be wandering through life unsure of your purpose. Without knowing your purpose, you would be subject to life on the proverbial hamster wheel, struggling to find meaning for your existence.

You are grateful for the destiny you have been given and you know that there is nothing you lack in order to fulfill it.

Contentment comes easy to you, because God has enabled you to see through the deception of greed and envy to find the true meaning of life.

God has provided you with clarity of mind and purpose. Your work is an expression of your gifts and talents. You do not compete for other positions or titles.

You are content with what you have and enjoy working toward something greater than personal happiness.

Your deepest satisfaction comes when you confer with God in creative collaboration. You function best when you are working to improve the world you live in. You find that this is what generates your passion and creative expression.

Your willingness to follow God’s plan and timing is evident in the paths you take, and those you don’t.

God has given you a creative mind which empowers you with enthusiasm and fervor. You dedicate your days of human existence working for the greater good.

Learn more about april 25
Brown leather sandals on a dirt path with dry grass and trees
A Date With Destiny

4/24 Understanding Holiness: Beyond the Common Misconceptions

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Ephesians 4:24

“You were taught to become a new person. That new person is made to be like God – made to be truly good and holy.”

The word holy has often been misinterpreted as someone who is grim, dutiful, and devout; one who maintains a high standard of pious behavior and has little patience for those who don’t.

However, in many scriptural passages, the word holy is defined as that which is uncommon or extraordinary.

You have been declared holy by the Creator of the Universe. God has proclaimed that your existence is extraordinary, and your life is far from common.

There is significance in everything that you do.  There is nothing ordinary or common about you.

You are holy. You are wisdom. You are free to talk openly with your Creator. Your life in Christ is a spring of living water, making ripple effects on the world around you.

Every place your feet touch becomes sacred ground, because you carry the Creator of Life within you. The significant impact you make during your years on earth will pale in comparison to the lasting effect imprinted on the planet because you once walked here.

learn more about april 24

Winding dirt road with puddles reflecting a dramatic orange sunset over distant rolling hills.
Tetelestai Recovery

Understanding Trials: Building Faith and Patience

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“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4

As it turns out, these times when we feel spiritually depleted or disinterested are not red flags for us to fret over. They are simply tests. These temporary times when we lack inspiration or get caught up in life’s drama have no bearing on our position in Christ or our commitment to His work.

We have come to understand that the testing of our faith can never happen during good times when inspiration flows freely, we are highly motivated, and praise songs play on a loop in our heads. Times of high spiritual energy and passion are thrilling, but they can’t do the work of generating patience. Only the testing of our faith can do that…

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Tetelestai Recovery

Understanding Divine Timing: Strategic Waiting

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Waiting on God and being certain of His blessings is not pie-in-the-sky or wishful thinking. This faith choice is not presumptuous or improper. Blessings are the divine energy of God empowering us to succeed because we choose to believe in His goodness. He has equipped us with a divine destiny. He wants to see us succeed as much as we do.

And so, we wait for what God has promised, in the same way we might wait at a bus stop, in eager anticipation. We aren’t sitting at some random corner, hoping a bus might drive by. We are positioned at the right place at the right time, waiting for what we know is on its way. We aren’t waiting to see if a hopeful future will appear. We are waiting with confidence, certain of it.

Obviously, it would be silly to wait on a country road, expecting the city bus to magically appear. In the same way, we do not wait for God, based on our own whims and wishes. We examine His words when we are waiting for our miracles, just like we would examine a bus schedule to be sure of our direction.

We don’t hop on the bus headed east, when we are trying to go west. In the same manner, we don’t claim a scripture about healing when we are trying to find a job. Specific promises deliver specific results, so we search our Sacred Text to find the words we need…

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Open book, ceramic mug, and glasses on a wooden table during a misty sunrise.
Tetelestai Recovery

The Complexity of Faith: Why Some Feel Abandoned by God’s Promises

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Open book, ceramic mug, and glasses on a wooden table during a misty sunrise.

We sometimes wonder, “If God’s word is true, why are there people living without hope? Why wouldn’t His promise apply to everyone across the board?”

The answer is deeply complex. The reason God’s promises are not fulfilled is because His words rely on someone laying claim to them. These fantastic promises of God are often hard to believe for ourselves. Sure, we believe God is good, but we also know that we aren’t. We believe He does great things for good people, but it seems a bit presumptuous to expect the same blessings as someone who was busy doing great things for God while we were selfishly making a mess of our lives. We know the Bible talks about penalties for bad behavior, so it seems that if we believe in the blessings, we must also fear the curses.

That may have been a valid statement before the cross. But we live under Grace, not Law. Jesus broke the power of the curse, so we can all live in the blessing if we choose to believe it. We need not fear the curse or the consequences of our own mistakes. Those issues have been resolved. We are in a continual state of cleansing, like standing beneath a waterfall. Even a sin committed one second ago, is already washed away in the living water. We live exclusively in the blessings and enjoy firm standing on the promises. Curses do not cling to us. Blessings chase us down…

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A Date With Destiny

3/27 Be a Rebel: Embrace Your Inner Trailblazer

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Daniel 3:27: “When they came out, the fire had not harmed them. Their hair and clothes were not burned and they didn’t even smell like smoke.“

There are times when you are called upon to take a stand, just like the three Hebrew boys in the book of Daniel. You may be urged by the Spirit to go against the masses and follow your conscience, rather than the demands of a narcissistic bully.

As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the flames for following their divine direction, you too, will sometimes walk through fire as the result of your convictions.

In the same manner that Jesus appeared in the fiery furnace with those boys, He also appears to you when going through the fiery trials of your own faith.

Some will try to tell you what’s best, and condemn you for standing your ground. At times, you may be criticized for doing what you know is right, by those who are more comfortable taking the path of least resistance.

Lots of Hebrews bowed the knee to the golden statue because they were told to do so. Some of them were friends and family members of the three rebels who refused.

Those who bowed were not named. God did not reject them, or send fire from heaven to consume them. They simply bowed to the golden statue, and went on to live their lives of quiet desperation.

Those who bowed missed out on having a conversation with the Son of God in a fiery furnace. Those who bowed never had their names listed in Sacred Text. Those who bowed never became part of a story which would be told for thousands of years to come.

From this passage, you conclude there are two types of people: those who bow and those who stand.

Bowers are compliant. Standers are defiant. You have been called to be a stander.

Not everyone is called to be a rebel and a renegade. You are.

You go on high alert when you can right a wrong, stand up to a bully, or defend the defenseless.

You are a rebel at heart.  You are wild and adventurous. You do not take the path of least resistance. You find that path boring and dull.

You are a trailblazer. You create paths which never existed and inspire others to follow your lead.

Long after you are gone from this planet, your imprint will remain on those trails. Your courage will call to future generations, inviting them to join the rebel cause and reject the status quo. The echo of your voice from a faraway dimension will call to those select few, willing to risk it all for a chance to come up higher.

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A Date With Destiny

Living as a Citizen of Heaven: Embrace Your Dual Reality

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1 Peter 3:22…”Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God. All the angels and powers accept his authority.”

You are becoming more and more enlightened about who Jesus is, where He came from, and where He is now, preparing a place for you.

While it is true that your physical body is aging, your mind is being renewed every day. Each step of the way, the Holy Spirit is taking you to new heights of enlightenment.

Fueled by living water springing up from within you, your spirit rushes like a river, creating the power and energy needed to carry your physical form into each next heavenly assignment.

Partnered with the Spirit of God, supernatural energy is infusing you with a heavenly mindset.  As you focus your attention on heavenly pursuits, you are simultaneously improving the natural world in which you reside. 

In this way, you are living in two realms at once. You are a citizen of heaven, and an ambassador of Christ. Your heart is set on things above, and your days are filled with bringing heaven to earth.

Maintaining a heavenly focus creates melody in your mind and harmony in your heart. This music of heaven shifts your gaze away from your human struggles and toward the throne room of heaven.

Experiencing the power of Christ in this dual reality, His Kingdom is as real to you as the world in which you live.

Learn more about march 22

A Date With Destiny

3/21 Finding Freedom in God’s Grace: Letting Go of Guilt

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1 John 3:21…”Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.”

You lead a carefree life because you release your mistakes and weaknesses into the safe grace of God.

When regret or guilt trouble you, they immediately become the next topic of conversation with God. You talk with your Heavenly Father throughout the day about the issues which plague your thoughts. As you share your memories with God, you find a sense of release. Your thoughts are turned toward His forgiveness and mercy, rather than your own failures and remorse.

You receive clemency from Christ, which wipes the slate clean. You understand this is not a once-in-a-life-time free pass, but it is a gift of grace, providing you with a fresh start whenever you need one, throughout your entire life.

When you talk things out with God, regrets are resolved, and guilt is eliminated.

Knowing that Christ has liberated you from any past mistakes, you are overwhelmed with gratitude rather than guilt.

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A Date With Destiny

The Stability of Living in Christ’s Love

lastwordrecovery 
 Ephesians 3:19..."Christ’s love is greater than any person can ever know. But I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with the fullness of God."

You know the love of Christ in ways that are difficult for some people to comprehend. Your trust in His love creates a bond of confidence between you and your Lord.

While you may have difficulty trusting other people, there is no doubt in your mind that God can be trusted to guide and protect you, no matter what.

You understand that pure love is not an emotion.  It is a commitment. You see the way God’s love has supported you during some of the most difficult and wayward times of your life. You realize that this love is not fickle. He does not withdraw His love to manipulate or punish.

You enjoy living in the love of Christ and you seek to demonstrate that love to others.

This life of love is not an emotional roller-coaster of feelings, but rather, it is a higher level of stability.

The presence of Christ’s love in your life creates an atmosphere in which you are difficult to offend, easy to approach, and quick to forgive.

learn more about March 19