DAILY DEVOTIONAL | January 3rd

…“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” -2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT

Just as Paul finally came to revelation that God desired to use his (Paul’s) weaknesses and hardships to demonstrate His power, we must also stay mindful of the fact that God has a greater purpose for our weaknesses as well. There are no weaknesses, past failures or any idiosyncrasy in the eyes of man that are a match for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18). Mankind just isn’t that powerful (shrug). So, if you’ve received instruction from God and have been led to move in a certain direction but haven’t yet, don’t falter any longer! Not only is His strength made perfect in our weakness, but He honors our obedience. He is pleased when we step out and trust Him even when circumstances are beyond our control, and we don’t quite understand how things will work out (Hebrews 11:6). Most importantly, when God gets the glory, and it is evident that it is Him and not ourselves that have accomplished a feat, it puts the focus on God. Then He closes the deal by drawing that man or woman’s heart to Himself; and that’s what it’s all about if we are His ambassadors here on earth, right? Be blessed!

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | January 2nd

“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’” -Luke 14:28-30 NLT

Just as we should “count the cost” pertaining to our relationship with Christ and what a totally committed life to Him looks like and requires of us as believers; the same principle can and should be applied to our personal lives. Oftentimes the regrets or failures that we’ve encountered in life are not because of an inability to achieve our goals; rather, it’s the result of a failure to properly plan or estimate what is needed -  whether it is financial sustenance, emotional resiliency, godly wisdom, etc. The Word of God would lead us to believe that there is great value in documenting the vision, plan and purpose that God has spoken to our spirit (Habbakuk 2:2). It’s the beginning of a new year and you hear new “resolutions” thrown out from every angle. Unfortunately, many will never accomplish any of them because they neglect to take the time to write them down, pray over them and look over them regularly. Writing down our goals or the instructions God gives us not only keeps us organized and focused on the next steps and what is needed, but it also keeps it at the forefront of our minds. What is the vision or purpose God has for your life? Have you even consulted with Him about it?

Once your vision is written down, then as soon as you wake up every morning, you have some sense of direction for your life. Seek God’s direction for your life’s purpose, as a whole, and for day to day direction when needed. He’ll give you insight on what to do, who to speak to, what to say and when. Resolve today to let Him lead your life, He has your best interest at heart, so resolve today to let Him lead your life. After that, write down what you hear from Him and meditate on it regularly. #GodsGotYou