Trust God in All Your Storms

Posted on September 10, 2025 by daaorg1214

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NLT)
“9 Each time he said, “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. 10 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.”

Most folks aren’t out there trying to prove how tough they are. If they’re anything like me, they’d rather dodge any rough patches if they can. And when the tough stuff does roll around, we’d rather have someone to lean on, right? Well, truth be told, only God is consistently in our corner, and we must be deeply grateful for His faithfulness. Life will throw some serious curveballs to test our resilience. So, who are you when you’ve got to make those hard calls? Do you crumble under the weight, or has life taught you to trust and lean on God in the storm?

For those that haven’t experienced life’s full range of ups and downs, surprises can catch you off guard and hit you like a ton of bricks. But guess what? God’s saying in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 that through it all, His grace is more than enough. Many of us have experienced firsthand that life is indeed full of ups and downs, right? But when your partner walks out, your job tanks, or your kids are driving you nuts, you don’t have to fall apart. Why? Because when you’re feeling weak, God is strong!

Isaiah 40:29 (NLT) states, “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.” As God’s kids, He’s given us power and authority through Jesus Christ. With it, we can tackle anything the enemy throws our way. But here’s the kicker, we’ve got to remain grounded in God’s Word. It keeps us steady when everything’s up in the air.

The psalmist’s words in Psalm 23:4(NLT), “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me,” provide tremendous comfort. As children of God, there’s no need to fear the future or what’s lurking around the corner. We have the privilege and the responsibility to place all our trust in God, just as Psalm 23:4 says. Our Heavenly Father is always there for us, through thick and thin. When you need a shoulder to cry on and a shield for protection, He’s right there, and He promises never to leave or forsake us.

1 John 4:4(NLT) declares, “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” Most of us have heard this wonderful truth taught many times, but a lot of us still clam up when it comes to handling the unexpected. We need to make a shift and adopt a new strategy for tackling the hiccups of life. Rather than forgetting God’s promises when things heat up, let’s make a commitment to visualize the Lord’s kind but strong face as he holds our hands and never lets them go. Then, literally hear him speaking the commandment of Mark 11:22 to you: “Have faith in God.”

Even when you feel life’s struggles trying to pull you down, resist it and be determined to keep your mind and heart stayed on Jesus Christ. God spoke it, and it is our reality, as His kids: His grace is all we need. We might feel weak, but with God, weakness is a chance for joy, a chance to find strength in the Lord. When you’re feeling down and out, when you’re ready to throw in the towel, that’s when you’ve got to press into the Father. He will bring us through the storm. Lean into Him, thank Him for seeing you through the rough patches. The power of Christ is within you, and don’t ever forget it. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

An Urgent Cry for Help

Posted on September 3, 2025 by daaorg1214

Psalm 86:1-7(NLT)
“1 A prayer of David. Bend down, O LORD, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help. 2 Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God. 3 Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly. 4 Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you. 5 O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. 6 Listen closely to my prayer, O LORD; hear my urgent cry. 7 I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble, and you will answer me.”

Have your circumstances ever been so dire that you cried out to God like never before? You knew in the depths of your heart that only our Heavenly Father could come to your rescue? This is King David’s urgent cry for help in Psalm 86:1-7. He was the king of a great nation and had many problems and enemies. The situations were overwhelming, and David understood that mere mortals could not rescue him and a nation. It had to be God. This is where he placed his trust, and God never disappointed him.

1Peter 5:9(NLT) tells us, “9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.” Standing firm against the devil is the charge God gives us in this verse, and the way to accomplish it is to be strong in our faith regarding God’s love and power.Many believers all over the world are suffering through really difficult times. All of us must pray for each other, and we must know that the only way we’re going to make it through is with God on our side.

Often, people come into the faith and become Christians because they think it means they won’t ever endure difficulty again. This isn’t true. Our Lord and Savior made it clear in John 16:33 that with life on earth, we will have troubles, but we should be courageous and brave when we face them. The reason we can be courageous and brave is because when Jesus Christ carried out God’s mission on earth, he overcame all the pressures, strife, and struggles that any of us will ever endure. He won the victory over those things, and because he did, we can live in his victory every moment of our lives.

1Corinthians 14:33 tells us that God is the not the author of chaos and confusion. He is a God of order and peace. Our Heavenly Father doesn’t orchestrate the difficulties we face, but we have an enemy, the devil, and he causes all the evil and darkness in this world. In John 10:10(NLT), Jesus Christ said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.” And in John 8:44(NLT), Jesus says about the devil, “He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” We are often deceived by the devil, and we make a huge mistake when we blame what he does on our Heavenly Father. This is exactly what the enemy wants. Coming between us and our relationship with God is his target, because he doesn’t want us to have faith in God. Instead, he wants us to be afraid of him. We should never give into his scare tactics.

Some are urgently crying out to God and saying they’ve never seen such heartache and despair in their lives. They are contemplating giving up on their relationship with Him altogether. This is something we must never do. Instead, we must understand that it is during our weakest and most vulnerable moments that the enemy tries to attack us, but God will always and forever have our backs. He tells us in 2Corinithans 12:9(NLT), “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”

God’s grace is our strategy for embracing the victory of Jesus Christ! God’s grace is the favor that He gives us even though we can’t do anything to earn it. We simply must have faith in God’s power and have faith in His willingness to use it on our behaves. Be assured that believing wholeheartedly in God is the practice that pleases Him. He tells us this in Hebrews 11:6. All relationships take time to develop and deepen, and faith is the way to go to develop and deepen our relationship with our Heavenly Father. You and I must desire a better relationship with Him, and then we must begin to build our lives around this. God hears our urgent cries for help, and when we have the faith to take His hand, 1Corinthians 10:13 tells us that He will deliver us and lead us to a way of escape. ■

Red Flag Alert

Posted on August 27, 2025 by daaorg1214

1 Peter 5:8-9 (NLT)
“8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.”

Imagine a strobing red siren flashing and sounding an alarm that danger is near. That is what this passage should represent for us. It’s a red flag alert from the Lord. He’s warning us that we have an enemy, and we should watch out for him, because he wants to pounce on our lives and devour them. At first glance of 1 Peter 5:8, we might become fearful but that isn’t what our loving and merciful Heavenly Father wants. In this passage, He not only gives us this warning about our great enemy; He instructs us regarding what we must do in order to remain on victory’s side. He tells us to stand firm against the enemy, and we do this by holding fast in the faith of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

It’s important that we understand that the devil is our spiritual enemy. We are not able to see him with physical sight, but we can most definitely see him at work in the lives of many people that try to come against us. We should never be asleep on the job when it comes to satan and his tricks. The diligence and wisdom of Christ are our weapons, and therefore we must study God’s Word, so that we are increasing continually in faith.

Our issue is that many of us haven’t been diligent to study God’s Word. Perhaps we’re concerned that we can’t connect it with the problems we’re dealing with, or that reading it will not impact us or our situations, but neither of these opinions are true. 2Peter 1:3-4(The Message) says, “Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.” Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ tells us in John 14:6 that he is the way, the truth, and the life. God’s Will is for each of us to become intimately acquainted with Christ. When we know who Jesus Christ is, we know who we are, because Christ is everything that God created us to be!

God’s Word introduces us to ourselves. Many people live their whole lives ignoring this. They seek to know themselves by their talents, gifts, and abilities. We think we can find ourselves by attaching to others, but none of this will lead us to the truth of our identities. Our Heavenly Father has gifted us with all that we need to live a more than abundant reality through Christ. As we learn more about him, layer after layer, we’ll discover the excellence of God’s plan for our lives as the treasure of who He has made us in Christ is revealed.

Lies and deceit are the enemy’s tricks, and if we believe things that are not true about God and ourselves, the enemy will try to forge his way into our hearts and minds. We must heed the red flag alert that God has placed in His Word. Ephesians 6:10-11(NLT) tells us, “10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” Stay alert and recognize your strength in our Master Jesus. Our union with him is a limitless resource, so be confident that God has equipped you to stand firm against any strategy the enemy tries to use. Declare that you are who God says you are and be a representative of the authority and victory that Christ has given to us all. ■

God Knows the Hopes of the Helpless

Posted on August 20, 2025 by daaorg1214

Psalm 10:17-18 (NLT)
“17 LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. 18 You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them.”

Abuse of any kind is never okay, and it never will be, but the reality is that it happens in many relationships and homes across this country and beyond. It has also happened to some of us and did so at a time in our lives when we were defenseless against it. Inexperienced and vulnerable, young people can be preyed upon. I grew up in a small town where domestic violence and abuse was often hushed and swept under the rug. There were students in my classes that were dealing with horrible situations at home, and lots of us knew about it but were powerless to help in any meaningful way.

While teaching the disciples, Mark 9:42(NKJV) tells us that Jesus Christ said, “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.” The millstone that Jesus is referring to in this verse is very heavy, and if it is tied around an individual’s neck, death by drowning was most likely imminent. This would be a horrible death for sure, and our blessed Lord tells us that this horror would be less than the one that awaits the person who injures the vulnerable and causes their trust in him to be diminished.

Over two thousand years ago, when our Lord and Savior walked the face of the earth, abuse in its many evil forms existed. It was on the scene even before he came, and it is indeed one of the reasons why he came. There were predators, manipulators, and perpetrators who abused others as a matter of sport, and sadly, this is happening in our world today. We need to know and trust that Jesus Christ did not come in vain. He said in John 10:10(NLT), “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” He came to earth to make a more than abundant life available to everyone that will have faith in him and accept the salvation that he offers.

Childhood does not hold fond memories for everyone, especially when domestic violence and abuse has a place in our younger years. We lacked the maturity to process what we were witnessing and experiencing, and many of us still carry the scars. Woe to the person that has caused us this level of pain, but our minds can’t be focused on the abuser. They must be focused on Jesus Christ. He understands what we’ve gone through better than any other human being. Hebrews 4:14-16(The Message) tells us, “Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.”

Love never hurts. It’s the complete opposite of hurt; love is kind and generous. This is the love God gives to us, and it is the kind of love that we should give and receive from others. When we’ve witnessed or experienced abuse at a young age, sometimes our thoughts and feelings around how to give and receive love become entangled with things like fear, insecurity, and confusion. In this state, we can make the wrong people, feelings, behaviors, and relationships the focus of our lives. If this happens, we will not give our relationship with God the focus and attention it deserves, and therefore, our faith in His power, love, and strength isn’t what it could and should be.

God’s Word teaches us in Hebrews 11:6(NLT), “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Our Heavenly Father wants our faith in Him to be strong because faith is the path to all His blessings, and a lack of faith will hinder us in life. Our relationship with God can never be based on what we can do for Him. It is always based on what He can do for us, and our faith is what pleases Him most.

The pain of what we’ve gone through renders us helpless in ways that we can’t always identify, but we are not without refuge or help. Psalm 10:17 tells us that God knows the hopes of the helpless, and He will not disappoint us. So, as God’s beloved children that have been hurting a very long time because of abuse, He’s asking us to make a shift in the way we believe and think about Him. We must have total confidence that our Heavenly Father doesn’t want anyone to be abused. When we are committed to praying and talking to God often and to studying His Word, He will heal our hearts, and we will both give and receive His love with the joy and faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. ■

God Is the Glue that Holds Everything Together

Posted on August 13, 2025 by daaorg1214

Romans 8:28 (NLT)“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

2Corinthians 5:21(NKJV) tells us, “For He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” This is an extraordinary truth, one we mut be grateful for every moment of each day. Through Jesus Christ, our Heavenly Father has made us righteous and given us right standing in Him eternally! We are righteous in Christ this very moment, and God wants us to enjoy all the rights and privileges that come with being His children. He has placed His Holy Spirit in us, and Romans 8:15 makes it clear that we haven’t received a spirit that makes us fearful and afraid like slaves. No, no, no! We’ve have received God’s Spirit, and now we can cry out to Him as our beloved all-powerful Father!

Someone might think, “Well that sounds good, but I don’t feel righteous. I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders and my life is falling apart.” It’s a fact that life can sometimes feel this way. It can be heavy, with problems that seem insurmountable, but the reality is that the gifts and calling that God has placed on us isn’t dependent on how we feel. It’s dependent on our faith in Him. God has given us His righteousness because it was His good pleasure to do so. He’s clothed us with it, and every morning that we get up and every night that we go to sleep, our standing with God will always be right. We should be celebrating this every moment of each day.

God’s Word says in Colossians 2:10(NKJV), “and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” The word “complete” in this verse means that we are completely, completely, complete in Christ, and in him, we lack nothing. God hasn’t held anything back. We’re packed to the full and running over with spiritual blessings. So, this word ‘complete’ describes who and what God has made us through Jesus Christ! This is a powerful truth, but many of us just don’t connect with it. We don’t think of ourselves as being empowered by God in this way, but we are, and it is our responsibility to change the way that we think so that our confessions, thoughts, conversations, behaviors, and attitudes mirror our completeness in Christ.

When we hear Good News like this, we might feel like we’re at the bottom of the ocean, and we can’t swim to the surface to breathe it in. Our problems and issues are blocking and preventing us from wading through. We want God to move everything out of our way so that we can see our way to the top. Our Heavenly Father is committed to helping us in every way possible. He will help us get to the top, but He requires us to open our eyes to see the way He’s made for us. In John 14:6(NLT), Jesus Christ said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is that way! He is the way to the Father. He is the way to every victory we can enjoy in life, and these victories must be won through our faith in him.

Our faith should overpower our tribulations and problems, but in order for this to happen, we must surrender to God. In 2Corinthians 12:9(NLT), when the Apostle Paul asked for God’s help three times because someone was causing him serious grief, God told him, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” Paul then said, “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” We are nothing without God, so when we try to be the glue that holds our lives together, they fall apart. The truth is that we were never meant to be the glue. Our Heavenly Father is, and we must open our eyes to the greatness of this truth and have total faith in Him.

Colossians 1:15-17(NLT) tells us, “15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see–such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. 17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.”

Everything that exists belongs to God, including us. We were created by Him for Him, and if we refuse to acknowledge this, our lives will feel as if they are moving in reverse. This is not what he wants for us. From the very first hint of a difficulty or obstacle in life, God and the victory we have in Christ must be our first thought. The instinct of conquering adversity is one that is inside the heart of every born-again believer. We just have to release it by opening our eyes to faith in God and remain focused on Him because He is the glue that hold our lives together, and the greatest thing that any of us can do in life is to trust this with all our hearts.■

Be Strong in Your Faith

Posted on August 6, 2025 by daaorg1214

1 Peter 5:9 (NLT)
“Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.”

Divorce can be one of the most painful ordeals that any of us can experience. When children are involved, it’s even more challenging. Some of us are still in shock even after a year or so has passed. We find ourselves just going through the motions on life, responding to it on autopilot. Sometimes the reality of no longer being married hits us like a freight train. For others, it’s a slower process of coming to terms with the emotions. Even when abuse is involved, and we’re finally free, the readjustment emotionally and mentally may cause us to lose confidence in our identity, decisions, and ability to live a happy life.

The Word of God teaches us that we should pray for our brothers and sisters all over the world, and 1Peter 5:9 reminds us that they are going through some of the same difficulties many of us are experiencing. This encouragement is not meant to minimize the pain and heartbreak we might be enduring. Jesus Christ said in John 16:33(NLT), “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Our Heavenly Father knows that life can be difficult for us, and He wants to help us. He wants us to know that just as He has helped our other sisters and brothers in Christ as they have suffered tribulation and come through it, He will help us as well.

It is God’s Will for the gift of being and having a spouse to be a blessing. It’s a role that is meant to be unifying, and to provide support and love, but sometimes people do not value the gift of marriage as it should be. Colossians 3:12(NLT) says, “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” The world would be a very different place if God’s commandment in this verse was obeyed by everyone, but many people do not obey it. They are not kind, humble, gentle, tenderhearted and patient. Often, they are just the opposite.

It is also the case that sometimes we don’t find out about the dark side of some individuals until after we’ve married them. While dating and getting to know one another, all of us try to present our best qualities, but when the things that lurk beneath the surface appear, sometimes the darkness is shocking. We didn’t see it coming, but God knows everything. He knew that this person had issues that would impede our lives. This is one of the reasons that we must seek God first on all things. Jesus Christ tells us this in Matthew 6:33(NLT), where he said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

In the aftermath of a difficult situation, we must never lose sight of God’s willingness and ability to come to our rescue. We can’t make decisions without God’s help. We need Him to lead, guide, and direct us, not just in the process of making the decisions, but also about living with those decisions. We need His guidance and help to maintain the blessings we’ve received.

Romans 8:29(NLT) says, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” We are God’s children and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. This is our identity, and it is a glorious one. The Christian life doesn’t exempt us from the hardships of life. Through our powerful Lord and Savior, we don’t remain in troubles and tribulations, we go through them and come out on the victorious side. We must stand firm and remain strong in our faith in this as we move from victory to victory through Jesus Christ.■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Breathing Room for My Soul

Posted on August 6, 2025 by daaorg1214

Psalm 62:5-6 (MSG)
“God, the one and only— I’ll wait as long as he says. Everything I hope for comes from him, so why not? He’s solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, an impregnable castle: I’m set for life.”

Significant relationships is an area where most of us have the greatest challenges. We yearn in our hearts to find someone that is compatible; someone that loves God and is committed to love us in the same way that we will love them. Our desire for security and validation pushes us to put our best foot forward when we’re dating someone new. We try hard not to allow them to see our baggage and they do the same, but the truth is that we all have it; some more than others. Eventually, the walls will come down and a person’s real self is revealed. If it’s uglier than we could have imagined, the reality that we’ve committed ourselves to this person can make us feel trapped.

If we’ve made an ample emotional investment in a dating relationship, most of us will overlook certain things and try to make it work, but sometimes this isn’t the answer. If we’ve left God out of the equation from the very beginning, and we’re not following His Word in our relationships, the reservoir for real and lasting love is depleted before the relationship begins. 1John 4:8(AMP) tells us, “The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.]” The love of God has to be in a person’s heart and on that person’s mind in order for them to be a conduit of His love. Sometimes we date individuals that are simply not interested in pursuing and giving God’s love in a way that pleases Him and fulfills us.

God’s love working in us will cause us to govern our lives by things like patience, generosity, kindness, honesty, peace, and joy. If there isn’t gratitude for God and His love, and if this isn’t the motivation for all that we do, there will be no breathing room for our souls. We can’t expand and increase in a way that brings light into all the situations and relationships of our lives.

1Peter 1:13-16(MSG) says, “So roll up your sleeves, get your head in the game, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.””

Our heads are in the game when our hearts are ever expanding with love and honor for our Creator. We are required and equipped to demonstrate our gratitude for what He has accomplished for us through Jesus Christ. The way that we do this is to be obedient to His Word. We can’t slip back to those old ways of trying to leave God out of our relationships. Everything we hope for comes from Him, as Psalm 62:5-6 tells us.

Significant relationships can add to our lives and increase them in wonderful ways, but every person we date doesn’t have the capacity to partner in this. Rather than giving us room to grow, they can stifle us, and God doesn’t want this. He’s the One with the plan for our existences, and He knows the person that is a gift to our journey forward and upward through Christ. So, let’s not takes risks with something as important as joining our lives to another. God knows our flaws and strengths, and if we place our faith in Him, He will connect us with the person that will help us grow stronger in His love and grace. Surrender this area of your life to Him, because only He can give comfort to our aching hearts and breathing room for our souls.■

God Gives Good Love All the Time

Posted on July 30, 2025 by daaorg1214

Romans 5:8-10 (NLT)
“8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.”

In John 14:1, Jesus tells us not to let our hearts be troubled, but to trust God in all things. The heart is a part of our souls, and our soul is the innermost part of who we are. Our reflection in the mirror reveals the physical attributes of our bodies, and although our physical being allows others to identify us, our bodies cannot define who we are. God has done this. Romans 8:29(NLT) tells us, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

We are God’s sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. God tells us in Genesis 1:26-27 that He created us in His own likeness. We are indeed His spiritual children if we have His seed, the Holy Spirit, abiding within us. When we give our lives to Jesus Christ, and allow him to have lordship over them, we are no longer the lord of our own existences; he is, and because we make him Lord, we commit to God that we will have a heart and mind like Jesus Christ.

Having a heart and mind like Christ are a spiritual reality. We can’t touch the mind, heart, and soul, but we know that we have them, and for much of our lives, we have made deposits into them. Like checks in the bank, we signed our names on all the information and feelings that we deposited into our minds, hearts, and souls, but as Lord, only Jesus Christ should have this privilege. Our thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and behaviors should have God’s endorsement, and they should be continually filtered through the example of Jesus Christ.

Through the work of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, God has made us brand new! 2Corinthians 5:17(NLT) tells us, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” Now, we can pull off all the old thoughts and feelings that kept us filled with anxiety and fear, and we can put on the joy and faith of Christ and live abundantly. Our problem is that we don’t do this as readily as we should. God commands us to renew our minds to His Word, but most of us do this very slowly. We take a long time to change our thoughts to the thoughts of Christ. Because of this, our hearts can be easily troubled.

This isn’t God’s Will for any of us. Our Heavenly Father has made it possible for us to be so totally immersed in His love that fear and all its cousins like worry, doubt, and anxiety are a thing of the past. We may not feel this way, but our feelings do not dictate the truth. God’s Word does. So, although a heart that isn’t troubled may not be our reality, we can have 100% confidence that God has made a way through Christ for us to live free.

There are no imperfections in God’s love. God gives good love all the time, and He tells us in 1John 4:18(NLT), “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” A lack of faith in Him will leave us confused about how to manage our own lives, but if we learn more about God and His love for us all, we’ll see that we have nothing to fear. We must trust in Him with all our hearts and do so until our love for Him is filled to overflowing and leaves no more room for fear and doubt.

Our Faith in God Will Never Fail Us

Posted on July 23, 2025 by daaorg1214

Romans 8:37(NLT) tells us that despite our troubles and obstacles in life, “overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” Some of us are wondering how that can be, especially when our circumstances and situations don’t look like victory but look more like setbacks, confusion, and disappointments. Well, if we don’t believe God’s Word, we might always be convinced that life is a series of one troublesome thing after the other, but when we are born-again and have God’s Spirit living within, we can and should have a completely and totally different view. We can see over and above what is facing us and anchor our trust in God. He tells us in His Word that as His sons and daughters, we don’t live according to what our physical eyes can perceive; we walk according to our faith in Him, because our faith in Him will never fail us.

Our Heavenly Father wants us to spend our time on earth getting to know Him better with each passing day. He tells us in Ephesians 5:1-2(NLT), “1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” This is our target in life, to know God’s Word and to wear it like a second skin. He doesn’t want anything getting us down and has equipped us with everything we need to be the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. We are His ‘called out’ ones, and He has set us apart for His very special purpose.

Christians are not exempt from trials and tribulations, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, made it clear in God’s Word that on earth, we will encounter troubles. Through situations and people, the enemy will try to steal and destroy our peace, but 1John 4:4(NLT) declares, “…you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” We are God’s children of light! We live in this dark world, but we are not of it. We belong to God’s Kingdom! And we have the right to walk in His power and authority through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Many people try to separate themselves from the reality that we are spiritual beings having an earth experience. They will not acknowledge themselves as spiritual beings that are created by God, but the truth is that everything, from the minutest to the greatest detail, is spiritual. Our success in this life is dependent on how well we grasp this truth and use it to become grounded in our identity in Christ. God’s Word tells us in Ephesians 6:10-13(NLT), “10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.” As spiritual beings, we have a spiritual enemy, and we can’t use physical weapons to defeat a spiritual enemy. We must use the spiritual weapons God has provided us. They are fail-proof, and we must learn to use them by studying God’s Word.

Romans 10:17(NKJV) tells us, “So then faith [comes] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” We cannot rise above the level of what we have been taught. We need to study God’s Word so that our faith in Him will increase. Our greatest issue is that we don’t do this. Some of us lack faith in God and often look for solutions that are outside of Christ. This is where we run into trouble. Even though it appears to our physical eyes that our enemy is a human being, this is not the truth. Our enemy is satan who works through people and situations to interrupt our relationship with God. We must see through his plots and tricks. We must understand that our authority and power comes from God, and through Christ, we can resist the enemy and stand firm in our faith in God.

Uncertainty can cause mental and emotional pressure, but light will always dispel darkness, and we have the light of Christ in us if we have accepted him as our Lord and Savior. Make a commitment to God and to yourself to grow stronger in faith by studying His Word and praying to Him often. John 3:16(NLT) declares, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” This verse should increase our confidence in our Heavenly Father’s love for us, because it shows us that His Will is for us to flourish in this life and the next. He wants us to triumph over adversities, so never stop believing in His goodness. Your faith in Him will never fail as you renew your mind to His Word and trust wholeheartedly in His love, strength, and power. ■

Vengeance Is the Lord’s

Posted on July 16, 2025 by daaorg1214

Romans 12:19(ESV)
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”” Our Heavenly Father is a Righteous Judge, and His judgments are infallibly correct. No human being has this capacity.”

I walked out of the grocery store the other day and saw a woman getting in the passenger seat of a vehicle. The man behind the wheel began a shouting match with her as soon as she sat down. He was so loud that it could be heard by virtually everyone in the area. Expletives flying one right after the other, and then a slap to the back of her head. She didn’t seem bothered, as if it was common occurrence. “They’ll probably be all over each other before the end of the day.” Two seasoned ladies remarked after they had witnessed the encounter as well. I chuckled a bit at their candor but felt uneasy as I continued walking to my vehicle.

How common this has become, equating abuse to passionate love. It has subtly eked into how many of us view significant relationships. This can be damaging to the way that we see and treat ourselves, because ultimately viewing abuse as any form of love can filter into what we will and won’t accept as a potential healthy and loving partner. We are less likely to pick up on red flags that would signal danger to our wellbeing, but we can sharpen our discernment if we lean on the Holy Spirit. The goal we should hold for ourselves is to trust wholeheartedly in God’s desire for our happiness and partner with it. We need to guard our hearts from the vicious cycle of abusive relationships, because they chip away at the quality of our existences.

The addictive aspect of abuse often taps into a rush of adrenaline, and this can send the wrong message to our minds and hearts about how love should feel and behave. Some spouses get caught up in the grip of this mixture of emotions, passion, and abuse, and they continue to remain in the marriage even after years of being abused by their partners. It becomes a trap, but we need to know that there is a way out of it.

All of us make mistakes. They can be as simple as taking too long in the grocery store or forgetting to purchase our spouse’s favorite food. Maybe we’re not as tidy as we could be or it’s possible there are aspects of our personality that others find irritating. All of us miss the mark at times, but God still loves us. Even when our mistakes are doozies, He will forgive our shortcomings and our sin if we earnestly ask Him. Romans 8:35-37 (NLT) tells us, “35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

No one has the right to take their frustration out on us for any reason. Vengeance belongs to God, and He is the only one worthy to judge what is right, true, holy, and pure. Many of us have suffered things in life that have left us with a lot of shame. Because of this, we want to be loved deeply. We desperately want compassion, and even if it is only received in small, infrequent moments, we tell ourselves it’s enough. It’s not enough. It will not satisfy God’s standard for how we should be loved.

His Word teaches us in Romans 14:10-13(MSG) says, “10-12 So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I’d say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we’re all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren’t going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture: “As I live and breathe,” God says, “every knee will bow before me; Every tongue will tell the honest truth that I and only I am God.” So mind your own business. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God. 13 Forget about deciding what’s right for each other. Here’s what you need to be concerned about: that you don’t get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is.”

Don’t allow someone to get in the way of your peace and joy and make your life more difficult than it needs to be. Pray for discernment. Get into God’s Word and learn more about Jesus Christ so that you will grow stronger in him. You’ll find that when your mind is renewed to the truth, and your heart is full of love and loyalty to God, there will be a shift in the way that others perceive your strength. More importantly, God will transform you from the inside out as you cling to Him and learn to receive and give the love of Jesus Christ.■

Domestic Abuse Awareness.Org

Breaking the chains of domestic abuse through the power of Jesus Christ.

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