Embrace the Within no. 58

"[Hope] is an anchor that is cast upon the rock, the Rock of ages."

Matthew Henry

Life is difficult enough without setting yourself up for failure. And we humans are notorious for setting ourselves up for failure. I used to start my day with a struggle fueled by caffeine and nicotine. I used to continue my day eating some of the worst processed foods and drinking some of the worst sugar laden drinks. I used to never worry about exercise because I wasn’t someone that I thought of as overweight or obese. I used to fill my days with news and politics and my nights with mindless entertainment. I used to think a lot of stupid things. And every one of those stupid things was a great set up for my daily failure.

Every one of those stupid things I continue to see around me. Not that I am doing them anymore BUT that I am surrounded by folks living the exact same way or worse. And I can see how difficult life is already and how much more difficult folks make it for themselves by setting themselves up for failure.

Being successful is not an accident. Being successful is a habit. Success is a daily practice that puts us into alignment with all the good things we want. Success is a life of abundance that is promised if we just get out of the world’s ways and into YHWH’s Way. And a lot of us are stuck with one foot in fitting in with the world and not fully committed to being set apart. We want to have our literal cake. We want to have an unhealthy life and sprinkle a little church on it. We want to live like the world and then sprinkle a little Sunday morning on it. We want to live like we have two masters BUT we only have one.

BUT there is always hope. Every day we awake on this side of eternity is a chance to make better choices. And that is all YHWH wants for us. He wants us to be better. He wants us to not feel like garbage. He wants us to stop putting garbage into ourselves. He has been nothing BUT hopeful that humanity will reclaim it’s position of Eden. He has been nothing BUT hopeful that we will live abundantly. He has been nothing BUT hopeful that we will start taking care of our nephesh.

So, maybe today is the day you start making better choices. Maybe today is the day I start making better choices. Only our actions can tell who we truly serve. We can’t just sprinkle some Jesus on it or slap a bumper sticker on it. We have to act like it.

Shalom to your home. Bless your being. The reign of YHWH is now. Be a blessing to YHWH and others.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #MyNepheshMyChoice #ChristsLifeMatters #EmbracetheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH #GodKnows

Embrace the Within no. 57

“You are of God-The Father, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

1 John 4:4 NMV

Sometimes we lose sight of this truth related in the letter to John. Sometimes we get so overpowered by the weight of the world. And with the constant news cycle, with the increasing divisiveness of the world, with the increasing sin and brokenness accepted around us, folks do lose sight of how much greater YHWH is than the forces of evil. BUT when we are feeling burdened by the world’s weight, we need only to remember that our Elohim, YHWH was, is, and will always be on the throne. And nothing that happens on this side of eternity will ever change that fact.

Our God is unchanging. Our God knows all about the problems in the world today. God has seen all the trouble that appears today and all the trouble that is coming tomorrow. None of it worries God and none of it should worry us either. BUT it is so easy in a temporal world surrounded by temporal folks focused on today to also get pulled into those thoughts. There are so many more of those thoughts than there are reassuring voices that everything is alright. And those are the voices we need to heed more often than the griping and groaning and complaining of those around us. Because He that is within us is greater. He has always has been greater, always, is greater, and always will be greater. Take comfort in that.

Remember that as we walk with the Ruach within us that we are filled with, “. . . love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 NMV). Those signs are outward manifestations of our testimony. As Paul continues in this letter to remind us, “If we live in the Spirit [Ruach], let us also walk in the Spirit [Ruach]. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another” (Galatians 5:25-26 NMV). So stop showing the world that you are defeated. Who would want to worship a defeated God? What praise is living a defeated life?

When you are defeated, then you need to look more closely at the Ruach that should reside within you. Are you of the right spirit? Because if we are living in alignment with the Ruach and in alignment with Christ and YHWH, then there is no reason for defeat because the victory is already ours.

Stop living a less than life. Stop looking defeated in the presence of a victorious God. Start living an abundant life. Start living the fruits. Start claiming your victory. There is enough defeat in the world BUT we are triumphant in our King.

Shalom to your home. Bless your being. The reign of YHWH is now. Be a blessing to YHWH and others.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #MyNepheshMyChoice #ChristsLifeMatters #EmbracetheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH #GodKnows