Understanding The Lord

 Jeremiah 9:24 NLT

[24] But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!

https://bible.com/bible/116/jer.9.24.NLT

I want to know God and understand Him.  I know he demonstrates unfailing love and righteousness.  I know he delights in those things.  I want to follow him because I love him, I also want to know him better.  I've gone to church all my life but my relationship with him isn't the best, and I want to improve my relationship with Him even more as time goes on.

I'm trying my best to keep God at the center of my life, I do get distracted a lot but I have made improvements in my relationship, but it always needs work.  I've added Bible reading and prayer as being more important, I need to make more time to pray, but I feel like I run out of things to pray about, I need to add more praise and worship time too.

As an introvert, I don't really go out and do "preaching" stuff, but I'm good at writing and I think I should try to write more encouraging articles to help encourage people in the Lord and hopefully, help other people follow Jesus.

I hope to encourage you on my own spiritual journey to grow in Jesus and grow closer to Jesus by keeping him at the center of my life.

Seek The Lord

 

Zephaniah 2:3 NLT

[3] Seek the Lord, all who are humble, and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you— protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.

https://bible.com/bible/116/zep.2.3.NLT

God gave me this scripture to share with you.  He just reminded me to seek him and make him the highest priority in my life.  I was doing my daily reading and this scripture stuck out to me.

I want to seek God and follow his commands, he also reminded me to be humble.  It doesn’t matter if this gets one view or millions of views, Jesus wanted you to see this post. 

I want to do what is right and live humbly.  I want the Lord to protect me.  But God is not a vending machine, it’s not that, “Oh, I just do this and this and I get protection!” I want to follow him because I love him and I want to serve him.

Atheists say God is just the “flying spaghetti monster” or “sky daddy”, but people forget there are things that make him angry, like sin.  People tend to see God as the nice grandpa that just lets everything slide.

But the Bible talks about how He can and will get angry with sin and punish sin. In order to avoid His anger on the day of destruction I need to seek and follow Him.

Living for Jesus is the most important thing I can do.  I know I’ve been blessed with a writing gift and that’s why I love writing reviews, I love sharing my opinions.  While I’ll never be a famous writer, I want to share Jesus with people in my own way, and I’ve had writer’s block when it comes to w riitng about both spiritual things and my reviews that I enjoy writing.

I just wanted to share this scripture with you because God is reminding me to seek and follow him.

Live To Be Considered Worthy By God

 We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.

1 Thessalonians 2:12 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/1th.2.12.NLT

I must live the way God considers worthy, I must live according to his word and folllow what Jesus said.

Think of Others and Thank God for Them

 

As we to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1:3 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/1th.1.3.NLT

I must have enduring hope that comes from Jesus, I must think of others and think of how they are living for Christ.  I must remember the enduring hope that I have because of Jesus.

It's A Joy to Trust the Lord

 

4Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,

who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols.

Psalm 40:4

It's easy to forget to trust the Lord when everything is going crazy.  I must remember to trust him because he is the source of my joy.  Today, worshipping idols isn't always worshipping objects, these days it's saying, "This person is my idol".  People will let me down, but the Lord never will.  He gives me joy and I trust him because I trust him and not people who will let me down.

Live By The Spirit

 8Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

Galatians 6:8

I must live to please the Spirit and not my sinful nature.  It's very hard to do that but I must rely on Jesus to continue to live by the Spirit and not my sinful nature. 

God Is My Refuge

 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.

Psalms 91:2 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.91.2.NLT

I've had to trust God with some medical things that came up that I wasn't expecting, but He blessed me and I'll be able to get it taken care of very soon.  I can trust him no matter what happens in my life and I don't have to be afraid because He is my refuge.

Jesus Is Willing To Heal

 

Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!”

Mark 1:41 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/mrk.1.41.NLT

I am still  praying for healing, I believe in healing from Jesus because I know he is willing to heal me.

Receive What the Spirit Receives From God

 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’

John 16:15 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.16.15.NLT

I can receive what Jesus and the Holy Spirit receive from God by listening to his word and doing what it says, but I have to listen to what the Bible says, and pay attention.

I Chose You to Come Out of the World

 

The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.

John 15:19 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.15.19.NLT

God wants me to not be part of the world and I have to remember that I don't belong to the world so I must live for Jesus and not for the world.

Love Each Other

 

This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.

John 15:12 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.15.12.NLT

God wants me to love others as he loves me.  It is an important part of Christianity.  It is one of the ways I can reach people for Jesus.

Ask in Jesus' Name

 

Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

John 14:14 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.14.14.NLT

I have been asking for healing and I believe I will receive it, whether on Earth or in Heaven.  Asking Jesus for what you want is important because having a relationship with him is important, and not just for him to give you physical things, but I must also ask him for spiritual things as well.

Devote Myself To Prayer

 

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

Colossians 4:2 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/col.4.2.NLT

I need to devote myself to prayer and be thankful and have an alert mind.

Devote Yourself to Prayer

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

Colossians 4:2 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/col.4.2.NLT

I must remember to devote myself to prayer and always be thankful for all the blessings God has given me.  I must always have an alert mind when I pray.

Let God Cut Away My Sinful Nature

 

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.

Colossians 2:13 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/col.2.13.NLT

I must be made alive in Christ though God.  I do that by letting him cut away my sinful nature.

Believe the Truth and Stand Firm

 

But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.

Colossians 1:23 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/col.1.23.NLT

I must not drift away from the truth.  It is very easy to get caught up in things that are not Biblically true because they make you feel good.  I need to continue to believe the truth and stand on it, even when it's not popular or culturally "correct".

Be Strengthened by God's Glorious Power

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,

Colossians 1:11 N
LT

https://bible.com/bible/116/col.1.11.NLT

 Having patience and endurance that comes from God will help me endure the things that are inconvenient.  I don't live in a country where being a Christian means you go to jail or your family won't have food.  I must endure the things that are "easy" by comparison.  God will give me patience and endurance to deal with any situation.

Show a Righteous Character Produced by Jesus

 

May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

Philippians 1:11 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/php.1.11.NLT

I must be filled with the fruit of my salvation, a righteous character shows that I follow Jesus.

Let the Spirit Control Your Mind

 

So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

Romans 8:6 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.8.6.NLT

I must let the Spirit control my mind and I will have a life of peace because that's where the Spirit will lead me.

Continually Seek The Lord

Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.

1 Chronicles 16:11 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/1ch.16.11.NLT

I need to search for the Lord and continually seek Him.  I need to make sure Jesus is my first priority in my life.