COURAGE

THE REWARD IS SET IN PLACE :
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” - (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV)

Have you ever thought about the fact that a reward is put into place before anyone ever claims it? Right now, there are rewards for certain fugitives on the loose. That money is already in a fund just waiting for someone to step up and claim it. All a person has to do is find the fugitive, and the money will be released.

In the same way, God has a reward that has already been set in place for you and me, too. It’s just waiting to be released. But, there are conditions to that reward as well. God says, “If you will just seek Me, I will give you the reward. If you will just make an effort to please Me, if you will just get up in the morning and thank Me, if you will just read the scripture, I’ll pour out My blessing.” You may not understand it all, but God says, “That’s okay. I will give you the reward because your heart is in the right place, and you are making the effort.”

Today, there is nothing more important that seeking God in all your ways. When you go about your day, keep Him on your mind. Talk to Him and ask for His direction. Seek Him because you will find Him and find peace, abundance, joy and victory all the days of your life

LIVING AND RESTING IN HIS GRACE
Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. - Proverbs 3:5–6, AMP

Depending on the Lord’s grace and resting in His finished work does not mean doing nothing. Just look at Apostle Paul, who lived by God’s grace. He saw first-hand how a revelation of God’s grace turned him into the effective and hardworking apostle that he was (1 Corinthians 15:10).

How do we rest in the Lord and still find ourselves effectively doing what we need to do? It’s simple—just do what you ought to do, but do it trusting in the Lord’s favor, not in your smarts or careful planning. Whatever you need to do today, do it with an inward rest, without worrying or fretting, knowing that He loves you, is in charge and is for you.

For example, let’s say that you’ve got a job interview coming up. First, commit the matter to the Lord. Ask Him for wisdom and favor. Then, prepare for the interview—read up on the company. On the day of the interview, dress appropriately and go for it, all the while having an inward rest as you trust the Lord for His wisdom and favor. As you do what’s needed, He will guide you and empower you to do what’s really needful and right. He’ll also give you favor with your interviewers.

Beloved, rest in His grace today and let the Lord lead you to good success!

COURAGE WITH COLD FEET

'Benaiah...went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.' 2 Samuel 23:20 NIV

Benaiah was one of King David's 'mighty men'. His résumé reads: 'Benaiah...was a valiant fighter... He...went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.' That's what is called 'courage with cold feet'. The greatest courage of all is showing courage in the face of fear. Someone said, 'Courage is just fear that has said its prayers.' When you know you have heard clearly from God, you are filled with faith in that moment. It puts steel in your spine. But then, as you move out in faith, you encounter the lions of fear. 'What if this doesn't work? What if I fail? What will people say?' Suddenly you're having an attack of the 'what ifs'.

Mark Twain said, 'Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.' You have to decide whether you're going to become a warrior-or a worrier. There's no middle ground. When you're faced with a health crisis, a family crisis or a financial crisis, you either choose to stand on God's Word and fight, or give in to worry. This side of Heaven we will never fully understand why bad things happen to good people. But we know that God is good-all the time!

So when bad things happen, you will either give in to fear and allow it to destroy your peace and well-being, or you will become a warrior armed with God's Word and rise up against it. When fear threatens to engulf your mind, stand up with the Psalmist and say, 'Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.' (Psalm 56:3 NKJV)

DON’T BE JUDGMENT-FOCUSED :
…God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them… - 2 Corinthians 5:19

On which two ancient cities did God rain brimstone and fire? If your answer is Sodom and Gomorrah, you are right. But if you think that God was all eager to destroy the two cities, you are wrong!

God wasn’t willing at all. He was not on a sin hunt. He was on a righteousness hunt so that He could spare the cities. (Genesis 18:23–32) And I believe that if Abraham had asked God, “What if You can find just one righteous man?” God’s answer would have been the same: “I will not destroy the place for the sake of one righteous man.”

Today, the righteousness of one Man — Jesus — has come. Jesus died for our sins and rose again for our justification. God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting our sins against us!

Therefore, no judgment will fall on you today because it fell on Jesus 2,000 years ago at Calvary. And if God was gracious enough to remove Lot and his family before the judgment fell (Genesis 19:12–22), how much more will He do for you who are no longer under judgment!

And because God does not judge you, don’t be like Lot’s wife, who became a pillar of salt when she turned around to look at the brimstone and fire. (Genesis 19:24–26) She wanted to see God’s judgment, even though the angels had warned, “Don’t look back, lest you be destroyed.” (Genesis 19:17)

So don’t be judgment-focused and look back at the sins you have committed. God is not against you. He is for you and on your side. He remembers that He has already judged and punished your sins in the body of His Son. And because He is faithful to His Son and to what His Son has done, He will never judge or punish you. Any trouble that you might have today is not from Him. But He will show you a way of escape because He is on your side. He loves you and has your best interests at heart.

Beloved, God is not out to get you. He is out to bless you. And He wants you blessed more than you can ever ask or imagine! (Ephesians 3:20)

Thought For The Day :
Don’t be judgment-focused because God is not against you. He is for you and on your side.

A VITAL NECESSITY :

“Set your mind and heart to seek (inquire of and require as your vital necessity) the Lord your God...” - (1 Chronicles 22:19 AMP)

What things do you consider a vital necessity in your life? In other words, what can’t you live without? Most people would immediately think of food, water and shelter; but in reality, we can’t really live unless our minds and hearts are set on seeking the Lord. Sure, you can exist without seeking Him, but you are called to more than just mere existence. You are called to live...to thrive...to enjoy your life abundantly! The good news is that you have complete control over what you set your mind and heart on. You decide what you think about.

I encourage you today; set your mind and heart on seeking the Lord! Write down your favorite scriptures and commit them to memory. Whenever you can, think about those verses. Meditate on God and His infinite love. Make a habit of seeking Him and ask Him to reveal Himself to you.

When you require the Lord as a vital necessity, you will truly enjoy living the abundant life He has in store for you!