Daily Devotional: 1/2/2019 - SCRIPTURE SERIES PT. II (SC)

 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strength you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

This is a continuation of a series that I started back out towards the end of July, The Scripture Series. I was inspired after going on an encouragement date with a sister from Long Island and one with from our region. Usually at the end of these dates like the next day, later or whenever they have the chance the sisters will write a card. And because I am me and I feel if someone gets me something I have to get them something in return, so I decided to combine the love for art and Scripture into one. But then I was like "BRAIN BLAST" why not make one for all the sisters in our campus for an encouragement for the upcoming semester and year. That was how The Scripture Series was created. We are now on Part Two with one more part to come so we can encourage and give sisters hope all across the world for days to come.

• Women have it hard no matter where they go or what they do. They lack equality in every aspect. They are constantly objectified and are constantly being taken advantage of. It is our job as men and as human beings to treat all these women with respect, love and the dignity they deserve.
• I am going to try and keep these relatively short, but if God leads long we go long. Going to throw some fun facts and some scripture and call it a day.
• The last series was all to sisters in the church (plus one very special woman outside the church). This series is dedicated to the people I call family, whether they be actual blood or women that help keep me sane at school.

Here are a couple fun facts for you, the first being that to protect sunflower seeds from birds place a mesh bag or a nylon stocking over the bloom until the seeds ripen. The other being in factories, blue often marks equipment needed to be repaired.

This is a verse that I hold near and dear to my heart. Literally, it is engraved on my cross that I wear around my neck. Even though it is literally close to my heart, it is figuratively close to my heart as well. It is one of the promises that I base my faith on.

God tells us here so much. First he tells us "not to be afraid". We do not have to be afraid because he is with us and he is with us always. God promises it here in the Old Testament in Isaiah and Jesus also promises the same thing in Matthew. "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of age" (Matthew 28:20). He tells us "do not be dismayed". Dismayed means "consternation and distress, typically that caused by something unexpected". Similar words to dismay are alarm, shock, surprise, and concern.

• It is one of the constant themes and concepts throughout the Bible that God will not leave us and that he is with us. God wrote us this love letter, specifically for us.

He goes on to tell us and promise more. He "will strength you and help you" and he will also "uphold you". He is not going to do this just willy nilly, but he does this all with his "righteous right hand". This just shows the power he puts behind everything he does for us and the amount of love that he has for us.

He is our Heavenly Father, he is the one that created us out of nothing. He wants the absolute best for us. Look at the parents that we have on earth. They love us unconditionally, they will do anything for their kids. They will fight and they will kill for their kids in order to protect them.

• How much more will God who is so much more powerful and loving do for us? Just imagine.

God wants us to lean on him. He wants us not to lean our own understanding. Proverbs 3:4-5 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." We cannot rely on what we know and do solely, this will not work. The devil fills the world with lies and things that will "take away the pain". But these things do not take away the pain, they only numb it. The relief from the pain is only temporary, but the distance you put between you and God is eternal.

• No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
• Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

God has the above verses and the main verse as promises that we should lean on Him, for he has the ultimate power that we do not have. When we lean on our own self, we destroy our self. When we fall into the temptations of the world and of the body we sin and we build a wall between us and God. When we let things that temporary numb our pain, we let it blind from the glory of God.

We are apart of the temple of God. The blood of Jesus made us worthy of joining others in making the temple of God. We are each a living stone in the same structure in which the apostles and the prophets are the foundation and Jesus himself is the cornerstone. We are all joined together to form the temple of God. But when we sin and rely on our own understanding and put things and do things with our body we are destroying our self. We start to crumble from away the walls.

• Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
• Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
• When we destroy our self we not only hurt you, but you hurt the people around you.

This is why it is important to have godly people around you. These are the people that can help keep you accountable. These are people that are trying to help you get better every day for not only you, but for God. They want to make sure you get to heaven with them.

• Our body is a temple. When we sin and destroy our body with sin we are destroying the temple.

One of the things that God wants the most in return is a relationship with him. When we have a relationship with God we put him first. He tells us that we should put the Kingdom first above all things (Matthew 6:33). Once we do this all things will happen for the right reason and everything will work for our benefit. All we have to do is seek him and seek him with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

• When we seek him, we will find him.
• Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

There are so many ways that we can build a relationship with God. One of the biggest ways is having a prayer life. Praying to God is having a conversation with God. Having a conversation with a person builds a relationship. Just think of the countless days spending talking and being with your best friend. You get to know them. You know all their strengths and weaknesses. You know what makes them tick. You can tell when they are off. You know when they are hiding something good and bad. This is all do to the relationship you built with them. Building a relationship with someone takes time and effort, but in the end it is all worth it.

• Building a relationship with someone is the same as building it with God. The only difference is that you do not have to force anything, God wants you. All you have to do is give him a little bit of you and the rest will work itself out.

Another big way is reading, being, doing and studying the Word. We have instruction manual at the tips of our fingers. It is our playbook, it has both our offensive and defensive plays on how God wants us to live and go about with life. We have to stay away from sin. When we mess with sin we demolish our relationship with God. Isaiah 59:1-3 says, "Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things."

• Every sin adds a brick to a wall. A wall only God can knock down. Sin is death (Romans 6:23).

Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it." We have to guard our heart and protect it. We do this with the help of God. We throw mesh bags and nylon stockings over sunflower seeds in order to protect them from the birds eating them. We have God to protect us from the devil and his schemes. God is so much more powerful than the devil. He already defeated the devil (Matthew 4 and Revelations 20). We have a blue ribbon over us until we fully accept God into our life. We are always ready for prepare until the end of days. We are not perfect, we are humans and we are going to sin. We just have to try our best (2 Timothy 2:15).

Stop your sinning ways and come to God. Allow him to work in your life. He can do so much, if you let him.

Lord, thank you for all that you do. I pray the words I right not only help the people that read it, but myself as well. You are full of love and grace. I pray you empty our hearts of the evil and fill it with you. I pray that your love overflows out of us. Protect us from the devil and his evil ways for you are stronger and know them better than we do. Help us not lean on our own understanding, but trust in you. I pray all this in your son's glorious awesome protective name, Amen.

#LetsBeAMovement