God never brings you out the same. He makes the enemy pay for bringing the trouble. But the key is to keep your joy so you’ll have the strength to make it through the difficulty and see the greater things God has for you.
Today's Word: MAR 28, 2024
We all face dreams and obstacles that seem too big for us, but God has all the power in the world. The key is our faith. God works through our faith. If you believe little, you’ll receive little. If you think small and talk small, you’ll get stuck where you are. The Scripture talks about different levels of faith. In Matthew 8, the disciples were in a boat with Jesus when a huge storm arose and the waves swept over the boat. They woke Jesus up and cried out, “We’re about to die!” He responded, “Why do you have such little faith? You’ve seen the miracles I’ve done. You know I can do anything. Why are you still stuck at this low level of faith?” If you’re going to reach the fullness of your destiny, it’s not going to happen with weak faith, doubting faith, or average faith. It’s going to take great faith. The good news is, it’s in you, but you have to awaken your great faith. You have to dare to believe big, to take the limits off.
There are moments when you might be tempted to think that you are where you are in life because of your skills and achievements. But the longer you live, the more you realize it’s because of family and friends who helped you, caring people who motivated you, perhaps mentors who challenged you to work harder and push through when you didn’t feel like it. They made all the difference. The writer of Ecclesiastes says, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other one can reach out and help.” That tells me that we were never meant to live in isolation. God intends us to be in community with others, to love, strengthen, and support one another. That’s the healthy way to live.
When I think of the importance of living in loving relationships, it makes me think of the giant redwood trees in Northern California. You probably know that they can grow over 300-feet tall and 20-feet wide at the base, but did you know that their roots are only around 6 feet deep? It seems impossible that these towering, majestic trees have such shallow roots. However, the roots spread wide, extending up to 100 feet out, and intertwine and even fuse with roots of other redwood trees. This network of support gives them tremendous strength to withstand high winds and floods. And the redwoods find nutrition with one another, which helps them survive in periods of drought.
If you’re going to live a successful life, a fulfilling life, you have to understand that the good people whom God has put in your life are important and worth developing a strong relationship and community with. And you need to realize that good relationships are a two-way street. It’s as much about what you give as what you receive. The Bible tells us “to encourage one another daily” (Hebrews 3:13). It doesn’t say, “Wait around to be encouraged.” It says, “Have an exchange of encouragement on a daily basis.” That is where we find help and growth.
If we could be as united in our lives as the redwood trees, I believe we could withstand any of life’s storms and droughts. So who are you intertwined with today? When you give them who you are, it makes all the difference in the world. When you intertwine your life with others’ lives, they will stand strong, and you will stand strong. Together, you’ll grow with the strength and blessings of God. We’re better together. We’re meant to be together.
READ BLOG ENTRYGod never brings you out the same. He makes the enemy pay for bringing the trouble. But the key is to keep your joy so you’ll have the strength to make it through the difficulty and see the greater things God has for you.