Drops of Sunshine - Daily Bread

 I have a driveway that I don't use all too often. It's my dream to one day install those little lamps that will make parking there easy during night time. The word of God is just like that. During times of darkness, God is there to light my path. It's a reminder that we are not alone, even in the darkest of places. God is always right there so that we are not only pursuing light at the end of the tunnel, but the journey to reach it is just as bright.

Whenever I'm thinking about prayer, I often end up reading this passage. Hannah is always a reminder for me of the importance of persistence. Keep praying and mean what you pray.

Has anyone ever asked you for advice? Then following your release of pearls of wisdom, they do the opposite. Only to come back and tell you that they wished they followed your advice. That's frustrating, right? Why'd they ask in the first place if they were only going to do their own thing? I always think about that when I reflect on receiving Godly advice. If you ask for it, be ready to receive the truth.

I get a little funny about food. Sometimes, though, I find something that is absolutely amazing. An example would be lasagna. Growing up, I remember having lasagna at church functions made by one of the church missionaries. This was so good! No matter who else made it, it just wasn't the same. It wasn't like the original. Just like with off brand products that come floating around, you will discover that when it comes to Jesus, He is incomparable. 

I had a conversation with a friend about...life. It seems like it's so easy to get overwhelmed. But giving in to that feeling never solves our dilemma. It's encouraging to know that God is deeply concerned about us. Just as He takes care of other aspects of His creation, he does the same for us.

 Have you ever handed someone something that you wanted them to fix? In asking for help, you have to let the thing or the situation go in order for the other person to take it. So if we are trust God with our problems and our cares, then turn it over to him completely. And don't stop praying along the way. Sometimes, that prayer serves as a reminder that you put the situation in God's hands. 

 There's an old hymn that says Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus. Recognizing God as our creator and the maker of truly all things provides reassurance that if anyone can fix it, God can. Trust Him with you!

Some may believe that if you exit stage left during a battle you are the world's biggest chump. I'm glad to know that when it comes to spiritual warfare, God desires for me to step back and rest in the confidence that the battle is already won.

Where are you from? Wherever we go, we have a tendency to take traces of our "home turf" with us. As children of God, that should be no different. If we are practicing evil, then it's clear that we are doing the works of Satan. But if he's not your father and not your portion, then those are things you should desire to be separated from.

I've had people tell me that I look like my dad. The reason always varies. You've got his nose! You've got his eyes! Even his sense of humor and taste in movies. The point is, in looking like him, it means that I exhibit some of his attributes. As children of God, we should be the same way. If I habitually dabble in darkness, then light isn't something that would be associated with me. 

A large portion of my job involves customer service. If you've ever been to a store, then you've undoubtedly received a rather casual greeting. Perhaps even a "how are you?". If you're like me, then sometimes you don't answer that question because you can tell the person asking doesn't really care what your answer is. It's easy for us to identify that. That's why how we come before God is so important. Just like that "how are you?", God knows if we aren't being sincere with our praise and our worship. We can deceive others and perhaps even ourselves, but not God. Be real with Him.

Many people still have to have a 'belly of the fish' experience before doing what God instructed them to do. I don't want to find myself in that situation. So, whenever we find ourselves embarking into uncharted territory, do so with the assurance that God has gone before us. He won't send us into failure. Trust Him.

I've had a lot of issues with my car this year. I can try to self diagnosis and then go tell the mechanic what I think is going on with it. But the reality is that if I want more than a band aid fix, then I need to go straight to the expert. Afterall, what's the value in taking my car to a veterinarian? Not much, unless they moonlight as a mechanic. If I want my problems resolved, then I seek out the one that can handle it. It's so much simpler to trust God for any and everything with the understanding that he made it all anyway. It belongs to Him. So trusting the one that created me to know how to take care of me sounds good to me!

When I was younger, I was absolutely positive that I didn't like chitterlings. I never needed to taste them. I smelled them. It was hard not to. That was enough for me. But one day my brother did the brotherly thing and convinced me that I would never truly know whether or not I liked them since I never ate them before. Rising to his challenge, I tried it. I proved myself right. But at least now I can confirm that I did eat them (or tried to) before and can be certain that I definitely dislike them. My point is, if we never tap into exercising our faith, then we'll never truly know what we have. So the challenge for us is to try God and see that, unlike chitterlings, he is good! And always will be!

 If you've used search engines or any form of social media then you're probably a little familiar with algorithms and how they operate. What you search for is what you get. But they also offer suggestions that may be similar to what you've been seeking. In other words, these sites learn your interests and that's what they began to feed you, even without you asking. We need to fine tune our spiritual algorithm. Afterall, what I feed my spirit is what it will crave. If it's drama and negativity, then there's a problem. 

No one plants a seed with the hope that it will always be that way. But those seeds are planted with expectation. Purpose. Walk in that purpose. 

There are times when someone may call you or come to visit and you just are not in the mood for company. But this is one visitor you don't want to ignore. And the feast is one of a lifetime. 

Trust and confidence allow us to proceed with a feeling of security. It's a wonderful thing to trust, fully and confidently, that God will take care of you in every way. 

Just as we would not leave home half dressed or not at all, we should exercise the same care with our spiritual being. To venture out without the FULL armor of God is a sure way to lose the battle.