Drops of Sunshine - Daily Bread

 As we grow in Christ, there should be a change. I learn to love the things that God loves and despise those things he hates. What I don't want to do is to indulge in wickedness when I know it causes him hurt. We treat our loved ones with that kind of respect. I don't want to hurt the people I love. If I've come to love God, then my actions should mimic my words. 

 When we begin to really understand that everything on this earth belongs to God, then we can fully entrust God as our provider. It all belongs to God and we are his too. So of course God will provide for his creation. We mess things up when we try to take things into our own hands. Instead, turn every single thing over to God and let him take care of you.

 It is a hard thing to have joy when you are in the midst of a hard trial. But our joy is in the fact that God has already won the battle. The victory is secured. It's like an open book quiz. That used to be my favorite in school. No matter how difficult the question was, the answers were right at my fingertips. That's our spiritual journey. 

 When we find ourselves troubled or struggling to find the good in our situation, a healthy place to begin is to meditate on the splendor of God. He's too great of a God to share the glory with negativity. Delight in him and turn over those woes and worries to him. 

I used to always hear people say, "Don't worry, pray". I used to struggle with that because I felt like something was wrong with me for battling those moments of anxiety. But one day I heard my father say, "Even when you worry, pray" and it completely changed my perspective. It's so simple, yet I realized that I wasn't doing it. In every situation we find ourselves (happy, sad, mad, or glad), we should always pray.

At my job, we have to do this cyber security compliance quizzes on a regular basis in order to keep us aware of all the scams that are out there. One of the things that rises to the surface with those sessions is the importance of being able to identify a fraud. When it comes to relationships, that's simple enough to do. Assuming I know them well enough. That's key, even in my spiritual life. If I don't spend time with God and in his presence, then I'll struggle to know and understand his voice when I hear because I've grown unfamiliar with him.

 Growing up in church, I would always hear different people testify and share how good God was in their lives. I never truly understood this "good". He was GOD. Shouldn't it be a stronger word to describe him? It wasn't until I began to trust in God for me that I began to truly understand the challenge of trying to describe a God who is simply indescribable. But a God who, himself, uses the word to describe his creations lets me know that it's the perfect descriptor for him. He's just good! And there is always something we can thank him for.

 As a child, my parents always recognized the difference in my sound. When I was happy, sad, hungry, etc. They knew when I was just making noise and would promptly tell me to 'hush up that racket'. God, likewise, understands the sound his children make. And as promptly as natural parents address a need in their child's life, God already knows what it is and what to supply to resolve it. Ask Him for it.  

Two of my favorite words are Consistent and Persistent. They are on display in the bible with the parable of the persistent widow. If we trust God enough to make our request of him, then trust him enough to deliver. Don't give up because it seems like it's taking longer than you'd like. Exercise consistency and persistency. If you find yourself struggling in either area, guess what? You can pray and ask God for the help needed to develop.

 There is no greater help than what comes from someone who knows exactly what they are doing. It's like when we run into an issue with our vehicle. Do we trust a questionable mechanic or do we trust the expert? Our faith walk is no different. We can be certain that God knows our situation better than we do. Stop trying to figure it out.

 There is no better place to find security than to be deeply rooted and firmly planted in God. Only with that security that he can provide will I find myself not being so easily shaken or uprooted. On a daily basis, we need to continue to check up on our roots. Make sure we are secure and connected to the source.

 Our natural thinking and understanding can create obstacles for us at times. We try to reason and find logical explanations for everything. Faith defies logic. We believe in the things that are unseen, which is illogical to our natural minds. But that's the exact type of faith that God desires for us. No matter the situation or the obstacle, complete and full trust in God is the key to overcoming.

 Growing up, I often heard that saying that it seemed only the grown ups would say. If everybody else jumped off a cliff, would you jump too? Or some version of that. As an adult, I understand those words in a more meaningful way than I can say I did as a kid. It is far better to walk the road God desires for me to walk rather than the one other people feel I should journey on. I don't want shortcuts if God's not involved, so it's better to follow his instruction to arrive to my destination.

 I had a coworker tell me last week that she loved correcting people that were loudly and proudly wrong. She was mainly referring to customers that were convinced they understood our job's policies better than we did. One thing that I've learned during this faith walk is to understand that nothing is impossible when God is in it. Rather than hold to my own thinking and convince myself, and possibly others, with my little bit of knowledge, it's far better to appeal to God to think more like him.

Our brains are always busy. There are studies that suggest we can have over 6,000 thoughts a day. That's a whole lot of thinking. But our thinking and logical reasoning can sometimes be a barrier to acknowledging and accepting supernatural blessings. Rather than rely on what seems logical to us, we instead need to step out on faith and put our complete trust in the God for whom impossible is impossible.

 My mindset has a major impact on my daily living. What I think and feel are that essential. Think about how something like hunger can impact our mood and the clarity of our thinking. The same can be said of frustrations and worries. They can monopolize our thoughts and suddenly we lose control. Saying things we shouldn't and regret. Treating people unkindly. So how I think is vital, not only for me and my spirit, but for my relationship with others.

 At a prior job, I used to have some coworkers joke that they wanted whatever medicine I was on if it meant they'd be as calm. The reality is that we just have to be intentional about being possessors of peace. Don't leave room in your personal space for drama.

 I have a coworker who hums when she's enjoying something delicious. That's the type of mentality and the posture we need when we're thinking about God. The troubles, worries, and obstacles that we face can do their best to distract us. Like the frown we get when we've tasted something unpleasant. But the knowledge of God should shift us right back into position. Mmm, mmm, good! 

 Years ago, I remember hearing my mother speak about the importance of being faithful with our ask. If I really want what I'm asking for, then my request is consistent. But there is another aspect to this when it comes to our prayer lives. What we do while waiting is just as essential as the request. If I trust God enough to make my requests known to him, then I need to live knowing he not only heard me, but is readying me to receive more than I can imagine.

 If we are not spending time studying and learning the scriptures for ourselves, then how will we be able to know how to apply them to our lives? How do we know when someone is deceiving us into believing what the bible says unless we read it for ourselves? This is the same concept that I actually didn't like to much in school. I knew the answer. I didn't want to have to put in the work to show that I was sure. Yet, that's my life as a believer. Every day, we should show our faith. We need to be sure! 

I'm grateful that access to salvation is not something decided by man. When I think about how corruption has restricted access to so many essential living needs, I thank God that it is he, who cared so much about my soul, that sent Jesus to open that door for me.