Lamp

In times like these, it’s hard to know the right path. The future seems uncertain. Every news story is doom and gloom. Faith comes hard. Reality hits harder. Fear is everywhere. Doubt is easy. Unbelief seems like the normal. God never said it would be easy. God never said you would always be sure. God never said you wouldn’t have your skepticism. God never said you would always have the answers. He did say that his word would be a lamp. You only need a lamp when it’s dark. So, know that you have light during these dark times. You still can trust the word of God to be a lamp.

Psalm 119:105  (KJV) Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Obstacles

Part of being successful is acknowledging the obstacles in your way, and to the best of your abilities planning for them. There will be unforeseen circumstances, but for the most part we know our challenges. It is important to set realistic goals. It is important to evaluate resources. We must always count the cost. Some journeys require you to travel alone. Some roads are long and narrow. No matter what path you take this year, count the cost. Evaluate and acknowledge your obstacles...so you can overcome them.

Abundant Life

The bible speaks about God's ability to bless us abundantly. God's love is described as being abounding. God’s desire for our life is the exceedingly abundant. How do we get to live the life that God desires for us? Follow God’s word. Heed his instruction. Make prayerful decisions. Seek the counsel of elders. Ask for wisdom. Wait for godly answers. Accept the consequences of past decisions and make an effort to be a good steward moving forward. The abundant life is within reach, but it does require you to do things differently. Change is how we get to live the life God desires for us. Acceptance is the path to the abundant life. Obedience is the key to successfully navigating God’s will for our lives, because it won’t always make sense. God uses the foolish to confound the wise. Trust the plan, but more importantly, trust God.

Destiny

There’s a viral story circulating about J.K Rowling. She was in abusive relationship, had a miscarriage, was on welfare, and her life had no clear direction. She decided to write a book that was rejected by over ten publishers, but ended up becoming a worldwide phenomenon. She is the author of the Harry Potter series. I’m sure when she was living in the slums of the UK she didn’t see the road to her destiny being paved with failure, loss, and disappointment. Most of us envision a yellow brick road to our destiny. We don’t see how betrayal, heartache, and utter devastation could pave the way to our destiny. I want to encourage you today that no matter what your journey looks like, you are on your path to destiny. It is all preparing you for what’s to come. Don’t give up. Keep on moving. Your destiny lies ahead.

Buried Treasure

The Alchemist is one of my favorite books. The main character goes on a journey to find some buried treasure. In the end, he does find it, just not where he thought it would be. Many of us look for treasure where it can’t be found. Many of us bury the gifts and talents that God has given us. We do not take full advantage of all the opportunities that are given to us. Maximize today. Maximize every day, and every opportunity. Dig up those talents and gifts. Brush them off and give them a second try. I implore you to not die a buried treasure.

Don't Give Up!

I know it hasn't happened yet. I know you thought things would look differently. I know you expected a different outcome, but it's not over. You're not over. You're not done. You woke up today. There's still time. You're not too old. Your dream is not out of reach. It's easy to focus on the negatives. It's easy to see what's not going right, but don't give up. No matter what. You are more than capable of making your dreams come true. There are countless examples of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. So, don't give up on your dreams. Don't give up on that relationship. Don't give up on that business. Don't give up on that job. Don't give up on that kid. Don't give up on you.

Better

God wants us to be better. God wants us to do better. God wants our best. God wants to give us His best. Most of us settle at good. Good is better than before, so we find contentment in mediocrity. We settle for less. We stop striving. We stop thriving because things are better. Better is not the destination. It's just a pitstop on the road to God's best.