cannyben

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.” 1 Corinthians 15:10 Sometimes we spend more time looking at what’s wrong with us than we do looking at what’s right with us. But if we don’t like ourselves in a healthy way, if we are living under guilt, feeling condemned and unworthy, it will negatively affect every relationship we have, including our relationship with God. If we acknowledge the grace of God in our lives, every chain that’s holding us back will be broken. We are going to come up higher, over come obstacles, and reach the fullness of our destiny.

'Moses alone is to approach…the people may not come up with him.’ Exodus 24:2 It’s essential to be alone with God in order to hear clearly from Him. For a texting/tweeting generation hooked on mobile phones and bombarded by round-the-clock media, this can be a tough concept to grasp. But until we do, we’ll get nowhere spiritually. Jesus ‘often withdrew…and prayed’ (Luke 5:16 NIV). He ‘went up on a mountainside by himself to pray’ (Matthew 14:23 NIV). The greatest spiritual victories come from the battles God calls us to fight when we’re alone with Him. He outlines and clarifies His plans for our life when there’s nobody else around. When God is grooming us for a special assignment, we’ll be required to spend time outside the company of others.

“John the Baptist, who was in prison…sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else ?” Matthew 11:2-3 John the Baptist had declared Jesus to be the Lamb of God, had seen the Spirit of God descend like a dove on Jesus, and had heard a voice from heaven say, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Yet later, when John was in prison, he started having doubts and sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was really the Messiah. John was vulnerable and honest, and Jesus wasn’t the least disappointed in him. He understood what John was going through and answered with assurance. When we have doubts and questions, fears and struggles, we have to be honest. Faith doesn’t exempt us from life. When we’re honest with God about our doubts, our shortcomings, and our fears, that’s not a weakness, that’s a strength. When we humble ourselves and ask God for help, He will give us strength to overcome what we couldn...