Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen. Hebrews 11:1 TPT

Faith moves God. Think about that for a moment. Faith is a substance big enough to cause the words we speak when we pray, to come to pass. Look at what Jesus said in Mark 11:22-24;

“Let the faith of God be in you! Listen to the truth I speak to you: If someone says to this mountain with great faith and having no doubt, ‘Mountain, be lifted up and thrown into the midst of the sea,’ and believes that what he says will happen, it will be done.  This is the reason I urge you to boldly believe for whatever you ask for in prayer—believe that you have received it and it will be yours.

Nowhere in there did it mention feelings! The only thing faith and feelings have in common is the letter ‘F’.  Have you ever noticed what happens when you allow your faith to waver and land on your feelings? More often then not, whining, grumbling and complaining take over.

We must always remember that feelings are subject to change based on where you take them with your faith. You will never make right choices if you make them with feelings, but you rarely make wrong choices when faith and the Word are your guide.

I may not always win every skirmish, but I win every battle where I ignore my feelings and walk in faith. I refuse to allow the enemy to shake the foundation I’ve built on my faith in God. He is well able to deliver me from the enemy I face. 

This is just a side note for someone facing a mountain today; “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the enemy whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.” Your enemy is on shaky ground! Stop listening to the naysayers and guard the Word of God in your heart. He’s forever faithful! AMEN

But God chose those whom the world considers foolish to shame those who think they are wise, and God chose the puny and powerless to shame the high and mighty. I Corinthians 1:27 TPT

I just can’t seem to get this verse out of my head. I have been thinking on it for a few weeks now and the other day I heard the Lord say, “Counterbalance”, so I looked up the definition and found this; to have an effect that is opposite but equal to (something) : to balance (something) by being opposite.

As I thought of how this applies to God, I realized that He is indeed our counterbalance. He’s light in our darkness, strength in our weakness, able when we’re unable, health to our sickness and provision for our lack. What a great God!

Let me go a step further with this. He gave us His Holy Spirit so anything we don’t know, He leads us to the truth of it. Anything we can’t do, He’s our helper. When we pray in the Spirit, it builds us up in the weak areas of our life. I like that!

God was David’s counterbalance. He took a little shepherd boy and used him to take down a giant with a stone.  Jesus used a young lad with a 3 piece fish dinner to feed a multitude when He became his counterbalance. God became Mary’s counterbalance when He planted His seed in her womb to carry His son.

I don’t know what you’re facing today, but stop thinking you can do it or change it on your own. God wants to be your counterbalance, but He’s waiting on you to let Him be what you need Him to be.  He’s all sufficient! You can’t, but He can!

Father, I don’t have a clue how this is going to work out, but as Your word says; So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose. Counterbalance me, Lord. I feel like I’m on a teeter totter with someone on the other side that’s much heavier and I can’t get down. But just as I know You will, place Your hand on me and rescue me. I’m so thankful. It’s in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who ‘have it all’ to enter God’s kingdom?” The disciples couldn’t believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: “You can’t imagine how difficult. I’d say it’s easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for the rich to get into God’s kingdom.”

That set the disciples back on their heels. “Then who has any chance at all?” they asked.

Jesus was blunt: “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it.” Mark 10:23-27 MSG

One of the most difficult things to do is to trust someone we’re not familiar with. We have a tendency to trust what’s worked in the past, those we know well or things that have been proven over time. It makes sense that Jesus would say it’s difficult for those who have everything, or those who trust in the money that got them everything, to enter the Kingdom of heaven.

Why? Simply because they trust in what ‘got’ them everything. They trust this worlds system. Once we trust something, we’ll continue to trust it until it fails. I trust the chair I’m sitting in, but if the chair would break, I would be hesitant to sit in this chair and trust it to hold me.

But the Kingdom of God is a kingdom that trusts in God alone. It’s backward from our own systems. Mans system says ‘bank it!’, Gods says ‘give it’. It seems this is key with everything with God.

Jesus said, “Mark my words, no one who sacrifices house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, land—whatever—because of me and the Message will lose out. They’ll get it all back, but multiplied many times in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land—but also in troubles. And then the bonus of eternal life! This is once again the Great Reversal: Many who are first will end up last, and the last first.” (verses 29-31)

I see so many people get discouraged because they’ve tried it and it doesn’t work. This isn’t a ‘get rich quick scheme’, this is a lifestyle of trusting God regardless if you like the outcomes or not. God see’s all, know’s all, has a plan and orders your steps to do HIS pleasure, not yours.

Stop stressing over what hasn’t happened and focus on what has happened. Thank Him for what He’s done in the past and what He will do in your future. Spend time reading about His faithfulness and learn of Him. Let Him do what needs to be done. Your job is to keep giving when He says, in ways He tells you to, and let go of your need to control it. Just as a seed that’s planted, comes up out of the ground and bears fruit, so will your seed produce.

Father, today I let go! I will trust You with everything! My future, my finances, my health, my home, my children, I let it all go. I trust You to do what You said You would do. You promised protection, provision, health and long life and I believe with all my heart that You will remain faithful to do it. I will listen today and obey the promptings to sow seed and trust You with the outcome. It’s in Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Loving me empowers you to obey my word. And my Father will love you so deeply that we will come to you and make you our dwelling place.” John 14:23 TPT

Love does so many things, but this one, loving Jesus empowers me to obey God’s Word, that is so very profound. If I just focus on loving Jesus. Seems the more I pour out, my heart is overwhelmed with more love then I can contain. It’s the spill-over affect that changes lives around me.

But the second part of that verse makes me so excited! That Father will love me so deeply that He will come to me and make me His dwelling place. Me. Sandy Gregory! A place God calls home. That thrills my soul.

“Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee, How Great Thou Art! How Great Thou Art! Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee, How Great Thou Art! How Great Thou Art!”

He’s in me. He’s in me on purpose, for purpose. He’s in me to perfect me, not based on my merit, but on Jesus’ merit. He’s in me every moment of every day. Good days, bad days, He’s still in me. My hope. My healer. My provider. My strong tower. My refuge. My help. My Love.

It’s not me who is able to do what God intended me to do, it’s Christ in me who is able. Mine is to love and surrender to His love. His is to abide in me. I can live with that! I can do with that. I can love others with that.

Father, thank You for placing Your Spirit in me and accompanying me each day and night. In the good times, the hard times, the lonely times, the frustrating times, You’re always there, lighting the way and leading me on. I love You Jesus!

Have you ever been on your way to a destination and for whatever reason, be it a detour or lack of GPS service, you got totally and completely lost? A few years ago, I was invited to a party in a nearby city in an area I was not familiar with. Like any one with a smart phone, I plugged in the address into the GPS and hit start. Usually upon hitting that button, a voice booms out advising you how to exit your driveway and get on the right road. That part annoys me, but I digress.

For reasons unknown, the voice was silent this time so I checked my media volume to make sure it was up. Still no voice. Well, I’m not a total idiot and still know how to read a map, so I looked at the layout of the map and figured the best route to proceed and I’m off.

The ride was pretty uneventful until I looked at the map and saw the road I was told to turn on had a different name then the one hanging from the traffic signal.  I found myself growing a little anxious, unsure if it was the right road, finally deciding that if it was wrong, I could always turn around. I looked at my phone and in my best ‘mother’ voice yelled, “TALK TO ME!”

As though she heard me, the GPS chick found her voice. The rest of the ride was a lot easier because she was there to verbally walk me through each turn until I arrived at my destination.

I think that’s how we are with life sometimes. God’s invited us to His party and given us directions on how to get there, but when our signal is weak and we don’t hear His voice, we become undone. Some pull off the road and refuse to go any further until they hear Him clearly speak, “This is the way! Walk this way!” And some of us read the map, pull out our compass and just keep moving even when we’re not sure.

God told Abram: “Leave your country, your family, and your father’s home for a land that I will show you. I’ll make you a great nation and bless you. I’ll make you famous; you’ll be a blessing. I’ll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I’ll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:1-3 Message

Now mind you, Abram had never met God, didn’t know who He was, but did just what He asked and left. He had no GPS, no maps, didn’t know where he was going but still went. He was 75, married to a barren woman, had livestock to care for along the way, but in spite of all that, he went. Why? Because he heard a voice.

Some of you have heard Gods voice but because he didn’t give you step by step instructions, you opted out for a safer more secure plan. Some of you started out but hit opposition, unexpected detours, foggy weather, you felt it unsafe to proceed so you stopped.

But some of you crazy people just kept walking. You wouldn’t be deterred by the weather, the cliffs, the falling rocks, the hidden traps. You kept walking, even when your feet were tired and you just wanted to stay in your comfort zone where all your friends and family were. You traded the familiar for the hope of a future with a God you’ve never seen but know deep down in your heart that He’s alive and has big plans for you.

How do you know when you’ve arrived? How do you even know you’re in the right place? You’ll just know. Just as Abram did, so will you. And regardless if you’ve heard His voice along the way or not, you’re still aware of His presence and are confident in His ability to steer you in the right direction. Psalm 37:23 says that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and He takes great delight in the plans He has for him.

He’s delighted that you’ve chosen to trust Him. He’s excited for the plans He sees for your future. He’s right there watching over you and if you’ll continue to trust Him, He will bless your future even more then you can imagine. Thank you for trusting Him to step out into the vast unknown when you heard His voice.

Father, I’m still walking! I’m still doing! I’m still singing! I’m still talking! I’m still writing! I’m still praising Your Name. I’m still trusting! I’m still at peace! I’m still confident in Your plan even when I’m unsure of myself. It’s in You I live and breathe and have my being. Amen

Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed with the circumstances you face? Regardless of where you look, there’s another problem, and another, and yet another. Wave after wave seems to hit you in the face and you can’t get your breath. In times like these, what do you do? I don’t know about you, but I just want to run away! It’s days like this that I wish I was a child and could just let my mom and dad fix it.

Well guess what? You’re still Gods child and He wants you to come to Him so He can fix it with you. Please hear what I’m saying. I’m not advocating we bury our heads in the sand and do nothing. No, I’m saying He wants to be an active partner with us in everything we face in life. He’s offering His peace and perspective.

“Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to me.  I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me.  For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.” Matthew 11:28-30 TPT

My dear friends, it’s when we want it our way, in our time and on our terms that we grow frustrated and overwhelmed. His ways are so much better, but to allow someone else to carry the load, we must surrender it to them. I can offer to carry something for you, but unless you give it to me, I’ll never be able to help.

That’s how it is in any relationship. We partner up with people because we don’t want to do it alone. Every one of us has unique gifting and abilities that we add to the whole. Where one is weak, the other is strong.  Where one is unable, the other is able. When you’re to close to the problem, the other can give a better perspective.

So if you’re in a situation and find it’s hard to breathe, take time to come to God and find His priceless peace.  If you stay long enough, He will show you things you don’t know and give you His perspective on each thing you’re facing. There’s no time like the present and no one like the Father.

Father, thank You for consistently loving me. Even when I’m stubborn and want to do it on my own, You’re always there waiting. You only ask that I come to You, lay it down so that You can show me what I don’t see or know. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

Sow seed, it’s the only way to obtain a harvest. No seed, no harvest. Regardless of the size of the field, the only way to gain additional seed is to sow what you have. You will ALWAYS end up with more then you started with.