Their eye bulges from fatness; The imaginations of their heart run riot. Psalm 73:7

Has your life become nothing but drama? Do you allow your thoughts to run away on you? Meaning, when you hear something, you do the ‘what if’s’? Which then rolls down the mountain, picking up speed and debris, throwing things off that cause damage to yourself and others?

If your imagination runs wild, it’s time to reign it in. Proverbs 23:7a says that as a man thinks, so is he. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be the mess my mind conjures up. I don’t want my crazy imagination to dictate my outcomes. If I am what I think, I need to work at changing my thinking.

The things I think on become the foundation for my future. Some of us need to tear down our houses and build again, but this time, build on a solid Rock and a sure foundation. I’ve been working on this for awhile now. I’ve been asking myself questions like, “Where did that thought come from? Is it based on truth or lies?”

Here’s my challenge for you today; Check the origins of your thoughts. Where are they coming from? Truth is found in the Word of God, it is a sure foundation. If what I think does not line up with His Word, I need to get rid of it and speak the truth until my mind changes what it’s believing. Don’t allow things you hear, no matter how good it sounds, become truth until you take it before the Lord and talk with Him about it. He will always lead you into all truth. Just become everyone is saying it, doesn’t make it right.

“On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.”

Remember, no one controls your thoughts but you. If you think it, you become it. Stop the madness and think on things that are pure, honorable, praise worthy and good reports. Every mind can be reprogrammed! Ask God to give you insight into His Word and His will for you and begin thinking on these things.

Sandy G

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:3-5

What a mouth full of hope in these verses. I can’t say I’ve always rejoiced when I’ve run into problems & trials. Some of them were just so big, I kept running into them. I looked like I’d been in a train wreck. Then one day the Lord showed me that instead of tripping over those obstacles, I could put them together to create building blocks. That enabled me to climb to such great heights where the views were breathtaking. Seeing them from Gods vantage point put the circumstance in true perspective.

He’s always bigger, always greater than any problem we can or cannot see. It’s not what you see that makes the difference, it’s how you see it. Come on up and share the view! Spending time in His presence brings you wisdom to not just get you through, but to give others hope too.

Oh wise and loving God, thank You for new perspective and wisdom to face everything I need to face. Answers to questions, steps to take and new levels of trust with each new obstacle. You’re so kind to stay and accompany me as I take this journey. Never lonely. Love You so much. Amen

Sandy G

“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” 2 Timothy 3:1-5 NLT

Oh my, does this not describe the world we live in today? I pray that none of us fall into this category, but may we remain focused on what God has called us to; a life of godliness, faith and trust in Him. May we appear different from the world, so much so, that there is not a doubt we are Christians.

I’ve met people like that. The Spirit of God leapt in me and I knew they were believers. They had separated themselves from the things of the world, choosing heaven as their destination. What a beautiful example of coming apart and living unto the Lord.

How about you? Can people tell who you belong to? Is there such a strong family resemblance that one look confirms it? When they listen to your conversation, does it reflect the worlds opinions and ways, or does it ooze the love and joy of Jesus?

Father, once again I declare that I am Yours alone. My heart is set on loving You, trusting You and being only Yours. When the lure of the world becomes a temptation,You will keep me for my eyes are on You and You watch over me day and night. There is no room for second place with You. You have asked and I said yes. Beautiful Savior! Precious Redeemer! You have bought me but set me free. I will follow You all the days of my life and dwell in Your house forever. Amen

Sandy G

Psalm 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,”

Sometimes you just have to remind yourself of who you are, whose you are and what you’re made for. So I say today, I’m redeemed from sin, sickness, lack, poverty, disease, addictions and every evil, deceptive work of the enemy. Kings declare and decree and I am a king/queen and priest/priestess before the King of kings and the Lord of lords. I’m created to say so! That’s right! I’m created to open my mouth and declare what the Word of God says.

Let faith arise within you today. Take back your rightful place. Stop listening to the lie of the enemy that tries to convince you that you’re less than who you are. You’re not a failure! You’re a success! Stop measuring yourself by others successes and begin to see yourself successful because God says you are.

You’re more than a conqueror. I don’t care what your situation looks like, if God is for you, who can be against you! There is divine favor on your life. Rise up, child of God and SAY SO! He said you’re redeemed. That word means to buy back, recover or fulfill. He bought back your victory. Not a portion of your victory but ALL of your victory.

Say it out loud, “I am redeemed from ______” put what you’re facing in that blank. Say it again. It’s because of what Christ did that you are free from that. Don’t allow it in because of what some human said. Only allow in what God says.

Father, for all you’ve redeemed me from, I’m so thankful. For all you’ve given me authority over, I’m thankful. You didn’t leave me powerless, but full of your Spirit who brings me wisdom, power and life. I’m not just yours when things are going my way. I’m yours in good times and bad, happy and sad, I’m yours and that’s enough. I shout it from the mountaintops, I’m redeemed. It’s in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sandy G

Ever been hungry for something but not know what you’re hungry for? You search through the refrigerator and the cupboards looking for that one thing but can’t seem to find it. “What do I want?” you ask the frig. Out of frustration, you grab something and stuff it in your mouth only to be more frustrated because it just doesn’t satisfy.

I’ve done this and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone. Lately though, I’ve realized that though the voice of my flesh is loud, what I really desire is more of the presence of God. It’s my spirit that longs to be heard above my flesh.

Psalm 84:2 “My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”

When my flesh cries out, I need to interpret that cry for what it really is. I will find my place of worship and raise my hands unto the Lord my God. I will find the secret place in His arms and allow Him to satisfy the longing of my heart. I will deny my flesh of it’s longings until the voice of my spirit rises above and is satisfied.

Psalm 84:10 “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.”

That is my cry today, Lord. A day in Your courts is better than a thousand pizza’s, ice cream or the best food that money can buy. It’s where my strength comes from to face everyday, every circumstance, every trial. It’s wherever You are, Lord, thats where I long to be. So today, I come hungry! Before I partake of an egg, I will spend time in Your presence till my soul is satisfied. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Abandon every display of selfishness. Possess a greater concern for what matters to others instead of your own interests. Philippians 2:4 TPT

My sister recently sent me a teaching on selfishness. I could have been offended if we hadn’t been having a conversation about it’s relationship to pride and it’s blatant symptoms of lack of trust in God’s covenant with us. After I listened to it, I asked God to show me my heart and see if I harbor any selfishness.

Let me give you a tiny warning; if you ask, He will show you. Be prepared to hear, “Cleanup on aisle 4!” as the glass jars fall to the floor. You’ll be appalled, especially when you see what those jars contained.

I started looking at the life of Christ and guess what I saw…..selflessness. He was all about doing the will of the Father who sent Him. I started by asking myself, am I selfless? I cannot lie, especially to God, so my answer was no. Jesus lived and breathed Love. He gave way past my point of exhaustion. He chose to see through the eyes of His Father regardless of His own opinion or feelings.

Oh I’ve done some good things and maybe that will outweigh the bad, but if we’re talking about abandoning every display of selfishness, I’ve got work to do. Being more concerned for others instead of my own interests, I think I’ve labeled that one, self preservation, which is merely another word for selfishness.

Well now, Jesus did step away from the crowds once in awhile, but it was to commune with the Father, not just to rest. He discovered that spending time with God renewed His strength, and knowing He was doing the will of God kept Him grounded. You see we were never meant to do life for ourselves. When we surrendered our lives to Him, it was so that He could work in and through us, to will and to do His good pleasure, not our own.

So my prayer today; Help me to be more aware of others and less aware of me. May my blog never be a rant of a vent, but rather may it draw others to a deeper relationship with You. May my life be a laid down life, placing Your desires above my own. It’s in Jesus’ name and for Your glory. Amen

Sandy G

I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose for which Christ Jesus laid hold of me to make me his own. Philippians 3:12 TPT

That is reason enough to keep going after God. To spend time with Him every morning, thinking on Him throughout the day and rejoicing in Him at night. My walk with God is mine alone. My search for Him is like a treasure hunter who gives all she has for that one prize.

You may observe my walk, but you’ll never make my walk your own. No my friend, your own treasure awaits you. It lies hidden beneath the pages of God’s Word, waiting for your fingers to find, your eyes to see and your heart to understand. How sad that some will never see. I’m sure it grieves the heart of Father that He has children who don’t want to know Him, don’t want to spend time with Him and don’t call out to Him. The only time they use His name is to curse, or as a by-word.

They don’t yet know that His name is above all names. They don’t understand the power behind it nor the grace that comes with it. My life has been changed by the Name of Jesus and the blood He shed has covered me, kept me from harm and the evil plans of my enemies. I’ve felt His presence rush in to surround me, consuming all fear and flooding me with peace.

As Paul said, I may not be perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Jesus made me His own. I’m just pressing deeper into my Father’s arms because that is where my treasure abides.

Sandy G

Rm 8:14-28 NLT was my reading this morning. I’ve read this thousands of times. It’s highlighted, underlined & worn, but this morning when I read it I got so excited. Let me just share a couple thoughts with you from verses 19-24:

For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are. (I believe we are living in that day) All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We too wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as His children, including the new bodies He has promised us. Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom. For if you already have something, you don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently.

verse 26: And the Holy Spirit helps us.

I know I’m going out on a limb here, but this is not a sweet by and by promise. God wants us to live like this in this age to usher in the return of Christ. I have felt an increase in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit like never before. I have felt I’m giving birth to some pretty intense things. This bears witness in me that we are indeed living in the age Paul was speaking about in these verses.

Please don’t let religious mindsets keep you from allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to your spirit. It’s time to allow Him to do new things in and through us. Stop expecting it to happen in our churches on Sunday mornings. Expect the Holy Spirit to sweep into our homes as we worship. Expect that glorious presence to accompany us into our jobs and markets. Jesus merely passed by and healings manifested. Let that be you.

Kingdom come! Will of God be done in the earth just as it is in Heaven. I surrender every last bit of myself to You, Jesus, my High Priest and the joy of my life.

Sandy G

So now I’ll lie down and sleep like a baby—then I’ll awake in safety, for you surround me with your glory. Even though ten thousand dark powers prowl around me, I won’t be afraid. Psalm 3:5-6 TPT

I love these verses because I’ve prayed them so many times. Even when the doctor says something scary, “I’ll lie down and sleep like a baby—then I’ll awake in safety, for you surround me with your glory. Even though ten thousand dark powers prowl around me, I won’t be afraid.”

When the economy looks seriously bad, I say it again. When I feel outnumbered and everyone is calling with evil reports, I say it again.

Here are more of my favorite verses I keep in my arsenal:

His massive arms are wrapped around you, protecting you. You can run under his covering of majesty and hide. His arms of faithfulness are a shield keeping you from harm. Psalm 91:4

God, your wraparound presence is my shield. You bring victory to all who are pure in heart. Psalm 7:10

So next time you’re tempted to fear, speak these words out loud and know that God will never leave you or forsake you. He’s as close as the mention of His name. Jesus!

Sandy G

And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 6: 6-7 NKJV

Do we do this? Is this a picture of our homes today? How many of us can honestly say that we spend time ‘diligently’ teaching our children about the Lord? Are we planting the Word in our hearts and in the hearts of our children? We cannot pass the blame if we’ve not done what God has ordered.

First and foremost, our children whatever their age may be, must see us seeking the Lord with all our hearts. When we do, the fruit of the Spirit will be evident in our lives and our children will hunger for the fruit of it. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

Thats right! The more we seek the face of God, the more we will see the fruit of the Spirit evident in our homes. We can be good people, have lots of money, a nice home, a good job, be honest and reputable, but if our lives are a wreck, our children are unruly, we’re unfaithful, divided and our homes have no peace. What sort of testimony is that?

I’m not saying that bad things don’t happen to good people. I’m saying that good people can have bad things happen and still walk in peace because they know the Word and trust in the Lord! Their foundation is stable and secure. They’re like a tree planted deep thats not uprooted at the first major storm that comes by. They know that just because they’re a Christian doesn’t mean that life will have no battles, they’re just prepared for that battle.

When they read Psalm 91, they see themselves in that picture. Stable, secure, covered, saved from hidden traps and deadly sickness. They know that when they speak the Word over their situation regardless of what they see in the natural, it’s a done deal in the supernatural and they rest in that.

Thank you Lord for a heart that follows hard after you. You’ve got my back! my front! my sides! You’re all around me, above me, beneath me (I’m doin the happy dance right now!). What a good and faithful Father you are. Help me to always be a finely tuned instrument You can play. One that brings a sweet sound of worship and praise before Your throne and challenges others to do the same. For Your glory and in the name above all names, Jesus. Amen

Sandy G