Category Archives: Dependence

TO KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU KNOW

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I imagine you think the title is a string of repetitive run-on words but it’s not! The string of words is an African American creed. This creed has carried African Americans forward through slavery and is as true today as in the past. It is founded in scripture and refers to one’s total, committed belief in Jesus Christ who came to save us from sin and offer us salvation.

Many resort to the “You know’s” in times of chaos, confusion, oppression, loss, destruction, and subjugation. As Christians, I propose that we must move beyond confessing our total trust in Christ only when we feel helpless as so many do. Confession of this nature evaporates as soon as times improve and we feel we are once again in a safe space. But as Christians, shouldn’t we know in our Spirit that our relationship with the Lord is sacred? Shouldn’t we know that our every breath rests on His love for us, His sacrifice that gave us life? We should know that the Words in the Bible bind our core beliefs to our carnal beings and that as new creatures in Christ, our relationship with Christ can only grow stronger.

You know that you know that you know is a form of the belt of truth we gird around our waist. It is founded on the Word of God and it, like a belt, holds us up, aligns our thinking, and helps us stand erect. Your very essence is knowing that our Lord knows us and we know Him.

Those of us who use this expression, wake up in the morning praising our Lord for another day’s journey, for keeping our family safe, for walking with us throughout the day, for protecting us from things seen and unseen, for breathing life into us, for directing our paths, and for giving us salvation and eternal life.

You know that you know that you know means the scriptures are living documents, they are God-breathed. God’s Word reigns supreme. And, as long as we know in our soul that we belong to the Almighty we can withstand the best of times and the worst of times because we live in the world and are not of this world. We will enjoy glory, victory, and safety.

In closing, You know that you know that you know illustrates a deep devotion to faith and the significance of unwavering belief in Jesus Christ. It highlights the comforting reliance on God’s protection and guidance, during peaceful moments and challenging times.

“…you have been raised with Christ…your life is now hidden with Christ in God…let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…” ~ excerpts, Colossians 3 NIV, Biblegateway.com.

Out of Your Hands

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There are times in our lives when life is just out of our hands, and we cannot anticipate, control, or direct the path away from the madness or malaise of life. Our path is out of our hands. We find ourselves lost, focusing on self, independent of God. But it is also the time we realize our dependence upon God is more than a thought or perspective. We are in a synaptic gap, and it is time to jump. How? We knowledge our dependence on our Lord and Savior and begin to focus more on Him than the problems. The jump requires complete faith in God’s outcome, whatever it is. Our dependence causes us to cry out to our Lord, and hand Him our situation, praying for Him to take over and lead us out into the light.

Christ pulling Peter out of the water

It is during these times we can be confident in knowing that God hears our prayers. He knew what we would go through long before He blew breath in our lives. He knew of our challenges, the directions we would take in life, straying off the path, the influences of others, poor choices, being in the wrong place at the wrong times, and thinking we are more than who we are.

“In this, you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:6-7‬ ‭ESV‬. https://bible.com/bible/59/1pe.1.6-7.ESV

Given His knowledge of our existence, which He created, we should look to Him for love, peace through the storm, direction, and support. His love is greater than the things of this world, and when we begin to see the bigger picture through His lens, we can see hope even when we can barely see a glimmer of light in the distance.

Our Lord always provides directions to bring us and our family members through. These challenges may not evaporate the moment we begin praying, but they are heard, and everything occurs within God’s timing. Sometimes that feels very harsh, but in looking back through the stories in the Bible, we see desperate people in desperate situations come through storms that many cannot imagine. The distortion is so great we cannot see beyond the chaos and confusion.

Biblemessages.com

The truth is, not all of our experiences are bright and cheery. There are seasons of gray, canceling out all of the colors on the color wheel of life. The reality is, that we are in a battle between good and evil, and not all things are bright and cheery. There is loss, devastation, annihilation, and setbacks, and yet we can hold fast because His people always bounce back according to His will and His ways. We survive the odds. He is the master of making ways out of no way. He brings light to darkness and quells the waves that well up in the storm.

“ The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.”

‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3:19-26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

RePost: Overcoming Insecurities, Next Steps, 2017

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This post is as relevant today as it was in 2017 or eons earlier. Most of us find ourselves questioning our worth, purpose, and abilities off and on throughout life.

Google Images. Kabir Singh

At times it can be overwhelming when you are pursuing God’s plan for your life. When God reveals His plan to you, it is usually beyond your current skill set or ability. It can also be beyond your level of education and outside of your financial budget. It will stretch you and challenge you to come out of your comfort zone and start becoming the person God desires for you to be.

Cloud of Fear and Insecurity. Pixabay.com

Sometimes this can leave us in a state of insecurity, as we have a tendency to feel small compared to the BIG plan that God has shown us. Yes, it can seem overwhelming at times, but you must understand and know that it’s not impossible and is in God’s Will for your life.

The key to overcoming your insecurities is to start trusting in God’s ability and not your feelings. When God called Gideon to raise up an army to defeat the enemy, Gideon was overwhelmed with feelings of insecurity. He thought for sure how could he be the one to do such a great thing. He came up with every excuse possible that stemmed from his own insecurity. I’m too poor. I’m too weak.

God didn’t leave Gideon in a state of insecurity and he won’t leave you there either. As you learn to trust in His Word and apply it to your life, you will begin to gain a level of confidence and courage that overrides any feelings of insecurity.

Remember that nothing great or extraordinary happens in your comfort zone. This means that you will have to break out of any insecurity mind-sets that you may have and start seeing yourself as God sees you. God sees you and a victor. He sees you as an overcomer. He sees you as a mighty person who is going to accomplish great things in life.

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Bible Verses to help overcome insecurity: Philippians 4: 6-7, Romans 5:1–2, 1 John 4:18, Matthew 6:25, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Romans 8:1–2, John 14:27, Ephesians 6: 10–14, Romans 12:2, 1 Samuel 16:7, 1 Timothy 6:17, Matthew 6:31-34, 1Peter 5:8, 1 John 2:15, Hebrews 4:12, Galatians 5:22–25, Ecclesiastes 3:1, Hebrews 11:1–40, Hebrews 12:1–29, 2 Timothy 2:1–26, 2 Peter 2:1–3:18

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Overcome insecurity-Christian Women Faith. By Whitney Hopler, Crosswalk.com, 10/31/17

7 Bible Verses to Help Overcome Insecurity. http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com. 10/31/17

Bible Verses About Insecurity. Bible study tools.com. 2/23/2021

Overcoming insecurity. Open Bible.info. 8/18/2022

The Bible solution for insecurity by Barbara Raveling. Barbraveling.com. Posted 9/23,2012

YcW. Log

A Prayer for All of Us

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Lord, we follow and we stray, help us to continue down your path looking forward as we travel through 2021.

~ Lisa Blair

Dear Lord,
So much is going on in our Nation; the COVID 19 virus is continuing to take lives and fill hospitals with little to no available beds. Our democracy is being stressed beyond our wildest thoughts. Our economy is suffering as the virus brings us to our knees. It is my prayer that while we are on our knees, we pray to you for forgiveness. I pray we, hi as a Nation, recognize you as our Lord and Savior, the only one that can save our Nation. Please save us of our sins, heal us (spiritually, emotionally, and physically), Lord, and help us put you first in our lives, forever seeking you in all conditions.

Lord, by your grace we entered the New Year, 2021. We are survivors. We are here! Let us proclaim you King above all kings and leaders. Let us surrender to your will, your way, and your life. Let us become more dependent upon you. Teach us to obey your Word. Please help us to heal historical wrongs against one another in the USA and abroad. Please help us save the earth and quit polluting and wasting valuable resources. Let us become a world of people seeking to help one another as you expect us to do, loving one another, helping those in need, and treating our neighbors as we want to be treated. Help us to be strong and courageous. Not to fear or be afraid of any outside forces. (Deut. 31:6 NIV)

Lord, do not allow us to return to the old norms that caused us to suffer from fractured relationships with you. Let us create new norms that are ensconced in your Word.

We are your handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which you have prepared us to accomplish. (Eph 2:10 NIV) Since we are in Christ, we are new creations in Christ. the old man is gone; we stand here new. (2 Corinth. 5:17 NIV)  

This is my prayer for 2021.

Images: Google Images

* Scriptures are paraphrased and personalized.

Do You Light the Way?

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When you enter a room, are you the light Christ expects others to see?

~ Lisa Blair

Posted on  by Lisa Blair

When you enter a room, are you the light Christ expects others to see?

LAB PHOTOS

We are summoned to be the Lord’s ambassadors, to share the Word, educate non-believers, and love everyone as Christ loves us. This is not an easy task if you fall subject to gossip, anger, spite, and jealousy. 

“The good works that we do in spirit and truth are not our own good works, for of ourselves we can do nothing that is worthy of God’s praise. The good work that we do is the new-life of Christ within us, that is working through us. It is the new, born-again life of Christ that we received when we were born from above, that carries out any good works that we do, so that others may see our good works and glorify our Father Who is in heaven.” 
(Let your light shine. Matt 5:16 @ daily verse.knowing-Jesus.com)

Good works are the attributes we display moment-by-moment, day-by-day. They are the essence of who we are in Christ. These traits harken back to the Fruit of the Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:22-25‬ ‭NLT

Do you reflect love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control throughout the day with everyone you come into contact with? Do you segregate who you will apply the Fruit with? For example, do you apply the Fruit with only family and friends, do you extend it to co-workers and others? Do you exclude people walking past you on the street, or people who are different than you culturally, racially or ethnically? Is it okay to display the traits to some and stereotypical hatred to the poor, beggars, nonbelievers, the elderly?

When Christ was nailed to the Cross, He took on our sin nature. Our passions and desires were nailed and crucified with Him. As Christians, we are now living by, for, and of the Spirit who dwells in us. Logically speaking, we should follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

I ask you, “does your light show through you, or are you veiled/cloaked/bound in your sinful nature”?

“The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Are you willing to live the sort of life that will deny you the Kingdom of God? This brings me back to yesterday’s post, The Lost Year. The world is changing and God is calling us to step out of our comfort zone, analyze who we are, and identify our sins towards others that allow us to set others apart as less equal, less desirable, and less worthy? Do you judge who is worthy to be counted as a brother or sister? Does your sin nature govern your life?

These questions are food for thought. I believe we all struggle to overcome our sin nature. It is the constant battleground we live on until Christ returns. Are you willing to deny your sin nature and be the light, or when Christ does return will He plainly say, 

“I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers!” Matthew 7:23, NIV

If you plan to become a prayer warrior or want to strengthen how you pray, following is a prayer I am attaching from Prayers That Avail Much, by Germaine Copeland to assist you in establishing prayer time. They just published the 40th Anniversary Copy. This and He Whispers My Name by Cherie Hill are great books to add to your Christian Book library.

One Suggestion – do not allow this opportunity to slip away. God knew we would enter this time, and I am certain His hope is that you will take advantage of it and spend more time with Him strengthening your relationship with Him. Only God knows our beginning and ending and everything in between. Jeremiah 33:3 NLT declares, ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do no know about things to come.

Sources: daily verse.knowing-Jesus.com; biblegateway.com; Prayers That Avail Much. Germaine Copeland; He Whispers My Name. Trusting God’s Love. Cherie Hill.

Images: LAB PHOTOS