God Ideas

The grace that I receive today is enough, more than enough in fact for the many reasons and things that I will need grace for today. Today’s grace fits today’s needs. I do not have to carry leftover grace from yesterday and make it fit today’s needs. Yesterday’s grace was a perfect fit to cover yesterday’s needs and at midnight it expired and made way for today’s grace that will be a perfect fit for today’s needs.

God knows in advance where I will need grace. He knows who will irritate me to the point where only His grace will stop me from a bad reaction . He knows what will exhaust me and His grace provides the antidote for that exhaustion . He knows every weakness that will try to exalt itself above the knowledge of who He is in me and He’s got that covered too. Every area and every reason that I could possibly need grace today has a ‘grace cover’ designed perfectly, thoughtfully, intentionally and specifically for it.

As we begin a new day at 00:01 each morning the Grace is ready for us. There is no need to look anywhere else, to any “fix” to get us through, to any addiction or unhealthy habit to sustain us through our tough moments. We often use these as our excuses for self sabotage. Today I want to let you know that you can throw that crooked crutch away and lean on the Grace that is waiting for you. Your self made crutches won’t hold you for long. Those are designed to last just until the next stronger one is needed. We go from crutch to crutch, each time requiring more and more support from dangerous sources.

The crutch that God has for you will strengthen you and sustain you. It will not take your dignity or livelihood away from you. It will not lead you down a path of humiliation and destruction, brokeness or lack. It will fill you up and keep you full. It will build reinforcements in areas of your life where weakness and erosion have set in. It will bring peace, perfect God given peace that makes absolutely no sense to us. It will allow the joy of living to seep back in to dark corners of your heart that have been in lockdown for so long .

The only thing you have to do is stretch out your hand and your heart and accept this gift, this Grace that is being given to you. For today. For tomorrow. For eternity. Every day, fresh and new. For you.

“But he answered me, “My grace is always more than enough for you, and my power finds its full expression through your weakness.” So I will celebrate my weaknesses, for when I’m weak I sense more deeply the mighty power of Christ living in me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 TPT

“Let us have confidence, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it.”

Hebrews 4:16 GNB

Everyone relates to God on a different level and in a different way. Each one of us who truly love Him and follow Him will also have our own individual ways of knowing Him and walking with Him. These demonstrate our own characters and personalities. Serving Christ does not have a one size that fits all. Just as every relationship is different, enjoys different activities, speaks differently, connects through different things and treasures time spent in different ways so our relationships with Jesus differ with each and every follower of His.

Recently I was added to a group of believers on WhatsApp – none of whom I was familiar with . After a day of being in the group, I realized I was completely out of my depth. After removing myself from the group, I questioned God about my own inability to relate to what was being posted. Was I just plain dumb? Perhaps I was really way less informed about the things of God that I really did not get half of what was being said!

After a while I really felt that still small voice saying this: I am loved and treasured , not measured against anyone else . My relationship with God is so unique and unlike any other relationship that He has with anybody else.

The posts in the group were from people who like me, love Him but like me, also have their own unique way of relating to Him.

Their walk with Him is pure and beautiful but so unlike mine in so many ways – not better but equally beautiful in its own way.

I guess what I’m trying to say here is that we can waste so much time looking at other people and how well they are doing in so many areas of life. Career, fitness levels, relationship, ministry and their faith.

STOP looking over the fence and comparing yourself- both unfavorably and favorably!

Enjoy the areas of your life that are working for you and improve on those that aren’t. For YOU.

And your relationship with God? That’s one that can only get better and better in the same way that any human relationship gets better – time, effort and love .Lots of love ! This one was built to last for eternity, so grow it, nurture it and remember He is the only one who will never let you down!

All things can be temporary except this – it began before you were even born and will continue long after you’ve left this earth. Build it in your own unique way , enjoy it by being YOU and delight yourself in watching it grow …. just you and Him – on your side of the fence!

So many empty spaces that we choose to ignore inside our souls . It’s not hard, after all, they don’t feel as empty as they are because we stuff them full of everything that we can find. These things don’t really satisfy or fulfill but they give a pretty good impression of fulfillment. They don’t quite reach all those little corners and spaces in between, but then again who’s really looking that closely? We look like people that have all our ducks in a row, all our 💩 together and that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?

Is it though??

What happens when an item of “stuffing” lets us down? We just grab something else and shove it in there. Looks good, will feel good as long I don’t feel too deeply.

Sooner or later each and everything we use as stuffing will rot, go elsewhere, choose someone else or just no longer work.

This isn’t a case of fake it till you make it! We have one life and it gets shorter by the day. We know what will fill, satisfy and quench every empty, thirsty, lonely and haunted space inside our very souls. One thing, once off, forevermore .

Allow the Holy Spirit to clean out that attic, to throw away all that no longer fits, benefits or sustains you. Let them go, walk away and allow the Love that has never looked away to seep into every hollow, every nook and cranny and every dark corner to fill, light up and SATISY you!

Then and only then will you be whole. Completedly, eventually and for always.

“Now may God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope!”

Romans 15:13 TPT

https://www.bible.com/bible/1849/rom.15.13.tpt

When I was a child I would be wrapped around my dads legs looking up in fear at whoever or whatever I was afraid of . My dad was the strong tower that I leant into and held onto with all my might .

He was the conquerer of everything that frightened me .

I was in the unfortunate position of being small and therefore everything and everyone that I feared was bigger than me. I looked UP at “monsters” !

It’s all about perspective or the angle from which we view things.

I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of a person “ holding “ a famous landmark in their hands . Perhaps you’ve even taken one yourself of you or a friend with the Louvre / Taj Mahal/ Eiffel Tower between your fingers . The idea is to stand at a certain angle that makes the landmark appear small in comparison to the person in the photo . It’s the perspective that allows this to look as real as it does . Perspective is so objective and can seem so real from where you are standing . It’s our point of view – or the point from where we are viewing !

So here’s what I realized about my perspective . I look up and I see the sun . If a cloud covers the sun, the sun has not gone away but is merely out of my view because of the cloud. The sun is not any less there because a cloud has covered it up ! Nor is it any less powerful because of the cloud . The cloud changes our view of the sun but the sun hasn’t changed !

When I look up to God with hope and faith, the fear of the unknown can sometimes be like that cloud preventing me from seeing the Son . The Son has not moved or become any less powerful because of my distorted view of Him !

The fears of this virus, the economical implications and the financial ruin of so many families around me can cloud my vision and appear bigger than God . What I see is this “thing “above me – but God is above this “thing”! This virus and all the disasters that it’s causing are BELOW Him . He is above ALL things – viruses included ! If God is really Lord over all then He looks down on Covid-19 and all that it signifies ! We have to keep looking UP and PAST this “thing” that tries to block our view and prevents us from keeping our eyes fixed on Him .

We might feel smaller than this global disaster but remember that this global disaster is so much smaller than our Father .

Why be afraid of something bigger than you that is so much smaller than a God who loves you ?

Put your faith in the One who stands higher than any power or threat and keep your eyes locked to the eyes that look down in love at you !

“The men in the boat were amazed and said, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him.””

Matthew 8:27 CEVDCI

https://www.bible.com/bible/303/mat.8.27.cevdci

“Make your motions and cast your votes, but GOD has the final say.”

Proverbs 16:33 MSG

https://www.bible.com/bible/97/pro.16.33.msg

“Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.”

Isaiah 46:9-10 NLT

https://www.bible.com/bible/116/isa.46.9-10.nlt

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

The news is full of the disaster happening all around us-CNN is a constant source of information ,updating us minute by minute of the amount of Covid19 deaths and infected people across the globe. It’s not a bad idea to be informed but to be consumed is not helpful either .

Every news channel informs us of the economic catastrophe across the globe, hospitals that are under staffed and have no available beds. The restaurant and entertainment industry in South Africa has been all but demolished . Report after report after report is negative and depressing .

What will we do? Where can we run to? How will we survive?

We are literally gorging ourselves on Corona updates – indulging in a feeding frenzy of destruction and negativity. Where is the good news? There is none. At least not in the places where we are looking or with the people we are exchanging stories and comparing hopelessness with .

Please count the amount of WhatsApp messages of doom and gloom you have received over the past week. Then count the encouraging and uplifting messages that have been received on those WhatsApp groups.

Where is the good news?

I’v been looking for it in the only available source -The Word of God. I promise you that if you start reading, you will find hundreds of encouraging promises . Those are for you!

Start reading and then passing on these words of encouragement . Start to speak life!

You’ve heard that it takes only one match to start a raging forest fire .Be that match!

I know how negative conversation can be a wonderful source of entertainment – seriously – how hard is it to step away from a juicy tale of gossip being told? It’s the same with any form of chatter that feeds our need for disaster updates . It’s as if our heads can turn away -just enough to look spiritual 😇, yet not enough that our ears can’t hear- but our feet are stuck in the cement of regurgitated verbal vomit 🤮 from the mouths of our fellow sufferers.

Have you ever allowed yourself a bite of Red Velvet cake, chewed it and then made yourself spit it out so that you get the taste without the calories? That’s what it feels like to walk away from an unfinished story. And besides, if we are the tellers of the story , we have an audience of eager ears lapping up our every word ! How many would stay if I was reciting Psalm 91 to them ??🧐

So if you can’t get your social (distanced!) circle interested in what God says,why don’t you start with yourself? Start feeding your own mind and heart with what God says, what God IS saying today.

We have no idea just how powerful our words are to those who are listening and especially to ourselves . If we feed on negativity we will surely get fat on negativity. If we feed on Gods word, we will become well fed and satisfied with that.

The Bible is very clear on the power of our words. Take note of the scriptures below and consider adapting your words .

Start speaking LIFE! Start spreading LIFE and start believing in LIFE today !

Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips.

Psalm 141:3

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:21

SHOUT for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

Psalm 100:1

The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Proverbs 12:26

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

Psalm 19:4

I don’t think there is a person on this planet over the age of 5 who has not heard of there Coronavirus, otherwise known as Covid19. It has become the main subject of every Instagram post, every WhatsApp message , every email and every conversation.

Affection has been removed from relationships , half faces hidden behind masks stare at me and mass hysteria has ensured that grocery stores are empty or quickly running out of basic items such as toilet paper.

As I look at the scenes of panic and doom around me that resemble a Hollywood movie about the Apocolypse, I have to ask myself if the world has gone mad or if I am missing something!

In the midst of this very dark and impenetrable cloud hovering over the earth, the words and promises of God shine like a chasm of light breaking through the horror of Corona and offering another perspective – that of the knowledge of the Creator.

It is easy to think that God is gobsmacked, horrified, dumbfounded or even surprised at what is being considered the pandemic of the century. We are all of those things and more . But God ? I don’t think that it has even crossed His mind to worry about something that He always knew would come, that He knows the end from the beginning of and that He is Lord over .

As an army trains for battle with very well thought out exercises and great planning, we need to train our minds to overcome the fear and anxiety that is being given way too much airtime in our world.

When you get new glasses they are sometimes a strain on the eyes . Over time they become the only thing that helps us to see clearly and after a few days they feel like an extended part of our own face. We see clearly because we discipline ourselves to wear them . When we train our minds to focus on Gods promises, they soon become the filter through which we view the words and messages echoing around us . It’s all about discipline and planning to achieve the outcome we want.

If I focus on Him, I will read and hear what He says over the voices that tell me that I am going to be swallowed up by Corona, businesses will all go bankrupt and the world will end with this disease. I am not being ignorant but rather choosing not to dwell in fear and negativity.

Covid19 is real. It has spread rapidly and it is wise to take precautions. Those are all facts. What is a lie however it that this is the end, that complete isolation and terror is the way to live and the biggest lie of all – God sent this to punish us and to combat

over-population .

I’m sure that if you have any knowledge of the Bible you will know the story of Peter being called by Jesus to walk on the water. He got out of the boat with confidence in his Lord. Once his feet were wet , he made the mistake of looking down at the rough waters or at his circumstances . The waters were raging , he was outside of the boat and the waves were capable of swallowing him up. In other words, he was screwed!

His mistake was to change his stance from the trusting follower of Jesus to a crazy person trying to walk on water! His focus changed and as they did, he began to sink.

Your focus today may be the devastating economic situation, the hopelessness of a virus sweeping across the earth with no known cure or even the lack of toilet paper in your bathroom.

What if you began a spiritual Bootcamp and started to train your hands and eyes for this battle ? Decide today to be INTENTIONAL about what you listen to and believe. There are a lot of opinions out there – let Gods word be the overwhelming authority on the subject of the Corona virus . Search for truth and then use it as a shield to cover your ears and your heart.

Yesterday I was at the airport and I saw a guy with a mask on and over that he was wearing a

see-through welding mask. I thought that was an excellent analogy of how we can use worldly wisdom covered by Godly wisdom !

So today – put on the mask if you feel the need to , but cover it with the wisdom and knowledge of God. What have you got to lose?

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

Proverbs 18:10

The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121:7-8

This world’s wisdom is foolishness to God. As it’s written, He catches the wise in their cleverness.

1 Corinthians 3:19

You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.

Psalm 139:5

I will bring the blind by a way that they don’t know; in paths that they don’t know will I lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things will I do, and I will not forsake them.

Isaiah 42:16

I will find my rest in God alone. He is the One who gives me hope.

Psalm 62:5

In hard times, they’ll hold their heads high; when the shelves are bare, they’ll be full.

Psalm 37:19

As long as you’re happy . Happiness is all that’s important. I just want my kids to be happy. Happy wife, happy life. H-A-P-P-Y. Sing it, say it, live it. Believe in it. As long as happiness makes the world go round we will be on a stop – start merry go round for the rest of our lives.

We read about ways to be happy, how to make your spouse happy, 10 different ways to ensure your child’s happiness. It really seems as though without happiness life would suck!

What makes a person happy? For each of us it’s a different thing, circumstance, hobby or pastime. Happiness always depends on what is happening outside of us.

Wholeness is what happens inside of us. It’s a condition of the soul. Wholeness brings peace deep down inside, a state of wellbeing that has nothing to do with what we have or what we are doing. Wholeness comes from being complete, regardless of your circumstances. The dictionary definition of wholeness is ” a state of forming a complete and harmonious whole ; unity”. Another definition is “the state of being unbroken or undamaged.

Circumstances change all the time. Life breaks us and situations can threaten to suffocate our happiness, but if we are whole on the inside, that wholeness counteracts the outside stuff. We can only deal with our baggage if we are whole. If I am empty inside and I rely solely on what comes at me from the outside to fulfill me, I will constantly be in a state of expectation of my next fix. If I am whole on the inside, the sense of fulfillment is a constant and not reliant on anything external to keep it steady.

I don’t think Gods intention towards us has ever been happiness. Wholeness on the other hand is a condition experienced when we rely on Him and not our experiences to keep us going.

Burnout, exhaustion and depression often manifest in a person who is running from experiences to hobbies to friendships to keep busy and distracted.

When the lights go down and the tv is off, what direction do your thoughts go in?

If you are always planning your next round of entertainment then perhaps it’s time to seek wholeness and to stop chasing after constant happiness. A slice of cake can make me happy but an hour after the cake has gone down and I’m hungry again, the happiness of the experience has left the building and I’m looking for my next thing to make me happy.

Think of a beautifully wrapped Easter egg. The paper is shiny and brightly colored. Beneath the paper is a dull brown egg. As soon as you squash the egg it collapses because it’s hollow and the chocolate is thin. There is not much substance ( sadly though the calorie count is still high 😢) . Happiness only lasts as long as the experience that’s making you happy. Either that or as long as the tablet you took is effective.

Wholeness lasts a lifetime and is constant even when life wants to break us, and trust me, there will always be things that will do just that! Looking after your heart is godly wisdom – having a healthy heart is wholeness.

The best way of moving towards a whole and healthy heart is the painful step of self examination. What are you holding onto that is holding you back? What are you responsible for that you’re blaming others for? What habits do you have that restrict your life instead of enlarging it? What do you know of in your life, your mind and your social circle that is keeping you small or holding you captive? Take stock, write down an honest list of these things. Include the things that you really do not want to give up even though you know you should – those things, habits, friendships that you think you cannot live without even though living with them is toxic….. not easy, right ?

Joy is a byproduct of wholeness . Joy is not happiness but rather a state of being.

I would rather be filled with joy coming from a whole heart and soul than flitting from one thing to another trying to be happy all the time – quite frankly I do not have the energy to chase after temporary things that bring temporary relief to a hollow heart.

Purpose is another byproduct of wholeness. When we recognize our purpose we can overcome the mountains in the path in front of us. Vision is a beautiful thing that allows us to have a point of reference even when the lights go off and we cannot see ahead of us. There are so many examples of heroes that have seen the vision of where they were headed and ploughed on through the circumstances to get there. The circumstances did not magically disappear. The vision did not change because it was tough either. Heroes are heroes because they persevere. Isn’t it odd that the most whole people we know are often the ones who have been broken the most?

Brokeness and hardships were the cause of their steadfastness and the thing that drove them to complete their purpose. If they were looking only at being happy, the world would have missed out on their greatness and what it gave us. Imagine if Nelson Mandela was only focused on being happy? I shudder to think of where South Africa would be today if he hadn’t used his brokeness to overcome hatred and disfunction.

Can I challenge you to see happiness for what it is and to reach rather for the ultimate goal of wholeness? Life is as fleeting as what happiness offers but being whole will satisfy you deep down and grow a version of you that you never imagined possible!

“So receive my correction no matter how hard it is to swallow, for wisdom will snap you back into place— her words will be invigorating life to you.

So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4:13, 23‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Wealth and attributes. Successes and possessions.

Accolades and reputations.

Social standing and image…

Just some of the things that we stack up and then stand next to with our arm stretched out displaying our

“ trophies “ – these are reasons that we do not need God! We are big and mighty in our own eyes and all that we are and have achieved is because of who we are and what we have done.

When these things come crashing down like dominoes the need for a Savior is laid bare and it’s a painful realization, not a grace-filled one that we could have had without our stack falling over if we had only been wise and sensitive to the quiet voice calling us…

We have mistaken our false sense of humility ( the one where we tilt our head down to the side and blush a bit when we are applauded ...#blessed) as godliness and gratitude but it’s nothing more than a plastic mask covering up a heart that has hardened towards God and turned away from Him. True humility welcomes the searching gaze of the Holy Spirit and accepts the gentle correction and leading back to a path of holiness whilst still being successful and profitable.

Sadly the only One who actually can see the future and who knows the way path without guessing is the One who we hold up that arrogant sign to – ACCESS DENIED!

Imagine partnering with the One who holds the world in His hand and who placed the stars in the sky.

It only takes a single word – either YES or NO.

You choose, you accept the consequences.

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;”

Deuteronomy 30:19 NKJV

When my youngest child was about 3 she went to swimming lessons and before long she was able to swim across the pool .

She started off wearing a belt type contraption around her torso loaded with 3 floating devices . Before long those 3 became 2 , then one and finally the big day arrived where she just had the belt around her .

The teacher tried to persuade her to swim without the belt after she had gone across the pool a few times but in her mind it was a “ magic belt “ that enabled her to swim. She was convinced that without the belt she would not be able to .

The clever teacher got her halfway across the pool and unclipped the belt without her realizing – Lo and behold she continued to swim ,blissfully unaware that the magical device was no longer attached .

She had no faith in her own ability to swim even though she was completedly capable of swimming She placed all her faith in the “ magic belt “ and not in herself .

How often do we stand on the sidelines unable to join in because we have no confidence in our ability to fit in ,be enough , keep up or measure up to those around us .

I’ve often seen kids choosing to sit on the pool step while watching longingly as their friends splashed around having fun. Their lack of confidence was what kept them stuck there not an inability to swim .

Can you see how wrong perceptions of ourselves are our strongest chains of captivity ? Courage to step out , to get up again, to try a new thing , to grab hold of the unknown and conquer it – that’s the kind of courage I want to have !

I’ve seen grown men and women wearing the same fashions and hairstyles that they wore in the 70’s because of fear of stepping into the 21st century . The familiarity of what worked decades ago makes them feel safe and as beautiful as they did 50 years ago . Pity that this is often not the case !

Staying small will eventually suffocate any potential that you have – and believe me , we ALL have huge potential to grow and be fruitful beyond our expectations. The difference between those who prosper and those who don’t is courage .

Fear will always keep you ineffective and stagnant . The saying “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t” is an excuse often used by people who lack the courage to try new things . Failure is a huge obstacle for many of us .

In her book How to Fail, Elizabeth Day says that failure is a staging post to success rather than an end point. She goes on to write that without failure , success is basically impossible . Once you learn how to fail , you can go out in life and really take risks .

So why are we so afraid to fail ? Without failure we cannot learn . Failure is not an adjective that can be plastered to your forehead ! Failure is a something that can teach you how to persist until you come up with a better and more effective way to do something .

On your death bed you won’t reminisce about how sweet and safe your small dark corner was but you may well regret all the dreams that you never made realities because you were too afraid.

It’s easy to convince ourselves that small is good and that we are actually happy looking out from under the lid of our box at those walking tall and free on the outside .

Joyce Meyer often says that if fear keeps you from doing something – do it afraid !

Nelson Mandela said “ I’ve learnt that courage is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it . The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid but he who conquers that fear “

What is beyond your pool step that you’re standing looking at today ? Can I encourage you to loosen that magic belt and dive in to a possible failure that might lead you to one of your greatest successes ?

At the very least that dive may lead you on a path to freedom , set free from those chains of fear and mediocrity .

Whether you sink or swim you will be closer to your God- designed success than you were sitting on your pool step .

“You will listen, O LORD, to the prayers of the lowly; you will give them courage.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭10:17‬ ‭GNB‬‬

LOOK UP.

Just LOOK UP for goodness sake !

LOOK UP and see that God thinks you’re awesome !

See that He has purpose and vision for you that may look different to your perfect picture ,that you will sometimes not understand and that’s ok.

Find your identity, purpose, joy and reason to live in Him and He will show you great and unsearchable things that you did not know .

Taste grace.

Reach out and touch forgiveness .

Crave joy.

Let go of YOU!

Just float on a pool of His love , eyes closed , arms stretched out and experience the exhilaration of being His beloved child.

Embrace the freedom of imperfection .

For a moment , just be.