I was going through a lot of emotions when my husband forgot to bring our daughter’s stroller during our outing where we would be walking for a while. This wasn’t necessarily a hard moment, but just an inconvenience that caused me to be upset especially hearing his response to my disappointment.

I gave in to my emotions but God later reminded me that I could have allowed thankfulness to overflow into that moment of frustration. He reminded me of the recent blessings He had opened for us and the most important blessing which is Jesus Himself. 

As I took time to give thanks and rejoice for His great love towards me, my annoyance left. My heart had no room for anger because thankfulness was overflowing.

Thankfulness has the power to bring you ease during hardships. It gives us the ability to see from God’s perspective and receive His supernatural joy. Whatever you may be facing, remember that Jesus has given you life to the abundance here and for eternity as you choose to live in Him (John 10:10).

Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.” There is no greater joy than the joy of our Salvation. There are many things we can rejoice in, but let us always rejoice IN the Lord. Our salvation in Jesus alone is great enough to stir joy and thanksgiving in our hearts through both the good and bad times.

Giving thanks during hard times is the last thing we want to do, but God calls us to give thanks in ALL circumstances (1 Thess. 5:18). When we give thanks, we posture our hearts to receive His supernatural joy in the midst of our pain or disappointment. 

Giving thanks postures our heart to see from His perspective and remember His great love that was shown through Jesus dying on the cross and perfecting us to have eternal life with Him. 

We may be living, but are we spiritually alive? Our body may be alive but outside of Jesus, our spirit is dead because only in Jesus can we have life because He is life. We were all born into sin, causing us to be in bondage and have eternal death, but God made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions (Ephesians 2:5).

This is the reality for everyone who accepts Jesus as their Savior and makes Him Lord over their life — we get to have an abundant life physically and spiritually on earth and for eternity.

May John 3:16 never lose its awe in our hearts: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

We also have the assurance that the life to come with Jesus will be a perfect place with no evil and pain. Revelation 21:4 says, “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Will you look to Jesus and give thanks no matter what you are facing today?

We are called to overflow with thankfulness. This means our thankfulness should be greater than any other thought and emotion we may have. The key to be thankful is to be rooted, built up, and strengthened in Jesus.

It’s impossible to have overflowing thankfulness in the midst of pain, anger, or disappointment, but with Jesus it is possible. 

As we look to Jesus as our source of love and joy and remember His great love for us, His love and joy will fill us. 

Let us never lose gratitude for what Jesus has done for us. In Him, we now have fulfillment, purpose, direction, love, and life. Will you look to Jesus daily and ask Him to establish you in His love?

So remember, overflowing thankfulness is possible with Jesus. 

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for what you did for us on the cross. Help us not to be ungrateful and be so caught up in our emotions that we forget the abundant life we have because of You. Even in difficult moments, may we always overflow with thankfulness. 

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Worry and joy can’t happen together. We are either living in worry or living in joy. Jesus promises to make our joy complete when we choose to keep His commands and remain in His love (John 15:11). As His beloved children who are living in Him, we have nothing to fear.

God has been blessing our business, however, I found myself constantly worrying whether we would have clients the following month. My husband has been amazing, but the fear that he may not be faithful in the future crept in.

Instead of being able to enjoy God’s blessings, I was left feeling anxious.

God was reminding me that the ability to enjoy our blessings is a gift from God, and very well a gift He wants me to enjoy every day. Ecclesiastes 5:19 says, “Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.” As I chose to trust God and not worry about tomorrow, I found that I could enjoy my blessings in the present moment.

Fear will always make us think of the worst scenarios that could happen to us. So how do we combat fear? By remembering that God is for us.

Because God is for us, what do we have to fear? God is the almighty God who has the power to protect us and do the impossible. Let us live each day remembering the God who is for us and who promises to never leave nor forsake us. He is our rock, fortress, and deliverer (Psalm 18:2).

What fears have you been pondering?

Don’t allow fear to take away your ability to enjoy each day that God has given. God wants you to enjoy life. It’s time we throw away fear and embrace the promises we have as children of God. Enjoying life and God’s faithfulness is our portion.

Psalms‬ ‭23:6‬ ‭says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life…”

As children of God, we have the assurance that God’s goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives, here on earth and in eternity. Instead of dwelling on negative thoughts, dwell on God’s truth. As we continue to look to Jesus as our shepherd, He will always guide us to the right paths where we will see His goodness and mercy in our lives.

God doesn’t call us to worry about life but to enjoy life.

Will you surrender those fears in God’s hands and trust that He has the best in store for you?

If we can learn to put aside our worries and instead trust God, we can enjoy life. God knows our needs and He is faithful to provide. Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for.”

Instead of thinking of the worst to come, give thanks and declare God’s goodness over your life. It’s time for us to live out who we are in Christ. Jesus has set us free from fear that we may live a life of faith and see God come through. So remember, you are called to enjoy life.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for the blessings and provisions You have placed in my life. Help me to put aside my worries and trust in Your faithfulness.

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Every dollar counts towards spreading God’s truth. Help us reach more lives with the gospel of Christ.

A friend of mine recently got a speeding ticket and was looking into using an online legal service that helps people refute their tickets. The first question she asked was, “Is this service 100% guaranteed that I’ll get my ticket refuted?”

Of course, she didn’t want to pay their service fee without knowing for sure her ticket would be refuted. Luckily for her, their service did include 100% guarantee or your money back.

If only life was like that. 

If only we could have 100% guarantee that we’ll always be financially stable, or that we will graduate with a good job lined up, or that our partner will always be faithful to us.

I’m sure there are more if only’s that can be added to this list.

For me, I was struggling with trusting God’s plan for my life. He was calling me into singleness, but fears started running in my life. “What if I become single my whole life? What if I never meet the one?”

I felt like I was walking into a life of insecurity as I did what God asked. I wanted 100% guarantee that I would have a blessed life if I followed and obeyed God.

But it was in that moment when God reminded me that I do have 100% guarantee that his ways are always good. God has a track record of never failing and always staying faithful.

Deuteronomy 7:9 says, “…He is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” We can be sure that we will have a prosperous life when we obey God.

God has never failed and will never fail.

The Bible contains thousands of promises that are guaranteed to be true to those who love him. To love God means to put him first before our feelings and desires. It means to follow God despite what we see and feel.

The great thing about following God is that we have 100% assurance that his ways are always the best for us. Psalm 18:32 says, “It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.” God’s ways will always lead us to a secure future. 

Don’t let the enemy lie to you and make you believe that God’s ways are insecure. God’s ways may feel insecure, but we must hold on to his promises as truth. John 10:10 reminds us, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” 

God promises to give us a life to the fullest, but it is the enemy who wants to pull us away from God’s blessings. The enemy will use fear to stop us from pursuing God’s will, but we must remember that only God’s way brings us security.

Will you put your trust in God’s faithfulness and follow him? Will you believe that God’s ways are always good and secure no matter what you see or feel?

No job, person, or circumstance can guarantee you anything in life. You can only hold on to God’s promises as truth and know he is faithful.

Be confident that all your needs will be met when you surrender your life to God. God loves you and wants to take care of you, but you must let him by surrendering your ways. Nothing in this world can give you security except for God. So remember, a life of security comes from God.

Prayer: Lord, I will trust in your ways no matter what I see. I know your promises are 100% guaranteed to those who love you. 

If I were to ask you what’s missing in your life, I’m almost positive that you will have at least one thing in mind.

Maybe for you, it’s “if I had the perfect spouse then I’ll be complete”. Or “if I can just get a good job that pays well then I’ll be good.” Or “if I can achieve that status then I’ll be settled.”

For me, my list could go on and on.

But once I had checked mark one thing on my list, another thing would be added to the list. It’s like an endless cycle of always feeling like I’m missing something.

Can you relate? 

For the longest time, I thought these things on my list could complete me. But God showed me that only He can complete me. I kept feeling like I was missing something because I was filling my missing piece with the wrong thing.

God is the missing piece to complete us. 

Our problem isn’t acknowledging that we are not complete, but knowing what will complete us. Lamentations 3:24 says, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.“ This verse reminds us that God is our portion – He is our missing piece to complete our soul.

A portion is a part of a whole. God is the part we are missing to make us whole. Not a successful career. Not a spouse. Nothing but God can make us whole.

What have you been trying to fill your emptiness with? What’s holding you back from experiencing God’s fullness? Will you seek God and make him your portion? 

We can rest knowing when we put our hope in God, he will never fail us. He is good and will never leave us empty but filled. Lamentations 3:25 says, “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.”

Will you look to God and nowhere else to fill the emptiness inside of you? Don’t let the enemy lie and tell you that anything else but God can fill you. Chasing anything other than God will leave you weary and wanting more.

God is better than any other desire you have in your heart. It doesn’t mean that God will not fulfill the desires of your heart, but he wants you to learn to delight in him first. 

Psalms 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” We must understand that God is what we need, and everything else are desires. Once we have this truth down, God will allow all our other desires to fall into place. So remember, God is the missing piece to your life. 

Prayer: Lord, you are my portion, the missing piece to complete my soul.

Many times we look for joy through our circumstances or people, but that’s the very reason why we find it hard to have joy. Joy becomes unattainable when we rely on it from others or our circumstances because people will fail us and life is not always perfect.

Life will have its ups and downs, but that shouldn’t determine whether or not we have joy. Joy doesn’t come from our circumstances, but from God alone.

Joy will always fill our hearts when we look for it in God. 

God himself clothes us with his joy. The enemy can only steal our joy if we let him. Psalm 30:11 says, “You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.”

God has the ability to take away our mourning and replace it with a spirit of joy and dancing. No matter how bad your circumstances may be, you can always have God’s joy in you. While joy may seem impossible to attain during your darkest storms, it is possible with God.

Don’t let your circumstances tell you that you can’t go through your storms without joy.

Joy is attainable anytime and anywhere with God. 

Our joy can never be taken away from us because God will never fail us. God’s promises hold true and when we are living in his will, we can be sure that he will use our struggles for His glory and our good.

Psalm 89:33 is God’s promise to you, which says, “I will not take my love away, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.” God’s love for you will never fail and he is always faithful. When you rely on God’s promises you will always find his never-ending joy.

God’s plan is for you is to have a life full of joy and not sorrow. Although you will go through seasons of hardships and struggles, you can rest knowing that God’s plan for you is good even when things look bad. Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Seek God’s presence in the midst of your struggles and you will find yourself filled with his joy. God’s presence always follows with his joy. So remember, joy is attainable.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that despite the circumstances I face, I can always find joy in you. 

We live in a world that demands us to fit in and find where we belong – to choose our own destiny and purpose. But the truth is, you weren’t born to create your own purpose, rather you were born with a purpose.

You were chosen and handpicked by God for a unique purpose that only you were made to fulfill. 

It can be easy to spend our lives feeling depressed that we didn’t get accepted to that job we’ve dreamed of being a part of or how we can’t seem to fit in with certain groups of people. However, we must remember that we have already been chosen by the most high God and that is enough.

Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before you were in your mother’s womb, I chose you. I set you apart for a special work.” God made each of us with a unique purpose in mind. Being chosen by God is far greater than being chosen by anything else in this world. Nothing in this world can give you purpose because God made you. God knows how you’re wired, and he knows what’s best for you.

Being chosen by God is an honor that surpasses all. 

I grew up in college feeling quite depressed that I never got my dream job.

Interview after interview, I thought I was getting closer to grasping my dream job and fulfilling what I called at the time was my purpose. But when I didn’t get accepted to these companies, I lost my sense of purpose in life. I became weary and depressed because what I failed to realize at the time was that I was trying to chase a purpose that wasn’t made for me.

I was trying to fit into different jobs that the world made and calling it my own purpose. I finally realized that my purpose was made by God’s hand – not by my hands or the world, but by my heavenly father who made me.

Fast forward to today, I thank God that no matter how far I was from God, he still pursued me with love and chose me to be the steward and founder of Living Revelations ministry. I’m still in awe that such a mighty God would choose me to be his servant and messenger of his beautiful word.

Just as God chose me, he also chooses you. God has chosen you for your own unique purpose and has set you apart for a special work that only you were made to do.

No matter how far you’ve gone from God, he is still calling you to be his own. Isaiah 41:9 says, “I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, you are my servant; I have chosen you and not rejected you.”

Have you found your purpose and calling from God? If you’re still trying to figure out what your purpose is in life, don’t look to the world but look to God. God has a plan for your life and he has chosen you to serve him and to touch lives in your own unique way. Live today knowing you are chosen by the most high God. So remember, you are chosen.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that you have chosen me for a special work within your plans. 

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1. His joy last forever. 

Unlike other joys in this world that only fill us temporarily, God’s joy last forever. When we go shopping and buy a new bag or product, it feels good. But eventually, we’ll lose that “joyful” feeling and will be left with wanting more. God’s joy, however fills us and leaves us with a satisfaction that lasts forever.

John 4:13-14 says, “Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst…” God’s joy will leave us so satisfied that we will desire nothing else but him. 

We will no longer be thirsty for the things of this world when we taste the living water that comes from Jesus.

2. His joy never fails.

God’s joy will never disappoint us. Many of the things we look for in this world will leave us disappointed, but God’s joy never will. God’s joy will always meet above our expectations, leaving us overwhelmed. Isaiah 61:20 says, “I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God.” When God gives, he gives his all and best. 

God’s joy will always leave us overwhelmed. 

3. His joy was made for us. 

God’s joy was made to meet our specific needs anytime and anywhere. When we’re feeling anxious, his joy fill us with peace (Psalm 94:19 “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.“). When we’re feeling lonely, his joy fills us with his presence (Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence..“). When we’re feeling sad, his joy brings us comfort (Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.“).

God’s joy will meet our needs anytime and anywhere. 

God’s joy was made specifically for you. Nothing in this world can bring you perfect joy except God. The things in this world that bring you happiness are human made, but God’s joy comes from your heavenly father who made you and knows exactly what you need.

Have you experienced God’s joy? If you haven’t, invite God into your heart and allow him to take you deeper into his presence and will. You will find joy in God that you cannot find anywhere else. God wants you to experience his unspeakable joy for you. A Joy that surpasses all is only found in God. So remember, God’s joy is different from others.

I’ve grown up most of my life being very self-conscious of the way I looked. I might have been perceived as confident and bold on the outside, but on the inside, I was hiding my insecurities behind the makeup and fashionable clothes I would wear.

I would look at myself every day and wished I would be like that girl who had a better chin, or that girl who had a better smile, and the list of my hated features would continue on and on. I spent most of my days fretting over how to be more beautiful or how I could be perceived as more confident.

But no matter how much makeup I would put or how many cute outfits I would wear, at the end of the day, I still found my same shy and insecure self.

One truth that finally set me free from the lies that were in my head was when I read Psalm 139:13-14 which says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful..”

More makeup didn’t solve my insecurities, but it was in knowing that a perfect and loving God made me. You are the creation of the most high God, the best maker out there. He created your inmost being – every inch of you was made to perfection. You are God’s best work, his masterpiece.

What you see as imperfections are God’s perfections. 

When you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you see? Do you see imperfections or perfections? Do you see yourself as a mess-up or a masterpiece? We can be our own worst enemies, nit-picking every little detail that we hate about ourselves. But do you know who made those very little details that you call as imperfections?

A perfect and loving God.

None of us would dare bash the work of the best artist in the world, then how much more should we look down on God’s creation? When we look down at ourselves, we are looking down at God’s beautiful work in us.

You are God’s masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10) – don’t let your view of imperfections tell you otherwise. The enemy will try to use your beauty against you, but remember that God created you to embrace your beauty, not to chase after it.

Don’t waste away your efforts chasing after the beauty that is already in you. God’s works are all wonderful and beautiful, which includes you. Don’t let the world define your beauty because God has already defined the beauty in you. So remember, you are a masterpiece.

Prayer: Lord, help me to love myself, knowing that your beautiful hands have made me into who I am today.

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There I was laying on my bed, crying endlessly. I’d stop crying for a couple of minutes, but then the thought of the hurt would come back again and force more tears out of me.

How could such a good and loving person that I depended on lead me to where I was? Instead of that person leaving me stronger, I found myself weaker with no joy at all. I prayed and asked God for words that would heal my wounded heart. It was at that moment when I heard the words “the joy of the Lord is your strength”.

What a beautiful truth that was. A truth that I desperately needed and maybe a truth that you need to hear as well.

Maybe you’ve found yourself pondering at the thought of why good things in this world just don’t seem to leave you stronger or fill you with joy. When we rely on things of this world to be our source of joy, it robs us of the very joy we wanted in this first place. Only God’s joy can strengthen us through the imperfections of people and life.

This world was made to rob our joy, but the Lord was made to fill our joy. 

Nehemiah 8:10 says, “…This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” God knew that this world would only rob us of all joy and peace, which is why he reminds us to rely on his joy as our strength. God’s joy will never fail and will always leave us stronger.

Immerse yourself in God’s truth and presence during your broken times and you will find yourself filled with joy that will only leave you stronger. God’s joy has the power to move us beyond our pains, worries, doubts, and fears.

God made this day for you to see his beauty and be filled with joy. He didn’t make this day for you to be filled with sorrow and hurt. Psalms 118:24 says, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Don’t let satan rob you of the joy that God originally intended for you to experience this day. Rejoice because the Lord has given you this day to glorify him.

Do you find yourself being robbed of joy? If the answer is yes, then ask yourself, where are you drawing your strength from? Who are you relying on for joy? If the answer isn’t God, then know that whatever you are depending on will leave you with temporary joy. You will find yourself chasing after joy when God intended for his joy to chase after you.

Chasing after joy will not leave you stronger, but rather tired and weak. That’s where I found myself at – chasing after joy through the things of this world. However, God never intended for us to chase after joy, but to be constantly filled with his joy. God loves us and desires to pour out his joy on us. Don’t let anything rob you of the joy of today that the Lord has made. So remember, the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Anxiety. Frustration. Anger. Those were the 3 things I found myself juggling with throughout the whole day. It was a busy week for me at work with many projects and deadlines coming up, and on top of that, I also had to prepare for my first Living Revelations booth at a conference that was coming up at the end of the week.

The whole day I was complaining in my mind with how much work I had to do and kept repeating in my head that everything wasn’t going to get finished in time. There, my road to anxiety started. From anxiety, I then became frustrated because things were not getting done the way I wanted it to be. Soon enough, my frustration grew to anger because someone who I had been working with started annoying me and nitpicking my work.

When the day finally ended, I found myself restless and weak.

I decided to open my devotional and spend some time with God. The first thing I read from my devotional was, “Our mind has the potential to take us away from where God wants us to be.” It was at that moment when I realized that my current state of being weak and restless was not part of God’s plan.

Yes, God had opened doors for me to have a busy job for me to learn from and the opportunity to share my passion and calling through my blog, but none of that was created to leave me feeling frustrated, angry, and worried.

Anxiety and frustration never come from God. I fed my own mind with negativity that led me to that state of restlessness. What we feed our mind with has the power to impact our actions and state of being. Everything starts from our mind. A simple secret thought may seem powerless, but it has the power to take control of our whole body.

Our thoughts are what set our direction, and if we want to walk in the direction that God has set before us, we must feed our minds with the word of God and not with the negative thoughts that come from this world.

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may test and approve of God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” The only way to see God’s beautiful ways in our situations is by renewing our mind so that we can see from His perspective, and not our own. We can’t always change our situation, but we can always change our perspective. 

To renew your mind will require you to feed your mind with good food, the word of God. What you feed your mind will determine the health of your emotional and spiritual state. Just as eating junk food will make you feel sick, so will feeding your minds with negative thoughts. To be strong you must eat healthily, and to have a healthy mind will require you to feed it healthy thoughts.

Feeding your mind with God’s truth will keep you strong. 

We all want to be happy and full of joy, so how do we become this in a world that was made to suck out all of our energy? By feeding our mind with healthy thoughts. Philippians 4:8 says, “..whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think of such things.” What we feed into our minds will either eat us up or fill us up. Which thoughts will you choose to keep in your mind?

Do you find yourself stuck with anxiety, anger, worry, or depression? If yes, then maybe it’s time to feed your mind with God’s truth. Don’t let Satan lie to you and tell you that there’s no way of escaping these emotions in an unstable world because there is a way of escape, and it is only through the word of God. The fact that God loves you and has the best for you is enough to take you through the struggles with joy. So remember, what are you feeding your mind with?