I AM HERE TO ENCOURAGE YOU

To anyone reading this - (you know you are probably the only one) - I am here to encourage you.

Life sucks and then you die - right? Wrong. Life doesn't have to suck. Life can be full of promise if you let it.

Jesus came that you might have LIFE and that you might have it more ABUNDANTLY. So why aren't you living the Abundant life?

What is it we do wrong?

Well, first of all, we don't acknowledge God in everything we do. We should be living our life with Jesus as our closest friend. Everything we do each day should include Jesus. He is closer than a brother or sister. He is the best friend you could ever have.

Does that mean you wouldn't have problems in your life? No, absolutely not. Jesus said we will have trouble and persecutions - BUT - He also promises that he will never leave us or forsake us.

No matter what we are going through, Jesus is there with us. He will give us the strength to face whatever comes our way.

So why doesn't he just remove our problems?
That is a good question.
If we never experienced sadness, we could never enjoy happiness. If we never experienced sickness, we would never appreciate being well. So many of our experiences help us to realize the good things in life that we take for granted.

God will use times of testing or problems to help to mold us and make us into the people he wants us to be. We experience loneliness so we can reach out to others who are lonely. We experience need so we can reach out and help others in need.

That's not good enough - you might say.

Well, how about if I told you that the God of Creation wants a personal relationship with you. It is true.

God, The Big Man, The Man upstairs, Whatever you want to call him - wants, longs and desires to have a personal relationship with his creation. He came as a man in the form of Jesus to show us that it is possible to know him.

When Jesus left the earth he sent "The Comforter" The Holy Spirit to live in our lives and be a constant companion. The Holy Spirit is there to lead us into all truth and to lead our lives every day.

So again I ask, Why aren't we living the abundant life?

Do you talk to God on a moment by moment basis? Do you ask his opinion on things you do each day? Do you acknowledge his presence in your life moment by moment? Do you KNOW him or do you just know things about him?

I'm not talking about going to God in prayer. That is something we all should do for sure. I am talking about a walking talking living personal relationship. He is the invisible friend that is with you every moment of every day. He longs to have you talk to him and be with him. He longs to talk to you and tell you how much he loves you.

The problem is that most of us NEVER REALLY LISTEN. That is right. We just don't listen. We figure we have his words written in the Bible and that is all there is. But there is so much more.

Jesus will actually talk to you. Really. He talks to me when I am willing to listen and he can talk to you. God is always, always always talking but very few of us are ever listening. He talks through circumstances, people, sickness, joy, nature, etc. but he also talks to us in that wee small voice.

Sit quietly for a few minutes. No t.v. no radio, nothing but pure silence. Listen. Ask him to speak to you and he will. Open your mind to what God wants to say to you. If you find yourself arguing with the thoughts that are going through your mind, it might be because God is that other voice talking to you. Would you argue with yourself?

Are you afraid it might be the enemy talking to you? Then ask Jesus to cover you mind and your thoughts with the Blood of Jesus. Ask God to only allow you to hear the thoughts that He wants you to hear. He is a great daddy and will hear and answer.

Give it a shot. What have you got to lose? Are you afraid of what God might say to you? If so, then there are probably things in your life that you know you shouldn't be doing. Confess them and ask forgiveness and he is faithful and just to forgive you. He wants to communicate with his creation. You were made in His image and he knows every little things about you. There is nothing you can hide from God.

You will be amazed at the things he says to you. It is not what you expect at all. Even when he corrects you about something it is done with such love and caring that you don't mind being corrected. It is not a hard thing to talk to the God of creation. He longs to impart his wisdom to us. He longs to tell you of his great love for you. He longs to have you go to him like a child and just hold you and love you.

Just acknowledge him throughout your day and see how your life becomes more abundant. See how your problems don't seem half as bad when you share them with Jesus. You can even ask him to remind you to think of him or talk to him and he will do it.

Well that is about all I have to say for today.
Let me know how it goes and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.