Day 72: Recap

Day 65: The Character of God

We kicked the week off by talking about the character of God. We focused on the scriptures, 1 John 4:8, and 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

We often view God as some approachable being, or some mean old guy in the sky. But that is not true, the scriptures tell us that God is love, and shows us what it is to love. Listing the characteristics of love, therefore listing the characteristics of God. God's character is love.

Day 66:  The Kindness of God

Today we continued by talking about the kindness of God. We focused on quite a few scriptures today: Titus 3:4-6, Galatians 4:6, Matthew 18:13, and Psalms 30:5.

There is a sweetness in our relationship with God. We are His children, It is said that the Hebrew meaning of the word abba is, daddy or papa. Also that it is the sound a child makes when trying to say daddy. There is a sweetness there that breaks the barrier of punisher, servant or slave master, and turns it into daddy daughter, daddy son. These words are more intimate that father child. It establishes a relationship, and we start to see God as a dad. We do not fear Him in a sense that we afraid of what he will do to us, but we are in awe of Him, respecting Him.

Day 67: Pure Joy

Today we talked about what it means to really have the joy of the Lord in our hearts, even when life is turning upside down. The scriptures we focused on today were, Psalms 4:7 and Nehemiah 8:10.

God is better than the world's best thing.  We can have everything we ever wanted but there is nothing like the joy of God in our hearts. No matter what we have we can only get that pure permanent joy from Christ. They can give me everything, but it will never add up to what I get from God, what I have from serving Him. There is nothing better, it does not get any better than this.

Day 68: Being Honest with God

Today we talked about honesty with God and how sometimes we have to get brutally honest with Him. The scriptures we focused on today were: Psalms 62:8, 142:1-2, and Genesis 3:7-10.

We are allowed to pour our hearts out to God even when they don’t “look” like a Christian heart, to us. We are allowed to have feelings, we are allowed to be angry, we are allowed to ask questions, and we are allowed to have sexual feelings, we’re human. Most importantly, we are allowed to talk to God about what is really going on in our hearts and in our minds. That’s what having a relationship with God is, we have to be brutally honest sometimes. God knows our hearts, He knows what they look like, He created them. He knows the struggles we go through, the pain, the temptation, Jesus went through it. God wants all of that.

Day 69: God Knows Better

Today we talked about how God knows better than us, He knows more than we could ever wrap our small brains around. The scriptures we focused on today were: Revelation 22:13, Isaiah 46:9-10, and Isaiah 55:8-9.

God knows what’s going to happen, even when we don’t. He sees the bigger picture because He painted it. We just have to trust in His sight, and His vision so that even when we don’t know what to do even when our plans hit a wall we can know that whatever God has planned is better than anything we could have dreamed up ourselves. We must accept the fact the no matter how smart we are, what we know does not compare to the knowledge of God.

Day 70: Thriving Under Pressure

Today we spoke about thriving under pressure, and not giving in to it. We focused on a few scriptures today: James 1:12, Mark 15:15, Luke 23:23-24, and Isaiah 40:31

We go through a lot, with our friends pulling on us, our parents expectations of us, the pressures and temptations of the world. Sometimes the pressure is too great that we just need some release. We can get temporarily relief, or we can thrive. We can stress drink, have sex, get high, give in to what the world is telling us to do. We can get temporary relief we need at the moment, or we can find the strength in Christ to stand on His word and not let our lives be altered by the pressures coming from the outside.

I love you, I hope you have an amazing Day or Evening. Enjoy you Sunday and make sure you come back tomorrow for Day 73!

Day 71: Thriving Under Pressure

I remember being told by someone much older than me, “What are you worried about? You have nothing to be worried about,” They were so wrong, there were a million things for me to be worried about. We as young people get told all the time that we don’t know what it’s like to really worry or stress about something. Almost as if we don’t have the right to because we haven’t experienced enough.  But there is so much pressure on us sometimes, coming from every which way, we default to stress and worry, induced by pressure.  

James 1:12

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

Mark 15:15

Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

Luke 23:23-24

But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted.

Pressure is interesting, it takes us out of ourselves. We start to do thing we wouldn’t normally do. When we are under pressure sin looks good to us, because we want relief from whatever it is we’re going through. The question here  is, can we stay faithful even when we are under pressure, can we find strength in our  savior, can we continue to move and push forward.

One of the best examples of cracking under pressure in the bible is when Pontius Pilate sentenced Jesus to satisfy the request of the people, against His better judgement. Pontius Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent He knew that the people were speaking lies against an innocent man. Yet the people pressured him into releasing a murderer, they pressured Him into sentencing an innocent man to death. Pontius Pilate was under so much pressure that He cracked. He ended up doing something that he did not want to do because the stress upon him was so great, He needed relief. Sadly, sometimes relief means cracking under pressure.  

We go through the same things, with our friends pulling on us, our parents expectations of us, the pressures and temptations of the world. Sometimes the pressure is too great that we just need some release. We can get temporarily relief, or we can thrive. We can stress drink, have sex, get high, give in to what the world is telling us to do. We can get temporary relief we need at the moment, or we can find the strength in Christ to stand on His word and not let our lives be altered by the pressures coming from the outside.

The biggest questions we ask ourselves in this situation is, How do I remain the person I want to be when I am under pressure? The answer is only a true relationship with God can assure us that even in the worst of times, if we remain faithful to God, our souls will not be corrupted. Our Spirits cannot be tainted. As scripture tells us, If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small (Proverbs 24:10). When we find our strength in the Lord we will not faint, we will not crack, or we will not give in to pressure. We will stand firm, we will soar. It’s hard, I know it is but God’s voice is louder than the rest, His presence is bigger, we are meant to please Him and no one else. God won’t pressure us into to doing something we don’t want to do, that’s why we must make the choice to follow Him. So we must make to the choice to thrive or give in.

Isaiah 40: 31

But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak.

Reflection

1. What pressures do you feel coming from those around you, of any?
2. Do you feel the need to please people and meet their expectations of you?
3. Are you going to thrive or crack under pressure?

Prayer Time

Allow your answers to the above questions guide your prayer today. Talk to God about the pressures you feel, if any, the stress you are under or whatever is causing you to do things you would not normally do. Ask Him for spiritual strength so that you will not give in, ask Him to help you thrive under the pressure and stay close to Him.

I love you!, I hope you have an amazing day or evening! Make sure you come back tomorrow for Day 72!.