I Choose Today...

I Choose Today to Not Be Enticed

Satan is arrogant. He was arrogant to think he could entice the Son of God to sin. Satan waited until Jesus was weak from hunger to tempt Him. ”Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”“ Matthew‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬ He also spoke to Jesus’ arrogance (if He were) to do things out of the will of God: use His power to turn stones into bread; give Jesus the whole kingdom if He bowed down and worshipped Satan. He was speaking to His flesh, His arrogance. That is what he did to Adam and Eve (that they would know good and evil like God). That is what he does to us. That is what he does to me. Waiting for the opportunity of weakness to strike. But Jesus is the opposite of arrogant; He is humble. Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve. He wants us to follow the example He sets

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I Choose Today to work on small things

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” We tend to think of this verse for the big things: not getting a job, losing a loved one, a medical diagnosis, etc.. But what about the small stuff, the little things? Recently, I had a conversation with a customer service person about a mistake that happened on a shipment. After explaining the problem (there was a glitch in their system), she started off her explanation by saying I needed to be better at checking things on my end. Well that just got my heckles up and I responded in a negative way. The conversation escalated to where we were each responding negatively to one another and not really resolving the issue. The Holy Spirit convicted me so I stopped the conversation by asking her to talk to my husband because I needed to get to a meeting. The conversation between this rep and my husband lasted 3 minutes in which resulted in a resolution of the situation. So, how is this for good, you ask? Seems to me that

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I Choose Today to rejoice even though

Habakkuk lived in a time with a lot of challenges where it seemed like God was either not present or not loving. But yet, he chose to rejoice as he sang, “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will REJOICE in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!” Hab. 3:17-18 Even though the circumstances of God’s people seemed dire (and it was), Habakkuk chose to rejoice in the Lord. Drawing a parallel from Habakkuk’s unwavering joy in the midst of adversity, I found myself facing a profound test of faith when my 5-1/2 month old son tragically succumbed to SIDS. No explanation, no signs, no perceivable reason. Did I ask God why He took my son from our family? Yes! But honestly, if God Himself came down to tell me all the good things He was going to do because of Bobby’s death, it wouldn’t have made sense to me or been a good enough reason in

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I Choose Today to pray

As I was reflecting on my desire of falling deeper in love with God in 2023, I asked the Lord what I should focus on this year. As I waited quietly in my quiet time, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to pray. There are many demonstrations of prayer in God’s Word. Jesus prayed all the time: for others, for healing, for strength, and because of His relationship with His Father. He, the Son of God, knew the importance of prayer, the importance of communing with God. He knew by spending time with His Father would prepare His heart and mind for His purpose and fulfilling the plan set out before Him. But Jesus was divine, the Son of God. Of course God would listen, speak, give guidance, provide comfort, impart power to Him. But I am not Jesus. I am a broken human. Who am I that God should listen, guide, or speak to me? All I have to do is look to His Word to see how God answers prayer for mere humans. Look at what James says about Elijah when he states, ”…The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

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I Choose Today to Reflect

The beginning of a new year sparks excitement – fresh opportunities, challenges, adventures, and resolutions waiting to unfold. You might be thinking, “I don’t like making New Year’s resolutions; I always end up breaking them.” That sentiment resonates with me too. Until last year, I shared the same perspective on resolutions; they felt like setting myself up for failure amid life’s inevitable challenges. Then, a challenge from a church member, to fall deeper in love with God, altered my mindset. I resolved to deepen my connection with God, a resolution that changed my world. My journey led me to fall even deeper in love with God’s Word – a craving that drove me to explore its depths. I discovered that His Word is His breath, His very essence. My understanding of God’s nature deepened, revealing His genuine love, mercy, grace, and being the ultimate source of hope. Most profoundly, I developed a deeper personal relationship with God – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The joy of knowing they delight in me transformed my perspective. Words can’t capture the impact of this resolution on my life. As I gear up for 2024, my resolutions include fervent prayer, living

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