Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust the Lord your God with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight" Have you ever had a time in your life when you were unsure of your next step? We all have. It's a natural dilemma. Oddly enough it is almost counterintuitive but the remedy is to deeply trust our Heavenly Father, pray to Him, and open our hearts for His direction. In a sens, it is letting go instead of trying to control. In this beautiful dance of life we often feel like we are forced in certain directions but in reality all we have to do if follow the lead.

Numbers 6:24-25 "The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you" When we think about all of the many blessings we have in our lives, it reminds us of our gracious Heavenly Father. These gifts, these blessings, are given for our enjoyment, for our happiness, and joy. When we take time to recognize them and give thanks for them, we position ourselves to give and serve others. So today, and every other day, make it a habit, no matter where you are in this life, to recognize your blessings and give thanks to the giver of all good things.

Joshua 1:8 "Never stop speaking about this instruction scroll. Recite it day and night so you can carefully obey everything written in it. Then you will accomplish your objectives and you will succeed." In today

s reading God speaks to Joshua telling him to focus on the important work before him. In the same way, God speaks to us today. He asks us to keep the missions, the objectives, bestowed upon us fresh in our minds, to stay focused, and courageous towards accomplishment. Write down your goals, what you want out of this life and make it a habit to review them every day. invite God into the conversation, through prayer, as your partner in accomplishment. He is listening and He wants you to succeed.

Psalm 71:19 "For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens, You who have done great things." It's a promise that is made over and over again in the Bible: Whatever "it" is, God can handle it. Even during our darkest moments, we're protected by a loving Heavenly Father. When we're worried, God can reassure us; when we're sad, God can comfort us. When our hearts are broken, God is not just near: He is here. He is our Shepherd and has promised protect us now and forever.

Colossians 3:13 "Be even tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you" It is often hard to forgive other people. Forgiveness is not about that other person, it is about you letting go of hurt, anger, resentment, or bitterness. If you can't seem to forgive someone, you should keep asking God to help you until you do. And you can be sure of this: if you keep asking for God's help, He will give it.

2 Timothy 1:7-8 "For God has not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So you must never be ashamed to tell others about the Lord." We may find our courage tested by the inevitable disappointments and tragedies of this life. After all, ours is a world filled with uncertainty, hardship, sickness, and danger. But God is our shield and our strength; we are His forever! So let us not focus our thoughts upon the fears of this day. Instead, trust His plan and His eternal love for us. And remember: Our Heavenly Father is good, an He always has the last word.

Colossians3:16

"Let the Word of Christ-the Message-have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives."

Thesea re certainly difficult days for our world, our nation, and our families. But Gosd is bigger than all of our challenges. Our Heavenly Father loves us and protects us. He comforts us in times of trouble and dries our tears in times of sorrow. When we are troubled or week He is as near as our next breath and no challenge is too big for Him to overcome.

1 Samuel 15:17

"Although you were once small in your eyes, did you not become the head of th etribes of Israel? The Lord appointed you king over Israel"

In this reading we see Saul, the appointed King of Israel, struggle with courage. Saul was physically head and shoulders above the rest but yet he saw himself small through his own eyes. We all fall into this trap of seeing ourselves through our human eye. When we look in the mirror we see a reflection of imperfection and perhaps "not good enough". However, this is not how Our Heavenly Father sees us. We often forget that we have been created in His perfect image and according to His perfect plan. We have been created with gifts and purpose to carry out a mission and to glorify Him. We need to see ourselves through those eyes and gain courage through the confidence knowing that He is our confident Creator.

Job 2:10

"We take the good days from God - why not also the bad?"

We live in a world where expectations are high and demands can be even higher. If you find yourself discouraged under the demands of the day, remember God remains in His heaven. Turn your thoughts and prayers to Him. He is a God of possibility, no negativity. he will guide you through your difficulties and beyond them!

Titus 2:7

"In everything set them an example by doing what is good"

What kind of example are you? If you are a Christian believer, whose life is consistent with Our Heavenly Father's words, and you follow in the foot steps of His Son Jesus, then not only are you blessed by God but you are a powerful force for good in a world that desperately need positive influences such as yours.