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How sweet it is to trust in Jesus; to know that he is in control and nothing gets past him. Place your trust fully in Jesus and surrender all your cares into his hands. Don’t let the cares of this world make you sway in your faith. Whether it be something you are worried about, something that you are wanting, or if you just don’t know what to do, trust in Him and he will take care of it. 

“When your will is God’s will, you will have your will.” -Charles Spurgeon

“Realize that if a door closed, it’s because what was behind it wasn’t meant for you.” -Mandy Hale

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” -Psalm 27:14

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”  – Jeremiah 17:7-8

Sometimes it can be hard to trust when we don’t understand the reason for why something is happening, but we have to remember God’s plan is always greater than our own, and there is always purpose.

“To trust God in the light is nothing, but trust him in the dark — that is faith.”
-C.H. Spurgeon

While reading Exodus 4 (specifically verses 10-17), what stood out to me was that Moses was hesitant to do what the Lord was telling him to do because he was not an eloquent speaker, but God tells him that He’s the one who made his mouth, does He not have the power to give him the ability to speak? God knew that He could and would give Moses the words to speak, but because Moses still doubted, He sent Aaron to go with him. The same God can change someone’s heart (for He made the heart) and turn them into a faithful servant, guiding them into truth. The same God can make the blind see (for He made the eyes), the lame walk (for He made the feet), and the deaf hear (for He made the ears.) He can do all, for He made all. He can turn you 180 degrees in the right direction. The same God can give you a sincere heart. The same God turned unlearned men into mighty prophets of God. The same God will help you and be with you, but you must trust him and be willing to obey. 

“Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and [b]slow of tongue.”

So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”

But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”

So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God. And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”
-Exodus 4:10-17

God has not promised that we will not have trials and hardships. He does not promise us no rocky roads and rough storms. What he does promise us though is that he will be with us through those storms. He will hold our hand through the dark unknown night. He carries us over seemingly impassable bridges and gives us courage to keep going. We are not alone. He does not leave us to fend for ourselves. God has promised to be our shelter, our strength, and our guide. He is with us wherever we go. 

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“Sometimes God calms the storm, but sometimes God lets the storm rage and calms His child.” -Leslie Gould 

“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” -Joshua 1:9 

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” -Psalm 28:7 

“I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” -Psalm 91:2 

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” -Psalm 27:1

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(These are not my songs)

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8.

General – any movie

Does the movie glorify God? Is it lovely? Are they good and virtuous? Are they true? If it is not glorifying God, but rather doing the complete opposite, then why would you want to set it before your eyes? Remember the song “be careful little eyes what you see. Be careful little ears what you hear.”

Specific – horror movies
1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” If God tells us that we should not fear but love and trust him, why would you want to watch horror movies that are specifically meant to scare you?
“I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” Psalm 101:3. “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” Ephesians 5:11. Horror movies are wicked. It’s as simple as that. You must keep yourself unspotted from the world and not conform to the world. “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this…to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James 1:(27).

God created us for His glory. How can we glorify God when we are too busy wasting our time with worldly entertainment such as movies? “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31. The only reason we are here is because God placed us here. Jesus created us for His glory, not ours.

Ever since she was young girl, Jenny had always wanted to be a singer. She wrote her first song at age 12 and sang it in front of all her peers and their parents at a school program. She learned some chords on the guitar when she was 17 and continued writing many songs over the years. She decided to record some of her songs and made her first album with all original songs with Tate Music Group from Mustang, Oklahoma. She was then approached by an old schoolmate to perform at a charity function that led to her forming her own band. They played anywhere from a local bar to Sonic Corporation where they were flown to Coronado Island in San Diego, California where they played for them right on the beach.

The life of a musician isn’t everything she thought it would be though. Being out late practicing and playing at bars and restaurants is not for a married woman with children. “I became so involved with my music that I began to put it above my family and my family was falling apart,” says Jenny. She always thought about that scripture, Psalm 37:4, where it says if you “delight thyself also in the LORD… he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” “I always just assumed that was my music career but that was only causing me grief.” So one day when she hit her knees and cried out to God, she asked Him to give her a burning desire to know Him and He answered her prayer. Ever since that prayer, she has been seeking God and reading the Bible daily. Her faith began to grow and everything she thought she wanted in this life became detestable to her. The more she read the Bible, the more she became separated from this world. So the scripture that she always clang to, Psalm 37:4, came true. “The problem was I wasn’t keeping my part of that verse. I was delighting myself in the world and seeking my own desires that were filling my heart.” The bible says that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)” Once she found true delight in the Lord, God showed her that He is the true desire of her heart now.

Jenny did finally pick her guitar back up after seeking the Lord first for several years and she has written some beautiful songs that glorify God. “I don’t believe He is done with me yet. I’m still a work in progress, but at least now I feel like He has set me on the right path and I am growing in Christ, whereas before I was lost deep in the spirit of disobedience seeking my own will and not the Father’s,” “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” –Matthew 7:21

    To marry or not to marry? That is the question. “And the LORD God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” Genesis 2:18. “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it…” Genesis (1:28). From the very beginning God intended man and woman to marry and bring forth children. Marriage is a good thing from God. “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.” Proverbs 18:22. 

    However, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 7 that it is even better to not marry now. Verse 38 says, “So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.”

 Verse 28 tells us that it isn’t wrong to marry and that you don’t sin if you do, but you will have difficulties. “But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.” He is not saying this to “cast a snare upon you” but for our own good. Those who marry will have distractions. “…He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.” Verses (32-34). Not everyone is meant to marry just as not everyone is meant to stay unmarried. God has different plans for each of us. “Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.” Verse 20. 

    Verses 8 and 9: “I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.” Here he means that if you can’t control yourself and keep from fornicating and lusting, than it is better that you go ahead and marry.

    Although God says marriage is good, He also tells us it is even better to refrain from marrying. He would rather you to stay unmarried and focus on Him, than have to worry about pleasing you husband or wife. Regardless of what you think may best for you, seek God’s will and not your own. Whether it be for you to marry or remain unmarried, pray that God will help you to do His will for you and aid you in the troubles you shall face.

Someone once told me that someone told them that the most true God is the most loving God, and the most loving God is the God of Christianity. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13. What other religion teaches you to love not only your neighbor, but your enemies as well? What greater love can there be? Jesus came down to earth as a man to lay down his life for our sins. He had no sin and no reason to be killed, but he died for us anyway. He laid down His life that we may be free and be able to live with him in eternity. There is no better example of what true love is than what Jesus did for us on that cross. He showed us what true love is, and we must follow his example and be a light unto the world. “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6.

There are two types of Christians; genuine and lukewarm. Both profess to believe in God, both claim that Jesus is the Son of God, and both claim the title ‘Christian’. They may both profess Christianity, but they are far from being the same.

You may not be able to tell the difference between a lukewarm Christian and a non-believer. Why is that? The reason is because they act just like them. They do many of the same things the world does. They partake in many of the same activities as one who doesn’t believe. They dress just like the world with tight and revealing clothes, and watch worldly movies and listen to worldly music with inappropriate remarks and cuss words. Many lukewarm Christians have little to no relationship with God. Instead of praying and reading the Bible, they are busy having fun and enjoying this life. Lukewarm Christians don’t see anything wrong with hanging out with wicked people, lying, being full of pride, taking revenge, cussing, gossiping, and many other things that are opposite of the fruits of the Spirit. And if they do know it’s wrong, they may just not care. They may believe in God, but do they obey Him?

On the flip side, genuine Christians have a real relationship with their Creator. Instead of watching worldly movies and listening to worldly music, they spend their time praying, reading the Bible, and serving others. Instead of being all about themselves and partaking in worldly activities, they are busy spreading the Word, striving to be holy, and striving to love their neighbor. A true Christian seeks to be holy like Jesus and possess honesty, humility, kindness, patience, charity, and gentleness. You can tell if someone is a true Christian and truly loves God by looking at their walk and how much they treat others. Love’s not a feeling, it’s something that you do. They will know us by our love.

Although they both call themselves ‘Christians’, there are noticeable differences between the two. They may say they love God, but what are their actions telling you?

When you are in a battle, you have to be certain you have on all of your armor. You
have to have your breastplate to protect your chest, boots to protect your feet, a shield to
block weapons, a helmet to keep your head safe, and your sword to defend yourself. If you
were missing even one of these, than you wouldn’t be fully protected. You have to have your
full armor to be completely shielded from the enemy. Armor is essential in a physical battle, but even more so in the spiritual battle we are in.

In this spiritual battle, we aren’t fighting against fleshly humans, but against spiritual
wickedness and rulers of darkness. God commands us to have our “loins girt about with truth”,
to put on the breastplate of righteousness, and have our “feet shod with the preparation of the
gospel of peace”. And the most important ones are the shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and
the sword of the Spirit.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the
whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we
wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto
you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having
done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the
breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of
the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God.” (Ephesians 6:10-17)

“When confusion’s my companion, despair holds me for ransom, I will feel no fear. I know that You are near”.
Even when you are confused or feel you’re in despair, the Lord is right there to comfort you, guiding you through the storms. “You mend what once was shattered And You turn my tears to laughter”. My how true this line is. He can mend even what seems to be the unmendable. He mends what once was shattered and he turns our mourning into dancing. He will turn our sorrow into joy. He will one day wipe away ALL our tears! He can turn our sadness and grief into something so sweet! All the trials and hardships we go through are all part of his wondrous plan. Though we may not see how in the moment, one day it will be revealed. One day we shall see what we didn’t see before and realize he was there all along even when we couldn’t feel it. He loves us and his mercy is relentless. We serve an awesome God. 

“Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;” -Psalm 30:11 

“My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” -Psalm 121:2 

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” -Revelation 21:4 

(These are not my songs)