The question posed is simple. Am I Alert or Astray? It is vitally important as all of us face eternity. With a check of from the neck up, we can examine what our minds are debating or believing. Question self? Am I living up to my God given potential? Am I using the gift He gave me? Have I taken responsibility to remain alert? Am I tuned into my internal Guide, or am I tuned into the voice that leads me astray? Am I willing to be led astray or am I willing to be alert and obedient to where the Spirit of God leads ? Joy increases as we choose to discipline what thoughts we allow. A lazy mind is the devils workshop! Making it a personal quest to be full of He who is greater than he who is in the world – protects us from being transformed by the prince of the air. We have the mind of Christ, let us not pollute it. Imagine Jesus watching what you are watching on TV. Imagine the Holy Spirit listening to what we give our full attention to. Would what we watch and listen to glorify God?

Who am I a passionate fanatic about? Who do I value most? Who do I long to spend time with and get to know more intimately? Who or what have I spent hours studying? Am I known to be a fan of a ball team to the point of knowing all the players? Have I invested many hours studying to follow the latest Diet Plan? Do I study the statistics of what is trending, and those who have successfully weighed in and arrived at a number? Diet Fans fanatically measure their intake of calories, fats and carbs. I admit that I have been a fanatical Diet Fan who has scheduled my life around what I can or cannot ingest. Following what others have done without success, my soul’s cry was simply “HELP”. A divine revelation WOKE me up to this glorious truth! God did NOT design me intelligently merely to survive all the temptations of the world alone, without His help. My desire to honor God is greater than my hope to lose weight. Life is a journey which was never meant to be experienced alone. His promise “I will never leave you, or forsake you” keeps me humble and convicted. Sadly at times Jesus is left in the closet, however, He will never abandon us. With God’s supernatural help, moment by moment, my hope is renewed as I remain focused on all His promises. God uses all things (which includes all our failures) to draw us closer through our dependence on Him in all things. Without failing in our own ways, we would never seek to rely upon God and His ways. AMEN ⚘ My heavenly Father has rekindled my hope to reach beyond what the scale reads. His promise is to lavish more than I can imagine upon me. As I place the highest VALUE on what He says in life’s maintenance manual, His living Word begins to order all my steps and choices. It is thrilling to witness numbers falling off the scale, but even more exciting is to have the scales on my eyes lifted. Through the Holy Spirit our perception of reality changes. Joy is awakened in all sincere seekers. Who am I ‘in Christ’ settles my identity and position as God proclaims it. As a humble slave, I humbly agree with God’s Word, His voice, His will, His way.

God arrested my heart when He asked me to examine who I am listening to? Many of the great prophets and seekers before me asked questions and got answers. Am I a slave to my Holy Master? Or am I a slave to the newest dietary advice, whim, fad or craving? Who do I compare myself to? Do I long to be a model of worldly success? Or do I long to be a humble servant that glorifies Jesus Christ with every bite, word or action? My Master is Who created me in His own image. If Jesus is honestly my model ⚘ How I choose to spend my time and my talents reveals what I value. The truth remains that my spiritual journey is about becoming holy. With unveiled faces we all will be fully sanctified when we step into heaven, not before. Joyfully we listen for His voice and as He reveals His way, our responsibility is to keep in step with His Spirit. All of our choices reveal Who we are following. My choice of food is NOT insignificant to the One who loves me more than I can fathom. Living under God’s beautiful banner of love, I look up and rejoice in Him with a humble heart. Our Father expects us to listen and obey in order that He can teach us, guide us, and comfort us in our day to day lives. His generosity pours out streams of grace, ample mercies, lavish love and blessings that out number our needs. WHY? Various parables reveal that we are NOT to hide what we have been given, but we are to share His blessing with others. How well do I use my time and my other gifts? This scripture spoke volumes to me. “He called ‘His own’ slaves…….” Am I making choices as a slave to Jesus or my flesh? Jesus defeated death and rose from His crucified body to reappear to ‘His own’ in a resurrected body. Then Jesus finished His power packed parable. “and turned over His possessions to them” Matthew 25:14

Consider this about the Master who passed out 5 talents, 2 talents, and 1 talent to his slaves. The Master knew which slave would continue to honor him with their abilities in his absence. “He gave to each according to his own ability.” Then the Master left on His journey. The thoughts of a couple of slaves were about pleasing their Master by doing as He does. These slaves had been wisely watching their Master work. One slave was focused on impressing the Master with his own way of doing things. Our Master Jesus knows the heart condition of each of His slaves. He knows who will invest their talents wisely and sensibly. In this parable the Master knew which slave would invest their talent according to their own skill, without relying on the example of their Master. “The slaves whose Master finds them working when he returns will be rewarded.” Matthew 24:46 In the parable about the talents, the master returns after a lengthy absence. “After a long time the Master came and settled accounts with them.” Matthew 25:19 One slave was given 5 talents, and one slave was given 2 talents and both invested wisely and multiplied what they were gifted. Jesus said to both “Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; (your time, your talent, your trust in Me, your Temple, Your lamp, Your oil supply) ” I will put you in charge of many things. Share your Master’s joy!” Matthew 25:21 The slave who was given one talent chose to HIDE his gift to preserve it and not invest it. The Master said to him “You evil, lazy slave!…take the talent from him and give it to the slave with 10. For to everyone who HAS, (trust in his Master’s ways ) MORE will be given, and he will have more than enough. Throw the good-for-nothing slave into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 25:30 Investing what we have been given reveals what we treasure. A transformed mind and heart yearns to give out of an overflowing joy ⚘ this heaven sent Joy cannot be contained or exhausted. When God moves in and takes up residence as the Holy Spirit, our joy ‘in Him’ spills out generously. It is our choice to surrender fully to He who abides within, or hold back. By examination of what we hold most dear, we know if we have welcomed Him as a permanent resident, or a temporary resident. Do we seek His counsel before making decisions? Do we walk in confidence knowing that we are never alone? Do we listen to what the Spirit is saying and obey? Do we lean on our own understanding or do we earnestly rely on what the Spirit reveals? The person who lives to serve God, uses their talent to invest in others. Moment by moment we either walk according to our flesh, or according to the Spirit in us. Our Father knows our hearts, our intentions and our motives.

“Train yourself to be Godly.” 1 Timothy 4:7 Help me be sensible with my time and talents so that I am ready to meet my Groom. “Those who were ready went in with Him to the wedding banquet and the door was shut. Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us!’ But he replied, “I assure you: I do not know you.” Matthew 25:11 Our holy Master expects us to deny ourselves and not hide our talents. As for me and my life, I long to hear my Master say “Well Done, good and faithful slave.” Oh Lord, help me, enable me to flea from my selfish desires. Convict me, and cause me to reject anything that disrupts my walk with You. Lord my prayer is that You increase the spirit filled fruit in my life. Discipline requires that I make moment to moment decisions to not act on my old habits. It is well within my soul when I choose to count my blessings in the midst of changed plans, failed diets, and unexpected tragedies. Praising God in all things, requires the discipline to capture every thought.

We pray for blessings, We pray for peace, Comfort for family, and protection while we sleep. We pray for healing, for prosperity. We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering. All the while, You hear each spoken need. Yet Your love is way too much … to give us lesser things’ Cause WHAT IF… your blessings come through raindrops. What if Your healing comes through tears. What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near. What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise. We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear. We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near. We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love. As if every promise from Your Word is not enough…All the while, You hear each desperate plea, and long …..that we’d have FAITH to believe…