Don’t Let Anyone Shatter Your Dreams 

Genesis 37:3-20 (NLT)
³ Jacob^[a] loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe.^[b] 4 But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him.⁵ One-night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. ⁶ “Listen to this dream,” he said. ⁷ “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!”⁸ His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them.⁹ Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!”¹⁰ This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. “What kind of dream is that?” he asked. “Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?” ¹¹ But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant.¹² Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers went to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem.¹³ When they had been gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Get ready, and I will send you to them.”

“I’m ready to go,” Joseph replied.

¹⁴ “Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along,” Jacob said. “Then come back and bring me a report.” So Jacob sent him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Shechem from their home in the valley of Hebron.¹⁵ When he arrived there, a man from the area noticed him wandering around the countryside. “What are you looking for?” he asked.¹⁶ “I’m looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Do you know where they are pasturing their sheep?”¹⁷ “Yes,” the man told him. “They have moved on from here, but I heard them say, ‘Let’s go on to Dothan.’” So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there.¹⁸ When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. ¹⁹ “Here comes the dreamer!” they said. ²⁰ “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”
Genesis 41:38-45  (NLT)
³⁸ So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?” ³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. ⁴⁰ You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”⁴¹ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.” ⁴² Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck. ⁴³ Then he had Joseph ride in the chariot reserved for his second-in-command. And wherever Joseph went, the command was shouted, “Kneel down!” So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt. ⁴⁴ And Pharaoh said to him, “I am Pharaoh, but no one will lift a hand or foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval.”⁴⁵ Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zaphenath-paneah.^[a] He also gave him a wife, whose name was Asenath. She was the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On.^[b] So Joseph took charge of the entire land of Egypt.

Genesis 42:1-9  (NLT)
When Jacob heard that grain was available in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you standing around looking at one another? ² I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy enough grain to keep us alive. Otherwise we’ll die.”³ So Joseph’s ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain. ⁴ But Jacob wouldn’t let Joseph’s younger brother, Benjamin, go with them, for fear some harm might come to him.⁵ So Jacob’s^[a] sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine was in Canaan as well.⁶ Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all the people, it was to him that his brothers came. When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground. ⁷ Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where are you from?” he demanded.
“From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We have come to buy food.”
⁸ Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn’t recognize him. ⁹ And he remembered the dreams he’d had about them many years before. He said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become.”
Nehemiah 2:11-20  (NLT)
¹¹ So I arrived in Jerusalem. Three days later, ¹² I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us except the donkey I was riding. ¹³ After dark I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal’s Well,^[a] and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates. ¹⁴ Then I went to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but my donkey couldn’t get through the rubble. ¹⁵ So, though it was still dark, I went up the Kidron Valley^[b] instead, inspecting the wall before I turned back and entered again at the Valley Gate.¹⁶ The city officials did not know I had been out there or what I was doing, for I had not yet said anything to anyone about my plans. I had not yet spoken to the Jewish leaders—the priests, the nobles, the officials, or anyone else in the administration. ¹⁷ But now I said to them, “You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!” ¹⁸ Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king.

They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work.

¹⁹ But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” they asked.²⁰ I replied, “The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall. But you have no share, legal right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”

This past weekend my husband and I were channel surfing, when we came across a station that was showing 2019 Commencement Speeches.  This is the time of year that I love to listen to the words of wisdom, that some of the speakers impart to the graduating classes.  The speeches are so motivational and so full of hope for the future.  One of the speeches that really resonated with me, was from Congressman Elijah Cummings.  He told his audience about his days as a young school boy, who had to attend Special Ed classes each day. He stated that one day when he was in the 6th grade, his school counselor asked him what he wanted to become in life. When he told his counselor that he wanted to become a lawyer, his counselor said” you poor kid, you will never be a lawyer”.   He then went on to ask him ” who do you think you are”?  The counselor then proceeded to point out, how all the odds were stacked against him.   Well needless to say Elijah Cummings did go onto become a  successful lawyer and now serves in our U.S. Congress.

When I heard this speech my mind instantly went back to my high school days.  You see I was also asked by my high school counselor what I wanted to become in life.  When I shared with her that my dream was to become an Interior Designer, without asking how I came to that decision or why I thought I would make a great designer, she immediately tried to steer me in a different direction.  She asked me, had I ever thought of becoming a nurse or a teacher.
In the community that I grew up in, a large majority of the women that worked outside of the home professionally, were either nurses, secretaries or teachers.   I absolutely realize that all of these are very honorable positions.  However, they were just not what God was calling me to do with my life. Looking back I now understand that my counselor’s view of what I could become, was limited to her level of exposure. She was actually projecting her limited view of my career options on to me, without realizing it.

I was taken aback initially, but then in a split second, I decided that she was not the one that would get to decide what I would become.  That was my decision, and at that moment I decided that my dream would not be shattered by anyone.  If anything, I became even more determined to become an Interior Designer and a good one at that!
I left my hometown when I graduated from high school to pursue my degree in Interior Design.  Upon graduating from college, I was very successful in this field for twenty years, fifteen of which,  I had my own Interior Design business. I even severed on the State Board of Interior Designers for a while.

I was expose to wonderful opportunities and met great people that I would not have met otherwise.  Please know that I am not sharing this story with you to brag on myself.  I simply want you to understand the severity of listening to the wrong voice.  Suppose I had listened to my high school counselor.  More than likely I would not have experienced the joy of following my passion and seeing my dream become a reality with God’s help.
This little incident taught me to really trust my intuition, and to allow myself to be guided by the Holy Spirit and not by others.  You see what I have come to realize,  is that most people mean well, but they will talk you right out of your dreams and your blessings if you allow them to.  If you need directional advice, certainly seek out the wisdom and the professional council of others,  but let God help you make the final decision for your life. God is truly the giver of dreams, so who better to ask for directions.

No one will ever understand the passion and excitement that you have for your dream to be birthed, and that’s because it’s not their dream.  It is uniquely yours.

Don’t allow yourself or your dream to be derailed by naysayers. In the scriptures above, Joseph was actually hated by his brothers, because of the dream he shared with them.  They were already jealous of his relationship with their father, hearing about his dream just added fuel to the fire that was already burning inside of them. Another example of this type of resistance was the opposition that Nehemiah experienced from those who scoffed at him when he decided to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.

Sometimes you have to quietly keep trusting God and seeking wisdom from Him.  Its not necessary for you to share everything that God reveals to you.  Some things are just between you and God.  He has a vision and a purpose for what He has planted inside of you, therefore stay connected to Him, and don’t let anyone shatter the dreams that God has uniquely given to you..

10 Important Lessons About Dreams
1.  Your dreams are a gift from God,  and the purpose of your dreams may vary.  Some dreams are presented to you when you are sleeping.
Genesis 37:9
⁹ Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!”They may warn you, or even give you a small glimpse of what your future could be like.   Other times your dreams may be a strong passion that you have for something and you feel inspired to do something with that passion.
Nehemiah 1:3-4
³ Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.
Nehemiah 2:2-5
 So the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad? You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.”Then I was terrified, ³ but I replied, “Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”
⁴ The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?”
With a prayer to the God of heaven, ⁵ I replied, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.”

2.  It is not always wise to share your dreams with others. 
Nehemiah 2:11-12
Pray and ask God for guidance for the right time to share.
3.  Protect your dream from those that you know,  that are dream killers or dream stealers.
4.  Your dream will always require divine intervention to become a reality.
5.  No one can dream a bigger dream for you than God.
6.  When your dreams become a reality, share your story.  It will give others hope that some day their dreams will also come true.
7.  Dreams come true for those who don’t lose faith.. Just Keep believing!
8.  Dream Big!  God will always be larger than your biggest dream.  He can help you achieve the largest dream ever.
9.  When one dream comes true, ask God to bless you with a new dream. Never stop dreaming!
10. Give God the glory, when you realize your dreams after all, He is the Dream Giver!
Nehemiah 4:1-23  (NLT)
 ^[a]Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, ² saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices?^[b] Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?”³ Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!”⁴ Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! ⁵ Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of^[c] the builders.”⁶ At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm.^7 [d]But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious. ⁸ They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion. ⁹ But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.¹⁰ Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.”¹¹ Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work.”
¹² The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, “They will come from all directions and attack us!”^[e] 13 So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows.
¹⁴ Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”
¹⁵ When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall. ¹⁶ But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The leaders stationed themselves behind the people of Judah ¹⁷ who were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon. ¹⁸ All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm.
¹⁹ Then I explained to the nobles and officials and all the people, “The work is very spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. ²⁰ When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!”
²¹ We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset. And half the men were always on guard.²² I also told everyone living outside the walls to stay in Jerusalem. That way they and their servants could help with guard duty at night and work during the day. ²³ During this time, none of us—not I, nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor the guards who were with me—ever took off our clothes. We carried our weapons with us at all times, even when we went for water.^[f]

Powerful Promises From God’s Word

I cannot tell you the number of times that I have found comfort from reading God’s word.  As Christians we are so blessed that God has given us so many powerful and wonderful promises, to encourage us on this journey called life.
Today I would like to share just a few of His promises.   My prayer is that you will bask in the joy that spending time with Him brings and that you will draw even closer to Him as you meditate on these verses.  I am thoroughly convinced that no matter what we face in life God has a scripture in His Word that will strengthen and encourage us as we face our fiery trials. His provision to comfort us, even though His word is simply Amazing!

God Is Faithful

Psalm 100: 5
For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

1st Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!  His faithful love endures forever.
James1:17
17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.[a] He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.[b]

Hebrews ….13:5
………For God has said, “I will never fail you.   I will never abandon you.”[a]

Romans 8:35-39
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”[a]) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1st Corinthians  10:13
13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

God Will Always Be With Us

Psalm 23:4
Even when I walk  through the darkest valley,[a]
I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Isaiah 43:2
When you go through deep waters,   I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,   you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
 you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

Joshua 1:9
9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go.”

Deuteronomy 31:8
8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Matthew 28:20
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

God Will Give Us Peace

Philippians 4:6-7
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you,  all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

John 16:33
33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

John 14;27
27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

God Will Provide For Us

Galatians 6:9
9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Psalm 34:10
Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,  and he will show you which path to take.

Philippians 4:19
19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Matthew 7:7-8
7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

Psalm 84:11
For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.
    He gives us grace and glory.
The Lord will withhold no good thing
    from those who do what is right.

John 15:5
5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:7
7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!

Luke 11:9-13
9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “You fathers—if your children ask[a] for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Mark 13:11
11 But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

2nd Corinthians 12:9
9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me.
John 14:15-16
15 “If you love me, obey[a] my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,[b] who will never leave you.

God Will Cleanse Us

1st John 1:9
9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let’s settle this,”
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    I will make them as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson,
    I will make them as white as wool.

He Will Give Us Strength 

Isaiah 40:29-30
He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
30 Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.

^{Isaiah 41:10}
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

He Promises Eternal Life

John 3:16
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave[a] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 11:25-26
25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[a] Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

Romans 10:9
9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Galatians 6:7-8
7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

John 14:1-3
14 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.[a] If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?[b] 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

Romans 8:1
8 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

God Will Protect Us

Proverbs 1:33
But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”

James 4:7-8
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty, is divided between God and the world.

Nahum 1:7
The Lord is good,  a strong refuge when trouble comes.
    He is close to those who trust in him.

Romans 8-1
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesu

Psalm 91: 1-6
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High  will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,  nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,  nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

God Will Give Us Long Life On Earth

Ephesians 6:1-3
6 Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord,[a] for this is the right thing to do. 2 “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: 3 If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”[b]

Psalm 91: 14-16
The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.  I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble.
    I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life  and give them my salvation.”

Inner Peace

Isaiah 26:3-4 (AMP)
³ “You will keep in ^[a]perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both^[b]inclination and character],
Because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation].
⁴ “Trust [confidently] in the Lord forever [He is your fortress, your shield, your banner],
For the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].
Psalm 29 (NLT)
¹¹ The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.
John 16:33 (NLT)
³³ I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Matthew 6:31-34 (NLT)
³¹ “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³² These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.³³ Seek the Kingdom of God^[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. ³⁴ “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Matthew 11:28-29 (NLT)
²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

1 Kings 8:61 (NLT)
⁶¹ And may you be completely faithful to the Lord our God. May you always obey his decrees and commands, just as you are doing today.”
1 Timothy 1:12 (NLT)
¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him,
Galatians 6:9 (NLT)
⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
Psalm 37:5 (NLT)
⁵ Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.
Proverbs 16:3 (NLT)
³ Commit your actions to the Lord,  and your plans will succeed.
Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT)
¹³ No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,^[a] but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Colossians 1:29 (NLT)
²⁹ That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.

Are You Committed?

We are now well into the New Year. This is the time that the gyms and the health clubs, will start to see who’s really committed to reaching their goals and who’s not.

Commitment requires going the distance and hanging in there until the very end.

When it comes to getting healthy, it means rising early to exercise and doing food prep on days when it would be easier to drive through for fast food. It means saying no to the extra cookie, or the extra helping at the dinner table. It means staying true to your commitment until the goal is accomplished, no matter how difficult or how long.

For Unto Us A Child Is Born

 Isaiah 9:6-7
For a child is born to us,  a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulder,  And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor,^[a] Mighty God,  Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ His government and its peace will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!
Matthew 1:18-24 (NLT)
¹⁸ This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement^[a]quietly.²⁰ As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,^[b] for he will save his people from their sins.”²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: ²³ “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!  She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel,^[c]  which means ‘God is with us.’”
²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.
John 1:14 (NLT)
¹⁴ So the Word became human^[a] and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.^[b] And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
Philippians 2:6-7 (NLT)
⁶ Though he was God,^[a]  he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
⁷ Instead, he gave up his divine privileges^[b];   he took the humble position of a slave^[c]   and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,^[d]
Luke 1:35 (NLT)
³⁵ The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.

As this Christmas quickly approaches, I have been thinking of the impact that Jesus’s birth had on this world. I am convinced that we will never be able to fully comprehend, or imagine the majestic grandeur that Jesus lovingly chose to leave, to come and dwell among sinners. It is quite mind-blowing to think that Jesus, being divine royalty, left His Father’s side to come to this cruel earth to save a sinful dying world.  He knew that He would be rejected and despised and yet He followed through with the plan anyway. He also knew that to some, His birth and His sacrifice on the cross would mean nothing. Oh, the love He must feel for us, and even for those that He knew would reject Him.

Overwhelmed

Psalm 142:3  (NLT)
³ When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn.
Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me.
Psalm 61:1-2  (NLT)
¹ O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer!
² From the ends of the earth,  I cry to you for help
  when my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
Matthew 11:28-30  (NLT)
²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Psalm 28:7  (NLT)
⁷ The Lord is my strength and shield.   I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
 I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by all of the things that you needed to do?  Maybe you are like me and from time to time you take on way too many things, and then become frustrated when there is no spare time to just breathe.

The more that I talk to people, the more I realize that we are living in a world where people are simply over overcommitted and stressed to the max.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)
¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God^[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Matthew 4:4  (NIV)
⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’^[a]”
Romans 15:4-5 (NIV)
⁴ For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
⁵ May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,
Psalm 119:11-18 (NIV)
¹¹ I have hidden your word in my heart
  that I might not sin against you.
¹² Praise be to you, Lord;  teach me your decrees.
¹³ With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.
¹⁴ I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.
¹⁵ I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
¹⁶ I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.
¹⁷ Be good to your servant while I live,  that I may obey your word.
¹⁸ Open my eyes that I may see  wonderful things in your law.

Psalm 100:
4 – Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; 
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Many of us will drive hundreds of miles to Grandma’s house for turkey and all of the trimmings this Thursday, not even to mention some who will run the risk of being stuck in airports for hours with delays and lay overs to fly thousands of miles for one meal. For a minute or two it will be all about the food. But is it really about the food?