Today is a gift.

It’s a new day, and like every day we’re given, we are wise to live it with a mindset of continual gratitude and cultivate it with the utmost care.

With each new day, we have been given another opportunity to start fresh, dig deeper, serve more willingly, and make a positive impact. Yes, with every new day we’re given, we have another chance to live beyond ourselves and to make a more meaningful contribution to those around us. Another opportunity to plant a seed and pray for its growth.

If you’re a believer in Christ, you know how important each day truly is. If you’re a believer, you clearly see and understand that as you look at the world around you, time on this earth is growing shorter by the day.

Because of these things, you are keenly aware of how important and necessary it is to let go and let God have His will and way as He works in your life. Because of these things, you are mindful of the importance of living your life with an eternal perspective as you faithfully serve Him and continually thank Him for each breath He gives and each day He allows you to live on this earth.

And, while you walk your journey, come what may, be ever mindful. Never ever forget that as you journey, with every step, He not only journeys with you, but He sees you as His beautiful and valuable creation.

Psalm 149:14 reminds of your uniqueness and the great care God took in designing and thinking of you. It states that you are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” It goes on to say, “Marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

Never forget… God’s perfect Word, the Bible, states that you are beautifully and wonderfully made. You are loved with an unconditional love by the very One who created and formed you. To Him, you are cherished and your life important.

Yes, friend… you are important to God… always have been.

He lovingly thought of you. He preciously created you.

Therefore, remember:

You are His.
You are valuable.
You are special.
You are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”
You are loved.

Sadly, the world has deceived so many with its continual, subtle, and not-so-subtle messages that cause each of us to compare or doubt our importance… our significance… our worth. The world, from day one, has done its best to carve within our very souls and to impress upon our very hearts the idea that approval and love must be earned and that happiness and importance are only attained through a certain level of “worldly success.”

Sadly, most have bought into this lie. And for those of us who are aware of the lie, it has still, unfortunately, been a struggle wrestling against the idea and remembering and embracing the truth that we are worthy and our lives are important because of Him alone.

Friend, if I can give you one helpful takeaway from this message, it’s to never let one bad moment in your life or several moments in your life define you. It’s to never determine your value… your very worth by letting others in this world put you in a box and assign labels. Your life is much more than that.

Your life is good and blessed and positive because it’s defined by Whose you are… always remember!

Romans 8:28 states, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Luke 12:6-7 reminds, “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

As believers, we can rejoice in knowing the truth that we ARE valuable… we ARE loved… we ARE special… we ARE important… because of Him.

Thankfully for us, God’s love, unlike the conditional love of the world, is unconditional. Romans 5:8 beautifully conveys this truth: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

The minute we put our faith and trust in Christ, we not only received hope, but we received all the blessings that come from a relationship with Him. We received unconditional love, which isn’t based on our successes or failures.

The minute we put our faith and trust in Christ, we also received the promise of a bright eternity for all eternity. Praise God!

Because we’re all in this earthly flesh, we are constantly having to renew our minds with the Word of God, replacing the world’s lies with God’s truth.

Yes, even for the strongest of believers, it is easy to fall into the trap the world has set… the trap that causes us to question our value and worth as we maneuver through this life.

The truth, however, is that we all are precious and valuable in God’s sight. And with this truth comes another profound truth… God’s opinion is all that truly matters.

If you’re a believer, remember- all you endure in life may teach you, may humble you, may help you, may shape you, but to God, you are and have always been valuable, precious, and unconditionally loved through it all.

Please never forget:

Your life is not defined by the world and its opinions.
Your life is not defined by the thoughts and feelings of others.
Your life is not defined by your good days and bad.
Your life is not defined by your successes and failures.
Your life is not defined by your tragedies and triumphs.
Your life is not defined by your moments in the valleys or on the mountaintops.
Your life is defined solely by Who you belong to… Whose you are in Christ alone.

Amen and Hallelujah!

Rejoice today in knowing that as a child of God, you are not defined by your present or your past. You are not defined by your bank account, by your health, by your home, by your career, by man’s approval, by your trophies, or by your worldly trinkets and accolades.

My brothers in Christ, you are defined as His sons… sons of the King of Kings!

My sisters in Christ, you are defined as His daughters… daughters of the King of Kings!

1 Peter 2:9 states, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

John 1:12 reminds, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”

This, my friend, is what defines you

The minute you asked Jesus into your heart and made Him Lord and Savior of your life, you became His, and all He had to give became yours.

The world may want to put a label on you and define your worth, but to God, not only are you His beautiful creation, but you are His child… valuable beyond all riches… beyond all labels… beyond all of man’s accolades and approval.

Always Remember.

spate.holly@gmail.com

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men” John 1:1-4).

As a believer, I can confidently walk through life knowing that I don’t walk alone. It is comforting to know that God, my Creator, Father, and Friend walks with me.

It brings peace to my soul to know He holds the future. It brings confidence and calms my heart to know He is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. These three beautiful words convey that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and present everywhere, at all times.

It brings joy in knowing He is just and in understanding that He promises to work all things together for my good, just as His Word says. I am so very grateful I don’t have to bear the weight of heavy burdens, as He promises to carry the load if I simply let go and let Him. Matthew 11:28 clearly conveys this: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

I am so very thankful He promises to guide me, help me, protect me, and provide for me. I am so very thankful I don’t have to go through life without Him. Why would I want to? He created me. He knows me better than anyone. He knows me even better than I know myself. Jeremiah 1:4-5 makes it clear. It says, “Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee.”

Luke 12:7 shows how He cares about every little thing when He states, “But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

Ecclesiastes 3:14 goes on to convey His power and authority. “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.”

Psalm 127:1 makes it clear that His ways, not man’s, will prevail: “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

And Isaiah 55:8-9 makes it crystal clear that He is beyond worthy of awe and reverence: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

AMAZING!

He created the entire world. He knows the beginning from the end and everything in between. He is in full control. He is just, loving, all-powerful, all good. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

I truly can’t imagine living in this overwhelming, complex, sin-filled world with all its injustices and intricacies without Him. I truly can’t imagine life without His guidance, His Word, His protection, and the encouraging support of fellow sisters and brothers in Christ.

I am so thankful that He rescued and saved me for all time and that He, not me, is in complete control of my life.

I have so many reasons to praise Him… so many reasons to be thankful.

I am thankful that when I don’t know what’s ahead, He already does.

I am thankful that when I suffer injustices, I can put my trust in knowing He sees and will bring justice.

I am thankful that when a door closes, I can have peace knowing that He was protecting me.

I am thankful that He looks out for me and has my best interest at heart.

I am thankful that He loves me and calls me His child.

I am thankful that He rescued me and stepped in to pay a debt I could never pay.

I am thankful for all of His promises, including the promise that He’s coming again to take me and all who have put their trust and faith in Him to our eternal home… a perfect place where we will forever be with Him.

If you are a believer, you can be thankful for all these truths too! You can have peace knowing that He walks beside you. You can have confidence knowing that He promises calm no matter the world’s chaos. Because of Him, you can walk in the light even when the world grows darker around you. You can rest with joy, realizing that He is working for your good and that you, too, will spend a beautiful eternity in His ever-loving presence one day.

I feel so much better having the knowledge that He is in control. I am so grateful there’s nothing that escapes His attention… there’s nothing He doesn’t see or know. He is above all. He is perfect, and His ways are perfect. He perfectly takes care of every aspect of my life… of your life. Our job as His children is simply to rest in His promises, give Him full control, serve Him, and actively trust Him.

Psalm 96:4 proclaims, ” For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.” Psalm 145:3 goes on to say, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.”

Revelation 1:8 makes it very clear who He is. “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

INCREDIBLE!

We serve a mighty God! We serve a beautiful Savior!

His ways are higher than ours. His plans are better than ours. His love knows no limits, and His promises are forever.

As His child, may you have continual peace in knowing that in all things, God’s Got This!

spate.holly@gmail.com