The true test of your faith is when you don’t understand or feel right and still follow Jesus.

Bad information fed into logic will result in a bad decision. Bad information fed into emotion will led to a bad decision.

Our one true shield against both is faith. Faith in someone who can help you see through bad information to get at the truth of what decision to make whether it feels or looks right to you. Remember, only truth can set you free from the consequences of bad decisions.

You and I don’t know or can see everything. Yet, how many children of God trust their feelings over the facts of Scripture? One writer put it this way, “Emotions neither prove nor disprove facts.”

Tremendous amounts of misinformation are being thrown our direction every day, which means it’s only going to get tougher following Jesus.

I recently struggled with a decision that was both illogical to me as well as something I simply felt was wrong to do. I had plenty of data that all fed this feeling.

Yet, in loving Jesus, I practiced what He’s been showing me: Slow down. Listen. And let God show Himself true and real.

When He finally said what to do. It was faith time. Would I allow the Spirit to enlarge my faith? Did I all of a sudden feel like doing it? No. Did I completely understand it? No.

But out of love, I let the Spirit grow my faith and did it anyway. Only He can see tomorrow.

Fellow Jesus followers, I’m not tooting my own horn. This was a work of God. I need more of them and so do you.

“Even when life may be difficult, we should thank God for all He does for us, which we do not deserve.” Billy Graham

Jesus did a number of things through His death on the cross. He not only brought forgiveness (burnt and sin offering) for what we did to break our relationship with the Father, but He also restored or healed that strained relationship (peace offering).

We’re communicating again. We’re enjoying each other’s company. Bottom line, we’re on good terms with the Father.

Yet, part of the peace offering was a thank offering. And Psalm 50:23 states that one who sacrifices a thank offering, honors God and prepares the way for Him to bring salvation (healing, wholeness) to one’s life.

Being thankful that He forgave and healed our broken relationship, caused by our actions, not His, starts the life changing process, hence the world salvation.

Are we truly grateful that our relationship with God is whole again? Or, do we simply expect God to do His “thing” in our lives?

Life change doesn’t start with us asking for it. It starts with us being thankful for even being able to talk with Him, which we don’t deserve.

“A person without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” Proverbs 25:28

One of the ways you know you are walking with Jesus is how you react to life’s circumstances.

The Spirit tells the child of God they will be robbed of joy and left wide open for destruction if they don’t slow down to ask, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” before doing something. And, “Lord, what do you want me to say?” before saying something.

This is goes for both the small and big stuff of life. Your words as well as actions can have eternal value!

A good friend of mine once said, “I didn’t realize until my wife died that I could live with pain and joy at the same time.”

These words then and now were quite profound and touched me deeply. Simply by walking with Jesus and letting His words flow, what seemed small became great in the Spirit’s hands.

You are somebody in Jesus who can do something with both what you say and do, if you slow down and let Him control what comes out of you when squeezed by life.

The world, in which you live, may be going out of control, but, you don’t have to. And because this is true, you can make a big difference with something as small as your words.

Give thanks this is true!

Just because we fall, doesn’t mean we can’t get back up.

I find it interesting the Scriptures call me holy in one breath and then say with the next that I am imperfect (Hebrews 10:14).

We see our brokenness. God sees our potential. We see ourselves as we are currently. Our Father sees us as the finished project He started at the point we transferred trust from ourselves to Jesus.

This is partially what Jesus meant when He said, “It is finished.” He took care of our sin – both purposefully and unknowingly committed; and made us good with the Father all in one sacrifice – His.

Solomon wrote that “there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” (Ecc. 7:20) We are made righteous through Jesus’ sacrifice. We can do the right thing, but we don’t always do it. This is our battle.

Solomon also wrote, however, “The righteous falls seven times and rises again.” (Proverbs 24:16) This doesn’t mean we should fall. It simply means we’re in a battle where we do. We can rise after each fall.

We have a Father who is there with open arms when we fall saying, “Get up. Try again.”

So will you?

Meet your fears with faith in the specific truths Jesus gives you.

The guys were tough fishermen. They had worked this body of water for years. They were tired and hungry. They were still a good distance from shore while facing some of the toughest weather conditions they had ever encountered.

And then the unsuspected happened. Their vision went crazy. They thought they were seeing ghosts! What in the world would or should they do?

Jesus gives them a truth to focus on, “It’s Me. Don’t be afraid!”

I believe He wanted them to remember the endless displays of power He had done in, for and with them in the past, so they could fight through their present fear.

Jesus told all of us that He is and will always be with us. What do we have to fear? Everything, if we forget. Nothing, if we remember.

Focus on the truth the Spirit gives you to focus on what Jesus has done thus far in your life. These facts will help you walk in faith rather than in fear during these very uncertain days in which you live.

You need to experience it and people around you need to see, not just hear, about your hope. Jesus is with you!