SEARCH RESULTS

By Paula Williamson, guest writer Do you ever feel like you are on a treadmill going nowhere or trapped in the movie “Groundhog Day,” accomplishing nothing? It’s terribly discouraging to feel like you are not accomplishing anything or never getting ahead. I’m not sure why it’s so easy to be talked into buying things that promise much but deliver little. Scripture makes bold promises. It Is Written PSALM 1:2 -3 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. A Bold Promise According to this verse, delighting in and meditating on the law of the Lord comes with the promise that we will be like a tree planted by the riverbank, bearing fruit; our leaves won’t wither, and we will prosper in all we do. We get sucked into trying weight-loss plans and vitamins that promise all kinds of things but deliver no results. Why not try this one? There is a great free Bible app with a wide range of devotionals in any Bible translation you choose. You can even compare verses across translations to find the one that speaks best to you. YouVersion https://www.youversion.com Prayer Lord, I am going to try to delight in and meditate on Your word. Show me where to begin. I want to be like a tree planted by the riverbank, bearing fruit with leaves that do not wither. I’d like to prosper in all I do. I ask for Your help. Takeaway Delighting in God's Word yields good fruit.

By Paula Williamson, guest writer Often, we find ourselves in situations where we do not know what to do. I have found myself in them more often than I care to admit, including relationships, financial stress, the future, which car or house to buy, career direction, the death of a loved one, new situations, and many more. We only need to open our eyes in the morning to find ourselves in situations each day that require wisdom and direction. It Is Written MATTHEW 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God [ above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Letting Go When we find ourselves beyond our knowledge and physical and emotional limits, we are pushed to seek help beyond ourselves. Today we tend to Google or ask CHATGPT, but there is someone with far greater knowledge who knows our future. Many times in my life, I have called upon God in such situations and have been astounded by the outcome. It’s always far greater than I can take credit for or than I can give to anyone else. I am learning to let go and trust Him for the outcome. Prayer Lord, why would we go to anyone else but You? You are far wiser. You care more for us than anyone else, know the motives of our hearts even when we don’t, and promise to grant wisdom when we ask, a promise no one else can make. I take all my uncertainties and lay them before You, trusting You with the outcome. Takeaway When I put God first in my life and follow Him, He will supply my needs.

By Paula Williamson, guest writer We live in a world of imperfect people, all of whom have rights and opinions, and we are one of them. The exercise of those rights and opinions carries consequences we all have to live with, whether or not they stem from our own choices. We each have to take responsibility for the “I” in our lives. Anyone who looks backward and doesn’t like what they see in their lives has the incredible power to do something different. It Is Written PSALM 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Rid Yourself of Blame Blame keeps us right where we are, so if we want something different to happen, we need to take personal responsibility and act differently. We only deceive ourselves when we go around singing the “Somebody Done Me Wrong” song. My life begins when I take personal responsibility for my actions. Prayer Lord, remove self-deception far from me, and allow me to look into the mirror and hear myself when I begin to blame others. Help me take personal responsibility for my actions. Help me stop making excuses and blaming, and walk in a new direction. You know me better than I know myself. Help me seek You, put You first in my life, and obey Your still, small voice. Takeaway A better life happens when I take responsibility and stop blaming others.