God has made us what we are Ephesians 2:10

You are unique. Priceless. The Lord will never make another you! You were created for a purpose that only you can fulfill, so never give up being who you are in order to be somebody else. Glean all you can, but duplicate nobody. Do you realize how intensely God loves you? Perhaps you are disappointed because you have asked Him for something and He did not do what you thought He should have done. Before you feel unloved, take a moment and look back. Has He not blessed you? Held you steady in the rough places? It has been a long ride but He is still holding you. Right? Do not act as if your heavenly Father does not love you, because He does not always cater to you. Our society has spent so much time criticizing differences that it fails to see God in diversity. Difference does not mean you are less-than or more-than; just different! If God had not made you as He did, you would not have been able to persevere as you have. Others could not have handled what you have been through. Because of that, you are uniquely equipped to be a blessing to those around you. Remember, people are blessed because you are sincere and available; not perfect. Do not let anybody manipulate you into forsaking your uniqueness. Those who try are not built for your life's destiny and they cannot play your role. Are you not glad God prepared you for life, instead of preparing life for you? So, whether your life is picture-perfect or not, rise up today and announce: "Ready or not, here I come!"

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God Hebrews 4:16

Nothing is more important than your concept of God; the picture you have of Him in your mind. That (and that alone) will determine how you approach Him, not only in times of need, but every time. As long as you see God as an auditor before whom your books never balance, or a teacher whose class you dread and whose tests you can never pass, or a parent who punishes you but never affirms you, you will not 'come boldly'. You probably will not come at all! If you need a new concept of God, check this out: (we have a great High Priest Who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to Him and never stop trusting Him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same temptations we do, yet He did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it?" (Hebrews 4:14-16). Look here, let me tell you that if God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He will listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, but He chose your heart. And what about the Christmas gift He sent you at Bethlehem? Not to mention that Friday at Calvary. Face it, He is totally devoted to you; He is so in love with you!

I am persuaded beyond doubt...that...nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God Romans 8:38

Does it not blow your mind to think that nothing - absolutely nothing - can ever cause God to turn His back on us? Most of us are just religious enough to believe that there are certain sins God cannot get over - you know, like the ones we never commit! But how about the destructive power of gossip, or stubbornness, or pride? Remember the Pharisee who prayed, "... I thank You that I am not like other people..." (Luke 18:11)? Ever feel that way? Come on, be honest! God's standard is perfection, and you could not reach it in a thousand lifetimes. Grace, God's unmerited favor, is the only hope any of us has! Your level of love will always relate to the level of forgiveness you have received. Jesus taught that those who have been forgiven much, love much! (Luke 7:47). Paul writes, "... where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20). That means, though you are a big sinner, Jesus is a bigger Savior. It means God does not always approve of your behavior, but He always loves and accepts you. Ever try to reconcile your accounts, and no matter what you do they will not balance? Spiritually speaking, that is why you need the Cross. Look here: "... God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself" (2nd Corinthians 5:19). At Calvary, God balanced your account. Your slate has been wiped clean. Now He says, "Come and be reconciled to Me. Let us have a relationship. You have nothing to fear, for nothing can separate you from My love."

Do all things without...complaining Philippians 2:14

If somebody gave you a dollar every time you complained, and collected one every time you showed gratitude, would you be rich or poor? Maybe you are thinking, 'If you had my problems, you'd complain too!' Check this out: "Do all things without... complaining... " That is not a suggestion, it is an order! Why? Simply because the more you complain, the worse things get. Consider this: Complaining is addictive. The cycle goes like this: (a) You have a problem. (b) You complain and remain stuck in the problem. (c) satan adds to the 'poor mess' and you complain even more. (d) You end up living in constant crisis. It is also destructive. Would it surprise you to know that God sees your complaining as criticism of His provision? In fact, when the Israelites did it, He destroyed them. Check this out: "Do not grumble, as some of them did - and were killed... These things... were written down as warnings for us... " (1st Corinthians 10:10-11). Think maybe it is time for an 'attitude check'? It can make you sick. Solomon said, "A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body... " (Proverbs 14:30). How many 'calm and undisturbed' complainers do you know? It can ruin one's future. People who build their lives around past problems never move forward. Paul writes, "... forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before" (Philippians 3:13). You will never connect with your future till you disconnect from your past. So starting today, make up your mind to 'Do all things without... complaining!'

When I am afraid...I will trust the promises of God Psalm 56:3

Have you any idea how much it is costing you to fear things that never happen? Meteorologists say that a fog capable of covering half a square mile is made up of only one glass of water, divided into 60 million particles. But when it settles, it can obscure your entire vision! A little fear can do the same thing! Why do almost half of us suffer from stress-related disorders? Because instead of walking by faith, we think we are supposed to fly like jets on supercharged adrenaline - and we pay for it in terms of fear and anxiety. It is so easy for fear to replace faith because they have got something in common - both challenge you to believe that what you cannot see is about to happen. Fear will persuade you to run from something that is not after you at all. A few friends were having a conversation, and a fella said "Fear knocked at my door. Faith answered. There was no one there." You might say: 'But how do I overcome this fear?' By faith - and faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Begin to feed your faith on the Scriptures, and watch your fears starve to death! Look here, spend the first 15 minutes of every morning filling your mind with God's Word; that way there will be no room left for worry. Good formula! David says, "When I am afraid, I will... trust the promises of God..." Brethren, you have got to do the same! Today, get into His Word and you will discover that God has got everything under control.

For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose Philippians 2:13

You do not try to run a marathon, you train to run it, otherwise you end up exhausted and defeated. The kind of training we are talking about is not a fanatical teeth-gritting, white-knuckle, do-or-die attitude toward things like prayer and Bible reading. No, it is training yourself to be more sensitive to God. It is learning to do the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, with the right spirit. Your goal may be to read several chapters of the Bible each day, but what if God tells you to linger at a certain Scripture, because He wants to make that particular truth a reality in your daily life? The difference between trying and training is like the difference between a motorboat and a sailing dinghy. You can turn one on and drive it away, but with the other you have to wait for the wind. Jesus said, "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). It is the wind that does the work. We cannot turn it on or off. We cannot engineer it or take credit for it. But like good sailors, we can train ourselves to 'read' it and respond to it. Once we learn to do that, we are walking in the Spirit instead of straining in the flesh. Today, ask God to help you live that way.

Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing" John 21:3

Peter was a fisherman by trade. In fact, he was fishing when he first met Jesus and was called to be a disciple. So when he decided to go fishing again, he may have been making a conscious decision to get away from everything and everybody, and go back to where he first met the Lord. That was a good move! Why? Because when you get discouraged, confused, or stressed-out, you will either go back to the One who saves, keeps and satisfies, or you will return to whatever was going on in your life before you met Him. God says in Revelation: "... I have watched your hard work... You have patiently suffered... without giving up. Yet there is one thing wrong: you do not love Me as at first. Think about... your first love... and turn back to Me..." (Revelation 2:2-5). When your love for God grows cold, it is time to hang out your "Gone Fishing" sign and get back to where you first met Him. It is time to seek Him again, like you did before you had heard so much and seen so much; before life had worn you down. 'But I'm busy doing the work of the Lord,' you might say. Well, let me tell you this: that is the easiest place in the world to crash and burn. Beware of anything that competes with your loyalty to Jesus Christ. The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for Him. Is it time for you to get into your boat or go down to the lake to fish?

Peter heard that it was the Lord...jumped into the water and swam John 21:7

Once 'Peter heard that it was the Lord,' he had to decide whether to leave his fish and go to Him, or stay behind with what he had worked hard for. Real tests do not necessarily come during hard times - anybody can seek God then. No, they come when you have accomplished your objectives, your nets are full, you have finally 'arrived.' The challenge then is - do you stay and guard your blessings, or leap overboard and go for the One who gave them to you? Do you want the Giver more than the gift? When Paul faced his 'success dilemma', he said, "You know my pedigree... from the elite tribe of Benjamin... defender of... my religion... meticulous observer of... God's law book" (Philippians 3:4-6). Career-wise he had it made! But listen to him now: "Things I... thought were so important are gone... dumped... in the trash so that I could embrace Christ... " (Philippians 3:8). Temporal blessings begin to fade once you have met the Blesser! To reach Jesus, you will have to leave behind those who want to stay with the fish. It felt as if Peter was forfeiting everything, yet when he reached the shore he found Jesus busy - cooking fish! Whatever you need, God already has it! Just obey Him and He will give you "a blessing so great you will not have room enough to take it in!" (Malachi 3:10). That is His promise! But here are His terms: "Seek first His kingdom... and all these things will be given to you... " (Matthew 6:33). Whatever you are willing to walk away from ultimately determines what God can trust you with.