Good morning! How are we faithing? Another fine day, at least from this view point. I understand that a lot of you are having real trouble in your life and someone who is always up beat really ticks you off but have you ever really noticed how good God is? Have you ever paid attention to what the Word tells us? We will have trouble. We will have times of woe. We will endure hardship and persecution. How we maintain the good outlook when these things happen has everything to do with our trust in the Lord. Read the book of Job sometime. Odd book when we are told God is a loving God and meets all our needs. It almost looks like he was toying with Job. That is not the case but it takes some real insight to see the lessons from this book. I hear people ask or state, "what has God done for me?" Well, what have you done for him? Too many times we as a people are looking for what we can get and miss what has already been given to us by God. Your abilities, although you may have worked hard to cultivate them, are God given. What you have, what you do, what you enjoy are all from God. We are free when we believe and accept the gift of salvation from God. Free. Free from everything. Free to do anything. Free from sin, yes we can be in bondage to something but only if we choose. I quit smoking. That was a bondage. People are addicted to porn, that is a bondage. People get hooked on drugs and alcohol. That is a bondage that was begun with a choice and we are free from these bondage's. Yes, getting away from these choices we made are not guaranteed to be easy but the victory is already won, all we have to do is act.

John 8:34-36
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
NIV

2 Cor 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
NIV

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for all your blessings, seen and unseen. Lord, we want to see you and to trust you. It is hard to act correctly when we have acted the other way for so long. Grant us the grace and peace to do what your Word says. Open our minds to your truths that make us free indeed. Help us notice our surroundings and not be self absorbed. Let us realize how blessed we are . We ask for wisdom for the day, in Jesus name amen