Discernment vs. Decision Making

"I will instruct you and show you the way you should walk, give you counsel and watch over you...Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but love surrounds those who trust in the Lord." Psalm 32:8-10

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Discernment. According to the Oxford American Dictionary, it is defined as follows: "To perceive clearly with the mind and senses." For people of faith seeking truth, it is the act of praying, through the Holy Spirit of Jesus, for God's direction in matters great and small.

As a matter of faith practice, and because it has been so helpful to me in my life, I try to pray  and confer with the Lord before making most decisions. In essence, to do so is to ask God for instruction and guidance, trusting with all my heart that He will lead me in the best direction.  And why not? God has a huge advantage over our own rudimentary decision making. After all, He has before him, through His omnipotence, all sides of the the full picture, so to speak. In fact, He knows us far better than we even know ourselves, past present and future!

And there is more...When you bring God into the equation in your daily life, He is always faithful, kind and merciful. He only wants the best for all of us. Never to impose, He stands ready to be invited by us to intercede on our behalf and goes before us to prepare and pave the way.

This is not to say that there won't be some challenging times for those who seek the Lord--There are certainly times when we all face hurdles and obstacles. But the journey and the outcome is different when you place your life in God's Almighty hands. He will give you an unspeakable, deep, abiding peace and contagious joy, even during times of adversity.

If you haven't done so yet, today may just be a GREAT day to place your life, and all your cares, into God's loving hands. There is no better place to invest your trust this day. You won't regret it... I promise!

The Inspiration Cafe BLOG is meant to be shared!

 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you."   Jeremiah 1:17

By the grace of God, for the glory of God, the process of writing this blog has certainly been a blessed experience... and certainly an interesting one over the past 1 3/4 years! And to think it all started when the word "Blog" came to me in prayer one day! At the time, I was absolutely unfamiliar with what a blog was, so I had to look it up on Wikipedia!

From one blog to the next, there is lots and lots of prayer and deep gratitude to the Lord for blessings received, yet, no advance planning, no preliminary Scripture selection. It is simply based on Bible Scripture, written in response to prayer.

Now, day after day, this blog is written as it comes to me through fervent prayer, then, afterwards I read the content and edit for clarity before sending it out. It is my express interest that my readers will grow in their understanding of Scripture, and by doing so, gain for themselves a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!

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Encourage One Another!

"Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you." II Corinthians 13:11

Today's Scripture beckons us to be renewed in mind and spirit, to become encouragers and to get along with each other, so as to live in peace. A peace filled life is energizing for oneself and those around them, while a chaotic life is filled with strife, confusion and mayhem.

Call upon the Lord and wait for Him to answer your heartfelt prayers...Despite turbulence in your life, you have the power to change it all from a life of chaos and gut-wrenching uncertainty, to a blessed peace-filled life, by simply focusing on the Lord and praising Him on high, regardless of circumstances. You see, peace & joy are abundant for those who offer prayers of frequent prayers of praise and thanksgiving to God, boldly and often, for abundant blessings received.

Clearly, I have found that forgiveness and praising the Lord are the key to God's great gifts of joy and deep, abiding inner peace. For only when we let go of past hurts-- even the hurts of today-- are we able to receive and embrace the realization of our prayer-filled potential. It has been said again and again that we can not change other people; we can only change ourselves. However, candidly, I might add that through the power of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, any heart can be changed for the better!

Are your feelings hurt by someone you love? Promptly pray for yourself to forgive them, and to the Lord to change both hearts--Yours and theirs. In prayer, send the Holy Spirit to go before you to pave the way for reconciliation, and healing, and to bring into all your relationships the trust and love of the Lord that passes all understanding.

Want to live at peace with all? Refuse to jump into the fray of mayhem, and pray consistently for your loved ones, and especially those who hurt you. Don't wait for encouragement from others; rather, become an encourager in the name of Jesus! At the very least, others in your life will be baffled by your new stance, and you will grow in peace and joy and be able to see the ripple wave effect that encouragement has on your relationships!

Best of all, the changes you will notice in yourself, and others, will speak volumes about your relationship with Jesus Christ, as you become impervious to the raw feelings often associated with relationship discord, and grow in God's divine plan for you and your life.../amg

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Adele M. Gill is a freelance writer and the author of 2 books, "Patient Persistence," and "7 Pathways to Hope." She is also the author of The Inspiration Cafe BLOG www.silverlininghope.squarespace.com

Are You Walking by Faith or by Sight?

"For we walk by faith, not by sight"  II CORINTHIANS 5:7

God loves you & me so much, that He has given us eyes to see beyond what may seem apparent and obvious, even logical, in the world's view...

With the eyes of faith we are able to put aside our differences with others, and see ourselves and others with the unconditional love of Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to see & embrace the great plans God has for each of us on this journey called life, and become part of the Divine Plan in our own lives, then in the lives of others!

For when you walk by faith, not by sight, you become a kinder, gentler, more forgiving soul capable of sharing great love with those in your midst. You are more able to put aside worldly ways and perspectives, in exchange for seeking God's Will in matters great & small.

Some ask, what WOULD Jesus do(WWJD)? I say it is more powerful to ask what DID He do, as the Bible is chock-full of examples where Jesus walked by faith, not by sight while on earth. If we are to truly emulate Jesus, we need to learn His ways by getting into scripture, embracing it and trying to live by it!

For Jesus' ways are not the ways of this world. So we are called to take a second look at every turn, if we are truly to live by faith, not by sight. By so doing, we can grow in faith, and belief, and we are then empowered to do as Jesus did in His ministry on earth--providing for the poor, protecting the oppressed, challenging the status quo, comforting the broken hearted, and even healing the sick.

True, on our own we have no power at all. But as surely as Jesus is with us, by the grace of God, for the glory of God, praying hands can become healing hands in the blink of an eye...It all begins with simple faith and extraordinary belief that "all things are possible" with Jesus Christ!"

Is it time for you in your life to traverse the curtains and open the shades that have kept you from walking by faith? Whether or not you are aware, Jesus walks shoulder to shoulder with you, and is just waiting for you to call His name. Just saying the name of Jesus outloud is enough to heal you of any disbelief you may have, and set your new life in motion! /amg

Lord, heal me of my disbelief, and allow me to see others as you do!

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Adele M. Gill is a freelance writer and the author of 2 books, "Patient Persistence," and "7 Pathways to Hope." She is also the author of The Inspiration Cafe BLOG www.silverlininghope.squarespace.com

Stand Firm!

You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”  2 Chronicles 20:17

 For a myriad of reasons, these days, I rarely get involved in politics. But there is one genre of issues that repeatedly catches my attention, and that is Human Rights, particularly where the Abortion Industry is concerned. You see for me, it is vital as a Christian, to stand up and speak up for human rights violations, even when they have become a blase part of our culture. Yes, I attended the first March on Washington; I am pro-life to my very core. And popular or not, I believe that human life is a precious gift from God, from conception to the grave. And no one will ever convince me otherwise.

But my purpose in bringing this up is this: In the year 2012, we cannot, even in modern times, depend on our own comfortable, lukewarm acceptance of the Judeo=Christian 10 commandments. Theyare very specific as they implore humanity, "Thou shall not kill." Subsequently, our response to this travesty must also be specific and fervent as we strive to find peaceful ways to decry such abominations as abortion.

Simply put, there are some topics in life that are so biblical, so central to having a full and personal relationship with God, that avoidance only presents a major obstacle between you and the Love of God. And Christians who oppose such topics sorely dilute their own witness in this world. In such areas, we must avoid tepidity and timidity, even at great personal/social costs, as we embrace The Great Commission to "Love one another" at all costs...

For to really love one another in faith, we must learn to "hate the sin; love the sinner." It is no mans job to condemn another; but it is our commission to protect the vulnerable. Clearly, intellectualization often allows us to adeptly put aside biblical teaching in preference to "choice." However, the indifference of silence regarding such serious human rights topics as abortion produce a hollow echo in the hearts and minds of the lukewarm. And it presents a major obstacle to God's love in our own lives.

Yes, today's scripture reads like a battle cry from the Lord Himself to His faithful army from long ago and today as well: 

 "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”

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 Adele M. Gill is a freelance writer and the author of 2 books, "Patient Persistence," and "7 Pathways to Hope." She is also the author of The Inspiration Cafe BLOG www.silverlininghope.squarespace.com