Equipped for the journey

LET ME PREPARE YOU for the day that stretches out before you.

I know exactly what this day will contain, whereas you have only vague ideas about it.

You would like to see a map, showing all the twists and turns of your journey.

You'd feel more prepared if you could somehow visualize what is on the road ahead.

However, there is a better way to be prepared for whatever you will encounter today: Spend quality time with Me.

I will not show you what is on the road ahead, but I will thoroughly equip you for the journey.

My living Presence is your Companion each step of the way.

Stay in continual communication with Me, whispering My Name whenever you need to redirect your thoughts.

Thus, you can walk through this day with your focus on Me.

My abiding Presence is the best road map available.

Stay Strong!

"The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
    —EXODUS 33: 14

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."
     —JOHN 15: 4– 7

Self Pity

BE ON GUARD against the pit of self-pity.

When you are weary or unwell, this demonic trap is the greatest danger you face.

Don't even go near the edge of the pit.

Its edges crumble easily, and before you know it, you are on the way down.

It is ever so much harder to get out of the pit than to keep a safe distance from it.

That is why I tell you to be on guard.

There are several ways to protect yourself from self-pity.

When you are occupied with praising and thanking Me, it is impossible to feel sorry for yourself.

Also, the closer you live to Me, the more distance there is between you and the pit.

Live in the Light of My Presence by fixing your eyes on Me.

Then you will be able to run with endurance the race that is set before you, without stumbling or falling.

Stay Strong

"Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD."
  —PSALM 89: 15

Keep on Asking

YOU NEED ME EVERY MOMENT.

Your awareness of your constant need for Me is your greatest strength.

Your neediness, properly handled, is a link to My Presence.

However, there are pitfalls that you must be on guard against: self-pity, self-preoccupation, giving up.

Your inadequacy presents you with a continual choice—deep dependence on Me, or despair.

The emptiness you feel within will be filled either with problems or with My Presence.

Make Me central in your consciousness by praying continually: simple, short prayers flowing out of the present moment.

Use My Name liberally, to remind you of My Presence.

Stay Strong!

"Keep on asking and you will receive, so that your gladness may be full and complete. Pray continually."
   —1 THESSALONIANS 5: 17

"Up to this time you have not asked a single thing in My Name; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy, gladness, and delight may be full and complete."
  —JOHN 16: 24 AMP

TRUST AND THANKFULNESS

TRUST AND THANKFULNESS WILL get you safely through this day.

Trust protects you from worrying and obsessing.

Thankfulness keeps you from criticizing and complaining: those "sister sins"that so easily entangle you.

Keeping your eyes on Me is the same thing as trusting Me.

It is a free choice that you must make thousands of times daily.

The more you choose to trust Me, the easier it becomes.

Thought patterns of trust become etched into your brain.

Relegate troubles to the periphery of your mind, so that I can be central in your thoughts.

Thus you focus on Me, entrusting your concerns into My care.

Stay Strong

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."
    —COLOSSIANS 2: 6–7

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
   —1 PETER 5: 7

Gold mine of Peace

LEARN TO LIVE from your true Center in Me.

I reside in the deepest depths of your being, in eternal union with your spirit.

It is at this deep level that My Peace reigns continually.

You will not find lasting peace in the world around you, in circumstances, or in human relationships.

The external world is always in flux—under the curse of death and decay.

But there is a gold mine of Peace deep within you, waiting to be tapped.

Take time to delve into the riches of My residing Presence.

I want you to live increasingly from your real Center, where My Love has an eternal grip on you.

I am Christ in you, the hope of Glory.

Stay Strong!!

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. —COLOSSIANS 3: 15 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
      —COLOSSIANS 1: 27

Joy despite adverse circumstances

YOU ARE FEELING WEIGHED DOWN by a plethora of problems, both big and small.

They seem to require more and more of your attention, but you must not give in to those demands.

When the difficulties in your life feel as if they're closing in on you, break free by spending quality time with Me.

You need to remember who I AM in all My Power and Glory.

Then, humbly bring Me your prayers and petitions.

Your problems will pale when you view them in the Light of My Presence.

You can learn to be joyful in Me, your Savior, even in the midst of adverse circumstances.

Rely on Me, your Strength; I make your feet like the feet of a deer, enabling you to go on the heights.

Stay Strong!!

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights."
    —HABAKKUK 3: 17–19

Safety Net

I AM WITH YOU.

These four words are like a safety net, protecting you from falling into despair.

Because you are human, you will always have ups and downs in your life experience.

But the promise of My Presence limits how far down you can go.

Sometimes you may feel as if you are in a free fall, when people or things you had counted on let you down.

Yet as soon as you remember that I am with you, your perspective changes radically.

Instead of bemoaning your circumstances, you can look to Me for help.

You recall that not only am I with you, I am holding you by your right hand.

I guide you with My counsel, and afterward I will take you into Glory.

This is exactly the perspective you need: the reassurance of My Presence, and the glorious hope of heaven.

Stay Strong

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
    —ZEPHANIAH 3: 17

"Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
    —PSALM 73: 23–26