Sunday Devotional...You Are Favored

It’s the final Sunday of 2008 and so many things have been racing through my brain. As I sat in New Covenant Worship Center listening to everything Pastor Luther Whitfield preached I felt as if he was speaking directly to me, when in fact, it was God speaking to me through Luther.

What I’ve decided to do is bring you a devotional, an encouraging message each and every Sunday. We all need this at some point during our week. I hope it does you some good, for there’s nothing more important than one’s faith.

As 2009 rolls in we need to remember who we are and who we belong to in these rough times. Yes, we all know the economy is down; many are without jobs, some without a place to stay. But through it all we must remember that we are truly blessed in the Lord. We must not dwell on the things we don’t have, but, instead rejoice and thank Him for all that we do have.

We must strive for nothing less than greatness. We must continue to believe in our goals, for not only will God provide for His people, but He looks upon us in high favor, and we must always remember that. Too many times we get caught up in our own issues and begin to worry about the problems of the world allowing them to bring us down. Too often we forget that God has a plan.

Do not let your issues cloud what God has in store for you. The attitude of many is that they refuse God’s favor because of the condition they’re in. We wonder, “Who’s going to pay my bills? Will I have a job next week?” Not only are the motor companies looking to be bailed out but so are we! We must wake up and realize that worrying is a waste of time. It will only make our circumstances worse.

For us to improve we need to ask ourselves, “How big is my God?” We can’t forget that the Lord is bigger than ALL of our problems. He is able to do abundantly above all you can ask or think of. How we do as people in 2009 will be by God’s power. Not our own. In the New Year God will bless us all. We must receive His blessings and allow them to manifest in us.

So, in the next year strive for your goals like never before. Don’t allow time, unbelief or worry to creep in and take your faith. Have a vision. Have hope. Have dreams. Hang around others who believe in you and have similar goals. Follow those who are where you want to be and lead those who want to be where you are.

These challenges are not just for you, but for me as well. Both good times and bad times will be had in the New Year. But through it all we need to strive for greatness. So, let’s love each other, use the talents He’s given us and be blessed in the Lord in 2009. If we do that, we can’t be stopped.