With 2013 rolling along, we may come across with small decisions, big decisions, choices and cross-roads. Great news is that God wants to be involved in every decision, choice or even a simple stand you take. As a child of God, we can boldly and freely come to Him in times of need! Here are some ways we can make our decisions with God:

1) Seek God first by committing every decision to Him in prayer and spending time in His Word. Let your heart be filled with Him alone.
Psalms 37:5 Commit your way to the Lord , Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

2) Surround yourself with wise and godly people; it is amazing how a Christ-centered friend or leader can speak life and clarity, and see vision when you can't!
Proverbs 15:2 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

3) When you get green lights after 1/2, be courageous and go for it! Don't let fear of mistakes or failure have a foot hold but know God is for you!
Note: Don't rush or pressurize yourself; if you are still anxious or worried take time for 1/2 - His ways are life and peace!
Romans 8:6 but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

4)  If a decision or choice doesn't turn out the way you had wanted or expected, or has taken longer to fulfill, find out what God is teaching you and let Him shape you through it! Perhaps there is someone along the way who may encounter God through you, remember that God's plans are always fixed on eternity! 
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

-Jo Voon-

God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He will never change. He will never leave you nor forsake you. 

God is love. He loves you no matter what you think of yourself, no matter what you’ve been through and what you have done. No sin is too big for Him to overcome. Just believe. He has defeated satan and satan has no leg to stand on. 


God is the truth and light, He shines bright in the darkest circumstances. Stand firm in your faith. He is there to protect you and to guide you in all His ways. His ways are wonderful. Follow Him with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). 

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

- Zhen Ang

Melodee could not wait to show me her new skates. On the day I promised to bring her to the park near my house, she brought over her skates.

“Irene, Irene! Look at my new skates! Can I skate to the park?” The five year old does not know how to skate well yet but how could I put a frown on her face? I agreed and held her hands as she feebly skate her way through the pavement.

Eager to show me her capability, Melodee skated faster than she should and she ended up hurting her ankle. “Irene, I could not skate anymore. My ankle hurts, can I take off my skate?”

Not wanting her to walk all the way home barefooted and stepping on harmful objects, I did the next best thing I could think of, I piggybacked her home.

Aren’t we like little Melodee sometimes? We do things in our own flesh but I find it assuring that God will not let us go too far in hurting our own self. When we venture out with feeble feet, He will hold your hands. When you are hurt, He will pick you up where you are and ‘piggyback you home’? He could do more if you allow Him.

Praise the merciful and protective God we serve for He is always mindful over us.

Matthew 7:11
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him.

- Irene Soon

The Amplified Bible pictures us committing our load to God by rolling it onto Him. It is helpful to note that we can roll something that is too heavy to carry or to cast.

What are we to commit – to trust – to God?

Ourselves. Psalm 22:8
“He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him side he delights in him.”

Our Burden. Psalm 55:22
“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.”

Our Souls. I Peter 4:19
“So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”

Our Way. Psalm 37:5
“Commit your way to the lord; trust in him.”

Our Cause. I Peter 2:23
“When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”

Our Works. Proverbs 16:3

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”
 
Psalm 37:5
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this. He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.

- Writing of Ruth Bell Graham

A cake when baked is supposed to be eaten, not to just look at and admire or over indulge in or you’ll get sick. It is made to be shared. 

Just as you were created to share with others, whether it be your time, finances, talents or interceding on people’s behalf. You may say you have nothing to give, however, God asks you to give of what you have, not what you don’t have. 

You can simply say a few words of encouragement. Just give what little you can. Just as the widow helped feed Elijah with her small jar of oil and flour even though she did not have enough for herself and her son to last the drought. By faith she followed Elijah’s instructions and as Elijah had predicted, the jar of oil and flour never ran out until the day the drought ended. If you bless others, God’s blessings will overflow in your life. It is better to give than to receive. A little goes a long way. 

I Kings 17:16 
For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.

Acts 20:35
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.

- Zhen Ang

For any relationship to succesfully flourish and grow, it takes effort and
initiative. Sometimes, it's a phone call or a Facebook message, or a coffee. It's just the same with God! 

Of all the people in the Bible, Moses was the one person who was described as talking to God as a friend. Moses had this wonderful privilege because he knew how to draw near to God. 

As a person of power and influence, and leading a nation, he did not ask for more provision or more respect or even wisdom, he specifically requested for the presence of God to go with him. In response, God promised: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world." 
 
The Bible promises that as we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. When we seek God and His kingdom first, everything else will be added to us; or in other words, God can fully entrust a person with the world when he knows that they only seek Him!
 
Deuteronomy 4:29 
But if from there you seek the  Lord  your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. 
 
Matthew 6:33 
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

-Jo Voon-

God loves us in the little things. I like spiders. I would never have a pet spider and definitely would not attempt to hold a Tarantula but something about them fascinates me!

I was spending some quality time with one of my friends. It was night time and we went walking at this park by the river. In my heart I said a pray "God it would be really cool if I could see a spider". That is it just a passing thought. We walked down a few paths and as we turned a corner, in front of us, on the pavement was a black spider about the size of your palm!

Again, a few weeks ago I was in Cambodia and I went the whole trip without seeing one spider. I was pretty disappointed and again, in the quietness of my heart said to "God it would be really cool if I could see a spider while I'm over here". Later that day we saw a spider that was black and yellow and the size of your whole hand- including your fingers! It was like nothing I'd ever seen before!

God knows the desires of your heart and the prayers of your heart. No matter how small or wired they may be, He knows them and hears them and answers them.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
Psalm 145:19

-Sandra Iliev

If there is nothing else to do, learn to be still, let your faith arise in your stillness.  

He who died at the Calvary died just for you and me. He laid His life down for you and me to live a life of flowing joy and peace. His mercy is unfailing; receive His grace unto your life.

Lift up your hands to the Most High. Do not run, do not hide; isolation is what the enemy wants you to do. Do not run from the One who will never give up on you.

Lift up your hands to God; this is the very posture a human could do when they don’t know where else to turn. When hands are up in the air, it speaks of surrender, it speaks of humility and a heartfelt plea to someone stronger than us.

Be still, He cares and He hears. Lift your hands and believe again, there is a way. Lift up your hands and pour your heart to the Faithful One.  In your stillness, He will strengthen you; He will come through for you.

Let faith arise; yes, there is a way. Let’s lift up our hands. He will surely open a way for you and me. 

Psalm 141:2
Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

- Irene Soon

Many years ago during our flight to a holiday destination, the plane we boarded faced a bad turbulence. All of us, the passengers were so fearful and I heard the Lord said to me, "It will be alright ". 

As the turbulence was getting worse, my fear grew uncontrollably but the Lord spoke to me again through His Word, " I have not given you a Spirit of fear but of love, of power and of a sound mind" ( 2 Timothy 1 : 7 )  and instantaneously I was filled with great peace as the spirit of fear abruptly left me.
 
2 Chronicles tells us that when Jehoshaphat heard that a vast army was coming to destroy him and his people, he feared.  He had nowhere to turn to, but he chose to run to God - "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You"  (2 Chronicles  20 : 12 ).

Through the prophet Jahaziel, the Lord directed Jehoshaphat and his people, "..... Do not be afraid nor dismayed...for the battle is not yours but God's " ( V 15 ) and God assured them that He would be with them.

They did as according to what the Lord had directed them. And as they began to sing and praise God, the Lord created confusion among their enemies; they fought against one another and one by one fell to their death. Jehoshaphat won the battle because he submitted his fear and turned to God to save him.  

Do you have an overwhelming fear? Don't ever let the devil paralyze your faith in God, turn to God and trust in Him for this Strong Tower is able to save you.

Proverbs 18 : 10
The name of the Lord is a Strong Tower, the righteous run to it and are safe .

- FY

We are the Lord's beloved! You are loved and adored by the God of the heavens and the earth. Deuteronomy 33:12 resonates within my heart. There have been times when my security and my trust hasn't been in God. I have made decisions which resulted in me not making God my rest and security.

When I didn't fully grasp the truth that I am God's beloved it was hard for me to believe other promises that God had for me. It was hard for me to identify or reconcile little sinful me with a sinless Savior. God had to do a work in my heart for me to fully comprehend this. Maybe you need to reconcile this truth as well. Oh the freedom that domes when you fully understand it!

Resting in God then becomes second nature and we come under God's protecting shield and in the revelation that you are His beloved. Having that security in God and the knowledge of how he perceives you protects you from the thoughts and lies of the enemy that tries to tell you different. Meditate on this scripture and ask God for yourself how he sees you... and rest secure in His word!

Deuteronomy 33:12
Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long.

-Sandra Iliev