time to fight

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

- 2 Timothy 4:7 (NKJV)

 

There are some things in life that are definitely worth fighting for.

We have all been through struggles, battles, trying times, some of us have had to fight for our lives. 

Our battles may be medical, physical, or emotional, but they are our battles, they are very real and very big. 

Some of us are still fighting.

Do not give up.

There is a great secular song by the artist Rachel Platten from 2015 called Fight Song:

Like a small boat on the ocean

Sending big waves into motion

Like how a single word

Can make a heart open

I might only have one match

But I can make an explosion

And all those things I didn't say

Were wrecking balls inside my brain

I will scream them loud tonight

Can you hear my voice this time?

This is my fight song

Take back my life song

Prove I'm alright song

My power's turned on

Starting right now, I'll be strong

I'll play my fight song

And I don't really care if nobody else believes

'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

Losing friends and I'm chasing sleep

Everybody's worried 'bout me

In too deep, say I'm in too deep

And it's been two years, I miss my home

But there's a fire burning in my bones

Still believe, yeah, I still believe

And all those things I didn't say

Wrecking balls inside my brain

I will scream 'em loud tonight

Can you hear my voice this time?

This is my fight song

Take back my life song

Prove I'm alright song

My power's turned on

Starting right now, I'll be strong

I'll play my fight song

And I don't really care if nobody else believes

'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

Do you realize how easy it is to turn this into a song about faith?

What if the fight that is in us is God, telling us to stay strong?

That it is Him helping you take back your life.

God is with you - even when you feel the most alone, keep your faith, keep Him as your strength - when you feel like the world is closing in, reach out and feel His arms around you. 

Find your peace, make God your hero, make the Bible your fight song. 

and never stop keeping the faith.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

give me strength

But the Lord was with me. He gave me power to preach the Good News so all the people who do not know God might hear. I was taken from the mouth of the lion.

- 2 Timothy 4:17 (NLV)

 

Every day we face challenges, decisions that we have to make.
Some are simple like what shirt to wear; others are more complicated like making a decision that will affect the rest of your life.
Granted, the shirt we wear to the office may not feel like a choice that is overwhelming, but other choices are.
God does not leave us alone when we face overwhelming odds.

Paul wrote to Timothy that he felt abandoned by others, but he knew he was not separated from God.

God had a purpose for Paul that was yet to be fulfilled, and as a result of his faith, Paul was able to stand strong even in the midst of incredible danger.

Whoa . . .

God has a purpose for ME, and for YOU.

Our lions are more metaphorical now, but they are still our lions.

We need to harness the confidence that Paul had, the knowledge that God will give you strength, for He has a destiny for you to fulfill.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

it’s a choice

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

- Romans 12:12 (NIV)

 

This time of year can be extremely stressful for pretty much everyone.

A gentle reminder. . .

We all have limits that are reached, whether it is our jobs or our families, or the long lines at the store, and sometimes it is difficult at best to be joyful and patient, and even less faithful in prayer.

We need to remain joyful, hopeful, patient and faithful.

Oh, let me tell you, the struggle is real!

I don’t know about you, but there are times in my life when surviving day to day is a struggle and I simply must trust that my God will see me through.

It is not easy - but pray.
No matter the situation, no matter the struggle, pray.
Phil Ware, one of the contributing authors of Verse of the Day has this to say:

“Choosing joy through hope rather than despair, choosing patient endurance in times of affliction, and choosing faithfulness in prayer are all decisions of the will trusting that the God who raised Jesus from the dead can also change our circumstances because He hears our voice.”

It is our hope in Jesus that keeps us going, our faith that He is there, always,

Prayer is God's gift to us so that we can be patient and joyful, even when things don't appear to be going well.

Maybe knowing that He hears our voice is all we need to know to find joy, to be patient and to continue our journey of faithfulness.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

stand your ground

 If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.

- Isaiah 7:9b (NIV)

 

It is that time of year when the haters come out to hate.
The other day I saw a post in a Facebook craft group that said “If I wanted to join a Christian group I would have” because someone posted a “Jesus is the Reason” craft.
I mean, come on, crafters are doing all sorts of Christmas crafts, and you really thought you wouldn’t see one about Jesus?
We wouldn’t have Christmas with out Him, but I digress. 

Most of the thousands of members of the group said the same thing, they were all standing together in faith.
It’s been a minute since I did any song reference, so let’s look at a snippet from Lauren Daigle’s “O’ Lord”, released in 2015:
Though times it seems like I'm coming undone

This walk can often feel lonely

No matter what until this race is won

I will stand my ground

Where hope can be found

I will stand my ground

Where hope can be found

Oh! O' Lord, o' Lord, I know You hear my cry

Your love is lifting me above all the lies

No matter what I face this I know in time

You'll take all that is wrong and make it right

You'll take all that is wrong and make it right

Your strength is found at the end of my road

Your grace—it reaches to the hurting

Still through the tears and the questioning why

I will stand my ground

Where hope can be found!

I will stand my ground

Where hope can be found!

Oh, O' Lord, O' Lord, I know You hear my cry

Your love is lifting me above all the lies

No matter what I face this I know in time

You'll take all that is wrong and make it right

You'll take all that is wrong and make it right

What a powerful message.

We must stand up for what we believe in, because if we don’t, well then, we end up following the wrong people and doing the wrong things and then we aren’t standing at all.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

a sign

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

- Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV)

 

Everywhere you look there are signs.
“Do Not Enter”, “One Way”, “No U Turn”. 

Oh, thinking about these signs just opened my brain to a whole new message!

We don’t have to look very far to see negative signs in the world today, they are everywhere.
This is not a recent development either, there have been negative signs for as long as there has been the ability to print.
Back in the 1950’s and 60’s you could see terrible signs at nearly every establishment in the United States.
Humans tend to discriminate against anything and everything. 
Stop looking for signs, especially the bad signs like “Do Not Enter”, “One Way”, “No U Turn” – because none of that is true in Christ.
The Bible says the Lord Himself will give you a signand that means that we are allowed to enter, it isn’t a one-way relationship, and we can certainly turn our lives around when we accept Christ. 
God loves us enough that He not only sent His Son, but He gave us a sign – many signs – that Jesus is the way, the truth, the life.
The life of Jesus is God’s sign that He will always be with us. 
I like that sign. 

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

I’m a mess

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

- Romans 8:37 (NKJV)

Have you ever just looked around yourself and thought, boy howdy, I’m a mess?
No? Then stop reading because today’s “daily bread” is not for those who are perfect.
Still here? 
Good, I thought you might be. 
So, boy howdy, I am a mess. 
As I have gotten older my anxiety has gotten worse, some days I don’t want to get out of bed.
But I do it anyway. 
Why?

Because I don’t have to fight every battle, especially the ones that Christ already won.
We are more than conquerors means that those who are saved by faith in Christ can overcome anything.
Any thing. 
No matter how big or small our mess is, God is for us, and we can have confidence knowing that He will help us overcome.  
Victory is ours because the Lord loves us and promises us that His love is the guarantee of our conquest of all the things that come against us.
Be a mess, God doesn’t care how messy you are or how big your messes seem to you, because He loves you.
No matter what problem comes our way, we can overcome it through Christ Jesus.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

the race is on

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

- Acts 20:24 (NIV)

 

There are 22 days before Christmas.
We made it through Thanksgiving, black Friday shopping, hanging Christmas lights and decorating the tree.
Now we begin the rat-race of Christmas parties, shopping frenzies, eating ourselves silly, and we forget the reason for the season.
Rat-races. 

Over the years, I have heard many variations of the term “rat race”, from joining the rat race to escaping the rat race.

Wikipedia says A rat race is an endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit.

The phrase equates humans to rats attempting to earn a reward such as cheese, in vain.

It may also refer to a competitive struggle to get ahead financially or routinely.

Urban dictionary defines rat race as a term used to describe a frustrating, hard-to-break financial lifestyle.

It is a lifestyle that is lived by countless people, oblivious to the very nature of it, to a degree that even when called upon, vehemently deny it.

Have you ever wondered if we are in a rat race to find salvation?

Earlier in Acts chapter 20, Paul is telling us that he is going to Jerusalem, knowing that he may go to prison.

In fact, Paul went to several prisons over the course of his life, because he was testifying about his God.

What is your life if you don’t share the Gospel?

What might come of you if you don’t stand for what you believe?

Someday, someone may look at all these words I write since I started sharing my email/blog, and I may be arrested – it happens in other countries, and I fear it will happen here someday too.

But . . .

If my words, caused one life to turn to Jesus, then it was worth it.

Jesus gave His life for you; would you give your life for Him?

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible