Tag: Bible Verse

Are Your Emotions Stealing God’s Best for You?

A way to easily gain a positive expectancy, outlook, and a smile in your heart if not on your face–is to 

"Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord."
Psalm 119:1, NLT

The early morning glory of red and purple playing back and forth in the sky is erased when the sun soars upward. Like your once-wrapped packages under the tree that were poised to be opened, the treasure is now fully exposed.

As you walk into the New Year of our Lord, the newness will lose its grandeur of the gifts and the expectancy of a new year. That is normal and dare I say okay. There is nothing wrong with not being as thrilled with the gifts or the anticipation of a new year.

Newly opened gifts and perhaps a new goal or two in mind, the ‘newness’ of the gifts and new year always dulls.

Michele Marie Weisman

However, the joy of God never dims or diminishes. What was true of God yesterday is true today and will be tomorrow.

Easily gain a positive expectancy, outlook, and a smile in your heart if not on your face by simply serving in your community. Your City. Remember, Jesus says we are serving him when we serve another.

Ideas to Serve: Call a friend or acquaintance and ask how they are doing. Pen a note to someone and put it in the mailbox. Are you running errands today? Who can you let go before you in line at the check out, or can you pay for someone’s items at the store?

Pray with me.

God, my emotions will fail but you always have an abundance of joy to give away. Show me where to serve. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Thank you!

Thank you for visiting in 2023! I consider it an honor when you stop by Walking On Mustard Seeds.

I am able to see what country a reader visits from. A total of 41 countries stopped by to read my blog this last year!

Because I can’t offer you tea or coffee, please know I pray for you and thank God for you.

MVP 2023 (Most Viewed Post)

If you share a post with others, thank you! That is the greatest compliment I can receive, that you would tell others about a piece I wrote.

What was the most popular blog post of 2023? Nine Benefits of God’s Will for You

What was your favorite post of 2023? Your comments brighten my day!

Please know you are always welcome here. I look forward to crafting more blog posts for you and thank you for your grace as I learn to juggle the blog and finishing my manuscript for release in the Spring of 2024

Keep Walking On Mustard Seeds,

Michele Marie Weisman

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Image by Azmi Talib from Pixabay

10 Ways to Reflect God’s Will for You

You are a unique refection of God; let Him shine through you.

Cat looking at it's reflection in a window with a city scape, lots of buildings in the background.

As I cleaned my home for Thanksgiving, I thought of how we also need to tidy God’s path.

What are the dust bunnies that are taking over the view?

It can look like a distraction, worry, regret, or putting something off until later. (Ouch! I see myself in these too.) “Doesn’t everyone” you may ask yourself.

Yes, but does that make it okay?

These activities: distraction, worry, regret, or procrastination, remove you from the powerful calling God has for you to fulfill.

It is impossible, on our own, to clean up for God. Does that mean we should call a cleaning service? Kind of.

Can you really clean for God?

I was recently reminded of this impossible task when one of my teenage daughters had a breakout. Pimples revealed an issue within her own body, skin oils mixed with pollutants clogged up her pores.

What do my dust bunnies and her blemishes reveal? Unintended consequences have consequences. Unintended, according to my sidebar’s dictionary, means, thoughtless, silly, careless, or unwise.

Back to unintended consequences, in Old Testament times there was a sacrifice for unintentional sin. Yes, you and I work against ourselves without even knowing it, or more importantly, we work against God. This specific sin issue is expanded issue in the New Testament in one little but mighty verse from the book of Romans chapter 14 verse 20. It tells us that our conscience in Christ is to be our guide because we don’t want to lead others astray. BUT, don’t be discouraged! Instead, take COURAGE.

Don’t be discouraged, take COURAGE.

Three-step maintenance for the skin, wash your face, use astringent or deep clean occasionally, and repeat.

Recently my daughter told me I had done something that affected her in a negative way. I was dumbfounded as I did not even know I had offended her. Days later, I realized the ‘thing’ I had done was something I was catching myself doing again and again. How did I not know about this offense before? How did I not see this?

This is exactly what unknown sin is. To do something that is against God’s ways and wishes is wrong, if we see it happening or not. To get caught up in the regret of these sins is not the solution.

Just like the dust bunnies I need to clean up and the routine my daughter keeps for her skin, there is a Spiritual Cleaning you can do to address hidden sin.

Wash Away Unknown Sin

  1. Position your heart to hear God’s truth. The book of John, chapter 10 verse 27, tells us we hear God’s voice. This can happen by spending time in scripture and in prayer.
  2. Humble your perspective of yourself. The book of Hebrews, chapter 2 verse 9 explains that Christ lowered himself by coming to earth and lived a sacrificial life.
  3. Foster relationships where people can tell you the truth about you, the good and bad. In the book of Proverbs, chapter 27 verses 5 and 6 explain that truth from a friend is better than meanness from a foe.
  4. Ask God to root all sin out of your heart. The book of Proverbs chapter 27 verse 19 explains that your face will reveal what is in your heart.
  5. Shift your motives to God’s motives. The book of Romans chapter 8 verse 26 guarantees that you need only come to prayer with a heart for God’s purposes and the Holy Spirit who does nothing outside of God’s will perfects the message.

Astringent

This never feels good, in fact, astringents sting! It does not feel good to think of people who are hurting, but compassion with action is what Christ requires of you. Matthew 25:35-40;

6. Do for the imprisoned

7. Do for the stranger

8. Do for the sick

9. Do for all the book of Galatians chapter 6 verse 10 instructs. There are NO exceptions, but a slight preference toward other believers.

10. Repeat Steps 1-9 Repeat the process and build the habit of doing good.

God has good plans for you to do in your City. Just as a field of pimples distracts a teenager and my dust bunnies need cleaning up, unknown sin can clog your ability to see who needs you to help them in your City.

Ask God to help you clean your Spiritual Complexion. This is Jesus’ high call. He has called us each to it.

It begins with prayer

Father,

I want you to show me where I am falling short and do not see it. I will not position myself in regret but leave it at the cross. Thank you for clearing my heart to see more of your Son in all that I do. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your turn

You are a unique reflection of God; let Him shine through you. What would you add?

News

I wrote and mailed 15 devotionals for some very special homeless women in California, all due to a prompting from God. They will be given out at Christmas time. Will you join me in prayer that these journal-style devotionals guide them into a close walk with Him?

Devotional Progress

Spring 2024 Release! I am working on my final draft and am excited about the next steps.

Keep Walking on Mustard Seeds,

Michele Marie Weisman

“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29)