Watch What They Do
There’s a quote by Winston Churchill in which he said that “I no longer listen to what people say, I just watch what they do, behavior never lies”. This quote my dear friends is my entire message summed up for you today. This is a life nugget I am studiously mastering daily - that people have a lot to say so instead of believing what they say, I watch their actions and behavior. Only God knows the number of times that I’ve been so disappointed and fallen victim because I believed what someone said, even quite recently. I have a hard time accepting that most people have no integrity or are not sincere. I seem to believe that people keep their word because in all honesty, all I have is my word to you then you give me a chance to prove myself to you.
I’ve learned in so many painful ways that people usually say the right things in the right atmosphere but have no intentions to honor what they said. Needless to say that I’ve been a victim of non-believers and more often the ones who even claim to have seen certified copies of Jesus’ birth certificate, pray in tongues and sit in church every Sunday. They’re worse because they are the ones you assume have a relationship with God so at least they will be sincere in their thoughts, words and deeds correct? Wrong! I’ve also seen people who won’t say much but their actions speak louder than anything they have to say. Those are the people I am leaning more towards lately.
Jesus was not amiss when He said in Matthew 7:16 NLT that “You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?” So, you can join me on this journey to watch what people do instead of believing everything they say. Their actions and behaviors will always give you the answer you need.
I pray for you this week that God will give you every wisdom and discernment you need in dealing with people. AMEN.
XOXO,
Lady Abena.
Declarations For April 2024
Today, April 01, 2024, the Lord has blessed me with 16,060 days on earth. I have a lot to thank Him for and at the same time I am also reminded of my journey thus far which has been painful for the most part. If you do not know what perseverance looks like, you’re staring at one (ME). Living out God’s will and purposes with all the odds against me. The worst part about today is the fact that my father is lying cold in a morgue awaiting burial. In my current state I cried out to God and He reminded me of this scripture in Job 14:7-8, that even if a tree is cut down and its roots grow old and the stump even dies in the soil, at the scent of water, that tree will bud again and put forth shoots like a plant. (Paraphrased).
Every prayer, wish, blessing I have received this day has all been aligned to what God is declaring in my life. My mother had a powerful message delivered to me from God - I wish I could share this but it's one I am keeping so close to my heart and life. Declare the following with me:
- Lord, you’re the God of all flesh - nothing is too hard for you.
- What is impossible with man is ALWAYS possible with you.
- I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours concerning my life can be thwarted.
- That all things are possible with you and through you.
I declare it is so and so it is in Jesus’ name. AMEN!
XOXO,
Lady Abena.
Make A Lemon Spritzer Out Of Life
You’ve heard the old proverbial saying that “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade?” What that literally means is that, no matter what adversities you face in life, stay optimistic and be encouraged. Sometimes I daydream about a world where everything is perfect, no lack, no worries, no evil, everyone is honest, trustworthy and we all live happily ever after. I guess it is what it is - a dream which I only exist in. Romans 8:18 AMP is a scripture that encourages me greatly on my rainy days;
“For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us!”
I do believe with all of me that God’s glory shines best through the hard times. When our strength and efforts fail, that is where His power and glory will be seen in our lives. Since lemonade has too much sugar, no offense to the people who drink it, I think adding some sparkling water will make a good spritzer for you. So, no matter what you face or will face in life, find a way to make a lemon spritzer out of the situation. Do not let it consume and destroy you. The sun always shines at the end of the rain. There’s no situation you will face in this life that someone has not already overcome and when it happens to you, God will provide a way of escape for you. (1 Corinthians 10:13, paraphrased). Like the “Teacher” said in Ecclesiastes 1:9 that there’s really nothing new under the sun. What has happened before will happen again and the cycle of life continues.
Here’s my life practice in this area. I prepare myself daily by putting on the full armor of God, and whatever happens, no matter how great or small, I make sure it doesn’t drown me. When problems are heading my way my brain goes into solution-mode, thinking on my feet and with God’s help, finding ways out of that situation. I don’t sit and wallow in my problems, that will be fruitless, I move to find solutions with God’s help, giving me wisdom and leading me to the right people.
I pray for you this week, that whatever has risen itself against your life, may the good Lord, the stone of help and our defender, give you all the ammunition you need to overcome. I declare it is so and so it is in Jesus’ name. AMEN!
XOXO,
Lady Abena.