HAPPY ENDINGS : Alexis A. Goring : Faithful Friday

Happy Endings: They’re not just for the movies!

A devotional by Alexis A. Goring

One of my favorite songs from the 1982 original version of the movie Annie is called “Let’s Go to the Movies!” It’s a beautiful, fanciful tune. Lately, it’s been on my mind.

I’ve been singing it often while listening to the replay on YouTube. But it wasn’t until one afternoon in late August 2020, that God showed me a spiritual parallel between the song lyrics and real-life. I realized that happy endings are not just for the movies. You can have a happy ending to the story of your life when you choose to follow Jesus Christ!

Best of all, it’s not really an ending, just happiness for all eternity! Through the sacrifice of His Son (Jesus Christ), God offers you the free gift of salvation. The Bible says that all who call upon the name of the Lord (Jesus Christ) will be saved (Acts 2:21).

What does it mean to be saved? Lovely, it means that God will save your soul in His Kingdom. It means that all of your pain and heartache that you experienced on this earth will end forever and God will restore you completely. It means that when Jesus Christ returns to Earth and takes His faithful followers home to Heaven, you will live forever! The Bible says that in the blink of an eye your body will be changed from mortal to immortal (1 Corinthians 15:52) and you will live in the Presence of God forever. This forever existence will be free from sin and all of its side effects: death, destruction, pain, sickness, trauma, drama, heartache, and so much more. You will live perfectly happy and feel completely loved by your Creator God.

But you don’t have wait until you get to Heaven to feel loved by God because He loved you before you were born (Jeremiah 1:5). We don’t have to work our way into God’s Heart nor do we need to continually impress Him to earn His favor because the Bible says that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). So what are you waiting for? Who doesn’t want to enjoy a happy ending? Especially a happy ending that never ends! Open the door of your heart to Jesus Christ who loves you with His very life (John 3:16).

He stands outside the door of your heart, gently knocking, waiting for you to let Him in (Revelation 3:20). But here’s the catch: Only you have the ability to open the door. Yes, God can do anything but He chooses to not force a relationship with you because He wants you to choose Him out of your own free will.

He will never force you against your will to accept the free gift of salvation that He offers through His Son Jesus Christ. But oh, how He loves you! And oh, how much He wants you to be saved in His Kingdom. Therefore, He actively pursues you with His Love. God constantly works through people, situations, words, songs, Bible verses, and all of His Creation (including nature) to give us reasons to welcome Him in. God wants to spend eternity with You. Will you choose Him today? Remember, tomorrow is not promised (James 4:13-14) and you can have salvation today! Won’t you choose Jesus?

There are two beautiful songs that I’d like for you to listen to in closing: “Now Behold the Lamb” (as performed in “The Gospel” movie) and “Tomorrow” by The Winans.

Be encouraged, dear heart. The Creator for the Universe who is also your Maker, loves you. He’s waiting for you to believe in Him (if you don’t already) and He desperately wants you to be saved in His Kingdom.

God wants to bless you with a happily ever after that rivals every ending to a human-made book, story, or movie. Will you let Him?

Alexis A. Goring is a passionate writer with a degree in Print Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. She loves the art of storytelling and hopes that her stories will connect readers with the enduring, forever love of Jesus Christ.

ALEXIS A. GORING ~ The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly ~ Faithful Friday

Image courtesy Pixabay.com

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

A devotional by Alexis A. Goring

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

– 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

This devotional was inspired by some of the first words spoken to me by one of my dear writer friends. I’ve changed her name for privacy reasons.

I will always remember my first conversation with my friend Juniper. She told me from the start that she’s ready to talk about it all – “the good, the bad, and the ugly” – because “life is too short to ease into friendships.”

Her words touched my heart and I knew she was a friend for life. As I write this devotional, I am reflecting on her words and thinking of my Best Friend who is always there for me and willing to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly. His Name is Jesus Christ and He is my best friend forever!

Jesus loves me unconditionally and He’s been with me through all the ups and downs of this life. He promises to comfort me, bless me, protect me and give me strength for the journey from Earth to Heaven. Best of all, He is my Savior, Redeemer and Lord over all!

There’s a song by Kari Jobe called “Lord Over All.” In this song, Kari touches on very important points that will get you through this life here on Earth. She says that when she’s facing the unknown, she knows that she can raise her voice to God and rest assured that He is with her and know that God will never leave her side! God is with her in the shifting shadows, the darkness, the uncertainties, the deep valleys of life, the troubled times … and He rescues her from it all effectively every single time without fail because He is Lord Over All!

The fact that God is “Lord Over All” means that He is in charge of this world and the entire universe! He is intimately involved in human affairs and He cares about everything that affects us – the good, the bad, and the ugly.

God has the solutions that you’re looking for in this life. You can trust Him today, tomorrow and forever! You can run to Him and He’ll welcome you with open arms, every single time. Why? Because, dear one, He loves you with ALL of His Heart. There’s nothing you can do to make Him love you less and there’s nothing you can do to make Him love you more. God’s Love for You is perfect and complete. He sent His Son (Jesus Christ) to save your life! Read John 3:16 for details on that point. He wants you to be reunited with Him for all eternity. God wants to help you through all the trials, tragedy, trauma and drama in this life.

Contrary to popular belief, God is not just watching us from a distance; He is here! He is everywhere! You cannot hide from Him because He sees all and knows all. But not in a scary way. In a loving, compassionate, strong and caring manner. His Presence is powerful! But you don’t have to be afraid of Him because His love for you is gentle and enduring.

Will you allow God and His Son Jesus Christ to be your Best Friend? They want to be there for you and they want to hear it ALL: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

You can safely confide in God and His Son without worrying about your information traveling elsewhere. They have the solutions you seek!

Will you allow your Maker, Savior, Redeemer and Best Friend to be there for you? They are waiting with open arms and a heart of love for you.

Alexis A. Goring is a passionate writer with a degree in Print Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. She loves the art of storytelling and hopes that her stories will connect readers with the enduring, forever love of Jesus Christ.

ALEXIS A. GORING ~ Conversations with God ~ Faithful Friday

Hi, all. It's Faithful Friday here on Whispers in Purple. Please welcome author Alexis A. Goring as she shares an adventure in traveling unfamiliar roads and encounters God in an most unusual way.

Conversations with God

A devotional by Alexis A. Goring

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

–      Psalm 46:1 (KJV)

God taught me many life lessons when I moved from Maryland to Montana to take my first big break in Journalism almost a decade ago. One of those lessons was that even when He’s silent, He’s still there.

Allow me to explain …

One Friday afternoon, I was driving my car down a gravel road, on assignment, trying to make it to a small town and back to my apartment before sundown.

I lived near the city in Maryland so I never actually had driven on a gravel road. Therefore, I didn’t realize that I couldn’t safely go the same speed on a gravel road than I could on a paved road. I think you know where this story is going … in a matter of minutes, my car fishtailed and spun around several times before crashing into a wire fence in the middle of nowhere!

Literally nowhere. To my left of the road was the wire fence that my car crashed into and to the right of the road was another wire fence that blocked off lines of farm property.

I got out of my car to survey the damage. The entire rear bumper was ripped off and it looked like my car had taken a beating. In addition to all of this, I realized that my car’s undercarriage was trapped because it was entwined with the wires from the fence. Clearly, I could not drive my car back onto the gravel road. It wouldn’t move! Surveying the damage, I just about lost it and I had a conversation with God. Just me, God, and the cows grazing on the farmland that was on the other side of the road.

My conversation was clearly one-sided and it went something like this:

What are You doing? How am I going to pay for this? You know that most of my paycheck goes to rent, bills and food! I have no more money! What am I going to do? Where are You?!

In the middle of my venting session, I paused as my gaze lowered from looking up at the sky (because God is beyond the heavens), to looking at a cow. To this day I remember that cow because he was the only cow whose coat was all black. All of the other cows were eating grass farther away on the right side of the fence, and they all were white and brown in color. But this cow, as beautiful and sleek as a black stallion, was positioned directly across from me. It stood by silently like a faithful friend, pressing close behind that fence, looking at me with pools of sympathy and empathy in its expressive round and dark eyes.

For a moment, I paused, completely awestruck. I’ve never seen an animal look at me like that, it was as if he knew what I was going through and somehow he wanted to comfort me.

But that moment was gone as quickly as it had come and I returned to my conversation with God. I flailed my arms and shouted at the sky, “Great! How is a COW going to HELP ME?!”

I reached for my phone to call the police so that I could report the accident and call a tow truck. But when I tried to dial a number, I noticed that there was no signal! I panicked, realizing that I was still in the middle of nowhere and it was only two hours before sunset. I did not want to be stranded at night!

Once again, I turned to God. This time, my conversation was more panicked. I asked God, “Are you just going to leave me here?”

Suddenly, an alternative form of communication dawned on me: I could try using my email on my phone to dial the newspaper office and tell my office manager to send the police and a tow truck. So I did then I waited. While I was waiting, a kind, older gentleman arrived in a pickup truck. He just “happened” to be a plumber (looking back, I wonder if he was an angel sent by God but at that time, I was too distressed to consider that possibility).

I watched as he took his tool kit out of his car and slid beneath my car like a natural mechanic and used tools from his kit to untangle my car from the wire fence. Then, at my request, he sat behind the wheel and maneuvered my car back onto the gravel road.

I thanked him then got into my car and started driving back toward where I lived. My plan was to drive straight to my apartment but as I was driving, I heard disturbing noises that I later learned indicated that I had a flat tire. I knew it wouldn’t be safe for me to drive all the way back to my apartment, which was an hour away, with my car in its battered condition.

When I spotted a restaurant (also in the middle of nowhere) about ten minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot, got out of my car, walked into the restaurant where the aroma of delicious food wafted to my nose, and I asked to use their telephone. It was there, while I was on the phone reporting my accident to the agent from GEICO car insurance that God spoke to me.

The female agent paused in her work to gather data about my accident and told me that she had to be silent for a few moments while she processed my claim but she wanted me to know that she’s “still here.”

And that was when the floodgates that I’d been holding back burst. I started crying. Not hysterically but still, openly crying. I’d kept it all together around other people until that point. God spoke to me. He helped me realize through that agent’s words spoken in the softest, kindest, most reassuring tone that HE was still there with me. And He’s never leaving my side. Even when I railed at Him in the middle of nowhere after my car crashed. Even when I doubted Him to take care of my financial needs which now included trying to figure out how to repair my totaled car.

Longer story short: I got it together, hung up the phone, met with the police and then a truck driver drove me home. Gratefully, God did not allow me to be hurt in that car accident. My car was totaled but I was not.

Thankfully, God never left my side. Even when I couldn’t feel His Presence, He showed up for me through that black cow, the patient plumber, and the kindhearted agent from GEICO.

I am sharing this story with you to encourage you to not give up on God because He will never give up on you! He loves you with ALL of His Heart.

When you’re weary, allow Him to carry you (Isaiah 46:4). When you’re hurt, let Him heal you (Psalm 103:2-3). When you’re in distress, trust Him to rescue you

(Isaiah 43:1-2). May the Lord bless you and keep you (Numbers 6:24-26).

In closing, I’d like for you to listen to this song, “He’s Able” by Pastor Deitrick Haddon.

Remember, God will never leave you to face life by yourself (Matthew 28:20)!

  

—

Author Bio: Alexis A. Goring is a passionate writer with a degree in Print Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. She loves the art of storytelling and hopes that her stories will connect readers with the enduring, forever love of Jesus Christ.

THE BODYGUARD: Reflections about God's Protection ~ Alexis A. Goring ~ Devotional

The Bodyguard: Reflections about God’s Protection

A devotional by Alexis A. Goring

“You have made the Lord your defender, the Most High your protector,
and so no disaster will strike you, no violence will come near your home.
God will put his angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go.”

–Psalm 91:9-11 [GNT]

This devotional is based on my observations on the commute I took via Metro Rail to work one morning.

A tall, dark, handsome, fit and strong man dressed sharply in a black suit and shiny black shoes skillfully guarded a little girl who appeared to be no older than five. He was five times her height and looked very much like he was her bodyguard. Looking back, I realized that he could have been her biological dad too. Nonetheless, he clearly had one objective: keeping his little girl safe. 

I watched as he scoped out his surroundings inside the train car, even moving to a more secure seat with his little girl as more people filled the train. He was actively alert, listening and watching everyone who may pose a threat to his child. She looked perfectly content, focused on her own little world. She appeared to have no worries because she knew she was in good hands with this man. It was clear that he would protect her at all costs. Then I started wondering about their story. 

We took the same train to the same stop in Northwest D.C. so I speculated if this young girl was a princess from another country, a dignitary’s daughter, or the child of some other high profile person like a politician. Regardless of to whom she belonged, it was clear that she was safe and loved, and needed not to worry about anything because he would protect her from all harm. 

These observations caused me to think about my God as our Heavenly Father. He is a Good Father who wants to protect us at all costs, even if that meant sending His Only Son (Jesus Christ) to this world to show us the way to Him. Jesus lived, ministered to hurting people on this Earth, then died and rose again to complete the plan of salvation that gives us hope of eternal life.

Read the story in John 3:16. Jesus didn’t stay dead in the grave forever; on the third day after his death, He rose again! He is working on our behalf, interceding for us before His Father (God) in Heaven. Thanks to Christ’s sacrifice, we have the hope of eternal life when the final curtain closes on human history! Meanwhile, God, Jesus and The Holy Spirit are here to help us survive this human experience on Earth.

With God, we are always safe. He sends His Angels from Heaven to protect us. It is the common belief that God assigns a guardian angel to each of us to protect us from the time we are born until the time we die. Why? Because God loves us! He doesn’t want anything to happen to His children. 

Just like that little girl clearly belonged to someone important, we belong to God who is the King of the Universe, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. Most importantly, He is our Heavenly Father who loves us with all of His heart. God wants to save your life. Will you trust Him to be your bodyguard?

Author Bio: Alexis A. Goring is a passionate writer with a degree in Print Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. She loves the art of storytelling and hopes that her stories will connect readers with the enduring, forever love of Jesus Christ.

HOPE FOR OUR TROUBLED WORLD ~ Alexis A. Goring ~ A Devotional

Hope for Our Troubled World

A devotional by Alexis A. Goring

Image courtesy Pixabay.com

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

–Psalm 42:5 (NIV)

In the early morning hours of Sunday, March 15, CNN reported around 1:07 a.m. (EST) that there are 142,000 Coronavirus cases globally. People are getting sick from the virus and dying. The numbers of cases and deaths seem to increase on a daily basis. Fear is sweeping over the people of this world.

On their company website, CNN reported the following in a box titled “What You Need to Know” about emergency measures globally: The US has declared a national emergency. France is closing all restaurants, cafes, cinemas, and clubs. People in Spain are restricted from leaving their homes. And the Philippines capital is about to go under partial lockdown.”

Clearly, our world is in trouble and people have real reasons to be fearful. But the Bible says that this is just the beginning! However, God doesn’t want us to be fearful. The Bible says in Matthew 24:6 (NKJV), “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”

Now here’s the Good News: God has promised to be with us until the end of the world (Matthew 28:20) and He means that literally!

Let’s take a moment to see what that means … The Creator of the Universe who made this Earth and your heart tells us to NOT let our hearts be troubled! In John 14:1 (KJV), Jesus Christ (God’s Son) says, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”

Let’s read the full context of that Scripture in John 14:1-6 (NIV). This is where Jesus comforts his disciples. He said:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Jesus is The Way to our home in Heaven. He is our hope in troubled times. He is our Savior. Our Healer. Our Redeemer, and He wants to be your Best Friend. Let that sink in, the Savior of the world wants to be your very Best Friend! Jesus is the friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). Jesus is the only friend capable of not only calming your fears, but saving your soul (John 3:16-17).

With Jesus in the picture, you always have hope! And the good news is that Jesus is always in the picture! Unfortunately, we as humans (even those of us who believe in God and are sold out for Jesus Christ) can sometimes forget these beautiful, Bible based truths and comforting promises of God as we become overwhelmed by the troubles of this world.

Early in the morning of Sunday, March 15, my soul was troubled. I was wide awake with worry after watching the news and emotional eating just after midnight. But, then God struck me with a Bible verse then He followed up with a song. Let’s read the verse first. The psalmist says in Psalm 42:5 (NIV), “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

Put your hope in God. I could almost feel God whisper those words to me.

Then the song “Find Rest” by Francesca Battistelli entered my mind and I went to YouTube and played it immediately. As the song lyrics washed over me, it helped me to renew my mind (Romans 12:2) and focus on what really matters (my relationship with Jesus Christ because only He can save me)!

Let’s examine my paraphrase of the song. The opening lyrics point to Biblical truth in saying that God never sleeps nor slumbers (Psalm 121:3-4). He’s never off the clock. Nothing that happens to us on Earth from the shedding of our tears to our expressions of what we fear, is a surprise to Him. God never runs out of resources to rush to our aid. All He wants us to do is to trust Him. He wants our weary souls to find rest in Him. He wants us to put our hope in Him. God is strong. God is faithful. God’s love for you and me is real.

As we say in church, God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good! Unlike mankind, God cannot lie. Everything that He says in His Word (The Holy Bible) is true! The Bible says in Numbers 23:19 (ESV), “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”

Now the age old saying when we are living in troubled times and experience tragedy or trauma is, “How could a good God allow this?”

There are many answers that we may not receive until we arrive in Heaven, the Bible says in Deuteronomy 29:29, and even then we may not know everything. But we can be okay with not knowing everything because what we do know is that God is good, God loves us unconditionally and He has our best interest at heart. We can trust Him to take care of us. Even when you don’t feel like God is there for you, He is. Don’t be fooled into thinking that He’s abandoned you. The Bible says that He will NEVER abandon you (Hebrews 13:5).

If you are living and breathing on this planet Earth then that is proof therein itself that God loves you and is there for you! Pastor Bianca Olthoff says, “If you are NOT dead, then God is NOT done!” Every day is another chance to accept Jesus Christ into your heart, believe in Him, love Him, obey Him, trust Him and follow Him all the way to Heaven!

Yes, we are living in troubled times. No, we don’t know what tomorrow holds but as the saying goes, “I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow.” God holds tomorrow! Can I get a “Hallelujah, Amen?”

You are in my heart and prayers. May God continue to watch over, bless and protect you. I pray that you will trust Him to deliver you and know that He will always be there for you. God will show up right on time in your situation. If you believe in the Bible and what it says then you have hope knowing that in the end, God wins! And if you stay on His team, you will win too and receive the most beautiful gift for free!

The free gift from God is better than a winner’s trophy or cash prize, it is eternal life spent in His Presence and that life starts in Heaven. It will be a life free from sickness and sorrow. A place that does not include death and is free of pain and destruction. It will be the start of a beautiful, real story that never ends.  But first, we must press forward and never give up or grow weary of doing good (Galatians 6:9)! We must live for Him (God) and not worry about or become fearful of anything. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV), “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Hold on to hope, God’s hope. Put your trust in God.

~*~

Author Bio (short): Alexis A. Goring is a passionate writer with a degree in Print Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. She loves the art of storytelling and hopes that her stories will connect readers with the enduring, forever love of Jesus Christ. 

STRENGTH FOR THE JOURNEY ~ Alexis A. Goring ~ Devotional

Strength For The Journey

Image courtesy Pixbay.com

A Faithful Friday devotional by Alexis A. Goring

One bright and sunny morning, I woke up with my issues on my mind.

As the minutes of what was otherwise a beautiful morning, ticked by, I felt more upset and depressed.

I opened my True Identity Bible and prayed to God, asking Him to be with me as I read the texts. At first, I couldn’t focus. So I was honest with God, telling Him what was on my mind. Then I returned my focus to Bible study. And then I saw it: My handwritten, blue ink colored note in the margin of a page in my Bible where I commented on the boxed text. Previously, I had written, “beautiful thought, could be a devotional!”

Inspired, I closed my Bible and asked God to guide me as I turned that thought into a devotional. Less than an hour later, I had written a devotional about how believers in God need to show people Jesus Christ, not just preach about Him.

After I finished editing my devotional, I realized that I felt so much better. The heaviness on my heart and sadness in my mind were lifted. I felt refreshed. And I knew why: Instead of reaching out to a friend or family member as I had so many times before, I went straight to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

There’s a beautiful SONG by Byron Cage called “There is A Name.”

The song basically says that the precious name of Jesus brings healing. It is a holy Name that we are to praise and revere. And what really stands out to me is a practical application he makes toward the end his song when he stops singing and starts preaching. He says:

“You can’t really get the victory until you call on the name of Jesus. You can talk to your girlfriend on the phone all night long. You can talk to your mother and to your father, but it’s not until you call the name of Jesus that demons have got to tremble. You can cry about it, you can talk about it but until you open up your mouth and begin to bless the name of Jesus and begin to rebuke the adversary in the name of Jesus: I speak healing in my body, in the name of Jesus. I speak deliverance in my spirit, in the name of Jesus! I speak peace in my mind, in the name of Jesus! It’s in the Name of Jesus!”

Finally, not only did I learn my lesson of going to God before you go to people; I also experienced the peace and freedom that results in consulting God first! Taking my concerns to Jesus Christ before speaking to anyone else has greatly blessed me.

I am encouraged to, from now on, go to God first.

Just like the preaching at the end of the song says: You can talk to anyone here on Earth, but complete and true deliverance doesn’t come until you talk to God! Calling on the Name of Jesus sets you free. His name brings healing. His name brings peace. Only Jesus truly understands you and only He knows what’s on your heart before you find your voice to express it.

The older I become, the more I realize what a blessing it is to have Jesus as my Savior and my Best Friend. He understands me completely and sees my flaws, yet He loves me unconditionally.

Growing up, I wanted what people called a “forever friend” who was loyal and true and whom I could call upon any time of the day or night. As an adult, when God blessed me with a few forever friends, including one who said I can text her “anytime” as often as I need to. She assured me that I’m “not exasperating” her at all. God also blessed me with a few other God-fearing, true friends who share her sentiment and want to be there for me. I treasure their friendship, kind words and prayer support.

However, I realized that though I am grateful to have true friends who want to be there for me any time of the day or night, the only one whose love for me is unfailing and whose patience in hearing me endures forever, is Jesus Christ. He is my Forever Friend for life.

Jesus is the only one who has the power to give me a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). He is the only one who understands me and knows how to help me before I begin to ask. Even the most helpful humans can become exhausted in dealing with other humans because we’re only human. But our Heavenly Father (God) and His Son (Jesus Christ) never become exhausted! The Bible says that they never sleep (Psalm 121:2-4), nor do they become exasperated from hearing from us whenever we call, even if it’s more than once a day. And as for comfort, they send their Holy Spirit to comfort us in ways that mere mortals (humans) cannot. Read John 14:26.

As an adult, I realized how blessed I’ve always been to have the Savior of the world Jesus Christ (1 John 4:14) on my side. The Bible says that God formed us and knew us before we were born (Jeremiah 1:5). He knows us more intimately than our mamas who carried us for nine months and gave birth to us. Only He is perfectly capable of helping to meet our every need.

The older I become, the more I realize that I always need to go to God first in order to get strength for my journey through life on this Earth. God places His people on this planet in all professions to help us, and He orchestrates friendships and relationships between humans that are a beautiful blessing. However, we should never place any human before Him. And no human should ever be one who we rely on for strength. Just like the song by Byron Cage says, only the Name of Jesus has the power to set us free. Calling on Him is a game changer!

As I close this devotional, I’d like to encourage you always to remember that you have a Friend named Jesus Christ who loves you with His life (John 3:16). Ask Him to be your life coach and best friend. He’s already cheering you on because He loves you!

Jesus wants to encourage your heart as you go through the human experience here on Earth. He says not to let your heart be troubled (John 14:1) because He has overcome the world (John 16:33), and He can help you overcome it too!

Author Bio: Alexis A. Goring is a passionate writer with a degree in Print Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. She loves the art of storytelling and hopes that her stories will connect readers with the enduring, forever love of Jesus Christ.

BE THE MESSAGE ~ Alexis A. Goring ~ Devotional

BE The Message

A devotional by Alexis A. Goring

“Some people are hurting so bad you have to do more than preach a message to them. You have to BE a message to them.” – Joyce Meyer

People. Hurting people. They are everywhere.

The homeless in the parks and on street corners begging for money just to make it through the day … The child on the school playground who was picked last for the team … The teen who is bullied by their peers to the point where they consider suicide … The young adult who is failing out of school … The middle-aged adult whose career dreams have not come true … The people around the world who are being persecuted for their faith … The athlete who has a perfect body but a troubled heart … The parent who struggles to provide for their child … The atheist who is facing death.

Pain in this human experience on Earth is inevitable. But what do people do when they are hurting and have no hope? Followers of Jesus Christ know that you always have hope when Jesus is your Savior. But people who do not know Jesus yet live without hope and when life hits them hard, they cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. This results in despair and sometimes, suicide. But I’m here today to tell you that there is hope! His Name is Jesus.

Jesus Christ loves you with his very life! In fact, He thinks you’re worth dying for! So He did. The Bible says in John 3:16 (NIV): “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

But Jesus didn’t stay dead in the grave. After three days, He rose to life! He spent time visiting His disciples and followers here on Earth to let them know He is alive and then He went home to Heaven, where to this day, He is our High Priest and Mediator before God. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection that completed the plan of salvation for human souls, when God sees a sinner (we humans are ALL sinners), He sees His Son who died for that person so God doesn’t give us the death sentence (Romans 6:23); He gives us grace and mercy. We have a second chance at making it to Heaven thanks to Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. Heaven is a truly perfect place that is free of death, pain, sin and sorrow. And that message is hope for a hurting world!

Sometimes, though, hearing a message of hope is not enough. Joyce Meyer said, “Some people are hurting so bad you have to do more than preach a message to them. You have to BE a message to them.”

So how do we BE the message of hope for a hurting world?

I cannot speak for every Christ-follower, but for me, I believe that we can be the message by living according to God’s Will. The Bible is clear on what God requires of us. According to Micah 6:8 (NIV): “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

When we act justly, we uplift the poor, we relieve the oppressed and we help to heal the hurting people. When we love mercy, we forgive those who have offended us and share God’s grace with those who need it most. When we walk humbly with our God, we put others before ourselves and treat everyone how we want to be treated. Essentially, we show the world that Jesus is our Savior and we teach them that He is the only way to Heaven.

According to John 14:6-7 (NIV), Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

After Jesus rose from the grave and visited his followers, even they had trouble understanding that He was the way to Heaven. According to my True Identity Bible in a boxed quote that is based on John 14:6-7 and titled, “He Is: The Way and The Truth and The Life,” Jesus Christ’s disciples had their doubts about how to follow Jesus now that He was going to Heaven. But Jesus, as the Master Teacher, was patient. He didn’t preach a sermon; He showed them the way. Let’s read what this excerpt on page 1539 of my True Identity Bible says:

“Thomas and the others wanted to follow Jesus but didn’t know the way he was going. Jesus plainly stated that he is the way and the truth and the life. Rather than sermonizing about a complicated set of directions to reach the heavenly Father, Jesus made the way simple: Really know me. When you are lost, would you rather look at a map or follow a person who knows the way? The same is true for coming to Jesus. What an unsaved person needs isn’t a complicated explanation but someone to show her the way to himself (see also Acts 4:12).”

I like this key point: What an unsaved person needs isn’t a complicated explanation but someone to show her the way to himself. People who are hurting and don’t know Jesus yet need us to, as Joyce Meyer says, “BE the message!” There’s a SONG: People Need the Lord by Steve Green that really drives my point home. The song is called “People Need the Lord.”

Allow me to share my paraphrase of this music message with you.

The music artist (Steve Green) says that he sees people every day with worry in their eyes. He knows that they’re experiencing pain that they keep private. He says that they are fearful every day. He hears their silent cries that they cover up with laughter. He knows that sometimes, only Jesus hears their cries and knows the depths of their desperation. But then he gives the listener to his song a call to action! He says that Christ-followers are called to share Christ’s Light and God’s Word with all of the hurting people in this world. We are to seek the lost and help them find Jesus. We are to show people that Jesus Christ is the way to Heaven and He not only saves souls, He also restores broken hearts!

People are literally dying without hope! They are craving something that only God can give. But what they may not know is that Jesus is the hope they seek! God loves them and He is the only one who can truly satisfy their hunger! And it’s up to us who follow Jesus and believe in God to show the hurting people that there is hope, that God loves them and that Jesus wants to be their Savior and their Best Friend.

We need to do more than preach this message of hope and salvation to the hurting world; we need to BE the message!

The world is waiting for a message that heals their hurting heart. Will you who know Jesus Christ go share this hope, this healing and these words of life with those who need it?

~*~

Author Bio: Alexis A. Goring is a passionate writer with a degree in Print Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. She loves the art of storytelling and hopes that her stories will connect readers with the enduring, forever love of Jesus Christ.

TRUSTING GOD ~ Alexis A. Goring ~ Faithful Friday

Trusting God

devotional by Alexis A. Goring

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” –Psalm 20:7 [NIV]

The song “Trust in You” by Anthony Brown & Group Therapy opens with lyrics to encourage the listener, declaring that God did not create us to worry or fear; He created us to worship Him and trust Him.

The song lyrics remind the listener about the magnitude of God! He is the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Jehovah-jireh (our provider)! The music artists who perform this beautiful song emphasize God’s glory to remind the believer just how big the God we serve is and that no problem that we face here on Earth is too big for God to solve! He’s not just the Creator of the Universe; He is your Heavenly Father and He knows what is best for you.

The Bible says in Luke 12:7 that God numbered all of the hairs on our heads (and if you have a lot of hair on your head like I do then you know the significance of that saying). I think that this Bible verse means that God knows you more intimately than any human ever will and He is perfectly capable of meeting all of your needs!

God met my needs recently in a powerful way.

Early on in the week of Jan. 26, 2020, I asked all of the prayer warriors in my life to pray for me. I shared that ever since being let go from my job the previous year, I had been struggling to pay my bills and that this particular week, I was down to nothing. I did not know how I would be able to pay my bills for that week. I also asked my prayer warriors to pray that God would bless me with more work that pays well so that I could pay my bills on time.

Less than five minutes later, prayer support and notes of encouragement started flooding in. Several people even shared their own stories about their struggles and how God came through for them just in the right time.

Among those prayer warriors were ones who said that they felt God leading them to give me a monetary gift and when I received their gift, it was just what I needed at that time.

I was amazed at how God moved on my behalf in less than a few hours!

This experience taught me so many lessons:

Lesson #1: Always go to God first. He loves you with ALL of His Heart and He cares about everything that impacts you here on Earth.

Lesson #2: Always feed your faith, not your fear. I made a point that morning after private prayer time with God to publicly post that song “Trust in You” and note that it’s the new anthem to my REAL life story! I chose to praise God and trust Him to take care of me. I refused to give into to fear of the future based on my circumstances.

Lesson #3: Don’t be afraid to ask for prayer support from the people in your life who believe in God and follow Jesus Christ. I sent private messages to all of my prayer warriors and asked for prayer that God would provide for me by helping me get more work that pays well and helping me be able to meet my financial needs. I did not ask for financial help but God impressed some people to send monetary gifts to me anyway! What a blessing!

Lesson #4: When God blesses you, don’t stay silent! A few days after this amazing blessing and prayer support, God impressed me to write about my experience. I believe that He wants us to share our stories to encourage others who are going through similar situations. Our stories inspire hope!

On that note, I’d like for you to please know that no matter what you’re facing in this life here on Earth, you always have hope because you have God. He loves you with all of His Heart, even if you don’t know Him yet! That’s why He sent His Son (Jesus Christ) to save you! Read John 3:16.

Following Jesus Christ and praying “the prayer of faith” (James 5:13-16) is something God wants all of us to do! Why? Because the Bible says in Hebrews 11:6 (NLT), “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”

My “Word” for the New Year 2020 was “Trust.” What a way to start the first month of that year with this teachable moment from God! After my experience in January 2020, I am encouraged to trust Him more and never stop praying about my every need because He cares and even when He’s silent, He’s there.

I hope that my testimony has encouraged your heart and inspired you to trust God with every need, every desire, every dream, and every plan for your life. Remember this: God is Good. God loves you and He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)!

May God bless your life story for His glory!

 

Author Bio: Alexis A. Goring is a passionate writer with a degree in Print Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. She loves the art of storytelling and hopes that her stories will connect readers with the enduring, forever love of Jesus Christ.