Relationships, even healthy ones, are messy. Sometimes they require us to downshift, slow down and come alongside someone in their place of need. Other times, healthy relationships challenge us to hit the gas and throw it into overdrive. That challenge looks different for each one of us, but the truth remains the same. Life is not meant to be lived alone!

For those of us who follow Christ, our lack of ability to perform should also lead us to awe. Not because we change colors, but rather because that reminds us of how great a Savior we have! Our insufficiencies are made enough by His sufficiency. Our failures, able to be redeemed by His great mercy and grace. Our sins, removed as far as the east is from the west by His blood shed.

These verses ring true in the current climate of our culture where so many leaders and institutions, both christian and non christian, are claiming to be the foremost source of help and hope for the future. The Psalmist goes on to remind us where our ultimate help and our hope should rest and even gives a list of reasons why!

Brothers and sisters don't give up praying for your unbelieving friends and family. There are no traits that disqualify someone from grace. God’s sovereign grace can step in at any point in a person's life and draw them to himself! It’s not our job to estimate the probabilities of where grace should succeed. We serve a sovereign God who knows all things and there will never be a day where he is uncertain of the ones he has called to salvation.

There is freedom in letting people be people because that is God’s way. People were never supposed to be our number one priority. God always was. He designed us to have Himself first in our hearts. No wonder we feel hurt & frustrated, we aren’t putting first things first! In light of God’s wisdom we see people are faulty and they can’t be our joy or satisfaction. Not only that, when we love God first, we can love others better because we aren’t expecting them to be God to us.

Here’s the thing. Some days, our spiritual taste buds might not be working. But its important we don’t stop tasting anyway. Even when prayer and devotions are not enjoyable, or not instantly meaningful, they still nourish us. And they still taste worlds better than any other book, movie, or social media feed we could be consuming – we just might not know it right away. When we struggle to focus, or feel rushed, we still need to take time to feed our souls. The taste will come.

I am willing to bet there are spiritually, physically and emotionally weary people in your community that you can help or encourage in the grocery store, on the roadside or walking down your street. Step out in faith and lend a helping hand. Who knows how God will use your brief encounter to impact someone's life for eternity!

In Acts 2:42 it says that the church was devoted to the apostles teaching, to fellowship, to eating with one another and to prayer. Believe it or not, the fellowship of believers was kind of a big deal to the early church and I believe it's a big deal to God. God desires his people to regularly come together in relationship, companionship, gratitude, worship and mutual encouragement in Christ.

Our greater need is always spiritual. God is not concerned with the things we often are. In fact, He says not to worry about earthly things, like what we will eat or drink or wear (Matthew 6). God is most concerned about the eternal.

We can use the perspective gained while on the mountaintop to help us through the trials of the valley but the mountaintop is not where we live. Enjoy the mountaintop! Learn from it and appreciate the perspective it gives you, but remember it’s in the valley that we live and grow.

God’s power is there for me. I don’t need to be discontent. God’s power is there for me. I don’t need to be stressed about the people in my life. God’s power is there for me. I don’t need to worry where I should direct my time and energy. If I ask Him, God will tell me.

My prayer has been that God would remind me of this early and often as I go about my day and that I would not be quick to forget God’s goodness toward me all of my days.

If we continuously try to set up our lives in such a way with no risks, no room for failure and no fears - we are also setting up our lives for no faith! We don’t “need” God when we don’t have things to fear or we don’t need to rely on Him.

Our Heavenly Father, Creator of all things, could have made his home on any mountain or in any beautiful setting he desired. Instead, he loved us so much more that he decided to make his home in the hearts of his people. Wow! His love for us is so much greater than any other created thing and so should our love for one another be!

But, the Bible clearly states that the rain falls on the evil and the good. If you follow wisdom, then your odds in life are better- and that’s logical. The Bible is actually very logical. What earthly benefit is it follow God? He is with you. Through highs and lows, even to the end of time. He guides.

We can’t live for God without God. We can’t put ourselves in auto-drive mode, and call it good. Our need for God’s help is obvious in the cross. We might be able to land that trick perfectly off that new rail, but we can’t truly perform up to God’s standard of perfection with our whole life. We know this because Jesus had to die. His death proves our flaws and brokenness – but it also proves His love that He would die WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS (Romans 5:8).

Regularly taking a moment to pause, praise and give thanks may seem insignificant, but I am convinced that our habits are constantly forming us into the people we are becoming. If you're like me and you tend to get caught up in the busyness of the day, take a moment now and ask God to grow in you a heart of constant gratitude! He hears your prayers and desires to help you!

As we follow Jesus, putting in the work now and making the hard decisions to choose Him, we grow in our love for Him. When we reach eternity having lived in pursuit of pleasing Him, we have the joy of offering up our work, not as a means of salvation, but as a means of worship, at Jesus’s feet. The hard work now leads to greater joy later.

In other words, no matter what you find yourself doing: all things you do, in word and deed, provide opportunity to worship and glorify God. Whether you’re changing a diaper, standing in front of a sink with dirty dishes, sending emails at your office job, or chatting with a neighbor - opportunities are plenty!

Have you ever found yourself in a state of frantic anxiety trying to figure out how to fix a difficult situation? I think we all have at some point. I wonder if we should take some advice from Moses and remember who God is and what he has done. Not only has he parted the red sea he has conquered sin, satan and death on our behalf. If you find yourself in an impossible situation, cry out to God! He is mighty to save! He loves you deeply and he won’t leave you to fend for yourself. You need only to trust in Him, stand firm and be still.