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It’s the late 70’s and I’ve been outside playing for hours. My grandmother had a peach tree, and there was something extra special about grabbing one of those peaches, even if they weren’t sweet. Our neighbor had a grapevine, and yes, we would love to run through her mature trees that sheltered it and feast on those wonderful, free grapes.

But, there was no pleasure quite like that of finding honeysuckles dancing in the wind. Now, that was a treat! Most of the time, you caught their aroma before you saw them. “I smell honeysuckles!” Then you would begin searching, following your nose. When you found them, you had to pull them just right for that treasure of sweet, moist droplets that each one yielded. It was just enough to make you want another.

I wonder how many children today have or take the opportunity to take a treat from the hand of God as they play outside.

Do you have childhood memories of eating from GOD’S CANDY STORE? If so, please share them in the comments.

Song of Solomon 2:12  (NKJV)

The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.

BE BLESSTIFIE!

Think about your relationship with your husband or your wife, your parents, your siblings, your friends…the people who are important to you.

Have they ever done anything to hurt you? Now, have you ever done anything to hurt them? If you are still in relationship with them, then either two things have happened. Either you’ve hurt and forgiving one another or, you are living with a grudge over…something.

And, if you are living with a grudge then you are putting your relationship at risk because that grudge gives the enemy a foothold to gain influence in that relationship.

Now, think of those relationships that you are no longer involved in. A broken marriage. Siblings who don’t speak. Friends who have become enemies. There is one reason those relationships no longer exist…something happened that you can’t forgive.

Nothing deep here, must a quick reminder. If the relationship is important to you, be ready to forgive. Because whatever it is that you feel you could never forgive, most if not all of the time, that’s what the enemy will use to destroy your relationship.

Remember this…

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Your relationships are only as strong as what you are willing to forgive.

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So, not only should you be ready to forgive, but if the relationship is important to you, be ready to move on and forgive without an apology. For more on this, read HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT AN APOLOGY ( 8 TIPS)…

Proverbs 19:11 (NKJV)

¹¹ The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,
And his glory isto overlook a transgression.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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What do people say when confronted with doing what God expects of them or has called them to do?

Why don’t you go to church?

Let’s go feed the homeless.

Let’s go visit and minister people in prison and hospitals…

Why don’t you give the firstfruits of all your increase to God?

Usually before we make an excuse, we usually give a big BUT…

“I would, BUT the people in church aren’t right themselves…”

“I would, BUT those homeless people will just spend it on drugs, cigarettes and alcohol…”

“I would, BUT I can’t afford to…”

“I would, BUT I don’t have time to visit…”

“I would, BUT my kids have sports…”

Yeshua, Christ Jesus, gave us a parable to illustrate how much He hates our excuses. He let us know how much He hates our BIG BUTS…

Luke 14:18-24 (NKJV)

¹⁸ BUT they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ ¹⁹ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ ²⁰ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ ²¹ So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the ^[a]maimed and the lame and the blind.’ ²² And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ ²³ Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. ²⁴ For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”

Notice that each of these excuses addressed the same excuses we give today.

BUSINESS. WORK. CAREER

“I bought a piece of ground…”

“I bought a yoke of oxen…”

SPOUSE. CHILDREN. FAMILY

“I have married a wife…

These excuses made the master of the house (Jesus) angry. So, He invited the very people who those who were initially invited were called to serve instead.

He then said those who makes excuses and rejected His invitation will not ‘taste His supper’ (will not enter His Kingdom).

Jesus hates our excuses! However, the enemy loves our BIG BUTS! He loves our excuses.
 

Don’t let your BIG BUT keep you out of the Kingdom of God!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

BE BLESSTIFIED!