“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment, you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord.” Isa 54:17

You may face a situation when someone is talking badly about you, even slandering your name. The first inclination is to defend yourself and retaliate, however Isaiah tells us no one can injure us with words and accusations. Be firm in your beliefs and stand up for your righteousness. Words can be weapons - they can hurt deeply, but God will protect you and there is nothing they can say that will damage your relationship with Him. HE is the only one who knows the hearts men, God and God alone. HE has a special place prepared for His Christian servants and no person and no weapon can destroy it.

People have mocked, ridiculed, and harassed Christians for thousands of years and they will continue to do so. Have no fear, God will punish the wicked according to his will. You don’t have to take matters into your own hands and seek vengeance. Simply pray that the attacks, lies, and harassment stop because in the end God will take care of evildoers.

“So also, the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire.” James 3:5 “But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” James 3:8 The tongue is a tool that has two extremes, to build up or tear down. Let us choose our words carefully.

The first song I remember my mother and grandmother singing to me was, “Jesus Loves Me.” As a three-year-old I sat on my grandmother’s lap and asked her to sing it over and over again. We all still sing  or hum this song to our children today whenever they need it. Why? We were made to worship.

To worship God is to walk into a familiar, welcoming place. To worship God is to know we are truly home, acting on a desire deep in our souls. Long before we rationally understand the truth of Christ, we want to praise someone or something for bringing love, joy, and hope into the world.

We are made to be worshipers - worshipers of God from the heart - thinking and working worshipers. Teach us to worship, Lord. Not just to be

emotionally ecstatic, but true-hearted worship of You, my spirit with Your Spirit.

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:24) 

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. (Psa 95:6-7)

Your righteousness reaches heaven, God, You who have done great things; God, who is like you? (Psalms. 71:19)

An awesome promise is made over and over again in the Bible: Whatever “it” is, God can handle it.

Our life isn’t always easy. Sometimes it is far from it! Life can be very, very difficult. But even then, during the darkest moments, we’re protected by a loving Heavenly Father. When we worry, God can reassure us. When we’re sad, God can comfort us. When our hearts are broken, God is not just near, He is already there. So we must lift our thoughts and prayers to him. When we do, He will answer our prayers. Why? Because He is our shepherd, and He has promised to protect us now and forever.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John10:11)

I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my own know me. (John 10:14)

Lord, you are our Shepherd. You care for us. You comfort us. You watch over us. We will praise you Father for your glorious works, for your protection, for your love, and most of all for the gift of your only son.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentation 3: 22-23)

We are experiencing difficult days for our nation and for our families. But, thankfully, God is bigger than all of our challenges. God loves us and protects us. In times of trouble, He comforts us. In times of sorrow, He dries our tears. When we are troubled, weak, or sorrowful, God is as near as our next breath.

If you are concerned for the well-being of your family, you are not alone. We live in a world where temptation and danger seem to lurk around every corner. We - parents, grandparents, and children alike - have a good reason to be watchful. However, despite the evils of our time, God remains steadfast. Even in these difficult days, no problem is too big for God.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalms 121: 1-2)

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. (Rom. 12:2)

This verse is a familiar challenge for us to let Christ change our lives as we renew our minds.

Conform and transform are pivotal words that contrast to concepts Paul teaches in this verse, and there’s quite a difference between the two. Conforming to something, like to worldly values, influence, or trends, is something that more or less happens to us without much effort. The word conform comes from the Latin conformare, meaning “to fashion of the same form.” It basically means to “go with the flow.” The prefix of transform is “trans”. It also has its roots in Latin, but it means “across, beyond, or through.” We cannot transform ourselves, it is beyond us. Only the power of God word can transform us.

Paul’s life provides an example of moving from being conformed to being transformed. As Saul, he conformed to the pharisaical tradition of his people. He (Saul) says of himself: “I persecuted God’s church to an extreme degree and tried to destroy it. I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors” (Gal. 1:13-14).

This was the old Saul. Everything changed for Paul, however, after encountering God on the road to Damascus see (Acts 22:6-21). That was the beginning of a radical transformation that would reshape his identity and his mission. God wants to transform us too.

Let us not be conformed to the things of this world. We all come from different backgrounds and upbringings, but we can allow God’s word to transform our life to his will.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isa. 40:8)