Wisdom, strength, power... and the silent trap of pride

Have you noticed some of the most gifted people end up making some really bad decisions?

It's not that they don't know better. Sometimes, their gifts create a certain confidence that makes them believe nothing can make them fail. That kind of confidence that births pride and gradually replaces dependence on God.

Listennn. Being gifted is a blessing, but if our gifts aren't anchored in humility, those same gifts can become the very thing that leads us away from God. 

The Bible reminds us that some of God's most gifted servants were also those who stumbled the hardest when pride entered the picture. Let's take a look at a few.

Samson, the strongest judge
(Judges 13-16)

Samson was one of the most gifted men in the Bible. God gave him supernatural strength unlike anyone before or after him. Yet somewhere along the way, Samson began to believe he could live carelessly. He treated his calling lightly and assumed his gift would always remain with him.

Spiritual discernment: Lessons from a dream

D'you know it's possible for something to look spiritual, sound convincing, and still not be from God?

Not everyone or everything that appears to represent Christ actually does, and not every spiritual experience is from God.

This is why every believer MUST know God for themselves, know his Word for themselves, and develop the discernment to recognize truth from deception.

I had a vivid dream one night that reinforced these truths in a very significant way.

A man stood before me who looked very much like how people often imagine Jesus would look like—long brown hair, full beards, wearing a white robe. 

When I looked into his eyes, I was confused at the dullness I saw in them. There was no light or life in those eyes. 

In a lifeless voice, he said, "Don't tell people I'm coming. I'm not ready to come yet."

In the days and weeks that followed, I kept replaying the dream in my mind and reflecting on the total absurdity of it. After further reflection, the Bible and the Holy Spirit helped me pull several important lessons from this encounter. Here are three that I think every believer needs to hear:

1. Know the Lord for yourself. 

Know his voice. Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice.” Build an intimate relationship with God so that no one can deceive you by impersonating him. When you truly know him, you’ll recognize what is not him. I’ve never seen Jesus in person, but I knew the man I saw was not the Jesus I knew and loved, the Jesus that dwelt in my heart. 

In Rev 1:14, John said that Jesus's eyes "were like blazing fire". So those dull eyes? That was not Jesus. There was no light whatsoever in that presence. 

2. Know the Word for yourself.

In Matt 28:19-20, Jesus said to go into the nations of the world and share the good news of the gospel. John 14:1-3 and Rev. 1:7 also clearly say that he's coming again. No one knows the exact time, but his return is certain. And it is SOON. We have been commissioned by Jesus himself to preach the gospel and announce his second coming.

So the words, "Don’t tell people I’m coming," directly contradicts Scripture. When you know the Word, you won’t be easily misled. There's nothing that delights God more than seeing people hear the good news about Jesus and receiving him as their Lord. Sharing the gospel and leading others to Christ is close to God's heart. 

3. Be discerning.

Test the spirit. Don’t accept everything just because Jesus’s name is attached to it. If it doesn’t align with the Word of God, then it's not from God. It’s false teaching. There are many ideas that sound convincing, even intelligent, but are empty and hollow. Col. 2:8 warns about this—about deceptive and hollow philosophies.

Jesus mentioned in Mark 13:21-23 that false messiahs and false prophets would arise and perform signs and wonders with the goal of deceiving people, even the elect if that were possible. The enemy can appear as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), and many will be deceived because they don’t know the truth for themselves.

So, friend, my encouragement to you today is to seek him with all you've got. Read his Word—not just as part of a routine, but to actually know him through it. Ask the Holy Spirit to sharpen your discernment. Because the more intimately you know God, the easier it becomes to spot what isn't him.

In a time when so many voices are competing for our attention, may we be believers who remain sober, grounded, and discerning until the day Christ returns!

#becomingavessel

"Earnestly will I seek thee." Start your day in God's presence

I never thought there would come a time in my life when I'd be an early riser on purpose, and an eager one at that. I enjoyed my beauty sleep too much. Until the Lord took matters into his hands and started waking me up before dawn.

It all began when I became more intentional about seeking the Lord and spending quality time with him. As I spent more time with him, he began to awaken in me a deep longing to fellowship with him before sunrise.

David expressed a similar longing when he wrote, "O God, You are my God; earnestly will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You..." (Psalm 63:1).

Well, my life hasn't been the same ever since. I’ve become the better version of myself before sunrise. Why? Because I've already spent the first waking moments of my day in the presence of the Lord. The rest of my day feels different. It's not that life suddenly becomes perfect or life's problems disappear. It's that my heart is already firmly planted in him before the chaos of the day arrives.

Isaiah 26:3 says "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."  When my mind is fixed on him first, his peace follows me throughout the day.

People sometimes look at me and assume I probably have a somewhat easy life because I'm usually cheerful and in good spirits. What they don't see is where that inner peace comes from. It comes from starting my day with Jesus.

And I truly believe it's one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself—starting your day with the Lord.

I'm not saying every day will automatically become easy. You'll still have responsibilities, still face disappointments, and still encounter difficult people and unexpected challenges. But something changes when you've already been with God.

Everything becomes different—your perspective, your attitude, your responses.

When you read the Gospels, you'll notice that this was Jesus' pattern as well. "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed" (Mark 1:35). If the Son of God intentionally made room for uninterrupted communion with the Father before the demands of the day, how much more should we?

Can you meet with God at noon? Absolutely. At night? Of course. God is available every moment of every day. Yet there is something uniquely beautiful about those early hours when the world is still, the notifications haven't started, and the noise hasn't filled your mind yet. There's a stillness that makes it easier to hear his voice and simply enjoy his presence.

So if you've convinced yourself you're not a morning person, well, don't let that label keep you from what God may be inviting you into. I used to believe the same thing and nothing would've convinced me otherwise. Now I see those early hours as one of the greatest gifts God has given me.

You don't have to begin with long hours. Start with fifteen minutes. Maybe thirty. Be consistent. Make room for him before you make room for everything else.

As David prayed, "Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You" (Psalm 143:8).

There's no better way to begin a day than in the presence of the One who already holds it!

#becomingavessel

Let your light shine

Ever played hide and seek as a child? Squeezed yourself into a closet or crawled under a bed, hoping no one would find you?

Even now as adults, we sometimes do the same—look for places to hide. When life feels overwhelming, when the noise becomes too much, or when we're tired of dealing with people, a quiet space can feel like a relief. And honestly, sometimes that quiet is exactly what we need🥲

Sometimes, the places we hide might be a shell we retreat into. A wall we build around ourselves. A way of keeping our distance from others so we don't have to be seen.

Now while there's a time for solitude (speaking as an introvert who cherishes her times of solitude), God didn't create us to stay hidden, did he?

Jesus explained in Matthew 5:14-16 that we are the light of the world. A lamp isn't supposed to be hidden under a bed or tucked away in a closet. It's placed where it can shine and give light to everyone around it. If a lamp remains hidden, how can others benefit from its light?

In the same way, God has placed his light within us so it can be seen. Through our words, actions, encouragement, and love, others should be able to see him at work in our lives.

This message speaks directly to me, because anyone who knows me knows I don't like to be "seen". I'm a quiet mover—I get things done and slip back into the background. But I'm learning it's okay to step out when God leads. It's okay for others to see the light he has placed in me and the good works he's doing through me, so that he—and only he—gets the glory.

I'm still learning, which is why I'm here to encourage you to step out too.

Don't spend so much time hiding that you forget what you were actually created to do. 

Step out. Let God use you, and let your light shine for others to see.

#becomingavessel

You can fast and still miss God

When we think about fasting, the first thing we think about is skipping food. 

We count the hours until we can eat again, carefully plan what we'll avoid, and endure the physical discomfort that comes with denying our appetite. 

While abstaining from food is part of biblical fasting, it's far from the whole picture. Biblical fasting also requires guarding what we allow into our heart and mind. True consecration won't happen while we continue feeding our spirit with things that pollute it.

Interestingly, some of us fast and still feed our eyes with TV shows saturated with violence, profanity, lust, and all else in between. We're still scrolling endlessly through social media, consuming everything we normally would. Our body is fasting from food but our spirit is still feeding on the same things.

That won't work, friend.

Fasting is supposed to make our spirit more sensitive to God, not more exposed to spiritual pollution. It’s a season of drawing away from distractions and deliberately positioning ourselves to hear his voice more clearly.

This principle goes beyond entertainment. We can't be fasting while constantly living in offense, holding grudges, speaking harshly to others, gossiping, or refusing to forgive. God isn't impressed by an empty stomach if our heart remains full of the things he's calling us to surrender.

Some of us fast from food but don't pray. Others fast and pray but don't meditate on the Word of God. Some of us fast and read the Word but rarely spend time in prayer. Thing is, prayer, the Word, worship, repentance, and fasting—all of these work together to deepen our relationship with God and position us to receive his direction.

The real goal of fasting

The primary purpose of fasting is not to impress God but to make room for him. It's a season of intentional consecration where we quiet the noise and allow him to transform us from the inside out. As we deny our flesh, we should also be guarding our eyes, our ears, our thoughts, our words, and our hearts.

Isaiah 58 provides one of the clearest pictures of the kind of fasting God desires. The Lord rebuked his people because they were faithfully observing the outward practice while neglecting the inward transformation. Rather, he described a fast that breaks the chains of wickedness, frees the oppressed, cares for those in need, and produces lives marked by righteousness (Isa. 58:6–7). 

Psalm 51:17 reminds us that "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise." A humble, repentant heart is far more pleasing to God than the most disciplined fast performed without genuine devotion.

If you realize you've been approaching fasting the wrong way—as nothing more than abstaining from food—don't be discouraged. Let that realization become an invitation to return to its true purpose. Draw near to God. Spend time in prayer. Immerse yourself in his Word. Remove the distractions that compete for your attention. Allow him to search your heart and conform you to the image of Christ.

At the end of the day, the length of the fast isn't the focus or what matters--it's how closely we walked with God in that period.

May our seasons of fasting draw us closer to God's heart and deepen our love for him!

#becomingavessel

The greatest school you'll ever attend

There's a school every believer must take heed to attend.

It doesn't have a physical campus. There are no entrance exams or tuition fees. Yet the lessons taught there have the power to transform your life forever.

It's a school unlike any other—a school that trains those who are serious about their walk with Christ. It's the school of the Holy Spirit.

Before Jesus returned to the Father, he promised that the Holy Spirit would come to teach his followers and lead them into truth: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit... he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." (John 14:26)

Why you should guard your eye gates

Do you realize that what you look at matters way more than most of us want to admit?

Our eyes are gates to our soul and spirit. Every single thing you let through them walks straight into our mind, heart, and spirit—and it doesn't just pass through and leave. It settles in.

Look at what Jesus said in Matthew 6:22: "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light." That means what we continually look at has an impact on us. The things we consume through our eyes influence our thoughts and eventually affect our actions.

So, friend, what have you been letting in lately?

Routine is good, but don't let it control you

When it comes to your walk with God and spiritual growth, having a routine is good. Just don't let it control you.

Because over time, routine can become a chore, and you don't want your relationship with God to become just another item on a checklist. No one enjoys chores, and no one wants to feel like a chore.

God deserves more than your routine time. He desires your heart. 

One thing with God is, he'll never force you to spend time with him. He gave us free will, after all. You have to want to. Not out of obligation, but out of love. Not because it's part of a schedule, but because his presence has become something you can't do without.

How to know God for yourself

Most of us grew up hearing about God—maybe in a church pew on Sundays, or from hearing our parents pray The Grace before a meal, or maybe from owning picture Bibles as kids.

But hearing about someone and actually knowing them are two very different things. And if we're honest, a lot of us have spent years in the first category without ever stepping into the second.

Well, guess what? Knowing God isn't reserved for pastors, theologians, or people who have been Christians for decades. Knowing God is an open invitation—one that God extends to every single person on this earth. He wants to be known. He wants to speak to us, guide us, and reveal his heart to us.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made

You're fearfully and wonderfully made, do you know that? 

Before you took your first breath, before you entered this world, God knew you. He designed you with purpose and created you exactly as he intended.

David put it this way: "I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14). Couple of verses later, he adds, "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed" (v. 16). Long before you were born, God already knew you and had his hand on your life.

You're not a mistake

A lot of people, both neurodivergent and neurotypical, wrestle with the same question at some point: why did God make me this way? Why am I different?

Feeling misunderstood? Get used to it

Following Christ isn't for the faint of heart😬

Why do I say this? 

Well, when you choose to follow Christ in a world that doesn't follow him, you need to understand that you'll be judged. You'll be misunderstood. You'll be mistreated. You may even be betrayed.

But before you become discouraged by all of that, remember this—Jesus went through it all first.

Jesus was judged unfairly. He was misunderstood, even by those closest to him. Throughout much of his earthly ministry, people failed to recognize who he truly was. His motives were questioned, his words were twisted, and his actions were criticized.

Praying from a place of intimacy

It took me a while to get away from performing for God in prayer and simply talking to him.

For a long time I thought I needed to pray a certain way for God to hear me or take me serious. I felt like I had to use big words and sound spiritual. But then I noticed that whenever I approached prayer that way, my mind would quickly become clouded and start to wander.

My lips were talking and sounding all spiritual, but my heart was somewhere else. I wasn't being genuine; I was putting on a show for God.

Until the Lord checked me in the most loving way and told me I was doing the most.

I still catch myself slipping into that mindset now and again, especially when I'm tired. There are moments when I think, "I'm exhausted, but I have to pray before I go to bed," and before I know it, I'm saying words out loud without truly engaging my heart or connecting with God.

But over and over again, Holy Spirit brings me back on track.

Whenever I begin drifting into performance mode, Holy Spirit reminds me that I don't have to put on a show for God. I'm not trying to impress him or earn his approval. My goal is to build on my relationship with him, walk closely with him, and continue growing in intimacy with him.

It's like two people who are dating but are constantly performing for one another. How long can that performance continue? At some point, the masks have to come off, right? Real relationships require honesty and authenticity.

In the same way, the Lord has continually reminded me, "There's no need to perform. You're talking to your Father."

Yes, he is the King of Glory. He is Almighty God, clothed in majesty, power, and authority. There are times in prayer when we stand before him—the righteous Judge of all the earth—in the courts of heaven, particularly when engaging in spiritual warfare.

Yet, we must remember that he is also Father, and he wants us to know him personally, walk closely with him, and enjoy genuine intimacy with him.

So I want to encourage anyone who may struggle with this.

As much as it's beneficial to have a prayer routine and a prayer structure—especially for people like me who sometimes still feel like they don't know how to pray—remember that prayer is ultimately about talking to God.

He doesn't want a performance. He doesn't want lip service. He doesn't want you to say big words that sound impressive but carry no meaning for you. He wants sincerity and for you to speak to him from your heart (Heb. 10:21-22a).

Let prayer become a time of intimate communion and fellowship with the Lord rather than a religious routine. When you come before God in prayer, whether to bring your petitions before him, give thanks, worship, or simply to talk about your day, let it be real.

Let it be a genuine interaction with the God who loves you and desires fellowship with you.

#becomeingavessel

When someone prophesies over you

D'you know prophecy is actually an essential part of the body of Christ? Throughout the Bible, God spoke to his people through prophets—revealing his plans, warnings, instructions, and promises. Amos 3:7 tells us that the Lord does nothing without first revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.

Because of that, prophecy isn't something to dismiss or brush off lightly. God still speaks today, and he can absolutely use prophetic words to encourage, strengthen, warn, direct, and confirm his will for our lives.

There's nothing wrong with you

Friend, there'll come a time when the refining and molding will become evident on you.

People who have always known you as perhaps quiet or reserved may feel uncomfortable when they begin to see the change in you—the new boldness, courage, and quiet confidence you've found as you grow deeper in understanding and in your walk with Christ. As you slowly become the person God is calling you to be.

Don't be discouraged or negatively affected by their reaction. It's part of the process.

Jesus is the only way to heaven

Many people assume that because they go to church, they're automatically saved. Some believe that because they were raised in a Christian home, they already have a place in heaven.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it doesn't really work like that. 

Salvation doesn't come through church attendance, or family background, or Christian culture.

Salvation is a free gift from God, one that can't be earned. Jesus offered us the gift of salvation through his sacrifice on the cross, and we receive this gift when we repent of our sins, accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, and build a personal relationship with him.

In other words, JESUS is the only way to heaven.

Salvation—God's free gift to humanity

Salvation.

It's a word we use often, yet many people—even Christians—don't fully understand what it means. If you stopped ten Christians in the parking lot and asked them to explain it in plain English, you'd probably get ten different answers—and maybe a lot of awkward pauses.

So let's actually talk about it. What does a promise made over 2,000 years ago have to do with your life today? 

Before we talk about what salvation is, let's first talk about what it isn't.

Salvation isn't a reward for being a good person. It isn't something we earn through good deeds or by trying our best. You can't earn it, and honestly, that's good news, not bad news.

Spiritual gifts don't equal spiritual maturity

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. - 1 Corinthians 13:1–2

Why do we so often assume that the most gifted people in the church are also the most spiritually mature?

The truth is, gifting and spiritual maturity are not the same thing. Stay with me for a moment—let me explain.

You are here on purpose, for a purpose.

Did you know that, from the moment you were conceived, you were chosen to be here? 

Before you took your first breath, God had a purpose for your life. God actually says this himself in Jeremiah 1:5: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." 

That means you're one of a kind, uniquely created by God for something that only you can do.

You're not an afterthought or a mistake. You were chosen to be here. You were chosen to make a difference in this world—to be a light in dark places and a voice of hope in a world that often feels hopeless. You were created to show God's love and kindness to the people around you. There's a purpose within you that's waiting to be fulfilled.

Becoming God's vessel

Friend, let me just say it straight: choosing to live for God is the best decision you'll ever make in your entire life. I can promise you that.

Becoming God's vessel is really about becoming the person he's calling you to be, not just doing what he asks of you.  That means handing over your plans, your desires, your five-year plan, your comfort zone—all of it—and letting him shape your character instead of clinging to your own.

Paul tells Timothy that if we cleanse ourselves, we'll be "a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the master's use, prepared for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:21). That's the goal. Not a perfect vessel; just cleaned out, available, and ready when God needs us.

Accept the challenge. Step out in faith.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9

We all have comfort zones—places where we feel safe, secure, and in control. They're the spaces we naturally gravitate towards because they feel familiar. Most of us would gladly camp out there all the time if we could. I know I would.

But what happens when God calls us beyond what's comfortable for us? What if he asks you to do something that feels intimidating—something that makes you feel shy, inadequate, or unqualified? (Been there, done that😰)

The great news is, if God has called you to do it, you can be assured he already knows you're capable of doing it. Yes, you are. Even if it doesn't feel that way right now.

Fear will always show Up first

Stepping out in faith will sometimes feel intimidating—fear, doubt, and uncertainty will try to convince us that we're not ready or qualified. Yet, God reminds us in Joshua 1:9 not to be afraid or discouraged. He has already gone ahead of us, and he wouldn't ask if he didn't already believe you could handle it.

A lot of the time, God isn't asking for some huge, dramatic move. He's just asking for one small step of trust. Maybe it's joining a good Bible-believing fellowship or church. Maybe it's volunteering somewhere in your community. Maybe it's praying for someone who's been on your heart, sharing your faith with a friend, or helping someone who genuinely needs it. Whatever that step looks like for you, it's an opportunity for you to grow in faith and be used for something bigger than yourself.

He doesn't send you out alone

You can rest assured that every assignment God gives comes with his presence. He won't send us out and leave us to figure things out on our own. He provides the courage, wisdom, and strength needed to keep moving forward, even on the days you don't feel capable at all.

So go ahead—step out in boldness today and start the process of doing what he's calling you to do. Trust that as you obey his leading, he's guiding and watching over you. The same God who called you is the God who will sustain you every step of the way!

#becomingavessel