“Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth. Wealth and riches will be in his house. He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established; He will not be afraid.” (Psalm 112:1-3, 7-8, NKJ)

When we received Christ, we were delivered from the kingdom of darkness and conveyed into the Kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13). It’s a completely different place and a fresh new start.

We no longer need to allow ourselves to be cheated through the deceit and vain principles of the world.   We can live according to what Christ has for us (Colossians 2:8). The system of the Kingdom of God is very unlike the world’s system. We are to come out of the world’s system and learn to put our confidence in God’s system.

No matter what is going on in the world we can continue to expect to be blessed, to have success, and to be fearless. The woes of the world do not take a single thing away from who God is, or what He owns. It is upon us to decide which kingdom we will live in.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planed by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1: 1,2-3, NKJ)

“A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.” (Psalm 91:7, NKJ)

Questions: Are you letting the troubles of the world impact your expectations? Do you continue to rejoice in the abundant and sure promises of God, and His unshakeable Kingdom?

About the Author: Emmie Stanley

Yet she knew herself all too well. Fear nibbled at the edge of her heart and mind as she hoped she had the courage to make the changes she needed to.

God knew the desire of her heart to change. He used a Bible verse that was in a greeting card to remind her how to make a lasting change.The words flew off the card and went straight to her heart… “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)

With sudden clarity Kelly knew she would not succeed in her hoped for change of lifestyle. No, in herself she would simply circle back to where she had been. She didn’t want to go there. She realized it was only God who could create the clean heart in her and give her the right attitude. Silently she prayed as she set the card among the others.

Asking God to forgive her stubborn independence, she asked for His help to create in her the kind of change that she needed. Only with His help could she make the turn and go the other way in her life.

God is the only true source of help when we need a clean slate. Turning to Him, asking His forgiveness and turning away from the destructive behavior is the only way to true freedom. His strength, given to us on a daily basis, is more powerful than any resolution we can determine in our own heart. He will do it; we need only ask and depend on Him to act.

Father God, thank you for Your desire for me to make a clean start. Thank you for your forgiveness for my stubborn independence. Please forgive me and create a clean heart in me. Give me daily strength to make the right choices. Renew the attitude of my mind with new thoughts and desires that will help lift me above the pull of wrong choices. Help me to follow Your pathway. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so I can walk in a way that pleases You and in turn, refreshes me. In Jesus’ strong name I pray, amen.

Take the next step:

Video: Is there anything you wish you could erase?
7 Steps to forgiveness
Can we pray for you today?

Beginning Again
Have you ever wanted to start life over again? I did. This is my story. I’m the third of four children. From all outward aspects, we were the average suburban family, living outside a large city in eastern Canada. But we were not a perfect family – we had our “hidden secrets,” and our “we don’t ever talk about that” situations. What people saw on the outside of our home was not necessarily a reflection of the inside. From an early age, there were events that took place in my life … Read the full story

Take action: Are you interested in beginning again, but past hurts & negative emotions are holding you back? Why not try our free online interactive study series Dealing with Hurts & Emotions?

You said it: This week william commented on “My Wife’s Affair Shattered our Marriage” saying, “this article has helped me beyond belief but i still have long way to go with my wife it’s like i am seeing our history of marriage in front of me.” Join the discussion on TheLife.com!

Article: Alaska Inside Passage Adventure
For those who love the wild untamed North Country and want to experience an adventure that will give you a life time of memories, floating through the Inside Passage on the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system is the way to go.

Video Blog: Street Level – Do We Have Souls?
This week we asked: “As humans, is there something more to us than our physical bodies or are we simply flesh and blood machines?”

Coming up next week: The questions for discussion are: If those who know you best gave you one piece of advice, what would they say? Would they be right? What will you do about it? Join us in the chat room February 1st, 2009 @ 12:15 pm EST (See also our full chat calendar.)

This year she was thankful for the calendar turning. As she looked in the mirror she was reminded of some of her choices and the consequences they had brought into her life. She had regrets this year. Yes, a clean slate would feel good. She would make some resolutions and hoped, this year, to keep them.

Yet she knew herself all too well. Fear nibbled at the edge of her heart and mind as she hoped she had the courage to make the changes she needed to.

With sudden clarity Kelly knew she would not succeed in her hoped for change of lifestyle. No, in herself she would simply circle back to where she had been. She didn’t want to go there. She realized she needed help beyond herself. Silently she asked God to give her the help she needed to make the changes she so desperately wanted.

“Change of behavior comes first with a change of heart.”

Life Lesson: Time management
Are you still growing spiritually?: Check your compass and let God lead you