The Formula for Failure

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

God has a plan for our lives—a good and perfect plan, filled with purpose, peace, and victory through Christ. But we are not without opposition. The enemy of our souls, the devil, has a strategy too—a formula designed to derail us from walking in God’s best.

Habakkuk 2:3

“For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

Waiting can feel like the hardest part of our faith. There’s something about a prolonged season of “not yet” that tests our hearts in ways we don’t realize.

But if you’ve been holding onto a promise, a dream, or a word from the Lord, I want to encourage you today: the wait is almost over.

There’s a beautiful stillness that comes when we surrender. Not the kind of surrender that leaves us empty and defeated, but a holy surrender, a letting go into the hands of the One who holds it all together. Every morning, I begin my day with a simple but powerful spiritual exercise, rooted in the truth of 1 Peter 5:7. It’s a reminder that I don’t have to carry the weight of my sin, fears, or failures into the day ahead. I don’t have to pretend I have it all together. I just have to cast my cares away, because He cares for me.

Philippians 1:6 – “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered if you were enough?

Strong enough, Smart enough, Capable enough. We all have moments where we feel like we’re not measuring up. The weight of insecurity and struggle tries to whisper, “You can’t do this. You’re too weak. You’ll never change.”

But let me tell you something beautiful and liberating: that voice is a lie.It doesn’t come from God.

There’s a quiet strength that comes from a person who walks in self-control. You’ve seen it before—maybe in someone who responds calmly in a tense moment, or someone who chooses gentleness when they could have exploded in anger. It’s not flashy or loud. It doesn’t demand attention. But it carries the weight of something steady and grounded, something whole. That kind of self-control—the kind that holds its peace in the storm—doesn’t come from sheer willpower. It comes from the inside out. And its source is the Holy Spirit.

We live in a world that’s quick to measure worth by the wrong things—how we look, what we own, how many followers we have, or how loud our voice is. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that our value comes from outside approval or external achievements. But God sees things differently. He reminds us in 1 Timothy 4:12 that our true worth begins on the inside, where our hearts meet His purpose.

When I think back on the path of my life, the moments that shaped me didn’t always seem particularly meaningful at the time. Sometimes, they were simple conversations on a porch swing, or the smell of fresh cornbread in my Aunt Ree’s kitchen.

They were the quiet things, little seeds sown into the soil of my young heart, often unnoticed, but destined to bloom in their season.

Like Paul reminded Timothy in  2 Timothy 1:5, “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”

There is a boy in me, one I never want to lose. He is the dreamer, the wanderer, the one who gazes up at the sky and wonders what it would feel like to trade places with a hawk, soaring above the trees. He is the boy who once lay on his back in the tall grass, watching the clouds drift by, shaping them into castles, and giants  roaming a world he dreams of. He is the boy who saw adventure in every fallen branch, who believed the wind carried secrets, and who was certain that beyond the horizon lay a life grander than anything he had ever known.

We love the idea that God will give us the desires of our hearts. It brings comfort, hope, and even excitement. But here’s something deeper, something that changes the way we approach not only this promise but our entire life.

The desires of our hearts do not originate from us, they originate from God.      

   Think about that for a moment.  This is not about God rubber-stamping our wish list or endorsing the dreams we come up with on our own. It’s about something far more beautiful and lasting.

It’s about how God shapes, gives, and fulfills the desires that He Himself places within us. He is both the giver of the desire and the one who brings it to pass.

Life has a way of leading us through valleys. We don’t always know how we ended up there, and we don’t always see the path out. Sometimes, the shadows in those valleys feel overwhelming, dark, looming, and full of unknowns. But what David wrote in Psalm 23 reminds us of a powerful truth: even in the darkest valleys, even in the presence of shadows, we are never alone.

I often find myself reflecting on where I am in life, mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. There have been seasons of joy, where everything seemed to flow effortlessly, and seasons of hardship, where I wondered if I would ever see the other side of the storm. Through it all, I’ve come to realize something profound: I have never been growing wild. I have never been in a place by accident. I have been planted, by the Lord, for a purpose.

There comes a point in life when you must decide what you are willing to accept and what you are no longer willing to tolerate. Too often, people stay in situations that drain them of self worth and dignity. Whether it’s a personal relationship, a friendship that only takes without giving, or a workplace environment that devalues your contributions. It can also be the inability to walk away from an addiction, anger issues, or the obsession to control everything.

The truth is, you have the power through Christ Jesus to walk away from any situation that is not helping build a better you.

There comes a point in life when you must decide what you are willing to accept and what you are no longer willing to tolerate. Too often, people stay in situations that drain them of self worth and dignity. Whether it’s a personal relationship, a friendship that only takes without giving, or a workplace environment that devalues your contributions. It can also be the inability to walk away from an addiction, anger issues, or the obsession to control everything.

The truth is, you have the power through Christ Jesus to walk away from any situation that is not helping build a better you.

Focused on a New Direction – Galatians 1:13-14

Some people possess an unstoppable drive, pouring their passion, energy, and determination into everything they do. But what happens when that relentless pursuit is aimed in the wrong direction? In Galatians 1:13-14, Paul reflects on his own misguided zeal before encountering Christ. This devotional explores how God can redirect even the most fervent hearts, transforming misplaced ambition into a powerful force for His purpose. Discover how to realign your focus and follow God’s true path for your life. #Faith #Galatians #SpiritualTransformation

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6: 33-34

Life has a way of pulling us into a constant state of worry about the future. We plan, we prepare, and we strive to secure what lies ahead, often at the cost of missing what is right in front of us. The concerns of tomorrow, our finances, our health, our relationships, and our dreams, can weigh heavily on our hearts. Yet, Jesus reminds us that the key to peace is not in controlling the future but in trusting God and living fully in today’s Blessings.

Words are powerful. They have the ability to uplift, inspire, and heal, but they can also tear down, discourage, and wound. We often think about the impact our words have on others, but have you ever stopped to consider the way you speak to yourself?

Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” This verse is often taught in the context of how we treat others—reminding us to use our words wisely, to encourage rather than discourage, to build up rather than destroy. But what if we applied this scripture to the way we speak to ourselves?

If God Be For Me

Life is full of challenges. There are moments when obstacles seem too big, setbacks feel overwhelming, and opposition comes from every direction. It’s easy to feel discouraged when things don’t go as planned. But in those moments of uncertainty, there is a powerful truth that provides strength and reassurance:

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” — Romans 8:31

Discover the power of commitment through Proverbs 16:3: “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” Learn how dedicating your efforts to God leads to success, purpose, and divine guidance in your life. Explore biblical insights on trust, faith, and perseverance.

There are moments in life when it feels like everything is closing in around you. Problems stack up like walls, fears loom like shadows, and no matter which way you turn, there seems to be no way out. You feel stuck, outnumbered, and overwhelmed.

But there is more to the story than what your eyes can see.