Psalms 91:1-2 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

We all have a secret hiding place we like to go to when we need an escape. This place makes us feel comfortable, safe, and secluded. Well, so does resting in the midst of our Lord. No matter what's going on or how heavy it may feel, dwell with our Lord for about 10 minutes and feel comfort come to your spirit. Is it noisy where you are right now?

2 Thessalonians 3:11 Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and wasting time meddling in other people's business.

Don't become so busy with other people's business that you have no time to straighten out your own short comings. An idle life leaves room for Satan to come in and take over all your actions; but an active life pursuing peace in Christ only leaves room for you to grow stronger in God.

Psalms 10:1 Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Sometimes God can feel so far away from your circumstance which may cause you to question His existence. Fear not, He's not ignoring the situation, but rather standing just far enough for you to realize that He is always there. Think about if; if God answered everything we wanted when we wanted it; we would take waiting on Him for granted.

Philippians 4:9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me -- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

God plants seeds of wisdom all day to help us make peaceful decisions. If you want true peace, you must act on the decisions that will bring you there. Note: Peace requires change and the change you make today could be the change that will draw you closer to peace.

Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it."

Your relationship with God will always allow you to hear his direction. When you don't know which way to turn, shut down all the noise around you; shut out all the people around you and listen for the voice that will lead you in the right direction.

Colossians 3: 23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

When you put in long hours at work, it's not because you want to…it's because you have to take care of the family God gave to you. When you work hard for your family, you're working hard for God. The next time your boss barely acknowledges your presence, just remember, there's a loved one thanking you for all you do.

Acts 2:28 "You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence"

If you have asked the Lord to order your steps, then the path you choose should be leading you in the direction of success.  No matter how strong the enemy may seem, remember that the joy within you is stronger than any force that is trying to convince you to stop.

Matthew 5:44 [Jesus says,] "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...."

It may not be the easiest thing to do, but showing love to even those who don't appear to have your back is greater than retaliating against them. Today, every time you are approached by an evil force, simply say a prayer for them and even if they come back at you, say another prayer. Eventually, you'll begin to only hear a small percentage of what they have to say in the first place.

Philemon 1:6 I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith.

Faith isn't about just having it, but it's about showing others what faith can do for them as well. Share your glory, your story, your victory with someone today…you may encourage them to step into their own victory.

Romans 5:3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us -- they help us learn to endure.

Rejoice!  Even if God has delayed the answer you think you should receive, stay patient, stay encouraged, but most of all, stay in the race because the victory may be closer than you believe.  Remember, our timing is not God's timing and if you rush Him or give up before He is finished with you, you will be disappointed.

Ecclesiastes 5:15 Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.

As we begin our annual Spring cleanup, take this motto, "When in doubt, throw it out!" This scripture isn't just about throwing away temporal things; but rather, anything that hinders you from living a productive life. You weren't born with stress, so throw it out! You weren't born with inadequacies, so throw it out! You weren't even born with debt, so straighten it up and throw it out! Today, identify your weakness and in the name of Jesus….throw it out!

Psalm 94:18 When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O LORD, supported me.

It is God's love which lifts you when you can't feel love from anyone else. It is God's love which brings us you of darkness when the light cannot be found. It is God's love that touches you every morning to wake up and achieve goals beyond your imagination. Today, allow God's love to support you in all your decisions. Even if you feel yourself slipping, know that your support is standing right there waiting to catch you.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

There may be times when it seems impossible to praise God when everything around you seems so dark; but always consider that your situation is probably still better than someone else's. As opposed to concentrating on all of your have not's, consider reflecting on all your possessions and begin to thank God for just the little things. Little blessings things turn to big blessings when you begin to praise God!

Acts 2:28 "You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence"

If you have asked the Lord to order your steps, then the path you choose should be leading you in the direction of success.  No matter how strong the enemy may seem, remember that the joy within you is stronger than any force that is trying to convince you to stop.

Hebrews 13:5 “Don't fall in love with money. Be satisfied with what you have. The Lord has promised that he will not leave us or forsake us."

It doesn't hurt to have financial security for you and your family, but don't get caught up in glorifying the money. If you glorify God first, you can then control how you spend and how you save. If every day is about getting the dollar, it will control you. Allow God to always be in control.

Exodus 14:14 "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Put away the plot, the scheme, the revenge, etc…just be still! There's no need to waste energy on getting even with someone when God has already promised to have your back. If you trust Him, be still! If you already gave him the situation, be still! If you have already prayed for the person who has done wrong by you, be still! Today, let God be God and be still!

Isaiah 12:4-5"Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world."

Don't you just love it when God does something so amazing in your life that you have to go tell someone else?! No matter how small or how large you think your blessing is, sharing your story with others is the same as spreading good news to those who need to believe that He can make a difference in their lives. Today, tell of his excellent greatness!

Proverbs 18:12 Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.

Anyone can fall down…but the ones who usually get back up are the ones who asked God to hide them from their own ego, their pride, their achievements and their social status. Then and only then can you realize and come to know that who you are today is because God allowed it to be that way and all honor belongs to Him.

Psalm 147:12-13 12Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! 13For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you.

God will not only enlarge your territory, but He will protect everything within your territory.  The protection you witness when a loved one is healed or when a promotion is granted is God wrapping His arms around your situation.  Hang in there and allow God to heal, protect, and strengthen you.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

What a wonderful gift from God…unconditional love! God's love is simply because we are His children. When was the last time you gave a gift "just because?"

Exodus 17:3-4 3But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us us out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst? 4Then Moses cried out to the Lord, "What am I to do with these people? They are ready to stone me."

Leading people who would rather not be led anywhere is nothing new.  The good news is that if God put you in the position of authority, stay that way.  Don't allow the noises of your day to distract you from your course.  Stay in charge of the direction God gave you and you won't have to worry about the crowd when they stop listening.