“…So, guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”
 (Malachi 2:16)
 
This can also be read as if you do not guard yourself in your spirit, we will grow faithless. Being faithful does not come naturally to people. It is even harder to be faithful to people. Often, our feelings can get hurt when we are overlooked for promotions, let down from something, and even being told no because someone thinks we are limited because of our capabilities. During, these times we can look for an easy way out this may be finding a different vocation, stop attending functions, and even avoiding people. This is the easy way out.

The hard way is being faithful even when it is hard. Many of us have heard the saying “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” it is a choice to lean into your difficult situation and keep going. We can take the time to focus on what we need to do. We can ask our supervisors during our evaluations how we can improve at our vocations; we can discuss with our friends what is bothering us and how they may have hurt us. Instead of avoiding people we can make a further effort to get to know them. It will be difficult and uncomfortable at first.
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Guard your spirit for the adversary loves to use difficult days to rob us of our faith, destroy our faith, and strip us of our faith. Don’t let him instead, pray to God to give you even more faith during your hard seasons. Sing praises to God to build up your faith. Gather with friends that can speak encouragement and speak into your life. Build up your faith through reading and listening to scripture. Do not take the easy way out and become unfaithful but seek to be faithful by guarding your heart.
 
Heavenly Father, help me to be faithful in this situation. I know I would rather take the easy way out but, God, you called us to be faithful even in hard times. May, my spirit be guarded and continually renewed with your love during this time.
 
Struggling with you,
Stacy Watkins

“I will put this third through the fire; I will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say: They are my people, and they will say: The Lord is our God.” (Zechariah 13:9)
 
Here we are called to be refined as silver and tested as gold. These are both precious metals. Not many of us go and seek to be tested or refined since many of us do not want to face our own insecurities or even trials. Facing our own insecurities and trials puts us into a vulnerable position the parts of us that we do not want people to see are exposed. There are no possible ways to hide our flaws.

When we come to difficulties such as financial difficulties, losing a job, and relationship struggles often we complain against God about our situation and even lose our faith. It can be challenging to understand why a God who is proclaimed to be good to allow suffering and even put people through the fire. However, going through the fire often can bring about something good and beautiful. Rings are often put through fire to be refined and made beautiful. When we go through financial struggles and learn to budget money, we learn how to spend our money wisely. When we lose a job, we can get angry and choose not to work again. God has given you skills and abilities that you can use at different jobs. That one place is not the only place there may be something even better for you.

Refining by fire may not feel the greatest since you are going through a lot and sometimes there does not feel like a way out. Through the righteousness of Christ God has purged away our sins and made everyone who believes in Him pure.
 
Heavenly Father, Lord I do not see any way out of my current situation, but I know you have already given me the skills and abilities to be able to further my situation. God I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you can. May I continue to allow you to guide me each step of the way
 
Praying for you,
Stacy Watkins

Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the person who carries out evil plans. (Psalm 37:7)
 
The one thing that I do not like about ordering items online is the delivery. Yes, it might be faster than going to the store. However, have you ever got fixated on the delivery timeframe for something that you needed. Checking Amazon constantly for has it shipped, is it on its way, what time is it going to arrive. We wait expectantly for the passage to arrive especially when it gives us a time frame of when it will arrive.

I can expect for it to arrive it might not be the time that I want it to arrive. We are to wait on God and not worry about those who are doing evil. It can be difficult if we pick up the newspaper or any media we hear about war, violence, murder just chaos running around. Yet, God calls us to wait patiently this does not mean to sit idly and just watch the world unfold before our eyes. It means to bring all the concerns of your heart everything that you see taking place before him. Pray about it, seek him, wait on Him. He has seen all that takes place in the world and has assured us the destruction of evil.

It may be hard to wait on Him. There are times when we might want to take revenge and even matters into our own hands. This will only make it worse. God sees everything that is happening just wait on Him. Continue to wait expectantly on Him for everything takes places in his timing.
 
Lord, there is so much evil that prospers in the world sometimes it feels like evil keeps prospering over good. Though I may want to act I will seek you first and wait on you.
                 
Walking with you,
Stacy Watkins

“I will make you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant- this is the Lord’s declaration- and make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you. This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.” (Haggai 2:23)
 
Pick-up games for basketball make me nervous there is always the anticipation of which team is going to choose you. Are you going to be picked first or are you the person that the team gets stuck with because you are the last one standing there? I dislike having to stand in the lineup and just wait for someone to say I pick them. Maybe your super tall and never have to worry about getting picked for a basketball game. No one likes being picked last it is the worst feeling.

God says that he has chosen you not only are you chosen but like his signet ring. A signet ring was used by kings to mark their seal on documents. The seal stated that the document was genuine. It is comparable to a notarized document today. It carried the authority of the kings’ commands. God gives Zerubbabel honor and authority that will not be removed by making him like his signet ring. Today that same signet ring of authority is in each one of us the Holy Spirit that lives in us is a sign of authority and honor that was placed on us through God. Zerubbabel’s honor and authority continued through the Davidic line giving hope and encouragement.

Through this promise not only do we have continued hope and encouragement because of Jesus but God sent the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the seal that we are chosen by God and have honor and authority from him. It continues to lead us and guide us in all that we do.
 
Lord, I thank you that not only do you see us and have chosen us. Lord, you did not choose us because we are strong, clever, or great but because of who you are and because you love each of us.
 
Praying for you,
Stacy Watkins