It's Time to Take a S.T.A.N.D. (Step Towards A New Direction)

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. Ephesians 6:11

Today on this 1st of June, I come to encourage each of us to take a STAND. The acronym I came up with for STAND stands for Step Towards A New Direction.

As you read this I want you to gather all your hopes, dreams, desires and wants to the forefront of your mind, center of your heart and top of your soul. I want you to put a lot of thought into where you are today and where you would like to be tomorrow.

I want you to begin to measure the gap between where you are today and where you would like to be. In a successful attempt I will encourage us daily to take a STAND that will be beneficial not just for our lives, but also the lives of others.

We spend so much time focused on the past during the present and it causes us to lose time in preparing for our future. This message is being written to encourage you that the time is now to take a STAND. No longer can you worry about what happened yesterday, because it cannot be changed.

So today I ask that you tap into your God-given talents and abilities and make a difference in your life. You are only waiting on you. You are not awaiting God to show up, He is awaiting you to show up!

We must learn from yesterday in order to STAND today and move forward tomorrow. Once we have made up our minds and take a STAND to move forward in that direction all things will come together for our good and others.

In Ephesians 6:11 the scripture reads Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

If we were to input the meaning of the acronym into the verse it would translate to Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your Step Towards A New Direction against the devil's schemes.

It’s powerful to know that God has already equipped us with His word and our talents and abilities in order to move forward. The Promised Land is still before us and our past is still behind, but we must take a STAND and follow a different path in getting there. We have to realize who we are and how and why we were created.

If you were to read Ephesians 6:10-20 it describes all the armor you will need as you journey down a new direction towards your Promised Land. God is our Ultimate Provider and we need to solely depend and trust Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

After being hurt, failing, going through storm after storm, situation after situation, rejection, heartache and headache, defeat, etc…it’s hard to STAND because you become weak and tend to strive off of emotion. It’s time to let go and let God and allow Him to heal, provide, protect and lead you into a new direction towards your promise! He has given you the book of life the Bible to help you defeat it all and experience your turnaround. He has provided us with all that we need.

I like to think of the Bible as the manual needed to operate in this life and it was provided by my manufacturer, God. It’s similar to a car that comes with a operator’s manual that was provided by its manufacturer. Most things we purchase or receive in life come with instruction.

So before we entered into the world, He provided instruction. It’s up to us whether or not we are going to align ourselves accordingly and apply it to our everyday lives. Today I encourage you to pick up the instruction manual for your life and get more familiar in how and why you were created.

In Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

See we were created to have dominion over the very things that seem to have dominion over us. We were created in His image and likeness. What does this mean to you? Do you even realize the power that is buried on the inside of you?

Do you realize the impact you will make if you stop making excuses? Do you realize the impact you will have if you stop beating yourself up over things out of your control? Do you realize the impact that you will have if you pursue your dreams?

So what you fell down, get back up! So what you made a mistake, fix it! So what you have been denied, God has the final say when it comes to access being granted! So what it looks like it's never going happen, never going to be, is too hard, it's not worth it, blah, blah, blah, so what! Stop being so hard on yourself and making excuses about every little thing and hand it all over to God. If you trust in Him, He will never lead you astray. Always remember He wants the best for you and sees the best in you. He will show you a new way!

Today I challenge you to take a STAND and be all and do all that God created you to do and become. I believe you can do anything you set your mind, heart and soul to do!

You are more than a conqueror! Now take a STAND!

Blessings,

Tennille L. Whittington

Prayer for today:

Father You know our beginning, middle and our end, today we ask that You align us accordingly if we are not align with Your plan for our life; Dig in deep within us and remove the heartache and pain of our past in our minds, hearts and souls; Send people into our lives that will hold the mirror for us to see who You see when You look at us and encourage us to be all You have created us to be! Father we are starting with the woman/man in the mirror! We want to step higher, bolder and faster at Godspeed as we take a S.T.A.N.D. (Step Towards A New Direction) to impact change all around the world! We give You thanks for it all; You are the Ultimate Creator, Healer, Provider, Redeemer, Friend; You are our first love; Without You we are nothing; Today we take a STAND to take back everything that the devil stole or we freely gave away: he cannot have my things anymore! We will enter into our Promised Land! IJNA