Has anyone ever asked you, “do you believe in God?” If you answered yes, and followed through with it, you’re a Christian.

But, have you ever asked yourself, “does God believe in me?” And, what does that really mean, anyway?

God created humanity and every living thing on earth. Those of us who believe this know that we serve an amazing, omnipotent God. He’s everywhere, all the time. He existed before time itself and yet, we rarely ask ourselves, “does God believe in me?”

Does He believe me when i say I love Him and want my life to change? Does God trust me with His plan to change the world and to reach the lost?

In my case, I believe He does. God knows my name, where I live, who I love and who depends on me. He knows what I need, even before I do.

God expects Christians to live a life of self denial and humility. I believe God believes in me because He knows me thoroughly. I trust that He can get me back on track when I stray from Him and His Word.

God believes in me because He sees me differently than the world does. He loves me, even when I mess up. God trusted me, this broken girl who struggled most of her life, fighting against God, to travel to the mission fields of Peru and tell the people about the goodness of God.

I believe in God, and God believes in me! What a comforting confidence!

Philippians 3:13-14 - “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behindand straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

2020 may have seemed like the longest, darkest valley in your life, but there was always hope to those who trust in God.

I’ve literally hiked to the top of a 14,000 foot mountain, and I can tell you that it was one of the most alive feelings I’ve ever experienced.

And there’s also been emotional and spiritual moments of greatness where I wanted to leave this earth and go straight to heaven.

The peaks in life are blessings and the favor of God. I imagine Heaven might be like that. Everlasting peaks!

I’ve had my share of valleys too. Looking back, most seem to have been self-induced.

But, there’s a mysterious thing about the valleys in the life of a Christian, it’s the closest God seems to be.

Some get the idea that if they are high on the peaks and everything is going great, why do they need God?

On the peaks, praise God. In the valleys, seek God.

If it seems that your valleys are outnumbering your peaks lately, maybe God’s up to something.

We all have mountains we face, but if you know God, you know that He’s here to get us over them.

Isaiah 54:10 - “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”

Are you waiting for things to change before you’ll be happy again? You could be waiting a long time, my friend.

If you are a Christian, joy is an emotion as a result of the Holy Spirit that lives within you. This Spirit produces this ongoing positive and hopeful emotion, as we turn our heart and mind to Christ.

Even when our world is engulfed in violence and hate, the Holy Spirit can give you peace. This comes from knowing your faith is not in what’s going on around you, it’s your trust that God loves you and will never leave your presence.

There’s happiness and joy in life. Joy sustains us in a way happiness can never do. Happiness comes and goes, based on our current circumstances. Joy is God-centered confidence that sustains us in the midst of trials and guides us through troubling times.

If all we focus on is our current condition and what’s going on around us, our hearts are going to be heavy, fear will creep in and before you realize it, joy has left and heartache has arrived.

You’ll never know true joy until your heart is no longer yours. What I mean by that is, giving your life to Christ, gives Him the opportunity to live in your heart, leaving no room for anything else. This is when your mind is re-focused on God and all His goodness.

Circumstances will change, but God never does.

Galatians 5:22-23 - “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Life happens. Circumstances change, people move on and we’re left to pick up the pieces and move forward.

Change is inevitable. Without it, there would be no purpose. But, when the outlook appears dim and tragedy strikes, you have two choices. Wallow in self-pity or change your position.

Our perspective is based on our decisions and how we live our lives, based on how we see things. Seeing life through God’s eyes will reveal purpose and hope, even when life hasn’t turned out like you hoped.

Life is like a river, running from left to right, sometimes rough waters emerge out of nowhere.

If you were in a boat and approaching rapid waters, you wouldn’t just stay still and let the waters toss you around, you would fight back, right? It’s the same with life. When times get tough, fight back, change your perspective.

God works through us in the rough waters of life. We learn from our mistakes, but thank God when you can see His purpose through the pain.

Change your outlook on where you are in life. You’ll be amazed on how it changes your perspective on the road ahead.

Colossians 3:2 - “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Let’s admit it. Most of us are selfish human beings. When we’ve been hurt emotionally we hide out in self-pity. “Why me,” we ask.

Self-centered is defined as, “preoccupied with oneself and one’s affairs.”

Selfishness is a form of narcissism. You build yourself up while tearing others down.

The Bible calls it, “works of the flesh,” and it’s evil in the eyes of God.

It ruins friendships and it will hinder your prayers.

I’ll admit, in my younger years, I was a very selfish person. Even as a Christian, I sought my own desires and often neglected the needs of those around me.

Then one day, God picked me up out of that ‘self-pity pit’ and steered me in the right direction.

My stubborn pride came to an end and I’ve never looked back.

Now, I ask God daily to bless me so that I may bless others.

I hope I’m seen as selfless, putting other’s needs in front of my own, and depending on God to show me how I can serve others.

Get your heart right with God. Serve others before your own needs and God will bless you beyond measure.

Philippians 2:3-4 - “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

You know that feeling of self-confidence, when you’re being challenged to do something that you’re well experienced at?

What about being confident in someone or something else?

I can be confident in someone who makes a promise to me, until that promise is broken. Or, I can be hopeful that my car will start when I turn the key, but what if it doesn’t?

I’ve found that there’s only one thing that I can be 100% confident of, and that’s in God Himself, and His promises.

God has not only been there when I needed Him but He’s going to be there in the next crucial turn in the road.

To develop confidence in God you need to rely on Him. You have to remove any doubt, and believe He’s Who He says He is.

We’ve all seen the effects of putting our confidence in worldly things, like money, people or appearance.

Knowing that I put my full confidence in God gives me the freedom in knowing that there’s absolutely nothing I can’t do, as long as it’s His Will for my life.

Put your trust in God and feel courage and self-confidence come alive in you.

Philippians 4:13 - “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Let’s admit it. Most of us have been selfish.
When we’re hurt emotionally, we hideout in self-pity. “Why me,” we ask. Self-centered is defined as, “preoccupied with oneself and one’s affairs.”

Selfishness is a form of narcissism. You build yourself up while tearing others down.

The Bible calls it, “works of the flesh,” and it is evil in the eyes of God.

It ruins friendships and it will hinder your prayers.

I’ll admit, in my younger years I was a very selfish person. Even as a Christian, I sought my own desires and neglected the needs of others at times.

But, thank God, He picked me up out of that self-pity pit and steered me in the right direction. My stubborn pride came to an end and I’ve never looked back.

I ask God daily to bless me so I may bless others.

Now I hope I’m seen as selfless, looking out for others, seen serving God’s people.

Get your heart right with God. Serve others before your own needs. Take your eyes off yourself and meet the needs of God’s people.

Philippians 2:3-4 - “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Did you know that you can’t give something away that you don’t already possess. This is also true with hope.

Encouraging others is a gift from God that I inspire others to achieve.

“A Christian’s hope isn’t an escape or wishful thinking, as C.S. Lewis says, but something that a Christian is meant to do.”

Can you have hope, but not faith? In God you can’t. Faith to a Christian is believing that God does what He says He will do. Hope is the forethought of that faith.

I can hope that someone in my family will be saved, but if I don’t have faith that God will speak to that person, then my faith is dead and all hope is lost.

Hope is a large part of my prayers. God knows the desires of my heart and the things I hope for. It’s because of my faith in Him and His record of past blessings that my hope is alive today.

Faith is what a person trusts to be true. Hope is what a person expects to happen.

Got hope? Give hope to those in need, those who are suffering today. Tell them who the great Hope is in your life.

Hebrews 11:1 - “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”