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By Pastor Andrew Farland

Someone once told me, God is rarely early but He’s never late.
One of the things that give me joy is being able to see people come alive! And there is no better picture of this than kids! They get excited about just anything!

One day while walking around the lake there was a boy and his dad. The boy was running out ahead of his dad pointing to the water. He was yelling back to his dad all the cool stuff he was seeing. “Dad, look! A turtle!”
The dad smiled and loved seeing his son so excited but he never picked up his pace. He was slow but steady, knowing eventually He would get there to see what his son discovered.

Just like this story, in our joy, we tend to run ahead of God to go exploring, yelling back to Him all that we see and discover. You see just like that man, God is walking at a consistent pace. And just like that father God isn’t always as fast as we’d like Him to be. God’s timing and our timing are very different, but God is never late, He’s always right on time.

Today, maybe you are still holding to a promise you’ve had for years, wondering if and when God was going to come through. Maybe you’re crying, asking God to help you.

Well, today I want to tell you, God sees you and hears you! He’s got your situation all under control and He’s on the way! To us, He seems late, but in His wisdom, He knows He’s right on time.

Habbakuk 2:3
“These things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

One of the rarest metals on Earth, gold holds value for us in a variety of ways. Of course, we use gold in our jewelry, but it’s also vital in dentistry, electronics, and currency.

One bar of gold weighs 26lbs and is worth over $640,000 USD!
The United States federal reserve has a gold vault that lies 8 stories underground and holds over 350 billion dollars worth of this precious commodity.
The steel vault that protects all this gold itself weighs 150 million pounds!
That vast wealth and the resources necessary for its protection are nearly inconceivable.

But did you know that the Bible says that your FAITH is FAR MORE valuable than GOLD!?

Here’s my question for you today:
Are you protecting the precious faith God gave you as much as the federal reserve is protecting their gold?

1 Peter 1:7
“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold–though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

There have been multiple times where I was feeling down and felt like I had nothing to give!
I have a mentor who speaks into my life, and when I’m going through a hard time, one of his pieces of advice is:
“If you are having a bad day, go help someone else that’s less fortunate”.
The first time he told me to do this, I thought he was crazy. “How am I going to give away something I don’t have?” I thought, But then I tried it. And guess what? It worked! Here is the lesson I learned:

“When you serve others with God’s gifts, you draw out of His energy and His capacity, not your own!”
4 years ago, I was in Uganda reading my bible, preparing for a sermon when I came across one of the most profound verses I had ever read. I want to share it with you today to illustrate how God empowers us to serve others!

1 Corinthians 14:12
“Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church.”
We ought not to look for the Spirits movements for the sake of having goosebumps, but for building up others. The truth is when you use your gifts to help others, it not only refreshes them it refreshes you. Proverbs 11:25 says “Those who refresh others will also be refreshed”

Feeling discouraged today? Encourage someone else. Needing finances for a project, donate some of what you have to someone else who needs a helping hand. To the world, it makes no sense. But if we want to be refreshed, we can go out and make a difference in someone else’s life and refresh others. This is one of the ways I regularly connect with God.

Has it been a while since you’ve felt connected to God? Are you willing to do whatever it takes on your part to get reconnected? Put one or all of these four keys to use and in no time, I believe you will unlock that wonderful connection with God again, feeling His presence peace, and purpose in your life!

Proverbs 11:25
“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

Getting some uninterrupted quiet time in with God is the first step, but then what?
Have you ever tried praying and just felt like you were reciting something out of habit, and then you figure out that you didn’t really mean it? I do it too! It’s my natural default. When we pray and communicate with God, it helps us to not speak from the head, but from the heart.

A friend once taught me this:
“When you are going to have a talk with God, imagine a little guy in your brain running the control board of your life. Then picture Him turning off the lights, locking the door, and walking down into the doorway of your heart. This is the place you pray from!” When you pray from the heart, with sincerity, it really amplifies your desire for connection. This is a great time, to be honest, and vulnerable and also to confess anything that might be blocking that connection. We CAN come to God with our heavy load knowing that He can and DOES desire to bear that heavyweight for us.

In exchange, God gives us His rest and peace! What a great exchange! Will you come to Him today with your heavy burden? Go ahead, step into your heart. God is waiting there for you.

Matthew 6:6
“Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.