1 Timothy 3:5

For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?

For you shall eat [the fruit] of the labor of your hands; happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) shall you be, and it shall be well with you.  PSALM 128:2

excerpts from Joyce Meyer

Is it obvious that we are to work more than we rest? Some people wonder why their lives are such a wreck, once rested we are supposed to get up and work.

You can not take authority over your life if you don’t have authority over a sink full of dirty dishes or a messy garage. If you want to grow, the Word says you must get your own house in order first. Win the battle of getting your life in order before tackling the whole world.

And let the beauty and delightfulness and favor of the Lord our God be upon us; confirm and establish the work of our hands - yes, the work of our hands, confirm and establish it.  PSALM 90:17

Sometimes we may just need to clear away clutter so you can clearly see what is worthwhile. Don’t keep more than you can take care of. If you have so much stuff in your home that it takes you hours to dust it, get rid of something.
Find a big box and make it a “Blessing Box”, start putting things into it until cleaning is more manageable. Then find someone who does not have much and bless them.

Triumph Through Trials

"For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
So let it grow, for when our endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything."
~James 1:3-4~

I see you when you are in the garden of grief. I hear your cry for help in the dark hours of the night. I Myself cried out in the garden the night I was betrayed. In My suffering, I asked My Father for another way-a less painful way. Yet I trusted His will and purpose for My life and knew the ultimate victory was at the cross.

Just as olives must be crushed to make oil, I poured out My life as a love offering for you. Don't ever doubt that I am with you and that I long to take you to a place of comfort, peace, and victory. Even when you cannot see Me from where you are, I am working on your behalf. Give to Me the crushing weight of your circumstances, and come to Me in prayer.
When it is time to leave the garden, I will walk with you across the valley and straight to the cross-where your trials will be transformed into triumph. 

Excerpt by Sheri Rose Shepherd