God's plan His truth

“The LORD foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.”

- Proverbs 33:10-11

It’s amazing, the thought of the things I’ve gone through and things that have at one point made me such a strong believer, truly it is amazing. To have had so much in terms of faith, leadership abilities, and friends, then lose it because of a pain that felt as if it had ripped my insides to shreds. Certainly I am not blaming anyone; truly it was my fault on the way I had dealt with it. I just reacted and only cared about destroying my memories and numbing my pain. That was foolish and I wasted so much time cleaning up the mess I had created.

“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord...” In Jeremiah God speaks of plans he has for not just him, but for all of us. He knows us and he has given each of us enough faith to at least come and seek him out, to prime the “pump” to a deep well of faith. God’s plans will stand forever, and no one can truly thwart them. And if God’s plans will stand forever, even if I mess up and stumble down the cliff I had climbed up over the years, I can still get back up and past the highest point as long as I’m still alive and still breathing. There’s still a chance to reach the highest goals and dreams I know that God has placed in my heart.

All it took was for me to have heard the truth once again to be reminded of who I was and where I was going, where God was taking me to more specific. It’s amazing what the truth can do when you recognize it, how it can affect the way you see and perceive life. It can be likened to a lei – a flower wreath that goes around your neck, wherever you go, the world around you will smell just like that lei you are wearing. If you have a fresh flower lei of plumerias, life will smell ever so beautiful. However, if you are wearing a lei of dead fish then life will smell...”fishy.” That lei we wear is the “tool” we use to perceive life.

There’s a story about this student who had to take a final the up-coming day. He hadn’t studied very much and needed to achieve a high score to pass the class. He snuck into the teacher’s office and copied the answer booklet with his camera phone. He studied the answers all night and was confident he would do well. The next morning he walks into class ready for the test, completely concentrating on the answers in his head and nothing else. The finals are passed out and he begins...after answering a few questions he pauses, realizing he had made a grave error. He had studied for the wrong final, the wrong answer booklet. He had gotten the two final days mixed up.

If our “answer booklet” is wrong, we will perceive life wrong, just like the student who studied the wrong “answer booklet.” But if our “answer booklet” is correct, if we have the right truths to open our eyes, then life is even bigger than it had once seemed – this is because truth will often broaden the horizons and give definition and true depth.

God’s plans are God’s plans, you cannot change them in the broad sense, but you can for your own personal life if you really choose to – both for good and for bad, it is what you decide. I hope that you want the best for your life, and for your future, because God wants that for you too. It’s up to us though to follow him as he leads us down this path. What will you choose? How do you wish to see yourself when the end comes and all is said and done?

May you follow God and learn of his wonderful plans for your life.

God bless,

Ikaika Mossman

Get rich quick quickly disappears

"Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears;
wealth from hard work grows over time."

- Proverbs 13:11

For a person who leaves home and goes off somewhere with nothing, but the clothes on his back, it is hard to to make their "claim" on their dreams. But at the same time it forces you to do what you must to survive and to eventually see your dreams come to fruitfulness. Certainly I have felt this way when I first got here, and continually feel this way. Perhaps I came with more than just the clothes on my back, but truly I have been put in a position where I must push forward and work hard to see my dreams come true.

I've tried several "get-rich-quick" schemes and have just waisted money and time. From things such as ways to get free money from the government and other organizations, to those "type from home" gimmicks, and to other things that involves "clicking" and buying "clickers" to "click" to make money.

I was too naive and believed them without thinking. How very unwise of me. Get-rich-quick schemes don't work, unless you are the guy who's selling the product. He is certainly getting rich quick. Everyone else who joins in or buys the product will never be as rich as the one who started it, especially for product sellers. As if they will tell you all their secrets that have made them rich, if they did then they wouldn't be rich anymore.

Do not be foolish and fall for such things. It truly is hard work that will give you the good results you need, and perhaps even a bit of "luck." I have two online endeavors going on right now, both have just begun for me. Everyday I do something that will help my company and endeavors get noticed by the online community and by people I meet here where I live. It is hard work, building it up, the hours of typing and thinking, studying, reading, and learning how to run and expand my business is hard. But I know that God will bless my efforts. I know he'll give me success as I put him first and work hard on my legitimate endeavors. Not like those who sell "get rich quick" schemes and products.

There is no room for laziness, for just talking about the fortune I want to make, or my dreams that I want to achieve. To make it a reality, to see it come to pass, I must work towards them. And that is what I am going to do, as hard as it may be for me right now, as tired as my eyes get from staring at my computer, as broke as I feel at the moment; I will achieve the best of what God has for my life.

The best part is that I know that anyone can do the same. God promises us all that he has a good and wonderful plan for us, that will bring prosperity and hope for the future (Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.)

One last thing I want to leave you with is this from Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Like me, most of us have probably rebelled against God plenty. I've only begun to get to know God since my senior year in high school, and have made plenty of mistakes - things I am ashamed of. But I know these words to be true, because there was also a time when I was so close, where I saw prayers answered so quickly, so reassuringly and gently. I have no doubt in God's words...

And that is why I've started this blog, to draw closer to God once again, to share what I am learning in hopes to help those when they up against similar situations and circumstances, and to show in time how true God's words are.

God bless,

Ikaika Mossman

Where is God through life’s pains?

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.”
- Psalms 136:1

Being thankful to God is not always the easiest thing to be, especially when you are down and out. Can you imagine how hard it is to be thankful when you are living from paycheck to paycheck, barely making ends meet? Or perhaps it is even more difficult for you, and you are not meeting ends meet, you’re borrowing money, gaining more debt. Is it still fathomable to give thanks to God and call him good? It is hard to be in that place and answer “YES.” But there are those who really can, why is it that in the midst of such pain – someone in the family accidently dies, like the recent tragedy of Mr. Steven Curtis Chapman’s daughter – Maria Sue, who was accidently killed.

(I can only imagine the pain, hurt, and wonder of “where was God” going through their thoughts and minds of others who have heard and read the news. Where is God when life’s pain sticks us like a spear through our hearts? My heart and prayers go out to this wonderful family who has helped millions through their God given gifts.)

God is good, or there would be no good in this world at all. People would not dedicate their entire lives to helping those who struggle, who lay dying in the gutters of Calcutta, who build schools, houses, and hospitals for those who have none in the Dominican Republic and many other places around the world, including right here at home. God is still good when we take our eyes off of the pain and back on God.

This does not mean that we ignore the pain, or pretend that it had never happened. God does not ignore our pain, and neither should we. Instead we focus on God, because that will begin to help heal the pain and hurt we have gone through, it helps us to move forward in a healthy way. Staring at and focusing only on what has happened will often disable us from moving forward, being able to trust that God will bring a measure of good out of something so wrong and heart wrenching.

David had gone through such pain and trials in the process of becoming the King of Israel. King Saul was bent on having him killed, he was jealous of David with such a fierce desire. Several times he tried to kill David by hurling a javelin at him. Finally David had to flee the city. Instead of cursing God and trying to get revenge, David cried out to God. He knew that God was still good; he knew that if there were to be a turn of events, God was going to be the one to do it. And in time, David was freed from the pursuit of King Saul.

Later, after David had become King, he lost a son. In fact, I believe that he lost two sons at different periods. Even with the pain, the mourning of his heart, he chose to trust God. He found God to be true, to be faithful, and good.

God is good, he is faithful and loving. Perhaps humbling our selves, even during the worst of times - the hardest of times, through the pain, we will allow God to work out good through the bad.

today's Daily Devotions,

-istyles

Wisdom Before Riches

Daily Devotions:

“Choose my instruction rather than silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold.
For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies.
Nothing you desire can compare with it.”

- Proverbs 8:10-11

No amount of money or jewels is more valuable than a strong character, integrity, or sound wisdom. Making a wise decision brings about many good things. Choosing to stay faithful to your wife builds integrity, as well as building your love for your wife (like reinforcing a steel door). Every action taken in wisdom is can be either compared to well maintenance of an engine, or the “upgrading” of one. This allows the person to continue on, doing well, for a very long time. Just like a well kept car. But a decision or action taken on just a feeling alone, without wisdoms guidance, is compared to a person who never lifts a finger to make sure his car is in at least operational condition. This will eventually lead to many car failures, and possibly even to the driver’s death, or someone else’s.

Wisdom – good judgment, insight, and understanding, should come before money, fame or popularity, and pleasure. It leads to a healthy and purposeful long life. The pleasures from a life lived wisely is better than living a life filled with luxuries. For the value is great.

I need to live a life that is wise. I must seek for the understanding of God and his insights into my life and the decisions that I’ll have to make in the future, as well as the present. Money, social status, and pleasure should not ever come before being wise. God says that if we need wisdom, if we need to know what to do, that all we need to do is ask him and expect an answer. Trust God. How? By just doing what He says. This alone shows God that you trust him, and will allow your relationship with him to grow as well.

Thanks for reading todays “Daily Devotion.” I hope that it was of some help, though it was pretty short today.

- istyles

Daily Devotion: Fairness and giving

Fairness and Giving

“David replied, "No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and handed over to us the forces that came against us. Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike." David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.”

- 1 Samuel 30:23-25


One reason why David was a good King and blessed by God is because he shared. He was not greedy in his dealings with treasure and plunder. Even when a part of his army was too exhausted to go and fight – taking back their belongings, wives, and children that were plundered by another nation, David made it a rule that all the “extra’s” that were plundered needed to be shared equally among all the men…I believe that it created the feeling of equality among his men. David, however, probably had a larger portion because he was their leader. But just because he was the leader didn't mean that he kept all for himself. He then gave to the elders and friends in different cities who have helped him and his men in the past. (1 Sam 30:26-31)

On my road to not just becoming a “better” person, living actively in service to God, I need to learn to be more giving. I need to give to God my tithes and offerings, to those who are my friends and are in need. But also to those who are needy, like the Egyptian that David and his army came across while looking for the Amalekites. This is just a small part, but good part, that’ll help me to become all that God has created me to be.

In my devotions on this day, I leaned that giving and being fair in the sight of God is more important than in the sight of men. Giving of my time, my finances, my love, friendship, to both God and people are important. It is because this life is situated around relationships. Whether it is looked upon something that is seen as shallow - for money only, or sex only, or something more meaningful (like doing devotions: making the time with God, or marriage - intimacy at it's deepest level. Perhaps there were even tactical and military advantages to not bringing the tired men along as well. Giving gave David favor with both God and man; I believe that it also taught him, or trained him, to not be greedy or quick for gain during that time.

Thank you for reading my devotions for today. I hope to do this daily for myself and to encourage others who are curious, or are seasoned warriors, and want to press into knowing this awesome God.

Daily seeking our God,

istyles

Daily Devotions

Welcome to Daily Devotions. I created this blog in the hopes of to inspire, motivate, and give insight to those who are in a growing relationship with God, or have the desire to learn about who he is. I am not a scholar or a professional in the ministry; I am just a college student making his way through this journey called life. I hope that you will enjoy daily devotions.