My Book Report (Ch.18): Every Day A Friday

Don’t Have A Critical Spirit

Flavio, a critical spirit creates a dirty view of your world. Unless the view; the window you look through is clean, you will never be able to see what good things God has in store for you. 

Beloved, I started this message from God’s heart to my heart to your precious heart with a lesson for myself to be reminded of, encouraged from, and disciplined by. It’s always good to be a self-motivator and to encourage and challenge yourself. But in my case, don’t allow it to get out of hand.


In Chapter 18 of Joel Osteen’s Every Day A Friday,

Love Week (part 3): Reflection Brings Newness

"As in water face reflects face,

So a man’s heart reveals the man." (Proverbs 27:19)

As I read the Book of Deuteronomy again after quite sometime, I am filled with all this thankfulness to God. My prayers are lead in such a manner, my thoughts are more focused, and my heart and soul desire God more and more. Why is this all happening to me? One word...REFLECTION

God's Word tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (See Hebrews 13:8). And today I started out by reflecting on God's blessings into my life of yesterday, today and those blessings that are to come. But! It all starts with reflection. 

Reflection to me is a powerful weapon. It allows us to reflect on good and bad. The good motivates and inspires us. The bad; the way it is seen and used can either cripple us or become a stern warning on what to avoid this time around. Therefore the Lord's promise, should inspire us to remain hopeful in faith, as it is written, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." (Matthew 24:35). To such, let us retain God's Word in all its virtue, promise, direction and beauty, as it is written, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you." (Psalm 119:11). 

As I read in the Book of Deuteronomy, I read that Moses, the then current leader of the nation of Israel REMINDS God's people of what amazing things the Lord their God did for them. The promises the Lord their God made to them. The Law they were to uphold being a people freed, holy, lead and spoken to by God Himself prior to their triumphant arrival into their Promised Land.

The question begs: If God has done so many wonderful and miraculous things for us in our past, why would we be so cold to Him in our present?

Let us reflect on what God has done for us in the past and remain keeping our hope in the Lord our God, because of God's faithfulness to us, and of what He expects, let us remain with a listening ear and an obeying heart as the Word of God speaks to such hope in reflection, as it is written, 'Consider Him [being Jesus] who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.' (Hebrews 12:3 emphasis added). Let us reflect on who God is, for the Lord our God is to all of us; our Redeemer, our Savior, our Champion, our Guide and a Fortress of help when we are weak. He is the source of all blessings (see James 1:17). Let us continue to love the Lord our God, for it is love that binds all things in perfect unity. Amen.


Our reflection of God's faithfulness and mercy in times past will help us build an intimacy with Him in our present and for our future. It will renew our strengths, it will renew our commitments. It will renew our dedication. His faithfulness to us will stir our hearts and minds up and have us with a new sense of adoration towards our great God. Therefore, perpetually keep your hope in Him, lifting your eyes up to the high heavens in prayer and in praise to God, that He may hear you and shower you with His grace. 

What the Lord our God always does in our lives is because He loves us and desires for us to know Him and be known by Him. Amen.

God's love isn't something you buy for an occasion or think about every so often. His love is something you embrace in your lifetime and throughout eternity. God is the reason to rejoice in every season. Amen.

O Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning.
Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you.
Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. 
Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. (Psalm 5:1-3)