God is real. He is present in our lives. He watches over us unfailingly. He knows us intimately. There is no part of us that is hidden from our God. Although He knows our sins, He does not call us by our sins; He calls us by our name. Our God loves us with a love that cannot be quantified. He provides in our needs and lifts us from our sorrows.

Psalm 46:10 NIV

He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Whenever my life gets hectic, and I feel overwhelmed and out of touch with God because I struggle to let Him into my everyday life things, the Holy Ghost brings this verse to my attention. Mostly the first part of it. "Be still, and know that I am God."

Be still. Know that I am God. It's hard to be still. To stop what you're doing and thinking, all the things you're trying to do in your own power, strength, and wisdom. It's difficult to take that package, place it at God's feet, and unwrap it, giving each piece into His hands. It's even more difficult not to try to take those pieces back.

As human beings, we like being in control of ourselves, situations, and the narrative. But... we are in God's hands. He is in control.

When we control things, that is when everything starts unraveling. When we interfere with God's will and plans, things become overwhelming because we work against God's plan for our lives. We're working against the One who has seen the future and sets it in motion from the past.

Unpacking things and giving each of our daily struggles into his hands, trusting Him as we do what we can... that is our daily surrender. Our admission that we know that He is God. That He is in control. That His will for us is better than our will for ourselves.

Romans 8:28

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

We're on this earth to serve God's purposes, not for pleasure, comfort, or our own glory. We have no idea how God uses us to serve His purposes, although we sometimes get glimpses of it if we allow the Holy Spirit to show us.

We cannot see the way our lives impact others. Thus, we must always do our best and give our best as followers of Christ to allow the light of Christ in us to shine through us.

When we allow the light of Christ to shine through us, when we allow our will to bow before the will of God in surrender, when we humble ourselves before Him and allow Christ Jesus to work through us with the power of the Holy Spirit, we are serving our purpose.

When we are still before God so we can hear the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit alters us, steers us, and guides us on the true path, and even though we have no idea what the future holds, when we step out in faith—do what we are guided to do—we're serving our purpose.

We don't always know when we're serving our purpose, either. Our purpose isn't just some destiny dream or just one thing.

Maybe your purpose today was to smile at that car guard and greet them with a friendly word. Maybe that one moment of interaction made him/her feel like he/she wasn't invisible or less.

Perhaps your purpose today was to be nice to that waiter who got your order wrong because things are happening in his/her life that you have no idea of.

Possibly, your purpose today was to send a nice message to that old friend you've not spoken to in months because they needed a little cheering up.

Maybe someone just needed a word of encouragement today to make them feel human again.

Perhaps your purpose today was to be the you that God created you to be so the light in you awakens the light in someone else.

Resist those moments of irritation and darkness that slip through because you don't know if that moment that was meant to lighten someone's burden made it harder to bear because you chose to lash out.

When we live in our purpose, our lives exalt God. When we do our best to hear our God and see Him in every little thing around us, we're living our truth. Then, we are a ray of light that chases the darkness away and does not add to it.

We have a personal relationship with a living God who is with us in every step we take.

Yes, there will be bad days, bad moments, or just plain stupid things we should not have done. But there will be good days, good choices, and the knowledge that the one true God loves us.

Focus on the Good. Keep your eyes on Jesus. See the world through the lens of the Bible, not through the lens of flesh and blood. Flesh and blood fail, but God never does.

The world says, "I am the master of my own fate." God says, "Be still, and know that I am God. I shall be exalted among the nations, I shall be exalted in the earth."

Matthew 6:24 (NIV)

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

Or serve both God and the world. When "You do you," you serve yourself, not God.

Make sure you know who your master is.

Have a blessed day.