Shalom stories

Have you been frustrated, disheartened, or felt like there is a need in your life, yet nothing appears to change since the enemy continues to attack? You are not alone; we all endure difficult trials and seasons in life, but seeking God in prayer will guide, uplift, and inspire us to continue in faith. Let's learn and be inspired by Hannah's incident. Her faith, behavior, and influence will motivate us to acknowledge our own contribution in our daily lives. Hannah is a woman in the Bible who faced a lot of difficulty in her life yet remained consistent in her pursuit of the Lord. Hannah's story in 1 Samuel 1 exposes her emotional struggles and tribulations as a barren woman in ancient Israel. Her husband, Elkanah, had two wives: Hannah and Peninnah. While Peninnah had children, Hannah remained childless, which was extremely distressing for her. In that civilization, a woman's worth was frequently linked to her capacity for bearing children, making barrenness not just ...

God had love and a purpose when He created us. It is important for us to remember that each of us has a unique purpose and is special in God's eyes. As His masterpiece, we are made to accomplish the good deeds He has planned for us (See Ephesians 2:10). The majority of people pass away unaware of their purpose on earth, which is a grave mistake. We frequently believe that meeting our needs is the only purpose of our existence. While all of those things are worthwhile, our primary objectives also involve being humbly human and mindful of the needs of others.  We are called to put the needs of those around us above our own self-serving goals. By doing this, we fulfill our mission as His disciples and imitate the characteristics of Christ (see Philippians 2:3–4). God sent us on earth to carry out his mission after creating us. It's similar to being hired by a company based on your qualifications, and the manager needs you to complete daily tasks in order for you to be paid at th...

When we surrender ourselves to God, we are saying, "God, we trust you, and we know what we're getting ourselves into." Imagine getting into a bus and being driven by someone you don't trust. It will not be easy to reach your destination, and there is so much to gain from being around him. Allowing God to do all the work will keep you from experiencing sadness, restless nights, and tension. That is why, in Matthew 11:28, Jesus urges us to come to Him with all of our burdens, promising us rest. The reason is that he knows that we cannot accomplish or win alone. One thing we should understand is that the ongoing battle is not ours but rather belongs to Jesus. So, doing it on our own will have an impact not just on our spiritual lives but also on our health and mental well-being. God has sent angels to protect us; never doubt that God has your back. God simply wants us to pursue his kingdom, and all good will follow us. Every time you pray, say this: "God, I surr...

First and foremost, we have to understand the concept of "favour". God's favour can be defined as divine kindness or an act of real empathy on God's part toward poor and unworthy human beings. God's favour is reserved for those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus. Those who are humble and despised by sin. God favours those who take pleasure in those who connect and honour Him. "These are the ones I look on with favour: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word," says the Bible in Isaiah 66:2. God pursues individuals who love Him and His commands in order to bless, guide, and protect them. We humble our souls before Him when we seek His favour; we seek Him for Himself, not only for the gifts.  He gives us and organizes our lives so that we can love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (see Luke 10:27). The majority of people in the Bible found favour with God. Noah, for example, was favored by God himself...

Jesus refers to himself as the living water due to the fact that he provides us with living water—God's Holy Spirit—that fully satisfies our innermost thirst for our Almighty Father while also moving us to produce good spiritual fruit. This divine life-giving power is far more delightful than any fleshly desire, which will never truly nourish our souls (Galatians 5:13–26). It is said that one can go for weeks without food but only a few days without water. Our bodies cannot survive for long periods of time without water, As much as our Sprits cannot survive without Jesus. Water is vital for all living things on Earth, but it also has destructive attributes. Water is frequently used in the Gospel of John to represent purity and cleansing, as well as spiritual desires. John applies water symbolism in the form of signs to reveal Jesus' identity as the Son of God. The conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan women in John 4 and the power of God as he walks on water in Joh...

           it is very simple to let ourselves get caught up in the trap of moaning instead of appreciating all of our blessings. Let it be a reminder to be grateful and mindful of the blessings in life whenever we find ourselves griping about the changing of the seasons or the everyday weather. Let it serve as a reminder that God is active in all circumstances, but particularly during the stages of our lives! He remains dependable in all circumstances. Along with its showers, springtime brings fresh beauty. Summertime brings heat, humidity, and thunderstorms. It also brings warmth and sunshine. Fall is a season of colour and coolness, a "falling away." Winter may enclose us, but it also brings tranquillity and rest.  * Indications that God is getting you ready for a new season: This question is crucial, especially if you are obedient to God's word and follow his statutes and commandments. However, in order to determine whether God is prepar...

  Life resembles a route. Additionally, there will be stop signs and speed limit or increase signs along the route! I chose to use this analogy because there are times in life when all you have to do is wait on the Almighty. And just get more prayer done when you feel like a situation has triumphed over you. Simply put on the gear and switch it out. There are moments when we may feel as though the Lord is not seeing us, hearing us, or responding to our prayers. We can place all of our faith and belief in the living God at these times. Knowing that the Lord is with us and in charge of our lives allows us to wait on Him with great anticipation. He is going to fulfill his promise. He is going to save us. Even when we are not aware of Him, He is constantly at work for our good (Romans 8:28). Waiting on the Lord is something we can learn through prayer, seeking, active trusting, patience, and courage. When we wait on the Lord, we confidently anticipate a favorable outcome, for which we ...

Anything you say, do, or think that is contrary to what God desires is considered sin. Sin is the failure to do what is right, and sin offends people because it is wrong, unloving toward others, and ultimately rebellion against God. Furthermore, according to the Bible, sin is a condition in which the heart has a proclivity toward evil. The most serious aspect of sin is that it is the sole cause of our separation from God. Sin cannot exist in God's presence because he is holy. As a result, it is what separates us from him.

Even if you don't have everything together, rest certain that God sees you as his priceless possession. Your past does not define who you are today. In actuality, from a spiritual viewpoint, who you are today is not determined by your past. It might affect your thoughts, but it doesn't make you who you are. God proclaims our true identity: that we are made in His likeness and in His image, reflecting both the male and female facets of God (according to Genesis 1:26-27).

Nature has four seasons, which are: summer, autumn, winter, and spring. When it's summer, we think of sunshine and warm weather, and when it's winter, we think of cold temperatures. Just as there are four distinct seasons in nature, there also seem to be several spiritual seasons in our lives. God’s Word uses the seasons as a metaphor for biblical living because life is not constant.  When we fail to recognize and understand the season we are in, we can occasionally find ourselves perplexed and trapped in issues that completely devastate us.

The Holy Spirit also serves as a counselor, guiding us in the right path and revealing God's truth. Knowing God's Word is one of the most important ways to realize the Holy Spirit's guidance. The Holy Spirit does not speak on his own; he speaks what the Father tells him to say (read John 16:13). And knowing God's Word can help us determine whether our desires are inspired by the Holy Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit will never push us to do anything contrary to God's Word, we must test our desires in light of Scripture. Another way to determine whether we are following the Holy Spirit's leading is to look for evidence of His fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:22). If we walk in the Spirit, we will see these qualities grow and mature in ourselves, and they will be visible to others as well.

We must recognize that hardships are a necessary part of our journey at every stage. We can, however, conquer them if we are spiritually equipped and rooted in God's word. We can't run away from them, but we have been given the ability to face them. Without some form of suffering, you'll never be able to grow spiritually and become who God wants you to be. We must learn that God works, sometimes in greater ways, through human suffering than through any other means. You'll quit griping and crying about anything once you realize this. In the midst of life's challenges and persecution, it will require a genuine person to remain faithful.

Struggles are a part of life, just as good, pleasant, and joyful times are. However, if we face our challenges with faith, we will be rewarded abundantly! When life throws a brick at you, get down on your knees and ask the Mighty One to intervene. Struggles aren't meant to kill us; they're meant to strengthen our faith by enabling us to rely on God for the strength and boldness to face difficulties.  In moments of doubt, remember who God has always been and recall his promises. Even if you're full of doubts and uncertainties, if you keep going to Him, he'll reveal Himself to be trustworthy over and over again.

The psalmist addressed this inquiry to God (read Psalm 10:1). The psalmist felt as if God was hidden somewhere, unable to observe the suffering of the righteous in the hands of the wicked. As Christians, regardless of the extent of our spiritual maturity, it’s possible to reach a point so low that we literally feel that everyone, including God, has forgotten us. When we are confronted with circumstances, we may begin to question God's availablility. That was David’s desperate circumstance when he wrote Psalm 10. Our questions, our wrath, and our doubts are not too big for God to manage. He sometimes uses hardship to discipline us for our own good (Hebrews 12:7–13).

God demonstrated his love for you and me by sending Jesus to die on the cross for us. Jesus took our sins upon himself in order for us to be forgiven and reconciled with God. Jesus arose from the dead on the third day and he ascended to God's throne, where he now reigns supreme over his kingdom. He also sent the Holy Spirit to us to instruct and guide us in the life to which he has called us. The resurrection of Jesus means that those who believe in him have been raised from the dead because they are in Christ.  This is God's generous offer of eternal life to anyone who repents, believes, and confesses that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead.

We need God in our weak points because our flesh may fail us and our hearts may deliberately mislead us, but God is the strength of our hearts and portion forever (See Psalm 73:26).  Weakness allows God to work profoundly in our lives. The more we acknowledge our own imperfections, the more God can reveal his power through us. When the enemy believes he has trapped us, God can and will help us.  When we trust in God in our weakness, His strength emerges in us in a number of ways, allowing us to be delivered from even the most difficult situations. God is patiently waiting to provide us with strength in our time of need. Do not be afraid to pray for God's strength to be bestowed upon you!

In most cases, people are ignorant because they lack knowledge, understanding, or facts about something. Others have preferred ignorance over knowledge, which leads to a life of distraction.   Ignorance has the potential to cost us far more than we realize. Many people have lost their lives, their assets, their families, and much more as a result of ignorance. God frequently communicates with us through visions, dreams, and riddles (Numbers 12:7-8), yet we still tend to depend on our own understanding.

The story of the poor widow's teaches us several lessons. There’s a reason Jesus pointed it to his disciples. And the reason for this could be that his disciples were applauding those who had given large sums of money. People who gave large sums to the temple were undoubtedly noticed. And Jesus here changed their approach by saying, “Assuredly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury, for they all put in out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had, her entire livelihood.” This means that our giving is measured based on our faith, motives, and willingness.

To grieve the Holy Spirit is to live in a sinful way. We grieve the Holy Spirit by being angry, unforgiving spreadinglies, stealing,  being bitter and cursing. According to Ephesians 4:30–31 in the Bible, "And don't grieve the Holy Spirit of God, who sealed you for the day of redemption. Remove all bitterness, fury, and indignation, as well as brawling and slander, as well as all forms of malice." The day I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior was the day I received counselling, after living a life with countless mistakes and a careless lifestyle. God forgave me that day, and he gave me a reason to live. I recall, after a man of God laid his hand on me, saying, "Do not allow the sun to go by with your anger."

Many people know more about generational curses than generational blessings.  In Exodus chapter 20 verse 6, God points out to us that he can show love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.  Our kindness and faithfulness draw us closer to God, and that can cause God to bless us, not only us, but our families and future generations.  A pure life attract God’s favor and generational blessings.  God’s favor and generational blessings were bestowed upon Abraham and his family as a result of his faithfulness.