Valeriy Poltorak - Mrvalography, Long Beach, WA (2026)

Valeriy here, primarily known as on social media channels such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I have recently developed and expanded my photography in more ways than I could ever dream of and I am beyond thankful for the ability to share my journey with you along the way! Born in the Ukraine but raised in the Pacific Northwest. My passion for photography began at a young age as

I began to fall in love with this beautiful planet our God has provided us. As I grew up, I began seeing things through the eye of a viewfinder, anywhere I looked there was beauty to discover and I wanted to capture every moment of it! My passion for photography is built upon my desire to travel, love for my family and life lead by faith, leaving me to glorify God in all that do. My photography journey began years ago as I began to dabble in Stock Photography through agencies such as Shutterstock and Fotolia, with product shots still available to purchase via those channels. A few years had passed till I expanded to social media and discovered Instagram, which has recently become my primary source of exposure. With a follower base of over 75 thousand, Instagram is a platform I thoroughly enjoy on a daily basis due to the fact that I am able to share my work as well as my faith with captions using a hashtag I created: . My portfolio greatly expanded in 2014 when I was blessed with my first Canon DSLR, giving me the opportunity to expand my horizons and shoot more portraits, weddings and work with many well known brands, feel free to view my Portfolio for more info. As my love for God grows so does my passion and expertise in photography. By staying active on social media and learning all aspects of photography I am constantly challenging myself to try out new possibilities and keep myself open to all opportunities that come my way! I cannot learn anything if I won't try; I will either learn from my failures or delight in my success. If you have any interests, questions, concerns or comments please feel free to contact me in whatever method is most convenient for you. Instagram:

Twitter:

page: Mrvalography

Email: [email protected]

Thank you all for your constant support!

01/14/2024

Exercise Your Faith
Websters Dictionary defines exercise as... let’s be honest we all know what it means to exercise and I’m sure there are many of us who try our best to avoid anything that remotely resembles exercising, because it means actually getting up and having to put in the work.

While exercise is absolutely essential to our health and gives us the strength and energy we need to grow in life most of us would prefer to take the alternative route and enjoy the comforts of our home, leaned back on the couch in front of the TV or a good book. Because why exercise when you could simply not and still have a somewhat decent life. There’s no harm in that...Right?

The truth is, there is harm in that. I won’t get into all the medical benefits of exercise but studies have proven that exercise has countless medical benefits which greatly improve your physical and mental health. Therefore, when you choose not to exercise you’re actively hurting your body and causing it to slowly deteriorate. Exercising is truly important for a healthier lifestyle, it’s not easy by any means, but if you want to improve your health the best place to start is taking time daily to exercise.

There may come a point in your life where you feel the same way about your faith. You may go to church every Sunday, read your Bible daily, and go through the motions thinking that’s enough exercise for my faith right? But the truth is, that isn’t enough.

If we chose not to exercise our faith on a daily basis we become weak and stagnant in our faith, we slowly start to lose sight of God and His purpose for our life; it may not seem like your hurting anything at first but this lack of action in our faith causes us to become weaker thereby making us more susceptible to sin. Simply going through the motions isn’t enough to strengthen us in our walk with God. Growing in our faith requires patience, discipline, and daily commitment.

God has a plan and a purpose for us all and if we’re simply going through the motions we aren’t truly living to our fullest potential. The choices we make, not just our actions but even our thoughts attest to our faith in God, what we do and what we say on a daily basis will either bring us closer to God or pull us further away from Him, this includes doing nothing. Choosing to do nothing or not actively living for God will hurt your relationship with Him more than you may realize that is why our actions and behaviors are critical in our walk with God.

James 2:14-26 says this “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?...You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only…For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

You were not called by God to simply live your life going through the motions of daily tasks and activities but to live by faith, trusting in Him and dedicating your every thought and action to glorifying Him. This means letting go of the control you have of your life and living according to His plans, not your own, trusting that His ways are perfect. God called you for a greater purpose, He desires to do great things with your life and it all starts by taking a step of faith.

2 Corinthians 5:7 says this “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Trust me, I know exercising isn’t easy, the physical kind or the spiritual kind. I often lose sight of the importance or lack the determination but thankfully we serve a powerful God, one who is loving, caring, forgiving but more importantly a God who doesn’t give up on His children. If you’re struggling to live an active Christian life or find it difficult to exercise your faith, I promise you hope is not lost. It’s never too late to get up from off that couch and turn to God, when we ask Him for help He will give us the strength and motivation we need to live a life that is fully dedicated to Him. There’s no better way you can express your love for God and exercise your faith than by trusting in Him and committing your life to Him.

01/29/2023

Worry Free
Do you struggle sleeping at night? Are you constantly tossing and turning worrying about the stresses of your daily life? Are you overwhelmed by a massive to do list or not sure how you’re going to survive the week? Well worry not because I have six easy steps that’ll help you achieve a life that is completely worry free!
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Okay, so maybe it’s not that simple but when it comes to being worried or unsure of what the future holds, God outlines the perfect solution to our struggles in Matthew 6. Pretty great isn’t it? That no matter what situations we have going on in life or what struggles we are currently facing the solution can easily be found in God’s Word. Rather than forcing us to deal with all of life’s problems on our own God provided us with the answer; He has given us all that we would ever need to overcome these problems, we just need to know where to look.
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If you’ve been following along with my Bible reading journey this month you’ll remember in the New Testament we began reading about the life of Christ and His ministry here on earth; how He conquered temptation in the desert, the countless miracles He performed and lives He touched. We also read through many of His teachings including the infamous sermon on the mount but the one thing that stuck out to me the most in our reading was God’s reminder for His children to have faith and not worry.
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I’m sure most of us are familiar with Matthew 6:34 where it says “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” Which is often easier said than done. I’ll be the first to admit that when something goes wrong or if I have an important deadline coming up typically my impulse reaction is to worry, because that is our natural instinct. As sinners we tend to sway towards what our carnal body desires, which in many cases is to rely on ourselves and exclude God in the process, this impulse reaction causes us to go down a path full of worry and fear. Leaving us feeling vulnerable and alone. So, what can we do to include God in these situations and help us get to a point of being worry free?

The Bible is full of knowledge and truth, there are many impactful verses that we can simply pull out of a chapter and understand the truth behind them (such as John 3:16 or Proverbs 3:5) but a verse on its own can be equally as impactful when reading the chapter in full. Studying scripture and memorizing verses is important because it is through these verses that we learn to hide God’s word in our heart and understand Him more but when we study scripture we also want to make sure that we study the entirety of the chapter to fully grasp the message and understand the context. Matthew 6 is one of those chapters that I believe God has provided as the perfect outline of how when we follow His perfect plan we can come to a point of being worry free. Let’s open God’s Word and take a deeper look into Matthew 6 and see what God can teach us from His Word.

Love
Matthew 6:1-4
“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them….But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”

Jesus starts off by teaching us to be humble in our actions towards others, not to be proud of our deeds but to honor God and express our love for Him by helping others. These actions and thoughts that we have towards others are determined by our spirit, when we are full of hate or pride then our behavior can be hurtful and selfish but when we have a spirit of love and kindness then our mindset will be one that is focused on God and not on ourselves.

Pray
Matthew 6:8-13
“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

Once we have a spirit of love in our hearts Jesus presents us with the infamous “Lord’s Prayer” which not only teaches us how to pray but is also a reminder that we are to be in constant prayer. God never intended us to go through life hurting and alone, He gave us prayer so that we could be in constant communication with Him, allowing us to pour out our hearts and rely on Him. Through prayer God is able to hear us and help us in our time of need.

Fast
Matthew 6:16-18
“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance….But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

Praying, especially in the midst of trails, can sometimes cause us to get to a point of completely breaking down and letting go of anything interfering with our relationship with God and reaching out to Him. Fasting is the perfect way to get a clear answer from God in our most difficult times of need because fasting teaches us to put away anything that may be causing us to stumble and redirect that attention to God in order to draw closer to Him. It is during this time of fasting that we grow in our relationship with God and find peace in Him.

Treasure
Matthew 6:19-21
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

We all have treasures in our life that we value or hold close to our hearts but Christ reminds us that the treasure we hold onto should not be the temporary things this world offers but should be ones that we can hold onto for eternity. One day our lives will come to an end and when that day comes the possessions we have here on this earth are just that, they’re possessions that we can’t take with us where we go. It’s okay to enjoy life and all that it has to offer but don’t get to a point where you are valuing your possessions more than you are your relationship with God and relationship with others. It is these relationships and the impact you make that will last a lifetime.

Serve
Matthew 6:24
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

As a Christian and someone who has committed their life to Christ it isn’t fair to God if we go through life living partly in His light and then dipping our toes in what this world has to offer. When we choose to serve God we make the decision to live in His presence, trust in His guidance and have faith in His direction for our life. When you chose to serve man or yourself you chose to live in opposition to God’s plan and calling for your life. What you choose and the direction you want your life to go is up to you but when we chose a life of servitude to God we are choosing a life that is full of hope, full of love and one that will last for eternity. I’m not saying that a life of serving Christ is one without pain but it will at least be one that when those moments come you won’t be alone and will have the peace and protection of God’s love to help you in those times of need.

Trust
Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? …Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”

God is in control. He created this world therefor He knows exactly what you need. He created the birds in the air and knew exactly what they would need to survive, He created the trees and the ocean; there is nothing created that God didn’t create into perfection, this includes you. You are perfect in God’s eyes, no matter what you may think of yourself, no matter your flaws, worries or insecurities you are perfect to God. So, if God is perfect and His creation is perfect and we are His creation then why do we still worry?

Worry occurs when we are separated from God. We become separated from God when we aren’t filled with a spirit of love, when we haven’t gone to the Lord in prayer or haven’t fasted, when we haven’t laid our treasures in heaven or have been too focused on serving ourselves rather than serving God. When we neglect God in these areas it damages our relationship with Him causing us to feel separated from His love; then the moment trials come into our life worry sets in and fear takes over. Thankfully, we don’t have to suffer alone or let fear and anxiety take over because no matter the situation or how separated we are from God we are always welcome in His arms.

Matthew 6 ends with the reminder to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” When we learn to seek God first our spirit will naturally be one that is full of love, our prayer life and relationship with God will inevitably be stronger, our focus will be on God instead of ourselves and our worries will be nonexistent because God promises that when we seek Him first all these things will be added to us. No challenge or trial is too great for our God. Whatever it is that has pulled you away from Him and caused you to live separated from God it’s not too late to turn back to Him.

I wish I could say that following God would be a life of rainbows and butterflies but that’s not the case. Unfortunately, we live in sinful world with a sin nature and 1 Peter 5:8 reminds us the devil is constantly seeking those whom he may devour but thankfully God is in control and will not leave us vulnerable to the devils attacks. God promises that when we choose to seek Him first, when we have a spirit of love that is pleasing to Him, when we spend time daily in prayer, fast and dedicate our life to serving Him then we will have no reason to fear what the future holds and finally be able to live a life that is worry free.

01/01/2023

Daily Bread
Think about your life for a second what are some things you absolutely need in order to survive. The first thing that always comes to my mind is food, without food it would impossible for us to survive. In fact, research has proven that the human body can only survive a week without food and water. Our body needs that daily sustenance in order for it to stay healthy, grow and survive. The same could be said of our spiritual health, just like our physical body needs daily nourishment in order to survive our soul needs daily connection with God in order for us to grow spiritually and remain strong in our faith. Whether it be through prayer, worship or spending time in Scripture, Christ should always be part of our daily life.

Spending time in Scripture is vital to our spiritual growth and walk with God. As a Christian and follower of Christ, the Bible is the most important physical item we have that will ultimately help us grow and mature not only in our faith but in all aspects of our life. The more time we chose to spend in the Word the more we begin to live out Scripture and apply these truths in our personal lives. There’s no greater instruction manual, history book or story ever written than the words taken from the Bible.

2 Timothy 3:16 reminds us that even very words of the Bible were given to us by God: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The Bible wouldn’t exist today if it wasn’t for the power of God, He gave us this incredible book in order for us grow as believers and be encouraged by the faith of those who have come before us. How is it then that we still spend so little time reading God’s Word? How can we allow our Bible to collect dust then go on complaining about our lives falling apart when the answer to every struggle we face is written in that very book. No matter what situation you’re facing today the Bible holds all the answers you’re looking for.

Psalm 119:105 reminds us that “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

It’s time we stopped looking in all the wrong places for answers and picked up that Bible that’s been collecting dust and looked to God for hope and direction in our life.

Today official marks the beginning of a brand new year and for me personally it is the beginning of my 4th consecutive year of reading the Bible all the way through. While this may not seem like quite the feat to some, it’s a big deal to me, I know I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this without God and His constant work in my life. If you know me at all you know that reading isn’t my strong suit but a while back.. about three years ago, I was convicted by a thought. Let me premise this thought by saying that I fully understand God has left us no specific check list of things we are to accomplish before one day joining Him in Heaven but that doesn’t change the fact that I was still convicted by this thought: “How can I meet Jesus one day and never have read the only book he left behind for us.” It was this thought that rattled in my head for the longest time. Personally, I would feel extremely embarrassed and ashamed to meet the Creator of heaven and earth, my Savior and King, and not have read His own very words that He breathed into existence. That conviction gave me the push that I needed to start my journey in reading through the Bible. This journey initially started off as a simple goal but as time went on I began to truly see the importance of daily Bible reading and how drastically the perspective of my days shifted when I included God.

I wish I could say that I have been faithful in reading my Bible every day, and while I have read the entire Bible completely each year there were most certainly days that I failed to read the Bible and had to stack up a few days but just because you forgot to read the Bible a day or two doesn’t mean God is disappointed in you, it just means that you have more reading to do the following days and more room to learn.

You’re probably thinking to yourself that reading the Bible on a daily basis and all the way through the year sounds like a great concept but I simply don’t have the time. Time is interesting isn’t, we are all privileged with the same 24 hours each day yet sometimes it seems like others have more time than we do but the truth is you spend your time on things that you value. If you value work, books, TV, video games, scrolling through social media then you’re making the choice to spend your time in those areas. The only way you’ll find more time to spend in the Word is if you make that time a priority. I will say, in my own personal Bible reading journey, there was a time at the beginning where I felt the same way but I learned that as I set aside time to be focused on God’s Word that I kept finding more and more time available in my day; it’s hard to explain, but the more time I gave to God the better I became at managing that time.

We are all humans, we all have things going on, most of you have families, some are in school while others might have jobs that take up large amounts of your time, but no matter who you are or what you have going on you will always have the time to make it work. From my personal experience the best time for me is to start my day in the Word, going through scripture and spending time drawing closer to God through prayer earlier on in my day is just what my soul needs. This is what I’ve discovered works best for me but this could look different for you. Regardless, a schedule is helpful in setting time aside to focus on that relationship with God even if something changes the beauty of this relationship is God doesn’t care where you are or what you have going on He’s just excited about spending that time together. Truth be told there were multiple days where I was busy or out of town and had to spend that time on a plane or in the car or at a coffee shop. No matter where or when you choose to spend that time the only thing that matters is that you’re faithfully setting aside time to focus on God and growing stronger in your relationship with Him.

If you feel like joining me in making a personal commitment to reading God’s Word through the year on a daily basis then allow me to help you. Besides having a schedule, it is equally as important to have a plan especially if your goal is to read the Bible in a year. Personally, I have found that reading through the Old Testament and New Testament daily has been the most edifying and enjoyable experience. This journey allows you to understand the history of the Old Testament while studying the life of Christ and gaining knowledge from the perspective of the New Testament. There are a variety of plans out there, ranging from the length of time it takes to read through the Bible, focusing solely on either the New or Old Testament, or reading in Chronological order. The plan and direction you choose is completely up to you. That being said, for this year in particular, I will be following and sharing a plan with you daily on Instagram Stories that will help you read the entire Bible in a year as we go through the Old Testament and New Testament. For example, today we will start off by reading a few chapters in Genesis and a chapter in Matthew.

To those who are new to reading the Bible you’re probably sitting here a little confused on where to begin. Well, the best place to start would be to getting yourself a Bible. I know to some that might not be easy but thankfully we live in a day and age where the Bible is readily available to all and easily accessible via the world wide web. I highly recommend having a physical Bible as it’s great for highlighting your favorite passage of scripture and keeping important detailed notes but for the sake of this particular reading exercise having an app can be very helpful in reading the Bible all the way through. There are many great choices out there, for the past few years I’ve personally used Olive Tree’s Bible Study app which has been amazing at keeping track of where I’m at in my Bible reading while taking me from one reading to the next with ease but for this particular goal we are going to use the YouVersion Bible app. From there we will be following a Plan titled “Read Through the Bible.” Once this plan is selected it will give you the option to start reading the chapter requirements for the day and as you continue reading the app will guide you onto the next portion, after you have finished the app will let you know once you have completed the required reading for the day. This is the plan I have personally chosen to follow and share throughout this new year and I’m hoping you will join me on this journey.

One piece of recommendation I’d like to make is don’t just read the Bible for the sake of completing a task or goal but use this time to focus on the words and allow God to open His Word to you so that you can understand Him better and grow stronger in your relationship with Him.

For those who have read through the Bible multiple times or find themselves in the same unfortunate spot as I have found myself this next portion is for you. I wish I could say that I have taken my words and applied them to my own life but this last year has proved otherwise. While I did read the Bible all the way through I, unfortunately, spent most of that time reading to check off a list rather than truly focusing on God’s Word and allowing myself to be edified by those words. Reading the Bible shouldn’t be about checking an item off a list but allowing the words of God to make a difference in your life.

James 1:22 explains it perfectly “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

I let myself get distracted and became stagnant in my faith. I was merely reading to complete a goal and not living in the Word. This passage helped remind me that we are to be doers of the Word, we are to be the kind of believer that doesn’t simply read the Bible but applies what they have read and has a desire to share and grow from what we’ve learned. So this next challenge is one that I have given myself this coming year and also to those who would also like to join me and apply this challenge in their own personal walk with God. In the process of daily reading I am going to challenge myself to write and share one thing I have learned from my Bible reading that week. As I read through God’s word I want to take in as much as I can and allow Gods words to change me and in doing so I want to share what I have learned. As you may have noticed the sharing has been far and few in between as of late therefor I’m praying God allows me to use this challenge to help mend this fracture in my faith and give me the strength necessary to share what God continues to lay on my heart.

Whether this is your first time reading through the Bible or you’ve done it a million times before, there’s nothing more important than your relationship with God. Reading the Bible, fellowshipping with other believers, worshiping God and spending time with Him in prayer is vital to your spiritual health. When you give God that time and open your schedule to the things He has for you He is able to do extraordinary things with your life. Don’t be careless with your time, we all have 24hrs in a day and 365 days in a year, don’t let those precious moments go to waste. Obviously we can’t spend every moment of our time with God but we can be better about making him a part of those moments. Don’t shut him out but rather find time to draw closer to Him. Don’t just be a hearer of the Word but be a doer, apply what you’ve learned, “Study to show thyself approved” as 2 Timothy 2:15 so eloquently states and “Hide God’s word in your heart” as Psalm 119:11 reminds us.

There’s a reason the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 starts off with “Give us this day our Daily Bread” it’s because our God knows how crucial it is to our faith and testimony as believers to be filled with the Word on a daily basis. What better way to take care of our spiritual health than by choosing to spend time with God. I hope today you will make the decision, not for me but for you and your relationship with God, to draw closer to Him by being daily in His Word. If reading the Bible in a year is too challenging for you, I urge you to find a plan and schedule that works for you, it’s important to your relationship with God that you find and make the time to be in daily communication with Him and that through that time you draw closer to Him. Don’t make the same mistakes I have this last year, don’t just be a hearer of the Word but be a doer, hide the Word of God in your heart and allow His words to change you and make a difference in your life. I’m thankful that our God is a God of love, mercy and forgiveness and even when we make mistakes and drift off He’s still right there waiting for us to turn back to Him. Don’t let distractions occupy your time but rather make the decision to draw closer to Him. There’s no greater time spent then the time you spend with God.

05/23/2022

Cross·roads
/ˈkrôsˌrōdz/
“a point at which a crucial decision must be made that will have far-reaching consequences.”

No matter who you are or where this journey through life is taking you there will, undoubtably, come a time where you will stumble upon a crossroads and forced to make a decision; one that may seem small at first but could completely alter the direction of your life. This moment may happen more than once but, regardless, a decision must still be made, and it is up to you alone to choose which path to follow.

During this moment it’s important to determine what motivates your decision. Are you firm in your faith and trust in the guidance of your Creator or are you feeble and easily persuaded by the pleasures of this world? What choice will make? What direction will you go? Do you choose to go your own way, or do you listen to God and go the direction He sends you?

Going your own way is no doubt the easiest choice because who knows you better than you, right? I mean how could God know me better than I know myself. Obviously, I know what’s best for myself. This world can be quite persuasive at times and will do it’s best to constantly bombard you with the mindset that you know what you need more than anyone else, including God. I’m sure you’ve heard one of these popular phrases many times “It’s my way or the highway” or “do what makes you happy”. The world doesn’t want you to rely on God or seek Him for guidance it wants you to be solely reliant on yourself after all you don’t need God to make a decision as long as you do what makes YOU happy that’s all that matters right?

Don’t get me wrong your happiness and experiencing true joy in life is important but not at the expense of your relationship with God. To a Christian, a follower of God and someone who has accepted Christ into their life, your happiness isn’t…shouldn’t be dependent on what the world has to offer; nor is your happiness more important than what God has to offer. I know it’s easy to follow your heart or go your own way or to simply do what makes you happy but when you care only about yourself, you’re neglecting God and not giving him a chance to work in your lives but when we follow God and go in the direction He sends then He promises a life that is far more rewarding.

Proverbs 14:12 says this “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

You may think you know what is best for your life but, our hearts and emotions can be deceiving and easily misguided causing us to stumble down a path that is full of unnecessary pain and suffering. The more you choose to go your own way the further you get from God the more struggles you will be forced to face on your own. God cares deeply for you and takes no pleasure from seeing you go down this dark and lonely path. Rather than trusting in only yourself and listening to your own heart trust in God, have faith in His guidance, and He will direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says this “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Besides having faith and trusting God, in order to fully follow the path that has been perfectly designed for you it is important that we are in a state of complete devotion to God. While the choices we make are indeed our own, God wants us to be reliant on him and to do so we must be like clay, allowing God to mold us and work in our life. Isaiah 64:8 says this “But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” Are you moldable and willing to be shaped by God or are you firm and set in your own ways? Christianity isn’t about adjusting God’s Word to fit your mood or lifestyle but adjusting your lifestyle and behaviors to fit Gods Word and His will and direction for your life.

Imagine how different life would be if Jesus chose His own happiness over the pain and suffering He experienced while dying on the cross for our sins, what if He chose to be stubborn and went His own way rather than following the plan that God had placed before Him. I don’t know about you, but I don’t even want to picture how dark and horrible that life would be. I’m thankful that Jesus obeyed and trusted God and that through the price He paid and through His obedience we all have the opportunity to be saved and are able to find hope and joy in Him!

John 3:17 says this “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Jonah was one such character from the Bible who found himself at a crossroads and rather than going in the direction God sent him Jonah made the decision to go his own way and in doing so was met with travesty. Jonah chose the easy way out and that decision caused him to be thrown into the ocean due to his disobedience which led to him being swallowed up by a fish, where he came to his senses and realized the poor choice that he made. Despite his disobedience God heard his prayers and gave Jonah a second chance. Jonah 3:1 says this “And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time.” Sometimes when confronted with the choice to go our own way or God’s way we end up making the wrong choice which, unfortunately, at times is followed by negative consequences but if we repent and come to God with forgiveness in our heart, He will hear our prayers and may offer us a second chance.

Noah was given strict direction from God to build an ark that was going to save him and his family from an unprecedented flood that would wipe out the entire earth. Rather than doubting God Noah made the decision to trust God and have faith in His direction. Genesis 6:22 says this “Noah did; according to all that God commanded him.” I’m sure this decision wasn’t easy and came with a fair amount of ridicule but despite the backlash Noah’s obedience to God and faith is what saved him and his family. As Christians we will be ridiculed for our faith, the Bible reminds us that persecution is inevitable because there will always be those who don’t understand and simply can’t comprehend why one would choose to follow God instead of choosing their own happiness or the pleasures this world has to offer but if you hold strong in your faith and press on through the persecution God promises to do great things when we obey Him.

Joseph on the other hand was forced into a direction that wasn’t his own, he was thrown into a pit then sold into slavery but despite the situation he found himself in Joseph was still able to recognize that the circumstances were all a part of God’s perfect plan. While speaking with his brothers in Genesis 50:20 we are reminded of how Joseph responded “you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.” Often times we can get pushed into a situation that isn’t what we planned or expected but if we have faith and trust in God then He can use even the most unexpected of situations to do His miraculous work.

Pharaoh had many opportunities to heed God’s calling, he was asked on multiple occasions to let the people of Israel go but he hardened his heart and would not obey God. Pharaoh was stubborn and chose to go his own way, his power and selfish desires were more important to him than anything God had to offer. Exodus 8:32 says this “Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.” When we harden our hearts and become set in our own ways we refuse to listen to God and therefor deny His ability to work in our life causing us to fall down a path that is uncertain and full of pain and potential destruction.

No matter what choice you make or direction you choose God has a perfect plan for your life. Whether you go left or right, are facing trials or through times of joy, even if you have a plan or feel confused and unsure what decision to make God will meet you there and knows what is best for you because He knew you before you were even born. Jeremiah 1:5 says this “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” There, honestly, is no one on earth who knows you better than your Creator, including yourself. So why is it that we still find ourselves struggling at a crossroads? Why do we try so hard to go our own way and ignore His calling and direction? It’s because of our sin nature.

The devil is constantly doing his best to keep us from relying on God, he would much rather we be focused on ourselves and tempted by the temporary pleasures of this world than be wholly dependent and devoted to God. The devil knows that the more we are dependent on ourselves the more we won’t need God. Since the very beginning the devil has been trying his best to make us believe that we don’t need God because according to his lies, we can be like gods. Genesis 3:4-5 says this “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” The devil tries so hard to deceive us and will use whatever method he can to pull us away from the one and only true God. Without God we are nothing and without His direction we are like sheep lost without a Shepard.

Harry Ironside once said, “The greatest mistake any Christian can make is to substitute his own will for the will of God.”

Who better to guide you and give you direction in life than God, the one who created you and knew you from the very beginning of your existence? Who better to give you hope than one who sent His only son to die on a cross pay the ultimate price for our freedom? Who better to trust and obey than the one who lives in your heart and desires to have a personal relationship with you? Rather than being stubborn and attempting to control every aspect of your life, give God the reigns and allow Him to take control.

Going God’s way will not be an easy journey, in fact it’ll undoubtably be much more challenging than going your own way. I’ve heard it said that the Christian life is not meant to be a cruise but a battleship because the devil and the world will always be against those who are strong in their faith. God never promised rainbows and butterflies for those who choose to follow Him, but He did promise a life full of true joy and happiness even in the midst of our trials, a life that is void of loneliness because God is always by your side and most importantly, He promises us eternal life, a home in Heaven where there will be no more hurting and no more pain. Until then, while we are still here God promises to never give up on his children. There’s no need to feel lost or confused. There’s no need go through life alone. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” So, the next time you’re confronted with a crossroads and unsure of what direction to go, trust in the Lord and He will direct your path.

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