“I have to decide on which college to attend. It’s scary. How do I know what God wants me to do?”

Making big decisions like this can be both exciting and scary. I believe God wants us to live full lives and make the most of our given opportunities. Sometimes there is a clear “right” decision, when God makes it very clear what path to take. At other times, there are many “good” decisions and any one of them can lead us further into a full life with Jesus. Continue to pray about it and ask the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom. Then, use the wisdom God has given you to weigh the options. Talk to people whose opinions you respect and trust God with your future.

Captain Joanne Smith
Victoria, Australia

“Some days, I feel close to God and other days, I’m really low and I doubt He’s even there. What should I do to have more consistency?”

Like physical health, spiritual health requires good diet and exercise. The diet is in the digesting of God’s Word and drinking in the presence of God in prayer, like Jesus said at the Last Supper. Reading and studying His Word will nourish your soul with truth, hope and promise. Meeting with Him in prayer will affirm and steady your relationship. Then, we want to exercise our faith by trusting God for His promises and living a life of Godly love. “Do your best to win God’s approval as a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed and who teaches only the true message” 2 Timothy 2:15 (CEV).

Commissioner Jim Knaggs
Barnegat, NJ

“Stand firm on the promises that God has given you through Scripture and step out of the lies that you are not enough.”

“I don’t feel worthy of God’s love. Got any advice?”

Psalm 103:8, 10, 12 (NIV) says, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love … He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities … as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

If you asked God to forgive your sins, then that is precisely what He has done. I recently read a book, “Enough,” where the author, Sharon Jaynes, provided a great illustration of forgiveness: “When you were head over your heels in love with your sin, that’s when God chose you. When you were standing at the farthest point possible, away from Him, that’s when God said, ‘She’s/He’s mine.’”

There is nothing you can do to earn God’s grace and love. Those are gifts that are freely given to you—no strings attached. In an excerpt from her book, “If You Only Knew: My Unlikely, Unavoidable Story of Becoming Free,” Jamie Ivey summarizes the Gospel—“God has called you by name, redeemed you, justified you, covered you with His righteousness and calls you His own.”

Friend, God has divinely inspired the Bible as His love letter to you. He is especially fond of you. Stand firm on the promises that God has given you through Scripture and step out of the lies that you are not enough.

Captain Harryette O’Brien
Torrance, California