This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful. Joshua 1:8 (AMP) If you want something different to happen in your life in an area where you struggle, you need a new picture. A promise in the Bible is actually of no use to you until you meditate on it to change the picture you hold inside. Meditation, also called visualization, is a Biblical principle. Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” You need to …

Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. 1 Timothy 3:16 (MSG) The Bible is a beautiful love letter written to show us God’s amazing love. Besides that, it gives us warnings, shows us God’s promises and teaches us phenomenal principles for life. We need to learn all three: warnings, principles and promises. If we’re not careful, we can just focus on one thing. Religiousness tends to focus too much on Bible warnings. It forgets about the big, wonderful life we’re promised and the Bible principles that can help us get it! Some focus only on promises. Although the promises are essential, we can’t forget all about …

He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends. Proverbs 17:9 (NKJV) No one is perfect. Even in the closest relationships and with the best intentions, people hurt each other. To maintain close friendships, it’s vital to understand what separates friends. Here are two things that can come between friends: 1. Offence. If a friend does something to hurt you and you keep bringing the event up—verbally or mentally—you will struggle to forgive and your friendship will separate. Forgiveness is not a feeling; it’s a choice. Talk to your friend and then refuse to rehash the incident. Eventually the hurt feelings will subside and you will be able to give them the chance to earn your trust again. 2. …

Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody. Romans 12:14–16 (MSG) A surprising scientific review by the Brigham Young University team discovered a secret to health. By reviewing studies that involved over 300,000 people, the team found that social isolation was as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day! Healthy relationships actually help us to stay physically healthy. We were designed for close relationships—with God and each other—yet many times our friendships stay shallow. One major reason is self-consciousness. Self-consciousness causes people to feel unlikeable. They believe others will reject them if they really get to know them so they hold …

He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. Proverbs 13:20 (NKJV) We need friends of all types—people we know casually and those we trust infinitely. Some friends are close, lifelong confidants. With others, you maintain the relationship because of a common interest like golf or a shared commitment like work or school. Jesus had different kinds of friends, too. His closest friend was John. He had two other close friends, Peter and James, and a total of twelve friends that He spent the majority of His time with. Friendships bring great joy in life; however, we need to choose our friends wisely. Although none are perfect, there are a few specific characteristics to look for when …