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In six days God created the heavens and the earth, all of nature and the universe, and man and woman. When He had finished, He was pleased with His work and declared that it was good. He then rested on the seventh day from all of His labors. When He gave us the Ten Commandments, He told us to follow His example and consecrate the Sabbath to Him. The animals were not to be put to work and the land itself was to rest. Seed was not supposed to be sown in the fields and the vineyards were not to be pruned. Taking a day of rest was not just a suggestion. Instead, it was a command for the entire creation of God. Yet often we violate this commandment to rest, even though most of us would never think of violating the other nine commandments. We love the Lord our God with all of our hearts and do not take His Name in vain. We would never make or worship idols. We honor our fathers and mothers and we don't kill or steal. Neither do we bear false witness against our neighbors or covet our neighbor's spouse or material goods. But we are busy people and do find ourselves at times transgressing the command of God to rest one day out of seven.

God set aside the Sabbath for our time of rest, which was actually the last and seventh day of the week. But since Jesus' resurrection on the first day of the week, we now celebrate Sunday as our day of rest and we call it the Lord's Day. It is our day of worship and we consecrate it as holy unto the Lord. Yet, it also becomes a day to catch up on all the left over chores of the week. When I was growing up it was much easier to find a day of rest because most of the businesses were closed in honor of the Lord's Day, which left nothing else to do but rest. It also seemed that life was not as busy and there was more time to take care of all of our business during the week. However, there came a day when more businesses began to open on Sunday, and I remember that they established a law in effort to keep Sunday from becoming just another day of the week. It was called the "Blue Law" and this law made it illegal for merchants to sell anything that was not necessary. You could only buy food and medicine that was marked with a blue symbol. I wonder what happened to that law which was established to honor the Lord's Day? It just seemed to fade away.

I also wonder what happened to the law of God that is supposed to be written upon the tables of our heart that says, "Six days you are to labor and do all of your work. The seventh day, you are to rest." God did not just randomly think of the Sabbath rest. He knew from own His own experience that we too needed the rhythm of action and rest. It is a spiritual and biological necessity that we allow ourselves to be dormant, for if we do not find times of rest, just being alive will become an enormous burden. God said that man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for man (Mark 2:27). He made one day out of every seven just for us. He intends for us to consecrate that day as holy unto Him and find rest and regeneration for our body, soul, and spirit. Remember the Sabbath, for is a gift from God, which we should receive and enjoy. +++

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Yet as with anything that is worth having, there is a price that must be paid in order to enter this place of intimacy and experience the deeper dimension of God's glory and grace. Jeremiah said that we would only find God when we search for Him with all of our heart. God is not playing hard to get, but He will not be found until a diligent search is made. He is looking for total commitment and He will not show Himself to us until He sees that our heart is desperate for Him. We will not experience God if we approach Him with prayers that are inspired by our own foolish desires and notions. If we intend to find God at all, His kingdom must be our main interest. He must become more important to us than our next breath, the food that we eat, or the water that we drink. Our entire lives must communication to God that He is life to our being and that we love Him for who He is, not for what He gives.

Fathers and mothers always rejoice to see their children learn and they celebrate each new level of growth. So it is with God, our Father. He rejoices over us as we experience spiritual growth and is very pleased when the borders of our territory are enlarged. Yet, it is evident that we cannot travel alone or open the doors by ourselves. We need the Lord to direct our path and help us step over the threshold so that we might experience this new place that He has prepared for us. God, Himself, is the greater and deeper dimension that we seek, and beside Him, there is no other. He invites us to come and experience His awesome presence. He even gives us the formula of how to experience this place of intimacy, but there is a price to be paid before we enter this deeper dimension of His glory. It will take true faith on our part to find God, effort to seek for Him, and personal sacrifice as we search for Him with all of our heart. +++

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09/05/06
GOD HEARS AND SEES

We have either experienced the injustice of the wicked in our own lives, have seen it happen in the lives of our friends and family, or have witnessed it in the news media. We have also heard the wicked boast about the unpleasant things that they have done. They have even laughed and scorned in the face of their victims. Our heart goes out to those who are being oppressed in such a manner as this and we wonder why God lingers and allows the injustice to happen to the innocent instead of bringing immediate judgment. Yet, we must remember that God has a season for all things. God made the eye. He is not blind, He is merciful. God made the ear. He is not deaf, He is full of grace. He is hearing and seeing everything that is happening, yet He is patient and will wait a long season for the arrogant and wicked to repent of their evil ways. There will come a time, however, that His grace will expire and His mercy will cease. He will then suddenly arise, avenge the righteous, and deal with the wicked.

We should not be fearful and frustrated when it seems that evil is prevailing in the world about us. When there is nothing that we can do to remedy the situation, we must place our confidence in God and trust His judgment, for He knows much more about the situation than we do. He understands the hearts of all men and knows their deepest motives. He may be working with their soul and giving them one more chance. We must believe that the God who made the ears and formed the eyes is the One who is in charge. We must keep the spirit of faith alive in our own hearts and put our trust in Him. As we allow God to be the Lord over the situation, He will take care of all the matters that concern us at His chosen time. +++

Scripture: Matthew 14:19 "Jesus ... took the five loaves, and the two fish, and looking up to Heaven, He blessed, and broke, and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples gave them to the multitude."

Jesus and His disciples faced an impossible situation. They had a big need and almost nothing available to meet that need. Five thousand men, plus women and children, had followed them into a deserted place. Now, this vast multitude of people was tired and hungry and the only provisions that were available to meet their need were five loaves of bread and two fish. This meager supply would not have been enough for Jesus and His own twelve disciples much less the multitude that was before them, but God is a miracle worker and He never fails. Jesus took the loaves into His own hands, looked to His Father in Heaven as He blessed them, broke them, and gave them to disciples to distribute to the people. All were fed in abundance and there were even baskets of leftovers that remained.

Many years ago my husband was out of work and finances really became very lean, but we never shared our personal needs with others. We simply believed God to meet them and He was always faithful. We had finished our last meal and had in fact divided one potato and a few vegetables between my husband, our three children, and myself. The surprising thing was that this meager provision was enough for all of us and the children never realized our lack. We had no idea what was going to happen next, but we were called to minister in a small church that evening. At the end of the service, the minister apologized for the small offering of seventeen dollars that had been received. We weren't even expecting a gift, and in the eyes of the congregation, we probably didn't look like we needed an offering. Besides that, we were usually the ones that helped to meet the needs of others in the congregation. Yet this small offering was a godsend to us and we were thrilled because we didn't even have lunch money for our children's school the next day. Our pastor had no idea of our need, but this small gift helped us make it through the next few days until work came in. The church had sown a small seed into our lives, yet, their small seed was our miracle and the answer to our prayer of faith.

Sometimes the gifts that we hold in our hands seem so small compared to the need that is present. It is almost as though we have five loaves and two fish, which needs to be spread in five thousand directions. Yet we must understand that it doesn't matter how small our gift is, it matters what we do with it. God can take the little that we hold in our hands and cause it to become a blessing to a multitude of people. No gift is too small for Him to use. When we give all that we have and all that we are to Jesus, He will hold our gift in His hands and present it to the Father. The Lord Himself will then bless what we have offered to Him and before presenting it to the people, He will break it like He did the loaves and the fish. He will bring us to nothing so that God might be glorified in our lives. In this place of brokenness and humility, He will multiply our gifts and use our lives among the people. Mother Theresa said, "We must do little things with great love." We must be willing to give whatever we have because our smallest offering of five loaves and two fish may become the miracle that someone else needs to sustain their life. +++

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FEW WORDS

These are the words of King Solomon and we should pay close attention to them because he was declared to be the wisest man who ever lived. He was actually speaking about our prayers to God, but he wasn't telling us not to talk to God very long. Instead, we are to be careful to hear what God is saying to us and then obey His words. Solomon clarified his words by saying, "Don't be rash with your mouth or let your heart be hasty to utter a word or make a vow before God." He also reminded us that God is in Heaven and we are on Earth. God knows much more about what is going on in our lives than we could ever presume to know so we should keep our ears open for God's voice and our hearts attentive to His spirit. When we stop and listen to God, we will discover that He has more to say about our situation than we do. In fact sometimes we are so busy chattering to God about our problem, that He can't get a word in edgewise to covey His solution to us. We are to be still and to know that He is God.

Solomon said, "To listen is better than to speak foolish words." Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). Foolish words are not profitable, for by our words we are either justified or condemned. We must not allow our mouths to lead us into sin and condemnation. We need to be quiet unless we know that we are praying according to God's will. When we come to God we need to come without formulas and techniques. We are to simply approach Him like a child approaches their earthly father. When we do this, we will evoke God's presence. Then as we find ourselves alone with God, we will be so awed by His presence that our focus will shift from ourselves to Him. In His presence, we will forget about our own desires and we will want His will to be done in our lives here on Earth as He has ordained in Heaven. When we commune with the Lord, let our words be few so that we can listen and hear what the Lord is saying to us. +++

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FROM FAITH TO FAITH

The just are to live by faith and that faith will come by hearing the word of God. Only the word of God will set us free and bring us total salvation for the past, present, and future. Many are born again and can believe that their salvation experience will take them to Heaven. It is wonderful that they have received faith's assurance for tomorrow's future, yet, these born again believers can't seem to operate in the faith that allows them to forgive themselves or to believe that God has forgiven them for the sins of their past. Their spirits are saved and they are on their journey towards glory, but their minds are not renewed and their souls linger in the pits of doubt. They carry much baggage of guilt and shame because they cannot let go of the memories of what they have done. There are others who have faith to believe for eternal salvation and are also able to receive forgiveness for the things of their past, but they have no faith to live in today's victory. They flounder around in the sea of unbelief when it comes to trusting God for their present deliverance, protection, preservation, healing, and provision for their needs.

When we gave our hearts to Jesus, He did a total work in our lives. He immediately began a work in us and we can "be confident in this one thing, that He Who began a good work in us will complete it unto the end" (Philippians 1:6). For that reason, when we look at our lives, we should not become discouraged. We must realize that the Lord is not finished with us yet. His work is progressive as He takes us from faith to faith. We are made just by faith in Him and then our faith in Him becomes a daily process. We can be assured that the Lord will not desert us on our journey or stop in the middle of our progress, but will continue to develop us right up to the time of His return. Faith springs from faith. The initial faith that we received leads to more faith. As we receive the Word of faith daily, the Lord transforms us and renews our mind. Faith arouses greater faith so that we no longer waver in any area of life. We must understand that it is only as we have faith in God and totally trust our past, present, and future lives to Him, that we, being justified, will really learn to live. +++

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Scripture: Psalms 91:4-5 "His truth shall be your shield ... You shall not be afraid for the terror ..."

This is a mighty promise for us today as we think about our future and remember the horrific events of five years ago when our nation was attacked by terrorist. It was a day of devastation that changed our lives forever, and our promise to those who lost their own lives or their loved ones is still the same today as it was that day, "We will never forget." The memories of the things that we saw and the sounds that we heard will be forever engrained in our hearts.

September 11, 2001 was a day when evil men sought to bring our nation to its knees in humility before them. Instead, their actions united us as a nation and brought us to our knees in humility before the Almighty God. Students who weren't allowed to pray in schools were suddenly led in prayer by their teachers and principals. Those in our government boldly confessed their convictions without any reservations. People of various faiths forgot their differences and all of the churches came together in unity to seek the face of the Lord. Revival sprang into the hearts of our people and overshadowed the evil that lurked in the hearts of our enemies. Good overcame evil and terror was turned into triumph.

As we face this day of reflection, let us be thankful for our precious liberty that is still intact. Our flag is still there ... we are still One Nation Under God ... and our God in whom we trust, is still Faithful." In these challenging days, let our faith arise and declare the words of the psalmist, "God's truth shall be our shield and we shall not be afraid of the terror" +++

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09/12/06
CAPTAIN OF YOUR SOUL

The Apostle Paul exhorted Timothy to hold on to the inspired prophetic words that had been spoken over him and declared that these words would help him fight a good warfare in the faith. Paul also told Timothy that if he didn't hold on to his faith and keep a good clear conscience that he would face a possible spiritual shipwreck. Keeping the faith is a constant warfare for all of us, for the devil goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He is very persistent and presents challenges every day in an effort to cause us to give up on the things of God. He seeks to lead us astray for he knows that if he can cause us to let go of our faith and good conscience for just one moment, we will become his captive. He will build strongholds in our minds that suit his agenda and will cause us to experience shipwreck within our soul.

The Message Bible quotes the scripture above in this fashion, "There are some, you know, who by relaxing their grip and thinking anything goes have made a through mess of their faith." It only takes a little relaxing and then we have to deal with doubt. There is a saying, "Jesus is my co-pilot." Yet, true faith is total dependence upon God. It is leaning entirely upon Him with absolute trust and confidence. The Lord is not our co-pilot; He is the pilot or the captain of our soul. If we are in charge and He is merely our co-pilot, we are surely headed for a shipwreck. The story of the Titanic is interesting. This great ocean liner was supposed to be unsinkable and was on its maiden voyage when it hit an iceberg and sank. This ship was made by man and also guided by man. Total faith and confidence had been placed in this vessel, but it ultimately suffered a horrible shipwreck. This parallels the condition of our faith when we don't listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, but make our own plans and follow our own ways. The Ark that Noah built, however, was built according to God's master plan and was totally guided through the waters by God's sovereign hands. The Ark was truly was unsinkable, for God was the captain.

There is nothing worse than having your faith shipwreck on the sea of life. Natural shipwreck is destruction and utter ruin that happens when the ship gets out of control because it is driven by the raging sea. Spiritual shipwreck is the same and can happen to any of our lives. We may think that we are strong in our faith, but in reality there are storms that can come to any of our lives at any time and throw us off course. None of us would plan a destructive storm for our lives, but nevertheless, we are all vulnerable when the storms suddenly appear. We must review our faith and confidence each day and determine who the captain is of our lives and where our faith is? Is our faith in our ship, which we think is unsinkable, or is it in the One who made us? Are we are going to wage a good warfare in the faith or will we allow the storms of life to drive our faith to the ruins of doubt and unbelief? There will be many rocks and hard places to steer through. Are we going to follow after God with a clear conscience or are we going to let sin lead us into destruction? The decision is ours. Will Jesus be the captain, the co-pilot, or will He have any voice at all? The only right decision is to yield our lives to God and hold on to His words of faith as we allow Him to steer our vessel. It is only as we make Jesus Christ the Lord and Captain of our lives that we can weather the storms of life and not suffer the shipwreck of our soul. +++

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09/13/06
DRAWING NEAR TO GOD

Scripture: James 4:8 "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."

This is a wonderful promise and so simply stated. God promises us a personal one-on-one relationship with Him. How many other very important and powerful people have made this promise to you? Very few, I'm sure. Yet because of our hectic schedules and limited time, most of us do not exercise our option to enter into the Lord's presence on a daily basis for any great length of time. We spend a few minutes with a devotional, say a short prayer, and then we're off to meet the day's challenges. We promise to spend more time with Him later. But when the day is finished, we're exhausted and just too tired.

Those in scripture who spent time with God knew Him intimately. And those who knew Him intimately had great power with Him. Even the Sanhedrin marveled and took notice of Peter and John because they recognized that Peter and John had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). Elijah was a man of fervent and earnest prayer and his relationship with God resulted in mighty miracles. But these and other mighty men only knew God's heart because they spent time in His presence. They drew near to God and God drew near to them and manifested His power through them.

Drawing near to God is a gradual process towards a place of intimacy with Him. One definition of "intimacy" is "into-me-see." It is only as you begin to pour out your inner most thoughts to God and allow Him to see inside of you that He responds and shares His most inner thoughts. Even our natural relationships show us this. We can only truly know those with whom we have solitary fellowship. Jesus told us in Matthew 6:6 to enter into our closet and shut the door when we talk to Him. He wants us to fellowship with Him in secret so that He can speak to us in secret. He set the example for us several times in the scriptures as He Himself found solitary places to commune with the Father (Mark 1:35). Jesus drew near to God a great while before the day began and spent all night in God's presence.

How close do you want to be to God? You determine the relationship. Those who move towards God, evoke a response from Him. He gave the invitation and the pattern for us to enter His presence. He said, "Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you." Or, you take a step towards me, then I will take a step towards you." +++

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09/14/06
ACCIDENTAL DEEDS

I was very amused with a statement made by my young granddaughter. Instead of drying her hands on the towel that was next to sink in the bathroom, she hurried to the den and dried them on the decorative throw, which was on the couch. When her parents corrected her, she said, "I didn't do it, my hands did it." She explained the situation further by saying, "It was an accident. I didn't know that my hands were doing that." She was unconsciously exercising a bad habit, and because she didn't do it deliberately, she didn't feel responsible for what her hands had done. It was as though her hands were a different entity than the rest of her whole being, so it wasn't her fault that they had accidentally dried themselves on the throw blanket instead of the towel.

This incident sounds humorous to us as adults because we know that we can't get away with putting the blame on our hands or other parts of our body when we do something wrong. We understand that the entire body is involved in our actions and that we have to take responsible for our individual members. Yet, there are probably times in God's eyes that we look much like my granddaughter when we try to justify our actions. We have an enemy in our life who tempts us to do wrong. When we find ourselves in financial difficulty, he tells us that it is okay to cheat just a little. He tempts us with lustful thoughts and disguises it as true love. He deceives us into thinking that we can say what we want to say and do what we want to do, and tells us that if it feels good, it must be okay. We speak hurtful words and share rumors, but instead calling it an accident, we try to cover it up by saying, "I really didn't mean to say that." We allow our eyes to linger on offensive scenes and expose our ears to vulgarity, and then dismissed it by declaring, "I couldn't help it, it just flashed across the movie screen."

Paul was a great apostle and wrote most of the New Testament. Yet, we can see from his own words that he struggled with daily challenges just like us. Like Paul, we do things that we don't want to do and we don't do the things that we want to do. We may not be like my granddaughter and issue a disclaimer for our misconduct by calling it an accident, but sometimes we are not even aware that our actions are displeasing to God because over time our conscious has become seared. David prayed and asked God to point out anything within himself that made God sad. We must do the same. We must allow God to show us our secret sins and then acknowledge that our actions, whether good or bad, are not mere accidents. We need God to remind us not to do the things that we're not supposed to do and then help us do the things that we should do. God is loving and faithful, and He will help us if we ask. +++

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09/15/06
THE JUST LIVE BY FAITH

Scriptures: Habakkuk 2:4      "The just shall live by his faith."
                     Romans 1:17      "The just shall live by faith."
                     Galatians 3:11    "The just shall live by faith."
                     Hebrews 10:38   "The just shall live by faith."

Faith is not something that we try to obtain so that we can use it every once in awhile. It is a lifestyle of trust that we develop in God, and it comes by hearing His word (Romans 10:17). When God first speaks a word to us, we may not have the faith to reach out and obtain the promise, but He will address each doubt that we have. As He confirms His word, faith will begin to rise in our hearts until we are able to possess the promise.

A personal experience that my husband and I had some years ago may explain this concept. We were at a used car lot one day just looking at the cars. We desperately needed a better car than the one we had but we had no intention of buying another one right away. The salesman asked us if we had found one that we liked, and we jokingly said yes, and pointed to the one car that we thought must belong to the owner. We knew it was totally out of our price range, but the salesman practically forced us to test drive it. We told him up front that we weren't able to buy right then, but he said he could make us a good deal and that he just wanted to talk to us about it. We told him that we had no money, but he said that he could fix that. We then told him it was impossible to make a purchase at this time because of our credit situation but he said they financed their own cars so that wasn't a problem either.

Little by little, the salesman was addressing each doubt that we had concerning buying the car. Line upon line, he was feeding our faith and showing us a way where there seemed to be no way. When we told him we didn't think it would be wise for us to trade cars because of the higher payment, he offered us more money for our old car than it was worth. Things were looking pretty good, but then he decided to test drive our car. We thought he would give up at this point because our car wouldn't even start. Our faith began to fall as we thought on this negative circumstance. We knew that we had to have a good trade-in to afford the new car. To our surprise, however, he offered us the same deal. And since our car would not start, he allowed us take the new car home and come back the next day to finish the papers. We had no faith at the beginning, but the salesman's words caused faith to begin to form in our hearts. He had not only initiated the faith in our hearts but had kept feeding our faith with his words until he completed the transaction.

So it is with God. He plants a seed of faith in our heart and initiates the process in order to fulfill His plan. He then causes our faith to grow by continually watering it with His word. Each scripture that comes to us quickens our heart and confirms His promise. Negative circumstances may try to sway us from God's truth and attempt to steal the blessing that He intends for us. However, if His word is in our heart, faith will intervene and cast out all doubt and fear. Our trust in God and His word will cause us to go from faith to faith and glory to glory as we obtain His promise. +++

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God has good plans for you and His thoughts towards you are much higher than you can imagine, but you must run your race with patience. You must discipline yourself and expect to experience hurdles in your path. You cannot allow yourself to be distracted by the glory that you receive or by the pains that you are forced to endure. As you run your race, you are to lay aside every weight and every sin that seeks to burden you down. Jesus is the author and finisher of your faith and He is to be your great example, as He was able to endure the cross and despise the shame. His goal was to defeat Satan and His vision of victory kept Him from giving in to the temptations and evil devises of the devil. You must consider Him and the things He endured so that you do not become weary and faint in your own mind. God has great confidence in you and He doesn't want you to give up in the middle of the race. Run with patience until you catch the second wind. In the midst of the race, the Holy Spirit of God will fill you with His power, and you will experience the joy of victory and receive great reward. +++

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09/19/06
WOUNDED SPIRIT

The spirit of a man is amazing. It will rise up and sustain you when you are in physical pain or other trouble. It will give birth to a determination that you didn't realize you had. Your spirit will inspire you and assist you in conquering the present adversity that challenges you. It will tell you to keep going in spite of the difficulties, and that you can make it. You will find yourself taking courage and doing what you could not do before, even fighting battles that you never thought possible. Many people live through life-threatening illnesses simply because when they heard the evil report that was issued against them, their spirit came alive and rose up with a new and exceptional strength that enabled them to fight for their life.

While it is true that your spirit will sustain you during your season of infirmity or adverse situations, it is also true that it is difficult for one to rise up when their spirit has been wounded, crushed, or broken. Physical wounds usually come from without and are easy to understand and cope with, but there are no simple bandages for a wounded spirit. Wounds to the spirit are sudden blows, and most of the time we don't see them coming, for they usually come from those whom we love and trust the most. This makes it hard to forget the incident or to forgive the one who inflicted the pain. It may be years before reconciliation and restoration of the relationship can be achieved, for we tend to continually analyze the situation. We are never quite sure how our loved one could have tread upon our heart and transgressed our feeling in such a grievous manner. It happens with our spouse, children, family, and friends. An unexplained action or an innocent but insensitive remark from someone we love can wound our spirit and this wound will be hard to bear.

Jesus knows and understands all that you are going through. He understands how you can be wounded by rejection because many rejected Him and His own disciples abandoned Him in the time of His greatest need. He knew the tears of pain and sorrow as He grieved for His friend, Lazarus. He understood how it felt to be misunderstood because His own mother and brothers did not understand Him and even declared that He was mad. He was also wounded and hurt by the same people that He ministered to and gave His life for. Because He understands your feelings so well, He came not only to dry the tears in your eyes, but to also wipe them from your heart. You do not have to bear your wounded spirit alone, for He will bind up your wounds for you. He will stay near you when your heart is broken and continually apply the comforting healing balm of the Holy Spirit. He will minister to your broken spirit by giving you beauty for the ashes and disappointments of your life. He will give you the oil of joy for mourning and replace the heaviness that is in your soul with a garment of praise. A wounded spirit ... who can bear? Only Jesus. So, trust and lean upon Him. +++

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09/20/06
WASTING TIME

Scripture: Luke 10:42 "But one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Luke tells the story of two sisters, Martha and Mary. Martha was like many of us. She wanted everything to be perfect because Jesus was visiting in her home. I'm sure that if Jesus were to come to our home in person, our excitement would cause us to act the same way that she acted. We would want everything to be perfect. We might even neglect our personal prayer time and Bible study just to get ready for Jesus, the crowds of people, and the news media. Our time would be spent cleaning, cooking, and shopping for the right clothes to wear for the occasion. Our focus would be on the "visit", not the "visitor"

The scripture says that Martha was "cumbered about with much serving, full of care, and troubled about many things." Cumbered means "distracted with care, overdosed with everything, and dragging a cumbersome burden." This joyous occasion had become quiet a burden to Martha. She was not only cumbered down with all of the responsibility and work, but she had taken the burden of trying to control everyone else and involve them in her needs. She even tried to manipulate Jesus with her self-pity by saying, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to serve alone." Martha may have become jealous of Mary's spiritual interest and felt that Mary was just wasting time. She wanted Jesus to tell Mary to help her.

John 11:5 records that Jesus loved Martha just as much as He loved Mary. However, He did not respond to Martha's self-pity, control, and manipulation. He spoke three things to Martha concerning Mary and He speaks these same things to us today. First, He said, "There is one thing needful." That one thing is to sit at Jesus' feet and be still. There is a time that we must let everything go so that we can focus on developing a relationship with Jesus by being in His presence and hearing His word. Second, Jesus said, "Mary has chosen that needful and good thing." Mary chose to rise above the criticism and control of others so that she could sit at Jesus' feet. People may not always understand when you put Jesus first in your life. So when you decide to choose the needful thing, you must set aside the world's opinions. Finally, Jesus said, "It shall not be taken away from her." Because Mary didn't allow herself to be distracted with the natural duties, Jesus didn't allow her blessing to be taken from her. There is always something eternal gained when we close ourselves in with Jesus, and whatever we experience in His presence cannot be taken from us.

You never have to fear the path that is set before you because the Lord Jesus goes before you each step of the way. You never have to tread where His feet have not been or suffer things that are foreign to His knowledge. He leads you out and then He goes before you, discerning every situation. He notes the paths that are too narrow and the rocky steeps that are too dangerous. He will lead you around every pitfall and protect you from every foe. He encounters every obstacle that you will experience along the way so that He can understand your feelings and be touched by your infirmities. His presence makes the crooked way straight and His mighty hand opens every door that needs to be opened and closes every door that needs to stay shut. Jesus will never lead you into a place that is too difficult and you will never find His grace to be insufficient.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd and He cares for His sheep. He loves you individually and doesn't get you confused with someone else. He calls you by your name. He also allows you to know Him in an intimate way so that you can recognize His voice. He doesn't disguise His voice or speak foreign words to you but makes Himself very plain. All you must do is listen for His still quiet voice saying, "This is the way, walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21). His voice will gently bring repentance and scatter the sounds of condemnation. His words will give direction and drive away the spirits of confusion. He will never lead you astray and the simple knowledge that He is leading the way should give you great hope and confidence.

Scripture: Matthew 6:9 "Hallowed be Thy Name."

Hallowed means sacred, holy, and blameless. Jesus teaches us to give reverence, honor, and glory to the Name of our Father who is in Heaven. In the Ten Commandments, we are told not to take the Name of the Lord our God in vain. This command not only means not to speak His Name in profanity, but also not to dishonor His Name in the way we live.

Names not only identify a person, but also call to mind the character, attitudes, and integrity of that person. For this reason, we try to protect our name. My father was very proud of his name and did not want it to be dishonored. I was taught that everything I did was a reflection on my father and his name. In our community, my father's name was trusted because it was backed up by his character and integrity. Everyone knew that he was a hard working, honest, no-nonsense person, and that he paid his bills. His word was his bond and his name backed up his word. He could borrow money from the bank on his name alone and made deals with just a handshake. I was given the privilege to use my father's name and could charge debts at the grocery store against that name. I was never questioned because I was his child, and I was called by his name. Although I did not personally have the resources to handle the bill, the lender knew my father would honor and take care of the debt.

Listed below are names of God in the Old Testament. These names were established as God met with man and revealed His character to them.

YAHWEH, "I AM THAT I AM" - Exodus 3:14
Jehovah Jireh, "The Lord my Provider" - Gen. 22:14
Jehovah Nissi, "The Lord is my Banner" - Ex. 17:15
Jehovah Shalom, "The Lord is Peace" - Judges 6:24
Jehovah Sabbaoth, "The Lord of Hosts" - I Sam. 1:3
Jehovah Maccaddeshcem , "The Lord my Sanctifier" - Ex. 31:13
Jehovah Raah, "The Lord is my Shepherd" - Ps. 23:1
Jehovah Tsidkenu, "The Lord my Righteousness" - Jerm. 23:6
Jehovah Shammah, "The Lord is there (present)" - Ezk. 48:35
Jehovah Elohim, "The Lord God of Israel" - Jud. 5:3; Is. 17:6
Jehovah Rophe, "The Lord my Healer" - Ex. 15:26

As we think on these names, let us remember that God is all we need. We have no power within ourselves, but we have power in His Name. He is the same God today as when He spoke to Moses with "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:13-14). Whatever we need today, He says, "I AM." I AM the answer to all of your questions. If you need provisions, I AM your Provider. If you need healing, I AM your Healer. If you need victory, I AM your Banner. I AM your peace. I AM your Shepherd and will lead you through the valleys and restore you. I AM your Righteousness. And, I AM the God that is always present. I AM your God. I AM everything that you need Me to be. I AM THAT I AM! HALLOWED BE HIS NAME!!!! +++

Our greatest comfort and our greatest joy is the assurance of these words from Jesus. Every moment, His followers are promised His personal and empowering presence. This promise is our greatest spiritual asset, and we could ask for no greater treasure. We could depend on no better security. We could reach no higher heights or experience no deeper depths than to know that Jesus is with us. How awesome is the thought that Jesus will never leave or forsake us. He will always be there. Others may leave, but He will remain. He is with us in our laughter and He is with us in our tears. He is with us in our triumphs and He is with us in our tragedies. He is there with us as we experience joy and He is there in our pain. And He is always touched with the things that our hearts are caused to endure.

Jesus made this commitment to be with us to the ends of the world or the end of the age. It doesn't matter if we are at home or in a distant land, His presence surrounds us, fills our lonely hearts, and girds us with strength. We only need to recognize Him and know that He is there. It doesn't matter if we are doing menial tasks or are involved in a major undertaking, He is there to help us in the time of our need. It doesn't matter if we are in peace or engaged in war, for His protecting arms surround us. It doesn't matter if it is Sunday, Monday, or another day of the week, He is there always and His mighty presence fills every moment. In His presence there is a peace that passes all understanding. There is a trust that cannot be described, an abounding love that fills the heart, and a grace that is sufficient for the soul.

We do not have to dread the road ahead or be anxious about the future, for the Lord's presence will lead us and He will take care of every detail. The power of His presence will always make a way where there seems to be no way. He will go before us and make a way in the wilderness and cause streams in the desert (Isaiah 43:19). His presence will even cause us to bloom in the hard places where we are planted. Isaiah 42:16 says, "He will make the darkness light before us, and the crooked things straight. These things He will do for us, and He will not forsake us." We must hold to the promise that the presence of Jesus will always be with us, for this is the greatest asset that we could ever hope to gain. +++

Scripture: Psalms 119:176 "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant."

We've all had those times when we've planned to meet someone in a large crowd and wanted to make sure that we made the connection. We designate a particular time and place to meet, explain what we'll be wearing, and say, "Be looking for me." If the appointed time for the rendezvous passes, desperation sets in, and we begin to think that there was a misunderstanding in our communications. We can only hope that the one we are attempting to meet is searching for us with as much effort as we are searching for them.

The psalmist in this scripture found himself in the same dilemma. He had somehow wandered away and was telling the Lord of his desperate situation. In the preceding verses, he asked the Lord to hear his cry and listen to his supplication. He said, "Let Your hand help me." Sheep have no sense of direction and are used to being led about. It is their nature to depend upon the shepherd to find them. The psalmist reminded the Lord that even though he had strayed away from the narrow path, he still remembered the commandments and precepts of God. He knew that God would honor His Word and he depended upon the Good Shepherd to seek for him as if he were a lost sheep.

Like the psalmist, the Lord is our shepherd and we are the sheep of His pasture. We need the Lord Jesus desperately in our lives so that we can maintain an honorable walk and keep our feet from straying. We must make it a practice to face every day with a determination to discern His will and to be in His Word, seeking His direction. Like the psalmist, our prayer should be, "Lord, look for me. Help me to be in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing. If I go astray, seek me and bring me back." Are you aware that God's search for you is just as diligent as your search for Him? Jesus is your Good Shepherd. He will leave the ninety-nine sheep that are safe and search for you when you have lost your way. As He looks for you, He will call you by name, for He knows each one personally. In John 10:27, He said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27). When your path seems to be shrouded in darkness and your way seems obscure, listen for the Shepherd's voice. He is like any loving father whose child is lost, and He is desperately seeking for you and calling your name. +++

Scripture: John 13:34 "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you."

Most of us try not to break the Ten Commandments that are listed in the twentieth chapter of Exodus. We do not serve other gods, make graven images, take God's name in vain, or dishonor the Lord's Day. We also don't dishonor our parents, kill, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, or covet things that belong to our neighbors. In keeping the first four of these commandments, we fulfill Jesus' command which says to "love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind." And by doing the last six of the Ten Commandments, we show that we "love our neighbor as ourselves" (Luke 10:27).

Now in John's gospel, Jesus goes on to tell us that He is giving us a "new commandment". Jesus says that we are not only to love our neighbor as ourselves, but that we are to move on to a higher level and love them as He loves us. Jesus loved us in a greater degree than we could ever love ourselves. He loved us so much that He laid down His life for us on a cruel cross while we were still in sin. Without having any promise that we would receive Him, He simply sacrificed Himself in faith.

God also showed His amazing love towards us by sending His only begotten Son to suffer and bear the shame of our sins. I John 4:11 tells us that if God so loved us, we also should love one another. He gave His greatest possession. If God loved us so much that He was willing to make this tremendous sacrifice, we should be able to love one another in the same way. If God was willing to watch His Son, Jesus, be beaten, crowned with thorns, have nails driven into His hands, and be hung on a cross, we should be able to bear up under the load of love that our relationships demand. Love does demand sacrifice and when our sacrifice of love becomes too demanding, we must remember that it was Jesus who spoke the command of love into our lives and that He termed it a command and not an option. Regardless of the circumstances or the challenges, we have no choice but to obey His commandment and be self-sacrificing as He and God the Father were to us. We must love each other as They loved us. +++

Scripture: Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

As I reflected on this scripture, I had a mental picture of my understanding traveling down a highway. My understanding was anxious as it tried to make sense of the circumstances that engulfed it. It was in turmoil as it faced making decisions and resolving situations. Then suddenly, I turned my heart and thoughts to God and acknowledged Him in all of my ways. When I did this, God began to direct my uncertain path, and His peace overtook me and passed me up. His peace then went before me, making the crooked way straight. Then as my understanding just simply followed God's Spirit of peace, calmness came to my heart and mind.

One of the most precious items that Jesus left us when He went back to heaven was His peace (John 14:27). It wasn't the same kind of peace that the world had to offer. It was a peace that transcended and defied reason. His peace is a calm in the midst of the storm, not the absence of the storm. The peace that He held within Him enable Him to sleep in the midst of a raging storm and His words of "Peace be still" were able to overpower the winds and waves. His peace is not anxious and did not pressure Him into running to Lazarus when news came that he was sick. Instead His peace caused Him to wait on the timing of God. His peace also allowed Him to remain silent in the face of accusations and mockery, for He held His peace and answered not a word. His peace was strong enough that it kept Him from calling the angels to deliver Him when He was on the cross.

God's peace in the lives of others was not the absence of danger itself, but a knowledge that God was in control and able to deliver. His peace prevailed in the lion's den for Daniel and also in the furnace of fire for Shadrach, Meshach, and Obednego. In prison, His peace allowed Peter to sleep peacefully between two soldiers when he was facing certain death. The same peace brought joy to Paul and Silas, allowing them to sing songs in the prison at the midnight hour. The world only offers peace when everything is secure and going great, but God offers a peace that cannot be comprehended. His peace prevails in the time of storms, life threatening or difficult situations, and even death. If you want to experience this supernatural peace that transcends worldly peace, keep your mind stayed on Jesus and trust in Him (Isaiah 26:3). Then, just slow down and allow the peace of God to overtake you and go before you. +++

Copyright © 2006 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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09/29/06
BRUISED REED

Scripture: Matthew 12:20 "A bruised reed shall He not break."

Life is not always easy! Even a life lived with Christ at your side can have its ups and downs. All sorts of trouble can dog your trail and try to get the best of you. Temptation may surround you and try to pull you in. Or defeat may discourage you until you want to give up. Everything negative will hit at one time until you feel that you are ready to break. But God looks down at your battered life and makes a promise. He says, "Even though you are bruised, I will not break you ...Trust me. I still have a good plan and purpose for your life. I will take the bad in your life and turn it around for your good." God never gives up. He is the eternal potter and "you are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:10). He will take the broken pieces of your life and make it over again into a vessel that He can use.

Jeremiah 29:11 says that God knows the thoughts He thinks towards you. They are good thoughts of hope for your final outcome. He has a great exchange in mind for you. He desires to bring you from the state of a dry, bruised, and breakable reed that is shaken with every wind of doctrine into a strong and healthy tree that cannot be moved. Jeremiah 17:5-6 tells us that "the man who trusts and depends upon man, and allows his heart to depart from God will be like a shrub in the desert." Dry shrubs in the desert have no roots, no fruit, and no purpose. Because their roots are shallow and not secured, they are pulled from the ground and carried by the wind. They are easily bruised and broken.

However, Jeremiah continues to say, "The man that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord will be like a tree planted by the waters" (Verses 7-8). He will thirst after God and will spread his roots looking for water. Because this man is nourished by the water of the Word, he will be able to stand in the time of extreme heat and drought. It won't matter to him what is happening above the ground as his life is sustained by deep roots. If things get rough, his roots dig just a little deeper. The deeper his roots go and the wider they spread, the taller he becomes. Like a tree, he is committed and he is a manifestation of the blessings of God. Because of God's grace, his leaves remain green and never wither. He gives no visible signs to the world around him that he is facing difficulty. He doesn't faint in the day of adversity, but weathers the great winds and storms. He may experience bruises, but he does not break. The fruits of the Spirit such as love, joy, peace, patience, and self-control are evident in his life and are a testimony to those around him.

If you have been bruised in life by loved ones or adverse circumstances, you must learn to trust again. As you put your faith in God and yield to His Spirit, He promises not to break you. He wants you to be secure in Jesus who has come to give you "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." When you find your place in Him, you will no longer be a dry shrub in the desert blown about by the wind, but you will be a "tree of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified" (Isaiah 61:3). +++

Copyright © 2006 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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