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Scripture: Psalms 31:15 "My times are in Your hand."

David trusted and relied upon the Lord, for he had seen God come through for him many times in his life. He knew very well what it meant to put all of his confidence in God and allow Him to guide His footsteps. There were times when God allowed David to kill a bear and a lion, or spoke to him to go into battle, to fight the giant, or to chase down his enemy and recover his family and goods that the enemy had taken from him. But there were also other times that God told David not to fight but to just stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. On all of these occasions, David was confident that his life was in God's hands and also in God's timing whether he was engaged in battle or allowing God to fight the battle for him.

How assuring it is when we discover that our times are in God's hands. I was in a big hurry as I drove down the street one day and I could see that the traffic light ahead was red. I anxiously sighed a big sigh and wished for the light to turn green before I got there, which it did. But because the traffic was proceeding very slowly, enough time expired for the light to turn back to red. As I began to fret again about the light, I thought, "Why am I worrying about the light when I am not even there yet?" I didn't need the light to be green until it was my turn to go through the intersection. I came to the conclusion that I should just be patient and proceed forward in joy. Like David, I needed to put my times into God's hands and trust that the light would be green when it was time for me to go through.

We are like this many times in life's situations. When God begins to stir our spirit in preparation for change in our life, we become anxious. We want to know that the road ahead is clear of obstacles and we want to see the green light. Yet often the light may change to red on the pathway to our future. The door to our destiny may be closed for a moment while God prepares our heart and keeps us until His perfect timing is ready. His delay causes us to fret, but in reality, we are not even near the intersection of our dreams. We have a long way to go, for God is still maturing us and equipping us for the task ahead. We want to take immediate action, but God doesn't want us running the shoulder of the road so that we can pass all of the cars that are ahead of us. Hastiness will only create a bad situation. God wants us to trust Him and to understand that He is never early and He is never late. He is always right on time and you can be sure that your times are in His hands. Be encouraged. God will open the door to your destiny in His timing and turn the light green at the appropriate time. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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11/04/08
STRENGTH IN QUIETNESS

Scripture: Mark 15:5 "But Jesus answered nothing; so that Pilate marveled."

The tongue is a small member of our body, but it controls the course of our life like the rudder that controls the direction of a ship (James 3:4-5). It takes much strength and discipline to control the tongue and remain silent in the midst of accusing voices. Yet we see Jesus as He did just that. The chief priest, elders, scribes, and the whole council delivered Jesus to Pilate for interrogation. There were many false things witnessed against Him, but Jesus did not try to defend Himself. Rather, He responded in the power of quietness and stillness. Jesus could have called the angels to the scene or demonstrated some sort of miracle in the midst of His accusers to prove His identity, but He just stood there silently, and Pilate marveled at His response.

Jesus' quiet response came because He was confident in who He was. He knew He was the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Jesus lived in this confidence and demonstrated it in His quietness. There was no need on His part to prove to anyone that He was the King of the Jews. He allowed His Heavenly Father to validate His identity. God said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Why can't we be like Jesus and exercise this same self control? Instead, we try to have the last word to prove a point or defend our stand. We somehow feel that if we stay in the verbal ring the longest, we are the victors in the confrontation or debate. We try to prove who we are and what we know rather than depending upon God's validation.

Isaiah 30:15 says, "In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." Confidence in the God we serve allows His power to quietly work within us. His gentle strength within becomes a mystery to our enemies. Like Pilate's response to Jesus, those about us marvel at our quietness and our strength. When we give a soft answer, it will turn away their wrath and conquer the evil that is set against us. They will be amazed at our forgiveness towards them, which will set them free, and they will be overwhelmed by the love that flows through our lives and will be drawn to our Savior. +++

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11/05/08
REAPING JOY

Scripture: Psalms 126:5 "Those that sow in tears shall reap in joy."

God's laws do not change, and for every principle that He has established, He has set in motion rewards and consequences. For the law of sowing, He guarantees a harvest. This principle is true in the spiritual as well as the natural realm. You will reap whatever you sow and it will always be of the same kind or manner. In the natural, if you sow corn, you will reap corn and if you sow beans, you will reap beans. It is a fairly simple process and the law works each and every time without fail. You can't sow corn with the hopes of gathering beans. It just won't work that way, for the law has been established by Almighty God who created the corn and the beans and commanded them to bring forth after their own kind. Nature functions by God's word and can not go against His commands.

In the spiritual realm, it is the same. If you sow good, you will reap good and if you sow evil, you will reap evil, but be sure that every seed you sow will produce a harvest of the same kind. Every prayer that you have spoken in faith into the ears of God will receive an answer. For His word says, "Whatever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive" (Matthew 21:22). Every gift that you have given in the Name of the Lord will come back to you, for Jesus said, "Give and it shall be given unto you good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over shall men give unto your bosom. For with the same measure that you give, it shall be measured to you again" (Luke 6:38). Every burden that you carry for someone else will generate spiritual strength in your own life and every tear that you sow will reap a harvest of joy. What mighty promises these are to encourage us to pray and to share with others, and what a comfort and sweet assurance to our hearts to know that when our tears are falling like rain we are sowing seeds for a harvest of joy.

We may think that holding back our tears in our distress and discouragement displays strength. In reality, it takes much more strength and energy to cry. If you have ever grieved over a personal loss or shed tears of sorrow because of the pain in your soul, you know how weak it left you. Tears completely drain your body's strength and leave your soul and spirit spent. Yet there will be a harvest from those tears and you can rest assured that when you have nothing left within, God will begin to use those tears to bring something beautiful into your life. He is a keeper of His promises and watches over His word to perform it. Just like the flowers that come forth after the spring rains, God creates new life within you, waters it with your tears, and He causes a harvest to spring up within your soul and spirit. You can be sure that the word He has spoken is true and where you have sown tears, you will reap joy. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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11/06/08
CHISELED BY TRIAL

Scripture: Proverbs 11:2 (Amplified) "When swelling and pride come, then emptiness and shame come also; but with the humble - those who are lowly, who have been pruned or chiseled by trial and renounced self - there is skillful and Godly Wisdom and soundness."

A famous sculptor once said that when he begins to work, he doesn't see a "large mound of nothing." Instead, he envisions a definite form within the material that he is working with. He then chisels away little by little that which is not needed until the desired image manifests itself.

Do you remember when you were young and had the answers to all of life's questions? You had life so completely figured out that you made confident statements about how you would handle your affairs. Your children would be perfect and would never act like other children. You would live at the top of the world and never struggle like your parents. And you would certainly never get out of shape physically. The pride of youth swelled within you because you thought you were in total control of life.

However, along the way, things began to change and you discovered that you were not quite as smart as you thought you were. You began to face the same problems with your children, finances, and health as those that you had criticized. When the responsibility became yours, you found that life was not as easy as you had thought. It seemed that you couldn't get ahead because you were facing one trial after another, each bringing you into another place of emptiness or shame. You could feel the blows of the sculptor's chisel as it continually brought you to a lower state. As the chisel cut into your very being, you wondered if God had totally forgotten you.

Please know that God has not forgotten you or forsaken you. He is simply in the process of changing you and bringing you to the conclusion that He is smarter than you are and that His ways are higher than your ways. Like the sculptor, He doesn't see a 'large mound of nothing" when He looks at you. He sees His image inside of you and wants that image to be manifested to the world. Thus, He takes the trials the enemy means for evil and then by special design He uses each one to chisel away the pride and other impurities that are within your heart and soul. Each blow of the chisel causes you to renounce something of self and release that portion to God. As you humble yourself and surrender all that you are ... to become all that He wants you to be, He forms you into the image that He has designed and fills you with skillful and Godly wisdom. ++++

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11/07/08
LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE

Scripture: Romans 8:2 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death."

Laws are rules and principles that are established by authority. Because we were born in America and live in America we are subject to the laws of America. The laws of other countries have no legal rights over us as long as we are in our country, therefore they can not control or condemn us. Likewise in the spiritual realm we are subject to the laws of the kingdom that we belong to. In the spiritual realm there are two authorities on this earth that have dominion. One authority is the kingdom of darkness that is controlled by Satan. This kingdom operates under the law of sin and death. The other authority is the kingdom of light that is control by God's Son and operates under the law of life.

We belong to one of these kingdoms. We are either under the control of the law of the Spirit of life, or we are under the control of the law of sin and death. It all depends on whether we have been born again by the Spirit into the kingdom of God. If we have been born again, we are delivered from the control of the laws that govern the kingdom of darkness. Colossians 1:13 says, "He has delivered us out from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son."

Because we are in this kingdom of light we are subject only to the precepts of God's divine will and not the condemnation of the devil. Romans 8:1 says, "There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." We are no longer condemned to death, sin, unrighteousness, enmity against God, or living a life that does not please God. God has made us free from that lifestyle. Instead, we are under the law of life and controlled by the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:2-11 tells us several things that the law of life does for us:

1) It liberates us from sin. (Vs. 2)
2) It delivers us from spiritual death. (Vs.2)
3) Righteousness is fulfilled in our life because we
     walk after the spirit. (Vs.4)
4) Our minds think on spiritual things. (Vs.5)
5) We have peace because we are spiritually minded. (Vs. 6)
6) We please God because we are not in the flesh
     but in the spirit. (Vs.8-9)
7) Our mortal bodies are quickened and made alive. (Vs. 11)

God brought us into the kingdom of light and the laws of His kingdom have made us free from the law of sin and death. Therefore, we should give thanks unto the Father that made us to be partakers of this divine grace. +++

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11/10/08
REACHING THE OTHER SIDE

Scripture: Mark 4:35 "Let us go over to the other side of the Lake."

These instructions seemed very simple to Jesus' disciples at the beginning, as several of them were fishermen who were used to the water and knew quite well how to handle a ship. Besides that, it probably didn't even look like it was going to rain, much less storm when they started out on their obedient journey across the lake. They thought that crossing the lake would be so easy and had no idea of the challenge that they were to face. However, they were just about to experience a great teaching from the Master concerning prayer, faith, and the power and authority of His word.

As they journeyed across the lake, their peace soon turned to turmoil and fear gripped their hearts as a great storm formed. The winds began to blow, the waves beat against the ship, and the ship began to fill with water. In desperation they cried out to Jesus who was asleep on the ship. They said, "Master, do you not care that we are about to die?" Jesus arose, rebuked the wind, and spoke to the sea. His words were simple, "Peace, be still." The wind obeyed His words and there was a great calm!

We have much to learn from this story. When God gives us a promise, there will be a challenge. It may thunder and it may rain. The storm may get fierce and our ship may be tossed about with the waves. It may be a very fearful, painful, and uncomfortable situation. We may even think that we are facing the end and speak as the disciples did, "Master, do you not care that I'm am about to perish? I'm about to go under. There is no way that my ship is going to make it to the other side. I just can't hold on any longer." However, His words come back to us, "Let us go to the other side." His words, "Let us", show us that He is journeying with us through the rough waters.

Sometimes we may feel that He is asleep, but in reality His presence is always there to deliver. His promises are true regardless of the adversity that we are facing, and He shows us that prayer can be made concerning circumstances. He also lets us know that our faith will draw answers from God and that in the midst of the waves and wind, we can exercise authority over the forces of evil just like He did. Although we should have enough faith to make it through the storm, He shows us that if our faith is lacking, He will still come through for us just like He did for the disciples. He will arise and rebuke the storm, and speak "Peace" to the situation. When we get to the other side, we will find that our prayer life has been intensified and our faith strengthened. Let these thoughts reign in your heart, "God told you to get into the boat and go to the other side. Yes, you may be facing a great storm, but when Jesus is in the boat with you, you will make it to the other side." +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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11/11/08
OUR WORDS

Scripture: Luke 6:45 "For out of the abundance or overflow of the heart the mouth speaks."

Luke uses the illustration of a tree to explain that good trees produce good fruit and evil trees produce evil fruit. He then compares this concept to men who have the capacity to either produce good or evil conversation depending upon what is in their heart. In Psalm 19:14 David said, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable." The words of our mouth proceed from the meditations that are in our heart so we must "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows life" (Proverbs 4:23). In 'God's Little Devotional Book', it says, "Language is the expression of thought. Every time you speak, your mind is on parade."

How true these words are, for once our words are spoken, they are out there for the whole world to see. We are then judged by our words and are either accepted or rejected because of those words. Ecclesiastes 3:7 says, "There is a time to keep silent and a time to speak." It is said that sometimes it's better to keep our mouth shut and let everyone think we are stupid than to open it and remove all their doubts. James 1:19 declares, "Be swift to hear, and slow to speak."

Our words should always render a word in due season to the world and to the body of Christ. Words are full of power, and are able to produce life or death (Proverbs 18:21). Therefore, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man" (Colossians 4:6). In other words, endeavor to have your heart so filled with God's word and wisdom that when you speak, your words are like God's grace on parade. +++

God led His people out of Egypt with great signs and wonders but when the journey became long and things became difficult, they allowed a spirit of deception to defeat them and lead them astray from their destiny and God's best for their lives. They were deceived about their provisions and murmured about not having flesh to eat even though God was faithfully raining down fresh bread from Heaven every day to satisfy their hunger. When they complained about the lack of water, God supplied it from a rock, but they were still deceived about God's presence with them. They said, "Is the Lord among us or not?" They even thought that God had lured them into the wilderness to kill them. They were in deception about who they really were and what God really wanted to do for them.

They limited the Holy of Israel because they were caught up in deception in their own minds. They did not see themselves as God saw them or believe that He could do what He promised to do. They had no faith that He was able to bring them into the Promised Land. When they finally saw the fruit of the land, they believed an another evil report. Deception told them that they could not penetrate the walled cities and possess the inheritance that God had given them because there were giants in the land, and that they, themselves, were as grasshoppers in the sight of these giants. They were so deceived that they also saw themselves as grasshoppers even in their own sight. Deception spoke again to their hearts and caused them to want to return to Egypt and the bondage from which they had been delivered.

You may be experiencing a wilderness in your present walk with the Lord, but God doesn't want you to be deceived. He wants you to see yourself as you really are and to know that you can have all the things that He has promised to you. He doesn't want you to view yourself as a grasshopper in the midst of your giant enemies. You were created in God's image and He wants you to see yourself in that light. One of Satan's greatest fears is that you will see yourself as God sees you. God sees you forgiven and washed in the blood of Jesus. He sees you healed by the stripes of Jesus. He sees you prospering as your soul prospers. He sees you delivered and set free because Jesus paid the price on the cross of Calvary. Don't allow deception to steal your inheritance. God's promises belong to you and they are yours to possess. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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11/13/08
CONFIDENCE THAT HE WILL HEAR

Scripture: I John 5:14 "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."

This is a simple guarantee to gain an audience with God. Prayers that touch the heart of God are not accidents. If we want God to listen to us, we must first listen to Him and then pay attention to what He says. The Apostle John said that God would listen to the words that we are saying if the petitions that we are presenting to God are lining up with His desires. Prayer that finds answers are not just a bunch of empty words. They seek to satisfy God's will for our lives, accomplish the purposes of His kingdom, and are based upon His written covenant. So in order to receive answers, we must search the scriptures and find out what God has said about the matter. If we don't, our prayers are idle chatter.

Our prayers must become effective. James 5:16 says, "The effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much." Prayers that are effective are in accordance with God's will. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, Jesus told them to address the Father in Heaven, give honor to His Name, and then declare, "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done." These words concerning His Kingdom and His will were to be spoken before any petitions were made for daily needs such as bread, forgiveness, direction, and deliverance from evil. There is a confidence that is gained when you know that you are seeking to complete God's will, and this confidence will birth faith within your soul. In turn, that faith will link with Divinity and clothe you with power to receive.

One of the first things that I ask when I begin to pray and commune with God is that His Holy Spirit help me pray according to God's will. I remind God that my spirit is willing to do His will, and also confess that my flesh is weak. I tell Him that I need the guidance of His Spirit as I pray so that I may fulfill the scripture above and acquire the confidence that I need in knowing that He is hearing me as I speak. Many times I am amazed at the words that follow after I pray these words as the Holy Spirit guides my thoughts and directs my prayers. I may have started out with my own agenda to express my immediate needs, but as I yield to God's Spirit, He opens my heart to understand the true will of the Father and then prompts me to pray greater things that agree with His will. As this communion with Heaven transpires, great confidence comes. I know that my words have reached God's throne, and that if He has heard the prayer that His Spirit has prayed through me, He will answer accordingly. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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11/14/08
FAITH TO GET UP AGAIN

Scripture: Proverbs 24:16 "A righteous man falls seven times and rises again ..."

Have you ever looked at your life or your current situation and felt like things weren't turning out like you planned? Your hopes and dreams were falling apart, and on top of all that, you were not getting any younger. Comparable to taking the wrong exit off the freeway, you made one bad mistake, and before you knew it you were going down the wrong road and had no way to turn back. Situations then forced you to make other bad turns. Finally, things got to the point that you didn't even know where you were, much less how to get back to the main road.

God never promised you that you wouldn't make mistakes or face disappointing circumstances but He did promise that He would be there to comfort you and deliver you out of all of your afflictions (Psalms 34:19). If you give God all the pieces, He will take your fragmented life and put it back together again for His glory. He says that you will not be overthrown by calamity if you are in right standing with Him. But you are the one who has to make the effort to rise up from the fall. The Message Bible says, "The righteous man is not down long."

Consider your response to your child when he was learning to walk. You counted those first few unsteady steps as a magnificent feat even though your child fell down after his effort. You never told your friends about your child's fall or failure, but gloated in the fact that he had walked even when it was just a step or two. Each time that he tried again and failed, it was a grand victory because you knew that sooner or later your child would get it together and walk perfectly. You didn't want him to give up and have to be carried around for the rest of his life.

God is your heavenly Father and holds this same view. He created you and knows that you are only common flesh and bone and that you are going to fall as you make an effort to walk through life. In fact, He said the righteous man will fall. And the righteous man may even fall seven times, but God doesn't want you to fear, get discouraged, or be overcome with your failures. No matter how many times you trip and fall, your Heavenly Father wants you to rise up and try again. Psalms 37:23-24 says, "God delights in our way and He busies Himself with our every step." When you fall, God will always be there to help you get up. Falling is not a failure ... failure is refusing to get up and try again. +++

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11/17/08
PROMISE OF HIS PRESENCE

Scripture: Colossians 1:27 "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

In the heart of each and every person there is a void that only God can fill. It is a dark and empty place where insecurities, loneliness, doubt, and fears reside. We have an awareness of this void but we may not be able to explain it. We just know that there is a searching and a longing that lingers within our souls for something or someone beyond ourselves. This place remains empty until we find God and He moves in. Helen Keller was a woman who was blind and deaf. She had never heard of God and didn't know the name of Jesus. Yet, when her teacher was finally able to communicate to her about God and Jesus Christ, Helen Keller said, "I knew He was there, I just didn't know His name."

The Spirit of the Lord was hovering over Helen Keller's heart and making her aware of God's presence. This was similar to the situation that the earth was in when the Spirit of God began to hover over the earth in the first chapter of Genesis. The earth was dark, void, and without form until God spoke and caused light and life to come. God's Spirit hovers over our dark and void spirits in the same manner, drawing us near to the heart of God. At some point we face a moment of accountability for our lives and are forced to make a choice. We either surrender to the Holy Spirit and are persuaded to receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord, or we deny Him. If we receive Him, we are born again and translated out of the kingdom of darkness and into His glorious light (Colossians 1:13). When this new birth occurs, God comes to live inside of us. He totally fills the void place in our being with His presence and for the first time in our lives we feel complete.

This is a marvelous mystery that our minds cannot comprehend. Most of us never perceive the depth of the meaning of this wonderful promise; that the almighty God has come to live on the inside of us. If we could only understand the power of God's presence within us, there would be a greater release of His power through us. Boldness and confidence would replace the fears and insecurities in our life. Faith would fill the void where doubt had been. Light would dispel all darkness, and we would become so full of God and His purpose for our life that there would be no room for loneliness and despair. Our focus would be on the presence of Christ within us, who is the hope of God's glory. +++

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11/18/08
TOUCHED BY DISOBEDIENCE

Scripture: Jonah 1:1 & 3, "Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah ... But Jonah rose up to flee ... from the presence of the Lord."

Jonah knew that he had definitely received a word from God to minister to the people of Nineveh concerning their wickedness. Yet, he was a Jew and was unwilling to testify to this city of Gentiles. Jonah was even angry that God was going to spare them and their city if they repented so he totally disregarded God's word. He did everything that he could to escape his destiny and the responsibility of this great commission that God had placed on his life. He took passage on a ship going in another direction in an effort to thwart God's purposes and to abort His plan.

Jonah's flight from God's presence and commission caused much trouble for those around him. Everyone on the ship was touched by Jonah's disobedience. God caused a great wind to stir the sea and the mariners became fearful in the midst of the tempest, for their lives were in jeopardy. In their peril, they were forced to sacrifice their merchandise and threw it into the sea in order to lighten the weight of the ship. When they discovered that Jonah was the problem, they also cast him into the sea and the waters grew calm again.

Jonah, however, didn't escape his call to Nineveh. God had prepared a great fish to swallow him up and he stayed in the whale's belly until he repented. Can you imagine how this poor fish must have suffered? Jonah was inside the whale's belly for three days and the whale could not digest him. Jonah's disobedience had touched the whale's life in an unpleasant way, for he definitely had not satisfied the whale's appetite when he was swallowed or enhanced its life in any way while being housed in its belly for three days. The whale probably laid at the bottom of the sea and groaned with indigestion or swam around in agony just wishing that he could expel this disobedient servant of the Lord.

As we consider Jonah's situation, we have to wonder how much of our own disobedience is affecting the lives of those about us? Whose finances are in jeopardy because they are in the ship with us and what are they going to have to personally abandon to satisfy our situation? Who is suffering mentally or emotionally because we refuse to fulfill God's commission? What kind of fish has God prepared for us until we come to terms with what He has called us to do? And like the situation with the whale, who are we going to keep in misery until we repent?

These questions demand our attention, for we must understand that we do not stand alone in any of our actions. Our disobedience touches the lives of everyone that is near us. The actions of parents who are disobedient to God's laws affect their children. Rebellious children affect their parents. Husbands and wives who do not follow God's commandments affect each another. None of us truly want to affect the lives of others in an adverse way so we must purpose in our own hearts not to take flight from God's presence or reject His word when He speaks to us. Instead, we must be an instrument in His hands and allow our obedience to touch and enhance the lives of those around us. +++

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11/19/08
RECIPE FOR LIFE

Scripture: Proverbs 4:22 (Amplified) "God's words are life to those who find them."

We have all gone to parties and dinners where we have tasted a delicious dish or desert and asked the hostess for the recipe. I do this all of the time and have collected literally hundreds of recipes. Even now, I have all of the ingredients in my pantry for a candy mixture that I had planned to make, but my good intentions have failed because of the lack of time. Sad to say, but many times we are like this with God's word. A word comes to us that is in due season, which is like meat to our soul. We get excited about it and want this word to dominate our circumstances and bring us a better life. Yet, even though we eagerly embrace it and often write it down, we usually store it away with all of the other words that we have collected, and it becomes like an unused recipe on the shelf. With time the revelation knowledge begins to fade and we soon forget that all of the ingredients for our deliverance are stored away in a safe place within our hearts.

In this chapter of Proverbs, King Solomon gave us a recipe for life, which he said would bring healing and health to our flesh, and all of the ingredients are at our disposal. He told us to give attention and submit to God's word. We must begin each day with God, listen to His words, and then meditate on those thoughts throughout the day and even into the night. We are not to let His words depart from our sight, but keep them in the center of our heart, allowing them to speak to us continually. The words that God speaks to us will keep us in good mental and emotional health, which will lead us to good physical health. Solomon said that we should be vigilantly guarding our heart and keeping it clean and pure because out of it flows life. He also said that we must follow God's fixed purpose for our lives and consider our paths. We need to decide exactly where we are going and establish our determination to reach that destiny. We must be focused and not allow ourselves to be sidetracked from the peace of God that comes through obedience to His words.

God's words are waiting to be activated within our hearts. Yet, there is another ingredient that we need in our recipe for life, and that is faith. Hebrews 4:2 says that the Word did not prosper because it was not mixed with faith. Faith comes by hearing God's word and simply believes that what He has said is true and that all things are possible with Him.  God cannot and does not lie, so what He has spoken will come to pass. Let us determine in our hearts to give attention to God's word and then mix that word with faith so that it may prosper and bring healing and health to our flesh. +++

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11/20/08
FALLING SHORT BUT STANDING TALL

Scripture: Psalms 37:24 (NIV) "Though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand."

It is wonderful to serve a loving God who understands our shortcomings and holds us up when we begin to fall. Though we stumble around in life's situations, His grace gently picks us up and helps us start over again. He is like a natural father who teaches his child to walk. He eagerly waits for us to make the next step and His hand is there to catch us before we hit the ground. God doesn't scold us when our knees wobble or when our feet trip along the rough paths. He knows that our spirit is willing but our flesh is weak so He just holds our hands a little tighter, lifts us up, and helps us along our way.

God is aware that we are going to stumble many times in life before we reach our place in Heaven. Throughout the scriptures, He gives examples to let us know that His forgiveness and restoration is always available. Abraham, the friend of God and the father of faith, fell short in his walk with God when fear gripped his heart. His faith failed him and he asked his wife, Sarah, to pose as his sister in order to protect his own life. Also, instead of believing God's promise and waiting on His timing for the righteous seed to be conceived and birthed, he gave in to Sarah's plea. He followed her suggestion and took her maid, and through this unrighteous union Ishmael was birthed. Even though Abraham stumbled, the Lord held him up and his faith was still counted unto him as righteousness. King David fell short and committed many sins, but stood tall and reached into the heart of God and found forgiveness for all of his transgressions. The Apostle Peter also fell short in his actions when he denied Christ, but later he not only acknowledged that he knew Jesus but stood very tall as he openly preached to the multitudes, proclaiming Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.

You must understand today that even though you may have fallen short in your walk through life, you can still stand tall in God's presence. His love covers a multitude of sins and His grace is sufficient in all circumstances. He wants to assure you that there is no mistake that you have ever made that He can't erase and no stain in your life that He cannot wash away, for His blood takes care of it all. He wants you to know that there is hope even when you think there is no way of restoration. God's ways are not like your ways and His thoughts go beyond your thoughts. When you feel yourself begin to stumble, immediately reach out to Him and He will lift you up and help you stand tall. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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11/21/08
FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

Scripture: Psalms 84:6-7 "Who passing through the valley of Baca, make it a well ... They go from strength to strength."

The psalmist knew quite well what it was like to face adversity on every level. Yet, he spoke of those who do not allow themselves to be overcome when they pass through the valley of Baca. The valley of Baca did not refer to a specific place but a place of weeping, crises, misery, and pain. Those who experience victory when they pass through these places of despair are the ones who do not focus on the negative. Instead they choose to turn their valley of distress into a season of blessings. They go from one level of strength to a higher level of strength by creating wells in their difficult places, which refreshes and sustains them. They take every advantage of their loses and learn from their own disappointing circumstances. The wisdom they gleaned from their crises gives them wisdom for the challenges of their next season and also teaches them how to help others make it through their time of misery and pain.

Going from strength to strength in the spiritual realm is like going from strength to strength in the physical realm. It takes effort. Strength will only come as you exercise yourself in the spirit. When you find yourself in the valley of Baca and all that you want to do is sit down and cry because of the misery and pain that you are going through, it is time for you to arise and take action. Wisdom and knowledge will teach you how to increase in strength (Proverbs 24:5 and 8:14). You must learn what God has to say about the matter and what He is saying to you. Knowing that you are in agreement with God will infuse you with strength and keep you from wasting your time and efforts.

One of the most important things that you need to do when you are in a valley of Baca is to recognize that God alone is the strength of your life (Psalm 27:1). You must stay in His presence and continue to worship in His sanctuary. As you wait upon Him, you will renew your strength. You shall run and not be weary and you shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). Even though there seems to be no hope and your life is crumbling around you, you must retain your passion for God. Do not look to yourself or depend upon others for the strength that you need. In the midst of trails, troubles, and tribulations, cry out for the Living God and believe that He will not withhold any good thing from you because you are walking uprightly before Him (Psalm 84:11).

Another source of strength is joy. (Nehemiah 8:10). Develop joy in your life even if you have to force yourself to laugh. Medical science has proven God's word to be true that laughter does do good like a medicine. Stress is a real killer and drains your energy, but laughter and joy releases endorphins into your system that energize your strength, relieves you from stress, and rids your life of the negative consequences that stress produces.

Quietness and confidence will also generate strength (Isaiah 30:15). Rest in Lord. Your physical body needs rest and your spiritual man needs rest. In a military battle it is hard to do combat when you are suffering from physical fatigue. Likewise, the spiritual man also needs physical rest lest it suffer battle fatigue. Many times we fail a spiritual challenge because our physical bodies are worn out. Even Jesus told His disciples to come apart and rest.

Finally confession of God's word creates strength. God created with His words. He said, "Let there be light" and it was so, and He then declared that the light was good. The prophet Joel said, "Let the weak say I am strong" (Joel 3:10). Words are powerful. We are created in God's imagine and there is life and death in the power of our tongue. If you talk weak, you will become weak. If you talk strength, you will become strong. Begin today by confessing God's Word over your life and let His power filled words of truth be the answer to every challenge of the enemy. You will find yourself coming out of the valley as you go from strength to strength. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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11/24/08
TWENTY-FOUR, SEVEN

Scripture: Psalms 121:3 "He that keeps you will not slumber."

There is a phrase that has been coined recently, which is "24-7." The news media uses this term quite frequently to inform their audiences that they are going to be reporting the news non-stop, twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. According to the psalmist, this is the same timetable that God keeps, for He never sleeps, takes a weekend off, or has vacation time. He is a "24-7" God. He is there all of the time. He never leaves us or forsakes us, but watches over us twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week.

Even though we may not recognize it, God not only watches over us but continually works in our life. Whether in the daylight or dark, He is working in the natural and in the spiritual realm. His plans are much higher than our plans and He is working for us when things seem bad and also when things seem good. He is there 24-7 rearranging our schedules and diverting our paths to keep us from harm. There is nothing too great for the Lord to handle.

In the midst of the darkness, God watched over the Israelites who had marked their door post with the blood of the lamb and He disallowed the death angel to take their first born. Later, God worked throughout the night to roll back the Red Sea and prepared a dry path right in the midst of it so that Moses and the Israelites could escape their enemies. God was awake at midnight to shake the prison doors open for Paul and Silas, and He also spent the night with Daniel in the lion's den. God walked in the midst of the fiery furnace with the three Hebrew children. He was also there in the Garden of Gethsemane when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus. These servants of God couldn't see Him but He was there just the same, and manifested His mighty presence in their midst.

God is awesome and He is with you right now. Things may get rough at times as you live out your "24-7s". The storms may come, the winds may blow, the sky may turn dark, and the night may seem long, but God is neither absent nor asleep. Instead, He is right in the midst of your life and very alert. You must learn to trust in His wisdom and depend upon His hands to help you make it through your personal situations. God will not sit down or rest in the midst of your battles but will impart His strength and empower you with His Spirit so that you can experience victory with every challenge. God never slumbers and will keep you TWENTY-FOUR, SEVEN. +++

Copyright © 2008 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
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11/25/08
CONTENT AND THANKFUL

Scripture: I Timothy 6:8 (NIV) "But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that."

Sometimes we complain about the most insignificant things such as how little funds we have in our bank accounts, how tired we are, how stressed we are with our lives and our jobs, how bored we are with nothing to do, or that we have nothing new in our jam-packed closets to wear to the next event. We feel overwhelmed with all of our pressures, and then we receive a prayer request concerning a young lady named Lisa who is four months pregnant. Her situation puts everything, including our complaints, into perspective. She is the mother of two other young children and she has breast cancer that has possibly spread to her hip. She is in a raging battle for her health and her life. Somehow our own problems do not look so big and bad after seeing the challenge that is set before Lisa.

I can't recall the exact words but there is a saying, "I complained that I had no shoes until I saw the man that had no feet." When we get down, we just need to look around, for when we see the greater needs of others, it will launch us into a place of compassion for them and will also bring us to a place of contentment and thankfulness in our own lives. We will see our own blessings in a new light, for the things that we have taken for granted will suddenly become precious to our hearts. We will forget that our shoes are scuffed and ragged and will rejoice that we have two feet.

The Apostle Paul said that he learned to be content in whatever state that he found himself in (Philippians 4:11). He told Timothy, "If you have food and clothing, be content." He was teaching Timothy a life principle that joy and happiness were not tied to material things, and that there is much more to life than having stuff. Paul's contentment did not come automatically when he was born again on the road to Damascus. The hardships that he endured after he was saved taught him to be content. He chose to be a survivor in all situations and to rejoice regardless of his circumstances. Even in prison, he was not discouraged but thought of the needs of the saints and wrote letters of encouragement and instructions to the church. His interest was not in himself but in others. We must allow God to develop this same attitude within us. Life is too short and unpredictable to mourn for that which we lack. When our bounty becomes scarce, let us remember Lisa's challenge and learn to be content and thankful for such things as we have. +++

This is the season that we set aside to give thanks and even celebrate a special day of Thanksgivings. Yet, for many of us the meaning of this special day is lost in the celebrations of the day itself. We become so busy cooking, visiting, and eating, that we forget what the day is all about and neglect to truly give thanks in our hearts for all that God has done for us. We may offer a special prayer because of the occasion, but our thoughts are on the feast set before us and our focus is on our fellowship with friends and family.

However, Thanksgiving should be a continual celebration of our gratefulness to God. The Apostle Paul encouraged us to give thanks always for all things. While we recognize and give thanks to God when He does something special in our lives, there are many things that are more wonderful to us than the occasional extra blessings that we celebrate. We tend to get excited when a financial windfall comes our way but forget the blessings that we experience everyday in our lives. We take our eyes for granted and fail to give thanks for our sight. We give little thought to our ears or praise God regularly that we can hear, listen to music, or enjoy the sound of a child's voice. We never consider that even our mouths are a bountiful gift from God. Our tongues and lips equip us to communicate with each other and our teeth make it possible for us to eat food that is set before us. Even our legs that carry us places and the strength in our body is a gift from God. These are daily blessing that we enjoy, yet rarely are these wonderful blessings present in our daily list of things to be thankful for simply because we take them for granted.

As we think about God's awesome blessings to us, we realize that we can't attribute any of these blessings to our own success, for who can cause the eye to see or the ear to hear? Who can make the lame to walk or the dumb to speak? Who can infuse strength into our bodies and cause them to function properly? These things come to us because of the graciousness of God our Father and our gratitude should be directed to Him. We must never be so wrapped up in our blessings that we forget the Blesser or look at our gifts and forget the Giver of all things, for our blessings come from the hand of God. Let us meditate on these things and be truly thankful to Him, for He has dealt bountiful with us. As long as we have air to breathe and lungs to breathe it, let us remember to be grateful and give thanks to God our Father, Always for All things! +++

Scripture: I John 3:16 (NIV) "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."

In the portals of time, God sets ordinary men in special places for special times, and takes their natural lives and uses them in supernatural ways to bring about His plans and purposes. In the early 1600's, 102 Pilgrims left England and set out for the New World with the hopes of finding religious freedom and a better way of life. After a dangerous and treacherous 65-day voyage across the Atlantic Ocean on the Mayflower, the passengers arrived in what is now known as the state of Massachusetts.

It was a desolate location and the winter proved very difficult and devastating. Many died because of the lack of food and inadequate housing. By spring of that same year, nearly half of the original group had passed away. It was a painful and discouraging season, yet those who remained relied upon God for help and trusted in Him with all of their hearts. Their faith and beliefs are evident in the laws that govern our country even today. William Bradford, one of the original leaders and governor of the Plymouth Colony for more than thirty years, wrote of these brave and determined people. He said, "But these things did not dismay them (though they did sometimes trouble them) for their desires were set on the ways of God, and to enjoy His ordinances; but they rested on His providence, and knew Whom they had believed."

These people of great faith knew who they believed in and dedicated their futures to Him. They looked to God for their source of strength. Yet it is interesting how God helped these struggling Pilgrims to make it through this incredibly difficult time. He sent one man named Squanto, a Native American Indian, to teach them how to plant corn, where to fish, and how to trap animals. His simple instructions sustained them. William Bradford declared that "Squanto was a special instrument sent of God for their good and beyond their expectations." We never hear much about this simple man with his simple knowledge, but Squanto laid down his own life and agenda to teach others how to live and survive, and in doing so saved a nation.

As we look at Squanto's life, it helps us to realize that we all have gifts that God can use. Our ordinary talents may not seem too important to us in the light of someone else's glamorous gift, but it may be the one thing that our neighbor needs for his survival. Like Squanto's gift, it may be as simple as knowing how to plant corn, catch fish, or trap animals. Or it may be a kind word, a silent prayer, or a good deed that we can do that will be the instrument that God uses to make a difference in the lives of those about us. God has called each of us to follow the example of Christ and lay down our lives for others. All we need to do is to dedicate the little that we have to the Lord and allow Him to turn it into an instrument of blessing. We will find that our little can be multiplied into much when it is put it into God's hands and we will also discover the amazing difference our one life can make in the lives of others. +++