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So yes, I have personally suffered grief and sorrow and have faced long seasons of discouragement. Yet, I found that I could find peace in the midst of the storms through Jesus Christ and direction for my life through the Word of God. I have been through financial difficulty where I had to depend upon God to pay my bills. I have baked and sliced up the last potato and fed it to my three children and then depended upon God to put food on my table for the next meal. I have cried out in the middle of the night and saw God perform miracles of provision the very next day. God was always faithful. We never had to ask for food, it was there when we needed it. We depended upon God's promise that He would not forsake us and that His seed would never have to beg for bread (Psalms 37:25).

I have been through the struggle of losing my husband of more than twenty-eight years to cancer. Yet, as I took care of him in our home for several months, I experienced God's awesome strength in my physical body and felt the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit when my husband's death left a void in my life. As the spirit of grief and sorrow attempted to overwhelm me, I found solace in God's word that says that we do not sorrow as those who have no hope (I Thessalonians 4:13). I have also experienced other disappointments in friendships and relationships that have torn my heart to pieces and left scars that I thought could not be mended. I once cried so much that I thought that I was going to drown in my own tears, but then I recalled that God is near to those who are of a broken heart (Psalms 34:18).

Many disappointments have come my way, for those in ministry are not exempt from discouragement, heartache, and pain. Yet in the midst of it all, I can testify that God has always remained faithful. I experienced the awesome healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ when there was no help medically. I have also had to depend upon God to start my car, send me help when my house went through a flood, and give me wisdom in other situations or catastrophes. We will all face dark nights, and even the clouds will block our vision in the daylight, but we must remember that just as the sun is always shinning, God is always there regardless of whether we can see Him or not. Even though His presence may be hidden, we must understand that He never leaves us alone. There will be a sunrise again in our lives. The dark clouds will part and God will bring glory out of our present suffering. We know this for sure that we can always trust God, for He has and always will be faithful. +++

Copyright © 2009 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/02/09
ENDURING TEMPTATIONS

James, who was the brother of Jesus Christ and also the pastor of the church at Jerusalem, wrote these words. Both of his positions probably gave him much insight into the struggles of everyday routine life. He knew that all men would be tempted and that temptations would be a daily challenge even for the faithful believers. He also realized that there were great rewards for those who were able to endure the temptations that came their way. Endure means to carry on despite the hardships and to suffer patiently without yielding. Endurance is the power to withstand in the midst of the conflict and continue in existence. When you give up or give in to temptations, that part of you dies or loses its strength. When you yield to temptation, you bring an end to your purity, you damage your witness, you destroy your character, you relinquish and diminish your spiritual authority and power, and you give up your rewards. That is quite a price to pay for just a few moments of pleasure that the devil offers.

We must understand that temptations do not come from God, for James said in verse thirteen that God, Himself, cannot be tempted with evil and that neither does He tempt us with evil. Yet, God will allow tests to come to our lives, but His tests are trials of our faith and never involve a temptation to do evil. His tests are not choices between right and wrong, but choices between faith and doubt and are meant to determine the degree of our faith. He wants to know where our heart is before He moves us to another level of responsibility or enlarges our borders of ministry. On the other hand, temptations come to us from Satan, our own flesh, and the things in the world. Temptation is evil from its very source and is never easy to endure because we are only tempted in the areas where we are most vulnerable and where we are most likely to be drawn away by our own personal lust. It would be useless for the devil to tempt me with drugs or alcohol because I do not have a problem in those areas. He does the same with you. He finds the thing that will entice us to do wrong so that we lose our rewards in Heaven and our victory in life.

Our failure to avoid temptations affects every area of our life and also those about us. When Jesus was tempted of the devil, His kingdom and our eternal salvation were tied up in His righteous decision to endure the temptation. Our souls hung in the balance and could have been lost forever if He had failed or given in to the devil's devices. You can be sure that temptations will come your way, but there are some valuable secrets in overcoming them. First, the temptation that Jesus endured in the wilderness showed us that there is an end to temptation and that it can only last for a season. The scriptures declare, "When the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from Jesus for a season" (Luke 4:13). Second, God will never give you a greater temptation than you can handle and He will always give you a way to escape (I Corinthians 10:13).. Third, you are not alone, for temptations are common to all men (I Corinthians 10:13). If you hold these truths in your heart in the midst of temptation, you will have an advantage over the tempter. These truths will infuse you with strength to endure and if you don't give in for a moment, you will be blessed. +++

Copyright © 2009 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/03/09
BLESSED NATION

Scripture: Psalms 33:12 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."

The fifty-six men who signed our Declaration of Independence, which was approved on July 4, 1776, committed an act of treason against the British Crown. As they signed this incredible Declaration, they mutually pledged to each other their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Of those who signed, two became Presidents of the United States, three became Vice Presidents, and several others became either State Governors or U. S. Senators. However, there were many signers who suffered greatly. Four died of wounds from the war and five were imprisoned. Several lost their wives and children as their homes were attacked.

The oldest signer of the Declaration was 70 year old Benjamin Franklin, whose faith was strong in God.  He said:

       "Have we now forgotten this powerful Friend?
        Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?
        I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live,
            the more convincing proofs I see of this truth --
            that God governs in the affairs of men.
        And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice,
            is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?
        We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings,
            that 'except the Lord build the house,
            they labor in vain that build it.'
        I firmly believe this."

Benjamin Franklin was convinced that all was vain unless the Lord was God and Builder of this nation. The freedom we enjoy has been purchased with tears and blood. We have reaped the noble sacrifice of these brave men, and every American life has been touched by the document they signed. Because of their sacrifice, we have experienced a "Blessed nation whose God is the Lord ... And we are STILL one nation, under God. +++

Copyright © 2009 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/06/09
MAGNIFY THE LORD

Scripture: Psalms 34:3 "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together."

Magnify means to enlarge, make greater, or increase in size. We can magnify something visible with a magnifying lens, but the lens can never make the object actually larger in size. It can only enlarge the image of the object or draw it closer so that it can be seen better. The magnifying lens is an invaluable tool to the scientist. The lens in his microscope can take a particle that is invisible to the human eye and enlarge it into an image that can be seen in great detail. The astronomer's telescope can draw the stars and moons nearer for observation. Even the eyeglasses that we use magnify the world around us to give us more precise vision.

King David said, "Magnify the Lord," but how can we make God bigger, for God is as big as He is ever going to get. We can't increase the measure of His greatness, for He is omnipotent or all-powerful. We can't make Him more knowledgeable than He is for He is omniscient and knows all things. He is also omnipresent, which means that He is always present everywhere. These attributes of God go beyond our comprehension. We can't explain how God's power works because we ourselves are not very powerful. Neither can we share with others the knowledge of an all-knowing God, for the measure of our understanding is limited. And we can't even think about being everywhere at all times because that concept is beyond our own human abilities. Yet our lives either magnify or de-magnify the image of God. Paul said that we are epistles that are known and read of all men. People are looking at our witness daily in the market places and we must understand that our lives become the lens through which they see Jesus.

I recently had a conversation with someone who blamed God for her adverse circumstances, and declared the Lord to be unjust in His ways. I literally shook as I heard her bitterly speak of the evil ways of God, and when I saw God through her eyes, He became a very small God and a terror to the human heart. This individual was seeing a totally different God than I see and know, for even in the hard and painful times, God has always been there to comfort my heart and caress my wounds. We have a choice with every word that we speak and every thing we do. We can either allow our lives to diminish the greatness of God or we can allow our praise, our good deeds, and our faith to magnify Him. We can make God bigger than the problems and adversities in our lives by standing strong in faith. And by our uncompromising trust and peace, we can show others that God is more powerful that any storm that rages about us. Others look at our lives in an attempt to see Jesus, so whether the times are good or bad, let us magnify and exalt the Name of the Lord together! +++

Copyright © 2009 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/07/09
DELIVERANCE

Scripture: Psalms 44:4 "Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances ..."

The Spirit of the Lord God was upon Jesus to bring good news to the suffering and help to the oppressed. He was anointed to proclaim liberty to those in captivity and the opening of the prisons to those who were bound (Isaiah 61:1). He was sent to comfort the broken hearted and to appoint joy to those who were in mourning. It is through His Name and His Blood that deliverance comes.

Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Only by His power will you have victory over your enemies and those things that attempt to plague your soul. You can never trust in your own strength or depend upon your own sword to save you, for your own meager weapons are no match against the weapons of the evil one. You must depend upon God to command deliverance in your life. As you submit to Him, He will provide you with His weapons, which are spiritual and not carnal. The mighty weapons that come to you through God will enable you to pull down the strongholds and cast down the imaginations in your mind that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. God's weapons will allow you to take every thought that comes into your mind and make it obedient to Christ (II Corinthians 10:4-5).

As long as you have life you will face battles, for Satan goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour. He is a liar and his weapon is deception. He tries to be a god and rule as king in your life. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy through sickness and disease, heartache and grief, bondage and financial lack. Yet, regardless of the devil's great effort, the forces of evil cannot prevail against the Spirit of Truth. Your battle belongs to the Lord! He is your Deliverer. You must replace the lies of the devil with the Word of God and trust the Lord, your King. You are His child and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. You belong to God's kingdom and as along as you allow Him to rule over you, He will command deliverance in every area of your life. +++

Copyright © 2009 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/08/09
EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He has made everything beautiful in His time."

God orchestrates our lives to fashion it for His purposes. We don't always understand what He is doing, but we do know that His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. God's timing is also a great mystery in our lives. He ordains not only the seasons, but also the individual moments that we experience. Everything is held in His hands. We often think that we are waiting upon God when in reality He is waiting on us, for we are not yet prepared for the journey that is set before us. God is wise and will not send us into battle until we are prepared and He will not use us for His glorious purposes until the spiritual fruit is ripened in our lives. Each phase of our life is a preparation time for the next level. We must learn that when we are not doing exactly what we want to do or seemly not accomplishing very much that if we will use that waiting time wisely, we will be ready when God is ready.

We should be encouraged as we look at the men in scriptures who experienced long waiting periods before God allowed them to complete their purposes. Moses was sent to the backside of the desert for forty long years before God spoke to him from a burning bush. Joseph endured the pits and prisons for sixteen years before his dreams and visions came to pass. King David waited patiently upon the timing of God for his kingdom to be established and in one of his psalms he declared, "My times are in your hands" (Psalms 31:15). The Apostle Paul spent eight years in the desert preparing for the ministry set before him. God, Himself, also waited four thousand years after the fall of man in the Garden of Eden before He sent His Son to redeem the world from sin. God may have wanted to do something earlier but He waited until the fullness of time had come before He released Jesus to complete His divine purpose (Galatians 4:4).

We must put our faith in God and forget about the timetable of our life, for God is aware of our limited life span. In His perfect way, He will put everything together at the right time. He will see to every detail and arrange every circumstance. He will even change the hearts of others who need to be involved in our dream and order every step of our way to bring to pass the things that He has planned. So until your dreams actually come to pass, wait on God and realize that wherever you are and whatever you are doing right now, you are actually on the way to where you are going. Don't try to push or rush God because He will get you there at your appointed time. He has a special timing for every event in your life and as long as you wait for Him, He will make everything beautiful in His time. +++

Copyright © 2009 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/09/09
VISION

Scripture: Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish."

Vision is a picture of your future and a revelation of God's plan for your life. Vision looks forward, sees what is ahead, and then allows your mind to draw a blueprint of God's ultimate goal. God wants you to envision His plan for your life, for as your mind begins to grasp what God wants to do with you, hope develops within your spirit. That hope then causes faith to arise in your heart so that God's goal can be accomplished. It is like the construction process. Faith sees God's plan and then acts on the promises of God and what He has revealed. It then slowly brings into existence the image that is on the blueprint.

People often say, "I know that God wants me to do something, but I just don't know what it is." They have a sense that God wants to use them in some way, but because they never ask God to give them light and revelation in their spirit, they never get a clear vision of that plan. And because they have no vision, they never make an effort to complete God's purpose. Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus that "the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened, so that they would know the hope of God's calling" (Ephesians 1:18). He wanted their spirit flooded with His light.

It is important to know what God hopes to accomplish through you. Without a vision, you will follow your own will and make your own choices without a sense of direction or purpose. Getting a clear understanding about God's plan for your life accomplishes several things that will enable you to see your dream and vision fulfilled. First, as you begin to see the ultimate goal, you are less likely to be distracted by trivialities of the moment or give in to a season of sin that will deter the entire process. When you have an eternal vision, you realize the present pleasure is not worth the price of losing the future reward. Second, when God shows you His plan, you are able to expect the impossible and trust Him for the supernatural to fulfill the plan. God's word is true. Without a vision of His plan, your life's purpose will perish. It has been said, "You will never hold your dreams in your hands until you hold them in your heart." Without a vision, your destiny will perish. Pray and ask God to open the eyes of your heart so that you can know the hope of His calling for your life. +++

Copyright © 2009 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/10/09
STAYING IN GOD'S WILL

Scripture: II Chronicles 20:11 "They have come to cast us out of Your possession."

Jehoshaphat and the people of God were faced with an enemy that was trying to drive them out of the land that God Himself had given to them. God's will was that they dwell in the land and possess it forever, but a great multitude was coming against them. When Jehoshaphat heard the news, his first reaction was fear. None of us are exempt from being attacked by this awful spirit. However, Proverbs 3:25 says, "Do not be afraid of sudden fear." When fear attacks, we are to shake it off and seek God just as Jehoshaphat did in this story. He went to God with three honest and simple statements:

1) The enemy is trying to cast us out of Your land.
2) We are not strong enough to fight this battle.
3) We don't know what to do.

Have you ever found yourself in this place? You know that God has spoken a word of direction to you. You begin to follow after His perfect will, but as you try to possess the vision and fulfill His purpose, the challenges seem more than you can handle. You feel that you are not strong enough for the battle and you don't know what to do next. You know that the Greater One lives within you, but fear of failure lurks on the perimeter of your heart.

Jehoshaphat experienced these same emotions, but when the enemy sought to dispossess him, he turned his focus to God and spoke to Him saying, "But our eyes are on You." God responded to Jehoshaphat and said, "You will not need to fight in this battle ... I will be with you." He instructed Jehoshaphat to appoint singers and send them out before the army. They were to worship the Lord and praise Him with a loud voice. As they began to sing praises, the enemy became confused. Suspecting each other of betrayal, they destroyed one another. Only God could come up with a plan this amazing.

Like Jehoshaphat, you must keep your eyes upon God so that you can stay in His will and be able to possess His promise. When you stay in loyal relationship to Him and submit to Him, He obligates Himself to bring His word to pass in your life. As you keep your eyes upon Him and worship Him, He will show you the way out of every situation and fight every battle for you. +++

Copyright © 2009 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/13/09
THE JOY OF GIVING

Scripture: Acts 20:35 "It is more blessed to give than receive."

God's ways are much higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. In fact, Isaiah 55:9 says that His thoughts and ways are as far away from our thoughts and ways as the Heavens are from the Earth. That is quite a distance and shows us that we are nowhere near God's level of thinking, for our natural thoughts are opposite of His. It is only as we learn from His word that we are able to understand His ways and operate in His concepts. God declares that it is more blessed to give than to receive and this concept is foreign to our thinking because it is opposite of what the world teaches and demands. Yet, God has set a law of sowing and reaping into motion and there is a two-fold blessing to be received when we give. We are blessed when we sow because we not only get to see the joy of the receiver, but we reap a blessing ourselves. Jesus said, "Give and it shall be given to you; pressed down, shaken together, and running over."

I am watching my grandchildren as they grow and mature. As I write these words, they are two and five years old. The five-year-old has learned to give and to share, for she has been taught and has experienced first hand the joy of giving. Recently, she told me that she was going to use some of her birthday money to buy her brother a gift. Her two-year-old brother, however, is still tied to his nature. He is just beginning to talk and one of his main words is "Mine." Giving and sharing at this stage in his life is not a strong forte, but as time passes, he too will learn that there is joy in giving and sharing. This sounds elementary, but how many times in our own adult lives have we stood up and declared, "That's mine" when possibly God wanted us to let it go and give it away? He wanted us to experience the true joy that comes from giving.

When Jesus was born, the angels declared, "I bring you good tidings of great joy." The great joy that was being announced was that God, Himself, was giving His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins. How could this action be joyful to the heart of God? Yet when He gave His Son, He reaped many sons in return. Jesus had the same mindset as the Father. He not only willingly laid down His life for us, but also counted it as a joy that was set before Him, even as He endured the cross and its shame (Hebrews 12:3). Both God the Father and Jesus the Son gave sacrificially and both considered it to be a joy. We must take their actions to heart and follow their examples. When we do, joy will come and we will discover that it really is more blessed to give than to receive. +++

Copyright © 2009 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/14/09
GOD SAID ... AND IT WAS SO

Scripture: Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26 "And God said let there be..."

In these scriptures, every time that God said, "Let there be," there followed an awesome act of creation. God said, "Let there be light" and there was light. He said, "Let the waters gather together and let there be dry ground" and it was so. God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass and herbs" and it happened just as He commanded. Every time He spoke, His words framed, fashioned, and put into order the entire world. His words were as powerful as they were simple. He called things from the unseen realm to the visible and from the spiritual to the natural. God's Words were never void of power. They always accomplished what He sent them forth to do because He is a God of faith and when He speaks He breathes upon His Words and gives them life.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible for us to please God. He wants us to understand, exercise, and move in faith just like He did. We were created in His image and He has given us the capacity for faith, but we must develop it. Faith is not an emotion, but a God imparted gift that comes with the knowledge of God's Word. Romans 10:17 says, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the Word of God." In other words faith comes into our hearts when we hear what God is speaking to us, but we can only hear God speaking as we hear His Word.

Faith is believing that God told the truth, then simply acting upon that truth. Don't worry about trying to have faith or trying to get faith. Just read the scriptures and find out what God has said about your situation. Your faith must line up with God's Will, and God's Will is His Word. Regardless of what things look like in the natural, begin to act and talk like God told you the truth. Rest in His eternal promises, for there is nothing impossible with God. Ask in faith for your needs to be met according to His will. His will is that none should perish, but that all should receive eternal life through Jesus Christ, His Son. His highest wish is that you prosper and be in health. He wants His people happy and blessed. Find the answer that you need in God's word then believe in your heart that as God breathes upon that particular word and says, "Let there be," that it will be so. +++

Copyright © 2009 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/15/09
MY FATHER'S HOUSE

Scripture: John 14:2 "In My Father's house are many mansions ... I go to prepare a place for you."

Before we make plans to go on a special trip and visit a new place, we get maps to show us the way and study brochures to let us know what to expect upon our arrival. Our excitement builds as we study all the information that we have collected. We look at the accommodations, search out the restaurants, and choose the entertainment that appeals to us. We make reservations, get our finances in order, complete our ticket purchases, and pack the proper attire. We try to make sure not to overlook any detail in our preparation and then at the appointed time, we begin our journey.

Jesus said that He was going away to prepare a place for us, and that He would return to get us so that we could be with Him. He described this place as a mansion in His Father's house. The Apostle John gave us a description, or visual brochure, of this beautiful Holy City to which we are headed (Revelation 21 and 22). He said that we could expect the city to be glowing with the glory of God and that the light of the city is like jasper (sea green). There are great walls surrounding this city, which are 1,500 miles "four-square" (cubical). These walls are of jasper and have twelve foundations, each garnished with a particular stone. These stones are of jasper, sapphire, emerald, agate, sardius, topaz, and amethyst to name a few. The city has twelve gates that are made of twelve huge pearls and the streets are made of pure gold, which are as transparent as glass.

The Lord God Almighty and Jesus, the Lamb, are the temple of the city. Also there is no need for the moon or the sun, for Jesus Himself is the Light. There is a crystal river of life that flows through this city as it proceeds out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. There is also a tree of life, bearing twelve manner of fruit, whose leaves are for healing. There is no sorrow or grief nor anything that is defiling in this beautiful city. The greatest thing about this awesome Holy City is that we shall be able to see the face of Jesus (Revelation 22:4). Doesn't this eternal Holy City sound exciting?

None of us know when God will call us to make our ultimate journey. Jesus is preparing our mansion, but like any other journey, we must make our own personal preparations. If by chance, you have not made preparations for your final and eternal destination, please let us know. We will be glad to show you how to ensure your reservation. +++

Copyright © 2009 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/16/09
BEYOND YOURSELF

Scripture: Deuteronomy 9:1 "... go in to possess nations greater and mightier than yourself."

These words must have brought a great challenge to the heart of the Israelites. They were just about to cross the Jordan River when Moses made this announcement and informed them that their enemy was greater and mightier than they were. In fact, their enemies were actually giants whose cities were walled and fortified. They were up against a tough battle, but Moses did not leave them in a pit of discouragement with the words that he spoke. He encouraged them by telling them that the Lord would go before them as a consuming fire and bring down their enemies before them.

Have you ever been given an assignment by God that seemed to be greater and mightier than yourself? Or did you ever feel that you needed to do something that seemed beyond your capabilities? Maybe you felt that you should start a ministry, pray a prayer of faith over someone who needed a miracle, give a special donation that would drain your personal funds, or make an application for employment that you felt that you were not totally qualified for. God may also be dealing with you to lay down an addiction or walk away from some other unhealthy or immoral situation. Whatever the case may be, it all seems too big for you to handle, for it is greater and mightier than you are.

When God speaks to our heart and tells us to go and possess the destiny that He has set before us, it demands that we go beyond ourselves. As He shares His new vision with us, it sets our whole world spinning. For even though we say that we believe in God and have faith in Him, it is often hard to rest in His promises, especially when He is telling us to go in and possess situations that are greater and mightier than we are. When His word comes, we begin to realize that our trust has been in ourselves and our own abilities. We may even trust those about us, but our heart begins to tremble when we are forced into a situation where we must totally trust in God. Yet, we must understand that God knew the challenges and the strength of our enemy before He called us into the battle. When He tells us to possess, we can be assured that He is going to give us the power to accomplish that command, for He will never tell us to do more than He has equipped us to do. He is God and He will enable us to go beyond ourselves and help us possess the things that are greater and mightier than we are. +++

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07/17/09
GOD ANSWERS PRAYER

Scripture: Psalms 143:7 (Message Bible) "Hurry with Your answer, God! I'm nearly at the end of my rope.

King David asked the Lord to come speedily to his rescue because his enemies were pursuing him. They were attempting to crush his life into the ground and all of the turmoil that was happening around David caused him to be in a state of deep depression. Because of the darkness that surrounded him, David felt that if God did not come to his aid quickly, he would go down to the pit, which meant that he would just give up and die. David was at the end of his rope and he was desperate. He needed some kind of answer from God and he needed it right away.

We have all heard the expression that when we get to the end of the rope, just tie a knot and then hang on. That expression gives the impression that the knot is supposed to be a source of deliverance for us, but hanging on to a knot in mid air for a long season is a very difficult task in itself. We must understand that the knot at the end of the rope is not our salvation, for the truth is that we can't do it alone. We are only going to be able to hold on for just so long before our own strength begins to fail. It is good to do all that we can do to survive, but if we are going to tie a knot at the end of the rope, we are definitely going to need God to strengthen us physically, mentally, and emotionally so that we can hold on until His supernatural deliverance comes.

While David was in his perplexing situation, he told the Lord, "I remember your glorious miracles that You did in the days past and I reach out for You" (Verse six). God had delivered him many times, so David decided to let go of everything and trust in God. You may be at the end of your rope because of the circumstances that surround you and you may not know whether to let go or hang on, but you do know that things cannot continue as they are. You need God to hurry, to come speedily to your rescue with His answer, for you recognize that time is running out. I encourage you to speak to God very plainly as David did and tell Him that you are at the end and that you need Him to come through for you one more time. God understands exactly where you are, for He sees your needs and He has answers for you. So set your gaze upon the Lord and stretch forth your arms to Him. Let Him know that you are trusting totally in Him rather than the knot at the end of your rope. As you reach out to Him, He will reach out to you. +++

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07/20/09
POWER THAT WORKS WITHIN US

Scripture: Ephesians 3:20 "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us."

God is waiting to do marvelous things in our lives; things that go beyond our imagination and things that we've never even thought about asking for. Yet, accomplishing these great things depends upon the power of God that works within us because it is possible for us to limit God by our doubt, unbelief, or lack of action. Psalms 78:40-41 tells us that the children of Israel limited God by turning away from His promises. They saw the mighty works of God day after day, yet they grieved and provoked God because they did not trust Him to finish what He started. They continually murmured and complained even though God was faithfully meeting every need that they had.

As a born again child of God, we have received His Spirit and it abides within us right now (I John 2:27). His anointing is there to empower us for the task that is set before us. Yet, we need to be aware that He has strengthened us for the challenge, for it is only then that we can fulfill God's plans and purposes for our lives. Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge." We can't use something if we don't know that we have it and we will never go forward without the knowledge of His power within us. The devil distorts the truth and tries to keep us in the dark because he knows that our lack of knowledge will limit the work of God in our lives. Proverbs 29:18 confirms this by telling us that if we do not have revelation we will perish.

Paul showed us how to pray concerning this situation. The Holy Spirit led Paul to pray for the Church at Ephesus that God would grant them a spirit of revelation. Paul prayed that the eyes of their understanding would be opened so they could know their calling and also the exceeding greatness of God's mighty power that was extended to them. When he prayed these words, he was praying for the Church, not the sinners. We can pray this same prayer. Sometimes we think that we, as the Church, have arrived and know all there is to know. My experience is that the more I learn about God, the more I realize there is so much more that I don't know and have yet to learn. The revelation of God and His power doesn't come suddenly but by line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. We will be forever learning about God and His power from now through eternity, and the more we learn, the more He will be able to work through us.

God is able to do exceeding and great things in us but we must be filled with His power. In Jeremiah 33:3, God tells us how to find His hidden power and how to cease from limiting Him. He says, "Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know - things you have never seen before or even considered thinking of." The Lord is able to do great and mighty things when we ask. +++

Copyright © 2009 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/21/09
THE TONGUE

Scripture: James 3:5 "The tongue is a little member, and boast great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindles!"

The tongue is very small when it is compared to the rest of the body but even though it is small, it has many important assignments to perform, such as eating, speaking, and praying. Because the tongue is gifted to speak, it can be a very positive or a very destructive instrument. Proverbs 18:21 confirms this saying, "There is life and death in the power of the tongue." The tongue can bring blessings by speaking words of comfort and encouragement or it can bring destruction by speaking words of discouragement, doubt, and unbelief. Whatever the tongue speaks, it influences and sets the tone for the entire body.

In the natural, we take our tongue for granted and are usually not very conscious about it, but I recently had a lot of trouble with this one member of my body. I had to have some dental work done and one of the teeth that the dentist put a crown on was left with a very slight uneven spot on it. The dentist has looked at this tooth three times and has attempted to file it down once. The dental hygienist has polished it twice. Yet neither of them can see the problem even with magnifying glasses. To make matters worse, I can't see the problem either. Yet my tongue has discovered that small imperfection on that one tooth and can not leave it alone. It continually goes to that area in an attempt to expose the problem to the whole body. As long as my tongue is taking care of its own business such as eating and speaking, it is not bothered by the tooth. But when the tongue has an idle moment, it will search out the one tooth and examine the imperfection again and again. This action is an aggravation to my entire body.

Like the problem with my natural tongue, James warns the church about this member of their body, which can cause many problems. The tongue can take a small or insignificant matter and make it into something great, for it is often looking to expose the imperfections in others. It is like a small match that ends up burning down the entire forest. It takes only a few words of gossip to destroy a life, a marriage, or a home. The tongue can speak a few words of doubt and unbelief and destroy someone else's faith. It can speak discouragement and drive someone into a pit of despair. Or the tongue can be discreet, speak words of faith, and be an encouragement. James said, "Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so" (James 3:10). Let us consider these words and be careful when we speak so that our tongues are used for good purposes and not evil. +++

Copyright © 2009 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/22/09
EXPERIENCES HAVE PURPOSE

Scripture: I Corinthians 10:11 (NRS) "All these things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us."

When the Israelites came out of Egypt they experienced many miracles and faced many adversities. They probably never thought that thousands of years later we would be reading about their actions in the wilderness and their reactions to Moses' leadership. Little did they realize that there would be sermons preached, books written, and movies made about their flight out of Egypt and that everything that happened to them would serve as examples for us today. They experienced success and failure. When we read the accounts of their deliverance, we take courage and find strength. As we consider their mistakes and acts of disobedience, we gain instruction and are warned not to follow the same path. When we see the miracles that God performed for them throughout their journey, it inspires us to believe. And when we realize that the majority of them did not make it to the Promised Land because of their unbelief, it urges us to hold on to our own faith when we are tempted to murmur and complain.

Each and every event in the wilderness had a purpose for the Israelites and reveals to us that our experiences and troubles also have purpose. It is in the valleys and dark places that we find the reality of God. We may not see Him in the darkness of the moment, but we come to know by experience that He is always near, hiding somewhere in the shadows. It is also in the darkest season that men tend to watch our witness and look for the light of Jesus in our testimony. We are just struggling through the dark season, simply trying to get to the other side of the ordeal. We are not trying to impress anyone or consciously think about our lives being an example to others any more than the Israelites were. Yet, in the midst of our challenge, people are watching to see if our faith will endure to the end.

In life, you are either setting an example or you are learning from someone else's example. Everyone is following someone and everyone is leading someone. The tables turn in life and at some point those you teach become your teacher and even your own children become your instructors. We must always strive to follow the best examples and to set the tone for those who are under our own influence for we are all held accountable in the eyes of God. It doesn't matter if He leads us through the dry barren desert, to the highest point on the mountain, or to the lowest valley, our faith must speak that God's provisions are always sufficient and that His protection is always adequate. Our lives must be a living testimony to the world that we believe that God is in control of every aspect of our life, for someone is always watching. We must rejoice in our life's events for every experience has purpose and is bringing us closer to our destiny. +++

Copyright © 2009 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/24/09
UNDERSTANDING TEMPTATIONS

Scripture: I John 2:16 "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world."

When we come to understand that temptation itself is not a sin, we enter a place of victory. Even Jesus Himself was tempted of the devil and faced the same challenges that you and I will face, but He was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Matthew 4:1-11 tells of the temptations that Jesus faced in the wilderness and His victory that He had through the Word of God.

Lust of the Flesh - After Jesus had fasted forty days and was hungry, the devil tempted Him to turn the stones into bread. Jesus answered with the word of God, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Father."

Lust of the Eyes - The devil took Jesus to a high mountain and offered Him all of the kingdoms of the world if He would just bow down and worship him. Jesus answered with the word, "It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve."

Pride of Life - The devil tempted Jesus to throw Himself from the pinnacle of the temple to prove that He was the Son of God. The devil told Him that it was written in the scripture that the angels would take care of Him if He were truly the Son of God. Jesus answered, "It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."

Certainly, we will not be tempted to turn stones into bread, jump from the top of the church house, or have an actual encounter with the devil in which he offers us all of the kingdoms of the world, but we will face temptations and they will come to us in these same areas. There will be the lust of the flesh for material gain or self-gratification; lust of the eyes for positions of rulership or control in this world; and the pride of life that will entice us to become renowned or to prove our own personal importance. Because Jesus faced these same temptations as a man in the flesh, not as God, He knows how we feel. He understands how hard life can get and is aware of our weaknesses. He is touched by our feeling of inadequacy and knows that sometimes we will pass the test, and sometimes we will fail. With His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus has made provision for us to find mercy and grace to get through these situations. He sits as our great high priest on His throne of grace in Heaven and intercedes continually for you and for me. We are not to be ashamed or fearful because of the temptations that challenge us but we are to boldly come to Him for help in our time of need, and to understand that whatever our situation is, He has been there before us. +++

Copyright © 2009 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/24/09
SERVANT'S HEART

Christ was unique as a person and everything that He sacrificed for us, He did by choice. No one forced Him to leave the grandeur of Heaven and come to Earth or to forsake His place next to the Father to become a mere man. He willingly laid down His life for us and became a servant to our needs. He gave up His throne in glory even though He would have no place to lay His head on Earth. His first experience after leaving Heaven was His birth in a lowly animal stable because there was no room for Him in the inn. He became poor that we may be rich. He gave His back to be beaten for the healing of our bodies and suffered torments for the deliverance of our minds. In weariness He gave Himself to the multitudes and did not count His service as that of bondage or slavery. Instead, He freely gave Himself and His unselfish servanthood promoted Him, for God highly exalted Jesus. He never sought for a grand reputation but God gave Him a name that is above every name and at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.

The Apostle Paul said that the believer should have the same mind that Christ had and take on the form of a servant like He did. We are to forget the grandeur that life offers and serve in humility as Christ served. We are to lay aside our own reputation and status as we give ourselves to others. It is not always easy. In fact it can be a challenge to serve others in a spirit of love when they have a hateful attitude towards us. Yet Jesus loved us and gave His life for us while we were still sinners. It is hard to remain in joy when we are called to serve those who are full of bitterness, but Jesus showed us an example. Because of the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross and its shame. Jesus knew that His disciples would forsake Him, that Peter would curse and deny Him, and that Judas would betray Him, but He still took on a servant's heart. Jesus knelt before the disciples, washed their feet, and served them the bread and wine, which represented His own body that was about to be broken and His blood that was about to be shed for their sins.

God wants us to have a servant's heart towards Him and also towards people. Yet, He would not tell us to do something that we were unable to do so He enables us to do it. First, He helps us understand the heart and mind of Christ by giving us His Word, Christ's example, and the Holy Spirit as our teacher. Then He gives us supernatural strength to help us take on the form or attitude of a servant. After He equips us in these two areas, He sets before us an open door and gives us a choice; to love or be loved, to serve or be served, to help or be helped, and to give or receive. Our choice will always be governed by what is in our heart and the degree to which we love and serve the Lord is the same degree that we will love and serve others. Let us determine today to have a servant's heart. +++

07/27/09
THE BLAME GAME

Scripture: Proverbs 28:13 "He that covers his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy."

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, neither one of them wanted to take responsibility for their actions. Adam not only blamed Eve, but also blamed God for his failure to obey God's word. He told God, "The woman whom You gave to be with me," like it was all God's fault that he had sinned. Then Adam accused Eve of enticing him to eat the fruit, but the last few words of the sentence reveals the truth of the matter when he said, "And I ate it." Adam was the one who ate the fruit, but he didn't want to admit his guilt or assume responsibility for his actions. His real problem was that he gave in to Eve's wishes because he wanted to be one with her. When God confronted Eve she also refused the blame by saying, "The serpent beguiled me and I did eat." Yet before both of them knowingly sinned against God's word, they had walked with God in the Garden everyday and communed with Him on a personal basis. His words were very simple and He made His will very plain to their hearts. Adam and Eve knew that they were doing wrong and after they transgressed against God's words, they covered themselves and tried to hide from His presence in shame.

There is a standing joke where I work concerning my errors. When the reports are incorrect and the books are out of balance, I joke and say, "The printer made a mistake," but everyone knows that the wrong data entries are the real problem and that I am the one to blame. Even today, many of us do not want to be accountable for our shortcomings, but want to place the fault on someone else or upon our circumstances. We blame our weaknesses on our genes or our past generations. We declare that it is just our nature, and like Adam, sometimes we even blame God. Yet at some point in our life, things need to change and we have to stop trying to cover ourselves by blaming others. We must own up to our own weaknesses and realize that our current actions are not our mother's fault, our father's fault, the fault of our environment, or other negative influences in our life. It is because we haven't sought for God's deliverance and help in these areas.

II Corinthians 5:17 declares that "If any man be in Christ, He is a new creature; old things are passed away, and all things are become new." When we are born again, there is a greater voice and stronger Spirit within us than the one that is in the world. The Holy Spirit of God guides us and gives a witness and a peace in our spirit confirming that our actions are in obedience to the will of God. The Holy Spirit also leads us into truth and lets us know when we are listening to the wrong voices or going in the wrong direction. He causes us to feel uneasy, to grieve, and to be anxious over the matter. We have no excuse for falling into sin or trying to cover our failure by blaming others. We can ask God to help us in the midst of our temptations or find forgiveness and mercy when we fail. All we need to do is ask Him for His help and He will reveal our sins and shine His light into our lives. As He uncovers those things that are drawing us into disobedience, let us forsake them and seek His forgiveness. As we do, we will obtain His mercy and find prosperity. God gives us a choice to walk away from sin. If we fail to do this, we can only blame ourselves. +++

A yoke was a harness that hung about the neck and shoulders of animals in order to join them together so that they could work in unity. In Isaiah's time, it was also worn by men to help them carry their heavy loads. In either case, a yoke was a symbol of bondage. Many of God's people today are in yokes of bondage. The yoke may not be seen with the naked eye but the heavy burdens are there just the same. There are bondages of grief, sorrow, unforgiveness, financial situations, addictions, health problems, and disappointments of every kind. People are continually searching for solutions to rid themselves of these burdens, but the prophet declared that only the anointing of the Lord would destroy these yokes and bring freedom into the lives of the believers.

The anointing is not given by God so that man can experience goose bumps or a good feeling, but comes so that we might be a strong witness (Acts 1:8). The anointing is given for a purpose, is full of great power, and has action. Jesus declared that the anointing upon Him caused Him to be able to preach good tidings to the meek, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to open the prisons to those that were bound. The anointing also brought comfort and appointed beauty for ashes, exchanged joy for mourning, and brought praise to those plagued by a spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61). All the miracles and the many healings that Jesus performed were accomplished because of the anointing of God upon His life (Acts 10:38).

The meaning of "anoint" is to rub with oil or impart through the idea of contact. We all know that when we are touched with oil, it spreads to everything we touch. So it is with the anointing of God. When we are touched with His anointing, it spreads to all those we touch. God anointed Jesus because Jesus communed and fellowship with Him. And because of Jesus' contact with the Heavenly Father, He had confidence that God would work through Him. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He boldly declared, "Father, I thank You that You heard Me. And I know that You hear Me always" (John 11:41-42). Like Jesus, we have a mandate from God to minister to a hurting world, but we can only give to them what we have received. We have to be touched with the oil of the Holy Spirit to be able to spread the oil. That touch will only come to us when we are in close contact with our Heavenly Father like Jesus was. As we commune and wait upon God, He will pour out His Spirit upon us and fill us with His power. This is His anointing and it will destroy the yoke that is upon us and also empower us to undo the burdens in the lives of others. +++

Copyright © 2009 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/29/09
THE ANSWER IS ON ITS WAY

Scripture: Daniel 10:13 "The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days..."

Daniel had mourned, fasted, and prayed for twenty-one days but received no answers or solutions from God. At the end of this agonizing period, Daniel had a supernatural vision in which a messenger from God appeared to him and told Daniel that he had come because of the words that he had prayed. The messenger also told Daniel that from the first day that he had set his heart to understand and to chasten himself before God that his words had been heard. He also told Daniel that the answer to his prayer had been delayed those twenty-one days by an evil presence. Daniel was not the only one that was suffering in this situation, for the messenger himself had to call for one of the warring angels, Michael, to come help him.

God has pledged to answer our prayers when our petitions are made in accordance to His will and presented to Him in faith in the Name of Jesus. God does not lie and His words do not fail. What He has spoken will come to pass. Yet we see from Daniel's situation that the answer to our prayers can be delayed in the heavens by evil forces. It is difficult to endure a season when we do not receive answers to our prayers because when we don't hear anything from Heaven, we begin to wonder if God even heard our prayer in the first place. This delay is a prime time for the devil to plant doubt in our heart and tempt us to give up. Yet God has heard us and He has already responded to our cry and answered our prayer. The matter is completely taken care of as far as God is concerned.

If you have sought God concerning situations but have received no solutions and have prayed prayers that have seemingly not been answered, I encourage you to keep holding on in faith until you hear from God. Never give up, for even though it can happen, answers are not always immediate. It may also be that you do not recognize the answer because it is not exactly what you asked for or expected. In any event, you can be sure that God will always arrive on time and will never be late. You can also be confident that however He chooses to answer, He will have your best interest in mind because He is for you and not against you. God will always give you the best when you allow Him to do the choosing and at the end of the matter you will be thankful. God loves you so trust in Him and know that even though the answer to your prayer seems to be delayed, it is already on its way. +++

Scripture: John 8:36 "If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed."

Free indeed means that your freedom is without a doubt. It is an unquestionable fact or a certain reality. When you are free, you are not held in bonds and you are not required to give allegiance or serve that which you do not support. When Jesus spoke these words, He wanted us to understand that we have freedom through Him and that we are no longer bound to sin or the devices of the devil. In verse thirty-four, Jesus had stated that if you commit sin, you are a servant to that sin. It holds you in bondage. But when Jesus makes you free, you are free indeed. His sacrifice on the cross did not accomplish a partial work but brought total freedom and redemption. We are free in the spirit the moment that we are saved, yet there is a process before a total manifestation of freedom is achieved in our lives.

I found a moth that was trapped in my kitchen. It desperately wanted freedom and to return to its own environment outdoors. At this point, I was lord over the moth and held in my hands the power to do whatever I wanted to do with it. I could trap it and keep it enslaved, or even kill it, but my desire was not to harm it. I wanted the moth to be free just as much as it wanted to be free. Rescuing it, however, was a different process. I finally captured it in a plastic cup and covered the cup with a paper towel. I did all I could do to protect it during the process of bringing it to its freedom. Unfortunately, the moth did not have knowledge of the plan or understand what was happening to it. It only knew that its world had suddenly become dark and that it was sensing unknown motion. So it began to fight furiously for its freedom and beat its fragile wings against the cup. I spoke comforting words to it in the midst of its frantic moments while I took it to the door to release it. It was only took a few moments, but I am sure that it must have seemed like an eternity to the poor captive. Maybe when it was released, it understood that I meant no harm and that I only wanted to give it the freedom that it desired and to help it to be able to complete its destiny.

Like the moth in this story, God wants us to complete our destiny. He wants us free of sin and the snares of the past, which we have made ourselves servant to. In our hearts we agree with God's will and want to be free to do what He has called us to do. We can see the light and hear God calling, but we just can't seem to get there, for there are too many barriers. So we just pray and then suddenly one day God answers our prayers, and He begins to deal with our situation. When He captures us, it seems frightening, for darkness surrounds us and we can feel the motion of His Spirit taking us to the unknown. We begin to beat ourselves against the sides of the cup that He is holding in His own hands because we don't know what He is doing. We don't know what is happening, but we do know that we have no control. All we can grasp in the natural realm is that an unseen force is holding us in bondage. All the while, God is speaking words of comfort to our hearts. He may possibly try to share His plans and the purpose for our confinement as He desperately attempts to get us to the door where He can set us free.

We will face this same process many times in life because we will fall into many snares. Our spirit is willing but our flesh is so weak. Yet, in all of our dilemmas, God will faithfully come to our rescue. Yet, we must understand that freedom always comes with a price. We must let go and allow God to have His way before we can be free. +++

Scripture: Psalms 42:1 "As the deer pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after thee, O God."

Situations brought the psalmist to this desperate place of discouragement and caused him to pant for God like a deer pants for the water. The word pant has a different meaning than just a dry mouth, desire to drink, or simple thirst. It is a loud and rapid breathing process, which is also visible and desperate. Like the writer of this Psalm, have you ever had the following thoughts and questions come to your mind?

1.) God, when will I see you or be able to sense Your presence? - Vs. 2
2.) God, even my tears say, "Where are You?" - Vs. 3
3.) God, why have You forgotten me? - Vs. 9
4.) God, why am I oppressed by the enemy? - Vs. 9
5.) God, even my enemies mock me, and say,
"Where is your God?" - Vs. 10

The psalmist so longed for the presence of God that his thirst to find God became audible and visible to those close by. Like a panting deer, he was desperately searching for God's answers and deliverance. The psalmist was thirsting for the living God, for he knew that only God could help him and meet his needs. In his search for God, the psalmist shed many tears, felt rejected and forgotten, and suffered reproach from the mocking enemy. In desperation, he spoke to his own soul and said, "Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you disquieted, troubled, and in great commotion within me?" Disquieted means "loud." In other words he was saying, "Emotions, why are you making so much noise on the inside of me?"

Does this place seem familiar? Have you felt like you were in a hopeless situation and that everything inside of you was crying out in a loud voice? You felt like a deer running wildly through the forest in search of the water brook. When this happens, I encourage you to slow down and know that God is God. Then, address your soul and speak these same positive words that the psalmist spoke to himself when he was in a state of desperation.

Tell yourself to hope in God - Vs. 5
Praise Him for the help of His countenance
or that His face is turned towards you - Vs. 5
Remember who God is and recall past victories - Vs. 6
Trust God to command His loving kindness towards you - Vs. 8
Sing songs and pray in the night - Vs. 8
Confess that God is your rock - Vs. 9
Praise Him for He is your God - Vs. 11

As you allow your soul to pant after God, He will quench your thirst. +++