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A Word In Due Season
1st Week of July 2010

07/01/10
WHAT IS IN YOUR HAND?

Scripture: Exodus 4:2 "And the Lord said to Moses, What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod."

All that Moses had in his hand was a rod, or a shepherd's staff. It didn't seem like much, but God told Moses that He would use that rod to do signs and wonders. As Moses led God's people out of Egypt, his rod became a serpent and swallowed the serpents of Pharaoh's magicians. His rod also turned the river into blood and brought on the plagues of frogs, lice, locust, thunder, and hail. His rod was even used to divided the waters of the Red Sea. God used the most insignificant thing in Moses' life to accomplish His will. He used a simple man with a simple rod. All that He asked of Moses was faith and obedience to use what he had in his hand. There was no power in the rod itself, or even in Moses. The signs and wonders came directly from the Almighty God who was manifesting His supernatural power through both of them.

Sometimes we cringe when God asks us to do something for Him. We feel so insignificant and our abilities seem so lacking, especially when we compare them to the abilities of those around us. How could God be calling on us when others are more capable? Like Moses, we think, "What is our strength compared to the challenge that is set before us?" Yet, we must remember that God always equips and empowers those whom He calls.

What small gift has God imparted to you that is unused? Do you have a smile that could turn someone's day around, a loving heart that you could share with the lonely and rejected, or a comforting word for the distressed? God wants to use your simple words of encouragement to minister to those around you. He is anxious for you to pray for the sick, visit those in prison, or minister to the widow, fatherless, and the poor. There are always needs. In comparison, your resources may look like a simple rod, but you must remember that it is not what you have that really matters, but it is what God can do with what you have when you yield it to Him. If God can multiply oil for a widow so that she can pay her debts (II Kings 4:6), and multiply five loaves and two fish to feed 5,000 men plus women and children, He can also take what little you have to offer and multiply it so that it blesses a multitude of people. Little becomes much when God reaches out and touches it. So allow Him to anoint whatever is in your hand. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/02/10
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.  Speaking of 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 © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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A Word In Due Season
2nd Week of July 2010

07/06/10
THE JUST LIVE BY FAITH

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

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

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

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

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

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/07/10
CASTING YOUR CARE

Scripture: I Peter 5:7 "Cast all your care upon Him; for He cares for you."

Isn't it wonderful to know that we have a loving Savior who wants to take the burden of all our problems upon Himself? He wants to do this simply because He loves us and cares for us.

David said in Psalms 142:4, "No man cared for my soul." There was no one to help David but God. At the beginning of this Psalm, David said, "I cried unto the Lord with my voice ... I poured out all my complaints to Him and showed Him all my troubles." David complained to God about everything that going wrong in his life. He laid it all out before the Lord and asked Him to meet every need that he had because David knew that God was the only one that he could depend upon. When David's spirit was overwhelmed, he had assurance that God was concerned and cared for him when no one else did. He cried out to God alone who knew his path and saw all the snares that would try to entangle him. God witnessed David's defeats, disappointments, sins, and failures. Yet He made Himself available to David and David made God his refuge as he sought for deliverance. He put his total trust in the Lord and declared that God would deal bountifully with him.

As you face difficulties in your life, stop and think about God's goodness. God is for you, not against you! He is there when others fail. The Lord knows your every need before you ask and He wants to take care of those needs. Following is a quote by Joyce Meyer that emphasizes these thoughts and expresses God position very plainly.

"GOOD MORNING, THIS IS GOD!
I WILL BE HANDLING ALL YOUR PROBLEMS TODAY.
I WILL NOT NEED YOUR HELP --
SO, HAVE A GOOD DAY.
I LOVE YOU."

Think about these words and choose to follow the words of the Apostle Peter and cast all of your cares upon God for He really does love you. Remind yourself daily that God is ready to handle your problems and that He has the answers before you ever call. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/08/10
LOVE AND THE LAW

Scripture: Romans 13:10 "Love is the fulfilling of the law."

Have you ever read all of the commandments and laws of God that Moses recorded in the scripture? It is overwhelming just to read them and even harder to remember some of them. There are the ten most prominent commandments that most of us know by heart, but there are also all of the dietary and other laws that are attached. And even though we do not literally steal, kill, commit adultery, or transgress any of the Ten Commandments, the commands themselves can be broken simply by our thoughts and desires. For the Lord, Himself, said that if we have lust and sin within our hearts, it is as though we have committed the transgression itself.

The law presents a real challenge but Jesus made keeping the law simple by giving us one law, which was the law of love. He said that all of the commandments hung on two laws, which were to love the Lord our God with all of our heart and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Love is not contrary to the law but it fulfills the law in a unique way. If you love your neighbor as yourself, you will not steal from him or have a need to steal from him. Your love relationship between each other will open the door for you to ask for help in your time of need and that same love will draw upon your neighbor's compassion to help you. If you are walking in love, you are not going to kill someone, for the spirit of murder has no room within your heart when your heart is filled with love. Your love for your neighbor will fulfill the law. If you love God and are seeking to serve Him, you will not commit adultery with your neighbor's spouse because your love and passion for God is greater than your natural desires. Your love for God will fulfill the law. Your spirit will rise up within you in the same manner as Joseph's did when Potiphar's wife attempted to draw him into adultery. Joseph responded to her seduction by asking the question, "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"

Love is of God and it operates in righteousness and thinks no evil. It is gentle in its thoughts and follows through with acts of kindness. Love goes out its way not to harm or offend God or anyone in any manner. Romans 13:8 says, "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another." Love is a debt that you owe and it is by no means cheap. God the Father paid an enormous price to extend His love to us by giving His only begotten Son to die in our place and Jesus gave His own life. Love demands a supreme sacrifice, but when you pay the price of love, you please God and you fulfill His law. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/09/10
BRUISED REED

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

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

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

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

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

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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A Word In Due Season
3rd Week of July 2010

07/12/10
GIVING YOUR FUTURE TO GOD

Scripture: Luke 5:9 (NIV) "Peter and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken."

Jesus told Peter to launch out into the water and let down his nets, but Peter was skeptical because he had fished all night in those same waters and had caught nothing. Yet, he obeyed the words of Jesus and caught so many fish that his boat began to sink. Jesus performed a special miracle for Peter in the field that Peter was familiar with. There was no doubt in Peter's mind that this was a supernatural act because of his many years of fishing experience. He didn't even try to take the glory for it by telling a "big fish story" to all of his buddies. Instead, he was astonished and stood there in wonder and amazement. This miracle brought Peter to repentance and he confessed his own sinful nature. When he realized that he was standing in the presence of righteousness, he fell at Jesus' feet and worshipped Him.

After this, Jesus spoke to Peter and said, "Fear not; from now on you shall catch men." He was telling Peter that just as Peter had caught a multitude of fish in the natural realm, that it was also possible in the spiritual realm. Jesus challenged Peter to bring men into the kingdom of God and Peter responded by forsaking all that he had in order to follow Jesus. He laid down his life's work and his future source of income. He left it all in the Lord's hands so that he could do the Lord's work. Peter could have made many excuses and said, "I don't think that I'm very qualified. I haven't been to great schools and I haven't been trained for the ministry." In fact, Acts 4:13 tells us what the educated people thought about Peter and John. It says, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men ..." Those qualifications of being unlearned and ignorant are not very impressive. But, the scripture goes on to say, "these same people marveled, and they took knowledge of Peter and John, because they had been with Jesus." The presence of the Lord in the lives of Peter and John overrode all of their inadequacies.

God wants to move in your life in a supernatural way and when He ministers to you, you will know that it could only be God that brought the blessing or the deliverance. He will cause you to stand there in wonder and amazement, knowing that without Him you could have never completed the task with your own skills. His awesome presence will be the secret that will give you the boldness that you need to accomplish His will. When He deals with you to do something for Him, whether it is to thrust out a little from the shore or go out into the deep, just trust Him and submit to His words. God is not foolish. If He speaks, He surely has a plan for that word to be fulfilled. It will demand faith on your part just as it took faith for Peter and John to launch out into the deep water again. God's call may not be easy. It will take deliberate action on your part just as Peter and John had to put the heavy nets back into the water, but their efforts showed Jesus that they believed His promise. They eventually forsook all and followed Jesus and became His disciples. The Lord's plan for their lives was far more astonishing than that day on the lake when they had the miracle catch of fish. Likewise, God has a plan and a hope for you, and if you give your future to Him, you will be astonished at what He will do with your life. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/13/10
COMFORTING OTHERS

Scripture: II Corinthians 1:4 (NIV) "(God) Who comforts us in all of our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

Life is not as simple as it seemed to be a few decades ago. Trials and tribulations are multiplying for most of us and the enemy of our soul is seeking to wear us out with his challenging situations. Problems come and doubts try to overshadow our faith and destroy our trust in God. With everything that is happening in the world today, our security is dwindling and confusion is moving in and attempting to drive away our peace. As personal heartaches and disappointments occur, our joy vanishes. Many times, we can't understand what is happening and eventually we find ourselves at a loss and overwhelmed with even life itself. Recently, a friend asked me, "Where do you go to give up?" His trust was in the Lord and he was a strong believer in God's Word. He had a high level of faith and was not truly serious about quitting life. But like many of us, the immediate frustrations were making a grand toll on his patience and endurance.

Sometimes giving up is an enticing remedy, but the Word lets us know that there are purposes for our trials and tribulations. James said that the trying of our faith works or produces patience. It is in the hard places of life that we learn to wait upon God and trust in His promises. It is in the valleys that we come to know that the Lord truly is our Shepherd and that He will keep us safe, restore our soul, and supply our every need. The Apostle Paul made another interesting statement. He said that the things that we have gone through help us to be able to comfort others who are in any kind of trouble. Our experiences, good and bad, help us to relate to others. Our pains create a place within our heart so that we can understand the hurts that others harbor within their souls and our failures enable us to recognize the disappointments that torment their minds. Even Jesus was tempted in all points of life like we are so that He could be touched with the feelings of our infirmities (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus is able to comfort and lead us out of our dark valleys because of His own experience. And it is through the comfort that we receive from Him that our hearts expand enough so that God can use us to draw others out of their valleys of despair.

As you see others walking the path of trouble, I encourage you to allow God to minister through you just as He has ministered to you. It is not a complicated task. Just be a strong voice in the silence that surrounds the hurting soul who is listening for a word in due season. Be a shoulder to lean upon for those who are going through hard times. Be a helping hand to the weary. Let the light that God shared with you be the sunshine in their darkness. Let the salt that He has placed in your life give spiritual flavor to the hopeless. Share the Bread of Life that you have received with the hungry and the Living Water with the thirsty. Jesus promised that He would never leave you or forsake you, so never turn the hurting away. They need the gift that God has placed within you. Show compassion and simply be a comfort to those who are in any trouble as the Lord has been a comfort to you. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/14/10
HEART OF REPENTANCE"

Scripture:   Luke 15:22 "The father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet."

The story of the prodigal son is one of the greatest stories of forgiveness and repentance. When we read this story, we know that forgiveness was always in the heart of the father, for he watched intently for his son to return. I feel certain that this loving father forgave his son at the onset of his son's rebellion when he asked to receive an early inheritance. I believe the father forgave his son when his son left home and foolishly squandered all of his father's hard earned money on riotous living. I think the father looked beyond the financial loss because his main concern was for his son's safety and that their relationship be restored. Yet even with his heart of love and forgiveness, the father could not bring his son back home where he belonged.  He had to wait for his son to make that decision in his own heart and repent. While the father waited, he probably imagined what he would do when his son return. In time, his hopes were fulfilled.  The father saw his son coming from a long way off and ran to meet him. He embraced his son with a heart of compassion and restored him to his position in the family. He also gave his son the best robe that he had and put a ring on his finger. He prepared a great feast for him and commanded everyone to rejoice with him because his son had come back to him.

Asking for God's forgiveness and returning to Him with a heart of repentance are two totally different things. Both demand a sorrowful heart, but repentance goes beyond the confession of sin that is made in order to receive forgiveness. Our guilt and shame will cause us to ask God for forgiveness, but often we fall right back into the old sin that we have been forgiven of many times. How many times have we lost our temper and asked God to forgive us, only to lose it again? We allow ungodly words or gossip to pass from our lips and we ask God to forgive us, but we continue to speak inappropriately. We give in to compromising situations and we ask God to forgive us, but when temptations come we fall back into the same trap. The list goes on and on. Yes, we are sorry, and yes, we want forgiveness. Yet, repentance requires more than a confession that is motivated by guilt. Instead, it is a strong determination never to repeat the sin again. It is leaving ungodly things behind and returning to God with a whole heart.

God has promised that if we confess our sins that He would be faithful to forgive us for them. Yet, He is watching for much more. He waits for our hearts to approach Him in true repentance. When we are in sin we cannot focus our eyes upon God because our backs are to Him. However, when we repent we turn towards Him with a vow in our heart to leave the sin behind.  We don't try to drag our sin into God's presence, make excuses for it, or hide it somewhere with the intent of going back to it. We are completely finished with it and we seek to do the Lord's will and fulfill His desires. When our Heavenly Father sees our true heart of repentance, His mercy and grace welcome us back to the place where we belong. +++

Scripture: Psalms 40:8 "I delight to do Thy will, O my God."

We often pray the phrase that is in the Lord's Prayer that says, "Thy will be done," but we rarely think about the consequences that may happen when this prayer is answered. We tend to forget that life and death is in the power of the tongue and that our words set things into motion. It is very easy to declare our total surrender to the will of God because we love God and truly want His will to be accomplished in our life. Yet, when things begin to change and we find that God's will is much different that our own will, it is another story. It is hard to put everything into God's hand and allow Him full control, for even though our spirit is willing our flesh is very weak.

Jesus came to Earth to do the will of the Father (Hebrews 10:7). God's will for Jesus was that Jesus leave the splendor and glory of Heaven and come to Earth to redeem man from sin. Jesus' venture wasn't just a journey to Earth but a life that was destined for humility and sacrifice. He would face every temptation known to man; yet, He would live a life that remained holy and free of all sin. He would be ridiculed, mocked, rejected, despised, spit upon, brutally beaten, and then hung on a cross in shame to die, not for His own transgressions but for yours and mine. In the course of events, He would be in so much agony that He would sweat great drops of blood. Yet He still submitted and committed Himself to do the Father's will, saying, "Not My will, but Thine be done." He delighted in doing the will of God because He knew that through His obedience, He would destroy the works of the devil. Completing the will of God meant that Jesus would be able to deliver men out of the kingdom of darkness and translate them into the kingdom of light. God's will meant that Jesus would heal the sick and raise the dead. He would cause the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk. He would turn water into wine, calm the raging seas, and feed the thousands because it was God's will that He work miracles. God's will was that Jesus would preach and teach the Word of God to a multitude of people and that His life would leave such a powerful witness that nearly 2000 years later, people would still be calling upon His name to be delivered.

Yielding to God's will may not always be easy, but it is always the best thing to do. His ways are so much higher than our ways. The safest place to be is in the perfect will of God, for you know that no matter what happens, God is in control. He is sitting in Heaven and He is managing your life. You can't lose because while Satan is sifting you as wheat, Jesus is there at the right hand of Father interceding for you. You can be sure that all things will work together for good because you are in the will of God. You should delight in fulfilling God's will for your life, for when you are in His will, you are not just in His plan, you are in His hands. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/16/10
SOW QUIETNESS - REAP STRENGTH

Scripture: Isaiah 30:15 "In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength."

Regardless of whether we are homemakers or business executives, our schedules often become hectic and hurried. Deadlines have to be reached and appointments met. There is so much to do with so little time to do it, and before we know it, we are stretched to the limit and stressed out. The answer to this daily dilemma is found in God's word. It is the simple spiritual law of quietness before God. Like the law of gravity, I can't explain it, but I know that it works. As we take a few moments to get quiet in the presence of the Lord, He supplies us with a grace that gives us strength to meet every challenge.

Isaiah 40:30-31 declares that even "the young will faint and be weary, but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." Waiting on the Lord enables you to draw strength from Him so that you can complete your course without weariness or fainting. Being quiet and putting your confidence in God is a discipline that shows your submission to the sovereignty of God and His will. As you wait and are still before God, He directs your paths and makes the crooked ways straight. Things will then fall into place without stress and struggle.

Even though Jesus had only three years to complete His ministry assignment on earth, He took time to rest. In Mark 6:3, He told the disciples "Come apart into a desert place, and rest for awhile." It is said that if we don't "come apart and rest" we will "come apart." Jesus knew the importance of taking time to wait before God. In Luke 6:12, He prayed all night and in Mark 1:35, He arose a great while before day, went into a solitary place, and prayed. He knew His strength came from the confidence that He gained while He was in the quietness of God's presence.

Reflect on the concepts of this prayer and allow your soul to be quiet and slow down.  Authorship of this prayer is unknown.

   "Slow me down, Lord!
    Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind.
    Steady my hurried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time.
    Give me, midst the confusion of the day, the calmness of the
        everlasting hills.
    Break the tensions of my nerves and muscles with the soothing music
        of the singing streams that live in my memory.
    Help me to know the magical, restoring power of sleep.
    Teach me the art of taking minute vacations.....
        of slowing down to look at a flower, to chat with a friend,
        to pat a dog, or to read a few lines from a good book.
    Remind me each day of the fable of the hare and the tortoise
        that I may know that the race is not always to the swift;
        that there is more to life than increasing its speed.
    Let me look upward into the branches of the towering oak and
        know that it grew great and strong because it grew slowly and well.
    Slow me down, Lord, and inspire me
        to send my roots deep into the soil of life's enduring values
        that I may grow toward the stars of my great destiny.
                            In Jesus' Name. Amen" +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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A Word In Due Season
4th Week of July 2010

07/19/10
ARROGANCE OR CONFIDENCE

Scripture: Romans 12:3 "For I say ... to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think."

Before the Apostle Paul made this statement, he addressed the church at Rome and told them that they were "the called of Jesus Christ, the beloved of God, and those called to be saints." He also declared that "their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world" (Romans 1:6-8). These folks were believers who loved God just like you and me and were doing their best to serve the Lord with all of their hearts. Yet, the Apostle Paul felt it necessary to warn them not to think more highly of themselves than they ought to think. He knew the enemy well and knew that this would be an easy trap for them to fall into.

This warning is for us today regardless of our calling or the depth of our faith. It is like a spiritual pendulum within our souls that can swing to the right or all the way to the far left. We can either be confident because we know that God is with us and working through us or we can become arrogant in our own self-sufficiency. Often it is a difficult matter for others and for ourselves to discern which direction the pendulum in our life is actually swinging. Sometimes our confidence in God is misread by others because our boldness in the Lord and our faith in His word come across as being arrogant to those who have no spiritual understanding. Then, there are other times when we, ourselves, are self-deceived. We think that we are being confident in the things of the Lord when we are actually being arrogant and presumptuous. It is an issue of our heart and we must ask God to help us make a distinction concerning what spirit we are allowing to rule.

An arrogant spirit has an exaggerated opinion of itself and is overly convinced of its own superiority. It is proud, lofty, and presumptuous. Arrogance stands alone and says, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing" (Revelations 3:17). This scripture continued to tell us that when we say that we have need of nothing, we don't realize that we are actually "wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked." This is a pitiful state to be in. The bottom line is that the spirit of arrogance or self-sufficiency doesn't know how little it really has and how much it really needs.

Confidence, on the other hand, doesn't try to stand alone. It declares, "Without God, I can do nothing" (John 15:5). It understands that it is a branch that can only function because it is attached to the vine of life, who is Jesus Christ. Confidence has faith and relies upon that which has been placed within us by God. It is knowing that the Spirit of the Lord within us is greater than the spirit that is in the world. Jesus was the Son of God and had confidence in who He was, yet He never acted in presumption or relied upon His own strength. He only did what the Father showed Him to do and what the Holy Spirit empowered Him to do. Our confidence should reside in our belief that God is with us and our actions should mirror those of Jesus. We should not attempt to do anything unless the Father shows us and the Holy Spirit empowers us. Instead of speaking arrogantly and saying "I have need of nothing", our confidence should declare the words of Philippians 4:13 (Amplified).

" I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me
I am ready for anything and equal to anything
through Him Who infuses inner strength into me,
That is, I am self sufficient in Christ's sufficiency." +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/20/10
WHY?

Scripture: Matthew 27:46 (Amplified) "Jesus cried with a loud voice, My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me - leaving Me helpless, forsaking and failing Me in My time of need?"

When Jesus was hanging on the cross, He spoke these words, quoting Psalm 22:1, which King David had spoken to God. The scriptures say that David was a man after God's own heart and Jesus was God's only begotten Son. Yet both of these great men, whom God loved, found themselves in such distressing situations that they felt that God had utterly forsaken and abandoned them. In their hour of need, the One whom they loved and trusted the most had seemingly rejected them. They both found it difficult to understand why God had not come to their rescue. Their question "Why?" searched for some kind of answer about His intentions to deliver them from their painful and perplexing situations.

How many times has this small word come to our mind and even crossed our lips when we faced difficult situations? Why did I have to wreck my car, get a ticket, lose my job, get sick, or lose my mate? Why doesn't God come through for me? Why doesn't He heal me? Why is He waiting so long to deliver me?  Why has He abandoned me, leaving me helpless? Why has He forsaken me in the time of my greatest need?

These questions are hard and full of reality. We don't always discern God's working or understand His purpose. It is difficult to understand why God doesn't immediately eliminate our painful situation, but it is comforting to know that we have a Savior and Friend who knows exactly where we are and how we feel. Jesus was touched by every pain and anxiety that we will ever face, and He sits on the right hand of God making intercession for us. As our High Priest, He prays for us with feeling because He was in a place where He cried out in His own pain and distress. Hebrews 4:15 and 16 in the Message Bible says, "We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experiencing it all - all but the sin. So let's walk right up to Him and get what He is so ready to give. Take the mercy and the help."  Hide these words in your heart and when your time of testing comes, turn your 'WHY' into 'WHO' and look to your High Priest, Jesus. In the final outcome, He will deliver you and give you victory. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/21/10
WALKING IN GOD'S LIGHT

Scripture: Isaiah 50:11 "Walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that you have kindled ... (and) you shall lay down in sorrow."

God gives us a solemn warning against trying to walk in our own light because our light is incapable of dispelling the darkness of evil. Yet, when we are walking in a dark place, it's very tempting to try to solve our problems ourselves instead of putting our trust in God and allowing Him to shed light on our situation. We become impatient and kindle our own fire to create our own light. We make decisions based on our feelings and often disregard the will of God for our lives. We turn a deaf ear to His voice because God's instructions make no sense at all to our natural mind because His ways are never like our ways.

Although we know that God's thoughts and plans are higher and far greater than we can comprehend with our finite mind, our darkness still drives us to seek a light of some sort and find deliverance somewhere. Premature deliverance, however, frustrates God's work of grace and diminishes the beauty of the work He is trying to accomplish in our lives. We are like the caterpillar, which must wait for the timing of God. The caterpillar must patiently endure the darkness of the cocoon until its appointed time comes for it to reach for the light. Its premature deliverance will destroy the grandeur of its destiny, and its lack of patience will thwart its intended purpose and disable it from being able to fly in majestic beauty.

Jesus said, "The man that walks in darkness doesn't know where he is going" (John 12:35). A man in darkness just stumbles about, feeling his way around. It's a frightening place, but Jesus said that if we follow Him, we will not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life (John 8:12). In this story, Jesus revealed Himself as The Light to the woman who was found living in the darkness of adultery. As The Light, He did not condemn her but showed her the truth and gave her the light to walk in. He said, "Go and sin no more." His light was designed not only to dispel all the darkness of evil that threatened her but also to give her a new life.

Jesus is the light of life. God intends for us to walk in His light, for only His light can conquer darkness. We must wait for His light to dawn as we do the rising of the sun, for our own light apart from God will only bring sorrow. Be assured that God is sovereign and His timing cannot be hastened. It is better to walk in the darkness with God than to walk alone in our own light. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/22/10
DOUBLE PORTION

II Kings 2:9 "Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken away from you? And Elisha said ... Let a double portion of your spirit be upon me."

Elijah was a prophet and a miracle worker. He had done mighty things in the midst of the people and was now preparing to leave this earth. In just a few hours, a chariot of fire and a whirlwind was going to usher him into Heaven. Before he left, he offered to grant the desire of Elisha, a man who had been chosen by God to replace Elijah as prophet. Elisha had faithfully followed Elijah and had humbly ministered to his needs. Elisha was a man who hungered for the power of God, and he desired not only the spirit which was upon Elijah, but also a double portion of that same spirit.

When the servant, Elisha, made his request to the prophet, Elijah, for a double portion of the Spirit, Elijah said, "You have asked for a hard thing, but if you see me when I am taken up, it shall be granted to you ... but if you do not see me, it shall not be so." When the time came for Elijah to be taken, Elisha acted in determination to receive the promised gift. He kept his eyes on Elijah in the midst of the splendor of the whirlwind and chariot, and he did not allow himself to be distracted. When Elijah went up, Elisha saw it. Elijah's mantle fell from the heavens, and when Elisha took it up, the spirit of Elijah rested upon him.

Elisha had courage and boldness to make an awesome request for what his heart desired, which was a double portion of the Spirit of God! What if we were to make this same request? It would be awesome, for sure, to do the miracles that Elijah and Elisha did, but to ask for that kind of power may seem too enormous for us at this time in our lives. However, instead of asking for a double portion of the miracle gifts of the Spirit, what if we started by asking for a double portion of the fruit of the Spirit, which is listed in Galatians 5:22-23. Can you imagine the effects of having a double anointing of the fruit of God's Holy Spirit in our lives? We would begin to manifest twice as much love in the midst of hateful and bitter situations. We would have twice as much peace when confronted with the storms of life and a double amount of patience and self-control in the midst of conflict. We would be bubbling over with joy, and kindness and goodness would continually be flowing from us to others. Supernatural faith would prevail in every situation. God has called us to be able ministers to a hurting world. What better way to fulfill His calling than to boldly ask Him for a double anointing of His Spirit in our lives? +++

Scripture: Numbers 33:53 "You shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it."

God led His people out of Egypt with a great promise. He told them that there was a land before them that was exceedingly rich. In fact, He said that it flowed with milk and honey. God gave this Promised Land to His people, but they had to go in and possess it themselves. This meant that before they moved in and took over, they had to dispossess the inhabitants that were already living there. To make matters worse, some of the inhabitants were giants and some of the cities were surrounded with walls. The challenge looked fierce, but God promised to go with them and fight for them.

We have many promises from God that are written in the scriptures. These words are exceedingly rich and they cover everything that we will ever need. God's blessings are waiting to be possessed. Yet with every promise, there comes a challenge. There are giants that must be overcome and there are walls that must be torn down. These strong forces are not easy to dispossess, but we can trust God to be with us each step of the way, for He wants us to possess the blessings that He has made available. We must be steadfast in our efforts and remember that when the giants get too big and the battle gets too rough, the Lord will fight for us.

For every promise that God gave to us, He gave us an instruction on how to possess that promise. He told us that He wanted us to prosper and be in health, even as our soul prospers (III John 2). If we want to live in God's hope for prosperity in our lives, we must dispossess the spirit of poverty that resides in our soul. Dispossessing poverty comes by obeying God's words concerning money. The scriptures teach us that we must work hard, be wise and frugal with our funds, and share with others by giving tithes, offering, and alms. If we want to possess good health, we must obey God's laws that concern our physical bodies. Good health does not come without responsibility. We must eat right, get plenty of rest, exercise, and deal with stress in the proper manner. We can't possess health until we dispossess the bad habits that plague us. If we want to remain pure and holy before God, we must dispossess the ungodly thoughts that linger in our minds that would lead us to commit sinful acts. At the first sign of temptation, we must resist the devil and flee. If we want to possess peace in our lives, we must dispossess strife and disallow division to rule and reign in our hearts. If we want to overcome addictions, we must dispossess them by refusing to give in or to give up. We must cast down imaginations and every thought that exalts itself against the spirit of Christ so that we can be transformed into His image.

The Promised Land is ours for the taking, but we must be like Joshua and Caleb. We must have faith in God and voice our victory before the battles begins. With God's help, we will be able to possess the land, for He is bigger than any foe that needs to be driven out. The plan is simple. Dispossess the enemy so that you may possess God's promises. +++

A Word In Due Season
5th Week of July 2010

07/26/10
CONSIDER NOT - STAGGER NOT

Scripture: Romans 4:19 & 20 "Abraham considered not his own body ... and staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief."

Long before Abraham had a son, God made a promise to him that he would be the father of many nations and also told him that his seed would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens. From the very beginning, this promise seemed impossible in the natural because Abraham was very old and his wife, Sarah, was barren. Yet, Abraham chose to believe the promise and he put his faith in God's ability to fulfill His promise.

Abraham disregarded his own lack and did not stagger at the promise that God gave to him. One who staggers does not stand and walk straight. Instead, they lean to the left and to the right as they stumble along. Abraham overcame each challenge by refusing to consider the impossibilities and did not stagger to the left or lean to the right. In other words he did not allow himself to be driven or tossed about by unbelief. James 1:6-7 says, "For he that wavers (in faith) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord."

One year before Isaac was born God changed Abram's name to Abraham, which means father of many nations. In essence God was saying, "It's already finished." God's eternal word established the fact. God was calling things that be not as though they were and His words were causing Abraham and Sarah's natural bodies to come alive. When Abraham had to tell others his new name, he was agreeing with God and declaring the promise that God had made to him. He did not stagger at the fact that he was 100 years old and that Sarah was ninety. He just gave glory to God and continued to hope when there was no reason to hope in the natural. Today, his faith would appear foolish to many, but then true faith usually does.

Corrie Ten Boom sums faith up with her words,

"FAITH SEES THE INVISIBLE,
BELIEVES THE UNBELIEVABLE,
RECEIVES THE IMPOSSIBLE."

Scriptures declare that Abraham believed God, hoped in His promise, stayed strong in the faith, and was fully persuaded that God would do what He said He would do. And because Abraham considered not and staggered not, he eventually received the promise of God. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/27/10
FORGIVENESS

Scripture: Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me ... to preach deliverance to the captives."

Satan's battlefield is your mind and one of his primary weapons is deception. If he can get you to believe his lies, he can hold you captive by your own thoughts. He doesn't approach you with giant lies that are the size of trees for he knows that you would recognize and reject those thoughts. So, he starts with tiny seeds of doubt. He then feeds and nourishes those small seeds of doubt until, little by little, he is able to work his plan of deception in your life. John 10:10 says the devil is a thief that comes to steal, kill, and destroy. When his work is left unchallenged and unchecked strongholds are established in your life, which enables the devil to hold you in bondage with his tormenting thoughts.

The good news is that Jesus came to the earth and was anointed to preach the gospel of truth. John 8:32 says, when you know the truth, the truth will make you free. One of Jesus' messages was about a man who had been forgiven of much. Yet, this same man refused to forgive another man that owed him little. Because the man who had received much forgiveness refused to forgive the man who owed little, he, himself, was turned over to the tormentors (Matthew 18:21-35). Jesus was showing us that we reap what we sow. If we want forgiveness for our sins and transgressions, we must likewise forgive others for their transgressions against us. When we fail to forgive, we place ourselves in a position to be tormented just like the unforgiving servant.

Jesus is anointed to set you free, but you must act on the truth which He speaks to you. He says, "Forgive, if you want to be forgiven. Forgive, if you want peace in your life." Forgiveness is a choice. You have the power and authority to cast down imaginations and every thought in your life that exalts itself against the Spirit of Christ. This includes the thoughts of unforgiveness that rage in your mind. As you take those thoughts and submit them to Christ, they will have to bow in obedience to His command. It may be hard for you to forgive because of the circumstances that you have endured, but Jesus will help you. The choice is yours. You can be set free or you can stay chained in bondage by the devil's deception.
The devil tries to hold you in deception by telling you that you can't release the past. He knows that if you refuse to forgive, he will own a portion of your heart. That portion of your heart that he owns will remain in the torments of unforgiveness and will inflict great emotional pain. Bitterness will also move in and hold you captive. Jesus is preaching deliverance to your captive spirit. You can't go on with life until you forgive and let go of the pains that are in your heart. You can't keep revisiting those hurts. You must let go. When you do, Jesus will be able to set you free by the anointing of the Holy Spirit and your victory will be sweet. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/28/10
FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISH

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

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

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

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

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/29/10
REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:1 "Remember now your Creator ..."

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and spoke light into existence. He hung the sun and the moon in the heavens that He had created and He also put the stars and the galaxies in place. On Earth, He formed every valley and every mountain with His mighty hands. He also dug out the enormous oceans, the beautiful lakes, and the magnificent rivers and filled them all with water. The heavens and the earth that He created are complete and beautiful and He continues to hold all that He created together by the Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3).

When God finished the heavens and the earth, He proceeded to create living beings. Life in any form is awesome, and from the smallest creature of the sea to the mightiest beast of the forest, God created them all. He continues to create by placing within them a miracle, which is the power to be able to multiply and bring forth life after their own kind. God then went to another level of creation and created mankind. The creation of man was different than the previous creations because man was made in God's likeness. You have been created in God's own image and He desires that you manifest His character. God is holy and He wants you to be holy as He is holy. God is love so He created you with the capacity to love as He loves. He also created you to be His temple and to share the attributes of His Spirit. You can possess the supernatural fruits of the Holy Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. You can also be empowered with His supernatural gifts. Your Creator makes all things possible.

You have been fearfully and wonderfully made by the personal hands of the Almighty God. God knew you before you were conceived and He knows when you will take your final breath. Your life should not be a disappointment to you because your Creator knew exactly what He wanted you to be when He created you. Now Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived has encouraged you to remember your Creator. Remember the One who designed you and then formed you when you were in your mother's womb. Remember the One who breathed life into you. Remember that the Creator knows his creation and understands you better than anyone else does. God is the Author of your life and He created you for a purpose and He knows the plans that He has for you. He knows where you are today and He is aware of the challenges that you are facing and the victories and disappointments that you are experiencing. He has not left you helpless or hopeless in any situation. The Creator is present to maintain His creation, so remember to include Him in all of your needs because He is ready to rescue you. He is your Mighty God, your Everlasting Father, your Prince of Peace, your Redeemer, your Healer, your Shepherd, your Deliverer, your Comforter, your Helper, your Fortress, your Rock, and your Friend who will stick closer to you than a brother. These are just a few of the names of the One who created you and the One who will love you at all times. So remember Him and above all remember that the Creator cares for you, His special creation. +++

Copyright © 2010 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
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07/30/10
HOLD YOUR PEACE

Scripture: Exodus 14:14 "The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."

Have you ever moved in faith at God's command and then found yourself in a hard situation? As you sat there in the dilemma, confusion and fear came against your mind, and doubt and unbelief filled your heart. God's people found themselves faced with these same feelings when God led them out of Egypt. God instructed Moses and the Israelites to set up their camp by the Red Sea because He knew that Pharaoh would think that they were trapped between the wilderness and the sea. The irony of this plan was that God was secretly working against the enemy. The sea was to be the way of escape for Moses and the children of Israel and a trap of destruction for the Egyptians. But as the Israelites faced the enemy on one side and the waters on the other, they said, "We would have been better off staying in bondage than to be out here in the wilderness." They had no idea that God was preparing a way of total deliverance for them. God told them, "Don't be afraid, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. Just hold on to your peace." God had a plan. He was going to fight the battle for them and He didn't want them to do anything except move forward at His command.

Like the Israelites, God does amazing things in our lives and we are excited and full of faith about what He is doing until the first impossible situation comes along. When we find ourselves between the wilderness and the Red Sea we wonder how we got there. We forget that God, Himself, led us there and put us in that situation for a purpose. Our reasoning becomes limited because we are looking at the immediate circumstances and think that we are near failure or possible death. There seems to be nowhere to turn and no way out of the situation. Our anxieties cause us to discount God's wisdom and forget His words, "My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts are higher than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9).

Are you standing between the Wilderness and the Red Sea? Are you facing difficulties in your personal life or financial challenges? It is when you stand in these places of uncertainty that you discover the sufficiency of God. When you are overwhelmed by circumstances and there is no solution in the natural, you must realize that you are close to a miracle. As you hold your peace and rest in God's promises, He rolls back the sea and makes a way where there is no way. He comes through right on time, every time. He is a miracle working God that cannot fail, so be at peace. The Lord is always on your side and He will always fight for you. +++