A Word In Due Season
1st Week of December 2011

12/01/11
STEPS OF A GOOD MAN

Scripture: Psalms 37:23 "The steps of a good man are directed and established of the Lord."

God delights in our way and He busies Himself with every step that we take. Sometimes we get the impression that God just orders our future steps. We fail to realize that He has ordered all of our steps up to this point, and that He is busy working in the present trying to direct us along the way. The Lord makes it His business to be involved with everything that we do. Verse 24 goes on to say, "Though we fall, we shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord grasps our hand in support and upholds us." Thank God for this wonderful promise. We have a heavenly Father that is holding our hand as we walk. He knows that occasionally we are going to stumble and fall so He grasps our hand tightly in His. With His mighty power, He holds us up and supports us so that we are not utterly cast down and unable to get back up.

Proverbs 16:9 declares that "A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure." Very often we plan our day with little thought of God's plan for that day or the season. We are so busy, we just get up and do what needs to be done. We try to direct God instead of resigning ourselves to being led by Him. We pray, "God, bless my plan." instead of "God, make my plan." Jeremiah 10:23 says, "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Jeremiah was acknowledging to God that he was aware that he could not direct his own steps. He knew that he would make mistakes and pleaded that when God corrected him, it would be in judgment and not in anger.

Proverbs 20:24 says, "Man's steps are ordered by the Lord; how can a man then understand his own ways?" We often do not understand where God is leading us, for He often leads us in a way that is against human wisdom. It is then that we must "Trust in the Lord with all of our heart; and lean not to our own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5-6). God has given all of us natural wisdom and expects us to function in that wisdom and take care of our duties. Yet, He desires that we operate in trust and be spiritually sensitive and submissive to His voice and His Spirit. It is only as we submit ourselves totally to Him that He can establish and direct each of our steps. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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12/02/11
THE LORD MADE TODAY

Scriptures: Psalms 118:24 "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

Have you ever found yourself in a place where it appeared as if everything in your life was going wrong? The enemy seemed to be attacking in every area; one blow after another, and anything that could go wrong was going wrong. While surrounded by your problems, you began to feel like the writer of this psalm; distressed, fearful, hated, and also disappointed in humanity, rulers, and governments. And worse yet, you even wondered if you were being chastened by the Lord.
As the psalmist experienced all of these things, he declared that even the nations were surrounding him like a swarm of angry bees. Like the psalmist, when things begin to overwhelm us, it seems that we, too, are surrounded by a swarm of bees. When we encounter a swarm of bees in the natural the safest thing to do is stay calm, but instead we panic, we run, we jump, we hide, or do whatever is necessary to escape them. So it is when we are attacked in the spiritual realm. Rather than stay calm, we begin to panic, and in our distress, we become fearful and lose faith.

Look at how the psalmist addressed all these issues in Psalm 118:
Verse 5: In distress, he called upon the Lord - The Lord answered and set him in a large place.
Verse 6: When fear attacked - He recognized that the Lord was on his side.
Verse 7: When hated - The Lord stood up for him.
Verse 8: When men disappointed him - He trusted in the Lord.
Verse 9: When his leaders failed - He trusted in the Lord.
Verse 10: When nations surrounded him - He destroyed them in the Name of the Lord.
Verse 13: When physically attacked - The Lord helped him.
Verse 18: When chastened by the Lord - He recognized that God had not given him over to death.

Be encouraged by these words and when the problems of life overwhelm you to the point that you feel that you are surrounded with bees, remember to stay calm and trust in the Lord, for He made this day for you and chose all the events that would surround you. "Be joyful in every trial and test, knowing that the trying of your faith will work patience in your life" (James 1:2-4). God is in control so allow patience to complete its work within your heart and rejoice and be glad, for this is the day the Lord has made. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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A Word In Due Season
2nd Week of December 2011

12/05/11
JESUS IS AWARE 

Scripture: Mark 6:48 (NLT) "He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves." 

Jesus told His disciples to get into a boat and go to the other side of the lake and then He went into the hills to pray alone. Late that night while Jesus was still on the land, He saw the disciples. Their boat was in the middle of the lake and they were in much difficulty as they rowed against the winds and the waves. About three o'clock in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the water. When He reached the disciples Jesus spoke to them and said, "Don't be afraid, Take courage! I am here!" 

Jesus saw the disciples when they weren't even aware that He was watching them. Then, He used the thing that was troubling them, as a tool to get to them. He walked to them on the same water that they were struggling in. Isn't that just like God? He takes our problems and somehow makes them seem as nothing. He parts our Rea Sea and allows us to pass over to the other side and then He uses that same sea to destroy the enemy that is pursuing us. He tells us to count it all joy when we enter into trials and tribulations because He is going to cause all things to work together for our good. Somehow we are going to come out better at the end of the ordeal than we were at the beginning. I remember the incident when my house was flooded with two feet of water. The Lord provided a financial grant for me and after it was all over with and the repairs were complete, my house looked better than it did before. 

Just as Jesus was praying in the hills that day before He rescued the disciples on the lake, He is praying and interceding for you and me at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. He is not only praying, He is watching us continually and is aware when we are in serious trouble. He knows how tired we are of rowing and struggling against the winds and waves of this life. He sees our financial difficulties, our heart aches, our physical fatigue, our troubled relationships, and our disappointments. It will only take one moment of the Master's time, one touch from His hands, or one word from His lips to fix our problems. He is waiting for us to call out to Him. There is nothing too great for the Lord to handle and there is nothing hidden from His eyes or His heart. Jesus sees everything, knows everything, and understands everything. In our moments of distress, He will come to our rescue and speak to us saying, "Don't be afraid, Take courage!, I am here!" +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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12/06/11
LIBERTY FOR THE CAPTIVES

Scripture:  Isaiah 61:1  "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord has anointed Me to ... proclaim liberty to the captives ..."

Time and time again, we find ourselves in places of bondage.  Most of the time these situations evolve rather slowly as we turn our eyes the other way and allow things to pass that we don't agree with.  We never dream that those things will lead us into a snare.  We may allow others to manage and manipulate us, only to find that we have lost control of our own lives.  We give in on issues so that we can be accepted by our peers, but later realize that we are being identified with concepts that are contrary to our thinking and degrading to our character.  We may even fall into a state of total addiction because we take one step towards sin or lust, thinking that it won't hurt to give in just this one time.  Instead of finding a place of peace and rest, we are overtaken and we find ourselves in captivity to the very things that we stood against and were trying to resist.

The Apostle Paul said in Romans 6:16, "Don't you know that if you continually surrender yourselves to any one to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey?"  It is a simple principle.  Yielding to temptation brings about captivity in our lives.  Each time we yield to temptation, the devil gains a stronghold in our minds, emotions, and physical bodies.  As we continually surrender, we become a slave to him and in bondage to his addictions. 

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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12/07/11
DARKNESS AND LIGHT 

Scripture: Job 36:32 (KJV) "With clouds He covers the light." 

There is a saying, "Don't doubt in the darkness what God shows you in the light." When God speaks to us, the entrance of His word gives light to our soul. It is as though a candle is lit within our spirit and our vision becomes very clear. His promises are easy to believe because when God's words are before us, they lead us on in faith. That light, however, will very quickly be challenged in the process of life. Like the clouds that hide the brightness of the sun, the clouds of doubt and unbelief will hinder our vision and hide the light of His Word from our view. 

It is easy to have faith when the light that surrounds you is bright and your vision is clear. Yet, it is another thing to walk in faith when you are engulfed in total darkness and cannot see a thing. Many times our spiritual vision is hindered by circumstances that intrude upon our lives. We know God's promise is there and that it is real, but we just can't see any evidence of it because a cloud separates us from the truth. In fact, there are times when life's situations may look very frightening to us and our soul will question God about His promises. God said that He would provide, but where is the answer? God said that He would heal, so why am I still sick? God said that He would comfort me, so why do I continue to grieve? Where is my deliverance from the addictions that plague me? When will my children return to the Lord, for God's Word said that when they were old they would not depart from His training? 

Taking an airline flight illustrates how the clouds of conflicting thoughts can separate us from the light. When we are on the ground on an overcast day, the only thing that we can see are the different shades of darkness in the clouds above because our vision is limited. All that we can feel is the cold and dampness that surrounds us. Once the plane leaves the ground everything changes. The sky opens up to a beautiful brightness and on the other side of the clouds we find that the sun never stopped shinning. It is the same with our personal needs. The provision, the healing, and the answer was always there. It was just beyond the darkness of the clouds. We must always remember that God is not limited by what we can see. That is the reason that we must always believe that even though His light and His word may be hidden for a season, its brightness and truth remains forever on the other side of the clouds. I encourage you to keep believing the Lord in the area of your need, for eventually His Word of truth will break through the clouds and fulfill the hope of your vision. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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12/08/11
GOD'S EYES

Scripture:  Proverbs 15:3  "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."

When we were children we thought that our parents had eyes in the back of their heads.  No matter how hard we tried to hide our transgressions, it seemed that they somehow were able to discover them.  It was always such a mystery.  And of course, the big question always came to our minds, "How did they find out?"  As we grew older, we began to understand that God's Spirit was leading them and allowing them to find out the truth so that they could provide discipline and protection.  They weren't always looking for the bad, but because it was there, it just showed up.  It was a principle of God's Word that states that what is done in secret will be brought to light.

God is our heavenly Father and as a parent, He is just as concerned for us as our natural parents were.  He is everywhere and is always watching.  His eyes are in every place and He never slumbers or sleeps.  He knows more about us than we know about ourselves.  Our knowledge can't even begin to compare to His.  He even knows exactly how many hairs we have on our heads.  Can you top that?  He not only sees our actions and words but also knows the intents and motives of our hearts.  God cannot be deceived.

Sometimes we may feel that our prayers are not getting past the ceiling, much less to the throne of God.  And we become weary in well doing, feeling that no one is noticing our efforts, especially God.  Then when we commit the slightest infraction against His law, we are sure that He notices it.  We forget that He is more intent on finding the good in us than the evil.  Look at the example of Job.  God asked Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who reverently fears God and abstains from and shuns evil because it is wrong (Job 1:8 Amplified)?"  Job may not have been aware that God was watching and admiring him.  At times, he may have felt that His good deeds were in vain and become weary in well doing, but he did not give in or slack off.  Even in his worse trials, Job continued to trust God and shun evil.

Just as God's eyes were upon Job, His eyes are upon you today and because He is always looking, His eyes are going to behold the good and the evil that is in your life.  Therefore, strive to be found as Job was; blameless and upright, one who reverently fears God and abstains from evil because it is wrong. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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12/09/11
RESTORATION

Scripture:  Psalms 23:3  "He restoreth my soul."

Each day we make an effort to restore our physical bodies.  We refresh or re-do ourselves so that we feel better and are more presentable to the outside world.  Yet, our bodies are not the only part of us that needs refreshing.  God does the same with our soul.  As we encounter life and its disappointments, our soul becomes tattered and worn.  We may feel like the psalmist did when he wrote Psalms 42.  He was cast down, oppressed, and harboring many questions concerning his plight.  Even his own tears mocked him.  But in his spirit, he knew the solutions to his own problems.  He knew the One who could restore his soul. 

David declared this restorer and shepherd of his soul to be the Lord.  David was a man that loved God, and he was a man that was loved by God.  I Samuel 13:14 describes David as a man after God's own heart.  He had a special relationship with God, yet David went through many places where he faced frustrations in his soul.  His soul continually needed to be renewed and restored by God.  As a young man, David was forgotten by his own father, Jesse, when Samuel, the prophet, came to anoint one of Jesse's sons to be king.  Later, David experienced shame for his own sin with Bath-Sheba and felt guilt for his part in the murder of her husband.  He suffered the consequences of that sin with the death of his own son whom he had with Bath-Sheba.  As a parent, David faced the rebellion of another son, Absalom, and had to deal with Absalom's efforts to take his kingdom.  David's wife, Michal, mocked him as he worshipped God.  King Saul, whom he served so faithfully, sought to kill him.  As a leader, David's men spoke of stoning him after their city, Ziklag, was burned and plundered, and their families were taken captive (I Samuel 30:4).  David was in such despair that he cried until he had no more power to weep.  It seemed that he was always facing a dilemma or controversy.

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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A Word In Due Season
3rd Week of December 2011

12/12/11
OBEDIENCE FROM THE HEART 

Scripture: Deuteronomy 5:29 (Living Bible) "Oh, that they would always have such a heart for Me, wanting to obey My commandments. Then all would go well with them in the future." 

God speaks to us through His word and instructs us in the ways of righteousness. He tells us to depart from evil and to always do good. He makes His commandments very plain and teaches us through the example of Jesus that it is not just the letter of the law, but also the attitude of the heart that matters. God wants us to serve Him with all of our heart, all of the time. Jesus taught that it is just as bad to have a heart full of lust or murderous thoughts as it is to commit the acts themselves. 

I am reminded of a story about a man who was tired of seeing the cars speeding near the school where his child attended. He had the children's welfare and safety in his heart so he decided to make use of his time each day by conditioning the traffic to drive slower in that vicinity. He simply sat in his car and pointed a hair dryer out of the window. Thinking that the hair dryer was a radar detector, the drivers slowed their vehicles down because they did not want to suffer the consequences of a speeding ticket. After a while, they were conditioned to drive slower, not because they had the protection of the children in their minds, but because of the anticipation that a radar trap may be in the area. 

God said, "Oh, that you would always have a heart for Me and want to obey Me." We worship God with our lives through our obedience to Him. God doesn't want us to obey His commandments only because we think that someone is watching us or that we are on His radar screen. He wants us to obey always with our whole heart regardless of the rewards that we may receive or the consequences that await us. God has a plan and a purpose for every word that He has spoken and He takes great pride when we submit to Him, for His words bring life. God spoke to Adam and Eve and told them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This was not because He wanted to keep the fruit from them, but because He was seeking to protect them. When they disobeyed and ate the fruit, He was forced to remove the tree of life from their midst and death resulted. We are God's main interest and He is concerned about our lives. Each word that He speaks directs our future and brings about the destiny that He has planned for our lives. We must make sure that our hearts are towards Him and that we are obeying His words so that all will go well in our future. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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12/13/11
WORKED UP OVER NOTHING

Scripture:  Luke 10:41 (Message Bible)  "You're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing."

Can you imagine Jesus telling you that you are fussing far too much and worked up over nothing?  These are the words that He spoke to Martha when she was disturbed because Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet.  Martha was so busy that she could not embrace the wonder of the moment.  The miracle worker, Jesus, was there in her presence but she had more important things to do than to just stop and sit at His feet.  Instead of listening to the awesome revelations that were proceeding from His lips, she received a kind rebuke.  Jesus let Martha know that she was troubled about too many things in her life and was burdened with responsibilities that she needed to put aside for a season.  She desperately needed to let go of the concerns of life and make Jesus the priority and Lord of her life for a moment.

Life is a journey that is meant to be enjoyed, but the tragedy is that we often get so busy that we miss life itself.  Like Martha, our natural obligations take precedence over the things that are eternally important.  We make ourselves into slaves and serve the need to serve.  God never instructed us to be busy about so many things.  He told us to abide in Him and in His words so that our prayers would be answered and our lives would be fruitful and fulfilled.  God never promised rewards to those who were just busy.  He said the fruitful life is the one that brings glory to God (John 15:8).  We must learn the difference between what is good and what is best.  Jesus was never stressed or in a frenzy because He had the wisdom to pull away from everything that surrounded Him so that He could spend time with His Father and also find rest for His natural body.

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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12/14/11
GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH

Scripture: I Timothy 6:12 "Fight the good fight of faith."

Faith has many challenges. The storms will get rough, the mountains will be too hard to climb, the rivers too deep to cross, the valleys too dark and lonely, and the battle too long and weary. This is the reason the Apostle Paul told Timothy to "fight the good fight of faith." Faith itself is a battle and is only won through great effort. When God speaks a word of faith into your heart, the devil comes immediately to steal that word through offense, persecutions, and the cares of this life (Luke 4:15-19). To receive God's promise, you must hold on to God's word and endure to the end. You must fight the good fight of faith. A good fight is one where you know that you are going to win. You have a secret plan, a hidden weapon, or you hold the high card in your hand and you know that you can draw on that strength when the demand comes.

After Paul told Timothy to fight the good fight of faith, he instructed him to, "Lay hold on eternal life." The fight of faith can't even begin until Jesus is professed as Lord and trust is placed in Him and His completed work at Calvary. Having faith in ourselves and who we are, our financial security, our education, and our relationships will fail at some point, for there is no supernatural substance in them. Having the assurance that we belong to God and that we have obtained eternal life through the blood of Jesus is our hidden strength. With this revelation in our hearts, even the gates of Hell can not prevail against us.

As you face today and the following days after, remember that there will always be battles. The Apostle Paul had battles and he told Timothy that he too would have battles. Serving Jesus does not exempt you from problems. In fact, many times it qualifies you to go to the front lines of the battle. Your faith will be challenged in all areas, but understand that your faith does not have the responsibility to prove the devil wrong. Faith is designed to enforce what God has already accomplished. You hold the keys to God's kingdom. Jesus said, "Whatever you loose on Earth will be loosed in Heaven and whatever you bind on Earth will be bound in Heaven" (Matthew 16:19). You don't have to debate with evil. Instead, just resist it and declare the written words of God as Jesus did. Jesus said, "It is written" and then quoted the Word of God when He was tempted with evil. Let the devil debate with Almighty God and His word. You will discover that the devil will flee at God's Word, for he knows that he is already defeated. God and His Word always prevail. This is the good fight of faith. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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12/15/11
HELP WHEN THINGS LOOK HOPELESS 

Scripture: Psalms 146:5 "Happy is he that has the God of Jacob for his help; whose hope is in the Lord his God." 

Joy comes when we learn to depend upon God in every situation. Have you ever been to the point that you viewed the situation with a sense of helplessness and hopelessness? Your individual strength was too weak and your material resources were too scarce to solve the problem that loomed before you. I have faced many of these situations and I can truly say that when I put things in God's hands and saw Him solve the problem, I was truly amazed and happy because of the help that He gave me. 

For example, my son and I were raking the yard one day and noticed the leaves and pine needles that were caught on the eves of the windows on the second story of my home. I knew that they had been there for the whole season and that if they were not removed soon they could possibly start a leak in the roof. I did not have a ladder long enough for us to be able to clear the roof and could not afford the expense of a professional. So, right there in my yard, I prayed that God would show me what to do or send someone to help me. To my surprise, a few minutes later, a man walked into my cul-de-sac looking for trees that he could trim. I told him that I did not have any trees that needed cutting, but that my roof needed to be cleared. He said he would do it for twenty dollars, which was within my budget, but neither of us had a ladder long enough to reach the roof. However, God always has provisions for His plans. When He answers a prayer, He answers it right! He never sends an answer that is not equipped or won't work. The man looked at the house and asked if I had a small ladder. He used my six-foot ladder to get upon the lowest point of the house, which was the utility room. He then raised the ladder up and put it on the roof of the utility room and then climbed the ladder and made his way all the way to the top of the house. He cleaned the roof, came down, and was gone. God answered my very simple prayer and finished His work in less than thirty minutes from the time I prayed. What an awesome God! 

We often limit God because we simply do not ask for His help. Other times, we allow fear to hinder and steal our blessing. All the while the man was climbing, the enemy was speaking into my ear concerning the unsafe conditions of the whole situation. Yet, God had sent me a professional man who does this type of work every day. He apparently knew what he was doing and knew how to do it. God also knew what He, Himself, was doing and He knew how to do it. This experience left me with joy, not because the job was done or because I saved money, but because I saw God meet my need in a special way. God was my personal helper when I needed Him and has become my hope for future needs. I can agree with David's words, "Happy is the one who has God for His help." +++

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12/16/11
BUTTER AND HONEY 

Scripture: Isaiah 7:15 "Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse evil, and choose good." 

When I grew up, I was poor but didn't know it because my family had as much and maybe a little more than most families in my town. We had a house that my dad had built and daily food, but I was much older before I realized that we didn't have the best of foods. When lunchtime came, we were given a choice between a mayonnaise or mustard sandwich. We didn't know that there was supposed to be meat, tomatoes, and lettuce with it. We thanked God, blessed the food, and enjoyed what we had. If you offered me only bread with mayonnaise or mustard today, I would look in wonder at the meager provision because I have tasted and learned that there is so much more. Yet, had I never experienced a complete sandwich, I would not have learned that anything was missing. It is the same as drinking a regular soda or a diet drink. We know the difference because we have tasted the real thing. 

The prophet Isaiah spoke in a spiritual sense about those who have eaten butter and honey. He said that because they have tasted the real thing, they have gained discernment and know to refuse evil and choose good. We often wonder why the people that we associate with choose to live the way they do, for they seem to enjoy their lifestyles of sinful pleasures. Yet, we know that their choice does not measure up to the true joy that is found in serving and worshipping Jesus. Those who choose evil may find pleasure for a moment, but it will be followed by pain, discouragement, guilt, and shame. 

Jeremiah 15:16 says, "Your words were found, and I ate them, your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart." Our spiritual taste becomes refined as we feast on God's words and fellowship in His presence. Once we have tasted of the friendship of God and eaten of His Word, we know that there is nothing to compare with His glories. His love and His word become as the butter to our spirits and the honey to our soul that Isaiah spoke of and our choices become very simple, for we are keen to distinguish between good and evil. There is no contest within our souls in choosing God's will rather than our own desires. We can easily discern between black and white, darkness and light, or right and wrong. Even the subtle tactics of the devil become evident to our spiritual eyes because we have tasted of the goodness of God. There is a popular slogan today, "You are what you eat." Think about it, for so it is with spiritual food. You will only know to refuse evil and choose good when you have chosen the right spiritual diet. ++++

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A Word In Due Season
4th Week of December 2011

12/19/11
STEPS OF A GOOD MAN

Scripture: Psalms 37:23 "The steps of a good man are directed and established of the Lord."

God delights in our way and He busies Himself with every step that we take. Sometimes we get the impression that God just orders our future steps. We fail to realize that He has ordered all of our steps up to this point, and that He is busy working in the present trying to direct us along the way. The Lord makes it His business to be involved with everything that we do. Verse 24 goes on to say, "Though we fall, we shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord grasps our hand in support and upholds us." Thank God for this wonderful promise. We have a heavenly Father that is holding our hand as we walk. He knows that occasionally we are going to stumble and fall so He grasps our hand tightly in His. With His mighty power, He holds us up and supports us so that we are not utterly cast down and unable to get back up.

Proverbs 16:9 declares that "A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure." Very often we plan our day with little thought of God's plan for that day or the season. We are so busy, we just get up and do what needs to be done. We try to direct God instead of resigning ourselves to being led by Him. We pray, "God, bless my plan." instead of "God, make my plan." Jeremiah 10:23 says, "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Jeremiah was acknowledging to God that he was aware that he could not direct his own steps. He knew that he would make mistakes and pleaded that when God corrected him, it would be in judgment and not in anger.

Proverbs 20:24 says, "Man's steps are ordered by the Lord; how can a man then understand his own ways?" We often do not understand where God is leading us, for He often leads us in a way that is against human wisdom. It is then that we must "Trust in the Lord with all of our heart; and lean not to our own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5-6). God has given all of us natural wisdom and expects us to function in that wisdom and take care of our duties. Yet, He desires that we operate in trust and be spiritually sensitive and submissive to His voice and His Spirit. It is only as we submit ourselves totally to Him that He can establish and direct each of our steps. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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12/20/11
FAITH TO CONCEIVE 

Scripture: Luke 1:31 The angel said to Mary, "Thou shalt conceive ... and bring forth." 

There can be no birth without first a conception. This is a natural fact and also a spiritual truth. Even the Holy Christ Child was conceived by Mary. She conceived ... and then she brought forth. It was an unusual conception in that it happened as the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and the power of the Highest overshadowed her (Luke 1:35), but still there was a conception. This supernatural occurrence was a picture of what happens in our spirits when God wants us to give birth to His purposes in our lives. First, His Holy Spirit comes upon us, inspiring us with a vision, a hope, or a dream. After our spirits conceive His thoughts, we then must nurture those thoughts or seeds with faith. Finally, we bring forth or give birth to the vision by the power of God. 

God is so awesome in His plan. The supernatural comes about in such a simple way. Like the conception of a natural child that comes through love making, conception of the spiritual also comes through loving and worshipping God. We see so many examples in the scriptures of people who received a natural blessing when they worshipped God in their spirits. The leper worshipped Jesus and was healed (Matthew 8:2). The ruler worshipped and his daughter was raised from the dead (Matthew 9:18-26). Again, a young girl was delivered of a devil when her mother worshipped Jesus (Matthew 15:22), and a man possessed with many devils was also delivered and made totally whole when he worshipped the Lord (Mark 5:1-13).

You cannot birth healing or any other blessing until you have first conceived it from God in your spirit. You prosper and have health in the natural as your soul prospers (III John 2). It's so simple - whatever you need or desire has to happen first in your heart. Your heart is like a natural womb where the seed is conceived. Proverbs 23:7 says, "As you think in your heart, so are you." Intimacy with God changes you. When you worship God in the midst of your need and hopeless situation, the Holy Spirit overshadows you. True love and worship opens your heart to conceive the supernatural and then faith brings about its birth. You must surrender to God's will and exercise your faith to conceive His promise. As you do, He will plant God's vision of victory deep inside of you and give you strength to deliver in due season. +++

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12/21/11
FAITH'S RESPONSE

Scripture: Luke 1:45 "Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord."

Gabriel, a special messenger angel, was sent by God to speak good tidings to two individuals. As Gabriel delivered his message he received two opposite responses to the words that he spoke. One response was filled with faith while the other was clouded with doubt. When Gabriel told the priest, Zechariah, that he would become the father of John the Baptist, Zechariah responded by saying, "How shall I know this?" He wanted solid proof, but by questioning the validity of the message, he questioned the validity of the messenger (verse 18). Zechariah's doubt provoked the angel and Gabriel told him, "You shall be dumb, and not be able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because you didn't believe my words."

Gabriel's second visit was to a young virgin named Mary, who was destined to become the mother of Jesus. Questions also arose in Mary's mind. However, her questions were not the result of unbelief, but rather dealt with the information that she might have needed to fulfill the promise. In Luke 1:34 she said, "How shall this be, since I don't know a man?" She was possibly wondering if this great miracle would happen through natural means so she informed the angel that she was a virgin. Gabriel answered her question with these words, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God." When she realized that it would come about supernaturally, she began to rejoice saying, "Be it unto me according to your word." Mary was blessed because she believed.

How often do we hear from God and go through great struggles with the words that He has revealed to us? Like Zechariah, we often ask, "How do I know this promise is true?" rather than saying, like Mary, "How shall this be or how shall this happen?" When God speaks, He doesn't want us to question His word, but He does want us to ask for His direction to bring about that word. Most of the time there are necessary steps in the natural that must be taken for God's words to come to pass so God wants to reveal His plans to us. For instance, when God speaks to a minister to build a new church, faith arises in the minister's heart. He grasps the vision but physical actions have to be taken on his part for the word of faith to come to pass. Regardless of whether God plans to do a natural or a supernatural work through us, He still desires a faith response to His initial word. In essence, our attitude should be like Mary's, "I believe You, God. How is this going to happen and what do you want me to do so that there will be a performance of those things which you have spoken to me?" +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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12/22/11
BETHLEHEM, THE HOUSE OF BREAD

Scripture: Matthew 2:1 "Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea."

The birth of the Savior in the city of Bethlehem was no accident. It was prophesied in scripture centuries before Jesus was born that the Messiah would come from the seed of David and out of the city of Bethlehem where King David was from (John 7:42). And Matthew 2:6 declared that even though Bethlehem was the least of the cities of Judah that a Governor would come from her who would rule God's people, Israel. Before God even sent His own Son to the Earth to redeem mankind from his sin, He planned for His Son, Jesus, to be born in this city called Bethlehem. 

God always has a plan and never does anything randomly. He has purpose for all things and fulfills His own words. To make sure that Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem at this perfect time in history, He caused a census to be taken that required people to go back to their cities of birth and lineage. It was probably very difficult for Joseph and Mary to make this journey considering their financial means and the condition of Mary's body being great with child. Yet regardless of the impending challenges, their journey had great purpose and the events that happened when they reached their destination in Bethlehem fulfilled the prophecies of long ago.

Bethlehem seemed to be just another city but the name Bethlehem had great significance, for it means the "House of Bread." In this place, God was sharing Himself and giving us His bread from Heaven, for Jesus is the Bread of God (John 6:33). God was making the provision for all mankind to partake of the Bread of Life (John 6:35) and to experience the Living Bread (John 6:51). Without this Bread from God we have no substance. We have no hope or provision for eternal life. So it seems to be very fitting for Joseph and Mary to be found in Bethlehem, the House of Bread, when the true and the Living Bread from God was to be born.

Every plan that God has and everything that He does is awesome in perfection. His wisdom is beyond compare. He went before Joseph and Mary and prepared a place in the inn with a manger where Jesus could be laid in His swaddling clothes. God also staged the shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem who would come and worship the new born King and He brought the wise men from afar with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh for Joseph and Mary's provision. God set a future before Joseph and Mary and fulfilled His words. All they had to do was to walk into their destiny. Now He sets His Living Bread before us, whom Jesus declared Himself to be that Bread from Heaven (John 6:31). He alone can satisfy our hunger as we partake of His Words of life. Let us pray each day as Jesus taught us to pray that God would give us our daily bread, not just the physical bread that will satisfy our hunger, but also the Bread that comes down from Heaven that will feed our soul. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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12/23/11
ONE SOLITARY LIFE 

Scriptures: Luke 2:10 - 11 & 1:31 - 33 "Fear not: I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Thou shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest ... And He shall reign forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end."

"He was born in an obscure village.
He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty.
He then became an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book.
He never held an office.
He never had a family or owned a house.
He didn't go to college.
He had no credentials but Himself.
While He was still a young man, the tide of public opinion turned against Him and His friends ran away.
He went through a trial that was a mockery.
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.
While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth, and that was His coat.
When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave. 

Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today
He is the central figure of the human race.
All the armies that have ever marched,
All the navies that have ever sailed,
All the parliaments that have ever sat,
And all the kings that have ever reigned have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that ..." 

ONE SOLITARY LIFE ... Copied - From Unknown Author +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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A Word In Due Season
5th Week of December 2011

12/26/11
LIKE SHEEP

Scripture: Matthew 9:36 "And what pity He felt for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great that they didn't know what to do or where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd."

When Jesus was born, the angels heralded His birth saying, "Good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11). Some thirty years after this angelic salutation, Jesus began the ministry that He was sent to fulfill. He traveled through all the cities and villages, healing the sick, delivering the oppressed, and teaching in the Jewish synagogues. As the Messiah, Jesus announced the Good News of the Kingdom, for God the Father had anointed Him to bring good tidings to the poor, suffering, and afflicted. Jesus also comforted the brokenhearted, opened the eyes of the blind, and announced liberty to the captives. He gave joy to those who mourned, beauty for those whose lives and dreams had turned to ashes, and replaced the heaviness in the hearts of men with praise (Isaiah 61:1-3).

As Jesus ministered His message of good news to the multitudes, He compared them to sheep. Until Jesus came, the people wandered around as though they had no shepherd. Their problems were so great that they didn't know what to do or where to go for help. We often find ourselves in this same place because our problems outweigh our solutions, and we have no avenues to receive help. Even our family and friends fail us. We find ourselves overwhelmed by all that surrounds us as we try to lean upon our own understanding. We try to fix our problems and we wander around like lost sheep that have no shepherd or direction. In the midst of it all, we forget that we have a wonderful Friend that we can go to, who will stick closer to us than our own brother.

We can be thankful to God that He looks on us with compassion when we are passing through these dark valleys. Before our problems ever existed, God sent and anointed Jesus to bring us good news and ordained Him to be our Great Shepherd. As our Great Shepherd, we can confidently lean upon Him and be assured that He will lead us into green pastures and beside the still waters. We can trust that Jesus will always be there to heal our broken hearts and restore our souls, for He has made a special vow to never leave us or forsake us under any conditions. We never have to wander around as sheep who do not know what to do or where to go. If we simply listen to Jesus' voice and follow Him as He walks before us, He will lead us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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12/27/11
PURIFIED BY FIRE

Scripture: Proverbs 17:3 "The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts."

Just as silver and gold are purified by fire, so the Lord purifies the hearts of men by fiery trials. Do you ever face seemingly unusual and strange situations? For no reason at all everyone seems to be coming against you, or perhaps you find yourself facing financial problems or unusual attacks in your health. Peter said, "Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is come to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you" (I Peter 4:12). These things are not strange. God is taking you through these trials to try your heart and develop your character. So be encouraged, knowing that even in adverse circumstances, God is still in control. The reason God is allowing these fires and tests is because He believes that you are well able to pass them. As you go through these tests, you can be assured that God is sitting on His throne and watching over you constantly. Malachi 3:3 says, "God sits as a refiner and purifier of silver; and He shall purify ... and purge them as gold and silver." He is the refiner, and He knows what the final result should be.

Purifying and purging gold or silver is a long tedious process that turns an unusable ore into precious metal. The ore is heated until all the impurities and dross rise to the top. The refiner then removes these impurities, and once the impurities are taken away, the ore is heated again. As this process is repeated again and again, the refiner sits by the fire watching. He is careful never to leave the ore to itself while it is on the fire. He keeps the fire at the right temperature for the impurities to separate from the gold and silver and never allows the fire to become so hot that it ruins the metal. He sits there constantly maintaining the temperature, watching the melt down, and removing the dross. Time after time, the fire is heated to greater degrees, and the impurities are removed until the refiner is able to get the results that he is attempting to achieve. He is waiting until he can see his own reflection in the liquid metal. When this occurs, the refining process is complete. The gold or silver is pure and fit for use.

So it is with your life. Psalms 66:10 says, "God has proved us and tried us as silver is tried." God allows seemingly strange fiery trails to come your way for the purpose of purifying your heart so that His reflection is revealed in you right in the midst of the fire and test. When this is accomplished, He then deems you to be a pure vessel that is fit for the Master's use. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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12/28/11
JESUS IS THE WORD 

Scripture: John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 

"Word" in this scripture refers to Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Messiah, and the Savior of the world. This scripture could have read, "In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God." Verse fourteen tells us that the Word (Jesus) was made flesh and dwelt among us so that we could behold the glory of the only begotten of the Father. Everything about Jesus is glorious, for in Him is life and His life is the light of men. Darkness cannot overcome His light and death cannot swallow up His life that He gives to us. 

We always think about an eternal future where time will never end and we all desire and trust that we will spend our eternity in Heaven with Jesus. Much is said about this beautiful place. There is talk about mansions, streets of gold, gates or pearl, and being able to worship God for all eternity. Yet nothing much is said about the eternal past, for we have no information about the beginning of God or where He came from or the beginning of time. We do know that the Apostle John said that the Word, Jesus, was there in the very beginning. He was with God when God formed the world and He also had a part in our creation, for God said, "Let us make man in Our own image." They worked together, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to make each one of us into a special individual design. 

The written Word and the Word (Jesus), who became flesh, are both eternal living organisms and both speak to our hearts in different ways. The Light of His Word reveals the Life that is in Christ Jesus and the Life of Jesus imparts His Light into our spirits. When we hear or read the written Word, Jesus imparts revelation into our spirit and the written Word confirms the words that we receive when Jesus speaks to our heart by the Spirit. They never contradict each other and we are never left undone about what God is speaking to our hearts. In the past, Moses gave the law, which were commandments that were written in stone. Today the Word of Light and Life is written, not on tablets of stone, but upon our hearts. God's Word becomes a part of us and is the grace and truth that we are to live by. Think about this awesome revelation that the Apostle John shared. Jesus was with God and He is God. Now, when we receive Jesus into our hearts, this same Light and Life dwells within us. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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12/29/11
THE PROMISE OF A SONG 

Scripture: Hosea 2:15 "And she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth." 

God made a wonderful promise to the people of Israel. Even though Israel had failed God, He gave comforting words saying that He would restore them. He would take the trouble they were going through and would turn that trouble into a door of hope. Salvation would come and they would sing again just as they did in their youth. Like the people of Israel, sometimes the song in our heart gets immersed in our sadness and mourning. Other times it gets covered up by the heaviness of our many problems. When our burdens get too heavy, we tend to stop singing and worshipping because it takes a certain energy to sing and give praise. We may try to make an earnest effort to offer the sacrifice of praise, but it really seems forced. We become like the captive Jews the psalmist spoke of in Psalms 137:2, who were in exile and couldn't sing.

I was in a season of grief and despair when God revealed this scripture to my heart and made it a promise for my future. I had lost the song in my heart because of the heartache, confusion, and abuse that was happening in my life. Things looked bleak and a spirit of hopelessness surrounded me. This dark season only lasted for a couple of years but it seemed like an eternity to my soul. I thought I would never be delivered, much less sing again, but God was faithful to do both. 

You may feel that you are in spiritual exile and the adverse circumstances that you are in may cause you to think that you will never sing again, but I am witness to let you know that God is faithful. God knows exactly where you are. You can't escape His knowledge or exhaust His love and mercy. God sees the reasons that the song has left your heart and He understands. He will reach down and lift you up out of the pit of doom and despair. He will speak grace to the mountains that you are facing and will create a straight and even path in the wilderness. He will work on your behalf by calling things that be not as though they were and your song will come again as God begins to reveal Himself to you in a new and fresh way.

God will use your valley to show you the grandeur of the mountain. He will take the storm that rages about you and show you His enormous peace. In your lack, God will show you His bountiful provision. He will replace your confusion with clear direction and in your weakness allow you to experience His awesome strength. As God begins to share this fresh revelation of Himself to you, a new song of praise will be birthed in your heart. Just like Israel, your valley of bitterness will turn into a door of hope and new life will come as God resurrects and restores you. Your spirit will become lighter and your notes will be clearer as God causes you to sing as you did in the days of your youth. +++

Copyright © 2011 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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12/30/11
NEW BOTTLES 

Scripture: Mark 2:22 "New wine must be put into new bottles." 

Jesus taught His disciples a very simple but profound truth about the dangers of mingling the old with the new. He said, "Don't sew a new piece of garment onto an old piece and don't put new wine into old bottles." His message defined God's principles concerning the separation between the things of the Spirit and those of the flesh. It spoke of the difference between responding in faith and just being obedient to the law. The new teachings of grace and truth, which came by Jesus Christ, could not be contained in the old laws, which were given by Moses (John 1:17). Neither could the Holy Spirit, which is represented by the new wine, be received into old and unclean vessels. God's Spirit must only be received into new bottles, for Jesus made His point very clear, "The old will always destroy the new."

In all of life's experiences, we face this process whether spiritual or natural. The old must go in order to receive the new. We would never consider the option of installing new carpet over the old or wearing old clothing under our new apparel. Nor can we imagine storing drinks and food in old and unclean containers. Yet, we tend to follow this pattern with our spiritual surroundings and relationships. We refuse to let go of the past and stubbornly store negative memories in our hearts because it's just too hard to let go. We then try to cover these past hurts with our new dreams and fresh visions. We won't get rid of the bitterness that plagues us and keeps us from experiencing love again, but instead we try to pile our new hopes onto the old emotional scars and end up sabotaging our new relationships. Even though we realize these thoughts hold us back and deter our growth, we will not let go because we can't face being hurt again. Distrust and skepticism have corrupted our vessels so we mask positive attitudes to compensate for our lack as we face our world.

All the while, God is working desperately to do a new thing. He has such good hopes and plans for you, but He is limited because your heart is filled with the clutter of the past. He looks at your heart and has second thoughts about putting His new wine into an old bottle. He says, "Don't consider the former things or the things of old" (Isaiah 43:18). Your dreams may have failed and your closest relationships may have disappointed you, but you must make yourself vulnerable to hurts if you want to experience love and the joy of life again. You must put yourself in emotional harm's way and allow yourself to love and trust again even though it's not easy. You must clean the rooms of your heart and pay particular interest to the closets where your hurts are hidden. As you allow the Holy Spirit to shine His light on all that is dark, He will help you pull out those things that hold you back so that you can deal with them and resolve the issues. You can then go on with life and experience the good plans that God has for you. As you forget the past and press towards the future, God will pour out His blessings upon you and it will be as refreshing as new wine in a new bottle. +++

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