www.widsonline.com

A Word In Due Season
1st Week of April 2012

04/02/12
BOUGHT WITH A PRICE

Genesis 23:13-17 (Living Bible) "... Let me pay the full price of the field ... and the cave and the field became his permanent possession by agreement."

Abraham was seeking a place to bury his wife, Sarah, and because he was so honored in the land, the men of Heth told him to choose the finest of their sepulchers for her burial. When he chose a field and a cave that belonged to one of the men of Heth, the man offered to give the parcel of ground to Abraham without charge. But Abraham refused the offer, choosing instead to pay the full price for it. He wanted to make his claim to this possession sure and final.

When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness he offered to give Jesus the kingdoms of this world (Luke chapter 4). Satan's gift appeared to be free. All that Jesus had to do to receive the kingdoms was to bow down and worship Satan. Certainly this offer might have seemed a lot less painful physically, mentally, and emotionally for Jesus than the cross that He was facing. Jesus, however, chose instead to pay the full price to gain His kingdom and purchase our salvation. He chose the ultimate prize and paid the ultimate price. Acts 20:28 tells us that it was with Jesus' own blood that He purchased us. The price of our redemption included suffering, shame, and death on a cruel cross. The devil tries to make claim to our soul, but because of Jesus, he has no rights. When Jesus shed His blood for the price of our sin, He sealed our salvation, and we became His permanent possession. We belong to Jesus if we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth that He is Lord and that God has raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9).

It's wonderful to know that Jesus loved us so much that He would pay such a great price. It is awesome to realize that His entire life was wrapped up in this one purpose. He was made flesh and dwelt among us so that He could pay the debt that we owed. I Corinthians 6:20 declares that we have been "bought with a price." Let us rejoice, for we belong to God and we are His permanent possession. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
04/03/12
RESURRECTION LIFE

Scripture: John 12:24 "Except a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone: but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit."

Jesus spoke of the necessity of His death before there could be resurrection life. He compared His life and death to the same process that a grain of wheat goes through before it can produce new life and fruit. No seed can be placed in a protected environment, kept from decay and death, and be fruitful. Jesus said that if the seed does not die, it will abide alone, for fruitfulness comes only as the seed lays aside its life and gives itself to total darkness.

God's work on the natural seed is a mystery. The death of a seed will cause it to multiply and bring forth. It becomes not only nourishment for those who eat of its fruit, but it also creates other seeds that will repeat the same process. It's amazing to plant one kernel of corn that is the size of the end of your small finger, then watch it grow into a seven-foot stalk in just a short time. The stalk will then produce about eight ears of corn, and each ear will have hundreds of kernels. How can one small seed do all that work in such a short time? We can't understand how the earth, air, water, and sun all work together to bring about this wondrous miracle, but we believe it because we see the results. This phenomenon takes place because God's power and life are working inside the seed.

So it is with the work of Christ, His death, and resurrection. We don't understand the reason why His death brings us life, but we believe because we see the results. And because we have had an experience with Him, we become as another seed and also have the power of the life of Christ living on the inside of us. However, before we can produce life and fruit, we must be removed from a protected environment so that we can experience the death of the things that are within us, such as self and the world. We must take on the new life of the Spirit of Christ and surrender ourselves to the Spirit of God, allowing Him to work in us just as the earth, air, water, and sun worked on the natural seed. We must abide alone with God and allow Him to direct our entire life, for it is only then that we will be productive and God will be glorified in our lives.

Like the hope of the small and seemingly insignificant seed, we must have faith for our future. We must not allow ourselves to become discouraged as we envision the death and decay that is happening in our lives at the moment. For, God is creating something within us that we cannot see. We must rejoice in the darkness as we embrace the vision and the glory of the future. As we yield ourselves to God, He will bring resurrection life. +++

Scripture: John 11:15 (NIV) Jesus said, "I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe."

Martha and Mary sent for Jesus to come minister healing to their brother, Lazarus. Instead of immediately running to the rescue, Jesus stayed where He was for another two days. Even when the evil tidings came to Him that Lazarus had died, He did not panic. In fact, it seemed that He was pleased about the whole situation. Jesus told His disciples, "I'm glad for your sakes that I was not there," meaning not there in time to keep Lazarus from dieing. He had a greater plan.

By the time that Jesus finally arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days. The people that surrounded the situation began their reasonings. Some believed that because Jesus had the power to heal the blind, He could have prevented Lazarus's death if He had been there. Mary's words were in agreement. She said, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." Now that Lazarus was dead, they felt that there was no hope. It seemed their faith could only take them just so far.

However, God had far greater plans than they could ever imagine. He was not limited by disease or death. Neither was He limited by time. He was just as able to work right then, at that moment, as He would have been four days earlier. His intention was to demonstrate His power in a greater way by raising Lazarus from the grave instead of raising Him from the sick bed. Verse four tells us that the whole purpose of this situation was to reveal the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified.

This story touches our lives today because it is so easy to lose faith when God doesn't fulfill our expectations or meet our needs according to our timing. You may even questioned God, "Why weren't You here when I needed You?" You may feel that it's too late to remedy your situation and you may possibly lapse into a spirit of hopelessness. God knows all about your doubts and fears. You must remember that though He tarries for a few days, He is never late. He is always on time. You may not know His plan, but you can be assured that He has a plan.

Like Jesus spoke to His disciples, God is glad for your sakes that He is not there to immediately remedy every situation so that you might learn to believe in Him. He wants to take you from one level of faith to another and from glory to glory. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. When Jesus comes on the scene, He will bring life to those things that have become dead in your life. He will fix your circumstances and resurrect your life from the shambles. He will cause your dreams and visions to come alive. He will bring new life into your relationships where you thought there was no hope. Isaiah 61:3 says that He will give you beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Believe in Him and you will see that He is not only the God of healing and restoration, but He is also the God of resurrection. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
04/05/12
LOGOS OR RHEMA WORD

Scripture: Matthew 16:17 "For flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but My Father which is in Heaven."

When Jesus asked the disciples who men were saying that He was, the disciples responded that some thought that Jesus was either John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets. They did not add any other personal conclusion. Jesus then asked them, "But whom do you say that I am?" He was interested in their personal revelation of His identity and deity. Peter replied, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." It is obvious that Peter had a greater understanding and deeper revelation about Jesus than the other disciples. Yet the other disciples had been with Jesus and had experienced a close communion with Him just as Peter had. Something had made the difference in Peter's recognition that the man they had hung out with for three years was not just another man who had taught them the scriptures or showed them where to fish. He wasn't just the local carpenter. He was in reality the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and Jesus told Peter that this revelation did not come to him by flesh and blood but by the Father in Heaven.

The written Word of God is truly awesome. It came to us through many writers who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Yet it all comes together in unity and it all speaks about Jesus. No other words, written or spoken, can bring faith, healing, strength, hope, direction, and comfort like God's Word. This is because when the Spirit of God breathes upon the Word, it becomes a living organism. Jesus said, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). And because God's words are Spirit, they cannot be revealed to us by flesh and blood. It is true that God will use natural teachers. But like Peter's revelation of Jesus, the Father, Himself, must supernaturally open up the eyes of our understanding. We can read a scripture a thousand times, and then one day, it will just seem to come alive and this supernatural revelation and understanding will illuminate our very being. This is the difference between the Logos Word, which is the written Word of God, and the Rhema Word, which is the revealed Word.

Most of us can discern that this is a special season in history and many of us believe that God has called us to His kingdom for such a time as this (Esther 4:14). The Word has declared that those who know their God will be strong and do exploits (Daniel 11:32). God is Spirit and we were created in His image. God has mysteries that He wants to make known, but He will only speak to us as He did to Peter, Spirit to Spirit. To fulfill His mighty promises for our lives, each one of us will need to have a personal revelation from God because flesh and blood can not reveal the things of the Spirit. And flesh and blood cannot receive the things of the Spirit. So let us ask God to give us supernatural revelation, which will cause His written Logos Word to come alive as a Rhema Word within our hearts. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
04/06/12
ETERNAL GIFTS OF LOVE

Scripture: John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

You cannot imagine how much love God has for you. I John 4:10 says, "Not that we loved Him, but that He loved us; and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins." God's love was so enormous that He gave His Son. How many of us would give our sons or daughters to die in the place of someone else? To be honest, I don't know for sure that I could give up my son to die for you. Even though I may love you very deeply, I would probably choose my son's life over yours. As humans, our capacity to love is limited, but God's capacity is so great that He was able to give His only begotten Son.

God not only gave His Son in death for us, but He also watched Him as He was beaten, crowned with thorns, and hung on Calvary's cross in shame. How many times do you think that God the Father may have wanted to change His mind and do something about the situation? Yet, God's great love caused Him to allow His Son to suffer in agony for you and for me. Jesus Himself could have called the angels to deliver Him. God the Father or Jesus could have stopped the process at any time, but our souls hung in the balance and depended upon Their sacrifice. As Jesus became sin for us, God turned His face away from Him and heard the agonizing cry of His Son, "My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?" Jesus' cry must have been like a dagger in the heart of His Father, as His Father watched the cruel suffering of His Son. Have you ever watched someone special to you suffer in death? Have you faced those times where you had to turn your face away from their struggle with pain? You could do nothing about their situation, but God had a choice in the matter and still chose the ultimate sacrifice.

There are two eternal gifts of love that have been given to us. First, God gave His only begotten Son, and second, Jesus gave His own life. If we could ever comprehend these two eternal gifts of love, we would be able to trust the One who gave His Son for us and trust the One who gave His life for us. Revelation 1:5 says, "He loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood." God gave His Son, what more could He give? Jesus gave His own life, what more could He give? +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================

A Word In Due Season
2nd Week of April 2012

04/09/12
A SHOUT IN HEAVEN

Scripture: Jeremiah 25:30 "The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter His voice from His holy habitation; He shall mightily roar ... He shall give a shout."

Our God is not timid and neither is He quiet. With His voice, He makes His presence known among the inhabitants of the earth. The prophet Jeremiah said that the Lord roars from on high. Psalms 47:5 says, " God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet." And I Thessalonians 4:16 tells us that when the Lord comes back to the earth again, He will "descend from Heaven with a shout." Think about it; God goes and He comes with a shout. It sounds as though we are serving a noisy God, but His shouts are not empty sounds. They are shouts of victory.

There were words and shouts coming from the lips of God from the very beginning of creation. The earth and the universe heard the sound of His mighty voice as He called all things into existence. Every time God speaks, something happens because His words change the atmosphere. Things either come into being or they are changed, for His words are not idle and never return to Him void. Whatever He speaks will come to pass, for His words have purpose and are full of power. God not only shouts but He commanded His people to shout. He told them to march around Jericho and then shout. When they obeyed His word, the walls came down (Joshua 6:20). The people also shouted when the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the city (I Samuel 4:5-6) and when the temple foundation was completed (Ezra 3:11).

Life has many challenges and we should go into each one with a shout of praise, knowing that God is sovereign and is in control of every situation. Our shouts of praise announce our faith in God. If we sound out words of defeat, we will feel defeated. If we sound out words of victory, we will feel victorious. Psalms 5:11 says, "Let all those that put their trust in You (God) rejoice: Let them ever shout for joy because You defend them." God hears the shouts of joy and He blesses expectant people.
There is a shout in Heaven even today. Can you hear the Lord's shout? It is a shout of victory and not defeat because Jesus finished His work here on Earth. He sacrificed His own life on the cross of Calvary, defeated the devil, arose from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and is now sitting on the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. That is something for us to shout about. We need to start today with praise on our lips. Regardless of what surrounds us, our response should be a shout of faith. We must understand that God doesn't expect us to stand alone in our difficult times. If we pray and engage Him in our battles, He will give a shout from Heaven that will shake the forces that are against us. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
04/10/12
SIFTED LIKE WHEAT

Scripture: Luke 22:31 "Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat."

Aren't you glad that this was not the final word? In the next scripture, Jesus finished His thought by saying, "But I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail." Have you ever felt like you were being put through a sifting process? Even your faith was beginning to falter as you felt yourself losing control of your own life. Circumstances were causing you to feel just like grain that is being threshed. In the threshing process, the grain is first trodden on by animals so that it can be broken up. Then it is thrown into to the air with forks so that the wind can carry away the chaff. When you are trodden on, broken up, and tossed about like the grain, you begin to realize that if God doesn't help you, you will be lost with the chaff in the whole process.

If you are in the process of being tossed about, you should take courage. God knows what is happening to you right now and what will happen in the future. He knows the enemy is after your soul, but with every temptation, God has already made a way of escape for you. Jesus told Peter in advance that the enemy was going to try to sift Peter as wheat. But Jesus also gave Peter a wonderful promise that He would pray for him during the whole process. Isn't it a relief and a comfort to know that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God and that He is praying and making intercession for you? (Romans 8:34)

Romans 8:35-39 asks, "Who can separate us from the love of Christ?" There is nothing and no one who can sift and separate you away from God's love. Paul listed seventeen things that the devil used to try to separate him from the love of God, and Satan will use the same approach on you: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, death, life, angels, principalities, powers, things present, things to come, heights, depth, or other creatures. When these things come against you and you feel like you are being crushed, beat down, thrown in the air, and then sifted in the wind like the wheat, don't lose hope. Jesus is praying for you and He never slumbers or sleeps. If you call to mind the Lord's amazing love and grace and His prayers of intercession for you, it will help you endure the sifting process and protect you from Satan's desire. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
04/11/12
WALKING WITH GOD

Scripture: Micah 6:8 (Living Bible) "God has told you what He wants, and this is all it is: to be fair and just and merciful, and to walk humbly with your God."

God delivered Israel out of Egypt by giving them great leaders such as Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. God also reversed the curse of Balaam and brought His chosen people into the Promised Land. He did mighty things for His people so that they might understand the righteousness of God. Yet, they turned away from God, causing Him to ask these questions, "Why have you turned away from Me? Don't you remember what happened and what I did for you?"

Israel proposed to make up for their sins by offering God sacrifices of calves, rams, and rivers of olive oil. They even offered to sacrifice their oldest children. However, God did not want their sacrifices. Instead, He simply wanted their obedience. He had already told them what His desires and demands were. He wanted them to love Him, fear Him, walk in all His ways, and serve Him with all of their heart and soul (Deut.10:12). Walking with someone indicates that you are in agreement with them in your spirit. Amos 3:3 confirms this by stating, "Can two walk together except they be in agreement?" When you walk with someone, you go in the same direction they go, and you strive to reach the same destination and goals that they are striving for.

This is God's desire for you that you walk with Him and be in agreement with Him and His Word. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). God does not want you to offer Him an occasional sacrifice to make up for your spiritual lack or your sins. You can never regain through sacrifice what you lose through disobedience. God wants you to be filled with His Spirit and follow after His own heart as closely as you can. He wants you to love Him with every fiber of your being and make every effort to walk in continual obedience to His commands. God is speaking tenderly to you today saying, "Walk with Me today, this is all that I want." +++

Scripture: Psalms 119:130 "The entrance of Thy words give light; it gives understanding unto the simple."

God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. There is not even the slightest hint of a shadow or variation in Him, for He doesn't change. His light is not like the pale sunrise that slowly dawns upon the day or the sunset that diminishes in the evening, for His light never departs or decreases, but instead it remains stable forever. As powerful as light is, it cannot be touched or handled. It is just there and its presence or absence is very evident. When God's Word enters our life, His light illuminates our soul and spirit and brings truth into every situation.

Jesus is the Light of the world. The light that comes from His Word corrects, convicts, and comforts. His Word reveals to us that we have a need for eternal salvation and explains that this salvation was made possible through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. When we hear God's Word concerning healing for our bodies, provisions for our needs, or instructions for a life of righteousness, illumination comes and gives us understanding. Sickness and disease may darken our day, but God's Word concerning healing will dispel all of the darkness. Sin can knock on the door of our heart, but it cannot overcome the light of His Word that is hidden within us. The light that comes with God's Word will enable us to discern the evil of the darkness that is attempting to entice us. King David said, "Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee" ( Psalms 119:11). Clouds of adversity may try to hide God's light from our souls for a season, but if God's Word is within our spirits, His light is always there speaking to us of a better future.

If there is no entrance of God's Words into your life, there can be no light, no spiritual revelation, and no faith because faith comes only by hearing the Word of God. If there is no light, you will not have clear direction and you will walk alone in the darkness. Without the light of His Word, you will stumble and you will experience injury. You will be disoriented and confused about your surroundings and vulnerable to the spirit of fear. Your body and soul will be in jeopardy. This is the reason that you must study God's Word on a daily basis and listen for His voice. It is only then that your soul can be illuminated and that you can walk in the light with the assurance that you are going in the right direction. We may be simple, but we have this wonderful promise from God. His Word is powerful and if we allow it to enter our hearts, it will change us from within. His Word will not only be a light for our life but will also give us understanding for living. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
04/13/12
PRESSING TOWARDS THE MARK

Scripture: Philippians 3:13-14 "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press towards the mark ..."

Life is a series of choices. In the Apostle Paul's instance, his sole ambition was to know Jesus and to be conformed into His image. In an effort to achieve this standing, Paul made the personal choice to lay aside all of his credentials and everything that he had done in the past. As Paul took inventory of his life, he noted that he had been circumcised according to the law. He was also of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and a Pharisee. Paul had position and power and even legal authority to persecute the churches. These were the things that made Paul seem important to himself and to others. Yet, when compared to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom he had met supernaturally in the spirit on the road to Damascus, Paul counted all of his own accomplishments as nothing.

Paul had other things that he had laid aside as he pressed towards the mark of the high calling of God for His life. These were the wrong choices that plagued his mind with guilt and sorrow. He had stood by and watched Steven being stoned. The memory of Steven's face as he was being martyred must have flashed into Paul's thoughts many times. There was also the memory of the other members of the church that Paul had persecuted with such zeal. How could he forget their cries and the agony on their faces? He had much to forget as he pressed towards God's plan. And even though Paul realized that he had not attained perfection, he was determined to press towards the mark of the high calling of God on his life.

What if Paul had not laid aside these things to fulfill God's calling? What if he thought himself too great to bear the cost of becoming an Apostle of Jesus Christ? Why should he sacrifice his credentials and honors to become a minister, who would be beaten, stoned, enslaved, shipwrecked, and suffer hunger and thirst? What if he thought himself too lowly to serve Jesus because he had persecuted the churches? If Paul had never moved beyond the shame and burden of responsibility for his failures, he would have never written nearly three-fourths of the New Testament. Nor would he have ever shared the information that is so vital to the church today. Paul's great achievements for his own life and the instructions, revelations, and spiritual legacy that he gave to the church are the result of his choice to forget what lay behind and to press towards the mark of the high calling of God.

Like Paul, you must continue your walk with the Lord regardless of your own accomplishments or your past failures and regrets. You must follow his example and forget those things in your past that try to distract you from completing God's plan and purpose for your life. You must not only move beyond your failures but also choose to let go of the achievements that you are proud of. If you want to reach God's highest goal for your life, you must lay aside everything in order to press towards the mark of the high calling of God for your own life. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================

A Word In Due Season
3rd Week of April 2012

04/16/12
KINGDOM, POWER, AND GLORY

Scripture: Matthew 6:13 "For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."

Jesus' disciples wanted Him to teach them how to pray. He answered their request by teaching them what we know as the "Lord's Prayer." This prayer that He gave as an example was simple but covered all of their needs. He told them to start their prayer by acknowledging their established relationship with God, who was their Heavenly Father, and to recognize His authority and honor His Name. He told them to submit to God's will and to seek His kingdom and He instructed them to pray concerning their temptations and deliverance from evil. Jesus told them that forgiveness would come to them only as they forgave others. He also included provisions in this prayer for their needs of daily food. The Lord finished this prayer by ascribing all the kingdom authority, all the power, and all of the glory to God the Father.

God has the authority to do all the things that were listed in the Lord's Prayer, and He also has the power and ability to perform them. He is to receive the glory for who He is and for what He does. Fathers want to see the needs and desires of their children taken care of and for them to feel secure and protected by his love. So it is with our Heavenly Father. He finds pride in protecting and causing His own dear children to feel secure and it is His glory when they are well taken care of.

Some of our earthly fathers were able to bless us and give us the things that we wanted and no one could stop them from exercising their parental wills. However, many of our fathers were limited in their power by their personal supply and resources. How many times have we said to our own children, "If it were in my power or ability, I would do it for you?" As parents, we had authority, but no power or ability because our resources were too scarce to take care of their immediate need or desire. Unlike our position, our Father God is not limited in His authority, ability, or power. He is able to do exceedingly beyond anything that we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

God is awesome and He will always be there to meet our needs. Jesus ended His prayer by reminding the disciples that God's kingdom, power, and glory were to be forever. God's kingdom and authority are eternal because He will always occupy the throne. His power and ability has no end because He is able to create, and His glory is eternal because of Who He is. He is Almighty God, our Heavenly Father and we honor His Holy Name. To Him be all the glory and power forever. Amen. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
04/17/12
WAITING ON HIM

Scripture: Psalms 25:21 "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on You."

In this psalm David mentions waiting on God three separate times. He says that those who wait on God will not be ashamed (Vs. 3). David also declares that God is his salvation and that he will wait upon God all of the day (Vs. 5). He then speaks of integrity and uprightness preserving him while he waits (Vs. 21).

It is difficult to wait upon anything in life, but waiting upon God can truly generate some challenging moments. When God first speaks a word in our ear, we hear it clearly and it excites us. Amazingly, with just a quiet simple word, we begin to prepare to receive what has been spoken into our spirits. Our strength is fresh and we are ready to run with the vision. However, the answer doesn't usually come right away and we find that we have to exercise our faith if we want to receive the fullness of the promise. It is as though we are viewing a bend in the road and we can't see around the corner. We have no idea how much longer the journey will be once we turn that corner. We only know that our destiny awaits even though the complete picture is not in view.

David experienced these same situations. He knew God's voice, but he too had to wait for God to fulfill His plan. David's enemies no doubt mocked him, but he refused to be ashamed of waiting on God's perfect timing for his deliverance. However long the day or the season, he determined to wait. He knew that God was bigger than any mountain of adversity, for David had seen God deliver the giant into his hand. He knew that his bond and relationship with the Lord was stronger than all of the sins that he had committed, for he had experienced God's forgiveness and grace. David knew that God's love was greater and deeper than any sea, for he had felt it on the mountainsides when God created songs within his heart as he tended the sheep.

Like David, God is our salvation and we must endeavor to get into the mainstream of His will for our lives. We must not allow ourselves to get emotionally involved with any situations that will draw us away from His divine purposes. As we walk in the light of what God has said, we have confidence instead of shame. The integrity and uprightness of our faith will sustain us because we know that we are waiting on God and that He will watch over His words to perform them. +++

Scripture: Acts 17:25 "He gives to all life, and breath, and all things."

Jesus came that we may have life and have it more abundantly. This doesn't mean that He will make every one of us rich in earthly goods or cause us all to be famous. It also doesn't mean that we will all experience excellent health or exceed in wisdom. Instead, it means that our individual lives have the potential to be fulfilling and that we all have the same opportunity for the joy of the Lord to overflow in our souls. Deuteronomy 30:19 tells us that God sets before us life and death and then instructs us to choose life. Proverbs 18:21 says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. So we must understand that even our words create and destroy life and that the outcome of our lives depend upon our own attitudes and the choices that we make.

Our life, our breath, and everything that we have came from God, for He created the world and everything that is in it. Every breath that we take is because He breathes life into us. Every drop of blood that our hearts pumps is because He causes the pressures within the heart and arteries to make it happen. Every step that we take is because He gives us mobility. Everything that our hands grasp is because of the strength that He imparts. Every thought that we think is because He has provided us with a brain and a logical mind. Everything that we see is because of the eyes that He has furnished. Every sound that we are able to hear is because He has given us ears and opened our hearing. Every ounce of life that we have and enjoy is because of Him. Our very lives are held in the hands of the Almighty God.

God knows all about us. We may be able to hide our thoughts and feelings from the closest people around us but God made us and He knows when we are up and when we are down. He is ever watching and sees us as we are coming in and going out. Nothing is hidden from His view. He uncovers the secrets that are deeply hidden within our hearts so that He can heal them. He communicates with us not just through the things of life but as a friend to a friend. He calls us each by name and deals with us individually, spirit to spirit. He give us life, breath, and all things. Let us never neglect to love and commune with this One who has created us, for in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
04/19/12
BREAK UP THE FALLOW GROUND

Scripture: Hosea 10:12 "... break up the fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord ..."

Fallow ground is ground that has not been plowed and turned up for some time. Because it has been neglected, it has becomes hard and crusty. Nothing can grow or flourish in it because of its condition. Seeds can't be dropped into it because of the soil's hardness. And even if they were forced by some means into the hardened soil, they wouldn't survive because the rains that came to water them could not be absorbed. The ground itself becomes a monument of hopelessness to others until the keeper of the ground makes a decision to break up the soil and prepare it for a fruitful harvest. Once the decision is made and the process is started, it demands time and involves much labor and effort. It is not an easy job but the fruitful rewards are priceless.

The condition of the fallow ground is a parallel to the condition of the spiritual state that we find ourselves in at times. Because we have not diligently sought the Lord, read His word, and lingered in His presence, our hearts have become hard and cold. The further we fall away, the worse the condition of our hearts become. Eventually, like the hardened soil, we can't seem to receive anything from God's Word, our prayers can't get past the ceiling, and we lack the enthusiasm that we once had for anything spiritual in our lives. The lust of the flesh and other things consume our very being. Only thorns are able to survive in the gardens of our hearts because of our hearts' lack of nourishment. We find ourselves in a pitiful state.

Oh, but God is good. His word says, "Break up the fallow ground. It is time to seek the Lord." The Lord leaves the initial effort up to us. We must repent and seek Him. We must turn over the hardened clods of soil in our hearts and expose ourselves to the Lord. We must allow Him to discard the weeds and hard pebbles and deal with anything in our lives that prevent our spiritual growth. As we draw near to Him, He promises to draw near to us. As we allow our hearts to be broken and contrite before Him, God will again minister to us. He will pour out the seeds of His Word and rain His Holy Spirit upon us. He will touch our hearts and cause us once again to flourish in His presence. Others will rejoice because of the bounty of blessings upon our lives that not only touch us, but also reach out to them. So today begin to break up the fallow ground of your heart, for this is the season to receive the good things that God has for you. +++

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================

A Word In Due Season
4th Week of April 2012

04/23/12
ASKING IN LINE WITH HIS WILL

Scripture: I John 5:14-15 "This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us ... we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him."

When we were young, we knew the hearts and minds of our parents and usually, without a doubt, we knew the things that they would allow in our lives. Even before we asked them for something, we knew whether or not they would grant our request. We had great confidence to come boldly into their presence and ask for something when we knew that it met their approval. However, when we knew that our request would conflict with their approval, we were forced to become a little more creative. We would ask a friend to go with us when we approached our parents with our request. If we received a negative response, we continued our efforts to pressure our parents by trying to make them feel guilty. We would tell them that our friend's parents were responding positively to the same request. We did everything in our power to manipulate our parents into allowing us to have our own way. But our parents always had our best interest in mind and many times felt it unwise to give in to our demands. If we continued to badger them about matters that were beyond their means or desires, they would just quit listening.

A former U.S. President once said, "God always answers prayers. Sometimes it's 'Yes'. Sometimes the answer is 'No'. Sometimes it's 'You've got to be kidding'." How many times do our prayers, like our youthful requests, fall into the third category? They sound like a joke. Yet, because of our desperate needs or passionate desires, we presume on God to answer us. We fail to seek His face and refuse to allow our hearts to discern His perfect will in the matter. We follow a prayer formula, but become confused when we don't receive our answer. All the while, God is sitting on His throne and echoing those words, "You've got to be kidding."

Like our earthly parents, God is lovingly watching over our lives and setting gracious limitations. He doesn't always give us what we want, but He always gives us His best. Our disappointment may not see His wisdom working for us, but Isaiah 55:9 says, "God's ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts." As God's children, we need to become so acquainted with Him that we know and understand His will, and then trust Him to give us what He knows to be best. When we reach this place in our walk with God, we will find that our prayers will be in agreement with His eternal plan. When our prayers line up with His will, we can be confident that He will hear us when we talk to Him. He will listen to our petitions and He will answer our prayers. +++

Scripture: Exodus 32:29 "Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord ... that He may bestow upon you a blessing this day."

Moses gave a word to Gods' people to let them know that if they wanted to receive God's blessing, they needed to consecrate themselves to God. One of the definitions of this word 'consecrate' in the Hebrew, as it is used in this verse, meant "to be fenced in." Just as in the case with Moses and the people of God, God's love and blessings do flow out to us with mercy and grace. Yet, as we mature in God, we learn that He expects things from us. He desires a life that is freely consecrated to Him. When we are babes in Christ, we may get away with a few things, but we soon learn that, "to whom much is given, much is required" (Luke 12:48). With maturity comes responsibility, which means that we must fence ourselves into the demands of God's Word if we want His blessings to rest upon us.

Moses said, "Consecrate yourselves today." Each day has its own challenges. Just about the time that we think we have arrived spiritually, we find ourselves facing something new and come to realize that we have just begun our journey towards holiness. Walking with God and remaining in His precepts is a daily walk and it is only accomplished one step at a time. Each and every day we are to consecrate ourselves by putting a fence around our thoughts, imaginations, emotions, and deeds. We then have to guard the borders of our heart from the snares of evil. Our sacred purpose must be to render ourselves to God's service and give Him dominion over every space in our lives. We must dedicate every chamber of our heart to the Lord and declare it to be holy ground. God must have an open hand in our lives and everything must come under His rule. Our measuring rod must be governed with the question, "Will the Holy Spirit enjoy participating in this particular activity or will it bring Him shame?" That simple question will divide the light from the darkness and make God's will clear in your heart and mind.

It is only as we come to this place of total commitment and surrender and then follow through with our actions that we will experience the true blessings of God. Receiving His blessings doesn't mean that we will become rich and famous or have all the material things that we desire. But it does mean that our souls will be satisfied with the goodness of God and that His favor will rest upon us in an unusual way. Moses said, "Consecrate yourself today ... so that you can receive God's blessings today." This word with a promise is yours. Begin by giving yourself to God, consecrating all that you are and all that you hope to be to Him. Then, ask God to help you build a fence around that commitment that will keep you within its borders and also protect you from the outside hindrances. Then as you consecrate yourself today, get ready to experience His blessings today. +++

Scripture: Hebrews 4:11 "Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest..."

These words encourage the believer to find the place in their walk with God that allows them to cease from anxiety and to enter a place of rest. Verse nine says that this place of rest would be like the Sabbath that God experienced when He finished His creation and all of His work. He labored six days so that He could rest on the seventh. This rest in our walk with God is to be a place where there are no more struggles with faith and no more struggles with religious works. It is a place where we come to understand that God's promises are sure and that His work of grace is complete.

To labor so that you enter into rest sounds contradictory, for the concept of rest indicates no work. Yet in this sense, it simply means making a conscious effort to believe and to set our will against doubt and to rest from it, just as we have set our will against sin. Time and again, we overcome the temptation to sin because our convictions are established. We must be the same way with doubt and unbelief. If our beliefs are established we can rest in them. We must also do away with murmuring and complaining, knowing that if we allow discontent to linger in our hearts, it will eventually blossom into unbelief and bring struggles in our spirit.

Even in the natural, you labor to enter into rest. Think about the different things that you do to be able to rest at night. You check the locks on the doors of you home. You get dressed for the night, brush your teeth, and fluff the pillows. Then you make the room dark so there are no distractions, snuggle into the covers, and get yourself comfortable so that you can rest. You diligently labor and make an effort to resist interruptions in your routine. Yet if you lay down to rest and discover that you have forgotten one of these details, you will often find yourself getting back up to check the doors, close the blinds tighter, or take care of some other distraction. Your routine becomes a labor to be able to enter into rest.

God left us with many promises and said that we could trust Him and rest in His Word. He promised salvation, healing, provision of needs, peace, joy, comfort, and hope for the future. Many times these wonderful blessings are not experienced simply because of our unbelief, for they must be received by faith. Where there is faith, there is always a heart full of rest, for even though faith cannot be seen, it is substance. Faith links us to God and His eternal faithfulness. When we are able to receive His righteousness, which is by faith, we will be able to rest from our own feeble righteousness. When we can trust in Christ and the finished work of Calvary, we can rest from depending upon our own good works. When we can put all of our trust in God and His grace, we will be able to cast our cares upon Him and find rest and help in the time of our need. When we reach this place in our faith and are able to put everything into God's hands, we can say, "Now, I can rest." +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved
www.widsonline.com
=================================================================================
04/26/12
RULING YOUR OWN SPIRIT

Scripture: Proverbs 25:28 "He that has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down."

When this scripture was written, cities were fortified by walls and gates, which gave the inhabitants privacy and also protected them from the outside world. Watchmen who were placed on the walls decided who came in and who went out of the city. A city that was broken down was a city whose walls and gates had been destroyed by the enemy, leaving it open and vulnerable. This same sort of situation happens in the spiritual realm. When you do not discipline yourself and exercise self-control, Solomon said that you become like a city that is broken down and without walls. Imagine your spirit as a city without a wall around it. When you are in this state, you are vulnerable not only to the temptations of sins, but also the evil attacks of Satan. You become less discerning and watchful because your own addictions, desires, and impulses begin to take charge and rule over you. And you also lose control of what comes in and out of your spirit because your flesh is ruling.

How can you take charge and restore your spiritual walls? Galatians 5:24-25 says that you have to "crucify the affections and lusts of the flesh." Paul said if you want to "live in the Spirit, you must walk in the Spirit." Walking is a continual effort, meaning that you rule your spirit, step by step, by submitting to the rule of God. You allow His fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control, to dictate your life. They become the walls that not only protect you from within, but also protect you from the harm that is without, allowing you to live in health and happiness.

If you allow the enemy's fruit, which is hate, grief, anxiety, impatience, doubt, arrogance, and lack of self-control, to rule and control you, you allow yourself to be destroyed from within. When the enemy is able destroy you from within by tearing down your walls and gates of protection, he is then able to attack you from without. He takes advantage of the emotional stress that he has caused in your life and uses it to plague you with physical illnesses. You must rise up, resist him, and disallow him to break down your walls. It takes strength to conquer your passions but God has given you the ability to rule your own spirit by walking in God's Spirit. When you reach this place of ruling your own spirit, you will be mightier than one who is able to conquer a city (Proverbs 16:32). +++

Scripture: Matthew 21:16 "Out of the mouth of babes ... Thou has perfected praise."

When my granddaughter was three years old she sat beside me at the piano, composing songs. The first one was about Frosty the Snowman ringing his Jingle Bells at a reindeer. Then, she became serious and began to sing about the roses that were on the piano. Her words were very simple but also very meaningful. She sang,

"Roses grow and are beautiful,
But roses do not grow like the trees.
Trees are big and tall but the roses stay little
Because God wanted them to be beautiful for me.

Roses grow but don't make noise.
They just make pretty petals and are always quiet.
I like for God to make roses grow ...
For the Bible told me so."

There was no pretense in this song from the heart of a three-year-old. It was simple praise to God for the beauty of the roses. It was also recognition that God had made them to grow and that He had made them different from the trees. She considered the roses and voiced her appreciation that God had made them beautiful for her. Little did she know that when she concluded her song with "For the Bible told me so" that she was speaking a truth and that her mouth was perfecting praise. Jesus told us to consider the lilies of the field. He said, "The lilies toil not ... yet King Solomon, who was the richest man of his day, was not arrayed like one of these (Matthew 6:28-29). Jesus continued to say that our Heavenly Father knows everything that we need and that we are not to be worried about any detail of our life because He is in control.

You may look at your life today and be discouraged because it has not developed into the mighty oak that you had planned. Your dreams and visions had been those of such grandeur, and yet, they have not come to pass in any way, shape, or form. Your life has been very quiet and is like that of the roses that grow but don't make any noise. No one even seems to notice your existence, which to you seems mundane. You feel there is nothing important going on in your life, especially when compared to others about you, who seem to be successful in every endeavor. You wonder why your life is so plain and simple and think that you have nothing to offer.

Yet, God has placed in your life a beauty that goes beyond the grandeur of the mighty oak. You may not recognize it because God grew it gradually within you. He has placed within you a meek and quiet spirit that is as delicate as the petals of a rose. He has made your life a sweet fragrance to those whom you encounter. Your spirit of love and compassion permeate your entire environment and reaches into the hearts of those about you. God has caused the beauty of your visible witness to bring peace, joy, and comfort to a hurting world. He has made you to be the person that He wanted you to be. So even though your life is like a silent rose that does not make a very big noise, allow it to bless others and to give God silent praise. +++

A Word In Due Season
5th Week of April 2012

04/30/12
WALKING BY FAITH

Scripture: II Corinthians 5:7 "For we walk by faith, not by sight."

Our journey with God goes beyond what we can see with our eyes or at the moment imagine with our minds. It is a walk of faith, not of sight. It's a journey that begins with a simple recognition and belief that God is God and that He is always present with us even though we can't see Him. As we walk with this unseen God, we begin to develop a trust that understands that He is not only God but is also a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 says that when we walk in this kind of faith, it pleases God. Tremendous things have happened when men walked in this kind of faith. Enoch was translated and never saw death. Noah built an ark at God's command and saved his family from the flood. Abraham left his country in search of a city that was made by God and his ninety-year-old wife, Sarah, received strength to conceive and give birth to Isaac. Moses acted on God's word and saw God roll back the sea and do many other mighty miracles. Records of faith's rewards are endless.

Walking is a process. It is not just taking one step and then sitting down. It is taking one step and standing on that one foot until you put your other foot down. It is repeating this same routine until walking brings you to the place that you need to be. Sometimes walking is monotonous and tiring. While other times, in the darkness or unknown territories, it can be unsteady and unsure. It's extremely hard if you try to pull back in the midst of the process of going forward. It throws your whole balance off. So it is with your spiritual walk of faith. Walking by faith is a continual lifestyle, for Romans 1:17 says, "The just shall live by faith." It is a daily process, moving forward one step at a time. You have one foot firmly on the ground and the other foot in the air not sure where it's going to land. You just keep following God and going forward. Your faith declares that you believe God and your actions demonstrate that you really do trust the words that He has spoken to you.

Faith is substance to your own soul and functions best when there is no visible evidence, for faith itself is the evidence of things unseen (Hebrews 11:1). The depth of your faith depends upon the depth of your knowledge. Faith is conceived as you hear God's word and increases as your knowledge increases, but it is birthed by experience. And experience comes when you go through situations that make a demand on the faith that is in your heart, for faith is action and is dead without works. Its goals are only accomplished as you act upon the things that you believe. Learning to walk by faith is not quick or easy. It is much like the process that a child goes through when he is learning to walk. You may fall a couple of times and you may experience a few bruises and setbacks as you endeavor to walk. But as you continue to believe God and walk by faith and not by what you see, your steps will become stronger and more determined. God will reward your faith and bring His words to pass in your life. +++