A Word In Due Season
1st Week of May 2012

05/01/12
MASTERPIECE

Scripture:  Philippians 1:6  (Amplified)  "He who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ - right up to the time of His return - developing that good work and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you."

God is not finished with us yet.  Right up to the day that Jesus returns, God will still be working to complete us.  It's amazing that in just one day He created man in His own image and then with one breath caused life to come into his being.  Yet, God loves to perfect things so He will spend the entire lifespan of that one man developing him into the nature of God Himself.

Our lives are in the hands of the Master Artist, and He is painting a grand masterpiece.  From the beginning, God envisioned His work of art.  He may have started with bright and beautiful colors, but as He paints, He must use dark colors for contrast and shadows to affect the mood.  These are the hard times and the sad places that touch each of our lives when death, disappointment, and misunderstandings occur.  It's the desperate times that we don't understand when our heart breaks and our tears flow.  Yet, these dark places are the ones that give depth to our soul and meaning to the entire picture of our life.

There are also discouraging times in our life when it seems that nothing is happening.  There is no progress being made and no obvious promotion.  We may even go through a spiritual desert.  But like any good artist who covers the canvas for a season, God is allowing His masterpiece to rest and dry before going on to the next phase, lest the colors run together and distort the image that He is tying to acquire.  If we are not careful during these times when our patience is being tested, we will grab the brush ourselves, spill the paint, and make a mess that only God can clean up.  Yet, even though we become impatient and make a mess with our life, we can still trust God.  He began this good work in us and He will always be faithful to forgive us.  Our interference may have delayed His work, but He will continue to work with us and He will complete us.

Hebrews 12:2 says, "He is the Author and Finisher of your faith."  Whatever God has started in you, He will finish.  He is going to work on you right up until the time Jesus returns so don't take His brush from Him.  He has "good thoughts and plans to give you hope in your final outcome" (Jeremiah 29:11).  Submit to the Master as He works with you and allow Him to complete His masterpiece. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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05/02/12
NEW SHARP THRESHING INSTRUMENT

Scripture:  Isaiah 41:15  "Behold, I will make you a new and sharp threshing instrument, having teeth:  you will thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and make the hills as chaff.".

What a promise God gives to His people.  God spoke of the dilemma of His people in the previous verse, comparing them to a worm.  But He tells them not to fear because even in their low state, He is going to be their helper.  Their Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, is going to come to their rescue and make such a change in their lives that they are going to be transformed from a worm into a threshing machine with teeth.

God has given this same promise to you.  II Timothy 3:16 says that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable to us."  God sent His Son not only to save you from your sin and give you eternal life, but also to give you a life that is abundant and free.  God does not want you to be in a state of bondage and lack.  When He looks down and sees you in your situation, struggling as a worm in the hard places of life, it hurts His heart.  As your Redeemer and as your Heavenly Father, He wants to see you rise out of that place that you are in.  The Lord desires that you live above and not beneath your circumstances and that you be the head and the not the tail (Deuteronomy 28:13).  He wants you to prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers (III John 2).  The Lord has designed for you to be a king and priest in the earth, for you are the hope of His glory.

Your soul prospers by hearing God's Word.  As you hear His Word, you gain insight into the heart of God.  Your faith grows and you begin to understand what the will of the Lord is for your life.  You realize that the Father does not want His sons and daughters to be as the worms of the earth but to walk in the boldness that He has provided through His Name, His Word, and His Blood.  He wants you to rise up and use your mouth as a new sharp threshing instrument with teeth.  He desires to hear His Word coming from your lips in faith.  Faith is a force that is released through your prayers and your words.  In Mark 11:23-24, Jesus said, "Speak to the mountains to be removed and cast into the sea.  If you don't doubt in your heart, but believe those things which you say will come to pass, you will have whatever you say."  Think about it.  The mountains of sickness, financial lack, and hardships of all kind are at the mercy of your faith filled words, for you release God to work for you when you speak His Word.  All you have to do is speak in faith.  God will transform your mouth into a new sharp threshing instrument through His power and enable you to tear down the works of the enemy. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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05/03/12
REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE 

Scripture: Luke 17:32 "Remember Lot's wife." 


Jesus used these words to warn His disciples as He emphasized the importance of being prepared and ready to leave all. When He spoke these words, He was referring to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, which was a city that God destroyed with fire and brimstone because of its wickedness. Before God destroyed it, however, He shared His intentions with His faithful servant, Abraham. In turn, Abraham pleaded with God, asking Him not to destroy the righteous with the wicked. Because of Abraham's intercession, God spared Lot and Lot's wife and his two daughters. But when the angels came to deliver Lot and his family, Lot lingered (Genesis 19:16). Yet, God is so merciful and even though Lot hesitated, God remained committed to His covenant. The angels came and physically took Lot and his family out of the city and gave them instructions, "Escape for your life, and don't look back."

The angels did all that they could do and took Lot and his family as far as they could. It was now up to Lot and his family to heed the words that were spoken to them. Genesis 19:26 records a very sad ending, "But Lot's wife looked back from behind him: and she became a pillar of salt." Lot's wife had difficulty letting everything go and leaving it all behind. Her heart was still in Sodom and Gomorrah. Instead of fleeing for her life with her husband and daughters, she trailed further and further behind until the effects from the destruction of the city finally reached her. She was incased in salt and became a pillar of bitter remembrance instead of a testimony of deliverance.

Like Lot's wife, you may have people, situations, and memories that you need to walk away from. Regardless of the pain and abuse that you may have suffered in the past or the temptation that is now pulling at your soul, God wants you to walk away from all of it. As you leave it behind, God will work His deliverance in your life. He will make a way of escape for you, free you from bondage, and give you a new start. But He can only take you so far. Each hesitating step hinders God's work. As He instructs you to "Escape for your life, and don't look back," you must make the choice not to dwell on the past and all of its hurts or give in to the present schemes of the devil. God has good plans for you, so focus on the future. Become a testimony of the Lord's deliverance rather than a pillar of bitter remembrance. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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05/04/12
HIDING GOD'S WORD IN MY HEART 

Scripture: Psalms 119:11 "Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee." 

The Word of God is a powerful weapon against the devil. In fact, the Word is referred to as the sword of the Spirit. It provides a great advantage over the enemy that comes against your soul because Satan, who is the father of lies, has no strength against the Spirit of Truth. He has no choice but to flee when you resist him with the Word of God, for he knows that the sacred words of God never return void to God. They always accomplish what God sends them forth to do. When God speaks light, darkness flees. When He speaks love, anger melts and hatred fades away. When He speaks joy, mourning is turned into gladness. And when He speaks comfort, loneliness if forgotten. Even the physical storms of life obey God's Words and dissipate when He speaks peace to them. 

God's words are Spirit and they are Life. They bring hope into every situation and are more precious than silver or gold. His Word has been tried in the furnaces of fire and proven to be faithful in every situation. We know that Jesus took time to hide the Word of God in His heart. From the time that He was a youth He listened and gave heed to the doctors and elders in the temple. Jesus memorized the Word of God and when the devil came to tempt Him, He simply drew from the treasure that was within His heart. With every temptation, Jesus responded with a scripture. God's Word was His confidence in the day of battle and kept Him from sinning against God and jeopardizing His own divine destiny. 

If Jesus felt that it was important to hide God's Word in His heart and found it to be a tremendous help against the devil, why don't we spend more time and effort in trying to understand and memorize God's Word for ourselves? One reason may be is that the devil tells us that it is impossible and causes it to be an overwhelming mental challenge, when in reality, it is so simple. We don't have to memorize entire books or chapters of the Bible. Instead we can start with one scripture verse a day. If we learned one verse a day, we could memorize 365 scripture verses a year. Isn't that an amazing thought? The challenge of memorizing one scripture a day or 365 scriptures a year is within our reach. 

I encourage you today to begin by reading one chapter a day from the book of Proverbs. There are thirty-one chapters in the book of Proverbs, which is one for every day of the month. So read the first chapter on the first day and then follow through reading the others chapters until you complete the month. As you read, meditate on one verse that captures your heart. Memorize that verse and hide it within your heart as a precious treasure. Each day, review what you have memorized the day before. Let this process become a habit in your daily life. You will later find that the precious words that you have hidden in your heart have become the words that will keep you from sinning against God in the time of your temptation, battle, or storm. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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A Word In Due Season
2nd Week of May 2012

05/07/12
PURE FOUNTAINS

Scripture: James 3:11 "Does a fountain send forth at the same time sweet water and bitter?"

James was drawing a parallel between a literal fountain of water and the living water that flows from the soul and spirit of man, for Jesus said that out of your belly would flow rivers of living water. James made it clear that just as a fountain of water cannot be sweet and bitter at the same time, neither can the spirit of man be pure when contaminated with the things of the world. Whatever we put into our spirits is going to flow out of the fountains of our life. If you have ever been to the beach and got a little salt water mixed in with your fresh drinking water, you can understand and appreciate this analogy very well. For you know that just a little salt water ruins the taste and effects of the fresh water and makes it unfit to drink.

Did you know that you can add poison to water and it will not be visible? Yet when consumed, it becomes a deadly drink. It only takes just a little poison to have a negative effect. None of us would intentionally poison those about us, yet many times we disburse water from our souls that is not pure and it becomes like poison to those who receive it. James said that blessing and cursing cannot proceed from the same mouth. You cannot bless and praise God and then curse those about you, for they were made in the image of God and God loves them. You can't lie to one and then tell the truth to another without being a liar. Neither can your heart be in peace and in strife at the same time. You can't be a fig tree and produce berries or be a vine and produce figs. It doesn't work that way in nature and it won't work that way in the spirit either. Just the slightest amount of bitterness within your soul will ruin the sweetness of your witness.

We are who we are within ourselves. Proverbs 4: 23 says, "Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Whatever is inside of our hearts is going to flow out, so we must live in God's grace and minister His grace to those that we come in contact with. We must guard our hearts like we would a precious fountain of water in a dry and barren desert, for it is all that we have to sustain ourselves and is the source of our ministry to others. We must not allow anything from within or from without to contaminate our spirits so that we can insure the sweetness of our fountain. If we want to have a pure fountain, we must be filled with God's Spirit and His sweetness so there will be no room for bitterness. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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05/08/12
PROMISE OF HIS PRESENCE

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

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

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

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

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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05/09/12
DECEPTION IN THE WILDERNESS

Scripture:  Numbers 13:33  "... And we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."

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

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

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

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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05/10/12
STRENGTH IN QUIETNESS

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

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

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

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

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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05/11/12
BEING VIRTUOUS

Scripture:  Proverbs 31:29  "Many daughters have done virtuously, but you excel them all."

There is a total difference in "doing" a virtuous act and "being" a virtuous person.  Proverbs 31:10-31 list the things that make up the character of a virtuous woman.  She is trustworthy with her marriage vows and does good for husband all the days of her life.  She takes care of business needs and works willing with her hands.  She rises early and prepares food for her family.  She takes care of herself and strengthens her own body.  She stays up late at night in order to get the necessary things done.  She clothes her family and herself with comfortable and beautiful clothing and she also reaches out to the poor and needy.  She causes her husband to be known in the city and have honor in his workplace.  Her mouth is filled with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness.  She is never idle but always energetic as she takes care of her entire household. 

Many are capable of doing some of these virtuous works, but it is quite a challenge to conquer the entire list and do it all with excellence.  If you get up early before everyone in the house, fix the breakfast and the lunches for the day, it is hard to stay up and be the last one to go to bed at night.  If you work all day with your hands and take care of business needs, it is difficult to find the time to exercise and strengthen yourself.  With everything on your list, you must also factor in time to care for the poor and needy without neglecting your own family's needs.  This is not to mention that at the end of the day you must prepare the meal while everyone else is resting from their day of labor.  As you accomplish all of these things you must also be an encourager to those around you.  Words of wisdom must continually be coming from your mouth and the law of kindness be on your lips.  The list is longer than you want to look at and the energy is just not there to complete all of the task.  That is why virtue is about "being" and not just about "doing".  Even Jesus pulled away from the needs of the people to rest and He did not run to every battle or even make haste to reach Lazarus before Lazarus died.  

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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A Word In Due Season
3rd Week of May 2012

05/14/12
FAITHFUL IN THE FEW THINGS

Scripture: Matthew 25:21 "You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter into the joy of the Lord."

In relating this story, Jesus lets us know that our destiny and joy depends upon our faithfulness to be good stewards over the things that God has set before us. God places within our hearts a dream and endows us with the gifts and talents to fulfill that vision. However, before the vision comes to pass, it is met with many challenging circumstances, and we find ourselves in positions that are far from the dream that is in our heart. Many times our place of service to God seems so small in our own eyes and our area of ministry seems so limited. Like Jabez, we pray for God to enlarge our territories but instead He tries our faith and tests our motives. 

Throughout scripture, we see men who waited for the promises of God to come in their lives. Meanwhile, they remained faithful in their place of service regardless of how meager it may have seemed to them at the time. They exercised diligence and patience, waiting until God's appointed and appropriate time. Joseph was enslaved and bound in prison before God's dream came to pass in his life. He could have given up, but instead, he worked hard and gained favor with everyone around him (Genesis 39:4). Joseph was faithful in the small things and God made him ruler over much. Elisha was plowing in the field behind twelve oxen when the prophet Elijah cast his mantle upon Elisha and called him into the ministry (I Kings 19:19). Elisha could have become discouraged as he worked daily in the hot sun following behind dirty oxen, but he remained faithful in the place where he was until God called him. David was also found faithful until God promoted him. He cared for a few sheep that were entrusted to him even though he had been anointed by Samuel to be the king of Israel (I Samuel 16:13). And Jesus waited until He was thirty years old before His ministry took shape and form.

Just like these great men, God has a time and a place for you. He wants you to continue to walk towards your destiny regardless of how long the journey may seem. You must not allow yourself to become discouraged by your seemingly small and insignificant place, but remain faithful as you look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith. Plow the fields that He has placed you in and care for His sheep. At the appointed and appropriate time, the Lord will acknowledge your faithfulness and hard work and will make you ruler over much. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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05/15/12
CONFIDENCE THAT HE WILL HEAR

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

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

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

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

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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05/16/12
CHISELED BY TRIAL

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

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

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

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

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

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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05/17/12
ENCOURAGING YOURSELF

Scripture:  I Samuel 30:6  "David encouraged himself in the Lord his God."

Have you ever been so discouraged that it seemed that you couldn't cry any more?  You may have felt like your whole world was falling apart around you.  Your possessions were gone and you were separated from the ones you loved dearly for one reason or another.  No one understood your situation and even your friends had turned away from you.

These are the circumstances that David found himself in when he and his men came home to their city, Ziklag.  They found the city burned and their wives and children taken captive by the enemy.  "Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep" (Verse 4).  They had spent all of their tears.  Further discouragement came to David when his men blamed him for this disastrous situation and talked of stoning him.  David was greatly distressed because of his own grief and because of the many unjust accusations.

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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05/18/12
LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE

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

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

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

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

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

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

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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A Word In Due Season
4th Week of May 2012

05/21/12
HARVEST TIME

Scripture:  John 4:35  "Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."

Jesus said, "Lift up your eyes and look."  Many people are asleep and do not see that things are changing very rapidly around us.  Those who are awake and aware walk around in awe because of what surrounds them.  There is a new awareness of the glory of God.  It is as though there is a new sound in Heaven, one that we have never heard before.  It is telling us to press the limits and go where we have never gone before and do what we have never done.  It encourages us to enlarge our borders, expand our horizons, and get ready for the day of the greatest harvest that we have ever seen.  Yet, Jesus tells us that even though the harvest or the mission field is truly great, the laborers are few, and He instructs us to pray for more laborers to be sent into the fields (Luke 10:2).

Jesus' words are a personal mandate for each of us, for we all have been called and chosen for such a time as this.  This is our day and this is our hour.  God has ordained and anointed us at this time in history to minister to the hurting souls that are being held in bondage.  In the beginning, God spoke all things into existence and commanded everything to multiply.  All of creation obeyed His voice because of the power of His words.  His very breath brought light and life.  The same is happening now in the spirit.  The fruit of His fields are multiplying and becoming ripe because of His command and He is depending upon us to reap the harvest by sharing His light and life with the world around us.

God is releasing a fresh awareness, but we must respond.  We can't just look at the fields.  We must share and minister to those in need.  Like gathering a tender crop, our words must not be loud and empty but full of love, grace, and truth.  If Jesus is living within us, His essence should emerge when we talk and His witness should show forth in every area of our lives.  Everything about Him should be portrayed through our image.  We are an epistle known and read of all men (II Corinthians 3:2).  In this dark hour, the world is looking for people who are walking in the supernatural peace of God; a peace that is only birthed by the presence of God.  The more we see the day of the Lord approaching, the greater our influence will be and greater the harvest will become.  We must submit to God and allow the power of His voice to speak into our lives, changing us and rearranging us for His glory so that we can become laborers in His harvest. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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05/22/12
FAITH IN GOD

Scripture:  Mark 11:22  "Jesus answered and said unto them, Have faith in God."

Jesus instructed His followers to "Have faith in God."  He then proceeded to say, "Speak to the mountain to be removed and cast into the sea."  He said, "If you don't doubt in your heart, then you will receive those things which you say."  Jesus made it very plain that we must first have faith before our confessions of faith will come to pass.  Yet, we tend to complicate and reverse His instructions.  Instead of developing our faith in God, we base our faith in our own abilities and presume upon God to honor our confessions.  We have developed our formula and even titled it "name it and claim it."

However, according to Romans 10:17 faith doesn't come by hearing our own words.  It comes when we hear what God is saying to us.  In other words, if God "names it," then we can "claim it" for we know that He is speaking His will into our lives.  I John 5:14-15 says, "This is the confidence that we have in God, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us; and if we know that He hears us, we know that we have whatever we ask of Him."

If you are in a place of adversity right now and are facing an enormous mountain of difficulty, don't just try to cast it into the sea with your own words and confessions.  Find out what God is saying about your situation.  Faith is not of yourself.  It is a gift that God instills in your heart (Ephesians 2:8).  The father who requested healing for his son in Mark 9:24 had to ask God to increase his faith.  He cried out to Jesus, "I believe, but please help me overcome my unbelief."  The faith that is created by God's Word is the faith that will bring your destiny into being.

When God speaks, His voice will give light to your vision and life to your faith.  His Word in your ear will drive out doubt and unbelief and His Spirit will empower you.  The Lord says, "It will not be by your might, nor by your power, but by My Spirit" (Zechariah 4:6).  When you make true confessions that are in line with God's Word and in agreement with His will, His Spirit will tear down the great mountain that is in your life by crying, "Grace, grace unto it" (Zechariah 4:7).  Don't lean upon your own strength, but have faith in what God has spoken to you and then allow Him to use that faith as you speak to your mountain. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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=================================================================================
05/23/12
SECRET FAULTS AND SINS

Scripture:  Psalms 19:12-13  "Who can understand his errors?  Cleanse me from secret faults.  Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins."

David recognized his own short comings and self deception.  He knew that there were probably secret and unconscious faults within himself that he did not recognize and also knew that there were presumptuous sins that he knowingly committed.  The Living Bible quotes David's words by saying, "But how can I ever know what sins are lurking in my heart?  Cleanse me from these hidden faults.  And keep me from deliberate wrongs; help me to stop doing them."  David humbly asked God to deal with him in both of these areas, secret faults and presumptuous sins. 

David's words were not just part of a song that he composed but a desperate prayer that was motivated by his desire to please the Lord in every respect.  David wanted the words of his mouth and the meditations of his heart to be acceptable in the sight of the Lord who was his Strength and Redeemer (Psalms 19:14).  He was as concerned about the inside of his heart as he was about his outward actions.  He knew that his character would be revealed and his soul judged, not only by the transgressions that he committed openly but also by the secret faults that were hidden in his heart.  His desire was to be innocent in the eyes of God as well as blameless before men.

David's words should also be our prayer, for we too should do all that we can to walk in truth and in integrity before God and men.  David asked the question, "Who can understand his errors?" or "How can I know what sins are lurking in my heart?"  It is often hard for us to know the sins and darkness that may be lurking within our own hearts until God speaks to us or someone close to us calls our attention to our lack.  They may point out our poor attitude, our disrespect to those who deserve our honor, our lack of faith which is displeasing to God, our unthankfulness, our failure to forgive, or a multitude of other things that we do not even consider to be great sins.

David asked God to search his heart.  At another time, he told the Lord, "Point out in me anything that makes You sad" (Psalms 139:24 - Living Bible).  We must ask God to do the same for us.  We recognize our outright and presumptuous sins and are convicted of them, but we must depend upon the Lord to reveal to us the unknown errors and secret sins of our heart.  This is the only route around the great gulf of transgressions; our only escape from committing secret sins. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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05/24/12
STANDING IN THE GAP

Scripture:  Ezekiel 22:30  "I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it: but I found none."

God seeks to reconcile all men to Himself and is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to eternal life.  Therefore, He depends upon those who know Him to pray, intercede, stand in the gap, and make up the hedge for others.  He ordains His followers to be a witness to the world.  However, Isaiah 59:16 says, "He saw there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor."

It takes great commitment to make up the hedge and stand in the gap for others.  It means laying down your own life to some degree and making many sacrifices.  Moses stood in the gap between God and the people, and at one point, Moses even told God to wipe his own name out of God's book if God destroyed the people.  This took a lot of courage on Moses' part, but he knew that God was righteous and merciful.  As Moses stood in the breach, he turned God's wrath away and the people were spared (Psalms 106:23). 

Oswald Smith listed some of the things about the man that God uses.  If you want God to use you to make up the breach and you are willing to stand in the gap, consider these challenges.

                 THE MAN GOD USES
                   by Oswald Smith

     1)  He has but one great purpose in life.
     2)  He, by God's Grace, has removed every hindrance
          from his life.
     3)  He has placed himself absolute at God's disposal.
     4)  He has learned how to prevail in prayer.
     5)  He is a student of the Word.
     6)  He has a vital living message for a lost world.
     7)  He is a man of faith who expects results.
     8)  He is anointed by the Holy Spirit. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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=================================================================================
05/25/12
GOD WILL BE WITH YOUR MOUTH

Scripture:  Exodus 4:12  "Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to speak."

When God called Moses to deliver the children of Israel from bondage, He spoke to Moses from a burning bush.  This was quite an event, yet even with this supernatural call, Moses still had to deal with his own insecurities.  He said, "Who am I? ... What shall I say? ... The people won't believe me ... I am not eloquent ... Lord, send someone else."  He wanted to flee God's mighty call because of the anxiety that was taking hold of his soul.  He had no self-confidence that he could fulfill God's plan because of the lack of his own abilities.

How many times has God called on us and we have responded in like manner?  Our insecurities have overshadowed the plan and purposes of God.  Like Moses, we feel inadequate and tend to forget that God created us.  We assume that our lack is too great for Him to work with and neglect to consider that He is able to add, multiply, and even create when necessary.  God is not limited in any fashion.  When God chose Moses, He knew that Moses didn't know what to say and that even if Moses did have knowledge, his speech was not eloquent.  God also knew that the credibility of Moses would be challenged.  He made plans ahead of time to do signs and wonders to convince the people so it certainly didn't matter who Moses was or what he could do.  It only mattered who God was and what God could do.

Throughout the scriptures, God always used the less likely to succeed.  He chose a small young man named David to fight a seasoned giant.  He chose an old man and woman, Abraham and Sarah, to have a child.  He chose Gideon and three hundred men to battle against thousands.  When Jesus' disciples were chosen, it wasn't the priest and Levites who were called.  It was unlearned and common men such as fishermen and tax collectors.  God doesn't choose many wise, mighty, or noble.  He chooses the foolish and the weak to convey His message (I Corinthians 1:26-27).

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

A Word In Due Season
5th Week of May 2012

05/28/12
GOD'S MEMORIAL DAY

Scripture: Exodus 12:14 "And this day shall be unto you for a Memorial."

This scripture is in reference to the institution of the Passover, which began when Moses was leading the people out of Egypt. This event was a shadow or an illustration of the redemptive work that Jesus was to accomplish for us on the cross. At this first Passover, Israel was instructed to take a lamb without spot or blemish, kill it, and apply the blood to the doorpost of their homes. God told them that when He saw the blood, He would pass over them and not kill the firstborn of that house. He promised that death would have no dominion over them if they would simply apply the blood of the slain lamb.

God grants us a Memorial Day such as this. Jesus is our lamb without spot and blemish. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Jesus was slain on the cross of Calvary for our sins and because of His sacrifice, we have a promise of eternal life, and death no longer has dominion over us. However, just like the first Passover, God's work is not complete until we personally apply the blood of Jesus to our lives by receiving Jesus as our Savior and Lord. God gave such simple instructions to His people. They only had to take the lamb, kill it, and apply the blood. Yet, many people in Egypt did not respond to these instructions and faced the judgment of their choice.

You also have a choice. Eternal salvation is just as simple, for God has made a way for you by sacrificing His own Son. Please respond to His great invitation, for the steps to salvation are as simple as ABC.

A) Acknowledge your sin, for all have sinned. (Romans 3:23)
B) Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 16:31)
C) Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your
heart that God raised Him from the dead, and you will be
saved. (Romans 10:9)

Today we celebrate Memorial Day in American in honor of those who have given their lives for this country. So when you see the red stripes on our great American flag think about those who have fought and have paid the ultimate price for your own personal freedom. And also remember the great sacrifice that Jesus made for your eternal freedom and the crimson blood that He shed for the remission of your sins. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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05/29/12
JESUS WEPT 

Scripture: John 11:35 "Jesus wept." 

These two words give us a picture of the love and compassion of our wonderful Lord as He stood at the tomb of Lazarus who had been dead for four days. Jesus, the Son of God, wept. The Word of God who was made flesh wept for His friend whose earthly body now had no life. The Light of the World wept in the darkness that surrounded the situation. The Bread of Life shed tears for those who stood around the tomb declaring that they wished that Jesus had come earlier so that Lazarus could have been healed. Jesus was the resurrection and the life and this Life of God groaned within Himself as He experienced the sorrow that sickness and death brought. Jesus was deeply moved emotionally, yet at the end of the matter, He spoke resurrection life, light, and healing into the dead body of Lazarus. Jesus then called Lazarus forth from the tomb and commanded that he be loosed from the bondage of the grave clothes. 

Before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead He spoke to the Father and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard me and I know that You hear me always." This same Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father interceding for you and for me. He is there continually. His Word, His Life, and His Light are waiting to raise you from the sorrow and grief that you are enduring. There is no storm in your life that Jesus can not speak peace to and cause it to cease. There are no waves that He can not calm with one word from His lips. There is no water that is so deep that He can not walk upon it in order to rescue you. There is no meal so scarce that He can't multiply it. There is no valley so long and so deep that He can not shepherd you through it. There is no desert so dry that He can not be a well that springs up within you to quench your thirst. 

Jesus is there all the time and in every situation to meet every need that you have. He is waiting to raise you from the death of your situation into new life. He wants to dispel the darkness with His light and stands ready to command that you be loosed from things that hold you in bondage. There is nothing too great for Him, not even death that has laid in a tomb for four days. His Spirit of Life exceeds all. His love is boundless. His mercy is new every morning. Remember that God hears Jesus always and that Jesus is interceding for you. He is touched with the feelings of all of your infirmities so go to the Lord in prayer and agree with Him on your own behalf. Then listen and obey as you hear His voice call you forth into new life. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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05/30/12
ASK - SEEK - KNOCK 

Scripture: Luke 11:9 (Amplified) "So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking, and it shall be given to you; seek and keep on seeking, and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door shall be opened to you." 

Life has its moments of uncertainty and we may find ourselves becoming impatient as we wait for the answers to our many questions. Things can move so slowly at times that we feel as if we need to force things to happen. Yet we know that no matter how eager we become for doors to open and things to change, we must wait upon God, for He holds all things in His hands and we cannot rush His timing. Many times the writers of the scriptures confirmed this point by using the phrase, "In the fullness of time." In essence this means that things will only happen on God's schedule and when He sees that we are ready for change. 

As we wait for the answers to our prayers or for some resolution for the situations in our life that need attention, our only hope is to follow the instructions that Jesus gave. He told us three simple things to do; ask, seek, and knock. Many times we fail to ask God for His help and instead we just worry and wonder about our problems. They consume our minds, but we never call them by name and simply ask God for His help. Other times, when we do ask, we just ask one time instead of pursuing God until the answer comes. We are also to seek diligently for our answer like we would for a lost item until it is found. When I misplace my keys, I search every inch of my dwelling because I know that they are there somewhere. I may even turn my purse inside out in my search, but I never give up until I find the keys because they are a necessary part of my life. The same is true with God's solutions, we can't give up the search. His solutions are there in our midst, we just have to find them. The last thing Jesus told us to do was to knock. We are to stop banging our head against the wall and simply knock on the door. If the door doesn't open immediately, we are to continue knocking until it does. 

Jesus would not have given us these instructions if He did not want us to use them to get our needs met. He would not have told us to ask, if He didn't intend to answer. He would not have instructed us to seek if He knew that the solutions were not available. He would not have told us to knock if there was nothing behind the door. I encourage you to be persistent like the lady who unashamedly troubled the judge until he granted her the petition that she was requesting (Luke 18:5). Remember that Jesus has compassion and He cares about your questions, your needs, and your lack. So keep on asking, keep on searching, and keep on knocking until your answer comes. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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05/31/12
A BREATH AWAY

Scripture:  Genesis 2:7  "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

God formed man from the dust of the ground and endowed him with everything that he needed to be able to live and function as a normal being on this earth.  Yet, it was only when God breathed His supernatural breath into man that man actually became a living soul.  The simple breath of God is full of life and power and when He breathes upon anything, it is eternally changed.  Even the dry bones came alive in Ezekiel's vision as the winds of God breathed upon them (Ezekiel 37).

Nothing is impossible with God.  When He passes by His glory follows after Him, and when He speaks everything within the sound of His voice obeys.  That includes the Earth, the Heavens, and the entire universe.  At His word, darkness becomes light, the seas roll back like a scroll, and the storms cease.  With His word, He sends manna from Heaven to feed the millions and causes water to come from a rock to quench their thirst.  When the breath of His words go forth, the dead rise, the lame walk, the blind see, and the deaf hear.  His mere presence protects those who trust in Him.  He stops the mouths of the lions and disallows the fire to consume those in the fiery furnace.  No weapon formed against His mighty words can prosper because the breath of God has no limitation.

As you think about these thoughts, ask God to breathe upon your situations that seem dead or hopeless.  His breath will give your circumstances new life and hope.  He has promised to perfect those things that concern you, regardless of what they are.  He has said that you could cast every care upon Him.  Casting your care upon Him means that you have to let go of it and allow it to leave your hand.  He has promised to receive your burden and take care of your needs.  He will breathe provision into your financial situation, hope into your relationships, health into your body, and life into your spirit.  Trust the Lord to resurrect and restore all things that concern you.  He is the creator and almighty God.  He can be depended upon and He is only a breath away. +++

Copyright © 2012 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved    
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