01/01/14
A NEW THING

Isaiah 43:19 "Behold, I will do a new thing."

God has always been a God of new things. He has never been a hand me down God and He doesn't like to settle into the old or become stagnant in His works. Everything God creates is fresh. Each mountain, river, and ocean is distinctly different, as is all of His other works of nature. He is a master artist and every day He creates a new sunrise and a new sunset that is never to be repeated. God's work is glorious and profound, and like He said in Genesis, "It is always good."

God makes a wonderful promise through Isaiah, the prophet, to do a new thing for His people. He promised to make a way in the wilderness and create streams in the desert places for them. He also promised to give them a path in the mighty waters. He declared that He was their Lord, their Holy One, their Creator, and King. He was all that they needed and all that they would ever need.

God also promised new things for us. When we receive Jesus into our hearts, we become a new creature with a new covenant and He gives us a new name (Revelations 2:17). He creates within us a new heart and imparts a new Spirit into our lives (Ezekiel 36:26). He instructs us to put on the new man (Ephesians 4:24) and gives us a new commandment and a new song (Psalm 40:3). When He touches our lives with these new things we are totally transformed.

As you face the New Year, believe God to do new things in your life. Remember that He is still your Creator. Regardless of whether you are faced with a wilderness place or a dry barren desert, God has the answer. He will make a way, create a stream, or do whatever is necessary to help you through your dilemma and correct your situation. "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and don't lean upon your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6). Welcome the New! Don't base today's answer on yesterday's solutions, for God is doing a new thing in your life. +++

01/02/14
NEW RESOLUTIONS

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

Psalms 118 was a jubilant expression of praise and thanksgiving and was a song that was sung by the worshipers as they went up to the Temple. The psalm spoke of the people's deliverance from the things of the past that had caused them distress and also expressed their hopes for the future. The word "day" in this scripture is not confined in any way except to indicate a particular space of time. It can mean either the time between sunrise and sunset or the twenty-four hour period from one sunset to next sunset. It can also mean a week, a year, a decade, or a season. It can even refer to a century or an entire age.

God creates spaces of time in our lives and each one starts with a new beginning. Each day comes with a new sun rise offering light to escape the previous darkness and warmth to create growth on the earth. Every new week gives us a fresh start after an appointed day of rest. Each new season brings change and every new year births new resolutions and hope in our spirits. We start each of these spaces of time with faith that things will be good and that we will accomplish our goals in a better fashion. For me, I start every morning agreeing with God's Word that this is the day or the space of time that the Lord has given to me and that I will rejoice and be glad in it. It doesn't take long, however, for my declaration to be challenged and my hopes dashed to pieces because the day does not always go as I have planned. My week also gets off to a rough start and the month ends too soon without the goals being met. And the New Year with its promising resolutions to do better presents its own challenges. Everything seems to fall to pieces little by little and I begin to wonder, if God really did create this new day, why is all this chaos happening?

Yet, God's Word is always true for God is not a man that He should lie. If the Word says that He created this day or space of time we can believe it and we can also believe that He will give us strength to rejoice in it. Being children of the Most High God does not exempt us from heartache and trouble. The Apostle James told us to rejoice when we went through fiery trials. Habakkuk rejoiced in the season when the fig tree did not blossom and there was no fruit on the vine. The Apostle Paul determined that none of the tribulations that He faced would separate Him from God and he instructed us to rejoice in the Lord always. Jesus proceeded towards the crucifixion of the Cross because of the joy that was set before Him.

It would benefit our souls to stand with these men of faith and declare that we too will rejoice in the Lord and be glad in the current day regardless of what it brings. Rejoicing provides strength to endure and it is with joy that we are able to draw from the wells of salvation. So, let us recognize this new year as a gift from God and appreciate every day. Let us determine to rejoice and be glad in it regardless of the circumstances knowing that God made this day or period of time and He knows what surrounds it. +++

01/03/14
BREAD FOR THIS DAY

Scripture: Matthew 6:11 "Give us this day our daily bread."

Jesus taught His disciples how to pray and told them that their Heavenly Father already knew the things they needed before they even asked. He also told them not to have any concerns for their food, drink, or clothing for the future. He said, "Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things." He continued to instruct them saying, "Seek first the kingdom of God, then all these things will be added to you ... So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble." However, Jesus did tell His disciples to ask God for bread for each new day. We serve the same God today that provided manna every day for forty years for His people when He delivered them out of Egypt. He still has the recipe for manna and is able to provide all of our needs.

When our own children were born, we knew that they needed food, water, and clothing. As parents, it was our responsibility to make that provision. They never had to worry about these necessities because we planned in advance to meet their needs. However, they did ask us for food when they were hungry, especially when they were newborn and wanted to eat every two or three hours.

God is a responsible Father and is just as loving and caring as we are as parents. Jesus tells us to consider the birds that do not sow, yet the Father feeds them. He also says consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they don't toil nor spin. Yet, Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If God feeds the birds and clothes the flowers of the field, He will take care of His children. God wants us to rely upon Him and trust Him like the birds and the flowers do. Yet, we also have to do our own part. The birds do not sleep late, sit around all day doing absolutely nothing, and have food dropped into their nests. They are up early, singing a song to God, and watching for His provision and blessing. They do what they can and trust God for their provision. Consider this poem by Elizabeth Cheney.

Overheard In An Orchard

Said the Robin to the Sparrow:
"I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so."

Said the Sparrow to the Robin:
"Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no Heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me." +++

01/06/14
OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN

Scripture: Matthew 6:9 "Our Father, Which art in heaven."

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He revealed to them that God was their Father and then went on to declare that God the Father was in Heaven. This statement was not made to establish God's address or whereabouts, for we know that He is omnipresent. That means that He is everywhere at all times. These words were meant to establish His authority, which exceeds the boundaries of this earth. When Jesus said that God was in Heaven, He was in reality stating that God is still on the throne and that He is still in control of every situation. He was informing the disciples that God was not limited or confined to the laws of the world in which they lived. 

Our earthly fathers have property and homes and they are considered to be the head of that home. They have the right to exert authority over their home, for this is their kingdom and their word is law in their personal domain. As we grow and mature as sons and daughters in that home, our fathers share their possessions. They give us the keys to their kingdoms, whether that kingdom is meager or grandiose. And with this gesture comes the authority to use the keys and also the responsibility to honor the trust that has been extended. Likewise, as children of our heavenly Father, we have been given the keys to His kingdom. In Matthew 16:16-19, Jesus told His disciples that He would build His church upon the revelation that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God and that those who receive that revelation would be given the keys to the kingdom of God.

When we pray, we should realize that we are talking to someone in Heaven. We are actually opening the doors of Heaven with the keys that Jesus has given to us and we are gaining access to all of the resources of God's kingdom. Like earthly keys, the spiritual keys that are given to us are efficient tools and they work regardless of how we feel. Keys never depend upon the emotions of the one holding the key. They just work and exercise their ability to open and close. When Jesus gave us the keys, He said that whatever we loose on Earth is loosed in Heaven, and whatever we bind on Earth is bound in Heaven. However, having the keys and using the keys are two different matters. We can find ourselves standing outside the kingdom all day long, crying and yelling about our problems, or we can simply use the keys that have been given to us. With these keys we can go into the very presence of the Living God, Our Heavenly Father, and obtain all that we need. +++

01/07/14
SEEING THE PROMISE

Scripture: Genesis 13:14-15 "Lift up your eyes and look ... all the land which you see I will give to you ..."

God gave a promise to Abraham, but there were conditions that came with the promise. Abraham had to make an effort to see what God was showing him. God said, "Open your eyes. All that you see, I will give to you." Getting a vision of God's promise is a vital part of our faith because if we are unable to envision the promises of God, we will never be able to receive them. Proverbs 29:18 says that our faith will perish without a revelation or vision of God's plan and purpose for our lives. Even Jesus had to first see God's plan. Jesus said, "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do" (John 5:19). Abraham caught the vision and followed through in faith as he walked the length and breadth of the land, his heart continually searching for the promise of God. He stayed focused, kept his vision, and received God's promise.

There were others in the scripture, however, that did not keep a vision of faith. Ten of the twelve spies that Moses sent to search out the land lost out on God's promise because their eyes were on the circumstances rather than God and His Word. They had enough vision to leave Egypt, but their faith faltered along the way when their vision became distorted by the obstacles in their path. The ten saw the giants instead of the giant grapes, and their heart fixed on the problem rather than the promise. They saw themselves as grasshoppers that would be eaten up by the enemy, and they envisioned the enemy seeing them in the same way. However, two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, saw things in a totally different way. Instead of seeing the enemy eating them up, Joshua and Celeb said, "The enemy will be bread for us." They were of another spirit and their vision was based on faith in God and God's Word to them.

Spiritual vision can be enhanced or distorted just like natural vision. When spiritual vision is distorted we tend to draw negative conclusions about situations. We neglect to see the positive. For instance, when shown a white piece of paper with a small black dot in the center, we have a choice to either see the small black dot or all the white that surrounds it. When asked what we see, we usually describe only the small dark spot. As we focus our attention upon it, the larger and darker it becomes and we fail to see all of the white around it.

The same is true in the area of our faith, the light fades away when we face financial difficulties, family crises, or negative reports concerning our health. The darkness draws our attention away from the light and we begin to forget about the promises of God. It is at this point that we must correct our spiritual vision. God says, "Lift up your eyes ... all you see, I will give to you." Don't look at the small darkness that has intruded into your life. Open your eyes and find the scripture that fits your need and focus upon that word. As you do, it will draw your attention to the light and faith will come into your heart as you allow the Word of God to adjust your spiritual vision. +++

01/08/14
FIGHTING DISCOURAGEMENT

Scripture: Psalm 27:14 "Wait on the Lord: Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart."

What would you do if you were walking along and fell into a dark pit? Would you stay there, or would you struggle and work to get out? Would you allow discouragement to overcome you, or would you attempt to conquer it? You must understand that your tomorrow is decided by the choices that you make today.

Disappointment comes when things don't work out like we've planned and we see our hopes and dreams begin to fade into non-existence. When we do not deal with those disappointments, they eventually build strongholds in our spirit and turn into discouragement. When we are in this frame of mind, each step leads downward until we fall into utter hopelessness. In all of these phases, we can choose to drown in this sea of disappointment, discouragement, and hopelessness, or use all of the ability that God gave us to get out.

There is a story about two mice that fell into a bucket of milk. One swam and fought for a while but then became discouraged, gave up, and drowned. The other mouse just kept dog paddling, fighting, and praying all night long. When he got tired he would float for a while, then he would take courage and work at getting out again. Although nothing positive seemed to be happening, he refused to give up and never allowed discouragement and self-pity to overtake him. He kept doing what he could. Finally, his churning turned the milk that was around him into a block of butter underneath him. When the milk turned to butter, he was able climb out and was free. He was amazed at how God had created a deliverance for him.

God has a creative plan of deliverance for you, too. Psalms 30:5 says, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." There is an old saying that "It's always darkest just before dawn". So when you find yourself in the dark pits of discouragement, just keeping doing all that you can do. Wait upon the Lord and He will strengthen your heart. Trust in the Lord and be of good courage, for His deliverance and joy is on its way. +++

01/09/14
DEVOTION TO HIS CALL

Scripture: John 12:26 "If any man serve Me, let him follow Me."

Jesus makes it plain in these words that if we are going to serve Him, we must follow Him. It is a simple choice and we can't have it both ways. We can't live the way of the world while we have the mark of His cross upon our lives any more than we can serve two masters. When we are truly devoted to the Lord's call, we will follow Him wherever He leads and do whatever He asks. We will put to death our hopes in order to follow His will and crucify our own desires so that He can fulfill His purposes in our lives. We will allow our lives to die as a seed in the ground so that His fruit can come forth (Verse 24).

These two simple words from the lips of Jesus, "Follow Me" offer us a wonderful life in His presence. When we choose Christ, we choose a personal relationship with Him. When we follow Him, we go where He goes and we see what He sees. We bond together with Him through our mutual experiences, whether good or bad. From the time that we accept His call and then throughout eternity, we have an assurance that we will be guided by the One who has more wisdom and knowledge than we do. He becomes our Shepherd and we take on the identity of His sheep. We recognize His voice and do not follow another. We are aware that there is something very special about belonging to Him. The world doesn't understand our relationship, but we know Him and we know that He knows us.

It is apparent that in your heart you truly want to serve the Lord or you would not be spending time right now reading this message and following after the things of God. Yet, we all encounter distractions and things that attempt to lead us away from following the Shepherd. There are trials, victories, heartbreaks, and even fears as we journey through life with Jesus. But, with every event along our path, we learn more about Him. When Jesus says, "Follow Me," He calls us to be dependent upon Him and to allow Him to be in control of our lives. He continually calls us to new levels and desires for us to serve Him. Our call is not just a place of destination. Instead, it is a journey that we experience. The Lord goes before us and leads us each step of the way. Our obedience in following Him gives us the opportunity to trust Him in a new way and to show our devotion to His call. If we want to serve Him, we must allow Him to be the Lord of our life and follow Him. +++

01/10/14
GOD'S WAY

Scripture: II Kings 5:10 "Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman, saying, "Go and wash in Jordan seven times."

Naaman was the captain of the army of the king of Syria and was declared to be a mighty man of valor in battle. He was also a very powerful man and had great favor with the king because he had brought deliverance to Syria. Because of his mighty accomplishments, he was honored and esteemed before the people in the kingdom, but Naaman had a very serious problem. He was a leper. 

Naaman's wife had a young maid, who had been captured and brought out of Israel. This young maid witnessed to Naaman's wife about the prophet Elisha who was in Israel. She believed that Elisha could heal Naaman's leprosy. When Naaman heard this news, he made his way to Israel to find the prophet, but when Naaman arrived at the door of Elisha's house, Elisha did not even come out to meet him. Instead, Elisha sent a messenger who instructed Naaman to go and wash in the Jordan River seven times.

This instruction made Naaman very angry and he went away in a rage, declaring, "I thought Elisha would surely come out to meet me, stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, strike his hand over the place, and recover me of this leprosy." Naaman felt shunned that the prophet did not honor his position as a leader. Besides that, he was told to go and wash in the Jordan River, which was not as clean as the rivers in his own land. Yet, Naaman's servants reasoned with him. They said, "If the prophet had told you to do a hard thing, you would have done it? Why won't you wash and be clean?" Naaman listened and acted on their words and when he dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, he was totally healed and his skin became like that of a little child. 

Naaman had it all figured out, but things did not work the way that he expected or even wanted. In order for his leprosy to be cleansed, he had to obey the words of the prophet, which were very precise. It had to be God's river and God's way, or no way, and he had to dip himself into the river seven times, not six. So it is with the situation in our lives. We go to God with our family issues that need to be resolved, bodies that need to be healed, financial situations that need solutions, and for deliverance from addictions. When we approach the Lord, we have it all figured out and instead of leaning upon the Lord in total trust we dictate the solutions to Him. Like Naaman, we just can't see the reasoning or wisdom in dipping ourselves in a river of dirty water, and we sure don't have the patience to do it seven times. Doubt would set in when the second dip showed no results. Discouragement would come about the fourth time. Depression would then follow the fifth attempt because we saw no change. Defeat would take us out of the challenge after the sixth dip, just before the victory and deliverance came.

God is so big that we can never put Him in a box. He has an answer to every question and a solution for every problem. All we must do is go to Him in humility and allow Him to work His personalized plan in our lives. Regardless of how simple and foolish it may seem, we must submit to His way and follow His instructions until our deliverance comes, even it means seven dips in a dirty river. +++

01/13/14
PREVAILING PRAYER

Scripture: Genesis 32:26 "But Jacob replied, I will not let you go until you bless me."

Jacob was a man who aggressively pursued the blessings of God for his life. His heart's desire was to obtain the sacred birthright of the first-born and the blessings that came with it. Even in his mother's womb, he struggled with Esau, his twin brother. And at birth, Jacob caught hold of Esau's heel in an effort to pull him back from the destiny set before him (Genesis 25:22-26). Finally, years later, at a moment when his brother was weak and faint from the lack of nourishment, Jacob obtained the birthright by purchasing it from Esau with a bowl of beans. Then by deception, he also stole Esau's blessing from their father, Isaac. Jacob was desperate and determined to be blessed.

Because of Jacob's deception with his father and brother, he was forced to leave his home, but many years later he returned as a prosperous man. As Jacob approached his homeland, the news came to him that his brother, Esau, was coming with 400 men. Thinking the worst was about to happen, Jacob sent his wives, children, and all those with him to the other side of the river. Jacob remained there alone through the night, greatly afraid and distressed. In the midst of the darkness, the Lord began to deal with him, and Jacob wrestled with the Lord. He refused to let go, declaring, "I will not let you go until you bless me."

As they wrestled, the Lord asked Jacob, "What is your name"? The Lord forced Jacob to own up to who he really was; a 'heel catcher', a deceiver, and a trickster. When Jacob was able to acknowledge who he was by name and nature, God was able to change him. The Lord changed his name from Jacob, or deceiver, to Israel, a prince. As a prince, Jacob now had power with God and with men. He had prevailed with God and obtained the blessing as he came face to face with the Lord. The birthright that Jacob so diligently sought for passed through him to his descendants and his name was listed in the lineage of the Messiah. He obtained the promised covenant, and throughout the scriptures references are made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, instead of Abraham, Isaac, and Esau.

The blessings you seek from God come with no less determination and persistence than what Jacob experienced. If you want anything from God you have to pursue Him with your whole heart. You cannot have knowledge of His Word without diligently studying it or listening to good teachers and ministers. You cannot prevail in prayer without separating yourself from those around you and seeking God. Jacob was left alone and He experienced God face to face. And Jesus, Himself, always sought for a solitary place to pray. Likewise, it is in the secret place that you will see the face of God. And like Jacob, it will be when you come to terms with who you really are that God can change you into the person He wants you to be. Your blessing comes through prayer and communion and by His Word transforming your heart, and not by any other means. Deception won't get you there. You must prevail in prayer to become a prince with God and to seal the divine destiny that He has for you. +++

01/14/14
LOOK FOR ME

Scripture: Psalms 119:176 "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant."

We've all had those times when we've planned to meet someone in a large crowd and wanted to make sure that we made the connection. We designated a particular time and place to meet, explained what we would be wearing, and then said, "Be looking for me." If the appointed time for the rendezvous passed, desperation set in, and we began to think that there was a misunderstanding in our communications. We could only hope that the one we were attempting to meet was searching for us with as much effort as we were searching for them.

The psalmist in this scripture found himself in the same dilemma. He had somehow wandered away and was telling the Lord of his desperate situation. In the preceding verses, he asked the Lord to hear his cry and listen to his supplication. He said, "Let Your hand help me." Sheep have no sense of direction and are used to being led about. It is their nature to depend upon the shepherd to find them. The psalmist reminded the Lord that even though he had strayed away from the narrow path, he still remembered the commandments and precepts of God. He knew that God would honor His Word and he depended upon the Good Shepherd to seek for him as if he were a lost sheep.

Like the psalmist, the Lord is our Shepherd and we are the sheep of His pasture. We need the Lord Jesus desperately in our lives so that we can maintain an honorable walk and keep our feet from straying. We must make it a practice to face every day with a determination to discern His will and to be in His Word, seeking His direction. Like the psalmist, our prayer should be, "Lord, look for me. Help me to be in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing. If I go astray, seek me and bring me back." Are you aware that God's search for you is just as diligent as your search for Him? Jesus is your Good Shepherd. He will leave the ninety-nine sheep that are safe and search for you when you have lost your way. As He looks for you, He will call you by name, for He knows each one of His sheep personally. In John 10:27, He said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27). When your path seems to be shrouded in darkness and your way seems obscure, listen for the Shepherd's voice. He is like any loving father whose child is lost, and He is desperately seeking for you and calling your name. +++

01/15/14
COMFORTING OTHERS

Scripture: II Corinthians 1:3-4 "Blessed be God ... Who comforted us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort that we ourselves are comforted by God."

Paul declares that God comforts us in all of our tribulations so that we may be able to comfort others who are in trouble. Hardships are not fun, but they work together for good in our lives to bring us to a better understanding of the situations that others are facing. We can't give others hope for the mountaintop if we haven't successfully made it through the shadows in the valley. We can't direct someone through a tunnel of depression if we haven't experienced the darkness of a wounded spirit ourselves. Nor can we mend those with a broken heart if we've never experienced disappointment. We could never understand the anxieties of those who are facing financial lack if we have no understanding in that area. And how could we ever be touched with the physical suffering and pain of others if our own infirmities had not birthed compassion in our soul?

Comforting others is a ministry in itself, for out of the greatest pain comes the sweetest songs of assurance. The hard places in our past show us how to bring deliverance to the wounded. The emotional trials that we have faced allow us to be able to be touched by their feelings. And because we have cried, we know how to wipe away their tears. Because we have faced desert places and then experienced God in fresh new ways, we can assure those passing through dry hard places that God will also prepare a stream in their desert. Because we have gone through grief and sorrow, we can assure them that their season of joy will come again. Because we have been weary ourselves and have carried heavy burdens, we know how to encourage and lift their heavy load. And because we have found it necessary at times to lean on the prayers of others, we are able to give ourselves easily to intercession when prayer is needed. 

The hurting never run to those who have never suffered. And likewise, those who need counsel and a word in due season never seek out those without experience. Yet, we should not seek to suffer, but know that we are not above our Master. Jesus suffered and was touched by the feelings that we would experience and was tempted in all of the temptations that He knew we would face (Hebrews 4:15). He gave Himself to pain so that He could become a valid comforter through the Holy Spirit. So, even though suffering is hard for us, it brings with it an education that is of greater benefit than earning a degree. Suffering creates a dwelling place in our heart for the compassion of God and it develops a skillfulness that enables us to minister according to the will of God. At the end, we are able to agree with the Apostle Paul and say, "Blessed be God ... Who has comforted me in all my tribulations so that I may be able to comfort others who are in any trouble." +++

01/16/14
CORNERSTONE

Scripture: Mark 12:10 "The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner."

Jesus spoke of Himself with these words. He was chosen by God the Father to be the Spiritual head of the church, but He was rejected by the rulers who were attempting to build a religious organization. Scriptures declare that Jesus came to His own but His own did not receive Him. Yet even though Jesus was rejected and despised by men, He never gave up on God's plan and purpose for His life. Instead, He continued to do God's will and work the works of the One who had sent Him. He was destined to be the chief cornerstone of the church, which was built by the Spirit of God and He continues to hold all things together by the power of His Word. It is hard to imagine, but if the presence and power of that One Stone, Jesus Christ, were to be removed, the church would dissolve and all nature would collapse.

When Jesus came to this earth, He did go to the pious religious leaders who mistakenly thought that they had it all together and took for granted that their building was intact. Instead, Jesus chose to go to those who recognized that they needed Him as their own personal Lord and Savior. Jesus searched for those who would serve Him diligently and love Him with all of their hearts. He came to the sinners who needed a Savior to cleanse them from their sins, to the sick who needed a healer to heal them of their diseases, to those in bondage who needed to be delivered, and even to the dead who needed to be resurrected. He also came for the broken hearted and those who were suffering grief. He allowed them to experience His grace by giving them beauty for their ashes and exchanging their sadness with a spirit of joy. He was never rejected by those who realized that they had a need and He never rejected anyone who was willing to receive Him as their solution.

Jesus presents Himself to us even today. He wants us to wrap our lives around Him so that He becomes the Chief Cornerstone of our personal lives. Every stone of our life has importance, but Jesus desires to be the most prominent part of our personal witness. When others look at us either from a personal standpoint or as the corporate Church of the Living God, He wants them to see and know that we are connected together with Him. We must let the world know that we are one building, one church, one family, and one body in Christ. We acknowledge Jesus as our Chief Cornerstone and we declare that we will never reject Him. +++

01/17/14
CHOOSING YOUR BATTLES

Scripture: Proverbs 26:17 "He that passes by and meddles with strife that does not belong to him, is like one that takes a dog by the ears."

King Solomon spoke very wisely concerning the business of battles. He warned us about getting involved in situations that do not belong to us and described these actions as meddling. For sure, there are many challenges in life and battles will come to the best of us, but Solomon said that if we are not careful in our choices, we will end up being like someone who grabs a dog by the ears. In other words, when we meddle in the wrong battles, they will bite back. Solomon's words reminded me of a small and fierce dog that our family had. He would have never harmed those to whom he belonged but I pity the stranger who would have tried to grab him by the ears. Even if they had been trying to help him, their good intentions would have been misunderstood and unappreciated.

So it is with life. Choosing the battles that we should get involved in is a difficult matter, for our actions can be misunderstood and unappreciated. When conflicts present themselves, whether it is our battle or someone else's or whether it is a huge conflict or small skirmish, our first strategy should be to go to God for counsel. God is awesome and His knowledge and ways are much higher than ours. He showed us His wisdom and His mighty power in the battles that were fought in the scriptures. David was a small shepherd boy, but he went to battle against Goliath, the giant warrior. David chose this battle because Goliath was mocking God and defying the armies of Israel. When David's own brothers questioned him about his choice to fight, David answered them with the words, "Is there not a cause?" (I Samuel 17:29). David not only chose to defend the cause of God, but ran towards the battle that was set before him and killed the giant.

Yet, there were other times when God specifically instructed men not to go against their enemy in battle. When the enemy came against Jehoshaphat, he sought the Lord, and the Lord told him that he didn't need to fight the battle, for the battle belonged to the Lord. God told Jehoshaphat to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. The Lord had a unique plan and instructed him to send worshippers into the battle instead of warriors. When the people began to sing and to praise the Lord, God sent an ambush against the enemy and the enemy destroyed themselves (II Chronicles 20:22). 

There are battles that we are destined to fight and many times we are called to fight them alone. Like David's situation, the cause may be greater than our own small world, but we can be assured that if God sends us into the battle, He will be our shield and defense. There will be other challenges that we are to simply praise our way through as God fights for us. God may say, "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord" or "pursue the enemy and take back your territory." Our battles may be conflicts in relationships, financial hardships, problems with our children, health issues, or spiritual matters. Regardless of the challenge, the battle belongs to the Lord, for the Apostle Paul said that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces.

We must understand that the devil is not an easy foe to reckon with, but God in His mercy has provided us with His own armor and spiritual weapons. God didn't tell David, who was known for his wonderful praise and worship, to go out singing before the giant and neither did He tell Jehoshaphat to go against the enemy with a few stones and a sling. Like these mighty warriors, our battles will be won while we are on our knees in prayer. As we wait on the Lord, He will instruct us and give us mighty counsel. So let us get God involved when we are choosing our battles and make a determination that we will not meddle or grab just any dog by the ears. +++

01/20/14
A NEW THING

Isaiah 43:19 "Behold, I will do a new thing."

God has always been a God of new things. He has never been a hand me down God and He doesn't like to settle into the old or become stagnant in His works. Everything God creates is fresh. Each mountain, river, and ocean is distinctly different, as is all of His other works of nature. He is a master artist and every day He creates a new sunrise and a new sunset that is never to be repeated. God's work is glorious and profound, and like He said in Genesis, "It is always good."

God makes a wonderful promise through Isaiah, the prophet, to do a new thing for His people. He promised to make a way in the wilderness and create streams in the desert places for them. He also promised to give them a path in the mighty waters. He declared that He was their Lord, their Holy One, their Creator, and King. He was all that they needed and all that they would ever need.

God also promised new things for us. When we receive Jesus into our hearts, we become a new creature with a new covenant and He gives us a new name (Revelations 2:17). He creates within us a new heart and imparts a new Spirit into our lives (Ezekiel 36:26). He instructs us to put on the new man (Ephesians 4:24) and gives us a new commandment and a new song (Psalm 40:3). When He touches our lives with these new things we are totally transformed.

As you face the New Year, believe God to do new things in your life. Remember that He is still your Creator. Regardless of whether you are faced with a wilderness place or a dry barren desert, God has the answer. He will make a way, create a stream, or do whatever is necessary to help you through your dilemma and correct your situation. "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and don't lean upon your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6). Welcome the New! Don't base today's answer on yesterday's solutions, for God is doing a new thing in your life. +++

01/21/14
ABE STILL AND KNOW

Scripture: Psalms 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God."

God is not interested in our great intellectual knowledge or abilities. Nor is He interested in our personal agendas and great achievements. He desires a personal relationship with us, and His main interest is that we know Him and realize that He is God. When we come to understand that God is God, we realize that He is in control of every situation in our life. He is God over the big things and God over the small things. He is God in the good times and God in the bad times. He is God when things are easy and God when things are hard. He is God on the mountains of joy and He is God in the valleys of the shadow of death.

When we come to recognize that God is sovereign, we begin to grasp the meaning of Romans 8:28. No matter what happens to us, if we love God and are called according to His purpose, all things, good or bad, are going to work together for our good. We then stop focusing on the immediate adverse circumstances and begin to see that there is a much bigger picture for our life. We come to know that God's grand destiny for our life is much more than we can comprehend with our finite mind. We concentrate on the enlarged territories that we believe God has for us and pray to that effect, knowing that His thoughts towards us are for good and not evil and that He will give us a future and a hope.

Your future may seem uncertain at this point, but you have an assurance that God has brought you to His kingdom for such a time as this (Esther 4:14). God has placed you in this life at this particular time to fulfill His particular purpose. God doesn't measure you by someone else's ability and opportunity but only by that which He individually affords to you. You must surrender your all to Him by placing your life totally in His hands. When the enemy comes in like a flood, you can be assured that God is still God and that He will raise up a banner against the forces of darkness. God is in charge and He is about to do a great thing in your life. Get away from the turmoil of life and quiet yourself from all anxiety. Take time to be still and listen to His still quite voice and know that God is God and He always will be God. +++

01/22/14
FRUITS OF THE VALLEY

Scripture: Song of Solomon 6:11 "I went down into the garden ... to see the fruits of the valley and to see whether the vine flourished ..."

It is quite a beautiful sight to stand on the side of a hill or mountain and look down upon a flourishing green valley. Not only are valleys a beautiful sight, but they also produce the most luscious and fresh fruit. This is true in the spiritual realm as well. Although we long for the mountain top experiences and tend to despise the valleys, it is in the valleys where growth takes place in our hearts and where fruit is produced. It's as we endure the valley of hard times that we learn to be kind and patient to others. Through the tears of loneliness in our own lives, we understand the importance of sharing love with those who are lonely and unloved. In the valley of strife and confusion, we develop the gift of peace making. As we have passed through our own valleys of financial difficulties, it is easier to recognize the needs of others and share our means with them. And as we experience trials, the fruit of faith grows within our hearts and self-control becomes evident in our lives.

As born again believers, we were never promised a life without valleys, but we were promised a wonderful relationship with a Good Shepherd who would lead us through the valleys. The Lord promised to be there in the midst of all the shadows, even the shadows of death. He said that He would dispel our fears and supply all of our needs and He promised never to leave us or forsake us. He told us that He would be the vine and that we would be the branches. As branches that are connected to Him who is the vine, it is our communion with Him that allows His Spirit to flow through us and produce fruit in our lives.

Charles Slagle said, "The real design and purpose of the valley through which you have passed cannot come into view until you are sufficiently high on the mountains." If you trust and follow Jesus, He will lead you through the valley and take you to the top of the mountain. He will restore your soul and at the end, you will understand His purpose. You will find your life flourishing and see many come to partake of the fruit that you have to offer. +++

01/23/14
MUSTARD SEED FAITH

Scripture: Matthew 17:20 "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed ... nothing shall be impossible unto you."

Jesus spoke these words to explain the growth that can result from a small beginning. In Mark 4:31, He explained that the mustard seed was the least of all the seeds. Yet, when it took root and began to grow, it became a tree large enough for even the birds of the air to lodge in. Jesus compared the growth of the mustard seed to our faith and said that if we had faith as a grain of a mustard seed, nothing within the scope of God's will would be impossible to us. In fact, when our words come in line with God's words, they become filled with enough power to enable us to speak to the mountains to be removed and they will be cast into the sea.

There is no need for us to remove literal mountains, but there are mountains of adversity that surround all of us. We are to deal with these mountains with mustard seed faith. The mustard seed is not only small, it is pure and unmingled. We don't need to have a lot of faith; we just need pure faith. Pure faith is being persuaded that God's Word is true. Pure faith rests because it has absolute dependence and reliance upon God's Word. It demands full confidence and trust in God's faithfulness to perform His Word. It is a full surrender and obedience to the truth and to the conviction that God will complete the things that we are hoping for. Pure faith is not mixed with doubt. It never struggles, but is a joyful experience.

When you have mustard seed faith, you can release your last handful of meal and your little supply of oil to God and expect Him to see you through the hard days ahead (I Kings 17:16). With mustard seed faith, you can give your five loaves and two fish unreservedly and know that God will turn the little that you have given into a miracle meal to feed over five thousand people (Matthew 14:17-21). Mustard seed faith will cause you to pay your tithes and give offerings with the expectation that God is going to open the windows of Heaven and pour out a blessing that you will not have room to receive (Malachi 3:10).

Mustard seed faith never fails. It encourages you to plant in the time of famine and causes you to reap a one hundred fold harvest because of your obedience (Genesis 26:12). It keeps you at peace in the lion's den and keeps you from being burned or having the lingering smell of smoke upon you when you have passed through the fiery furnace. It will keep you untouched as you pass through the Red Seas of your life and will also allow you to walk on the waters in the midst of the storm. Mustard seed faith is all that you need; that is, just a little faith in a great God. As you take your seed of faith and place in God's hands, He will enable you to conquer all of life's circumstances and nothing will be impossible to you. +++

01/24/14
A SHIELD FOR ME

Scripture: Psalms 3:3 "For Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of my head."

As I was driving the other day, I noticed a big spider on the hood of my car. Somehow, it was able to resist the force of the wind and to stay there right in front of me. Normally, a spider that close to me would have brought fear to my heart, but in this situation I had no anxiety because the car's windshield was between me and the spider. This thin piece of glass was my protection and I knew that the spider could not harm me physically. Therefore, it could not torment me mentally. As I watched the spider, this scripture came to my mind and I thought of the many times that the Lord had been a shield for me in life's circumstances. I also realized that there were many other instances in my life where His protection prevailed without me even being aware of it.

Several years ago my oldest son and I had a bread ministry to the poor in one of the neighborhoods on the outskirts of Houston. Every Tuesday night, rain or shine, we loaded up our vehicle with bread and pastries and went from house to house doing street evangelism. One of the elderly women that we visited each week warned us of the shootings that were happening on the streets in the vicinity. She always asked us to pray with her that God would clean up her neighborhood and rid it of evil. But we still remained unaware of the drug problem that plagued the area and it never occurred to us that we were in imminent danger. Just after one of our visits, the police raided the area and arrested eighteen people for drugs and posted their pictures in the local paper. 

Sometime later when I was ministering in the half way house, one of the girls who was arrested in the raid recognized me. She told me of the dangers that had surrounded us when we were there. The police were suspicious that we were delivering drugs in the bread and the drug dealers thought we were working undercover for the police. This was overwhelming to us because we were just simply trying to obey the mandate of the Lord and be a blessing to the people. In our innocence, God had placed an invisible shield about us and protected us from all harm, physically and mentally.

My son and I prayed every time before starting out on our mission to help the poor and evangelize the lost. We asked the Lord to lead us as we went up and down the dark streets. We had no cell phones or any means of protection but we were always walking behind our Shepherd. The Lord, Himself, was our shield and was between us and every present danger. Because we were obedient to His voice, souls were saved, the hungry were fed, and our prayers, which were joined with the prayers of the elderly woman, were answered. God did clean up her neighborhood.

Just like this incident, we face personal situations everyday where we need the Lord to be a shield for us. We need Him to surround us with His love when others reject us, to surround us with peace when there is confusion in our lives, to fill our hearts with joy when we are overcome with sorrow, to give us courage in the midst of danger, and to lift us up physically when we can't go any further. We must remember that God is always there for us and be encouraged by this psalm that David wrote. When he spoke these words, he was fleeing from His own son, Absalom, who was trying to kill him. David bravely said, "For Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of my head." +++

01/27/14
A VICTORY IN THE MIDST OF STRESS

Scripture: II Corinthians 4:8-9 "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed."

Paul faced many discouraging circumstances in his life and ministry, but he maintained an overcoming faith that brought him through to victory. Regardless of what happened, Paul did not allow himself to become distressed, to engage in despair, feel forsaken, nor be destroyed. He absolutely had no 'quitting sense', and time after time he refused to give up when adversity challenged him.

You would think that Paul, a special and chosen vessel of the Lord who was destined to write nearly three-fourths of the New Testament and go on great missionary journeys, would be exempt from trials and tribulations. If he truly was in the will of God, it seems that things would be working out better for him. But we see him being stoned, imprisoned, suffering shipwreck, battling religious leaders, and encountering all kinds of major conflicts. He was constantly under some sort of pressure, yet was never stressed over it. Paul had learned early on that all things would eventually work out for his benefit because he loved God and was called to fulfill the purposes of God.

Sometimes we think that we should be exempt from adversity when we make a decision to serve God or give ourselves to the ministry, but like Paul, we discover that just the opposite is true. When we turn from the world and start walking towards God, we are no longer walking with the enemy but against him. Thus we face him head-on and find ourselves in great conflict. We are troubled on every side and are tempted to give in to the stress and despair of our circumstances. Persecution comes and we feel rejected and forsaken. The enemy of our soul is working towards his goal to destroy us with this mind set. Yet, it's in these times of conflicts and hard places that we are schooled in faith and our character is tested for the Master's use. Like Paul, when we come to the place where we are troubled on every side, we must make a choice. We can either give in to the strategies of the devil or stand against him and refuse to be stressed, despaired, forsaken, or destroyed. +++

01/28/14
A THE JUST LIVE BY FAITH

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

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

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

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

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

01/29/14
A CASTING YOUR CARE

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

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

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

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

"Good Morning, This Is God!
I Will Be Handling All Of Your Problems Today.
I Will Not Need Your Help --
So, Have A Good Day.
I Love You."

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

01/30/14
MUZZLING OUR MOUTH

Scripture: Psalms 39:1 "I will keep my mouth with a bridle."

King David made a commitment to take heed of his actions and his words so that he wouldn't sin against God. He also spoke to God about his awkward situation. While the wicked were there in the room before him, he tried to act dumb, hold his peace, and just remain quiet. But the longer he did this, the worse things got and finally sorrow began to stir inside of him. David said, "My heart was hot within me, and while I was musing, the fire burned." In other words he was saying, "The more I thought about it, the more it just burned me up!" Have you ever been there, and said that?

David finally reached the point that he responded and said, "Then I spoke up with my tongue." The Message Bible says it a little plainer:

"The longer I kept silent the worse it got --
my insides got hotter and hotter,
My thoughts boiled over; and I spilled my guts."

We often allow the actions and words of others to disturb us in this fashion until we reach the boiling point. In front of God and everybody, at the worst time, we just spill our guts. God's Word says that if we can control our tongue, we can control our whole body. James 3:2 (Amplified) states, "For we all often stumble and fall and offend in many things. And if any one does not offend in speech -- never says the wrong things -- he is a fully developed character and a perfect man, able to control his whole body and to curb (or bridle) his entire nature." If we want to control our whole body and curb our entire nature, there are three things that we must consciously do:

1) We must stop musing about the situation in an adverse way.
2) We must disallow our emotions to burn within us.
3) We must keep our mouth shut until God tells us how to respond
or as David said, "Keep our heart with a bridle." +++

01/31/14
WHY AND WHERE?

Scripture: Judges 6:13 "If the Lord is with us ..."

An angel of the Lord came to visit Gideon when he was hiding from a fierce enemy. The angel declared that Gideon was a mighty man of valor and told Gideon not to fear because the Lord was with him. Gideon asked the angel these two questions, "If the Lord is with us, why is all of this happening to us? And if the Lord is with us, where are all of His miracles?"

Have these two questions ever crossed your mind as you faced life's challenges? We know the scriptures declare that Jesus is a miracle worker and that He is the same today as He was yesterday. He doesn't change and we believe that He can still heal, provide, and deliver. We also know that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. Psalms twenty-three tells us that the Lord is our Shepherd and that we shall not want for any good thing. He will cause us to lie down in green pastures and will lead us beside still waters. He will even restore our soul and anoint our head with oil in the presence of our enemies. He will calm the raging seas and speak peace to all of our storms. We have nothing to fear because Jesus is our keeper. 

These truths fill our heart, yet when things are not working out the way they should for us, the same questions that Gideon asked come to our mind. "If the Lord is with me, why is this happening? If He is my provider, why don't I have enough money to pay my bills? If the Lord is leading me beside still waters, why do I have all of this turmoil going on in my life? If the Lord is with me, where are all of His miracles? If Jesus is my healer, why is my body wracked with pain or why did my love one die instead of being healed?"

We can all agree that life does offer some discouraging moments. Fear does attack and hardships do come. Grief and sorrow happen to the best of us and things do not always work out as we had hoped or planned. There are times when we can't feel God's presence even though He is very near. There are days of darkness as well as days of light and there are seasons of sadness as well as times of great joy. To be sure there are times of confusion and even though we do not always have the answers to all of life's questions, we must trust God and believe His Word.

In the midst of Gideon's fearful situation, the Lord promised him peace and life (Verse 23). But God also told him to go into battle against the enemy and tear down their idols of worship. Gideon still had fear in his soul when he chose to believe and receive the word of the Lord. Yet in the midst of his fear and everything that was going on, Gideon built an altar and called it Jehovah-Shalom, which means the God of peace. He stopped everything that he was doing and worshiped the Lord. He laid his fear and insecurities at the feet of the God of peace. This is our answer. We don't have to know why adversity is challenging our life or where our deliverance is at the moment. All that we must do is lay our fears and insecurities on the altar of Jehovah-Shalom, our God of peace, for He is good and He is faithful all of the time. He has a good plan for our lives and we have nothing to fear. We should never question, "If the Lord is with us", but instead we are to believe His words and confess in faith, "The Lord is with us!" +++