Aug17

............	A Word In Due Season Aug 2017 8/1/17 APPLE OF GOD'S EYE Scripture: Psalms 17:8 "Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of Thy wings." The apple of the eye is the pupil, or the darkest part and very center of the eye. It is the most precious part of the eye because it lets the light in and allows the body to see. The eyes are very delicate and demand extreme care and protection, and if lost, the whole body suffers and is left handicapped. David knew the value of his own eyes and the lengths that he would go to in order to protect them, so he prayed and asked God to keep him as safe as God would the very apple of His own eye. The word 'keep' in this text meant to guard, protect, or hide like the eagle hides her young under her wings. In the natural, God made provisions to protect the human eyes. The eyes have eyelashes, eyebrows, and eyelids that guard against small things like dust, dirt, and smoke. The eyes are also deeply entrenched in the skull with bones around them to protect them from further injury. The arms and hands also act instinctively and spontaneously to guard the eyes if something harmful should come in their direction. The head will turn or duck and even the knees bend to lower the entire body to help the eyes get out of the way of injury. The entire body responds to protect this vital organ and would rather suffer injury itself than to allow the eye to be damaged because it recognizes that the eyes are precious and irreplaceable. Just as David was kept as the apple of God's eye, so are you. You are a valuable part of God's body and kingdom, and just as you would protect your own eyes from harm, God is there to protect and guard you. If someone were to hit you in the eye, you would not try to hit them back with your eye. Your eye is not designed to fight for itself so the other parts of your body, like the arms and hands, would take up the eye's defense. In the spiritual realm, God is your defense. God's Word says that vengeance belongs to the Lord (Psalms 94:1). Zechariah 2:8 says, "For he that touches you touches the apple of God's eye." In other words, when others come against you, they are touching a very sensitive part of God and He will respond. Verse nine says that "God will shake His hand against those who touch you." When others come against you, you cannot fight your own battles, but God can fight for you. Your part is to simply shut your spiritual eyelids to the offense, leave things in God's hands, and pray for those who come against you. You are the apple of God's eyes so rest in Him and allow Him to hide you under the shadow of His wings. +++ 8/2/17 WAITING FOR THE SEASON Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:17 "There is a time for every purpose and for every work." Our lives and destinies are much like a beautiful rose. We start as a small bud covered with protective green leaves and we are hidden from view for a length of time. Like a natural rosebud, those viewing our lives can only guess what the colors of our life may turn out to be. Eventually, a little color begins to show itself and the promise of a beautiful future is envisioned. This process continues until the whole bud is in view. The rosebud, just as it is, is beautiful and even has a wonderful fragrance. Yet, it holds so much more promise within itself. If left to God's timing, it will become a glory to behold. The difficult part is waiting for the bud to open and for the petals to unfold, one by one. It is such a slow and delicate process, but there is nothing that we can do to hasten the work that nature is designed to do. God holds our lives in His sovereign hands like He does with the rosebud. He plans each moment and arranges every experience that will enhance our brilliance, beauty, and fragrance. There are joys and sorrows, and there are also days of sunshine and days of rain. But God uses all of our life experiences, good and bad, to add depth and passion to our souls. Only God knows what is best for our lives, and like the precious rosebud, we must submit to His timing and wait for His divine season to come to pass. As we allow God to unfold the petals of our lives at His discretion, He will complete His work in our lives and fulfill His purposes. Many times it is hard to wait on God's promise, but just as we cannot unfold the rosebud and keep the petals intact, we cannot unfold the seasons of our lives. They are too tightly mingled together and cannot be forced into being. God has an appointed time for all things in our life, but His promise takes time and we must wait for Him to unfold our destiny. If we attempt to pull the petals away before their time, we will spoil the beauty and crush the fragrance that He has designed, not only for our enjoyment, but also for His kingdom purposes. The life of the promise is within us, but we must trust God's timing, for our hands are too clumsy to handle our own destiny. We must anticipate the blessing, seek the Lord, and expect to receive, but more importantly, we must wait for God to fulfill His promise at His appointed time and in His chosen season. +++ 8/3/17 THINGS VALUED Scripture: Proverbs 15:6 "In the house of the righteous is much treasure." I can remember a time in my life when you never saw a penny tossed away on the ground because it actually had significant value. Even though my family did not have much materially, we never seemed to be poor because we had the same as those around us. It was just after World War II and things were scarce for everyone. When we got a penny for bubble gum, we were thrilled. We would chew the gum during the day then place it on a saucer at night and cover it with a drinking glass. The next day, we were allowed to dip it in sugar to sweeten it up. This was a real treat because sugar was rationed. Can you imagine the joy of a penny being stretched so far? When I started school, things were better and we were given nickels to spend and the penny began to lose some of its value. With a nickel you could either buy a nourishing mid-morning snack or in the afternoon get a cola from the new soda machine. Eventually, the cost of colas went from a nickel to six cents and this caused the worth of the penny to increase because it was again needed. Today, pennies are almost worthless except for the precious words inscribed on them that remind us, "In God we trust." How many things in our lives have become like the penny? The relationships that we once viewed as valuable and precious are now taken for granted. We have friendships that we are too busy to make time for and family members who suffer neglect because of our busy careers. The jobs that we desperately sought after have turned into mundane labor and brought on extra stress. Our passions for our spouse whom we once held dear may have dwindled. As time has passed the values of our hearts have been altered and things once precious are now neglected. We are driven by the need to prosper and succeed and have lost sight of the true treasures of life, which are basically free. Solomon said there is much treasure in the house of the righteous. We need to think about his statement and allow this season to remind us to look around and focus on the blessings that we have, for there are hidden treasures all about us. We must place value on those things that are more important than the wealth that can be measured in dollars and cents. If we know God and have family, friends, love, health, food, clothing, and freedom, we are indeed blessed and must recognize that within the walls of our own home there is much treasure. We should be thankful for these blessings and reflect on their value, for where our treasure is there is our heart also. +++ 8/4/17 WASTING TIME Scripture: Luke 10:42 "But one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke tells the story of two sisters, Martha and Mary. Martha was like many of us in that she wanted everything to be perfect because Jesus was visiting in her home. I'm sure that if Jesus were to come to our home in person, our excitement would cause us to act the same way that she acted. We would want everything to be perfect. We might even neglect our personal prayer time and Bible study just to get ready for Jesus, the crowds of people, and the news media. Our time would be spent cleaning, cooking, and shopping for the right clothes to wear for the occasion. Our focus would be on the "visit", not the "Visitor" The scripture says that Martha was "cumbered about with much serving, full of care, and troubled about many things.” Cumbered means "distracted with care, overdosed with everything, and dragging a cumbersome burden." This joyous occasion had become quiet a burden to Martha. She was not only cumbered down with all of the responsibility and work, but she had taken the burden of trying to control everyone else and involve them in her needs. She even tried to manipulate Jesus with her self-pity by saying, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to serve alone?" Martha may have become jealous of Mary's spiritual interest and felt that Mary was just wasting time. She wanted Jesus to tell Mary to help her. John 11:5 records that Jesus loved Martha just as much as He loved Mary. However, He did not respond to Martha's self-pity, control, and manipulation. He spoke three things to Martha concerning Mary and He speaks these same things to us today. First, He said, "There is one thing needful." That one thing is to sit at Jesus' feet and be still. There is a time that we must let everything go so that we can focus on developing a relationship with Jesus by being in His presence and hearing His Word. Second, Jesus said, "Mary has chosen that needful and good thing." Mary chose to rise above the criticism and control of others so that she could sit at Jesus' feet. People may not always understand when you put Jesus first in your life. So when you decide to choose the needful thing, you must set aside the world's opinions. Finally, Jesus said, "It shall not be taken away from her." Because Mary did not allow herself to be distracted with the natural duties, Jesus did not allow her blessing to be taken from her. There is always something eternal gained when we close ourselves in with Jesus. The bonds of communion and spiritual revelation that we experience in His presence cannot be taken from us. We will always have to take care of the natural duties because we cannot be so "heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good." Yet, we cannot become so busy in the natural that we have no time for the Lord. If we are too busy to spend time with the Lord, then we are too busy. When the Lord decides to pay us a visit, we must put aside our own agendas and choose that needful and most important thing for the moment. We must stop and give attention to Him and simply be in His presence. The writer, Jamie Buckingham, expressed it best, "There's nothing more important than wasting time with God!" +++ 8/7/16 GOD IS FOR ME Scripture: Psalms 56:9 "This I know; God is for me." The psalmist who wrote these words also made a plea to God for help because he had been taken captive by the enemy. He felt as though he was being swallowed up because of their oppression. Yet, even in this place of danger and despair, he declared that his trust was in the Lord. He said, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in You" (Verse 3). He felt certain that when he cried out to the Lord that his enemies would turn back in retreat, for he had come to this firm conclusion, "God is for me." We can have great confidence in knowing that God is on our side and that He is for us at all times. He is there as a loving Father who believes the best about His children and He is never against us in any situation. Even when we are in the wrong, God is working to bring us back to a place of repentance and will show us the way of escape. God is the Good Shepherd who draws us by His Spirit back to the fold. He is the Father of the prodigal who waits patiently to restore His son to his rightful position in life. He is the faithful Friend who sticks closer than a brother when we are in trouble. He is our Comforter when sorrow and grief strike at us. The Lord is the Redeemer to the lost and the Great Physician to sick. He is the Provider who supplies for all of our needs according to His riches in glory. He is the Lord of Hosts who fights our battles for us, our Shelter in the storms, and our Refuge in the time of trouble. God has promised never to leave us or forsake us. He will be there when all else fails because He is for us. The revelation of who God is in our life and the knowledge that He is for us should give us peace for every situation that challenges us. Romans 8:31 says, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" If God loved us enough to give His Son for us, He surely loves us enough to keep us safe and to care for us in the threat of danger. He is our confidence for today and our hope for tomorrow. No enemy can stand against the presence of God in our life or suppress His plans for our future. We must lean upon the Lord with all of our understanding and trust His judgment because like the psalmist said, "This we know; God is for us and not against us." +++ 8/8/17 ONE ACCORD - ONE MIND Scripture: Philippians 2:2 "... being of one accord, of one mind." It makes the Lord very happy when His children can work together and live in harmony with one another. He rejoices that those of His own household are dwelling in peace and unity. King David declared that when the brethren dwell together in unity, it brings God's anointing and blessings upon their lives (Psalms 133:1-3). Unity is a pleasant experience, not only for the Father, but also for His children. The scriptures declare that it is like precious oil that flows down upon us and is as refreshing to us as the dew upon the mountains. There is nothing that can be accomplished or gained by being in discord. Even nature itself shows the benefits when efforts are made in a spirit of unity. We see the flight of the geese as they travel from the north to the south and marvel at their conduct. They fly in a near perfect "V" formation with one goose in the lead. This pattern reduces the wind drag and gives lift to the geese that have lesser strength. It is estimated that flying in this pattern increases their performance by up to 70 percent. You have to wonder how they came to choose their leader. Did they have a committee to elect this particular goose or did they have some sort of try outs to determine which goose had the greatest ability, strength, and endurance? Did they argue amongst themselves as to who was going to be the one in front? We have never had a report of anyone seeing them hold an election on the ground before their flight. Yet, they all seem to be at peace with their leader and they all work together to get to where they are going. Even the lead goose shares his position and will relinquish it to another goose in the midst of the flight. The goal for the geese is their destination and not their own place of self-importance. This same unity is what we need to strive for in our walk with the Lord. Like the geese, so much more can be accomplished in our lives if we all work together to get to where we are going. King Solomon said that two are better than one; for they can keep each other warm in the cold and lift each other up if one of them should fall. Even our prayers are strengthened when we are in unity with other believers, for Matthew 18:19 says, "If two agree as touching anything on Earth, it will done of the Father in Heaven." The Lord even waited until the believers had come into one accord before He sent the promise of the Holy Spirit into their midst (Acts 1:14). Reaching our destination in life may require that we let some things go or that we do not try to be the head goose. We all hold unique talents and have specific callings. Our destiny choice is very clear and simple. We need the Lord and we need each other to help us get to where we need to be. We can never expect the Spirit of God to move within our lives until we are not only in one accord and one mind with Him, but also with each other. +++ 8/9/17 WHAT IS IN YOUR HAND? Scripture: Exodus 4:2 "And the Lord said to Moses, What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod." All that Moses had in his hand was a rod, or a shepherd's staff. It didn't seem like much to Moses, but God told Moses that He would use that rod to do signs and wonders. As Moses led God's people out of Egypt, his rod became a serpent and swallowed the serpents of Pharaoh's magicians. His rod was also used to turn the river into blood and bring the plagues of frogs, lice, locust, thunder, and hail on the land. Moses' rod was even used to divide the waters of the Red Sea. God used the most insignificant thing in Moses' life to accomplish His will. He used a simple man with a simple rod. All that God asked of Moses was faith and obedience to use what he had in his hand. There was no power in the rod itself, or even in Moses. The signs and wonders came directly from the Almighty God who was manifesting His supernatural power through both of them. Sometimes we cringe when God asks us to do something for Him. We feel so insignificant and our abilities seem so lacking, especially when we compare them to the abilities of those around us. How could God be calling on us when others are more capable? Like Moses, we think, "What is our strength compared to the challenge that is set before us?" Yet, we must remember that God always equips and empowers those whom He calls. What small gift has God imparted to you that is unused? Do you have a smile that could turn someone's day around, a loving heart that you could share with the lonely and rejected, or a comforting word for the distressed? God wants to use your simple words of encouragement to minister to those around you. He is anxious for you to pray for the sick, visit those in prison, or minister to the widow, fatherless, and the poor. There are always needs. In comparison to the need, your resources may look like a simple rod, but you must remember that it is not what you have that really matters. It is what God can do with what you have when you yield it to Him. If God can multiply oil for a widow so that she can pay her debts (II Kings 4:6), and multiply five loaves and two fish to feed 5,000 men plus women and children, He can also take what little you have to offer and multiply it so that it blesses a multitude of people. Little becomes much when God reaches out and touches it. So allow Him to anoint whatever is in your hand. +++ 8/10/17 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, even though Jesus instructed His disciples not be anxious and worried about their provisions, He also told them 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. Yet, 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 do not 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." +++ 8/11/17 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 cannot see the reasoning or wisdom in dipping ourselves in a river of dirty water, and we sure do not 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 God’s way and follow His instructions until our deliverance comes, even it means seven dips in a dirty river. +++ 8/14/17 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 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 and the owner of their territory. They have the right to exert authority over their home because 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. 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. He said 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 the Father and all of the resources of His 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 lock and unlock or 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. +++ 8/15/17 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. Your actions and reactions reap consequences and rewards. Disappointment comes when things do not work out like we have 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 we can use all of the ability that God has given to 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 rewarded his efforts and 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. +++ 8/16/17 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 cannot have it both ways. We cannot 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 it can come forth and produce fruit (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, 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 does not 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. +++ 8/17/17 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. Yet, we see Paul being stoned, imprisoned, suffering shipwreck, battling religious leaders, and encountering all kinds of major conflicts. He was constantly under some sort of pressure but never became stressed over it. Paul had learned early in his journey of faith 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 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. 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. +++ 8/18/17 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. 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. Yet, 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. +++ 8/18/17 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. Jesus 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 redeemer and 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 a part of the corporate Church of the Living God, the Lord 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. +++ 08/22/17 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. As we endure the valley of hard times, we learn to be kind and patient to others. Through the tears of loneliness in our own lives, we understand the importance of sharing our love with those who are lonely and unloved. In the valley of strife and confusion, we develop the gift of peace making. After we have passed through our own valleys of financial difficulties and lack, 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. Jesus 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. +++ 8/23/17 LOOK FOR ME Scripture: Psalms 119:176 "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant." We have all had those times when we have 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. He said, “I have gone astray. Look for me.” 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 God’s 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. +++ 8/24/17 IGNITING THE MOMENT Scripture: Matthew 3:11 "Jesus shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." We all have experienced those special times when it seems that an eternal moment was birthed in our lives. It was a time when things just seemed to ignite and come alive. And even today, as we recall the memory of those times, our emotions manifest themselves as they did when the incidents happened. We laugh, we cry, or just enjoy the moment from the past. Such is the case of my own husband who passed away several years ago. When my children speak of him, they always recall the "out of the ordinary" things that happened in his life that brought us joy and laughter. Although they were with him over twenty years, they do not recall many of the daily mundane incidents that had no strength to ignite. They only recall those intense moments as we played board games, enjoyed a family outing, or experienced a family crisis. It was the igniting of these special moments that burned precious memories into our hearts and minds. Think about Jesus who only lived thirty-three years on this earth. We have heard of the angels heralding His birth and of the wise men bringing Him gifts when He was about two years old. Then, we heard about Him as a twelve-year-old boy in the temple as He amazed the doctors with His questions. Suddenly the voices were silent and many years passed with no information concerning Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God. There was no mention of Him even though He was the most important person who was living at the time or who had ever lived in history. He graced this Earth with His presence, yet it was only when the Holy Spirit ignited Jesus' life that His fame went out and His deeds and Words were recorded. As a born again believer, God has empowered you with His Spirit and with a fire that has the potential to ignite the moments in the lives of others. You have great potential. You are walking about on the earth like a match that is waiting to be struck. As the Holy Spirit wills, He ignites you for His service and moves through you to minister life and light to a darkened world. God has placed within you His kingdom which is "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Romans 14:17). You have an opportunity to share His kingdom and the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Allow the Holy Spirit to ignite and burn inside of you for the purposes of God. It will fascinate the world just as a natural fire does, and will ignite an unforgettable and eternal moment in the lives of those you touch. +++ 8/25/17 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 that Esau was out for revenge and that 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 in order to seek 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 too 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 that He wants you to be. Your blessing comes through prayer and communion, and by His Word transforming your heart. They do come by any other means. Deception will not 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. +++ 8/28/17 8/29/17 BE 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 does not 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. +++ 8/30/17 DREAMS THAT COME TRUE Scripture: Genesis 37:20 " ... and we shall see what will become of his dreams." Joseph's angry and jealous brothers sought to stop Joseph's dreams from coming to pass. They stripped Joseph of the special coat of many colors that his father had given him and cast him into a pit. They later sold him into slavery. Their first choice would have been to kill Joseph, but their evil devices could only go so far because a sovereign God was still in control. God spared Joseph's life by using his older brother, Reuben, to rescue him from greater harm. When Joseph finally found himself in Egypt, he may have thought that God had forsaken him all together. It took about sixteen years for things to change for Joseph. Yet all the while, God was moving in Joseph's life and leading him to the place that he needed to be so that He could fulfill Joseph's dreams and accomplish His own divine plan. When God thinks of you, He thinks of someone that He loved so much that He sacrificed His only Son for them. He allowed Jesus to become a curse for you so that you could spend eternity with Him. You mean something to God and you are very special in His eyes. He has thoughts and plans for you that include a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). God has spoken good words over you. Like Joseph, you may presently be limited by circumstances beyond your control. Life may have dealt you a poor hand, and as you view the future, it may seem that time is running out for your hopes and dreams to come to pass. For whatever reason, the future seems to only hold a few years and you may wonder how God can finish His work in your life in such a short period of time. Regardless of how you view your situation, you must not become discouraged for God is still in control and He can do a quick work. Joseph was raised from the pit to the palace in one day. His grand work lasted only a short time, seven years of plenty and seven years of lack. In this short time, however, Joseph saved a nation from destruction and his dreams came to pass just as God had promised. Also consider Jesus. His ministry on Earth was only for three years, but look at what He accomplished in that short length of time. Like these men, it is time for you to make every moment in your own life count. You may have only three short years as Jesus did to fulfill your life's call. No one knows for sure what the future holds. You must work as though God is going to keep His promises to you and you must pray expecting Him to actually answer you. You must continue to express your thanksgiving to God and worship Him in anticipation of His manifestation. Remember that even though you are human, God is divine. Stretch your faith and your thinking, and see what becomes of your dreams, for nothing is impossible with God. He is well able to bring your dreams into reality. +++ 8/31/17 GREAT WEALTH Scripture: I Timothy 6:6 (NLT) “True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.” We search for wealth every day of our lives. Finances are our present and future consideration. We work and make investments in order to multiply our finances, and we set up retirement accounts to insure that we have enough wealth to carry us through to the end of our lives. Yet, when the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy he did not tell him that riches were an indication of wealth. Instead, Paul told Timothy that true godliness with contentment was great wealth. Godliness and contentment are things that money cannot buy. There are many rich people in the world who would like to be considered godly and who would not hesitate to pay a large sum of money just to gain a little contentment in their lives. For many, having great riches becomes tormenting because riches can be stolen or lost so very quickly and has no guarantees. Your desire for wealth should not be condemned because God's highest wish for you is that you prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers (III John 2). Yet, notice that your main interest should be that your soul prospers. God wants to bless you materially so that you can be a blessing to your family and share with others about you. But His greatest priority is that you wrap your desires around the purposes and will of God and learn to be content in all things. Jesus said that you should be seeking the kingdom of God first in your life and then all the things that you desire will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). What a wonderful promise. When you understand the concept of putting God first and honoring Him with all of your substance then He will be able to honor you with wealth. This is great wealth because the blessings of the Lord that come to you will never be accompanied with sorrow. For many years, I struggled with my finances and could never seem to get ahead. It was a daily battle to make ends meet, but Gods always came through and many times the material provision for my need was no less than a miracle. Through the years, I have continued to trust God and believe His Word and today things are different. I do not have all that I want but I do have all that I need. I have found the place of contentment and do not have to have the best, the newest, or the most stylish. I have inherited true wealth in knowing that God is on the throne of my heart and contentment has come to my soul because I am seeking His kingdom first in my life. I am not rich by the world's standard, but following God's way with contentment has brought great wealth to my heart and soul. I encourage you to seek this same kind of wealth. +++ Copyright © 2017 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com			..............................