| ............ | A Word In Due Season JUNE 2018 6/1/18 FRET NOT Scripture: Psalms 37:1 "Fret not yourself because of evil doers, neither be envious against the workers of iniquity." When we were young and another child did something wrong to us, we threatened to retaliate and get revenge. We ran to our parents and told them about the situation. Usually their response was similar to David's words, "Don't fret, everything is going to be okay." They would encourage us not to carry out our threats. Even as adults, it is often hard to yield to these wise words and not do unto others as they have done unto us. Yet, this is the teaching throughout the scriptures. Jesus said, "Resist not evil, if someone hits you on the cheek, turn your other cheek to him." Paul also said, "If it be possible, in as much as lies within you, live peaceably with all men. Do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath." In other words, we are to let wrath have plenty of room, for it is not our job to avenge ourselves. Our Father God makes it His business to fight for us and will avenge us of any wrong that we have suffered. When David said, "fret not yourself," he was in essence saying that we are the ones who make a choice whether to allow ourselves to fret or not fret. Yet, instead of making a conscious decision not to be disturbed by evil men and their deeds, we keep rethinking the matter and the more we think about it, the bigger the offense gets. After David said "fret not," he gave us further instructions that would help guide our thoughts in the right direction so that God would be able to deal with our situation. In verses three through eight David said: 1) Trust in the Lord, and do good. 2) Delight yourself in the Lord. 3) Commit your way unto the Lord. 4) Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. 5) Cease from anger. When you are challenged with a fretful situation, think on these special steps. They are very simple but they were written by a man who had faced some of the same and even worse injustices that you are facing. King Saul, whom David served faithfully tried to kill him. David's father neglected to count him among David’s brothers when they were presented to Samuel, the prophet. David's brothers rejected him and spoke disrespectfully to him. His wife, Michal, mocked him because he worshiped God. Absalom, David's son, rebelled against him and tried to take the kingdom from him. His life was full of evil men who worked against him, yet David never had to avenge himself. He allowed God to avenge him. Like David, if you find yourself in a similar place where it seems that evil is working against you, take courage. If you can simply hold your peace in the midst of the battle, God will fight for you. +++ 6/4/18 RESPOND WITH PEACE Scripture: Romans 12:18 "If it be possible, as much as lies within you, live peaceably with all men." Any time that two or more people are gathered together, there is a possibility for conflicting opinions and disagreements. Sadly, these situations can get out of control and turn into strife and division. God, in His wisdom, knew this may happen and that there would be times that it would be impossible for us to maintain peace with all men. He was aware that we would come face to face with those who would distort the truth and provoke us to anger. God also foresaw the useless and fragmented conversations that we would be engaged in as we desperately tried to explain and reason with irate individuals. In society we are taught that when these situations occur, we should take a deep breath and very slowly count to ten. That is a wonderful idea and it may help us to calm ourselves down so that we do not act inappropriately, but it is not a guarantee that things will be brought together and that peace will prevail. The scriptures teach us how to approach the matter in another way. They tell us to follow after the things that make for peace and that edify one another. We are not to avenge ourselves nor be overcome with evil, but to overcome all evil with good. David said, "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for the brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like precious ointment upon the head" (Psalm 133:1-2). God loves for His children to be in unity just as we desire for our own children to work together and be in unity. However, there are situations beyond our control. Even Jesus faced these situations in His life. He was heralded into the earth by angels singing, "Peace on earth, good will to men." Yet, His teachings provoked the religious leaders and His presence stirred the very forces of darkness and evil, causing demons to cry out when He came on the scene. And the Apostle Paul, who instructs us with this scripture to live peaceably with all men as much as possible, found it almost impossible for himself because of his commitment to the gospel of Christ. Everywhere that Paul went there was an uproar. The scripture tell us there "arose no small stir" because he spoke the Name of Jesus (Acts 19:23). When the opportunity comes for you to face strife and division, you do not need to count to ten. Just think about Jesus and yield to Him, for He is the Prince of Peace. As much as you allow Jesus to rule and reign within you, He will endow you with His supernatural presence, which will invoke peace. Whatever your personal challenge may be, He will give you strength to respond with a silence that is able to create peace in the hearts of men. +++ 6/5/18 SOWING IN THE TIME OF FAMINE Scripture: Genesis 26:12 "Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him." There was a famine in the land, but God gave specific instructions to Isaac not to go into Egypt to have his needs met. Instead, God told Isaac to dwell in the land that He was leading Isaac to and that He would be with him and bless him there. Isaac stayed where God placed him, and in reward for his obedience, he became very prosperous. In fact, he gained so many possessions and servants that the Philistines envied him (Verse 14). The story of Isaac deals with sowing actual seed and reaping real financial and material blessings. It can work for us as well as it did for Isaac. Like Isaac, we are not to look to Egypt or the world as our source of supply. When we are willing and obedient to God's command, He makes certain promises to us. His Word tells us that God will meet all of our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. We will eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19). As we sow into God's kingdom, we will reap. As we give, our blessings will come back to us "pressed down, shaken together, and running over" (Luke 6:38). The famine that comes to you may not be in the area of finances. Yet, this same principle of sowing and reaping is also valid when you face famine in other situations. Your famine may be in the areas of your relationships, health, or emotional well being. When any area of your life is lacking, you are to trust the Lord with all of your heart and not lean to your own understanding. God can bring about a harvest in the time of famine if you will simply sow. If you are experiencing famine in a relationship with your spouse, parent, sibling, or close friend, you must sow into that relationship. At first it may look as though nothing will come from your seeds of love, compassion, forgiveness, and trust, but remember that seeds remain dormant for a season before they bring forth a harvest. If you remain diligent, you will eventually see the results. You may be facing a famine in the area of your health and lack the initiative to press forward. However, as you discipline and force yourself to sow the necessary seeds of proper diet, rest, and exercise, you will reap a harvest. Your famine may be in the area of your emotional well being and things may look hopeless and overwhelming to you. During this discouraging and very challenging famine, you must sow God's Word into your life. As you do, He will quicken your mortal body and bring you new mental strength. You will only reap what you alone sow. Others cannot sow for you. So be diligent with your seed even in the time of famine. Make sure that you plant your seeds and then expect to see a hundred fold harvest. +++ 6/6/18 IN GOD'S STRENGTH Scripture: Galatians 5:16 "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." The Lord understands how strong the temptations are that come against us because while He was living in a fleshly body here on Earth He was tempted in all the areas that we will be tempted in. Yet, Jesus was able to make it through the temptations without committing any sin whatsoever. He alone is the spotless Lamb of God. Even though Jesus was able to remain without sin, He is aware that we will experience many failures in our lifetime. He knows that our spirit is willing to live right, but He also knows that our flesh can be very weak. We face a constant dilemma, for as the Apostle Paul said, "The things that we want to do, we don't do, and the things that we don't want to do, we do." Temptations can be rough for us to handle at times because our enemy is aware of our personal desires and he will challenge us in the areas of our greatest weakness. There are things that you may encounter that would not bother me at all, and vice versa. Our desires and temptations vary but we all have battles of some kind to deal with. The Lord did not leave any of us without a solution. Instead, He gave us words and instructions to live by so that we can overcome the temptations of life. He simply told us to walk in the Spirit. It is a comfort to know that God did not say the opposite, "Do not sin and then you will be able to walk in the Spirit." He put first things first. He knew that we needed the strength of His Spirit to be able to stand against temptations and successfully deal with the challenges of life. He also knew that only as we submitted ourselves to God could we resist the devil, for our own strength is too small to stand against the forces of evil. Walking in the Spirit is like walking in the natural. It takes determination and effort on our part. It is a one step at a time process that demands focus, for it is possible to step out of the Spirit at any time. Temptations can come suddenly and without warning. Therefore, we must constantly guard our heart as we walk with God along the narrow path of His righteousness. As we walk with God, we have the assurance that He will avail Himself to us and help us in our battles. The Lord has promised not to put more upon us than we can bear and He is faithful to those words. He will never leave us or forsake so we will never have to battle with temptations alone. As we give ourselves to God and walk in the Spirit we will be able to resist the lust of the flesh because of the strength of His grace. +++ 6/7/18 WALKING IN INTEGRITY Scripture: Psalms 26:11 "But as for me, I will walk in my integrity." Many words come to mind when we think of the word 'integrity' such as soundness, honesty, and an adherence to standards and values. Webster's dictionary defines integrity in the same manner, but adds another interesting meaning. It states that integrity also means "the quality or condition of being undivided or the state of being unimpaired." Integrity is not just obedience to the rules, but is an undivided and unimpaired heart attitude towards right. Integrity is not prompted by what others will think or by the rewards or consequences that will be received. It is a deep desire of the heart to do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do. An undivided and unimpaired heart means that it is not lacking in any area. When you are walking in integrity, there are no hindrances that are able to tempt or challenge your decision and there are no handicaps to keep you from fulfilling your commitment. You are single minded and determined to fulfill God's will and His commandments at any cost, and you cannot be forced to do otherwise. Integrity separates you from those whose schemes are questionable because your standards and values do not waver or bend with the opinions of your associates. The psalmist, David, decided far in advance that he would walk in integrity. He declared his intentions by emphatically stating, "As for me, I will walk in my integrity." He was undivided in his decision to walk in the straight and narrow path of righteousness. David's integrity began with a decision of the will and the heart, and he followed through with actions. He felt so strongly about his decision that he challenged the Lord to examine or search him, test him, and try him (Psalms 139:23). For sure, David had faults, but his heart was perfect before God. David loved God and trusted God to keep him as he walked this straight path. There is stability and security when you walk in integrity. David said, "My foot stands on level ground." As with David, God sees your heart and knows if it is undivided and unimpaired. When you declare your intentions to walk in integrity, God will walk with you and lead you in paths of righteousness one step at a time. +++ 6/8/18 SIMPLE TRUST Scripture: Proverbs 22:19 "That your trust may be in the Lord." God wants us to simply trust in Him with all of our heart and not lean upon our own understanding. He told us that if we would acknowledge Him in all of our ways, then He would direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). Trusting God is a simple formula that brings health to our bodies and peace to our souls because it allows God to deal with all of the stress that challenges our lives. God gave us these excellent words of His counsel and allowed us the knowledge of His truth, but many times it is difficult to simply trust in the Lord with all of our hearts. Frankly, most of us do not want to give up the control of our own lives and lean upon someone we cannot see regardless of how powerful He may be. For me, I tend to analyze everything and seek desperately for solutions. It is frustrating not to be able to take some sort of action when needed. I want all things to work out in a sensible way, but I found that God usually does not work in that manner. His wisdom is confusing to the minds of men and His ways overshadow their plans. He rolls back the massive waters of the Red Sea for Moses instead of building a bridge. He shuts the mouths of the lions instead of simply rescuing Daniel out of the lion's den. He calms the raging storm when He could have warned the disciples to wait a while before trying to cross the sea. He raises Lazarus from the dead instead of getting there in time to just heal him. Who can explain God's ways, for His ways are never the same as ours? Yet we can rest assured that He always has a better plan because He is our Father and He cares for us just the same or even more than we care for our own children and loved ones. We are God's main interest and He wants the very best for our lives. We must come to the place that we trust Him enough to cast every care upon Him and then leave our burdens in His hands until He works everything out. When He is finished solving the problem, we will find that He did all things well. We must resist the temptation to analyze everything and how it should be. One of the greatest truths that I have learned is that God is smarter than I am. When I received the revelation of this awesome truth, I was able to trust in the Lord with all of my heart and not lean upon my own understanding. The Lord now sits as the King over all the kingdoms of my heart and every chamber belongs to Him. I have never been disappointed in any of His decisions for my life. My prayer for you is that you would find this wisdom and even when you do not understand what is going on in your life that you can still declare, "Lord, my trust is in You." +++ 6/11/18 FRUIT THAT GLORIFIES GOD Scripture: John 15:8 "Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit." When we delight in the law of the Lord and meditate upon His Words day and night, we become like trees that are planted by the rivers of living water. Our roots run deep in search of the nourishing water and this water of His Word keeps our leaves from withering. It also causes us to bear much good fruit, for whatever we do prospers (Psalms 1:2-3). The fruit that we bear from our healthy branches not only brings glory to God but also imparts strength to those about us who receive from our lives. Fruit is produced through much conflict. A natural tree struggles against the forces of nature such as the storms and winds, the drought and heat, and the wild fires and the icy cold. It also has to stand against the birds of the air that are waiting to pluck the fruit prematurely from its branches. There is no rest for the tree or the fruit, for each season brings new and difficult challenges. I have a fig tree in my yard that produces luscious figs every year. The sad news is that I seldom get to enjoy the fruit because it is spoiled by the birds and the squirrels. I do not mind feeding God's creatures, but they do not eat the entire fig. Instead, they take one bite or one peck from each fig and then leave it to ruin. I have often wondered why they waste such good fruit. The only way that I would ever be able to gather unspoiled fruit from my tree would be to guard it night and day. The same is true with our spiritual life and the fruit that God has ordained for us to bear. We have to guard our hearts, night and day, because we have an adversary who seeks to destroy the fruit in our lives. He takes us through dry spells and also brings storms and floods into our lives. He tempts us in the areas of our personal weakness. He also causes others to attack us or to provoke us to evil so that our fruit is ruined on the vine. Even if he is only able to get in one bite or one peck, he loves to see us lose our Christian witness. We may not recognize our true enemy or his evil tactics at first. We may even wonder why we lost our temper or said something that laid our soul open for judgment. We may think that the illness, financial problems, and other unresolved issues that are challenging us are just a matter of course. We forget Paul's words that declared that we are not wrestling with flesh and blood. Instead we are wrestling against the principalities, powers, and rulers of a spiritual world of darkness whose sole intention is to steal our spiritual fruit and bring condemnation to our soul. We must be aware of the strategies of the devil because he goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He cannot take our fruit unless we allow him, but he will take every advantage that he can. If we give the enemy a place, he will sow hate and bitterness in our hearts so that he can drive out the fruit of God's love. If we allow sorrow and grief to linger in our soul, it will steal the joy from our hearts. If we are not vigilant, confusion will attack our peace and then doubt and unbelief will overtake our faith. If we neglect to continually nourish our spirits with the water of the Word, the fruit of patience, kindness, and gentleness will wither on our branches. We must be wise and discerning so that we can produce much good fruit. This is God's plan for our lives and our abundance of good fruit will not only be pleasing to Him but will also glorify Him in the eyes of others. +++ 6/12/18 MEASURE OF FAITH Scripture: Matthew 9:29 "According to your faith be it unto you." Two blind men followed Jesus, crying out for help and deliverance from their blindness. Jesus asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They both responded, "Yes, Lord." Jesus then touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith be it unto you." And they were healed because their faith was working. Notice first that Jesus asked the blind men a question, "Do you believe that I am able?" He then declared, "According to your faith." Faith is simply believing God and acting on His Word as though it were true. We have to believe in the "I AM" and believe that He is able. Paul tells us in Romans 12:3 that God has given to each man a measure of faith. What we do with this measure of faith governs what happens with it. We can either cultivate that faith or we can allow it to lie dormant within us. Our measure of faith will grow as it feeds and meditates on God's Word, or it will shrink and be useless in obtaining God's blessings. The responsibility and results rests upon us. Faith is like a muscle. As it is nourished and exercised, it grows stronger and expands. But if neglected, it remains small and weak. Spiritual power is always in proportion to the strength of our faith. We should be able to believe God in a stronger way today than when we were first saved. However, if we have not been renewing our minds in His Word, then our thoughts are going to naturally conform to doubt and unbelief. The two blind men followed Jesus even though they could not see, and according to the faith in their hearts, they were healed. Like the blind men, faith is following after that which we cannot see. It is speaking and acting as though we had the answer before it ever comes. In II Thessalonians 1:3 Paul told the church, "We thank God always because your faith is growing exceedingly." Personal faith grows when it feeds on God's Word and it must be exercised on a daily basis. When you truly believe that God is and that He is able you become pleasing to Him (Hebrews 11:6), for God can only work in and through you according to your faith. The more faith you have in God, the more you can accomplish for God. So keep believing. +++ 6/13/18 LIFE'S SPEED BUMPS Scripture: Psalms 25:4-5 "Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your path. Lead me in Your truth." There is a path that I take to work each day to save a little time. It leads from the post office where I pick up the daily mail to the main street. This shortcut goes through the parking lot of several commercial buildings and the speed is maintained in the lot by speed bumps. You barely pick up speed before you have to slow down again to cross over a bump. There is a better way, however, to keep your speed up while traveling this path and that is by weaving around the edges of the speed bumps from the left to the right. This act of impatience totally disregards the fact that the local officials put the speed bumps there for a reason, which is to maintain safety. One day all of the outside edges of the speed bumps were blocked by parked cars. I was forced to adhere to the law, slow down, and drive across the speed bumps. As I did, I thought about God's plan for our lives. In Jeremiah 29:11, He said that He had good thoughts and plans for us and even a hopeful future. From the very beginning, when He laid out this master plan, He instituted spiritual speed bumps and put them there purposely to slow us down. He gave us a Sabbath Day and told us to rest one day out of the seven and He provided nights so that we could sleep and regenerate our bodies and minds. He also expects us to retreat and take extra seasons of rest. Even Jesus told his disciples to separate from the crowds and take a rest. God extends an opportunity to us to slow down and rest so that we can soak in His presence and commune with Him. Taking physical rest is not the only time that God instructs us to slow down. He has told us to be slow to speak, slow to judge, slow to anger, and slow to express wrath. He said, "In your patience, you possess your soul." Time and again, the Lord instructs us to wait and not be hasty. Yet, many times our impatience prompts us to swerve around God's speed bumps, hurry along the path, and disregard His Words and signals. Instead of being slow to anger and quick to understand and appease the situation, we become quick to anger and slow to appease. Instead of being slow to judge and quick to forgive, we are quick to judge and find it difficult to forgive and forget. God is attempting to lead us down a straight path and we must slow down and listen to His voice. It is not His will that we impatiently swerve to the right and left in order to avoid His signals. As we consider David's words again, let us ask God to do the same for us, "Show me Your way, teach me Your path, and lead me in Your truth." We must recognize that life's speed bumps are there for a purpose and then we must yield to them. +++ 6/14/18 CHOOSE THE BLESSING - NOT THE ABUNDANCE Scripture: Genesis 13:10 & 11 "Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah ... Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan." Abraham took Lot, his nephew, with him when he left Egypt. However, it became difficult for them to live together because both men had such large herds and great possessions. When the land could not support both of them any longer, strife began to develop between their herdsmen. In an effort to control the strife, Abraham suggested that he and Lot separate themselves and go different directions. Abraham said, "The whole land is before us. You take what you want and I will take what is left." This was such a generous offer on Abraham's part because he was Lot's elder and leader and could have demanded the best for himself. Abraham's herdsmen, who were already in strife with Lot's herdsmen, would have stood with Abraham in battle to gain the more fruitful and better land. Yet, Abraham gave Lot first choice. Lot responded to this offer by choosing the very best portion of land, the plain of Jordan, which was well watered, lush, and green. However, this land did not remain in this state for very long. Because of the sin which polluted Sodom and Gomorrah, God's judgment fell upon it. In its final state, the land that Lot chose became a barren desert. It was no longer fruitful but was in total contrast to its original state of being well watered, lush, and green. In Luke 12:15, Jesus told us that our lives do not consist in the abundance of things which we posses. Riches never satisfy the soul. A rich man and a poor man debated which of the two where the wealthiest. The rich man told the poor man, "I'm the wealthiest because I have great riches and you have nothing." The poor man said, "I'm the wealthiest. You have great riches for sure, but you always want more. I have very little, but I have all I want." I Timothy 6:6-9 instructs us that, "contentment is great gain ... be content with having food and clothing." And then it warns us that, "Those who crave to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts." God knows you and knows your needs. He has great plans for you and will provide what is best for you. Instead of choosing the land that is well-watered, lush, and green, seek God's blessing and His perfect will for your life. God will always give you the best when you allow Him do the choosing." +++ 6/15/18 FATHER'S DAY Scripture: Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Fathers, as well as mothers, have an awesome responsibility to train their children in the ways that they should go. They are to continually mold, instruct, prepare, and point their children in the right direction. There will be many challenges, but the Apostle Paul encouraged particularly the fathers, not to provoke their children to wrath, but to bring them up in the nurture and loving discipline of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Parents must be an example to their children every day of the year and every moment of the day. Following is a poem, which reveals the results of our everyday actions. CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE Author Unknown If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn. If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight. If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy. If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty. If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient. If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence. If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate. If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice. If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith. If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself. If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world. We honor all fathers and encourage them to listen to the wisdom of these words.+++ 6/18/18 THE ARMOR AND PRAYER Scripture: Ephesians 6:11 & 18 "Put on the whole armor of God .... Praying with all prayer and supplication in the spirit." Paul instructed the people to pray with all kinds of prayer in the spirit. However, he told them before they prayed to put on the whole armor of God. He emphasized that we do not wrestle with flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness. He then listed the various pieces of the armor of God that are necessary to fight against these spiritual forces. They are truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. (Ephesians 6:13-17). The first thing that we need to consider is that the armor is the "armor of God." It is not our own armor and does not depend upon our own personal abilities. This spiritual armor is supernatural. It comes from God and it bears witness of His strength. Every piece of the armor of God is necessary and has a definite purpose. When we wrap ourselves in God's truth, the spirit of deception has no place or authority in our lives. So the devil cannot deceive us into praying for things that are outside of God's will or contrary to His Word. The devil will come against us while we are in prayer and tell us that we have no right to pray because we have sinned or fallen short in our daily walk with the Lord. But when we stand with the breastplate of God's righteousness protecting us, the devil has no room for accusations against us. Our own righteousness, which is as filthy rags, is displaced by the pure righteousness of God. Although our sins be as scarlet, we are made as white as snow because Jesus cleanses us from all sin. This forgiveness allows us to approach God's throne with boldness and without any condemnation. When our feet are shod with God's gospel of peace, we have a peace that passes all understanding. This peace enables us to yield ourselves to God in prayer, unreservedly, because we know that all things are going to work out for our good. As we pray, we can cast all of our cares upon the Lord, knowing that He cares for us. When faith becomes our shield, it quenches the fiery darts of the devil. Every doubt that comes against us is destroyed by our faith in God. Mark 11:24 says, "When you pray, believe." Doubts may come later, but at the time we pray, our faith must reach out and touch the heart of God. Faith is supernatural. It pleases God and receives God's rewards. Paul also said, "Put on the helmet of salvation." When you pray you must allow God's helmet of salvation to cover your mind and control your thoughts. You must focus on God and believe that He will deliver you from every adversity that is coming against you. Then finally, when you pray, you must take the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. God's Word is your only offensive weapon. There is no mightier weapon than to speak the Word of God in prayer because it silences the voices of evil. Even Jesus used the Word of God when He stood against the devil and declared, “It is written.” Prayer does make a difference and definitely changes things. It is a mighty force, and like the force of gravity, we may not be able to explain it, but prayer works. Prayer is simple communication with God. A small word of prayer to the Heavenly Father can move a mighty mountain of difficulty. You can stand, sit, kneel, walk, or run when you pray. You can be alone or in a vast crowd when you communicate with God. Your voice can be loud or your whispers can be soft. It does not matter. You are communicating spirit to Spirit. The important thing is that your spiritual man is adorned with truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and also armed with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Your prayers will then be victorious because the forces of Hell cannot come against this mighty armor of God. +++ 6/19/18 A DECEITFUL BROOK Scripture: Jeremiah 15:18 (Amplified) "Will you indeed be to me as a deceitful brook, like waters that fail and are uncertain?" Jeremiah was a man who found great joy in the Word of God. He loved God and God's powerful hand was upon him, yet, he found himself in a very perplexing situation. For the Lord's sake, he was suffering reproach at the hands of his enemies. In Jeremiah's anguish, he began to think that God had utterly failed him and had possibly lied to him. Jeremiah could not understand why he continued in his pain and why his wounds refused to be healed. When he spoke to God, he compared his situation to a thirsty traveler who is excited when he finds a brook but becomes disappointed when he discovers that the brook has actually dried up. Have you ever come to this place in your journey through life? You find joy in God's Word and you trust in His promises. You set your soul to believe for an answer to your prayers; healing for yourself or someone you love, restoration of a relationship, or financial prosperity. But when the answer is delayed, your faith wavers and you begin to wonder if you are believing in a deceitful brook. Your mind tells you that you must have misunderstood God, and you begin to doubt His power and faithfulness. Listen to God's answer to Jeremiah's question and apply it to your own life. God says, "If you will return and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair, then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety" (Verse 19 Amplified). God also told Jeremiah, "You have to separate yourself from the vile things that are in your heart and cleanse your own heart from unworthy suspicions concerning God's faithfulness." God made Jeremiah accountable for the doubt and unbelief that was in his heart. If the promise from God that you have trusted and believed to be true seems to be turning into a deceitful brook, remember Numbers 23:19, which tells us that "God is not a man that He should lie; neither the son of man that He should repent. If God has spoken it, it will come to pass." God is never deceitful, so rejoice in His Word and turn from your distrust and despair. Separate yourself from doubt and believe in the Lord. God rewards those who diligently seek Him. When you trust in Him, He will create water for your dry brook and streams for your desert. +++ 6/20/18 SOWING PRECIOUS SEEDS Scripture: Psalms 126:6 "He that goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bearing his sheaves with him." Sowing seeds of any kind, whether natural or spiritual, is hard work. It always requires personal sacrifice and faith, but in the end, it brings forth a harvest. What kinds of precious seeds have you sown or are in the process of sowing? Have you sown financial seeds when you were in need yourself? Did you cry out to God and say, "Lord, I cannot afford to give, but at Your Word I will share what I have?" Have you found yourself praying for others when your heart was breaking for your own loved ones who needed a desperate touch from the Lord? Have you been called to the bedside of the sick and afflicted when your own body was racked with pain? Have you stepped back and sown precious seeds of peace in situations where in reality you wanted to retaliate? Have you turned your cheek to your abusers in an effort to win and change their heart for God? Have you loved and shown kindness to the unlovely or forgave the unforgivable? Have you sown your life into the ministry and given up all to share the gospel, receiving no benefits and very few thanks or recognition for your service? Remember that God is the Lord of the harvest (Luke 10:2). He sees all that you have planted and He promises that what you sow, you shall also reap. All the precious seeds that you have sown and watered with your own tears will someday bring a great harvest. As the psalmist said, "There is no doubt, you will come again with rejoicing, bearing your sheaves or the fruit of your labors with you." In the darkness of your situation, God is working. Psalms 30:5 says, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Continue to sow seed, continue to water your seeds with your tears, and continue to expect a harvest. In the end, you will reap a miracle that will be more precious than your sacrifice. +++ 6/21/18 COVER IT WITH LOVE Scripture: I Peter 4:8 (NLT) "Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins." There are instructions in the Word of God concerning our daily walk with the Lord and our walk with others. In many of those instructions, God underscored the need for us to love all people, at all times, and in all situations. He did not tell us that we had to understand every thing that they did or agree with them in every area, but that we were to love them. This can be difficult because people are people and there can be many offenses that occur every day of our lives. People will offend us without that being their intention and we will offend others without even being aware of it. A word will be spoken out of order or a deed will be done that will cause confusion in our minds and bring pain to the deepest parts of our soul. Peter had a great understanding about the power of love. He said the most important thing for us to do is to continue in love because love covers a multitude of sin. In the natural, when you cover something up, it is hidden from your view and everyone else's. The same is true in the spiritual realm when you allow God's love to flow through you and cover a deed. When God's love covers up a transgression that someone has committed against you, you no longer see it and others do not see it as well because you do not show it to them. You keep it hidden and you do not talk about the wrong that has been done against you. When someone speaks evil of you or responds to you in a negative manner that causes confusion, you must cover it with love. You will find that when you release the love in your heart, you will be released from the torment in your mind. When you feel like you have been slapped in the face even though you acted with the best of intentions, you must obey what Jesus said and turn the other cheek. When you turn the other cheek, you allow love to cover the abuse. When you have spoken with a pure heart and a condemning judgment has risen against you, you must allow God to be God and do what He does best, which is to cover the transgression with love. God's love will silence the harsh words of condemnation and bring peace and healing to your heart. God is love and He created us in His image. If God is love, and we are created in His image, we are 'to be a vessel of love' just as 'He is love'. Love is not designed to be just an act, but a vital part of our being. Love is the greatest gift of all. The Apostle Paul stated that love was even greater than faith and hope (I Corinthians 13:13). This is probably why the devil will try to destroy the love relationship amongst God's children. The devil knows that love has power and he does not want us to be united so he uses the smallest offense to cause dissension and confusion. When Jesus taught us to pray, He told us not only to seek forgiveness for our own sins but also to forgive others who had sinned against us. Love is a choice and it is beautiful when we allow it to be manifested in our lives, for love forgives and love covers or hides a multitude of sins. +++ 6/22/18 THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION POSED Scripture: Matthew 16:15 "Whom do you say that I am?" When this question was posed to Peter, he immediately knew the answer. Some thought that Jesus was John the Baptist or Elijah who had come back from the dead. Others believed that Jesus was Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. But Peter knew the truth. Jesus told Peter that this revelation did not come to him by flesh and blood. Instead, the Father in Heaven had revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Before His earthly birth, Jesus sat at the right hand of the Father in Heaven and now He sits there again as our intercessor. Jesus was with the Father when the world was framed and man was created. He witnessed Lucifer's rebellion when Lucifer declared that he would be like the most high God. Jesus, then, watched as God cast Lucifer out of Heaven along with one third of the angels. Jesus Christ was the baby who was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger (Luke 2:12). He was the One that the angels herald and the shepherds came to worship. A few years later, He was the Christ child that the wise men who journeyed from the East came to honor. They recognized Him as the King of the Jews and offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. At the age of twelve, Jesus was the young boy who stunned those in the temple with his knowledge and understanding of the scriptures. He was the obedient son who returned home with His earthly mother and father even though He knew that He was called to do the business of His Heavenly Father. At the wedding feast in Canaan, He was the respectful son who changed the water into wine in obedience to His mother’s request even though He declared that He was performing this miracle before His appointed time. Jesus was the multiplier of the fish and bread to the hungry thousands who had followed Him into the desert to hear His teaching. He was the healer of the blind, deaf, and diseased and He was the deliverer of those who were oppressed and held in demonic bondage. Jesus was the compassionate Messiah to the woman at the well who was living with a man that was not her husband. He was the forgiving Lord to the woman who was caught in the sin of adultery. Jesus was life to Lazarus and the others who had died as He miraculously raised them from the dead. He was the miracle worker who taught His disciples about faith. Jesus showed them that it is possible to walk on water and calm the raging seas with just a simple command. He spoke to His disciples of vision. Jesus first told them to go out into the deep waters to fish for their provisions, and then later, He told them to go to the entire world to preach the gospel and be fishers of men. The last thing the Apostle John wrote in his book were these words, "Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written" (John 21:25 - NLT). We see Jesus in all of these various aspects of His life but we must individually decide who He is to us. Our decision will make an eternal difference in our life. There is only one way to Heaven's promise and that is in believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, that He sacrificed His life on the cross of Calvary, and that He rose from the dead on the third day. The entire gospel rests upon these truths and the most important question that you will have to answer is the same question that Jesus asked of Peter. "Whom do you say that Jesus is?" +++ 6/25/18 THE CREATOR Scripture: Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created ..." God was very busy in the first chapter of Genesis. With the exception of five verses in this chapter of thirty-one verses, God is either planning, making, dividing, creating, speaking things into existence, or blessing His finished work. He took no rest until His work was complete. This first verse of this chapter presents us with God and reveals that He is the Creator. We also learn from the very beginning that God is constant and we know that everything that He set in order thousands of years ago still continues to function precisely today. James 1:17 calls God, "The Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." God, Himself, declared in Malachi 3:6, that "He changed not." If God does not change, then He is still Creator today just as He was at the beginning of time. As Creator, we see Him at work when He rained down manna from heaven for the people of Israel and caused water to come from the rock. One minister encouraged us not to fear and said that "God has not lost the recipe for manna." He can create it again if He needs to. Regardless of our current circumstances, what the future holds, or how hard times may get, we know two things; God is in control and God can create the things that we need from absolutely nothing. Verse two tells us that in the beginning, God's Spirit hovered and moved over the earth, which was without form, void, and covered in darkness. The Holy Spirit was waiting for the voice of God to speak so that He could move and bring light into darkness and life into a hopeless situation. In the same manner, the Spirit of God hovers over our lives when we do not know where to turn or what to do. The Holy Spirit sees our pain and confusion but He waits for God the Father to speak and release Him to move in our situations that are out of order, void, and covered in darkness. God on the other hand is waiting for us to make our request to Him and speak words of faith concerning our needs. James 4:2 said, "You have not because you ask not." Then, again in Mark 11:23, Jesus instructed us to speak to the mountains in our lives. Jesus said that if we believed what we said, the mountains would be removed and we would have the things that we say. We must realize that the power of life and death are in our tongues and that God will create the fruit of our lips (Isaiah 57:19). God created us in His image and we are to speak words into the ears of God so that His Spirit can work in our lives. God will begin to create when our desires line up with His will, our words are filled with faith, and there is no doubt in our hearts. As you read the scriptures, allow God's Word to come alive in your heart by faith. Speak them over your circumstances and watch God turn your darkness into light. +++ 6/26/18 IF WE CONFESS Scripture: I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." This promise from God's Word does not give us a license to sin, but an assurance that if we do sin, God will always be faithful to forgive us. God's love and grace will prevail in every situation if we will humbly confess and freely admit to Him that we have sinned. Often, however, to keep from admitting our sins, we label them as faults or group them together and ask God to forgive us of all of our wrongs. It is really hard for us to admit that we have sinned and to call our sins out, naming them one by one. Yet, this is what God requires. It is the only way to true repentance and cleansing, for when we confess our sins, the blood of Jesus washes away every trace of unrighteousness. God desires that we look at our thoughts and actions and then measure them against His Word and His standard. There are no little sins or big sins. He looks at the intents and motives of our heart because our heart attitude is just as important as our actions. Jesus teaches us this principle in Matthew 5:28 saying that the one who entertains lust and evil desires in his heart is the same as the one who commits the sin. There is no distinction and all sin, outward and inward, must be confessed if we want to be free and experience God's will and purpose in our lives. Another passage of scripture that speaks of the benefits of our confession is in Psalms 32:1-5. The Message Bible translates David's words very plainly: "Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be - You get a fresh start, your slate is wiped clean. Count yourself lucky - God holds nothing against you and you're holding nothing back from Him. When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. The pressure never let up ... Then I let it all out; I said, "I'll make a clean breast of my failures to God." Suddenly the pressure was gone - my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared." God is faithful and His Word is true! If we will confess our sins, He will be faithful to forgive! +++ 6/27/18 DO GOOD WHEN YOU CAN Scripture: Proverbs 3:27 "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it." The expression that no man is an island is very true. Many times we do not want to admit it or be dependent upon someone else, but the fact remains that we all need each other. For a season, we may be successful in our efforts to stand alone, but events will happen in our lives and things will change. When they do, we discover that we are not as self-sufficient as we thought. We are all members of one body and God has designed us to function as a unit, giving and receiving from each other. King Solomon was known for his great wisdom. He spoke the proverb above and continued to say that we should not only do good for others when we are able to do it, but also to do it immediately. He said, "Do not say to your neighbor, go and come again, tomorrow I will give it, when you have it with you." Yet, there are many times when the opportunity presents itself that we fail to follow these instructions. For whatever reason, we postpone the good deed or repayment of a debt that we owe. We put it off until a more opportune time. Then too often the good that we could have done and intended to do is totally forgotten about. When God shows us a need of any kind, it is for a reason. We are not to put it on a shelf and allow the moment to pass. We must ask God what He would like for us to do about the situation and then submit ourselves to His will. We may never know but our actions could be the answer to someone's prayer and our abundance the provisions for their needs. You hold the power of doing good in your hands so be generous with your thoughts, words, and actions. Doing good is not limited to finances. It can be any area of life. You can be the intercessor that prays your brother or sister through a very dark season. You can be a helping hand to someone who has a heavy load. You can be a strong shoulder and understanding heart to those who need someone to lean upon. You can be a listening ear and counselor to those who need to share their problems. You can be a voice in the wilderness speaking a word in due season to the weary. You can be a light in the darkness to a desperate soul and show direction to the lost. You can be a mentor to someone who has no knowledge. Your presence can bring peace in the midst of the storm, joy in times of sorrow, and comfort in seasons of grief. Whatever the occasion may be, recall Solomon's words of wisdom and do not withhold good when it is in your power to do it. +++ 6/28/18 NEVER FORSAKEN Scripture: Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." No one on this earth can truthfully say these words or has the power to fulfill this commitment. Our lives are very unpredictable. Regardless of our best intentions, circumstances and seasons eventually separate us from those who are the dearest to our hearts. However, God's promises to us are very sure. When He said, "I will never leave you", you can be assured that He will fulfill His Words. His faithfulness is always predictable. There are times when we find ourselves on the lonely back side of the desert and we may begin to wonder about these words. Jesus experienced this when He was on the cross. After a mocking trial and brutal beating, He hung on the cross with nails driven through His hands and feet. Spittle from the mockers replaced the beard that had been torn from His face. Isaiah 52:14 said that His face was so marred that He could scarcely be recognized as human. A crown of thorns was forced into His brow and a sign was placed above Him that read, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” What thoughts must have run through Jesus' mind as He hung there in shame? The crowds reproached and abusively jeered at Him, wagging their heads and saying the same words that Satan had challenged Him with in the wilderness. "If Thou be the Son of God" do something about your situation. When Jesus was crucified, darkness covered the earth from noon until three in the afternoon. Finally in agony, He cried out to the Father in a loud voice and said, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:27-46) What brought Jesus to such a place as this? It was because of the need that you and I would experience in our own lives. Jesus had to pay the price so that He could be touched and feel everything that you and I would ever have to encounter. He was despised and rejected by men, and was acquainted with grief and sorrow so that He could understand our heartaches and inner pain. He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was placed upon Jesus, and stripes were laid on His back so that we may be healed. Isaiah 53:4 says that He was stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God." No wonder He cried in a loud voice, "Why have You forsaken Me?" If you are facing a season of despair and feeling rejected and forsaken by friends and family, remember that Jesus "has been there and done that." There is nothing that you are passing through mentally, emotionally, or physically that Jesus has not experienced. The price of your deliverance has been PAID IN FULL on the cross by His suffering. Why would Jesus leave you or forsake you now? He stands in the shadows of every valley and waits for you to simply reach out to Him. As you do, He surrounds with His love and ushers in deliverance. +++ 6/29/18 STRENGTH FOR THE INNER MAN Scripture: Ephesians 3:14 & 16 "I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ... that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man." The Apostle Paul was in prison when he wrote these words. Yet he was not concerned with his own problems and discontent. Instead, he was concerned for the needs of the body of Christ. Because of these concerns, he bowed his knee and prayed this prayer for the Church that their inner man would be strengthened with might, power, and ability. This can only happen by the work of the Holy Spirit as He comes to dwell personally within our innermost being. Paul continued to pray in the next few verses that Christ would actually dwell in our hearts by our faith. When Jesus dwells in our hearts, He settles down, abides, and makes His permanent home there. He is not just an overnight guest, but is there to stay. And like any natural situation, the longer that we live with Him and are exposed to His person, the more like Him we become. We gradually begin to take on His attributes and characteristics. His strength becomes our strength and we become rooted and grounded in His love because He is love. The deeper our roots grow in His love, the more secure we become in Him. Paul prayed that we would have the power to comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth of this love. The love of Jesus comes as we live with Him and experience Him on a daily basis. His love passes mere knowledge that has no experience. You may have had an experience in your life where you just knew that you could live with a particular individual, but as you began to live with that close friend or relative, the relationship proved the truth. You either bonded in love or separated in disharmony. Paul's prayer for us is that our hearts bond with God and that our spirits be filled with His being. He desires that we be filled with God's glory, for we are designed for divine purposes. God is able to do far more than we can ask or think, but He only works according to the power that is working within us. If we want to become all that God intended for us to be, we must allow Him to strengthen our inner man. We must make an effort to know and experience the fullness of the divine Presence of God Himself. +++ Copyright © 2018 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com |
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