| ............ | A Word In Due Season AUG 2019 8/1/19 GOD WILL BE WITH YOUR MOUTH Scripture: Exodus 4:12 "Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to speak." When God called Moses to deliver the children of Israel from bondage, He spoke to Moses from a burning bush. This was quite an event. Yet even with this supernatural call, Moses still had to deal with his own insecurities. He responded to God and said, "Who am I? ... What shall I say? ... The people will not believe me ... I am not eloquent ... Lord, send someone else." He wanted to flee God's mighty call because of the anxiety that was taking hold of his soul. He had no self-confidence that he could fulfill God's plan because of the lack of his own abilities. How many times has God called us to a task and we have responded in like manner? Our insecurities have overshadowed the plan and purposes of God. Like Moses, we feel inadequate and tend to forget that God created us. We assume that our lack is too great and neglect to consider that He is able to add, multiply, and even create when necessary. God is not limited in any fashion. When God chose Moses, He knew that Moses did not know what to say and that even if Moses did have knowledge, his speech was not eloquent. God also knew that Moses’ credibility would be challenged. God made plans ahead of time to do signs and wonders to convince the people that Moses was speaking on His behalf. It certainly did not matter who Moses was or what he could do. It only mattered who God was and what God could do. Throughout the scriptures, God always used the less likely to succeed. He chose a small young man named David to fight a seasoned giant. He chose an old man and woman, Abraham and Sarah, to have a child. He chose Gideon and three hundred men to battle against thousands. When Jesus' disciples were chosen, it was not the priest and Levites who were called. It was the unlearned and common men such as fishermen and tax collectors. God does not choose many wise, mighty, or noble. He chooses the foolish and the weak to convey His message (I Corinthians 1:26-27). When God chose you, He was simply looking for a vessel that would be obedient and would willingly yield to Him. He knew all about your inabilities and shortcomings. They were no surprise to Him. So when He calls you, there is no need for you to be concerned, for God is the one who will complete the work that He has called you to do. Just trust Him and rest in His wonderful promise, "Go, and I will be with your mouth and I will teach you what to say." +++ 8/2/19 FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH Scripture: Psalms 84:6-7 "Who passing through the valley of Baca, make it a well ... They go from strength to strength." The psalmist knew quite well what it was like to face adversity on every level. Yet, he spoke of those who do not allow themselves to be overcome when they pass through the valley of Baca. The valley of Baca did not refer to a specific place but a place of weeping, crises, misery, and pain. Those who experience victory when they pass through these places of despair are the ones who do not focus on the negative. Instead they choose to turn their valley of distress into a season of blessings. They go from one level of strength to a higher level of strength by creating wells in their difficult places, which refreshes and sustains them. They embrace their loses and learn from their own disappointing circumstances. The wisdom they gleaned from their personal crises gives them wisdom for the challenges of their next season and also teaches them how to help others make it through their time of misery and pain. Going from strength to strength in the spiritual realm is like going from strength to strength in the physical realm. It takes effort. Strength will only come as you exercise yourself in the spirit. When you find yourself in the valley of Baca and all that you want to do is sit down and cry because of the misery and pain that you are going through, it is time for you to arise and take action. Wisdom and knowledge will teach you how to increase in strength (Proverbs 24:5 and 8:14). You must learn what God has to say about the matter and what He is saying to you. Knowing that you are in agreement with God will infuse you with strength and keep you from wasting your time and efforts. One of the most important things that you need to do when you are in a valley of Baca is to recognize that God alone is the strength of your life (Psalm 27:1). You must stay in His presence and continue to worship in His sanctuary. As you wait upon Him, you will renew your strength. You shall run and not be weary and you shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). Even though there seems to be no hope and your life is crumbling around you, you must retain your passion for God. Do not look to yourself or depend upon others for the strength that you need. In the midst of trials, troubles, and tribulations, cry out for the Living God and believe that He will not withhold any good thing from you because you are walking uprightly before Him (Psalm 84:11). Another source of strength is joy. (Nehemiah 8:10). Develop joy in your life even if you have to force yourself to laugh. Medical science has proven God's Word to be true that laughter does do good like a medicine. Stress is a real killer and drains your energy, but laughter and joy releases endorphins into your system that energizes your strength, relieves you from stress, and rids your life of the negative consequences that stress produces. Quietness and confidence will also generate strength (Isaiah 30:15). Rest in Lord. Your physical body needs rest and your spiritual man needs rest. In a military battle it is hard to do combat when you are suffering from physical fatigue. Likewise, the spiritual man also needs physical rest lest it suffer battle fatigue. Many times we fail a spiritual challenge because our physical bodies are worn out. Even Jesus told His disciples to come apart and rest. Finally confession of God's Word creates strength. God created all things with His Words of power. He said, "Let there be light" and it was so, and He then declared that the light was good. The prophet Joel said, "Let the weak say I am strong" (Joel 3:10). Words are powerful. We are created in God's image and there is life and death in the power of our own tongue. If you talk weak, you will become weak. If you talk strength, you will become strong. Begin today by confessing God's Word over your life and let His power filled words of truth be the answer to every challenge of the enemy. You will find yourself coming out of the valley and your defeat will turn to blessings as you go from strength to strength. +++ 8/5/19 LABOR TO ENTER INTO REST Scripture: Hebrews 4:11 "Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest..." These words encourage the believer to find the place in their walk with God that allows them to cease from anxiety and to enter a place of rest. Verse nine says that this place of rest would be like the Sabbath that God experienced when He finished His creation and all of His work. He labored six days so that He could rest on the seventh. This rest in our walk with God is to be a place where there are no more struggles with faith and no more struggles with religious works. It is a place where we come to understand that God's promises are sure and that His work of grace is complete. To labor so that you enter into rest sounds contradictory, for the concept of rest indicates no work. Yet in this sense, it simply means making a conscious effort to believe and to set our will against doubt and to rest from it, just as we have set our will against sin. Time and again, we overcome the temptation to sin because our convictions are established. We must be the same way with doubt and unbelief. If our beliefs are established we can rest in them. We must also do away with murmuring and complaining, knowing that if we allow discontent to linger in our hearts, it will eventually blossom into unbelief and bring struggles in our spirit, which destroy our rest.. Even in the natural, you labor to enter into rest. Think about the different things that you do to be able to rest at night. You check the locks on the doors of your home. You get dressed for the night, brush your teeth, and fluff the pillows. You make the room dark so there are no distractions, snuggle into the covers, and get yourself comfortable so that you can rest. You diligently labor and make an effort to resist interruptions in your routine. Yet if you lay down to rest and discover that you have forgotten one of these details, you will often find yourself getting back up to check the doors, close the blinds tighter, or take care of some other distraction. Your routine becomes a labor to enter into rest. God left us with many promises and said that we could trust Him and rest in His Word. He promised salvation, healing, provision of needs, peace, joy, comfort, and hope for the future. Many times these wonderful blessings are not experienced simply because of our unbelief, for they must be received by faith. Where there is faith, there is always a heart full of rest, for even though faith cannot be seen, it is substance. Faith links us to God and His eternal faithfulness. When we are able to receive His righteousness, which is by faith, we will be able to rest from our own feeble righteousness. When we can trust in Christ and the finished work of Calvary, we can rest from depending upon our own good works. When we can put all of our trust in God and His grace, we will be able to cast our cares upon Him and find rest and help in the time of our need. When we reach this place in our faith and are able to put everything into God's hands, we can say, "Now, I can rest." +++ 8/6/19 WAITING ON HIM Scripture: Psalms 25:21 "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on You." In this psalm David mentions waiting on God three separate times. He says that those who wait on God will not be ashamed (Vs. 3). David also declares that God is his salvation and that he will wait upon God all of the day (Vs. 5). He then speaks of integrity and uprightness preserving him while he waits (Vs. 21). It is difficult to wait upon anything in life, but waiting upon God can truly generate some challenging moments. When God first speaks a word in our ear, we hear it clearly and it excites us. Amazingly, with just a quiet simple word, we begin to prepare to receive what has been spoken into our spirits. Our strength is fresh and we are ready to run with the vision. However, the answer does not usually come right away and we find that we have to exercise our faith if we want to receive the fullness of the promise. It is as though we are viewing a bend in the road and we cannot see around the corner. We have no idea how much longer the journey will be once we turn that corner. We only know that our destiny awaits even though the complete picture is not in view. David experienced these same situations. He knew God's voice, but he too had to wait for God to fulfill His plan. David's enemies no doubt mocked him, but he refused to be ashamed of waiting on God's perfect timing for his deliverance. However long the day or how tedious the season, David was determined to wait. He knew that God was bigger than any mountain of adversity, for David had seen God deliver the giant into his own hands. He knew that his bond and relationship with the Lord was stronger than all of the sins that he had committed because he had experienced God's forgiveness and grace. David knew that God's love was greater and deeper than any sea because he had felt it on the mountainsides when God created songs within David’s heart as he tended the sheep. Like David, God is our salvation and we must endeavor to get into the mainstream of His will for our lives. We must not allow ourselves to get emotionally involved with any situations that will draw us away from His divine purposes. As we walk in the light of what God has said, we have confidence instead of shame. The integrity and uprightness of our faith will sustain us because we know that we are waiting on God and that He will watch over His Words to perform them. +++ 8/7/19 REVERSING CAPTIVITY Scripture: Zephaniah 3:20 "I will reverse your captivity before your eyes." God's judgments come when we are willingly disobedient and rebellious against His Word. Yet, regardless of our unfaithfulness, God remains faithful. He said that if we would confess our sins, He would forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). God wants us to know today that He loves us, and He wants to deliver us from any bondage that is holding us captive. Zephaniah 3:14-17 says, "Sing, shout, ... rejoice, be in high spirits and glory with all your heart. The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, He has cast down your enemy. The Lord your God is in the midst of you ... He will rejoice over you. He will rest in silent satisfaction. And in His love He will be silent and make no mention of past sins, or even recall them; He will exult over you with singing." Doesn't that sound just like a loving Father? Because of His love, He forgives and forgets all of your sins. Not only does He forgive and forget your sins, He is also silent about them. He does not broadcast your sins to others or keep reminding you of them. He only sings praises concerning you, for you are His joy. If you are a parent, think of how true this concept is. As parents, we never allow others to condemn our children. We may have to correct our children, but we are also the first to defend them. If someone were interviewing us today and asked us to tell them something about our children, we would point out all of the good and wonderful things about them. We would not dwell on their faults or failures and would be very silent concerning our disappointments. We love our children and would sing over them with songs of joy and praises. However, we may act very differently with our neighbor's child. We would find it easier to acknowledge their faults and may not hesitate to point out the things they did wrong. Like a loving parent, God is singing over you today with joy and is not rehearsing all your faults because you are His very own child. God does not want to remember your sins, so He removes them as far as the east is from the west. He then washes you with the blood of Jesus and covers you with His love. God loved you so much that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die for you and anointed Him to set you free. The Lord is in your midst. If you allow Him to minister to you, the love of Jesus and His forgiveness will reverse your captivity. He will rejoice over you and His grace will set you free. +++ 8/8/19 SECRET FAULTS AND SINS Scripture: Psalms 19:12-13 "Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins." David recognized his own short comings and self deception. He knew that there were probably secret and unconscious faults within himself that he did not recognize. He was also aware that there were presumptuous sins that he knowingly committed. The Living Bible quotes David's words by saying, "But how can I ever know what sins are lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. And keep me from deliberate wrongs; help me to stop doing them." David humbly asked God to deal with him in both of these areas of secret faults and presumptuous sins. David's words were not just part of a song that he composed. Instead, they were a desperate prayer that was motivated by his desire to please the Lord in every respect. David wanted the words of his mouth and the meditations of his heart to be acceptable in the sight of the Lord who was his Strength and Redeemer (Psalms 19:14). He was just as concerned about the inside of his heart as he was about his outward actions. He knew that his character would be revealed and his soul judged, not only by the transgressions that he committed openly but also by the secret faults that were hidden in his heart. His desire was to be innocent in the eyes of God as well as blameless before men. David's words should also be our prayer, for we too should do all that we can to walk in truth and in integrity before God and men. David asked the question, "Who can understand his errors?" or "How can I know what sins are lurking in my heart?" It is often hard for us to know the sins and darkness that may be lurking within our own hearts until God speaks to us or someone close to us calls our attention to our lack. They may point out our poor attitude, our disrespect to those who deserve our honor, our lack of faith which is displeasing to God, our unthankfulness, our failure to forgive, or a multitude of other things that we do not even consider to be great sins. David asked God to search his heart. At another time, he told the Lord, "Point out in me anything that makes You sad" (Psalms 139:24 - Living Bible). We must ask God to do the same for us. We recognize our outright and presumptuous sins and are convicted of them, but we must depend upon the Lord to reveal to us the unknown errors and secret sins of our heart. This is the only route around the great gulf of transgressions; our only escape from committing secret sins. +++ 8/9/19 PRESSING TOWARD THE MARK Scripture: Philippians 3:13-14 "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark ..." Life is a series of choices. In the Apostle Paul's instance, his sole ambition was to know Jesus and to be conformed into His image. In an effort to achieve this standing, Paul made the personal choice to lay aside all of his credentials and everything that he had done in the past. As Paul took inventory of his life, he noted that he had been circumcised according to the law. He was also of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and a Pharisee. Paul had position and power and even legal authority to persecute the churches. These were the things that made Paul seem important to himself and to others. Yet, when compared to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom he had met supernaturally in the spirit on the road to Damascus, Paul counted all of his own accomplishments as nothing. Paul had other things that he had laid aside as he pressed toward the mark of the high calling of God for His life. These were the wrong choices that plagued his mind with guilt and his soul with sorrow. He had stood by and watched Steven being stoned. The memory of Steven's face as he was being martyred must have flashed into Paul's thoughts many times. There was also the memories of the other members of the church that Paul had persecuted with such zeal and passion. How could he forget their cries and the agony on their faces? He had much to forget as he pressed toward God's plan. And even though Paul realized that he had not attained perfection, he was determined to press toward the mark of the high calling of God on his life. What if Paul had not laid aside these things to fulfill God's calling? What if he thought himself too great to bear the cost of becoming an Apostle of Jesus Christ? Why should he sacrifice his credentials and honor to become a minister, who would be beaten, stoned, enslaved, shipwrecked, and suffer hunger and thirst? What if he thought himself to be too lowly to serve Jesus because he had persecuted the churches? If Paul had never moved beyond the shame and burden of responsibility for his failures, he would have never written nearly three-fourths of the New Testament. Nor would he have ever shared the information that is so vital to the church today. Paul's great achievements for his own life and the instructions, revelations, and spiritual legacy that he gave to the church are the result of his choice to forget those things that lay behind and to press toward the mark of the high calling of God. Like Paul, you must continue your walk with the Lord regardless of your own accomplishments or your past failures and regrets. You must follow his example and forget those things in your past that try to distract you from completing God's plan and purpose for your life. You must not only move beyond your failures but also choose to let go of the achievements that you are proud of. If you want to reach God's highest goal for your life, you must lay aside everything in order to press toward the mark of the high calling of God for your own life. +++ 8/12/19 CONTENT AND THANKFUL Scripture: I Timothy 6:8 (NIV) "But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." Sometimes we complain about the most insignificant things such as how little funds we have in our bank accounts, how tired we are, how stressed we are with our lives and our jobs, how bored we are with nothing to do, or that we have nothing new in our jam-packed closets to wear to the next event. We feel overwhelmed with all of our pressures, and then we receive a prayer request concerning a young lady named Lisa who is four months pregnant. Her situation puts everything, including our complaints, into perspective. She is the mother of two other young children and she has breast cancer that has possibly spread to her hip. She is in a raging battle for her health and her life. She is in extreme pain in all areas of her life; that is physical, emotional, financial, and with very real concerns for her children and the child in her womb. Somehow our own problems do not look so big and bad after seeing the challenge that is set before Lisa. I recall these words, "I complained that I had no shoes until I saw the man that had no feet." When we get down in our own circumstances we need to look around us. When we see the greater needs of others, it will launch us into a place of compassion for them. It will also bring us to a place of contentment and thankfulness in our own lives. We will see our own blessings in a new light, for the things that we have taken for granted will suddenly become precious to our hearts. We will forget that our shoes are scuffed and ragged and will rejoice that we have two feet. The Apostle Paul said that he learned to be content in whatever state that he found himself in (Philippians 4:11). He told Timothy, "If you have food and clothing, be content." He was teaching Timothy a life principle that joy and happiness were not tied to material things, and that there is much more to life than having stuff. Paul's contentment did not come automatically when he was born again on the road to Damascus. The hardships that he endured after he was saved taught him to be content. Paul chose to be a survivor in all situations and to rejoice regardless of his circumstances. Even in prison, he was not discouraged but thought of the needs of the saints and wrote letters of encouragement and instructions to the church. His interest was not in himself but in others. We must allow God to develop this same attitude within us. Life is too short and unpredictable to mourn for that which we lack. When our bounty becomes scarce, let us learn to be content and remember to be thankful for such things as we have. +++ 8/13/19 GOD IS FAITHFUL Scripture: Deuteronomy 7:9 "Know, therefore, that the Lord your God is the faithful God, which keeps covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandment to a thousand generations." God is always faithful to keep His Word. When He tells you to do something or go somewhere, He waits for your obedience to carry out His instructions. As you move in that direction, He makes the crooked way straight and opens the path before you. He leads you through green pastures and beside still waters. He provides every need for the journey and anoints you for the mission. He never fails to honor His covenant but He also does not do anything on your behalf until you step out in faith. Obeying God's voice and following His commands may not always be easy, but it will always be possible. God may not share His master plan with you or accomplish it in the same manner as He did in the past, for God is creative. His ideas are fresh and He is big on doing new things. His ways are past finding out. If God tells you to go to the other side of the lake, His presence will go before you. He may calm the waters so that your ship can cross the lake safely like He did with His disciples or He may roll back the water and allow you to cross on dry ground like He did with Moses and the children of Israel. Then again, He may cause you to walk on the water. You just have to flow with His plan. Arthur Blessitt, the gentleman that walked across this nation and many others carrying a large cross, made this statement about obedience to God. He said: "If God says to do something or go somewhere... I get on a plane. If there is no plane - I get on a train. If there is no train - I get on a bus. If there is no bus - I walk. If I can't walk - I just fall in that direction! In the walk of faith, you will find that God does not act until you move. He does not dry up the sea until your feet touch the water. He will not calm the storm unless you are making your way across the lake. And you will never walk on the water in faith if you do not get out of the boat. You must never allow doubt to pollute your faith. Instead, you must act on God's Word. "Whatever He says unto you, do it" (John 2:5). The Lord is God, He is faithful, and He will keep His Word. +++ 8/14/19 HIDING GOD'S WORD IN MY HEART Scripture: Psalms 119:11 "Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee." The Word of God is a powerful weapon against the devil. In fact, the Word is referred to as the sword of the Spirit. It provides a great advantage over the enemy that comes against your soul because Satan, who is the father of lies, has no strength against the Spirit of Truth. Satan has no choice but to flee when you resist him with the Word of God because he knows that the sacred Words of God never return void to God. They always accomplish what God sends them forth to do. When God speaks light, darkness flees. When He speaks love, anger melts and hatred fades away. When He speaks joy, mourning is turned into gladness. And when the Lord speaks comfort, loneliness is forgotten. Even the physical storms of life obey God's Words and dissipate when He speaks peace to them. God's Words are Spirit and they are Life. They bring hope into every situation and are more precious than silver or gold. His Word has been tried in the furnaces of fire and proven to be faithful in every situation. We know that Jesus took time to hide the Word of God in His heart. From the time that He was a youth He listened and gave heed to the doctors and elders in the temple. Jesus memorized the Word of God and when the devil came to tempt Him, He simply drew from the treasure that was within His heart. With every temptation, Jesus responded with a scripture. God's Word was His confidence in the day of battle and kept Him from sinning against God and jeopardizing His own divine destiny. If Jesus felt that it was important to hide God's Word in His heart and found it to be a tremendous help against the devil, why don't we spend more time and effort in trying to understand and memorize God's Word for ourselves? One reason may be is that the devil tells us that it is impossible and causes it to be an overwhelming mental challenge, when in reality, it is so simple. We do not have to memorize entire books or chapters of the Bible at one time. Instead we can start with one scripture verse a day. If we learned one verse a day, we could memorize 365 scripture verses a year. Isn't that an amazing thought? The challenge of memorizing one scripture a day or 365 scriptures a year is within our reach. I encourage you today to begin by reading one chapter a day from the book of Proverbs. There are thirty-one chapters in the book of Proverbs, which is one chapter for every day. Read the first chapter on the first day and then follow through reading the others chapters until you complete the month. As you read, meditate on one verse that captures your heart. Memorize that verse and hide it within your heart as a precious treasure. Each day, review what you have memorized the day before. Let this process become a habit in your daily life. You will later find that the precious words that you have hidden in your heart have become the words that will keep you from sinning against God in the time of your temptation or help you make it through a battle or a storm. +++ 8/15/19 FAITHFUL IN THE FEW THINGS Scripture: Matthew 25:21 "You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter into the joy of the Lord." In relating this story, Jesus lets us know that our destiny and joy depend upon our faithfulness to be good stewards over the things that God has set before us. God places within our hearts a dream and endows us with the gifts and talents to fulfill that vision. However, before the vision comes to pass, it is met with many challenging circumstances, and we find ourselves in positions that are far from the dream that is in our heart. Many times our place of service to God seems so small and our area of ministry seems so limited in our own eyes. Like Jabez in (I Chronicles 4:10), we pray for God to enlarge our territories but instead of granting our request immediately, He tries our faith and tests our motives. Throughout scripture, we see men who waited for the promises of God to come in their lives. Meanwhile, they remained faithful in their place of service regardless of how meager it may have seemed to them at the time. They exercised diligence and patience, waiting until God's appointed and appropriate time. Joseph was enslaved and bound in prison before God's dream came to pass in his life. He could have given up, but instead, he worked hard and gained favor with everyone around him (Genesis 39:4). Joseph was faithful in the small things and God made him ruler over much. Elisha was plowing in the field behind twelve oxen when the prophet Elijah cast his mantle upon Elisha and called him into the ministry (I Kings 19:19). Elisha could have become discouraged as he worked daily in the hot sun following behind dirty oxen, but he remained faithful in the place where he was until God called him. David was also found faithful until God promoted him. He cared for a few sheep that were entrusted to him even though he had been anointed by Samuel to be the king of Israel (I Samuel 16:13). And Jesus waited until He was thirty years old before His ministry took shape and form. Just like these great men, God has a time and a place for you. He wants you to continue to walk towards your destiny regardless of how long the journey may seem. You must not allow yourself to become discouraged by your seemingly small and insignificant place. You must remain faithful as you look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith. Continue to plow the fields that He has placed you in and to care for His sheep. At the appointed and appropriate time, the Lord will acknowledge your faithfulness and hard work and will make you ruler over much. +++ 8/16/19 LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE Scripture: Romans 8:2 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." Laws are rules and principles that are established by authority. We are all subject to the laws of our own country. As long as we are in our own country, the laws of other countries have no legal rights over us and can not control or condemn us. Likewise in the spiritual realm we are subject to the laws of the kingdom of which we belong. In the spiritual realm there are two authorities on this earth that have dominion. One authority is the kingdom of darkness that is controlled by Satan. This kingdom operates under the law of sin and death. The other authority is the kingdom of light that is controlled by God's Son and operates under the law of life. We belong to one of these kingdoms. We are either under the control of the law of the Spirit of life, or we are under the control of the law of sin and death. It all depends on whether we have been born again by the Spirit into the kingdom of God. If we have been born again, we are delivered from the control of the laws that govern the kingdom of darkness. Colossians 1:13 says, "He (God) has delivered us out from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son." Because we are in this kingdom of light we are subject only to the precepts of God's divine will and not the condemnation of the devil. Romans 8:1 says, "There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." We are no longer condemned to death, sin, unrighteousness, enmity against God, or living a life that does not please God. God has made us free from that lifestyle. Instead, we are under the law of life and controlled by the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:2-11 tells us several things that the law of life does for us: 1) It liberates us from sin. (Vs. 2) 2) It delivers us from spiritual death. (Vs.2) 3) Righteousness is fulfilled in our life because we walk after the spirit. (Vs.4) 4) Our minds think on spiritual things. (Vs.5) 5) We have peace because we are spiritually minded. (Vs. 6) 6) We please God because we are not in the flesh but in the spirit. (Vs.8-9) 7) Our mortal bodies are quickened and made alive. (Vs. 11) God brought us into the kingdom of light and the laws of His kingdom have made us free from the law of sin and death. Therefore, we should give thanks unto the Father that made us to be partakers of this divine grace. +++ 8/19/19 MASTERPIECE Scripture: Philippians 1:6 (Amplified) "He who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ - right up to the time of His return - developing that good work and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you." God is not finished with us yet. Right up to the day that Jesus returns, God will still be working to complete us. It is amazing that in just one day He created man in His own image and then with one breath caused life to come into his being. Yet, God loves to perfect things so He will spend the entire lifespan of that one individual developing them into the nature of God Himself. Our lives are in the hands of the Master Artist and He is painting a grand masterpiece. From the beginning, God envisioned His work of art. He may start your life with bright and beautiful colors, but as He paints, He must use dark colors for contrast and shadows to affect the mood. These are the hard times and the sad places that touch each of our lives when death, disappointment, and misunderstandings occur. It is the desperate times that we do not understand when our heart breaks and our tears flow. Yet, these dark places are the ones that give depth to our soul and meaning to the entire picture of our lives. There are also discouraging times in our life when it seems that nothing is happening. There is no progress being made and no obvious promotion. We may even go through a spiritual desert. But like any good artist who covers the canvas for a season, God is allowing His masterpiece to rest and dry before going on to the next phase. He does this so that the colors do not run together and distort the image that He is tying to acquire. If we are not careful during these times when our patience is being tested, we will grab the brush ourselves, spill the paint, and make a mess that only God can clean up. Yet, even though we become impatient and make a mess with our life, we can still trust God. He began this good work in us and He will always be faithful to forgive us. Our interference may delay His work, but He will continue to work with us and He will complete us. Hebrews 12:2 says, "He is the Author and Finisher of your faith." Whatever God has started in you, He will finish. He is going to work on you right up until the time Jesus returns. So do not take His brush from Him. He has "good thoughts and plans to give you hope in your final outcome" (Jeremiah 29:11). Submit to the Master as He works with you and allow Him to complete His masterpiece. +++ 8/20/19 NEW SHARP THRESHING INSTRUMENT Scripture: Isaiah 41:15 "Behold, I will make you a new and sharp threshing instrument, having teeth: you will thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and make the hills as chaff.". What a promise God gives to His people. God spoke of the dilemma of His people in the previous verse, comparing them to a worm. But He tells them not to fear because even in their low state, He is going to be their helper. Their Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, is going to come to their rescue and make such a change in their lives that they are going to be transformed from a worm into a threshing machine with teeth. God has given this same promise to you. II Timothy 3:16 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable to us." God sent His Son not only to save you from your sin and give you eternal life, but also to give you a life that is abundant and free. God does not want you to be in a state of bondage and lack. When He looks down and sees you in your situation, struggling as a worm in the hard places of life, it hurts His heart. As your Redeemer and as your Heavenly Father, He wants to see you rise out of that place that you are in. The Lord desires that you live above and not beneath your circumstances and that you be the head and the not the tail (Deuteronomy 28:13). He wants you to prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers (III John 2). The Lord has designed for you to be a king and priest in the earth, for you are the hope of His glory. Your soul prospers by hearing God's Word. As you hear His Word, you gain insight into the heart of God. Your faith grows and you begin to understand what the will of the Lord is for your life. You realize that the Father does not want His sons and daughters to be as the worms of the earth but to walk in the boldness that He has provided through His Name, His Word, and His Blood. He wants you to rise up and use your mouth as a new sharp threshing instrument. He desires to hear His Word coming from your lips in faith. Faith is a force that is released through your prayers and your words. In Mark 11:23-24, Jesus said, "Speak to the mountains to be removed and cast into the sea. If you don't doubt in your heart, but believe those things which you say will come to pass, you will have whatever you say." Think about it. The mountains of sickness, financial lack, and hardships of all kind are at the mercy of your faith filled words because you release God to work for you when you speak His Word. All you have to do is speak in faith. God will transform your mouth into a new sharp threshing instrument through His power and enable you to tear down the works of the enemy. +++ 8/21/19 CONFIDENCE THAT HE WILL HEAR Scripture: I John 5:14 "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." This is a simple guarantee to gain an audience with God. Prayers that touch the heart of God are not accidents. If we want God to hear us, we must first listen to Him and then pay close attention to what He says. The Apostle John said that God would listen to the words that we are saying if the petitions that we are presenting to God are lining up with His desires. Prayer that finds answers are not just a bunch of empty words. They are petitions that seek to satisfy God's will for our lives, accomplish the purposes of His kingdom, and are based upon His written covenant. So in order to receive answers to our prayers, we must search the scriptures and find out what God has said about the matter. If we fail to do this, our prayers become idle chatter. Our prayers must become effective. James 5:16 says, "The effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much." Prayers that are effective are in accordance with God's will. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, Jesus told them to address the Father in Heaven, give honor to His Name, and then declare, "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done." These words concerning God's Kingdom and His will were to be spoken before any petitions were made for daily needs such as bread, forgiveness, direction, and deliverance from evil. There is a confidence that is gained when you know that you are seeking to complete God's will, and this confidence will birth faith within your soul. In turn, that faith will link with Divinity and clothe you with power to receive. One of the first things that I ask when I begin to pray and commune with God is that His Holy Spirit help me pray according to God's will. I remind God that my spirit is willing to do His will, and also confess that my flesh is weak. I tell Him that I need the guidance of His Spirit as I pray so that I may fulfill the scripture above and acquire the confidence that I need in knowing that God is hearing me as I speak. Many times, I am amazed at the words that follow after I pray these words as the Holy Spirit guides my thoughts and directs my prayers. I may have started out in the flesh with my own agenda to express my immediate needs, but as I yield to God's Spirit, He opens my heart to understand the true will of the Father. The Spirit of God then prompts me to pray greater things that agree with God's will and His Word. As this communion with Heaven transpires, great confidence comes. I know that my words have reached God's throne, and that if He has heard the prayer that His Spirit has prayed through me, He will answer accordingly. +++ 8/22/19 ON THE EDGE Scripture: Exodus 15:1 "The Lord has triumphed gloriously." When God's people fled from Pharaoh, they found themselves trapped between their enemy and the Red Sea. Their situation was seemingly hopeless and fear consumed their thoughts. They reacted to the circumstances that surrounded them and began to wish that they had never left Egypt but had stayed in the cruel bondage that they had been in. At the moment, serving the Egyptians seemed a lot better to them than facing death in the wilderness. Difficult times bring a reality check. When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, they saw God do amazing things and were excited about their deliverance until this first impossible situation came along. At the edge of the Red Sea, they failed to understand that the same God who had brought them out of Egypt was the one who was going to make a way for them and also keep them from perishing at the hands of Pharaoh and his army. In fact, instead of standing on the edge of destruction, they were standing on the edge of a miracle, for God had a magnificent plan of deliverance in His mind. The Red Sea that frightened and challenged them was going to be the instrument that God would use to destroy their enemy once and for all. If you have been in a place where it seemed that you had a Red Sea on one side and the Egyptians on the other, you can understand the turmoil that went on in the hearts of the Israelites. You know what it was like when your mind and emotions began to reel totally out of control because you had no valid options. You have experienced the sinking feeling of hopelessness when you realized that you could not go forward and you certainly could not turn back. Yet, impossible situations have a purpose in the heart of God and He uses these places to work His wonders in our lives. God wants to do something awesome in your life that will utterly destroy the things that have plagued you for so long. All He requires from you is that you put your trust in Him and go forward in your commitments. When you do, it becomes the Lord's responsibility to deliver you from the enemy that has held you in bondage. So, instead of viewing the future with fear, realize that you are on the edge of God's miracles. Declare that the Lord reigns in your life and believe that He has a magnificent plan for you. As you trust God and allow Him to work in your life, He will triumph gloriously by making a way for you where there seems to be no way and He will destroy your enemies in the process. +++ 8/23/19 TRUST GOD'S LIGHT Scripture: Psalms 119:105 "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Life is a wonderful journey with God as our guide. He covers the earth with His presence and with each step that we take, He goes before us. He makes the crooked ways straight and gives light to our path. He never sleeps, slumbers, or takes vacations. He is with us and will always be with us even until the end of the world. The Lord's hand is not shortened so that He cannot touch us, His ears are not deaf to our voices, and His eyes are not dim to see the things that surround us. He knows everything about the road that we are taking and He also knows what lies ahead. We want to know what the future holds and desire that our way be flooded with light. Yet, even though God may give us a glimpse into the future, He most often gives us a lamp that only sheds light to our feet and to the next few steps that we are to take. He speaks into our lives and illuminates our spirits through His Word. He leads us down the pathway one step at a time, gently taking us through valleys and strengthening us as we push our way up the mountains. The Lord is there speaking to us when we must cross the rivers or the dry barren deserts. He is in our midst when things are calm and is also there when the storms of life are raging about us. God has a Word for every season of our lives. He carries our burdens, shares our sorrows, and His love and compassions never end. He laughs with us and cries with us. The Lord also celebrates when we celebrate and He hurts when we hurt. He meets us at our present moment and gives us encouragement and hope in our journey. A few years ago, I had to make a crucial decision that would affect the rest of my life. It was the hardest decision that I ever faced and it took months for me to come to a final conclusion. I sought the Lord, I followed His Spirit of peace, and I walked in all the light that I had at the time. God's light seemed to be a small circle around me and I could see nothing outside of the circumference of that circle because of the darkness that surrounded me. I had God's answer, but I could not see the end results. It was a very sad time because I did not know what the future held or if I would ever find joy again. After the decision was final and my commitment was made, the enemy began to sow doubt in my mind. He tormented me with thoughts in an effort to draw me back to his plan. Yet, God is always faithful and gives light within our being. As I sought the Lord, He reminded me of the light that He had shown within my heart when I was making my decision. His light had guided me through the darkest hours of my life and His Word had been my lamp. He had spoken to me through His Word and the devil was simply trying to put that light out with doubt and confusion. When I realized what was happening, faith arose within my heart and the peace of God assured me that I was going in the right direction. I returned to His place of light. The circumstances had not changed but I disallowed the breath of Satan to blow out the light. I continued to walk in the light that I had experienced when I sought for God's answer. I set my heart to believe God and trust His Word and promises although I could not see their fulfillment at the time. Years later, I know that I made the right decision. I wonder now how it could have been so hard for me at the time. I also wondered how I ever allowed myself to get into that situation. Yet, I have come to realize that there are dark shadows in every valley of decision. The harder the decision, the darker the shadows. Out of my experience, I want to encourage you to lean upon God as you journey through life. There will be many decisions that you will have to make. In order to make the best choices for your life, you must allow God and His Word to be a lamp to your feet and you must trust in His everlasting light. +++ 8/26/19 REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE Scripture: Luke 17:32 "Remember Lot's wife." Jesus warned His disciples as He emphasized the importance of being prepared and ready to leave all. When He spoke these words, He was referring to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, which was a city that God destroyed with fire and brimstone because of its wickedness. Before God destroyed it, He shared His intentions with His faithful servant, Abraham. In turn, Abraham pleaded with God not to destroy the righteous with the wicked. Because of Abraham's intercession, God spared Lot, Lot’s wife, and their two daughters. However, when the angels came to deliver Lot and his family, Lot lingered (Genesis 19:16). Yet, God is so merciful and even though Lot hesitated, God remained committed to His covenant. The angels came and physically took Lot and his family out of the city and gave them instructions, "Escape for your life, and don't look back." The angels did all that they could do and took Lot and his family as far as they could. It was now up to Lot and his family to heed the words that were spoken to them. Genesis 19:26 records a very sad ending, "But Lot's wife looked back from behind him: and she became a pillar of salt." Lot's wife had difficulty letting everything go and leaving it all behind. Her heart was still in Sodom and Gomorrah. Instead of fleeing for her life with her husband and daughters, she trailed further and further behind until the effects from the destruction of the city finally reached her. She was incased in salt and became a pillar of bitter remembrance instead of a testimony of deliverance. Like Lot's wife, you may have people, situations, and memories that you need to walk away from. Regardless of the pain and abuse that you may have suffered in the past or the temptation that is now pulling at your soul, God wants you to walk away from all of it. As you leave it behind, God will work His deliverance in your life. He will make a way of escape for you, free you from bondage, and give you a new start. But the Lord can only take you so far. Each hesitating step hinders God's work. As He instructs you to "Escape for your life, and don't look back," you must make the choice not to dwell on the past and all of its hurts or give in to the present schemes of the devil. God has good plans for you, so focus on the future. Become a testimony of the Lord's deliverance rather than a pillar of bitter remembrance. +++ 8/27/19 PROMISE OF HIS PRESENCE Scripture: Colossians 1:27 "Christ in you, the hope of glory." In the heart of each and every person there is a void space that only God Himself can fill. It is a dark and empty place where insecurities, loneliness, doubt, and fears reside. We have an awareness of this void but we may not be able to explain it. We just know that there is a searching and a longing that lingers within our souls for something or someone beyond ourselves. This place remains empty until we find God and He moves in. Helen Keller was a woman who was blind and deaf. She had never heard of God and did not know the name of Jesus. Yet, when her teacher was finally able to communicate to her about God and Jesus Christ, Helen Keller said, "I knew He was there, I just didn’t know His name." The Spirit of the Lord was hovering over Helen Keller's heart and making her aware of God's presence. This was similar to the situation that the earth was in when the Spirit of God began to hover over the earth in the first chapter of Genesis. The earth was dark, void, and without form until God spoke and caused light and life to come. God's Spirit hovers over our dark and void spirits in the same manner, drawing us near to the heart of God. At some point we face a moment of accountability for our lives and are forced to make a choice. We either surrender to the Holy Spirit and are persuaded to receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord, or we deny Him. If we receive Him, we are born again and translated out of the kingdom of darkness and into His glorious light (Colossians 1:13). When this new birth occurs, God comes to live inside of us. He totally fills the void place within our being with His presence and for the first time in our lives we feel complete. This is a marvelous mystery that our minds cannot comprehend. Most of us never fully perceive the depth of the meaning of this wonderful promise; that the almighty God has come to live on the inside of us. If we could only understand the power of God's presence within us, there would be a greater release of His power through us. Boldness and confidence would replace the fears and insecurities in our life. Faith would fill the void where doubt had been. Light would dispel all darkness, and we would become so full of God and His purpose for our life that there would be no room for loneliness and despair. Our focus would be on the presence of Christ within us, who is the hope of God's glory. +++ 8/28/19 CHISELED BY TRIAL Scripture: Proverbs 11:2 (Amplified) "When swelling and pride come, then emptiness and shame come also; but with the humble - those who are lowly, who have been pruned or chiseled by trial and renounced self - there is skillful and Godly Wisdom and soundness." A famous sculptor once said that when he begins to work, he does not see a "large mound of nothing." Instead, he envisions a definite form within the material that he is working with. He then chisels away the excess little by little until the desired image manifests itself. Do you remember when you were young and thought that you had the answers to all of life's questions? You had life so completely figured out that you made confident statements about how you would handle your affairs. Your children would be perfect and would never act like other children. You would live at the top of the world and never struggle like your parents. You would certainly never get out of shape physically. The pride of youth swelled within your heart because you thought you were in total control of life. However, along the way, things began to change and you discovered that you were not quite as smart as you thought you were. You began to face the same problems with your children, finances, and health as those whom you had criticized. When the responsibility became yours, you found that life was not as easy as you had thought. It seemed that you could not get ahead because you were facing one trial after another, each bringing you into another place of emptiness or shame. You could feel the blows of the sculptor's chisel as it continually brought you to a lower state. As the chisel cut into your very being, you wondered if God had totally forgotten you. Please know that God has not forgotten you or forsaken you. He is simply in the process of changing you and bringing you to the conclusion that He is smarter than you are. His ways are higher than your ways. Like the sculptor, the Lord does not see a 'large mound of nothing" when He looks at you. He sees His image inside of you and wants that image to be manifested to the world. Thus, God takes the trials that the enemy means for evil and then by special design He uses each one to chisel away the pride and other impurities that are within your heart and soul. Each blow of the chisel causes you to renounce something of self and release that portion to God. As you humble yourself and surrender all that you are ... to become all that He wants you to be, He forms you into the image that He has designed. He then fills you with skillful and Godly wisdom. +++ 8/29/19 WORRY OR WORSHIP Scripture: Psalms 95:6 "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker." There is a battle that rages within us when troubles arise in our life. It is a battle between our flesh and our spirit. The battle demands that we either choose to worry about our problems or worship God right in the midst them. It is a hard place, but our right choice brings great rewards. We see the leper in Matthew 8:2 who had no hope of being healed, yet he worshiped Jesus as he made his request for healing. His worship ushered in the healing he needed, and his leprosy was cleansed and cured. There is another story where it seemed that it was too late for any kind of help, as death was in control. The daughter of a certain ruler had died, but the ruler continued to worship Jesus right in the midst of his daughter's death and she was raised up to live again. Worship is very powerful. Even devils were dispelled when worship prevailed in the hearts of those who came to Jesus for help (Matthew 15:22-28 and Mark 5:2-13). You acknowledge several things when you worship God in the midst of adverse circumstances. First, your worship declares that God is your first love and that He is more important than your immediate needs. Your worship tells God that you trust Him and that you love Him regardless of what happens. Second, as you worship, you do not lean upon your own understanding. Even though you are at the end of your own resources and ability, you recognize God as the One who is more than enough. You see Him bigger than your problem. Finally, your worship announces that you are releasing all of your doubts and fears to God as you humbly submit your situation to Him. As you cast every care upon God, you make Him the Lord of your life. In the day that Lucifer fell, He attempted to exalt himself. He said, "I will ascend into Heaven, exalt my throne above the stars of God, and be like the most high God" (Isaiah 14:13-14). Lucifer intends for all that is evil to be exalted in your life today. This includes worry. He desires that you choose to walk with him and serve him, so he plants seeds of doubt in your heart and tormenting thoughts in your mind. His goal is to cause you to worry about the enormous situations that he has created for you. He wants you to bow down to him through worry rather than bow down before God in worship and trust. Satan knows that if the fear he attempts to plant in your mind can take root, it will drive out the faith that is in your heart. If fear and doubt prevail in your life, he will then be exalted above your faith in God, and Jesus will no longer be Lord. When you see these patterns working in your life, remember to give God first place by exalting Him above the situation. Instead of worrying, simply show your trust by bowing down and worshipping the Lord your God, your Maker. +++ 8/30/19 BY FAITH Scripture: Hebrews 11:8 "By faith Abraham when he was called to go out ... went out not knowing where he was going." There are two sides of faith. There is believing and then there is taking action on what is believed. Faith is never fully realized until there is action, for "faith without works is dead" (James 2:17). When God wanted to create, He did not just believe it to happen. Instead, He spoke words in faith and His verbal actions caused the worlds to come into existence. In every instance where Jesus wanted to heal, deliver, or redeem mankind from sin, He took some sort of action. He prayed, He spoke words of deliverance, and even gave up His own life on the cross. Both the Father and the Son's faith were proven by their actions and there were everlasting results. Abraham believed God when God called him to leave his country and kindred and to go to a land that God would show him. It was a land where God was going to bless Abraham and make him a blessing. Yet, Abraham could not just believe. He had to get up and leave. Abraham had no idea where he was going or how long it would take to get there. He also did not know the challenges or battles that would come up along the way, but he faithfully followed God and his faith was counted unto him as righteousness. Like Abraham's life, our own lives will not reach their intended destiny or fulfill their purposes by accident. There must be an action on our part for us to be able to accomplish our visions. We can hold big dreams and enormous visions in our heart, but until we act upon them in obedience, they will remain dormant. Sadly, many times we fail to follow through with actions because we are unsure of the future. Thus our hopes and dreams never come to pass. Look at the important events in your life and you will realize that you had to leave your present place and be somewhere else at a particular time for that event to come into being. You had to accept an invitation to meet that special person who changed your life. You had to go on that certain interview to obtain the job that became your lifetime profession. You had to respond to a call from God to enter the ministry or go to the foreign mission field. You had to reach out in faith to win a soul to Christ or pray a prayer over the sick for them to be healed and delivered. In every case, it was a journey of faith and you had to be at a certain juncture to complete God's will for your life. God is calling you. His call may be a simple request or a life changing demand upon your life. Your faith may be challenged as you stare into an unknown future like Abraham did. You may have no idea where the path will take you but you can rest assured that God will not send you forth without going before you. His Word will speak to you and His Spirit will guide you every step of the way. Trust God and believe to receive Abraham's promise for your own life. Follow God as He leads you out. He will bless you and also cause you to be a blessing in all the Earth. +++ Copyright © 2019 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com |
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