Jan19

............	A Word In Due Season FEB 2019 2/1/19 ANCHORS OF HOPE Scripture: Acts 27:29 "They cast four anchors out ... and wished for the day." Have you ever faced circumstances in which all hope had been taken away? All that you could wish for was to get through the dark season and be able to see the light again. The Apostle Paul and the sailing crew that he was with were facing the same situation. Verse twenty of this chapter tells us three things about the storm they were in. 1) They did not see the sun or stars for many days. 2) No small tempest was on them. Instead, a great tempest challenged them. 3) All hope of survival was taken away. Paul, who was a prisoner, had tried to warn those over him of the impending danger if they continued their voyage, but they chose to set out on their journey rather than to believe him. When they encountered the storm and were not able to see the sun for many days, Paul said, "Sirs, you should have listened to me" (Verse 21). We can all learn something from this true-life story when we find ourselves in spiritual conflicts or adverse circumstances. Look at these spiritual anchors of hope that will keep you in the times of storms in verses 23-24. God's Presence in your life. Paul said, "For there stood by me this night the angel of God, Whom I belong to, and Whom I serve." If you belong to God, He has anchored Himself within you and will never leave you or forsake you. God's Power is also available to you. Paul said, "Fear not." God is not only in the situation with you but He has empowered you with the anchor of His strength. Trust in Him, for He is well able to keep you stable in the midst of the storm. God's has a Purpose for your life. The angel said, "Paul, you must be brought before Caesar." God has a specific destiny planned for your life and that assignment for you will be your an anchor in the midst of adversity. The devil cannot stop the purpose and will of God in your life. The scriptures declare that if God has spoken it, it will come to pass. Finally, God's Promise will never fail. The angel said, "God has given you all those that sail with you." You must hold on to the promises that God speaks to you, for they will be your anchor as you face the raging storms. God’s promises will not only keep you, but also keep those around you who are facing those same storms. Paul told the men, "Be of good cheer, for I believe what God told me." In the midst of the storm, Paul had faith in God and told the men that their only hope was to abide in the ship (Verse 31). When the storms of life rage against you, do not be tempted to leave the ship even though it may appear to be sinking. Your hope is to abide or remain where God has placed you. Do not run to the world and what it has to offer in an effort to escape the conflicts in your life. Though tossed about by storms and winds of adversity, trust God and allow Him to be your anchor. If you refuse to compromise, your faith will take you through the storm. +++ 2/4/19 Scripture: Isaiah 43:19 (NIV) "I am doing a new thing! ... Do you not perceive it?" God is creative and He is very much into doing new things. He has fresh ideas every day. His sunrises are never the same and He never duplicates a sunset. Each sunrise and each sunset has its own beauty and glory. Every wave that breaks in the ocean and every cloud that forms in the sky is different. The rainbows that grace the heavens may look similar, but each one is actually an original masterpiece of God. And every time that God forms life inside of a womb, He creates for that special being a new set of fingerprints and voice inflections that are different than anyone else's. Even the hair on the head of His new creation is so unique that with careful study it can be distinguished from all others. God has created each one of us in His own image and He wants us to conform to His mindset, which is reaching for the new each day of our life. He wants our lives to be purposeful and profitable. He told us not to think about the former things or consider the things of old and He also spoke favorably about our future. God said that He knew the thoughts and plans that He had for us and that they were for good and not evil (Jeremiah 29:11). His heart longs to bless us with more. Yet, we are so comfortable where we are that we often become confused when God begins to do new things and move our lives in a new direction. The old is just a part of our life and we feel a certain security when surrounded by the familiar. We may secretly long for the new, but shrink back when it presents itself because we are not sure what the change will bring. You may be wondering why your desires and interests are beginning to change. You may have noticed that your hopes and dreams have taken on a different image. There may be an awareness that new relationships are forming and a sense of new adventure has capture your interest. You can sense that you are going in a different direction and have wondered what it all means. There may be no physical event connected to the new thing that is happening, but you realize that something very significant is taking place in your spirit. You have no words to explain what you are experiencing but God is enlarging your borders and giving you new territories. The prophet asked, "Do you not know it?" Can you see that things are different? Can you perceive that God is moving? Examine your life and evaluate your position. Acknowledge the fresh wind of God’s Spirit that is blowing upon you and cooperate with God. Trust everything to Him and follow His lead. He will take you places that you have never been and show you things that you have never seen. If you allow Him, He will complete the new thing that He has started in your life. +++ 2/5/19 DOUBLE SECURITY Scripture: John 10:28-29 "... neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them to Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand." When I was a young child, my father liked to tease me and play games with me. Quite often, he would offer me something like a nickel or a dime or possibly a small piece of hard candy. He would show the prize to me and then he would close his hand tight around it. It was up to me to pry his fingers open so that I could retrieve the reward. I would work diligently to open his hand with all of my might, but my strength was never able to match his strong hands. He would laugh because I would only be able to get one finger loose at a time. The treat that he was offering to me was safe in his hand until he decided to give it to me. In the scripture above, Jesus said that no one would be able to pluck His sheep out of His hands. He then declared that His Father is greater than all and that no man would be able to pluck them out of the Father's hand either. Can you grasp this picture? We are protected not only by the hands of Jesus but also by the hands of our Heavenly Father. It is as though Jesus is holding us as tight as He can in His hands and then He places His own hands in the hands of the Father God. Their combined hold upon us becomes double security, for Jesus and the Father are one (Vs. 30). This does not mean that the Father and the Son are one person, but that they are one in perfect unity in their natures and actions. They work together as a team and the devil has no power over this mighty unity. He is no match against the combined strength of their four hands, four thumbs, and sixteen fingers. This knowledge should give us great security because we can be assured that the Father and the Son are holding us as tight as they can because of the great price that they both paid for us. God the Father gave His only Son in order to secure our redemption, and then Jesus, the Son, sacrificed His own life on the cross so that we could have eternal life. We have much to rejoice about. For we know, that regardless of how hard the devil may try, he can never pry us out of the double security of Their hands. +++ 2/6/19 WE NEED EACH OTHER Scripture: I Corinthians 12:21 "The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you." The Apostle Paul compared the individual church members to a human body and said that God had set every member in the body as it pleased Him. Paul encouraged the church to appreciate one another and to recognize that each person was just as important as the other. The eye is needed so the body can see what the hand is doing and the hand needs the eye so it can perform its duties. The head needs the feet to take it places, but the feet cannot go without the head. The feet, the hand, the eye, and the head do not look anything alike. Neither do they have the same functions or need the same care. Yet, each is important and necessary in its own right. The body is sorely paralyzed without these various members functioning together in unity. This is such a simple analogy but very fitting and easy to understand. The body of Christ needs each other. We cannot say one to the other, "I have no need of you", for we all have need of each other. Not only do we need each other, but we also need to work together in the unity of the Spirit. We are not to be jealous or to strive against one another. Psalms 133:1 tells us that it is good and pleasant for the brethren to dwell in unity, for when we are in unity we accomplish much more. Think about your hands. God created you with two hands and supplied each hand with four fingers and a thumb. Each finger and each thumb is important. Can you imagine how limited you would be if your hand only had a thumb or one finger? It would be very difficult for you to hold and lift things or to do various tasks. Even in battle, a body with one finger on each hand would find itself in jeopardy. Yet, a hand with all of its fingers and a thumb, clutched into a fist, becomes a mighty weapon. God wants us working together in this fashion. You may not esteem your place or your gift in the body of Christ as highly as you do someone else's gift or place. Yet each vessel and each gift is important to God's kingdom. He wants us to join together in such unity that we can usher in His presence and combat the forces of Hell together. The Word of God confirms this. Matthew 18:19 says, "If two agree on Earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them." Verse twenty tells us that where two or three are gathered together in His name, He is in the midst of them. The scriptures also tell us in Ecclesiastes 4:12 that a threefold cord is not easily broken, and Deuteronomy 32:30 tells us that if one can chase a thousand then two can put ten thousand to flight. God has placed you in His body where He wants you. Remember that you need others and that there are others who need you. +++ 2/7/19 THE POWER OF HIS SPIRIT Scripture: Ecclesiastes 9:11 "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong." Solomon, a man of great wisdom, recognized that the anointing of God was the element that made the difference in the accomplishments of man. Solomon had been granted wisdom in response to God's offer to give him anything that he wanted. Because Solomon did not choose to satisfy his own lust, God not only granted him the wisdom he requested so that he could rule the people but also allowed him to have wealth and honor. All of these gifts were the work of God's Spirit. Solomon could not create a spirit of wisdom within himself simply by educating himself and gaining information. It took an impartation of God's spirit of wisdom coming down from above (James 3:17). Zechariah, the prophet, also recognized the power of God when he spoke God's Word, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts." Often we feel that we are not swift enough for the race, not strong enough for the battle, and not wise, educated, or skilled enough to do what God has called us to do. Yet, according to the words of this wise man, our strength is of little importance to God because God is not dependent upon our might or power. His Spirit is quite capable of enabling and empowering us to handle the job. God used Peter and John to minister healing to the lame man at the gate of the temple. The rulers of the people and the elders of Israel marveled, as they perceived that Peter and John were unlearned and ignorant men. But Acts 4:13 said, "They took knowledge that Peter and John had been with Jesus." Peter and John acknowledged that the miracle was not because of their own might and power. They said, "Why do you look so earnestly at us as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?" They knew it was the power of the Lord. I Corinthians 1:26-27 says, "God does not choose many wise, mighty, or noble men. But He chooses the foolish to confound the wise, and the weak to confound the mighty." God's ways are certainly not like our ways for we would choose strength and ability. However, God's strength is made perfect in our weakness and when we spend time with Him, His presence makes up for our deficiencies. As we lean upon Him we find that His Word is true that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. +++ 2/8/19 THE LORD MADE TODAY Scriptures: Psalms 118:24 "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Have you ever found yourself in a place where it appeared as if everything in your life was going wrong? The enemy seemed to be attacking in every area; one blow after another, and anything that could go wrong was going wrong. While surrounded by your problems, you began to feel like the writer of this psalm; distressed, fearful, hated, and also disappointed in humanity, rulers, and governments. And worse yet, your own mind was attacked and you wondered if you were being chastened by the Lord. As the psalmist experienced all of these things, he declared that he felt as though the nations were surrounding him like a swarm of angry bees. And like the psalmist, we, too, may feel this same way when things begin to overwhelm us. In the natural when we encounter a swarm of bees the safest thing to do is stay calm. But instead we panic, we run, we jump, we hide, or do whatever is necessary to escape them. So it is when we are attacked in the spiritual realm. Rather than stay calm, we begin to panic, and in our distress, we become fearful and lose faith. Look at how the psalmist addressed all these issues in Psalm 118: Verse 5: In distress - He called upon the Lord. The Lord answered and set him in a large place. Verse 6: When fear attacked - He recognized that the Lord was on his side. Verse 7: When hated - The Lord stood up for him. Verse 8: When men disappointed him - He trusted in the Lord. Verse 9: When his leaders failed - He trusted in the Lord. Verse 10: When nations surrounded him in an attempt to destroy him - He destroyed them in the Name of the Lord. Verse 13: When physically attacked - The Lord helped him. Verse 18: When chastened by the Lord - He recognized that God had not given him over to death. Be encouraged by these words. When the problems of life overwhelm you to the point that you feel like you are surrounded with bees, remember to stay calm and trust in the Lord. He made this day for you and chose all the events that would surround you. "Be joyful in every trial and test, knowing that the trying of your faith will work patience in your life" (James 1:2-4). God is in control so allow patience to complete its work within your heart and rejoice and be glad, for this is the day the Lord has made. +++ 2/11/19 JESUS IS AWARE Scripture: Mark 6:48 (NLT) "He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves." Jesus told His disciples to get into a boat and go to the other side of the lake and then He went into the hills to pray alone. Late that night while Jesus was still on the land, He saw the disciples. Their boat was in the middle of the lake and they were in much difficulty as they rowed against the winds and the waves. About three o'clock in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the water. When He reached the disciples Jesus spoke to them and said, "Don't be afraid, Take courage! I am here!" Jesus saw the disciples when they weren't even aware that He was watching them. Then, He used the thing that was troubling them, as a tool to get to them. He walked to them on the same water that they were struggling in. Isn't that just like God? He takes our problems and somehow makes them seem as nothing. He parts our Rea Sea and allows us to pass over to the other side and then He uses that same sea to destroy the enemy that is pursuing us. He tells us to count it all joy when we enter into trials and tribulations because He is going to cause all things to work together for our good. Somehow we are going to come out better at the end of the ordeal than we were at the beginning. I remember when my house was flooded with close to seven feet of water. The Lord provided funds for me and after it was all over with and the repairs were complete, my house looked better than it did before. Just as Jesus was praying in the hills that day before He rescued the disciples on the lake, He is praying and interceding for you and me at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. He is not only praying, He is watching us continually and is aware when we are in serious trouble. He knows how tired we are of rowing and struggling against the winds and waves of this life. He sees our financial difficulties, our heart aches, our physical fatigue, our troubled relationships, and our disappointments. It will only take one moment of the Master's time, one touch from His hands, or one word from His lips to fix our problems. He is waiting for us to call out to Him. There is nothing too great for the Lord to handle and there is nothing hidden from His eyes or His heart. Jesus sees everything, knows everything, and understands everything. In our moments of distress, He will come to our rescue and speak to us saying, "Don't be afraid, Take courage, I am here!" +++ 2/13/19 SOUND OF A TRUMPET Scripture: Psalms 47:5 "God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet." In the scriptures the trumpet was not used just as an instrument to create beautiful music. It was also used for various things depending upon the sound that it made. With one sound, the trumpet summoned people to worship and with another sound, it gathered dignitaries together. There was also a distinctive sound to call the troops to battle and a different one to announce peace. The trumpet made a jubilant sound for victory and a mournful sound to announce death and defeat. The sounds were clear and their signals were recognized by all. Many times there was a shout that accompanied the sound of the trumpet, as in the case when the walls of Jericho came down. \My oldest son played the trumpet when he was in high school. We not only listened to him practice at home but took advantage of every opportunity to hear him play in the school concerts. His dad and I sat in the outside stadium at the local football games in the heat, cold, and inclement weather so that we could see him march with the band and hear him play the trumpet. There were other trumpet players in the band but we were attentive to one the whom we loved and who shared our name. We were proud of our son's talent, skill, and accomplishments and the sound that he made on his trumpet was our greatest interest. If you had been sitting in the crowd with us your attention, no doubt, would have been on the sound coming from your own son or daughter. Just as we took interest in our son, God is watching us as we march through life because we are His children and we share His Name. We do not sound a literal trumpet as we pass though life, but the sound of our voices are as instruments in the ears of God and He listens very attentively for our voice. He said, "Call unto Me and I will show you great and mighty things that you have not known." He hears our words of faith and honors them and calls things into being because of the words that we speak. He gives attention to our petitions and listens to our prayers when we come to Him in Jesus' Name. And the Lord always gives audience to our words and the melodies that come from our lips when we praise and worship Him. God's Word tells us that life and death are in the power of our tongue. Like the trumpet, our words can stir up war or bring peace. Our voices can sound forth victory or defeat. Our own tongue can create positive emotions that will sustain our hope and help us endure adversity or it will cause negative emotions that will fill our hearts with doubt, fear, and confusion. We must remember that God's ears are never closed to our sounds so we must choose our words carefully and make our sounds certain. God is forever listening to us with His heart and He has declared that our own sounds will determine our personal destiny. +++ 2/14/19 LOVING GOD AND LOVING OTHERS Scripture: I Corinthians 13:13 "... the greatest of these is love." We know that without faith it is impossible to please God and we are told to hope in Him and His Word. Yet, Paul says that love is greater than both faith and hope. Love will cause a man and a woman to give up their own individual lives to join together in unity for life. Love will cause a mother and a father to sacrifice themselves in order to nurture and provide for their children and love will cause children to become caretakers for their elderly parents. Love for one's country and what it represents will cause a man to go to war and lay down his own life for the cause. Love will cause pastors to lay down their lives for their sheep and love will cause sheep to serve their pastors faithfully. Love will cause brothers and sisters to fight for one another and love will bond friendships that cannot be broken. Love caused our Father God to give His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16). The greatest expression of love was this act at Calvary. Love excels all emotions. It is a mighty force that originates with God, for God is love. In Matthew 22:37 & 39, Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are, "Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all of your might ... and love your neighbor as yourself." When we do these two commandments, we fulfill the Ten Commandments. You can not love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind while you are worshiping other gods, taking God's name in vain, or polluting His holy day. You can not love and honor God if you do not honor your parents as the Word of God instructs. You can not truly love others if you are willing to kill them, steal from them, bear false witness against them, commit adultery with their mate, and covet their belongings. Love and evil can not be mingled in the same vessel. They will neutralize one another. Even our gifts have no place if our love is not pure and undefiled. Paul said that our gifts become as noisy gongs and clanging cymbals where there is no love. So we are to keep, or guard, our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) including the love that is within them. I Corinthians 13:4-8 tells us that love is patient and kind. When love governs our heart then jealousy, arrogance, pride, and vanity are unable to prevail. When love is ruling, it does not insist on its own way and is not rude and unbecoming. Love is never self-seeking or resentful. A heart governed by love does not dwell on the evil that has been done to it nor does it rejoice at injustice or unrighteousness. A heart full of love will rejoice when right and truth prevail. It will also be able to bear up under anything and everything that comes. A heart guarded with love will always believe the best of every person and its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances. Love never fails and never fades away but will endure to the end. The greatest gift is a heart full of love. When a heart is filled with love for God and others, there is no room for self. +++ 2/15/19 HEALING FOR THE BROKEN HEART Scripture: Psalms 34:18 "The Lord is near unto them that are of a broken heart." From the beginning, Jesus defined His ministry to mankind by quoting from the prophet, Isaiah. He stood in the synagogue on the Sabbath Day and boldly declared that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him. Jesus said that among the things God had anointed Him to do, He was to heal the hurting and bind up the broken hearted (Luke 4:18). You may have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You may have also experienced physical healing for your body and received provisions for your needs, but God's grace extends beyond those boundaries. God wants you to have life and have it more abundantly in all areas; body, soul, and spirit. So He sent Jesus to heal your wounded spirit and to set you free from the emotional pain that plagues you. Jesus is touched by every feeling and infirmity that will ever challenge you. He knows about your past and is sensitive to your painful memories. Jesus sees the hurts and disappointments of your present. He also understands your fears and anxieties concerning the future and He wants to help you. Friends, family, children, or professionals can be a great support and may point you in the right direction, but only the anointing of God's Spirit can break the yoke of bondage that holds you captive and bring freedom to your soul. If you have been wounded emotionally, if your heart is breaking, if you are lonely with no one to turn to, if the memories of the past grip your soul, and you anguish over the poor choices of your life that have been haunting you, then know that Jesus loves you and He is near. This is His promise. He said that He would be near those who were of a broken heart. As you allow Jesus to touch your heart, He will take all of your hurt and turn it around for good. Isaiah 61:3 says, the Lord will give you beauty for the ashes of your life, the oil of joy for your mourning, and a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Jesus, Himself, will open your prison doors and set you free. He is near and stands ready as the Great Physician to bind up your painful wounds and to heal your broken heart as only He can do. The Lord wants you to call upon Him in faith and to embrace the promises of His Word. +++ 2/18/19 GOD SEES YOU Genesis 16:13 "You are the God who sees me?" Abraham's wife, Sarah, was barren and as she waited, year after year, she finally gave up hope in ever having a child of her own. In desperation Sarah arranged for her maid, Hagar, to bear a child with Sarah's own husband, Abraham. Things did not work out as Sarah had planned, however, because sin never delivers what it promises. Instead of finding happiness, Sarah found grief and bitterness. She blamed Abraham for her bad decision and she despised Hagar who had conceived and bore a child with Abraham. Sarah eventually had a son of her own and they named him Isaac, but she still had no peace in her heart. When Hagar's son mocked Isaac, Sarah asked Abraham to send Hagar and her son away into the wilderness. Abraham and Sarah's bad choices brought Hagar much undeserved heartache and pain. Hagar had served them faithfully for many years and had yielded herself to their wishes and demands. Yet, she was treated harshly by those that she had given herself to in obedience. She was used, rejected, abused, despised, suffered reproach, and then sent away to die. She was in a place of no hope, no provision, and no future. No one seemed to care for her or her child, but God saw Hagar in her afflictions and He came to her rescue. He spoke life to her and her son, Ishmael, and pronounced blessings upon their lives and their future posterity. When God came to Hagar's aid, she not only declared, "You are the God who sees Me," but she also said, "Have I truly seen the One who sees me?" Hagar not only realized that God had seen her and her son, but she also got a glimpse of who God was in the process. She saw that He was a God of love and compassion and when she saw God at work in her life, she understood the great plans that He had for her and her son. We have this assurance that regardless of how desperate our situation may look, God has not forsaken us. He will remain true to His Word. As we wait for His answer to come, we can be sure that He will deliver us from all evil. When we have been used and abused, we cannot allow bitterness to linger in our hearts. When we have been rejected by loved ones, ignored by the world, and feel like a cast away, we cannot give in to the negative emotions of the moment or allow them to dictate our lives. As we look to God as our refuge and help in the time of trouble, He will be our comfort and show us acceptance. In times of adversity we must not only recognize that God sees us, but we must understand that we have the same opportunity that Hagar had, which is to look beyond our distressing circumstances to see the One who sees us. We only need one small glimpse of God's glory and grace to make it through life's circumstances and that will happen when we search for God with all of our heart. +++ 2/19/18 ABLE MINISTERS Scripture: II Corinthians 3:5-6 " Our sufficiency is of God; Who also has made us able ministers of the New Testament." When God calls upon us to do anything, He equips us for that service. We are not qualified, nor sufficient in our own abilities, so He makes us to be able ministers. Jesus' disciples had walked with Him for three years. They had heard Him teach and saw Him perform many mighty miracles. You would think that the personal mentoring that they received from Jesus would be enough to launch them into the ministry. Yet, Jesus instructed them to wait until they were filled with the Holy Spirit before continuing in the ministry (Acts 1:4-8). Likewise, we also need the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to be able to complete the ministry assignments that God has called us to do. I Corinthians 1:26-27 tells us that God does not choose us because we are wise, mighty, or noble. In fact, He chooses the foolish and the weak so that it will confound the wise and strong. He chooses those who are dependant upon the Holy Spirit, and who understand that without Him, they will fail. In I Kings chapter three, God made Solomon an able minister as king over Israel by giving Him wisdom and an understanding heart. Before God moved on the scene, Solomon, as a grown man, stated, "I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in." He admitted his weakness to God, and God equipped Solomon with the wisdom that he needed so that he would be able to perform his duties as king. Jeremiah the prophet also felt too small for God's great call. He spoke to God and said, "I cannot speak: for I am child." But God told him not to fear. He, then, put His own words in Jeremiah's mouth and set him as a prophet over the nations (Jeremiah 1:10). For God to work in your life, you must humble yourself and come to terms with your own weakness. You need to understand that God is not calling you because He thinks you are able. He looks beyond your insufficiencies and sees the potential of His Spirit working in your life. You must realize that your sufficiency is not in yourself, but in the Lord who will strengthen you. With God, all things are possible. He is not limited by anything except your doubt and unbelief. God looked down the corridors of time, formed you, and filled you with His Spirit for such a time as this. He is equipping you daily by His Spirit to minister to people who need your prayers and words of encouragement. Do not be afraid to step into the unknown. If God called you, He will equip you with His Words, His wisdom, and His power. He will make you to be an able minister. +++ 2/20/19 STEPS OF A GOOD MAN Scripture: Psalms 37:23 "The steps of a good man are directed and established of the Lord." God delights in our way and He busies Himself with every step that we take. Sometimes we get the impression that God just orders our future steps. We fail to realize that He has ordered all of our steps up to this point, and that He is busy working in the present trying to direct us along the way. The Lord makes it His business to be involved with everything that we do. Verse 24 goes on to say, "Though we fall, we shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord grasps our hand in support and upholds us." Thank God for this wonderful promise. We have a heavenly Father that is holding our hand as we walk. He knows that occasionally we are going to stumble and fall so He grasps our hand tightly in His. With His mighty power, He holds us up and supports us so that we are not utterly cast down and unable to get back up. Proverbs 16:9 declares that "A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure." Very often we plan our day with little thought of God's plan for that day or the season. We are so busy, we just get up and do what needs to be done. We try to direct God instead of resigning ourselves to being led by Him. We pray, "God, bless my plan." instead of "God, make my plan." Jeremiah 10:23 says, "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Jeremiah was acknowledging to God that he was aware that he could not direct his own steps. He knew that he would make mistakes and pleaded that when God corrected him, it would be in judgment and not in anger. Proverbs 20:24 says, "Man's steps are ordered by the Lord; how can a man then understand his own ways?" We often do not understand where God is leading us, for He often leads us in a way that is against human wisdom. It is then that we must "Trust in the Lord with all of our heart; and lean not to our own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5-6). God has given all of us natural wisdom and expects us to function in that wisdom and take care of our duties. Yet, He desires that we operate in trust and be spiritually sensitive and submissive to His voice and His Spirit. It is only as we submit ourselves totally to the Lord that He can establish and direct each of our steps. +++ 2/22/19 WHY PRAY? Scripture: I Peter 3:12 "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers." There are many things in life that I do not understand, but I am not going to do without these things just because my understanding is limited. I could not tell you how the engine and all of the parts of an automobile work together, but I still plan to use my vehicle to get me to the places that I need to go. I cannot explain the seasons and how the soil, water, and sunlight can make things grow, but I will continue to plant seeds and expect my flowers to bloom. I do not understand computers, televisions, and radios, but I will use them anyway. And do not expect me to sit around in the dark just because I do not understand electricity. It's just not going to happen. I am going to use every tool that is available to me to enrich my physical life. My thoughts about God and His Words are the same. I cannot explain God to you and tell you how prayer and obedience to God's Words work. There is no reasonable explanation how Moses could stretch out his hand across the Red Sea and cause the waters to divide and the sea to become dry land (Exodus 14:21). Neither can I tell you how Joshua could march around the walls of Jericho for seven days and then give a shout that would make the walls come tumbling down (Joshua 6:20). Their victories came because of their obedience to God and His Word to them. There are many things about Jesus and the things that He did that are unbelievable. He healed the sick, caused the lame to walk, opened blinded eyes, raised the dead, walked on the water, calmed the seas with His Word, and fed thousands of people with a meager supply of bread and fish. I cannot explain any of these things to you, but I believe that they really happened and are true. So it is with communication with God. I cannot explain how we can live here on Earth and talk to God in Heaven any more than I can explain to you how I can live in Texas and talk on the telephone to someone on the other side of the world. Both are beyond my own comprehension. Indeed, there are people who can explain the phone system and the other natural tools that we use, but no one can explain prayer, for it is supernatural. It is spiritual and simply cannot be explained in natural terms. All we know is that when we talk to God, He has promised to hear us and answer our prayers. Do not get me wrong; God is not some sort of cosmic bellhop that we can order around. Neither does He grant our every petition in hopes of receiving a financial tip by our tithes or offerings to the church. So why should we pray? James 4:2-3 tells us, "You have not because you have not asked for it ... You receive not when you ask amiss." Let us take these words to heart. Even though we may not understand how prayer works, let us talk to God and present our petitions to Him because we believe what the Apostle Peter said, “God listens and His ears are open to our prayers.” +++ 2/25/19 WORKED UP OVER NOTHING Scripture: Luke 10:41 (Message Bible) "You're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing." Can you imagine Jesus telling you that you are fussing far too much and worked up over nothing? These are the words that He spoke to Martha when she was disturbed because Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet. Martha was so busy that she could not embrace the wonder of the moment. The miracle worker, Jesus, was there in her presence but she had more important things to do than to just stop and sit at His feet. Instead of listening to the awesome revelations that were proceeding from His lips, she received a kind rebuke. Jesus let Martha know that she was troubled about too many things in her life and was burdened with responsibilities that she needed to put aside for a season. She desperately needed to let go of the concerns of life and make Jesus the priority and Lord of her life for a moment. Life is a journey that is meant to be enjoyed, but the tragedy is that we often get so busy that we miss life itself. Like Martha, our natural obligations take precedence over the things that are eternally important. We make ourselves into slaves and serve the need to serve. God never instructed us to be busy about so many things. He told us to abide in Him and in His Words so that our prayers would be answered and our lives would be fruitful and fulfilled. God never promised rewards to those who were just busy. He said the fruitful life is the one that brings glory to God (John 15:8). We must learn the difference between what is good and what is best. Jesus was never stressed or in a frenzy because He had the wisdom to pull away from everything that surrounded Him so that He could spend time with His Father and also find rest for His natural body. Take a close look at your daily commitments and be honest in your evaluation of your responses to life. Are you like Martha? Are you finding yourself fussing far too much and worked up over things that are not eternally important? If you take a moment to consider Mary's approach to life, you will notice that she did not allow the burdens of life to steal the precious moments that were offered to her. She let everything go just to sit and rest at the feet of Jesus. Jesus extends the same invitation to you. He says, "Come unto me all you that are heavy laden and I will give you rest." When you come to Jesus and rest in His presence, your attitudes will change because your burdens will become light. Instead of being worked up about nothing and worn out over everything, you will have peace in your spirit and fresh strength for your body and soul. +++\ 2/26/19 FALLING SHORT BUT STANDING TALL Scripture: Psalms 37:24 (NIV) "Though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand." It is wonderful to serve a loving God who understands our shortcomings and holds us up when we begin to fall. Though we stumble around in life's situations, His grace gently picks us up and helps us start over again. He is like a natural father who teaches his child to walk. He eagerly waits for us to make the next step and His hand is there to catch us before we hit the ground. God does not scold us when our knees wobble or when our feet trip along the rough paths. He knows that our spirit is willing but that our flesh is weak so He just holds our hands a little tighter, lifts us up, and helps us along our way. God is aware that we are going to stumble many times in life before we reach our place in Heaven. Throughout the scriptures, He gives examples to let us know that His forgiveness and restoration is always available. Abraham, the friend of God and the father of faith, fell short in his walk with God when fear gripped his heart. His faith failed him and he asked his wife, Sarah, to pose as his sister in order to protect his own life. Also, instead of believing God's promise and waiting on His timing for the righteous seed to be conceived and birthed, he gave in to Sarah's plea. He followed Sarah’s suggestion and took her maid, and through this unrighteous union Ishmael was birthed. Even though Abraham stumbled, the Lord held him up and his faith was still counted unto him as righteousness. King David fell short and committed many sins, but stood tall and reached into the heart of God and found forgiveness for all of his transgressions. The Apostle Peter also fell short in his actions when he denied Christ, but later he not only acknowledged that he knew Jesus but stood very tall as he openly preached to the multitudes, proclaiming Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. You must understand today that even though you may have fallen short in your walk through life, you can still stand tall in God's presence. His love covers a multitude of sins and His grace is sufficient in all circumstances. He wants to assure you that there is no mistake that you have ever made that He is not able to erase and no stain in your life that He cannot wash away, for His blood takes care of it all. He wants you to know that there is hope even when you think there is no way of restoration. God's ways are not like your ways and His thoughts go beyond your thoughts. When you feel that you are beginning to stumble, immediately reach out to the Lord and He will lift you up and help you stand tall. +++ 2/27/19 REFUSING TO COMPROMISE Scripture: Nehemiah 6:2 "Come, let us meet together in ... in the Plain of Ono." Nehemiah organized God's people for the purpose of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. From the very beginning of this endeavor, their enemies had tried to discourage and hinder their work by mockery, conspiracy, extortion, and slander. Yet, they continued in their efforts and their work on the wall progressed. Now, however, the enemy was attempting to lure them from their work on the walls into the Plain of Ono for a meeting. God's people recognized the enemy's plan as a plan of mischief. In verse three, Nehemiah, their leader, responded to the invitation with the words, "I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?" He refused to enter into a place where he would have the opportunity to listen to any terms of compromise. As in this story, the enemy will try to lure you from the commitments that you have made to God and will also try to destroy your faith in God's promises. If the enemy can get you to come down from your position on the wall of faith, he may be successful in stopping the great work that you are doing for God. Once you are in his territory, the enemy will try to get you to a place where his voice of compromise can whisper to you in every area. As he gains your attention, he will sow seeds of doubt such as, "You cannot be saved. You have done too many evil things." "You cannot give your tithes and offerings this week. If you do, how will you pay all of your bills?" "You cannot be healed. Everyone dies from that disease." "You cannot sing, testify, and serve Jesus. You are not good enough." "You cannot be delivered. The addictions to alcohol, drugs, gambling, and sex are just too strong to fight against." "You cannot forgive. You have been hurt too much and the pain is too deep." The list goes on as the devil continually tries to discourage you and steal your faith. Your weapon against him is to refuse to reason with him or to listen to his lies. Remember that your example is Jesus. In Matthew chapter four, Jesus faced the devil but refused to compromise. His only responses to the devil's temptations were, "It is written" and Jesus then quoted the Word of God. The devil has no defense against God's Word, which is "powerful and sharper than a two edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12). Like Nehemiah, God has a great work for you to do also. So when the devil attempts to lure you from the wall of faith and invites you to leave your place of commitment, refuse to compromise or come to down to his level. +++ 2/28/19 THE LORD WILL PERFECT Scripture: Psalms 138:8 "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me." Even though David was walking in the midst of trouble, he spoke to the Lord and declared, "You will revive me. You will stretch forth Your mighty hand against my enemies." He trusted God to do something about his situation that he, himself, was not able to do. He did not rely upon His own strength and ability to fix the problem, but relied on the mighty hand of the Lord to fight his battles. He knew that his God was going to help him and that his God would not quit right in the middle of the situation and leave him hanging. He said, "The Lord will perfect His plans and purposes. The Lord will complete His work." Like David, many times we find ourselves walking in the midst of trouble, and many things come our way to cause us anxiety and frustration. How wonderful it would be to be able to come to a point of total trust, like David, and know that God is going to complete and make perfect all of the things that are pressing in on us. This place of trust is a place where we stop asking God, "Why?" or "When” We would cease from fighting our own battles and would just give them to God. We would place our life totally in control of the Holy Spirit and trust God to do something supernatural for us. Our emotions would no longer be in control and thus would not be able to hinder God's work. We would disallow offense of any kind to defuse His plan. Yet, how often do we really react in this manner? This place of trust seems almost impossible. For when conflict occurs, we usually try to prove ourselves right, explain our motives, defend our actions, and get the last word in. The harder we work at the situation, the more frustrated we get and the more fragmented the relationship becomes. We fail to let the peace of God rule in our hearts. We forget that God is still in control and that He is our defense. He will never forsake us, for we are the work of His hands. The Lord is full of mercy and loving kindness and He never ceases to be interested in our concerns. We are blessed when we come to this realization and reach the place of absolute surrender, knowing that God is working everything in the universe together for our good. We can be sure that when He brings it all together, it will be perfected by His mighty power. +++ Copyright © 2019 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com			..............................