| ............ | A Word In Due Season FEB 2020 2/3/20 GOD IS WORKING IN YOU Scripture: Philippians 2:13 "For it is God which works in you ..." Do you realize that right in the midst of your current situation, which may be very challenging and distasteful to you, that God is at work with you and within you? You may be facing a great mountain of conflict regarding your health, finances, or relationships, but God is right there energizing you so that you can make it through the ordeal. The Lord is your personal friend who is closer than a brother and unlike your friends and family, He will never leave you or forsake you regardless of how many times you fail or how hard things may get. God not only creates within you the desire to do His will, but also empowers you with strength. He then helps you to follow through until you complete the task and accomplish His purposes. He makes a way where there seems to be no way and with every temptation that seeks to divert you from His will, He makes a way of escape. You never have to depend upon your own strength. God is aware that Satan will try to sift you as wheat just as he did with Peter, so He set Jesus at His right hand to intercede and continually pray for you. God is faithful and He works with you. He does all that He can do for you, but verse 12 says that you must cooperate with Him, working with God in reverent fear and awe. One of God's greatest desires is that you come through the battle victorious. He wants your testimony to be that you are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus who loved you and who gave Himself for you. You have a choice to survive or thrive in your circumstance. It is up to you. You can murmur against God and engage in disputes with others or you can yield to God's workings within you. How do you yield to His workings? Paul said, "Do all things without grumbling, fault finding, and complaining against God, or questioning and doubting each other" (Verse 14). This may be hard, but it brings great contentment and eternal rewards. As God works within you and as you allow Him to work with you, you "show yourself blameless, harmless, and sons of God without fault in this wicked generation" (Verse 15-16). As the world sees the results of God's effective work within you, you will "shine as a bright light in their darkness and be able to give forth the Word of Life." +++ 2/4/20 DIVINE SEASONS SCRIPTURE: Ecclesiastes 3:1 "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." All of the seasons in nature are planned and set in motion by God. There is no way for man to shorten the winter because of its cold or stop the summer because of its heat. The beautiful spring with its mild weather and gentle rains cannot be prolonged and the crisp clear pleasant days of the fall cannot be lengthened. The seasons remain in the hands of almighty God. Likewise, the seasons in your personal life are divinely designed by God. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God knows the thoughts and plans that He has for you and it includes a future with hope and a destiny of fruitfulness. Even in your senior years God has a plan for you, for Psalms 92:14 says, "They shall still bring forth fruit in old age." All that you must do is flow in and out of the seasons and remain faithful. There will be seasons like the fall when everything seems to be very clear and crisp within your spirit. You seem to have exact direction and perfect vision. Hope fills your heart as you anticipate the future, but then just when things are falling into place everything seems to fall apart. The clouds of darkness begin to cover up your seeds of hope and everything turns cold. For some length of time, your dreams remain dormant with seemingly no hope of life or fulfillment. Then, just as suddenly as this disappointing and unproductive season appeared, it passes and you are surprised by the singing of the birds. God begins to resurrect all that surrounds you and He restores your hopes and dreams. He overwhelms you by giving life to the dormant seeds that are harbored deep within your heart. His Spirit refreshes your faith like the spring rain that falls upon the earth and He once again begins to accomplish His purposes in your life. Eventually, the summer appears and there is an abundance of fruit that God is able to produce in your life because of your faithfulness to remain steady. God never leaves you or forsakes you in these various seasons of your life. Notice the trees that look so hopeless during the dormant season. Their bark turns an ashen gray and their leaves, which were lush and green, change colors and eventually fall from the tree. The tree is left totally exposed with seemingly no life, no beauty, no purpose, and no hope. The tree has no energy as its sap is drained from its trunk. Yet, the tree never waves its barren limbs at God and questions Him about its current and bleak situation, for it has experienced this place many times. Instead, it takes the nourishment through its roots and patiently waits again for God's appointed season. God never fails, and as the barren tree waits, its strength is renewed and a new season of growth comes. It finds itself again flourishing. Just like the tree, you must always remember that God has designs for your life. The season that you are in right now has been divinely ordained and appointed by your Creator. So never be discouraged, but embrace the season and patiently wait, for God’s divine purpose will be revealed. +++ 2/5/20 ALLOWING GOD TO HELP Scripture: Psalms 55:16 "As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me." Along with the rest of the world, I watched the news and saw those who were stranded in their homes during the recent floods. I was amazed because many of the people refused to be rescued. They had been without power or provisions for days and the water that surrounded them was contaminated. Yet their choice was to stay in their dilemma and suffer the consequences. Their decision baffled me, but then I realized that they had been without communication and may not have understood the scope of the devastation that was around them. We were able to see their terrible plight from a totally different perspective, but their vision was very limited so they hung on to false hopes and refused to let go. As I watched these scenes, I wondered how many times we have been in similar situations and have refused the help of God. Like a small child struggling with a project that they are incapable of doing, we wrestle with Almighty God. God pleads for us to let Him help, but we refuse His offer, and say, "No, I think I've got it." We think that we have things under control and that we can hold out. But just like the child who had refused help in the beginning of the matter, we usually come to the conclusion that we cannot do this alone and that our only hope is to allow God to help. I have come to understand that God knows more about us and our situation than we do. I am amazed at the greatness of God. He is our Maker, our Husband, our Lord of Host, our Redeemer, and our Salvation. He is omniscient, while we only know in part. He is aware of every detail and sees things as they really are. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways. When we are in the midst of our storm contaminated waters, the Lord rushes to us and desperately tries to rescue us from our situations. He knows the dangers and the toxins that surround us. God diligently pulls on our heartstrings, but we just will not let go and allow Him to deliver us. We will not leave the past behind and cast down the imaginations that jeopardize our future. We cannot forgive others and we will not forgive ourselves. Strongholds of bitterness and unforgiveness linger in our hearts and become toxin to our entire being. Let us make this declaration as the psalmist did, "As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me." Let this become our prayer, "God I am calling upon You because I need Your help. What do you want me to walk away from so that You can carry out Your plan and purposes through me? Show me what I should give or what I should do so that Your will can be completed in my life. Lord, I make a commitment to yield myself to You and I trust Your knowledge. I want You to help me so I am calling upon You to rescue me from myself and my own desires." +++ 2/6/20 FORSAKING ALL Scripture: Luke 14:27 "Whosoever does not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple." Jesus gives the world an open and compelling invitation to come to Him for salvation. He excludes no one and says, "Whosoever will, may come." Yet He also tells us that those who want to become His disciples and follow Him must consider the cost, for full commitment to Christ means bearing a daily personal cross for His sake. It means forsaking everything that is important to yourself, submitting your all to Him, and conforming to His teachings. In verse twenty-six, Jesus said that your commitment must be so strong towards Him that you would be willing to give up everything and even put Him before your family. This does not in any way justify neglect, malice, or ill will towards your family. It simply means that your devotion to Christ must be the number one priority in your life. It also follows that you will be able to love and serve your family in a greater way because of the love of Christ that is within you. Jesus was looking for more than followers. He had many who followed Him because of His supernatural gift of healing. He healed all kinds of diseases, caused the blind to see, opened the ears of the deaf, and made the lame to walk. There were those who sought Him out in order to be delivered from demonic possession and spiritual oppression. Some followed Him because He fed them fish and bread or turned the water into wine. Others followed Jesus because they wanted to hear Him speak His great words of wisdom or share His revelations concerning the scriptures. These followers had a personal agenda, but not many wanted to be a true disciple who was willing to bear a cross in order to follow Him. We must always understand that when we make a commitment to Christ things will start happening in our lives. Commitment to Christ does not guarantee a promise that everything will be perfect in our lives. The truth is that there is a cost. This side of commitment looks like a life of contentment, but the other side brings the reality of the challenge. When you surrender you heart and affections to Jesus, you will have great joy, yet He may call you to places that you do not understand. It may be a place of no reputation and may cost you everything that is dear to you. You will be totally fulfilled as you give yourself to Him but you must know that at some point you will also suffer persecution. II Timothy 3:12 says, "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." This did not exclude anyone. Yet as you forsake all and surrender to Christ, you will also reap great rewards. So regardless of the cost, be willing to take up your cross and follow Him. It is said, "Anything that cost nothing … is worth nothing … and achieves nothing." +++ 2/7/20 POWER THAT WORKS WITHIN US Scripture: Ephesians 3:20 "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us." God is waiting to do marvelous things in our lives; things that go beyond our imagination and things that we have never even thought about asking for. Yet, accomplishing these great things depends upon the power of God that works within us because it is possible for us to limit God by our own doubt, unbelief, or lack of action. Psalms 78:40-41 tells us that the children of Israel limited God by turning away from His promises. They saw the mighty works of God day after day. Yet, they grieved and provoked God because they did not trust Him to finish what He started. They continually murmured and complained even though God was faithfully meeting every need that they had. As a born again child of God, we have received His Spirit and He abides within us right now (I John 2:27). His anointing is there to empower us for the task that is set before us. Yet, we need to be aware that He has strengthened us for the challenge, for it is only then that we can fulfill God's plans and purposes for our lives. Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge." We cannot use something if we do not know that we have it and we will never go forward without the knowledge of His power within us. The devil distorts the truth and tries to keep us in the dark because he knows that our lack of knowledge will limit the work of God in our lives. Proverbs 29:18 confirms this by telling us that if we do not have a vision or that is revelation we will perish. Paul showed us how to pray concerning this situation. The Holy Spirit led Paul to pray for the Church at Ephesus that God would grant them a spirit of revelation. Paul prayed that the eyes of their understanding would be opened so they could know their calling and also the exceeding greatness of God's mighty power that was extended to them. When Paul prayed these words, he was praying for the Church, not the sinners. We can pray this same prayer. Sometimes we think that we, as the Church, have arrived and know all there is to know. My experience is that the more I learn about God, the more I realize there is so much more that I do not know and have yet to learn. The revelation of God and His power does not come suddenly. The Word declares that it comes to us line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. We will be forever learning about God and His power from now through eternity, and the more we learn, the more He will be able to work through us. God is able to do exceeding and great things in us but we must be filled with His power. In Jeremiah 33:3, God tells us how to find His hidden power and how to cease from limiting Him. He says, "Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know - things you have never seen before or even considered thinking of." We must not limit God but must allow His power to work within us. As we do, the Lord will be able to do great and mighty things when we ask. ++ 2/10/20 GO AND PREACH Scripture: Mark 16:20 "And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." Jesus told His disciples to go into all of the world and preach the gospel to every creature, but He did not send them out empty handed. He empowered them with His Holy Spirit and placed in their hands special gifts. All they had to do was go, preach the Word, and believe. Jesus made a promise that He would be with them where ever they went and that He would confirm His preached Word with signs. This promise takes the pressure out of our ministry to others, for we know that Jesus Christ is the same today as He was yesterday and that He will be the same in the future. There is no shadow of turning with Him. He did not send His original disciples out empty handed and He will not send us out empty handed either. He promises that if we will take the first step, He will be with us all of the way. The Lord works with us by anointing us with the power of His Holy Spirit and filling our hands with signs and wonders so that He can fulfill the needs of those around us. He simply said, "Go and preach." He does the rest of the work. If He does not do it, it will not happen. We can explain the plan of salvation, but God regenerates the spirit of man. We can talk about deliverance and peace, but God breaks the bondages and sets the soul free. We can tell others about healing and financial provision, but only God can heal and provide. It is all a work of His Holy Spirit. Zechariah 4:6 says, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord of Host.” Jesus told the church to go to the world. He never told the world to go to the church. He depends upon you and me to go and do His work. We must cultivate a spirit of evangelism within our hearts and obey His words. People are precious in God's sight and many of them are in trouble. Yet, they will never go to church until we go to them. They are hurting, lost, and need a friend to love them and show them direction. We may think that our gifts are insignificant compared to the world's need, and we may feel that we have no answers. But Jesus can touch them through our hands, be a voice to them through our lips, and listen to their problems through our ears. Christ, who is in us, is the hope of His glory in the Earth. All that we need to do is to go and preach His good news. The Lord will work with us confirming His Word with signs and wonders. +++ 2/11/20 MEDITATING ON THE WORD Scripture: Psalms 1:2 "His delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law does he meditate day and night." The blessed man is one who does two things concerning God's Word. He delights in God's Word and he continually meditates on it. When one delights in the Word of God, he finds it valuable and he purposely sets about to understand the precepts, meanings, and intents of the words that come from God's heart. The Word brings him pleasure and the fresh insights thrill his soul and bring light and life to his being. Meditate means to murmur, imagine, study, talk, or make plans in the mind. It means to roll a thought over and over in the mind until it becomes smooth and acceptable. When we read or hear a promise of God, it is important to process that thought by rolling it over in our spirit until it begins to speak to us. Light and revelation will come into our spirits, causing life and fruitfulness. God's Word will then take hold of our imaginations and begin to transform our thoughts. We will begin to imagine change and then start making plans in our minds to bring about those changes. And because we are conforming to God's Word and His Will, He causes us to prosper. We tend to do this process all the time in the negative realm. It is called "worry." For instance, we hear a negative report concerning our health or finances and we begin to roll that thought over and over in our minds until it becomes a reality. Our aches and pains or lack of finances begin to speak into our minds until we imagine ourselves sick or bankrupt. We start to murmur, complain, and make plans for the worse to happen. We meditate and roll the negative thoughts over in our minds until they become smooth and acceptable to our spirits. These negative thoughts then begin to take life as we enable them to kill, steal, and destroy our faith. The Word of God never tells us to dwell on the negative. In fact Jesus said, "Don't take any anxious thought about the needs for tomorrow." Do not let worry become a habit. James 4:7 tells us to "resist the devil and he will flee from you." We must resist the negative thoughts and choose to meditate on the positive Word of God. The Word of God will create fruit in our lives. When we exchange worry by replacing it with the meditation of God's Word, the scriptures tell us that we will become like trees that are planted by the rivers of living water and whatever we do will prosper. +++ 2/12/20 REVERSING YOUR CAPTIVITY Scripture: Job 42:10 "And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before." Job was called to go through a very difficult season of testing. God, Himself, spoke to Satan and said, "Have you considered My servant Job? There is none like him in all the earth. Job is perfect and upright and he hates evil" (Job 1:8). Instead of hiding Job, God called Satan's attention to him. God's motive was not to punish Job or cause evil in his life. God only allowed the hedge that was around Job to be intruded upon because He knew that Job could stand the test. When the hedge was removed, Job lost his possessions, his children, his health, and his self-esteem. Even Job's wife was at variance with him and encouraged him to curse God and die. Job finally found himself sitting in ashes and scraping the boils on his body, while thinking that God had done this terrible deed to him. In the process of Job's distress, his friends came to comfort him. Instead of rendering encouragement, they brought judgments and condemnation. They had all of the answers but no real solutions. They spoke about God, but not words from God. Job patiently listened to the opinions of his friends and made a futile attempt to respond to their accusations. Job finally declared, "God knows the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." Job kept his faith in the midst of his adverse circumstances and came to know God not from the hearing of the ear, but by a seeing and knowing with a spiritual eye (Job 42:5). Job experienced God and realized that God was in control of everything even when it did not appear to be so. Job's perseverance led him down a path to victory. God gave Job the ultimate assignment and told him to pray for his friends who had so harshly judged him. When Job obeyed, the Lord turned his captivity. God set him free, restored his health, and gave him twice as much as he had before. Jesus also set forth these same mysterious principles in His Words, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). There is a miraculous power that works when we pray for those who misjudge us, abuse us, and take advantage of us. When we pray for them, we willingly open up a channel between us and God. As we open our hearts wide towards Heaven, God is able to pour out a blessing upon us through that same open channel. It is like opening the door to let someone out. While the door is open, it allows the fresh air to come in. If you are in a hard place, put it all into God's hands and allow Him to deal with it. Open the channel to Heaven by blessing and praying for those who do not understand you or your situation and allow God to reverse your captivity. +++ 2/13/20 GOD'S LOVE Scripture: John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." How tremendous this statement is. God loved us so much that He gave His most treasured possession so that everlasting life could be provided for us. There are several wonderful facts about God's love. First, His love never fails. Natural love relationships with family and friends often fail at some point and time, but God's love is eternal. In Jeremiah 31:3 God says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love." The Apostle Paul listed seventeen things that were unable to separate him from God's love: "tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, death, life, angels, principalities, powers, things present, things to come, height, depth, nor any other creature" (Romans 8:35, 38, 39). Second, God's love is not influenced by who we are. Deuteronomy 7:6-8 tells us that God did not choose Israel because they were a large nation, for in reality they were the smallest. He chose them to be a special people because He loved them and wanted to establish His covenant with them. He chooses us in the same fashion. He looks at us as individuals, but it does not really matter who we are, it matters who God is. Third, God's love is also free. In Hosea 14:4, God says, "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely." We cannot earn God's love, for we have nothing to offer to God that would be able to merit the sacrificial gift of His Son's life. We must come to God just as we are. Fourth, His love is not just for a select few, but is offered free to whosoever will believe in Him. This includes the rich and famous and also the poor and the needy. Finally, Ephesians 3:19 says, "The love of Christ passes understanding." Our natural minds simply cannot comprehend how God could give His own Son to die in our place. Nor can we understand why Christ, Himself, would suffer the shame of the cross so that He could redeem us, for none of these enormous sacrifices make sense. This information goes beyond our human understanding. Yet, God showed us His love by His sacrifice. We do not deserve God's awesome love, which is eternal and free. Neither are we required to understand it or to figure out how His love works. All we must do is believe in Him and receive His love sacrifice, then we will not perish but have everlasting life. +++ 2/14/20 LOVE, A MORE EXCELLENT WAY Scripture: I Corinthians 12:31 "Covet earnestly the best gifts ... yet I show you a more excellent way." The Apostle Paul spoke of the gifts of the Spirit that were available to the believer and told us to covet the best of those gifts. He then said that there is something more excellent than any of the gifts and he began to talk about love. He told us that love was far more valuable than any gift, including faith and hope. He also told us that if we displayed gifts without love, we would be like noisy gongs or clanging cymbals. We would be useless and unprofitable because faith could only work by love (Galatians 5:6). Even in our natural life, gifts that are received from someone who does not really love us hold little or no value. Yet, how precious we hold the most insignificant gift when it comes from someone we love or someone who loves us. My most treasured items are the things that my children presented to me in love. The paper angel, colored with crayons, that is placed at the top of our Christmas tree each year is of little monetary value, yet it is very special because it was presented to me in love about 47 years ago by my little boy, who is now a grown man with children of his own. His love made this gift special. God is love. The greatest gift He presented to us was His beloved Son, Jesus, who then gave His life for us because of His great love. If we want to be like our Father God and our Master, Jesus Christ, rather than like a loud gong or cymbal, we need to develop the characteristics of the love that They displayed. In I Corinthians chapter thirteen, Paul identifies these characteristics of love. 1) Love is patient. 2) Love is kind. 3) Love is never envious nor boils over with jealousy. 4) Love is not boastful or vain. 5) Love does not display itself haughtily. 6) Love is not conceited, arrogant, and inflated with pride. 7) Love is not rude and does not act unbecomingly. 8) Love does not insist on its own rights or its own way. 9) Love is not self-seeking. 10) Love is not touchy, fretful, or resentful. 11) Love takes no account of the evil done to it, and pays no attention to suffered wrong. 12) Love does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness. 13) Love rejoices when right and truth prevail. 14) Love bears up under anything and everything that comes. 15) Love is ever ready to believe the best of every person. 16) Love's hopes are fadeless under all circumstances and Love endures everything without weakening. 17) Love never fails - never fades out, becomes obsolete, or comes to an end. +++ 2/17/20 CONTINUE IN MY LOVE Scripture: John 15:9 "Continue in My love." Have you ever experienced a place of strife and division amongst your family members, your children, your friends or close relationships? Did you try to close the gap that exists between them but found yourself lacking in the precise words or counsel that would turn their hearts and restore their fellowship with one another? In the midst of all of the confusion, did you try to keep peace with all involved but you found that your efforts were to no avail? There seemed to be no end to the dispute, the debates, or the rivalry that exists between these precious people that you love so dearly. Things so small had become so large in their minds that they could not hear your bids for tranquility or respond to your voice of reason. You wish that you could fix it all but peace and harmony had been totally deleted from their agendas and a spirit of animosity prevailed. You wonder how did they ever get to this place of disharmony? And you question, "Why can't everyone just simply get along with each other, even if it is just for a few hours at a holiday meal or a family function?" Your heart breaks because of the misunderstandings that exist between them because you can see the big picture that love hopes for, that peace longs for, and that joy desires. These types of situations do not happen just in our lives. God gave us many examples throughout the scriptures. There was brother against brother, son against father, friend against friend, and missionary against missionary. Cain killed his brother, Able, because Able offered a better sacrifice to the Lord. Abraham and Lot, who were uncle and nephew, had to separate themselves from each other because of the disputes with their herdsmen concerning the land. Joseph's brothers rejected him and sold him into slavery. Jacob fled from his father-in-law, Laban, who had cheated him in his wages. Absalom attempted to kill his own father, King David, in an effort to steal David's kingdom from him. The Apostle Paul had a dispute with Barnabas over his choice to take Mark with them on a missionary journey. The contention became so great that Paul and Barnabas had to separate from each other in ministry for a season (Acts 15:37-40). Judas followed Jesus, but then sold Him for twenty pieces of silver and betrayed Him with a kiss. This shows us that we are all vulnerable and that no relationship is exempted from attack. As in the above stories, the pains of the individuals who are in our lives affects everyone in our circle. We stand there in disbelief. The situations are so petty. It is hard to know how to handle it because we cannot control everyone's actions. We must lean upon the Lord. Jesus told us to simply continue in His love. We must love all people, at all times, in every situation. The Lord never promised that we would understand everyone. But He did tell us to love everyone and to continue in love just as He continues in love for us. God's love for us endures forever and is without interruption. We must understand that we will never live in a perfect world of peace and tranquility, but by God's grace we can guard our own hearts and live in a place called love. +++ 2/18/20 REPENTANCE Scripture: I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." God wants His children to do His will, which is simply obeying what He tells us to do on a daily basis. He is our Shepherd, and all we need to do is walk where He leads us, one step at a time. It is a simple matter of putting our foot into His footprint. There are times, however, in all of our lives that we fail to do God's will either because of our own compromise, rebellion, or simple neglect. To receive forgiveness when we find ourselves in these places we must call out to our Heavenly Father for help, be quick to repent, and then search for our way back to His perfect will. We must be honest with God and start at the point where we are. When my oldest son was about three years old, I left him in the yard to play. We lived in a safe neighborhood and the yard was enclosed with a cyclone fence. There was no way he could unlock the gate and get out and I felt that he was very safe. However, I did tell him not to climb the fence. I went into the house for just a few minutes and very shortly I heard him calling from the yard. His cry was loud, but not frightening. I immediately went out and found him hanging on the fence. The hood of his winter jacket was ensnared in the wires at the top of the fence so that he just hung there like a picture on the wall with his back to the fence. He was not hurt or even uncomfortable, but was just stuck in a situation that he could not get out of. There was no way that he could deliver himself from this terrible dilemma that he had gotten himself into. When I asked him, "Did you try to climb the fence?" He said, "No, Mommy. Just get me down." He knew that I still loved him and that I was able to fix the situation for him. I questioned him several times about how he happened to be hanging on the fence and each time he denied that it was his fault. He refused to come to terms with his disobedience and make a full confession. Finally, he realized that he was not getting off the fence until he repented and promised never to do it again. I laugh today as I remember this episode and I wonder how many times do we find ourselves in a similar predicament. We fail to obey God and then we find ourselves hanging on a fence. We know that we have stepped out of God's will, and He knows it, too. Yet, we try to deny that we have made a mistake or that we have sinned. We just want God to fix our situation and do it as quickly and easily as possible. It is amazing that even in our sin, God still loves us, His mercy endures forever, and His grace never fails. He is more than ready to redeem us from every situation. Our Father's promise is so simple. He says, "If you want to be forgiven, confess your sins! I will faithfully forgive you, and I will cleanse you from all unrighteousness." In other words, "If you really want down from the fence, confess your faults, and repent." +++ 2/19/20 MATTERS TOO GREAT FOR ME Scripture: Psalms 131:1 "Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me." David was a great leader and warrior who conquered tens of thousands. He was a man who worshipped and communed with God. He was also the king over the great nation of Israel. And although David had great position and much prestige among the people, he did not allow his heart to become haughty or his eyes to be lifted up in pride. In speaking to the Lord, David expressed his childlike trust. He said, "Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me." David did not have the answers to all of life's questions. He was human and he went through all of the ups and downs, just as we do. There must have been many things that he did not understand, for there were times in his life when things were really rough. David's life was in jeopardy when King Saul desperately tried to kill him after David had served Saul faithfully. David faced defeat when his city was burned and his family was taken captive. He faced discouragement when his own men blamed him for the incident and wanted to stone him. David was betrayed by his own son, Absalom, who tried to take his kingdom from him. And David’s his wife mocked him when he worshipped God. David had to bear the burden of shame for the sin that he had committed with Bathsheba and the guilt that he suffered for having her husband killed in battle. David also suffered great grief when he lost his young son to death. David certainly had a lot to think about as these things may have tried to plague his mind. Yet he made a decision not to allow things that were too high to occupy his thoughts or overwhelm him. He determined to keep his spirit free by keeping his thoughts on God. He recognized that God knew the beginning and that God knew the end and that was enough for David. Like David, there are many things in our lives that are crying out for answers. Regardless of how long we analyze and rethink the situation, we cannot find the solutions. Questions still remain, "Why do the young die? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do the wicked prosper? Questions that are too high for us only bring confusion. To have peace in our lives, we must come to the same conclusion that David did. We must discover that there are some things that God chooses not to share with us and also determine that we will not exercise our minds in those areas. They belong to our Heavenly Father. We must let it all go and allow it to rest in the hands of an all knowing and all loving God. +++ 2/20/20 GOD'S TIMING FOR THE VISION Scripture: Habakkuk 2:3 "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it: because it will surely come." Visions that have not come to pass, prophecies that have not been fulfilled, promises that have not come to fruition, prayers that have not been granted, and questions that have not been answered are not always denials from God. In most occasions, the time of their fulfillment is only delayed and awaiting God’s appointed time. The prophet Habakkuk encouraged us not to become disappointed or discouraged when things did not happen right away but to wait for God and also wait for His appointed time. God will not come early or arrive too late. Neither will He come empty handed. When the time is right, He will fulfill His Word, and like the prophet said, "At the end, His vision will speak and not lie." It seems that it is so hard to wait, especially for God, for we have nothing to look at physically or to hold in our natural hands. The only substance we have is the faith that we hold in hearts, which is not tangible. Though God's Word is very real and clear when it is spoken to us, it often becomes vague when the devil begins to sow doubt in an effort to challenge it. This is especially true when God's Word of promise lingers a while in our spirits before it comes to fruition. John the Baptist faced this dilemma. He preached repentance and also acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah as he declared, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world." Yet when he was in prison, his vision was challenged and he sent two of his disciples to inquire of Jesus, "Are you the Christ that should come, or do we look for another?" Doubt was clouding John's mind because he expected his vision of the Christ as a leader to come to pass right away, but God had another plan and a more appropriate time. As difficult as it may be to patiently wait for God, there is something worse than having to wait and that is wishing that we had waited for His appointed time. When we move ahead and do not wait for God, Himself, to bring the vision to pass, it cultivates anxiety because we have to wait for Him to catch up with us. Not only that, but when we step out of God’s timing, we remove ourselves from His place of provision and peace. This reminds me of a missionary who felt a call to go to the mission field. He was so excited about the call that he went immediately without any preparation. The first year was very difficult and in his desperation, he questioned God about his dire circumstances and meager provisions. God responded by saying, "Yes I called you to come, but you came a year too early." The next year, which was God's appointed time, God proved Himself faithful to the missionary in every respect. In every circumstance, we must learn to wait patiently for God and allow His timing to bring His Word to pass. Time is on our side, for as we wait upon God, we will grow stronger. We can be certain that at the end of our wait, God’s appointed time will come and His vision will speak and not lie. +++ 2/21/20 EMPTYING OURSELVES Scripture: Philippians 2:5 (Amplified) "Let this same attitude and purpose and humble mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus. Let Him be your example in humility." Jesus gave us the greatest example of humility. Verse six and seven tells us that even though He was one with God and in the form of God, He made Himself of no reputation, but stripped Himself of His deity and all that He was so that He could become like men. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Then verse 14 says, “The Word was made flesh." Jesus emptied Himself of all that He was and became a servant so that He might live among us and experience all that we would experience. His body of flesh enabled Him to face every area of temptation; that is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (I John 2:16). These temptations helped Him to understand our weakness and to sympathize with our feelings (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus humbled Himself to such a degree of obedience that He even submitted Himself to the death on the cross. Paul instructs us to have the same mindset, attitude, and purpose that Christ had. We are to humble ourselves and follow His example. As we begin to empty ourselves of ourselves, Jesus will fill us with His Spirit and live through us. Emptying ourselves means that we must let go of the bitterness and the pain of past situations and release all things in our lives that are contrary to the Spirit of Christ. This includes the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Then, we are to allow the Lord to fill our empty vessel with the fruits of His Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). We are to keep our minds on Jesus and think on the things that He would think upon. Philippians 4:8 tells us to "think on the things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of a good report, virtuous, and of praise." Two things or two beings cannot occupy the same space at the same time. One has to relinquish its rights. The Holy Spirit will not dominate when flesh and self are in control. The following quote sums up the progression of emptying ourselves and allowing God to fill us with His being. "None of God - All of Me Little of God - Most of Me Some of God - Some of Me More of God - Less of Me All of God - None of Me." Author Unknown +++ 2/24/20 BE NOT AFRAID Scripture: Joshua 1:9 "Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you where ever you go." It is said that courage is the art of not allowing anyone to know that you are scared to death. Can you imagine how Joshua felt when God chose him to take the place of Moses? After Moses' death, Joshua was chosen to lead the people across the Jordan into the Promised Land. Joshua was to follow in the steps of a man whom God had used for forty years to bring the plagues on Egypt, to part the Red Sea, to provide daily manna from Heaven, water from the rocks, and to generally be responsible for millions of people. Moses had been the people's link to God, and now it was Joshua's turn. What an overwhelming assignment this must have seemed. It is no wonder that God gave this commandment to Joshua, "Be of good courage; be not afraid." God could not allow His chosen leader to stand before the people in weakness, fear, discouragement, and dismay. So He told Joshua to resist the feelings that may try to overwhelm him. He was telling Joshua, "Be strong whether you feel like it or not!" A minister said when God tells you to do something, "Do it afraid!" Feelings have nothing to do with completing the assignment. We can complete our assignments just as Joshua did because of the promise that comes with the commission. Like Joshua's word from the Lord, when God tells you to do something, He is with you wherever He sends you and He will help you do what He told you to do. The psalmist said, "Be of good courage, and God shall strengthen your heart" (Psalms 27:14 and 31:24). When we choose to be strong in our minds and act courageously, God is able to strengthen our spirit, or the inner man of our hearts. As God strengthens our hearts doubt and fear will not be able to manipulate us and discouragement will not be able to control us. We know for sure that regardless of what comes against us, God will never leave us, fail us, or forsake us. So we must simply trust and obey. When God gives an assignment, He also issues the command, "Do not be afraid" and that command comes with the promise, "For, I am with you." +++ 2/25/20 THE RIGHT MIXTURE Scripture: Hebrews 4:2 " ... the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith." As a child, I remember mixing ingredients together in order to make a paste that we could use for glue. There were only two ingredients needed for this paste, which were flour and water. Later, I learned that you could mix just a few other things with the flour and water, such as sugar, baking powder, butter, and eggs, and end up with something special and totally different, like a cake. The ingredients used determined the results and just a few additions and variations resulted in either paste or something sweet to eat. As the ingredients in the natural realm determine what we end up with, so it is in the spiritual realm. There are certain spiritual ingredients that become very powerful when they are mixed together. The writer of Hebrews declared that faith had to be mixed with the Word of God for the Word to be profitable in our lives. We may have a great knowledge of the written Word of God, yet in our hearts we may doubt His power to perform it. This kind of knowledge has little profit. The faith that we add to our knowledge of God's Word is what makes a difference in what we receive and what happens in our lives. Yet faith can only be acquired by hearing the Word of God. It is an awesome mixture. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and then the Word of God works according to the faith that is within our heart. In other words, God's Word produces faith, and faith activates God's Word and causes it to come to pass. Both work hand in hand. Other things can alter this recipe of life and either enhance it or hinder its strength. We may have a portion of faith but have mingled it with doubt and fear, and then wonder why we are not receiving the promises of His Word. We may have received God's Word, but allowed the persecutions and the cares of this life to choke out the seeds and destroy our faith. If we had only mixed a little joy with the Word and our faith, we could have endured to the end, for joy imparts strength into our spirits. Jesus was able to endure the cross because of the joy that was set before Him. We must remember too, that faith works by love. You cannot use God's Word in faith for hateful reasons, for it is not designed to be used as a weapon of revenge. True faith in God's Word makes no demands on the sovereignty of God. Like in the case of Job, true faith says, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." We must decide what we want to achieve when we hear God's Word, paste or something substantial. The choice is ours. Are we going to settle for just a passing word or do we want to receive God's Word as an eternal and powerful Word of faith? +++ 2/26/20 PRAYER PULLS AT THE HEART OF GOD Scripture: Psalms 145:18 "The Lord is near to all them that call upon Him ..." These words were written by King David who knew what it meant to experience the presence of the Lord in a personal way. When he was just a young shepherd boy, David called out to God to protect him and his sheep and God gave him courage to fight against the lion and the bear. As a young man, David called out to God, and God delivered him from the hand of King Saul who was trying to kill him. David called out to God when he challenged Goliath, and the hand of God guided the stone that killed the giant. He cried out to God when he grieved over the death of his infant son, and God comforted him. David cried out to God in his sin with Bathsheba, and he found forgiveness. David called out to God in battle, and saw God conquer the enemy. David also called out to God when his own son tried to take his kingdom from him, and God reached down and rescued David. Every time that David called out to God, he found that God was near. God never failed him. David learned early in life that all he had to do was cry out to God and that God would hear his cry and save him. God was there for David in the quiet times and in the raging battles. He could feel God's presence when he sang songs of praise and worship and also when his voice was shouting a battle cry. God was there when David played on the harp or when he held the battle weapon in his hands because David's thoughts were directed towards God. Whatever David needed, he knew that he could depend upon God. Your prayers pull at the heart of God and they invite His presence into your life. When you call out to God, you open the door for Him to come in. It does not matter what you need, He wants to give you your desires as well as to meet your needs. Regardless of whether your battle is big or small, God will be there for you. He draws near when He hears your voice calling out to Him. The Lord rushes to your aid when He hears your petitions and He listens intently when His Name is spoken from your lips. Your words reach into God's heart and stir Him to rescue you from your dilemma. You can be assured that He will draw near to you if you draw near to Him and He will answer you if you call upon Him. +++ 2/27/20 ACCEPTANCE Scripture: Ephesians 1:6 "He has made us accepted in the beloved." Jesus is not only the Savior of the sinner, but He is also the Healer of the brokenhearted, the bruised, and the cast down. He brings freedom for all who are caught in Satan's designs and grants victory to those who are held captive in Satan's snares. Regardless of your faults and failures, Jesus still loves you and accepts you just as you are. Scriptures declare that He is no respecter of persons, for He has no favorites and treats everyone the same way. Wherever you are today in life's walk, Jesus is waiting to save you, heal your rejected spirit, and restore your joy and purpose. Acceptance is one of the most basic needs that people have so Jesus has included all people in His invitation into the Kingdom. Rejection is a very lonely and heart breaking experience but Jesus understands your feelings of rejection and has compassion for you because He experienced rejection. Isaiah 53:3 tells us that He was despised, rejected, and forsaken by men. The majority of men could not see His worth, nor did they esteem or accept Him as the Messiah sent by God. In fact, they turned their faces from Him. Yet, regardless of men's refusal to accept Jesus, His life and purpose remained in the hands of God and He ultimately fulfilled that purpose, which was personally designed for Him. Satan formed a weapon against Jesus, but it did not prosper. Jesus was the stone that was rejected and thrown aside, but through His death, burial, and resurrection, He established the Church and became its Chief Cornerstone. Jesus' goal is to make you a part of His building and fit you into His kingdom (Ephesians 2:21-22). He accepts you just as you are and desires that you be a habitation for the Spirit of the Lord. He remains the Chief Cornerstone of this building and He holds it together by His power. You may think that you are different from the other stones and rejection may have tried to move in and disillusion your spirit, but do not be discouraged. Your hope is in the Lord. God knows exactly what He is doing with you and He is fitting you and all of your experiences into His perfect plan. Each stone is important to God. You must believe that there is no weapon that is formed against you that can prosper. Remember that Jesus has been where you are and He understands your deep pain and lack of self-esteem. Allow the Lord to release you from the spirit of rejection so that He can restore your joy and purpose. Believe His Word for you truly are accepted in the beloved. +++ 2/28/20 MIGHTY PRAYER Scripture: Acts 4:31 "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together." The Sanhedrin counsel had just forbidden the disciples to preach about the resurrection of Jesus. The disciples responded by coming together to pray concerning this dilemma and when they had finished praying the place was physically shaken. That was a mighty prayer. Not many of us have ever had this kind of prayer experience. What brought such power into the room when they prayed? The answer is simple. They had the right perspective and purpose for their prayers as we can see in the following verses. 1) They were in agreement with each other concerning the situation. They all prayed the same very plain and specific prayer. (Vs. 24) 2) They made themselves aware that they were talking to God. They said, "You are God," and then they submitted to His control and power. (Vs. 24) 3) They reminded themselves and God of what He had done in the past. They acknowledged Him as Creator and believed that as Creator, He controlled everything and could do mighty things for them. (Vs.24) 4) They asked God to look at their problem. They said, "Now, Lord, Behold the threats of the enemy." (Vs. 29) 5) They prayed for boldness to speak the Word of God. They did not pray for their own deliverance from persecution, but only that the Word of God go forth and be confirmed with signs and wonders. (Vs. 29) 6) They asked God to stretch forth His hand to heal and do signs and wonders in the Name of Jesus. (Vs. 30) Their main concern was that they would have a powerful witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and that His Name be exalted in their lives. These are valuable principles of prayer that we need to remember if we want to experience God in a powerful way in our own personal prayer life. Verse thirty-three confirms that God did answer their prayer. Prayer makes a difference. It brings God's presence into our lives and when He comes, He comes with answers and deliverance. +++ Copyright © 2020 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com |
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