| ............ | A Word In Due Season MAR 2020 3/2/20 FAITH WAITS PATIENTLY Scripture: Psalm 40:1 "I waited patiently for the Lord." We want God to move in our lives, but we are often unwilling to wait patiently for Him and His timing. When we make a request we expect to see immediate results and if this does not happen, we begin to move in our own plans. In Psalm 25:5 (Amplified), David said, "For You only, and altogether, do I wait expectantly all the day long." David was waiting for only one person, and that was God. He was not going to hurry and he did not want a substitute. He intended to wait until God, Himself, showed up, even if it meant waiting all day long. The scriptures declare that there were several things that occurred when David waited patiently on the Lord (Psalm 40:1-3). 1) God paid attention to him. 2) God heard his cry and listened to him. 3) God brought him out of a horrible pit of turmoil and destruction. 4) God brought him out of the miry clay. 5) God set his feet upon a rock. 6) God steadied his steps and established direction in his life. 7) God put a new song of praise in his mouth. David knew that deliverance came to him because he waited patiently on the Lord. He not only experienced deliverance, but also became a testimony to the people who saw it and heard his new song. Because of his own testimony, he expected those about him to turn to God with trust and confidence. Like David, your life is also an open book for the world to read. Your situations and problems not only affect yourself, but also those who are watching to see if the God you serve will deliver you. When you pray, God wants you to completely put the matter in His hands and then rest in His promises. Then He can work out the circumstances in your life for your good and for the benefit of those who will be witnesses to it. As God sees you waiting, He will pay attention to you and listen to your cries. He will deliver you and set your feet on a solid rock. He will also establish direction in your life and put a new song of praise in your mouth. You will be blessed as you allow your faith to wait patiently on God. +++ 3/3/20 TOTAL PERSUASION Scripture: II Timothy 1:12 "For I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." To know Christ and the fellowship of His sufferings had been one of the Apostle Paul's greatest desires. Now Paul speaks very tenderly to Timothy, his young son in the faith, concerning this issue. Paul obviously had obtained the knowledge that he had desired, for he declares that he not only knows the One Whom he believed in, but has staked all of his faith in Him. Paul also acquired an assurance in his spirit that the Lord would keep everything that Paul had committed to Him until the Day of Judgment. He believed that none of his accomplishments or the faith that he had found in Christ would be lost. Paul's deep and abounding knowledge of the Lord had come because of the intimate time that Paul had personally spent when he was caught up in His divine presence. And Paul’s total persuasion that the Lord would be faithful to him had not come easy, but it had been developed during the many hardships that he had endured and the persecutions that he had experienced. Paul's life and ministry had produced many difficulties, yet in his walk with the Lord, he had come to this place of total persuasion. He knew Jesus whom he believed in and knew that He would be faithful until the end. When Paul wrote these words, he was alone in a cold dungeon and knew that he was near death. According to tradition, soon after this intensely personal letter to Timothy, Paul was beheaded. In the Spirit, Paul had come to know God's only begotten Son, Jesus, who had died on the cross for his sins. This was God's ultimate sacrifice for all of us, for which we should always be thankful. If we cannot think of anything else to praise God for, we can always praise Him for Jesus who made a difference in our lives. When we choose to believe in Jesus and receive Him as our Lord and Savior, He spares us from a personal eternity in Hell. The next phase of our relationship with Christ after salvation should be the same as Paul's commitment, which was to know the One in Whom we have believed. Yet this total trust and persuasion in Him can only be birthed by His presence and the knowledge of His covenant with us. We must search for this personal and intimate relationship with Jesus like Paul did, for it will sustain us even when we are at death's door. And like Paul, we too will be able to declare without any reservations, "For, I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." +++ 3/4/20 MADE INTO ANOTHER VESSEL Scripture: Jeremiah 18:4 "... He made it again into another vessel ..." God led Jeremiah to the potter's house to encourage Jeremiah and to show him a very important life lesson. God wanted to show him that things do not always work out as planned and that sometimes you just have to start over. He allowed Jeremiah to witness the great patience of the potter and his attentiveness to every detail of the vessel that he was working with. Jeremiah saw the potter diligently work with the clay in an effort to create a particular vessel, only to destroy it. This did not mean that the clay itself was useless but that the vessel being created needed special attention by its maker. The potter did not try to patch the vessel or paint over the cracks and flaws. Instead, he took time to work with the clay and made it into another vessel that was without imperfections. Like the vessel on the wheel of the potter, God puts us on the wheel of life. From the very beginning of our lives, He has a plan to mold us into the vessel that can be used for His particular purpose. Yet many times we do not stay in the center of His wheel, but instead we venture to the left or to the right. We make great promises to the Lord but fail to keep them. We develop unhealthy relationships, dwell on bitter memories, and allow both to hold us in bondage. We leave unspiritual doors open to the enemy of our lives and we visit addictions. Eventually the temptations become so strong that we go through those doors. This variance keeps us from becoming the vessel that God has designed us to be. God's intentions for our lives are thwarted. Yet, He is never discouraged but continues to work with us and eventually makes us into another vessel. You may have situations in your life that cannot be altered or corrected. The sins of your past may haunt you and you may think that there is no hope for your destiny to be fulfilled because of your past experiences. You must remember that God's love has no end and that His mercy and grace surpass our understanding. He has faith in us even though we feel that we are miserable failures. He looks at us with hope in His heart and has a vision of a vessel that is without imperfections. God speaks life and light into our spirits and is determined to personally work out all of the defects in our lives. As clay in His hands, we must trust the Potter. It is time to let go of evil condemnation and take hold of the Lord's conviction. We must make Jesus the Lord of our life, obey His laws, live in His covenant, and allow Him to make us over again into another vessel. Only as we find victory over the past will we be able to have hope for the future. +++ 3/5/20 LEARNING TO FISH Scripture: Matthew 4:19 (Living Bible) "Jesus called out, "Come along with me, and I will show you how to fish for the souls of men." When Jesus called Andrew, Peter, James, and John to come with Him, He intended to take the knowledge they had concerning fishing and incorporate it with soul winning. As they left their boats and nets and journeyed with Him for the next three years, they witnessed many wonderful things and truly learned how to draw souls into the Kingdom of God. Jesus showed them how to use the proper bait by ministering to the people's physical needs, for His religion was not only spiritual, but also practical. He was constantly thinking about the human needs of those that He ministered to. He turned water into wine, quenching the thirst of the guests at a wedding. To reach the people with the gospel, He baited His hook with the loaves and fish and fed the multitudes. Jesus even cooked fish for His own disciples on the seashore. Jesus taught His followers to act in love and patience when reeling in the souls of hurting people. He refused to condemn the woman caught in the act of adultery and shifted due blame to her accusers. He showed the same love and compassion to the woman at the well who had had five husbands and was now living with a man that she was not married to. He showed Himself friendly to the sinners and ate with the publicans. He allowed the woman who had an issue of blood and was considered to be unclean to touch His garment. Like any good fisherman, Jesus only fished for hungry souls who would receive the gospel. He did not waste His valuable time fishing for those unresponsive religious leaders who were bound in tradition and law. He recognized their lack of interest for the truth of the gospel and He ignored their laws by doing good and healing the sick on the Sabbath. Jesus declared that He came to earth to do the works of the One who had sent Him and He ministered to those who reached out to Him, whether they were ragged beggars, blind, lame, or demon possessed. No soul was beyond Jesus’ help and He extended His grace beyond their need. His gentle conviction caused those who heard His message to change their lifestyles, follow Him, and be His disciples. There are many souls that need to be reached with the gospel and brought into God's Kingdom. Many need to hear that God has forgiven all of their sins and that He does not condemn them. They must be told that they can come to Jesus just as they are. Some have physical needs and need to hear about the Great Physician and Healer. Others may just need a Friend to talk to. But everyone needs to be drawn in by a personal touch and shown the love and compassion of Jesus, our wonderful Savior and Lord. Jesus speaks to us today in the same manner that He spoke to His disciples. He says, "Come along with Me and I will show you how to fish for the souls of men. Whether in the streets or the marketplaces, in your home town or on the foreign mission field, I will tell you where and when to let down your net. I will cause you to bring a multitude into My Kingdom." +++ 3/6/20 FROM WATER TO WINE Scripture: John 2:9 " ... but the servants which drew the water knew." Jesus attended a wedding in Cana and during the celebration, they ran out of wine. When Jesus' mother, Mary, approached Him for help, Jesus responded to the need. He instructed the servants to fill the water pots with water and He then turned that same water into wine. When the wine was served at the feast, the ruler of the feast remarked that it was better than the wine that had previously been served. The ruler had no idea that he was drinking a miracle beverage, but the servants who drew the water knew. Whether they could have ever convinced the ruler of the miracle is unsure. Very often in our lives we experience actual miracles. God heals our body, meets a financial need, restores a relationship, or does something for us that cannot be explained. When we try to share our testimony, it falls on deaf ears. For the most part, the world cannot receive the miracles of God or comprehend His mighty power. In 1980, I was in an auto accident and my right knee was crushed. Two medical opinions said that I had to have a steel rod put in my leg that would make it impossible for me to ever bend my leg again. There were no other options if I wanted to save my leg. They put me to sleep and took me to surgery, but God intervened and the surgeon was unable to operate. When I came out of recovery, the doctor apologized. He said that he did not know what happened to him, but that he could not cut on my leg. He was embarrassed and said that he had never had an experience of this sort before. I responded with praises to God and told the doctor that I believed that God was going to heal my leg. He said that was impossible and that he was only postponing the operation for a few weeks. However six weeks later when I went to the doctor for an evaluation for the surgery, I was able to walk a little. The doctor postponed the surgery for a few weeks and then he totally released me. God had healed my leg and I never had to have the surgery. That was in 1980. Even though the doctor could not explain what happened, he never acknowledged the miracle because it did not agree with his science. Those around me recognized the miracle just like the servants who had witnessed the water being turned into wine The servants at the wedding feast knew that the water could not possibly have been changed into wine without a miracle. They drew the water from the well themselves and they served it as instructed. Jesus put them in total charge of the water pots. Can you imagine how this might have challenged their faith? They saw the water go into the pots and had to trust God for wine to come out. They were in a perplexing situation because they could have easily provoked the ruler of the feast, and as servants they could have reaped harsh punishment if the water in their vessels had remained water. However, their simple act of obedience to the words of Jesus allowed them to experience a miracle and be a part of God's great plan. Jesus may tell you to do something very simple just as He spoke to the servants at the wedding. Those around you may not understand why you are putting water into the pot when it is wine that you are needing. They will not understand why you are tithing and giving offerings when you are facing financial needs yourself. Neither will they understand why you are standing in faith for a healing when the doctors have given up. You may be unable to share the reasons for your faith or the victories of your deliverance because of their unbelief. Yet, this does not disqualify you from experiencing the miraculous works of God. As you respond in obedience to His words, He will change the water of your life into wine. When all is finished, you will be amazed to find that you have been a part of God's great plan. +++ 3/9/20 AN OPEN DOOR Scripture: Revelation 3:8 "I have set before you an open door." God does not give us everything that we want, but He gives us all that we need to complete our journey in life. He sets before us an open door and tells us that He will go before us and make a way where there seems to be no way. He will clear a path through the wilderness and also make the crooked ways straight. His Word will be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path so that we do not have to walk in darkness. He will make our feet stable like the hinds feet and set us upon the high places that He has ordained for us. He will lead us beside still waters and in paths of righteousness. He will be with us each step of the way, even on the other side of the door. All we have to do is go through the door. Doors can be very frightening and intimidating because we never know what is on the other side. When a door opens before us, it requires a new level of faith and trust on our part, for the door could lead to a room full of light or a place of total darkness. The other side of the door could offer joy unspeakable or grief and sadness. We could discover new relationships or we could find ourselves all alone. There could be prosperity or lack waiting on the other side. The door may lead to the mountaintop or to the lowest valley. Who knows what is on the other side? Small doors can open into wide places and large doors can lead to narrow passages. We will never know what awaits us until we take that step of faith and go through the open door that God has set before us. God wants us to open our hearts to all of the possibilities of life, but He will not force us to go through any door. He opens the door and then we must choose to experience all that He has for us or shrink back in fear and miss out on His bountiful blessings. Yet there is no reason to fear when we are under His leadership. Where God leads there will be protection and where He guides He will provide. When the Lord is leading us we can be sure that it is a promising door and that He wants us to follow Him in faith. God does not withhold any good thing from us but He allows us to make our own personal decisions. An open door is a simple choice, but it requires that we leave the familiar behind and go forward into the unknown. Behind the door is the future and it holds many adventures and mysteries. As we go through, we must surrender to God's assignment for us and set our expectations upon Him. He has set before us an open door and we need to trust Him enough to take advantage of His invitation, which is our opportunity. +++ 3/10/20 BEING A SILENT VOICE Scripture: Psalms 19:3 (Living Bible) "Without a sound or word, silent in the skies, their message reaches out to all the world." The psalmist says that the heavens have no language, yet they speak of the grandeur of God. The sun, moon, stars, and the galaxies are a marvelous display of His craftsmanship. They have no speech and they have no words, yet they are able to declare God's glory. Day and night, they keep speaking about God who created them and placed them in His heavens. Without any kind of sound, their message reaches out to the entire world. As we see their awesome beauty and marvel at their faithfulness to fulfill God's purposes for us on this earth, we experience the greatness of our God. This same God who has touched Earth with such beauty is also able to make you lovely. God creates you in His own image and then with His Spirit, He gives you a new birth. When He recreates you, He washes you in His own blood and you become crystal pure like streams of running water. He gives you His Word that causes you to be stable like the mountains that are unmovable. He imparts to you joy in your salvation, which makes you strong, sure, and enduring. God calls you a tree of righteousness for His Name's sake (Isaiah 61:3). And He plans good things for your life, as you become His witness and His hope on this earth. Like the Earth with its beauty and the grandeur of the universe, you too can declare the greatness of our awesome God. In Colossians 1:27 Paul declared, "Christ in you, the hope of glory," and Jesus said, "You are the light of the world." Just as the lights of the universe shine and speak of God, you are to "let your light shine before men that they may see your good works". Without speaking any words, you function as an epistle that is read of all men (II Corinthians 3:2). The world watches your daily actions and your responses to adverse circumstances. They study your faith. As they do, they either see the frailty of mankind in your life or the majesty of your Maker. Even in your silence, the message of your life and faith reaches out to the entire world. So choose to shine as a light to those in darkness and who are without hope. As you shine, you will glorify your Father, which is in Heaven. +++ 3/11/20 UNDERSTANDING TEMPTATIONS Scripture: I John 2:16 "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world." When we come to understand that temptation itself is not a sin, we enter a place of victory. Even Jesus Himself was tempted of the devil and faced the same challenges that you and I will face, but He was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Matthew 4:1-11 tells of the temptations that Jesus faced in the wilderness and His victory that He had through the Word of God. Lust of the Flesh - After Jesus had fasted forty days and was hungry, the devil tempted Him to turn the stones into bread. Jesus answered with the Word of God, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Father." Lust of the Eyes - The devil took Jesus to a high mountain and offered Him all of the kingdoms of the world if He would just bow down and worship him. Jesus answered with the Word, "It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." Pride of Life - The devil tempted Jesus to throw Himself from the pinnacle of the temple to prove that He was the Son of God. The devil told Him that it was written in the scripture that the angels would take care of Him if He were truly the Son of God. Jesus answered, "It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Certainly, we will not be tempted to turn stones into bread, jump from the top of the church building, or have an actual encounter with the devil in which he offers us all of the kingdoms of the world, but we will face temptations and they will come to us in these same areas. There will be the lust of the flesh for material gain or self-gratification; lust of the eyes for positions of rulership or control in this world; and the pride of life that will entice us to become renowned or to prove our own personal importance. Because Jesus faced these same temptations as a man in the flesh, not as God, He knows how we feel. He understands how hard life can get and is aware of our weaknesses. He is touched by our feeling of inadequacy and knows that sometimes we will pass the test, and sometimes we will fail. With His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus has made provision for us to find mercy and grace to get through these situations. He sits as our great high priest on His throne of grace in Heaven and intercedes continually for you and for me. We are not to be ashamed or fearful because of the temptations that challenge us. Instead, we are to boldly come to the Lord for help in our time of need with the understanding that whatever our situation is, He has been there before us. +++ 3/12/20 SPIRITUAL FIREWALLS Scripture: Proverbs 10:12 "Love covers all sins." Firewalls are built between the units in apartments and commercial buildings so that if a fire breaks out in one unit, it can be contained. This is a sensible solution and is intended to keep the fire from spreading and doing greater damage. Unknowingly, we build walls of this sort within our own hearts in an effort to keep ourselves from being hurt from without. It starts with one wall but grows with every disappointment that we face. When we are hurt in a relationship, we build a wall and vow that we will never give in to love again. When those whom we esteem and honor in ministry fail before our eyes, we build another wall and disallow ourselves to trust leadership. When friends turn against us, another wall goes up to protect us from future rejection. If we loan money out and it does not return, we put our guard up so that we are not taken advantage of the next time. Even with spiritual things, we lose faith and build walls. We feel that we cannot trust God anymore because our prayers were seemingly not answered, our healing did not come, and restoration did not happen. Each time we are disillusioned and build a wall to shut out our disappointments, we move further away from being able to trust others and having faith for our own situations. It eventually becomes impossible for the good in anyone to penetrate the firewalls that we have created. But worse still, these walls create a place of captivity for our own souls. The devil uses this tool to build a wedge between us and the joys of life. The walls dictate our boundaries and control our lives because we are limited by our own thoughts. We become unable to move beyond the confines of the strongholds that we have allowed our own minds to create. I Peter 4:8 says the same thing that Solomon said. "Love covers a multitude of sin." Love disregards the hurts and pains that are experienced and refuses to protect itself by building firewalls. Love follows God's example and continues to love and forgive in spite of all the failures it witnesses in those whom it loves. God never builds a wall to shut us out of His heart. Even though we may fail Him, reject Him, or take advantage of His blessings, the Lord keeps the way clear between us and allows us to approach Him so that we may find His forgiveness and gain His favor. God's love never fails, and we cannot allow our love to fail either. We must tear down the firewalls that our hearts have built and allow ourselves to be vulnerable to love and to be loved. Just as God's love covers all of our sins, we must allow our love to cover one another's transgressions. +++ 3/13/20 OUR HELPER Scripture: John 14:16 (Amplified) "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and Standby) that He may remain with you forever." In the natural, we face circumstances that demand that we have help in solving the problem. Recently I had one of those days. I had left the light inside of my car on for two days, which drained the car battery. Fortunately, I had a standby. My son offered his help. He pushed the car out of the garage, down the curved driveway, pass the trees, and all the way to the street. I was amazed at his strength, for it was something that I could not have done myself. All I had to do was sit inside the car and turn the steering wheel. It was my son’s strength that got us where we needed to be, and then it was his expertise that got the car started. He became my comforter in this situation as he involved himself in my need. Without him, my problem would still be unsolved. There are times in this life that we all need help with our problems. During these times we can take comfort in the promise that we have from Jesus' own lips. He said that He would be with us forever and that we would never be without help. The Holy Spirit is with us and will help us face life's many challenges and frustrations, for He is dependable and whatever we need - He is. He stands alongside of us to give us help in every situation. He is our Comforter and our Counselor and as we yield to Him, He leads us in the direction that we need to go. He is our Intercessor and involves Himself with every need that we have as He approaches the Father on our behalf. As our Advocate, He defends and pleads our case. The Holy Spirit is always standing by, waiting to empower us with the strength that is necessary to meet the challenges that are set before us. He causes us to triumph and makes us more than conquerors. When I experienced the problem with the car, I had to give complete charge to my son and allow him to direct. I had to trust his judgment and knowledge, follow his instructions, and lean upon his strength. He knew what he was doing when he assumed control. At one point, when I questioned him, he directed me to get in the car because I was in the way of his progress. Likewise, so many times we get in the way of the progress of the Holy Spirit. Jesus prayed and asked the Father to send the Comforter to us. We must believe that God hears the prayers of His Son and intends to answer them. Yet, often our impatience causes us to stop following and start directing. We do not adhere to the Holy Spirit's counsel, for it seems beyond our ability to release total control to Him and allow Him to be our Advocate. We find it difficult to let Him fight our battles for us even though we know that He is our Helper and is well able to finish the work that He has started in us. Proverbs 3:5 tells us what we are to do in these situations. We are to "Trust in the Lord with all of our heart; and lean not unto our own understanding." In other words, we are to sit in the car and rest in God's strength and ability while His Spirit gets us where we need to be. +++ 3/16/20 KEPT FROM EVIL Scripture: John 17:15-16 "I pray that You should not take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." Jesus prayed these words to the Heavenly Father for you and me. He realized that we would face many evils in this wicked world, "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world" (I John 2:16). Yet, Jesus did not pray that we would be taken out of the world and rescued from all of these things, but that God would protect us while we remained in the world. Jesus continued to ask God to sanctify us through His truth, which meant that He wanted God to keep us separated from the evil that was present in the world and to be set apart for Him and His holy purposes. There is a saying that a boat is safe when it is in the water, but the boat is not safe when the water gets in the boat because it will sink. The same is true in the spiritual realm. We can be in the world and be safe, but we are not safe when the world makes its way into our hearts. When the things of the world begin to scatter our thoughts and displace the things of God in our lives, our spiritual boat will be in trouble. When we allow lust, pride, and disobedience to rule we will begin to sink. We must guard our hearts and disallow this to happen. We cannot let anything and everything into our lives and hearts. We must turn our eyes towards Jesus and be so full of His Spirit and the Word of God that we have no appetite for the things of the world. Have you ever found yourself in a sinking boat, trying to dip the water out? Often times this is a fruitless effort and help has to come from someone outside of our situation if we are to be rescued. So it is with our exposure to the evil that is in the world. We must depend upon God to keep us from the evil just as Jesus prayed to that effect for us. And we must pray, ourselves, for Jesus taught us to pray these words, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." There is a constant battle between right and wrong, good and evil, and the spiritual and carnal. You will be safe as long as none of the evil is allowed to take residence within you. You will be enticed and tempted by the world, but you must not wait until your boat is full of water and about to sink before you take action. Instead, take authority over the situation and agree with Jesus' prayer for you, asking God to keep you from the evil that is in the world. +++ 3/17/20 JUST PASSING THROUGH Scripture: Psalms 84:6 "Who, passing through the Valley of Baca, make it a well." Baca means a place of weeping, crises, misery, and pain. God never promised that you would be exempted from valleys or your places of Baca. He did say, however, that He would be with you always, even in the midst of your crises, misery, and pain. God is there to give you victory right in the middle of your adverse situations, but you must do your part. As you are passing through the Valley of Baca, you must decide to make this place of weeping into a well of life. With God's help, your tears can become a place of refreshing for your soul instead of a place of bitterness. God will not waste one moment of your grief and pain. If you will give it all to Him, He will draw from the well that you create with your tears and wash your eyes, cleanse your heart, and refresh your spirit. If you allow your Baca to become a well, you will go from strength to greater strength (Psalms 84:7). You can also take solace in the fact that the Valley of Baca is designed to be a temporary place. You are only passing through this time of weeping and despair, so in order to just pass through, you cannot sit down and give up. You must continue to take one step at a time to conquer the valley. It may seem like the valley is too deep and the way is too hard. But remember, you have a promise from God that He will never put more upon you than you are able to bear. When things become too difficult for you, God will make a way of escape. In Psalms 23:4, David spoke of walking "through the valley of shadow of death." He said that he would not fear because he knew that the Lord was with him. This blessed assurance will also see you through your valley and bring you to a place of victory over your circumstances and inner conflicts. Andréa Crouch wrote a song with these lyrics: "I've had many tears and sorrows. I've had questions for tomorrow. There have been times that I didn't know right from wrong. But in every situation God gave perfect consolation that my trials come to only make me strong. And through it all ... I've learned to trust in Jesus. I've learned to trust in God. Through it all, I've learned to depend upon His Word." What a mighty declaration these words make. So when you find yourself in the Valley of Baca, remember that valleys are very fertile. So glean and learn all that you can from your valley and embrace its strength. Trust in God and depend up His Word. As you are pass through Baca - let your tears create a well that will refresh you. ++ 3/18/20 AMAZING GRACE Scripture: Ephesians 2:7-8 "The exceeding riches of His grace ... for by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God." There are exceeding riches in store for us when we experience the awesome gift of grace. The greatest extension of grace that I have ever received came to me from the heart of God. God loved me so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die for my sins so that I could have eternal life. He did the same for you. The greatest extension of grace on my part has been to share God's grace with someone else and to let them know that God's grace is greater than all of their sins. Probably the most loved and cherished hymn ever written is "Amazing Grace." It was written by John Newton, who lived from 1727-1807. He wrote these words to express his own personal testimony of God's transforming power in his life. He was a hardened slave trader and an infidel until he met Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is no wonder that he wrote the words, "Amazing grace! ... That saved a wretch like me," for his life had been filled with evil acts against others. Then when he came face to face with God's love, mercy, forgiveness, and grace, he recognized the state that his own soul was in. He felt conviction and comfort in God's grace as he declared that "Grace had taught his heart to fear, and that same grace his fears relieved." The gift of grace and forgiveness is often best appreciated by those who need it the most. God took John Newton, pardoned his sins unconditionally, changed his life, and appointed him to preach the same gospel that he had labored to destroy. God's grace did not end with John's Newton's salvation experience. He recognized that grace was an ongoing act of God's mercy and love. He said that God's grace had brought him through "many dangers, toils, and snares" and he trusted in God's grace to lead him and be there until the very end. When John Newton was eighty-two years old he said, "My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior." Like John Newton, we all need this great Savior, for we cannot pay the price to redeem our own sins. We must depend upon the exceeding riches of God's amazing grace and accept His plan that through grace, we are saved by faith and not of ourselves, for it is a gift of God. +++ 3/19/20 TAKING YOUR THOUGHTS CAPTIVE Scripture: II Corinthians 10:4-5 "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal or human, but they are mighty through God to the ... pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations, ... and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." We are in warfare. It is not a war of the flesh, but one of the spirit. Satan is our adversary and his battlefield is our mind. He starts by planting a simple thought in our minds such as a fear, a doubt, or a desire. He knows that if he can infiltrate our mind in some negative way, he can set up a stronghold of deception and hold us captive with those thoughts. He does not come to us as a devil in a red suit, long tail, and horns, but appears as an angel of light (II Cor. 11:14). And just like the fruit in the Garden of Eden, he presents us with a thought that seems reasonable, desirable, and wise. He is very patient and he works his plan subtly. He diligently strives to keep us from knowing the real truth because he knows that the real truth will set us free (John 8:32). A stronghold is an area that is dominated or occupied by a special group and fortified like a castle or permanent military outpost. Satan enters our minds through our thought process, so we must guard our minds and not allow his thoughts to linger long enough to become a stronghold. Instead, we should allow our faith to rise and dispel any evil or negative thought. If we neglect this detail, the devil will take a permanent position in our mind and refuse to leave. From that vantage point, he fragments and distorts every thought so that he can enforce his thoughts and manipulate our minds. Once his stronghold has been established, Satan begins to play on our imaginations. These imaginations have the power to form a mental picture or concept that is unreal and not based upon an adequate foundation of truth. We begin to imagine all sorts of horrible outcomes concerning our situation. The more we allow the devil to lead us into his trap, the more control he gains over our lives. God has made a way of escape for us and supplied us with the weapons and authority to fight this warfare. He has given us His Name, His Word, and power through His blood to battle this evil enemy. He tells us to disallow the enemy to keep residence in our minds. We are to cast down imaginations and take control over every thought that tries to bring us into captivity by making it obedient to Christ. In other words, we are to wrap every thought in chains, drag it to the feet of Jesus, and exchange it with the Word of God. There is a scripture to meet every challenge and that Word is sharper than a two edged sword and is mighty through God to demolish the strongholds of the devil. It is simple. If our thoughts do not fit into the structure that Jesus created by His Words, we are to tear them down and take them captive. We must not expect Jesus to do it for us. He told us to do it! +++ 3/20/20 FEAR NOT Scripture: Isaiah 41:10 (Amplified) "Fear not; [there is nothing to fear] for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed." Webster's Dictionary defines dismay as "A sudden or compete loss of courage or confidence; sudden disappointment, anxiety, fright, apprehension, or dread." In this verse God tells us that we must get rid of these kinds of negative emotions. He says, "Do not be looking around for something to be afraid of and do not consider the circumstances that surround you, but consider Who I am." In the same verse, God lists who He is in reference to our circumstances. 1) "I am your God." 2) "I will strengthen you and harden you to difficulties." 3) "I will help you." 4) "I will hold you up and retain you with My victorious right hand of rightness and justice." Regardless of how bad things look, your problems and circumstances are not your God. God is your God and Jesus is your Lord. God will not only strengthen you so that you can make it through the trial, but He will cause you to become stronger because of it. The Lord is your provision. He is bigger than any problem that you may have. With Him at your side the enemy does not have a chance. You are more than a conqueror when God is on your team. The Lord is holding you up with His right hand and He will not allow you to fall. The prophet continues to say in verse eleven and twelve that "those who strive and contend against you shall be put to shame, confounded, and brought to nothing." And "those who war against you shall be as nothing, as nothing at all." Praise the Name of the Lord. God is ready to help you in all of the circumstances that are overwhelming to you. But before He can help, you have to change your attitudes and act in faith. You cannot allow fear, sudden disappointment, anxiety, and dread to deplete your courage and confidence. For victory to come in your life, you must not be terrified of the enemy. You must let go of your anxieties and grab hold of faith. You must believe that God is God and when He is with you, you have nothing to fear. +++ 3/23/20 THE ANSWER IS ON ITS WAY Scripture: Daniel 10:13 "The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days..." Daniel had mourned, fasted, and prayed for twenty-one days but received no answers or solutions from God. At the end of this agonizing period, Daniel had a supernatural vision in which a messenger from God appeared to him. The messenger told Daniel that he had come because of the words that Daniel had prayed. The messenger also told Daniel that from the first day that he had set his heart to understand and to chasten himself before God that his words had been heard. He also told Daniel that the answer to his prayer had been delayed those twenty-one days by an evil presence. Daniel was not the only one that was suffering in this situation. The messenger, himself, had to call for one of the warring angels, Michael, to come help him. God has pledged to answer our prayers when our petitions are made in accordance to His will and presented to Him in faith in the Name of Jesus. God does not lie and His Words do not fail. What He has spoken will come to pass. Yet we see from Daniel's situation that the answer to our prayers can be delayed in the heavens by evil forces. It is difficult to endure a season when we do not receive answers to our prayers because when we do not hear anything from Heaven, we begin to wonder if God even heard our prayer in the first place. This delay is a prime time for the devil to plant doubt in our heart and tempt us to give up. Yet God has heard us and He has already responded to our cry and answered our prayer. The matter is completely taken care of as far as God is concerned. If you have sought God concerning situations but have received no solutions and have prayed prayers that have seemingly not been answered, I encourage you to keep holding on in faith until you hear from God. Never give up, for even though it can happen, answers are not always immediate. It may also be that you do not recognize the answer because it is not exactly what you asked for or expected. In any event, you can be sure that God will always arrive on time and will never be late. You can also be confident that however God chooses to answer, He will have your best interest in mind because He is for you and not against you. God will always give you the best when you allow Him to do the choosing and at the end of the matter you will be thankful. God loves you. So trust in Him and know that even though the answer to your prayer seems to be delayed, it is already on its way. +++ 3/24/20 NOW FAITH Scripture: Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is..." Faith is not the past because it does not take faith to believe in the things that God has already done in your life. Those things are history. The memory of what God has done and what He has accomplished, however, may encourage your faith and give you something to build upon when He speaks a new and fresh word to you. Also, faith is not the future, for that is expectation and hope. The writer of Hebrews said, "Faith is now!" It is not passive, it is active. Faith is your present tense response to God's personal words to you. It is the substance and evidence of what you believe to be true but cannot see. Yet, faith is not without valid support. It is based upon what you know in your spirit, not on what you do not know. There can be no faith without the voice of God's Word because faith comes by hearing the Word of God. If you proceed without a Word from God, it is presumption and you will find yourself in a dilemma. However, when you hear God's voice, you know that He will perform what He has spoken. His Word is truth and He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of your faith. When God speaks, it creates a crisis in your life. A choice is set before you and you must decide to believe or not believe what God has spoken. Your response reveals what you truly believe about God because faith is based on your relationship with Him. Faith is not just a concept. Faith's object is a person. Your personal relationship with your Heavenly Father will determine if you believe that He will meet all of your needs according to His riches in glory. Your relationship with the Lord will give you strength in the midst of your adversities because you know that according to His Word, He will deliver you out of every affliction. Because you have a close relationship with the Father and know that He is near, you will not fear death nor be swallowed up in sorrow and defeat. Your relationship will cause you to believe His Word and the faith that is born from that trust will bring about the fulfillment of the things hoped for. So when God speaks, choose to believe Him. Remember that faith is not yesterday or tomorrow. Faith is now ... and the evidence of your faith pleases God. +++ 3/25/20 PRIVILEGE OF GOD'S PRESENCE Scripture: Psalms 73:28 "It is good for me to draw near to God." Have you ever had one of those moments when you just needed someone that you could talk with? Maybe the day has not gone just as you expected or you have been challenged with troubles, disappointments, and sorrow. Frustrations have come and continue to be in your path all day long. Traffic did not allow you to change lanes so you were forced to pass your exit, you got in the slow lane at the bank, your computer crashed and you lost your information, or maybe someone was rude to you for no apparent reason. Your entire day from start to finish was filled with useless turmoil. Yet in all these stressful situations there still remains an awesome privilege available to you, which is a haven of rest in God's presence. Many things come into our lives to cause problems and stress, but in the midst of it all we can stop and take a spiritual break to draw near and be enveloped in God's presence. When we enter His presence, it releases us from the strain of the day as He speaks words of peace and encouragement to our soul. The Lord's quiet and gentle voice stops the pounding of our hearts and causes us to simply rest. It is an awesome privilege to have this benefit at our disposal and to have a friend that we can go to and cling to, who has promised to always be there. A moment in God's presence will revive your energy and renew your strength. His counsel will make your path very plain and His gentle voice will direct you in the way that you need to go. His Spirit will help you make decisions when you do not know what to do. He is a good and wonderful God. His presence will enable you to face stress with a peace that passes all understanding. You can experience bitterness, abuse, and hateful actions from others, and because of God's presence in your life, you can still have love in your heart and joy in your spirit. You do not have to walk around in a fog of confusion when His presence walks beside you. When confusion comes your way, you can know exactly what is happening and what should be done because God's presence prevails in your life. Floods will come and waters will rise, but His presence will draw you out of the waters and place your feet on solid ground. God's presence protects you and imparts wisdom beyond your natural understanding. The power of His presence heals and empowers you with holy authority when you need it. His presence takes care of you when you cannot take care of yourself. You can be anywhere that you want to be but for life’s best you must choose to be in God's presence. If you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you (James 4:8). You must acknowledge God and give reverence to His presence in your life. He is watching over you even as you read these words. Psalms 16:11 says that in His presence there is fullness of joy. What a privilege to have His presence and joy in our lives. Is it any wonder that the psalmist said, "It is good for me to draw near to God”? +++ 3/26/20 PAIN AND PRESSURE Scripture: Job 30:26 "But when I looked for good, then evil came to me, and when I waited for light, there came darkness." We speak of the patience of Job and when we look at his life, we see that one bad thing happened after another. It was a season of overwhelming problems and trials, and even though Job did not have anyone on his side to stand with him or to encourage him, he endured the test. It was just him and God in a struggle against evil. Yet from Job's own words, it seems that he must have thought that the end of his trials would come sooner than it did. How discouraging this must have been for Job when things did not change as he thought and his prayers were seemingly not answered. Yet he never gave up, but continued to trust God with his life even though evil and darkness surrounded him. Job's life proved the theory that "God will not take you to a place where His grace will not keep you, His power will not use you, and His love is not needed." In his season of testing, Job experienced God's amazing grace and found it to be sufficient in every conflict. This included the death of all of Job's children, the loss of his possessions, the loss of his honor and self-esteem among his friends and wife, and the loss of his own health. Job also experienced God's power when God delivered him from his trials and then restored more to him than that which he had lost. When Job was suffering pain and enduring the pressure of rejection from those around him, he experienced God's intimate love in a fresh and mighty way. As God communed with him personally, Job spoke to God and said, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see You" (Job 42:5). The light of God's love kept him, and at the end, Job's life speaks of an enormous victory that was birthed out of great adversity. Like Job, have you experienced seasons of difficulty that you thought would never come to an end? In the midst of it all, did you look for good, but instead evil repeated itself, and it was just one trial after another? Did you wait for the light, but found that there was only darkness? Did you wonder why your prayers were not being answered? These times can be confusing, for it would seem that there is no hope in sight. That is the reason God shared this story of Job with you. He wants these words to inspire you to continue in faith regardless of your situation. God wants you to believe that His grace is sufficient to meet all of your needs and that if you trust Him, He will keep you in the midst of your adversity. God wants you to understand that He is still on the throne and that His power will deliver you and that He will use your victory to be a witness to others. As you continue to believe in Him, good will eventually come and God's light will drive away your darkest season. Though all men forsake you, you will never be alone or without God's love. His love is all that you will need to carry you through to the place of light. +++ 3/27/20 HALLOWED BE THY NAME Scripture: Matthew 6:9 "Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name." Hallowed means sacred, holy, and blameless. Jesus taught us that we are to give reverence, honor, and glory to the Name of our Father who is in Heaven. In the Ten Commandments, we are told not to take the Name of the Lord our God in vain. This command not only means not to speak His Name in profanity, but also not to dishonor His Name in the way we live, for God's Name is sacred, holy, and blameless. Names not only identify a person, but also call to mind the character, attitudes, and integrity of that person. For this reason, we try to protect our name. My father was very proud of his name and did not want it to be dishonored. I was taught that everything I did was a reflection on my father and his name. In our community, my father's name was trusted because it was backed up by his character and integrity. Everyone knew that he was a hardworking, honest, no-nonsense person, and that he paid his bills. His word was his bond and his name backed up his word. He could borrow money from the bank on his name alone and made deals with just a handshake. I was given the privilege to use my father's name and could charge debts against his name. I was never questioned because I was his child, and I was called by his name. Although I did not personally have any resources, the lender knew that my father would honor and take care of the debt. This is true in the spiritual realm as well. God gave Jesus a special name that is above every name and Philippians 2:10-11 declares that "at the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow ... and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord". Jesus then told us that we could also use this special name that the Father had given to Him. In John 14:14 Jesus said, "If you shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it." Listed below are names of God in the Old Testament. These names were established by God as He met with men and revealed His character to them. YAHWEH, "I AM THAT I AM" - Exodus 3:14 Jehovah Jireh, "The Lord my Provider" - Gen. 22:14 Jehovah Nissi, "The Lord is my Banner" - Ex. 17:15 Jehovah Shalom, "The Lord is Peace" - Judges 6:24 Jehovah Sabbaoth, "The Lord of Hosts" - I Sam. 1:3 Jehovah Maccaddeshcem, "The Lord my Sanctifier" - Ex. 31:13 Jehovah Raah, "The Lord is my Shepherd" - Ps. 23:1 Jehovah Tsidkenu, "The Lord my Righteousness" - Jerm. 23:6 Jehovah Shammah, "The Lord is There (Present)" - Ezk. 48:35 Jehovah Elohim, "The Lord God of Israel" - Jud. 5:3; Is. 17:6 Jehovah Rophe, "The Lord my Healer" - Ex. 15:26 As we think on these names, let us remember that God is all we need. We have no power within ourselves, but we have power in His Name. He is the same God today as He was when He spoke to Moses, "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:13-14). Whatever we need today, He says, "I AM." I AM the answer to all of your questions. If you need provisions, I AM your Provider. If you need healing, I AM your Healer. If you need victory, I AM your Banner. I AM your peace. I AM your Shepherd and will lead you through the valleys and restore you. I AM your Righteousness. And, I AM the God that is always present. I AM your God. I AM everything that you need Me to be. I AM THAT I AM! HALLOWED BE HIS NAME! +++ 3/30/20 PLANTED BY THE WATERS Scripture: Jeremiah 17:8 ".... as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads her roots by the river." A natural tree that is planted near the rivers of water does not suffer during the time of heat or dry up in the seasons of drought. It is well watered and flourishes all year long. Its leaves remain green throughout each season because its roots have spread themselves out underneath the surface of the earth and found the source of nourishment the tree needs. A tree that is flourishing in this fashion is a joy and a source of nourishment to all because it never ceases to bear fruit or to be a shield for those who are experiencing the heat of the sun. The prophet Jeremiah compared the man who trusted and hoped in the Lord to a tree that is planted by the waters. Trees are firmly planted and have no intentions of moving about. They are satisfied because their roots have found water. Likewise, there are two things that are important for a person who desires to flourish in life; their spiritual location and their root systems. Psalms 92:13 says that those who are planted in the house of the Lord will flourish. Your faith remains stable. Your hope and trust in the Lord is unwavering. And, your heart is fixed on the faithfulness of God's promises. If your spiritual roots are receiving nourishment you can be assured that you will be blessed. You can be living in the middle of a spiritual desert or going through a very dry season, and your spirit will remain well watered. Your life will continue to be fruitful because your roots are deep. Others will be amazed as they watch you in the times of trouble because they cannot see your roots, drawing strength from the Lord and His powerful Words. You can be weathering confusion and frustration but still remain calm because your roots have discovered the waters of peace. You can hope in a hopeless situation because you have stayed close to Jesus who is the Water of Life. You have soaked up God's Word and dwelt in His presence before the need ever presented itself. You did not wait until you saw your leaves turning yellow or felt your branches drying out before you sought out God’s living and refreshing water. No tree can stand alone or maintain itself without an efficient root system. Jeremiah said the tree itself spreads its roots in an effort to find the water. It is up to you to establish a spiritual root system that will sustain and support you in the seasons of distress and discouragement. When you have allowed the Holy Spirit to develop a depth within your spirit, you will be able to withstand the dry seasons, the heat, and even the times of persecutions. You may bend a little but you will not blow over with every storm. You will not break in the seasons of adversity or wither in the heat. Like Job, you will be able to withstand every test. You will not fall apart each time there is a conflict because you are not trusting in your own fortunes, family, health, or friendships. Your trust is in the Lord God Almighty. You will flourish because God alone is the Living Water from which you are drawing your strength. +++ 3/31/20 FRIENDS AND BROTHERS Scripture: Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." In this proverb, King Solomon spoke of the loyal love of a friend and declared that our brothers were birthed for the seasons that we face adversity. Loved ones are an important asset in the arena of life. They are more precious than silver and more valuable than gold. The poorest man on earth is the one who does not have friends or family, for money cannot buy these precious treasures. God gave us friends and planned family relationships so that we could love and be loved and also share burdens and take on one another's battles. In the time of trouble, friends reach out to friends and family reaches out to family. There is a saying that "When you are in trouble, you find out who your real friends are." Adversity and trouble have a unique way of proving friendships and revealing the strength of blood relationships. A true friend will love you and stand with you when everything is going wrong and a brother will be there when everyone is rising up against you. Both will remain loyal and be a defense against the enemies of your life even at the risk of being hurt in the situation. Even if a friend or brother is at fault, love will prevail and allegiance will remain true because love is able to cover a multitude of sin. Real love is not just words, emotions, or something that you feel. True love takes action and is something that you do. It surpasses disappointment and is always eager to forgive. Love overlooks the injustices that work against it and turns the other cheek to its offender. Jesus is our greatest example of love, friendship, and brotherhood. He will love us at all times and He is our brother who will remain close to us in the midst of trouble. He came to Earth knowing that His purpose was to die on the cross for our sins. He never turned back from His assigned mission. He was mocked and ridiculed but endured the shame for our benefit. He took the stripes on His back for our healing. For us, He bore the crown of thorns on His brow. His hands and feet suffered the pain of the nails that held Him to the cross of Calvary. He proved Himself for us beyond measure. We can depend upon Him to be there to deliver us in every situation and rescue us in every storm. We can have this assurance in our souls that when all others fail, Jesus will be there. He will never forsake us. He is our friend who will love us at all times and He is our brother who was born for our season of adversity. +++ Copyright © 2020 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com |
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