| ............ | A Word In Due Season APRIL 2021 4/1/21 WHAT MORE COULD JESUS DO? Scripture: Hebrews 4:14 (Living Bible) "Jesus, the Son of God, is our great High Priest who has gone to Heaven itself to help us; therefore let us never stop trusting Him." Jesus was with the Father in Heaven in the beginning. Yet, the Lord left His throne in glory to come down to Earth even though He was aware of the cruel destiny that awaited Him. Jesus was the King of Kings, yet He submitted to being born in a lowly stable. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes instead of royal robes, and even though He was the Lord of Lords, He was humbly laid in a manger. His birth brought good tiding of great joy to the hearts of men, yet Jesus, Himself, suffered mental anguish in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was the Rose of Sharon, the Lily of the Valley, and the Bright Morning Star, yet He became uncomely in appearance as cruel men ripped His beard from His face and spat upon Him. Instead of being placed on an earthly throne and receiving a royal crown, Jesus was nailed to a rugged cross and a crown of thorns was placed upon His head. Instead of receiving honor, He suffered the shame of the crucifixion. Jesus died for all men, yet He was rejected, scorned, ridiculed, laughed at, and mocked by those same men for whom He sacrificed His precious life. Jesus is the Spirit of Truth, yet men distrusted Him and accused Him of being a liar, a fraud, and a false prophet. His cousin, John the Baptist, doubted and questioned if Jesus was truly the Messiah. Even Jesus' own mother, Mary, and His brothers thought He was mad. Jesus said that He would never leave us or forsake, yet He was forsaken by His own Heavenly Father. He is our Comforter, yet He experienced suffering and sorrow as no other. Jesus is the Bread of Life, but He experienced hunger as Satan tempted Him to turn the stones into bread. He was rich but He became poor for our sakes. He promised to build us a mansion in Heaven when He did not even have a place to lay His own head here on Earth. Jesus is love and loved the unlovely, yet He, Himself, was unloved by many. He is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, yet He was humiliated and slandered. Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother, yet His most trusted friends lost faith in Him and forsook Him in His darkest hour. Jesus came to give men eternal life, but men took His life from Him. He is the Lamb of God without blemish, yet He became the sacrificial lamb for our sins. Think about the cross and what Jesus has done for you. Can you imagine that Jesus freely gave all that He had in order to gain you for His eternal possession? He loved you that much. Jesus experienced every infirmity so that He could understand and be touched by everything that you would ever face. Jesus is the Son of God and your High Priest. The Lord now sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, interceding in prayer for you and speaking words to God on your behalf. Never stop trusting the Lord because He loves you so much. Jesus gave His all for you, what more could He do? +++ 4/2/21 FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR NAME Scripture: John 12:27 & 28 "Now is My soul troubled and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour .... Father, glorify Your Name." Jesus is able to be touched with the feelings of our personal infirmities and weaknesses because He experienced the same struggles in the process of life that we do. His Spirit wrestled against His flesh. When Jesus left His throne in glory to come to Earth to dwell amongst us, He emptied Himself of His deity, and because of this He faced the same temptations that we face. Jesus wanted to do His Father's will and He wanted to fulfill His destiny, which was to redeem the lives of men. He also wanted God, the Father, to be glorified through His life. Yet, He felt His flesh shrink back from the pain that was connected with His destiny. Jesus declared that He wanted to be saved from the hour that was prepared for Him. Jesus told the Father, if there was any way possible, He would like for the cup to pass from Him. Jesus was not blind or naive. He understood the pain and shame that He faced and He simply wanted to take a detour around the hill called Mount Calvary so that He could escape the crucifixion of the cross. Like Jesus, how many times have our souls been troubled and the question came to our mind, "What shall I say about this distressing situation?" How many times have we faced the decision to either be saved from the hour that was at hand or to allow the Father to be glorified in our time of pain and tribulation. I feel that most of my prayers are not for the Lord to be glorified, but for me to be rescued from my dilemma. I do not like heartache and pain so I tend to cry out to the Lord for His mercy and immediate deliverance. My spirit may be willing to do God's will but my flesh is very weak. Some of God's designs for our lives do not seem to be as peaceful and as perfect as we would desire them to be. Yet, everything that God has set before us is intended for our growth and maturity as we make our journey towards the goal that is set before us. Jeremiah, the prophet, said that God knows the plans that He has for us and those plans are for good and not evil to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). We need to submit our lives to that hour that has been prepared for us by the hands of God so that we can complete His eternal purpose. It may not be easy to take up our cross daily and follow Him. He may ask for our last portion, tell us to walk the extra mile, turn our cheek to an abuser, or forgive a trespass that has been committed against us. Yet, even when our soul is troubled with the thoughts of what hardships God's will might bring to our lives, we need to pray as Jesus taught us to pray; that is, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven." Instead of requesting, "Save me," we must submit ourselves to God and say, "Father, glorify Your Name in my life." +++ 4/5/21 CHIEF CORNERSTONE Scripture: Mark 12:10 "The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner." Jesus spoke of Himself with these words. He was chosen by God the Father to be the Spiritual head of the church, but He was rejected by the rulers who were attempting to build a religious organization. Scriptures declare that Jesus came to His own but His own did not receive Him. Yet even though Jesus was rejected and despised by men, He never gave up on God's plan and purpose for His life. Instead, He continued to do God's will and do the works of the One who had sent Him. Jesus was destined to be the chief cornerstone of the church, which was built by the Spirit of God. He continues to hold all things together by the power of His Word. It is hard to imagine, but if the presence and power of that One Stone, Jesus Christ, were to be removed, the church would dissolve and all nature would collapse. When Jesus came to this Earth, He did not go to the pious religious leaders who mistakenly thought that they had it all together and took for granted that their building was intact. Instead, Jesus chose to go to those who recognized that they needed Him as their own personal Lord and Savior. Jesus searched for those who would serve Him diligently and love Him with all of their hearts. He came to the sinners who needed a Savior to cleanse them from their sins, to the sick who needed a healer to heal them of their diseases, to those in bondage who needed to be delivered, and even to the dead who needed to be resurrected. Jesus also came for the broken hearted and those who were suffering grief. He allowed them to experience His grace by giving them beauty for their ashes and exchanging their sadness with a spirit of joy. He was never rejected by those who realized that they had a need and He never rejected anyone who was willing to receive Him as their redeemer and solution. Jesus presents Himself to us even today. He wants us to wrap our lives around Him so that He becomes the Chief Cornerstone of our personal lives. Every stone of our life has importance, but Jesus desires to be the most prominent part of our personal witness. When others look at us either from a personal standpoint or as a part of the corporate Church of the Living God, the Lord wants them to see and know that we are connected together with Him. We must let the world know that we are one building, one church, one family, and one body in Christ. We acknowledge Jesus as our Chief Cornerstone and we declare that we will never reject Him. +++ 4/6/21 THINGS VALUED Scripture: Proverbs 15:6 "In the house of the righteous is much treasure." I can remember a time in my life when you never saw a penny tossed away on the ground because it actually had significant value. Even though my family did not have much materially, we never seemed to be poor because we had the same as those around us. It was just after World War II and things were scarce for everyone. When we got a penny for bubble gum, we were thrilled. We would chew the gum during the day then place it on a saucer at night and cover it with a drinking glass. The next day, we were allowed to dip it in sugar to sweeten it up. This was a real treat because sugar was rationed. Can you imagine the joy of a penny being stretched so far in today’s economy? When I started school, things were better, and we were given nickels to spend and the penny began to lose some of its value. With a nickel you could either buy a nourishing mid-morning snack or in the afternoon get a cola from the new soda machine. Eventually, the cost of colas went from a nickel to six cents, and this caused the worth of the penny to increase because it was again needed. Today, pennies are almost worthless. That is, except for the precious words inscribed on them that remind us, "In God we trust." How many things in our lives have become like the penny? The relationships that we once viewed as valuable and precious are now taken for granted. We have friendships that we are too busy to make time for and family members who suffer neglect because of our busy careers. The jobs that we desperately sought after have turned into mundane labor and brought on extra stress. Our passions for our spouse whom we once held dear may have dwindled. As time has passed the values of our hearts have been altered and things once precious are now neglected. We are driven by the need to prosper and succeed and have lost sight of the true treasures of life, which are basically free. Solomon said there is much treasure in the house of the righteous. We need to think about his statement and allow this season to remind us to look around and focus on the blessings that we have, for there are hidden treasures all about us. We must place value on those things that are more important than the wealth that can be measured in dollars and cents. If we know God and have family, friends, love, health, food, clothing, freedom, and can truthfully declare “In God We Trust” we are blessed beyond measure. We must recognize that within the walls of our own home and relationships, there is much treasure. We should be thankful for these blessings and reflect on their value, for where our treasure is there is our heart also. +++ 4/7/21 DRAWING NEAR TO GOD Scripture: James 4:8 "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." This is a wonderful promise and so simply stated. God promises us a personal one-on-one relationship with Him. How many other very important and powerful people have made this promise to you? Very few, I am sure. Yet because of our hectic schedules and limited time, most of us do not exercise our option to enter into the Lord's presence on a daily basis for any great length of time. We spend a few minutes with a devotional, say a short prayer, and then we are off to meet the day's challenges. We promise to spend more time with the Lord later, but when the day is finished, we are exhausted and just too tired. Those in scripture who spent time with God knew Him intimately and those who knew Him intimately had great power with Him. Even the Sanhedrin marveled and took notice of Peter and John because they recognized that Peter and John had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). The Prophet Elijah was a man of fervent and earnest prayer and his relationship with God resulted in mighty miracles. These and other mighty men only knew God's heart because they spent time in His presence. They drew near to God and God drew near to them and manifested His power through them. Drawing near to God is a gradual process towards a place of intimacy with Him. One definition of "intimacy" is "into-me-see." It is only as you begin to pour out your inner most thoughts to God and allow Him to see inside of you that He responds and shares His most inner thoughts with you. Even our natural relationships show us this. We can only truly know those with whom we have solitary fellowship. Jesus told us in Matthew 6:6 to enter into our closet and shut the door when we talk to Him. Jesus wants us to fellowship with Him in secret so that He can speak to us in secret. He set the example for us several times in the scriptures as He, Himself, found solitary places to commune with the Father (Mark 1:35). Jesus drew near to God a great while before the day began and spent all night in God's presence. How close and intimate do you want to be to God? You are the one who will determine the depth of your relationship. Those who move towards God, evoke a response from Him. He gave the invitation and the pattern for us to enter into His presence. He said, "Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you." In other words, God says, you take a step towards Me, then I will respond and take a step towards you. Each step you take will draw you closer to the Lord. +++ 4/8/21 APPLE OF GOD'S EYE Scripture: Psalms 17:8 "Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of Thy wings." The apple of the eye is the pupil, or the darkest part and very center of the eye. It is the most precious part of the eye because it lets the light in and allows the body to see. The eyes are very delicate and demand extreme care and protection, and if lost, the whole body suffers and is left handicapped. David knew the value of his own eyes and the lengths that he would go to in order to protect them, so he prayed and asked God to keep him as safe as God would the very apple of His own eye. The word 'keep' in this text meant to guard, protect, or hide like the eagle hides her young under her wings. In the natural, God made provisions to protect the human eyes. The eyes have eyelashes, eyebrows, and eyelids that guard against small things like dust, dirt, and smoke. The eyes are also deeply entrenched in the skull with bones around them to protect them from further injury. The arms and hands also act instinctively and spontaneously to guard the eyes if something harmful should come in their direction. The head will turn or duck and even the knees bend to lower the entire body to help the eyes get out of the way of injury. The entire body responds to protect this vital organ. Every member of the body would rather suffer injury itself than to allow its eyes to be damaged because it recognizes that the eyes are precious and irreplaceable. Just as David was kept as the apple of God's eye, so are you. You are a valuable part of God's body and kingdom, and just as you would protect your own eyes from harm, God is there to protect and guard you. If someone were to hit you in the eye, you would not try to hit them back with your eye. Your eye is not designed to fight for itself so the other parts of your body, like the arms and hands, would take up the eye's defense. In the spiritual realm, God is your defense. God's Word says that vengeance belongs to the Lord (Psalms 94:1). Zechariah 2:8 says, "For he that touches you touches the apple of God's eye." In other words, when others come against you, they are touching a very sensitive part of God and He will respond. Verse nine says that "God will shake His hand against those who touch you." When others come against you, you cannot fight your own battles, but God can fight for you. Your part is to simply shut your spiritual eyelids to the offense, leave things in God's hands, and pray for those who come against you. You are the apple of God's eyes, so rest in Him and allow Him to hide you under the shadow of His wings. +++ 4/9/21 WHAT IS IN YOUR HAND? Scripture: Exodus 4:2 "And the Lord said to Moses, What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod." All that Moses had in his hand was a rod, or a shepherd's staff. It did not seem like much to Moses, but God told Moses that He would use that rod to do signs and wonders. As Moses led God's people out of Egypt, his rod became a serpent and swallowed the serpents of Pharaoh's magicians. His rod was also used to turn the river into blood and bring the plagues of frogs, lice, locust, thunder, and hail on the land. Moses' rod was even used to divide the waters of the Red Sea. God used the most insignificant thing in Moses' life to accomplish His will. He used a simple man with a simple rod. All that God asked of Moses was faith and obedience to use what he had in his hand. There was no power in the rod itself, or even in Moses. The signs and wonders came directly from the Almighty God who was manifesting His supernatural power through both of them. Sometimes we cringe when God asks us to do something for Him. We feel so insignificant and our abilities seem so lacking, especially when we compare them to the abilities of those around us. How could God be calling on us when others are more capable? Like Moses, we think, "What is our strength compared to the challenge that is set before us?" Yet, we must remember that God always equips and empowers those whom He calls. What small gift has God imparted to you that is unused? Do you have a smile that could turn someone's day around, a loving heart that you could share with the lonely and rejected, or a comforting word for the distressed? God wants to use your simple words of encouragement to minister to those around you. He is anxious for you to pray for the sick, visit those in prison, or minister to the widow, fatherless, and the poor. There are always needs. In comparison to the need, your resources may look like a simple rod, but you must remember that it is not what you have that really matters. It is what God can do with the little that you have when you yield your small gift to Him. If God can multiply oil for a widow so that she can pay her debts (II Kings 4:6), and multiply five loaves and two fish to feed 5,000 men plus women and children, He can also take what little you have to offer and multiply it so that it blesses a multitude of people. Little becomes much when God reaches out and touches it. So allow Him to anoint whatever is in your hand. +++ 4/12/21 ONE ACCORD - ONE MIND Scripture: Philippians 2:2 "Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." The Lord is pleased when His children can work together and live in harmony with one another. He rejoices that those of His own household are dwelling in peace and unity. King David declared that when the brethren dwell together in unity, it brings God's anointing and blessings upon their lives (Psalms 133:1-3). Unity is a pleasant experience, not only for the Father, but also for His children. The scriptures declare that unity is like precious oil that flows down upon us and is as refreshing to us as the dew upon the mountains. There is nothing that can be accomplished or gained by being in discord. Even nature itself shows the benefits when efforts are made in a spirit of unity. We see the flight of the geese as they travel from the North to the South and marvel at their conduct. They fly in a near perfect "V" formation following after one leader. This pattern reduces the wind drag and gives lift to the geese that have lesser strength. It is estimated that flying in this pattern increases their performance by up to 70 percent. You have to wonder how they came to choose their leader. Did they have a committee to elect this particular goose or did they have some sort of try outs to determine which of them had the greatest ability, strength, and endurance? Did they argue amongst themselves as to who was going to be the one in front? We have never had a report of anyone seeing them hold an election on the ground before their flight. Yet, they all seem to be at peace with their leader and they all work together to get to where they are going. They are in positive unity to reach their ultimate goal. Even the lead goose shares his position when necessary and will relinquish it to another in the midst of the flight. The goal for the geese is their destination and not their own place of self-importance. This same unity is what we need to strive for in our walk with the Lord. Like the geese, so much more can be accomplished in our lives if we all work together to get to where we are going. King Solomon said that two are better than one; for they can keep each other warm in the cold and lift each other up if one of them should fall. Even our prayers are strengthened when we are in unity with other believers, for Matthew 18:19 says, "If two agree as touching anything on Earth, it will done of the Father in Heaven." The Lord even waited until the believers had come into one accord before He sent the promise of the Holy Spirit into their midst (Acts 1:14). Reaching our destination in life may require that we let some things go and that we do not try to be the head of all things. We all hold unique talents and have specific callings. Our destiny choice is very clear and simple. We need the Lord and we need each other to help us get to where we need to be. We can never expect the Spirit of God to move within our lives until we are not only in one accord and one mind with Him, but also with each other. +++ 4/13/21 OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN Scripture: Matthew 6:9 "Our Father, Which art in heaven." When Jesus taught His Disciples to pray, He revealed to them that God was their Father and declared that God was in Heaven. This statement was not made to establish God's address or whereabouts, for we know that He is omnipresent, meaning that He is everywhere at all times. These words “in Heaven” were meant to establish God’s authority, which exceeds the boundaries of this Earth. When Jesus said that God was in Heaven, He was in reality stating that God is still on the throne and that He is still in control of every situation. Jesus was informing His Disciples that God was not limited or confined to the laws of the world in which they lived. Our earthly fathers have property and homes and they are considered to be the head of that home and the owner of their territory. They have the right to exert authority over their home because this is their kingdom and their word is law in their personal domain. As we grow and mature as sons and daughters in that home, our fathers share their possessions. They give us the keys to their kingdoms, whether that kingdom is meager or grandiose. With this gesture comes the authority to use the keys and also the responsibility to honor the trust that has been extended. Likewise, as children of our Heavenly Father, we have been given the keys to His Kingdom. In Matthew 16:16-19, Jesus told His Disciples that He would build His church upon the revelation that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. He said that those who receive that revelation would be given the keys to the Kingdom of God. When we pray, we should realize that we are talking to someone in Heaven. We are actually opening the doors of Heaven with the keys that Jesus has given to us and we are gaining access to the Father and all of the resources of His Kingdom. Like earthly keys, the spiritual keys that are given to us are efficient tools and they work regardless of how we feel. Keys never depend upon the emotions of the one holding the key. They just work and exercise their ability to lock and unlock or to open and close. When Jesus gave us His keys, He said that whatever we loose on Earth is loosed in Heaven, and whatever we bind on Earth is bound in Heaven. However, having the keys and using the keys are two different matters. We can find ourselves standing outside the Kingdom all day long, crying and yelling about our problems, or we can simply use the keys that have been given to us. The keys of His Kingdom His are found in His Name, His Word, and His Blood. With these keys we can go into the very presence of the Living God, Our Heavenly Father, and obtain all that we need. +++ 4/14/21 FIGHTING DISCOURAGEMENT Scripture: Psalm 27:14 "Wait on the Lord: Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." What would you do if you were walking along and fell into a dark pit? Would you stay there, or would you struggle and work to get out? Would you allow discouragement to overcome you, or would you attempt to conquer it? All of your tomorrow is decided by the choices that you make today. Your actions and reactions will reap consequences and rewards. Disappointment comes when things do not work out like we have planned and we see our hopes and dreams begin to fade into non-existence. When we do not deal with those disappointments, they eventually build strongholds in our spirit and turn into discouragement. When we are in this frame of mind, each step leads downward until we fall into utter hopelessness. In all of these phases, we can choose to drown in this sea of disappointment, discouragement, and hopelessness, or we can use all of the ability that God has given to us to get out. There is a story about two mice that fell into a bucket of milk. One swam and fought for a while but then became discouraged, gave up, and drowned. The other mouse just kept dog paddling, fighting, and praying all night long. When he got tired he would float for a while, then he would take courage and work at getting out again. Although nothing positive seemed to be happening, he refused to give up and never allowed discouragement and self-pity to overtake him. The mouse kept doing what he could. Finally, his churning turned the milk that was around him into a block of butter underneath him. When the milk turned to butter, he was able climb out and was free. His patient efforts, hope, and courage created a deliverance for him. God has a creative plan of deliverance for you, too. Psalms 30:5 says, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." There is an old saying that "It's always darkest just before dawn". So when you find yourself in the dark pits of discouragement, just keeping doing all that you can do. Wait upon the Lord and He will strengthen your heart. Trust in the Lord and be of good courage, for His deliverance and joy is on its way. +++ 4/15/21 GREAT WEALTH Scripture: I Timothy 6:6 (NLT) “True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.” We search for wealth every day of our lives. Finances are our present and future consideration. We work and make investments in order to multiply our finances, and we try to insure that we have enough wealth to carry us through to the end of our lives. Yet, when the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy he did not tell him that riches were an indication of wealth. Instead, Paul told Timothy that true godliness with contentment was great wealth. Godliness and contentment are things that money cannot buy. There are many rich people in the world who would like to be considered godly and who would not hesitate to pay a large sum of money just to gain a little contentment in their lives. For many, having great riches becomes tormenting because riches can be stolen or lost so very quickly and has no guarantees. Your desire for wealth should not be condemned because God's highest wish for you is that you prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers (III John 2). Yet, notice that your main interest should be that your soul prospers. God wants to bless you materially so that you can be a blessing to your family and share with others about you. Yet, His greatest priority is that you wrap your desires around the purposes and will of God and learn to be content in all things. Jesus said that you should be seeking the Kingdom of God first in your life and then all the things that you desire will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). What a wonderful promise. When you understand the concept of putting God first and honoring Him with all of your substance then He will be able to honor you with His wealth. This is great wealth because the blessings of the Lord that come to you will never be accompanied with sorrow. For many years, I struggled with my finances and could never seem to get ahead. It was a daily battle to make ends meet, but God always came through and many times the material provision for my need was no less than a miracle. Through the years, I have continued to trust God and believe His Word and today things are different. I do not have all that I want, but I do have all that I need. I have found the place of contentment and do not have to have the best, the newest, or the most stylish. I have inherited true wealth in knowing that God is on the throne of my heart and contentment has come to my soul because I am seeking His Kingdom first in my life. I am not rich by the world's standard, but following God's way with contentment has brought great wealth to my heart and soul. I encourage you to seek this same kind of wealth, for God will prosper you in the natural in proportion to the prosperity of your soul. +++ 4/16/21 PREVAILING PRAYER Scripture: Genesis 32:26 "But Jacob replied, I will not let you go until you bless me." Jacob was a man who aggressively pursued the blessings of God for his life. His heart's desire was to obtain the sacred birthright of the first-born and the blessings that came with it. Even in his mother's womb, Jacob struggled with Esau, his twin brother. At birth, Jacob caught hold of Esau's heel in an effort to pull him back from the destiny set before him (Genesis 25:22-26). Finally, years later, at a moment when his brother, Esau, was weak and faint from the lack of nourishment, Jacob obtained the birthright by purchasing it from Esau with a bowl of beans. Then by deception, Jacob also stole Esau's blessing from their father, Isaac. Jacob was desperate and determined to be blessed. Because of Jacob's deception with his father and brother, he was forced to leave his home, but many years later he returned as a prosperous man. As Jacob approached his homeland, the news came to him that his brother, Esau, was coming with 400 men. Thinking that Esau was out for revenge and that the worst was about to happen, Jacob sent his wives, children, and all those with him to the other side of the river in order to protect them. Jacob remained there alone through the night, greatly afraid and distressed. In the midst of the darkness, the Lord began to deal with him, and Jacob wrestled with the Lord. Jacob refused to let go, declaring, "I will not let you go until you bless me." As they wrestled, the Lord asked Jacob, "What is your name"? The Lord forced Jacob to own up to who he really was, for his name meant a 'heel catcher', a deceiver, and a trickster. When Jacob was able to acknowledge who he was by name and nature, God was able to change him. The Lord changed his name from Jacob, or deceiver, to Israel, a prince. As a prince, Jacob now had power with God and with men. He had prevailed with God and obtained the blessing as he came face to face with the Lord. The birthright that Jacob so diligently sought for passed through him to his descendants and his name was listed in the lineage of the Messiah. He obtained the promised covenant, and throughout the scriptures references are made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, instead of Abraham, Isaac, and Esau. The blessings you seek from God come with no less determination and persistence than what Jacob experienced. If you want anything from God you have to pursue Him with your whole heart. You cannot have knowledge of His Word without diligently studying it or listening to good teachers and ministers. You cannot prevail in prayer without separating yourself from those around you in order to seek God. Jacob was left alone and He experienced God face to face. Jesus, Himself, always sought for a solitary place to pray. Likewise, it is in the secret place that you too will see the face of God. Like Jacob, it will be when you come to terms with who you really are that God can change you into the person that He wants you to be. Your blessing comes through prayer and communion, and by His Word transforming your heart. They do come by any other means. Deception will not get you there. You must prevail in prayer to become a prince with God and to seal the divine destiny that He has for you. +++ 4/19/21 IGNITING THE MOMENT Scripture: Matthew 3:11 "Jesus shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." We all have experienced those special times when it seems that an eternal moment was birthed in our lives. It was a time when things just seemed to ignite and come alive. Even today, as we recall the memory of those times, our emotions manifest themselves as they did when the incidents happened. We laugh, we cry, or just enjoy the moment from the past. Such is the case of my own husband who passed away several years ago. When my children speak of him, they always recall the "out of the ordinary" things that happened in his life that brought us joy and laughter. Although they were with him over twenty years, they do not recall many of the daily mundane incidents that had no strength to ignite. They only recall those intense moments as we played board games, enjoyed a family outing, or experienced a family crisis. It was the igniting of these special moments that burned precious memories into our hearts and minds. Think about Jesus who only lived thirty-three years on this earth. We have heard of the angels heralding His birth and of the wise men bringing Him gifts when He was about two years old. Then, we heard about Him as a twelve-year-old boy in the temple as He amazed the doctors with His questions. Suddenly the voices were silent and many years passed with no information concerning Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God. There was no mention of Him even though He was the most important person who was living at the time or who had ever lived in history. He graced this Earth with His presence, yet it was only when the Holy Spirit ignited Jesus' life that His fame went out and His deeds and Words were recorded. As a born again believer, you have great potential. God has empowered you with His Spirit and with a fire to ignite the moments in the lives of others. You are walking about on the earth like a match that is waiting to be struck. As the Holy Spirit wills, He ignites you for His service and moves through you to minister life and light to a darkened world. God has placed within you His Kingdom, which is "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Romans 14:17). You have an opportunity to share God’s Kingdom and the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Allow the Holy Spirit to ignite and burn inside of you for the purposes of God. It will fascinate the world just as a natural fire does, and will ignite an unforgettable and eternal moment in the lives of those you touch. +++ 4/20/21 DREAMS THAT COME TRUE Scripture: Genesis 37:20 " ... and we shall see what will become of his dreams." Joseph's angry and jealous brothers sought to stop his dreams from coming to pass. They stripped Joseph of the special coat of many colors that his father had given him and cast him into a pit. They later sold him into slavery. Their first choice would have been to kill Joseph, but their evil devices could only go so far because a sovereign God was still in control. God spared Joseph's life by using his older brother, Reuben, to rescue him from greater harm. When Joseph finally found himself in Egypt, he may have thought that God had forsaken him all together. It took about sixteen years for things to change for Joseph. Yet all the while, God was moving in Joseph's life and leading him to the place that he needed to be so that He could fulfill Joseph's dreams and accomplish His own divine plan. When God thinks of you, He thinks of someone that He loved so much that He sacrificed His only Son for them. God allowed Jesus to become a curse for you so that you could spend eternity with them in Heaven. You mean something to God and you are very special in His eyes. He has thoughts and plans for you that include a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). God has spoken good words over you. Like Joseph, you may presently be limited by circumstances beyond your control. Life may have dealt you a poor hand, and as you view the future, it may seem that time is running out for your hopes and dreams to come to pass. For whatever reason, the future seems to only hold a few years and you may wonder how God can finish His work in your life in such a short period of time. Regardless of how you view your situation, you must not become discouraged for God is still in control and He can do a quick work. Joseph was raised from the pit to the palace in one day. His grand work lasted only a short time, seven years of plenty and seven years of lack. In this short time, however, Joseph saved a nation from destruction and his dreams came to pass just as God had promised. Also consider Jesus. His ministry on Earth was only for three years, but look at what He accomplished in that short length of time. Like these men, it is time for you to make every moment in your own life count. You may have only three short years as Jesus did to fulfill your life's call. No one knows for sure what the future holds. You must work as though God is going to keep His promises to you and you must pray, expecting Him to actually answer you. You must continue to express your thanksgiving to God and worship Him in anticipation of His manifestation. Remember that even though you are human, God is divine. Stretch your faith and your thinking, and see what becomes of your dreams, for nothing is impossible with God. He is well able to bring your dreams into reality. +++ 4/21/21 LOOK FOR ME Scripture: Psalms 119:176 "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant; for I do not forget Thy commandments." We have all had those times when we have planned to meet someone in a large crowd and wanted to make sure that we made the connection. We designated a particular time and place to meet, explained what we would be wearing, and then said, "Be looking for me." If the appointed time for the rendezvous passed, desperation set in, and we began to think that there was a misunderstanding in our communications. We could only hope that the one we were attempting to meet was searching for us with as much effort as we were searching for them. The psalmist in this scripture found himself in the same dilemma. He had somehow wandered away and was explaining his desperate situation to the Lord situation. He said, “I have gone astray. Look for me.” In the preceding verses, he asked the Lord to hear his cry and listen to his supplication. He said, "Let Your hand help me." Sheep have no sense of direction and are used to being led about. It is their nature to depend upon the shepherd to find them. The psalmist reminded the Lord that even though he had strayed away from the narrow path, he still remembered the commandments and precepts of God. He knew that God would honor His Word and he depended upon the Good Shepherd to seek for him as if he were a lost sheep. Like the psalmist, the Lord is our Shepherd and we are the sheep of His pasture. We need the Lord Jesus desperately in our lives so that we can maintain an honorable walk and keep our feet from straying. We must make it a practice to face every day with a determination to discern God’s will and to be in His Word, seeking His direction. Like the psalmist, our prayer should be, "Lord, look for me. Help me to be in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing. If I go astray, seek me and bring me back." Are you aware that God's search for you is just as diligent as your search for Him? Jesus is your Good Shepherd. He will leave the ninety-nine sheep that are safe and search for you when you have lost your way. As He looks for you, He will call you by name, for He knows each one of His sheep personally. Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27). When your path seems to be shrouded in darkness and your way seems obscure, listen for the Shepherd's voice. He is like any loving father whose child is lost, and He is desperately seeking for you and calling your name. +++ 4/22/21 REDEEMING THE TIME Scripture: Ephesians 5:16 "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." To redeem means to regain possession of something, to receive something by exchange, or to make up for lost time. The Apostle Paul encourages us to live each day in such a fashion so that each moment we spend, we exchange it for something that is of value. In the previous verse, he said, "Live purposefully, worthily, and accurately, not as unwise and witless, but as wise, sensible, and intelligent people ... making the most of time" (Ephesians 5:15 Amplified Bible). Each deed that we do should be done as unto the Lord and every word that we speak should minister grace to the hearer, encouraging their hearts and renewing their spirits. Our lives should be salt and light in this world of darkness. Time and opportunity is priceless and once they are spent, they are gone forever. Redemption of these precious commodities must occur as the moment happens. Yet, sadly, we often find that we have missed our opportunity and the precious moment has passed into eternity. We find ourselves saying, "I wish I had said this, or I wish I had done that." We begin to realize that we have spent our time on things that had no lasting purpose or eternal value. We live in a world that is full of hurting people and we encounter them daily. Yet rather than trying to mend their pain, we come up with insignificant answers. Some of the lyrics of a song written by Bill and Gloria Gaither are, "When the house is burning to the ground, there's just no time to stand around arranging all the pictures on the wall." The rest of the song mentions spending time writing songs and preaching sermons to answer questions that no one is even asking. In other words, we must stopped wasting our moments. To redeem the situations when we encounter them, necessary actions need to be taken and significant words need to be spoken. God's desire is that we rearrange our priorities, for the time is short and the days are evil. Our main interest should be the needs of others and the condition of their hearts with respect to eternity. We have been given the opportunity to lead others to a hill called Calvary and to show them how to touch the nail-scarred hands of Jesus. We must make the most of time, and buy up each opportunity by sharing the Living Water with the thirsty and the Bread of Life with the hungry. As we do, we will be redeeming the time for eternity by revealing our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. +++ 4/23/21 POWER SOURCE Scripture: II Chronicles 20:12 (Amplified) "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." When an army of great magnitude came against God's people, they began to seek the Lord with diligence. They acknowledged their lack because they knew that by themselves, they were no match against their enemy. They told the Lord that they had no might, no strength, and no power, but declared their trust in Him by saying, "Our eyes are upon You." They recognized where their strength would come from and who would give them victory in the battle. As they prayed, God gave them a simple plan, which was to go into the battle praising Him. As they obeyed God’s Word, He gave them a glorious victory. When my grandson was young, he was fascinated with buttons and wires. Even though he did not understand electrical power, he knew that the buttons and wires made things work. One evening when he was a little over two years old, he began to rearrange the wires on the backside of my electronic keyboard. He had already tried the on/off switch but could not get the keyboard to work. He worked diligently but had no success because he did not know that the main power switch at the wall outlet was turned off. He finally declared, "It boke," which translates into "It is broken." This was the only conclusion that made sense to him because he could not get the buttons and wires to work. Many times our faith is "broken" in the same fashion. All the wires and buttons are there and we say and do the right things, but nothing works because we do not stop and recognize where our power and strength comes from. We try to work out a sensible solution on our own, when all the time, the power of God's presence and His wisdom is within our reach. James 1:5-6 says, "If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God ... but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." There is no lack of power when God's presence and wisdom is with us. In the midst of our trials, we just need to call out to Jesus and repeat the scripture above, "Lord, we do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." God’s plan may be as simple as to give praise in the midst of the battle or to stand still and see His salvation. It may be a magnificent plan to confront the enemy. Whatever the solution, we can be sure that when we stop trying to figure out all the buttons and wires and begin to focus our eyes upon Him, our efforts will not be wasted. We must believe that He is the source of our strength and the wisdom to our solution. Then as we connect directly with Him in faith, He will infuse us with His power that we need to obtain the victory. +++ 4/26/21 GOD DESIGNED LIFE Scripture: Proverbs 20:24 (Amplified) "Man's steps are ordered by the Lord; how can a man then understand his way?" All scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is meant to minister grace and build faith in the heart of the hearer. Allow this word to minister to you as you think about God's marvelous plan for your life. God created you in His image and He has ordered your steps. Before you woke up this morning and started on your way, the Lord’s thoughts were upon you. He very lovingly began to make plans and designed the path that He wanted you to take, the people that He wanted you to meet, and the experiences that He wanted you to encounter. He then set about making a way through the wilderness and clearing the paths before you. He also saw to it that the proper provisions were along the path that He had designed for you to take. God leaves nothing undone or to chance and regardless of what happens in your life, He is not surprised. He knows what you are capable of and also knows the degree to which you can be tested. He even knows your thoughts and the meditations of your heart. He orders your steps and when you follow as He leads, He promises that there will be no burdens too heavy for you to bear and no temptations greater than your resistance. Look at Job's life and you will see that every step that he took and all that he endured was allowed by God. God was always in control and the devil was limited by God's sovereign power. However, the plan of God can be thwarted and His Holy Spirit grieved because God has given each of us a free will. We can either follow as His Spirit leads or be led away by our own lusts or other voices. In this proverb, King Solomon declared the Lord has ordered our steps and designed our paths, but when we are not in tune with Him, how can we understand which way to go? From birth until death, God's design for our life and His plan is waiting for us, but it is so easy to wander off and lose our way. To accomplish His divine design, our ears must be able to hear His quiet and gentle voice telling us which path to take and our hearts must be willing to lay aside the plans that we have made for ourselves. Our steps have been ordered by the Lord, but we must choose to walk in the path that He has ordained for us. +++ 4/27/21 VOICE OF PRAYER Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3 "Call unto Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." God tells us through Jeremiah, the prophet, two very important things about getting our prayers answered. First He says, "Call." Prayer needs to be voiced; otherwise it may remain a meditation of the heart. For instance, how many times in our lives do we face circumstances that require answers? We tell everyone that we are praying about the situation, when in reality we are merely thinking, meditating on the circumstances, and trying to figure out the solution in our own minds. We have not uttered one word to God, verbally or in our spirit, yet we call it prayer. God wants us to speak out verbally to Him. God knows our thoughts and our hearts, but He wants to actually hear our voices. James 4:2 tells us that "we have not because we ask not." We merely think the thought in our mind, but never express it with our voice. God knows the meditations of our heart but He hears our cries and listens for ours words. Throughout the scriptures, prayers often began with phrases like, "Hear my prayer, O Lord," "Attend unto my cry," and "I lift up my voice to You." We get God's attention when we make our voices heard. Second, God says, "Call unto Me." In the original Hebrew language, the use of the word "call" in this scripture means to address by name. Names are personal and powerful. Even in a crowded room, you are called to attention when someone mentions your own name. You become very interested in what is being said because your personal name is involved. However, if your name were never mentioned, you may be disinterested in the conversation. Likewise if someone in your midst had needs but never verbalized them to you, you would not know how you could meet those needs. God reacts in the same way. He responds to His Name and focuses His attention on the one calling upon His Name. God says, "Call to Me. When you speak to Me then I will answer you and I will show you great and mighty things which you have never known before." +++ 4/28/21 MUSTARD SEED FAITH Scripture: Matthew 17:20 "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed ... nothing shall be impossible unto you." Jesus spoke these words to explain the growth that can result from a small beginning. In Mark 4:31, He explained that the mustard seed was the least of all the seeds. Yet, when it took root and began to grow, it became a tree large enough for even the birds of the air to lodge in. Jesus compared the growth of the mustard seed to our faith and said that if we had faith as a grain of a mustard seed, nothing within the scope of God's will would be impossible to us. In fact, when our words come in line with God's Word, they become filled with enough power to enable us to speak to the mountains to be removed and they will be cast into the sea. There is no need for us to remove literal mountains, but there are mountains of adversity that surround all of us. We are to deal with these mountains with mustard seed faith. The mustard seed is not only small, it is pure and unmingled. We do not need to have a lot of faith; we just need pure faith. Pure faith is being persuaded that God's Word is true. Pure faith rests because it has absolute dependence and reliance upon God's Word. It demands full confidence and trust in God's faithfulness to perform His Word. It is a full surrender and obedience to the truth and the conviction that God will complete the things that we are hoping to come to pass. Pure faith is not mixed with doubt. It never struggles, but is a joyful experience. When you have mustard seed faith, you can release your last handful of meal and your little supply of oil to God and expect Him to see you through the hard days ahead (I Kings 17:16). With mustard seed faith, you can give your five loaves and two fish unreservedly and know that God will turn the little that you have given into a miracle meal to feed over five thousand people (Matthew 14:17-21). Mustard seed faith will cause you to pay your tithes and give offerings with the expectation that God is going to open the windows of Heaven and pour out a blessing that you will not have room to receive (Malachi 3:10). Mustard seed faith never fails. It encourages you to plant in the time of famine and causes you to reap a one hundred fold harvest because of your obedience (Genesis 26:12). It keeps you at peace in the lion's den and prevents you from being burned or having the lingering smell of smoke upon you when you have passed through the fiery furnace. It will keep you untouched as you pass through the Red Seas of your life and will also allow you to walk on the waters in the midst of spiritual storm. Mustard seed faith is all that you need, for you only need a little of pure faith in a great God. As you take your seed of faith and place in God's hands, He will enable you to conquer all of life's circumstances and nothing will be impossible to you that is within the scope of God’s will. +++ 4/29/21 CASTING YOUR CARE Scripture: I Peter 5:7 "Cast all your care upon Him; for He cares for you." It is wonderful to know that we have a loving Savior who wants to take the burden of all our problems upon Himself? He wants to do this simply because He loves us and cares for us. David said in Psalms 142:4, "No man cared for my soul." There was no one to help David but God. At the beginning of this Psalm, David said, "I cried unto the Lord with my voice ... I poured out all my complaints to Him and showed Him all my troubles." David complained to God about everything that was going wrong in his life. He laid it all out before the Lord and asked Him to meet every need that he had because David knew that God was the only one that he could depend upon. When David's spirit was overwhelmed, he had assurance that God was concerned and cared for him when no one else did. He cried out to God alone who knew his path and saw all the snares that would try to entangle him. God witnessed David's defeats, disappointments, sins, and failures. Yet, He made Himself available to David and David made God his refuge as he sought for deliverance. He put his total trust in the Lord and declared that God would deal bountifully with him. As you face difficulties in your life, stop and think about God's goodness. God is for you, not against you! He is there when others fail. The Lord knows every need you have before you ask and He wants to take care of those needs. Following is a quote by Joyce Meyer that emphasizes these thoughts and expresses God's position very plainly when you call out to Him. "Good Morning, This Is God! I Will Be Handling All Of Your Problems Today. I Will Not Need Your Help -- So, Have A Good Day. I Love You." Think about these words and choose to follow the words of the Apostle Peter and cast all of your cares upon God, for He really does love you. Remind yourself daily that God is ready to handle all of problems, not just some, and that He has the answers before you ever call. +++ 04/30/21 MEDITATIONS OF THE HEART Scripture: Psalms 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer." Our concerns about righteousness are usually about what we have done or said, but God is interested in much more than that. He considers not only our words and actions but also the meditations of our heart, for the thoughts and feelings of our heart determine who we truly are. Sometimes we respond with the correct words and a seemly right attitude when in reality we are frustrated in having to deal with a person or a matter. We only pretend to be patient, loving, and kind, but the true meditations of our heart are hidden. They are not in agreement with our false actions regardless of how noble they may seem. Our pretense on the outside looks good to the world but our heart is void of the inward fruit of the Holy Spirit. The truest measure of integrity is explained as doing the right thing when no one is looking. It is obeying the laws of life and also the laws of the heart when there is no one there to judge us. If our hearts are right, it will not matter if we have an audience or not, for we will always choose to do the right thing. We will give knowing that we will gain nothing from the receiver of our gift. We will be kind to the unlovely when there is no glory to be received. We will be honest even though no one will ever know the difference. We will do our work with excellence even though no one is watching us. We will be discreet in every respect of life and walk out what we profess to believe. David prayed concerning the words of his mouth and the meditations of his heart. He wanted both to be acceptable in the sight of God. David knew that we could have our words right but that the meditations in our heart could be very wrong. He also recognized that God was his Strength and Redeemer so he called out to Him. We must understand as David did that God is very aware of the intents of our hearts. He sees our actions but He also knows our thoughts and meditations. God discerns the evil and is saddened but He rejoices in the goodness that is within us. He desires that we live in truth and manifest the fruit of His Spirit. Like David, before the words of our mouth and the meditations of heart begin to conflict with the heart of God, we can call out to the Lord. God is always near and He is there to help. He will give us strength in our weakness and He is our Redeemer in every situation. +++ Copyright © 2021 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com |
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