Jan21

............	A Word In Due Season Jan 2021 1/1/21 A NEW THING Isaiah 43:19 "Behold, I will do a new thing." God has always been a God of new things. He has never been a hand me down God and He does not settle into the old or become stagnant in His works. Everything God creates is fresh. Each mountain, river, and ocean is distinctly different, as is all of His other works of nature. He is a master artist and every day He creates a new sunrise and a new sunset that is never to be repeated. God's work is glorious and profound, and like He said in Genesis, "It is always good." God makes a wonderful promise through Isaiah, the prophet, to do a new thing for His people. He promised to make a way in the wilderness and create streams in the desert places for them. He also promised to give them a path in the mighty waters. He declared that He was their Lord, their Holy One, their Creator, and King. He was all that they needed and all that they would ever need. God also promised new things for us. When we receive Jesus into our hearts, we become a new creature with a new covenant and He gives us a new name (Revelations 2:17). He creates within us a new heart and imparts a new Spirit into our lives (Ezekiel 36:26). He instructs us to put on the new man (Ephesians 4:24) and gives us a new commandment and a new song (Psalm 40:3). When He touches our lives with these new things we are totally transformed. As you face the New Year, believe God to do new things in your life. Remember that He is still your Creator. Regardless of whether you are faced with a wilderness place or a dry barren desert, God has the answer. He will make a way, create a stream, or do whatever is necessary to help you through your dilemma and correct your situation. “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and don't lean upon your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6). Do not base today's answer on yesterday's solutions because God is doing a new thing in your life. So, Welcome the New! +++ 1/4/21 THE PROMISE OF A SONG Scripture: Hosea 2:15 "And she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth." God made a wonderful promise to the people of Israel. Even though Israel had failed God, He gave comforting Words saying that He would restore them. He would take the trouble they were going through and would turn that trouble into a door of hope. Salvation would come and they would sing again just as they did in their youth. Like the people of Israel, sometimes the song in our heart gets immersed in our sadness and mourning. Other times it gets covered up by the heaviness of our many problems. When our burdens get too heavy, we tend to stop singing and worshipping because it takes a certain energy to sing and give praise. We may try to make an earnest effort to offer the sacrifice of praise, but it really seems forced. We become like the captive Jews the psalmist spoke of in Psalms 137:2, who were in exile and could not sing. I was in a season of grief and despair when God revealed this scripture to my heart and made it a promise for my future. I had lost the song in my heart because of the heartache, confusion, and abuse that was happening in my life. Things looked bleak and a spirit of hopelessness surrounded me. This dark season only lasted for a couple of years but it seemed like an eternity to my soul. I thought I would never be delivered, much less sing again, but God was faithful to both deliver me and restore the song in my heart and soul. You may feel that you are in spiritual exile and the adverse circumstances that you are in may cause you to think that you will never sing again, but I am a witness to let you know that God is faithful. God knows exactly where you are. You cannot escape His knowledge or exhaust His love and mercy. God sees the reasons that the song has left your heart and He understands. He will reach down and lift you up out of the pit of doom and despair. He will speak grace to the mountains that you are facing and will create a straight and even path in the wilderness. He will work on your behalf by calling things that be not as though they were. Your song will come again as God begins to reveal Himself to you in a new and fresh way. God will use your valley to show you the grandeur of the mountain. He will take the storm that rages about you and show you His enormous peace. In your lack, God will show you His bountiful provision. He will replace your confusion with clear direction and in your weakness He will allow you to experience His awesome strength. As God begins to share this fresh revelation of Himself to you, a new song of praise will be birthed in your heart. Just like Israel, your valley of bitterness will turn into a door of hope and new life will come as God resurrects and restores you. Your spirit will become lighter and your notes will be clearer as God causes you to sing as you did in the days of your youth. +++ 1/5/21 OUR GREAT SPIRITUAL ASSET Scripture: Matthew 28:20 "... I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Our great comfort and joy is the assurance of these words from Jesus. Every moment, His followers are promised His personal and empowering presence. This promise is our great spiritual asset. We could ask for no greater treasure or depend upon no better security. We could reach no higher heights or experience no deeper depths than to know that Jesus is with us. How awesome is the thought that Jesus will never leave or forsake us? He is and will always be there. Others may leave, but He will remain. He is with us in our laughter and He is with us in our tears. He is with us in our triumphs and He is with us in our tragedies. He is there with us as we experience joy and He is there in our pain. He is always touched with the things that our hearts are caused to endure. Jesus made this commitment to be with us to the ends of the world or the end of the age. It does not matter if we are at home or in a distant land, His presence surrounds us, fills our lonely hearts, and girds us with strength. We only need to recognize Him and know that He is there. It does not matter if we are doing menial tasks or are involved in a major undertaking, He is there to help us in the time of our need. It does not matter if we are experiencing peace or engaged in war, His protecting arms surround us at all times. It does not matter the day of the week or the hour of the day or night, the Lord is there always and His mighty presence fills every moment. In His presence there is a peace that passes all understanding. His presence brings a trust that cannot be described, an abounding love that fills the heart, and a grace that is sufficient for the soul. We do not have to dread the road ahead or be anxious about the future, for the Lord's presence will lead us and He will take care of every detail. The power of His presence will always make a way where there seems to be no way. He will go before us and make a way in the wilderness and cause streams in the desert (Isaiah 43:19). His presence will even cause us to bloom in the hard places where we are planted. Isaiah 42:16 says, "He will make the darkness light before us, and the crooked things straight. These things He will do for us, and He will not forsake us." We must hold to the promise that the presence of Jesus will always be with us, for this is the greatest asset that we could ever hope to gain. +++ 1/6/21 THE WORD TRIED HIM Scripture: Psalms 105:19 "Until the time that his word came (to pass); the word of the Lord tried him." When Joseph received a dream from God, it took about sixteen years for that dream to come to pass. In the meantime, God worked to get the physical circumstances just right and also worked changes in the heart of Joseph. There were many challenges that Joseph had to face as he waited on God's purpose and perfect timing to come to pass. Many times he must have experienced the let down of hope and the frustrations of delay. He may have even gotten sick and tired of trying to hold on to his hope, for Proverbs 13:12 tells us that "Hope deferred makes the heart sick." The disappointment that comes when our hopes are not realized is hard to cope with. Like Joseph's situation, when God reveals His intentions and purposes for our lives, things do not always happen immediately. Our calling demands a season of testing and training where God rids our heart of things that would hinder His anointing and prevent His purpose. During this time, He never allows us to see behind the scenes. He places a veil between the natural, that which we see, and the spiritual, that which He is doing that is unseen, and He forces us to walk by faith. Then until the word that we received from God comes to pass, He tries that word. Even Jesus was tempted in the wilderness and was tried in other areas before the Words concerning Him came to pass. Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be "a tried stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation" (Isaiah 28:16). God is the potter and He knows His clay. He is attempting to mold you and make you into the image that He has designed and ordained. You must make a predetermined decision to submit to God and allow Him to sort things out in your heart. The challenges and trials that you will face during this preparation process will develop wisdom and give birth to God's precious anointing. God has good intentions and your best interest at heart but He cannot use you until you have been tried and tested. Adversity will form you and be the basis of your life message. You can only truly know what you have actually experienced. You can only rescue others from the valleys that you have passed through. God has given you a word, a hope, and vision to keep you stable as He fits your life into His plan. Trust God’s faithfulness even while your word of promise from Him is being tried. +++ 1/7/21 FEW WORDS Scripture: Ecclesiastes 5:2 (Living Bible) "Let your words be few." These are words from King Solomon that we should pay close attention to because he was declared to be the wisest man who ever lived. He was actually speaking about our prayers to God, but he was not telling us not to talk to God very long. Solomon clarified his words by saying, "Don't be rash with your mouth or let your heart be hasty to utter a word or make a vow before God." He also reminded us that God is in Heaven and we are on Earth. God knows much more about what is going on in our lives than we could ever presume to know so we should keep our ears open for God's voice and our hearts attentive to His Spirit. When we stop and listen to God, we will discover that He has more to say about our situation than we do. In fact, sometimes we are so busy chattering to God about our problem and how we want it solved that He cannot get a word in edgewise to covey His solution to us. We are to be still and to know that He is God. Jesus said similar words about our prayers. He said, "Don't use vain repetitions, as the heathen, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking" (Matthew 6:7). Prayer is not supposed to be a big theatrical production but a personal one-on-one audience with the Lord. Yet many times, in our attempt to get what we want, we either make rash promises to God or we resort to making railing accusations about the things that are happening in our lives that we do not understand. We forget that God is still God Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and that He is sovereign and still on the throne and in control. Solomon said, "To listen is better than to speak foolish words." Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). Foolish words are not profitable, for by our words we are either justified or condemned. We must not allow our mouths to lead us into sin and condemnation. We need to be quiet unless we know that we are praying according to God's will. When we come to God we need to come without formulas and techniques. We are to simply approach Him like a child approaches their earthly father. When we do this, we will evoke God's presence. Then as we find ourselves alone with God, we will be so awed by His presence that our focus will shift from ourselves to Him. In His presence, we will forget about our own desires and we will want His will to be done in our lives here on Earth as He has ordained in Heaven. When we commune with the Lord, let our words be few so that we can listen and hear what the Lord is saying to us. +++ 1/8/21 MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD Scripture: I Peter 1:7 "The trial of your faith, being more precious than of gold." These words were written by the Apostle Peter to the Christians who had been scattered. These Christians were chosen by God, obedient to the blood of Christ, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Yet, their situation was one of suffering and trial because they were trying to live faithfully for God while in a pagan and hostile society. Peter's message of hope was intended to comfort them and to encourage them to rejoice and stand firm even in the midst of their trials. Life has not changed and neither has the message of Peter to the church of the Living God. When all hope is gone, God's Word to His people today is the same as it was to the early Christians. We are to "greatly rejoice" though we are in a season of heaviness because of manifold temptations. Manifold temptations mean that the trials are multiplied. One of Satan's tactics is to attack your faith from all sides. He did this with Job. A messenger came to give Job bad news, and while the messenger was still speaking, there came another bad report. It was one bad thing after the other in Job's season of testing. He had to face the devil in every arena. Yet, Job refused to curse God and instead, he made a declaration of his commitment. He said, "Though God slay me, still I will trust Him" (Job 13:15). He left his life and future in God's hands. The Apostle Paul's faith was also tried in manifold situations, yet he maintained a spirit of faith through it all (II Corinthians 4:8-13). He said, "We are troubled on every side ... perplexed ... persecuted ... and cast down ... that the life of Jesus might be made manifest in our body." And Jesus, Himself, faced a series of testing in the wilderness. Satan tempted Him in three areas, but Jesus placed His faith in the Word of God and remained faithful. You may be scattered in your mind right now with manifold trials and temptations but remember the devil only has a season. Always keep in mind that your times of testing are precious moments because you are held in the palms of God's hands. His eyes are ever on you just as His eyes were on those Christians who were scattered, Job in his testing, and Jesus in His temptations. God never leaves the refining pot to tend to other matters. You are His main concern and the strength of your faith is important to Him. He has judged you and counted you mature enough to endure the conflicts and the reproach that you are now facing. Satan's main goal is to destroy your faith in today's test so that it will affect your hope for your next season and your ultimate destiny. God knows the degree of heat that you can handle, and if things get too hot He has promised to rescue you by making a way of escape. God believes that your faith will come forth as pure gold as He allows the fires of adversity to refine it. As your faith passes through the fire, things that are impure will separate from you. When this process is complete. only genuine faith will remain. In the midst of the fire, God will deliver you from fear, agitating passions, and moral conflicts. So as the fires come, embrace them and live above the reproach. Allow God to purify your faith and burn out the things that are foreign to His nature. As you do, your faith will come forth as pure gold and your suffering will be changed into glory and honor for Him. +++ 1/11/21 AUDIENCE OF ONE Scripture: I Chronicles 28:8 "... and in the audience of God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord your God: that you may possess this good land ... " King David desired to build a temple for the presence of the Lord, but because he had been a man of war and had shed blood, God disallowed him to experience this honor. So at the Word of the Lord, David put aside all of his hopes and desires to build the temple himself. In obedience to God, David gave the pattern of the temple that the Spirit of the Lord had put in his own heart to his son, Solomon, and allowed him the honor of building a house for the Lord. David was able to lay down his dreams and visions because he was a man after God's own heart and sought only to please God. He knew that success with God was not measured in one’s achievement but in faithfulness to His Word. When David stood before the congregation of Israel to make known the plans and process of building the temple, he exhorted the people to search for and keep all the commandments of the Lord. David spoke from experience, for he knew the personal value of obedience to God and the rewards that came from keeping His commandments. He also knew the results of disobedience and sin. In his prayer of repentance that came about because of his involvement with Bathsheba, David prayed, "Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me" (Psalm 51:11). Sin separates you from the heart of God and destroys His purposes for your life. In the heart of David, it was a fearful thought that he would no longer have the privilege of enjoying the presence of the Lord and having a personal audience with Him. You could have the opportunity to stand before multitudes, but like David, you must come to the realization that the highest place that you could ever achieve in life is having an audience with God. When you stand in His presence, you stand before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. You are in the glory of the Almighty God. You must be dedicated to seeking this awesome audience of One, for only the Lord God matters. The Apostle Paul said that it was a small thing to be judged by man or even by himself. His only concern was for the approval and praise of God (I Corinthians 4:3-5). Like Paul, God must be the only One sitting upon the throne of your heart. You cannot allow yourself to be moved by the praises or the criticisms of men. When you pray, enter your closet and pray to this audience of One. When you sing praises, sing to His heart and not to the ears of those around you, and when you give, give as unto Him and not to be seen by others. God sees your heart and knows which audience you are seeking to impress. When you seek to honor God in all that you do, He promises that you will possess the good of the land. +++ 1/12/21 FORGIVENESS AND FAITH Scripture: Matthew 6:34 (NRV) "Today's trouble is enough for today." "I laid down my worries and looked at them. Part of them, I noticed, belonged to the past and another part to the future." - Corrie ten Boom Take a look at what you are truly concerned about right now. Many of us are experiencing Corrie ten Boom's words. We are living in the present day but are allowing the guilt of the past and the fears of the future to haunt us. We have become mentally indebted and we cannot seem to let go. It is said that guilt is the interest paid for past mistakes - and worry is the interest paid for the future. In the natural, you may have experienced a debt situation where the interest, penalty, and late charges that were added were quite a bit more than the original debt. Likewise, if you examine your entire situation, you may find that the interest you are paying for your worries, in terms of stress, is adding up to be more than the actual debt. Debt, whether it be natural or mental, can be costly and stressful. We must trust God concerning the failures of our past. When we live in guilt and fear, we are actually questioning God in His forgiveness and His ability to fulfill the promises that He has made to us. He wants to forgive us and is waiting to hear our confession. All that we have to do is simply confess our sins and God will faithfully forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). Forgiveness for the past comes by confession. This means we must confess our sins to God, calling them by their name. He does not want a general prayer that vaguely confesses, "If I have sinned, forgive me." God wants us to take responsibility and own-up to our sins and failures, naming them one by one. When we do this, He has promised to cleanse us, erase the debt, and remove all guilt and shame. God also wants us to know that we can trust Him for the future. He will provide for us and fulfill all of the promises that He has made to us. Mathew 6:25 says, "Don't even take thought for the food, water, and clothes that you will need. Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things." If you just trust Him, He will provide daily food for you just like He does for the birds because you are more valuable to Him than they are. You are His special creation and He has even numbered the hairs on your head. Jesus said, "Just look at the beautiful lilies of the field. They don't toil, spin, or worry." They just look toward the heavens and draw their strength from God's daily provision of rain and sun. Because of their simple trust, God clothes them in a glory that exceeds the glory of King Solomon. Like the lilies and the birds, God will also take care of you and clothe you in the same splendor. Jesus said it so plainly. "You have enough to worry about for today. So forget the past and all of its failures and trust Me for your future." +++ 1/13/21 HEALING FOR THE HEART Scripture: Psalms 147:3 "He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds." Saint Augustine, who lived in 354-430 AD said, "It's one thing to remove the spear, but quite another to heal the wound by long and careful treatment." His statement was not only true concerning physical wounds but also true with regard to wounds that come when the heart has been shattered by the conflicts of life. The spear, or the circumstance that causes our pain, may be quickly removed from our lives. Yet, the wound that has been inflicted will take much time to fully heal because when the spear is removed, it leaves a gaping hole within our heart that only God can mend. Memories may linger for a lifetime and their reoccurrence will surprise us at the most inopportune moments. Against our will, they will resurface and remind us of the pain that we suffered and the injustice that we were forced to endure. Painful memories are like permanent stains, which cannot be erased, removed, or washed away without the supernatural work of our Comforter, the Holy Spirit. King David was a mighty warrior and knew the hardships and grief of battle. Yet, his heart had been wounded not by a spear from the enemy, but by a trusted friend. He prayed to God concerning this particular painful and personal experience that he had suffered. He said if an enemy had reproached and taunted him, he might have been able to bear it. Or if he had been hurt by someone who hated him, he would have just gone into hiding. But sadly, David's wounds came from his close companion and familiar friend. He was betrayed by someone with whom he shared a close relationship. They had a sweet fellowship with one another and had even walked together to the house of God (Psalms 55:12-14). Like David, most of us have sustained near-fatal wounds in the spirit and have felt the pain of the spear as it pierced our heart. We have lost loved ones to death, experienced divorce, or possibly suffered an estranged relationship with a close friend or a precious member of our own family. Through no fault of our own, we have been terribly wounded by those that we have loved and trusted the most. No enemy could have broken our heart that deeply. No worldly acquaintance could have disappointed us more than the betrayal by our spiritual brother or sister whom we fellowshipped with in the house of the Lord. These wounds to our heart are deeper and far greater than those that an enemy could inflict, for it is harder to receive healing when our wounds came by those whom we love. Nevertheless, we do have hope. The Lord, Himself, has promised to heal the broken hearted and to bind up the wounds. We must yield ourselves to His process. Jesus will remove the spear and then by long and careful treatment, He will lovingly bind up or dress our wounds until our hearts are thoroughly healed. +++ 1/14/21 KEEP ON ASKING Scripture: Luke 18:1 (Amplified) "Always pray ... do not turn coward, faint, lose heart and give up." This scripture deals with a widow who received justice from a judge. The judge gives his account of the situation and explains why he granted her justice. He said that he did not avenge her because he reverenced and feared God. Neither did he grant her petition because he had respect and consideration for her as a person. The judge avenged her because he began to realize that she was not going to give him any peace until she received some answers. Every time he turned around, she was there and her voice was in his ears. She was bothersome and an intolerable annoyance to him. She was determined in her spirit and was not going to leave without getting an answer. In verse seven, Jesus said, just like this unjust judge, "Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?" How many answers do we fail to receive because we quit praying and give up? James 5:16 says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." This speaks of Elijah's earnest prayers concerning rain. His petition was not a "one time" prayer. I Kings 18:42-43 tells us that Elijah cast himself down upon the earth, put his face between his knees, and prayed seven times until he saw that his answer was on the way. Effective prayer continues until there are results. It is like boiling a pot of water. Water must reach 212 degrees before it begins to boil. We can stand there and wait until it reaches 210 degrees and give up each time just before it starts to boil, or we can see the process through. In Mark 8:22-25, Jesus put His hands on a blind man the second time before the man's vision was restored completely. And Daniel's prayer was heard from the first day that he prayed, but his answer was delayed twenty-one days (Daniel 10:12). Shameless persistent faith holds on until the answer comes. You must never give in to disappointment and discouragement if you want to experience victory. And you must not turn coward and faint. Instead, "Ask and keep on asking, and it shall be given unto you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door shall be opened to you." (Luke 11:9 Amplified). +++ 1/15/21 GOD TEACHES AND DIRECTS Scripture: Isaiah 48:17 NIV "This is what the Lord says - your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go." As we travel our various roads of life, there are separate destinies that await us. Yet often in quest of God's purposes and plans, it seems difficult to 'get on' and 'stay on' the right course because there are so many distractions to lead us away in the wrong direction. Our paths may be diverted by failures and disappointments or sometimes even good things that are not necessarily the right things for our life. It would be great to be like the Israelites who were led by a cloud each day and guided by a fire at night. Or can you imagine being directed by the Star of Bethlehem, which led the wise men to their intended destination? With precise signs and wonders like these leading us, it would surely be hard for us to miss God's perfect plan for our life. God, however, has not ordained these types of supernatural happenings for our daily life. He has given us His Word, the witness of His Holy Spirit, and His still small voice to guide and direct us. As simple as this plan of communication may sound, however, His presence and His voice is just as phenomenal as signs and wonders. How awesome it is to feel God's presence leading us along the right path. It is just as exciting as the cloud by day or the fire by night because when God makes His presence known, it is an overwhelming and eternal experience. Also, when God singles us out and speaks distinctly within our spirits, there is no sign or wonder that can compare. Every time God touches us in a personal and special way, we are changed. His desires become our desires and His choices become our choices. The more we see Him move in our circumstances, the more we realize that His ways truly are better than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. All of God’s plans for us are for our good and not evil and they are designed to give us a future and a hope. He is our Redeemer and the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah said that the Lord not only teaches or lets you know the right way, but that He also directs you in the way you should go. God is interested in that which is the very best for you. Trust His leadership, for He knows what is ahead and is much wiser than you. As you trust Him, you will find that He always gives you the best when you allow Him to do the choosing. +++ 1/18/21 A PLACE CALLED PRAYER Scripture: Matthew 14:23 "Jesus went up into a mountain apart to pray: and …He was there alone." This scripture is sandwiched in between two mighty miracles that Jesus preformed. In the first miracle, Jesus fed over 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Within just a few hours, He performed another miracle by walking on the water. Could we say as the people did in Matthew 13:54, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" Jesus answers this question in John 5:19-20 when He says, "The Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing ... For the Father loves the Son and will show Him what He is doing." Even though Jesus was God the Son, when He came to Earth He came in the flesh, or as John 1:14 says, He was the "Word made flesh." Jesus emptied Himself of His deity and took on the form of a mere man. He could only do what the Spirit of God anointed Him to do (Philippians 2:6-8). Jesus did not take advantage of His divine nature, but instead He completely abandoned Himself into the hands of God. He depended upon God the Father to show Him what to do and to anoint Him to do it. Acts 10:38 says, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, Who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil: for God was with Him." Jesus' wisdom and power came about as a result of the anointing of God, and the anointing came as a result of His communion with God the Father. Jesus continually searched for a time and place to be alone with God. It was in those intimate places that God showed Jesus what He was to do and infused His being with the presence of the Holy Spirit who empowered Jesus to complete the work. After Jesus miraculously fed the multitudes, He sent His disciples and the multitudes away so that He could find a place to pray before He walked upon the water. Jesus renewed His strength through His relationship with God the Father and did not try to function in yesterday's power. Because Jesus spent time with God, God was with Him. Too often, we find ourselves trying to rely on yesterday's revelation and yesterday's anointing. We must recall the secret that Jesus held. He found wisdom and power in the solitary place called prayer. His main interest was His communion with the Father. God's anointing is only going to come to us through this same place of intimacy with Him. When we pass through the veil into God's presence, we gain an assurance that He is with us. In this place called prayer, we find the power of His anointing that will cause us to be able to fulfill His call. +++ 1/19/21 ANGER WITHOUT SIN Scripture: Ephesians 4:26 "Be angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath." Anger is defined as great displeasure or indignation. We always think of anger as being evil, but the Apostle Paul made mention that you could actually be angry and still be without sin. Anger can be a positive emotion if its motives are pure and it is dealt with in the right manner. Anger can motivate you to righteous actions and even drive you into a state of war against evil forces that defy God. Yet even with its positive points, we do not have a license to be angry about every little thing that comes our way, for the scriptures plainly teach us to be slow to wrath. King Solomon said, "He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding" because a hasty spirit exalts folly (Proverbs 14:29). He also said, "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty" because he is able to rule his own spirit (Proverbs 16:32). The Apostle Paul said, "Don't let the sun go down on your wrath." We must settle the situation as quickly as possible by assuming the fault or forgiving the one who has transgressed against us. Whatever we do, we cannot continue to hold on to anger. Another definition of anger is inflammation. Just as you cannot continue to use a muscle that is inflamed without causing more serious injury, you cannot continue to allow your emotions to be inflamed with anger without causing greater injury to your spirit. In the next verse Paul said, "Neither give place to the devil." Unresolved anger opens the door to the devil and gives an evil spirit a place to reside. A friend told me a story recently that was overwhelming. Her husband's brother was out of work and came to stay with them for a while and their landlady became enraged over the situation. They were perplexed but remembered that she had told them that she and her own brother had been at odds for forty-seven years. Her brother had tried to reconcile with her, but she refused. The spirit of anger within her would not allow her to let go of the past. Even though she could not remember what the battle was about forty-seven years ago, it still raged within her soul and kept her in bondage. Not only did the spirit of anger destroy the years and the relationship that she and her brother could have had, but it also manifested itself against others who had good family relationships. This is the type of anger that Paul warned against, for anger of this sort opens the door to unforgiveness and gives a place to the devil. We know that Jesus was without sin and that God is not evil. Yet, Jesus, Himself, felt the emotions of anger against the religious people who judged Him for doing good and healing on the Sabbath Day. Mark 3:5 says, "He looked on them with anger." Jesus was grieved for the hardness of their heart, yet He did not allow anger to rule His spirit. Jesus went on with His business and healed the man with the withered hand. The religious folks who were angered over the incident took counsel on how they could destroy Jesus, and their anger drove them to evil. Jesus also came against those who had disrespect for the house of God (John 2:14-15). He made a scourge of small cords and used it to drive the money changers out of the temple, overthrowing their tables of business. Even God showed anger. He was angry with Moses (Deuteronomy 4:21) and with King Solomon (I Kings 11:9), and David declared that God is angry with the wicked everyday (Psalms 7:11). Every day, evil provokes God to anger, yet God is always ready and quick to forgive. The Lord hates the sin but He loves the sinner. Let us remember His example. His grace is sufficient and His mercy endures forever. When we are provoked to anger, let us not hold it in our hearts but deal with it gracefully. Let us forgive and forget before the sun goes down and the way of reconciliation is lost in the darkness. +++ 1/20/21 WALK IN INTEGRITY Scripture: Proverbs 20:6-7 "Most men will proclaim everyone his own goodness .... The just man walks in his integrity." We title our daily devotional A Word In Due Season because it is not "The" only word that God will speak to you today. It is simply "A" confirming word, for the scriptures declare that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every Word of God will be established (II Corinthians 13:1). God's Word will come to you through many voices and experiences to confirm His desires so that His purposes can be established. Your pastor, family members, teachers, and friends will speak into your life. Even the situations that surround you will confirm your direction. Our devotional is written a few days in advance so that it can be edited, posted on the website, and then attached to the many address lists. Often it surprises me when one of my own devotional writings comes back to me a few days later and it encourages me or speaks a confirming word that I personally needed to hear for that day. The experience is like being a mother who prepares a meal for her family and then gets to enjoy it with them. We are all partakers of God's wonderful words of grace, which are new and fresh every day. As I write this devotional, this was one of those special days because the Word that was published was about allowing Christ to be the umpire of our peace. Today the enemy tried desperately to take my peace in regard to a matter of integrity, but he was unable because God's presence filled my heart and His love surrounded my emotions. The Lord reminded me, "Your righteousness is of Me, says the Lord" (Isaiah 54:17). There are so many situations to deal with on a daily basis and everyone's battle will be different, but Jesus can give all of us personal peace. When someone tells an untruth about you or falsely accuses you, if you cast your care upon the Lord, peace will come into your heart. You will have an assurance because you know that you can trust God to give those about you discernment so that your integrity is not tarnished in their eyes. The truth that resides in your heart will set you free. You will retain your joy because you know that God sees and understands the entire situation and that He will honor and reward your personal integrity. The writer of this proverb said, "Most men will declare their own goodness, but the just man walks in his integrity." Integrity is the highest standard, for the integrity of a just man makes its own statement. Integrity is solid and it proclaims truth, creates peace, and produces joy. The world about you may not know who is right or who is wrong, but you have this assurance that there are several people who do know the full truth. The two that are at variance against each other surely know the truth concerning the situation. Plus, there is the all knowing God, Himself, along with His Son, Jesus Christ, and God's precious Holy Spirit. There will also be family members, friends, and acquaintances who know the truth and will stand with you in adversity. With these witnesses of truth and integrity on your side, it will be easy for you to walk in the midst of your disconcerting situations with praise in your heart to God. So whatever comes your way in life, I encourage you to walk in integrity every step of the way and allow the Lord to be the one to faithfully proclaim your goodness. +++ 1/21/21 FROM FAITH TO FAITH Scripture: Romans 1:17 "From faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." God has an extraordinary and powerful plan to rescue the believers who trust in Him. From faith to faith and from start to finish, God works within us to bring about His awesome plan. His plan is the glorious gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. This gospel of salvation has at least three facets. First, His salvation redeems us from past sins and gives us eternal life in Heaven. Second, it also equips us with God's strength to help us live in Heaven's victory while we are still here on Earth. Third, the gospel of Jesus Christ never changes. Jesus and His gospel of salvation is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8 ). The just are to live by faith and that faith will come by hearing the Word of God. Only the Word of God will set us free and bring us total salvation for the past, present, and future. Many are born again and can believe that their salvation experience will take them to Heaven. It is wonderful that they have received faith's assurance for tomorrow's future, yet, these same born again believers cannot seem to operate in the faith that allows them to forgive themselves or to believe that God has forgiven them for the sins of their past. Their spirits are saved and they are on their journey towards glory, but their minds are not renewed and their souls linger in the pits of doubt. They carry much baggage of guilt and shame because they cannot let go of the memories of what they have done. There are others who have faith to believe for eternal salvation and are also able to receive forgiveness for the things of their past, but they have no faith to live in today's victory. They flounder around in the sea of unbelief when it comes to trusting God for their present deliverance, protection, preservation, healing, and provision for their needs. When we gave our hearts to Jesus, He did a total work in our lives. He immediately began a work in us and we can "be confident in this one thing, that He Who began a good work in us will complete it unto the end" (Philippians 1:6). For that reason, when we look at our lives, we should not become discouraged. We must realize that the Lord is not finished with us yet. His work is progressive as He takes us from faith to faith. We are made just by faith in Him and then our faith in Him becomes a daily process. We can be assured that the Lord will not desert us on our journey or stop in the middle of our progress. He will continue to develop us right up to the time of His return. Faith springs from faith. The initial faith that we received leads to more faith. As we receive the Word of faith daily, the Lord transforms us and renews our mind. Faith arouses greater faith so that we no longer waver in any area of life. We must understand that it is only as we have faith in God and totally trust our past, present, and future lives to Him, that we, being justified, will really learn to live. +++ 1/22/21 REMEMBER THE SABBATH Scripture: Exodus 20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." In six days God created the heavens and the earth, all of nature and the universe, and man and woman. When He had finished, He was pleased with His work and declared that it was all good. He then rested on the seventh day from all of His labors. When God gave us the Ten Commandments, He told us to follow His example and consecrate the Sabbath to Him. The animals were not to be put to work and the land itself was to rest. Seed was not supposed to be sown in the fields and the vineyards were not to be pruned. Taking a day of rest was not just a suggestion. Instead, it was a command for the entire creation of God. Yet often we violate this commandment to rest, even though most of us would never think of violating the other nine commandments. We love the Lord our God with all of our hearts and do not take His Name in vain. We would never make or worship idols. We honor our fathers and mothers and we do not kill or steal. Neither do we bear false witness against our neighbors or covet our neighbor's spouse or material goods. Yet, we are busy people and do find ourselves at times transgressing the command of God to rest one day out of seven because we have much that needs to get done. God set aside the Sabbath for our time of rest, which was actually the last and seventh day of the week. But since Jesus' resurrection on the first day of the week, we now celebrate Sunday as our day of rest and we call it the Lord's Day. It is our day of worship and we consecrate it as holy unto the Lord. Yet, it also becomes a day to catch up on all the left over chores of the week. When I was growing up it was much easier to find a day of rest because most of the businesses were closed in honor of the Lord's Day, which left nothing else to do but rest. It also seemed that life was not as busy and there was more time to take care of all of our business during the week. However, there came a day when more businesses began to open on Sunday, and I remember that they established a law in effort to keep Sunday from becoming just another day of the week. It was called the "Blue Law" and this law made it illegal for merchants to sell anything on Sunday except for essential items like buy food and medicine that was marked with a blue symbol. I wonder what happened to that law, which is not enforced today. I also wonder what happened to the law of God that is supposed to be written upon the tables of our heart that says, "Six days you are to labor and do all of your work. The seventh day, you are to rest." God did not just randomly think of the Sabbath rest. He knew from His own experience that we too needed the rhythm of action and rest. It is a spiritual and biological necessity that we allow ourselves to be dormant, for if we do not find times of rest, just being alive will become an enormous burden. God said that man was not made for the Sabbath, but that the Sabbath was made for man (Mark 2:27). He established one day out of every seven for rest. He intends for us to consecrate that day as holy unto Him and find rest and regeneration for our body, soul, and spirit. Remember the Sabbath, for is a personal gift from God, which should be received and enjoyed. +++ 1/25/21 YOUR HEART'S TREASURE Scripture: Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." In this verse and the verses following, Jesus speaks to us about being focused. He talks to us about our heart's attitude concerning material things, our spiritual vision, and our service. He exhorts us to lay up heavenly treasures rather than gather earthly ones. He tells us to keep our vision single so that our whole life is filled with light, and then concludes by telling us that there can be only one master in our life. Jesus makes it very clear that our hearts, vision, and service will revolve around the things we count as treasures in our lives. All of us have treasures of some sort that we are concerned about. When we were kids, our minds and hearts were not the least bit concerned about the security of the banks or the fluctuation in the stock market. Our treasure was wrapped up in a few coins in a piggy bank in our room, but we guarded that small bank because it was our personal treasure. As we matured, however, our treasures began to change and our hearts became concerned about the national and global economy. For some of us, our career became our prize and priority. For others, our children remained our most treasured possessions. We were there for every school program, sports event, and band concert, not because we wanted to be there for the game or see the performance, but because our child was involved. We counted the sacrifice of our time a joy and a privilege because we were supporting our personal treasure. Regardless of what we count as most dear in our lives, whether money, position, or relationships, our hearts will lean in the direction of that treasure, for just as Jesus said, where our treasure is, there will be our heart also. Jesus said that whenever He is the true treasure of our life, our hearts and minds will be stayed on Him and there will be no other gods in our lives. Our vision and attention will become single and nothing will be allowed to interfere, as our heart follows after our treasure. We will joyfully dedicate all that we are and everything that we have to the Lord to fulfill His will and complete His purpose. This is the simple truth that Jesus wanted us to understand, which is that our heart will always remain with our treasure. He exhorted us to choose God as the utmost treasure of our hearts. Then He promised that as we seek God and His Kingdom before anything else, the lesser treasures will also be added to us. +++ 1/26/21 THE PROMISE OF BLESSINGS Scripture: Deuteronomy 11:13-14 "Love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, ... I will give you the rain on your land in due season ... so that you may gather in your corn, wine, and oil." This is a powerful promise from the Lord our God, but notice what the order of our relationship with Him needs to be. We are to love Him first, and then serve Him. Our love for God should be the catalyst of our service for Him. Yet, there are times that we get the process reversed. We start out loving and our love motivates us to serve, but then serving overtakes our personal relationship with God and our focus becomes distorted. We become like the church at Ephesus, which did good works, had patience, and could not bear that which was evil. Yet, regardless of their wonderful works and righteous deeds, the Lord said that He had something against them. They had left their first love (Revelation 2:4). They were so busy doing things for God that they did not have time and energy for a relationship with God. Service should never be a substitute for our intimate communion with God. Love is so simple. When you love someone you long to be in their presence, to hear their voice, to share their interest, and to feel their touch. You are driven to have personal contact with them. When you truly love God, you will feel these same desires and you will find time to fulfill them. You will create a space in your busy life to pray and commune with God. You will read His Word and listen intently for His voice. You will push things to the side to be in His presence so that you can feel His tender touch on your life. You will glory in the moments that you share with Him, and then your service for Him will be birthed out of that experience. You will serve Him because you love Him, not in order to fulfill a duty or obligation. We must examine our lives from time to time and see where we stand on this issue. We must determine if our first love has become our ministry and our good deeds or if our first love has continued to be for God, Himself. If we find that we have drifted away or grown cold because of our busy schedules, we need to simply return to the Lord and find the time to make Him first in our lives. We can renew our commitment to the Lord at any time. We can start today wherever we are, making our intimacy with the Lord our first goal and allowing our service for Him to follow. God said that if we draw near to Him, He would draw near to us. He confirms this promise again and says that if we seek Him, we will find Him. When we renew this place in our hearts and choose the Lord to be our first love, He will shower His blessings upon us and we will find new strength for our souls. +++ 1/26/21 THE LORD GOES BEFORE YOU Scripture: John 10:3-4 "... the sheep hear His voice: and He calls His own sheep by name, and He leads them out ... He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him for they know His voice." You never have to fear the path that is set before you because the Lord Jesus goes before you each step of the way. You never have to tread where His feet have not been or suffer things that are foreign to His knowledge. He leads you out and then He goes before you, discerning every situation. He notes the paths that are too narrow and the rocky steeps that are too dangerous. He will lead you around every pitfall and protect you from every foe. As the Lord goes before you He encounters every obstacle that you will experience along the way so that He can understand your feelings and be touched by your infirmities. His presence makes the crooked way straight and His mighty hand opens every door that needs to be opened and closes every door that needs to stay shut. Jesus will never lead you into a place that is too difficult and you will never find His grace to be insufficient. Jesus is the Good Shepherd and He cares for His sheep. He loves you individually and does not get you confused with someone else. He calls you by your name. He also allows you to know Him in an intimate way so that you can recognize His voice. He does not disguise His voice or speak foreign words to you but makes Himself very plain. All you must do is listen for His still quiet voice saying, "This is the way, walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21). His voice will gently bring repentance and scatter the sounds of condemnation. His Words will give direction and drive away the spirits of confusion. He will never lead you astray and the simple knowledge that He is leading the way should give you great hope and confidence in your journey. The Lord's presence will bring peace in the midst of your turmoil. As you follow Him one step at a time, you are not to look sorrowfully at your past, be confused about the present, or fear the future. Tomorrow is unknown but His voice says, "Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for it will take care of itself." He is God and if He can feed the birds and clothe the flowers of the field, He can take care of you. Jesus goes before you. Just follow Him without doubt and fear, for He is already there in the future that you are about to experience. +++ 1/28/21 POWER AND STRENGTH Scripture: Isaiah 40:29 "He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might, He increases strength." This promise of power and increased strength from God is a wonderful scripture to hold on to in times of stress and fatigue. In the verses following, Isaiah tells us that those who were once weak will mount up with wings as the eagles. They will be able to run without growing weary and they will walk without getting faint. Notice that there are three levels where we may find ourselves; soaring as eagles, running, and walking. It's great when our journey with God takes us to new heights and the winds of His Spirit lift us above the mundane obstacles of daily life. As we soar through life, everything seems so special and it is as though we can reach out and actually embrace the heart of God. There are no obstructions, our vision is clear, and all storms are beneath us. It seems that Heaven is just a breath away. Everything appears beautiful in its own way, and we are at ease as we are carried on the winds of God's wings. When we soar, the mountains do not threaten us for they are our resting place, and the valleys do not frighten us for we are not having to walk through them. We face no shadows or immediate dangers, and one glance in any direction reveals our provisions. Soaring as eagles is a wonderful place with God, but we all know these seasons do not last forever. There are times that we must come down from the heavenlies, walk through the valleys, climb the mountains, and run the race that God has set before us. Running and walking do not seem to be as grand as the heights that we once experienced, yet God still meets us in these places and gives us added strength to endure. As we run, the journey goes fast and our thoughts are kept busy. There are no wasted efforts or long delays. We have no time for our patience to be tried because our efforts bring quick rewards. Then comes the seasons that we are only allowed to walk. These are the more difficult places where progress is slow. We know that God is with us, but it seems as though nothing is really happening. Our vision is limited and we have no idea what is just around the bend. The scenery changes very slowly as we can only take one step at a time, and desperation begins to cause our faith to faint. This is the time to remember the words that Isaiah prophesied to us. He explained just how the power and strength would come to those who are desperate for help. Whether you are young or old, you must understand that failing strength happens to everyone. Isaiah said when you find that you are weak and have no might, wait upon the Lord and He will cause you to grow stronger. When you feel that you cannot go on, rest in God's presence. Wait upon Him for He will give power to the faint and increase the strength of those who are weary. +++ 1/29/21 MAKE YOUR DAY COUNT Scripture: Psalms 90:12 "Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." These words were spoken by Moses in a prayer that he offered to the Lord. He wanted every day of his life to count. In the previous verses, he stated that man is only given seventy to eighty years to live. Moses realized that regardless of his natural strength, human life is limited here on earth, so he asked the Lord to show him how to number his days so that he could use his time wisely. This should also be our prayer and our goal. We should endeavor to be good stewards over each moment that God has entrusted to us and filter out the things that devour our time. It is only as we spend our time wisely that we will be able to fulfill the purposes and plans that God has ordained for us. When you visit those who are near death, most often they do not speak of their great accomplishments and successes. As they see the end on the horizon, they speak of those things that they never got to do or the places they never got to see. Their regrets are their unfulfilled dreams and the ventures never taken. It is sad to think that many songs were never sung, many poems never shared, and many words never written. They were buried deep in the hearts of those who died with a dream but who had never found the time or the courage to step out in faith and follow through with action. When you break it down, you discover that each day consists of 1,440 minutes. You have a choice to make each one of those minutes a blessing or a wasted disaster. If you will consecrate the first portion of your minutes to the Lord and spend your remaining minutes frugally each day, you will be blessed. As you seek the Lord, you will invoke His presence into your life. The Lord’s presence will then provide protection and grant you wisdom in all of your decisions. As you wait upon the Lord, He will renew your strength that will help you walk every mile, run every race of the day, and complete every task. Isaiah 40:31 says that you will “run and not be weary and walk and faint.” Each minute that you sow today will be a seed in tomorrow’s harvest of success. So, sow it wisely. Like Moses, ask the Lord to help you to number your days and then choose to make each one of the 1,440 minutes of the day count. Strive to finish your course like the Apostle Paul with no regrets or unfulfilled wishes. God has good plans for your life. Apply your heart unto God’s wisdom and use your energy for His Kingdom. He will bring your dreams out of the forgotten past and make them realities of the present and the future. +++ Copyright © 2021 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com			..............................