Jan22

............

A Word In Due Season
Jan2022

1/3/22
PRESENTING YOURSELF TO GOD

Scripture: Romans 12:1 "... present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

I received an email from one of our readers from Kenya, Africa whose name is Pastor Mbogo Zakayo. As he wrote of his desire to serve the Lord, I thought of the Apostle Paul's words, which instructed us to present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice. We may not be called to be a martyr and die for the cause of Christ, but we are called to present our fleshly bodies to Him as a living sacrifice. We are to take up our cross daily and live a life that is holy and acceptable to God. According to Paul, this act is a reasonable service, for God has never called us to do anything that we could not do. We are to present ourselves to God with the resolve to live a holy acceptable life before Him each and every day.

As Pastor Mbogo Zakayo expressed his heart's desire to please God, I have captured his own words as closely as possible to form the following prayer. These words would be beneficial for all of us to pray as we present ourselves to God as we start a new year and also as we start each new day.

My Father God, I honor Your Holy Name.
Today, I present my body to You as a living sacrifice.
I pray that my life will be holy and acceptable to You.
I pray for a daily cleansing of my heart so that it may be pure.
I ask that You purify my motives, my desires, my ambitions, and my passions.
I want no spirit of self-seeking, vain glory, or pride to have a place within me.
I want nothing in my life that would displease You, Lord,
or cause me to be the least bit unusable for Your service.
I do not want to bring reproach upon the Name of Jesus in any way,
for in Him I live and have my being.
Apart from Jesus, I am lost and undone.
He is the very air I breathe and I cannot live without Him.
I do not want to live without Him!

Father, I believe that You will use me in these last days as You have spoken.
I have wept at the awesome knowledge of Your calling,
yet, it is not something that I, myself, have desired.
Lord, above everything, I desire that Your will be done
and not my own. It is all about You!
The only qualifications that I have are what You have given to me.
My greatest desire is to know You, Lord, more intimately;
and to move and flow in Your power
for that is what will accomplish Your will.
Lord, help me to respect Your Word and not to be involved in deception.
Help me not to take lightly Your anointing or misuse it in any way.

Lord, I also pray for the entire body of Christ and lift them up to You,
that each member will be strong, healthy, and in their proper place
so that the body can function and complete the purposes
for which it was designed.
We know that Christ is returning for a glorious church.
Let us be counted with those who are without spot or blemish.
Amen. +++

1/4/22
NEW RESOLUTIONS

Scripture: Psalms 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalms 118 was a jubilant expression of praise and thanksgiving that was sung by the worshipers as they went up to the Temple. The psalm spoke of the people's deliverance from the things of the past that had caused them distress and also expressed their hopes for the future. The word "day" in this scripture is not confined in any way except to indicate a particular space of time. It can mean either the time between sunrise and sunset or the twenty-four hour period from one sunset to next sunset. It can also mean a week, a year, a decade, or a season. It can even refer to a century or an entire age.

God creates spaces of time in our lives and each one starts with a new beginning. Each day comes with a new sun rise offering light to escape the previous darkness and warmth to create growth on the earth. Every new week gives us a fresh start after an appointed day of rest. Each new season brings change and every new year births new resolutions and hope in our spirits. We start each of these spaces of time with faith that things will be good and that we will accomplish our goals in a better fashion.

I start every morning agreeing with God's Word that this is the day or the space of time that the Lord has given to me and declare that I will rejoice and be glad in it. It does not take long, however, for my declaration to be challenged and my hopes dashed to pieces because the day does not always go as I have planned. My week also gets off to a rough start and the month ends too soon without the major goals being met. And the New Year, with its promising resolutions to do better, presents its own challenges. Everything seems to fall to pieces little by little and I begin to wonder, if God really did create this new day, why is all this chaos happening?

Yet, God's Word is always true for God is not a man that He should lie. If the Word says that He created this day or space of time we can believe it and we can also believe that He will give us strength to rejoice in it. Being children of the Most High God does not exempt us from heartache and trouble. The Apostle James told us to rejoice when we went through fiery trials. Habakkuk rejoiced in the season when the fig tree did not blossom and there was no fruit on the vine. The Apostle Paul determined that none of the tribulations that He faced would separate Him from God and he instructed us to rejoice in the Lord always. Jesus proceeded towards the crucifixion of the Cross because of the joy that was set before Him.

It would benefit our souls to stand with these men of faith and declare that we too will rejoice in the Lord and be glad in the current day regardless of what it brings. Rejoicing provides strength to endure and it is with joy that we are able to draw from the wells of salvation. So, let us recognize this new year as a special gift from God and appreciate every day. Let us determine to rejoice and be glad in it regardless of the circumstances knowing that God made this day or period of time and He knows what surrounds it. +++

1/5/22
GOD'S PLAN

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

When God formed each of us, He had a specific plan and purpose in mind. So He did not give us the same qualities and abilities, but placed within each of us all that we would need to be able to do His divine will. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, "God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts." His thoughts and plans are higher than ours. In fact, the scriptures declare that the distance between God's thoughts and our thoughts is as far as heaven is from the earth. This is because, for the most part, our thoughts are concerned with today's business and what is happening right now and God's thoughts are on eternity.

Sometimes we find ourselves in great difficulties and cannot understand why, but Romans 8:18 declares that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. We may think that we are in a hopeless place with no way of escape because we are surrounded by darkness and separated from others. Yet, we must remember that regardless of how hopeless our situation may look, God has a plan, and it is for good and not evil, to give us a future and a hope.

Consider the butterfly. God had a future for it, but it had to go through much turmoil before it was released to display God's beauty and glory. It began by spinning itself into a cocoon and may not have realized that the end result of its spinning would be capturing itself in a small dark place for a very long season. It may have been surprised when it found itself separated from others in this quiet place, totally alone with God. This place was also humbling, for there was no beauty in the appearance of the cocoon attached to a branch. It probably wondered what happened to its original dream.

As bad as the outside may have looked to others, the inside was much worse for the caterpillar itself. It was in greater turmoil than anyone could ever imagine as it struggled on its own, in great labor and difficulty. No one could help it get through its ordeal, and no one could set it free but God. Receiving its release meant it had to force its body through a narrow passage. Yet, this was God's provision of glory and beauty for the butterfly. It is through the pressure caused by moving through this narrow passage that nature forces the juices into the vessels of the wings and releases the beauty that God intended. If someone intervened and stop God's process by releasing the butterfly early, it would end up with a huge swollen body and shriveled wings and it would be forced to crawl through life rather than fly.

God knows where you are and He understands your struggles. You must believe that He has a glorious end in sight. He wants you to be complete and fully equipped to operate in His plan. God will call you out when He sees that you are ready and not a moment before. He does not want you crawling through life like a shriveled caterpillar but instead soaring like a beautiful butterfly. God is working His plan in your life, but you must call upon Him and search for Him with all of your heart. Remember that as you pass through the dark and narrow places, He is preparing you for the time of your release. Trust in the Lord. He does have a future with a hope, and in the fullness of His time, His glory will be revealed in you. +++

1/6/22
MASTER OF THE STORM

Scripture: Mark 4:41 "What manner of man is this?"

Jesus instructed His Disciples to go to the other side of the lake. As they obeyed His words, they found themselves in a terrible dilemma, for there arose a great storm. Winds beat against their ship and the waves began to fill it with water. Fear gripped the Disciples' hearts and doubt filled their minds. Yet, somewhere in the midst of all this turmoil and confusion, they remembered that Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat. When they finally called upon Him, He brought all things back to normal by rebuking the wind and speaking peace to the sea. It took only a few words from the lips of Jesus and suddenly there was a great calm.

In the midst of this great storm, the Disciples found that they had no reason to fear. Jesus was still in control of the ship, the wind, the seas, and even their hearts. And even though Jesus saw their hearts were filled with fear and unbelief, He still worked a miracle on their behalf. When the storm ceased and the ordeal was finished, the Disciples marveled, saying, "What manner of man is this?” They experienced a new depth of reverence for the One who had caused the winds and sea to obey Him.

What manner of man is this Jesus whom we serve? If we examine our life closely, we can say that Jesus has never lost control of our lives. He has never sent us to a place where His grace could not keep us. Like the situation with the Disciples, if He tells us to go to the other side of the lake, He is well able to help us fulfill that mission regardless of the storms that may come in between. He is the Master of the sea and is never alarmed by the winds, waves, and the rocking of our ship. Jesus sees our doubt and unbelief, but is faithful to extend His mercy and help in the time of our need.

Our greatest danger is not the raging sea that surrounds us, but the raging lack of trust within our own spirits. The storms of life will either cause us to shipwreck or they will strengthen our faith. As we face the storms, we must understand what manner of man Jesus is. He loves us and seeks to protect us. There is no storm so great that His presence cannot bring calm into the atmosphere so we must have faith and trust in Him. Jesus is always at rest within our spirit. He is waiting for us to call upon Him so that He can rescue us from the present danger. +++

1/7/22

CHOOSE GOD’S BLESSING - NOT THE WORLD’S ABUNDANCE

Scripture: Genesis 13:10 & 11 "Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah ... Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan."

Abraham took Lot, his nephew, with him when he left Egypt. However, it became difficult for them to live together because both men had such large herds and great possessions. When the land could not support both of them any longer, strife began to develop between their herdsmen. In an effort to control the strife, Abraham suggested that he and Lot separate themselves and go different directions. Abraham said, "The whole land is before us. You take what you want and I will take what is left."

This was such a generous offer on Abraham's part because he was Lot's elder and leader and could have demanded the best for himself. Abraham's herdsmen, who were already in strife with Lot's herdsmen, would have stood with Abraham in battle to gain the more fruitful and better land. Yet, Abraham gave Lot first choice. Lot responded to this offer by choosing the very best portion of land, the plain of Jordan, which was well watered, lush, and green. However, this land did not remain in this state for very long. Because of the sin which polluted Sodom and Gomorrah, God's judgment fell upon it. In its final state, the land that Lot chose became a barren desert. It was no longer fruitful but was in total contrast to its original state of being well watered, lush, and green.

In Luke 12:15, Jesus told us that our lives do not consist in the abundance of things which we possess. Riches never satisfy the soul. A rich man and a poor man debated which of the two where the wealthiest. The rich man told the poor man, "I'm the wealthiest because I have great riches and you have nothing." The poor man said, "I'm the wealthiest. You have great riches for sure, but you always want more. I have very little, but I have all I want."

I Timothy 6:6-9 instructs us that, "contentment is great gain ... be content with having food and clothing." And then it warns us that, "Those who crave to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts." God knows you and knows your needs. He has great plans for you and will provide what is best for you. Instead of choosing the land that is well-watered, lush, and green, seek God's blessing and His perfect will for your life. God will always give you the best when you allow Him do the choosing." +++

01/10/22
REPENTANCE & OBEDIENCE

Scripture: Matthew 21:28-31 (Amplified) Jesus said, "What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He came to the first and said, Son, go and work today in the vineyard. And he answered, I will not; but afterward he changed his mind and went. Then the man came to the second son and said the same thing, and he replied, I will go, sir; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of the father? They replied the first one."

Doing God's will is simply walking in obedience one step at a time. It is starting at the point where we are when the Lord speaks and then following Him wherever He may lead. It is a simple matter of putting our foot into His footprint along the pathway of life. There are times, however, in all of our lives that we fail to do God's will either because of rebellion, compromise, or simple neglect. When we find ourselves in these places we need to call out to the Lord for help, be quick to repent, acknowledge our fault and sin of omission, and search for the perfect will of the Father.

When my oldest son was about three years old, he was playing in the yard. We lived in a safe neighborhood and the yard was enclosed with a cyclone fence. There was no way that he could unlock the gate and get out so I felt that he was very safe. I needed to go into the house for just a moment so I told him not to climb the fence. A few minutes later, I heard him calling from the yard. His cry was loud, but not frightening. I immediately went out to find him hanging on the fence. The hood of his winter jacket was ensnared in the wires at the top of the fence and he was hanging there like a picture on a wall. He was not hurt or even uncomfortable, just stuck in a situation that he had created. There was no way that he could help himself get out of this dilemma. I asked him if he had climbed the fence against my word and He said, "No, Mommy. Just get me down." He knew that I still loved him and that I was able to fix this situation for him. I asked him this question several times and each time he denied that he had disobeyed my words and that it was his fault. Finally, he realized that his denial was not helping the situation and that he was not getting off of the fence until he repented and promised never to do it again.

I laugh today as I remember this episode and wonder how many times do we find ourselves in a similar predicament. We fail to obey God and then find ourselves hanging on a fence. We are aware that we have stepped out of God's will and that He knows it too. Yet, we try to deny that we have made a mistake or that we have sinned. We just want God to fix the situation for us and get us down from the fence. Like my love for my own son, God's love is still there for us and He wants to fix everything in our lives that concern us. He is well able to get us down from the fence, but He waits for us to repent. He wants us to promise that we will not repeat the wrong action or that we will do those things that we have neglected.

Take note of your current situation. Are you hanging on the fence of rebellion, disobedience, or indecision? If you are struggling with doing the will of the Father, confess your unfaithfulness to Him. He will forgive and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9.), and He will deliver and set you free to fulfill His will. +++

1/11/22
FAITH AS A SEED

Scripture: Luke 17:6 "The Lord said, If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed ..."

Things that are impossible with man are possible with God. The Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could speak to the tree to be plucked up by the root, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you." He was telling us that nature itself is commanded by God to obey our words of faith. Even the storms are subject to our words. When the Disciples were being tossed about on the raging sea, Jesus asked, "Where is your faith?" He asked this question because He knew that faith in God had power over the storms. Jesus then spoke the word of peace directly to the storm to show us that faith had to be acted upon or expressed verbally in order to accomplish God's work.

God loves us, and like any loving father, He wants his children to experience success and enjoy victory in every area of life. So it only takes a little faith on our part to get Him involved in our circumstances. When we reach out to the Lord, He meets us at our point of faith and scripture verifies that He will even help us with our unbelief. When He sees that our faith is weak He sends His faith building Words to strengthen the little faith that we have.

Faith "as a seed" is an interesting concept. Seeds are the origin of life and produce fruit after their own kind. They are always planted in the darkness of the Earth and regardless of how strong the life is within them, they cannot germinate until they are watered. A seed can be alive but remain dormant for years as long as it is kept dry. A few years ago, there were some seeds that were discovered that had been hidden in the pyramids of Egypt centuries ago. These seeds still had life. They were secure within themselves but they were designed by God to be productive outside of themselves. They needed to be planted and watered for their hopes to be fulfilled. Like a seed, faith is also the origin of things hoped for. Faith comes alive when a Word from God is planted in the darkness of our heart and it is nourished when His Spirit showers it. Yet, our faith will remain dormant like a dry seed and there will be no fruit until there is action.

A seed also stands alone in its struggle. No one can actually make it grow, not even the other seeds. It is totally dependent upon the sovereignty of God. The seed roots itself downward into the depths of the soil as it begins to reach for the light that is above. It does not stagger to the left or right but continues in a straight path upward towards God. It grows one micro-inch at a time. Faith is the same. It is a personal experience that reaches up with trust towards a faithful God. Faith embraces God's promise one moment at time.

For one hundred and twenty years, Noah built the ark, one board at a time. Abraham, the father of many nations, searched for a city whose builder and maker was God, one step at a time. Moses led the people to the Promised Land and believed for manna from Heaven, one day at a time. The Apostle Paul fought the good fight of faith, one season at a time. Jesus endured the agony of the cross, one breath at a time. Seeds do not reach their destiny suddenly and neither does our faith. Faith is a continual exercise in believing the promises that God has given. So let us remember that if we have faith as a seed, we will eventually break through to the light and the fruit of our patience and struggle will be rewarded. +++

1/12/22
PAUSE AND CALMLY THINK ABOUT GOD

Scripture: Psalm 46:6-7 "The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved ... The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." Selah.

Selah at the end of this verse means to pause and think calmly about these words! When the heathen rage, we are to pause and calmly focus on the fact that "the Lord of hosts is with us" and that He is our refuge in the midst of trouble. The Lord is here right now and He is not overwhelmed by the evil threats that are being made against us. Verse nine that follows says that God can "make the wars to cease, break the bow into pieces, snap the spear in two pieces, and burn the chariots with fire." Nothing is impossible with God and no enemy is too great for Him to handle, whether it be physical or spiritual, national or personal. He is almighty God and He reigns forever.

When kingdoms are falling and are removed, we are to pause and calmly remember that "the Lord of hosts is with us" and He is our refuge. Verse one says God is "our very present help in the time of trouble." He does not show up late for the battle but is present from the beginning and remains until the end. God is in the midst of our situation and is ready to help us in any kind of trouble. He will not run and hide even though the earth is shaken and the mountains fall into the sea. God is with us in the midst of our problems and He will never be moved. Even in the tumult of wars that surround us and the devastation that covers the Earth, God will sustain and make good His promise to keep those who put their trust in Him.

Throughout this entire psalm, there is a call to remain calm. Verse ten says, "Be still and know that I am God." Even though God has power to sustain you, you must cooperate and allow His peace to keep your heart. You must choose to be still and stop considering all of the possibilities. Stop calculating the solutions and discard your own designs. Recognize that God is God and give Him space to work. God is about to do a great thing in your life and in this Earth. Take time to be still and recognize what He is doing. Verse ten continues to say, "God will be exalted among the nations!" This great God who is exalted in the Earth is the one who is always present with us and He is our refuge. So when times tend to be confusing and the world seems to be falling apart, just pause and calmly reflect on God's Words; He is present and He is our refuge. +++

1/13/22
A DECEITFUL BROOK

Scripture: Jeremiah 15:18 (Amplified) "Will you indeed be to me as a deceitful brook, like waters that fail and are uncertain?"

Jeremiah was a man who found great joy in the Word of God. He loved God and God's powerful hand was upon him, yet, he found himself in a very perplexing situation. For the Lord's sake, he was suffering reproach at the hands of his enemies. In Jeremiah's anguish, he began to think that God had utterly failed him and had possibly lied to him. Jeremiah could not understand why he continued in his pain and why his wounds refused to be healed. When he spoke to God, he compared his situation to a thirsty traveler who is excited when he finds a brook, but becomes disappointed when he discovers that the brook has actually dried up.

Have you ever come to this place in your journey through life? You find joy in God's Word and you trust in His promises. You set your soul to believe for an answer to your prayers; healing for yourself or someone you love, restoration of a relationship, or financial prosperity. But when the answer is delayed, your faith wavers and you begin to wonder if you have believed in a deceitful brook whose waters have dried up. Your mind tells you that you must have misunderstood God, and you begin to doubt His power and faithfulness.

Listen to God's answer to Jeremiah's question and apply it to your own life. God says, "If you will return and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair, then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety" (Verse 19 Amplified). God also told Jeremiah, "You have to separate yourself from the vile things that are in your heart and cleanse your own heart from unworthy suspicions concerning God's faithfulness." God made Jeremiah accountable for the doubt and unbelief that was in his heart.

If the promise from God that you have trusted and believed to be true seems to be turning into a deceitful brook, remember Numbers 23:19, which tells us that "God is not a man that He should lie; neither the son of man that He should repent. If God has spoken it, it will come to pass." God is never deceitful, so rejoice in His Word and turn from your distrust and despair. Separate yourself from doubt and believe in the Lord. God rewards those who diligently seek Him. When you trust in Him, He will create water for your dry brook and streams for your desert. +++

1/14/22
STRENGTH FOR THE INNER MAN

Scripture: Ephesians 3:14 & 16 "I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ... that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man."

The Apostle Paul was in prison when he wrote these words, yet, he was not concerned with his own problems and discontent. Instead, he was concerned for the needs of the body of Christ. Because of these concerns, he bowed his knee and prayed this prayer for the Church that their inner man would be strengthened with might, power, and ability. This can only happen by the work of the Holy Spirit as He comes to dwell personally within our innermost being.

Paul continued to pray in the next few verses that Christ would actually dwell in our hearts by our faith. When Jesus dwells in our hearts, He settles down, abides, and makes His permanent home there. He is not just an overnight guest, but is there to stay. And like any natural situation, the longer that we live with Him and are exposed to His person, the more like Him we become. We gradually begin to take on His attributes and characteristics. His strength becomes our strength and we become rooted and grounded in His love because He is love. The deeper our roots grow in His love, the more secure we become in Him. Paul prayed that we would have the power to comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth of this love.

The love of Jesus comes as we live with Him and experience Him on a daily basis. His love passes mere knowledge that has no experience. You may have had an experience in your life where you just knew that you could live with a particular individual, but as you began to live with that close friend or relative, the relationship proved the truth. You either bonded in love or separated in disharmony.
Paul's prayer for us is that our hearts bond with God and that our spirits be filled with His being. He desires that we be filled with God's glory, for we are designed for divine purposes.

God is able to do far more than we can ask or think, but He only works according to the power that is working within us. If we want to become all that God intended for us to be, we must allow Him to strengthen our inner man. We must make an effort to know and experience the fullness of the divine Presence of God Himself. +++

1/17/22
GO AND TEACH

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus spoke to them saying, "All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth ... go therefore and teach all nations ... lo, I am with you always..."

After Jesus' death and resurrection, He spoke these words to His Disciples. His words were few and simple but they encapsulated His vision that all men everywhere would hear the good news of the gospel and that none should perish but that all should receive eternal life. These words also defined the great work that Jesus commissioned His followers to do. His followers were to go into all the world and teach the gospel to all nations. They were to win the lost, heal the sick, and help those in need. They were to complete the work that Jesus had begun, and according to His Words in John 14:12, they were to do even greater works than He had done.

Such a simple command, "Go and teach." Jesus called His Disciples to be a part of His dream. Yet His dream was so big that it demanded great power and authority. So with this command, Jesus also issued the authority and gave the promise of His power that would be needed to complete the mission. Jesus gave them His Word, or the gospel, His Name, and the promise of His presence. In this account in Mark's gospel, Jesus said, "I am with you always." His presence alone is power, and when His presence is with you, it releases authority in you, and great and marvelous things happen. When the disciples followed His command, "Go and teach," they witnessed the fulfillment of these words. Mark 16:20 declares that as they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord worked with them and confirmed His Word with signs.

Jesus, who was life, gave up His life so that He could offer eternal life to a dying world. His purpose and His vision have not changed and His Word remains the same. He says, "Go, teach, and I will be with you." Then He waits to hear us respond with, "Jesus, I will do anything to be a part of Your dream. I will go. I will teach. I will fulfill Your commission. My life is in Your hands."

We may never reach the foreign soil, but we can send one who will go, and we can reach the people of the many nations who are on our own soil. We may not find opportunity to teach the multitudes, but we all have someone within our own circle that needs help. We all have a world and each one is different. It does not matter if we are a student, a mother, a businessman, member of the church staff, or one who is incarcerated in prison. We can all share the good news that Jesus loves and Jesus cares. As we go and touch those about us with His light and life, Jesus fulfills His promise. He works with us and confirms His Word. +++

1/18/22
EVEN WHEN THINGS SEEM HOPELESS

Scripture: Lamentations 3:26 "It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord."

A friend sent me a humorous email recently with several pictures of animals that were caught in precarious situations. One of the pictures was of a mule that was in quite a predicament. The mule was harnessed to the front of a two-wheeled cart, which was loaded down with heavy goods. The weight on the cart must have been unevenly distributed because the rear of the cart was touching the ground and the front of the cart, with the mule, was in the air. The caption over the picture read, "Even when things seem hopeless." This situation was certainly hopeless, for there was no way the mule could help himself, much less pull the heavy burden that had been assigned to him. He just hung there in hopeless despair waiting for his master to unload part of the weight.

Have you ever been in a place of hopeless despair like the mule in this scene? It seems that your burdens are too heavy, your storm is too great, your grief is too painful, or your situation is too bleak. There just does not seem to be any relief in sight. Jesus never intended for you to suffer through life in this manner. In fact, He came to give you an abundant life. Jesus said that His yoke would be easy and His burden would be light. He also said that He would not put more upon you than you could bear. Yet, many times we become overburdened by our own design. We take burdens that are not ours to bear and engage in battles that are not ours to fight. We put too much on our cart physically, mentally, and emotionally. In the midst of it all, our strength begins to fail and our faith is challenged beyond measure. Then, like the mule, we are stopped in our tracks and held in suspension by these heavy loads.

We may look just as ridiculous to the Lord when we try to carry our own burdens as the mule looked when he was lifted into the air by the weight of his burdens. Jesus must look at us and wonder why we do not unload our cart and cast every care upon Him. He cares for us and He wants us to cease from our struggles, let go of the conflicts that surround us, and begin to rest in His presence. He wants us to wait for His salvation, for only the Master of our soul can deal with our situations and deliver us. As we yield ourselves to Him, He will take our burdens one-by-one. Things may look bad at the present. Yet even when things seem hopeless, it is time for us "to both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord." +++

01/19/22
UNIQUELY MADE

Scripture: Psalm 139:14 & 15 "I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knows right well. My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret …"

King David praised God and acknowledged that man was an awesome creation of God. God very carefully put every one of us together while we were still in our mother's womb. He endowed each one of us with more than 50,000 genes that influence our intelligence, personality, physical and mental talents, and behavior. Each gene also differs in a number of ways in comparison to the genes of others. We are each beautiful in our own way. Our voices are so uniquely different that we can recognize the voices of our family, friends, and famous people in the midst of a million other voices. Even voice impersonators cannot completely fool us when we know the person they are attempting to impersonate. Our fingerprints and hair strands are so unique that they can positively identify us from another person. How marvelous is God’s creation!

God fashioned our bodies in a fearful and wonderful way. Our body consists of many minerals. It has about 206 bones, about 650 muscles, and up to 100,000 miles of blood vessels. Our tongue has 10,000 taste buds that replace themselves every two weeks. There are about 30,000 hairs in the ears to tune in to all sounds. The jaw exerts 70-162 pounds of pressure per inch. The body also has a nervous system of seven trillion nerves, close to four million sweat glands, and six million air cells in the lungs. Our heart beats more than 100,000 times a day and pumps about 1,900 gallons of blood daily, circulating it through the intricate blood system. While our body is functioning in this magnificent way, our brain is actively and instantly relating to sound, taste, sight, touch, pain, and smell. It is far greater than any computer that a genius could create.

God also gave us the ability to love, have joy, experience life, feel emotions, the privilege to commune with Him spiritually, and the awesome capacity to know and worship Him. He endowed us with a mental cognitive system so that we are able to remember, reason, and make decisions. When we think about these facts, we realize that we are truly “fearfully and wonderfully” made. Our bodies are so intricate we can barely absorb this information. God has blessed us beyond our comprehension. He not only formed us in secret, He secretly continues to watch over the being that He created. Jesus said, "The very hairs of our head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:30). In other words, God is so concerned and involved with our personal life that each time we lose a strand of hair; He is on the scene, calculating how many hairs we have left. God’s thoughts towards us are marvelous. The God who created us in His own image, to be unique, is unique in Himself. He is the source of our heartbeat. Like David, let us praise the Lord, for He fearfully and wonderfully made us. +++

1/20/22
RESPOND WITH PEACE

Scripture: Romans 12:18 "If it be possible, as much as lies within you, live peaceably with all men."

When two or more people are gathered together, there is a possibility for conflicting opinions and disagreements. Sadly, these situations can get out of control and turn into strife and division. God, in His wisdom, knew this may happen and that there would be times that it would be impossible for us to maintain peace with all men. He was aware that we would come face to face with those who would distort the truth and provoke us to anger. God also foresaw the useless and fragmented conversations that we would be engaged in as we desperately tried to explain and reason with irate individuals.

In society we are taught that when these situations occur, we should take a deep breath and very slowly count to ten. That is a wonderful idea and it may help us to calm ourselves down so that we do not act inappropriately, but it is not a guarantee that things will be brought together and that peace will prevail.

The scriptures teach us how to approach the matter in another way. They tell us to follow after the things that make for peace and that edify one another. We are not to avenge ourselves nor be overcome with evil, but to overcome all evil with good. David said, "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for the brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like precious ointment upon the head" (Psalm 133:1-2). God loves for His children to be in unity just as we desire for our own children to work together and be in unity.

However, there are situations beyond our control. Even Jesus faced these situations in His life. He was heralded into the earth by angels singing, "Peace on earth, good will to men." Yet, His teachings provoked the religious leaders and His presence stirred the very forces of darkness and evil, causing demons to cry out when He came on the scene. And the Apostle Paul, who instructs us with this scripture to live peaceably with all men as much as possible, found it almost impossible for himself because of his commitment to the gospel of Christ. Everywhere that Paul went there was an uproar. The scripture tell us there "arose no small stir" because he spoke the Name of Jesus (Acts 19:23).

When the opportunity comes for you to face strife and division, you do not need to count to ten. Just think about Jesus and yield to Him, for He is the Prince of Peace. As much as you allow Jesus to rule and reign within you, He will endow you with His supernatural presence, which will invoke peace. Whatever your personal challenge may be, He will give you strength to respond with a silence that is able to create peace in the hearts of men. +++

1/22/22
SOWING IN THE TIME OF FAMINE

Scripture: Genesis 26:12 "Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him."

There was a famine in the land, but God gave specific instructions to Isaac not to go into Egypt to have his needs met. Instead, God told Isaac to dwell in the land that He was leading Isaac to and that He would be with him and bless him there. Isaac stayed where God placed him, and in reward for his obedience, he became very prosperous. In fact, he gained so many possessions and servants that the Philistines envied him (Verse 14).

The story of Isaac deals with sowing actual seed and reaping real financial and material blessings. It can work for us as well as it did for Isaac. Like Isaac, we are not to look to Egypt or the world as our source of supply. When we are willing and obedient to God's command, He makes certain promises to us. His Word tells us that God will meet all of our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. We will eat the good of the land (Isaiah1:19). As we sow into God's Kingdom, we will reap. As we give, our blessings will come back to us "pressed down, shaken together, and running over" (Luke 6:38).

The famine that comes to you may not be in the area of finances. Yet, this same principle of sowing and reaping is also valid when you face famine in other situations. Your famine may be in the areas of your relationships, health, or emotional well-being. When any area of your life is lacking, you are to trust the Lord with all of your heart and not lean to your own understanding. God can bring about a harvest in the time of famine if you will simply sow.

If you are experiencing famine in a relationship with your spouse, parent, sibling, or close friend, you must sow into that relationship. At first it may look as though nothing will come from your seeds of love, compassion, forgiveness, and trust, but remember that seeds remain dormant for a season before they bring forth a harvest. If you remain diligent, you will eventually see the results. You may be facing a famine in the area of your health and lack the initiative to press forward. However, as you discipline and force yourself to sow the necessary seeds of proper diet, rest, and exercise, you will reap a harvest. Your famine may be in the area of your emotional well-being and things may look hopeless and overwhelming to you. During this discouraging and very challenging famine, you must sow God's Word into your life. As you do, He will quicken your mortal body and bring you new mental strength. You will only reap what you alone sow. Others cannot sow for you. So be diligent with your seed even in the time of famine. Make sure that you plant your seeds and then expect to see a hundred fold harvest. +++

1/24/22
IN GOD'S STRENGTH

Scripture: Galatians 5:16 "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

The Lord understands how strong the temptations are that come against us because while He was living in a fleshly body here on Earth He was tempted in all the areas that we will be tempted in. Yet, Jesus was able to make it through the temptations without committing any sin whatsoever. He alone is the spotless Lamb of God. Even though Jesus was able to remain without sin, He is aware that we will experience many failures in our lifetime. He knows that our spirit is willing to live right, but He also knows that our flesh can be very weak. We face a constant dilemma, for as the Apostle Paul said, "In me dwells no good thing … For what I want to do, I do not, but what I hate, I do (Romans 7:18-19)."

Temptations can be rough for us to handle at times because our enemy is aware of our personal desires and he will challenge us in the areas of our greatest weakness. There are things that you may encounter that would not bother me at all, and vice versa. Our desires and temptations vary but we all have battles of some kind to deal with. The Lord did not leave any of us without a solution. Instead, He gave us words and instructions to live by so that we can overcome the temptations of life. He simply told us to walk in the Spirit. It is a comfort to know that God did not say the opposite, "Do not sin and then you will be able to walk in the Spirit." He put first things first. He knew that we needed the strength of His Spirit to be able to stand against temptations and successfully deal with the challenges of life. He also knew that only as we submitted ourselves to God could we resist the devil, for our own strength is too small to stand against the forces of evil.

Walking in the Spirit is like walking in the natural. It takes determination and effort on our part. It is a one step at a time process that demands focus, for it is possible to step out of the Spirit at any time. Temptations can come suddenly and without warning. Therefore, we must constantly guard our heart as we walk with God along the narrow path of His righteousness. As we walk with God, we have the assurance that He will avail Himself to us and help us in our battles. The Lord has promised not to put more upon us than we can bear and He is faithful to fulfill His Words. He will never leave us or forsake so we will never have to battle with temptations alone. As we give ourselves to God and walk in the Spirit we will be able to resist the lust of the flesh because of the strength of His grace. +++

1/25/22
BEHIND THE MASK

Scripture: Matthew 6:5 (Amp.) "You must not be like the hypocrites."
The word hypocrite means "acting under a feigned or false part, deceit, or to pretend." In the Greek theater, it meant to "speak from behind a mask." Two masks portrayed to the viewer whether the play was going to be a comedy or tragedy. We still see those two masks today on theater billboards. The comedy mask is white with a big smile, and the tragedy mask is black with a frown. In the theater, the person behind the mask was called a "hypocrite" simply because his character was pretending to be something in the play that the actor may not be in real life.

Very often Jesus' Words were stern, but His heart was always pure and tender. He wanted His followers to be different from the world in which they lived. Jesus did not want those who professed themselves as His disciples to live behind a mask. In the scripture above, Jesus was referring to those who blew trumpets in front of the synagogue to call attention when they gave their gifts at the altar. He revealed that these people were only actors and that they were only giving so others could see their acts. Jesus emphasized the appropriate way to do alms, prayers, and good deeds were in secret.

Even now, human nature has not changed. None of us want to see ourselves as a hypocrite, yet we often live behind an invisible mask so we can hide our thoughts from others. We would never consider committing murder, yet we harbor secret hatred and bitterness. We cannot imagine ourselves committing adultery, yet lust and passion looms in the secret chambers of our heart. God sees through all of these masks and Jesus said that if we have hate or lust in our heart, we have already committed the sin. There are also things we consider minor infractions, like a small lie or sowing just a little discord among our Christian brothers and sisters. Proverbs 6:16-19 lists these small things right along with the shedding of innocent blood and refers to them as an abomination to God. God is displeased with secret sins. His Word tells us to live our life in truth, for God our Father sees in secret and knows our heart.

To live our life in truth, we must search our hearts daily and determine if there are secrets in our hearts that are unacceptable to a Holy God? In Psalm 19:14, David said, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer." David was as concerned about the inside if his heart as he was about his outward actions. He knew the secrets of his heart revealed his true character. In verse twelve, he said, "Cleanse me from secret faults." This should also be our prayer. As we strive to walk in truth and in integrity before God, we will not seek to hide behind a mask before men. +++

..............................