| ............ | A Word In Due Season March 2022 3/1/22 WALK IN THE LIGHT Scripture: I John 1:7 "Walk in the light, as He is in the light." The pathway of life has many challenges, yet we are given a specific instruction to walk in the light. That light is the presence of the Lord, Himself. His examples and Words shine light upon our pathway and teach us right from wrong so there is no reason for us to walk in the darkness of deception. God's light is like the spotlight on the stage of life and it limits us to the truth of His Word. When we step out of the light, we step out of truth and remove ourselves from God's covering. We can go in any direction in life, but just like being in a spotlight, we are only one step away from the darkness. It is imperative that we walk with God as He leads and directs us, one step at a time, so that we can continue in the light. The darkness holds no positive promise for us and we are not to explore its path, for its shadows only bring death and defeat. So why do we even consider venturing into spiritual darkness? The Word of God tells us that we are drawn away by our own lust. The devil approaches us in the same manner as he did when he enticed Eve in the Garden of Eden. He tells us that the forbidden fruit is good to eat and that it will bring enlightenment to our souls. He causes us to believe that there is happiness outside of the light. When we are bored, the devil tells us that we can do the same things that the world does and escape correction. He distracts us from the truth of God's Word, which tells us that if we knowingly do something wrong it is sin. He does not remind us that sin has consequences. If we see something we need, he tells us that we should take it and assures us that it is okay to step outside of the light of integrity just this one time. If we are lonely, he tells us that God will understand if we can seek fulfillment in the darkness of an immoral relationship. When we become angry, he tells us that we have the right to express our uncontrolled temper. We must understand that the devil's temptations are ever present and when we give in to his devises, we step out of God's light and into the darkness of evil. Envision a circle of light, which contains love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Galatians 5:22-23). These are the things that God's light produces. Then, think about the darkness that surrounds that circle of light. The darkness is filled with those things that are opposite of the light. There is hate, sadness, confusion, anxiety, impatience, harshness, evil works, doubt, haughtiness, and intemperance. The circle of light is warm and inviting and there is peace because you are able to see what is happening around you and you know where you going. The darkness that surrounds the circle of light is cold and lonely. It is a frightening place because when you walk in the darkness you are lost and alone. You run into things and you lose your direction. Our walk in life is a personal choice. Each of us must decide for ourselves whether we will walk in the light or in the darkness. It is not a one-time decision or even a daily decision. Instead, it is a decision that is designed for every moment of the day. The choices of life present themselves continually and each step is a part of a subtle process. There is no mystery. It is simply walking with God, moment by moment, step by step, and staying in the light of His presence because He is the light. +++ 3/2/22 PROMOTION COMES FROM GOD Scripture: Psalms 75:6-7 "For promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: He puts down one and lifts up another." God holds our lives in His sovereign hands, and regardless of our abilities and talents, we can go no further than what He allows. Even our boastings will not promote us, but will only make us look foolish to those who are listening. Verse four of this chapter says, "I said to the arrogant and boastful, don't deal arrogantly - don't boast; and to the wicked, don't lift up the horn of personal aggrandizement" (Amplified Bible). In today's language we would say, "Don't blow your own horn." Proverbs 27:2 says, "Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips." God has good plans and purposes for your life, but He takes you through many tests and makes sure that you are seasoned and mature before He releases you into those places of responsibility. Often those tests become very discouraging and it may seem that God will never show up. God kept Moses on the backside of the desert for forty years and caused Joseph to pass through the pit and prison for about 16 years before promoting him. When the fullness of God's time finally came for these men, He appeared to Moses in a burning bush and promoted Joseph to second in the kingdom in just one day. Even Jesus, Himself, had to wait until He was thirty years old before His promotion and fame came. Then suddenly after His water baptism and His temptation in the wilderness, "Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit unto Galilee: and there went out a fame of Him through the entire region" (Luke 4:14). The people marveled and spoke, "Is this not Joseph's son?" They could not believe that this simple carpenter's son was doing these mighty works. God almighty had promoted Him. God desires to promote you, but He has a principle that He operates by. If you know anything about God's principles, you know they always seem to be opposite of our natural thinking. For instance, if you want to receive - you must give; if you want revenge - you are to do something good for your oppressor; if someone steals from you - you are to give them something more. Now God says if you want to be promoted, humble yourself and He will exalt you (I Peter 5:6). This principle is found again in Matthew 23:12 (Amplified), "Whoever exalts himself with haughtiness and empty pride shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself - who has a modest opinion of himself and behaves accordingly - shall be raised to honor." So remember that your promotion will not come from the east, west, or south. Trust in God, for He is your judge and your promotion will come from His hands. +++ 3/3/22 THE PLACE OF REST Scripture: Hebrews 3:10-11 "They always go astray in their hearts, and have not known My ways. In My anger I swore, 'They shall not enter My rest.'" God promised the Israelites a good and prosperous land that flowed with milk and honey. He never said that this place would come easy or that there would be no battles. They would have to possess this prosperous land that God was offering them by their faith. It was a sure gift, yet they never entered the Promised Land. The results of their defeat were not because the battles were too great, but because their faith was too small. They mixed God's Word with murmuring, complaining, and unbelief instead of mixing it with faith and obedience. Faith is not something that you struggle with or work up in the natural. It comes by supernatural impartation by the Holy Spirit as God speaks to your spirit. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. However, many times you may have to face your own limitations and be real with God. Like the man in Mark 9:24 who requested prayer and deliverance for his demon possessed son, you may have to tell God, "I believe, but please help my unbelief." God is understanding and He will always be faithful to meet you at your personal point of faith. All of God's promises to us rest in our faith and obedience to His Word. He shows us the concept of faith in a natural seed. You must let go completely when you plant a seed into the ground, leaving it there to rest for a long and dark season. You cannot dig it up and analyze it every day to see if anything is happening. You have to cease from your own efforts, rest, and trust God to finish the work. You cannot bring life to the seed. Only a miracle can regenerate that seed and cause it to grow. Your only responsibility is to plant the seed in faith and wait expectantly for the harvest. God will work underneath the surface and in the darkness of the situation to bring life to the seemingly dead and hopeless seed. So it is with true faith. When true faith is planted in God, it will cease from anxiety and will enter a place of rest until God brings forth fruit and life. +++ 3/4/22 GOD’S PECULIAR PEOPLE Scripture: I Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people that you should show forth the praises of Him, who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." The Apostle Peter referred to the believers of Christ as a peculiar people. This definition was not in the sense of being weird, obnoxious, or strange, but in reference to our relationship to the Almighty God. We are peculiar because we are a special treasure that God redeemed with the blood of Jesus. We are peculiar because God, our Heavenly Father, chose us to be of His generation; that is to be part of His family and to be joint heirs with His only begotten Son. We are His royal priesthood as we follow Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords. We are peculiar because we are a holy nation, as God set us apart from the world by calling us out of the kingdom of darkness and into His marvelous light. We are an epistle read of all men. Our lives are a peculiar mystery to the world because of the special relationship we share with an unseen God. Our unwavering trust in a God we cannot see is a wonder in their eyes. They cannot comprehend our prayers as we lift them up to an open Heaven, believing that God will hear and personally answer. They watch us love the unlovely and forgive the unforgiveable. It baffles their minds when they see us obey the Lord and turn our cheek to our abuser, walk the extra mile for a stranger in need, and give to others out of our own needs. They take notice of our peace as we go through valleys, witness our courage as we face battles, and marvel at our strength as we endure hardships. They do not understand the joy of the Lord that sustains us in our adversities or our praises to God when we are in the midst of extreme difficulties. They are overwhelmed when we act in faith or believe in God to deliver us in the impossible situations. Those who trust in an unseen God are indeed peculiar. Noah was a peculiar vessel of obedience as he spent one hundred and twenty years building an ark on dry land before rain existed. Moses was peculiar as he led God’s people by faith out of Egypt towards the Promised Land; performing mighty miracles, parting the Red Sea, and providing daily manna and water as they travelled though the barren wilderness for forty years. Daniel was peculiar in that he had no fear when he was in the lion’s den. Job was peculiar because he refused to curse God when he lost his health, wealth, and family. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were peculiar as they believed God for deliverance and came out of a fiery furnace not even smelling like smoke. We too are God’s peculiar and precious treasure. He has chosen us to be His light to the world and His salt of the Earth. We are to show forth our trust in Him and to offer praises to Him in all situations. Let us never waver from this peculiar place or calling. +++ 3/7/22 SUFFERING FOR A SEASON Scripture: I Peter 5:10 "But the God of all grace, Who has called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered awhile, make you perfect, established, strengthen, and settle you." Our Heavenly Father is the God of all grace. There is nothing too big for Him to handle and no situation that outweighs His measure of grace. There is no mountain too high, no valley too low, and no river too deep that will cause His grace to fail. God's grace is and always will be sufficient for every need. However, grace is only needed when there is a lack. The scripture above tells us that God has called us unto His eternal glory, but His glory will only come to us as we pass through the process of suffering. We all want to experience God's glory but we do not relish the thought of suffering to get there. Like a piece of clay that must suffer through the process of being shaped into something useful, it is through suffering that God is able to mold us into the vessels that He wants us to be. The Apostle Peter said that the God of all grace deals with us until we are perfect or mature and complete in every way. God does not leave the clay unfinished. He completes our beings through fiery trials and adverse situations. He also uses our seasons of suffering to establish us or make us resolute and steadfast in our direction, for when we suffer through various situations, we come out vowing never to be in those places again. Through suffering, we are also strengthened in power as our thoughts toward God are confirmed in spiritual knowledge. Seasons of suffering also settle our hearts and make sure our foundation. You may wonder why God is so slow in turning your situation around. The previous scriptures in this chapter tell you what you should do during your season of suffering. First, you must "humble yourself under the mighty hand of God" (I Peter 5:6). By demoting yourself, you allow God to rule and have dominion over you. As you completely yield yourself to Him, He is able to finish His work within you. Second, you are to "cast all of your cares upon Him" (Vs. 7). The Lord knows that you are in a tough place, but as you learn to let Him take all of your anxieties, worries, and concerns, it releases you from the power of the evil one. You must also "be sober and vigilant" (Vs. 8). Watching for the snares of the devil will keep you well-balanced and temperate. Caution must be exercised at all times because the devil will try to use your suffering situation to destroy your faith. Finally, you must realize that you are not alone and that suffering should not be considered something strange for those in the Kingdom of God. "The same afflictions are happening with your brothers throughout the world" (Vs.9). You have an adversary that is going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He is a desperate foe, but you can take refuge in the knowledge that God is the God of all grace, favor, and blessing. So be encouraged to know that God has called you into His eternal glory and He is in control. He has designed your destiny and made sure that your suffering will only be for a season. +++ 3/8/22 CONTINUE TO MINISTER Scripture: Mark 6:6 "And Jesus marveled because of their unbelief. And He went round about the villages, teaching." Jesus had traveled the countryside, healing the sick, delivering the oppressed from evil spirits, and performing other miracles for the multitudes. His fame had spread throughout the entire region. When Jesus returned to His own country, He went to the synagogue and began to teach the people. The people who heard Jesus speak were astonished at His wisdom and wondered where He had received it. They had also heard about all of the miracles that He had performed and marveled at the mighty works that He had done. Yet, they were offended at Jesus because they knew Him as the natural son of Mary and a simple carpenter named Joseph. Their limited faith would not allow them to believe that He was the Son of God. Because they did not honor Jesus or have faith in Him, He could not do any mighty works in their midst. Jesus, the miracle worker, was only able to heal a few sick people by laying His hands on them (Mark 6:5). To me, being able to heal a few sick people is still a mighty miracle that is beyond human ability. Yet, Jesus could have done so much more in their midst if they had just given Him honor and believed in Him. Jesus marveled at the people's unbelief, but He understood that a prophet was without honor in his own country, amongst his own kin, and in his own house (Verse 4). Jesus did not allow this setback to stop His mission, but continued to go throughout the villages and teach. He could have become discouraged and thought that His season to minister was over. Jesus could have believed that God, the Father, had lifted the anointing from His life and that He no longer had power to do miracles. Many things could have raced through His mind in this disappointing hour, but Jesus did not give in to those thoughts or allow the people's lack of faith to control His own destiny. He just kept doing the will of the Father. I believe that the Holy Spirit shared this story with us as an example to keep us from being discouraged. If the lack of faith on people's part could affect Jesus' ministry, it can surely affect ours. There will be seasons in all of our lives when we are limited by the faith of others. We can share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with others, but we cannot force faith into their hearts. We can witness to them about healing, but we cannot make them believe. We can show them the way to deliverance from their addictions, but we cannot lay down their bad habits for them. We can teach them how to believe God for their provisions, but we cannot receive their blessings for them. We are just as limited as Jesus was when He ministered. The people that we minister to must exert their own faith in order to receive. Like the crowds who listened to Jesus, they may not want to receive our words of hope. They may refuse to acknowledge the anointing on our lives and recognize us as just a family member or a common acquaintance. We must not get discouraged when we have done all that we could do, said all that we could say, and there has been no positive response. We must understand that we are not responsible for the spiritual heartbeat of others. We are only responsible to obey God. When everything seems to have failed and we see unbelief all around us, we must do as Jesus did and that is to continue to minister as God has called us to do. +++ 3/9/22 TREASURES OF THE DARKNESS Scripture: Isaiah 45:3 "I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, which call you by your name am the God of Israel." Dark places can be frightening. I can walk the streets of my neighborhood in the midday sun without any anxiety, but if I were to travel these same streets in the darkness of midnight I would be attacked with the torments of fear. I have experienced this without even leaving my yard as I simply took the trash out to the curb after dark. There was no apparent danger or evil lurking in the shadows but because I did not have clear vision in the darkness that surrounded me, fear flooded my soul. My mind could not handle the uncertainty of the situation. We would like to be in the light at all times regarding our spiritual life as well as our natural life. Yet, there are times that we must walk in physical darkness and there will also be times when it seems there is a veil over our spiritual life. We have no idea what is happening and it is as though we are walking alone on a dark street at midnight with no certain direction. All we can see are the shadows that are mocking us. It can be fearful to face financial difficulty and not know if you are going to have enough funds to meet your needs. It can be more frightening when your medical report comes back with negative information and you have to trust God with your very life. It seems that we cannot stop fear and perplexity from attacking our minds when our children stray from the narrow path of God's plan. Yet, the Lord never forsakes us and He gives us hope in all of the dark and lonely places that we must pass through. God promised to give us treasures in the darkness and hidden riches of the secret places so that we would know that He is God and that He calls us by name. Some of the most precious times that we will ever spend with the Lord will be when we are passing through the dark places. We may have read a scripture a thousand times, but it will come alive when we are in the secret place of the Most High. It will give us hope when we are hiding under the shelter of His wings. His Word will give us light that cannot be quenched by the darkness. It will give revelation and shine like the natural lights of the heavens. God's Word is always there but it is often hidden like the stars in the midday sun. The stars are always out and the moon is always shinning, but their light is hidden in the daylight. It takes the darkness of the night to reveal their enormous glory. In the light, we can only see what is near, but in the darkness, we can see the lights of the galaxies that are millions of miles away from us. In our darkness, God is magnified and He gives us enormous vision. If you are experiencing a dark season, do not be afraid. My darkest moments have birthed the greatest light into my soul. The hardest seasons that I walked through have produced the greatest faith that cannot be taken from me. I encourage you to embrace the darkness that surrounds you with anticipation and search for God's light. Ask Him to show you the treasures that are in the darkness that you are experiencing and seek out the hidden riches of the secret places. God will illuminate His Word and speak a personal word to your heart and soul. When He does, you will never be the same for that Word will produce light to your soul and create life in your spirit. You will have no doubt that God is God and that He knows you by name. +++ 3/10/22 DISCIPLES OF LOVE Scripture: John 13:34 & 35 "A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one to another." God has a purpose for your life. You may not see it clearly at this time or even be aware that He is using you in your daily routine. Never the less, God is doing an awesome work through your life. He is showing forth His love through you and using you as a minister of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:18). Whether your good deeds are great or small, you are announcing to the world the message of God's grace and reconciling others to Him. That message is validated by the love that is manifested in your life and the world will know that you are His Disciple because of the love of God that is in your heart. People are not interested in religion. They are looking for relationships. As they watch your life, they recognize your devotion to God and are able to truthfully discern if the love that you are manifesting for God and towards them is real. The Apostle Peter instructed us to make sure that we have an "unfeigned love of the brethren." This means that our love cannot be false. He said, "See that you love one another with a pure heart fervently" (I Peter 1:22). Love has no value if it is not true and real. God wants to raise up committed believers who will be servants of God's love. We cannot earn a place or position with God because His place for us comes by His grace. He chooses and establishes His vessels when He feels that He can trust them to show forth His love in all situations. That is not always an easy task. It means turning the other cheek and many times taking the blame. Jesus showed His love for mankind and His commitment to God the Father by pouring out His life on the cross even though He had no faults. He then gave us a commandment to love as He loved. Like Jesus, we are to pour out our lives for others so that they may see our good works and glorify the Father who is in Heaven. When our love towards the world is manifested in this manner, we become a strong witness and others will recognize and acknowledge that we truly are Disciples of Jesus. +++ 3/11/22 FRET NOT, EVERTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT Scripture: Psalms 37:1 "Fret not yourself because of evil doers, neither be envious against the workers of iniquity." When we were young and another child did something wrong to us, we threatened to retaliate and get revenge. We ran to our parents and told them about the situation. Usually their response was similar to David's words, "Don't fret, everything is going to be okay." They would encourage us not to carry out our threats. Even as adults, it is often hard to yield to these wise words and not do unto others as they have done unto us. Yet, this is the teaching throughout the scriptures. Jesus said, "Resist not evil, if someone hits you on the cheek, turn your other cheek to him." The Apostle Paul also said, "If it be possible, in as much as lies within you, live peaceably with all men. Do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath." In other words, we are to let wrath have plenty of room, for it is not our job to avenge ourselves. Our Father God makes it His business to fight our battles for us and will avenge us of any wrong that we have suffered. When David said, "fret not yourself," he was in essence saying that we are the ones who make a choice whether to allow ourselves to fret or not fret. Yet, instead of making a conscious decision not to be disturbed by evil men and their deeds, we keep rethinking the matter and the more we meditate on it, the bigger the offense gets. After David said "fret not," he gave us further instructions that would help guide our thoughts in the right direction so that God would be able to deal with our situation. In verses three through eight David said: 1) Trust in the Lord, and do good. 2) Delight yourself in the Lord. 3) Commit your way unto the Lord. 4) Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. 5) Cease from anger. When you are challenged with a fretful situation, think on these special steps. They are very simple but they were written by a man who had faced some of the same and even worse injustices that you are facing. King Saul, whom David served faithfully tried to kill him. David's father neglected to count him as his son among David’s brothers when they were presented to Samuel, the prophet. Yet Samuel still chose to anoint David as king over Israel. David's brothers rejected him and spoke disrespectfully to him when he came to the battle field and chose to challenge the giant. His wife, Michal, mocked him because he worshiped God. Absalom, David's son, rebelled against him and tried to take the kingdom from him. His life was full of evil men who worked against him, yet David never had to avenge himself. He allowed God to avenge him. Like David, if you find yourself in a similar place where it seems that evil is working against you, take courage. If you can simply hold your peace in the midst of the battle, God will fight for you. +++ 3/14/22 PRAYER HAS A VOICE Scripture: Luke 11:2 "And He said unto them, When you pray, say .... " When Jesus was teaching His Disciples to pray, the first thing that He instructed them to do was to audibly say the words of their prayer to God. God is omniscient and He knows the thoughts of our mind and the meditations of our hearts. He understands our motives and intentions better than we do. He also sees our pain and disappointments and listens to the cries of our heart even though we do not give them sound. Yet, even though the Lord can see what is going on internally within us, He shares with us a very important principle of prayer, which is that He wants us to give voice to our prayers. Jesus told us that our Father God knows what we need before we ask, but He does not say that we are not supposed to ask (Matthew 6:8). In fact, following the statement that God knows our needs, Jesus taught us that we still need to make our needs known and that our request should be prayers that can be heard. James 4:2 says, "You have not because you ask not." And then in John 16:24, Jesus said, "Up until now, you have asked nothing in My Name: ask, and you shall receive so that your joy may be full." Even when the blind man cried out to Jesus, Jesus still asked him what he wanted. It seemed that the blind man's need was very evident to everyone near, but Jesus wanted him to declare his specific request. Asking for a need to be met not only causes you to acknowledge your need of the Lord's provision; it also allows Him to determine where your faith is. When Jesus heard the blind man say that he wanted Jesus to restore his sight, Jesus knew the blind man believed in Him and also that he believed Jesus could do that mighty work. He told the blind man, "Go your way, your faith has made you whole." Today, I want you to think about the things that you want God to do for you or someone else in your life; recent things or things that you have held in your heart for many years. They may be things that you think you do not deserve or things that seem too impossible for even God to do. Then I want you to make those needs known to God and ask Him to grant your requests in the Name of Jesus. I want you to remind God of the scriptures above and release your faith in Him to accomplish what He has promised to you. Allow your spoken words to declare your faith in God and your belief in what He can do for you. Remember you have not because you ask not. Prayer has a voice and you need to speak your words aloud to God. As you do, I believe that God will listen and that He will answer as Jesus said so that your joy may be full and complete. +++ 3/15/22 SIMPLE TRUST IN THE LORD Scripture: Proverbs 22:19 "That your trust may be in the Lord." God wants us to simply trust in Him with all of our heart and not lean upon our own understanding. He told us that if we would acknowledge Him in all of our ways, then He would direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). Trusting God is a simple formula that brings health to our bodies and peace to our souls because it allows God to deal with all of the stress that challenges our lives. God gave us these excellent words of His counsel and allowed us the knowledge of His truth, but many times it is difficult to simply trust in the Lord with all of our hearts. Frankly, most of us do not want to give up the control of our own lives and lean upon someone we cannot see regardless of how powerful He may be. For me, I tend to analyze everything and seek desperately for solutions. It is frustrating not to be able to take some sort of action when needed. I want all things to work out in a sensible way, but I found that God usually does not work in that manner. His wisdom is confusing to the minds of men and His ways overshadow their plans. He rolled back the massive waters of the Red Sea for Moses instead of building a bridge. He shut the mouths of the lions instead of simply rescuing Daniel out of the lion's den. He calmed the raging storm when He could have warned the Disciples to wait a while before trying to cross the sea. He raised Lazarus from the dead instead of getting there in time to just heal him. Who can explain God's ways, for His ways are never the same as ours? Yet, we can rest assured that He always has a better plan because He is our Father and He cares for us just the same or even more than we care for our own children and loved ones. We are God's main interest and He wants the very best for our lives. We must come to the place that we trust Him enough to cast every care upon Him and then leave our burdens in His hands until He works everything out. When He is finished solving the problem, we will find that He did all things well. We must resist the temptation to analyze everything and how it should be. One of the greatest truths that I have learned is that God is smarter than I am. When I received the revelation of this awesome truth, I was able to trust in the Lord with all of my heart and not lean upon my own understanding. The Lord now sits as the King over all the kingdoms of my heart and every chamber belongs to Him. I have never been disappointed in any of God’s decisions for my life. My prayer for you is that you would find this wisdom and even when you do not understand what is going on in your life that you can still declare, "Lord, my trust is in You." +++ 3/16/22 GOD'S THOUGHTS Scripture: Psalms 139:17-18 "How precious are Your thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand." Imagine that you are on a beach that stretches for miles and miles. You make yourself comfortable and then you begin to count the grains of sand that hold back the vast ocean. One by one, you count each grain until you are finished, and then you go to the next beach and start all over again. You do this until you have counted all of the grains of sand on the Earth. We know this is an impossible task and so it is with taking inventory of God's thoughts towards us. King David said "if" he could count God's thoughts towards him, they would be more numerous than the sand. God's thoughts towards us are so precious and they are so many that they reach into eternity. God begin to think about us before we were ever conceived. We are His special design. When we are being formed in the secret place of our mother's womb, He forms our being into the awesome vessel that He desires. He creates within us special abilities so that we will be able to correspond with His mighty plan and fulfill His purposes. We may look at ourselves and think that we are very little, but the Lord makes no mistakes. Our life has always been in His hands, and He has always been in control. The crown is upon the Lord’s head and the scepter is in His hands. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. We must acknowledge that He is God and that He made us to be the person that He wanted us to be. When we accept God's sovereign plan for us, we begin to find our place in life and to understand our destined purpose. You will face challenges through the day and you will be thrown some curves in your life. There will be cold dark valleys to pass through and tough mountains to climb. There will be hot dry deserts and raging rivers to cross. There will be decisions to make and disappointments to deal with. There will also be pain to bear. In these places, you must always take refuge in the knowledge that God is thinking of you and that His thoughts are for good and not evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). Just as you watch over your own children when they are unaware, your heavenly Father is watching over you. He never slumbers or sleeps and He will never leave you, nor forsake you. His thoughts towards you are more precious than you could ever imagine, and they are more in number than the grains of sand. +++ 3/17/22 JESUS HAS BEEN THERE Scripture: Hebrews 4:15 (NRS) "For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses ..." Jesus was with God in the beginning of time, but came to Earth so that He could redeem mankind. When He came to Earth, He came in the likeness of man. As the Son of man, He embraced all that we would have to experience as human beings. He allowed Himself to be acquainted with physical, emotional, and spiritual pain. Jesus suffered and wept with friends when His own friend, Lazarus, died. He felt the rejection of His own mother and brothers who thought that He was mad. He experienced frustration with the religious hypocrites and He became angry with those who were abusing the temple of God. He suffered disappointment with those who had been part of His ministry team for three years when they all left Him in His own time of need. Judas betrayed Jesus and then Peter who was one of the Lord’s closest friends, cursed and denied that he knew Him. Jesus wearied Himself with doing the work of the ministry so much that He was able to sleep in the midst of a great storm. He also suffered the abuse of a mocked trial, great physical torture, and endured the pain of the crucifixion. He then died in shame, feeling totally abandoned by His Father God. Jesus subjected Himself to all of this so that He could know and be touched with our feelings. Jesus experienced more than we have ever dreamed of experiencing. Even though He was the Son of God, He was also the Son of Man. We tend to think that Jesus had it easier than us because He was God in the flesh. Yet, Hebrews 5:7 tells us that in the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up very definite and special petitions to God and that His prayers were filled with strong cries and tears. He wanted God to deliver Him from the coming death and asked that the cup pass from Him. The last part of this verse in the Amplified Bible says "He shrank from the horror of separation from the bright presence of the Father." And because of His cries, "He was heard in that He feared." It is hard to imagine these words, "Jesus feared." But we know that He prayed with such anxiety in the garden of Gethsemane that He sweat great drops of blood. He went through this agony for you and for me. Jesus has already been down every path of pain and sorrow that you will ever travel. Jesus knows exactly where you are and He wants you to know that He understands your heartaches. He is touched by your feelings and all that you are experiencing at this moment so just lean upon Him. Jesus understands because He has been there. +++ 3/18/22 SUFFICIENT GRACE Scripture: II Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you: for My strength is made perfect in weakness." The Apostle Paul was a man who had supernatural experiences with God and had received great revelations from God. Yet, Paul did not have things easy. He said that he was given a thorn in the flesh so that he would not be exalted beyond measure because of the revelations that he had received. We are not certain what the thorn was, but time and time again, the devil attacked Paul. Yet, Paul did not allow the devil to have the upper hand. In verse ten he said, "I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong." Paul experienced something greater than the hardship and adversity that was at hand. He experienced the grace of God and came to know and understand that God's grace was sufficient for every circumstance and that God's strength was made perfect in Paul's weakness. Grace is unmerited favor and comes by divine impartation. God places a part of Himself, a portion of His very being, inside of you so that you can endure for a season. It is special and it is supernatural. You may think you cannot endure the present challenge, and like Paul, you may pray three times for the thorn to be removed. Or like Jesus, you may ask three times for the cup of suffering to pass from you. You may later wonder how you ever made it through the impossible ordeal that you were forced to encounter. But also like Paul, you will come to know and understand that God's grace was the element that kept you in your time of need. It was God's grace, a portion of Himself inside of you, which gave you strength in your weakness. It is marvelous to know that God is still in the business of dispensing His grace. His grace gives hope in a hopeless situation, turns our mourning into joy, gives added strength when our labors increase, mercy in our afflictions, faith for our challenges, and peace in a troubled world. God’s grace is always enough. It is sufficient and is never lacking. God seems to measure His grace out. It is like the manna that fell in the desert ... it is this much grace for this much need. It cannot be gathered and stored up ahead of time. Grace is just there when you need it as you face every hardship and emotional pain. Something special happens as you lean upon God and experience His grace. Somewhere in the midst of your situation you realize God's goodness in allowing you to embrace the pain. As you see yourself changing, you begin to take pleasure in the infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions, and distresses. Like Paul, you will say, "When I am weak, then I am strong. The God of grace and the God of strength is inside of me and that is sufficient for all of my needs." +++ Copyright © 2021 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com |
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