| ............ | A Word In Due Season November 2022 11/1/22 DESIRES OF THE HEART Scripture: I Kings 3:5 "The Lord appeared to Solomon ... and said, 'What shall I give you?'" What would be your response if God approached you as He did Solomon and said, "Ask what I shall give to you?" Would you speak rashly and ask for the first thing that came to your mind knowing that you may possibly regret that choice in the future? Or would you risk the chance and ask God to come back later after you had time to think it through? Look at four men in the scriptures and notice the one desire of their heart. King David asked that he might have personal relationship, fellowship, and communion with the Lord. In Psalms 27:4 he said, "One thing I have desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple." David's sole desire was to be in the Lord's presence and to be able to worship Him. He was determined to find this special place for he wanted the Lord to talk with Him. He sought for this intimate communion with the Lord to the extent that God called David a man after His own heart. Elisha desired a double portion of the anointing of God's Spirit that was upon the Prophet Elijah. In II Kings 2:9 Elijah asked Elisha, "What shall I do for you before I am taken away from you?" And Elisha said, "Let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." Elisha recognized that it was the anointing of God on Elijah's life that caused the wonders and miracles to happen. He knew it would take no less than this same Spirit working in his life to empower him to do the same works of God. He received this wonderful blessing because he stayed focused on the prophet and did not allow himself to be distracted by the chariot of fire that took Elijah up. King Solomon asked for wisdom and a discerning spirit instead of riches and honor for himself. In I Kings 3:9 he said, "Give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad." Solomon said that he felt like he was but a child, not knowing how to come in or go out. To serve as king over the people of Israel, he needed God's wisdom and the ability to discern truth. The people and their needs was his main concern and God granted his desire. The Apostle Paul's desire was "that he may know Jesus" (In Philippians 3:10). Paul did not want to know 'about' Jesus, he wanted to know Jesus in a deeper fashion and have a personal intimate relationship with Him. He sought for an experience with the Lord on the basis of the Lord's suffering, death, and the power of His resurrection. Paul counted everything else as nothing compared to this desire to know Jesus in a supernatural way. Psalms 37:4 says "Delight yourself also in the Lord; and He shall give you the desires of your heart." What is your heart's desire? Think about the desires of these men and let them challenge your life. Allow God to form the desires within your heart. Desire fellowship and intimate communion with the Lord so that He may speak words in due season to you. Search for His wisdom and discernment so that you will be able to lead God's people with an understanding heart. Seek to abide in the beauty of God's presence so that you may come to know Him and the fullness of His power. Ask that a double portion of His anointing rest on you so that you may serve and minister to His people. Remember that God loves you and He wants to give you His best. +++ 11/2/22 VAIN IS THE HELP OF MAN Scripture: Psalms 108:1 "O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory." King David faced many challenges. Yet He declared that regardless of the threats from his adversaries and the battles that he must face, he would maintain a steady and steadfast faith in God. He placed all of his confidence in God and depended upon Him for deliverance, for he knew that God was full of mercy and loving kindness. God was David’s only hope. He knew that trusting in help from man would be in vain. David reminded God that He had promised to establish David's kingdom. David believed that God had spoken the truth, so he fixed his heart on this promise of God and began to sing and praise God before he ever saw the victory. David knew that his help would not come from man, but that it would come directly from God who would cause him to triumph over his enemies. "Vain is the help of man" (Psalm 108:12). Think about those words that David spoke. Through these words, he teaches us a great principle of life. In the times of trouble and adversity, our natural instinct is to run to our families and friends for help. We want to "fix our heart" on them and lean upon them for deliverance and comfort. Yet we soon realize that our faith and confidence in them is in vain. We become disappointed and disillusioned because those whom we trust the most fail us the greatest. We also discover that their help is vain, for their strength is no match for our enemy. Neither can they render adequate solutions for our problems. Often they are too busy to even listen because of the priorities and concerns of their own lives. Help from God is never vain because we are His main concern and He will never fail us. He prompts us to come to Him and totally trust in Him with all of our heart and He tells us not to lean upon our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). When we fix our hearts upon God in this manner, He works valiantly for us against our enemies, and we find that our faith in Him is never vain. +++ 11/3/22 KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS Scripture: Matthew 14:30 "But when Peter saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord save me." The Disciples were crossing the lake when their ship was tossed about by contrary winds. While they were in this dilemma, Jesus came walking towards them on the water. At first the Disciples were troubled and afraid. They thought that they were seeing the images of ghosts and spirits, but then Jesus identified Himself and told them not to fear. When Peter realized that he was seeing Jesus walk on the water, he rose up in faith and said, "Lord, if it is You, bid me come to You." And Jesus said, "Come." However, the faith that worked for Peter and caused him to have the courage to step out of the boat and walk on the water soon faded in the light of the situation. When Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and began to look at the winds and the waves, his faith failed and he began to sink. In fear, he cried to the Lord for help and Jesus immediately stretched forth His hand, caught Peter, and walked him back to the boat. This story shows us how easy it is to start out in faith and then have our faith fail along the way. It is a snapshot of us walking on the water and then sinking in that same water. The circumstances have not changed. It is the same water, same winds, and same waves that we started out in. The only thing that has changed is the way we view them. When we started out in faith, our eyes were upon Jesus. We saw Him and were convinced of what He could do and that He would help us do the same. We were not looking at the waves and the contrary winds. Our vision was fresh because our eyes were focused upon Jesus, and it was easy to obey because the words that He spoke to us were clear in our spirit. Many times, however, when we start our journey towards God's promise, we encounter difficulties. We find that staying in faith is not always easy and that walking on the water can be a real challenge. It just takes a few winds of adversity to discourage us, and some strong waves to cause us to fear. The devil does all that he can to divert our attention so that he can eliminate our faith. His goal is to kill, steal, and destroy. The difficulties and distractions that he brings usually cause us to take our eyes off Jesus and His Word. When we begin to focus on the immediate adversities, we begin to experience failure. Notice that Peter did not sink. He only began to sink. When He cried out to the Lord, the Lord saved him. Wherever you are in your walk of faith, remember that all is not lost. Like Peter, you can call out to the Lord at any time for help. He understands your lack and is willing and able to come to your rescue. If you call out to the Lord, He will stretch forth His hand and lift you up. You must not dwell upon the raging waves or the activity around you. You must stay focused on the Author and Finisher of your faith. As long as you keep your eyes on Jesus, you will be able to walk in faith and experience the supernatural. +++ 11/4/22 OBEDIENCE FROM THE HEART Scripture: Deuteronomy 5:29 (Living Bible) "Oh, that they would always have such a heart for Me, wanting to obey My commandments. Then all would go well with them in the future." God speaks to us through His Word and instructs us in the ways of righteousness. He tells us to depart from evil and to always do that which is good. He makes His commandments very plain and teaches us through the example of Jesus that it is not just the letter of the law, but also the attitude of the heart that matters. God wants us to serve Him with all of our heart, all of the time. Jesus taught that it is just as bad to have a heart full of lust or murderous thoughts as it is to commit the acts themselves. I am reminded of a story about a man who was tired of seeing the cars speeding near the school where his child attended. He had the children's welfare and safety in his heart. So he decided to make use of his time each day by conditioning the traffic to drive slower in that vicinity. He simply sat in his car and pointed a hair dryer out of the window. Thinking that the hair dryer was a radar detector, the drivers slowed their vehicles down because they did not want to suffer the consequences of a speeding ticket. After a while, they were conditioned to drive slower, not because they had the protection of the children in their minds, but because of the anticipation that a radar trap may be in the area. In the scripture above God said, "Oh, that you would always have a heart for Me and want to obey Me." We worship God with our lives through our obedience to Him. God does not want us to obey His commandments only because we think that someone is watching us or that we are on His radar screen. He wants us to always be obedient with our whole heart regardless of the rewards that we may receive or the consequences that await us. God has a plan and a purpose for every Word that He has spoken and He takes great pride when we submit to Him, for His Words bring life. God spoke to Adam and Eve and told them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This was not because He wanted to keep the fruit from them, but because He was seeking to protect them. When they disobeyed and ate the fruit, He was forced to remove the tree of life from their midst and death resulted. We are God's main interest and He is concerned about our lives. Each Word that He speaks directs our future and brings about the destiny that He has planned for our lives. We must make sure that our hearts are toward Him and that we are obeying His commandments so that all will go well for us in our future. +++ 11/7/22 LIBERTY FOR THE CAPTIVES Scripture: Isaiah 61:1 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord has anointed Me to ... proclaim liberty to the captives ..." Time and time again, we find ourselves in places of bondage. Most of the time these situations evolve rather slowly as we turn our eyes the other way and allow things to pass that we do not agree with. We never dream that those things will lead us into a snare. We may allow others to manage and manipulate us, only to find that we have lost control of our own lives. We give in on issues so that we can be accepted by our peers, but later realize that we are being identified with concepts that are contrary to our thinking and degrading to our character. We may even fall into a state of total addiction because we take one step towards sin or lust, thinking that it will not hurt to give in just this one time. Instead of finding a place of peace and rest, we are overtaken and we find ourselves in captivity to the very things that we stood against and were trying to resist. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 6:16, "Don't you know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey?" It is a simple principle. Yielding to temptation brings about captivity in our lives. Each time we yield to temptation, the devil gains a stronghold in our minds, emotions, and physical bodies. As we continually surrender, we become a slave to him and in bondage to his addictions. Jesus, however, came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. The Spirit of the Lord God anointed Jesus to proclaim liberty to the captives. He alone is able to set us free and keep us free from the bondages of our carnal flesh. Zechariah 4:6 tells us that it is not by our might or power, but by the Spirit of the Lord. We cannot wrestle the devil and his temptations in our own strength. We must depend upon God. When we surrender to God, the battle belongs to the Lord, but the Holy Spirit requires our cooperation in this matter. Paul makes it clear that we have a choice to be servants of sin unto death, or to be servants of obedience unto righteousness. Joshua challenged us to "Choose this day whom we will serve" (Joshua 24:15.) We must make a determination that we will serve the Lord God and obey His voice. At the moment temptation knocks at our heart's door, we must yield ourselves to God and allow the Holy Spirit to answer. Only then can we maintain the freedom that Jesus has purchased for us. +++ 11/8/22 BE HOLY Scripture: I Peter 1:16 "Be holy, for I am holy." Be holy. These are two simple words that make us accountable to God for our thoughts, attitudes, and deeds. Yet regardless of how hard we may work at it, the question is, "How could we ever live up to the holiness of God?" There is not a day that goes by that we do not have to draw upon the grace and mercy of God, who is ever faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Without God, we would be hopeless in our quest for holiness. Even the Apostle Paul struggled. He confessed that the good things that he wanted to do, he did not do, and the evil things that he did not want to do, he did (Romans 7:19). He also declared, "I have not attained, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14. Paul's may not have been holy in every thought and action, but his eyes were focused on the Lord and his heart was turned in that direction. This is same path of holiness that you and I are required to be on. God will grant us grace, but not as a license to sin. He expects us to discipline our thinking and be obedient children. We may not always do everything right but our eyes must be looking into God’s eyes and our heart facing His heart. Our wills must be in line with His will and our spirit must be holy even though our flesh is weak. Many times our lives are like a ship that is on a journey across a vast ocean. The storms come and we get thrown off course by the winds of adversity. Our faith may be challenged as we encounter all sorts of difficulties. Yet, we must understand that even though we may stray off course to the left or to the right, we are still on the journey. Our eyes are on the compass and our trust is in a small arrow that points out the direction. Regardless of what happens along the way, we are still making our way across the ocean. We can follow the path through the depths of the water the best we know how and believe that we will eventually reach our destination. So it is with holiness. We must understand that even though we may not be there yet, we are on our way and must continue to press toward that final mark. +++ 11/9/22 TWENTY-FOUR, SEVEN Scripture: Psalms 121:3 "He that keeps you will not slumber." There is a phrase that has been coined recently, which is "24-7." The news media uses this term quite frequently to inform their audiences that they are going to be reporting the news non-stop, twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. According to the psalmist, this is the same timetable that God keeps, for He never sleeps, takes a weekend off, or has vacation time. He is a "24-7" God. He is there all of the time. He never leaves us or forsakes us, but watches over us twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. Even though we may not recognize it, God not only watches over us but continually works in our life. Whether in the daylight or dark, He is working in the natural and in the spiritual realm. The Lord’s plans are much higher than our plans and He is working for us when things seem bad and also when things seem good. He is there 24-7 rearranging our schedules and diverting our paths to keep us from harm. There is nothing too great for the Lord to handle and also nothing too small for Him to care about. In the midst of the darkness, God watched over the Israelites who had marked their door post with the blood of the lamb and He disallowed the death angel to take their first born. Later, God worked throughout the night to roll back the Red Sea and prepared a dry path right in the midst of it so that Moses and the Israelites could escape their enemies. God was awake at midnight to shake the prison doors open for Paul and Silas, and He also spent the night with Daniel in the lion's den. God walked in the midst of the fiery furnace with the three Hebrew children. He was also there in the Garden of Gethsemane when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus. These servants of God could not see Him but He was there just the same, and manifested His mighty presence in their midst. God is awesome and He is with you right now. Things may get rough at times as you live out your "24-7s". The storms may come, the winds may blow, the sky may turn dark, and the night may seem long, but God is neither absent nor asleep. Instead, He is right in the midst of your life and very alert. You must learn to trust in His wisdom and depend upon His hands to help you make it through your personal situations. God will not sit down or rest in the midst of your battles, but instead will fight for you. He will impart His strength and empower you with His Spirit so that you can experience victory with every challenge. God never slumbers and He will keep you "Twenty-Four, Seven." +++ 11/10/22 SECRETS ARE REVEALED Scripture: Daniel 2:28 "There is a God in heaven that reveals secrets ..." Daniel was taken captive as a youth and brought to Babylon. He spent the rest of his life there as a governmental official and as a prophet of God. Daniel may not have wanted to be in captivity in a strange land, but he did not allow his emotions and own desires to dictate his behavior. Instead, he walked in integrity and wisdom and allowed God to work in his life in a mighty way. God honored Daniel and revealed His secrets to him and also gave him the solutions to the king's problems. There was a spirit of excellence in Daniel and throughout all of his days he remained faithful and uncompromising before God. He purposed that he would not defile himself with the king's food. Then when a decree went out that no one was to petition any God except the king, Daniel did not compromise but continued to pray and commune with God. Daniel never tried to hide in secret or pray silently. Instead, three times a day, he knelt and made his prayers to God. He prayed before an open window where everyone could see even though he knew that this act would cause him much trouble. Because of Daniel's commitment to prayer, he was put into a den with the lions, but God delivered him. Daniel knew that prayer was an essential ingredient of life for it is there that answers come and secrets are revealed. We need to be more like Daniel in our prayer life. But sadly, many times our lives are too full and too busy. We cannot find the time to pray, much less pray three times a day. The result is that we complicate our lives and frustrate our emotions by not allowing God the time to reveal His solutions to us. You may be hurting right now and in a valley of confusion concerning the many questions that you have in your mind. Your life may be spinning out of control as you face desperate situations. Yet, be encouraged for there is one thing that you can know for sure and that is that the same God that Daniel served is with you. It does not matter if you need direction, confirmation about a decision, financial help, or the answer to any other mystery. God has the answer. The Lord wants you to seek Him out. He wants to listen to you and hear all about your problems. Then, He wants you to listen to what He has to say about your situation, for Isaiah 11:2 says that the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, and counsel are upon the Lord. God is a God that reveals secrets and He wants to reveal His answers and solutions to you but you must be ready and listen as He gently whispers to you. +++ 11/11/22 ABUNDANT LIFE Scripture: Luke 12:15 "A man's life doesn't consist in the abundance of the things which he possesses." What is abundant life? Jesus said that we cannot measure the quality of life by the quantity of our possessions, for an abundant life comes only through a relationship with Him. In John 10:10, Jesus said that He came that we might have and enjoy life. To experience this abundant life we have to separate ourselves from the mindset of the world. Our view often becomes distorted as we view the lives of the rich and famous. We see their incredible homes and possessions and hear of their enormous wealth. For those of us who live modest lifestyles, it is too much to comprehend. Every detail of their life becomes intriguing as we assume their possessions mirror their happiness. We forget what Jesus said. Jesus taught that what we have, or do not have, does not define our lives. The tangible is not a gage of God's blessings, nor is it a guarantee of an abundant life. Money and possessions are no substitute for true wealth and prosperity. We cannot accumulate enough money to purchase eternal life and peace for our soul. It comes to us as a free gift just like the other most precious things on this earth such as love, family, friendship, health, and happiness. These are the things that make for an abundant life. Jesus could turn water into wine and multiply bread and fish. Yet, regardless of His power, He lived a very simple life and was not caught up with material things. Jesus had no earthly home or possessions and in death He had to be laid in a borrowed tomb for a few days until His resurrection. Yet, He experienced an abundant life because His life consisted of doing the will of His Father. The Apostle Peter also did not possess the wealth of this world, for he spoke to the lame man and said, "Silver and gold have I none." However, because of the abundant life of God that resided inside of him, Peter was able to impart a miracle of healing to the man in the Name of Jesus Christ. Like Peter and like Jesus, our possessions may be meager. We may never have very much silver and gold, but we have something far more valuable. We have access to the abundant life that Jesus offers. This abundant life does not consist of things, but consists of the Lord and all that He is. +++ 11/14/22 THE CROSS OF LOVE Scripture: Philippians 2:8 "He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Ovver two thousand years ago there was a cross placed on a hill called Mount Calvary. There were two other crosses on the hill that day, but only one cross stands out in the portals of time and speaks an everlasting message of hope and redemption. This one cross held a man who had done no wrong. In fact, this man was the only one that has ever lived on this earth who was judged to be without sin. When the people were crying out their desire to crucify this man, Pontius Pilate said, "I find no fault in Him". And God, Himself, had no accusing words against this man. In fact, God declared "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." The community knew the man on the cross as a carpenter and the son of a carpenter whose name was Joseph. This same man, Jesus, was their Rabbi and teacher. He was with them daily in the temple, explaining the scriptures to them. Jesus had healed many of the people who now watched Him as He hung on the cross that day. Their thoughts may have gone back to the time that they saw Him cause the deaf to hear, the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the demonic man delivered. This man had multiplied the food to satisfy their hunger and had turned water into wine. Jesus had performed other mighty miracles in their midst and even spoke peace to the storm and calmed the raging seas. He had brought their dead back to life again. He then freely gave His life on the cross to pay the price for the sins of all mankind, including you and me. This man named Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, and the precious Son of the Living God. Why did Jesus set His face to go to Jerusalem knowing that He was destined to be crucified when He could have run the other direction? Why didn't He give in to the cries of people and call ten thousand angels to deliver Him from the pain and suffering as He hung on the cross? The reasons are simple but profound. He chose to endure the cross and its shame because of His great love for us and because of His humble obedience to His Father. He came to do the will of God and make a way for us. He was willing and determined to lay down His life for us and through His sacrifice, our sins were washed away. The ordinances and laws that were against us were blotted out as they were nailed to His cross (Colossians 2:14). The purpose of this blood stain cross was to pay for our eternal redemption and give us entrance into the gates of Heaven. To many, the preaching of the gospel of this cross is foolishness but to those of us who believe and are saved, it is the power of God (I Corinthians 1:18). This cross should stand tall in our hearts today as we remember what it represents. It was not just the flesh of a man that was nailed to the cross that day, but Jesus' love for us that has no measure. Jesus loves each of us so much that He gave His all so that we could receive His all and live with Him in eternity. Today and every day we celebrate His sacrificial work on the cross and His resurrection. +++ 11/15/22 BALANCING THE CLOUDS Scripture: Job 37:16 "Do you not know the balancing of the clouds, the wondrous works of Him which is perfect in knowledge? Job's friend encouraged him to consider the wonders of God, yet Job probably understood God better than his friend did. Job declared that God was perfect in knowledge and certainly knew more about Job's situation than Job himself did. Although things looked dark in Job's life, he knew that God was in control and that He was balancing the clouds in his life. Job was confident that Satan could do no more to him than what God allowed. God also knows more about our situation than we do. Isaiah 55:9 says, "His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts." God never loses control regardless of how bad the situation may look or how dark the clouds may get. In the midst of our cares and concerns, we have this assurance that we are still in God's hands and that He is still on the throne. He will never put more upon us than we can bear. We may hear the thunder roll and see the lightening flash, but we have nothing to fear. Even in the times of temptation, God provides a way of escape. He balances everything out for us so that we are never tempted beyond our ability to endure. In II Corinthians 11:23-28, the Apostle Paul speaks of the adversities that he had to face; labors, shipwreck, prison, hunger, pain, beatings, perils, and weariness, just to mention a few. He then declared that he not only had to deal with all of those situations and the turmoil that came against him, but that he also had to face the care and concerns of all the churches. There were clouds of adversity all around Paul, not only with the heathen but also with the followers of Christ. Paul also spoke of a thorn in his flesh that he thought was too great for him to bear (II Corinthians 12:7-9). He prayed about this issue three times, but God answered him with these words, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in your weakness." God was balancing the clouds in Paul's life because He knew what Paul could endure. God was faithful not to test Paul beyond his strength. Regardless of how many clouds of adversity we may be facing, we must keep in mind that God is in control of our lives. He is perfect in knowledge and is balancing all the clouds that surround us. No matter how dark the sky gets or how great the storm becomes, His grace will always be sufficient for us. +++ 11/16/22 HOPE IN GOD Scripture: Psalms 42:11 "Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God." The understanding that we have of the general meaning of "cast down" is that our minds, wills, and emotions are in a state of sadness and despair. The psalmist takes it further and speaks of being in turmoil because of circumstances. In his book "A Shepherd Looks at Psalms 23", W. Phillip Keller explained the term "cast down" more precisely. He said, "It is an Old English term for a sheep that is stranded on its back. The sheep creates its own predicament by lying down in a hollow, or depression, in the ground. If the sheep is heavy because of its own weight or the weight of its fleece, the center of the sheep's body will shift and the sheep will turn over onto its back in the depressed ground. Once the sheep is on its back, gravity will keep it there." The sheep has no means to deliver itself. Its only hope is to be rescued by the shepherd. The psalmist referred to his soul as being "cast down" and disquieted within him. This meant that the things that were going on inside of him were not quiet. Instead, the voices and noises within him were very loud and disturbing. The weight of the situation was heaviness to his spirit. We sometimes find ourselves in this same situation. We are "cast down" or flat on our back and do not understand what is going on. We may not even know how our circumstances progressed to this place of hopelessness or how we slipped into this place of depression. Our minds talk to us and tell us that we need to give up because things are not going to work out. After listening to the negative thoughts of our minds, our emotions get stirred up and we become frustrated and anxious. Like this psalmist, in our tears we may begin to ask, "Where is God? Why is this happening to me? When will He deliver me and what should I do?" Just like the sheep that is cast down, there is no one that we can depend upon except the Lord our Shepherd. Other sheep may sit there and bleat to us in our distress, giving us counsel. As good as that counsel may be, only the Shepherd's still small voice can drive out the anxiety and fear and bring peace. As much as others may want to comfort and help us, only Jesus can truly rescue us and turn our life right side up again. Only the Lord can strengthen our legs and help us regain our balance. In John 10:14 Jesus said, "I am the Good Shepherd and I know My sheep." He knows everything about us and our circumstances. We must not allow ourselves to fret over the past, be in despair about today, or be frantic about tomorrow. We cannot lend ourselves to the position to be cast down. We must put our hope in the Lord and trust Him to lift us up and deliver us from all evil. +++ 11/17/22 PRUDENCE Scripture: Proverbs 12:16 (NRS) "A prudent man ignores an insult." King Solomon, one of the wisest men who ever lived, wrote this proverb concerning a prudent man's response to insults. One of the definitions of 'prudent' is "to be careful with respect to one's own interest and conduct." Solomon stated that it was not in our best interest to give in to the evil voices of other people. When we allow ourselves to be provoked by others and respond to them in anger or defense, we are allowing the offender to control us and we are also allowing our anger to dictate our conduct. We play right into the hands of the enemy of our soul, which allows him to bring us down to his level. In these situations, we fail to realize that we are wrestling with spirits, not flesh and blood. In the passion of the moment we fail to use good judgment in handling the matter and then speak foolish words that are generated by our pain. Sometimes, we go away for a moment and plan a response that becomes harsher than the words that we have received. We cannot seem to turn the other cheek as Jesus taught us to do because we feel a need to get even. Yet, Solomon told us to be prudent and ignore the insult. He held a secret inside of himself. He knew that if he could exhibit control over himself, then he was, in a sense, displaying the greatness of his own character. He spoke again in Proverbs 16:32 and said, "A man that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and the man who can rule his own spirit is better than a man who can take a city." In other words, Solomon said, "We must be in control of our anger. We must be in control of our spirit." This quiet strength will prove who is the mightiest. The winner is not the one with the sharpest tongue, but the one who can control his tongue. What a challenge it is to control this small member of our body. What a display of wisdom, to simply ignore harsh words and accusations. What a victory to be like Jesus when He faced His accusers. "Jesus gave no answer or reply, not even to a single accusation, so that the governor marveled greatly" (Matthew 27:12). Prudence is strength. If we want to be prudent and to stop the evil effects of insults, we must let silence be our answer. +++ 11/18/22 PLEASING GOD Scripture: Hebrews 11:5 "Enoch had this testimony, that He pleased God." There are not many words in the scriptures concerning Enoch, but I think all of us would love to have his wonderful testimony and know that we pleased God like he did. What are the secrets to pleasing God? Verse six answers that question. It says, "Without faith it is impossible to please God." It goes on to say that we must believe that "God is" and that "He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." As we look at Enoch, we find these attributes. He had a strong conviction that "God is." He was in God's presence on a daily basis, and when you are in the presence of someone on that scale, you know they exist. Genesis 5:24 says that Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." One of the Hebrew meanings of this word 'walked' is "to be conversant." God and Enoch had conversation with each other as they walked. When you walk with someone, you talk with them and they talk with you. You see the same things they do and you experience the same things they experience as you walk together down the same path. You walk at the same pace and breathe the same air. Because Enoch walked with God, He understood the character of God and was personally concerned for God's interest. And because he knew God as He is, Enoch developed a concern for holiness and indignation against unrighteousness. In faith, he boldly prophesied against those who were speaking out against God. Jude 14 and 15 records the prophecy that Enoch gave concerning the ungodly, their ungodly deeds, and their ungodly speeches. Enoch also had confidence that God would do the things that He promised. He believed that God was a "rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Enoch was very consistent, for Genesis 5:22 says, "Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years." He was diligent in his walk with God for three centuries. I am sure he must have faced difficulties and discouragement during that time. There may have been days that he did not want to walk with God. But he kept his faith because he knew that "God is" and that "He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Consistency received its reward and one day God translated him. I heard a minister tell this story on a human level. He said that every day that Enoch walked with God he went further and further. One day God and Enoch were out walking, and God told Enoch, "We are closer to My house than yours. Come home with Me." As we walk with the Lord, we must strive to have these same attributes in our life that Enoch had so that we can obtain the testimony that we please the Lord. We must have the simple faith that believes that "God is" and that "God rewards" as we diligently seek Him. Then, one glorious day while we are walking and talking with the Lord, He will speak to us and say, "We are closer to My house than yours, come home with Me. +++ 11/21/22 THE BATTLE IS THE LORD'S Scripture: II Chronicles 20:15 "Thus says the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed ... for the battle is not yours, but God's." Have you ever made these statements to God? 1) God, would you look at what is happening to me? 2) I am not strong enough to do anything about my situation. 3) Even if I were strong enough, God, I do not know what to do. These words were part of Jehoshaphat's prayer to God in II Chronicles 20:10-12 when the enemy came against him. When fear gripped his heart, he set himself to seek the Lord. As he prayed to God, he said, "The enemy came to cast us out of Your possession, which You have given us to inherit." How many times do you find yourself in the same situation where it seems that the devil is trying to take away the very thing that God gave to you? He does his very best to get you out of the will of God and to disinherit you from God's promises for your life. You recognize it as an attack from the enemy, but everything seems to be totally out of your hands. Your battle may be in the area of your health, finances, or relationships, but like Jehoshaphat, you have no might to fight this battle. What do you do? The answer comes in Jehoshaphat's example to us. He said to the Lord, "We have no might to stand against this great multitude. Neither do we know what to do. BUT, OUR EYES ARE UPON YOU." His answer was to keep his eyes on God. As the people of Judah stood before God, the Spirit of the Lord came to answer their prayer. The answer was, "Do not be afraid or dismayed, the battle is not yours, but God's." I was once in a very difficult situation and felt that I needed to take some action and do something. Anything would have been better than just waiting for God to move. In my desperation, I talked with my son, and he told me to recall the last thing that God spoke to me about the situation. He said, "If God has not said anything else about it, then just remain still and wait until He gives further instructions." These few words imparted a wealth of wisdom into my soul that I have never forgotten. The army never goes into battle until the commander speaks, no matter how ready or anxious the soldiers may be. You must remember that God is your commander and chief. Wait upon Him. If you will keep your eyes on Him in the midst of the battle, He will lead and direct you. Do not worry if you do not have the strength to fight because the battle belongs to the Lord! +++ 11/22/22 GIVING GOD THANKS Scripture: Luke 17:15-16 "And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at Jesus' feet, giving Him thanks." Ten men who were plagued with leprosy found the time and the energy to seek out Jesus when they needed Him. As Jesus came to their village, they unashamedly cried, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." Jesus instructed them to go and show themselves to the priest, and as they went their way they were all healed. However, only one of the ten returned to glorify God and give Him thanks. The one that returned could not thank Jesus enough for the healing that he had received. His attention went beyond his miraculous healing as he focused on the Healer. He was so grateful to Jesus that he fell down on his face at Jesus' feet in worship and gave Him thanks. Jesus' response was, "Where are the other nine?" They all had sought Jesus out, crying for mercy and calling Him Master. They were also healed of leprosy, but once they were healed, they did not return to give Jesus even a small word of thanks. If they had any gratitude at all, it was silent to the ears of the One who had healed them. Their new found healing called them back to their own lives and self-interest. They no longer had time to follow Jesus or allow Him to be the Master of their lives, for they were in a hurry to get on with their own agendas. Our circumstances may not be perfect, but if we look around us, we will find that we have much to be thankful for. I Thessalonians 5:18 says, " In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." God has done so many things for us and we need to thank Him for everything. Our words of gratitude should be one hundred percent. We should not return and give thanks for just one thing and leave the other nine undone. How sad it would be if Jesus responded to our efforts and said, "What about the other nine things that I did for you? Aren't you thankful for them also?" We get so busy during this season that we forget the reason for the season. We forget why we are supposed to be Happy at Thanksgiving and Merry at Christmas. We must be careful and give diligent thought to the true reason for our happiness and joy. We have happiness and joy because of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Let us be sure to turn away from ourselves, our busy schedules, and celebrations during this season long enough to return to Jesus and give Him a simple word of thanks. 11/23/22 GIVE THANKS IN ALL THINGS Scripture: I Thessalonians 5:18 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." There are times in our lives when there seems to be enormous plans that are working against us, and in our innocence, we fail to recognize that it is plans of a shrewd enemy. We assume that we are wrestling against flesh and blood, when in fact, we are in a spiritual warfare against the "wiles and strategies of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11). God tells us that when we find ourselves in these situations, we are to be joyful and give thanks "in" everything. He did not say give thanks "for" everything, but "in" every situation be thankful to God. James 1:2 says that we are to "count it all joy." Why are we to be thankful and joyful? James 1:3 says, "The trying of our faith is working patience in our lives." Trials develop character and character produces fruit. Tribulations are not meant to destroy us, but to cause God's glory to come forth in our spirits as His fruit of patience develops. Romans 8:28 tells us that we can "know (not hope so, think so, pray so, but KNOW) that ALL things are working together for good to those that love God, and are called according to His purpose." We look at the example of Joseph as he was rejected by his own brothers and sold into slavery for many years. His situation was certainly not good, but he recognized that his circumstances were in the perfect plan of God. He knew that things in his life would work out for good and he continued to believe that God's purposes would be established in spite of how bleak his present situation seemed. Even though Joseph had to endure much heartache and pain, he was grateful that God had called him to the kingdom at such a critical time. With a thankful heart, he told his brothers, "You thought evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." If you love God and are called according to His purpose but find yourself in adverse situations, be assured today that He is still working in your life. The devil thinks evil against you and works to that end. Like Joseph, you may not see present evidence, but God is on the other side working all things together for your good and also for His eternal purposes. So in everything give thanks, for this is God's will concerning you. +++ 11/24/22 BE THANKFUL Scripture: Psalms 100:4 “ ...Be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name." In this Psalm of praise, David exhorts us to make a joyful noise to the Lord, to serve Him with gladness, and to come before Him with singing. We are to recognize that the Lord has made us and acknowledge that we are His people. We are to express our thankfulness and bless the Lord, for He is good and His mercy is everlasting. Many times, however, we take our many blessings for granted instead of taking notice and expressing our appreciation to God for all the things that He has done for us. Too often, it takes seeing the sufferings of others or experiencing our own suffering to remind us of how short our thankfulness has fallen. Martin Luther made a very strong point about our lack of thankfulness when he wrote of "God's Unceasing Kindness." In part he said, "If our heavenly Father were not so liberal in the distribution of His gifts, we would be more thankful to Him." Martin Luther then went on to explain this theory. He said that if God had caused all men to be born with only one leg or one foot, and then later, at the age of seven, was given the other leg and foot, man would be more thankful. He would appreciate his legs for the rest of his life and would never again take them for granted. Likewise, if a man were born with one arm and one hand, and then given the other arm and hand at the age of twenty, he would appreciate his arms and hands and prize them more highly. God has bestowed upon us great and bountiful blessings. Yet many times, it is only as we are deprived that we begin to appreciate them. Sometimes it takes the electrical power going out in the midst of a storm to remind us of how much we appreciate having lights and electricity. It takes illness to remind us of how precious good health is. It takes the threat of death before we become thankful for each breath that we are allowed to take. Like Martin Luther's story, what if you were born with one leg or arm, blind, or deaf? Would you be more appreciative when you were restored? When was the last time that you gave thanks to God because you could walk, talk, see, and hear? Have you thanked the Lord lately for your family, friends, shelter, and food? Do not wait for adversity to remind you of what you have and why you should be thankful to God. Begin right now to acknowledge God's awesome goodness to you personally and praise Him for the daily benefits that He is providing. As the psalmist instructed, "Be thankful to God and bless His Name!" +++ 11/25/22 FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS Scripture: Esther 4:14 (Amplified) "... you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion." God did not choose Moses, Joseph, Elijah, or any of the other great men of the Bible to live in this dark hour of human history. He chose you for this time and this season. Your life is not a dress rehearsal - it is the real play. God has set you on the stage of life in a particular place at a particular time to do a work for Him. He has ordained you and equipped you for the occasion that you now face with your family, friends, career, and ministry. It is up to you to fulfill the Lord’s divine purposes. In Luke 9:62, Jesus indicated that if you put your hand to the plow and go forward, you will be fit for the Kingdom of God. If you focus on what is behind you, you are will not be fit. In other words, when you focus on going forward you will be someone that God can use in His Kingdom. Jesus did not give other options for you to consider. You are to take up your cross and follow Him daily. It is easy to follow God when you first start out. With fresh energy in the cool of the morning, plowing does not seem to be so hard. Later in the day, however, when the sun's rays begin to beam, your muscles begin to ache, and the sweat begins to pour from your brow, you may start to wonder if the harvest is worth the effort. When you look back to what could have been while you are trying to plow God's field, it indicates that you have questions about God's directions for your life, and your hesitation to obey His commands reflects your lack of trust in His wisdom. You must choose not to look back. The most limiting thing in life is a firm choice. It means that you refuse to allow current circumstances to sway your faith and manipulate you. Look at the account of the Apostle Paul in Acts 20:24. He said, "None of these things move me." Paul was called to the Kingdom to share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was not going to allow afflictions, persecutions, jail sentences, or even death itself to deter him from God's call. He made a determination not only to finish his course, but to finish it with joy. His main interest was the will of God, not his own welfare. Paul possessed an attitude of consecration that caused him to press towards the mark of the high calling of Christ Jesus. For this reason, he never looked back. Like the Apostle Paul, God has a plan and purpose for your life. You are called to God's Kingdom for such a time as this to experience the very occasion that you now face. You alone will decide your destiny. Will you trust God with all of your heart, put your hand to the plow, go forward, and not look back? +++ 11/28/22 WHEN I FALL, I SHALL ARISE Scripture: Micah 7:8 "When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me." This scripture speaks hope to our heart when we are in distress or darkness. It deals with the times when we cannot help ourselves and with the situations that we cannot do anything about. There are times in our lives when we make mistakes and fall. It may be in our finances, relationships, or bad decisions in other areas. We simply make an error in judgment and create massive problems for ourselves. We then find ourselves suffering the consequences of that error. Yet, like a physical fall, we can get back up. It may be a struggle, but we can remedy the situation if we turn to God, get His wisdom, and follow His directions. If our fall has caused great injury in our lives, it may require a season of healing, but if we are determined, we can make it through the difficult situation and rise above it. There are other times in our lives when we have no control over the circumstances and no resources to help ourselves. We are in a place of spiritual darkness and cannot find our way out. It seems as though the enemy took a brush of black paint and covered the canvas of our heart. Inwardly we cannot locate ourselves and outwardly we cannot find direction. We sit in darkness and are unable to see any light. Depression, oppression, and discouragement make their presence known because we have no answers and feel hopeless to help ourselves. In this place of darkness, we come to understand that we cannot create light and we realize that we must turn to the Lord, for He is the source of our light. We must depend upon Him for deliverance, and allow Him to do the entire work. It does not matter which place you find yourself in today. You may have taken a hard fall or may be sitting in darkness. You may have gone through a season of loss and be dealing with a spirit of hopelessness. Wherever you are, you must be determined to find your way out. The Lord is your answer and He is your hope. God is merciful and full of grace. He will give you the strength to rise above the difficulty and He will shine His light in your darkness. You will be amazed at His deliverance, for nothing is too hard for the Lord. All you have to do is to call upon Him, for He cares for you. There is no burden that He will not bear for you regardless of how it came about in your life. Decide today to take Micah's words for yourself and boldly declare, "When I fall, I shall arise and when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me." +++ 11/29/22 NO DEAD ENDS Scripture: II Corinthians 2:12 "When I came ... a door was opened unto me of the Lord." God never leads His children down roads that come to a dead end or which have no future. Likewise, He does not give us all of the details or blueprints of our life's plan either. He leads us step by step lest we put our trust in the plan instead of in Him. The Lord stands around the bend of the road and whispers softly to us. We have to exercise great faith to make the turn when we cannot see any tangible evidence of Him and all that we have to trust in is the gentle whisper of His still small voice. Yet, it is as we come to the end of the road and the end of ourselves that God opens a new path before us. Isaiah 42:16 says, "I will lead the blind by a way that they knew not: I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them." God does not open doors in advance. His way of doing things is similar to the automatic doors in the market places. You can stand outside the perimeter of the door's sensor all day and the door will not open. You can watch others come and go as the door opens for them, but the door will never open for you until you get close enough to place your foot on the mat. When the door senses you are there and that you are serious about going in, it will open. Likewise, when God knows that you are serious about going through the door of faith, He will open it for you. Throughout the scriptures, God opened the doors for men as He led them through various situations. For instance, Moses met many seemingly dead-end places, but God was never without a plan. God miraculously opened the Red Sea, provided manna daily for forty years, and brought forth water from a rock in order to rescue and provide for Moses and the Israelites. In Joshua's case, it was only when the soles of the priests' feet stepped into the water that the river Jordan rolled back. God demanded faith on their part before He worked on their behalf. Isaiah 43:19 tells us that "God will do a new thing, something we knew nothing about. He will even make a way in the wilderness." If our mind is telling us that we are facing a dead end, we must remember that God is still able to open the door. He is not limited by our circumstances. We must continue in faith and He will bring light into our darkness, make the crooked way straight, and open the door before us. +++ 11/30/22 BE STILL Scripture: Psalms 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God." Psalms forty-six is a psalm of trust and thanksgiving to God who is our refuge and our strength. This psalm declares again and again that God's presence is always there to help us in times of trouble. It does not matter if the Earth is destroyed, the waters are troubled, or the mountains shake and are thrown into the sea; God will still be with us. In the midst of all the turmoil that surrounds us, God speaks to us and says, "Be still." In other words He says, "Cease from your actions. Stop trying to fix the problems that are too big for you to handle. I am with you no matter what." Hebrews 13:5-6 says, "He has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper." Remember when you were a child with a splinter in your foot? No action could be taken to remove it until you stopped kicking and screaming. Your mother knew that you were in pain, but she would just wait until you settled down before trying to fix your problem. When you put your faith and trust in her, she was able to gently remove the splinter and resolve your problem. Usually, the procedure was quick and not as painful as you had imagined. So it is with God's work in our life. In His sight, your greatest problem is no bigger than a small splinter. While you are running around in a panic, God is sitting on His throne in Heaven waiting for you to settle down and quietly trust in Him. He is well able to remedy every situation. Your strength is to sit still (Isaiah 30:7). Emergencies always cause anxieties that make us think that immediate action is necessary. But God says, "Even though everything in our life appears to be like the mountains falling into the sea, and the earth disappearing, we should not panic." When we encounter overwhelming situations and adversities, we must step aside from everything and quietly look at God and take notice that He is still in control. We must focus our attention on Him and know that "He is God." There is something about knowing that brings strength to our spirit. God is waiting to speak, but His voice demands that our soul be silent within us. We must allow the silence inside of us to reach out to Him for help. His still small voice will remove all doubt and fear. We must "be still, come to know that His presence is with us, and know that He is God." +++ 12/1/22 WORKING WITH GOD Scripture: Joshua 5:6 "The children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord." A journey that started out so promising for the Israelites ended in defeat simply because of unbelief. It should have taken less than two weeks for God's people to make their way across the desert into the Promised Land, but instead their journey lasted forty years and they perished along the way. Throughout the journey they murmured and complained, and even though they had lived in cruel bondage in Egypt, they continued to look back. They even voiced their desire to return to the evil they had been delivered from. God rained down manna from Heaven upon them for forty years and provided water from a rock to quench their thirst, yet they still longed for the leeks and garlic that they had left behind. Somehow in their memory they imagined that the conditions of the past had been better than they actually were. Because they could not give up or resolve the past, they failed to receive God's promise for their future. How many journeys do we fail to complete? Our hopes and plans perish in the middle of our dreams because we give up along the way. Our unbelief outweighs our faith and we fail to work with God by following His plan to the end. The desert places get too dry even though God is there providing water from the Rock, Christ Jesus. The lion's den is too dark and scary even though we can see that God has shut the mouths of the lions for us. The fire is too hot even though we can feel the Lord standing with us and shielding us from the flames. And the storms are too fierce even though we know that we are secure because He is in the boat with us. In life's journey we tend to repeat the things that we do not resolve. Like the Israelites, many times we wander back and forth through the wilderness of unforgiveness, disappointments, bitterness, and emotional hurts. If the wounds of the past are not resolved, every time that God pours Himself into us, His goodness will flow out through the open wounds of our heart. We cannot hold God’s goodness in because we cannot believe in ourselves. God loves us and does not want us wandering around in a wilderness of emotional pain for forty years. He wants to take us from that bondage and bring us into a new and glorious place that He has prepared for us. To get a grip on the things that God has planned for us, we must work with Him and move forward in faith, resolve the old issues, and let go of the past. No matter where we are in life, there is a new level and a higher place. Let us determine to listen to God and work with Him so that we do not perish in the wilderness of defeat. +++ Copyright © 2021 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com |
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