| ............ | A Word In Due Season October 2022 10/3/22 GOD SHALL SUPPLY Scripture: Philippians 4:19 "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." This scripture makes it very plain where to put your trust when you are facing financial needs and difficulties. It simply says: God is your source. God will supply according to His riches in glory. God's blessing is made possible by Jesus' completed work at Calvary. You have a very gracious and loving God who has made a very special promise to supply everything that you need. Some interpret this to mean that He will bestow great wealth and every desire, but God is a loving Father and He knows what is best. He does not measure wealth in dollars and cents. True wealth does not consist of having many possessions, but in having few wants. When we learn to trust God, we find ourselves content in all things and this contentment brings great rewards. God supplies according to His riches in glory. He does not meet your needs according to your limited supply, your puny paycheck, your meager savings account, or your sparse assets. He meets your needs according to His limitless supply. He reaches into His riches in glory and supplies you with the blessings that Jesus has purchased for you. Can you imagine what your needs look like when you put them next to God's riches in glory? It's like pouring a cup of water into an ocean. There is no comparison. Proverbs 10:22 tells us that the blessings of the Lord make us rich and add no sorrow. Wealth cannot give a lasting happiness, but happiness can bring true wealth to your soul and spirit. Every need that you face gives you an opportunity to receive. Every difficult and impossible situation that challenges you opens the way for God to do something miraculous in your life. God has shown over and over throughout the scripture that He will supply needs, whether it be providing manna for forty years to four million Israelites in the wilderness, changing water into wine, feeding 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish, or taking care of a small sparrow. Nothing is too small for God to consider or too large for Him to handle. He is well able to meet all of your needs, so look to Him as your source. Do not look at your limited supply or get discouraged about what you are unable to do. God will meet your needs according to His supply of riches in glory. +++ 10/4/22 THE POWER OF HIS SPIRIT Scripture: Ecclesiastes 9:11 "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong." King Solomon, a man of great wisdom, recognized that the anointing of God was the element that made the difference in the accomplishments of man. Solomon had been granted wisdom in response to God's offer to give him anything that he wanted. Because Solomon did not choose to satisfy his own lust, God not only granted him the wisdom he requested so that he could rule the people but also allowed him to have wealth and honor. All of these gifts were the work of God's Spirit. Solomon could not create a spirit of wisdom within himself simply by educating himself and gaining information. It took an impartation of God's spirit of wisdom coming down from above (James 3:17). Zechariah, the prophet, also recognized the power of God when he spoke God's Word, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts." Often we feel that we are not swift enough for the race, not strong enough for the battle, and not wise, educated, or skilled enough to do what God has called us to do. Yet, according to the words of this wise man, our strength is of little importance to God because God is not dependent upon our might or power. His Spirit is quite capable of enabling and empowering us to handle the job. God used Peter and John to minister healing to the lame man at the gate of the temple. The rulers of the people and the elders of Israel marveled, as they perceived that Peter and John were unlearned and ignorant men. But Acts 4:13 said, "They took knowledge that Peter and John had been with Jesus." Peter and John acknowledged that the miracle was not because of their own might and power. They said, "Why do you look so earnestly at us as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?" They knew it was the power of the Lord. I Corinthians 1:26-27 says, "God does not choose many wise, mighty, or noble men. Instead, He chooses the foolish to confound the wise, and the weak to confound the mighty." God's ways are certainly not like our ways for we would choose strength and ability. However, God's strength is made perfect in our weakness and when we spend time with Him, His presence makes up for our deficiencies. As we lean upon Him we find that His Word is true that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. +++ 10/5/22 HEALING FOR THE BROKEN HEART Scripture: Psalms 34:18 "The Lord is near unto them that are of a broken heart." From the beginning, Jesus defined His ministry to mankind by quoting from the prophet, Isaiah. He stood in the synagogue on the Sabbath Day and boldly declared that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him. Jesus said that among the things God had anointed Him to do, He was to heal the hurting and bind up the broken hearted (Luke 4:18). You may have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You may have also experienced physical healing for your body and received provisions for your needs, but God's grace extends beyond those boundaries. God wants you to have life and have it more abundantly in all areas; body, soul, and spirit. So He sent Jesus to heal your wounded spirit and to set you free from the emotional pain that plagues you. Jesus is touched by every feeling and infirmity that will ever challenge you. He knows about your past and is sensitive to your painful memories. Jesus sees the hurts and disappointments of your present. He also understands your fears and anxieties concerning the future and He wants to help you. Friends, family, children, or professionals can be a great support and may point you in the right direction, but only the anointing of God's Spirit can break the yoke of bondage that holds you captive and bring freedom to your soul. If you have been wounded emotionally, if your heart is breaking, if you are lonely with no one to turn to, if the memories of the past grip your soul, and you anguish over the poor choices of your life that have been haunting you, then know that Jesus loves you and He is near. This is His promise. He said that He would be near those who were of a broken heart. As you allow Jesus to touch your heart, He will take all of your hurt and turn it around for good. Isaiah 61:3 says, the Lord will give you beauty for the ashes of your life, the oil of joy for your mourning, and a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Jesus, Himself, will open your prison doors and set you free. He is near and stands ready as the Great Physician to bind up your painful wounds and to heal your broken heart as only He can do. The Lord wants you to call upon Him in faith and to embrace the promises of His Word. +++ 10/6/22 I AM WITH YOU Scripture: Matthew 28:20 "I am with you always ... " Where is God in the midst of crises and confusion? The answer to that question is that He is with us. Where can we find Him when the storms of life are raging? He is right there in the same boat that we are in. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. We can trust Him to stay close by our side and lead us through the troublesome times, down the hard paths, and through the valleys that harbor the shadows of death and despair. The Lord will never abandon us in the midst of our situation, but will always honor His promises and be accountable to His eternal Word. God is with us as our hope in a hopeless situation. He is our courage in conflict and our fortress and protection in battle. He is our peace in the midst of the raging storm. In His presence, our anxiety yields to His Spirit of peace and our restlessness gives way to His gift of patience. God turns our grief and mourning into comfort and becomes our wisdom as we cease leaning upon our own understanding. He is the love inside of us that flows out to the unlovely and the joy within our spirit that renews our strength. He is the light within us that shines in a darkened world and His Holy Spirit within us causes us to be the hope of His glory. How precious are these thoughts, "I am with you always." Let us never forget that the very presence of God dwells within us and that His presence makes a difference in our lives and in the lives of others that we touch. Those around us should see God' light as we walk through the shadows and darkness. In the valleys, they should be able to draw from His wisdom, hope, and courage that is within us. The world should be able to sense God’s peace and patience within us in the midst of conflict. They should be able to feel the Lord's love as it flows through us and also experience a moment of His glory. If Jesus is with us then others should be able to see the evidence and sense His presence, for He is too great and too awesome to be hidden in our shadow. +++ 10/7/22 MATCHING SHOES Scripture: Isaiah 52:7 (NLT) "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!" The Prophet Isaiah declared that the feet of the messengers who bring good news are considered to be beautiful. Their words of good news offer peace, salvation, and a sure confirmation that God is sovereign and that He reigns over all this Earth and also in the personal lives of mankind. This is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and there is no better news. When Jesus was born, the angels declared, "Peace on Earth." And when the Apostle Paul listed the important items of our spiritual armor, he included a covering for our feet. He said, "For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News" (Ephesians 6:15). He knew the importance of walking in peace and recognized that no spiritual battle could be won when the mind was in disarray and confusion. In the natural, correct shoes are necessary for every day of life, but particularly for times of battle because there is no sitting down or resting your feet on the battlefield. You cannot engage in battle with two left boots or two right boots on your feet. It will cause you to be clumsy and slow. Neither can you stand properly or walk very far with your boots or shoes on the wrong feet. It will make you miserable and tire you out. If there is just a slight difference in the height of the two shoes, it will cause discomfort and throw your spine out of alignment, affecting your entire back and body. Irregular shoes or boots will be a great hindrance in your everyday walk but more so when you are engaged in a battle. Our spiritual walk is the same, we must make sure that we have matching shoes, not just for our own benefit, but also for the world that is watching our lives. We are a book that is read of all men. They can tell if we have two left shoes on and they can also discern if we have an odd match. We cannot allow ourselves to wear one shoe of peace and another shoe of confusion. We cannot have one shoe that walks in faith and the other that treads about in doubt. We cannot speak of goodness at the same time that we act unkindly towards others. We cannot have one shoe of love and one of bitterness. We cannot speak words of grace and blessings at the same time that we are criticizing and cursing. We cannot pretend to be patient when the world is looking at our uncontrolled temper. We cannot act in obedience if one of our feet is walking in rebellion and disobedience any more than we can stand in darkness while we are standing in the light. Both of our feet must agree on the direction they intend to take and they must be properly fitted for the walk. The Lord has made it very plain. If we want our feet and our personal walk with the Lord to be considered beautiful in the eyes of the Lord and others, we must be a messenger that brings the good news of peace and salvation, which is the news that God reigns. +++ 10/10/22 REFUSING TO COMPROMISE Scripture: Nehemiah 6:2 "Come, let us meet together in ... in the Plain of Ono." Nehemiah organized God's people for the purpose of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. From the very beginning of this endeavor, their enemies had tried to discourage and hinder their work by mockery, conspiracy, extortion, and slander. Yet, they continued in their efforts and their work on the wall progressed. Now, however, the enemy was attempting to lure them from their work on the walls into the Plain of Ono for a meeting. God's people recognized the enemy's plan as a plan of mischief. In verse three, Nehemiah, their leader, responded to the invitation with the words, "I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?" He refused to enter into a place where he would have the opportunity to listen to any terms of compromise. As in this story, the enemy will try to lure you from the commitments that you have made to God and will also try to destroy your faith in God's promises. If the enemy can get you to come down from your position on the wall of faith, he may be successful in stopping the great work that you are doing for God. Once you are in his territory, the enemy will try to get you to a place where his voice of compromise can whisper to you in every area. As he gains your attention, he will sow seeds of doubt such as, "You cannot be saved. You have done too many evil things." "You cannot give your tithes and offerings this week. If you do, how will you pay all of your bills?" "You cannot be healed. Everyone dies from that disease." "You cannot sing, testify, and serve Jesus. You are not good enough." "You cannot be delivered. The addictions to alcohol, drugs, gambling, and sex are just too strong to fight against." "You cannot forgive. You have been hurt too much and the pain is too deep." The list goes on as the devil continually tries to discourage you and steal your faith. Your weapon against him is to refuse to reason with him or to listen to his lies. Remember that your example is Jesus. In Matthew chapter four, Jesus faced the devil but refused to compromise. His only responses to the devil's temptations were, "It is written" and Jesus then quoted the Word of God. The devil has no defense against God's Word, which is "powerful and sharper than a two edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12). Like Nehemiah, God has a great work for you to do also. So when the devil attempts to lure you from the wall of faith and invites you to come down to his level at the Plain of "Ono," continue to stay committed and declare, "Oh yes, God can and God will." +++ 10/11/22 LIKE SHEEP Scripture: Matthew 9:36 “And what pity He felt for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great that they didn't know what to do or where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd." When Jesus was born, the angels heralded His birth saying, "Good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11). Some thirty years after this angelic salutation, Jesus began the ministry that He was sent to fulfill. He traveled through all the cities and villages, healing the sick, delivering the oppressed, and teaching in the Jewish synagogues. As the Messiah, Jesus announced the Good News of the Kingdom, for God the Father had anointed Him to bring good tidings to the poor, suffering, and afflicted. Jesus also comforted the brokenhearted, opened the eyes of the blind, and announced liberty to the captives. He gave joy to those who mourned, beauty for those whose lives and dreams had turned to ashes and replaced the heaviness in the hearts of men with praise (Isaiah 61:1-3). As Jesus ministered His message of good news to the multitudes, He compared them to sheep. Until Jesus came, the people wandered around as though they had no shepherd. Their problems were so great that they did not know what to do or where to go for help. We often find ourselves in this same place because our problems outweigh our solutions, and we have no avenues to receive help. Even our family and friends fail us. We find ourselves overwhelmed by all that surrounds us as we try to lean upon our own understanding. We try to fix our problems and we wander around like lost sheep that have no shepherd or direction. In the midst of it all, we forget that we have a wonderful Friend that we can go to, who will stick closer to us than our own brother. We can be thankful to God that He looks on us with compassion when we are passing through these dark valleys. Before our problems ever existed, God sent and anointed Jesus to bring us good news and ordained Him to be our Great Shepherd. As our Great Shepherd, we can confidently lean upon Him and be assured that He will lead us into green pastures and beside the still waters. We can trust that Jesus will always be there to heal our broken hearts and restore our souls, for He has made a special vow to never leave us or forsake us under any conditions. We never have to wander around as sheep who do not know what to do or where to go. If we simply listen to Jesus' voice and follow Him as He walks before us, He will lead us in the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake. +++ 10/12/22 SOUND OF A TRUMPET Scripture: Psalms 47:5 "God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet." In the scriptures the trumpet was not used just as an instrument to create beautiful music. It was also used for various things depending upon the sound that it made. With one sound, the trumpet summoned people to worship and with another sound, it gathered dignitaries together. There was also a distinctive sound to call the troops to battle and a different one to announce peace. The trumpet made a jubilant sound for victory and a mournful sound to announce death and defeat. The sounds were clear and their signals were recognized by all. Many times there was a shout that accompanied the sound of the trumpet, as in the case when the walls of Jericho came down. My oldest son played the trumpet when he was in high school. We not only listened to him practice at home but took advantage of every opportunity to hear him play in the school events. His dad and I sat in the outside stadium at the local football games in the heat, cold, and inclement weather so that we could see him march with the band and hear him play the trumpet. There were other trumpet players in the band but we were attentive to one the whom we loved and who shared our name. We were proud of our son's talent, skill, and accomplishments and the sound that he made on his trumpet was our greatest interest. If you had been sitting in the crowd with us your attention, no doubt, would have been on the sound coming from your own son or daughter. Just as we took interest in our son, God is watching us as we march through life because we are His children and we share His Name. We do not sound a literal trumpet as we pass through life, but the sound of our voices are as instruments in the ears of God and He listens very attentively for our voice. He said, "Call unto Me and I will show you great and mighty things that you have not known." He hears our words of faith and honors them and calls things into being because of the words that we speak. He gives attention to our petitions and listens to our prayers when we come to Him in Jesus' Name. And the Lord always gives audience to our words and the melodies that come from our lips when we praise and worship Him. God's Word tells us that life and death are in the power of our tongue. Like the trumpet, our words can stir up war or bring peace. Our voices can sound forth victory or defeat. Our own tongue can create positive emotions that will sustain our hope and help us endure adversity or it will cause negative emotions that will fill our hearts with doubt, fear, and confusion. We must remember that God's ears are never closed to our sounds so we must choose our words carefully and make our sounds certain. God is forever listening to us with His heart and He has declared that our own sounds will determine our personal destiny. +++ 10/13/22 WORKED UP OVER NOTHING Scripture: Luke 10:41 (Message Bible) "You're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing." Can you imagine Jesus telling you that you are fussing far too much and worked up over nothing? These are the words that He spoke to Martha when she was disturbed because Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet. Martha was so busy that she could not embrace the wonder of the moment. The miracle worker, Jesus, was there in her presence but she had more important things to do than to just stop and sit at His feet. Instead of listening to the awesome revelations that were proceeding from His lips, she received a kind rebuke. Jesus let Martha know that she was troubled about too many things in her life and was burdened with responsibilities that she needed to put aside for a season. She desperately needed to let go of the concerns of life and make Jesus the priority and Lord of her life for a moment. Life is a journey that is meant to be enjoyed, but the tragedy is that we often get so busy that we miss life itself. Like Martha, our natural obligations take precedence over the things that are eternally important. We make ourselves into slaves and serve the need to serve. God never instructed us to be busy about so many things. He told us to abide in Him and in His Words so that our prayers would be answered and our lives would be fruitful and fulfilled. God never promised rewards to those who were just busy. He said the fruitful life is the one that brings glory to God (John 15:8). We must learn the difference between what is good and what is best. Jesus was never stressed or in a frenzy because He had the wisdom to pull away from everything that surrounded Him so that He could spend time with His Father and also find rest for His natural body. Take a close look at your daily commitments and be honest in your evaluation of your responses to life. Are you like Martha? Are you finding yourself fussing far too much and worked up over things that are not eternally important? If you take a moment to consider Mary's approach to life, you will notice that she did not allow the burdens of life to steal the precious moments that were offered to her. She let everything go just to sit and rest at the feet of Jesus. Jesus extends the same invitation to you. He says, "Come unto me all you that are heavy laden and I will give you rest." When you come to Jesus and rest in His presence, your attitudes will change because your burdens will become light. Instead of being worked up about nothing and worn out over everything, you will have peace in your spirit and fresh strength for your body and soul. +++ 10/14/22 DARKNESS AND LIGHT Scripture: Job 36:32 (KJV) "With clouds He covers the light." There is a saying, "Don't doubt in the darkness what God shows you in the light." When God speaks to us, the entrance of His Word gives light to our soul. It is as though a candle is lit within our spirit and our vision becomes very clear. His promises are easy to believe because when God's Words are before us, they lead us on in faith. That light, however, will very quickly be challenged in the process of life. Like the clouds that hide the brightness of the sun, the circumstances of life will cause the clouds of doubt and unbelief tol hinder our vision and hide the light of His Word from our view. It is easy to have faith when the light that surrounds you is bright and your vision is clear. Yet, it is another thing to walk in faith when you are engulfed in total darkness and cannot see a thing. Many times our spiritual vision is hindered by circumstances that intrude upon our lives. We know God's promise is there and that it is real, but we just cannot see any evidence of it because a cloud separates us from the truth. In fact, there are times when life's situations may look very frightening to us and our soul will question God about His promises. God said that He would provide, but where is the answer? God said that He would heal, so why am I still sick? God said that He would comfort me, so why do I continue to grieve? Where is my deliverance from the addictions that plague me? When will my children return to the Lord, for God's Word said that when they were old they would not depart from His training? Taking an airline flight illustrates how the clouds of conflicting thoughts can separate us from the light. When we are on the ground on an overcast day, the only thing that we can see are the different shades of darkness in the clouds above us because our vision is limited. All that we can feel is the cold and dampness that surrounds us. Once the plane leaves the ground everything changes. The sky opens up to a beautiful brightness and on the other side of the clouds we find that the sun never stopped shinning. It is the same with our personal needs. The provision, the healing, and the answer was always there. It was just beyond the darkness of the clouds. We must always remember that God is not limited by what we can see. That is the reason that we must always believe that even though His light and His Word may be hidden for a season, its brightness and truth remains forever on the other side of the darkness. I encourage you to keep believing the Lord in the area of your need, for eventually His Word of truth will break through the clouds and fulfill the hope of your vision. +++ 10/17/22 SPIRIT OF TRUTH Scripture: Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man that He should lie." God speaks only truth into our lives because He is the Spirit of Truth. He does not repent or ever turn back on the words that He has spoken, for He cannot lie. He fulfills every promise and stands by His covenant. James 1:17 says "There is no variation or shadow of turning with God." He is a constant God, setting the days, seasons, and years into motion, and then keeping it all on track and in order. He has a lot to take care of, yet He is never too busy to be concerned with our personal affairs. His Word tells us that "All things work together for good to those that love God and are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). If God can keep the whole world and universe in line, we can trust Him to cause our lives to also come together for good. When God’s Holy Spirit inspired the Words, "All things work together for good," those Words were meant to lead us into God's truth. God meant exactly what He said. He knew that there would be seasons that our faith would be challenged and that we may have our doubts during these times of rough and endless battles. So He gave us many scriptures to dispel our doubts and to let us know that regardless of how things look on the outside, He is working a greater work on the inside of the whole situation. All things are going to work out for good because the Lord, Himself, is going to take the lemons of our life and make them into lemonade. The situation may be bitter in the process, but God will cause sweetness to come out of it. Like the incident at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, Jesus can still turn water into wine. People make many promises that they are unable to keep, but God does not make any empty promises, for He is well able to perform all the Words that He has spoken. He has good plans for you and whatever He has told you will come to pass. God says, "I know the thoughts I think toward you, thoughts of peace, and not evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). When the way seems narrow and the road seems long, remember God’s Words and let Him guide you through your situation. Do not lean upon your own understanding. Trust the Lord. As you allow Him to direct your path, all things will work out for good. Listen to the still small voice of the Spirit of Truth, keep your faith in Him, and trust His Words because good results are on the way. +++ 10/18/22 HIS OWN WORDS Scripture: John 4:39 & 41 (NRS) "Many of the Samaritans from that city believed in Him because of the woman's testimony" ... "And many more believe because of His own Word." Jesus had spoken to the woman at the well and revealed the hidden secrets of her heart. When she realized that Jesus was the Messiah, she went back to the city and testified to the men that she had met the Christ. Some believed because of her words, yet many more believed when they heard Jesus for themselves. There is something confirming about hearing a conversation first hand because when you are in the presence of the one speaking, you can look into their eyes, which mirrors the truth of their soul. You can watch their facial expressions and determine if they are joyful, sad, bitter, angry, or experiencing some other emotions. You can note their body language and experience the atmosphere that surrounds the words being spoken, which will enable you to discern the spirit of the matter. Even the silence of the moment will speak volumes if you listen intently. It is quite different when we hear a conversation second hand because it often genders questions. We may ask, "Was it supposed to be a joke or were they serious when they said that?" "Tell me their exact words again." "Do you think that they really meant that?" "What was the tone of their voice?" It is much easier to judge the facts and intents of any conversation when we hear it with our own ears from the original source. Information gleaned from someone, who heard someone, who had also heard someone, often leads to error. Remember the game that we use to play called "Gossip"? Several people lined up and repeated a simple one-line sentence into the ear of the person next to them. As the sentence was passed down the chain, the words gradually changed and by the time the sentence reached the end of the line it was totally distorted. There was a breakdown in communication because people often do not speak or hear accurately. Many times we hear what we want to hear and remember it the way we want to remember it. We take license in our conversations to interpret the words to our advantage. That is the reason someone once said, "I am only responible for what I said. Not what you think I said." The woman at the well had a unique and tremendous experience. Jesus spoke directly to her and about herself. He left no stone unturned. Like this woman, we too must allow the Lord to look into the hidden chambers of our heart and expose all of our secrets, regardless of how shameful they may be. It is edifying to hear the testimonies of others but we too should be eager to experience Jesus as a person, look into His eyes, and hear His Words with our own ears. Every believer should seek this kind of relationship with the Lord. This is not impossible, for Jesus told us that if we would draw near to Him, He would draw near to us. As we listen to His voice, we will begin to believe and trust in Him because we have personally heard Him speaking His own Words. +++ 10/19/22 FALLING SHORT BUT STANDING TALL Scripture: Psalms 37:24 (NIV) "Though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand." It is wonderful to serve a loving God who understands our shortcomings and holds us up when we begin to fall. Though we stumble around in life's situations, His grace gently picks us up and helps us start over again. He is like a natural father who teaches his child to walk. He eagerly waits for us to make the next step and His hand is there to catch us before we hit the ground. God does not scold us when our knees wobble or when our feet trip along the rough paths. He knows that our spirit is willing but that our flesh is weak so He just holds our hands a little tighter, lifts us up, and helps us along our way. God is aware that we are going to stumble many times in life before we reach our place in Heaven. Throughout the scriptures, He gives examples to let us know that His forgiveness and restoration is always available. Abraham, the friend of God and the father of faith, fell short in his walk with God when fear gripped his heart. His faith failed him and he asked his wife, Sarah, to pose as his sister in order to protect his own life. Also, instead of believing God's promise and waiting on His timing for the righteous seed to be conceived and birthed, he gave in to Sarah's plea. He followed Sarah’s suggestion and took her maid, and through this unrighteous union Ishmael was birthed. Even though Abraham stumbled, the Lord held him up and his faith was still counted unto him as righteousness. King David fell short and committed many sins, but stood tall and reached into the heart of God and found forgiveness for all of his transgressions. The Apostle Peter also fell short in his actions when he denied Christ, but later he not only acknowledged that he knew Jesus but stood very tall as he openly preached to the multitudes, proclaiming Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. You must understand today that even though you may have fallen short in your walk through life, you can still stand tall in God's presence. His love covers a multitude of sins and His grace is sufficient in all circumstances. He wants to assure you that there is no mistake that you have ever made that He is not able to erase and no stain in your life that He cannot wash away, for His blood takes care of it all. He wants you to know that there is hope even when you think there is no way of restoration. God's ways are not like your ways and His thoughts go beyond your thoughts. When you feel that you are beginning to stumble, immediately reach out to the Lord and He will lift you up and help you stand tall. +++ 10/20/22 A PIT IN THE WILDERNESS Scripture: Genesis 37:22 "... cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness." Jacob had twelve sons, but he showed special favor to one of his sons named Joseph and he also made him a beautiful coat of many colors. This special favor and the coat provoked Joseph's brothers to envy. To make matters worse, Joseph told his brothers that he had a dream in which his entire family bowed down before him. Joseph's dreams infuriated his brothers even more, and in a jealous rage, they made plans to kill him. They called Joseph the dreamer and said, "Let us slay him and then we shall see what will become of his dreams." The eldest brother, Reuben, saved Joseph's life by suggesting that they put him into a pit in the wilderness rather than killing him. Reuben's intent was to come back later and rescue Joseph, but while he was away, Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery. This incident would have been frightening to anyone at any age, but Joseph was just seventeen years old when this event occurred. Being physically cast into a dark and lonely pit in the wilderness would have been hard enough to bear, but Joseph also had to deal with the emotional side of it. He not only had to come to terms with the evil actions that had been committed against him, but also had to acknowledge the rejection that was dealt to him by his own brothers. Joseph was their flesh and blood but they did not want him in their lives and they hated him so much that they wanted to kill him. They wanted to destroy the dreamer and his dream. The bruises of the heart many times are harder to bear than the wounds to the physical body. Yet, the evil that transpired with this situation proved in the end to be a part of God's sovereign plan. God had an enormous purpose for Joseph's life and this pit in the wilderness was necessary to bring about that plan. Sometimes we find ourselves in a pit or in a wilderness place and wonder what we did to deserve it. Nothing seems to be happening at the present. Our lives are not moving forward and it seems that we are losing valuable time. None of us like for our lives to slow down in this fashion. Instead, we want everything to keep moving at top speed. Yet, God has planned divine pit stops for us. He calls us away so that He can make necessary adjustments in our thinking and to form us into the person that He wants us to be. Pits and wilderness places are never fun but they are powerful, and after the experience, we are never the same. In the wilderness, we learn to be attentive to God. When we find ourselves alone, God gives us rest so that our bodies and spirits can be regenerated for the next leg of the race. The hard places make us stronger and the challenging places increase our faith. The spiritually lean and dry desert places cause us to hunger and thirst after God. Trials develop patience and dark places cause us to long and search for the true light. Joseph had many pits and prisons to experience before he finally made it to his ordained destiny in the palace. Yet, God used all the evil intended for Joseph to bring about good for a multitude of people. Keep this reminder in your soul. The devil is not only after you, the dreamer, he also wants to destroy your God given dreams. You may be in a pit of despair or alone in a wilderness place, but God knows all about your needs and desires. He knows the hardships that you are facing right now and He wants to encourage you. What the enemy intends for evil, God will turn around for good. God's hand is upon your life and nothing the devil can do will cause God to lose His grip. Trust the Lord, for He is faithful!! At the appointed time, He will lift you out of the pit that you are in or visit you in your wilderness and fulfill the dreams that He has placed in your heart. +++ 10/21/22 TWO-EDGED SWORD Scripture: Hebrews 4:12 "For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." God's inspired Word is quick, powerful, and sharp. These qualities cause it to be able to pierce our hearts and lay open the innermost recesses of our soul. God's Word works within our innermost being in an effort to get us to listen and obey. It makes a clean cut and separates our soul's lust from our spiritual desires just like a surgeon's scalpel separates the joints from the bone marrow. God’s Word discerns and judges our thoughts and intentions because it communes with our hearts. His Word is "quick" meaning that every word that He speaks out of His mouth actually has life or is a living organism. When God breathed the Word out of His mouth, it became spirit and when we read it, hear it, or speak it, that anointing generates the same life within us. God's Word is powerful. The entrance of His Word brings light and understanding even to the simple (Psalm 119:130). It opens our spiritual eyes and lets us see ourselves as we measure ourselves against the purity of the holy and eternal. It also causes faith to come (Romans 10:17). When we hear the Word of God, it pierces our heart and cuts away the doubt, destroys unbelief, and then creates faith within us. With God's faith filled Words in our hearts, we are able to do the powerful works that Jesus sent us to do. He said that we would be able to speak to the mountains to be removed and cast into the sea. We could also bring healing to the sick and deliverance to those in bondage. Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7). That is a powerful statement! God's Word is sharper than any two-edged sword. A two-edged sword is sharp on both sides and is designed to be doubly effective. God's Word is effective as the written Word and also as it is spoken out of our mouths. The Apostle Paul called the Word of God the sword of the Spirit in Ephesians 6:17. It is the only offensive weapon that Paul listed when he said, "Put on the whole armor of God" and stand against the devil. God's Word is powerful and eternal. It never returns to Him void but always accomplishes His intentions. When we speak God's Words in faith we become the voice of God in the earth and the devil hears and trembles. God's Word is the devil's worst nightmare, for the devil has no defense or immunity against this quick and powerful two-edged sword. Our victories will be obtained as we allow God's Word to penetrate our hearts and as we use His Word to combat the strategies of the devil. +++ 10/24/22 GOOD SUCCESS Scripture: Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success." Success is defined as the gaining of something desired, planned, or attempted. Yet, there is a difference in "success" and "good success" as spoken of in this scripture. Many times our plans come to pass and we are successful in our attempts, but when it is all finished we realize that the thing that we desired and accomplished was less than God's best for our life. There is nothing worse than succeeding at a bad choice. The first part of this scripture explains how to have prosperity and also good success. It says, "Meditate in God's Word day and night and then do what is written." It is then that we will prosper and have good success. Prosperity and success are not necessarily wealth and fame. Success is possessing the place that God ordained for us, which brings joy in our spirit and rest for our soul. Good success is simply a number of good decisions made over a period of time. It is surrendering to God and following His Spirit one step at a time. Genesis 39:2-3 tells us "The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man ... the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand." Yet he had been sold to merchants by his brothers, taken from his homeland, and had to serve Pharaoh as a purchased slave in Egypt. Regardless of his circumstances, the scriptures declared that Joseph was prosperous because the Lord was with him and the Lord prospered everything that he did. Often, there were circumstances that Joseph could not control or do anything about, but behind the scenes God was working His plan in Joseph’s life, equipping him and preparing him for a mighty ministry. To reach his destiny, Joseph had to rest in God's sovereign plan and totally lean upon God's grace. Many times God's leading will be contrary to the thoughts in our own mind. There will be circumstances we cannot control or explain because the Lord is working in a sovereign way in our life. Yet, if we trust God and meditate on His Word, He will confirm every step and give us perfect peace. As we act on God's Word, He will make a way where there seems to be no way and lead us through the wilderness. In the end, we will possess God's best and have true prosperity and good success. +++ 10/25/22 CONSIDER THE LILIES Scripture: Matthew 6:28 "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin." God does not condemn us for making necessary preparations for the future, but He does tell us not to be overly concerned, worried, or unsettled in our minds. In verse twenty-five, Jesus says, "Take no thought about tomorrow." Taking a thought means choosing to receive doubt into your mind that causes you to be anxious and fretful. Jesus said, "Consider the lilies of the field and learn how they grow." They have three things going for them: They have a FATHER that knows what they need - (vs. 32). They have FAITH - (Vs. 30). They have hope for the FUTURE - they trust God to take care of tomorrow - (Vs. 34). Again, Jesus said, "God's lilies do not toil or spin." Toil means to work hard until you are fatigued, labor until you are weary, or reduce your strength through pain and trouble. Verse twenty-seven in the Message Bible reads, "Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch?" You cannot make yourself grow one inch taller regardless of how much thought you give to the matter. Your growth is in God's hands. So it is with your future provisions. Worrying about your finances will not bring them in. You must depend upon God to meet your needs. Notice the Word says, "God clothes the lilies." It is impossible for humans to clothe the lilies and give them beauty. The most beautiful silk flowers that man can make cannot compare to the majesty of the lilies that God clothes. Neither do the lilies themselves work at becoming beautiful. They simply draw their strength from the soil, sun, air, and rain. God alone gives them life and creates their beauty. You can toil and fret about the future until you are weary and without strength, but that is not God's will for you. In this same story, in the gospel of Luke 12:29 (Amplified), Jesus said, "Don't be doubtful - tossed up and down between hope and fear." God's will is that you stop fretting about material things and begin to "seek His kingdom first." Then, as you seek God’s Kingdom, all the things that you have need of will be added to you (Verse 31). You are to put God first, and let everything else take second place as you search for Him. Do not worry over your future, but consider the lilies of the field. If your Father cares enough to take care of them, He will certainly take care of you. +++ 10/26/22 THE LORD WILL PERFECT Scripture: Psalms 138:8 "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me." Even though David was walking in the midst of trouble, he spoke to the Lord and declared, "You will revive me. You will stretch forth Your mighty hand against my enemies." He trusted God to do something about his situation that he, himself, was not able to do. He did not rely upon His own strength and ability to fix the problem, but relied on the mighty hand of the Lord to fight his battles. He knew that his God was going to help him and that his God would not quit right in the middle of the situation and leave him hanging. He said, "The Lord will perfect His plans and purposes. The Lord will complete His work." Like David, many times we find ourselves walking in the midst of trouble, and many things come our way to cause us anxiety and frustration. How wonderful it would be to be able to come to a point of total trust, like David, and know that God is going to complete and make perfect all of the things that are pressing in on us. This place of trust is a place where we stop asking God, "Why?" or "When” We would cease from fighting our own battles and would just give them to God. We would place our life totally in control of the Holy Spirit and trust God to do something supernatural for us. Our emotions would no longer be in control and thus would not be able to hinder God's work. We would disallow offense of any kind to defuse His plan. Yet, how often do we really react in this manner? This place of trust seems almost impossible. For when conflict occurs, we usually try to prove ourselves right, explain our motives, defend our actions, and get the last word in. The harder we work at the situation, the more frustrated we get and the more fragmented the relationship becomes. We fail to let the peace of God rule in our hearts. We forget that God is still in control and that He is our defense. He will never forsake us, for we are the work of His hands. The Lord is full of mercy and loving kindness and He never ceases to be interested in our concerns. We are blessed when we come to this realization and reach the place of absolute surrender, knowing that God is working everything in the universe together for our good. We can be sure that when He brings it all together, it will be perfected by His mighty power. +++ 10/27/22 HALF-BAKED CAKE Scripture: Hosea 7:8 "Ephraim is a cake not turned." The Northern Kingdom (Israel) was also called Ephraim. When Ephraim or Israel presented itself to God, it was full of sin and strife. Ephraim had mixed themselves among strangers and allowed these people to devour their strength. Even though God had redeemed the people of Ephraim, they had transgressed against Him and had made no effort to seek forgiveness or return to Him. When God saw their iniquity and wickedness, He saw them as cakes that were not turned. They were like a pancake that was cooked only on one side, unready for consumption and detestable to the palate. Yet, verse nine tells us that Ephraim did not recognize their own weakness. They were unaware that their strength had been devoured or that they had become old and decrepit as signified by their gray hair. Like Ephraim, unholy alliances also cause our spiritual strength to be devoured. The sin and strife we experience in these relationships depletes our Christian witness and destroys the anointing of God's wonderful Spirit upon our lives. God does not want us in these compromising positions. When He gets ready to use us in His kingdom, He does not want to discover that we are as cakes unturned and unfit to fulfill His purposes. Instead, He wants to find us complete and our hearts thoroughly furnished with His Word so that we are able to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:14). God wants us to be pure and full of His Holy Spirit so that we are well able to do the mighty works that He has called us to do. He has also furnished us with spiritual weapons and told us to put on His whole armor so that we can stand and be ready to engage in spiritual battle against the forces of the evil one (Ephesians 6:11). We should not allow ourselves to be half-baked in any area of our lives. We must stay at the altar and allow God's Holy fire to perfect us and finish His work within us. When we are thoroughly furnished with His Word, filled with His Holy Spirit, and have put on the whole armor, we will be able to present ourselves to God as a cake that is finished and not one that is unturned or half-baked. +++ 10/28/22 VOICE OF PRAYER Scripture: Mark 10:48 (NLT) "He only shouted louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" A large crowd followed Jesus and His Disciples as they left the city of Jericho. At the same time a blind beggar named Bartimaeus was sitting beside the road that they traveled, and when he heard that Jesus was passing by he began to cry out to Him with a loud voice. He had probably heard the stories about Jesus and how He had healed the sick and done other notable miracles. The crowds tried to hush Bartimaeus, but the more they tried, the louder he got. He was desperate and not the least bit ashamed to make his plea known. He needed mercy and healing and his cries for help caught the attention of Jesus. Jesus could have just passed Batimaeus by and the people would not have thought too much about it because they had no compassion for this blind man. While they made every attempt to silence this hurting and needy soul, Jesus stood still and commanded Bartimaeus to be brought to Him. Jesus then asked him what he wanted and when the blind man replied that he wanted to see, Jesus declared, "Your faith has made you whole." This is a mighty story about a humanly impossible situation in the life of an ordinary man. The blind man had no hope in the people about him or in the religious leaders of the synagogue, but he had hope in Jesus. He knew that Jesus was the Healer so he cried to Him with a loud voice. When his voice of faith was not heard, he cried louder. He did not care what others thought of him because he recognized that this was his moment of opportunity and he was desperate for a touch from the healing hands of Jesus. God is always looking for believers who will trust in Him for their needs to be met because He wants to be God in our lives just like He was for the blind man. There was no way that the Bartimaeus could heal himself. He needed a miracle from God. Likewise, there is no way that we can help ourselves. If we can do it, it is not faith. If we can make it happen, it is not a miracle. God wants to do the impossible in our lives so that He may be glorified in the Earth. We cannot allow adversity to quench our faith or the doubts of others to silence our voices. God is waiting to answer our prayers like He did for blind Bartimaeus but we must call out to Him and when opposition presents itself, we must cry even louder. If we have a need now is the time to arise and allow our voices of faith to be heard by the Master. +++ Copyright © 2021 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com |
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