| ............ | A Word In Due Season February 2023 02/01/23 WE ARE ON GOD'S MIND Scripture: Psalms 115:12 "The Lord has been mindful of us: He will bless us." This psalm is a wonderful reminder that we serve the only true and living God and that He is always mindful of us. God watches us just as a father watches his own son or daughter. He protects us and provides for us. He is there to comfort us in our grief and dry the tears from our eyes. He also lifts us up when we become discouraged and lets us know that all things are going to work together for good. He gives us hope and lets us know that He has good plans for our future. He even extends His mercy and grace when we fall. All these provisions and blessings require no sacrifice on our part, for His love is unconditional. Other verses in this psalm speak of the other gods that men worship and serve. It says that those gods are handmade of silver and gold. Instead of being the Creator like the Living God that we serve, they are the created. They have mouths, but they cannot speak, eyes that cannot see, and ears that cannot hear. They have noses that cannot smell and hands that cannot grasp and handle things. They also have feet that cannot walk or run and throats that are unable to utter a sound. These idols and gods are useless. They cannot be touched by our feelings or understand our pain. How sad it would be to serve such a god that cannot function or communicate and whose value is limited to the amount of precious metal that it is made of. We are blessed to have a personal relationship with a Living God. He is sovereign and He knows every situation of our lives. Sometimes things may get out of balance and we may wonder what is happening in our life. We must understand that God is always in control and that He is mindful of us. We are in His thoughts even when we are under spiritual attack. Satan, himself, could not attack Job without the permission of God, and even then he was restricted by the limitations that God dictated. It has been said that we are either coming out of a trial, in a trial, or about to go through a trial. Wherever we are today, we must remember that we are on God's mind. He loves and cares for us and He is going to bless us. +++ 2/2/23 THE LORD'S MERCY Scripture: Genesis 19:16 (Living Bible) "When Lot hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful." Two angels came to rescue Lot and his family from the destruction that was about to occur to Sodom and Gomorrah. The angels said, "Flee for your lives ... and don't look back." Even though the angels warned Lot to leave quickly so that he would escape the judgment that was to come, Lot hesitated. Fleeing the city meant that he would have to leave behind his home and everything that he had acquired, including his friends and two sons-in-laws. Lot's hesitation almost cost him his life, but God's angels intervened because the Lord was merciful. Can you look back on your life today and see the many times that God intervened, saving you from heartache and destruction? Maybe God kept you from marrying the wrong person whom you thought you were madly in love with. Or He stopped you when you were thinking about ending your good marriage. Possibly, God intervened when you were about to go in debt, overextending yourself financially. Did you ever look back on a car or house deal that you had prayed and asked God for and then thanked Him that He did not answer your prayer because you found a better deal somewhere else? God is so merciful to us. Even though we cannot see it at the time, He always has our best interest in mind and will always give us the best when we allow Him to do the choosing. God desperately tries to lead us by His Holy Spirit so that He can bless us and rescue us from hurtful situations, but like Lot, we often hesitate. We do not want to let go of where we are and walk into the future with nothing but childlike faith in God. We continually look back to old relationships that have failed and refuse to let go of past hurts. We bitterly hang on to the hurtful memories so that we cannot truly forgive. We dwell on the negative reports of the doctors, which hinder God's Word of healing for our bodies. Yet, the Lord continues to be merciful to us. Lamentations 3:21-23 (Living Bible) says, "Yet there is one ray of hope: His compassion never ends. It is the Lord's mercies that have kept us from complete destruction. Great is His faithfulness; His loving kindness begins afresh each day." We can thank the Lord that when we hesitate to do His will or trust His Word, we still have a ray of hope. God's faithful compassion and mercies never end, and He will take necessary steps to keep us from complete destruction. +++ 2/3/23 TALENTS Scripture: Matthew 25:15 "He gave to every man according to his own personal ability." The Apostle Matthew tells the story of a man who divided several talents between his servants. The servant who received five talents and the servant who received two talents put them to work and doubled them. The servant who received only one talent was fearful and hid his talent in the ground. He did not have enough faith to put his talent to work even though he knew that his master was able to reap and gather where he had not sown. When the master returned and found that the servant had done nothing with the talent that had been entrusted to him, he took back the servant's talent and gave it to those who had been faithful, diligent, and productive in their efforts. This story shows us four things. First, God never asks us to do anything that He has not given us the ability to do. He disburses talents according to the ability that is within us. He gives us personal assets and with every gift or endowment, God provides us with the wisdom to know what to do with our gift. Second, if we do what we can to use what we have been given, God will increase it and will also give us a promotion. Third, limited ability does not negate responsibility. God does not expect less effort from us because we have little, for any amount can be increased. Finally, God requires faithfulness. Even though fear may challenge us, He wants us to step out in faith. How many battles would have been won if no one was willing to fight because of the fear that was raging in their hearts? Fear comes to all of us, but it is just an emotion. Faith can dispel fear just as light dispels darkness, but faith must be acted upon. Faith is substance and evidence (Hebrews 11:1). Like playing a game of baseball, you have to be willing to strike out if you want to hit a home run. Only when you swing the bat will you make contact with the ball and be able to experience a hit. It is impossible to dream the hit into existence. You must take action, for faith without works is dead. The same is true with our talents and investments. We can dream all we want, but if we are not using our talents or assets, they will not be productive, nor will they multiply. God does not increase our ability or cause us to reap when we have been idle or too fearful to sow. He responds and multiplies our gifts because of our efforts and faith. God wants His investments to be productive and He expects good returns. God gives us gifts and dreams and is pleased when we are able to give back to Him with an added return. When He sees our faithfulness and our ability, He gives us more and enlarges our borders. +++ 2/6/23 WALKING WITH GOD Scripture: Micah 6:8 (Living Bible) "God has told you what He wants, and this is all it is: to be fair and just and merciful, and to walk humbly with your God." God delivered Israel out of Egypt by giving them great leaders such as Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. God also reversed the curse of Balaam and brought His chosen people into the Promised Land. He did mighty things for His people so that they might understand the righteousness of God. Yet, they turned away from God, causing Him to ask these questions, "Why have you turned away from Me? Don't you remember what happened and what I did for you?" Israel proposed to make up for their sins by offering God sacrifices of calves, rams, and rivers of olive oil. They even offered to sacrifice their oldest children. However, God did not want their sacrifices. Instead, He simply wanted their obedience. He had already told them what His desires and demands were. He wanted them to love Him, fear Him, walk in all His ways, and serve Him with all of their heart and soul (Deut.10:12). Walking with someone indicates that you are in agreement with them in your spirit. Amos 3:3 confirms this by stating, "Can two walk together except they be in agreement?" When you walk with someone, you go in the same direction they go, and you strive to reach the same destination and goals that they are striving for. This is God's desire for you that you walk with Him and be in agreement with Him and His Word. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). God does not want you to offer Him an occasional sacrifice to make up for your spiritual lack or your sins. You can never regain through sacrifice what you lose through disobedience. God wants you to be filled with His Spirit and follow His heart as closely as you can. He wants you to love Him with every fiber of your being and make every effort to walk in continual obedience to His commands. God is speaking tenderly to you today saying, "Walk with Me today, this is all that I want." +++ 2/7/23 OUR WORDS Scripture: Luke 6:45 "For out of the abundance or overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." The Apostle Luke uses the illustration of a tree to explain a point. He said that good trees produce good fruit and that evil trees produce evil fruit. He then compares this concept to men who have the capacity to either produce good or evil conversation depending upon what is in their heart. In Psalm 19:14 David said, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer." The words of your mouth proceed from the meditations that are in your heart so you must "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows life" (Proverbs 4:23). In 'God's Little Devotional Book', it says, "Language is the expression of thought. Every time you speak, your mind is on parade." How true these words are, for once our words are spoken, they are out there for the whole world to hear, whether they are good or whether they are bad. We are then judged by our words and either accepted or rejected because of them. Ecclesiastes 3:7 says, "There is a time to keep silent and a time to speak." It is said that sometimes it's better to keep our mouth shut and let everyone think we are stupid than to openly speak out and remove all of their doubts. James 1:19 declares, "Be swift to hear, and slow to speak." Our words should always render grace and be a word in due season to the world and to the body of Christ. We must understand that words are full of power, and they are able to produce life or death (Proverbs 18:21). Therefore, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man" (Colossians 4:6). In other words, endeavor to have your heart so filled with God's Word and His wisdom that when you speak, you are His voice and your words are like God's grace on parade. +++ 2/8/23 CONSUMED BY HIS PRESENCE Scripture: Psalms 139:7 "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? In this prayer, King David acknowledged the abiding presence of the Lord in his life. He said there was nowhere that he could go in order to flee from the presence of God. He also focused on some other wonderful supernatural attributes of God. He declared God's knowledge of all things, His awesome power, and His holiness. God's presence has a purpose in our lives. He is not around just for the sake of being there so that we can experience a special feeling. He is in our lives to search our heart and destroy all evil. Because David recognized God's presence and knowledge of all things, he asked the Lord to search him and know his thoughts. He relied upon the holiness of God to try him in every area of his life. He willingly laid his heart open before God. David wanted the Lord to reveal any wicked way that might be in him, for he knew that the Lord had the power to deliver him from the evil that was within his own heart (Verse 23 & 24). He desperately longed for the Lord to lead him in the ways of righteousness. We must understand that our life with God is not just a time of His visitation, but a life of His habitation. When we are born again we become a peculiar people and His Spirit dwells within each of us, setting us apart from all others. The Lord takes up residence within our spirit and He is always there. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He is not just around when we are worshipping in church with other believers or when we are doing good deeds. God is present even when we are in the midst of doing questionable things. Like the psalmist said, there is no place that we can go to get away from God's Spirit and nowhere to flee from His presence. When we come to realize that we are surrounded and consumed with God's wonderful presence at all times, our lives will be transformed and the options of our hearts will change. We will begin to understand the thoughts and feelings of God's heart and our heart will want to please Him only. We will not want to flee from the Lord’s presence, but will want to fulfill all of His desires. +++ 2/9/23 BOUGHT WITH A PRICE Scripture: Genesis 23:13-17 (Living Bible) "... Let me pay the full price of the field ... and the cave and the field became his permanent possession by agreement." Abraham was seeking a place to bury his wife, Sarah, and because he was so honored in the land, the men of Heth told him to choose the finest of their sepulchers for her burial. When he chose a field and a cave that belonged to one of the men of Heth, the man offered to give the parcel of ground to Abraham without charge. But Abraham refused the offer, choosing instead to pay the full price for it. He wanted to make his claim to this possession sure and final. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness he offered to give Jesus the kingdoms of this world (Luke chapter 4). Satan's gift appeared to be free. All that Jesus had to do to receive the kingdoms was to bow down and worship Satan. He had to exchange the Kingdom of God for the kingdoms of this world. Certainly this offer might have seemed a lot less painful physically, mentally, and emotionally for Jesus than the cross that He was facing. Jesus, however, chose instead to pay the full price to gain His Kingdom and purchase our salvation. He chose the ultimate prize and paid the ultimate price. Acts 20:28 tells us that it was with Jesus' own blood that He purchased us. The price of our redemption included suffering, shame, and death on a cruel cross. The devil tries to make claim to our soul, but because of Jesus and the sacrifices that He made, the devil has no rights. When Jesus shed His blood for the price of our sin, He sealed our salvation and we became His permanent possession. We belong to Jesus if we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth that He is Lord and that God has raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). It is wonderful to know that Jesus loved us so much that He would pay such a great price. It is awesome to realize that His entire life was wrapped up in this one purpose. He was made flesh and dwelt among us so that He could pay the debt that we owed. I Corinthians 6:20 declares that we have been "bought with a price." Let us rejoice, for we belong to God and we are His permanent possession. +++ 2/13/23 STANDING IN THE GAP Scripture: Ezekiel 22:30 "I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before Me for the land that I should not destroy it: but I found none." God seeks to reconcile all men to Himself and is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to eternal life. Therefore, He depends upon those who know Him to pray, intercede, stand in the gap, and make up the hedge for others. God ordains His followers to be a witness to the world. However, Isaiah 59:16 says, "He saw there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor." It takes great commitment to make up the hedge and stand in the gap for others. It means laying down your own life to some degree and making many sacrifices. Moses stood in the gap between God and the people, and at one point, Moses told God to wipe his own name out of God's book if God destroyed the people. This took a lot of courage on Moses' part, but he knew that God was righteous and merciful. As Moses stood in the breach, he turned God's wrath away and the people were spared (Psalms 106:23). Oswald Smith listed some of the things about the man that God uses. If you want God to use you to make up the breach and you are willing to stand in the gap, consider these challenges. THE MAN GOD USES by Oswald Smith 1) He has but one great purpose in life. 2) He, by God's Grace, has removed every hindrance from his life. 3) He has placed himself absolute at God's disposal. 4) He has learned how to prevail in prayer. 5) He is a student of the Word. 6) He has a vital living message for a lost world. 7) He is a man of faith who expects results. 8) He is anointed by the Holy Spirit. +++ 2/14/23 FROM THE MOUTH OF CHILDREN Scripture: Matthew 21:16 "Out of the mouth of babes ... Thou has perfected praise." When my granddaughter was three years old she sat beside me at the piano, composing songs. The first one was about Frosty the Snowman ringing his Jingle Bells at a reindeer. Then, she became serious and began to sing about the roses that were on the piano. Her words were very simple but also very meaningful. She sang, "Roses grow and are beautiful, But roses do not grow like the trees. Trees are big and tall but the roses stay little Because God wanted them to be beautiful for me. Roses grow but don't make noise. They just make pretty petals and are always quiet. I like for God to make roses grow ... For the Bible told me so." There was no pretense in this song from the heart of a three-year-old child. It was simple praise to God for the beauty of the roses. It was also recognition that God had made the roses grow and a realization that He had also made them different from the trees. She considered the roses and voiced her appreciation that God had made them beautiful for her. Little did she know that when she concluded her song with "For the Bible told me so" that she was speaking a truth and that her mouth was perfecting praise. Jesus told us to consider the lilies of the field. He said, "The lilies toil not ... yet King Solomon, who was the richest man of his day, was not arrayed like one of these (Matthew 6:28-29). Jesus continued to say that our Heavenly Father knows everything that we need and that we are not to be worried about any detail of our life because He is in control. You may look at your life today and be discouraged because it has not developed into the mighty oak that you had planned. Your dreams and visions had been those of such grandeur, and yet, they have not come to pass in any way, shape, or form. Your life has been very quiet and is like that of the roses that grow but do not make any noise. No one even seems to notice your existence, which to you seems mundane. You feel there is nothing important going on in your life, especially when compared to others about you, who seem to be successful in every endeavor. You wonder why your life is so plain and simple and think that you have nothing to offer. Yet, God has placed in your life a beauty that goes beyond the grandeur of the mighty oak. You may not recognize it because God grew it gradually within you. He has placed within you a meek and quiet spirit that is as delicate as the petals of a rose. He has made your life a sweet fragrance to those whom you encounter. Your spirit of love and compassion permeate your entire environment and reaches into the hearts of those about you. God has caused the beauty of your visible witness to bring peace, joy, and comfort to a hurting world. He has made you to be the person that He wanted you to be. So even though your life is like a rose that does not make a lot of noise, allow it to bless others with its fragrance and understand that your life is giving silent praise to God. +++ 2/15/23 I WILL NOT FEAR Scripture: Psalms 118:6 "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do to me?" When you stand on the edge of the cliff or there is a Red Sea before you, it is not the time to put your trust in man, for he will probably fail your expectations. It is the time to trust in God and ask Him to deliver you in your situation. The psalmist said that he called upon the Lord in the day of his distress and the Lord answered him. Knowing that the Lord was on his side, the psalmist was able to boldly declare that he would not fear what man could do to him. Safety is not the absence of danger, but the presence of the Lord. When you are hemmed in on every side and are forced to meet your adversary, it is a great security to know that the Champion of all battles is with you and that He is on your side. Think of some of the saints of old that showed no fear in the midst of life threatening situations. David faced Goliath, the giant, but had confidence that the Lord was on his side, so he ran towards Goliath in battle. God was faithful and delivered the giant into David's hand. Daniel prayed openly to God knowing that he would be thrown into a lion's den. He trusted in God and knew that man could not do anything to him that God did not allow. God shut the mouths of the lions and Daniel's deliverance became a mighty testimony to the king. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had no fear of death or the fiery furnace. The Lord showed them that He was on their side and even walked with them in the midst of the fire. He delivered them in such a mighty way that when they came out of the fire, there wasn't even the smell of smoke upon them. Live or die, we must come to the same conclusions that these courageous men did. And, like the psalmist, we must make bold confessions of our faith that are based upon the Word of the Lord. As we look through the scriptures, we can boldly say: 1.) I will not fear when things go wrong because God is on my side, and all things are going to work together for my good because I love Him and am called according to His purposes. (Rom. 8:28) 2.) I will not fear when I do not have sufficient funds, because God is able to meet all my needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. He will make a way where there seems to be no way. (Phil. 4:19) 3.) I will not fear when danger approaches me because God is my refuge and He will hide me under the shelter of His wings. (Ps. 91:2 & 4) 4.) I will not fear when my heart becomes overwhelmed in trying to find the right direction for my life because The Lord is my Shepherd and He will lead me in the paths of righteousness and beside the still waters. (Ps. 23:1-2) 5.) I will not fear when distress and discouragement attacks because Jesus will restore my soul. (Ps. 23:3) 6.) I will not fear when sickness attempts to attach itself to my physical body because the Lord is my healer and by His stripes, I am healed. (I Peter 2:24) 7.) I will not fear when death knocks at my door because I face a win-win situation. The Lord has promised to never leave me or forsake me in this life on Earth. And if I should die, I know that He will escort me to Heaven, for I have this confidence that when I am absent from my body, I will be present with Lord. (II Cor. 5:8) 8.) Finally, as the psalmist said, "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do to me?" +++ 2/16/23 GOD'S EYES Scripture: Proverbs 15:3 "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." When we were children we thought that our parents had eyes in the back of their heads. No matter how hard we tried to hide our transgressions, it seemed that they somehow were able to discover them. It was always such a mystery. And of course, the big question always came to our minds, "How did they find out?" As we grew older, we began to understand that God's Spirit was leading them and allowing them to find out the truth so that they could provide discipline and protection. They were not always looking for the bad, but because it was there, it just showed up. It was a result of a principle in God's Word that states that what is done in secret will be brought to light. God is our Heavenly Father and as a parent, He is just as concerned for us as our natural parents are. He is everywhere and is always watching. His eyes are in every place and He never slumbers or sleeps. He knows more about us than we know about ourselves. Our knowledge cannot even begin to compare to His. He even knows exactly how many hairs that we have on our head. Can you top that? He not only sees our actions and words but also knows the intents and motives of our hearts. Our own heart can deceive us but God cannot be deceived. Sometimes we may feel that our prayers are not getting past the ceiling, much less to the throne of God. And we become weary in well doing, feeling that no one is noticing our efforts, especially God. Then when we commit the slightest infraction against His law, we are sure that He notices it. We forget that He is more intent on finding the good in us than the evil. Look at the example of Job. God asked Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who reverently fears God and abstains from and shuns evil because it is wrong (Job 1:8 Amplified)?" Job may not have been aware that God was watching and admiring him. At times, he may have felt that His good deeds were in vain and may have become weary in well doing, but he did not give in or slack off. Even in his worse trials, Job continued to trust God and shun evil. Just as God's eyes were upon Job, His eyes are upon you today and because He is always looking, His eyes are going to behold the good and the evil that is in your life. Therefore, strive to be found as Job was; blameless and upright, one who reverently fears God and abstains from evil because it is wrong. +++ 2/17/23 GIVING YOUR DESTINY BACK TO GOD Scripture: Genesis 22:9 " ... Abraham built an altar ... bound Isaac ... and laid him on the altar on the wood." God made a covenant with Abraham and called him the father of many nations. God told him that his seed would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abraham waited many years for the promise of God to come to pass. Finally, when Abraham was one hundred years old, Isaac was born. Abraham enjoyed Isaac for a few years but then there was a new turn of events. God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on an altar. The three days journey up the mountain to fulfill God's instructions must have been the hardest days of Abraham's life. He probably reflected on the good times that he and Isaac had shared together. Also, he was most likely very anxious about his present state as the time grew nearer for him to sacrifice Isaac. How was he going to explain this to Isaac and what words would he use to say goodbye? Abraham surely must have been dreading the future without his precious son at his side. Who knows what other thoughts went through the mind of this loving father as the pain of the situation gripped his heart? If you have ever walked through the valley of the shadow of death with a loved one, you may in a small sense know how Abraham might have felt. Sometimes it becomes very difficult to obey God and to do His will, particularly when you do not understand what He is doing. Yet as Abraham's obedience prevailed, God rewarded him and provided another sacrifice. Abraham bound Isaac to the altar and as he lifted up the knife to slay him, the angel of Lord spoke and said, "Do not harm him." Then a lamb was found in the bush for the sacrifice. God is always faithful and trustworthy. God’s original promise did come to pass in Abraham's life and through Isaac, Abraham's seed was blessed. God's will and plans can become very mysterious at times. He speaks a word or plants a vision in our hearts, then as we try to follow that dream, it seems that He changes His mind. Like Abraham's situation, God stops us right in the middle of the process and tells us to give our hopes back to Him. We watch Him as He builds an altar, binds up our dream, and then lays it upon the wood that is on the altar. We may question the Lord in our hearts, "Don't You know that the fire is going to consume the wood and destroy my hopes and dreams?” This is an awesome test and is never easy, but God wants to find out what passion consumes our heart. What is more important? Is it our vision from God or the God of our vision? Our word from God cannot consume our heart and dethrone the God who gave it. If we cannot place our dreams upon the altar and allow God's fire to purge them or possibly consume them, they have become an idol. There are to be no other God's before Him. When we discover that the destiny in our soul has become bigger than God who is within our heart, we must place our dreams and vision in His hands and trust Him to be Lord over it all. +++ 2/20/23 PRAISE PREPARES THE WAY Scripture: Psalms 50:23 (NIV) "He who sacrifices praise honors Me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God." Praise is a mighty force. It is not only an expression of our faith but also a spiritual weapon that can be used against the enemy of our soul. When we praise God in the middle of our adversity, we are declaring our trust in the Lord. Our praise demonstrates our total confidence in God's ability and wisdom. It also confirms our submission to His will. When we give praises to God, we are also informing the devil that we believe God can deliver us and that He is still in control regardless of the outcome of our situation. Like Job, our praise declares, "Though God slay me, yet will I trust Him." Everything in our life does not have to be perfect for us to praise God. Many times we have to offer up a sacrifice of praise and give thanks to God regardless of our circumstances, for praise is the force that will open the windows of Heaven and allow God to work in our lives. The psalmist said that when we honor God with praise and thanksgiving, we are preparing the way for Him to show us salvation. Like the Israelites, God will not intervene and bring deliverance in our situation until we quit murmuring, enter into His rest, and give Him praise. Throughout the scriptures many deliverances occurred when praises were being exhibited. When Paul and Silas sang and praised God at the midnight hour, the prison doors were opened, and they were set free. When Jehoshaphat's army praised God on the battlefield, God sent ambushments against the enemy and the enemy destroyed themselves (II Chronicles 20:22). In Matthew 15:25, a woman worshipped and praised Jesus and her daughter was delivered of demons. Also, there was a ruler who worshipped Jesus and his daughter was raised from the dead. Praise prepared the way for God to bring deliverance in these situations. We were created in God's image and His nature is within us. We understand how hard it is to deny our own children's request when they are expressing their love and adoration for us. So it is with our Heavenly Father's thoughts towards us. Praise speaks volumes to the heart of God and draws His attention to us and our situation. Our praise is a declaration of our faith and when the Lord sees our worship and hears our praise, He reacts. The Word of God says that we always reap what we sow. When we are in lack and sow praise regardless of our need, we are telling God that we believe in His provision, and He responds with His bountiful supply. When we sow praise while our lives are in turmoil, peace begins to prevail because we are focusing upon God instead of the confusion. When we sow praise in the midst of adversity, the forces of Hell must give way to deliverance. You may be facing extreme circumstances and it may truly be a sacrifice for you to give praise and thanksgiving in your current situation. Yet deliverance is available. The choice is yours. You determine if you are going to use your voice of praise to prepare the way for your salvation. +++ 2/21/23 KINGDOM, POWER, AND GLORY Scripture: Matthew 6:13 "For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." Jesus' Disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. He answered their request by teaching them what we know as the "Lord's Prayer." This prayer that He gave as an example was simple but covered all of their needs. He told them to start their prayer by acknowledging their established relationship with God, who was their Heavenly Father, and to recognize His authority and honor His Name, for God was their source for all their needs. He told them to submit to God's will and to seek His Kingdom and instructed them to pray concerning their temptations and deliverance from evil. Jesus told them that forgiveness would come to them only as they forgave others. He also included provisions in this prayer for their needs of daily food. The Lord finished this prayer by ascribing all the Kingdom authority, all the power, and all of the glory to God the Father. God has the authority to do all the things that were listed in the Lord's Prayer, and He also has the power and ability to perform them. The Lord is to receive the glory for who He is and for what He does. An earthly father wants to see the needs and desires of his children taken care of and for them to feel secure and protected by his love. So it is with our Heavenly Father. He finds pride in protecting and causing His own dear children to feel secure and it is His glory when they are well taken care of. Some of our earthly fathers were able to bless us and give us the things that we wanted and no one could stop them from exercising their parental wills. However, many of our fathers were limited in their power by their personal supply and resources. How many times have we said to our own children, "If it were in my power or ability, I would do it for you?" As parents, we had authority, but no power or ability because our resources were too scarce to take care of their desire. Unlike our position, our Father God is not limited in His authority, power, or ability. He is able to do exceedingly beyond anything that we can ask or think according to the power that works within us (Ephesians 3:20). God is awesome and He will always be there to meet our needs. Jesus ended His prayer by reminding the Disciples that God's Kingdom, power, and glory were everlasting and would remain forever. God's Kingdom and authority are eternal because He will always occupy the throne. His power and ability has no end because He is able to create, and His glory is eternal because of Who He is. He is Almighty God, our Heavenly Father and we honor His Holy Name. To God be all the glory and power forever. Amen. +++ 2/22/23 A SHOUT IN HEAVEN Scripture: Jeremiah 25:30 "The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter His voice from His holy habitation; He shall mightily roar ... He shall give a shout." Our God is not timid and neither is He quiet. With His voice, He makes His presence known among the inhabitants of the Earth. The prophet Jeremiah said that the Lord roars from on high. Psalms 47:5 says, " God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet." And I Thessalonians 4:16 tells us that when the Lord comes back to the earth again, He will "descend from Heaven with a shout." Think about it; God goes and He comes with a shout. It sounds as though we are serving a noisy God, but His shouts are not empty sounds. They are shouts of victory. There were words and shouts coming from the lips of God from the very beginning of creation. The earth and the universe heard the sound of His mighty voice as He called all things into existence. Every time God speaks, something happens because His Words create and change the atmosphere. Things either come into being or they are changed, for His Words are not idle and never return to Him void. Whatever He speaks will come to pass, for His Words have purpose and are full of power. God not only shouts but He commanded His people to shout as He told them to march around Jericho and then shout. When God’s people obeyed His Word, the walls came down (Joshua 6:20). The people shouted when the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the city (I Samuel 4:5-6) and they also shouted when the temple foundation was completed (Ezra 3:11). Life has many challenges and we should go into each one with a shout of praise, knowing that God is sovereign and is in control of every situation. Our shouts of praise announce our faith in God. If we sound out words of defeat, we will feel defeated and experience defeat. If we sound out words of victory, we will feel victorious. Psalms 5:11 says, "Let all those that put their trust in You (God) rejoice: Let them ever shout for joy because You defend them." God hears the shouts of joy and He blesses expectant people. There is a shout in Heaven even today. Can you hear the Lord's shout? It is a shout of victory and not defeat because Jesus finished His work here on Earth. He sacrificed His own life on the cross of Calvary, defeated the devil, arose from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and is now sitting on the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. That is something for us to shout about. We need to start today with praise on our lips. Regardless of what surrounds us, our response should be a shout of faith. We must understand that God does not expect us to stand alone in our difficult times. If we pray and engage Him in our battles, He will give a shout from Heaven that will shake the forces that are against us. +++ 2/23/23 ASK - SEEK - KNOCK Scripture: Luke 11:9 (Amplified) "So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking, and it shall be given to you; seek and keep on seeking, and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door shall be opened to you." Life has its moments of uncertainty and we may find ourselves becoming impatient as we wait for the answers to our many questions. Things can move so slowly at times that we feel as if we need to force things to happen. Yet we know that no matter how eager we become for doors to open and things to change, we must wait upon God, for He holds all things in His hands and we cannot rush His timing. Many times the writers of the scriptures confirmed this point by using the phrase, "In the fullness of time." In essence this means that things will only happen on God's schedule and when He sees that we are ready for change. As we wait for the answers to our prayers or for resolutions for the situations in our life that need attention, our only hope is to follow the instructions that Jesus gave. He told us three simple things to do; ask, seek, and knock. Yet, many times we fail to ask God for His help and instead we just worry and wonder about our problems. They consume our minds, but we never call them by name and simply ask God for His help. Other times, when we do ask, we just ask one time instead of pursuing God until the answer comes. Even Jesus prayed twice for a blind man to be healed (Mark 8:23-25).. We are to seek diligently for our answer like we would for a lost item until it is found. When I misplace my keys, I search every inch of my dwelling because I know that they are there somewhere. I may even turn my purse inside out in my search, but I never give up until I find the keys because they are a necessary part of my life. The same is true with God's solutions, we cannot give up the search. God’s solutions are there before us, we must look until we find them. The last thing Jesus told us to do was to knock. We are to stop banging our head against the wall and simply knock on the door. If the door does not open immediately, we are to continue knocking until it does. Jesus would not have given us these instructions if He did not want us to use them to get our needs met. He would not have told us to ask if He did not intend to answer. He would not have instructed us to seek if He knew that the solutions were not available. He would not have told us to knock if there was nothing behind the door. I encourage you to be persistent like the lady who unashamedly troubled the judge until he granted her the petition that she was requesting (Luke 18:5). Remember that Jesus has compassion and He cares about your questions, your needs, and your lack. So keep on asking, keep on searching, and keep on knocking until your answer comes. +++ 2/24/23 LIGHT AND UNDERSTANDING Scripture: Psalms 119:130 "The entrance of Thy Words give light; it gives understanding unto the simple." God is light and in Him there is no darkness whatsoever, for light cannot mingle with darkness. There is not even the slightest hint of a shadow or variation in Him, for He does not change (James 1:17). God’s light is not like the pale sunrise that slowly dawns upon the day or the sunset that diminishes in the evening. God’s light is distinct and never departs or decreases, but instead it remains stable forever. As powerful as light is, it cannot be touched or handled. It is just there and its presence or absence is very evident. When God's Word enters our life, His light illuminates our soul and spirit and brings truth into our heart. Jesus is the Light of the world. The light that comes from His Word corrects, convicts, and comforts. His Word contains everything we need to know. It reveals to us that we have a need for eternal salvation and explains that this salvation was made possible through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. When we hear God's Word concerning healing for our bodies, provisions for our needs, or instructions for a life of righteousness, illumination comes and gives us understanding. Sickness and disease may darken our day, but God's Word concerning healing will dispel all of the darkness. Sin can knock on the door of our heart, but it cannot overcome the light of His Word that is hidden within us. The light that comes with God's Word will enable us to discern the evil of the darkness that is attempting to entice us. The psalmist said, "Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee" ( Psalms 119:11). Clouds of adversity may try to hide God's light from our souls for a season, but if God's Word is within our spirits, His light is always there speaking to us of a better future. If there is no entrance of God's Words into our life, there can be no light, no spiritual revelation, and no faith because faith comes only by hearing the Word of God. If there is no light, we will not have clear direction and we will walk alone in the darkness. Without the light of His Word, we will stumble and experience injury because we will be disoriented and confused about our surroundings and vulnerable to the spirit of fear. Our body and soul will be in jeopardy. This is the reason that we must study God's Word daily and listen for His voice. It is only then that our soul can be illuminated and that we can walk in His light with the assurance that we are going in the right direction. We may be simple, but we have this wonderful promise from God. His Word is powerful and if we allow it to enter our hearts, it will change us from within. God’s Word will not only be a light for our life but will also give us understanding for living. +++ 2/27/23 BEYOND YOUR WOUNDS Scripture: Psalms 109:22 "For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me." King David cried out to God for deliverance and made his petitions very clear. He declared that his enemies had surrounded him with words of hatred and fought against him without a cause (Verse 3). David asked God to judge these false accusers who had lied and spoken deceitfully against him, and he said to God, "Don't hold Your peace, O God of my praise.” (Verse 1). David's heart was seriously wounded within him as he cried out for mercy and deliverance from the Lord. He was a man that loved God with all of his heart. David was the King of Israel, a strong leader, and a mighty warrior. Yet underneath the royal robes and warrior's armor, there was a man with a sensitive heart. He was not exempt from emotional pain because of his position in life or because of his strength as a leader. He could hurt within just like any other man and he saw God as his only recourse in this situation. David opened his heart before God and allowed God to see his wounds as he stood before God and confessed his pain and his need. C. S. Lewis once said, "God whispers to us in our pleasure and shouts to us in our pain." Many times, in our season of pleasure, we become relaxed and distracted. There is no driving force that causes us to fast, pray, and search for God. When we are in this state, we often miss the still small voice of God because our hearts are not turned in His direction and our ears are not tuned to His voice. Yet, when we are hurting in some way or facing a mountain of adversity, we become more attentive, and it seems that God's voice is much easier to hear. We seek a solution, we search for an answer, and we listen for Him to speak. His slightest whisper becomes a shout within our spirits. David was wounded and was facing a need, but he knew that beyond his wounds there was an answer, and that answer was God, Himself. He made a commitment to God, saying, "I will give myself to prayer." Like David, we must look beyond our wounds and needs and go to God in prayer. He has our answers. We must get a glimpse of God and then allow Him to deliver us and redeem our situation. +++ 2/28/23 PURE FOUNTAINS Scripture: James 3:11 "Does a fountain send forth at the same time sweet water and bitter?" The Apostle James was drawing a parallel between a literal fountain of water and the living water that flows from the soul and spirit of man. He made it clear that just as a fountain of water cannot be sweet and bitter at the same time, neither can the spirit of man be pure when contaminated with the things of the world. Jesus said that out of our inner man would flow rivers of living water. Whatever we put into our spirits is going to flow out of the fountains of our life. If you have ever been to the beach and got a little salt water mixed in with your fresh drinking water, you can understand and appreciate this analogy very well. Just a little salt ruins the taste and effects of the fresh water and makes it unfit to drink. We can add poison to water, and it will not be visible? Yet when consumed, it becomes a deadly drink. It only takes just a little poison to have a negative effect. None of us would intentionally poison those about us, yet many times we disburse water from our souls that is not pure and it becomes like poison to those who receive it. James said that blessing and cursing cannot proceed from the same mouth. We cannot bless and praise God and then curse those about us, for they were made in the image of God and God loves them. We cannot lie to one and then tell the truth to another without being a liar. Neither can our heart be in peace and in strife at the same time. We cannot be a fig tree and produce berries or be a vine and produce figs. It does not work that way in nature and it will not work that way in the spirit either. The slightest amount of bitterness within our soul will ruin the sweetness of our witness. We are who we are within ourselves. Proverbs 4: 23 says, "Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." What is inside our hearts will flow out. Therefore, we must live in God's grace and minister His grace to those around us. We must guard our hearts like we would a precious fountain of water in a dry and barren desert. It is all that we have to sustain ourselves and is the source of our ministry to others. We must not allow anything from within or from without to contaminate our spirits so that we can insure the sweetness of our fountain. If we want to have a pure fountain, we must be filled with God's Spirit and His sweetness so there will be no room for bitterness. +++ Copyright © 2023 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com |
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