| ............ | A Word In Due Season Sept 2023 9/1/23 WHAT IS GOD THINKING? Scripture: Genesis 50:20 "God meant it for good." These words came from a man who had been rejected and abused by his brothers. Joseph's brothers had stolen the special coat that his father had made for him, thrown him into a pit, and then sold him into slavery. Joseph's response to their abuse was, "You meant your deeds for evil against me, but God meant it for good." Things had been extremely bad for many years, as Joseph was taken from his homeland, separated from his family, and made to serve in a foreign land because of his brother's jealous actions. Yet, Joseph did not hold this evil done against him in his heart. Joseph made the best of his circumstances and excelled in all his efforts. Even those who had authority over him recognized that the Lord was with Joseph and that the Lord caused everything he did to prosper. In all of Egypt, Pharaoh said that there was no one so discreet and wise as Joseph. He was so impressed by Joseph that he made him the governor of the land and overseer of the provisions that were stored up for the famine. When Joseph's brothers came to get provisions from him, he could have repaid their earlier deeds with unforgiveness. He could have sought revenge and refused to help them or even exercised his authority and had them put in prison. He could have been as ugly and disrespectful to them as they had been to him, but he recognized that God was working a sovereign plan in his life. He declared that God used their evil deeds and allowed all the hardships to happen so that God could use him to be an instrument to save a multitude of people. We may sometimes wonder what God is thinking because the circumstances in our lives seem out of control. The storms of life are raging about us and things look very bleak. As far as Joseph was concerned, it was about sixteen years before he understood why he had to endure the hardships he faced or what God was doing with his life. God works with us in the same manner. God does not explain what He is thinking or what He is doing. He does not tell us to understand what is going on, but to simply trust that He will take the things that are intended for evil against us and turn them into good. The Lord trains us in our prisons so that we can be prepared for our palace assignment. Instead of remaining as the abused brother, we can become their hope of survival. Or like Moses, God may prepare us in a palace so that He can use us in the wilderness. He spares us in the lion's den like Daniel so that we can become a victorious witness to the king. He takes us through fires, and we come out without burns or even the smell of smoke so that He can show the world that there is a God in Heaven. And like Jesus, God allows us to take up our cross daily so that we might sit with Him in Heavenly places. We are not to be discouraged, but believe that the evil that is coming against us is meant for our good, and that God will use it to help us minister good to those around us. +++ 9/4/23 GROWING FAITH Scripture: II Thessalonians 1:3 "... Your faith grows exceedingly." The Apostle Paul speaks of faith that grows, and in this instance, he speaks of faith that was growing exceptionally well. We all want to be declared to be of great faith, but developing great faith takes nurturing. Our faith can grow slowly or exceedingly fast, but like things of nature, faith depends upon certain elements for growth. One element is that our faith grows according to where we are planted. Psalms 92:13-14 declares, "Those planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish ... they shall bring forth fruit." Attending the house of God causes us to grow in faith. For when we gather with other believers and hear the Word of God and the testimonies of those in Christ, it encourages us and causes us to grow in 'like faith' (Hebrews 10:25). Faith must also be nourished for it to grow. Faith's nourishment is the Word of God (Romans 10:17). God's Word is like food to our spirit, and the more we receive, the greater our faith becomes. Without the Word of God, our faith will be stunted. I Peter 2:2 says, "Desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow." We do not see one inch of physical growth as we feed our children, but suddenly, one day, the results are there. In a few short years, our tiny six-pound baby has become larger than we are. It was a continual process that brought about amazing results. We may not see ourselves growing as we study and receive God's Word, but the miracle is happening none the less, and one day the results of our growth will surprise and amaze us. Faith needs to be protected from the voices of unbelief. Abraham did not consider his own body, which was about one hundred years old, and he also did not stagger at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith (Romans 4:19-20). He protected his faith and did not allow any circumstances to steal the promises of God from him. Likewise, we must guard our own faith. We cannot give into our own thoughts or the discouragement that may come from others. In Numbers 32:9, Moses sent twelve spies into the land. Ten of those twelve spies came back with an evil report that discouraged the hearts of the children of Israel and kept them from entering the Promised Land. Faith also depends on whether it is exercised. Exceptional growth had come about in the church's faith as they endured persecutions and tribulations. They had been steadfast through suffering, abounding in love one towards another (II Thess. 1:3-4). Their faith and patience continually grew until it was healthy and fruitful, and manifested the righteousness of God. There is no way to strengthen faith except by going through places where we are forced to use it. Each time we exercise faith to accomplish a victory, our faith becomes stronger. Jesus talked about faith in another way. He compared faith to a mustard seed and said, "Though the mustard seed is the smallest seed of all the herbs, when it is grown, it becomes a tree." The decision is ours. We can either allow our faith to remain as a small undeveloped seed, or we can allow God to grow it exceedingly. +++ 9/5/23 THE UMPIRE OF PEACE Scripture: Colossians 3:15 (Amplified) "Let the peace, or soul harmony, from Christ rule or act as umpire continually in your hearts." An umpire is one who is appointed to rule and is empowered to settle an issue. He is designated as judge and arbitrator to direct and govern disputes. In sports events, both teams depend upon the umpire to follow the rules and to be fair. There are moments of anticipation as both teams wait for the umpire to give the call. Once the umpire's call is given, it is accepted. We may have seen things differently from our position in the stands, but there are no questions and no arguments. The umpire's judgment is deemed final. The Apostle Paul tells us to let the spirit of peace do this same work on the inside of us. When there are questions in our mind, we should allow the peace of God to rule and be the umpire. We are to wait for the Holy Spirit to give His call and speak peace to our soul. Our soul is our mind, will, and emotions. When our soul is in harmony, all these areas will agree and be at peace. Our mind and our emotions can only be at peace when our will is flowing in God's divine will for our life. If there is any turmoil in our soul, we should realize that there is something about the situation that we do not have knowledge of or circumstances that we do not understand. Like the umpire, God sees what we cannot see. At God’s vantage point, He can see the truth of every detail. When Jesus went away, He left us His peace. He said, "My peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). God's peace is supernatural and passes all understanding. It keeps and guards our minds and hearts through Christ Jesus. God's peace should decide and settle with finality all questions that arise in our mind. We are to "trust the Lord with all of our heart and not lean upon our own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5). We must come to a place in our walk with the Lord that we trust Him more than we trust ourselves, and we are able to surrender our mind, will, and emotions to Him, as we allow His peace to be our umpire. +++ 9/6/23 TOUCHED BY DISOBEDIENCE Scripture: Jonah 1:1 & 3, "Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah ... But Jonah rose up to flee ... from the presence of the Lord." Jonah knew that he had received a word from God to minister to the people of Nineveh concerning their wickedness. Yet, Jonah was a Jew and was unwilling to testify to this city of Gentiles. Jonah was even angry that God planned to spare them and their city if they repented, so he disregarded God's Word. He did everything that he could to escape his destiny and the responsibility of this great commission that God had placed on his life. He took passage on a ship going in another direction to thwart God's purposes and to abort God’s plan. Jonah's flight from God's presence and commission caused much trouble for those around him. Everyone on the ship was touched by Jonah's disobedience. God caused a great wind to stir the sea and the mariners became fearful in the tempest because their lives were in jeopardy. In their peril, they were forced to sacrifice their merchandise and threw it overboard to lighten the weight of the ship. When they discovered that Jonah was the problem, they also cast him into the sea and the waters grew calm again. Jonah, however, did not escape his call to Nineveh. God had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah and he stayed in the whale's belly until he repented. Can you imagine how this poor fish must have suffered? Jonah was inside the whale's belly for three days and it could not digest him. Jonah's disobedience had touched the whale's life in an unpleasant way. Jonah had not satisfied the whale's appetite or enhanced the whale's life in any way while being housed in its belly for three days. The whale may have laid at the bottom of the sea and groaned with indigestion or swam around in agony just wishing that he could expel this disobedient servant of the Lord. As we consider Jonah's situation, we must ask ourselves how much of our own disobedience is affecting the lives of those about us. Whose finances are in jeopardy because they are on the ship with us and what are they going to have to personally abandon to satisfy our situation? Who is suffering mentally or emotionally because we refuse to fulfill God's commission? What kind of fish has God prepared for us until we come to terms with what He has called us to do? And like the situation with the whale, who are we going to keep in misery until we repent? These questions demand our attention, for we must understand that we do not stand alone in any of our actions. Our disobedience touches the lives of everyone that is near us. The actions of parents who are disobedient to God's laws affect their children. Rebellious children affect their parents. Husbands and wives who do not follow God's commandments affect each other. None of us want to affect the lives of others in an adverse way, so we must purpose in our own hearts not to take flight from God's presence or reject His Word when He speaks to us. We must always strive to be an instrument in God’s hands and allow our obedience to touch and enhance the lives of those around us. +++ 9/11/23 GOD'S SUPPLY Scripture: II Kings 6:5 "Alas, Master! For it was borrowed." The school of the prophets was overcrowded, so the students went down to Jordan to build another school. As they were cutting down the trees for construction, an axe head came off from the handle and fell into the water. The man who was using the axe began to panic because he had borrowed it, so he cried out to Elisha, the prophet, for help. Elisha threw a stick into the water, and as he did, the iron axe head rose to the surface and began to swim so that the man could retrieve it. This is an unbelievable story, but God's miracles are always unbelievable. Sometimes we tend to forget that God is concerned about every need that we have and that He is still able to do miracles such as this. This story shows us that the Lord is even concerned about the things that have been loaned to us, which includes money that we have borrowed to purchase material possessions. He knows that our intent is just like the student who had borrowed the axe. The student had every intention of taking care of the axe and returning it to the lender. However, circumstances worked against him, and he found himself in a terrible situation. He obviously could not replace the axe, as he was not prosperous enough to own one in the first place. When he became overwhelmed with the loss, he panicked, but the God of the Prophet Elisha was there to perform a miracle and meet his need. We may find ourselves in a dilemma such as this where we are overextended in our debts, either by reason of mismanagement or adverse circumstances. Whatever the reason may be, we have a God that is concerned for us and will help us if we call out to Him. God may surprise us in the way that He meets our need, for He is a God of miracles. He is not limited in any way in His resources or creativity. God can supernaturally do more than we can ask or think when we put our faith in Him. God is our Father, and nothing is too great or too small for Him to take care of. "God shall supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). The Lord is not limited by our riches, our income, or our resources but supplies our needs based upon His riches and His resources. We must not forget that God lives in a place where the gates are made of pearls and the streets are pure gold. If God can make iron to swim to meet the need of a man who borrowed an axe, He can and will take care of our needs when we cry out to Him. +++ 9/12/23 FERTILE SOIL Scripture: Mark 4:20 (Living Bible) "The good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God's message and produce a plentiful harvest for God." Jesus used the natural seed and soil to teach us a very important lesson concerning God's Word and our hearts. As we all know, natural seeds must be planted in good fertile soil for them to be fruitful and bring forth a harvest. Likewise, the truth of God must be planted in a fertile or believing heart before it can accomplish what God intends. God's Word is always good seed, but the condition of our heart determines whether we receive it and allow it to produce an increase in our lives. Jesus listed several things that would hinder us from receiving His Word. He said that one of the seeds fell upon ground that was unprepared, which gave the birds an opportunity to snatch it away. He explained that this Word was heard by those who did not understand it, so it did not remain in their hearts. We have all experienced this at some point in our life. We hear a sermon or teaching that is far beyond our understanding. Satan immediately takes this Word from us just like the seeds that were taken from the top of the ground. The second seed fell on stony ground and was received with gladness, but there was no root within the seed itself, so it withered in the sun. Jesus said that if we have no root within ourselves, the Word of God will wither in the same fashion when offence, persecution, or affliction come against us. We must have roots of faith within our own hearts for the Word of God to come alive and produce. The Word of God will not profit if it is not mixed with faith (Hebrews 4:2). We cannot depend upon someone else's faith to produce a harvest for us. Many times, we get overjoyed when we see someone else receive an answer for a special need because of a scripture that took root in their life. Because the Word produced for them, we assume the same will happen for us. However, God never promised us results when our faith is based on someone else's experience or testimony. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). Our faith must be based upon God's Word, which is revealed to us by His Holy Spirit. The third seed was choked out by the thorns. Jesus compared the thorns to the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches. Like the thorns that grow slowly and subtly alongside the seed, there are many cares in this life that will choke out God's Word. None of us intend to get so busy with our lives that we hinder God's Word and His will. Yet before we know it, we are gradually overwhelmed with our natural duties and relationships. If we are not careful, the first thing to be eliminated from our busy schedule is prayer, Bible study, God, and everything spiritual. Finally, Jesus spoke about the seed that was planted in good soil. Truth that is planted in good soil takes root downward. It draws its nourishment from the fertile soil and can support the plant and bring forth a harvest. God plants the seed of His Word, but the current condition of our heart will determine the future of that seed. The harvest is in our hands. We must ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand and receive God's Word. Then we must protect that Word, be patient, and understand that something is happening in the darkness of our heart that we cannot see. We must not allow adversity to cause the seed to wither or deception to choke it out. God offers us an immense potential, but we must strive to be good soil and hold out for God's plentiful harvest. +++ 9/13/23 ALLOWING GOD TO HELP Scripture: Psalms 55:16 "As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me." Years ago, along with the rest of the world, I watched the news and saw those who were stranded in their homes by flood waters, but many refused to be rescued. They had been without power or provisions for days and the water that surrounded them was contaminated. Yet their choice was to stay in their dilemma and suffer the consequences. Their decision baffled me, but then I realized that they had been without communication and may not have understood the scope of the devastation that was around them. We were able to see their terrible plight from a different perspective, but their vision was very limited, so they hung on to false hopes and refused to let go. As I watched these scenes, I wondered how many times we have been in similar situations and have refused help from God. Like a small child struggling with a project that they are incapable of doing, we wrestle with Almighty God. God pleads for us to let Him help, but we refuse His offer, and say, "No, I think I've got it." We think that we have things under control and that we can hold out. But just like the child who had refused help in the beginning of the matter, we usually realize that we cannot do this alone and that our only hope is to allow God to help. I have come to understand that God knows more about us and our situation than we do and am amazed at His greatness. He is our Maker, our Husband, our Lord of Host, our Redeemer, and our Salvation. He is omniscient, while we only know in part. He is aware of every detail and sees things as they really are. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His omnipotent ways are higher than our ways. When we are in the storm contaminated waters, the Lord rushes to us and desperately tries to rescue us from our situations. He knows the dangers and the toxins that surround us. God diligently pulls on our heartstrings, but we will not let go and allow Him to deliver us. We will not leave the past behind and cast down the imaginations that jeopardize our future. We cannot forgive others and we will not forgive ourselves. Strongholds of bitterness and unforgiveness linger in our hearts and become toxins to our entire being. Let us make this declaration as the psalmist did, "As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me." Let this become our prayer, "God I am calling upon You because I need Your help. What do you want me to walk away from so that You can accomplish Your plan and purposes that You planned for me? Show me what I should give or what I should do so that Your will can be completed in my life. Lord, I make a commitment to yield myself to You and I trust Your knowledge. I want You to help me, so I am calling upon You to rescue me from myself and my own desires." +++ 9/14/23 FORSAKING ALL Scripture: Luke 14:27 "Whosoever does not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple." Jesus gives the world an open and compelling invitation to come to Him for salvation. He excludes no one and says, "Whosoever will, may come." Yet, He also tells us that those who want to become His disciples and follow Him must consider the cost, for full commitment to Christ means bearing a daily personal cross for His sake. It means forsaking everything that is important, submitting our all to Him, and conforming to His teachings. In verse twenty-six, Jesus said that our commitment must be so strong towards Him that we would be willing to give up everything and even put Him before our family. This does not in any way justify neglect, malice, or ill will towards our family. It simply means that our devotion to Christ must be the number one priority in our life. It also follows that we will be able to love and serve our family in a greater way because of the love of Christ that is within us. Jesus was looking for more than followers. He had many who followed Him because of His supernatural gift of healing. He healed all kinds of diseases, caused the blind to see, opened the ears of the deaf, and made the lame to walk. There were those who sought Him out to be delivered from demonic possession and spiritual oppression. Some followed Him because He fed them fish and bread or turned the water into wine. Others followed Jesus because they wanted to hear Him speak words of wisdom or share His revelations concerning the scriptures. These followers had a personal agenda, but not many wanted to be a true disciple who was willing to bear a cross to follow Him. We must always understand that when we make a commitment to Christ things will start happening in our lives. Commitment to Christ does not guarantee a promise that everything will be perfect in our lives. The truth is that there is a cost. This side of commitment looks like a life of contentment, but the other side brings the reality of the challenge. When we surrender our heart and affections to Jesus, we will have great joy, yet He may call us to places that we do not understand. It may be a place of no reputation and may cost us everything that is dear to us. Yet, we will be fulfilled as we give ourselves to Him, but we must know that at some point we will also suffer persecution. II Timothy 3:12 says, "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." This did not exclude anyone. Yet as we forsake all and surrender to Christ, we will also reap great rewards. So regardless of the cost, we must be willing to take up our cross and follow Him. Precious treasure has a precious cost. It is said, "Anything that cost nothing … is worth nothing … and achieves nothing." +++ 9/15/23 DIVINE SEASONS SCRIPTURE: Ecclesiastes 3:1 "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." All the seasons in nature are planned and set in motion by God. There is no way for man to shorten the winter because of its cold or stop the summer because of its heat. The beautiful spring with its mild weather and gentle rains cannot be prolonged, and the crisp clear pleasant days of the fall season cannot be lengthened. The seasons remain in the hands of almighty God. Likewise, the seasons in our personal lives are divinely designed by God. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God knows the thoughts and plans that He has for us, and it includes a future with hope and a destiny of fruitfulness. Even in our senior years God has a plan for us, for Psalms 92:14 says, "They shall still bring forth fruit in old age." All we must do is flow in and out of the seasons and remain faithful. There will be seasons like the fall when everything seems to be very clear and crisp within our spirit. We may seem to have exact direction and perfect vision. Hope fills our heart as we anticipate the future, but then just when things are falling into place everything seems to fall apart. The clouds of darkness begin to cover up our seeds of hope and everything turns cold. For some length of time, our dreams remain dormant with no hope of life or fulfillment. Then, just as suddenly as this disappointing and unproductive season appeared, it passes, and we are surprised by the singing of the birds. God begins to resurrect all that surrounds us, and He restores our hopes and dreams. He overwhelms us by giving life to the dormant seeds that are harbored deep within our heart. His Spirit refreshes our faith like the spring rain that falls upon the Earth, and He once again begins to accomplish His purposes in our life. Eventually, the summer appears and there is an abundance of fruit that God produces in our lives because of our faithfulness to remain steady. God never leaves us or forsakes us in these various seasons of our life. Notice the trees look so hopeless during the dormant season. Their bark turns an ashen gray and their leaves, which were lush and green, change colors and eventually fall from the tree. The tree is left totally exposed with seemingly no life, no beauty, no purpose, and no hope. The tree has no energy as its sap is drained from its trunk. Yet, the tree never waves its barren limbs at God and questions Him about its current and bleak situation, for it has experienced this place many times. Instead, it takes the nourishment through its roots and patiently waits again for God's appointed season. God never fails, and as the barren tree waits, its strength is renewed, and a new season of growth comes. It finds itself flourishing again. Just like the trees, we must always remember that God has designs for our life. The season that we are in right now has been divinely ordained and appointed by our Creator. So, we must never be discouraged, but embrace the season and patiently wait, for God’s divine purpose to be revealed. +++ 9/18/23 GOD IS WORKING IN YOU Scripture: Philippians 2:13 "For it is God which works in you ..." The Apostle Paul assures us that even though we are in the middle of challenging and distasteful situations, God is at work with us and within us. We may be facing a great mountain of conflict regarding our health, finances, or relationships, but God is right there energizing us so that we can make it through the ordeal. The Lord is our friend who will stick closer to us than a brother. Unlike our friends and family, He will never leave us or forsake us regardless of how many times we fail or how hard things may get. God not only creates within us the desire to do His will, but also empowers us with strength. He then helps us follow through until we complete the task and accomplish His purposes. He makes a way where there seems to be no way, and with every temptation that seeks to divert us from His will, He makes a way of escape. We never have to depend upon our own strength. God is aware that Satan will try to sift us as wheat just as he did with Peter, so He set Jesus at His right hand to intercede and continually pray for us. God is faithful and He works with us. He does all that He can do for us, but verse twelve says that we must cooperate with Him, working with God in reverent fear and awe. One of God's greatest desires is that we come through our battles victorious. He wants our testimony to be that we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus who loved us and who gave His life for us. We have a choice to survive or thrive in our circumstances. It is up to us. We can murmur against God and engage in disputes with others, or we can yield to God as He works within us. To yield to God as He works within us, Paul said, "Do all things without grumbling, fault finding, and complaining against God, or questioning and doubting each other" (Verse 14). This may be hard, but it brings great contentment and eternal rewards. As we allow God to work with us and within us, we "show ourselves blameless, harmless, and sons of God without fault in this wicked generation" (Verse 15-16). As the world sees the results of God's effective work in our lives, we will "shine as a bright light in their darkness and be able to give forth the Word of Life." +++ 9/19/23 REVERSING YOUR CAPTIVITY Scripture: Job 42:10 "And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before." Job was called to go through a very difficult season of testing. God, Himself, spoke to Satan and said, "Have you considered My servant Job? There is none like him in all the earth. Job is perfect and upright, and he hates evil" (Job 1:8). Instead of hiding Job, God called Satan's attention to him. God's motive was not to punish Job or cause evil in his life. God only allowed the hedge that was around Job to be intruded upon because He knew that Job could stand the test. When the hedge was removed, Job lost his possessions, his children, his health, and his self-esteem. Even Job's wife was at variance with him and encouraged him to curse God and die. Job finally found himself sitting in ashes and scraping the boils on his body, while thinking that God had done this terrible deed to him. In the process of Job's distress, his friends came to comfort him. Instead of rendering encouragement, they brought judgments and condemnation. They had all of the answers but no real solutions. They spoke about God, but not words from God. Job patiently listened to the opinions of his friends and made a futile attempt to respond to their accusations. Job finally declared, "God knows the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." Job kept his faith during his adverse circumstances and came to know God, not from the hearing of the ear, but by a seeing and knowing with a spiritual eye (Job 42:5). Job experienced God and realized that God was in control of everything even when it did not appear to be so. Job's perseverance led him down a path to victory. God gave Job the ultimate assignment and told him to pray for his friends who had so harshly judged him. When Job obeyed, the Lord turned his captivity. God set him free, restored his health, and gave him twice as much as he had before. Jesus also set forth these same mysterious principles in His Words, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). There is a miraculous power that works when we pray for those who misjudge us, abuse us, and take advantage of us. When we pray for them, we willingly open up a channel between us and God. As we open our hearts wide towards Heaven, God is able to pour out a blessing upon us through that same open channel. It is like opening the door to let someone out. While the door is open, it allows the fresh air to come in. If you are in a hard place, put it all into God's hands and allow Him to deal with it. Open the channel to Heaven by blessing and praying for those who do not understand you or your situation and allow God to reverse your captivity. +++ 9/20/23 MEDITATING ON THE WORD Scripture: Psalms 1:2 "His delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law does he meditate day and night." The blessed man is one who does two things concerning God's Word. He delights in God's Word and he continually meditates on it. When one delights in the Word of God, he finds it valuable, and he purposely sets about to understand the precepts, meanings, and intents of the Words that come from God's heart. The Word brings him pleasure and the fresh insights thrill his soul and bring light and life to his being. Meditate means to murmur, imagine, study, talk, or make plans in the mind. It means to roll a thought over and over in the mind until it becomes smooth and acceptable. When we read or hear a promise of God, it is important to process that thought by rolling it over in our spirit until it begins to speak to us. Light and revelation will come into our spirits, causing life and fruitfulness. God's Word will then take hold of our imaginations and begin to transform our thoughts. We will begin to imagine change and then start making plans in our minds to bring about those changes. And because we are conforming to God's Word and His Will, He causes us to prosper. We tend to do this process all the time in the negative realm. It is called "worry." For instance, we hear a negative report concerning our health or finances, and we begin to roll that thought over and over in our minds until it becomes a reality. Our aches and pains or lack of finances begin to speak into our minds until we imagine ourselves sick or bankrupt. We start to murmur, complain, and make plans for the worse to happen. We meditate and roll the negative thoughts over in our minds until they become smooth and acceptable to our spirits. These negative thoughts then begin to take life as we enable them to kill, steal, and destroy our faith. The Word of God never tells us to dwell on the negative. In fact Jesus said, "Don't take any anxious thought about the needs for tomorrow." Do not let worry become a habit. James 4:7 tells us to "resist the devil and he will flee from you." We must resist the negative thoughts and choose to meditate on the positive Word of God. The Word of God will create fruit in our lives. When we exchange worry by replacing it with the meditation of God's, we will become like trees that are planted by the rivers of living water and whatever we do will prosper. +++ 9/21/23 POWER THAT WORKS WITHIN US Scripture: Ephesians 3:20 "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us." God is waiting to do marvelous things in our lives; things that go beyond our imagination and things that we have never even thought about asking for. Yet, accomplishing these great things depends upon the power of God that works within us because it is possible for us to limit God by our own doubt, unbelief, or lack of action. Psalms 78:40-41 tells us that the children of Israel limited God by turning away from His promises. They saw the mighty works of God day after day. Yet, they grieved and provoked God because they did not trust Him to finish what He started. They continually murmured and complained even though God was faithfully meeting every need that they had. As a born again child of God, we have received His Spirit and He abides within us right now (I John 2:27). His anointing is there to empower us for the task that is set before us. Yet, we need to be aware that He has strengthened us for the challenge, for it is only then that we can fulfill God's plans and purposes for our lives. Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge." We cannot use something if we do not know that we have it, and we will never go forward without the knowledge of His power within us. The devil distorts the truth and tries to keep us in the dark because he knows that our lack of knowledge will limit the work of God in our lives. Proverbs 29:18 confirms this by telling us that if we do not have a vision or revelation we will perish. The Apostle Paul showed us how to pray concerning this situation. The Holy Spirit led Paul to pray for the Church at Ephesus that God would grant them a spirit of revelation. He prayed that the eyes of their understanding would be opened so they could know their calling and also the exceeding greatness of God's mighty power that was extended to them. When Paul prayed these words, he was praying for the Church, not the sinners. We can pray this same prayer. Sometimes we think that we, as the Church, have arrived and know all there is to know. My experience is that the more I learn about God, the more I realize there is so much more that I do not know and have yet to learn. The revelation of God and His power does not come suddenly. The Word declares that it comes to us line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. We will be forever learning about God and His power from now through eternity, and the more we learn, the more He will be able to work through us. God is able to do exceeding and great things in us but we must be filled with His power. In Jeremiah 33:3, God tells us how to find His hidden power and how to cease from limiting Him. He says, "Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know - things you have never seen before or even considered thinking of." We must not limit God but must allow His power to work within us. As we do, the Lord will be able to do great and mighty things when we ask. +++ 9/22/23 GOD'S LOVE Scripture: John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." How tremendous this statement is. God loved us so much that He gave His most treasured possession so that He could provide everlasting life for us. There are several wonderful facts about God's love. First, His love never fails. Natural love relationships with family and friends often fail at some point and time, but God's love is eternal. In Jeremiah 31:3 God says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love." The Apostle Paul listed seventeen things that were unable to separate him from God's love: "tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, death, life, angels, principalities, powers, things present, things to come, height, depth, nor any other creature" (Romans 8:35, 38, 39). Second, God's love is not influenced by who we are. Deuteronomy 7:6-8 tells us that God did not choose Israel because they were a large nation, for in reality they were the smallest. He chose them to be a special people because He loved them and wanted to establish His covenant with them. He chooses us in the same fashion. He looks at us as individuals, but it does not really matter who we are, it matters who God is. Third, God's love is also free. In Hosea 14:4, God says, "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely." We cannot earn God's love, for we have nothing to offer to God that would be able to merit the sacrificial gift of His Son's life. We must come to God just as we are. Fourth, His love is not just for a select few, but is offered free to whosoever will believe in Him. This includes the rich and famous and also the poor and the needy. Finally, Ephesians 3:19 says, "The love of Christ passes understanding." Our natural minds simply cannot comprehend how God could give His own Son to die in our place. Nor can we understand why Christ, Himself, would suffer the shame of the cross so that He could redeem us, for none of these enormous sacrifices make sense. This information goes beyond our human understanding. Yet, God showed us His love by His sacrifice. We do not deserve God's awesome love, which is eternal and free. Neither are we required to understand it or to figure out how His love works. All we must do is believe in Him and receive His love sacrifice, then we will not perish but have everlasting life. +++ 9/25/23 REPENTANCE Scripture: I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." God wants His children to do His will, which is simply obeying what He tells us to do on a daily basis. He is our Shepherd, and all we need to do is walk where He leads us, one step at a time. It is a simple matter of putting our foot into His footprint. There are times, however, in all of our lives that we fail to do God's will either because of our own compromise, rebellion, or simple neglect. To receive forgiveness when we find ourselves in these places we must call out to our Heavenly Father for help, be quick to repent, and then search for our way back to His perfect will. We must be honest with God and start at the point where we are. When my son was about three years old, I left him in the yard to play. We lived in a safe neighborhood and the yard was enclosed with a cyclone fence. There was no way he could unlock the gate and get out of the yard, and I felt that he was very safe. However, I did tell him not to climb the fence. I went into the house for just a few minutes and very shortly I heard him calling from the yard. His cry was loud but not frightening. I immediately went out and found him hanging on the fence. The hood of his winter jacket was ensnared in the wires at the top of the fence so that he just hung there like a picture on the wall with his back to the fence. He was not hurt or even uncomfortable but was just stuck in a situation that he could not get out of. There was no way that he could deliver himself from this terrible dilemma that he had gotten himself into. When I asked him, "Did you try to climb the fence?" He said, "No, Mommy. Just get me down." He knew that I still loved him and that I was able to fix the situation for him. I questioned him several times about how he happened to be hanging on the fence and each time he denied that it was his fault. He refused to come to terms with his disobedience and make a full confession. Finally, he realized that he was not getting off the fence until he repented and promised never to do it again. I laugh today as I remember this episode and I wonder how many times do we find ourselves in a similar predicament. We fail to obey God and then we find ourselves hanging on a fence. We know that we have stepped out of God's will, and He knows it, too. Yet, we try to deny that we have made a mistake or that we have sinned. We just want God to fix our situation and do it as quickly and easily as possible. It is amazing that even in our sin, God still loves us, His mercy endures forever, and His grace never fails. He is more than ready to redeem us from every situation. Our Father's promise is so simple. He says, "If you want to be forgiven, confess your sins! I will faithfully forgive you, and I will cleanse you from all unrighteousness." In other words, "If you really want down from the fence, confess your faults, and repent." +++ 9/26/23 GO AND PREACH Scripture: Mark 16:20 "And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." Jesus told His Disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, but He did not send them out empty handed. He empowered them with His Holy Spirit and placed in their hands special gifts. All they had to do was go, preach the Word, and believe. Jesus made a promise that He would be with them wherever they went and that He would confirm His preached Word with signs. This promise takes the pressure out of our ministry to others, for we know that Jesus Christ is the same today as He was yesterday and that He will be the same in the future. There is no shadow of turning with Him. He did not send His original Disciples out empty handed, and He will not send us out empty handed either. He promises that if we will take the first step, He will be with us all the way. The Lord works with us by anointing us with the power of His Holy Spirit and filling our hands with signs and wonders so that He can fulfill the needs of those around us. He simply said, "Go and preach." He does the rest of the work. If He does not do the signs and wonders, they will not happen. We can explain the plan of salvation, but God regenerates the spirit of man. We can talk about deliverance and peace, but God breaks the bondages and sets the soul free. We can tell others about healing and financial provision, but only God can heal and provide. It is all a work of His Holy Spirit. Zechariah 4:6 says, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord of Host.” Jesus told the church to go to the world. He never told the world to go to the church. He depends upon you and me to do His work. We must cultivate a spirit of evangelism within our hearts and obey His Words. People are precious in God's sight, and many of them are in trouble. Yet, they will never go to church until we go to them. They are hurting, lost, and need a friend to love them and show them direction. We may think our gifts are insignificant compared to the world's need, and we may feel that we have no answers. Yet, Jesus can touch them through our hands, be a voice to them through our lips, and listen to their problems through our ears. Christ, who is in us, is the hope of God’s glory in the Earth. All we need to do is to go and preach His good news. The Lord will work with us confirming His Word with signs and wonders. +++ 9/27/23 MATTERS TOO GREAT FOR ME Scripture: Psalms 131:1 "Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me." David was a leader and warrior who conquered tens of thousands. He was a man who worshipped and communed with God. He was also the king over the great nation of Israel. Although David had great position and much prestige among the people, he did not allow his heart to become haughty or his eyes to be lifted in pride. In speaking to the Lord, David expressed his childlike trust. He said, "Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me." David did not have the answers to all of life's questions. He was human and he went through all of the ups and downs, just as we do. There must have been many things that he did not understand, for there were times in his life when things were really rough. David's life was in jeopardy when King Saul desperately tried to kill him even after David had served Saul faithfully. David faced defeat when his city was burned and his family was taken captive. He faced discouragement when his own men blamed him for the incident and wanted to stone him. David was betrayed by his own son, Absalom, who tried to take his kingdom from him. And David’s his wife mocked him when he worshipped God. David had to bear the burden of shame for the sin that he had committed with Bathsheba and the guilt that he suffered for having her husband killed in battle. David also suffered great grief when he lost his young son to death because of the consequences of his sin. David certainly had a lot to think about as these things may have tried to plague his mind. Yet he decided not to allow things that were too high to occupy his thoughts or overwhelm him. He determined to keep his spirit free by keeping his thoughts on God. He recognized that God knew the beginning and that God knew the end, and that was enough for David. Like David, there are many things in our lives that are crying out for answers. Regardless of how long we analyze and rethink the situation, we cannot find the solutions. Questions remain, "Why do the young die? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do the wicked prosper?” Questions that are too high for us only bring confusion. To have peace in our lives, we must come to the same conclusion that David did. We must discover that there are some things that God chooses not to share with us and we must determine that we will not exercise our minds in those areas. Things that are too high for us belong to our Heavenly Father. We must let it all go and allow it to rest in the hands of an all knowing and all loving God. +++ 9/28/23 GOD'S TIMING FOR THE VISION Scripture: Habakkuk 2:3 "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it: because it will surely come." Visions that have not come to pass, prophecies that have not been fulfilled, promises that have not come to fruition, prayers that have not been granted, and questions that have not been answered are not always denials from God. In most occasions, the time of their fulfillment is only delayed and awaiting God’s appointed time. The Prophet Habakkuk encouraged us not to become disappointed or discouraged when things did not happen right away but to wait for God and wait for His appointed time. God will not come early or arrive too late. Neither will He come empty handed. When the time is right, He will fulfill His Word, and like the prophet said, "At the end, His vision will speak and not lie." It seems so hard to wait, especially for God, for we have nothing to look at physically or to hold in our natural hands. The only substance we have is the faith that we hold in our hearts, which is not tangible. Though God's Word is very real and clear when it is spoken to us, it often becomes vague when the devil sows doubt to challenge it. This is especially true when God's Word of promise lingers a while in our spirits before it comes to fruition. John the Baptist faced this dilemma. He preached repentance and acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah as he declared, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world." Yet when he was in prison, his vision was challenged and he sent two of his disciples to inquire of Jesus, "Are you the Christ that should come, or do we look for another?" (Matthew 11:3). Doubt was clouding John's mind because he expected his vision of Christ as a leader to happen right away, but God had another plan and a more appropriate time. As difficult as it may be to patiently wait for God, there is something worse than having to wait and that is wishing that we had waited for His appointed time. When we move ahead and do not wait for God, Himself, to bring the vision to pass, it cultivates anxiety because we must wait for Him to catch up with us. Not only that, but when we step out of God’s timing, we remove ourselves from His place of provision and peace. There was a missionary who felt a call to go to the mission field. He was so excited about the call that he went immediately without any preparation. The first year was very difficult, and in his desperation, he questioned God about his dire circumstances and meager provisions. God responded by saying, "Yes I called you to come, but you came a year too early." The next year, which was God's appointed time, God proved Himself faithful to the missionary in every respect. In every circumstance, we must learn to wait patiently for God and allow His timing to bring His Word to pass. Time is on our side, for as we wait upon God, we will grow stronger. We can be certain that at the end of our wait, God’s appointed time will come, and His vision will speak and not lie. +++ 9/29/23 EMPTYING OURSELVES Scripture: Philippians 2:5 (Amplified) "Let this same attitude and purpose and humble mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus. Let Him be your example in humility." Jesus gave us the greatest example of humility. Verse six and seven tells us that even though He was one with God and in the form of God, He made Himself of no reputation, but stripped Himself of His deity and all that He was so that He could become like men. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Then verse 14 says, “The Word was made flesh." Jesus emptied Himself of all that He was and became a servant so that He might live among us and experience all that we would experience. His body of flesh enabled Him to face every area of temptation; that is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (I John 2:16). These temptations helped Jesus to understand our weakness and to sympathize with our feelings (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus humbled Himself to such a degree of obedience that He even submitted Himself to the death on the cross. The Apostle Paul instructs us to have the same mindset, attitude, and purpose that Christ had. We are to humble ourselves and follow His example. As we begin to empty ourselves of ourselves, Jesus will fill us with His Spirit and live through us. Emptying ourselves means that we must let go of the bitterness and the pain of past situations and release all things in our lives that are contrary to the Spirit of Christ. This includes the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Then, we are to allow the Lord to fill our empty vessel with the fruits of His Holy Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance or self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). We are to keep our minds on Jesus and think on the things that He would think upon. Philippians 4:8 tells us to "think on the things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of a good report, virtuous, and of praise." Two things or two beings cannot occupy the same space at the same time. One must relinquish its rights to the other. The Holy Spirit will not dominate when flesh and self are in control. The following quote sums up the progression of emptying ourselves and allowing God to fill us with His being. "None of God - All of Me Little of God - Most of Me Some of God - Some of Me More of God - Less of Me All of God - None of Me." Author Unknown +++ Copyright © 2023 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com |
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