Jan24

............	A Word In Due Season Jan 2024 1/1/24 KEEP THAT WHICH IS COMMITTED Scripture: I Timothy 6:20 "Keep that which is committed to your trust ..." Another year lies before us and as with everything new and fresh, it begins with excitement. At the beginning of the year, it is easy for us to commit to change, for there are fresh agendas ahead, new journals to start, and new resolutions to make. Even diets are easier to start during this season because of all the food that we have consumed over the holidays. Yet, as we go through the days and months ahead, we must realize that most of our commitments will be challenged. As we settle into the routine affairs of life, the new will eventually wear off and the fresh season of change will disappear. We will again find ourselves facing the mundane process of daily business. We will face pressures, experience disappointments, and have to overcome the obstacles that appear in our path. This is the cycle of life. God is very gracious and giving as He commits many things into our hands. He then tells us to keep those things that He has committed to us. He gives us family, friends, finances, professions, ministries, material things, and our own being, but He expects us to guard and protect them. God also gives us intangible things such as the revelation of His Word, spiritual gifts, talents, and time, and makes us the stewards over them. He diligently watches to see the amount of care we give to the things that He has committed to our trust. Throughout His Word, God gives us instructions and examples to show us how we are to manage these blessings. The things God entrust to us are not to be taken for granted or abused but to be seen over with wisdom and discretion. God does not just give us rules and regulations, but also instills His nature within us so that His character can dictate our actions. As we think about the new year and the blessings that have been committed to us, we must be passionate and determined in our resolve to keep them even though many challenges will come our way. We must not grow weary but hold tightly to the natural and spiritual things that the Lord has so graciously entrusted to us. God trusted us enough to make us managers over our own lives and over His work here on Earth. With the Lord's help, let us do the best we can to take care of His endowment in a way that pleases Him. +++ 1/2/24 FAVORITE THINGS Scripture: Proverbs 13:7 (Living Bible) "Some rich people are poor, and some poor people have great wealth." King Solomon, who wrote this proverb, was the wisest and richest man who ever lived. People traveled from distant lands to see the grandeur of his wealth and to listen to his words of wisdom. Yet, with all the riches that he had gathered in this world, he understood the concept of true wealth. He knew that true wealth was not wrapped up in earthly possessions and riches. Solomon declared that a person could be poor in earthly things and yet possess a great storehouse of wealth. True wealth can be ours because we have family, friends, peace, and health. As time has passed, I have come to realize that my favorite things and most prized possessions are not my most expensive things. The things that I treasure the most are the things that revolve around people who have touched my life in a special way. If you were to visit my home, you would wonder why I have such a hodgepodge of things that do not match. I would like for my home to look designer perfect, but I am just a sentimentalist who has saved nearly everything that everyone has ever given to me. Yet, these are my treasures because they were given to me in a spirit of love and are a reminder that someone loved and cared enough to share their life with me. My most treasured possessions are the hand made items from my children and grand-children. One of these items is a fifty-two-year-old paper angel who lost one of her wings many years ago. It is placed on the top of the Christmas tree each year. Every year when I put the angel on the tree, I remember how proud my four-year-old son was when he presented it to me. Our tree is full of similar decorations and my closets are filled with boxes of other mementos that my children have made throughout the years. Another favorite thing is the family photos, which are a reminder of days past. These are the items that fill my life with joy and could never be replaced by any amount of money. I would be devastated if these precious items were destroyed. Also, I could not forget to mention my tear-stained Bible with the underlined and highlighted verses and the side notes with dates scribbled in the margins. These markings all speak of the intimate moments when the Lord spoke something special into my life such as a promise, a word of encouragement, or a correction. As we travel life's journey, let us look at the stuff that is most dear to our heart and remember what King Solomon said, "Some poor people have great wealth." I must confess that I feel that I am one of those. I am not wealthy by the world’s standards, but I am rich because of what the Lord has done for me. Regardless of our financial state in life, we must look at our storehouse of blessings and remember that wealth is not defined by expensive earthly possessions. True wealth is not having all that we want but being able to enjoy and appreciate all that we have. +++ 1/3/24 UPHELD BY HIS WORD OF POWER Scripture: Hebrews 1:3 "Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power." Jesus was the exact representation of God on this Earth. He was the Word of God who became flesh so that He could dwell among us and become acquainted with our personal feelings and infirmities. He was the brightness of God's glory and the essence of God's character. Jesus was the expressed image of God's person, and His very being was a mirror of God's nature. Jesus only spoke what God told Him to speak and did nothing unless the Father showed Him. He was in complete obedience to the Father's will. Even when it went against His own desires, Jesus yielded Himself totally to the Father and said, "Not My will, but Thine be done." Jesus followed the Father's plan all the way to the cross and was obedient to death. After Jesus rose from the dead and before He ascended into Heaven, He declared to His Disciples that all power had been given to Him in Heaven and in Earth (Matthew 28:18). The writer of Hebrews now declares that Jesus upholds all things by the Word of His power or by the power filled words that He speaks. It only takes a few words from the lips of Jesus to create a miracle. When He said, "Peace be still" the raging storm ceased and became calm. Thousands were fed at His Word when He blessed the few fish and the loaves of bread. With His Word of power, He called Lazarus from the dead, cast demons out of the possessed, and spoke healing to those who were sick. Even the centurion recognized the power of Jesus' words and told Jesus, "Speak the Word only, and my servant shall be healed" (Matthew 8:8). God's Word never returns to Him void but accomplishes what He sends it forth to do. No matter what our situation is, Jesus is still in control. He is holding everything in our lives together by the Word of His power. We have nothing to fear because nothing escapes His notice. He is sitting at the right hand of the Father, but His eyes are upon God's creation. He sees our difficulty, our heartache, and our physical pain. Because Jesus has walked this Earth and has experienced the same things with His own flesh that we are experiencing, He understands, and He wants to help us. It only takes one power filled Word from Jesus to change our circumstances. We must trust Him as He holds our heart in His hands. The Lord will speak a Word in due season and change our darkness into light and our sorrow into joy. Jesus never fails. As our faith reaches out to Him, He will be there to uphold us with the Word of His power. +++ 1/4/24 THE DAY OF SMALL THINGS Scripture: Zechariah 4:10 "For who has despised the day of small things?" We have just completed twenty-five years in publishing our devotional, A Word In Due Season. As we reflect on the past, we stand in awe at what the Lord has accomplished through the simple words of this ministry. During these twenty-five years, we have received many testimonies, prayer request, and inquiries concerning scripture and the plan of salvation. Your responses have been a blessing to us. Yet, like the words of the Prophet Zechariah, we can certainly testify that our beginning was truly a day of small things. When we sent our first e-devotional on January 2, 1999, we had a list of six people, which included my son and his wife, my friend and her husband, and my niece and her husband. Within a week, however, these six began to forward the devotionals to others, and in a short amount of time, this ministry grew into an international ministry reaching thousands, and also opened doors for us to personally minister on the foreign mission fields. We have no idea how many people are being reached through our daily email devotional, our website, or through the other websites that post our devotionals. We do know from the responses that we have received that we are reaching over forty-six nations around the world. I wanted to share this with you to encourage you as an individual and let you know that God can use you in the same manner. I had never thought about doing an internet devotional, and when my oldest son first suggested it, I completely ignored the prospects. I did not have a computer, and I knew nothing about them, and to be honest, I didn’t even know what email was. When we began this ministry, I had to use my younger son's computer and was so intimidated by it that he had to turn it on and off for me. He would allow me to write my message for the day, and then he would send it out for me. I cannot imagine being that helpless now, and it is embarrassing to even admit this to you. I do it with the purpose of letting you know that God can take the smallest gift that we bring to Him and turn it into a bountiful blessing for His people. The Lord is never limited by our lack. I have truly experienced the words that the Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 1:26-27 which says, "God does not choose the wise, the mighty, or the noble, but He chooses the foolish and the weak..." God did not call me because I was able, but He enabled me because He called me. As you start this new year, I encourage you to look for new ways that God can use you. It may seem overwhelming as it did for me. A Word In Due Season is all original material unless we acknowledge that it is a quote. After the first ten days, I had written everything that I knew, and I thought, "What do I do now?" I had nothing left to say, but God has been faithful to give us A Word In Due Season to share for these twenty-five full years. I want to thank you for allowing us to minister to you and want you to know that your prayers for this ministry have been a blessing. Please allow God to work in your life and do not shrink back from anything that He asks you to do. If God calls you to do something new and unfamiliar, He will send a mentor your way. Like my example, there will be someone there to turn the computer on and off or do whatever is necessary to help you complete God's call. Your simple obedience is the key to your ministry to others, and your ministry toward others will be a ministry to the Lord. Jesus said, "Whatever you do for the least of the brethren, you do for Me." So, never despise the day of small things and small beginnings. Be faithful in that which is small and God will make you ruler over much (Luke 19:17). +++ 1/5/24 GOD'S WONDROUS WORKS Scripture: Psalms 26:7 "That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Thy wondrous works." God's creation goes far beyond anything that we ourselves could have ever imagined. In fact, our minds can only comprehend a portion of His works, and our most precise words are inadequate to tell of His marvelous wonders. There are no words to describe the majestic mountains whose heights surpass the clouds or explain the beauty of the lush green valleys. Who can tell of the dry barren deserts and wilderness places that are unique and wondrous in their own way, or speak of the vast oceans and enormous seas or lakes? There are also tall trees and small intricate flowers to consider. There is the beauty of the heavens, which goes far beyond what our eyes can behold, and there is also the sunrise and sunsets that no artist could ever duplicate on canvas. God was truly very imaginative when He created this Earth, and this was just the beginning of His wondrous works. After God finished creating the Heavens and the Earth, He created man and filled his being with wonders that surpass the wonders of nature that surrounds him. These works of God are precious to us on a personal and daily basis. God has graciously given us sight, which allows us to behold His wondrous works and enables us to move about unhindered in the Earth. He has given us ears so that we may hear voices, music, and the sounds of nature. He has equipped our nostrils with the sense of smell, which not only enhances life but also serves to protect us when there are hidden dangers such as fire. We have been given the wonderful sense of taste for our pleasure so that we can enjoy the various foods that God created. God made our vocal cords so that we could speak, sing, and communicate with one another. We enjoy the sense of touch and also the ability to feel emotions such as love, joy, and passion. God has also given us a spirit so that we might experience the privilege of communicating directly with Him, for God is spirit. God’s works are truly wondrous. Yet, many times we neglect to acknowledge them. It is time for us to make a change in this matter. Let us join with the psalmist who desired to publish the wondrous works of God with a voice of thanksgiving. Let us consider all the works of God's hands; the beauty of the mountains, valleys, oceans, lakes, trees, flowers, and all that He has set before us. And then let us speak of these wondrous works to God, to ourselves, and to others with a voice of thanksgiving. God has been so gracious to give us such beauty and wonder to behold, and He deserves the glory and praise for all that He has done. +++ 1/8/24 TARES AMONG THE WHEAT Scripture: Matthew 13:25 "But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat." Jesus told of a man who had sown good seed in his fields, but while he and his men were sleeping the enemy came and sowed weeds or thistles throughout his fields. The man was not aware of the evil deed that had been done against him, but when his wheat began to spring up the tares or weeds also appeared. The man's servant wanted to remove the tares immediately. The master declined the suggestion with the warning that if they tried to remove the tares they might uproot the wheat in the process. He said, "Let both of them grow together until the harvest, then we will gather up the tares and burn them and gather the wheat and store it in the barn." Jesus explains this parable saying that the tares are the children of the wicked one. While Jesus sowed the good seed in the Earth, which produced wheat, the enemy sowed bad seed, which produced the tares. The fields of God's Kingdom are always the targets of Satan's activity. Satan goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour and continually mingles his evil seed amongst the good. His goal is to deceive the very elect if possible. His work is so very subtle that in the beginning both the wheat and the tares look so much alike that it is hard to distinguish them from each other. Jesus warned us that the devil himself would appear as an angel of light. He referred to many of the religious leaders of His time as being vipers or snakes. Jesus also told us that there would be those who would do mighty works and even cast out devils in His name, but in the end of time, He would declare that He never knew them (Mattew 7:23). All these examples manifested themselves as being good. Who could deny an angel of light, religious leaders, or those doing mighty works in the Name of Jesus? Yet, these workers of iniquity were tares that were growing amongst the wheat. We must understand that God does not take all the wrong influences out of our lives and give us a perfect world to live in. He said that evil would be with us until the end of time. The devil will make his bid for our attention and for our very life. There will always be those around us who professed to be wheat, when they are actually tares. It may seem that they are saying and doing the right things but they walk in deception. We must ask the Holy Spirit to open our spiritual eyes and help us walk in discernment so that we are not led astray and tossed about by every wind of doctrine. We must be vigilant and learn to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil, wheat and tares, by judging and measuring everything with the Word of God. +++ 1/9/24 FROM VESSEL TO VESSEL Scripture: Jeremiah 48:11 "Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has settled on his lees, and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel ... therefore his taste remains in him, and his scent is not changed." The Prophet Jeremia spoke about the country of Moab, which had settled down in its prosperity. Because it was not in captivity or facing adversity, it felt no need to trust in God. This season of ease and the lack of challenges that Moab was experiencing caused the hearts of the people to become stale in their faith. Jeremiah compared its state to that of the process of wine making, declaring that Moab had "settled on its lees." When wine is being made it must be poured from one vessel to another to separate the liquid from the dregs. This process forces the dregs to settle in the bottom of the vessel, which improves the quality of the wine and produces a fresh scent. Wine that is not poured from vessel to vessel acquires the essence of the dregs that have settled at the bottom or "settled on its lees." When this occurs, the wine becomes stale and bitter. Through the challenges of life, God works this same process within our spirits. Sometimes we do not understand why good people go through bad times. Yet, it is the difficult times that teach us how to trust God and not become like Moab, "settled on our lees," or at ease and undisturbed. It is in the places of no options that our faith is challenged, and our hearts learn to trust and believe God. It is only when we have been poured out and emptied that God can fill us with His presence so that He can use us. Through each test and trial, we go through a releasing of our own desires and self. The more difficult the test, the more we release. In reality, we would rather travel the road of least resistance. It is a lot easier to settle on our lees and stay in the blessings or to sit on the pew and receive rather than be poured out on the altar. We often rebel against being torn away from our desires, but God works with us anyway. He pours us from vessel to vessel and disallows us to settle in our own dregs. He refuses to allow us to become stale. God molds us until we are conformed into His image, and then He fills us with His Spirit and causes us to take on His essence. Jesus experienced this same process as He made Himself of no reputation. He emptied Himself of all that He was and allowed God to pour Him out for mankind. He "took the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man: He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:7-8). Jesus poured Himself out for us and challenges us to do the same for Him. Philippians 2:5 says, "Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus." As we yield to the Lord, He does the pouring and takes us from glory to glory with each new experience. As we leave the dregs behind, our lives begin to yield a freshness and a scent that is pleasing to our Maker and that is not offensive to the world about us. +++ 1/10/24 SIMPLE TRUST Scripture: Psalms 9:10 "They that know Your Name will put their trust in You: for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You." I watched as my 18-month-old grandson jumped from the side of a swimming pool into the arms of his father. My grandson had sensed the danger of the water and had shown much fear of even being in the water. Yet, when he heard the request, “Jump to Daddy,” he put his trust in that name. As he looked at the situation, you could discern a little anxiety as he made his leap. Yet at the bidding of his father's words and outstretched arms, he jumped courageously in the direction of the big pool of water that he had cautiously tried to avoid. The only thing that stood between him and the same water that he had been fearful of was the presence of his father. He found security knowing that his father would protect him from any danger the water presented. His actions manifested his total confidence and trust in his father. He had a pure heart of faith that his father would not bid him to come and then forsake him in the midst of his obedience. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father is no different. God attempts to mature us spiritually and to stretch our faith by bidding us to leap into His everlasting arms with total faith. We may look at the situation with great fear and trembling because we have not experienced the new paths or places that are now set before us. Our vision of the future may be clouded and dim with many factors unknown. The waters may look deep and the circumstances may be over our heads and overwhelming to our minds. Besides those factors, we cannot actually see God or His outstretched arms. We can only hear His still small voice saying, "Come." As we hear God's call, we realize that He alone is the only thing that is between us and the present danger that exists or the failures that could occur. As we step out in faith, we know that He is our only hope and that without Him, we can do nothing. Trust does not come easy or quick. It is earned and can only be built upon relationship. My son had worked with my grandson for 18 months, one step at a time, in developing this unwavering trust within his son’s innocent heart. This simple trust was a mighty witness to me. I thought about how our trust in our Father God must also be a tremendous witness to the world as we act upon His promises and trust in His Name. That trust comes line upon line and precept upon precept. We believe that the Lord will be there when we jump towards the deep waters because we have felt the security of His arms many times in the past. We trust Him in the midst of the raging storms because we have seen Him speak peace into situations that were beyond our control. We expect the Lord to deliver us from our enemies because He has come to our defense in the past, and we know that His Name is above all other names. We look to our Father God to meet all of our needs according to His promises, and because He has never failed us, we have a pure heart of faith. We know His Name and we trust in Him. We know that He will not forsake us but will be there with open arms when we need Him. +++ 1/11/24 LETTING GO Scripture: Genesis 13:14-15 (Living Bible) "And the Lord said to Abraham, after Lot separated from him, Look as far as you can see in every direction, for I am going to give it all to you and your descendants." When Abraham and Sarah left Egypt, Abraham's nephew, Lot, went with them. As time progressed strife begin to occur between the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot. Abraham suggested that he and Lot separate from each other to end the strife and confusion. After Lot separated from him, God spoke to Abraham and showed him the land that was to be his. He also promised Abraham that his seed would be as numerous as the dust of the Earth, meaning it would be impossible to count his descendants. God did not speak to Abraham until after Lot separated from him. God led Abraham out from the safe and familiar into a new place, and then separated him from his close relationships. This pattern is a very familiar one with God. God separated Moses and sent him to the backside of the desert for forty years before He commissioned him to deliver His people out of Egypt. Joseph was separated from his family and imprisoned in a foreign land for about sixteen years before he was promoted to second in the kingdom and united with his family. And the Apostle Paul was alone in the desert for about eight years before God used him to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus and to write most of the New Testament. All of us would like to receive a new promise and commission from God like these great men, but ministry comes with a price. Before God brings us to a new level and empowers us for a new service, He first leads us out and separates us to Himself. It is hard to be separated from the things that we want to do and the things we enjoy, but we cannot get to the Promised Land without going through the wilderness. When God calls us, His new plan requires cutting away the old and familiar so that He can bless us with the new. When we find ourselves separated in thought and desire from the things that were familiar and comfortable, God is drawing us into a new place of commitment and service for Him. We are not to be discouraged if we do not fit into the old ways anymore. We must let it go and be encouraged as the old things separate from us. God is doing a new thing in our life so that we will be ready for His new plan. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God's plan is to prosper us and not to harm us. His thoughts towards us are good and not evil. His greatest plan is to give us a future and a hope, but we must first let it all go. +++ 1/12/24 A MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN HEART Scripture: Acts 13:22 "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My Own heart, which shall fulfill all My will." God led the people of Israel out of Egypt and separated them unto Himself. He then raised up the various judges who judged and guided the people for four hundred and fifty years. After that, He appointed King Saul to rule over them. Finally, God removed Saul from leadership and anointed David to be the King of Israel. God never declared any of these chosen or appointed people to have a pure heart towards Him except for David. Yet, David's pure heart for God cannot be defined as one that was without sin or short comings. In fact, when we look at his life, we wonder how God concluded that David was a man after His own heart because David made many mistakes. He harbored lust in his heart for Bathsheba and committed immoral sin with her. David also arranged for Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, to be killed in battle so that he could hide his own adulterous affair with Uriah's wife. David even tried to deceive Samuel, the prophet of the Lord, when Samuel confronted David and exposed the sin that he had committed against God. After seeing David's pitiful record, most of us would agree that David did not deserve the recognition of being called "A Man After God's Own Heart." Our eyes would only see David's unwise choices, which were beyond belief. Our limited vision would focus on the dreadful sins that David had committed and their horrifying results. Even after being chosen and anointed to be King over Israel, he still made many bad decisions and suffered many failures. Those things would turn our eyes away from discerning the pure heart that David had towards God and God's kingdom. God's vision is not limited like our vision. He can see that which is not visible to our eyes. He could see into the depths of David's soul and discern his spirit. When God looked at David He saw a man that loved Him with all of his heart. God knew that regardless of David's personal failures that he wanted to obey God and that he was committed to fulfill God's will regardless of the cost. It was true that David fell into nature's trap and allowed lust to rule him for a season. It is also true that he chose the ways of darkness rather than light and self-pleasure instead of self-sacrifice. Yet God knew that in the midst of it all, He was David's first love. The story of David's life was recorded to encourage us. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable ... so that we can be complete and thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16-17). When we see how God judged David, we realize that God is looking at our hearts and not just our failures. We can then believe that if God forgave David of his sins and use David as a mighty man in His kingdom, He will also forgive us and use us in spite of our short comings. We will also come to understand that when we fail, it does not mean that we do not love God, for David sinned and was still declared to be a man after God's own heart. Our failures show us that we are frail in our humanity and that God understands our weaknesses. Yet, this does not mean that we can continue in sin and cheat God's grace. Instead, it means that we do not have to discount our love for God because God's forgiveness is bigger than any of our failures. So let us always love God and always seek to be men and women after God's own heart. +++ 1/15/24 FAITH IS THE VICTORY Scripture: I John 5:4 "This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith." Faith is not a mental or emotional feeling. It is our response to the power of God's Word, and our own personal statement that declares, "God said it, so I believe it." Regardless of what is happening around us, our heart is convinced that everything is going to be okay because we know that God is on our side. Faith causes everything within us to believe that we can trust God. Our whole being makes a firm determination to stand upon His promises regardless of what happens, for we know that God cannot and will not fail. This is the victory that overcomes the world. Doubt and unbelief will rob us of our blessings and our peace of mind, for when we begin to see things the way the devil wants us to view them, discouragement and despair will fill our heart. Satan's concepts will render us helpless when we face the storms of life, and his seeds of doubt will flourish within our spirit until we have no hope. We will see the mountain instead of our God who can take us over the mountain. We will see the desert instead of our God who can create streams in the desert. We will see our needs instead of the One who will meet our needs and give abundantly beyond what we ask or think. Instead of our faith overcoming the world, the world will overcome our faith and erase any chance of victory. Faith, however, will change our atmosphere and alter the results. It will cause us to look at things with a different perspective, as we see solutions to our problems as God sees them. We will not see ourselves as a grasshopper in the eyes of the giant but will see ourselves as one who is able to take down the giant and possess the promises of God. I recently heard someone say, "A shark in the ocean is dangerous and a lion in the forest is equally dangerous," but listen to the rest of the words, "But a shark in the forest is not dangerous, and a lion in the ocean is not dangerous." The shark and lion were potentially dangerous, but both were rendered helpless when their environment and atmosphere changed. God can change our atmosphere and render the strategies and works of the devil helpless in our lives. God changed the atmosphere for the Hebrew children in the furnace of fire and also for Daniel in the lion's den. He will do the same for us in our situations when we exhibit faith in Him and His Words. The Lord will surround our sharks with the forest and cast our lions into the ocean. All we must do is look beyond the natural, get a glimpse of God, and allow our faith to be the victory that overcomes the world.+++ 1/16/24 SINCERE LOVE Scripture: Romans 12:9 (NLT) "Let your love be sincere." When I took Latin in high school, I learned the true meaning of the word sincere. When the word sincere was first created, it meant "without wax." The word came into being because many of the vendors at that time came to the marketplace with the intention of deceiving their buyers. They often hid pockets of heavy wax within the center of their precious metals to increase the weight and therefore increase the value. They overlaid the waxed-filled items with the precious metals and even though it looked good on the outside, the inside was fake. The buyer had to be cautious and able to determine if the wares they were receiving were truly sincere or if they were full of wax. Today, we sign letters with the words "Sincerely" to convey that our words are true and that our affections are genuine. We have signed contracts and made relationships that looked good but instead turned out to be "full of wax." These words may even define our own lives if we seek to deceive, so the Apostle Paul encouraged us not to allow this to happen. He said, "Let your love be sincere" or let your love be pure and without wax and deception. We cannot allow hypocrisy in our lives, for the Lord told us to love as He loved. We know that Jesus’ love was sincere and certainly without wax, for He showed His love by sacrificing His own life on the cross. He loved us unconditionally, and He loved all creation. He did not pick and choose those whom He would die for but gave His life for all men whether they were lovely or unlovely. We too must love in the same manner. The Message Bible translates this verse, "Love from the center of who you are." If we have been born again, the Spirit of God’s love lives within us, for God is love. God, Himself, is harbored in the very center of our being and all that we need to do is to allow Him to manifest Himself in our lives. When we do, genuine love will flow out of us to a world that is full of hurting people. The unlovely will cross our path every day, but we will not have to pretend that we love them or overlay the judgmental feelings we have with a mere cloak of love. Instead, we will see them through God's eyes, and we will love them with sincerity the way that He loves them. As we submit to God and allow Him to warm our being with His presence, the wax of insincerity will melt away, and the Lord will fill those void places with His sincere love. +++ 1/17/24 THE BLESSED MAN Scripture: Psalms 1:1 (NIV) "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or stand in the way of the sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful." This psalm gives us the characteristics of the man that is blessed and speaks of his righteous behavior and fruitfulness. A blessed man "does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly." In other words, he does not lean upon the world's system, but looks to God for wisdom (James 1:5). The blessed man makes Jesus his Wonderful Counselor, for the Spirit of wisdom and understanding rests upon Jesus (Isaiah 9:6). We are blessed when we are able to trust the One who has these attributes and when we allow Him to lead us by His Spirit. As we listen to His still small voice, we will hear Him speak words of wisdom concerning all the matters, which we do not understand. Second, the blessed man "does not stand in the way of sinners." He does not visit the places where sinners go, so that he does not put himself in the position to compromise his convictions in a moment of pressure. The Apostle Paul said, “Evil communications corrupt good manners" (I Corinthians 15:33). We often become whom we associate with, so we must turn ourselves away from enticing people or situations. Third, the man who is blessed "does not sit in the seat of the scornful." David refused to sit with the wicked (Psalms 26:5) and Jeremiah, the prophet, chose to sit alone because the hand of the Lord was upon him. He had rather be by himself than to sit in the assembly of the mockers (Jeremiah 15:17). There are times we must choose to separate ourselves from negative influences if we want to be blessed by God. Notice that the scorner or the mocker was listed with the wicked and sinner. Finally, the blessed man "delights in the law of the Lord and meditates in God's Word day and night." He continually thinks on the Word, rolling it over and over in his mind and spirit until it speaks God's wisdom to him. One of King David's prayers was that the meditations of his heart would be acceptable to God. This should also be our prayer if we desire to fall into the category of the blessed. When the psalmist spoke of the blessed man, he listed four results that would occur in our lives when we meditate upon God's Word and allow it to rule our heart (Psalms 1:3) 1) Stability - "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water." 2) Fruitfulness - "He shall bring forth fruit in his season." 3) Beauty - "His leaf shall not wither." 4) Prosperity - "Whatever he does shall prosper." If we want to be blessed in this manner, we must stay planted by the rivers of water. We must draw our strength from the Lord and not walk, stand, or sit in places with people who distort God's Word or who draw us away from the Living Water. +++ 1/18/24 DRAW NEAR TO GOD Scripture: James 4:8 "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." It amazing that the all-sufficient God who created everything, who has everything, and who can do anything, desires our love and our affection. God is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent, which means He is always present, He is all knowing, and He is all powerful. Still in all of His glory, He wants to be loved by us. Our love, praise, adoration, and trust are the only things that we truly possess that we can give to God, for all that we are or ever will be is because of His grace upon our lives. All of our material goods, gifts, and talents that we can offer to the Lord came to us by His own hands. But our love, praise, and the trust that we offer up to Him comes from our own heart and is our own free will gift to Him. Even though we may feel like we are a long way from God, the truth is that He is patiently waiting for us to move towards Him. When we make the slightest effort to move in the Lord’s direction, He responds and moves toward us. It is like a great love affair that is waiting to happen. His Word declares that if we seek God, we will find Him, for He will make Himself known to us. If we knock, He will open the door and fellowship with us. If we talk to Him, He will listen, and if we ask Him questions, He will answer. God is waiting for us to approach Him. One of our own basic needs is to be loved. We tend to think that God is so mighty that He has no needs. Yet, we must assume that He has the need to be loved and cherished because He has put that same desire in us, and we are created in His image. What other reason would God have made this His number one commandment? In Mark 12:30, Jesus told us that the first commandment that we are to obey is to "Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind, and with all of your strength." God wants to be the main interest in our lives. Jesus said that if the praises of men were to be held back, "the stones would immediately cry out" (Luke 19:40). Even nature and the atmosphere of the earth contain the potential for love and praise to God. Let us not allow a stone to take our rightful place in worshiping the Lord. Let us draw near to God and love Him with all our heart, for as we do, He will draw near to us. +++ 1/19/24 ENLARGE YOUR BORDERS Scripture: Isaiah 54:3 "For you shall break forth on the right hand and on the left." We may feel like our life is barren because our dreams are unfulfilled and wonder if we will ever experience a breakthrough in our circumstances. The Prophet Isaiah spoke to the people of Israel concerning this issue and compared their situation to that of putting up a tent. He told them that even though they had been barren up to this point, they were to sing and cry aloud because things were going to change in their lives. He instructed them to prepare themselves for growth. They were not only to enlarge the place of their tent but were to also lengthen their cords and strengthen their stakes, which would make their dwelling places larger and stronger. He then told them that after they had made these preparations, they were to expect to experience growth on the right hand and on the left, for it would break out suddenly. Many of us find ourselves in barren places such as those that the prophet spoke about. It seems that nothing special is happening in our lives, and time is passing away too quickly. Our dreams and visions are fading from view, and the light in our spirit is becoming dim by the discouragement that surrounds us. By this stage in our lives, we thought we would be accomplishing the things that God had placed in our hearts. Now it seems almost impossible to reach our destiny that once burned so passionately within our hearts because we have other responsibilities that demand our attention. Then we get a glimpse of the examples of Abraham and Sarah and remember that they did not consider their circumstances or the weakness of their own bodies. They trusted God, believed His promise, and continued to hope when things seemed hopeless. God rewarded their faith, and Isaac was born to them when Abraham was a hundred and Sarah was ninety. This is an amazing result of simple faith. God's promises to us are no less sure than the promises that He gave to Abraham and Sarah, for He is no respecter of person. If God has spoken it, it will come to pass. As we think about the unfinished goals in our lives, we need to take Isaiah's words to heart and realize that nothing is going to happen until we begin to follow the same instructions that God gave to Israel. Even though we are barren, we must sing aloud with praise and thanksgiving in faith for what God has done and what He is going to do. We must look at the future with anticipation as we offer up our petitions to God. It is imperative that we let go of the things that discouraged us in the past, for our hearts and minds must be stayed on the vision that God placed in our hearts for the future. We must begin to enlarge the borders of our heart by turning our eyes from ourselves and looking towards the needs of others. When we stretch forth our faith towards the greater vision that God has ordained for us, the Holy Spirit will move us forward in a positive direction. As the Apostle Paul said, we must “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). We need to make our goals sure by lengthening our cords and strengthening our stakes spiritually through studying God's Word, prayer, and communion with the Lord. God will not move until we are prepared and ready. As we do our part and focus on His plan for our lives, He will bring life and hope into our situation, and cause us to break out on the right and the left. +++ 1/22/24 MAKE A CLEAR SOUND Scripture: I Corinthians 14:8 "For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” The ancient Hebrews used an instrument called a shofar, which was a trumpet that was made from a ram's horn. It was used to sound an alarm, to summon the people together, and was also used in other various rituals. It dictated to the people what their response should be as it made certain and clear sounds with specific purposes in mind. Depending upon its sound, it called the people to war, celebration, or worship. The shofar was put under much pressure before it became the instrument that could be used in such a manner. The horn was cut from the ram and the inside of it was gutted and made clean. It then had to be boiled until it was soft and pliable and put under fire so that it could be shaped. After this process was complete, the shofar had to be sanded until it became smooth. Only after this enduring process was it ready to fulfill its purpose and its destiny, which was to make a clarion call to battle, celebration, or worship. The Apostle Paul encouraged us to be like a trumpet that gives forth a certain sound. We all want to fulfill that call and purpose, but most of us do not want to go through the process of becoming the instrument that God can work through, for it is much like the process of refining the shofar. Our souls must be cut away from everything that would hinder our freedom in Christ, and we must allow ourselves to be cleaned within by God's Holy Spirit. This is not an easy process because God offends our minds in order to test our hearts. Often, we do not understand God’s works of righteousness, for there is much pain that is involved to affect His purposes in our lives. God allows us to experience the fire so that we will become soft and pliable enough to be shaped in His hands. Then when we think He is finished and we feel that we are ready, He begins the sanding process. We must remember that God is not trying to be cruel to us. He just wants to make sure that our words and lives are making a clear and certain sound to those about us. He said that we were the hope of His glory, and His Kingdom depends upon our witness and testimony. We are epistles that are read of all men, and we are not to be confusing to those about us. Our lives are to be sure and our sound is to be certain, whether it is a call to battle, celebration, or worship. +++ 1/23/24 MY REDEEMER LIVES Scripture: Job 19:25 "For I know that my Redeemer lives ..." Job faced adversity in every area of his life. He suffered the death of all of his children, endured the loss of all of his possessions, and was plagued with physical pain and mental anguish. In the midst of Job's darkest hours, even his closest friends judged him and his wife sought to discourage him. Job had nothing left to hold on to and no one to turn to, but he had the knowledge that His Redeemer still lived. With this hope, he held on in faith and even though his body was being destroyed, he took comfort in knowing that he would one day see God (Job 19:26). Because of Job's great and unwavering confidence, God blessed him so much that he had more at the end of his life than he did at the beginning. Like Job, trials also come against our lives and storms buffet our ship. Discouragement knocks at our heart's door. The temptation to give up becomes especially inviting when those we love and trust the most judge us because they misunderstand the reasons for our dilemma. Yet, it is in these places that we are given the opportunity to experience God in a greater way and come to understand His higher concepts. There are blessings that we cannot receive if we do not endure the losses. Joy is realized at the expense of sorrow just as harvest comes only through hard labor and the sweat of the brow. The blessings of a child come only through self-sacrifice and the pangs of childbirth. There is always an exchange, and out of suffering emerge the greatest gifts and the strongest souls. Scars are seen on those who have fought the battles and endured the trials. We must not dwell on their ill effects, for those scars are also the signs of victory that will deepen our character if we allow them. Instead of suffering defeat and lapsing into bitterness, we must allow God to reveal Himself amid our afflictions. Like Job, our pain and suffering will take us beyond the veil of natural knowledge and bring us to a greater revelation of God. When we put our total trust in God, we will be able to say the words that Job said, "Though God slay me, yet I will trust Him. If I never see God perform another miracle, if I never feel His touch again, if He never answers another prayer for me, if all of my friends and loved ones reject me, if my body is wracked with pain, and all of my possessions are gone, I will still trust Him, for I personally know that my Redeemer lives." +++ 1/24/24 STILL WATERS Scripture: Psalms 23:2 (Amplified) "He leads me beside still and restful waters." Life's journey takes us down many paths and unfortunately not all of them are pleasant. One pathway may present dangers, threatening foes, or diseases, which seek to overwhelm our hearts with fear. Another road may lead us through dark valleys where the shadows of doubt attack our minds with fear and confusion. There may be dark tunnels that we pass through where there is not even a shadow that is visible. There will be days that a veil is over our future and all we can do is walk towards our destiny in faith. Yet in all of these circumstances, we have an assurance that our loving Shepherd will guide us each step of the way and will always refresh us with the still and restful waters of His Spirit. We do not have to be anxious about anything when the Lord, our Shepherd, is leading us. He goes before us but is also our guard behind us. He goes through everything before we even get there so He understands every challenge that will greet us on our journey. He has experienced the pitfalls and the hurdles that are before us. He makes sure that there is nothing in our way that we cannot handle. He is always present to help us and give us rest. When we are obedient to follow Him, He will be faithful to lead us to the place where there is refreshing water for our souls. He is our Shepherd and He said that we shall never want for any good thing. When things are upside down in our life and we are at the edge of turbulent waters, we must think about this promise in God’s Word. We are the sheep of His pasture, and we belong to Him. He is concerned about our situation and our problems. He wants to lead us to a better place and deliver us from the struggle of worry and torment. The Lord seeks to rid us of every evil foreboding thought because He wants us to enjoy life. Yet, He will not force His way into our lives and hearts. We must choose to allow Him to be the Shepherd of our soul. As we trust and follow Him wherever He leads, He will take care of every detail of our life. We must tell the Lord very plainly when we need money to pay our debts, that we need healing for our body, that we need courage for our soul, that we need restoration for the personal relationships that we are involved in, and that we need precise direction for our life and future. As we allow the Lord to become the Shepherd that He desires to be in our life, He will satisfy our desires, meet our needs, and lead us beside the still and restful waters. +++ 1/25/24 TURN ASIDE AND SEE THE PLAN Scripture: Acts 7:31 "When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came to him." God had a very special plan for Moses' life. God protected him from death when all the male babies of the nation were being killed at their birth. He also kept Moses safe as an infant while he floated down the river in a tiny basket. God allowed Moses to be rescued from the river by Pharaoh's daughter and to be raised in the palace of Pharaoh. This exposed Moses to the protocol of the Egyptian courts, where later he would make pleas for the freedom of God's people. Eventually, Moses was forced to leave the comforts of the palace and the family and friends that he cherished and flee into the desert for safety. During this season it probably did not look like God was doing anything special or that He was even involved in Moses' life. Yet all the while, God was definitely working His divine plan in Moses' life. After Moses left the palace, he tended sheep on the back side of the desert for forty long years. This had to be a very humbling and mundane experience for a man who had experienced the excitement and grandeur of the palace. He had been raised as the son of Pharaoh's daughter and his life had been one of prosperity, prestige, and honor. But now his duties were different than they had been in the courts of Pharaoh. Instead of the hustle and bustle of the royal life and overseeing important matters that pertained to Pharaoh's vast kingdom, Moses' days were now spent caring for his father-in-law's sheep in a remote wilderness. He may have wondered if he had missed God's plan for his life as he quietly maintained this daily routine, year after year. Then suddenly one day Moses noticed a flame in a bush and said, "I must now turn aside and see why the bush is not consumed." This one decision and one declaration led Moses into the presence of God. As he drew near, the voice of the Lord spoke to him out of the bush. Moses probably never dreamed that when he took the time to investigate the bush that he was going to have a God experience and that his whole life would suddenly change. He could have made excuses; "I'm too busy. I am too tired. I am not interested in this strange phenomenon. I cannot leave my sheep." Instead, Moses’ good choice allowed God to speak to him personally and in this moment of time God commissioned him to deliver His people from the bondage of Egypt. We will not have the exact experience that Moses had or be called to lead a multitude of people out of Egypt. But God will approach us so that we can be a part of His supernatural work in the Earth. Our God experience probably will not be a literal burning bush encounter but a simple nudge for us to do something good for someone in need. When we respond, our act of kindness will be the miracle that they are praying for. Somehow God will cause us to help them find direction and we will be their cloud by day and their fire by night for a season. Our listening ear will be a haven of refuge for their hurting heart. Our words of comfort will be an encouragement of hope in their despair. Our natural provisions will satisfy their hunger. Our presence in their life will point them to the Rock, Christ Jesus, the Living Water, who will quench their thirst. God used every man in the scriptures differently and He has a plan for you. He needs you just as He needed Moses to fulfill a particular assignment on the earth. I encourage you to be very sensitive to the still quiet voice of the Holy Spirit. When He speaks, turn aside and draw near to Him. He will direct you and place you in the path of the needy. When He does, then take notice of what God is showing you and do what He wants you to do. +++ 1/26/24 PURGED TO BEAR MORE FRUIT Scripture: John 15:2 "Every branch that bears fruit, He purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit." Jesus spoke comforting words concerning the purging and pruning process that happens in our life. When God begins to purge or prune us, it is a sign of two things. First, it is a sign that we are already a fruit-bearing branch because Jesus said, "Every branch that is bearing fruit, He purges it." Second, it is a sign that He is preparing us to "bring forth more fruit." God is not happy with just "fruit." He wants a continual flow of "more fruit." As we watch the gardener prune the shrubs just before Spring we often wonder if the shrubs will be able to return because it seems that they are left hopeless and bare. Yet, the process is all a part of God's plan, for it is only in the pruning that new strength and life can be gained. So, it is with our spiritual life. God cuts away and separates us from the things that are unnecessary. Sometimes it is the things that we really enjoy or friendships that we do not want to give up. Yet, the convicting power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God leads us to lay those things aside to follow God in a closer walk. Other times we feel the pain of His pruning shears through trials and tribulations that separate us from our own selfish desires. God sees our future and knows the work that He wants to produce in our life. He also knows just how much to cut away so that we can produce more fruit. Verse three says that He convicts and cleanses us through the Word that He speaks to us. Hebrews 4:12 in part says, "The Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword ... and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." His Word goes right to our spirit and heart and prunes away all that would leave us stunted in our growth. We are only left to ourselves and not pruned when God does not expect us to bear any more fruit. Sometimes we may see our hopes and dreams fade away as He prunes our life, but "His ways and thoughts are much higher than our ways and thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9). He has a good plan in mind, and He wants to enlarge our borders. All that we can see is the purging, and all we can feel is the pain, but God sees a productive season and a fuller life ahead for us. He envisions the fruit that we will bear, so we must not be discouraged. We must remember that in every pruning experience, we have this assurance that our loving Father is the one who is holding the pruning shears. +++ 01/29/24 A SERVANT'S HEART Scripture: Philippians 2:7 "Jesus made Himself of no reputation, and took on Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." The Apostle Paul encouraged us to let the same mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus. He then explained what was in the heart and mind of the Lord. Even though Jesus was part of the God Head and equal with God, He laid everything aside and took on the form of a servant. Jesus emptied Himself of His deity and allowed Himself to be made into the likeness of man so that He could experience the limitations of humanity. He humbled Himself in this fashion so that He could meet the requirements that were necessary for Him to be able to redeem mankind by His own death on the cross. Christ was unique as a person, and everything that He sacrificed for us, He did by choice. No one forced Him to leave the grandeur of Heaven and come to Earth or to forsake His place next to the Father to become a mere man. Jesus willingly laid down His life and became a servant to our needs. He gave up His throne in glory even though He would have no place to lay His head on Earth. His first experience after leaving Heaven was His birth in a lowly animal stable because there was no room for Him in the inn, and His first bed was an animal’s feed trough or manger. He became poor that we may be rich. He gave His back to be beaten for the healing of our bodies and suffered torments for the deliverance of our minds. In weariness He gave Himself to the multitudes and did not count His service as that of bondage or slavery. Instead, He freely gave Himself and His unselfish servanthood promoted Him, for God highly exalted Jesus. He never sought for a grand reputation, but God gave Him a name that is above every name, for at the Name of Jesus, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. The Apostle Paul said that the believer should have the same mind that Christ had and take on the form of a servant like He did. We are to forget the grandeur that life offers and serve in humility as Christ served. We are to lay aside our own reputation and status as we give ourselves to others. It is not always easy. In fact, it can be a challenge to serve others in a spirit of love when they have a hateful attitude towards us. Yet, Jesus loved us and gave His life for us while we were still sinners. It is hard to remain in joy when we are called to serve those who are full of bitterness, but Jesus showed us an example. Because of the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross and its shame. Jesus knew that His Disciples would forsake Him, that Peter would curse and deny Him, and that Judas would betray Him, but He still took on a servant's heart. Jesus knelt before His Disciples, washed their feet, and served them the bread and wine, which represented His own body that was about to be broken and His blood that was about to be shed for their sins. God wants us to have a servant's heart towards Him and towards people. He would not tell us to do something that we were unable to do so He enables us to do it. First, He helps us understand the heart and mind of Christ by giving us His Word, Christ's example, and the Holy Spirit as our teacher and Helper. Then He gives us supernatural strength to help us take on the form or attitude of a servant. After He equips us in these areas, He sets before us an open door and gives us a choice; to love or be loved, to serve or be served, to help or be helped, and to give or receive. Our choice will always be governed by what is in our heart. The degree to which we love and serve the Lord is the same degree that we will love and serve others. Let us determine today to have a servant's heart as Christ had that is willing to love, sacrifice, serve, help, and give. +++ 1/30/24 WALKING IN THE ARMOR Scripture: Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the whole armor of God." We have an enemy who rages against us daily. This enemy is not contained in a body of flesh, nor does he have blood flowing through his veins. He is a spiritual enemy, and his battle strategies are evil. The Apostle Paul gives us instructions on how to combat this enemy, the devil. One of the main things we must do is recognize who he is. We then must put on the whole armor of God and come against him with spiritual weapons because "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds" (II Corinthians 10:4). There are five things that Paul tells us to do in Ephesians 6:10-18: 1) Be strong in the power of the Lord. (vs. 10) 2) Put on the armor of God. (vs. 11) 3) Stand with the armor on. (vs. 13-14) 4) Have our weapon, the Sword of the Spirit, or the Word of God. (vs.17) 5) Pray with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. (vs.18) Paul makes it plain that our strength and power will come from the Lord, for it will be God's armor, not our own, that will protect us in the evil day. God's armor is listed as truth, righteousness, peace, and salvation. When we realize that it is God's armor that we are standing in, it will give us courage to lift the shield of faith against the devil. When truth prevails in our heart, we understand that we do not have to depend upon our own strength and self-righteousness. All we must do is stand in God's armor and allow God to take care of the battle. Paul said, "stand, and having done all, stand." This word "stand" in the Greek means "stand and get ready for the next battle." The devil never quits. Our battles will continue throughout our lifetime, but we must remember that God has equipped us for battle. After Paul told us to put on the whole armor of God and stand, he then instructed us to pray. This means that we are to come to prayer with God's armor and aggressively come against the enemy with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Our battles will be won in prayer and with the Word of God. When the devil sees God's armor of truth, righteousness, peace, and salvation coming toward him, he trembles. When he hears the Word of God being spoken and prayers going up to Heaven against him from inside the armor, he is terrified. He thinks God Himself is inside the armor. When he sees the shield of faith lifted, he recognizes the power of God because it quenches all his fiery darts. He then understands his own low estate and knows that he is defeated. As we put on God’s armor and resist the devil, he flees because he has no choice. +++ 1/31/24 HOPE IN THE LORD Scripture: Lamentations 3:24 "The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I hope in Him." The Prophet Jeremiah spoke these words of hope after he lamented about how distraught he was over his life. He felt like God was against Him because of the affliction and darkness that surrounded him. He declared that there was a hedge placed about him and that none of his prayers were being answered. It seemed to him that God had made his way crooked and desolate. Jeremiah even wondered if God was secretly lying in wait like a lion or a bear to attack him. There was no peace remaining in his life. In his struggle to make it through this season of despair, he said, "My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord" (Vs. 18). If a great prophet like Jeremiah had these thoughts and emotions, is it any wonder that we too are tempted to walk into the same trap of doubt and unbelief, or despair and discouragement? When things do not go as they should in our lives, we must remember that the same devil who worked against Jeremiah nearly six hundred years before Christ was born is the same devil that is working against us. Even though it is a different time, the devil's strategies have not changed. He still twists God's Words into lies and attempts to distort our perception of God by making us think that God is against us. Yet all the while, God is for us and is sovereignly working His plan in our lives. Jeremiah did not stay in his despair long, for he changed his perception of God. He began to remember the mercy and the compassions of the Lord that he served. He thought about who God really is and decided to quietly wait for God's salvation and deliverance. Like Jeremiah, there are many uncertainties in our own lives, and things can become discouraging as we struggle through our circumstances, and we experience hurt in our relationships. It may be hard to understand what God is doing in our lives when we do not even understand what is happening. With these uncertain times, our strength may fail, and it may seem hard to hold on to our hope. Yet, the events in our lives do not determine who we are. Our responses make that determination. Our future will not be shaped by our current circumstances. It will be shaped by our perception of who God is and what He can do in our adverse circumstances. In the difficult seasons, we must learn to keep our perception right. We know that there is One in whom we can always trust, and His Name is Jesus. The Lord is our portion, and He is our hope. When we understand this completely, it will unlock the door to our prisons of discouragement and despair and set us free. +++ Copyright © 2024 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com			..............................