| ............ | A Word In Due Season March 2024 3/1/24 STAYING IN GOD'S WILL Scripture: II Chronicles 20:11 "They have come to cast us out of Your possession." Jehoshaphat and the people of God were faced with an enemy that was trying to drive them out of the land that God Himself had given to them. God's will was that His people dwell in the land and possess it forever, but a great multitude was coming against them. When Jehoshaphat heard the news, his first reaction was fear. None of us are exempt from being attacked by this awful spirit, but we can decide how we are going to deal with it. Proverbs 3:25 says, "Do not be afraid of sudden fear." When fear attacks, we are to shake it off and seek God like Jehoshaphat did in this story. He went to God with three honest and simple statements in verse twelve: 1) The enemy is trying to cast us out of Your land. 2) We are not strong enough to fight this battle. 3) We do not know what to do. Have you ever found yourself in this place? You know that God has spoken a word of direction to you. You begin to follow after His perfect will, but as you try to possess the vision and fulfill His purpose, the challenges seem more than you can handle, and the burden seems more than you can bear. You feel that you are not strong enough for the battle and you do not know what to do next. You know that the Greater One lives within you, but fear of failure lurks on the perimeter of your heart. Jehoshaphat experienced these same emotions, but when the enemy sought to dispossess him, he turned his focus to God and spoke to Him saying, "But our eyes are on You." God responded to Jehoshaphat and said, "You will not need to fight in this battle ... I will be with you." He instructed Jehoshaphat to appoint singers and to send them out before the army. They were to worship the Lord and praise Him with a loud voice. As they obeyed and began to sing praises, the enemy became confused. Suspecting each other of betrayal, they destroyed one another. Only God could come up with a plan this amazing. Like Jehoshaphat, we must keep our eyes upon God so that we can stay in His will and be able to possess His promise. When we stay in loyal relationship with God and obediently submit to Him, He obligates Himself to bring His Word to pass in our lives. As we keep our eyes upon the Lord and our heart worships Him, He will show us the way out of every situation and fight every battle for us. +++ 3/4/24 BEYOND OURSELVES Scripture: Deuteronomy 9:1 "Go in to possess nations greater and mightier than yourself." These words must have created a great challenge in the hearts of the Israelites. They were about to cross the Jordan River when Moses made this announcement, informing them that their enemy was greater and mightier than they were. In fact, their enemies were giants whose cities were walled and fortified. They were up against a tough battle, but Moses did not leave them in a pit of discouragement with the words he spoke. He encouraged them that the Lord would go before them as a consuming fire and bring down their enemies before them. Have you ever been given an assignment by God that seemed greater and mightier than yourself? Did you ever feel that you needed to do something that was beyond your capabilities? Maybe you felt that you should start a ministry or pray a prayer of faith for a miracle. Perhaps God impressed you to give a special donation that would drain your personal funds. It could be that you wanted to make an application for employment for which you felt you were not qualified. God may also be dealing with you to lay down an addiction or walk away from some other unhealthy or immoral situation. Whatever the case may be, the burden seemed too big to bear, for it appeared greater and mightier than you. When God speaks to our heart and tells us to go and possess the destiny that He has set before us, it demands that we go beyond ourselves. As He shares His new vision with us, it sets our entire world spinning. For even though we say that we believe in God and have faith in Him, it is often hard to rest in His promises. This is especially true when the Lord tells us to go in and possess situations that are greater and mightier than we are. When God’s Word comes, we begin to realize that our trust has been in ourselves and our own abilities. It is easy to trust when we have the support of others, but our heart begins to tremble when there is no one to lean, and we are forced trust in God alone. We must understand that God is aware of our weaknesses, and He knows the strength of our enemy before He calls us into the battle. He understands the challenges that we face. When He tells us to possess the land, we can be assured that He is going to give us the power to accomplish that command. The Lord will never tell us to do more than He has equipped us to do. He will help us possess the things that are greater and mightier than we are. He is our God and He will enable us to go beyond ourselves. +++ 3/5/24 VOID OF OFFENCE Scripture: Acts 24:16 "I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward man." The Apostle Paul was a godly man and knowledgeable about God desires and principles. In fact, he wrote three-fourths of the New Testament. Yet, he never portrayed himself as being holier than anyone else because he faced daily struggles with his carnal nature just as we do. Paul confessed that the things he wanted to do, he did not do, and the things that he did not want to do, he did (Romans 7:15). Life was as challenging for Paul as it is for us, but he never became discouraged. He continually pressed towards the mark of the high calling of Christ Jesus in his life. He was determined to complete the will of God by running the race that was set before him and finishing his course. As Paul made his journey through life, he not only tried to align his actions with God's Word, but also disciplined his inner nature. He said that he exercised his conscience because he did not want anything to stand between him and God or between him and his ministry to others. He made a deliberate effort not to be an offence with his words and actions. You would think this would have been easy for someone as spiritual as Paul. Yet, another translation speaks of Paul's efforts in a more graphic way by saying that he "mortified or put to death his carnal affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desires." Paul's act of self-discipline felt like death to him, but he kept himself under control so that he could maintain a clear, pure, and blameless conscience toward God and toward men. Regardless of how spiritual we may judge ourselves to be, we all must deal with the spirit of offence because even when we have the best intentions in mind, our words or actions can be an offence to others. Consider Peter who began to rebuke Jesus because Jesus spoke of His own soon coming suffering and death on the cross. Peter declared that he would never let that happen. Jesus turned to Peter and said, "You are an offence to Me because you do not savor the things that be of God, but those things that be of men" (Matthew 16:23). Peter was thinking merely from a human point of view. He meant well, but he did not fully understand the spiritual implications of the matter. He did not consider that Jesus was destined to suffer at the hands of men and die a cruel death on the cross. The blood of Jesus was the only thing that could redeem man from his sins. Physical exercise is a daily routine. We must do no less in the spiritual realm, for Paul said that he exercised himself "always" in his conscience. As we face this day with its challenges, we must remember Paul’s words and personal determination and then follow his example. In as much as possible, we must keep our heart and actions under control. We must exercise ourselves in spiritual matters and savor the things that be of God. In so doing, we can develop and sustain a conscience that is void of any offense toward God and toward man. +++ 3/6/24 OUR VISION Scripture: Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Vision in this proverb means a prophetic revelation from God. It is a picture of our future and a revelation of God's plan for our life. Vision looks forward, sees what is ahead, and then allows our mind to draw a blueprint of God's goal. God wants us to envision His plan for our life. As our mind begins to grasp what God wants to do with us, hope develops within our spirit. That hope then causes faith to arise in our heart so that God's goal can be accomplished. It is like the natural construction process. Faith sees God's plan and then acts on the promises of God and what He has revealed. It then slowly brings into existence the image that is on the blueprint. People often say, "I know that God wants me to do something, but I just do not know what it is." They have a sense that God wants to use them in some way, but because they never ask God to give them light and revelation in their spirit, they never get a clear vision of that plan. Because they have no vision, they never make an effort to complete God's purpose. The Apostle Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus that "the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened, so that they would know the hope of God's calling" (Ephesians 1:18). He wanted their spirit flooded with God’s light so that they could get a glimpse of what He wanted to do through them. It is important for us to know what God hopes to accomplish through us. Without a vision, we will follow our own will and make our own choices without a sense of direction or purpose. Getting a clear understanding about God's plan for our life accomplishes several things that will enable us to see our dreams and vision fulfilled. First, as we begin to see God’s destiny for our life and His goal, we are less likely to be distracted by the trivialities of the moment or give in to a season of sin that will deter the entire process. When we have an eternal vision, we realize the present pleasure is not worth the price of losing the future reward. Second, when God shows us His plan, we can expect the impossible and trust Him for the supernatural to fulfill the plan. God's Word is true. Without a vision of His plan, our life's purpose will perish. It has been said, "You will never hold your dreams in your hands until you hold them in your heart." Without a vision, our destiny will perish. We must pray and ask God to open the eyes of our heart so that we can know the hope of His calling for our life. +++ 3/7/24 JESUS, OUR GIANT FIGHTER Scripture: I Samuel 17:29 "Is there not a cause?" David was taking care of the sheep when his father sent him to take food to his brothers at the battle front. When David got there, he saw the armies of Israel cowering in fear as the Philistine giant, Goliath, mocked them. When David began to ask questions concerning this situation, his brother, Eliab, became enraged. Eliab began to mock and accuse David saying, "Why did you come here? Where did you leave your few sheep? I know the pride and evilness of your heart. You came only to see the battle." David answered his brothers with these simple words, "Is there not a cause?" David was inspired to meet Goliath's challenge, but before He could pursue the giant in battle, he faced other discouraging voices. King Saul told David that he could not go against the giant because David was too young and inexperienced while Goliath was a man of war. When King Saul finally agreed to let David go against Goliath, he complicated the situation by providing David with unnecessary armor that was too heavy for him to manage. Then Goliath, the giant, scorned David by cursing and threatening to destroy him. David had little support, but he proceeded to go into battle despite all the mockery and words of doubt that were coming against him. He not only went into the battle but ran quickly towards the battle. The reason David had such courage to run with confidence towards the giant was that he had a passionate cause in his heart. Goliath was defying the armies of Israel, the purposes of God, and the Name of God. David's great cause was to honor God and to take away the "reproach of Israel". In our daily lives, we face many Goliaths, and these giants mock and threaten to destroy us. Discouragement and fear attack and try to control us. The armor that the world provides never fits and our own solutions do not work. Own families and leaders will speak discouraging words against us because they do not understand our purpose and our God given cause. The passion in our heart is beyond their comprehension. Yet, Jesus is always there, standing with us. He knows the heartaches that we face, for His own family rejected him and said that He was mad. Jesus understood His mission and knew that God had sent Him into the world with a cause. I John 3:8 tells us, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." Jesus destroyed the works of the devil on the cross of Calvary. With His own blood, He set us free from the reproach of sin. Now we must fight for the cause of our faith and do battle for others. The enemy will mock us, but regardless of the issues we face or the size of our problems, we have nothing to fear because we are the Lord's main interest. We are His cause, and He is our giant fighter. +++ 3/8/24 WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE? Scripture: Hebrews 6:10 "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which you have showed toward His Name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” God does not overlook any of the deeds or labors of love that we show when we minister in His Name. He sees each time that we meet the needs of others, and He promises not to forget about it. His Word says that when we give to the poor, we lend to the Lord and He will repay. It also says that whatever we give will be given back to us in greater measure. God is righteous and there is no way that we can out give Him. He not only returns more than we lend to Him, but He rewards the works we do for others. Love is not a big red heart-shaped box full of chocolate candy, a dozen red roses, or a special card with cupids. Neither is love an emotional feeling or physical goose bumps. These are all neat expressions of love, but the God kind of true love has deeper feelings and is expressed in actions. True love sets its own desires aside to take care of the needs of others. It does not look inward but forgets about its own discomfort. We see this unselfish love manifested in the love that a parent has for their children or in the love that a child has for an elderly parent. True love takes care of others. We see it when a couple lives out the words of their wedding vows, pledging their allegiance to each other whether rich or poor and to love in sickness as well as in health. We also see it when the saints minister to the needs of the other saints, when pastors sacrifice their own agendas for their sheep, or when a missionary leaves all he has to go minister in a foreign field. Even strangers can appear to be good Samaritans and Angels unaware. Love can always be seen by its actions and endures all things, without fail. Consider these simple but profound words that describe the appearance of real love and then ask the Lord to help you as you seek to fulfill this image in His Name. "Love has hands to help others, Feet to hasten to the poor and needy, Eyes to see misery and want, Ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like." - Augustine +++ 3/11/24 GOD KNOWS WHERE WE ARE Scripture: Job 23:10 "He knows the way that I take: when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold." Job was in a dilemma as he sat in an ash heap, scraping his boils, and speaking these words of faith, believing that at the end he would come forth as gold. His sons, daughters, servants, livestock, and property had been destroyed in one disaster after another. In fact, the Word says that while one bad report was being given to him, another disaster was happening. On top of this, the people that Job needed to encourage him during this crucial time, his wife and his friends, had all turned their backs on him in judgment. Yet, "In all of this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly" (Job 1:22). Instead when Job’s whole life began to cave in on him, he fell down and worshipped and blessed the Name of the Lord. Later, Job in search of answers tells his friend, "I go forward, but God is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive Him; and on the left hand ... but I cannot see Him." Then he determines, "God is hiding Himself on my right hand, so that I cannot see Him" (Job 23:8-9). Job had an assurance that even though he could not see God, God's eyes were upon him, and God knew exactly where he was. Job felt that at the end of the fiery trials he would come out as pure gold. Job never departed from God's commandments when the bad times came his way. He said, "Though God slay me, yet will I trust in Him" (Job 13:15). Job had confidence because he trusted God, and he trusted God’s Words. He said, "I have esteemed the Words of God more than my necessary food" (Job 23:12). Job had come to understand that although natural food may nourish and sustain him, only God's Word of power could keep him alive and restore his health. When Jesus was tempted, He answered the devil in the same way that Job answered his friends. Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God" (Luke 4:4). God also expects us to live by every Word that He gives to us. We cannot obey, serve, and worship God only in the good and prosperous times. We must continually maintain our own walk before God because as Job declared God will not receive hypocrites (Job 13:16). Like Job, we may not be able to see the Lord in front of us, in the back, or to the sides, but we can rest assured that His presence is there hidden from our view while we are being tried. God knows exactly where we are. If we esteem His Word more than food and live by it, we can be sure that we will come forth from the tests as pure gold. +++ 3/12/24 MY FATHER'S HOUSE Scripture: John 14:2 "In My Father's house are many mansions ... I go to prepare a place for you." When we make plans to go on a special trip and visit a new place, we get maps to show us the way and brochures to let us know what to expect upon our arrival. Our excitement builds as we study all the information that we have collected. We look at the accommodations, search out the restaurants, and choose the entertainment that appeals to us. We make reservations, get our finances in order, complete our ticket purchases, and pack the proper attire. We try to make sure not to overlook any detail in our preparation and then at the appointed time, we begin our journey. Jesus said that He was going away to prepare a place for us, and that He would return to get us so that we could be with Him. He described this place as a mansion in His Father's house. The Apostle John gave us a description, or visual brochure, of this beautiful Holy City to which we are headed (Revelation 21 and 22). He said that we could expect the city to be glowing with the glory of God and that the light of the city is like jasper (sea green). There are great walls surrounding this city, which are 1,500 miles "four-square" (cubical). These walls are of jasper and have twelve foundations, each garnished with a particular stone. These stones are jasper, sapphire, emerald, agate, sardius, topaz, and amethyst to name a few. The city has twelve gates that are made of twelve huge pearls and the streets are made of pure gold, which are as transparent as glass. The Lord God Almighty and Jesus, the Lamb, are the temple of the city. Also, there is no need for the moon or the sun, for Jesus, Himself is the Light. There is a crystal river of life that flows through the city, which proceeds out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. There is also a tree of life, bearing twelve manner of fruit, whose leaves are for healing. There is no sorrow or grief nor anything that is defiling in this beautiful city. The greatest thing about this Holy City is that we shall be able to see the face of Jesus (Revelation 22:4). This eternal Holy City sounds incredible and exciting. None of us knows when God will call us to make our ultimate journey. Jesus is preparing our mansion, but like any other journey, we must make our own personal preparations for our final and eternal destination. We must invite the Lord to come into our heart, receive Him as our Lord and Savior, and allow Him to write His Eternal Name on our heart. He is the Way to our mansion, His Truth is our path, and His Life that He gave on the cross is our ticket to everlasting life. +++ 3/13/24 POSSESSING GOD’S PROMISE Scripture: Numbers 13:33 "And there we saw the giants ... and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." God took His people out of Egypt with a mighty show of power and then provided for them miraculously while they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. When they were near the Promised Land, Moses sent the leaders of the twelve tribes to search out the land of Canaan. When they returned, their report confirmed God's promise that the land was indeed prosperous. Yet, their unbelief caused ten of the twelve to bring an evil report concerning God's ability to carry out His promise. They began to compare themselves with their enemy and saw themselves as grasshoppers. The giants in the land became bigger than God's promises in their hearts. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, God's people were only one day away from their dreams being fulfilled. They were close enough to go in, spy out the land, and bring back grapes, pomegranates, and figs without the fruit perishing. Yet, their hearts were far away from receiving God's promise because they still could not believe for victory over the giants that were in the land. This scene mirrors our own situation. Many times, we come close to God's plan for our life, but we allow the giants of doubt and insecurity to hold us back. Instead of looking at God, we look at ourselves, and as we do our own strength begins to shrink because of the challenge that is set before us. If we allow it, this comparison will undermine God's plan for our lives. It will destroy our faith by distorting our vision and usher in a spirit of fear that will birth a negative report. We will see ourselves as grasshoppers in the sight of our gigantic problems and reap failure because we discount God's ability to fulfill His promise. What has God spoken to you that requires faith on your part? To possess God's promise and complete His will, you must become aware of the strategies of the devil. You must let God be God and you must stay off of His throne. You must do your job and then allow God to do His. Victory demands that you be obedient to God's voice and allow Him to work out all the details. When God speaks, trust Him to equip you to fulfill His will. When you face the giants of adversity, do not give in to a spirit of fear and doubt. Never think of yourself as being unworthy or allow yourself to focus on your own inability. Refuse to give in to the grasshopper mentality. Instead, allow God to enhance and build your self-image. See yourself as God sees you. He sees you as a unique vessel that He has created and chosen for such a time as this. So, do not stay in the wilderness of defeat. Instead, discover the will of God for your life and then go forward and possess His promise. +++ 3/14/24 THE JOY OF GIVING Scripture: Acts 20:35 "It is more blessed to give than receive." God's ways are much higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. The Prophet Isaiah said that God’s thoughts and ways are as far away from our thoughts and ways as the Heavens are from the Earth (Isaiah 55:9). That is quite a distance and shows us that we are nowhere near God's level of thinking because our natural thoughts are limited. It is only as we learn from God’s Word that we can understand His ways and operate in His concepts. God declares in His Word that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and this concept is foreign to our thinking because it is opposite of what the world teaches and demands. Yet, God set a law of sowing and reaping into motion, and there is a two-fold blessing to be received when we give. We are blessed when we sow because we not only get to see the joy of the receiver, but we also reap a blessing for ourselves. Jesus said, "Give and it shall be given to you; pressed down, shaken together, and running over" (Luke 6:38). I watched my grandchildren as they grew, matured, and experienced the lessons of life. When they were two and five years old, the five-year-old had learned to give and to share with others. She had been taught and had experienced first-hand the joy of giving. She used some of her own birthday money to buy her brother a gift. Her two-year-old brother, however, was still tied to his nature. He was just beginning to talk and one of his main words was, "Mine." Giving and sharing at this stage in his life was not a strong forte, but as time passed, he too learned that there was joy in giving and sharing. This sounds elementary, but how many times in our own lives have we stood up and declared, "That's mine," when God wanted us to let it go and give it away? He wanted us to experience the true joy that comes from sacrificial giving. When Jesus was born, the angels declared, "I bring you good tidings of great joy." The great joy that was being announced was that God, Himself, was giving His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins. How could this action be joyful to the heart of God? Yet when He gave His Son, He reaped many sons in return. Jesus had the same mindset as the Father. He not only willingly laid down His life for us, but also counted it as a joy that was set before Him, even as He endured the cross and its shame (Hebrews 12:2). Both God the Father and Jesus the Son gave sacrificially, and both considered it to be a joy. We must take their actions to heart and follow their examples. When we do, joy will come, and we will discover that it really is more blessed to give than to receive. +++ 3/15/24 HE TEACHES MY HANDS TO WAR Scripture: Psalms 144:1 "Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to fight." The scriptures declare that King David was a man after God's own heart. He was a man who not only loved God, but who was also able to express his love with beautiful words that have lasted for thousands of years. In fact, the twenty-third psalm, which speaks of the Lord and paints a picture of a gentle and loving shepherd, seems to grow with us through the years and has a greater impact on our souls each time we read it. Throughout the psalms, we can see David's tenderness, compassion, and trust. The evidence of the depth of his love is mingled in the words that pour forth from his heart. Yet even though David was capable of much love and tender passion, he was also a mighty warrior. David blessed the Lord for teaching him how to fight, for he was engaged in many types of battles. In verse two, David said that there were times that the Lord was his fortress, which is a military stronghold where he could retreat from battle and be safe from the enemy that was on the other side of the walls. During other battles, God became David's strong tower and lifted him high above the dangerous situations. There were times when the Lord was a shield about David and protected him as he went into the raging battles. The Lord also made David a victor and helped him conquer his enemies. All in all, God was David’s strength. David was thankful that God had taught him how to fight and given him a calm assurance that He was with him in every battle. It would be great if we could go throughout life without conflicts and challenges. Life would be so much simpler if there were no battles to fight or wars to wage. Yet the Lord, Himself, told us that in this life there would be much tribulation. There would be conflicts with enemies and issues with those whom we loved. For that reason, when we face a battle of any kind, we must first seek God and ask Him what weapons we should use and how to fight the battle at hand. David fought some battles through physical combat, but God often told him to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Once David used a simple stone to conquer the giant, but in other battles he used mighty weapons of war. In other battles, Joshua's army shouted the walls of Jericho down. Gideon's pathetically small army broke their lanterns and shouted, "The sword of the Lord and Gideon." And Jehoshaphat confused the enemy and won the battle by sending a praise team before his army. In our personal battles, Jesus instructed us to turn the other cheek to those who do us wrong. What kind of weapons are these; a stone, a shout, a broken lantern, praise, simply standing still, or turning our cheek? Yet, God knows the mind and the ways of our enemies, and God's ways are never like our ways. He will surprise us every time. In every situation, we must remember that the Lord is our strength and that the battle always belongs to Him. If we want to win in life, we must trust the Lord to teach our hands to war and our fingers to fight. +++ 3/18/24 BE HOLY Scripture: Ephesians 1:4 " ... we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." The Apostle Paul spoke to ordinary Christians at Ephesus and told them to be holy and without blame. These same words are meant for us today, but this instruction seems almost impossible to accomplish. Our carnal mind cannot comprehend the concept that we can be holy. Yet God never gives us an assignment that we cannot handle and He confirmed His desire in Leviticus 19:2 saying, "You shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy." God created us in His own image and He wants His children to be just like Him. Because He spoke these words to us, there must be a way to attain this place of holiness in our lives. Yet, how can we possibly fulfill these words with the many daily challenges that we face? The word "be" means to exist, to live, to remain, or to continue. It is not something that happens just one time but is a continuation. How can we exist, live, or continue to be holy as God is holy? It is simple, for being holy is like living life. Life happens one breath at a time, one heartbeat followed by the next heartbeat. From the time we are born until the time we die, we are one breath away from death and one heartbeat away from eternity. Yet even though we are that close to death, we say that we are living and that we have life. The same is true with holiness. God tells us to be holy, but regardless of how hard we try, we will always be one thought, one attitude, or one action away from relinquishing our state of holiness. We can only live as God gives us breath to live and we can only be holy as He empowers us to live in holiness and as He continues to forgive us when we fail. Being holy is a constant and continual moment by moment journey. There is a story of a father who tied a bag of candy to the ceiling. His young son desperately tried to reach it, but when he discovered that he could not reach the candy, he began to jump for it. When that failed, he decided to stand on a chair but he was still too short and the candy remained out of his reach. Everything he attempted failed. The son wanted the candy with all of his heart, but regardless of all of his efforts, he finally realized that it was impossible for him to reach the bag at the top of the ceiling and he gave up. When he gave up, his father took him in his arms and lifted him up so that he could grab the bag of candy. What was too difficult for the boy to do by himself was easy with his father's help. God wants us to know that being holy may seem impossible for us, but when He sees our desperate desire and struggle to be holy like Him, He will take us in His loving arms and lift us up so that we can accomplish His will. We must include God in our quest for holiness because He understands all of our weaknesses. Jesus was tempted in all points that we are temped in, yet He remained without sin. When things get too hard, we must simply surrender to the Lord, pray, and ask for His help. Like breathing one breath of air at a time, He will help us to live, moment by moment, in holiness. +++ 3/19/24 BEAUTIFUL FEET Scripture: Romans 10:15 "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" The Apostle Paul declared that the feet of those who spread the gospel and bring good tidings were beautiful. When he listed the spiritual armor in Ephesians 6:15, he instructed us not to go into any kind of spiritual battle without having the shoes of the gospel of peace on our feet. Notice that he included shoes for both feet, for we cannot walk properly or do battle with just one shoe. He recognized the importance of walking in total peace in every situation. You cannot minister peace to others if you do not have peace within yourself. Have you ever tried to bring peace into a situation when you, yourself, were in a panic? Those whom you were attempting to calm down told you that you were the one who was making them nervous? Jesus came to this earth to do great battle against the devil and to destroy the works of evil. Yet in this mighty battle, He was called the Prince of Peace and ministered peace everywhere that He walked. Even at His birth the angels recognized His true mission and sang out the declaration, "Peace on Earth and good will to men." Jesus brought light and gave life by dispelling darkness and overcoming death. He spoke peace and calmed the raging storms. Jesus exchanged the spirit of peace for the torment that was in the mind of the man who was filled with demons. He also imparted peace into the hearts of the other believers who followed Him. Jesus walked in the shoes of this gospel of peace all the way to the cross of Calvary and made these shoes available to us as we believe. He said, "My peace I give you" (John 14:27). It is not the same kind of peace that the world gives, but a supernatural peace that passes all understanding and keeps you from being afraid in a troubled world. You can recognize feet that are clad with peace because they do not walk hesitantly or with a spiritual limp. They walk with a determined purpose to fulfill the will of God and are continually pressing towards the mark of the high calling of God. Beautiful spiritual feet are the ones that walk up to you and always have a good report regardless of how dark the situation may seem. They do not bring evil reports or bear tales of gossip and are never swift to run to evil. Instead, they are clad with peace and bring a word in due season to your soul that is fitting for the moment. People with beautiful spiritual feet support you and stand beside you in adversity and do not kick you when you are down. They are quick to run to your aid with provisions when they see that you have a need. Beautiful feet stand in agreement with you and do not shuffle around in condemnation when you go to the Father in prayer. They dance with you to the rhythm of the same song and are never found to be out of step. They encourage you to walk with them down the paths of righteousness and do not try to lead you astray. They never leave you, but walk beside you through valleys and stick with you even in the shadows of death. Beautiful spiritual feet are indeed very desirable, but require attention just like our natural feet. Let us take time to sit in the presence of Jesus and allow Him to wash our feet with His Word until they become beautifully shod with the gospel of peace. Then, as we possess the Lord’s peace, let us set about to share His glad tidings of good things. +++ 3/20/24 LET THE WINTER PASS Scripture: Song of Solomon 2:11-13 "For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of the birds is come ... " We pass through various seasons in our life and with each one we experience God in a different way. The dormant winter seasons are the hardest to endure, for they often become very confusing. There is little understanding about the cold darkness that surrounds us, for during these winter seasons our talents lay buried and our efforts seem fruitless. It seems there is no hope for a brighter day. Our tears pour like rain and flood our soul. And yet, it is during this time that God is doing His greatest work in our lives. Our hearts become fertile as we diligently seek God’s will and allow Him to search our inner most being. Then as He points out the things in our lives that are displeasing to Him, we repent and He forgives. Look back at the seasons in your life and you will discover that spiritual growth and depth came to you during your darkest hours. When your feelings were hurt, you learned to react in love. When you were taken advantage of, you learned to forgive instead of retaliate. When facing tribulations, you learned to rejoice in the knowledge that God was in control and that He was developing patience in your life. When finances were low, you learned to have faith in God's provision. In those dark hours when your body was sick, you saw Jesus as your healer. In the lonely moments, you experienced the Lord's very real and awesome eternal presence. In the spiritual valleys, He became the restorer of your soul, and in your time of mourning, He became your great comforter. In every weak endeavor, you discovered His omnipotent strength and when you lacked knowledge and understanding, He was your all-knowing omniscient God. Every dormant season that you have encountered was necessary to prepare you for God's greater purpose. The winters that challenge your soul are not destined to be forever. They will pass and God will release you from their embrace. Your tears will cease and the darkness will give way to the brightness of the light. As God’s light comes, you will realize that your tears actually watered the garden of your heart, causing you to flourish with new growth, to find new direction, and to experience new strength. As you let go of painful disappointments and allow the winter to pass, new life will emerge in your spirit. The flowers will begin to appear and give forth a beautiful fragrance just as they do in nature. They will attract the birds that sing and your heart will again rejoice at their sound. God's love will flow as never before and cleanse your heart, washing away the seeds of bitterness that could have taken over. Therefore never give up when the darkness of winter challenges you, for it will soon pass and you will find that God is always faithful. God will bring the spring and He will enlarge your borders once again. He will also restore the song and the beauty to your life and enhance your ministry with His glory. +++ 3/21/24 DIVINE APPOINTMENT Scripture: Luke 7:13 "And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said unto her, Weep not." A woman and many of the people from a town called Nain were in a procession following the casket of the woman's only son. She had lost her husband to death and now was also having to give up her son. She was grief stricken and distressed, for her world seemingly had come to an end and there was no hope. As she approached the gates of the city, she never dreamed that she was on the verge of a divine appointment with the Almighty God, and that very shortly she would encounter a miracle at His hand. At the same time, Jesus, along with His disciples and many other people, approached the gates of the city from the outside. This entourage was probably still happy and excited about the miracle that Jesus had performed the day before when He spoke just a word and the centurion's servant was healed. Now at the gates of the city of Nain, two worlds were about to collide. God in Heaven had set the stage for a divine appointment. A procession of resurrection life led by Jesus Christ was destined to meet with the procession of death led by the young man in the casket. Light was going to collide with darkness. Comfort was going to replace sorrow and grief. Joy was going to dispel sadness, and laughter was destined to drive away all the tears. When Jesus saw the woman, He had compassion upon her. He spoke light to her darkness of grief and said, "Weep not." Then Life touched death, and Jesus raised the widow's son from the dead. You may have come to a time, like the widow, that you are facing what seems to be the end. It is a sad time as special relationships come to an end, dreams fall apart, your health and finances fail, or death takes your loved one from you. It is a time of discouragement and despair as you mourn the death of what could have been. However, do not lose faith as you seemingly exit your hopes and dreams. Jesus is on the other side of the gate, and all of Hell trembles because He is on His way to deliver you. When your life is threatened in any area, He comes to your rescue. Jesus will resurrect your dead situation and restore your relationships. He will comfort you in your grief, and in the midst of your sorrow He will give you hope. He will resurrect your dreams and restore all that is lost. It only takes one divine moment as the Lord’s anointed hands touch your impossible situation. In Jeremiah 29:11 God says, "For I know the thoughts and the plans that I have for you. They are plans for good and not evil, to give you a future and a hope." Take courage and look to the future with hope, for God has planned a divine appointment for you. +++ 3/22/24 UNDER HIS WINGS Scripture: Psalms 91:4 "He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shall thou trust." Psalms ninety-one gives us many promises of God's protection. It tells us that if we "dwell in the secret place of the most High that we shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." To be in God’s shadow means that you are in His presence. Psalms 31:20 speaks of the secret of His presence that hides you. The following story is copied from an unknown source: "An article in National Geographic several years ago provided a penetrating picture of God's wings. After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno's damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick. When he struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother's wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother had remained steadfast. Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live." These tiny chicks experienced the love of their mother. How much more love has our Almighty Father shown us? He loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die for us so that we would not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). And Jesus loved us so much that He willingly left His throne in Heaven, became flesh, endured the shame of the cross, and sacrificed His life for us. Knowing that you are loved this much should make a difference in your life. All you need to do is trust God and climb underneath the shelter of His wings. He will take care of you. +++ 3/25/24 EXPERIENCING GOD Scripture: Job 42:5 (Amplified) "I have heard of You only by the hearing of the ear; but now my spiritual eye sees You." The book of Job wrestles with the question, "Why do good people suffer?" Job was a man who was morally good and highly respected. He was spiritual and even functioned as a priest and offered burnt offerings for his family. Yet, God removed Job's hedge of protection and allowed Satan to come against him for a season. In an effort to destroy him physically and spiritually, Satan repeatedly used the forces of nature, sickness, and people against Job, and yet he continued to trust God. Even death, itself, held no threat in Satan's challenge to destroy Job's faith, for Job said, "Though God slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15). Several months of testing passed as Job continued to place his confidence in God. When his season of testing finally came to an end, Job had received a new revelation and experienced a deeper relationship with the Lord. He now recognized the sovereignty of God and his need to acknowledge it. Before Job had been afflicted, his words concerning God had only been words without knowledge (Job 38:2). But in the midst of his tests, God spoke to Job directly, asking him simple but profound questions. When God began to commune with him, Job's spiritual eyes were opened, and he realized that God was the creator and was still in control. His knowledge of God changed from a hearing of the ears to a knowing of the heart. This is the same process that God takes us through in the seasons of our own lives. Throughout our life, we hear of Him with our ears, but when we are challenged like Job, we come to spiritually see or know God with our heart. We may hear of Jesus, the Son of God, but we only know Him as Savior when the Holy Spirit reveals Him to us, convicts us of our sins, and we receive Him into our heart. Likewise, we only come to know Jesus as the healer when we experience healing or to know Him as the provider when we see Him meet our needs. As we encounter the Lord directly, we become persuaded about who He is, and nothing can separate us from that knowledge. In the midst of our afflictions, we discover that God is not just a theory or a thought, or someone that we have heard stories about. God is very real. We must see Him through our spiritual eyes and experienced with our heart. +++ 3/26/24 CONTENTS OF YOUR HEART Scripture: Proverbs 23:7 "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." King Solomon was a man to whom God imparted great wisdom. He wrote this proverb declaring that we are the essence of the contents that are within our heart. Solomon said we can treat someone kindly and even eat and drink with them and do it in pretense because our heart is not with them. Yet, it is a matter of fact that whatever is in our hearts, whether good or bad, will eventually come to the surface and be revealed by the words that we speak. Jesus confirmed this in Luke 6:45 when He said, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." Not only will the thoughts of our heart be revealed with words, but those words will create an atmosphere around us. It is a circle of events. Our heart thinks, our mouth speaks, and then the atmosphere and our lives become what we have spoken. It is not a mind over matter thing. It is a principle of God's Word, for His Word says that there is life and death in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). So we must be careful what we think and be cautious of the words that we speak, for that is what we will become. James said that our tongue is like the rudder of a ship that controls and steers the vessel. Consider your course of direction. Where are your words taking you; towards the hazardous rocky shores or to the smooth deep waters? Are you constantly confessing defeat because your heart has no hope of victory? Do the past hurts and distrusts that are within your heart cause you to speak words that bring strife and division, which hinder your current relationships? Is your heart always filled with dissatisfaction and complaints? God became very tired of hearing the Israelites mummer and complain. He finally told them that He would bring to pass the words that they had spoken in His ear and He held true to His decision. Out of the abundance of their heart, their mouth had spoken evil judgment upon themselves and eventually they died in the wilderness. Except for Joshua and Caleb and the younger generation, they never made to the Promise land. David, on the other hand, confessed victory before his battles and declared that God was with him. Even when he faced Goliath, the giant, David’s heart was overwhelmed with faith and his mouth was filled with positive words. As David ran towards Goliath with a sling and a few stones, he declared from the abundance of his heart, "This day God will deliver you into my hands" (I Samuel 17:46). The contents of David's heart harbored a mighty cause for right and he became what his heart believed, a conqueror over the giant and evil. What are the contents of your heart? If your words are negative, the contents of your heart are defeat. If your words share no light with others, your spirit is filled with darkness. If you can share no words of joy, your own heart is harboring grief and sorrow. If your words gender strife and division, you have no peace or contentment within yourself. If your tongue spews forth words of judgment and attempts to destroy the accomplishments of others, it is because your heart is full of envy and jealousy. Your heart is dissatisfied because its own dreams have been shattered. Examine your ways and your words and if they are lacking, then examine your thoughts. God wants His presence and His purposes to be the contents of your heart. If you are thinking anything less than victory, you need to ask God to help you change your thinking. David prayed, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer (Psalms 19:14). If you are considering settling for anything less than God's best for your life, you need to rearrange and upgrade your expectations, for God declared that He has a good plan for you (Jeremiah 29:11). If fear and doubt are looming large within your heart, you need to cast those thoughts aside and look to God with faith. Isaiah 26:3 says, "God will keep you in perfect peace when your mind is fixed upon Him." Examine your heart and look to God for help. If you study and listen to His Words, He will exchange the contents of your heart and fill it with His thoughts. Then as you yield to Him, He will create a right spirit within you and you will bring glory to Him, for as you think in your heart so shall you be. +++ 3/26/24 THE GOD OF RESURRECTION Scripture: John 11:15 (NIV) Jesus said, "I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe." Martha and Mary sent for Jesus to come minister healing to their brother, Lazarus. Instead of immediately running to the rescue, Jesus stayed where He was for another two days. Even when the evil tidings came to Him that Lazarus had died, He did not panic. He knew that He had not missed His moment. Jesus told His disciples, "I'm glad for your sakes that I was not there," meaning not there in time to keep Lazarus from dying. He had a greater plan. By the time that Jesus finally arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days. The people that surrounded the situation began their reasoning. Some believed that because Jesus had the power to heal the blind, He could have prevented Lazarus's death if He had been there. Mary's words were in agreement. She said, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." Now that Lazarus was dead, they felt that there was no hope. It seemed their faith could only take them just so far. However, God had far greater plans than they could ever imagine. He was not limited by disease or death. Neither was He limited by time. He was just as able to work right then, at that moment, as He would have been four days earlier. His intention was to demonstrate His power in a greater way by raising Lazarus from the grave instead of raising Him from the sick bed. Verse four tells us that the whole purpose of this situation was to reveal the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified. This story touches our lives today because it is so easy to lose faith when God does not fulfill our expectations or meet our needs according to our timing. You may even questioned God, "Why weren't You here when I needed You?" You may feel that it's too late to remedy your situation and you may possibly lapse into a spirit of hopelessness. God knows all about your doubts and fears. You must remember that though He tarries for a few days, He is never late. He is always on time. You may not know God’s plan, but you can be assured that He has a plan. Just as Jesus spoke to His disciples, God is glad for your sakes that He is not there to immediately remedy every situation. He delays so that you might learn to believe in Him. He wants to take you from one level of faith to another and from glory to glory. Nothing is too hard for the Lord and no situation is too late for Him. When Jesus comes on the scene, He will bring life to those things that have become dead in your life. He will fix your circumstances and resurrect your life from the shambles. He will cause your dreams and visions to come alive. He will bring new life into your relationships where you thought there was no hope. Isaiah 61:3 says that He will give you beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Believe in Him and you will see that He is not only the God of healing and restoration, but He is also the God of resurrection. +++ 3/28/24 RESURRECTION LIFE Scripture: John 12:24 "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit." Jesus spoke of the necessity of His death before there could be resurrection life. He compared His life and death to the same process that a grain of wheat goes through before it can produce new life and fruit. No seed can be placed in a protected environment, kept from decay and death, and be fruitful. Jesus said that if the seed does not die, it will abide alone. Fruitfulness comes only as the seed lays aside its life and gives itself to death and total darkness. God's work on the natural seed is a mystery. The death of a seed will cause it to multiply and bring forth. It becomes not only nourishment for those who eat of its fruit, but it also creates other seeds that will repeat the same process. It is amazing to plant one kernel of corn that is the size of the end of your small finger, then watch it grow into a seven-foot stalk in just a short time. The stalk will then produce about eight ears of corn, and each ear will have hundreds of kernels. How can one small seed do all that work in such a short time? We cannot understand how the earth, air, water, and sun all work together to bring about this wondrous miracle, but we believe it because we see the results. This phenomenon takes place because God's power and life are working inside the seed. So it is with the work of Christ, His death, and resurrection. We do not understand the reason why His death brings us life, but we believe because we see the results. And because we have had an experience with Him, we become as another seed and also have the power of the life of Christ living on the inside of us. However, before we can produce life and fruit, we must be removed from a protected environment so that we can experience the death of the things that are within us, such as self and the world. We must take on the new life of the Spirit of Christ and surrender ourselves to the Spirit of God, allowing Him to work in us just as the earth, air, water, and sun worked on the natural seed. We must abide alone with God and allow Him to direct our entire life, for it is only then that we will be productive and God will be glorified in our lives. Like the hope of the small and seemingly insignificant seed, we must have faith for our future. We must not allow ourselves to become discouraged as we envision the death and decay that is happening in our lives at the moment. God is creating something within us that we cannot see. We must rejoice in the darkness as we embrace the vision and the glory of the future. As we yield ourselves to God, He will bring resurrection life. +++ Copyright © 2024 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com |
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