| ............ | A Word In Due Season July 2017 7/3/17 FREE INDEED Scripture: John 8:36 "If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." Free indeed means that your freedom is without a doubt. It is an unquestionable fact or a certain reality. When you are free, you are not held in bonds and you are not required to give allegiance or serve that which you do not support. When Jesus spoke these words, He wanted us to understand that we have freedom through Him and that we are no longer bound to sin or the devices of the devil. In verse thirty-four, Jesus stated that if you commit sin, you are a servant to that sin. It holds you in bondage. But when Jesus makes you free, you are free indeed. His sacrifice on the cross did not accomplish a partial work but brought total freedom and redemption. We are free in the spirit the moment that we are saved, yet there is a process before a total manifestation of freedom is achieved in our lives. I found a moth that was trapped in my kitchen. It desperately wanted freedom and to return to its own environment outdoors. At this point, I was lord over the moth and held in my hands the power to do whatever I wanted to do with it. I could trap it and keep it enslaved, or even kill it, but my desire was not to harm it. I wanted the moth to be free just as much as it wanted to be free. Rescuing it, however, was a different process. I finally captured it in a plastic cup and covered the cup with a paper towel. I did all I could do to protect it during the process of bringing it to its freedom. Unfortunately, the moth did not have knowledge of the plan or understand what was happening to it. It only knew that its world had suddenly become dark and that it was sensing unknown motion. So it began to fight furiously for its freedom and beat its fragile wings against the cup. I spoke comforting words to it in the midst of its frantic moments while I took it to the door to release it. It was only took a few moments, but I am sure that it must have seemed like an eternity to the poor captive. Maybe when it was released, it understood that I meant no harm and that I only wanted to give it the freedom that it desired and to help it to be able to complete its destiny. Like the moth in this story, God wants us to complete our destiny. He wants us free of sin and the snares of the past, which we have made ourselves servant to. In our hearts we agree with God's will and want to be free to do what He has called us to do. We can see the light and hear God calling, but we just cannot seem to get there because there are too many barriers. So we just pray and then suddenly one day God answers our prayers, and He begins to deal with our situation. When He captures us, it seems frightening, for darkness surrounds us and we can feel the motion of His Spirit taking us to the unknown. We begin to beat ourselves against the sides of the cup that God is holding in His own hands because we do not know what He is doing. We do not know what is happening, but we do know that we have no control. All we can grasp in the natural realm is that an unseen force is holding us in bondage. All the while, God is speaking words of comfort to our hearts. The Lord may possibly try to share His plans and the purpose for our confinement as He desperately attempts to get us to the door where He can set us free. We will face this same process many times in life because we will fall into many snares. Our spirit is willing but our flesh is so weak. Yet, in all of our dilemmas, God will faithfully come to our rescue. Yet, we must understand that freedom always comes with a price. We must let go and allow God to have His way before we can be totally free. +++ 7/4/17 BLESSED NATION Scripture: Psalms 33:12 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." The fifty-six men who signed our Declaration of Independence, which was approved on July 4, 1776, committed an act of treason against the British Crown. As they signed this incredible Declaration, they mutually pledged to each other their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Of those who signed, two became Presidents of the United States, three became Vice Presidents, and several others became either State Governors or U. S. Senators. However, there were many signers who suffered greatly. Four died of wounds from the war and five were imprisoned. Several lost their wives and children as their homes were attacked. The oldest signer of the Declaration was 70 year old Benjamin Franklin, whose faith was strong in God. Speaking of God, He said: "Have we now forgotten this powerful Friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth -- that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that 'except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.' I firmly believe this." Benjamin Franklin was convinced that all was vain unless the Lord was God and Builder of this nation. The freedom we enjoy has been purchased with tears and blood. We have reaped the noble sacrifice of these brave men, and every American life has been touched by the document they signed. Because of their sacrifice, we have experienced a "Blessed nation whose God is the Lord ... And we are STILL one nation, under God. +++ 7/5/17 STRETCHED BEYOND MEASURE Scripture: II Corinthians 1:8 (NIV) "We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure." A couple of years ago I stored some documents in my garage. I had put them in envelopes and then placed a rubber band around the envelopes. I was surprised when I went to retrieve them, for the rubber bands that secured them had lost their elasticity and had become limp in some parts and brittle in others. When I touched the rubber bands, they fell apart. They had been stretched beyond their ability to endure and had collapsed under the enormous pressure they were under. We are much like the rubber bands in the story. God has designed each of us in such a way that we have a great capacity to face challenges and handle everyday stress. He also gave us a promise that He would not put more upon us than we could bear. Yet, we often take on more than God, Himself, intended for us to carry. We get overly committed and allow stress to weave its way into our lives by embracing every challenge that comes our way. We stretch ourselves beyond our limits and do not know when to let go. We then wonder what is happening with our life. We are serving the Lord, but we are overwhelmed with all of life's activities. It seems that there is pressure coming against us from all sides. We are so involved physically and so over extended emotionally that we cannot stop and get a grip on our own personal situation. We may feel that we have too much to do and cannot justify seasons of rest and relaxation. Yet, Jesus had a greater commission to fulfill on Earth than we will ever have. He was the Lord of the Universe. His limited time was very valuable, but He always took time to rest and commune with God. Jesus called His disciples away from the crowds to rest with Him, and He even took a nap on the boat. Even though He was the Son of God, He did not allow Himself to be stretched beyond His natural limitations. It does not matter what we are called to do in life, we need seasons of rest. Even those in ministry are never at their best when they are continually stretched beyond their measure. Like the rubber band, without rest, we either become brittle and limp or eventually break. We must find that balance where we can stretch our lives to meet the challenge at hand and then relax and regenerate in the life that God gives. It is only then that we will have the ability to endure. +++ 7/6/17 SEEKING GOD WITH INTENSITY Scripture: Deuteronomy 4:29 "If you seek the Lord your God, you shall find Him, if you seek Him with all of your heart and with all of your soul." We often search for a misplaced item, but give up after a few moments because of its insignificance. Yet when it's something important like our keys, we search with intensity. We become desperate in our search because we know that we cannot leave until we find them. It is as though our lives depend upon finding the keys and very often we will call upon others to help us in our search. Once, I lost my keys and searched diligently but the keys were not to be found. After much panic and frustration, I decided that I had to leave without them and to my surprise I found that my keys were in the lock on the outside of door. We can all relate to losing something that is important and feeling the urgency in our spirits to find it. We try to recall our journey just prior to the loss and track all of the steps that we made. We put everything aside and focus on finding the lost object. We search with all of our heart and soul and we are not satisfied until we find what we are looking for. This is the same way that God wants us to search for Him. He wants us to search with intensity and anticipation in our spirits. He wants us to seek for Him as if we were searching for a lost treasure. We are to search for Him as though our very lives depend upon it. We are not to wait until we are in stress and calamity and our lives actually do depend upon finding Him. We are to seek Him early while He may be found (Isaiah 55:6). And like the keys in the door, "God is not far from every one of us" (Acts 17:27). We just need to search for Him until we find Him. When you search for God with all of your heart and soul, I Chronicles 28:9 says that He will be found of you or He will allow you to find Him. When God unveils Himself to you, you will be forever changed because you will not only see His acts, but you will experience Him as a person. In His presence, you will get a view of His power and you will sense His strength. When your heart and soul makes contact with the Lord, you will know without a doubt that you have been in the presence of the King, and the moment will be eternally written upon your heart. God wants to minister to you and He desires to be found by you. God's Word says that if you seek Him with all of your heart and with all of your soul, you will find Him. When you find Him, He will wash your sins away with His blood, touch your pain with His love, and bring light into the darkness that troubles and clouds your soul. +++ 7/7/17 WOUNDED SPIRIT Scripture: Proverbs 18:14 "The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear? The spirit of a man is amazing. Your spirit will rise up and sustain you when you are in physical pain or other trouble. It will give birth to a determination that you did not realize that you had. Your spirit will inspire you and assist you in conquering the present adversity that challenges you. It will tell you to keep going in spite of the difficulties, and that you can make it. You will find yourself taking courage and doing what you could not do before, even fighting battles that you never thought possible. Many people have lived through life-threatening illnesses simply because when they heard the evil report that was issued against them, their spirit came alive and rose up with a new and exceptional strength that enabled them to fight for their life. While it is true that your spirit will sustain you during your season of infirmity or adverse situations, it is also true that it is difficult for one to rise up when their spirit has been wounded, crushed, or broken. Physical wounds usually come from without and are easy to understand and cope with, but there are no simple bandages for a wounded spirit. Wounds to the spirit are sudden blows, and most of the time we do not see them coming because they usually come from those whom we love and trust the most. This makes it hard to forget the incident or to forgive the one who inflicted the pain. It may be years before reconciliation and restoration of the relationship can be achieved because we tend to continually analyze the situation. We are never quite sure how our loved one could have tread upon our heart and transgressed our feelings in such a grievous manner. It happens with our spouse, children, family, and friends. An unexplained action or an innocent but insensitive remark from someone we love can wound our spirit and this wound will be hard to bear. Jesus knows and understands all that you are going through. He understands how you can be wounded by rejection because many rejected Him and His own disciples abandoned Him in the time of His greatest need. He knew the tears of pain and sorrow as He grieved for His friend, Lazarus. He understood how it felt to be misunderstood because His own mother and brothers did not understand Him and even declared that He was mad. He was also wounded and hurt by the same people that He ministered to and gave His life for. Because Jesus understands your feelings so well, He is able to not only dry the tears in your eyes, but also to wipe them from your heart. You do not have to bear your wounded spirit alone, for Jesus will bind up your wounds for you. He will stay near you when your heart is broken and continually apply the comforting healing balm of the Holy Spirit. He will minister to your broken spirit by giving you beauty for the ashes and disappointments of your life. He will give you the oil of joy for mourning and replace the heaviness that is in your soul with a garment of praise. A wounded spirit ... who can bear? Only Jesus. So, trust and lean upon Him. +++ 7/10/17 NEW COMMANDMENT Scripture: John 13:34 "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you." Most of us try not to break the Ten Commandments that are listed in the twentieth chapter of Exodus. We do not serve other gods, make graven images, take God's Name in vain, or dishonor the Lord's Day. We also do not dishonor our parents, kill, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, or covet things that belong to our neighbors. In keeping the first four of these commandments, we fulfill Jesus' command that He gave in Luke 10:27, which says to "love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind." And by doing the last six of the Ten Commandments, we show that we "love our neighbor as ourselves," which was also stated in this same verse. Now in John's gospel, Jesus goes on to tell us that He is giving us a "new commandment". Jesus says that we are not only to love our neighbor as ourselves, but that we are to move on to a higher level and love them as He loves us. Jesus loves us in a greater degree than we could ever love ourselves. He loved us so much that He laid down His life for us on a cruel cross while we were still in sin. Without having any promise that we would receive Him, He simply sacrificed Himself in faith. God also showed His amazing love towards us by sending His only begotten Son to suffer and bear the shame of our sins. I John 4:11 tells us that if God so loved us, we also should love one another. He gave His greatest possession. If God loved us so much that He was willing to make this tremendous sacrifice, we should be able to love one another in the same way. If God was willing to watch His Son, Jesus, be beaten, crowned with thorns, have nails driven into His hands, and be hung on a cross, we should be able to bear up under the load of love that our relationships demand. Love does demand sacrifice. When our sacrifice of love becomes too demanding, we must remember that it was Jesus who spoke the command of love into our lives and that He termed it a command and not an option. Regardless of the circumstances or the challenges, we have no choice but to obey His commandment and be self-sacrificing as He and God the Father were towards us. We must love each other as They loved us. +++ 7/11/17 TREES OF LIFE Scripture: Proverbs 11:30 (Amplified) "The fruit of the uncompromisingly righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures human lives for God as a fisher of men - he gathers and receives them for eternity." Life on Earth is a great mystery and is filled with uncertain days and surprising events. Each day presents us with challenges and with each challenge we are faced with the choice to compromise with the world or remain uncompromisingly righteous before God. Regardless of which option we choose, our lives make an impact on those about us. We have a mission. God has destined us to be trees of life and fishers of men. As trees of life in God's garden, we will bear fruit and whatever grows on the inside of us will spill out into the lives of those around us. We will affect them for eternity. Our words and actions either captures human lives for God or drives them away from His kingdom. Proverbs 23:7 says, "As a man thinks in his heart so is he." If the tree of love and peace is growing within our heart, the fruit we bear will be love and peace. If there is joy in our heart, joy will be manifested in our lives. If our heart thinks patience, we will be patient. However, if the tree in our heart is filled with negative thoughts, our actions will be like a tree of death, for out of the abundance of our heart, bad fruit will be produced. Proverbs 15:3-4 says, "The eyes of God are in every place, keeping watch upon the evil and the good. A gentle tongue with its healing power is a tree of life." Take notice and be aware of all that surrounds you. God has set before you an open book, but you determine the story and you write the words. With the words you say and the deeds you do, you can bring healing power into the lives of others and be a wellspring of life to a hurting world. Your mission may be very simple. God may have designed your life to reach just a few. Like the trees in the forest, which are all not the same, your life may be different than others, but it has purpose and is important. Your words, actions, and love can alter the life and destiny of each soul that you encounter. So be wise and allow your fruit to capture them for eternity. Uncompromising righteousness begets life. You will experience various seasons and may feel dormant for a period of time. It may seem that God has utterly forgotten you, but keep the faith and wait on God because He is preparing you for the next season of your life. Regardless of what season you are in, refuse to compromise with the world and allow God to use you in that season. You contain the potential to be a tree of life and a great purpose in the Kingdom of God. +++ 7/12/17 DRAWING NEAR TO GOD Scripture: James 4:8 "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." This is a wonderful promise and so simply stated. God promises us a personal one-on-one relationship with Him. How many other very important and powerful people have made this promise to you? Very few, I'm sure. Yet because of our hectic schedules and limited time, most of us do not exercise our option to enter into the Lord's presence on a daily basis for any great length of time. We spend a few minutes with a devotional, say a short prayer, and then we are off to meet the day's challenges. We promise to spend more time with the Lord later, but when the day is finished, we are exhausted and just too tired. Those in scripture who spent time with God knew Him intimately. And those who knew Him intimately had great power with Him. Even the Sanhedrin marveled and took notice of Peter and John because they recognized that Peter and John had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). Elijah was a man of fervent and earnest prayer and his relationship with God resulted in mighty miracles. These and other mighty men only knew God's heart because they spent time in His presence. They drew near to God and God drew near to them and manifested His power through them. Drawing near to God is a gradual process towards a place of intimacy with Him. One definition of "intimacy" is "into-me-see." It is only as you begin to pour out your inner most thoughts to God and allow Him to see inside of you that He responds and shares His most inner thoughts with you. Even our natural relationships show us this. We can only truly know those with whom we have solitary fellowship. Jesus told us in Matthew 6:6 to enter into our closet and shut the door when we talk to Him. Jesus wants us to fellowship with Him in secret so that He can speak to us in secret. He set the example for us several times in the scriptures as He, Himself, found solitary places to commune with the Father (Mark 1:35). Jesus drew near to God a great while before the day began and spent all night in God's presence. How close and intimate do you want to be to God? You are the one who will determine the depth of your relationship. Those who move towards God, evoke a response from Him. He gave the invitation and the pattern for us to enter into His presence. He said, "Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you." Or, you take a step towards Me, then I will take a step towards you. +++ 7/13/17 LEAD ME TO THE ROCK Scripture: Psalms 61:2 "From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I." God made this day and we should rejoice and be glad in it because He makes every day for our pleasure. Yet even though we know that this is true, we still experience stress, disappointments, things we do not understand, and things that we cannot fix. We make an effort to approach the day with optimism but when confusion enters our world, we lose our sense of peace. Our schedules become hectic and the issues that surround us become horrific. We must deal with illness, death, and situations in our relationships. There are also life changing decisions to be made and financial pressures to cope with. Many times these things leave our spirits totally overwhelmed. However, God does not want us to be overwhelmed by any problem, regardless of whether it is large obstacle or a small issue. He sent His Son so that we could live in peace and have true joy every day of the year. God's Son, Jesus, is the Rock that is higher than you or me and He is our strength and our security. He is the one that we can run to and the one whom we can depend upon when our situations and emotions try to overpower and upset us. David declared that from the ends of the earth he would cry out to the Lord for help. He was at the end of his ordeal and he felt overwhelmed, but he still had hope because he knew that there was one who was higher than himself. Yet, knowing about the Rock who is higher than us and finding the Rock in times of pressure are two different things. David had a solution to this situation. He asked God to lead him to the Rock. David knew he would find peace and comfort in God's shelter, for God always met him at the level of his need. God will do the same for you and has given you His Word of promise for peace and comfort. When you find your emotions stressed, your body wearied, and you are overwhelmed by any pressure, you can receive help by praying this same simple prayer that David prayed, "Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I." +++ 7/14/17 IN THE HANDS OF A SOVEREIGN GOD Scripture: Genesis 39:2 "The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man ..." When Joseph was seventeen years old, his whole life changed drastically in a very short time. Throughout Joseph’s life, His father had favored him above his brothers and had given him a coat of many colors. As Joseph began to flaunt his favor and his robe before his brothers and tell them of his dreams, he provoked them to mischief. Because of their total disdain for Joseph and his dreams, they stripped him of his coat and threw him into a pit. Their intentions were to kill him, but God's hand was upon Joseph and He prevented his brothers from their evil actions. God sovereignly caused a band of traders who were on their way to Egypt to pass near the pit where Joseph was being held captive. Instead of killing Joseph, his brothers decided to sell him to the traders. Little did Joseph know that even in these early stages of his life God was working a divine plan. The execution of God's plan may have seemed cruel at the time, but God needed Joseph in Egypt so that He could fulfill His purpose in Joseph's life and provide for His people. In every detail, God had sovereignly worked to get Joseph to his appointed place so that He could groom him and get him ready to govern the land during the season of abundance and during the great famine of seven years that was to come. Joseph had very little control over his life and circumstances. God was guiding every footstep and setting him up to save a multitude of people. All Joseph could do was go with the flow and cooperate with the circumstances that God sovereignly set before him. He learned to endure the hardships and disappointments gracefully and found favor with those about him. God was with Joseph every step of the way and caused all that he did to prosper. He allowed Joseph to be placed in charge of his master's household and even blessed his master's house for Joseph's sake. Every small step that he took was a part of God's great plan and Joseph eventually recognized this. Years later when God’s ultimate plan began to unfold, Joseph told his brothers, "You thought evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20). God works no less sovereignly in our own lives. We may face cruel bondage and painful disappointments, but we must remember that God is in control. Like Joseph, our friends may forget us and our family members may reject us, but God will always be there. Our dreams may falter and our plans may fail but God says that all things will work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). If you have prayed, "Not my will but Thine be done on Earth as it is in Heaven" then get ready for God to direct your life. His ways may seem mysterious at times, but if you trust the Lord with all of your heart and do not lean to your own understanding, He will lead you down a path that brings blessings to others and prosperity and favor in your own life. +++ 7/17/17 THE GOLDEN RULE Scripture: Luke 6:31 (NIV) "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." We've heard this Golden Rule since we were children but we may not realize that these words are right in the middle of a sermon that Jesus preached nearly two thousand years ago. Yet, the value of these words still remains. In this great exhortation, Jesus spoke of loving our enemies and doing good to those who hate us. He told us to bless those that curse us and pray for those who use us. If we are struck on the cheek, we are to turn and offer our other cheek to our abuser. Jesus' teaching also declared that if someone decided to take away our coat or material goods, we should allow them to take even more. We are to lend and expect nothing in return. We are also to show mercy in all situations and not be judgmental. In this teaching, Jesus takes us through several areas of abuse: emotional abuse because our enemies hate us; verbal abuse by those who curse us; physical abuse by those who actually strike us; and abuse by those who would take advantage of us materially. How can we do good to these types of people and why should we obey this command? The answer is found in verse thirty-five, which tells us to love our enemies and our reward will be great. Love is the "How" and God's reward is the "Why." As God enables us with His supernatural love, we are able to bless, forgive, and pray for those who abuse and do evil against us. We may not like the circumstances or appreciate the actions against us, but we can love because Jesus lives within us. He is the vine and we are the branches. As His life flows through us, we are able to manifest the fruits of the Holy Spirit. His life is full of mercy, love, and forgiveness and His grace extends to all situations. II Corinthians 13:4 & 7 tells us that His "love is patient and kind ... and is able to bear and endure all things." Our Heavenly Father showed us by example how to love the unlovely. He obeyed His own Golden Rule and sacrificed His Son, by being "kind to the unthankful and to the evil" (Luke 6:35). When we are able to emulate our Heavenly Father, Jesus said that we would receive a great reward and be called children of the Highest. Doing good to others is a very small price to pay for such a great reward. +++ 7/18/17 ORDER MY STEPS Scripture: Psalms 119:133 "Order my steps in Thy Word." What a simple but profound request this is. Can you imagine where you would be today if this had been your prayer each day many years ago? What if God had ordered each and every step that you took according to His Word? This would mean that every situation in your life would have been the perfect and ordained will of God. Unfortunately, as we look back on those yesterdays, we can see many times that we strayed from the perfect path that God had placed before us. It looks all too clear now that God was trying to direct our steps in a different direction than the path that we took. Instead of allowing His Holy Spirit to lead and guide us, we followed our own wills and desires. As a result, some of the paths turned out to be pretty dirty and bumpy. They were surely not through the green pastures and beside the still waters. Jeremiah 10:23 tells us that it is not in man to determine and to direct his own way. It is not in us to even know what direction to take. Our natural man cannot envision the ultimate purpose and plan that God has for our lives. And although God may show us the large picture of His plan so that we can work towards it, He only leads and guides us one step at a time. Each step we take must be taken in faith because He requires that we trust Him with all of our heart and that we do not lean upon our own understanding. As we acknowledge God in all of our ways, He promises to direct our steps. Psalms 37:23 says that God busies Himself with every step you take. He is right there watching you take steps through life just like a loving father watches his child walk. God wants to give you direction, but He will not force you. As you step out into life each day, think about your future being set in order by the Lord. Imagine the enormous changes that may happen in your life if you start each day by including these eight simple and profound words in your daily prayer, "Order my steps in Thy Word, O Lord." +++ 7/19/17 GOD VALUES YOU Scripture: Matthew 6:26 (NIV) "Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" I stood at the edge of the seawall near the beach one day and held up a piece of bread in my hand. There was not a single bird in sight, but within a few seconds they began to flock around me. I was amazed when I realized that these birds were able to find the unexpected provisions that were being offered to them. I wondered at the event, as they were too far away to smell the bread in the midst of the ocean breeze and were not close enough to see it. Yet, God had led them to their provisions. To me, this was a natural occurrence, but for the birds it may have seemed a miracle to find provisions in the form of bread on a lonely beach. This incident was not the norm for them as they usually found their food in the ocean itself. In reality, this was God fulfilling His promise, for He said that He would always provide for them, and on this particular day He chose to surprise them with something different. God's provisions for us are no less natural and no less miraculous than that of His provisions for the birds. Everything that we have or will ever have comes from His gracious hand, and like the birds of the air God causes us to reap where we have not sown. When we put our trust in the Lord and seek His kingdom first, He promises that all that we need will be added to us. We are not to be anxious or worried about anything for He said that we are much more valuable than the birds. When we consider this fact, we have to conclude that God is watching over us continually and knows our every need. Most of the time He will use the earth and our natural faculties to meet our needs, but we must not put God in a box and forget that He is the creator. Often He will cause our blessings to come to us in uncertain and unfamiliar ways to let us know that He is God and that He is not limited by our usual circumstances. He is full of surprises and can do new things! In Psalms 50:11 God says, "I know all the birds of the mountains." He does not just know some of them; He declared that He knows all of them. Even a small sparrow does not fall to the ground without His knowledge (Matthew 10:27). If God knows all the birds, He also knows you and cares for you. As you face today, seek God's kingdom in all that you do and rest in His promise of provision. His provisions will always reflect His glory, for His Word says that He will meet all of your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). God will cause someone to stand on the seawall of your life, if necessary, to manifest His unexpected power and to give you something new and fresh. God desires to feed you and clothe you in radiant colors as He does the birds because He values you and He delights when you are able to soar in the beauty that He has ordained for you. +++ 7/20/17 THE LORD IS Scripture: Psalms 23:1 "The Lord is my Shepherd." David had reached a point of great security in his personal relationship with the Lord. He had come to realize that the Lord was present right then and there to take care of him in any situation. He said, "the Lord is." David did not put the Lord off into the future somewhere and hope that He would come through some way or somehow. David trusted the Lord's presence to restore his soul, provide for him, and to lead him to green pastures and beside still waters. Even in the deep sunless valley of the shadow of death, David had no fear of evil, for he knew the Lord was with him right then and he declared to the Lord, "You are with me." The Lord's rod was there to protect David and His staff was there to guide and comfort David. The Lord's presence in David's life was bigger than any problem or personal need that he faced. Feeling alone in any situation can be overwhelming. We all need someone that we trust and feel that we can lean upon when the enemy is trying to conquer our souls and drag us under. Recognizing that the presence of the Lord is with us will sustain us during these times of crises and bring us victoriously through the conflict. Psalms 46:9-10 tells us that "God makes the war to cease ... breaks the bow into pieces, and snaps the spear in two." He is able to make an end to all of the division and conflict in our lives if we allow Him the opportunity. We need only to "Be still and know that He is God." God is a very present help in the time of trouble. Hebrews 13:5 says, "He will never leave you, forsake you, or leave you helpless. He will never leave you without support or let you down." Your Shepherd cares for you and will never leave you at the mercy of your environment or enemies. He is your refuge and strength in the time of trouble. The knowledge that "He is" and that "He is present" will bring restoration and strength into your life. Acts 3:19 says that the time of refreshing comes from the presence of the Lord. Let your day be filled with this promise, "Jesus said that He would be with you always even unto the end of the world." What a blessed thought, wherever you are, God is! +++ 7/21/17 PRAYER FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS Scripture: Nahum 1:7 "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him." We seldom need to be reminded to pray for our own personal needs or for those close to us. Yet we often need to be reminded to pray for our nation and for the people of the other nations of the world. The reality is that we all need each other and we all need to pray for each other because we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of our nationality. Our world works together and although we are of many different cultures, we are still one in God's family and in His Kingdom. Let us remember that God is no respecter of persons and that His promises are meant for all people. The Lord is faithful and He will honor you and your nation as you honor Him in prayer. In the scripture above, the prophet Nahum made three declarations: 1.) The Lord is good. 2.) The Lord is a stronghold in the day of trouble. 3.) The Lord knows those who trust in Him. All three of these declarations are a great encouragement as we face today's many challenges. There are floods, earthquakes, wars, and other disasters occurring in all nations. The whole earth is in turmoil. With everything that is happening, we would have to agree that today is a day of trouble for many. However, it is comforting to know that even though everything around us is not good, the Lord is always good. God's character is good and His reputation is just. We never have to wonder if the Lord is going to do the right thing, for He is faithful in His righteousness. It is also wonderful to have the assurance that we have a safe place in the day of trouble, for the Lord is our stronghold and we are perfectly safe in His presence. We do not have to depend upon our own abilities or strength, for God is there to protect us from harm. We have nothing to fear because He will lead us through the valleys of the shadow of death. And finally, we can rest in the fact that God knows that we have invested our security in Him. The Lord knows our heart and He knows in whom we have placed our trust. He sees that our faith is in Him and in Him alone. God is a loving Father and He will not allow our trust and faith to be disappointed. He has called us to His Kingdom for such a time as this. Let us join together and give ourselves to prayer, for the Lord is our only hope and prayer is our only answer. +++ 7/24/17 DECISIONS THAT LEAD TO DELIVERANCE Scripture: Jonah 2:9 "... Salvation is of the Lord." God told Jonah to go preach to the people of Nineveh but he refused and went in the opposite direction. And because of his rebellion and disobedience to the Word of God, Jonah found himself in the belly of a great fish at the bottom of the ocean. His desperate need in this situation caused him to turn to God and make some definite life decisions. First, Jonah "prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly" (2:1). He did not wait until he was in more righteous circumstances. Instead, he prayed in the midst of his disobedience. I John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Second, Jonah decided that he would "turn his attention again towards God's holy temple" (2:4). Because of their shame and lack of interest, many who are in rebellion and are out of the will of God forsake their church affiliations and miss out on the encouragement and exhortation of others. Hebrews 10:25 says, "Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some, but let us exhort one another..." The third thing Jonah did when his "soul fainted within him" was that he remembered God" (2:7). Reflecting on who God is and what He has done strengthens your faith in times of adversity. Jonah declared, "I fear the Lord, the God of Heaven, Who has made the sea and the dry ground." Jonah knew that God was in control of the situation and he recognized that God was the One who had sent the great wind and also prepared the great fish that was destined to swallow him (1:17). Jonah realized that his salvation and deliverance was going to come from this same God. Fourth, Jonah "sacrificed unto God the voice of thanksgiving" (2:9). This sacrifice of praise came while he was still in the belly of the fish. This is why it is called a sacrifice. Hebrews 13:15 says, "Let us offer the sacrifices of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name." Our praise to God should not be limited to the times when only blessings abound. Our hearts should be full of praise at all times. And finally, the fifth thing that Jonah did was that he promised to "pay that which he had vowed" (2:9). He turned from his rebellion and disobedience and made a decision to complete God's will for his life by returning to Nineveh and preaching God's message. When Jonah made these decisions, God spoke to the fish to release Jonah and he was delivered. Consider these decisions for your own life and do not lose hope in the midst of your adverse situation. Like Jonah, your situation may seem as dark as being in the belly of a great fish. You may feel hopeless but your decisions can lead you to deliverance. Even though your own actions may have brought you to a place of desperate need, if you turn your attention and prayers to God, praise Him, and ask for His forgiveness, He will hear your prayers. He will forgive your sins and deliver you out of your place of trouble. He is the Lord of your salvation. +++ 7/25/17 TEMPTATION Scripture: Matthew 6:13 "And lead us not into temptation." Jesus taught us to pray and ask our Heavenly Father to keep us from being led into temptation. James 1:13 says two things about God and temptation; God, Himself, is incapable of being tempted by evil, and God does not tempt anyone else to do evil. Satan is the tempter and as long as we are in this body of flesh, he will try to draw us into places of temptation. A farmer saw a young boy standing in his watermelon patch and asked, "Son, are you trying to steal one of my watermelons?" The young boy responded by saying, "No. I'm trying NOT to steal one of your watermelons!" The boy was standing in the midst of his weakness and was trying to resist its temptation. Like this young boy, how often do we allow ourselves to be put into compromising positions that cause us to have to deal with temptation? Look at the pattern of temptation according to James 1:14-15. "Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." Temptation starts with a thought in the mind, and as we dwell on that thought, we begin to justify it until it is conceived in our hearts. It then becomes an evil desire of lust and passion that entices and baits our carnal appetites into action. God deals with us a very long time before we get into these situations and He faithfully warns us that we are heading in the wrong direction. He stops us right in the midst of the field of watermelons and encourages us to turn from our evil ways. He says do not eat of the fruit of evil, for sin has consequences. When it is finished, it brings forth death. The Holy Spirit convicts us and attempts to lead us away from temptation and even in the midst of temptation, He makes a way of escape. God does all that He can do to keep us from falling, but many times we fail because of the hardness of our heart and because we choose the liberty that God gives us to follow our own will. When Jesus instructed us to pray for ourselves that God would not lead us into temptation, He was telling us not to wait until we needed deliverance from evil. On a daily basis, the Lord wants us to yield ourselves to Him and ask Him to keep us from getting into compromising situations in the first place. We are to tell God that we want Him to intervene and keep us out of the place of temptation and trouble because even though our spirit is willing and wants to do right, our flesh is weak. Then as temptations present themselves, we must submit ourselves to God and immediately resist the enticing thoughts of the devil (James 4:7). As we express our desires to God, He will come to our rescue and will lead us away from the temptation. +++ 7/26/17 UNDER THE SHADOW OF GOD'S WINGS Scripture: Psalms 36:7 "How excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings." The psalmist speaks of the shadow of God's wings. Shadows are very unique in that they are not reality and they have no power. They are only produced by an actual presence that intercepts the light. The power is reserved to the presence that created the shadow. That presence, whether good or evil, always stands between you and the light. You have to be very close to someone to actually be in their shadow, but when you are there, you are near enough to hear their voice, see their countenance, and feel the essence of their presence. You may be close enough to feel their touch, hear their heartbeat, or feel their breath as they breathe upon you. What you feel while you are in someone's shadow depends upon their disposition at the moment. The sound of their voice may be loud or soft depending upon their emotions and what they want to convey to you. Their words may frighten you or bring you comfort. Their countenance may look disapproving and cause alarm or it may look reassuring and bring peace. Their presence may seem cold or warm and their touch may feel harsh or tender. There are shadows that are spoken of in the scriptures that evoke good feelings within us and there are shadows that evoke bad feelings. When we read the scriptures that speak of the shadow of God's presence, they bring comfort, peace, hope, security, protection, and the sense of God's love toward us. This is because of who God is and because His image is light and life. In the shadow of the Almighty, there is a always the promise of good and the assurance of protection. However, when we read the scriptures concerning the shadow of death, we have an altogether different feeling. The concept of death works against the thoughts of peace, hope, security, protection, and love. Death's image is a sting. Its countenance is harsh and alarming and may even be frightening. Death is a painful experience whether it comes to us personally or to one of our loved ones. The shadow of death creates a dark foreboding atmosphere because death creates darkness and always brings separation. When you understand the excellence of God's love and kindness towards you as an individual, you will be able to put your trust in Him and find rest under the shadow of His wings. This place under God's wings is different than any other place that you can find. It is a place where God spreads His arms wide like an earthly father would to gather his children to himself. God hides you in this secret place underneath His everlasting arms, protecting you like a bird that shelters and protects her own young under her wings in the time of trouble. God draws you as close as He can to Himself and hides you. Any harm from the outside has to penetrate His own loving arms before it can get to you. God is your Heavenly Father, and as your Father, you and your well being truly matter to Him. You have a choice of which shadow you choose to dwell beneath and whose shadow that you choose to place your trust in. You can stay and dwell in the shadow of the Almighty, whose love and kindness towards you is excellent, or you can walk away from His presence. The choice is yours but your choice comes with great consequences. There is good and evil and life and death in the power your choice, so be sure to choose very wisely. +++ 7/27/17 ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD Scripture: Romans 8:27-28 "... the Spirit makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good ..." Life offers surprises to all of us and many times we do not know what to think or say in the middle of the ordeals that come our way. We believe that God will come to our rescue so we definitely want to keep our faith and not complain or make negative confessions about our situation. Yet, we do not want to have false hope and offer untrue statements either. So how can we express our faith and trust in God until our promise of hope is fulfilled? We must understand that God is never taken by surprise. He not only knows the beginning to the end, He also has a plan to bring all things together for our good. He is able to take the lemons in our lives, add some sweetness, and make lemonade. When things seem impossible, He is able to take the crooked circumstances and make them straight for our benefit. Even when people work against us, they cannot stop the plan and blessings of God that are upon our lives. Our hope is no different than that of Joseph, whose brothers sold him into slavery. Everything worked together for Joseph's good because he loved God and was called according to God's purposes. Joseph told his brothers, "You thought evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20). God's Word does not say that all things are good, but it declares that all things will work together and turn out for our good in the end. We must realize that maturity is developed in the midst of adversity, strength is gained in pain, and a spirit of hope and faith is birthed in the midst of desperation. Every trial of faith that we endure deepens our trust in the Lord. Every experience that we go through causes us to grow and teaches us that all things are working together for our good. Therefore, when others question us about the disease that is attacking our body, our confession should be, "According to Romans 8:27-28, The Spirit is making intercession for me according to the will of God and all things will work together for good." When we are financially challenged, we can boldly declare, "The Spirit is making intercession for me according to the will of God and all things will work together for good." When our relationships are strained, we should find refuge in this same thought, "The Spirit is making intercession for me according to the will of God and all things will work together for good." This confession also holds true when we are facing any of the other storms of life. It is God's Word for us and we can trust Him to bring it about in His time. +++ 7/28/17 MIGHTY SPIRITUAL WEAPONS Scripture: II Corinthians 10:4 "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty." Battles are never fun but battles are important in our lives. Our natural desire is to shrink from conflict but adversity is the seed that brings the harvest of conquered territories. Every battle is an invitation to keep that which we have intact or to gain something greater than what we already possess. It is only as we do battle and conquer that we protect our old places and obtain new territories. To win any kind of battle, natural or spiritual, it is necessary to identify the enemy and know how and when to use our weapons. In the spiritual, we must be equipped by God and directed by His Holy Spirit. We cannot just call down fire out of Heaven at our own choosing to consume those that we disagree with like the disciples, James and John, wanted to do. Jesus rebuked them saying, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of" (Luke 9:55). Neither can we cast out devils by our own power and strength. They will turn and attack us as they did with the sons of Sceva, the chief of the priest (Acts 19:15). It is imperative that we know God's Word concerning this matter, for the greatest battles and the mightiest weapons are not natural or carnal, they are spiritual. Therefore we must learn God's spiritual laws, use His spiritual weapons, and rely upon His spiritual power. There is no other way to win life's battles. The Apostle Paul told us that our enemy was not flesh and blood but spiritual principalities, powers and rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). He also warned us that this unseen enemy goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. The devil is constantly searching for the weakest area in our lives and tempting us in that area. We may feel overwhelmed by the struggles in our hearts and the strongholds in our minds, but the Apostle Paul told us that we would not be tempted above that which we are able because God would always make a way of escape (I Corinthians 10:13). The devil is limited in what he can do to us when we are dwelling in the secret place of the Most High and abiding under the shadow of the Almighty God (Psalms 91:1). Paul also told us that our weapons are not carnal, just as our enemy is not physical flesh and blood. God has equipped us with mighty weapons, two of which is Worship and His Word. Worship keeps our minds stayed on God and allows Him to fight our battles. You cannot truly worship and worry at the same time so this weapon confuses the enemy. Jehoshaphat experienced this in II Chronicles 20:21-22. When his army obeyed God and went out praising the Lord and the beauty of holiness, the Lord set an ambush against the enemy. And in their confusion, the enemy rose up and killed each other. Jehoshaphat's army did not have to do anything but obey God. We also have the powerful sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. It inspires hope, builds faith, and gives direction. It is the same sword that Jesus used when the devil tempted Him. Jesus simply said, "It is written" and the devil left Him because the devil had no power to work against the Word of God. When we use these two powerful supernatural weapons, something happens in the natural. It is unexplainable but the enemy flees at the sound of worship and the Word. Like a soldier who keeps his weapons at his side, we need to keep these two mighty spiritual weapons close by us at all times. His praise should continually be in our mouths and His Word should be hidden within our hearts. With worship and the Word at our side, we will be ready for any battle that comes to challenge the promises of God in our lives. +++ 7/31/17 GIVE THANKS IN ALL THINGS Scripture: I Thessalonians 5:18 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." There are times in our lives when there seems to be enormous plans that are working against us, and in our innocence, we fail to recognize that it is plans of a shrewd enemy. We assume that we are wrestling against flesh and blood, when in fact, we are in a spiritual warfare against the "wiles and strategies of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11). God tells us that when we find ourselves in these situations, we are to be joyful and give thanks "in" everything. He did not say give thanks "for" everything, but "in" every situation be thankful to God. James 1:2 says that we are to "count it all joy." Why are we to be thankful and joyful? James 1:3 says, "the trying of our faith is working patience in our lives." Trials develop character and character produces fruit. According to Romans 5:23, tribulations are not meant to destroy us, but to cause God's glory to come forth in our spirits as His fruit of patience develops. Romans 8:28 tells us that we can "know (not hope so, think so, pray so, but KNOW) that ALL things are working together for good to those that love God, and are called according to His purpose." We look at the example of Joseph as he was rejected by his own brothers and sold into slavery for many years. His situation was certainly not good, but he recognized that his circumstances were in the perfect plan of God. He knew that things in his life would work out for good and he continued to believe that God's purposes would be established in spite of how bleak his present situation seemed. Even though Joseph had to endure much heartache and pain, he was grateful that God had called him to the kingdom at such a critical time. With a thankful heart, he told his brothers, "You thought evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." If you love God and are called according to His purpose but find yourself in adverse situations, be assured today that He is still working in your life. The devil thinks evil against you and works to that end. Like Joseph, you may not see present evidence, but God is on the other side working all things together for your good and also for His eternal purposes. So in everything give thanks, for this is God's will concerning you. +++ Copyright © 2017 Mary Padgett Ministries. All Rights Reserved www.widsonline.com |
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