"Move On"

"And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons".  1 Samuel 16:1

It is not always easy for us to "move on".  Sometimes it is "downright hard" for us.  When we experience the death of a loved one, the breakup of a relationship, the loss of some possession, the pain of an affliction, past failures and mistakes, we want to stay there in that place.  For some reason, we can't seem to move on. 

The prophet Samuel faced this same thing.  When King Saul disobeyed God and He removed the kingdom from him, Samuel mourned over it for a while.  He got "stuck" in his grief and could not move on.  One day the Lord spoke to him and told him it was time to "move on".  God had rejected Saul and was now ready for Samuel to anoint a new king in Israel.  Samuel had a choice at this point, either stay in that state or move on.

There eventually comes a point where we have to "move on".  We can't stay stuck in the situation.  We can't stay stuck in the past.  We can't stay stuck in our emotions and feelings.  We can't stay stuck in regrets and what could have or might have been.  We can't stay stuck in our own dreams and desires.  We have to move on because, like with Samuel, God is ready to do a new thing in our life.

If God is calling you out of that internal/emotional place you are stuck in it is because He is wanting to move you into a new place in your life.  You have a choice-- either stay there or move on. 

Have a great day.  Are you having a hard time moving on?  God will help you because He is wanting to bring you into a new thing. 

"The Reward"

"Therefore, hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight."  Psalm 18:24

There is a reward for the righteous.  God will reward us here and now, but the greatest reward will come in eternity.  The greatest reward we will receive is to be able to stand before Him face to face and hear Him say, "Well done, My good and faithful servant.  Enter into the joy of My rest".

This reward comes to the righteous, not the sinner, not the wicked, not the self-serving, not the rebellious, not those who have turned their backs on Him.  It amazes me that many people think that they can live their lives anyway they choose and still think that "all is well" where their relationship with God is concerned.  If you are living according to the lusts of your own flesh, if you are lukewarm, if you are not following Him, if you are not being a living sacrifice, if you are not taking up your cross, if you have no love, if you are living in bitterness and unforgiveness, if you neglect prayer (unless you need Him for something then you pray), if you aren't reading His word, if you aren't letting the Holy Spirit change you, if you are still involved in what is vile, if you are living an immoral lifestyle, then you don't have a relationship with Him!!! 

Without a relationship with Him, you will not receive the reward of hearing Him say, "Well done, enter in".  Instead, you will receive another "reward".  You will hear Him say, "Depart from Me, you worker of iniquity/lawlessness.  I don't know you". 

Which reward do you want? It is up to you.  Believe "on" Jesus as your Savior and repent of your sins and follow Him and you will receive the reward of everlasting life.  Or just believe "in" Jesus and keep living like you want to live and receive eternal damnation.

Have a great day.  God has a reward of eternal life for those that are righteous.

"Control Them"

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts...".  Colossians 3:15a

We were created with a body, a soul and a spirit.  Included in the way we were created are emotions.  Sometimes those emotions are in check.  Sometimes things happen and cause our emotions to "run wild".  Sometimes the enemy of our soul attacks us in our emotions.  Emotions are not bad; they are part of our God-given makeup.  They are a good thing, when they are ruled by us.  They become a problem when we are ruled by them.

When our emotions are "running wild" and "dictating" us, God has provided a way to bring them under "control" so we can master them instead of them mastering us.  That way is God Himself.  At salvation He imparts Himself into us.  He lives and dwells within us now.  So we must constantly remind ourselves of this truth. 

Take for instance, when fear tries to dominate us, we must capture it and we must take control over that fear by reminding it (and ourselves) that the Prince of Peace is in us-- therefore, I will not fear.  When confusion tries to take control, again, the One who is peace lives in us and confusion can't rule.  No matter what emotion is trying to rule your life, the Lord in you is greater and will give you the victory over it.  He has already won the victory.  When anxiety tries to rule, He is your peace of mind.  When anger tries to take hold, He is your peace of heart.  When distress tries to take control, He is still your peace.  When grief, when depression, when sadness, self-pity or envy want to take over, Jesus is your peace.  Draw from His peace.  Draw from His strength.  Draw from His power that is alive and well in you and overcome.

Have a great day.  Our emotions try to overcome and master us.  But the Lord in us gives us the power to overcome and master them.     

"It Reaches High and Low"

"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."  Ephesians 2:13

I was thinking about the song, "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power".  One line says that it reaches to the highest mountain and it flows to the lowest valley.  The blood that Jesus shed at the cross for the atonement of our sins has the power to reach any and everyone.  It always has the power to reach everywhere-- no matter where we are.

It reaches to the highest mountain.  It can reach those who are proud and think more highly of themselves than they should.  It can reach up to those who think they are better than anyone else.  It can reach those who look down on others because they think they are so good.

It reaches to the lowest valley.  It can reach those who have no strength and no might.  It can reach down to the downcast, the outcast, the forgotten and forsaken.  It can reach down to the poorest and most destitute of humanity. 

The blood was shed for all-- the high and lofty ones who don't think they need Him; the meek and humble who think they aren't worthy of Him.  It has the power to touch and transform any life.  It will bring the "high" down low and the "low" up high.

It is there also for all those who are "in between".  It excludes no one.  You may think you are too important for God.  You may think you are too bad for God.  You are neither.  His blood was shed for you.

Have a great day.  The power of the blood of Jesus will reach anyone anywhere they are.     

"Provided Ahead"

"... the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."  Revelation 13:8

Jehovah-Jireh is a name by which we identify one attribute of God.  It means that He is God the Provider.  He sees ahead of time, ahead of our need, ahead of the situation and makes a provision for it.  He makes provision before we ever get to the need.  Then He manifest the provision when we need it.  A rough example of this is when we put monies aside for a rainy day.  We are making provision for something before it happens so that when it comes, we will have what we need.  The difference in the Lord's case is that He knows exactly what the need will be and when it will occur.

He saw Adam sin; He saw judgment come upon mankind and saw our need for a Savior before the world was ever created.  He made a provision to save and redeem us from sin and eternal punishment before the foundation of the world was laid, before He ever said, "Let there be light", before darkness was upon the face of the deep, when there was nothing not even space.  Jesus was already the "Lamb that was slain" before mankind even existed.

If this amazing God who saw the need of mankind and provided salvation for mankind before He ever even created mankind, would do that for us, then know this-- He saw ahead, even before you were born, what needs you would have throughout your lifetime.  And not only did He see them, but He has also already made provision for them.  He has already got a plan in mind.  He already has everything orchestrated to supply what you need.  He already has it all under control.  He did it long before you were born, and when it is needed, He will bring it into being.

Have a great day.  God saw your need before the need occurred and He has already provided for it.  When you need it, it will be there.