Tuesday, January 31, 2012

"We Are Not That Smart"

"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:6

In our opening scripture we are told to acknowledge the Lord in all our ways. Now, I don't know about you, but when I read the word "all", I take it literally- that means that I believe it really means "all". I have had people tell me that you don't have to acknowledge God in everything (all). You don't have to ask Him about small things. They contend that He gave us a brain to think for ourselves so that is what we should do-- think for ourselves. Seems to me that "thinking for ourselves" is what got the human race in trouble in the first place. Adam was a perfect man, filled with knowledge beyond our wildest imagine-- after all, he named all the animals-- but when he leaned to his own understanding about the tree that the Lord forbid them to eat from, his "intellect" proved to not be very smart.

I learned a long time ago that God says what He means and means what He says. There was a reason why He said, "all", instead of "some" of your ways or "most" of your ways. Acknowledging Him in all our ways may seem foolish, but if we would do it, it would save us a lot of heartache, grief, unnecessary pain, we would make better choices and decisions, and we would find that things would go a whole lot better for us in the long run.

We are told that there is a way that seems right to a man, but the end leads to death. In other words, in our human understanding of certain situations, it may seem right, but it could kill you! Not wanting to acknowledge the Lord in all our ways boils down to being a pride issue.

We don't know better what to do than He does-- even in the smallest problem. We need His help. We need Him to direct our paths. We need Him to show us what to do. Have you ever been around little children who "know everything". Everything you try to tell them--- "I know". Or when you try to help them--- "I can do it". You know they don't know and you know they can't do it. I think we act like that toward our heavenly Father as well. We think we know everything, can do everything and have everything under control when we really don't. And He knows we don't, but He waits patiently for us to decide that we can't do it and then turn to Him. And once we do, He is right there ready to help us.

Have a great day. We might as well admit that we don't know as much as we think we do and that God does!

For further reading:
Proverbs 16:25; 14:12
Psalms 37:23
Jeremiah 10:23

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Monday, January 30, 2012

"He Is In You"

"....I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5b

Just a reminder this morning for someone who is feeling "alone" (where God is concerned). You are feeling like God has left you. You feel as if He has abandoned you in your time of need. It seems as though He has led you into a situation and now He is no where to be found. You feel like you are facing it alone.

Be encouraged, He has not left you. He is still there. He is watching over the situation and He is right there with you. While the Israelites were waiting to be freed from Egyptian bondage, it seemed as if God had left them, but He was there. When Daniel was in the lion's den, where was God? He was there. When the three Hebrews were in the fiery furnace, it looked as if the Lord had abandoned them, but He had not. He was right there with them in the fire.

He doesn't run out on us in our time of need, or anytime. He said He would "never" leave us. And when He used the word never, He meant never. His presence never leaves us because when we are born again, His presence takes us residency within us. Our bodies become His temple-- dwelling place. His presence doesn't just come upon us, it doesn't just come and walk beside us, or come to hold our hands during difficulties, His presence is living in us. So take heart this morning, He hasn't and He won't leave you. Because He is in you.

Have a great day. The Lord's presence won't leave you because His presence is in you.

For further reading:
John 14:17
Daniel 3:24,25
1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19
Matthew 28:20

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Friday, January 27, 2012

"Who Will You Blame?"

"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." James 1:14

Our biggest problem is not everyone else-- it is the person who is looking back at us when we look in the mirror.

We want to blame everyone else for our bad behavior, sour attitude and mistakes. We want to shift the blame to someone else instead of taking responsibility for what we do. The mantra of mankind seems to be- "it is not my fault." Nothing is ever "our fault". We can commit a crime, but it wasn't our fault. We can cheat on our spouse, but it wasn't our fault.

You notice that I didn't say this was a Western attitude or the attitude of a particular culture or of one generation, but of mankind. It's because this attitude of blaming everyone else started all the way back in the Garden of Eden. Eve blamed the serpent and Adam blamed God because they chose to eat from the tree that the Lord had told them not to eat of.

I know that there are some situations where it really isn't our fault. Someone actually did something to us or against us. We sometimes find ourselves in situations that are beyond our control. I am not talking about that. I am talking about those who make excuse for what they did by trying to shift the blame to others. Is that you? Are you constantly excusing your bad attitude by blaming the actions of others for it? Are you indulging in wrong practices but protest that it isn't your fault? Are you one of those who justify the wrong that you are doing because you were treated wrong growing up?

The root of this problem is selfishness. We do what we do because we are selfish and self-centered. We make these wrong choices out of selfish desires. Everything is about me and what makes me happy or makes me feel good. Which takes us back to our opening sentence-- you are your biggest problem-- because you want what you want, when you want it and how you want it. And if you don't get it, then you make wrong choices and cannot justifiably blame anyone else for it.

So really we have no excuse, other than, we did what we wanted/chose to do. The only hope for that kind of attitude is to "die to self" and let someone else live life through you-- that someone else is Jesus. When we are alive in Him, He is living His life through us. He has no excuses for bad behavior, because He never has bad behavior. So the real key to overcoming the problem that is staring back at us in the mirror is to allow Jesus to take full ownership of our lives. When He does, He will bring a transformation in us. We will then walk in the truth, which means we will take responsibility for our own actions and not try to blame someone else.

Have a great day. Who are you blaming for what you are doing?

For further reading:
Genesis 3
Matthew 16:24
Galatians 2:20
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

"What Is Your Boast In?"

"My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad." Psalm 34:2

I have watched, and been in, services that when the speaker starts talking about how those in attendance never should have made it this far because of the people who were against them, the people who tried to destroy them, the people who conspired against them, the people who tried to kill them. They never should have made it but they did and are still here. When this is said, the congregation seems to "go wild". It is as if they are "reveling" in what was "done to them". Please don't misunderstand what I am going to say, we should be rejoicing in the fact that the Lord brought us through and that by His help and grace we did make it- they didn't kill us, the enemy didn't destroy us, we may have been knocked down but we are still here and we are still standing. But should we really be boasting about what was "done to us"... or what was "done for us"?

The part that should make us come up out of our seat, the part that should make us jump for joy, the part that should make us shout the loudest is when Jesus is exalted. It's when He is magnified. And when He is given the honor and glory for what was accomplished in your life. He brought us through. He caused us to live and not die. He put strength in us to endure. He gave us peace of mind so that we didn't go insane. It was His shield of protection around us that guarded us. It was His standard that was raised against the enemy on our behalf. The only reason you and I are still here is because God is for us and He did not let the enemy have his way against us.

So what are you boasting about? The fact that you have been tried, rejected and mistreated? (You know we humans tend to take the things that we have gone through and wear them like some badge of honor for all to see. We want the attention to be on "us"- that's human nature.) We need to get past that. Our boast needs to be in the Lord. We should spend more time, more energy and more resources on telling others how the LORD brought us through the situation than we do on telling what we went through. Yes, let others know that you have been through the "fire" and through the "storm", but don't stay there, let them know how the Lord delivered you from both. You know, David didn't go on and on about the bear and the lion that came against him. He didn't "camp out" in that story. He told the king that he had faced a bear and a lion and how God delivered him from them both and that the Lord would do the same thing with the giant. His boast was not in the attacks against him, but in His God. Where is your boast?

Have a great day. Don't boast about your situation, boast about the God who brought you through it.

For further reading:
Psalm 34:1,17,19; 103:1,2; 18:47-49; 144:10; 97:10

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

"My Preference Or His Will"

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2

"And be not conformed to this world". How do we conform to this world? According to the scripture above it comes through your thought process. What we think does matter. Like it has been said, "Where the mind goes, the man follows". You are what you think and you will do what you think and dwell on in your thoughts.

The thinking of the world is "preference". To those in the world it is all about "me", which includes doing what I prefer to do instead of what I should do. This influence would try to cause us to do the same-- choose what we prefer over kingdom principals, choose what we want instead of what God wants, choose our will above God's will, choose what is acceptable to us instead of to God.

Choosing according to your own preference instead of according to the will of God, will always lead you downward instead of upward. It will always lead you into darkness and away from the light. It will always lead you into a place of confusion, discouragement and depression instead of into a place of peace and rest.

When we choose our own preference instead of God's preference and will, we are saying that we know better for ourselves than God does. We deceive ourselves if we think that. David chose to follow the lust of his flesh and commit adultery with Bathsheba instead of following God's word. He preferred to gratify the desire of his sensual appetite over the desire of God. He certainly didn't do the best thing for himself. He suffered and so did his family for his choice to do what he preferred at that moment.

How do we stop choosing our own preferences and start choosing God's will? The answer is also given in the verse above- renew your mind. Renew it with God's word. Renew it through praise and worship. Fill it with God's thoughts and His preference. Hide His word in your heart. Choose to apply it to your life. Stop allowing the world's influence into your thoughts. You do this by turning off the television when programs that would "indoctrinate" you with the world's philosophies are on. You stop listening to music that "preaches a message" that only builds your selfish desires. The more you remove the "worldly" influence from your thoughts and replace it with "God's" influence the less you will be conformed to this world, and the less you will put your preference above God's preference in your life.

Have a great day. Conformity to this world means that you put your own preference above God's will.

For further reading:
Proverbs 23:7
Philippians 4:8
2 Corinthians 10:5; 4:4
Ephesians 2:1-3; 5:1-10

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

"Tiny Prayers To A Great Big God"

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."
Ephesians 3:20

I read this quote yesterday and it really spoke to me so I want to share it with you this morning. "Why do so many Christians pray such tiny prayers when their God is so big?" --Watchman Nee

Does that describe you? Have you paid attention to the type of prayers you pray? Are your prayers for small things? Are your prayers for God to bless you with "just enough"? Or are your prayers for "big" things? Do you pray that He only takes the pain away or that He heals you? Do you pray for just a piece of bread or for your daily bread? Are you praying for one person's salvation or for the whole family?

I think that the type of prayers we pray reflect the way we see our God. I also think that we forget Who it really is that we are praying to. Like the brother said in the quote above-- God is so big. Have we forgotten that?

The God that we are praying to is the One who created the universe, who measures it by the width of His hand, who calls each star by name. We are talking about the God who fed five thousand plus people with a few little loaves of bread and pieces of fish. He fed them until they were all full. He did not ration the meal out to only one piece of fish and one piece of bread each. We are talking about the God who fed the entire nation of Israel (millions of people) everyday while they were in the wilderness for forty years. This is the same God who multiplied the meal and oil for the widow during the famine. He is also the same God who filled every vessel a widow had in the house, not just one. This is the same God who has blessings to give that we don't even have room enough to receive them all. He is the same God who wants to daily load us with benefits. He is the same God who healed the blind, the lame, the deaf, the leper and raised the dead.

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) We often pray according to size of our need, not according to size of His riches. We pray for a cup full when He has oceans full. We pray for a little when He has a lot. We pray to barely get by while He has an abundance. We pray for just a small touch when He wants to fill us. We ask for a portion of the need when He wants to meet it all.

Take time to examine your prayers. Are your prayers in portion to who God is, or the way you perceive Him to be?

Have a great day. Are you praying tiny prayers to a great big God? The prayers you pray reflect your perception of God.

For further reading:
Psalm 2:8; 68:19
John 10:10
Matthew 14:20; 12:15
Isaiah 40:12, 25,26
2 Kings 4:1-6
1 Kings 17:14
Jeremiah 33:3

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Monday, January 23, 2012

"Unconditional Duty"

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Galatians 6:9

There are Christian duties that we all must partake of-- primarily the duty of obedience to God's word. There are times that these duties feel monotonous. There are times that it feels as if we are performing them in vain. There are times when we wonder where the good is in them. I am reminded of Joseph in the Old Testament. Here was a young man who was sold into slavery by his brothers. He was alone in a strange land, surrounded by heathens who worshipped false gods. But what do we see Joseph doing? Do we see him living in bitterness? Do we see him acting like those he was around? Do we see him constantly trying to escape from his new master? Do we see him in rebellion against Potiphar? Do we see him forsaking the commandments of God that he was taught all his life? The answer is no to all of the above.

Did Joseph have the opportunity to be weary in well doing? Could he have excused himself from following the commandments of his God? After all, he wasn't in his homeland, he wasn't surrounded by his people, he was a slave and had no freedom, his situation was not a good one, he had been treated unfairly by his brothers, he had not done this to himself it was done to him. Surely, that should have excused him from obedience to God.

Never think that you have a license to disobey God. Never think that your circumstances give you that excuse. Never think that the injustices that have been done to you give you a good reason to cast off obedience. It does not. We tend to think that we are excused from following God's word when bad things happen to us, when we aren't treated right, when others have placed hardships upon us and when injustice has been done to us. Hagar was mistreated by Sarah but God told her to go back and serve her. Philemon was a run away slave, but Paul encouraged him to go back to his master. It is not about our rights or having justice, it is always about obedience to God. We are never excused from that.

While we are never excused from obedience regardless of the situation- even if it was done to us and out of our control- we are promised a reward if we don't neglect or abandon following the Lord in obedience. There will be a reward for those who don't give up, who don't quit, who don't grow faint and who don't rebel against the commandments of God. We may get that reward in this life- Joseph was rewarded for his faithfulness to the commands of God and exalted to a place of authority. But if we don't get it here, it is sure that we will get it in eternity.

Have a great day. You have a duty to obey God's commands, and that duty is not conditional.

For further reading:
1 Peter 2:18
Genesis 16:1-10; 39:1-6
Isaiah 1:19

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Friday, January 20, 2012

"Encourage Everyday"

"And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God." 1 Samuel 30:6

There are times when the enemy tries to hit us with discouragement. Things didn't go the way we planned. Doors shut that seemed to be opening. Our faith is being sorely tried. Situations are becoming overwhelming. The light of day is giving way to darkness. Confusion seems to cloud your thinking. You wonder if things are just meant to be this way... forever. Hopelessness and despair seem to be your new traveling companions. These times come to all of us but what should we do when they come? Do we give in to them? Do we give up and agree with them? No, we don't. We fight the good fight of faith.

How do we do that? We do it by encouraging ourselves in the Lord. And that is done by getting into His presence through prayer and praise, by renewing our mind with God's word, by meditating on His faithfulness and by remembering His promises. When we do this, there is no room left for discouragement. It has to leave. You can't have faith and fear at the same time. You can't have despair and hope at the same time. Discouragement and encouragement can't stay in the same place.

When we talk about encouraging ourselves in the Lord, it is something that we do during the times I have talked about above, but we also do it when things are well. Encouraging ourselves in the Lord is something we should "clothe" ourselves with everyday. When we encourage ourselves in the Lord, what we are doing is simply rehearsing the Lord's goodness. We are stirring it up in our remembrance. And that is something we should do daily.

Have a great day. Encourage yourself in the Lord, everyday.

For further reading:
Psalm 143:5; 119:52; 42:5,6,11; 43:5
Jonah 2:7
Philippians 4:8
1 Timothy 6:12

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

"Engage"

"And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine." 1 Samuel 17:48

I woke up this morning hearing the word "engage" in my spirit. A couple of the definitions for the word engage are: to occupy oneself; become involved; enter into conflict. The Bible plainly lets us know that there is a very real spiritual battle going on in the world and that we have an enemy who has waged war against us for the purpose to kill, steal and destroy. When we realize that, we also have to realize that there are times when we have to get into the battle. We cannot stand idly by and do nothing.

Each day for forty days the giant Goliath would come out and threaten the army of Israel. But they did nothing. They just stared at him, commented on his size, focused on their inability to overcome him, hid behind one another and cowed down in fear. This was an army, they should have been doing what armies do best-- fight. No amount of hiding was going to "get rid of him". Fear and complacency are never weapons that bring victory over the enemy. It only adds strength to the opponent. As long as the Israelites stood back unwilling to engage in the battle, his threats did not stop and they were held prisoners to fear and discouragement.

The Israelites did not experience victory until David stepped up and engaged the giant. Once he did, the giant was defeated and the Philistine army was sent fleeing. After having endured his threats for forty days, the enemy was defeated in one day all because someone decided to engage instead of sit back and just "talk about it".

You can sit back and continue to talk about your enemy- how he has treated you, how big he is, how much power he has, how helpless you feel against him; or you can go out and met him face to face and do battle against him. There are two things that are for sure. 1) If you do nothing, he won't quit. He will continue to torment you. He will continue to threaten you. He will continue to defeat you. 2) If you engage him, you will defeat him. Did David lose the battle against the giant? No. The reasons why are plain: he knew that God was greater, he knew that this was more than just a battle between two natural armies, he knew that the Lord was with him, and he trusted fully in God's power to defeat and deliver them from the enemy.

You can go out there and defeat the enemy that keeps taunting and harassing you too. (Let me interject something here. Please don't misunderstand, I am NOT talking about a natural battle, but a spiritual one. Remember that we don't fight against flesh and blood, and the weapons that we use are not natural weapons like guns or knives. Our weapons are spiritual in nature- prayer, fasting, God's word, praise, our confession.) So the decision is up to you-- sit back and do nothing and let the enemy keep defeating you, or engage in the battle and become victorious.

Have a great day. You will never win the battle if you sit back and do nothing. You have to engage the enemy.

For further reading:
1 Samuel 17
2 Corinthians 10:4
Ephesians 6:11-20

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

"The Living Bible"

"Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men." 2 Corinthians 3:2

I am sure that when you read the title of this morning's devotional, you thought I was going to be talking about one of the modern day translations of the Bible. I am not. I am going to talk about our lives- those who are believers, followers of Christ, Christians.

The verse above says that our lives are like a Bible that all men can read. How do they "read" our lives? They read it through the things we say, our actions, our attitudes, the way we respond in situations, by our character, through the way we conduct ourselves and by the way we love others. If we are following Christ, then our lives should be imitating Him- what He does and how He does it. If we are doers of God's word and not hearers only, then our conduct should line up with its teachings. The scriptures should be coming alive in our lives so that the meaning of the scripture is easily understood because they see its meaning plainly through our conduct.

So what does your life say? What do others read from it? Does it paint a confusing picture hard to understand? Is it a picture of peace and joy? Does your life speak of defeat and misery? Does it speak of victory? If your life is the only "Bible" that those around you have to "read", then what are they reading? Are they reading enough to get an understanding of the love, grace and mercy that God has waiting for them? Are they able to read enough that they would want to turn to the Lord and receive His great salvation? Is what they are reading making them desire to know Him or turning them away from Him?

Some people will never pick up the Bible to read it; some will never go to a church; some will never turn on Christian television, for them the only hope of "hearing and seeing" the truth of God's word will only come through your life... is what they are seeing enough for them to see Christ and desire to have Him?

Have a great day. If your life is the only Bible some folks will read.... what are they reading?

For further reading:
James 1:22
John 14:9
Matthew 6:23; 5:16

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

"When We Fall"

"The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down." Psalm 145:14

"The Lord upholds all that fall." The Hebrew word for uphold here means to uphold, to sustain, to aid. So the Lord aids those who fall. He sustains them. He upholds them by His power and grace. He doesn't beat down those who fall. He doesn't condemn them. He doesn't turn His back on them. He doesn't belittle those who fall. When we fall during a time of temptation or weakness, the Lord doesn't walk away from us. Instead He lifts us up. He strengthens us. He brings help and aid to us. Though we fall we are not utterly cast down. When we fall, it is not the end of us.

Why do we think that God will turn His back and be done with us when we fall? When my daughter was little and learning how to walk, there were times when she would fall down. Even as she began to grow up there were times when she didn't do as well as she should have. There were also times that she knew better than to do some of the things that she did, but she did them anyway. Did I turn my back on her? Did I forsake and leave her? Did I give up on her? Did I condemn and beat her up about it? No. And the reason why I didn't is simple-- I love her dearly. Therefore, I want to see her succeed. I want to see her going forward in life. Did the mistakes she made always make me happy? No, but I still loved her. And my love for her compelled me to help her keep going forward.

If we will treat our own children with love and care, why do we think that God won't do the same with us? Evidently, we don't realize how much He truly loves us. We must not know that He is for us and on our side. He wants to see you succeed. He wants to help you when you fall. He wants to put you back on your feet and help you to learn to stand. He is not the one who condemns us. He does not turn His back on us.

Have you fallen? Let God pick you up. Let Him come to your aid. Let Him sustain you and help you to continue to go forward. He loves you and desires to get you back on your feet again.

Have a great day. God does not turn His back on us when we fall. He wants to help us get up.

For further reading:
Psalm 37:24; 118:6; 113:7
Hebrews 13:6

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Monday, January 16, 2012

"Sin Size"

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

"... from all unrighteousness."
The blood of Jesus doesn't "pick and choose" which sins it forgives and washes away. It washes away "all" of them. We tend to "categorize" sin. We have what we consider "big" sins and "little" sins. And we think that for some reason the "big" ones are either too big for Jesus' blood to forgive or it takes "more" of the blood to take care of them. Then we think that the "little" ones aren't important enough or are too small to bother with- they are so small that the Lord will just let them "slide by". Neither thinking is correct. Sin is sin- big, little or somewhere in between. All sin has to be dealt with. All sin was taken care of by the blood of Jesus.

How small a sin is too small that it is all right for it to be in our lives? Let's say that you have a 55 gallon container full of pure fresh water. If you take one small drop of raw sewage and dropped it in that container of water, would you still drink it? I wouldn't. The water has been contaminated by what? Gallons of raw sewage? No, by one small drop.

How big a sin is too big? We tend to think that mass murders, rapist, people who cheat hundreds of people out of their life savings, are sins that are too big to be forgiven by the blood of Jesus. That is not what the Bible tells us, and it gives us examples of those who did such things and had their sins forgiven and washed clean. We better be glad that God washes away the "big" ones as well. Because we don't know that we might not be the ones whose sins are too big to be forgiven. If sin had a size, who would determine the "size"- whether they are little or big? God would be the one. How would we know that what we consider small He might actually consider big- so that left us out of having our sins forgiven.

I am so thankful that the bottom line is: Jesus shed His blood for all, because all have sinned. And His blood was and is powerful enough to take care of every sin- regardless- and wash away even the stain that might otherwise be left behind.

Have a great day. If sin had a size, the blood of Jesus would still be powerful enough to take care of them all.

For further reading:
1 John 5:17
Romans 3:23; 14:23
James 4:17

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Friday, January 13, 2012

"Bless The Lord"

"I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1

"I will".
Not maybe or perhaps, not I might or I will think about it. But instead nothing can stop me from blessing the Lord. I choose to bless Him. I make the decision to do it.

"...bless the Lord".
I will kneel before Him giving my whole life as a gift into His hands. I will lift up my hands in worship to Him. I will open my mouth and extol the glory of His holy name.

"... at all times".
Not only in the good times. Not only when all is well. Not only when I have plenty and not in need. Even in the bad times, in trying times, in times that test my faith, in dark times when the light is hid and in times when the door has been shut. At times when I do not understand why and in times when I have all the answers. In times of pain, grief and sorrow. In times of great joy and peace. There is never a time when I will not bless the Lord.

To bless the Lord is a choice that we make each and every day. We don't make it based on our feelings or our circumstances. We make it based on the fact of who He is- He is God and He is worthy of all our praise. He is worthy of any gift we have to bestow upon Him. We make it based on what He has already done for us. He showed us such grace and mercy when He died on the cross to save us. He has blessed us with more than we ever deserve, or could ever hope for. He has showed us His wonderful kindness and goodness time and time again. The blessing is about the Recipient and His worth. He is worthy to be praised and adored. Therefore, I choose to bless His holy name always. What about you?

Have a great day. "I will bless the Lord at all times!"

For further reading:
Psalm 18:3; 103:1,2; 104:1; 134:2
Revelation 4:11

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

"EXIT"

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

God always makes a way out of the temptation. The way is there and has already been provided, we just have to look for it. When I go into a public building, I will notice that there are "EXIT" signs over each door. When the designer of that building started drafting his plans, he included exits out of the building. He saw past the design stage of the building to the completed structure. By doing so he took into consideration the fact that one day there might be a fire or other reason for those who were in the building to have to evacuate quickly. So he provided for that when he was drawing up the plans.

Our Heavenly Father, the great designer of our lives, looks past the moment and sees the times in our future when we will be faced with temptation and need an "EXIT" route in order to flee from it. So He placed them there ahead of time, we just have to look for them. When I go into a public building the "EXIT" signs are there, I just have to look for them. They aren't hard to find, they are easily marked. There is a red sign that says "EXIT" above them all. God's exit routes from the temptation are not hard to find either, they are easily marked. And they are "red" also. Red is the color of the blood. The way of escape has been provided for and marked by the blood of Jesus. His shed blood assures us of victory over each temptation as we follow His example and do what He did when He was tempted.

If I need to get out of a building, I not only look for the "EXIT" sign but I have to go through the opening that is marked by it. I can't ignore it or make my own exit. That is the one I must use- the one that was provided for that purpose. We can't make our own way of escape from temptation, we must follow God's escape route. Which is, following His Son Jesus and applying His word to our lives. His word will always give you a way of escape when it is heeded.

Have a great day. Look for the "EXIT" sign, it is not hard to find.

For further reading:
Hebrews 4:15
2 Corinthians 2:14
Matthew 6:13
Luke 8:13
James 1:12

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

"Which Perspective?"

"For we walk by faith, not by sight". 2 Corinthians 5:7

I had a dream that I was invited to speak at a Men's Conference. I was so excited because I have never done that before. I love encouraging men to be all that God has planned for them to be, plus it would be good for the men to hear from a woman's perspective about some things- esp. like how to treat women.

We tend to look at things from one perspective. Usually it is from the perspective of our gender, race, age or culture. Because I am a woman, I see things from a woman's perspective. It takes my husband to show me that there are often two sides to the situation. I see the situation from the emotional side. He sees it from a more practical side.

By looking at things "one sided" we miss so much. We do this not only on a physical level but on a spiritual one as well. We tend to look at things from a natural perspective instead of a spiritual perspective. We judge everything by what we can see, hear, feel, taste or touch. We are motivated by what the natural evidence shows us. Our behavior, attitude and actions are prompted by the physical world around us. Our emotions are governed by those things that are tangible.

As believers in Christ we can't look at everything on a natural level. We must see them through the eyes of faith and from the perspective of God's word. That's what is meant by "the just shall live by faith". We don't live solely by what we see in the natural, we don't live solely by what we hear from human voices. We live by what we see in God's word and what we hear from the voice of the Spirit. For example, when David went out to fight Goliath, King Saul tried to put his armor on David so that he would be protected in battle. The king was looking from a natural perspective-- you go to war, you need weapons of protection. God's perspective was, "the battle is the Lord's". God's perspective is what brought the giant down and gave David the victory. Another example is the walls of Jericho. From a natural perspective those walls couldn't come down without some heavy artillery. God's perspective was "march around the city and blow a horn". God's perspective brought those walls down.

There is a natural perspective and then there is God's perspective, and for the believer God's perspective is the one we need to heed, follow and allow to govern our lives.

Have a great day. Are you looking at things from one perspective only- a natural perspective? Or are you living your life by looking at things from God's perspective.

For further reading:
Hebrews 10:38
1 Corinthians 2:14
Romans 4:17
1 Samuel 17

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

"Who Is It Hurting?"

"The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh." Proverb 11:17

One of my mother's sayings is- "what goes around, comes around". I have heard her say that all my life, and discovered that it is true. It is true because there is a Biblical principal involved in those words. It is called sowing and reaping. Sowing and reaping applies to more areas than just our finances.

One area it applies to is our treatment of others. You can't be cruel to someone and it not eventually show up on your own "door step". You can't mistreat someone and it not come back to you. When you take advantage of another person, you will pay for it. The most visual illustration that I can give of this is when someone commits a crime. If a young man murders someone, yes, he has destroyed that life, but that was not the only hurt he did. He himself will reap the punishment of his actions for the rest of his life. He "troubled" his own soul, he hurt himself, he brought misery upon his own life.

We must be cautious of how we treat (or mistreat) others. First, because they are people who God has created and He loves them. Secondly, Jesus taught us to "do to others as we would have others do to us". Not only should we treat others the way we want to be treated, but there is a warning in His words that tell us the way we treat others will be the same way we are treated. How do you want to be treated? How do you not want to be treated? We must remember that our treatment of others will eventually come back to us-- either to "haunt" us or to "bless" us. Which will it be? Another wise saying I have heard is, "You aren't hurting anybody but yourself".

Have a great day. What goes around, comes around. What you do to another, good or bad, will come back upon you.

For further reading:
Galatians 6:7
Matthew 7:1,2,12
Luke 6:31

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Monday, January 9, 2012

"He Will Not Turn You Away"

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37

I feel that this morning's devotional is more of a personal word to someone. Perhaps you have "messed up"- you have missed the mark, you have disobeyed, you have turned from the Lord and now you are sorry and repentant but feel too guilty to come to Him, or you feel that if you do go to Him He will turn His back on you and reject you.

"And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out". These are the words of Jesus and His words are truth. He is not going to turn His back on you. He is not going to turn you away-- no matter what you have done. Remember the story of the prodigal son. It is a picture of the great love and forgiveness of a father toward his rebellious, wayward child. But it is not just a story about any father, it is a picture of the Heavenly Father- a Father who will not turn His repent child away, but instead will embrace him.

Your Heavenly Father longs to embrace you and wash the pain, shame and guilt of what you have done away. He wants to restore you and set you back in right relationship with Himself. The father in the story did not turn his son away, even with the stench of the pigpen on him, but restored him to his rightful place as an heir.

Why would you think that once you turn to Him He would turn you away? That was the whole reason why Jesus came to earth and died on the cross. He died for that very reason- to restore, save, bring the lost and wayward to the Father. If He were going to turn you away, then what He did at the cross made no sense and was for nothing. This morning He stands with outstretched arms waiting for you to come. Don't let the devil, or your own mind, convince you that you can't. Jesus died so you could and He wouldn't have gone through the suffering of the cross if He didn't want you to, or if He was going to close the door on you when you did.

Have a great day. His will is that you come, so He won't turn you away when you do.

For further reading:
Luke 15:11-24
Isaiah 1:18
2 Peter 3:9

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Friday, January 6, 2012

"Expect His Goodness"

"Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness." Psalm 65:11

I am believing that this is going to be a good year. By that do I mean that nothing bad is going to happen? When I say that does it mean that I don't think that anything will go wrong, that there won't be trials, pain or suffering? Not at all. This world is tainted by sin. As long as sin is present there will be heartaches and tribulation. Jesus Himself said that in this world there would be tribulation.

When I say that I am believing that this is going to be a good year, I mean that regardless of what may come our way, we will see the goodness of the Lord shining through it. We will see Him working all things together for our good. We will see His power prevail and His presence will go with us. We will see His goodness entwined in every situation, and some how even when things aren't right, His glory will be revealed.

So expect His goodness to be present even in the midst of calamity. Expect His goodness to overshadow what may seem devastating. Expect His goodness to follow you this year-- and all the days of your life.

Have a great day. Good things may not be happening, but His goodness will still surround you.

For further reading:
John 16:33
Psalm 23:6; 27:13; 31:19
Isaiah 63:7

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

"Hidden Lights"

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid." Matthew 5:14

"Ye are the light of the world." How do we become lights? We are born into darkness and are darkness. "For ye were sometimes darkness:" (Ephesians 5:8a) Darkness cannot change itself into something that it is not, or into something that it is diametrically opposed to.

The way we become light is through Jesus, He is the Light. We become light when we become born again, when we surrender our lives to Him, when He comes and lives within us. Then it is His light that shines through us. This light is Jesus-- without Him we have no light.

Lights have one purpose-- to shine. When they are hidden, they are not shining. "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house." (verse 15) Our lights were never meant to be hidden. If Jesus is the Light that is in us- because we have no light of our own- then He is meant to "shine" through us, not be hidden.

Is Jesus hidden in your life? Or is He shining? How can He be hidden? He is hidden when we exhibit something through our lives that He is not. He is love. When we have hate and malice toward someone, He is hidden. When we are living in immorality, He is hidden. When we don't show forgiveness but rather hold a grudge, He is hidden. When we are bitter, mean tempered, rude, unkind, covetous, greedy, condemning, arrogant, proud, boastful, abusive and lustful, He is hidden.

On the other hand, He is shining through us and not hidden when we are kind, tenderhearted, loving, forgiving, compassionate, giving, self-denying, content, meek, humble, gracious, faithful, temperate and walking in peace and joy.

So, examine yourself and see if what you are doing and the type of life you are living is allowing Jesus to shine through you or is it hiding Him.

Have a great day. Lights have one purpose- to shine. Are you?

For further reading:
1 Thessalonians 5:5
Ephesians 5:8
1 Peter 2:9
1 John 1:5,6; 2:9

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

"The Fuel of Influence"

"God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked." Job 16:11

When Job spoke his accusations against God, he was speaking under the influence of his situation. He was hurting, in pain, grief and confusion. And although he was going through a devastating trial, what he said was not correct. God had not delivered him to the ungodly or the hands of the wicked. He had not brought wrath upon him (verse 9).

When we are going through a trying time, when fear is coming upon us, when pain is overwhelming us, when grief has touched us, when worry is plaguing us, we must watch what we say. We must be on guard that we don't speak out of what is happening to us. We must not let our circumstance influence us- or our speech.

While there is an "extreme" teaching concerning "confession", there is a true Biblical principal on the subject. Our words are important and powerful. We have to be careful about what we say. When we are being attacked by fear, we have to watch that we don't let the fear influence what we say because it only gives more power to the fear. It is like putting wood on a fire-- it only gives it fuel. "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." (James 3:6) It is the same way with anything. If we speak from worry, the worry will increase and we will worry more.

Like Job, when we speak under the influence of what we are going through, we will be speaking things that are not correct. We will accuse God of forsaking us, of hating us, of not caring about us or of not being faithful- but that is all incorrect.

So what must we do? We must stop fueling the "fire". "Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out." (Proverbs 26:20a) Stop talking that fear, pain, worry, doubt, depression, bitterness, etc. And instead start fueling it with what is correct. Good things are also fueled by our words-- like faith. Faith comes through hearing. Hearing what? God's word. (And even more so when we hear it coming from our own mouths.) So we must learn to speak from God's influence (His word), not the influences of what we are going through or what is attacking us.

Have a great day. Under what influence are you speaking?

For further reading:
Romans 10:17
Proverbs 18:21; 15:2
Psalms 34:13
James 3:5-8
Job 40:3-5

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

"God's Plan Is Not Easy - Part 2"

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Psalm 23:4

Yesterday we talked about the fact that God's plan for us is not always easy. We don't just "sail smoothly" into it. His plan often takes us into unfamiliar and uncomfortable places. There are times when God's plan will take us into dark, uncertain and even scary places.

The pit that Joseph wound up in on his way to fulfilling God's plan in the palace was a deep, dark and scary place. I am sure it was an intimidating place for Moses when he stood before Pharaoh. When Daniel was in exile in Babylon, I am sure that he missed his family and homeland even though he stood in the presence of kings.

Even though God's plan may take us into hard places, there is one thing that is certain when we are walking in and fulfilling His plan for our lives-- He will never leave us nor forsake us. He will walk though it with us. He never left Joseph during the years while he was in route to the palace. He never left Abraham when he left his homeland. He never left him when he was sorely tested to offer up his son Isaac as a sacrifice. He never forsook Daniel, even in the lion's den. He did not run out on Moses when he was in Pharaoh's court.

The plan of God may not be easy to fulfill. There may be pain, struggle and even grief attached to it. You may be facing uncertainty. The way may look dark and dismal. It may look confusing- you may not understand why He is leading in a certain direction. But take heart, He will never leave you on the journey of walking out His plan alone. He is walking it with you.

Have a great day. No matter how hard the plan of God may look, you are not walking out His plan alone- He is with you.

For further reading:
Daniel 6:22
Judges 6:12
Matthew 28:20
Hebrews 13:5
Genesis 22:10-13

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Monday, January 2, 2012

"God's Plan Is Not Easy"

"But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake." Acts 9:15,16

Every true follower of Christ has one primary desire-- to fulfill God's plan for their life. Why is it though that we think that plan is "easy"? Why do we think that once we know it, we are just going to "sail" smoothly into it? Fulfilling God's plan isn't always easy. It often comes at a price. It gets us out of our comfort zone. It stretches us. It causes us to exercise our faith. It takes us into unfamiliar places. It leads us through paths that we don't always understand.

The plan of God took Joseph into a pit, Potiphar's house and a prison before it took him to the palace and the fulfillment of God's plan for his life. The plan of God took Abraham away from his home not knowing where he was going. God's plan took Moses before Pharaoh ten times. His plan took Mary to a stable in Bethlehem in order to give birth to the Savior of the world. The plan of God took Paul through perils, shipwreck, beatings and prison. The plan of God took the apostles into persecution and eventually martyrdom. Even our beloved Savior Jesus fulfilled the plan of God through death on the cross.

God's plan never takes us in a straight line from point A to point B. It often takes us up then down. It very often takes us from the mountaintop to the valley, from the wilderness to the fiery furnace. So don't think it strange if God's plan doesn't unfold or come about in the way you thought it should. Don't think you have missed it if there is hardship or discomfort involved. It doesn't always just "fall into your lap". It doesn't always come without some pain and suffering attached to it. It doesn't always come without affliction. But when you see the plan unfold and God is glorified through it, it will be worth it all. The joy of giving birth to the Messiah outweighed the discomfort of the long journey to the stable, and the labor and delivery that Mary went through to fulfill God's plan. The delivery of a nation from bondage outweighed the burden that Moses when through to fulfill God's plan. The joy of having sons and daughters born into the Kingdom of God outweighed the suffering that Jesus went through on the cross in fulfilling God's plan. The joy that you will receive once you reach the place of fulfilling God's plan will outweigh the pain, the suffering, the hard journey and the struggle that you had to go through in order to fulfill it.

Have a great day. God's plan isn't always easy, but it is worth whatever we have to go through to fulfill it.

For further reading:
2 Corinthians 11:20-28; 4:17
Genesis 39:1
Hebrews 12:2
Matthew 4:1

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
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