"Drained"

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."  Acts 3:19

Do you ever feel "drained"?  The dictionary defines it as:  to be used up, wasted, depleted.  The question is not necessarily do you feel that way-- we all do from time to time.  Neither is the question "how does it happen?".  We already know that answer- life will drain us.  Other people drain us.  Our jobs, daily responsibilities of running a household, school, church activities, taking care of business, etc. these all pull on us and drain us physically, mentality and emotionally. 

The main question is then "how to get un-drained?"  The Bible gives us the answer.  Refreshing and refilling comes from the Lord.  When something is drained, as the definition says, it is emptied out.  We have to be refilled- what was drained has to be replaced. 

God sends us times of refreshing.  He sends us times of revival.  He sends times of renewal.  But those times come as we draw near to Him.  They come as we wait upon Him.  They come as we seek Him.  They come when we come near into His presence. 

Everything you need to be "refilled" you will find in the Lord.  He will renew your strength.  He will restore your energy.  He will renew you mind and calm your emotions.  He will refill you to overflowing.  If you are feeling drained, get alone in your prayer closet and ask the Lord to refill you... and He will.

Have a great day.  When you feel drained, you need to be refilled.  The Lord will refill you.   

For further reading:
Isaiah 40:31; 28:12
Matthew 6:33; 11:28

"Fall By The Wayside"

"...some fell by the wayside..."  Mark 4:4 

In the parable it was seed, something good, that fell by the wayside.  In the meaning of the parable it was the Word, something good, that fell by the wayside.  There are good things in our lives that we need to make sure they don't fall by the wayside.  But then there are other things that need to fall by the wayside and not be a part of our lives.

The good things we need to guard and make sure that they don't fall by the wayside are, for one, the Word of God-- as in the parable.  We need to make sure our salvation, through neglect, doesn't fall by the wayside.  Also, integrity, morals, kindness, compassion, godly relationships, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, intimacy and relationship with the Lord, studying the Bible, prayer, generosity, and so on.

There are some things that are not good for us nor are they beneficial in our lives.  These things need to fall by the wayside.  Among them are immoral behavior, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, the things that distract you from your relationship with the Lord.  The things that hinder your walk with the Lord, steal your joy, cause you to lose focus of eternity, that keep you from seeking the Lord, relationships that are toxic, and so on.

What are you letting go by the wayside?  Are they things you should be guarding and holding on to?  Or are they things that need to be let go of and fall by the wayside?  Are you holding on to the wrong things-- ungodly things-- and letting them find a place to grow in your heart?  In the same way that a farmer when he is planting seeds looks at the seed and watches where it lands, so we need to look at the seeds in our lives and watch where we allow them to be planted.  If the seed is bad, it needs to fall by the wayside and not allowed to be planted.  If it is good, it needs to be sure to get planted so it can produce good things, eternal things in our lives.

Have a great day.  What do you need to let go of and allow to fall by the wayside in your life? 

"To Your Face"

"And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face."  Deuteronomy 7:10

The word this morning is not "to" the born-again follower of Christ, but it is "for" them. 

It is "to" the wicked, the lost, the unsaved person who is rejecting Jesus Christ as Savior and who is in rebellion against God.  It is to the one who hates God, is in opposition to Him, who is mocking Him and refusing Him.  To you He says He will repay your wickedness, your hate of Him and your rebellion against Him.  He will repay you to your face.  This means you will stand before Him face to face one day and He will judge you and pass sentence on you.  You will receive eternal punishment in hell-- where the fire is not quenched, and the worm never dies.  "The wages of sin is death."  You will hear those irreversible words, "Depart from Me, into everlasting fire."  Your judgment will be set.  You will receive the payment you rightfully deserve for your sins.  It will be too late.  You will be tormented forever and ever. 

It is a word "for" those who are true followers of Christ.  It is a word to remind us that we are to be busy fulfilling the Great Commission that our Lord Jesus told us to do- for the reasons all stated above to the wicked.  We are to be warning the wicked man of his wicked way.  We are to be snatching the lost souls from the flames of hell.  We are to be sharing the good news with them that Jesus saves.  We are to be offering them a way of escape from the eternal judgment that awaits them.  We need to remember that this is their only hope and if we don't tell them, who will.  How will they know?   We can't forget that this is the whole reason why Jesus came to earth and died on the cross-- to seek and to save those who are lost. 

All have sinned.  There are no righteous people.  We all deserve eternal judgment.  We are all going to stand before God one day-- face to face.  We all deserve to hear those words- "Depart from Me".  But because of Jesus we have the opportunity to receive forgiveness and eternal life-- if we don't reject Him.  The lost need to know this.  They need to know what awaits them in their lost condition, but they need to know that it doesn't have to be like that because Jesus made a way.  He made the way so that when we do stand face to face before God, we will not stand there facing His wrath or judgment, but His blessings-- "Enter into the joy of your Lord." 

Have a great day.  We will all stand before God one day.  What will He tell you to your face?
 
For further reading:
Matthew 25:21,41
Mark 9:44
Luke 19:10
Ezekiel 3:18
Romans 6:23

"Who Understands?"

"Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things."  2 Timothy 2:7

"The Lord give thee understanding in all things."  This morning, I feel the Lord wants to give you some understanding in the area of His understanding. 

 

Understanding as defined in the dictionary means:  a mental grasp; the power of comprehending.  Often, we accuse others of not understanding what we are going through.  And true enough, many times we don't understand.  But we also accuse God of not understanding when we are going through difficult situations.  The understanding, and enlightenment, He wants to give you this morning is--- He does understand!

 

He understands your broken heart.  He understands your confusion.  He understands your hurt and pain.  He understands your grief.  He understands your strained relationship.  He understands your sorrow.  He understands your betrayal by someone you love.  He understands your rejection.  He understands your suffering.  He understands your loneliness.  He understands every human emotion you have.  Because He either encountered it Himself while He was on earth, or He was tempted in the same thing.

 

I may not know how you feel and what you are experiencing but rest assured Jesus does.  It is far better that Jesus understands than it is for me to understand-- because He has the power to do something about it, I don't.  He has the power to give you strength, grace, peace, joy, wisdom, contentment, forgiveness, direction, comfort, provision and anything else you may need in walking through this situation.  So, understand today, that He really does understand. 

 

Have a great day.  Jesus understands what you are going through, and He is the only One who needs to understand because He is the only One who has the power to help you.   

 

For further reading:

Hebrews 4:15  

"Understanding God's Word"

"Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law."  Psalm 119:18

Have you heard anyone say-- I just can't understand the Bible when I read it?  Perhaps you have said it yourself.  God intends for us to understand it or He would not have given it to us.  But at the same time, it is not just any natural book, its words are "spirit" and "life".  Jesus even said, when He spoke in parables to the people, that it was given unto the disciples (followers) of His to know the mysteries in His word but not unto those who are not. 

He wants you to know His word and understand it.  He wants you to apply it to your life.  If you can't understand it, how can you apply it?  Therefore, you pray the same prayer above that the Psalmist prayed-- "Open my eyes, that I may see the wondrous things in your Word."  He was praying that his spiritual eyes would be open, and the eyes of his spiritual understanding would be enlightened. 

If you are having a hard time comprehending God's Word, don't give up.  Don't cast it aside.  That is what the enemy of your soul wants you to do.  Pray and ask God to give you the understanding.  After all, He is the Author, therefore, He can help you understand it. 

Have a great day.  Don't give up reading God's Word just because you don't understand it.  Ask God to tell you what it means-- He will.

For further reading:
Matthew 13:10-12