"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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 "doorstep". 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

"Eat The Honey"

“And he said to me, ‘Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.’ So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, ‘Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.’ So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.” – Ezekiel 3:3

In 1 Samuel 14 we read the account of Israel and their battle against the Philistines.  King Saul commanded the people not to eat that day until the battle was won or they would be cursed.  As a result, the people were faint and weary from lack of food.  When they got to the woods, there was honey all on the ground dripping from the trees-- but they were not allowed to eat because of the king's command.  King Saul's son, Jonathan, had not heard the king's command so he dipped his rod in the honey and ate.  After he ate the honey, he was refreshed, strengthened and able to fight the battle.  

Whether we are fighting battles or just going through life, we all get weary at times.  When we are, we need to be strengthened and refreshed. The Bible says that God's word is sweet like honey. Like Jonathan was strengthened physically by taking a taste of honey.  You and I need to "taste" God's word and get the renewed strength that we need. 

God's word will give us strength.  It will give us all that we need to face the task that is before us.  So, don't do foolishly like King Saul.  He thought the people shouldn't eat during the battle.  He was wrong, it only weakened them.  Spiritually speaking, we need to "eat" God's word when we are in a battle.  In doing so we will have the strength we need to destroy the enemy.

Have a great day.  "Eat" God's word and be strengthened to fight the battles you face and make it through life. 

"Persevere"

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

Last week I had to work on getting the ministry books closed out for the year.  We do have an accountant but there are things that I have to do myself in getting amounts posted, etc.  I sat down at my desk that morning and began to work.  For some reason I could not get my columns to balance.  I added and readded, and then readded again.  I went back over every total and every page more times than I can count.  I sat in that chair all day trying to figure out what the problem was, stopping only for dinner.  After dinner I went back to the books.  I stayed up until midnight and finally had to go to bed.  I sat in that chair for so long reading and recalculating that my whole body ached.  My fingers, my legs, my knees, even my head hurt.  The next morning, I got up and went right back to trying to solve the problem.  Thankfully, about mid-morning I figured out my mistake and everything balanced perfectly.

I tell you this because it is a lesson in perseverance.  The definition of perseverance is:  persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.  I could not quit until I got the books to balance.  It didn't matter how many hours, how uncomfortable my body was or how tired I got, I had to keep on until the goal was achieved.  As a result of my perseverance everything balanced the way it should.

The Bible encourages us to persevere and not give up until we reach the prize that is set before us-- eternity with Jesus.  Sometimes it gets hard, tiring and painful.  Sometimes you may want to give up and quit.  Sometimes it doesn't feel like it is worth the effort.  Sometimes it seems like it is impossible, and it will never "balance".  It's in those times that we have to get more determined not to give up.  When everything is telling you to quit, you have to persevere through it and press on. 

The Bible also promises that when we don't quit but continue to persevere, we will reach the goal-- we will reap what we have hoped for.  

The Bible also warns that if we do get faint and give up, we will not reap. 

So, which one are you going to be?  One who gives up and quits running the race that is set before you?  Or the one who doesn't quit but keeps on not matter what until you reach the prize?

Have a great day.  If you continue to preserver and don't give up, you will reach the goal-- and prize.    

For further reading:

Hebrews 12:1

Philippines 3:14

"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

"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

"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 repentant 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, therefore, He won't turn you away when you do.

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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"Do You Know Him Personally?"

"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

Notice that it said David encouraged himself in the Lord "his" God- not just in the Lord. The Lord was "his" God. That indicates something personal. God wasn't just someone he had heard about. Or someone that he was only familiar with through the testimonies of another person. The Lord wasn't just David's father's God that he had been brought up to believe in. He wasn't just a God that he had heard the priest teach about. But He was someone that David knew for himself.

David knew God in a personal way. He had communion with Him daily. He had depended on Him many times through many trials. He had a personal relationship with Him- as a Father and a son. He was a worshipper of God. He followed His commandments. Therefore, when David was in his greatest hour of testing, he knew that he could turn to "his" God. He knew that He would not fail him or let him down. He knew that the Lord would guide and direct him. He knew that the Lord would encourage and strengthen him. He knew that he could count on the faithfulness, love and grace of God to see him through.

David's confidence in God was because of his own personal relationship with Him. If we don't have a personal relationship- one filled with fellowship, worship, love and devotion- then when we call upon Him, we can only "hope" that He will hear us or answer us.

The good news is that we can have a relationship with Him. We can experience that confidence and assurance of knowing that He hears and answers us when we call upon Him. He can be "my" God. I can have personal knowledge of Him and not just hear-say or secondhand experience. This personal relationship comes through faith in His Son Jesus. Jesus died to save us from our sins and bring us into a personal relationship with the Lord God. Do you have that relationship? Do you know Him personally? Can you say that He is "your" God?

Have a great day. The Lord was David's God, he knew Him personally... do you?

For further reading:
John 1:12; 14:7,17
Romans 5:8
1 John 2:3; 5:20

"Keeping Joy"

"....for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10b

Who doesn't want joy in their lives. We search in a wide variety of areas hoping to find it. We hope to obtain it through material possessions, through popularity, through relationships, through wealth, through success. But true and lasting joy comes only from one source-- "of the Lord". Only He can give true and lasting joy. Only He can give us a joy that passes the test of time, that withstands the storm, that holds steady when we are being shaken.

Have you ever noticed that at a time when you should be full of joy, instead there is sorrow and confusion? You should be rejoicing because God has answered your prayer and you have seen the promise come to pass, but you aren't. You would have thought that the Israelites, when they came out of Egypt would have come out overjoyed. After all, the Lord had delivered them from cruelty and bondage. But they barely made it out of the city and you don't see rejoicing you see fear, doubt, complaining and rebellion. That's because- in their lives and in ours- there is a thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy, and one of the things he is after is our joy.

If there should be joy in your life but there isn't, the thief is at work. He has come to steal it. How does he steal it? By getting you to look at the circumstances. By getting you to "believe what you see". Our joy stays intact when we look at God's word, His promises and His faithfulness. Our joy is of the Lord, in the Lord and through the Lord, so by staying focused on the Lord the thief cannot steal our joy.

Have a great day. Our joy is of the Lord, and we keep it by staying focused on Him.

For further reading:
John 10:10
Ephesians 5:22
Isaiah 61:10
Hebrews 12:2
2 Corinthians 5

"He Loves You"

"The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." Jeremiah 31:3

As I was praying about what the Lord wanted to say to us this morning, He spoke the words above to me--- "I have loved you with an everlasting love". This morning He wants to remind someone that He loves you. You are feeling unloved because of guilt from the mistakes you have made. You are wondering if He still loves you; or how could He still love you after what you have done. You disobeyed, you made a mess of things, you turned away. I am here to reassure you this morning that He has not stopped loving you. His love is everlasting- that means it has no end to it. He will love you as much today as He did yesterday, and He'll love you as much tomorrow as He does today. His loves bears, believes, hopes and endures all things. His love doesn't give up on you. It is unconditional. It isn't "fair weather love"- present as long as you are doing everything right and as long as you are giving love back to Him in returned. Remember, He loved you first, before you ever loved Him. He loved you while you were still dead in trespasses and sin. He gave Himself as a ransom for your sins while you were still His enemy.

This morning don't let guilt, condemnation, your mistakes and failures convince you that God does not love you. He does love you, and this morning through this word (if you will believe it) He is drawing you to Himself by His loving-kindness. Go to Him, don't run from Him. Repent. Tell Him you are sorrow. Tell Him how much you really do love Him. Pour out your heart to Him. He will not turn you away, but He will forgive you, cleanse you, restore you and embrace you. He is a loving Father who wants to lavish His love on you.

Have a great day. HE REALLY LOVES YOU!

For further reading:
1 John 4:19
1 Corinthians 13
Romans 5:8
John 3:16,17

"Time Is Passing Quickly"

"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:16

It is hard to believe that we are already into the first week of another year- not just another week or month, but a year. Where did it go? It has certainly gone by quickly. I have always heard adults say that the older you get the faster time goes by. But over the past couple of years I have begun to hear many younger people say the same thing. I believe the quick passing of time is a sign that the return of the Lord is near. The Bible speaks of an "acceleration" of time. "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt." (Amos 9:13) The reaper will overtake the sower. This speaks to the fact that you will barely have time to plant the seed before it is time to harvest it. I don't know about you, but I am seeing this very thing happen in my own life. I hardly have time to do one thing before it is time to do it again.

In light of this fact, what should we as believers be doing with our time? Should we be squandering it on foolishness? On selfish interests? On things that will not even matter a week from now? Or should we be taking advantage of it and help promote the gospel of the Kingdom of God? Should we be warning the wicked man to repent of his wicked way? Should we be reaching out to the hurting with compassion? Should we be letting our lights shine in this dark world? Should we be living salty lives that cause others to thirst for this Jesus that we live for? Should we be letting others see and know that God loves them deeply and dearly? Should we be reaching out as His hand extended to the hurting, the hungry, the widow and the orphan? What should we be doing? How can we make the best use of what time we still have available? The theme scripture of this ministry is, "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work." (John 9:4) The night is fast approaching, the day is about to be over, if we don't do the works now, we won't be able to do them later-- it will be too late.

So what are you going to do with this new year that lies ahead of you? Or better yet, what are you going to do with this new day that is ahead of you, that the Lord has blessed and allowed you to wake up to? Will you use it wisely, redeeming the time, or will you waste it?

Have a great day. Time is a gift, but it goes by so fast, what are you going to do with it?

For further reading:
Luke 2:49
Mark 16:15
John 17:18
Matthew 5:16; 28:19,20

I Don't Know; But I Know"

"Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." - Hebrews 4:13

We have stepped through the door of a new year.  What does this year hold in store?  What will it bring?  Will this be the year of the Lord's return?  Will it be the year He calls me home?  Will it be a year filled with darkness, wars, hardships, pain, destruction?  Will it be a year of peace, joy, blessings?  Will it be a year of trials and tribulations?  Will it be a year of victory?  As we begin this year, no one knows-- only God.  God know what this year will hold.  The Lord God is Omniscient-- He knows everything.  He is the Alpha and Omega-- He sees the end from the beginning.  

While I may not know what the year has in store, there is something that I do know about the year-- God is still in control!!!  I know that whatever happens this year (good or bad, storm or calm, dark or light) the Lord will be as faithful to me as He always has been.  He will still supply all my needs.  He will still be my healer.  He will never leave me nor forsake me.  He will be with me.  He will guide me, He will help me, He will lead me; He will strengthen me; He will give me grace, His peace will be present for me.  He will make a way for me.  He will be with me in the lion's den, the fiery furnace, in the valley and on the mountain top. 

Whatever the year ahead holds, I know I don't have to fear, I don't have to be anxious about it, I don't have to fret or worry, because the Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever.  He will not change.  He will not be changed by events of life.  He will remain Who He is. And this I know also-- while I don't know about the year, the days ahead or tomorrow, I know God does and I know He holds me and each day in His hand!

Have a great day.  I don't know what this year holds in store, but I know this-- God knows.