"The Path Of Least Resistance"

"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" John 7:38,39

 

When water (such as in a river) is flowing, it always takes the path of least resistance. It will flow in the direction that does not hinder it. If there is something that completely blocks its path it will not flow at all. 

 

There is a chorus that says-- "I've got a river of life flowing out of me. It makes the lame to walk and the blind to see. It opens prison doors, sets the captives free. I've got a river of life flowing out of me." This song is, of course, talking about the Holy Spirit. Jesus in His teaching said that the Holy Spirit would be a (spiritual) river of living waters (life) that flows out of us. 

 

Do you ever wonder why the river doesn't seem to be flowing from your life? Do you wonder why you are powerless when it comes to doing the works that Jesus said we would do? Do you wonder where the signs are that should be following your life as a believer? Those works are not done through our power, strength or ability, but they are done through the power of the Holy Spirit. The problem is not with the Holy Spirit. He is able, He is all-powerful, nothing is too difficult for Him, and it is His will to do the works through you that honor and glorify God. 

 

The problem is found in our opening sentence. Water takes the path of least resistance. The flow of the river (living waters) of the Holy Spirit in our lives also takes the path of least resistance. If there is any "resistance", then He is hindered in flowing freely in your life. In other words, He doesn't have the liberty He needs, therefore, He is being quenched. 

 

Are there "resistances" in your life? Fear, unbelief, selfishness, self-righteousness, compromise, laziness, bitterness, unforgiveness, etc.-- all these will cause Him not to flow freely. And if we don't deal with these resistances they will block His flow completely and we can become spiritually stagnant. 

 

Have a great day. Is the Spirit flowing freely in your life? Or is He met with resistance?

 

For further reading:

John 14:12

Acts 1:8

Zechariah 4:6

Mark 16:17,18

 

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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.

"Misplaced Hope - Part 2"

"And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." Acts 3:5,6

 

Yesterday we talked about putting our hope (expectation) in people to meet our needs. I want to talk about that again today. There are several reasons why we should not expect people to be our source of provision. 

 

First, man doesn't always have what we need. "Silver and gold have I none". And second, if he does have it, what he has to give will only bring a temporary solution. The need is only met for the moment. 

 

Had Peter and John given the lame man the money he needed, they would not have solved his problem. He would have still been lame. He would have still had to depend on others. He would have been at the gate again the next day and the next day and the next day. He would have continued to be a beggar. All man's ability can do is give you a temporary "fix"-- if he can even do that much.

 

But when we look to God as our source, we can expect our needs to be met perfectly. God is not limited by what He has. There is no lack or shortage in His resources. If by chance He does not have it, He can simply create it. God's provision is not a temporary one. He doesn't meet a portion of the need only, He supplies all the need. When God meets and supplies the need, He does it well. In the beggar's case He healed his body, He restored his soul, He gave him his freedom and independence, and He gave him back his life. 

 

Expecting man to give you what you need will leave you still lacking and disappointed. Placing your expectation in God will never leave you lacking or disappoint. 

 

Have a great day. When we place our trust in God, we can expect our need to be met perfectly.

 

For further reading:

Philippians 4:19

Acts 3:1-13

 

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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.

"Misplaced Hope"

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him." Psalm 62:5

 

Where is your expectation (hope) being placed? Upon man? Upon governmental programs? Upon leaders? Upon financial institutions? Upon a relative or someone of means? Upon the medical profession? Upon the invention of a miracle cure?

 

When you are in need, are you looking to some person to meet that need for you? When you are in a storm, are you expecting the boat to keep you safe? When you are fighting an illness, are you expecting the prescription to heal you? Life is full of problems, situations, difficulties and times that give us opportunity to fret, worry, become fearful, depressed and confused. When those times come, do you run here and there seeking someone or some source that will come to your rescue?

 

The verse above tells us where that source of help and hope is to be found-- "wait only upon God, your expectation (hope) is from Him". Our hope and help comes from the One who created the universe and all that is in it. If He can create everything, even down to the smallest molecule which can't been seen with the naked eye, can't He supply your need? If He can send water from a rock, if He can send manna from heaven, if He can put money in a fishes' mouth, if He can heal a leper, open blind eyes, raise the dead and give you life through His shed blood, can't He provide and make a way for you? 

 

Does that mean that God can't use human sources or earthly resources? No, that is not what I am saying. God has and often does. What I am saying is that for too often we put our expectation in what man can do for us. We put our hope in them and act as if God can't do it. If your hope is in a person, if you are looking to them to provide what you need instead of placing your hope in God, then you have misplaced hope. 

 

Have a great day. Where does your expectation (hope) lie? Are you expecting man to solve your problems or God?

 

For further reading:

Philippians 4:19

Genesis 1:1

Colossians 1:17

 

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

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.

"The Priority Of Seeking God"

"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

 

We have a promise from the Lord that when we seek Him we will find Him. But there is more to seeking than just saying a prayer. We think seeking means to send up some "microwave" prayer and get an instant answer. We think that seeking takes only a minute, if any longer we stop. Seeking and praying are not necessarily the same thing although they are both part of the communication process with the Lord.

 

When my daughter was about two years old, I took her to the fair. While I was getting us something to drink I let go of her hand. I placed my order which took only a couple of seconds, but in those few seconds she was gone. Just that quickly she had gone from my sight. What do you think I did? I began to seek for her. I started my search without reservation, without embarrassment, with perseverance. I did not stop until I found her. At that moment there was nothing more important than finding my daughter. Everything else was unimportant. I didn't finish getting our drinks. I didn't take time to place another order. I didn't go ride another ride then get back to the task of trying to locate her. My goal was to find her, therefore, that was my only priority at the moment. 

 

Most of us pray to God, but do we seek God? While you are seeking Him is He alone your priority at that moment? Are you pulled between Him and something else? Do you seek with a cluttered mind-- thoughts of other things you should, or want to, be doing? Seeking God involves whole-hearted commitment. It involves perseverance- not giving up until you have found Him like the woman with the issue of blood. She did not give up, she did not stop, she did not get side-tracked, she did not let anything else capture her thoughts or attention. She had one goal. She was committed to reaching Jesus- it was her only priority. She persevered and did not quit until she reached Him. Is that how you seek Him? Or do you seek Him with a divided heart instead of all your heart?

 

Have a great day. While we are seeking God, seeking Him until we find Him has to be our only priority. 

 

For further reading:

Mark 5:25-30

Psalm 119:2, 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.

"Help, I Have Fallen"

"Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand." Psalm 37:24

 

The slogan for a popular medical alert system is, "I've fallen and I can't get up". Do you ever feel like you have "fallen"-- fallen spiritually? What you once experienced with the Lord seems to be gone? You have fallen from the love you once had for Him and others? You have fallen in your responsibilities and service for Him? You have fallen in your acts of obedience? You have fallen because of some sin that you entertained or some temptation that you gave into?

 

In that "fall" do you feel that you can't get up? Do you feel that it is useless to even try? Do you feel that you will never be where you once were? Do you feel like you will never love again, never have peace again, never experience the joy of the Lord or His abiding presence? Do you feel as though you have fallen so hard and so far that you will live the rest of your life on the "floor"? Do you feel hopeless that you will never get up again? 

 

There are times when we may fall and in those times we have an accuser who comes along and tells us that we "can't get up". He tells us that we are destined to stay down, we deserve to stay down there, we don't deserve help, we won't ever be able to get up, why get up anyway we will only "fall" again. He tries to make us fearful. He tries to take all hope away that we can get up and stay up and stop falling. 

 

I have good news for you if this is you. While we have an accuser who tries to keep us down and take away our hope of getting up, there is Someone who will come to our aid and rescue us and pick us up-- His name is Jesus. Though I fall, I am not doomed to stay down. I may not be able to get up on my own-- through my own strength or ability-- but Jesus can and will pick me up. His strength is made perfect in my weakness. Even if I fall into a pit, His arm is long enough to reach down and pull me out. 

 

If you have fallen, He doesn't want you to stay down. So don't just stay there, call out to Him for help. You can get up, He will reach down and pull you up and set your feet upon a firm foundation. 

 

Have a great day. If you have fallen, you can get up... Jesus will pick you up when you call out to Him for help.

 

For further reading:

2 Corinthians 12:9

Psalm 40:2

Isaiah 59:1

 

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

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.