"And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean."
2 Kings 5:10
Our text is taken from the story about Naaman the leper who went to the prophet Elisha to be healed. When he got to the home of Elisha, the prophet did not come out and greet him, he did not pray a prayer over him, he did nothing except send his servant out to tell Naaman to go and wash in the Jordan River seven times. Listen to Naaman's response in the next two verse. "But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage."
Naaman needed a healing touch but he wanted to receive it "his" way. Aren't we like that? We'll need a healing, a provision, an answer from the Lord, but we want Him to give it to us in the way that we determine. We know how we want it to happen and expect God to do it that way. The Bible tells us that, "God's ways are not our ways." (Isaiah 55:8,9) They are so much higher and better than anything we can imagine. God doesn't always do things our way or the way we want, but He does do them perfectly in accordance with His own will.
What answer has He given you that you didn't want to hear? What has He instructed you to do but you have put if off because you don't want to do it that way? What is keeping you from obeying what He has said? Is it pride? Fear of man? Intimidation? Fear of failure? Do you think God has made a mistake? If God has told you to do something but you are putting it off, or trying to do it your own way, then your disobedience is what's standing in the way of your receiving. Obedience is better than sacrifice.
Have a great day. Just think, Naaman would have remained a leper the rest of his life if he had not gone ahead and obeyed God's instructions through Elisha.
Thursday, June 7, 2018
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
"Deep Waters"
"Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins." Ezekiel 47:4
It's time we move out into deeper waters in our Christianity and stop wading in the shallows. It's time we move out of the shallow waters called comfort zones and go on into the deeper waters of faith. It's time we stop praying "microwave" prayers and go deeper in our times of prayer- ask, seek, knock, intercede, travail. We need to stop being shallow concerning our time in the word- go beyond reading just enough to say you read your Bible- search the scriptures, study them, hide them in your heart, live by them. It's time to move out in deeper waters of commitment and surrender- surrender your will to His will, commit all things into His keeping. It's time to stop visiting the Lord when in need only and dwell in His presence. It's time to move into a deeper more intimate relationship with the Lord instead of every once in a while. It's time to move from shallow praise given only at church and praise Him at all times- His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Far too long we have stayed in the "safe" area of "shallow" Christianity. It's time we make it our personal goal to move out deeper. There is a whole new world that awaits you in the deeper waters. Once you "launch out" into the deep you will find that it holds whole new experiences, you will find abundance, you will find healing, you will find sustenance, you will find life. (Ezekiel 47:5-12) The Lord never intended for us to stay in the shallow waters at the shore. He intended for us to follow Him into the deeper waters where the "fish" are, where you can walk on water, and where you can get to the other side.
Have a great day. The days of wading around in shallow water are over- you can't live there any longer. It's time to move out into the deep.
It's time we move out into deeper waters in our Christianity and stop wading in the shallows. It's time we move out of the shallow waters called comfort zones and go on into the deeper waters of faith. It's time we stop praying "microwave" prayers and go deeper in our times of prayer- ask, seek, knock, intercede, travail. We need to stop being shallow concerning our time in the word- go beyond reading just enough to say you read your Bible- search the scriptures, study them, hide them in your heart, live by them. It's time to move out in deeper waters of commitment and surrender- surrender your will to His will, commit all things into His keeping. It's time to stop visiting the Lord when in need only and dwell in His presence. It's time to move into a deeper more intimate relationship with the Lord instead of every once in a while. It's time to move from shallow praise given only at church and praise Him at all times- His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Far too long we have stayed in the "safe" area of "shallow" Christianity. It's time we make it our personal goal to move out deeper. There is a whole new world that awaits you in the deeper waters. Once you "launch out" into the deep you will find that it holds whole new experiences, you will find abundance, you will find healing, you will find sustenance, you will find life. (Ezekiel 47:5-12) The Lord never intended for us to stay in the shallow waters at the shore. He intended for us to follow Him into the deeper waters where the "fish" are, where you can walk on water, and where you can get to the other side.
Have a great day. The days of wading around in shallow water are over- you can't live there any longer. It's time to move out into the deep.
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
"Not Always Easy"
"For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues." Mark 3:10
We've talked in past devotionals about how impatient we are-- we want everything "NOW". We've also addressed the subject of "easy" gratification-- no pain, no struggle, everything handed to us on a platter. We live in a world that wants easy and instant gratification. Well, it doesn't always come like that. Not only are there times we have to wait, there are times when we have to "work" to get it. The woman with the issue of blood had to "press" through the crowd to get her healing. The crowd talked about in the scripture above had to "press" upon Jesus. Daniel had to stay committed in fasting and prayer for twenty-one days in order to receive an answer. Jacob had to wrestle with the angel in order to get a blessing. The wise men had to continue on the journey in order to reach the Christ child.
Sometimes you are going to have to knock and keep knocking. Sometimes you are going to have to seek and keep seeking. Sometimes you are going to have to press and keep pressing. Sometimes you are going to have to resist and keep resisting. Sometimes you are going to have to stand and keep standing. It's not always easy- it's not always a "down hill" fall. It's usually an "up hill" climb.
We learn from the examples given above that because they were faithful to continue to press, pray or wrestle, they were rewarded, they weren't disappointed, they did receive. Stay faithful to persevere and you will receive.
Have a great day. It doesn't always come instantly and it doesn't always come easy.
We've talked in past devotionals about how impatient we are-- we want everything "NOW". We've also addressed the subject of "easy" gratification-- no pain, no struggle, everything handed to us on a platter. We live in a world that wants easy and instant gratification. Well, it doesn't always come like that. Not only are there times we have to wait, there are times when we have to "work" to get it. The woman with the issue of blood had to "press" through the crowd to get her healing. The crowd talked about in the scripture above had to "press" upon Jesus. Daniel had to stay committed in fasting and prayer for twenty-one days in order to receive an answer. Jacob had to wrestle with the angel in order to get a blessing. The wise men had to continue on the journey in order to reach the Christ child.
Sometimes you are going to have to knock and keep knocking. Sometimes you are going to have to seek and keep seeking. Sometimes you are going to have to press and keep pressing. Sometimes you are going to have to resist and keep resisting. Sometimes you are going to have to stand and keep standing. It's not always easy- it's not always a "down hill" fall. It's usually an "up hill" climb.
We learn from the examples given above that because they were faithful to continue to press, pray or wrestle, they were rewarded, they weren't disappointed, they did receive. Stay faithful to persevere and you will receive.
Have a great day. It doesn't always come instantly and it doesn't always come easy.
Monday, June 4, 2018
"God's Timing"
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" Ecclesiastes 3:1
When we don't see things happening when we want them to, we forget that God has a timing for everything. Mary gave birth to the Messiah in the "fullness of time". (Galatians 4:4) Jesus Himself said that His "time had not yet come". (John 2:4) While in prison Joseph asked the butler to tell Pharaoh about him- in hopes that he would release him from prison then (it was a couple of years later before that happened). I could go on and on with examples from the Bible about God's timing verses our timing.
God timing is not always our timing, but God's timing is perfect. Everything He does is perfectly timed. Part of our relationship with Him is trust. And committing and submitting to His timing is part of that trust. We have to learn to trust God with the times and seasons of our life. We have to learn to trust that His timing in our lives is perfect- He'll never be late or early but always right on time. We have to learn to trust Him when He waits, when He doesn't show up when we want, when He appears to be late, when He doesn't move on our timetable.
He is trustworthy. We can trust Him with the days, the seasons, the times, with every moment of our life. He knows not only "what" is best for us, but "when" it's best for us also. This morning if you are waiting on God's timing, don't get discouraged, keep trusting Him, place it in His hands and rest in the fact that at His appointed time it will happen.
Have a great day. He is in control of your times.
When we don't see things happening when we want them to, we forget that God has a timing for everything. Mary gave birth to the Messiah in the "fullness of time". (Galatians 4:4) Jesus Himself said that His "time had not yet come". (John 2:4) While in prison Joseph asked the butler to tell Pharaoh about him- in hopes that he would release him from prison then (it was a couple of years later before that happened). I could go on and on with examples from the Bible about God's timing verses our timing.
God timing is not always our timing, but God's timing is perfect. Everything He does is perfectly timed. Part of our relationship with Him is trust. And committing and submitting to His timing is part of that trust. We have to learn to trust God with the times and seasons of our life. We have to learn to trust that His timing in our lives is perfect- He'll never be late or early but always right on time. We have to learn to trust Him when He waits, when He doesn't show up when we want, when He appears to be late, when He doesn't move on our timetable.
He is trustworthy. We can trust Him with the days, the seasons, the times, with every moment of our life. He knows not only "what" is best for us, but "when" it's best for us also. This morning if you are waiting on God's timing, don't get discouraged, keep trusting Him, place it in His hands and rest in the fact that at His appointed time it will happen.
Have a great day. He is in control of your times.
Friday, June 1, 2018
"Inch By Inch"
"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Genesis 3:1
Have you heard it said: "If you give the devil an inch he'll take a mile, and he'll take it one inch at a time."? It is referring to the fact that the devil doesn't always come to tempt and deceive us with the obvious, he usually comes subtly. If the devil came to me with some "big" temptation- like adultery, stealing, drugs, etc.- I would see it coming and recognize it immediately. But if he came to tempt me with something much smaller I might not recognize it so readily.
That's often how the devil works; he did in the Garden of Eden. He asked Eve a question, it put a doubt in her thoughts- he took an inch. He got her to thinking about it- he took another inch. Then he told her a lie, she believed it- he took another inch. He gave her a suggestion, she responded to it- he took another inch. Finally, after tempting her one "inch" at a time (so to speak) he took the "whole mile". She had fallen into total deception and ate in disobedience what God had told her not to eat.
Be on guard for satan's subtlety. Don't always look for "big" temptations. Be aware that he comes with just enough to "wet your appetite". He'll come with just enough to get his foot inched in the door. He comes with one small thought, one question, one suggestion, one "little fox" so that you won't recognize him and give into his temptations.
Have a great day. Satan goes about like a roaring lion- so sometimes his temptations are obvious to us. But he also comes like a serpent- in a very subtle way.
Have you heard it said: "If you give the devil an inch he'll take a mile, and he'll take it one inch at a time."? It is referring to the fact that the devil doesn't always come to tempt and deceive us with the obvious, he usually comes subtly. If the devil came to me with some "big" temptation- like adultery, stealing, drugs, etc.- I would see it coming and recognize it immediately. But if he came to tempt me with something much smaller I might not recognize it so readily.
That's often how the devil works; he did in the Garden of Eden. He asked Eve a question, it put a doubt in her thoughts- he took an inch. He got her to thinking about it- he took another inch. Then he told her a lie, she believed it- he took another inch. He gave her a suggestion, she responded to it- he took another inch. Finally, after tempting her one "inch" at a time (so to speak) he took the "whole mile". She had fallen into total deception and ate in disobedience what God had told her not to eat.
Be on guard for satan's subtlety. Don't always look for "big" temptations. Be aware that he comes with just enough to "wet your appetite". He'll come with just enough to get his foot inched in the door. He comes with one small thought, one question, one suggestion, one "little fox" so that you won't recognize him and give into his temptations.
Have a great day. Satan goes about like a roaring lion- so sometimes his temptations are obvious to us. But he also comes like a serpent- in a very subtle way.
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