"Get His Attention"

"And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David." Matthew 20:30,31

 

The crowd tried to shut these blind men up. They told them to be quite, but they cried out to Jesus even louder. They knew that Jesus was their only hope. They knew their opportunity to be able to see was passing by. If they would ever be able to see, here was their chance. They paid no attention to the crowd. They did not allow the others to keep them quiet. They knew the crowd couldn't help them. They knew that no one who was telling them to be quiet had their answer. There was no one that day that could give them what they needed but Jesus. So they did whatever it took to get Jesus' attention. 

 

It is the same with us. Jesus is the only one who can meet our need. Like we have said in past days. Others are only resources, but He is the source. Don't let anyone stop you from getting to Him. Don't let intimidation stop you. Don't let fear stop you. Don't let the jeers of people stop you. Don't let the accusations of the enemy- his condemnation and words of guilt-- stop you. Be persistent. Don't allow anything to shut you up or stop you. The woman with the issue of blood didn't let anything stop her either, she pressed through the crowd and the weakness of her own body to touch Jesus. 

 

Because they didn't let anything stop them, they got Jesus' attention. He heard their cries. He stopped and stood still and called for them to come to Him. When we will persist in our cries to Him, when we don't let anything stop us from getting to Him, He will stop for us too and call us to Himself. He will look at us through eyes of compassion and minister to us at the point of our need. We may not need to receive our sight. But whatever our need is, we must continue to call out to Him and He will meet it too whatever it is.

 

Have a great day. Don't let anything or anyone stop you from getting Jesus' attention. 

 

For further reading:

Matthew 20:30-34

Philippians 4:19

 

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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.

"Follow Wherever He Goes"

"And he saith unto them, Follow me..." Matthew 4:19

 

We aren't called to follow a religion, a philosophy, or an ideology. We are called to follow a person, but not just any person. We are called to follow Jesus the Only Begotten Son of God.

Many have turned back from following Him because they were disillusioned. They thought that following Him would mean a life of blessings, perfect peace, happiness, no hardships and nothing but joy. But they found that this wasn't the case. "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." (John 6:66)

 

Following Jesus takes us into many places. There are those wonderful times when following Him leads us besides still waters-- places of peace, rest and plenty. "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters." (Psalm 23:2) But not all of them are "pleasant" places. 

 

Following Him also takes us into the wilderness to be tempted. "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." (Matthew 4:1)

 

It takes us into places of being hated for His name sake. "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake." (Luke 21:17) 

 

It takes us into places of suffering. "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." (Hebrews 5:8)

 

It takes us to a place of crucifixion and self denial. The crucifixion of self. The denial of our own selfish desires and ambitions. "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." (Matthew 16:24)

 

It takes us into a place where we may have to leave the familiar and comfortable. "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." (Matthew 19:21) 

 

Following Jesus takes us into some difficult places that is why we must count the cost before we begin the journey with Him. Will it cost us something? Did it cost Jesus something to follow His Father's will? The answer to both is yes. But will it be worth it? You have to decide. This is a question that we each have to answer for ourselves, no one can answer or do our following for us. Are you willing to follow Him? "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62) Will following Him cost you something here? But what you will receive later at the end of the journey will far exceed what you went through here as you followed Him. "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18) "It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us." (2 Timothy 2:11,12)

 

Have a great day. Following Jesus takes us into many places- not always easy ones. But it will be worth it in the end. 

 

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

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 Real Source"

"And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me." Luke 13:38

 

Yesterday we talked about seeking the Lord first before we seek out others when we are in need. This morning I feel compelled to talk about it again. If our needs are going to be met we are going to have to go to the right source of help. 

 

When Queen Esther's people were threatened with death, she didn't go to one of her servants for help. She didn't turn to her friends. She went straight to the one who could grant her petition-- the king. When the blind man sat by the roadside desiring to have his sight restored, he didn't cry out to Peter or James, he cried out to the One who could give him sight- Jesus. 

 

Who are we crying out to? Are we looking to politicians to meet our need? Are we looking to some prophet to help us? Are we looking to the doctors to heal us? Are we looking to the credit union to pay our bills? Like I said yesterday, God can use any vessel He wants to use-- He has used a donkey, a raven, a pitcher of oil, judges, doctors, kings, etc. But these only offer aid and assistance-- they are not the source of our help.

 

I don't have the power in and of myself to save myself, heal myself, deliver myself, provide for myself, strengthen myself, give myself wisdom, and so on, and neither do you or anyone else. It is because we are not the Source. We have nothing and can do nothing apart from God. Whatever we have, whatever we can do, it all comes through Him. It is only because He gives us the power, the ability, and the know how to do it. Outside of Him we posses nothing. Even Jesus said that He could do nothing without His Father. 

 

We must stop running to and fro seeking out help that is just as inadequate as we are. We must go directly to the Source of our help. Again, hear what I am saying-- what the Spirit is saying through me-- God has all kinds of resources available to us. But they are only resources not the Source. We tend to seek out the resources but neglect to seek out the Source of those resources. God is saying, "Seek Me first. Come to Me first and I will lead you and guide you and direct you in the way to go". 

 

Have a great day. Resources are only aids. God is the true Source of our help. 

 

For further reading:

John 5:19

Philippians 4:13

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

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.

"Wrong Order"

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33

 

Where is the first place you go when you are in trouble or need help? Do you run to this person or that person, to this place or that place? Do you, after you have exhausted every avenue you can think of that might give you help, then turn to God? Do you wait and go to Him after all else fails? If so, you have got it out of order.

 

Am I saying that we shouldn't seek out places and people that have been established to offer help with certain needs? Am I saying that when we are sick we shouldn't go to the doctor, or seek council from a friend, or guidance from someone qualified in that particular area? No, I believe God can, and does, use people to help us. What I am saying is that we should not automatically turn to them as our "first" resort. And then after they can't help us we decide to turn to God. He should always be our first resort. We should look to Him first. It might be that He will then tell us to seek out the help of this one or that one. 

 

We should give God the first "option" to see what He says, or will do, about the situation. Then do whatever He tells us to do. At the wedding of Cana they ran out of wine. Mary told the servants to do whatever Jesus told them to do. She turned to Him first with the need. He met it and a great miracle was seen. I tend to believe that if we would do the same we might see more miracles than we have been seeing. But how can we ever witness a miracle if we don't bring the Miracle Worker into the situation? 

 

Again, I am not saying that God can't or doesn't use people to meet our need, He often does. I am just saying that He should not be our last resort after everything else we have tried has failed. He should always be the first place we run to, and maybe we would experience more miracles if we give Him the chance to do something on our behalf first.

 

Have a great day. Who do you go to first when you have a need?

 

For further reading:

John 2:1-11

 

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

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.

"Keep Holding On"

"And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." Genesis 32:26

 

I had a dream last night and the only thing I can remember about it was seeing three words written on paper-- "keep holding on". I remember thinking that this was the word for the devotional this morning. I also thought that some who read it would think that it pertained to a particular situation they were in. But when I woke up it was clear to me that what it meant was-- keep holding on to Jesus. Don't let Him go. Hold on to Him regardless of what is going on in your life. Don't cast Him away. Don't turn from Him. Hold on to Him tightly. Be determined that no matter what else you have to let go of, don't let Him go. He is your life. He is your everything. Without Him you have nothing. 

 

As I entered my office this morning, still pondering those three words, a song that I haven't heard in years came to me. I have written the lyrics below. Today and everyday make this the theme song and battle cry of your life.

 

I'll keep holding on to Jesus,
I'll keep holding on to Jesus
I'll keep holding to those precious nail scarred hands.

Though my way I can't see clearly,
And my step become so weary
I'll keep holding to those precious nail scarred hands.

Have a great day. Keep holding on to Jesus. 

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

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.