Luke 24
When you least expect it God’s goodness shines through. It seems you hold out as long as you humanly can just to learn God has been waiting for you to relinquish control and you think, “If I had known this I would have let go a long time ago.” But that’s exactly the lesson we need to learn. Over and over we are reminded of this until one day we, without consideration, look to Him first in all things. We need Him not because we are incapable of doing things on our own but because we can, that’s the reason we need Him. Because our ways are not His, when we work things out apart from Him we drift from where we were meant to be and purpose is lost but God is good and like the disciples it seems to be many times in our dismay that God appears and gives us new hope and joy.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Sunday, August 5, 2012
a prayer of thankfulness
Lord, help me to trust you more so that I may speak when you say so and remain quiet as you lead. Help me to know the difference between my will and yours so that I may know the truth. In this life at best we see things dimly but when your glory has come we will have new eyes, eyes that allow us to see you and your purpose for all that confuse us now. Surely goodness and mercy cover me all the days of my life, for you have delivered me so that I may dwell in the house of the Lord forever more. God, I love you as best I know how but one day I will be free to love you even more and my heart cries out for that day to come quickly! Blessings and glory be unto your name and with a right mind and clean heart I declare You are my salvation unto whom shall I run but you? You are my refuge and my shelter in time of need.
Don't think the enemy is far off
Luke 23
Sometimes it is easy to forget there is an enemy of God who has sworn to bring down as many of God’s children as he possibly can. Unaware we get caught up in doing what is right and warring against the desires of our own flesh, so much so that the reason for those struggles is overlooked! Though there were those i.e. the priests and teachers of religious law who planned and schemed Jesus’ death for a long time and this day represented the climax to their intentions, there were also those that were used by the enemy unknowingly that day. At first glance it is difficult to understand how the people could be so blind when Pilate argued with them to release Jesus (verse 20) even he, being a sinner, could see Jesus was innocent but then the Holy Spirit reminded me these people had been prodded and compelled and ultimately blinded by pure evil, so much so that they believed what they were doing was for the best. That wasn’t completely clear to me until I read what took place during and immediately after Jesus’ death (verses 44 – 48). At noon that day the sky was dark, for the sun hid itself (Matthew 27:51-52 the earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened and many godly men and women were raised from the dead) back in Luke the Bible says, “…and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock.” But something even more amazing happened, the veil of the temple that God had Moses make in Exodus 26 (1446 B.C.) which separated people from God Holiness, so He might live among His people, was torn that day (30 A.D.) completely down the middle! Then it is revealed in verses 47 and 48 the Bible says, “When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.” And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what happened, they went home in deep sorrow.” It was then the blind the enemy used to accomplish his goal had been removed by God Himself, revealing the truth which they were unable to see before. So when circumstances set themselves against you and your flesh seems to win don’t forget there is an enemy that has come with one purpose to steal and kill and destroy but Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)
Sometimes it is easy to forget there is an enemy of God who has sworn to bring down as many of God’s children as he possibly can. Unaware we get caught up in doing what is right and warring against the desires of our own flesh, so much so that the reason for those struggles is overlooked! Though there were those i.e. the priests and teachers of religious law who planned and schemed Jesus’ death for a long time and this day represented the climax to their intentions, there were also those that were used by the enemy unknowingly that day. At first glance it is difficult to understand how the people could be so blind when Pilate argued with them to release Jesus (verse 20) even he, being a sinner, could see Jesus was innocent but then the Holy Spirit reminded me these people had been prodded and compelled and ultimately blinded by pure evil, so much so that they believed what they were doing was for the best. That wasn’t completely clear to me until I read what took place during and immediately after Jesus’ death (verses 44 – 48). At noon that day the sky was dark, for the sun hid itself (Matthew 27:51-52 the earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened and many godly men and women were raised from the dead) back in Luke the Bible says, “…and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock.” But something even more amazing happened, the veil of the temple that God had Moses make in Exodus 26 (1446 B.C.) which separated people from God Holiness, so He might live among His people, was torn that day (30 A.D.) completely down the middle! Then it is revealed in verses 47 and 48 the Bible says, “When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.” And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what happened, they went home in deep sorrow.” It was then the blind the enemy used to accomplish his goal had been removed by God Himself, revealing the truth which they were unable to see before. So when circumstances set themselves against you and your flesh seems to win don’t forget there is an enemy that has come with one purpose to steal and kill and destroy but Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
The Reason Why
Dear God we don't understand the reasons why but we know You know what it is to hurt and we cannot see the answer but we know there is purpose in this life and we know who holds the answer. If we know you intimately, we know that we are your prized possessions and you care for us so deeply that sometimes Your care is misunderstood by those looking in. For you use the hurt in this life to get our attention and to help us focus. For we’ve seen those who were dead (spiritually) walk in the land of the living, a place even many “living” never see all because You allowed them to go through trouble in this life. In the end we know your goal is not our comfort but our growth and preparation for the eternal You have planned. Even still we want to thank you for answering prayers tonight, only You are good and only You are worthy of all praise.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Seek the Lord
In prayer and supplication I often get it wrong but God spoke to me yesterday and three things were brought to my attention. 1) We are to pray for the mind of Christ. I know in my own life I like to think I have everything worked out and then all my efforts are put into making things happen the way I planned but we are to seek God's desires. 2) Jesus spoke of healing as bread for His children in Matthew chapter 15 as the Canaan woman pleaded with Jesus to heal her daughter. With an incredible love for her Jesus tested her faith and because of her faith her daughter was healed. My point, God knows our needs and the healing of our bodies is as vital as food! In Matthew chapter 7 Jesus compares our heavenly Father’s desires for his children to earthly fathers ~ he said, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him.” Again pray for the mind of Christ, to really see our situations through His eyes. 3) Don’t doubt! Seek a simple, pure faith that God is who He says He is! The father who’s son was possessed by an evil spirit in Mark chapter 9 was so desperate for God to move in his situation the Bible said he cried out to Jesus, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”
Monday, June 25, 2012
Increase Our Faith
(Luke 17) Increase our faith the disciples told Jesus and this is what he said, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea,' and it would obey you! When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, 'Come in and eat with me'? No, he says, 'Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.' And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey Me you should say, 'We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.'”
It is possible the disciples, unknowingly, had selfish reasons behind asking for an increase in faith, we simply don’t know but the one thing that is clear is that Jesus knows our hearts and many times He challenges our understanding and ultimately grows us beyond places we are able to reach on our own. First, He wants His followers to see it is not the volume of faith that you have but the quality. In that I mean we don’t have to work anything up to this grand level in order for something big to happen but instead, as a child, we simply believe without doubting. It is hard to wrap your mind around but when you are in tune with the Spirit of God through prayer and supplication and in such time you sense His leading a simple faith in your Father’s goodness is all that is needed to see unbelievable things take place! Secondly, when these things happen, as the worker in the field faithfully works for his master, so should we faithfully work for our Master – not bragging on what we have accomplished but always remembering who the glory belongs to and always ready to serve as He leads and directs us, laying aside our own needs, placing God first. Then we can have clear minds knowing we’ve done all that we are supposed to do. As we obey, God remains true to His Word and true to His people therefore increasing our faith so that mightier things may be displayed through us as He leads!
It is possible the disciples, unknowingly, had selfish reasons behind asking for an increase in faith, we simply don’t know but the one thing that is clear is that Jesus knows our hearts and many times He challenges our understanding and ultimately grows us beyond places we are able to reach on our own. First, He wants His followers to see it is not the volume of faith that you have but the quality. In that I mean we don’t have to work anything up to this grand level in order for something big to happen but instead, as a child, we simply believe without doubting. It is hard to wrap your mind around but when you are in tune with the Spirit of God through prayer and supplication and in such time you sense His leading a simple faith in your Father’s goodness is all that is needed to see unbelievable things take place! Secondly, when these things happen, as the worker in the field faithfully works for his master, so should we faithfully work for our Master – not bragging on what we have accomplished but always remembering who the glory belongs to and always ready to serve as He leads and directs us, laying aside our own needs, placing God first. Then we can have clear minds knowing we’ve done all that we are supposed to do. As we obey, God remains true to His Word and true to His people therefore increasing our faith so that mightier things may be displayed through us as He leads!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Joy, God's Joy
Joy comes from knowing Jesus and having a personal relationship with Him! God has purposed for us to know Him well enough through the reading of His Word and prayer that we recognize the character of God, so that in every situation we are open to the Holy Spirit’s direction and leading. Yes, joy that comes from God is very important for it is not like happiness which is conditional upon circumstance but instead joy is everlasting and is a source of strength in times of difficulty; God’s joy gives life where there is no life and gives it abundantly so that He may be glorified in all things that come our way.
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