Sometimes we go through things not so much for us but for the sake of someone else.
Your yesterday may be someone else’s today. God may be preparing you to meet their today out of your experiences of yesterday.
That doesn’t mean you won’t wonder why such things are happening to you at the time.
There is no such thing as waste in God’s economy. He knows exactly what He is doing.
Faith is the belief that God is real and that He is a good God. Faith is the belief that God will do what is right.
We walk by faith and not by sight or explanation. God says….”you will go nowhere tomorrow that I haven’t already been”
The more hopeless your circumstances and the greater your cares, the greater the opportunity for me to manifest and fulfill my promises to you.
Life’s mishaps and tragedies are not a reason to bail out. They are simply a reason to lean on Me, rely and depend on Me.
When you cannot track me, trust me!
Isaiah 45:2 I WILL GO BEFORE THEE, AND MAKE THE CROOKED PLACES STRAIGHT:
I WILL BREAK IN PIECES THE GATES OF BRASS, AND CUT IN SUNDER THE BARS OF IRON:
God is our divine leader, He offers a way with obstacles removed. Remember He has already lived our tomorrows,
He has already fought our battles and won.
Prayer reminds us of who is in charge. You don’t take your request to someone with less authority.
You take them to someone who out ranks you in the solutions department.
This is so true in prayer. You don’t pray just to let God know what’s going on.
He’s way ahead of you on that one. You pray to transfer “my will be done” to “God’s will be done” and since He’s in charge,
He knows the best solution. Prayer transfers the burden to God and He lightens your load.
Note: Prayer pushes through life’s slumps, propels us over the humps, and pulls us out of the dumps.
Remember.. TODAY IS THE TOMORROW YOU WORRIED ABOUT YESTERDAY… AND ALL IS WELL! So pray today!
IT’S A SEASON
DON’T WASTE IT
Somehow the word ‘SEASON’ sometimes seems to us that it is a world without end!
But, it doesn’t snow all year, neither does it rain all year.
Farmers don’t plow all year long, farmers don’t plant all year long, farmers don’t harvest all year long.
Farmers understand that ‘different’ things happen in different Seasons.
We commonly hear and use phrases like: Spring season, Summer season, Fall season and Winter season.
We live by them. We dress accordingly. We adapt to them. We understand that this Season will soon change.
It’s just a Season. We may wish that Summer would last longer, or that Spring season would never end.
But all Seasons come to an end.
Seasons come and Seasons go. Seasons are even shown in animals. Horses, dogs, and cows,
to name a few, grow a ‘Winter’ coat. They adapt for the Season. Isn’t it strange that we humans struggle with adaptation?
Caterpillars look lowly and without beauty or distinction, but don’t let that fool you. It’s just a Season.
Soon that Season of their life will pass and they will become a Beautiful Butterfly that turns every child’s head and causes them to marvel.
We understand that the Seasons of our Natural Environment that are controlled by the moon. Psalm 104:19
He appointed the moon for Seasons. We must have an understanding also, that the Seasons in our Spiritual Life are controlled by the SON.
May it bring comfort to those in pain, (not just physical pain) but pain that comes from a crushed spirit or broken heart,
may you understand that this Season is not permanent, only temporary. This may be a Hurting Season for you,
but allow me to share with you one of my most favorite scriptures Psalm 30:5 in part it says…
WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR A NIGHT, BUT JOY COMETH IN THE MORNING!
This weeping season will pass, and you will be compensated with Joy.
It is said of the Apostle Paul…2 Timothy 4:17 Notwithstanding the Lord Stood With Me, and Strengthened Me;
2 Timothy 4: 18 And the Lord Shall Deliver Me from every evil work, and WILL PRESERVE ME unto His heavenly kingdom…
Don’t fail to make the best of your season!
THE SANCTUARY OF GOD
Psalm 73: 2-3 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
Vs. 3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Vs. 12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
Vs. 13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
Vs. 14 For all the day long I have been plagued, and chastened every morning.
Note verse 16 and 17…When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
Vs. 17.. Until I went into the SANCTUARY of GOD; then understood I their end.
Sanctuary defined: a sacred place, a Holy spot…place of refuge or protection
Example we have wild life sanctuaries…Bird sanctuarie, a place where animals and birds feed, rest,
and breed without being disturbed. For you and I a vacation can be a sanctuary or even a hospital stay
can be a place of rest and care. Jesus Himself went away to the mountains to rest from the crowd.
Pain, perplexity and problems are universal experiences. In both the righteous and wicked.
The experience of pain is a troubling and agonizing experience, and we often ask why?
The Bible gives no easy answers. However; one of the most helpful things about the Bible,
one of the things that makes the reading of it so relevant to the problems of life as we face them,
is that we find reflected in its pages the experiences of our own lives today.
David said I was about to lose it, I almost fell on my face, It didn’t seem fair. I have been plagued
and chastened every morning. When I thought on my situation and took account of my circumstances
it was too painful, too unbearable for me. My problems, pain and pressure put my back against the wall.
I was overwhelmed UNTIL I WENT INTO THE SANCTUARY OF GOD.
Psalm 77:13 The WAY of God is in he SANCTUARY: Who is so great a God as our God.
When your feet slip, steps falter you find your bearings and His WAY in the SANCTUARY.
Psalm 96:6 ….strength and beauty are in His SANCTUARY.
Psalm 134 2 Lift up your hands in the SANCTUARY
The most important thing you can do is to get your eyes off people, cease from comparing yourself with others,
quit using their prosperity as the yard stick to measure yourself by. Understanding , refuge, protection, comfort
and last but not least UNDERSTANDING will be found in the SANCTUARY OF GOD.
GRACE MORE THAN WE DESERVE…
GREATER THAN WE IMAGINE
Grace…G0D’S SUFFICIENCY MEETING MAN’S INSUFFIENCY,
GOD REACHING FURTHER DOWN THAN WE CAN REACH UP!
Note the abundance of God’s Grace…plunge a sponge into the Mighty Mississippi River.
Did you absorb every drop? Take a deep breath, did you suck all the oxygen out of the atmosphere?
God has enough grace to solve every dilemma you face, wipe every tear you cry and answer every
question you ask.
The Gift of Grace is never predicated upon your goodness or worthiness.
That is why it is called unmerited favor,
totally undeserved…that’s why it is Amazing Grace!
There is no message in the word of God that can heal you, inspire you, encourage you
and bring you unspeakable joy like the message of God’s Amazing Grace.
Grace can move Mts. Of guilt and shame and calm the troubled sea of your soul.
Grace can transform your days in the desert into a fountain of living water.
Grace can bring you through the fire, without the smell of smoke upon you.
It is indeed the sufficiency of God that can meet your insufficiency
that can set you free from the tyranny of the past.
God’s Grace is still Amazing oh how sweet the sound.
PROVERBS 15:3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place….
I read this story…One night a family was having dinner when a fire broke out in their home.
As they rushed outside the father noticed that the youngest girl was not with them. He looked up and saw his daughter standing at the second story window.
The father ran to a place just under the window where his daughter was standing. As the fire grew, he called out for her to jump and that he would catch her.
Through the billowing dark smoke she cried…I can’t jump because I can’t see you, to which her father replied, IT’S OK THAT YOU CAN’T SEE ME… BECAUSE I CAN SEE YOU!
You may be feeling the pressure and heat of your problems. You may not see the hand of God through the billowing smoke of your situation.
You may not be able to see your God…what matters is: HE CAN SEE YOU.
The eyes of the Lord are in every place….Proverbs 15:3
Deuteronomy 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous… Genesis 6: 8 Noah found grace in the EYES of the LORD. Remember…it’s ok that you can’t see Him, Because He can and does see you!
Proverbs 20:5 The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of
understanding draws them out.
The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but life without a reason. It is dangerous to
be alive and not know why you were given life.
From the beginning of man’s history as we know it, mankind has been grappling
with the age old questions: Why am I here? What is the reason for my existence?
What is the meaning of my life? These questions are universal. They lurk deep with-
in the secret chambers of every human being on earth; regardless of their race,
color, ethnic heritage, status or nationality. The deepest craving of the human spirit
is to find a sense of significance and relevance. The search for relevance in life is the
ultimate pursuit of man. There must be intent and inspiration, you must have a
dream, desire and determination!
PURPOSE IS THE MASTER OF MOTIVATION and THE MOTHER OF
COMMITMENT. It is the source of ENTHUSIASM and the WOMB OF
PERSEVERANCE. PURPOSE gives birth to Hope and instills the Passion to Act.
We must not become out of touch with values that God deems important! This
world has become an incubator of stress, depression, hopelessness and fear. It is
important for us to realize until Purpose is discovered, existence has no meaning.
All things begin and end with Purpose! Purpose precedes production. Purpose is the
why that explains the reason for existence! Without Purpose there is no reason for
living, no goals, dreams or aspirations thus you become a wandering generality. Ask
yourself the question what is my purpose in life and then set a goal and seek to
accomplish it.
God’s people have always been a people of definite purpose….God’s church was
not an afterthought of God. God is a world God and before time itself He chose to
reach a world not yet created; through the agency of the Church. Ephesians 1:4
God’s purpose is to seek and to save the lost, and we have been given what it takes
to accomplish His will. He has provided us with His Power, Presence and Purpose.
Purpose will always motivate you to ministry. You want to know how to serve God?
You serve God by serving people.
Suffering seems to be woven into the very fabric of humanity, and it is unavoidable as pain or death. Following on the heels of the suffering of grief and loss is the question…WHY?
But may I remind you…when you don’t have an ANSWER you have an ANCHOR, (His Word). Hebrews 6:19…”which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.” God doesn’t always explain His ways, remember the Bible says we walk by FAITH and not by EXPLANATION!
Highway Departments check commercial vehicles for maximum loads. Cargo bearing ships have depth lines. Our Lord guarantees there will be no overload of testing beyond which we are able to bear. Greif comes unannounced and uninvited, death, the dictator came, saw, and conquered. He always does. But his conquering is not forever.
If God is anywhere, He has to be God in the face of death. Like Job…We lose the address of God…Job cried out these words; “O that I knew where I might find Him.” While Job could not locate God, God knew where Job was!
TO LOSE IS TO GAIN
Ecclesiastes 3:6 A time to get, and a time to lose….
I read a label on a new COCA COLA can that said ALL I CAN DO IS WIN!
In the economy of God, to go up is to go down…you become weak to become strong… you become empty to become full… To lose is to gain.
We live in a culture where we are taught all about winning, yet much of our lives is spent dealing with loss in one way or another. The loss of our youth- loss of relationships, loss of finances, loss of health loss through death and the list could go on and on. Incidentally, the tools for dealing with loss aren’t nearly as plentiful as the tools for learning to win and succeed. I don’t think we have a very good theology on loss. We have such a competitive mentality in our world. We think we’ve just got to win, we’ve got to be first.
We have a great theology on how to win, but not how to lose. We as adults need to be better at teaching our children the reality of loss. It’s a broken world. We need to be able to deal with both triumph and defeat and treat both the same. This old gospel song says it so well….I LOST IT ALL TO FIND EVERYTHING. I DIED A PAUPER TO BE BORN A KING. WHEN I LEARNED HOW TO LOSE, I FOUND HOW TO WIN, I LOST IT ALL TO FIND EVERYTHNG.
If our faith is based on winning all the time we eventually run into big trouble. A belief system that insists God’s will for our lives never involves loss, will inevitably break down at some point and then what? Loss is part of living in a fallen world. This is a reality! This is the beautiful thing about loss, it drives us to trust! Loss however difficult, moves us to a place where we must depend on God at a level we could never otherwise understand.
Isaiah 40:28
There never has been a time when God did not exist. There never will be a time when He is not present, in fact…HE IS PRESENT EVERYWHERE, AND ABSENT FROM NOWHERE! He is the one and only (everlasting) only God is everlasting and so only God can accurately use words like always and forever. When Jesus says He will be with you “always” even to the end of the world, He is able to fulfill that promise. It is this everlasting quality of Jesus character which gives rise to His self description as the ALPHA and OMEGA, the beginning and the ending of everything else. Revelation 1:8
He is the Alpha, in that every part of our existence finds its origin in Him. Nothing and no one, besides God has existed forever. He is the Omega, or ending of our existence. Everyone of us will eventually find ourselves at the feet of Jesus to receive either our just or merciful sentence. Our lives begin in God and will end in God. For those who are embraced in the everlasting covenant of salvation (Hebrews 13:20) the everlasting God is a source of never failing present comfort and strength and salvation> Even our salvation which is eternal, is everlasting only because God is eternal and He has promised to sustain us throughout the unfolding chapters of eternity.