Waiting

"And it will be said in that day: "Behold this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." Isaiah 25:9

       It is no easy task to wait for your deliverance, because in the process of waiting trials are still ongoing. Adversity is not taking a backseat waiting for you to be set free. But it is so imperative that in these moments of great trial, we wait on God's power to deliver us instead of being impatient and doing things in our own (which probably got us in trouble in the first place). 

        8 Times in the bible God says to his people "I will never leave your nor forsake you." The first occurrence happens in Deuteronomy 31:6 where God said to His people in the wilderness, "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” If God thought this recurring theme in the bible was worthy of repeating 8 times in the bible don't you think it would be something worth paying attention to. 

      Don't fear your circumstances, embrace the challenges. For in due season, God will come to you. Perhaps he's using these present circumstances to develop something within you that will be essential to helping someone else. Or even better, it will be something that will propel you to a level of favor and blessing you weren't able to handle without adversity. In all your trials remember that everything has it's purpose, don't give up your wait for Him. For He's never late in delivering us.

Protection

  

"One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple.^(A) For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock." Psalm 27:4-5

       I Remember when I was little I was scared of that dark. You know what I did when I was scared? I hid. Mostly underneath the covers as I think of it now. People used to ask why did I do this? Simple. I felt safety undercover. Much like today we feel safe in our home or in our church because those buildings provide literal coverings.

        David saw God as that type of covering. Whenever the giant slayer felt afraid all he needed to do was to think about the wonderful attributes of God, it was then he'd recognize that whatever troubles may come in life God always provided the covering he needed and elevated him to a position of safety. As I am growing older I'm understanding this concept more and more. God is so interested in us trusting Him for protection, but we need to have the faith that as our little covers provided us safety from the dark so to will our God provide us safety from all our troubles. Try it, there is a bible full of examples to back this theory up.

Fearless

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

      You know what bothers God the most? People who live in fear. Because those who live in fear fail to realize their potential in life. They fail to reach for supernatural things because they are so concerned about their own natural limitations. I think it must drive him nuts, because he has placed in each one of us a gift that is truly unique to us, and the only way to activate this gift is to be....well... fearless.

      I guess when you get down to it, fear is predicated on selfishness. Many of you are like...huh? Well I think it merits a rather simple explanation. Each time you fear, you concern yourself primarily with self-preservation, or the preservation of something important to you. Therefore, fear of what you may lose, prevents you from trusting anything but yourself.

       The antithesis to fear is love. The apostle John wrote some very poignant words when he said, "There is no fear in love, because perfect love casts out all fear." (1 John 4:8a) It is no coincidence that John and Paul used love as the great equalizer to fear, because they both understood the depth of love of Christ. More than anything else this love made supernatural power, and ability available to us. To them it was the quintessential reason why we should live fearlessly, or have we forgotten what David wrote in Psalm 23:4?

Abundance in Famine

"The Lord knows the days of the upright and blameless, and their heritage will abide forever. They shall not be put to shame in the time of evil; and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied." Psalm 37: 18-19 (Amplified)

       When I read Psalm 37 the other day these two verses jumped out of the page right into my heart. Instantly, I began to think of the times we live in today. A time where there is a great famine in the land, and the wicked are running rampant through the streets. In the midst of it all, God is keeping a careful watch over his righteous people. Ensuring that: 1) they will not be put to shame, and 2) they are not victimized by the famine.

       One thought that did cross my mind was I am definitely not upright and blameless, so how do I share in this promise? The answer...Christ. Because Christ lives and dwells in my heart, the sin that should reign in my life has no hold on me. I can now recieve the promises of God because I'm covered by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross (How marvelous!).

        The bible is replete with examples of prosperity in famine. Remember the widow that was down to her last measure of oil until Elijah came (1 Kings 17). Or think about the circumstances that led Jacob and his family find Joseph his long lost son (Genesis 45). If you don't believe God is in the business of rescuing His people in the direst of circumstances think again. Our only role in this life is to believe. If we do, we shall see the Glory of God. (John 11:40)

Our Purpose

"You didn't choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you." John 15:16 (The Message)
 
       Here Jesus makes it implicitly clear to His chosen ones (us), why He chose us. You see many people scour the earth to find purpose and meaning behind their lives. Jesus is well aware of this and in no uncertain terms breaks it down to its lowest common denominator. Our purpose: Be effective in producing fruit. Our provision: Asking God for anything to help us be effective fruits. You see, God will grant us whatever we ask for if our motives are to produce more effective fruit. 
 
       Conversely, those who do not produce fruit, "He [God] cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes (fruit)." (v.1) Again Jesus pulls no punches. He establishes Himself as the true vine and apart from Him we cannot be effective in any endeavor in life. The curious thing is that if we are in Him and don't produce fruit then we are manually removed. On the flip side, if we are bearing fruit we are being made better to produce more fruit by being pruned (v.2). You see, our maturation occurs through adversity so as James 1:4 states, "Let it (adversity) do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." 
 
        How do we start bearing effective fruit? Jesus makes a rather simple request, "But remember the root command: Love one another." (v.17) As we learn to love one another as He loved us then it becomes easy to see the needs of someone else and do our best to support that person the best we can. This is producing fruit. We are allowing a branch to get healthy so that they in turn could begin to produce fruit as we are intended to produce. It's a cycle that starts with the vine. We're either in the vine or separated from it (Him). With Him we can do anything, apart from Him we are severely limited. The choice is ours!

Purposeful Creator

"For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels- everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in him." Colossians 1:18 (The Message)
 
          Redwood trees have a majesty and splendor that really cannot be duplicated among created things in this earth. Their roots dig deep into the earth and after thousands and thousands of years of taking sprout they continue to grow and spread their roots where ever they are. A little tiny Hummingbird, it flaps it's wings hundreds of times a minute. It flutters around each flower looking for how to feed itself with a raiment of colors in its feathers that is spectacular in every way. 
      
          God created these marvelous things as He created us. He didn't leave out any detail in this earth. Everything that has been, or existed was created with purpose. Sure there will be the naysayers out there bent on convincing you otherwise but you know better than to believe in a bang creating the crests of waters that flow gently on a summer beach, or the majesty of a snow capped mountain range in the winter. My point is this, take time each day just to slow down the fast-paced life that surrounds you take in a deep breath and look around and realize that the very one that created each and everything within 360 degrees of where you are also took the time create you, and make you perfect in every way possible. 

Unbelievable Grace

"I will fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to sinners), that I may receive mercy [for my failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when I need it]." Hebrews 4:16 (Amplified)

     Each time I think of the grace of God I become so humbled and awe-inspired, because the grace of God is something that is truly unbelievable. How can I be as sinful and wretched as I am, and God sees unblemished righteousness? Unbelievable indeed.

     The best aspect of God's grace is the fact that grace grants us mercy to recieve God's help. In my own human condition, I am likely to afford people help if they have done something right in my sight. Not God. He affords us His unbounding generosity and aid especially in our most difficult times not because of what we have done, but because of His love. How truly magnificent is that? Regardless of what you have done, or will do, His grace is sufficient to cover all our shortcomings and grant us access to the Father whenever we need Him. Yeah... unbelievable is the word, I'd use, but I'm so glad that its true.

Hiding Place

"You are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory." Psalm 32:7 (NLT)

     Ever faced a situation so difficult, and so big there was absolutely no way you could overcome it on your own? Those are the toughest situations because you feel so helpless, so defenseless, and so unable to see a positive outcome.

      I remember hearing last week from a well known preacher that there is something we can do that God cannot. He said, "We can do all we can, with regards to finances we can do all we can do, health, or otherwise we have a limit, but God has no limit." In that moment, when we come to the end of ourselves, God is just getting started.

       I know that for me each time I reach my end, I go to my hiding place (God). I rest in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1), because He protects me from all my trouble and gives me the victory. If you're in the same boat and you have no place to go, go to Him. For He will shield you with His covering and overcome your enemies for you. Don't believe me? Consider that Jesus was willing to touch a leper and heal Him just to show him that He would do anything to show us His love, and the fact that He has defeated our circumstances (Matthew 8:3). He'll do the same for you I guarantee it.

Forgiven to Forgive

"For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him." Psalm 103:11-13 (NLT)

       I struggle with sin just as much as the next guy. I don't pretend at all to be perfect or someone who rises above the fray on my own merits, because at my core I am still flesh and blood. The difference in my life is that I choose not to be just that. Sure, I could wallow in my frailty as a man and decide that living a life of consecration to God is something monumentally difficult, or, I could accept the grace and mercy He affords as well as His perpetual willingness forgive me, and live a spirit driven life that is a benefit towards everyone around me.

       I've identified a struggle that many of us have... ESPECIALLY when we fall to sin. In our mind we cannot fathom how God forgives us if we ask for forgiveness... much less that he doesn't even remember it. Revelation 8:12-13 state, "And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear."

       The forgiveness of man is clearly stated in black and white, but our human condition causes us to doubt God's word, because we ourselves cannot reason why it is the way it is, because we wouldn't do it that way. Simply put, God's word is eternal and no one can add or take from it. We must understand that the biggest reason we are forgiven is so that we can turn around and share with others not only how to live a forgiven life, but how to forgive as well. Jesus says in Luke 12:48b, "When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required." It stands to reason that if we who were forgiven either chose not to understand and accept our forgiveness then we reject God, similarly if we accept this wonderful gift of mercy and grace and yet do not show our brothers the same we also reject God. Just lay down all of your inhibitions and freely accept a gift you cannot repay, for His love has afforded it to us.

Protection

 "One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock." Psalm 27:4-5

       

I Remember when I was little I was scared of that dark. You know what I did when I was scared? I hid. Mostly underneath the covers as I think of it now. People used to ask why did I do this? Simple. I felt safety undercover. Much like today we feel safe in our home or in our church because those buildings provide literal coverings.

David saw God as that type of covering. Whenever the giant slayer felt afraid all he needed to do was to think about the wonderful attributes of God and then He would recognize that whatever trouble may come in life God always provided the covering he needed and elevated him to a position of safety. As I am growing older I'm understanding this concept more and more. God is so interested in us trusting Him to protect us, but we need to have the faith that as our little covers provided us safety from the dark, so to will our God provide us safety from all our troubles. Try it, there is a bible full of examples to back this theory up.

Our Solution

"I will go before you and make the crooked places straight…” (Isaiah 45:2 NKJV)
 
       Each time I let anxiety get a hold of me, He whispers to me "Don't get involved, I got it." And as I pry my hands away from the situation I realize every time that in His perfect time he satisfies every need in my life. Then I sit there wondering how truly ludicrous it was of me to try and do this on my own. 
 
       I guess in my shortsightedness I often view the circumstance much more than I viewed the solution (God). He has gone before us and directed our paths and though there are times we grow impatient or lose our focus we must let Him accomplish the work. Proverbs 4:18 says, "But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day." 
 
        As we devote ourselves to letting go of our worry and anxious thoughts submitting them all to His authority,  the result of it is our faith increases. Because the more we realize that He has it all under control the greater role He can take on in our lives. It's very much like a simple adage I hear from time to time but oh so true... Let Go and Let God!

The Uncompromising

"All the horns of the ungodly also I will cut off [says the Lord], but the horns of the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be exalted." Psalm 75:10 (Amplified)

       Nothing jumps out at me faster than the word "uncompromisingly" in this verse. This word exudes tenacity and a total unwillingness to accept the norm, the status quo, or failure for that matter. God exalts those who are uncompromisingly devoted to righteousness. These people just won't give in, even when life seems to take its toll on them. Be it pressure, stress, or hardships the uncompromisingly righteous one will emerge without losing their temper or their witness.
 
        Why will God exalt these people? I think because these people will face the best shot that the enemy has to give and still they will remain devoted to the cause of righteousness. It sure seems like this is a very difficult task, but if we allow the spirit within us to overcome our flesh then we're most assuredly on the right path. A word of caution, the temptation to give into unrighteousness abounds... but remember that the reward far exceeds the temporal pleasure of a life of sin. No matter what! Don't give in! 

Abundant Blessings

"Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings." Psalm 23:4-5 (NLT)

        This passage of scripture totally captures what God will do for us when we totally rely on Him in the midst of our challenges. Earlier in this passage, the Psalmist demonstrates his trust in God through the valley of the shadow of death, citing that he would not be afraid for He is comforted by the fact that God is with him and would provide comfort and security for Him.
   
        God's response to His trust is typical. He showers Him with favor and blessings in the presence of his enemies. It's curious to note that the enemies even observe God preparing a hearty feast for him. In other words, God is serving him provisions in order to demonstrate to the enemies His supernatural power to provide and overcome.

         Friends, I don't know about you but when I read this particular passage of scripture it emboldens me. It causes me to see how God thinks towards us, and how we ought to react when we face trials. Never should we address the trial on our own (with our own strength), but we must fully rely on Him to provide us comfort and security. When we fully devote our trust to him in this fashion then abundant blessings will rain down upon us. This is a tried and true principal that will never fail.

Work Ethic

"Don't just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ's servants doing what God wants you to do. And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you're really serving God. Good work will get you good pay from the Master, regardless of whether you are slave or free." Ephesians 6: 6-8 (The Message)

      I've been working for a little over 16 years now and I have seen bosses of every sort. I've seen the mean task master, I've seen the micro-manager, I've seen the coach, I've seen the inspirational leader, and so on. What I've realized throughout my time in the workforce is that regardless of who's over you, your work ethic and performance should always be as if you were working for God.

      I know several people who work harder when the boss is present than when he's not around, but in all honesty, God is always around watching what we do, and we should be fully aware that our work should reflect that at all times. I strongly believe that we can set ourselves apart by coming to work with an attitude of contentment and a spirit of joy because that directly translates into performance.

       Paul made this point to servants to show that God is a just rewarder of hard work. As such, we should consistently demonstrate we are children of the King by how we work. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say..."I didn't know they were a Christian?" Shocked and amazed because their work performance didn't reflect their professed lifestyle. It's a sad thing, let us not be those examples, but examples of hard work and contentment because it doesn't get any better than working for God.

Overcoming Adversity

"For the Lord God helps Me; therefore have I not been ashamed or confounded. Therefore have I set My face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame." Isaiah 50:7 (Amplified)

       To those who don't know, adversity follows close behind those who follow after God. The enemy of God hates what we represent and it is his responsibility to try and dissuade us from going down the right path. He'll do his best to entice you with riches, fame, and perhaps respectability. However, what He has to offer will one day diminish because nothing he has is eternal. (Except of course his condemnation, and I'm sure you want no part of that)

         The prophet here sees that there is a positive track record with staying in God's corner. He gets all the help he needs and is never put in a situation that leaves him embarrased or confused. The key to his success is his ability to maintain his focus. Keeping his eyes always on God and not allowing for one moment the enemy of his soul to take away what he has struggled to maintain. Focus for us is keeping God first, "But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides." (Matthew 6:33)

         To those who have endured this by life maintaining your focus, I commend you. And I ask you to keep the focus, for times lie ahead that will challenge you even more. To those who haven't, my hope is that you to really buy into making the priorities of heaven your own priorities, only good things will come from it. The bible is replete with instructions on how to get on the path and keep running on the right trail. Before you know it you'll be headed towards the eternal finish line with a reward that can never be matched (not even by the prince of the earth). Keep your head up and Keep your mind focused, now is your time!

Enjoying Life

"Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom." Psalm 90:12 (NLT)


       My grandmother died a year ago yesterday... and this event caused me to reflect about life in general. The question came to my mind... "If I died today would I be pleased with the time God gave me in this life? Did I do everything that I could to be a witness and an example of Christ to others?"


       Death should make you reflect on such things not to be cryptic, but to reflect, taking an inventory on the direction of your life. My grandmother was very generous, and very spiritual. She loved God and she loved people, and I want the same to be said of me when I die. 


      David in this Psalm shows us that the most important thing in life is redeeming the time because if you don't then what was is all about? Understanding the brevity of life will have us love better and reach more people, and that is how you grow in wisdom.

Hiding Place

“You are a hiding place for me, You, Lord, preserve me from trouble, You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance.” Psalm 32:7 (Amplified)

           Aren’t there times in life where you feel like just getting away? Where just the pressures of life in general encompass you from every side and can feel a bit overwhelming. David sure did. A man persecuted unjustly for years and years, he absolutely needed to get away. But where? David discovered a place where he could seek shelter away from the trouble and persecution he was facing and he was eager to return to that place as often as he could. David saw this place as a place for rest where the troubles and toils of life would not be handled by him, but God.

            This place is real, and what’s more is that this place is available to us. David went a step further and in Psalm 91 referred to this hiding place as, “The secret place of the most high and the shadow of the Almighty.” Wow! Can you imagine that place? Being in the absolute stillness of God’s hand. Where nothing else matters, and where you feel God surrounding your every situation and circumstance.

God is waiting for us there. The problem often surfaces that in order to get there you must lay all of your burdens down before Him. There are many people who would rather not lay those burdens down. They reason to themselves, "God can’t handle my situation," or even worse, "God doesn’t really care about my need." What I would say to that is… If you haven’t tried it, then really you haven’t lived it. Come lay down the burdens you have carried… God is nearer than you think!

The Shepherd

"The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need." Psalm 23:1 (NLT)

       Isn't it wonderful to know when you don't have to worry about anything. Where you can just live life and not feel like the weight of the world is completely on your shoulders. God intends for us to live just like that.

        In the old days, the shepherd did pretty much everything for the sheep. They bathed and fed them, they provided shelter for them, and most importantly they kept them from harm. Whenever evil lurked in the camp the shepherd's main responsibility was to eliminate the threat as soon as possible, because the sheep were really incapable of defending themselves.

        Jesus took the care for the sheep to another level in his parable of 100 sheep. He would say that the good shepherd would actually leave the 99 sheep to find the one that went astray. That's the importance the shepherd assigns to each of his flock. David (who wrote this psalm), wrote this from a position of experience as the shepherd, understood that if God was in control of his life... He has all he needed. I believe we all need to get to that same understanding, it would help us live life a little bit more like sheep.

True Strength

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (NIV)

        A few years ago a friend of mine lost his wife to cancer. She had fought the good fight for three years (battling cancer), but in the end God had called her home to suffer no more. Through this troubling experience, my friend learned how God's strength was perfected in weakness. I can only imagine the internal struggle, the questions, the moments of bewilderment he withstood. God's response to Him? "My grace is enough to make you strong, stand firm." (paraphrase mine) And stand firm he did.

        Now I know God will never give us more than we can handle, but if we are to obtain a strength significant enough to defeat the spiritual darkness in this world we will eventually have to endure a moment in which our weakness can only be complimented by His strength. Don't fear these moments because you don't know the wonderful purpopse these moments will bring you into. Paul was intimately acquainted with pain and persecutions of every sort, yet he never relented in boasting about his suffering and the strength of Christ within Him. We would do ourselves a great amount of good if we learned to do the same.

Pray

"There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.” Luke 22:40 (NLT)

Jesus first response to every adversity was prayer. Each time his adversaries accused Him of something, or looked for a cause to kill Him, He retreated from the hostility and went to pray (Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12, and many other examples). He communicated with the Father so often that He became so attuned to how to overcome every sort of adversity.

 

 

As the time for His death approached, there was no better remedy for what was going to occur than to pray. He advised His disciples to do the same because their date with temptation and adversity were at hand. He knew that only through prayer (connecting with God) were they going to be able to overcome the greatest challenges in their lives to that point.

 

 

Jesus wanted to serve as an example to His disciples on how to approach any challenge in life. It's not trying to wrack your brain to determine how to approach the situation, its going off to a quiet place to pray. Go to God even if you don't know what to say, just spend time with Him connecting with Him and invariably you'll be given the key to any circumstance, and a peace that will guard your heart and mind. "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36) Good advice from an experienced prayer.