Results Of Waiting
Esther ( 4:12-17) Isaiah (40:31)
Now, don't think for a moment that God is whiling away His time, busy with other things. Remember, He may be invisible, but He is at work. That's the beauty of His invisibility. He can be moving in a thousand places at the same time, working in circumstances that are beyond our control. During a waiting period, God is not only working in our hearts, He's working in others' hearts. And all the while He is giving added strength. Remember Isaiah's words about waiting?
Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
Even though the prophet's pen put these words on the sacred page centuries ago, that verse of Scripture is as pertinent and relevant as what you read in the paper this morning--and far more trustworthy. From this verse we learn that four things happen when we wait.
1) We gain new strength. We may feel weak, even intimidated, when we turn to our Lord. While waiting, amazingly we exchange our weakness for His strength.
2) We get a better perspective. It says we "will mount up with wings like eagles." Eagles can spot fish in a lake several miles away on a clear day. By soaring like eagles while waiting, we gain perspective on our situation.
3) We store up extra energy. "We will run and not get tired." Notice, it's future tense. When we do encounter the thing we have been dreading, we will encounter it with new strength--extra energy will be ours to use.
4) We will deepen our determination to persevere. We "will walk and not become weary." The Lord whispers reassurance to us. He puts steel in our bones, so to speak. We begin to feel increasingly more invincible.
We'll gain new strength. We'll get a better perspective. We'll store up extra energy. We'll deepen our determination to persevere. All that happens when we, wait.
Wednesday, 5 February 2014
Refocusing
Psalm (78)
Every soul is as fully known to Jesus as if he were the only one for whom the Savior died. The distress of every one touches His heart. The cry for aid reaches His ear. He came to draw all men unto Himself. He bids them, "Follow Me," and His Spirit moves upon their hearts to draw them to come to Him. Many refuse to be drawn. Jesus knows who they are. He also knows who gladly hear His call, and are ready to come under His pastoral care. He says, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." He cares for each one as if there were not another on the face of the earth.
We have a gracious God who even though, see us complaining sometimes He "is in the sanctuary" pleading for us! If we want to get out of our depression we should use the gift of thankfulness which is one of the most powerful gifts God offers for healing and deliverance!
"Nine tenths of the trials and perplexities that so many worry over are either imaginary, or brought upon themselves by their own wrong course. They should cease to talk of these trials, and 'cease' to magnify them. The Christian may commit every worriment, every disturbing thing to God. Nothing is too small for our compassionate Savior to notice; nothing is too great for Him to carry."
"If there is any one who should be continually grateful, it is the follower of Christ. If there is any one who enjoys real happiness, even in this life, it is the faithful Christian. If we appreciate or have any sense of how dearly our salvation was purchased, anything which we may call sacrifice will sink away into insignificance."
"We need not keep our own record of trials and difficulties, grief's, and sorrows. All these things are written in the books, and heaven will take care of them." In Heavenly Places.
Psalm (78)
Every soul is as fully known to Jesus as if he were the only one for whom the Savior died. The distress of every one touches His heart. The cry for aid reaches His ear. He came to draw all men unto Himself. He bids them, "Follow Me," and His Spirit moves upon their hearts to draw them to come to Him. Many refuse to be drawn. Jesus knows who they are. He also knows who gladly hear His call, and are ready to come under His pastoral care. He says, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." He cares for each one as if there were not another on the face of the earth.
We have a gracious God who even though, see us complaining sometimes He "is in the sanctuary" pleading for us! If we want to get out of our depression we should use the gift of thankfulness which is one of the most powerful gifts God offers for healing and deliverance!
"Nine tenths of the trials and perplexities that so many worry over are either imaginary, or brought upon themselves by their own wrong course. They should cease to talk of these trials, and 'cease' to magnify them. The Christian may commit every worriment, every disturbing thing to God. Nothing is too small for our compassionate Savior to notice; nothing is too great for Him to carry."
"If there is any one who should be continually grateful, it is the follower of Christ. If there is any one who enjoys real happiness, even in this life, it is the faithful Christian. If we appreciate or have any sense of how dearly our salvation was purchased, anything which we may call sacrifice will sink away into insignificance."
"We need not keep our own record of trials and difficulties, grief's, and sorrows. All these things are written in the books, and heaven will take care of them." In Heavenly Places.
Tuesday, 4 February 2014
God's Deliverance
Exodus (6:2-8)
We can not endure these time's until we fully rivet our full attention on the Lord".
Those time's that go from bad to worse. We must contemplate the Lord's sovereignty and goodness. As well as His compassion, power, love and wisdom". Especially when we find ourselves sinking into treacherous waters!
Because of who God is, we can be confident that He is in control of our circumstances.
And we can look to Him for strength and victory.
As we see God's awesome power at work, we discover afresh that doing God's will God's way demands both our availability and our obedience. Are we really prepared to respond obediently to God's will as revealed in Scripture?
And are we really willing and ready to move from the familiar to the unfamiliar at the moment God tells us to go? Will we be available and obedient when He calls us?
God never gives us a goal that we cannot accomplish in His strength. I want to assure you that you can glorify God, you must glorify God".
But we have to determine deep within our hearts that we are going to do it, His way.
That's right-His way. Not our own!
So therefore take heart. When God is involved anything can happen. The one who split the Red Sea down the middle and leveled the wall around Jericho and brought His Son back from the dead takes delight in the incredible!
Exodus (6:2-8)
We can not endure these time's until we fully rivet our full attention on the Lord".
Those time's that go from bad to worse. We must contemplate the Lord's sovereignty and goodness. As well as His compassion, power, love and wisdom". Especially when we find ourselves sinking into treacherous waters!
Because of who God is, we can be confident that He is in control of our circumstances.
And we can look to Him for strength and victory.
As we see God's awesome power at work, we discover afresh that doing God's will God's way demands both our availability and our obedience. Are we really prepared to respond obediently to God's will as revealed in Scripture?
And are we really willing and ready to move from the familiar to the unfamiliar at the moment God tells us to go? Will we be available and obedient when He calls us?
God never gives us a goal that we cannot accomplish in His strength. I want to assure you that you can glorify God, you must glorify God".
But we have to determine deep within our hearts that we are going to do it, His way.
That's right-His way. Not our own!
So therefore take heart. When God is involved anything can happen. The one who split the Red Sea down the middle and leveled the wall around Jericho and brought His Son back from the dead takes delight in the incredible!
Monday, 3 February 2014
Don't Be A Fool
The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God. Psalm (14:1)
The atheistic fool. It's said, 'An atheist can't find God for the same reason a thief can't find a policeman.' Sometimes pride is at the core of atheism. Without God, you become your own god, which means there's no higher power than yourself! But the God of the Bible proves His existence in three ways:
1) Creation. Many people are in prison today who weren't caught at the scene of the crime, and no one actually witnessed the crime. What proved they did it? Fingerprints! DNA! Creation carries God's fingerprints and DNA. 'Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Isaiah (40:26).
2) Calvary. In creation you see God's power, at the cross you see His love for you. In creation you see His hand, at the cross you see His heart.
3) Conscience. 'Gentiles even without having heard it demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right' Romans (2:14-15). Conscience is like having a Bible in your soul; no one was born without one.
Voltaire, the French atheist, said, 'It took twelve fishermen to build Christianity. I will show the world how one Frenchman can destroy it.' After Voltaire died, the home in which he had lived became Europe's most famous Bible distribution center. Bottom line: Voltaire is dead; our God lives! Atheism is the greatest gamble of all. After all, what if there is a God and you stand before Him one day?
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
Luke (12:20)
The ambitious fool. Jesus told the story of a successful farmer who said, 'I will pull down my barns, and build greater. Evidently he was a good businessman and planner. But then he said: 'I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. So is he that layed up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God'.
This man had a plan for time, but none for eternity. He thought about himself, but not God. He paid attention to his body, but not his soul. It's said that the average body has enough phosphorus to make eight hundred thousand match heads, enough sugar to go into sixty cubes, enough salt to cover twenty spoons, and enough iron to make about ten dollars' worth of nails.
The rest is just dust and water. When you pamper, promote and protect the part of you that will only live seventy or eighty years and neglect the part of you that will live on in either heaven or hell, God says you're a fool.
This man told himself he had 'many years,' but God said, 'This night thy soul shall be required of thee.' Don't you realize that an accident, a blocked artery, a stray bullet, a plane with engine failure or a drunk driver could take you out in an instant? Wise up! The question is not will you die, but when? And are you ready to stand before God?
The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God. Psalm (14:1)
The atheistic fool. It's said, 'An atheist can't find God for the same reason a thief can't find a policeman.' Sometimes pride is at the core of atheism. Without God, you become your own god, which means there's no higher power than yourself! But the God of the Bible proves His existence in three ways:
1) Creation. Many people are in prison today who weren't caught at the scene of the crime, and no one actually witnessed the crime. What proved they did it? Fingerprints! DNA! Creation carries God's fingerprints and DNA. 'Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Isaiah (40:26).
2) Calvary. In creation you see God's power, at the cross you see His love for you. In creation you see His hand, at the cross you see His heart.
3) Conscience. 'Gentiles even without having heard it demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right' Romans (2:14-15). Conscience is like having a Bible in your soul; no one was born without one.
Voltaire, the French atheist, said, 'It took twelve fishermen to build Christianity. I will show the world how one Frenchman can destroy it.' After Voltaire died, the home in which he had lived became Europe's most famous Bible distribution center. Bottom line: Voltaire is dead; our God lives! Atheism is the greatest gamble of all. After all, what if there is a God and you stand before Him one day?
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
Luke (12:20)
The ambitious fool. Jesus told the story of a successful farmer who said, 'I will pull down my barns, and build greater. Evidently he was a good businessman and planner. But then he said: 'I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. So is he that layed up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God'.
This man had a plan for time, but none for eternity. He thought about himself, but not God. He paid attention to his body, but not his soul. It's said that the average body has enough phosphorus to make eight hundred thousand match heads, enough sugar to go into sixty cubes, enough salt to cover twenty spoons, and enough iron to make about ten dollars' worth of nails.
The rest is just dust and water. When you pamper, promote and protect the part of you that will only live seventy or eighty years and neglect the part of you that will live on in either heaven or hell, God says you're a fool.
This man told himself he had 'many years,' but God said, 'This night thy soul shall be required of thee.' Don't you realize that an accident, a blocked artery, a stray bullet, a plane with engine failure or a drunk driver could take you out in an instant? Wise up! The question is not will you die, but when? And are you ready to stand before God?
Draw On His Power Within You
To him who is able to do immeasurably more.
Ephesians (3:20)
There are words in your Bible which have so much power in them that they're more effective than any therapy. God can illuminate a Scripture that goes back into the past and heals your wounds, gives you direction in the middle of despair, and provides hope for the future. Satan will try to fill your mind with so much junk that you don't have an appetite for God's Word. That's because he knows the Scriptures unmask him, and release the potential lying dormant within you. Before Jeremiah rose to national prominence as a prophet, God told him two things:
1) 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, Jeremiah (1:5). Your parents didn't get the first look at you, God did. Nothing about you surprises Him. In spite of what you've been through, He hasn't changed His mind about who you are or what you're destined to become.
2) 'Before you were born I set you apart. You say, 'I've always felt different.' That's because you are. Celebrate it! Stop looking for acceptance where you don't belong. You're on a mission for God; that's why the enemy has tried so hard to take you out. Once you understand that, your struggle will begin to make sense.
As you study God's Word you'll begin to experience the mind-renewing, life-changing power He's deposited within you. 'Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.' So start drawing on that power today.
To him who is able to do immeasurably more.
Ephesians (3:20)
There are words in your Bible which have so much power in them that they're more effective than any therapy. God can illuminate a Scripture that goes back into the past and heals your wounds, gives you direction in the middle of despair, and provides hope for the future. Satan will try to fill your mind with so much junk that you don't have an appetite for God's Word. That's because he knows the Scriptures unmask him, and release the potential lying dormant within you. Before Jeremiah rose to national prominence as a prophet, God told him two things:
1) 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, Jeremiah (1:5). Your parents didn't get the first look at you, God did. Nothing about you surprises Him. In spite of what you've been through, He hasn't changed His mind about who you are or what you're destined to become.
2) 'Before you were born I set you apart. You say, 'I've always felt different.' That's because you are. Celebrate it! Stop looking for acceptance where you don't belong. You're on a mission for God; that's why the enemy has tried so hard to take you out. Once you understand that, your struggle will begin to make sense.
As you study God's Word you'll begin to experience the mind-renewing, life-changing power He's deposited within you. 'Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.' So start drawing on that power today.
Saturday, 1 February 2014
The Just Shall Live By Faith"
Habakkuk (2:4)
Heavenly Father!I praise You and honour You! I thank You for being with me always and loving me with Your eternal love! You are in control of all things and I thank You for that.O Lord!
Your Scripture clearly tells that without faith I can neither please You nor receive any answer for my prayer. Please forgive me for not believing in Your love, power and goodness. Many times I've been discouraged by my circumstances and many times I have failed to trust in You.
Please forgive me Lord! Your are the God of all hope and I acknowledge that nothing is too difficult for You. I am confident that You will meet all my needs as I seek to live according to Your word! Thank You Lord for helping me get over my unbelief removing all my fears and anxieties! Let me not lose heart on seeing the circumstances Lord! Strengthen my faith through which alone I can receive miracles from You Lord.
You have said whatever I ask in prayer, believing, I will receive. Thank You for this promise Lord! I love You and trust in Your awesome power! I know You are with me right now to take care of my needs and I thank You for that. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Habakkuk (2:4)
Heavenly Father!I praise You and honour You! I thank You for being with me always and loving me with Your eternal love! You are in control of all things and I thank You for that.O Lord!
Your Scripture clearly tells that without faith I can neither please You nor receive any answer for my prayer. Please forgive me for not believing in Your love, power and goodness. Many times I've been discouraged by my circumstances and many times I have failed to trust in You.
Please forgive me Lord! Your are the God of all hope and I acknowledge that nothing is too difficult for You. I am confident that You will meet all my needs as I seek to live according to Your word! Thank You Lord for helping me get over my unbelief removing all my fears and anxieties! Let me not lose heart on seeing the circumstances Lord! Strengthen my faith through which alone I can receive miracles from You Lord.
You have said whatever I ask in prayer, believing, I will receive. Thank You for this promise Lord! I love You and trust in Your awesome power! I know You are with me right now to take care of my needs and I thank You for that. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Show Grace
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.
Ephesians (1:7)
Have you ever noticed how quickly we judge somebody else's shortcomings while making all kinds of allowance for our own? Paul talks about 'the riches of grace' that God lavished on us. But we strain that grace when we refuse to extend it to others. Jesus said, when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so your Father may forgive you', Mark (11:25).
You don't get to decide which offences you'll forgive and which ones you'll keep holding over somebody's head. We are commanded to 'love mercy', Micah (6:8). That means we must pursue it and make it our goal. Don't say, 'I'll forgive him when he proves he deserves it.' Biblical forgiveness isn't conditional, can't be earned, isn't deserved, and you can't bargain for it. Jesus said, 'Give as freely as you received!' Matthew (10:8).
'If I forgive him he'll have got away with it.' You're not letting anybody get away with anything, because even when you've forgiven the offender there's still a penalty to be paid. It's just not your job to enforce it. 'If I forgive him he'll keep hurting me.' Forgiveness doesn't mean the relationship always stays the same. It takes time to rebuild trust and make sure repentance is genuine. In fact, if the offence is abusive or puts you in danger - forgive, but maintain a safe distance. 'If I forgive him he's free to hurt me again.' The truth is, he's free to do it again anyway, just like you're free to show grace even when the offender doesn't ask or show any sign of repentance.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.
Ephesians (1:7)
Have you ever noticed how quickly we judge somebody else's shortcomings while making all kinds of allowance for our own? Paul talks about 'the riches of grace' that God lavished on us. But we strain that grace when we refuse to extend it to others. Jesus said, when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so your Father may forgive you', Mark (11:25).
You don't get to decide which offences you'll forgive and which ones you'll keep holding over somebody's head. We are commanded to 'love mercy', Micah (6:8). That means we must pursue it and make it our goal. Don't say, 'I'll forgive him when he proves he deserves it.' Biblical forgiveness isn't conditional, can't be earned, isn't deserved, and you can't bargain for it. Jesus said, 'Give as freely as you received!' Matthew (10:8).
'If I forgive him he'll have got away with it.' You're not letting anybody get away with anything, because even when you've forgiven the offender there's still a penalty to be paid. It's just not your job to enforce it. 'If I forgive him he'll keep hurting me.' Forgiveness doesn't mean the relationship always stays the same. It takes time to rebuild trust and make sure repentance is genuine. In fact, if the offence is abusive or puts you in danger - forgive, but maintain a safe distance. 'If I forgive him he's free to hurt me again.' The truth is, he's free to do it again anyway, just like you're free to show grace even when the offender doesn't ask or show any sign of repentance.
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