Enjoying God's Delight!

 Psalm 18:19 - "He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me."

God does not rescue us out of obligation, but out of great desire! He knows that if left us to our devices, we would isolate ourselves into a corner where the enemy would ravage us. Then, hopelessness would be our heritage rather than the expansiveness of His love. By allowing our spirits to shrink from Him and others, we exchange a large piece of spiritual property for one that confines us. This will ultimately keep us from God's purpose.

Have you ever experienced a wide open expanse in God's Spirit? This comes from touching His heart when we stand in the gap for others. In this way, God helps us to intercede through both prayer and witnessing Jesus from our lives to others. When we give ourselves to touch God's heart, He allows us to experience His Spirit that is full of joy. ... Lord, help us to come to You and to intercede in prayer and through our testimony of giving on Your behalf! There is no greater freedom when we find this secret place of Your love!

Our Tomorrows in God

 Joshua 3:5 - "Then Joshua said to the people, 'Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.'”

Today will always be the day of salvation (II Corinthians 6:2). God will always do great things in our lives if we will but surrender. However, there is also something to loving God enough not to want to sin anymore. That results in sanctification or holiness. We can never save or sanctify ourselves. But what we can do is consecrate ourselves for God today. Then, an extraordinary thing takes place. Our "tomorrows" begin to be filled up with the presence of God moving in our lives. If we are busy loving Jesus, then we don't have time to worry about the cares of this world. He begins meeting our needs in the most sublime ways because we are meeting God's desires by loving Him.

Has God ever taken care of you "just in time?" When it was the last minute, has He ever moved on your behalf? Those who love Jesus today by consecrating day after day for Him see this happen throughout their tomorrows. Will we trust Him today, beloved? He wants to make today our day of salvation as we give ourselves totally to Him. Then, just watch the miracles begin to flow!

Seeking God's Glory

 John 5:44 - "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?"

A rhetorical question by our Lord, but one that nonetheless should be answered by us all. For some of us, the frequency of the necessity to do so should shame us. The half-brother of Jesus stated it very poignantly saying that when we cling to jealousy and selfish ambition, that every evil thing exists within (James 3:16). To seek another's glory other than our own is a death sentence for our fleshly nature—one that many of us are quite reluctant to fulfill.

Many of us have forgotten how exquisite it feels when we are in the middle of God's will and seeking His glory. We experience the peace of God and the joy of the Holy Spirit when we are functioning from that place of simplicity. Beloved, may we turn to God several times during our day and say, "What is that you want from me right this moment Lord?" If we will then perform this exercise throughout our day, we will once again find ourselves in that place of not only seeking God's glory but finding it. ... Oh, what joy!

Shacking Up

 Zechariah 2:7 - “Ho, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.”

Are we "shacking up" with the world?

Do we attend a church where the parishioners sleep in the pews while the minister talks about the latest headline? Or, do we flock with those who plead for funds for their new building projects yet have diamond rings on both hands? It is one thing for the world to be fornicating with lust and greed. However, it is quite another for the so-called church to do so.

Are we taking a stand against abortion in our land, or have we settled for the killing fields to continue, saying Roe v. Wade will never be turned back to states' rights?

Do we hide behind our suburban homes and bow down to pornography, lust, adultery, and homosexuality? To watch these things on our TVs or our computers is the same thing as condoning them!

Do we always want more, never being satisfied with what we have?

If we are embracing any of these things rather than the Lord, then we should confess and admit that we are Babyonians in Christian disguise. It is time for all of us to wake up!

His mercies are new every morning, beloved (Lamentations 3:22-23). ... May this be a new day for us all!

Growing Gratitude

 Zechariah 4:10 - "For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—these are the eyes of the Lord which range to and fro throughout the earth."

How often are we ungrateful for the small things in our lives which are meant to produce big things? The Israelites became discouraged in the great work God had given them in rebuilding the temple. However, all they needed was a word of encouragement. God will not trust us with the large things until we can be thankful for the small. Our gratitude is often in direct proportion with His graciousness upon our respective lives. However, it takes a keen eye to understand the significance of the seemingly insignificant. It often requires a wise heart to thank God in the day of small things, for this will only lead us to greater things for our families, our churches, and all those with whom we are in daily contact. We must simply look for the goodness in all that comes our way and be grateful for all God gives. When we become thankful, it opens up a new perspective or perhaps one in which we had long forgotten.

Gratitude and thankfulness are the key to unlocking the door of small things which inevitably bring us into the largeness of Christ's bounty. We must merely start today by surrendering to Jesus and allowing Him to open our eyes to all He has most graciously given. Then we will be wealthy beyond our understanding for all God has done for us!

Glory to God

 Psalm 115:1 - "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth."

Within the heart of mankind, we have no true love and no real truth. Everything of spiritual substance is from God. Therefore, it is ludicrous for us to take any "props" for ourselves when we show a bit of kindness, mercy, or love to those both deserving and undeserving. All good gifts come from above, from the Father of Lights. We all need constant reminders that there is a loving God in heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are not -- nor ever will be -- worthy of the glory due His name.

Like the psalmist, may we recoil from even the hint of self-achievement in any philanthropic manner. An honest appraisal of this sort only comes from heart revelation born in humility. Through proper wisdom, may we continue to give to Him glory, and honor, and praise for He is worthy.

The Proud Fool

 Psalm 14:1 - "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; there is no one who does good."

It is one thing to be foolish. It is quite another to be a fool. We all think and behave foolishly at times. However, to allow our minds to think foolishly over a lifetime creates the life of a fool. Just because we have gone fishing a time or two does not mean for our epitaph they will say that we were a fisherman. That would be abusrd! When we fill our lives with a certain hobby or work or even faith, then we will be known for what we  have practiced.

To deny God takes faith just as to believe in Him similarly takes belief. Atheists do not like to confess that they cannot prove that God does not exist. Therefore, they must use faith for their hypotheses regarding how and why we are here. The leap of faith becomes even more profound for those who have become fools in their own thinking, because they have nothing to witness to their beliefs other than their own flawed logic.

Believers have not only the irrepressible witness in nature but also the inner witness of God when He causes us to be born again. An argument cannot be won when a child states to an atheistic professor that "they know that they know that they know that God dwells within them." For heavenly wisdom such as this, there is no human logic.