God Is The Judge; He Promotes...

For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

Psalm 75:6-7

Today, know that no matter where you are or what you doing, God is in control and has the final say so on your life… There are so many of us that put to much confidence in our own abilities and too much power into the hands or our peers… This devotion today reminds us that as long as we keep God first in our lives, He will open up doors and make ways out of no way no matter hard tough the opposition may appear to be… The psalmist says, “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor the west, nor the south…” There are people in your life which you need to be reminded today that they don’t control you… There are situations that you face which may place limits on what you can do and the message today is that in Christ you are without restrictions… Your supervisor doesn’t control your destiny, your income doesn’t decide your abundance in life and your social connections do not determine your popularity and fame… In knowing that promotions only come from God, I am encouraged today to know that everything that I endure today is serving a purpose… The work you’re performing today is not going unnoticed as the word of God tells us, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” When people don’t recognize you, don’t let the dictate your performance or hinder your ability to carry out your duties because we are reminded in Paul’s letter to the Church of Corinth (verse above) the same things which we are reminded in our focus verses which is that God putteth down one, and setteth up another… The true character of individual is not shown in the peace after the storm, but the peace which one displays while enduring a storm… The situations that you handle without murmuring and complaining put your faith in Christ on display; the circumstances that you don’t necessarily like are the ones which allow God to demonstrate His faithfulness in and through your life… Not everyone wants to see you come out on top, but you can smile even when you encounter those people because you know that they don’t have a say-so in your future endeavors… The people who are trying to hold you back are the same people who will watch in awe as you ascend the latter which God has placed before you… This is a powerful message for all of us today because it allows us to look beyond the appearance of things to see the ability of God through those things… The second verse says, but God is the judge… God has the final ruling on what you do and where you go… The people on your job become easier to converse with when you realize this truth… There are some of us have had a difficult time dealing with a peer because they are trying to stab you in the back for a promotion, there are so of us who have found ourselves sending resumes left and right because we don’t think our supervisors recognize our worth; however, this message not only lets you know who’s in charge, but if you fit one of these categories it also lets you know where you stand as being under the authority of God verses walking in the will of God…

Let’s make one thing clear, everything that happens in your life is allowed by God… This is a (n) important point to understand because there are many that want to blame God when a problem occurs but what to take credit when something good happens in their life… How often do we take credit for a level of success in our lives; how often do we thank our boss for recognizing the work we have done or contributed to the excelling of a company? The psalmist reminds us of who is in charge and has the final say to our everyday situations. Understand that nothing can be done without the approval of God, remember Job was successful, but was stricken when God allowed the devil to wreck havoc upon him, remember Jonah was fleeing and God caused a storm to rise upon him and humble him to the point where he could be used. Job received far more than he had before and Jonah went on to preach and get a city to repent from danger. Job later says do we take good from God and not evil? We have to come to the conclusion that God holds our fate and has promised to provide all that we need. So, when you are low on funds and receive that bonus, thank God. When you are worried out of you mind about you job in this economy and your Boss assures you of your safety, praise God. God is the judge, He will humble whoever needs to be humbled; likewise, He will lift up whoever deserves to be lifted! Romans 8:28 - Know that ALL things work together for the good of those who LOVE the LORD! If you love God, understand that His blessings come in many ways, even in ways you would least expect; like on your job! When Saul was converted the bible declares that God spoke to Ananias and told him to go to Saul for the Lord had to show him how much he would suffer for His names’ sake… Paul went on to write several letters unto the churches which he helped to establish… The point in all of this is that we must recognize that in growth there are growing pains; in learning there are always learning curves and we must recognize that God’s hand is in the midst at all times… Psalms 37:24 says, “Though he stumbles, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.” God is with you at all times, in the good and in the bad…Your victory comes through Him, your breakthrough is made possible through Him and it’s about time that we start to give God the praise that He so rightfully deserves… If God had not touched you this morning and clothed you in your right mind, you would not be at work right now, you would not be able to love, and you would not be able to experience life… No matter what you are doing, no matter where you are or if you are even happy with your current situation, acknowledge God’s sovereignty, acknowledge God’s presences and acknowledge the promotion that He has already given you by allowing you to see another day… When good things happen, praise God; when misfortune comes knocking; pray to God… In all phases of life (good or bad) the one constant is that we should have our eyes focused above and not around us…

BE BLESSED!!!