Look To Jesus To Find Strength

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:3

There is no shortcut to reaching the heights and plateau that God has designed for you; there is no way to circumvent the paths and lanes uniquely customized for your feet to travel… In today’s devotional, we are reminded that we must focus on our source of strength instead of dwelling on our current problem or situation… So many of us daily find ourselves caught up in situations to the point that we neglect and negate God's power and presence… When you find yourself on the verge of throwing in the proverbial towel, when you feel like you are at the end of your rope and can’t see a way out, the author tells you that you must consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners… Remember all the snares, trials, and hardships that Jesus faced; remember the heartache and spiritual pain that was firmly thrust upon His shoulders and know that in the end, He was victorious… You can draw strength from the Lord by simply reflecting on all that He has done in your life and even before you were born… Jesus fought the good fight over 2000 years ago so that you could see this day; He considered it not robbery to leave His home in glory so that you could one day reside with Him… All these things Jesus did for you and indeed did accomplish them and this alone should provide your source of strength and motivation to do the same… The enemy can only defeat you if you allow Him and the proof of this statement is in the words of Jesus Christ recorded in the 4th chapter of Matthew… 

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. The passage from Matthew should serve as a great source of encouragement for the weak and discouraged believer… Keep your hand to the plow; the field will produce the harvest which will make the sowing all that more enjoyable…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Confession + Prayer = Healing

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

James 5:16

Problems derive from faults not being confessed or mistakes made not being addressed… Today’s devotion reminds us of the importance of confessing one another’s faults to each other to promote or initiate healing… Many people walk around in life with open wounds; these wounds are infected daily because bitterness has not been removed and anger continues to fester like bacteria with oxygen… This same principle applies to the offender and the offended; as the offender, oftentimes we will deny wrongdoing which will allow a spirit of pride, self-righteousness, and an egotistical mindset to be rooted in us and drive us further from the truth… To have closure in your life which gives way to healing, you must either acknowledge your wounds or confess your actions which led to someone being wounded… This acknowledgment must not only take place, but must also be prayed over; this is why James goes on to say that not only must we confess our faults, but that we must pray one for another… Recognizing the mistake you made or the offense that someone committed against you is the first step; however, until you seek a resolution and closure through prayer this issue will not and cannot be resolved… In understanding the importance of prayer, I am led to remind you that the issues you face in life are not meant for you to handle but to teach you to turn them over to the Lord… There are so many problems that could’ve been resolved and so many issues that could’ve been handled differently if we gave way to the plan and move of the Holy Spirit… Prayer is essential and the catalyst for healing because it removes all the infected items (you and the other person) from being involved thus making the matter even worse… Confess your faults, pray over the matter, and allow God to heal and resolve.

ALL FOR HIS GLORY! 

You'll Lift; He'll Draw

And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

John 12:32

Jesus's promise in the Gospel of John today to His disciples is a promise of simplicity and power… Our simple task (which isn’t that simple given our sinful nature and natural desires) is to lift up Jesus. Through this very act of exalting him, we see His power manifested in that He “will draw all men unto him…” This very passage recorded in the 12^th chapter is the key to our life on this earth and serves as a great tool for witnessing to those who do not know Christ or have gone astray... As a Christian, we have the faith that Christ is the center of our being. This says that if we lift him up, He will draw. In all things, focus on Him; continue to lift His name above your pain and suffering, lift Him in your worry and tribulation, exalt Him during your storms; knowing that if you focus on Him, He will bring you out. He will deliver you from the muck and mire, and you will be just like a tree planted by the waters; you shall not be moved!!! When something is lifted it is exalted, raised, or elevated above. This speaks to the true heart of a Christian! It is very easy to praise God when you or your family and friends are blessed, but is His name lifted in and through your life when storms rise? Is He receiving your praise when tribulations come knocking on your door? Christ is posing a thought to us today, “if I be lifted up…” He is seeking for you to lift Him above every situation; He wants you to speak His name over every obstacle and blessing you incur or encounter… Don’t lose sight of God’s goodness and the power that lies in the name of Jesus! The word “if” implies that a choice must be made; so many lives have been lost, and so many paths have led many astray because people are scared to lift up Jesus… When trials come, when a family member goes astray, we are to focus on God and not the situation… When we lift up Jesus, He promises that He will draw… It doesn’t matter how far they have gone, it doesn’t matter how many mistakes you have made; when you lift Him up He will draw and bind every broken piece back together… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

They Have To Dwell In You

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Acts 10:38 

You can do nothing without the power and presence of God…Even though the world declares that we can do many things if we apply ourselves, the word of God informs us today that even Jesus Christ had to be anointed and aided by the Holy Ghost to do good and heal all that were oppressed by the devil… Notice that today’s devotion declares that we need the anointing of God not to just perform miracles but simply to do good… Sin is naturally a part of our being, we are filled with filth and a strong desire to fulfill the lust of the flesh… Doing good embodies so many actions of our daily lives; we need the presence of God in our lives to speak kindness amidst gossip and betrayal, we need His anointing to extend a helping hand to our adversary and enemies…When we are of this world, we focus on trying to get ahead using whatever means necessary; however, when we are under the anointing of God we have faith that we will reach new heights and are willing to extend a hand to those we pass along the way… We all have probably heard the saying “What would Jesus do” and after reading this question I am left posing the question how did Jesus do it…? How is it that He could allow Judas to kiss Him in betrayal, how could He heal the ear of the guard, how could He keep quiet while all the lies were spoken about Him and how could He endure the cross knowing that His life was lived without blame… The answer lies in the words of this passage; God anointed Him and the Holy Ghost guided Him… This same principle must be applied to your life; you won’t be able to do what Jesus did if you don’t have the same in-dwelling spirit that He did… In short, you must come to know the Father and allow the Father to be within you so that you can accomplish the most possible on this earth…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

God Cares; You'll See In Due Time

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7

Humility is the characteristic that if handled correctly will unlock the divine will and plan of God for your life… I say that it must be handled correctly because humility can also unlock destruction and chaos in one's life if you are humbling yourself to the wrong authority… This is why Peter says Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God; your humility can either be used to promote or tear down and it must be handled carefully… The meek temperament shown through humility allows someone to be molded, shaped, or fashioned for a specific purpose… In the Beatitudes, Jesus Christ declares “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” When you allow yourself to be molded, you then can be transformed to go to another level in Christ which will in turn open up doors in your life to inherit things that you never thought you would be able to obtain… A meek person is submissive; they are compliant to the authority in their lives and are mild-mannered… I keep reiterating this point because it is of the utmost importance that we understand how humility unlocks God's favor but can also lead us down a path of darkness and destruction if we submit to the wrong things… 

A lot of us become frustrated with the will and plan of God; we don’t see Him moving as we desire and so we find ourselves submitting to the desires of the flesh or this world…  This is why Peter says that we must first submit to the mighty hand of God and then proceeds to say that this must happen so that he may exalt you in due time…You have to know that just because you submit to the will of God doesn’t mean that He is going to act in your favor or on your behalf right away… So many of us are looking for a big miracle and God is simply paving avenues to your divine destiny… Your faith and humility are stable when your foundation is founded on knowing that God will move in time… The things of this world teach you that results should be instant, but that logic does not align with how God moves. As 2nd Peter reminds us, one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day... God's plan is working and will be revealed in due time. The Bible also declares in Isaiah that “his ways are not our ways nor his thoughts our thoughts…” God has plans being carried out and you must learn today that your humility can not be deterred based on when or what types of results you see… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

All Flesh Shall See God

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Isaiah 40:4-5

Every stumbling block you face is guaranteed to become a stepping stone when you walk according to the Lord's will and plan… As a child of God, we have to have the mindset that trouble will arise; however, we will not only come out, but we will be better than we were when we first went in… The word that came to Isaiah informs us today that Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low…  A valley is a low area of land usually found between a hill or mountain; on the other hand, a hill is a raised area of land (a mountain being a little higher than a hill)… I clarify these things to make a point of what Isaiah is saying to us today, the things in your life that appear in one form will be flipped and transformed into another form when you walk by faith and not sight… There are areas of your life that you think are low points and God wants you to know that He can lift them; there are situations that you face that you think cannot be conquered because they are too high and steep, the word of God for you today is that He can make them manageable so that you can cross over… No situation is too hard for our God; even when things seem to be spiraling out of control in your life, know that the crooked shall be made straight… The things you face in life are challenging you to display your faith and not just speak about it… This is why we are assured to have trials and tribulations, hardships, and despair... There is a greater work being performed amid the storm you face and you can maintain your standing in Christ by knowing that the glory of the Lord shall be revealed… For something to be revealed, it must first be concealed… The things in your life that are concealing your destiny and God’s grace are serving the purpose of setting the stage for you and the hand of God to be revealed in the lives of others… All Flesh Shall See God!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Trials Are Vital To Growth

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Romans 5:3-5

It is easy for Christians to boast about the goodness of Jesus when things are well in their respective lives, and it’s easy for them to share their joy with others who are down or sad when they feel the presence of God; however, through today’s devotional, we are reminded of the greatest ministry that we have which is developed through our trials and tribulations… Understand today that the same joy we experience in the sunshine we must display and experience in the rain… So many of us claim to be about the work of the Lord, but in crunch time, when the sweat begins to come forth, we don’t keep our hands to the plow… This message today serves as a reminder that you can’t have one without the other… You can’t love Christ and not obey His commands; you can’t seek His face and not seek His will… This is why Paul writes this chapter in his letter to the Church of Rome; the message of Christ had gone forth, but the toiling and persecution was not accepted… This same principle is what plagues the church of today… We want the cake but don’t want to be in the kitchen to bring all the ingredients together… We want the end result, but not the beginning equation…Look at the first part of these verses, Paul says, “And not only so…” 

There’s so much joy experienced when one turns their life over to Christ, there is a newness felt within that cannot be put into words and the greatest artist of all cannot even begin to imagine and portray on a canvass the speechless feeling that one gains when they now know they are co-heirs with Christ… Amid this uncontrollable bliss, Paul wants us to remember that there is a marriage in the body of Christ that binds the grace of God with the trials and tribulations of the world… These two are inseparable and it’s simply all or nothing…So many of us spend our days trying to experience the grace of God without the persecutions that come with the grace and therefore we find ourselves trying to tip-toe through life and never walk by faith… The faith you need to please God is lacking in your life which is why you don't develop through the storms you face. Paul says that we glory in tribulations also; you must have a mindset that will take on the hardest obstacle and steepest mountain because of your trust and faith in Christ… Look at the passage, Paul is speaking about having glory amidst hardships and tribulations; He is referring to the individual dealing with the storm and how you display yourself in the rain… Glory is beauty, splendor, brilliance, or fame; some people in your life need to see your beauty and splendor when you go through stuff and not just when you feel comfortable and there is no storm in your current forecast… When you walk in faith, your splendor will be evident no matter what you face…You thank God when things are good and praise Him for learning when you go through a test… This is why Paul says we glory in tribulations also: knowing… Your glory can be seen through all the clouds of life when you have faith in God knowing that the storms you face will not overtake you but are preparing you for your next level or phase of life… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Don't Be Afraid; Trust God

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

Isaiah 12:2-3

The enemy has launched an all-out assault on your divine destiny… He wants to fulfill the passage of scripture in John 10:10 where Jesus says that the enemy cometh not but to steal, kill, and destroy… The ultimate goal and plan of Satan is no secret to the true believer of Jesus Christ; however, many of us fall short because we don’t recognize the ways and forms that the enemy will take on to accomplish his goals… We know that he is attacking us, but we don’t recognize how he is coming… The Israelites dealt with this principle from the time they were led out of Egypt to the prophetic years of Isaiah… The children of God had to be reminded that the same God that delivered them before will deliver them now… Instead of giving in to the outlook of things, they are reminded to draw water out of the wells of salvation… Several times the enemy bogged down their minds with so much that they began to defy God and act in disobedience; the message of today’s devotional is to accept the unacceptable (God’s will), be submissive to the unimaginable (God’s plan) and not cower in fear because of the appearance of your current circumstances… The things that you face upon this earth each and every day are not to mislead you or destroy you; to the contrary, these things will be the platforms that will give you a testimony and a song to sing… Isaiah calls to our remembrance today the fact that even though the battle may be intense, the love of God and the plan of salvation that He has for your life will win… Sing your song today and let the devil know that God is my salvation, serve notice to the land that the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song… All the enemy can do is try to get you to neglect the power and plan that God has and will bestow in your life if you follow Him… Don't be afraid; trust God! 

Draw from the wells of salvation... Look back on your life and remind yourself of how God has cared for you when you didn't care for yourself. Draw from the well today and remind yourself how he spared you when you should've been dead... Draw from the well of salvation and remind yourself how He wrote your name in the Book of Life while others wrote you off... Draw from the well of salvation and serve notice today that you have not forgotten all that He has done and let that ignite and reenergize your commitment to serve!!!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Learn To Keep Your Promise

When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.  Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5

We all have heard the saying that “talk is cheap” Solomon reminds us that to renege on your word is one of the biggest sins you can commit! Every day you make a promise, if you are going to work (your boss expects you to come in on time), if you are attending a class you are expected to be there promptly, and these are unwritten promises that one vows when you accept the task that is put before you… Solomon teaches us today that we must honor our word and commitments, too often people say things that they can’t live up to and eventually place themselves in harm’s way of failure and leave someone else disappointed! Think about how you felt when someone wronged you by not keeping their promise or vow! You feel betrayed, you feel deceived, and let down. When it is all said and done, the only thing that a man really has in this life is his word, when that is removed so is he…. Now that we understand the importance of vows, we can surely understand why Solomon tells us that God takes no pleasure in a fool… God desires your best; He doesn’t want to hear excuses and will not be bogged down by them. Your commitments to Him will be called into account and you will have to answer to them in your day of judgment! Broken promises can end lives and destroy dreams literally; they can scar people and cause a lot of negative thoughts to be formed about the character of individuals… So remember to keep your word (especially to God)!  

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!