God's Approval Is All That Matters

Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God?  Or am I trying to please men?  If I were still trying to please men I would not be a servant of Christ.

Galatians 1:10

While you live upon this earth, know today that you have a choice to make… This choice is not something that is decided verbally but is declared by actions and intentions… Paul reminds us today that we must get away from the thinking of trying to appease or appeal to our peers and focus on winning the approval of Christ… There is no one on this earth who has a say-so or can even decide where you will spend eternity; however, there are so many of us who spend valuable amounts of time trying to please people as if they have power over us… The message of today’s devotional is simple, adhere to the voice of God even if it means that you will lose friends and find yourself alone at times…Paul faced several doubters after his conversion, he could have very easily given into the peer pressure and walked away from the voice of the Lord; however, in walking by faith as he told the church of Corinth he continued to do what God desired of him and reaped the bountiful rewards because of his obedience… Not everyone will approve your transition or transformation, not everyone will be happy about the new you, so as you grow in Christ make the decision and stand by it that you will not be governed or restricted by man… We all must learn from prior knowledge or our very own experiences that we must strive to seek the approval of God verses the approval of men… 

Paul was a prime example of what we all face at some point in our lives; it doesn’t matter whether it is your youthful days dealing with peer pressure or your adult hood dealing with the levels of success according to the worldly standards… Paul was a book smart intelligent man who (by seeking the approval of men) sought out the Christian churches to persecute them and tear them down… It took His very own encounter with the Lord to bare witness to God’s divinity and to the will He had for Him… See, we like Paul find ourselves doing things that appear right; however, we always end up filling empty and out of place… Today, make your election of the Lord sure… Stand by faith and know that it doesn’t matter how many friends you lose and it doesn’t matter how many people turn their backs on you… The bible tells us that when we leave our areas of comfort behind that God sees that and we will be rewarded… “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29)… Paul makes is clear to the Church of Galatia that he isn't worried about being approved by men or adhering the ways of the world, this verse calls for us to examine the motives of our actions everyday and what is it that we seek in this life… What is your objective on this earth? What are you focusing on or what is driving and motivating you? This is the question that Paul is addressing to the church of Galatia... The church was being divided by people who were succumbing to the pressures of the nations around them! The church was under attack by sexual immorality and debauchery… Galatia was being torn apart and some were trying to stand on God’s will, while the others were saying that they should adopt the culture that is being lived around them… 

Paul is saying that you must make your election sure; you cannot waver on where you stand or who has the influence on your life! So many people say that they are a child of God and walking in His will, but they allow the people around them to dictate how they live their life… They hide their Christianity to fit in and deny God as their father to abstain from conflict. Paul is saying that you have two options to choice from, either walk with God or walk with the world… There is no middle ground! Notice the last sentence of this verse, “If I were still trying to please men I would not be a servant of Christ!” The bible tells us that we cannot serve two masters; whether you believe it or not, focusing on the opinion of man will lead to serving their opinion which will lead to you straying away from Christ… Paul understands that there was a time when he was worried about what his peers thought, there was a time when he was persecuting the church and filled with the poison of the world… He knows that in pleasing man you cannot please God! We all at one point and time were “still trying to please men,” we accepted bad habits; settled for sinful things and fell short of the glory of God, but now is the time for you to show through your actions and lifestyle whom you serve… Paul says today that I am a servant of God because I don’t care about what man thinks of me, I know longer am caught up in titles or peer pressure, I know longer need to fit in or fill wanted by the people around me… I know I am a servant of Christ because I can let things go, I can let people go, I can let circumstance go, I can let fleshly desires go… Whose approval do you seek? Paul sought the approval of man and fell upon his face; God picked him up and planted him on a solid foundation to preach the Gospel of Christ…. When you seek the approval of men you will fall flat on your face, when you seek God’s approval He will pick you up and plant you on a solid foundation that will remain forever! The choice is yours; just know that a choice must indeed be made…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Turn And Live

As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Ezekiel 33:11

God doesn’t find pleasure in seeing you suffer nor is He comfortable in watching your soul perish; this is the very reason why Jesus came to this earth and this also is the reason why we have been given a second, third and even fourth chance to learn from the mistakes of yesterday… Notice that the Lord is speaking in the verse and says I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked… Know today that God loves you, He me not like the things that you are doing or even the people you give ear to, but He still has a love for you that goes beyond your fault and wants to take care of your needs… To be wicked is to be evil, wrong, immoral or sinful; what God is saying to you today as well as to me is that He despises the sin while loving the sinner… Just knowing that God says that you can turn from your wicked way and live should bring happiness and joy into our hearts as we know that judgment has not be rendered on us even though there are several people in our lives that probably have already written us off… Through this passage I find comfort in knowing that God is patient and is working with me as I grow in Him and in this life… The Lord knows your potential, and He says today that if you turn I can help you fulfill it… There is good news today for the backslider; there is encouragement for the broken hearted and a beam of light for those in places of darkness… This good news is that even in the midst of your current situation, despite how many times you have turned your back on the Lord, despite how many times you have decided to go the wrong way; Ezekiel reminds us that the desires of God are that we shall live!!!Understanding that God desires for us to live tells me that if I don’t know Him than I am not living at all… Yes you may be breathing right now, you might be walking and talking right now, but you have not experienced life until you have found yourself in the body of Christ… See there are some among us that don’t know Christ; the scarier fact is that some even go to church on a daily basis but yet even still don’t know Him… This call that Ezekiel puts forth tells me that it’s not to late… 

Due to the things you have done the devil desires for you to believe you situation is helpless… Do to the mistakes that you have made, Satan will try and warp your mind into believing that you don’t have a ray of hope or that you are too far gone… Ezekiel pens this message to the children of God at a time when they where a rebellious people…Everything that went against the will of God was being done; however even still God says if you turn to me I will lift you up… God is waiting for you to turn to Him… He’s tired of you turning to others, He’s tired of you turning to habits; He wants you to trust Him today and the only way you can do that is to learn who He is… Despite all the offences we have engaged in toward the Lord and no matter how many times we have strayed away, Ezekiel reminds us that God doesn’t desire vengeance in casting you to the pits of hell, but that He wants you to change your ways… Death is something that God does not associate Himself with, when the sins of the world were cast upon Jesus; God turned away and felt the pain of losing His son… Today God still agonizes on the decisions you make and the courses of actions that you choose… The plea of God through the prophet Ezekiel is that all would be saved! Every person on this earth would turn from there wickedness and accept the offering that Jesus poured out on the cross… The Lord says that He has “no pleasure” in the death of the wicked; it pains Him to see a soul perish, it troubles Him to see a future dimmed by darkness! Every day that we wake up is an opportunity to accept God’s offering of His son, every minute we breathe is a chance to make Jesus our personal Lord and Savior! God not only showed His love by sending Jesus, but continues to show it by giving us second, third, fourth and fifth chance on this earth… 

His acts of grace and mercy abound beyond worldly love because He opens the windows to the sinner and picks them up out of there wickedness… There is a plea put forth by Ezekiel that we turn and live; God is knocking at the door of your heart and seeking to transform you and empower you… The plea that God has put forth is a plea that requires you to accept that fact that without Him you are nothing and will never be anything… This passage taken from Ezekiel speaks to God’s love and patience’s, but also begs a question of our walk on this earth as a child of God… What are we doing to assist others in coming to know Christ! God desires for the wicked to turn, we must desire to help our enemy and not abandon them; we must desire to lift up our brothers and sisters and not damage them with our tongue or push them away from us! Everyday we live is a chance to walk in God’s will, when Jesus came to the earth He stated His mission very clearly; “I have come to help the sick and claim the lost…I have come to serve and not to be served…” We are on this earth to help others know the power and will of God (this can’t be accomplished without us accepting Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior)! I firmly believe that everyday we wake up is because we have not completed the work that God has for us; when your work on this side is complete, you will be called home to your eternal rest! So ask yourself, why did I wake up this morning and then answer the question (to seek and save that which was lost)! God desires all to turn to Him (you first), then do your part to help the people around you to hear His call…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Your Afflictions Are Part of The Plan

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

2 Corinthians 4:17

The biggest mistake you can make in this life is allowing your afflictions of today to limit of restrict your abilities tomorrow… Paul, the writer of this epistle to the church of Corinth, found himself dealing with various afflictions throughout his life… This is the same Paul who was given a thorn in the flesh, pushed aside by the disciples of Christ instead of being received with open arms and ridiculed for his life in the days which he was known as Saul… Paul suffered much for the cause of Christ and today we are called to realize that we too must endure affliction… At the time of his conversion, this is the same Paul which Jesus spoke to Ananias about in the 9^th chapter of Acts when He told him “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. ¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” God has designed you for a unique purpose, He has called to you to carry out a special plan and the plan that God has for you will not be a smooth transition nor will it be a smooth plan to execute… The message for today is that no matter what the affliction is, no matter how much you feel that you are enduring or facing right now; know that the situation is light… Paul says for our light affliction;  these circumstances aren’t as difficult as we classify them to be, these situations will not overtake you, but will simply toy with your emotions so that you overtake yourself… Know that the enemy has no power unless you give it to him and even if you have given it to him, know today that his appearance of victory won’t last long as Paul goes on to say that it is but for a moment…  Affliction is a hardship, suffering or a burden; the word of God is telling us today that there will come a time when we will feel the burdens of life; however, this same season we see coming we will also see going and the end results will produce a better you… 

Know that the test you endure is forming and molding you to be used by God for a bigger and better purpose… Stop complaining about your situation and start praising God because you know that it won’t last and it is meant for your God… Paul suffered and his suffering produced a huge chunk of the New Testament… Your labor is not in vain and even if you don’t see the end results of your work on this earth, you can find comfort in knowing that our labor here worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory… When gold is refined it must be sent through intense heat several times to burn off the impurities. Each and every time the process is completed; gold becomes that more useful and valuable. Our mindset should be the same as gold, for we have to be developed and structure by the grace of God to realize our true value. Don’t be discouraged by the storms or the feeling of hitting rock bottom. Just know that Jesus is with you and that your perseverance must be completed, so that you are lacking NOTHING…Without the struggles of life we would not appreciate the fulfillment life brings… A spoiled child isn’t one who simply gets what they want; no, a spoiled child is one who gets what they want without working to obtain it… When someone is spoiled they don’t appreciate the effort, the work or sweat that someone has put in for their benefit… The Israelites were lead out of captivity under Pharaoh, they received manna from heaven and various other provisions for their daily survival; however, because of the manifold blessings of God they continued to stray away from Him and serve other God’s… The point of this story is that we should embrace challenges, accept hardships and “consider it pure joy when we face trials…” These trials bring about maturity in you which will develop into character and eventually lead to a strong relationship between you and God… There is a reason behind your pain and struggles… 

In order to stand up, you must be put down; in order to rise, you must fall and in order to shine, you must be in darkness! Paul writes his second letter to the church of Corinth encouraging them to withstand the attacks and trials that they are facing… He speaks to them on the basis of perseverance and maintaining their faith through hardships… What he is saying to us to day is simply that we must go through to get through… We have to face trials, we have to face sleepless nights, and we have to face tears and sadness in order to know we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us… We have to go through to realize that God is faithful and has promised to deliver you! Paul says that your afflictions are light; this message is not to belittle the adversity you face, but to encourage you in knowing that you will and can overcome… This message informs you that God will never put more on you than you can bare and the He will always see you through… The bible often refers to God’s children as Gold… Gold is dingy, filthy and a hard metal that is reformed and purified to achieve its richest value. We are a dingy, filthy and hard people; we have entered this world in sin and surely have not reached our true value! God is reforming us and purifying us through our hardships and trials! Gold isn’t valued until it comes through the fire; people don’t see your faith and God’s faithfulness until you go through the fire! The fire that purifies comes through the challenges that we face in life! You’re being purified when your friends turn on you, you’re being purified when people talk about you, and you’re being purified when you feel like you just can’t catch a break or get ahead! Your purification is complete when you have become humbled and allowed God to take over! Understand that stubbornness will not end your afflictions, people can’t end your afflictions and monetary things can’t end your afflictions! God has begun a work in you that He will complete until the day of Christ return… He is fortifying your foundation, and bringing you into a perfect creature that is lacking nothing! The pain will seem long at times, but the result will last for all eternity!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

He's Awesome

"For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place." 

1 Chronicles 16:25-27

The Lord deserves nothing but your very best; the writer today reminds us For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods… This very passage affirms what we studied yesterday when looking at the life of John in the revelation which he received from the Lord… On yesterday we called to remembrance the trials that John endured which led to his exile and the fact that he wrote great and marvellous are thy works; today we continue down this road of focusing on praising God instead of complaining… In this passage the ark of the Lord has returned to Jerusalem; David has led a mighty battle against the Philistines and prevailed, after this season of war David calls for burnt offerings to be presented to the Lord and appoints Levite ministers to offer praises unto our God… Asaph leads the way in praise as these verse are recorded…I recall the things leading up to these verses to make the point that your battles in your life will occur; situations will have to be faced and you must have the ability to endure knowing that in the end your victor is guaranteed and praise is your command… Notice that Asaph says that the Lord is greatly to be praised; however, he goes on to say he also is to be feared above all gods… So many of us praise the Lord, but we lack the reverence and admiration we are called to have for Him… When this ingredient is missing, our praise suffers… 

The words of God are above our ability and fear allows His hand to move on your behalf… You have to put God first in your life,above all gods if you want to experience is favor and blessings… There are many of us which claim to have placed the Lord first in our lives, but sadly we have other gods that we praise and fear… We fear losing our jobs, relationships and money… Understand today that a god is something that is seen as supreme, overseer or divine… Often times we speak of and use the word God when it comes to religion or spiritual conversation; however, we are reminded in the book of Chronicles today that there can be other gods in our lives… The question that I pose to you today is; what have you made as “gods” in your life…? Whether we realize it or not, whomever you serve, whomever you see as the supernatural or the ruler of your life is your god… I say that because a lot of us have made gods of our money, economic standing and other worldly things… It’s scary to think about this; however this is a fact of life and many people don’t even comprehend it… We place money and the need for it above the need for love in our homes… We place cars and the need for transportation above driving toward obtaining the will Christ has in store for us… When we place value on material things that is fine; however when we place them above the desire for God or our faith in God that is when we fall short and become victim to the things which are written about in these scriptures… Instead of worrying about what you don’t have, thank God for what you do have… Instead of being upset about the little money you have, be thankful that you have some and aren’t out on the streets…

We have sought things of this world which have become our primary focus on this earth which then places the only true and wise God as in afterthought in our minds… Notice that the writer says, “For all the gods of the people are idols…” Idols are things which made or created images that represent or a fashioned to be gods… We must examine our lives today, knowing and trusting that as this scripture has stated we can align ourselves with things that are not God and make them gods by giving them authority over our lives… The writer of Chronicles reminds us today that the Lord truly is GREAT… Let us take this time to simply give God the praise for all His bountiful blessings and provisions… So often we take the goodness of God for granted, we belittle the impact of God’s saving grace in our lives and overlook all that He has already done… The writer says that “He is to be feared above all gods…” Elijah once ordered for logs to be soaked and a moat built around an altar; after this was done he prayed unto the Lord and God answered by sending fire down upon the earth which consumed the logs (even while they were drenched with water) and dried up the moat that was built… All this happened so that mankind would come to know that there is indeed ONLY one God… We have heard of different religions and different gods; however, we are reminded today that there is only one who deserves your praise; there is only one who deserves honor and one who has a name that reigns above every other name… His name is wonderful, counselor, prince of peace, He is Alpha and Omega, He is the beginning and the end and He is forevermore… Find strength when you call on the name of Jesus, find gladness when you focus on His will and when you obtain those things, you will know that you are serving THE LORD!!!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

He's Worthy To Be Praised

Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Revelation 15:3-4

You may not understand exactly why certain things happen in your life; however, as a child of God you should be able to declare great and marvellous are thy works simple because you know the God you serve will not and cannot fail… John is on the island of Patmos after being excommunicated from his homeland; one may not want to endure the trying times that will come in the life of a Christian; however, we are called to walk by faith and as Paul told the church of Philippi “Do everything without complaining or arguing.” In reading this passage I come to the conclusion that a lot of us in the body of Christ have not reached the levels within our relationship with Christ that will allow us to live out the true meaning of this very passage… John after being about the work of God is not deterred by any setbacks or hardships as he can declare this verse with boldness and clarity… Today, you must push to go deeper in your relationship with the Lord knowing that the things that bother you or distract you are the indicators that show how far you truly have grown and come… Notice all the praise and honor that John bestows to the Lord in the first portion of today’s focus verses; realize today that he (through all the storms and trials of his life) has peace and comfort within to the point that he asks the question who shall not fear thee… 

God is in control, you shouldn’t be afraid of the situations that you face, your situations should fear what God is about to do in and through them… You will be exalted; God’s name will be uplifted and revered; so in a nutshell you need to just continue to walk this road offering up praises instead of complaints…   Today, when you feel like you are between a rock and a hard place examine the marvellous works of our God… When you feel like giving up or throwing in the towel, turn to the workmanship that God has done and is doing in your life knowing that you can draw inspiration and motivation from these things… I serve a God that has done great things and is doing great things… Even when I feel like life isn’t fair, I am comforted in knowing that “…just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints…” God has a plan, we may not understand it now, we may not understand it tomorrow; however, we can trust it because of the works that He has already done in our lives… His great works are clothing you in His image; they are giving you a sound mind, preparing you for the day and even allowing you to wakeup this morning… God’s great works are giving you a place to lay your head at night, a job to go to in the morning and a means to put food on the table… I don’t know about you, but I have found myself looking at situations and seeing that things didn’t add up in my mind; however, I was able and am able to come out of every situation and claim the victory… This isn’t done by my hands or my works, but by the “Great and marvellous” works of God… It is because He has all power that I fear Him, it is because He can do anything but fail that I trust Him and it is because He will never put more on me than I can bare that I will endure… Knowing and understanding what God has done and is doing puts me in a position to cry out to Him with thanksgiving… 

I am able to glorify His name, I can magnify the name of the Lord no matter what comes my way, I can sing praises unto the Lord no matter how much rain is in my forecast… I can exalt Him before men because I see His great works, I feel His presences and I know that He has a plan… Jeremiah tells us in His prophetical book that God has a plan to prosper and not harm us, a plan to give us hope and a future… (Jeremiah 29:11) God’s plan will be fulfilled and it isn’t to harm you but to mold you and prepare you for bigger and better things… John says, “…for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest…” Every boy and girl will come to know Jesus…. This doesn’t mean that everyone will accept Him, but the works that are being done are so that everyone will come to know Him… They will see He is sovereign, they will see that He has all power and they will see that He is the only True and Wise God… You can take pride in knowing Him because you know that you haters will become your footstools… You can give Him praise when the enemy attacks because you know he has already been defeated… It has been spoken throughout generation after generation, dating back to the prophet Isaiah and going on through this 21^st century. The judgments of the Lord will be manifested unto these people and His children. Those that think that they have the ability to do all and have the power to lust for wealth and greed shall be humbled before Him. God is the creator of us all and has breathed the breath of life into each and every one of us. Many have lost sight of that key point and have begun to ignore the warning signs of His coming wrath; many have ignored what was prophesied centuries ago and is evident now. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, understanding who you are and whose you are is of the utmost importance. The questions is when the time has been fulfilled, will your knee bow down in praise or in judgment? For every knee shall bow and every tongue confess; the choice is yours!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Go And Sin No More

And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

John 8:11 

Some of the sweetest words we can ever hear from the mouth of Jesus is that our sins are forgiven… This cleansing of our mistakes, past failures and missteps affords us a golden opportunity to be reconciled with our creator… Understand today that even though you have messed up along the way, the things of the past do not have to limit your future of tomorrow… This passage taken from the gospel of John deals with a woman whom was caught committing adultery and brought to Jesus for judgment; in reviewing this passage it brings joy to my heart to know that God doesn't pass judgment on us because of our mistakes, but rather will give us another chance due to His grace and mercy…  The men of the temple were ready to write this woman off, they were ready to stone her to death and end her very life; there are people in your life that have written you off, people that have passed judgment on you and feel that you are of no use, the message for you today is to know that God can still use you… Jesus has the final say and will make your latter better than your former if you do what He commands this woman to do which is go, and sin no more… Knowing the command that Jesus gave lets me know that we are actually in control of the destinies of our lives… We have the power to walk in the authority of God if we choose to adhere to His command and be about His business… The same command go is the same command we find in the great commission; we are called to witness, we are called to bring others to Christ and the only way we can do that is to overcome yesterday… 

You have to stop letting people place limits on your life, you have to stop trying to conceal your mistakes and go before the Lord knowing that He can wipe your slate clean and give you a second chance… The word of God tells us in the 3^rd chapter of John that Jesus did not come to condemn us but to save us; it is in that aforementioned chapter that you will find these words recorded, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” Jesus came to save and this is the very reason why the woman was able to keep her life; know that God has not written you off as Jesus came so that you could actually become everything that God created you to be… It is imperative that we understand that we have a purpose upon this earth which no man can every fathom… We all were designed with a unique purpose and because of this we must be careful that we don’t allow our thoughts and minds to be impacted by words from peers which don’t’ know the plan and purpose of God for us… You are on this earth for a reason and even though you may not know what that reason is, you can stand in faith knowing that there is a reason and in Christ it will be revealed… There is a reason why Jesus didn’t condemn the woman, there is a reason why God hasn’t wiped you off the face of the earth and there is a reason why He continues to forgive you and allow you a second, third and fourth chance… John reminds us today that Jesus came to save that which was lost and be a light in the midst of darkness! 

The eighth chapter of John deals with a lady that was accused of sexual impurity and was sentenced to be stoned! As the crowd gathered to stone her, Jesus spoke up and said, “Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone!” Jesus demonstrates the love that kept him nailed to the cross and the forgiveness that was made possible through his death! We all must realize that we have fallen short, we have made mistakes and we have been sinners since birth… It is by that acknowledgement that we can understand that grace and mercy that Jesus wants to bestow on us just as he bestowed on this woman… There will be a lot of people on this earth who will judge you, they will tell you that you should do this or shouldn’t be doing that; the reality of it is that you must make sure that you are living a life that is pleasing to God, because that is who you answer too! Jesus said in the eleventh first that I do not condemn you, go and sin no more! The bible records that Jesus came not to condemn but to save, not to abolish the law but to fulfill it! He came to give us a avenue to salvation and the possibility of eternal life… I use the word possibility because the choice is yours as to whether you receive it or not. We to have not been condemned for our wrong doing, but we must go and sin no more; we must turn from our sin, we must repent, we must change and be transformed in and through Christ! 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land!”

Jesus is waiting to heal you, but must importantly he is waiting for you to turn and seek him!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Put Your Trust In Him

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Psalm 91:1-2

There is no security which we can obtain upon this earth… All the money in the world will not provide the stability that you need which only can be obtained through Christ… There are so many things that we put our trust in, when in reality there is only one thing (God) which we can trust… This devotion is coming as the east coast faces the pending arrival of Hurricane Sandy on our shores; the aftermath which is yet to be revealed has millions of people in an uproar frantically going from store to store buying up everything in sight… The truth of the matter today is that the situation which we face cannot be prepped for; the only place you should be running to is God instead of your local market… There is a secret place which we can find in Christ; this secret place is the same place Jesus was able to enter before being arrested at the words of Judas; this secret place is the same place Stephen reached before being stoned and it is the same place Paul reached while imprisoned… The secret place provides comfort for the weary heart and strength for the weak hands; this secret place gives direction to the loss soul and hope for the wayward sinner… The unknown author of this passage speaks of the secret place and concludes by saying I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God, in him will I trust… These words are powerful in that they allude to the fact that the write had to go through some storms and be delivered by the very hand of God to make the concluding state that in him will I trust… 

You have been through some tough times, you have faced difficult challenges and you have had to absorb ridicule and pain, you have scars from yesterday; however, I charge you today to know that the scars you have from yesterday represent the healing that God placed over your life today… This is why you can run to the secret place of the Most High knowing that there is security and protection in Him… You have seen the hand of the Lord move, and because of this you know that you can trust that what He has done in the past He will do in the future… The word of God reminds us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever… Storms are guaranteed in this life, situations are unavoidable and the test of the true Christian comes in times of adversity where you show the faith you have verses proclaiming it through your lips… A friend of mind once told me that you will be tested on your faith and this test comes on a daily basis as the place you run to is on display for all to see… The message today is for you to stand strong, keep the faith and trust that God has a plan that will prevail and lead to your exaltation in and through Him…The psalmist reminds us today that there is protection in the bosom of Christ! He that dwells in the secret place of the most high, in order to find out a secret you must search for it intently until you locate what you are looking for… Today the secret is that there is a place of protection where you can go, there is one you can talk to that won’t judge you or look down on you, there is one that can shield you from the ways of this world and keep you from being cut off from Eternal Rest in the Heavens… The secret place talked about in today’s focus verses lies in the relationship that we build with Christ, we must be immersed in God’s word, pray without ceasing and seek to lives each day of our lives better than we did the day before… 

While in Christ, we must search continually in Him through His scriptures, prayer and fasting trying to find the place of peace within Him that has been carved out for us! We all have seen ups and downs, highs and lows, but the psalmist is revealing to us a promise from the Lord that He will protect, deliver and sustain you, but you must make a commitment to Him first! Jesus was agonizing over His fate as the time approached of His crucifixion; however, when lying before the Lord He was able to endure the harshest of punishments and maintain focus on the task at hand… The secret place of God will not keep you from the traps and snares of the devil and his devices; it will simply give you a steady ground to stand on while you are under attack… The psalmist goes on to say that I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress… We must realize that friends don’t always have your best interest at hand, we must accept that fact that we will make mistakes and that if God isn’t the one we turn to in times of trouble we will indeed find more trouble than good… In my darkest hour God is there, when I am crying at night He’s there, when I feel alone He’s by my side… God cares for you more than anyone on this earth and you must align yourself with Him if you desire to live in peace and find that secret place where you won’t have to worry or be ensnared by the devil… When you have chosen the Lord as your shield and buckler, when you have given up the things of the flesh or world for spiritual riches you can say that HE is my refuge and fortress, in Him will I Trust! By giving up the desires of this world you put your focus in dedication upon the Lord, you have decided to abstain from the world and it is only at that time that the Lord can begin to carry out the work that He has already placed upon your life to do… This psalm goes on to tell us that a thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you if you make the Lord your dwelling place… You will see hardships, you will see pain in strife, but you will be exalted by living according to God’s will and you will be victorious in this life that you live! Trust God, hold to His hand and watch Him show up BIG in you and take you to a level that you didn’t even know existed (it’s the level of peace, harmony and love)…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!