The Joy of The Lord Is Your Strength

Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10

Even in times of despair, heartbreak and frustration you have a reason to celebrate… Whenever you feel down, your pick-me-up can be found in knowing that “the joy of the Lord is your strength…” When you go through things don’t fret because your weakness will open the door for God to display His strength. When you are faced with a daunting task, don’t give room to the debilitating fear that lurks because the joy of the Lord is your strength… We all have fallen short or missed the mark which was the case at the time of this word being recorded in the book of Nehemiah. You can take courage and find peace today in knowing that you will have provisions, protection and prosperity through the good and perfect gifts which only come from above. Even though we don’t like to make mistakes or mess up from time to time, in reading this passage we know that we as well as the people of that particular time should be overjoyed because God’s word has convicted them and paved the way to repentance… Today we mourn for Jesus, but we are overjoyed at the offering He poured out on Calvary knowing and believing that Salvation was made possible by His death and believing that He now sits at the right hand of the father with all power in His hand… 

Now is the time for us to build upon that foundation. We understand that God has paid the penalty of sin on our behalf; we understand that God has delivered us from captivity, now we must put our faith into action by living a life that pleases the Lord… Nehemiah writes today of the desire of the Lord for those who acknowledge Him… This passage of scriptures takes place at a point and time when the children of God are coming back together after being scattered and oppressed. The wall of Jerusalem had been destroyed previously and they have just begun to rebuild their respective lives. Ezra the priest has located the scroll of the Lord and in this chapter has read the word of God to the people. At hearing the word of God, the people begin to mourn for all the wrong they had down and felt the convictions of their actions. Nehemiah, Ezra and the Levites are teaching the people of God that they need to listen to the word and be happy because God has given them a chance to live and turn over a new leaf. I believe that we to have felt the conviction of the word of God knowing that our sins placed Jesus on the cross. 

We mourn daily, knowing that we were just as guilty as Judas because we too have betrayed the Lord. Nehemiah is saying today that God loves your convictions, but desires for you to turn to Him… Nehemiah tells the people that they are to celebrate; they are to give thanks to God because the word of the Lord has been found and instilled in their hearts. We too should be thankful that while we were lost, God didn’t close the door, while we were concerned about our own agendas, God was still concerned about us. Nehemiah says, “Neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength…” Remember when Jesus was crucified, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and didn’t find His body, she began to mourn and Jesus approached her and asked her why she was crying… Sure, we have fallen short, we have messed up, we have strayed away but now that we are back with the father, now that we are in lock-step with the Lord, now that the lost sheep has been found, we should find joy in the strength of the Lord. Let people talk about your past while you allow God to lead you to your future. Sure we have been down, but now we are up. Sure, we were lost, but now we are found. Sure, our fate was sealed, but God has wiped the slate clean… Like Nehemiah said to the Israelites, “…go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet… neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength…” We have a whole lot to be thankful for, our blessings outweigh our trials…. Praise be to God, for your battle has already been won…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Look Unto Him And Be Saved

"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." 

Isaiah 45:22

Your search ends here; all the crevices, nooks and crannies that you have checked which did not produce the results you were looking for can be forgotten… The Lord declares through the prophet Isaiah that if you “Look unto me” you will “be saved…” Simply put, if you aren’t looking to the Lord than you must be looking toward other things and all the wrong things… If you aren’t seeking Him than you must be seeking something else… Wherever you are today and whatever you seek, just know that if your focus is not on the Lord than the emptiness, void or empty space you seek to fill will never be obtained or resolved… Understanding the call to “Look unto me” today leads me to pose a question as we study this powerful verse; how many times have you tried to figure things out on your own? How many times have you tried to take matters into your own hands just to watch your plan fail or come up short…? Today, through the prophetic book of Isaiah we are reminded of how we obtain success; today we are called to remember how it is that we have life and have it more abundantly, today we are called to remember how it is that even in the worse times or situations we still have a reasonable portion of health, food on the table, a roof over our heads and clothes on our back… 

This passage starts off by saying, “Look unto me…” The reason that our plans have failed or keep coming up short is because they are not derived from the will of God… Isaiah writes this passage at a time when the Israelites were dealing with trials and tribulations, he writes this verse at a time when chaos was running wild and the very core of God’s people was being tested and shaken… Understanding what transpired in the lives of the children of God lead me to another realization at it pertains to hardships and focus… As a child of God we often think that we will not endure hardships or suffer the consequences of our actions; however the bondage, turmoil and pain that the Israelites endured was because of their disobedience and bad choices (they decided not to look toward the Lord)… The more you look toward things and not the Lord the more and more your life begins to spiral out of control and pave the way for a bigger gap between you and your divine destiny… The Israelites when through because they wavered in the reliance on the Lord, they endured trying times because of there faltering loyalty and heart… This is of the utmost to capture today because a lot of the consequences we face today are due to our lack of faith in the will of God…When we look unto the Lord we find strength, when we look unto the Lord we find peace, when we look unto the Lord we find understanding… Knowing this simply teaches us that when we look in another direction we are setting ourselves up for failure… Notice that the passage then says, “…and be ye saved…” 

When we look to God we not only are promised to have eternal life, but He will lift you out of the muck and mire that you are currently in and plant your feet on solid ground… It doesn’t matter where you are today, His love, grace, mercy and compassion can reach “all the ends of the earth…” God is here there and everywhere just waiting for you to look to Him…The bible tells a story of a man named Lot who was called to leave a perverse and crooked country; he was instructed to leave and not even look back… As his family departed Sodom and Gomorrah God began to reign down fire and brimstone destroying the cities… Lot’s wife looked back and became a pillar of salt… The moment we take our eyes of God we open the door to deception, temptation and doubt… It was David looking at Bathsheba bathing that drew him into murder, it was Sampson’s eye for Delilah that lead him to captivity, it was the appearance of the fruit (pleasing to the eye) that lead to the downfall of mankind (Adam and Eve)… Job endured much, but never took his eye off the Lord (he received double what he had), Jesus was mocked and beaten but never took His eye of the father’s will and now sits at his right hand… Don’t question God when he calls you to move, don’t question or second-guess what God desires for you to do or where He has called you to go… There is no reason to look away because there is no other way to inherit Eternal Life, there is no other way to be saved… Don’t look to your finances, your friends or your job stability as a means of comfort for all those things will pass away… Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the light, no man come unto the father but by me…” Isaiah echo’s the same thing today, “...for I am God, and there is none else…”

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Call Unto Me And I Will Answer

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Jeremiah 33:3

Your life will never be complete nor accomplish all that it can until you realize that you must call on the Lord… It isn’t until you open your heart, mind and soul unto the Lord that He can begin to impart His divine will and plan for your life… This scripture speaks to the covenant that bonds us with the Lord; He will answer as evident in the many storms we have been able to endure and come through; however, the phone must ring in order for it to be answered and this is the step that often times is missed… I often times here people quote different scriptures about the saving power and grace that is our God, but do we realize that His saving power will be idle until we allow it to be manifested in our lives…? True, God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us, He has promised to protect us from the fowler’s snare and be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path…All these promises are real; however they will never see fulfillment in one’s life unless they have faith which requires a connection or call of total submission to the Lord… The book of Jeremiah teaches that God promises to show us great and mighty things, Jesus said that He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly… Until we walk according to the will of God, until we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior we are not living nor do we have abundant life… Jeremiah starts this verse by saying, “Call unto me and I will answer thee…” 

The promises of God can’t be fulfilled until you step up and call upon His name… Jesus says in Matthew 11: 28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Notice we are promised rest in Jesus; however the first thing that must be done is that we turn from our own path and “Come to me…” We must call on the Lord to find strength, we must call unto the Lord to find healing, and we must call unto the Lord to gain direction, understanding and power… When we call on the Lord He will answer; however it will be in ways “which thou knowest not…” We never know how someone so battered down by life still can fight and stand tall, we never know how a person dealing with financial hardships can climb from underneath their debt, and we never know how relationships that seemed irreparable can be mended… These are the mighty things that we know not, but that God can do and perform for us when we call upon His name… We can agree with this verse in Jeremiah knowing that God will answer, He will make a way out of now way, He will do the mighty things that you thought were simply dreams, He will perform the very works that you didn’t think were possible… 

Look at what this verse says; Jeremiah records that God will show great and mighty things to us if we call upon Him, (if you wondering why things in your household haven’t improved, if you wondering why you are stuck in the same location, it’s because you haven’t called on the Lord…) so many of us have been waiting for a sign from God, waiting for Him to do a miraculous work in our lives so that we know and feel his presences. God has not performed these miracles, nor given you these signs because you have not called on His name! The bible records that the Israelites were in bondage during the prophecy of Jeremiah, “they worship me with their lips, but there hearts are far from me!” The Israelites had fallen by the wayside and had a false confidence that everything would be okay. I believe that often times we have a false confidence that everything in our life will be okay. We have a false confidence that God is a bellhop and that He is going to just show up and bless the situation and we will walk away unharmed; however, on the contrary, God is simply waiting for you to say enough is enough and call upon Him and adhere to His word! Nehemiah 1:9 says, “but if you return to me (Call unto Him) and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.”

God can’t answer the phone unless you call!!!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Christ Has Conquered All

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

John 16:33 

There are two things that we are promised in this life; one is obstacles and two is the ability to overcome them… Notice that Jesus didn’t say in the world you might have tribulation, He said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation…” As a child of God we are sure to endure hardships, we are sure to endure challenges and that’s why Paul said that we must “press toward the mark…” Today find joy in your challenges and obstacles because you know that Jesus has already overcome them and will provide all the tools that you need to do the same… Jesus assures us that there will be many days that we are left scratching our heads and wondering how is it that this young man can take another man’s life… This world is a diseased place that slowly is killing each person that resides within it (those who desire and adhere to worldly standards and ways of living). The desire of Christ is that nobody should perish and that we all be saved… Jesus is preparing for His departure from earth and instructing His disciples of the times which lie ahead of them… Jesus declares to His disciples in this passage that times of hardship will come, He says, “you will grieve while the world is filled with joy…” Speaking directly to His death and the torment that His followers would endure! Jesus goes on to say that “you will mourn but eventually will be filled with joy…” 

We all must suffer from time to time in the body of Christ, we all must endure tribulation on this earth, but we find joy in the fact that we can “be of good cheer” because He has overcome the world… Your victory is assured, your foundation is set and your breakthrough is guaranteed… We will indeed suffer in this world, but we take pride in nothing that this is not our permanent residence and that we are storing up our treasures in heaven “where thief’s cannot steal and moth cannot corrupt…” In this chapter Jesus compares the hardships of our suffering to the birth pains that a woman feels while she is in labor… He tells His disciples that she indeed is in anguish when going through that process, but when the child is born her joy trumps any pain that she has felt and she overcomes… Likewise, the birth pains that we face on this earth bring anguish into our homes, on our jobs and in our communities; but when we see the finished product of our suffering, when we take hold of the will of God and receive the precious promises and gifts of Christ, our joy will indeed overpower the suffering that we have dealt with… Paul wrote that “no suffering seeming joyous at the moment, but that it worketh a far more weight of glory in Christ Jesus…” Paul also said that we will never be tempted beyond what we can bare, but when we are tempted He will provide a way of escape… Notice what Jesus says in the beginning of this verse, “that in him we might have peace!” 

Notice the wording of this verse, He is not guaranteeing that you will not cry sometimes, He is not guaranteeing that will not feel the presences of evil or danger, He says you might have peace! In the world He says you shall have tribulations… There is no end to your suffering as long as you are focused on living in the world, there is no escape, and there is no salvation! In other words, Jesus is promising you a chance to succeed, He is promising you an avenue to escape, and He is assuring you an opportunity to be victorious. He can proclaim this because all you are facing He faced on the cross. He can declare that, because the evil that has been plotted against you is the same evil that pierced Him in His side. He knows what you are facing, He knows what is attacking you, but you need to just hold fast to the promise that He assured us when He said He will never leave us! Jesus says be of good cheer; always be happy and don’t let your joy be stolen. He is saying, don’t worry about the uncertainty in this life, don’t worry about the obstacles that you face, because He has already faced them and came out victorious. He has already overcome this world, and if you dwell within Him, you will overcome too! SO BE OF GOOD CHEER!!!!!!! I believe James said it best,“consider it pure joy when you face trials and tribulations…” The most peaceful place in a hurricane is in the eye (middle); however, you must endure the storms outer realm before getting there... As a Christian we desire to be with Christ, so endure the outer realm (devil) to get to the place where you will find peace…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

I Will Sing Unto The Lord

I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes...

Psalm 101:1-3a

What are the words that come from your lips when in dialogue or discussion about the Lord…? What do you utter from your mouth when you experience His favor or when you go through a rough situation…? Often times we are able to offer up praises to the Lord when things go well, but we indeed change our tune and begin to question Him when things don’t go as planned… These verses taken from the one hundred and first psalm echo the dedication that we must have to the Lord… We all know the story of David and the mistakes that he made, in this psalm we see the expression of David’s love… In the midst of trials and tribulations, let us recognize the beauty of God’s discipline and not think He is distant… Let us recognize that even in the mistakes we make in life God can turn a negative into a positive and help us to learn and mature in Christ… David declares to the Lord today that he will sing of His mercy and judgment… As we look throughout our lives we have a lot to praise God for… Often times we harp on the disappointments in life, but neglect the bountiful blessings that have already been bestowed! David remembers the provisions that God has/had already made in his life; delivering him from the hands of enemies, anointing Him to be king and forgiving him of all his missteps… 

Today let usremember the mercy (withholding) of punishment that God has shown to us! The fact that we should have been dead and suffered the penalty of sin, the fact that we (by one man’s sin) have fallen short of the Glory of God and the fact that we have turned our back on the Lord time and time again! Truth be told, we should all have perished by now, but because of God’s mercy, we have been given a chance to turn unto Him and have all sins forgiven, we indeed do have a lot to praise God for! David praises God not only for His mercy, but also His judgment, a judgment is a verdict, conclusion, finding, decision or result… David is praising God because He (just like the Israelites and us) suffered consequences of our actions, but even then were lifted up by the hand of God and planted on solid ground… Many times the Israelites were in bondage, but God still delivered them and blessed them through their trials and tribulations, the same can be said about you… We need to praise God because His verdict wasn’t eternal damnation, we need to praise God because His conclusion was to send His only begotten son, we need to praise God because His decision was that we should not perish but have everlasting life… This is why David doesn’t stop at singing about His mercy and judgment; David goes on to say not only will I praise you, but “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way… I will walk within my house with a perfect heart…” 

David has found his true love and he doesn’t want to mess things up! He knows the source of his strength and existence… He has found the true “Soul mate…” Think about the times when you have dated or married and you were in love with that “amazing person,” because of your devotion to that special someone you desired to walk your best and be perfect… You didn’t want that individual to find in fault within you and you sought to please them through your living! David desires to walk blamelessly before the Lord, we should desire to give God our very best and not mess this “sweet thing” up that He has graciously given to us… Jesus is that “special someone,” He is that “amazing person” and we need to model our lives accordingly… We celebrate “Good Friday” because of the good deeds which Christ bestowed on mankind by going to the Cross… I don’t know about you, but because of my love for Christ I will “set no wicked thing before mine eyes…” Because of my love for Christ I will continue to ask the question “O when wilt thou come unto me?”Because of my love for Christ I will praise Him all the days of my life; I will walk with a perfect heart and desire to serve Him unconditionally… Do you love him? If so, praise Him through the ups and downs and let your love be manifest in your life by the actions that you display everyday!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

There's Power In Shutting Your Mouth

Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.

Philippians 2:14-15

James 1:19 says, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Cutting straight to the heart of the matter, we must learn to simply shut up… What plagues most Christians in their pursuit of Christ is the ability to listen and hear; often times we become entrapped with words that we miss out on what it is that God has for us or the very blessings that will be manifested in our lives… Not only must we shut up and learn to listen, but Paul takes it a step further when He instructs us about refraining from disputes and conflict. If you believe God is at work in your life, it should be evident not only through your words but also through how you handle adversity… I have often wondered why is it that Christians believe that by accepting Christ as their personal Lord and Savior that the temptations of this world and trials will cease… The word of God tells me that when Jesus was baptized (accepted God’s call) and then He was tempted of the devil… One thing that we must come to understand and know is that by accepting Christ’s offering on Calvary we are subject to the schemes of the devil... 

One of the more true sayings I heard was this, “if it comes easy and with out much work or endurance to obtain it than it must not be worth much…” A good friend of mind told me this when I was going through a troubling time and I believe this words are what Paul is trying to convey to the church of Philippi… You have to work in order to achieve, greatness will not fall into you laps and that’s why we are to do all thing without complaining… Paul writes a clerical message to the church of Philippi informing them of the maturation process that a child of God goes through… He speaks today to the fact that as a child of the most high things will not always be the way you desire… Paul says “do all things without murmuring and disputes,” everything you receive of the Lord is not always going to be what you have asked for, but what Paul is saying today is that whether we like the position we are in or we wish things were different, don’t criticize God nor involve yourself in meaningless disputes with another person over things that you can’t control… These are the meaningless disputes that Paul speaks of, the devil will always try to distort the vision that God has for your life and he will use those closest to you to do it… Keep your faith in Jesus and stay the course… The bible is filled with passages that speak to the tribulation that a child of God will face, Isaiah said “this is the way, walk in it” in the 30^th chapter of his prophetic book and then stated that we will be given the bread of adversity and waters of affliction… 

When Paul was Saul and God struck down on the Damascus road, the Lord said that “he will see how much he will have to suffer for my name sake…” Jesus told his disciples to keep in mind that “they hated him first…” There will come times in your life where you are unhappy about your current situations or circumstances. There will certainly be times in your life when things may not make since to you, or you are simply bewildered at why or how these things are taking place within your life. The message on today is for you to simply shut-up (SMILE) J. So often we find ourselves complaining about this, complaining about that, or becoming so disheveled that we just need to rattle on and on about things that nobody else seem to be concerned with. Paul reminds us that we will have to deal with turmoil, we will have to deal with trials, and we need to simply remember who it is that we serve. Remember the story of Job and how he lost everything and his wife told him to “curse God and die…” Through all his trials and tribulations Job kept inquiring of God to no avail. Then God answered Job some time later with a question of his own! “WHO ASSEMBLED THE EARTH AND THE SEAS?” God has a testimony within you, and a light that needs to be shown to men. This can’t be accomplished if you are always complaining. Paul says do all things without murmurings and disputes; he put is nicely, but as I stated earlier, sometimes we just have to shut-up and walk in faith!!!!!!!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Your Soul Is Priceless

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 a (n) 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 Israelites found themselves dealing with this principle from the time they were lead 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 begin 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 key to your walk upon this earth is the trust that you carry within your heart… There will be several storms in your life, many situations which will test you; however, you must stand strong in your faith, trusting God and having the assurance that He will be glorified through it and you will be exalted because of it… This journey is not about avoiding the enemy but rather overcoming him… The tribulations and hardships that you face are not to break you but to affirm the strength of God in your life… The things that you face upon this earth each and every day are not to mislead you or destroy you but to 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… There are a lot of us that fall into the trap of forgoing our destiny because of the appearance of situations in our lives… The word of God does not tell you that the days of this earth will be peaceful and abundant; the bible doesn’t say that trouble will be non-existent or that joy will be experienced at every turn of your life… This is why Isaiah starts off by saying, Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid… There are things in your life which are strategically put in place by the enemy to bring fear upon you… The loss of a job, the death of a relative and/or in financial difficulties; all these things can have someone so bogged down that they forget who their salvation is derived from… The same grace that provided you a job, the same grace that allowed you to experience that warm embrace from a loved one and the same embrace that provided stability in your finances will always be there… Take a moment to reflect back on your life to this point… Think about the decisions that you have made the consequences you faced and the hills and valley’s that you have been through… Isaiah reminds us today that we can’t make it on our own, we are not able to overcome within our own power and if we continue to live this life according to our abilities we will end up never reaching the potential that is there through the eyes and might of God… Isaiah says “God is my salvation…”  I am reminded of the song, on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand! I understand who my source of strength is, I realize who has the whole world in the palm of his hand and I know that my savior lives! It is because He lives that I can face tomorrow, because He lives all fear is gone… 

I will sing to the Lord a new song, because love lifted me, I will sing His praises because he brought me out of the mire and clay, He placed my feet on solid ground and therefore will I always be filled with joy at the mention of His name! I will draw my focus from His wells, I will draw my confidence from His wells, and I will draw my endurance from His wells and will not allow this world to change my heart and thoughts concerning Him! He is my shield in buckler, He is the lily of the valley, and He is the bright and morning star! Isaiah understood that captivity was on the horizon, bondage was approaching, sleepless nights were imminent and days of sorrow were assured… We too must come to the realization that not every day will be what we expect, not every situation will play out exactly as we desire, and that there will be times of confusion and isolation… The Israelites went through hundreds of years of bondage, but were brought forth praising and honoring God, you will go through adversity, but if you know that God is your salvation, if you know His wells run deep and nothing of this world can break His foundation than you are able to sing a new song in the midst of adversity. These are the words that should embody our walk with Christ! Isaiah reminds us today that we don’t need to be afraid; he reminds us that we have a song to sing, he reminds us that we can draw strength in the time of weakness! Paul said “when I am weak then I am strong for your grace is sufficient!” Paul later wrote that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Isaiah knows today who is in control, he remembers who touched him in his vision with the live coals and sent him on his way! Let us remember who has brought us this far, let us remember who has become our salvation, and let us continue to run this race, knowing that it isn’t given to the swift (we don’t need to be in the fast lane) but to those who endure (don’t give up) and hold to His unchanging hand! When you thirsty, you can draw from His well; not only will you be quenched, but the water of God will give you the strength to run and not faint…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!