Devotions by Meredith

So BlessedI Chronicles 29:12Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign overall. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. The other day I saw a short video online of this poor, young African emaciated girl who could not even walk. I would guess she had never had the proper nutrition to be able to grow normally, and because of that, she, as she grew older, she had lost her muscle mass and tone to be able to even move properly. Presently she has to be carried every place she goes. She lives at a Children’s Home in Africa where she is getting the proper attention she needs, both physically and spiritually. One of the young men from the Home had taken her up in his arms and slowly carried her into their lovely pool. The look on her face was priceless, a combination of nervous apprehension, fear, and glowing delight. As the young man lowered her feet in the water, out came a shriek of trembling joy! This was the first time in this child’s life she had felt water encompass any part of her body. The young man, startled, lifted her quickly up, thinking that she might be in pain, and again, lowered her feet slowly into the water. This time there was an even louder gasp and shriek of unhindered delight! My heart leaped with hers at the sensation of this simple pleasure of life. Throughout the day, my eyes filled with tears as I thought of other scenarios that people have endured; many do not even know or have any point of reference of what they are missing. Think of those bound to a wheelchair for their entire life, or someone totally alone with a society buzzing around them, unaware of their lonely world, missing out on the laughter and camaraderie in togetherness. Loneliness, weakness, abandonment, pain, suffering, physically, mentally and spiritually. As I reeled under the incomprehensible weight of the forceful diatribe playing in my mind, I felt a powerful understanding of the unlimited blessings I have experienced in my life, too many to even begin to give account. It seems like the enemy of our souls, in his nefarious criminality, has no conscience for limiting suffering and hideous pain. That was my first pondering. The second was, what can I do to change these horrific scenarios in the lives of these victims? Can I do something, even if it be so small? I don’t want my thinking and imagination to be trapped in a weak, insipid mindset that I cannot make a difference somehow, somewhere. Can I develop a sense of high destiny? God certainly has that view for each one of us. Can I come out of my coma of staring at my navel, my own small world, to see and bare the sufferings and pain of others, even for a few moments? Can I dip an emaciated life in the pool of God’s great love? Can I include someone who usually is not included? Oh God, I want to be Your hands reaching out to the oppressed. As you have touched my life, as you have included me, pulling me into Your precious circle of love, and brought unending blessings coming down continually over my life, please help me to see as You see, and act as You would act. Seek Father today for His guidance to others who you can reach out to dip their feet in the waters of His powerful Presence and rivers of His great love.   

Give God His Due Malachi 3:7-10 7 Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’ 8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, and try Me now in this” says the Lord off hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessings that there will not be room enough to receive it.” In the Hebrew language the term “room enough” means sufficient, enough; a large enough quantity; plenty; measurelessness. In Exodus 36:5 a freewill offering of gold and other materials is taken. The people gave so lavishly that the Scripture describes their gifts as “much more than enough.” Many times people are handicapped by their own poverty, and too often their poverty is caused by their own disobedience to the Word. There are many ways in which we can be disobedient; one way is in robbing God! This portion of Scripture clearly tells us that those who keep back their tithes and offerings are robbing God. When we do this we are robbing ourselves of the blessings that God wants to give us. You see, when you do not tithe, you are breaking the law; and if you are breaking the law, then the benevolent law of God cannot work on your behalf. Nothing will keep a wise believer from tithing and giving, but he or she will never be found to tithe or give offerings just to get something in return. Instead, the act arises from obedience, and God always rewards obedience. I remember my Gramma Small telling me how when she was younger, Grampa would not allow her to tithe. He wasn’t a Christian yet, and he didn’t understand this principle that God was requiring from Gramma. Gram determined she was going to be as obedient to the Word of God as she could be. Gramma raised chickens. She set aside the first dozen eggs each week to give to the church. Out of the loaves of bread she would bake for the week, the first one was set aside to give to the pastor. God blessed her obedience and soon Grampa came to know the Lord for himself. They both, throughout the years, came to be faithful tithers and givers. They always had more than enough. They had some powerful stories to tell of how God provided for them during the years of war when rationing was going on. Up until the time the Lord called them home, they proclaimed His faithfulness to them in every situation, financial and otherwise. God is always faithful to all those who totally obey and trust Him. What about you? Are you tithing and giving as God would command you? If you are not, do you see your need of a greater trust in God to provide for you? Ask Him today to make you a great giver, then trust Him to take good care of you as you give to others.   

Give Thanks, He Knows Ephesians 5:20Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. There will be many trials in life. The question is how will we walk through then? Some people become confused when we discuss trials and tribulations. They wonder if they are supposed to thank God for the trial. They wonder if they are supposed to thank God for the trial. Maybe if you are a real spiritual giant, you could do this. I think God is asking us to thank Him and trust Hm as we walk through them. No where does it say we have to like them. Madame Guyon, an old matriarch of the faith, teaches that you can so embrace the cross of trial that when God finally removes it from your life, you miss the fellowship of the Lord you had been privileged to have during the trial. When we walk through hard situations, Jesus reveals Himself to us in very special ways, when in normal conditions He may to show Himself quite like He wold during the times of struggle. There are people in life who seem to be waiting for the least little challenge to come into their lives to give them an excuse for not having to be involved or committed to much of anything. Then there are others, who under great burdens, do more than those who have very light loads. It is said of Mother Teresa, when she fell to of bed, injuring her arm to the place where a bone was protruding through, that she refused to stop her ministries. The doctor bandaged it and recommended some rest time. She was up and about the next day. The bandages impeded her ministering to the poor and she promptly removed them. It was said that she continued on with her work with a smile on her face. Some of us get a sniffle or stub a toe and we excuse ourselves from having to do anything for the day. What babies we are! How are we walking through life? Are we known to be whiners and complainers, or are we thankful in all things and in all situations? I have found if I discipline my heart to always see God one everything, then I can be content and joyful in a five star hotel or in the deepest jungles of India or Africa, doing what He has called me to do for that day, even with a smile. What about you? Do you whine and complain? Do you express positive words or are you full of negativity and discouragement? Do others long to be around you because you are at peace with each day and each happening? Does the love of God in you shine through with a thankful heart? Make a list of areas you need to change and become thankful over. Make a conscious effort not to dwell on yourself, but to stay focused on Jesus, our Victory. Have a blessed day in the Lord.  

In Wisdom’s House Proverbs 21:20 TPTIn wisdom’s house you’ll find delightful treasures and the oil of the Holy Spirit. But the stupid squander what they’ve been given.  There are those specific people who you meet in life who you can be at ease with. You can laugh deep belly laughs with them at some hilarious story, and you can also cry hot, gushing tears with them over a traumatic happening in your life. They don’t have to fix you or have all the answers. Just their presence and real transparency of heart bring great peace and solace to your needy spirit. They are a treasure. I have had a few, very few souls like this in my life. Some are now home with the Lord, and oh, how I miss them and their sweet, priceless fellowship. Full of wisdom and delightful treasures, they were wells of sweet, sweet water. They were lamps whose precious oil of the Holy Spirit never ran dry. I want to be just that. Not someone who points a judgmental finger at someone going through rough waters, or a person who turns their back to those who need them at critical times, when instead, a delightful treasure needs to be brought to the forefront to encourage and comfort. We, as Christians, can sometimes come across as “better than thou” in our actions and words when we don’t even fully know someone’s story or heart, or what they’re living through in this season of their life. I believe our criticisms of others come from our own insecurities, when consciously or subconsciously we think we are so much better, and far more mature because we are not in the kind of situation and ramifications of poor choices, such as the ones we are presently criticizing. Wow! This for sure is not wisdom. Can we discipline ourselves to not  judge others so quickly, functioning in our “know-it-all” fashion? In wisdom’s house, there are delightful treasures. Wisdom would reach out in gentleness and kindness, not in harsh criticism from a scoffing posture. If we have been in the Presence of the Holy Spirit, soaking, listening, learning, would it stand to reason that we would illuminate the essence of Him rather than our own fleshiness? Sometimes to say nothing is the wisest posture one can take. Whatever an individual’s challenges may be, whatever the mistakes one has made, the poor choices taken, wisdom says it is not helpful to lay layer upon layer of inflated, belligerent “know-it-allism,” but to be a listening ear and a neutral sounding board for this struggling soul. Here you have an opportunity to be healing balm and a refreshing spring in the midst of turmoil. Wisdom says—be that! Remember, God sees and hears all. Let’s not squander the wisdom He has afforded us. Be wise for this day and every day. What about you? Would you consider yourself “wise?” Do you just have to state your opinion and “get everyone told?” Are you gentle and kind, or quick to judge and respond in harsh ways to someone who is struggling? Don’t squander the wisdom God has made available to you. Be a conduit of His love and mercy today and every day. Value the wisdom He has given you. Blessings on your day.   

My Presence Will Go With YouExodus 33:15 KJVThen he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here.” I have heard it said, “So much of what we do is done out of ministry principles instead of out of the Presence.” I have lived my whole life in church. From my earliest memories to my present life, I have spent a good portion of my time in church from dead, dry services where a boring form was followed, that seemed like to me, it had be done a million times with the same outcome. There have also been seasons of my daily personal time with the Lord that was as dry as burnt toast. I don’t like it. I know there are times when God withdraws His Presence, I believe so that we will run after Him, press into Him and do what it takes to find Him. It’s a learning and testing time before Him to trust Him in the dark and a time for Him to access the hunger level we have for Him. I’m with Moses. What’s the sense of doing life in our own strength. We only receive back our own human reasoning, relying on our own intellect, still coming up empty. I am asking and seeking Him today to increase my awareness of His Presence so I can move with the utmost sensitivity to Him, the Prince of Peace. He says He will never leave us nor forsake us. Its true, He always is near. My heart needs to settle into the understanding of this and practice it, not from my human emotions, but from my spirit as I learn to receive Him by faith, quiet myself and listen and watch expectantly for Him. He will speak. He will guide and lead us. He will come in whatever way we need Him to come. Maybe its just that we need to quiet enough, slow down long enough and trust in faith long enough for Him to do His thing. What’s the sense of pushing on without His Presence, without His direction and His sense of wellbeing that He places on our lives? I, for one, am so done with manmade ideas, good ideas, maybe, but not God breathed direction. Wouldn’t it be much better to lay out our life situations before Him, not coming to Him, telling Him what and what not to do, like He doesn’t know anything about what the challenge may be? Then practice listening carefully to what He will say and direct. Yes, this means we have to slow down and really watch and listen in faith that He will speak, that He will guide. I’ve gone down too many roads of good ideas to only come up empty when its all been said and done. I have a certainty in heart now because of many learning experiences, that our heavenly Father will show Himself faithful, if I will but trust Him. Don’t move forward today in your life without His Presence. It leads to nowhere you really want to be. What about you? Do you have areas of your life you need to talk to Him about, people you need to surrender completely to Him, and then listen and watch for what He will say and for how He will lead? Let me reassure you, He can always be trusted. Let His Presence guide you today.   

God Will Teach YouIsaiah 48:17 NKJV Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God Who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go.The word “teaches”—lamad—in Hebrew, means to instruct, to train. It also means to prod, goad; teach; to cause someone to learn. I was raised on a Hereford beef farm in a little town called Exeter, located in central Maine. I’m so glad I was raised on a farm. Early in the morning before getting on my bus for my ride to school, it was my responsibility to take care of the baby calves. I would mix the calf feed with warm water and feed each one from a pail with a rubber-like bottle attached to the side of the pail so the calves could feed as naturally as possible. Cows can be stubborn animals to work with. The Hereford breed seem to have a pretty stubborn streak all their own. I was also trained and expected to help muck out the stalls in the wintertime, which honestly, was a pretty thankless job. One time as I was shoveling out cow manure from behind one of the steers, I noticed somehow the steer had managed to muck up the side of his stall pretty badly. Wanting to do a thorough job, I pushed the steer to the left so I could shovel out the manure on the right. I worked my way up the right side, shoveling and scraping as I did so. Then suddenly, this ornery bovine decided to move back over to the right, right where I was mucking out. In doing so, he pinned me to the barn wall. The impact of his sudden weight leaning over onto my pinned body, was a shocker. I immediately reacted by pushing as hard as I could back against this constant, considerate weight pinning me in place against the barn wall. Nothing seemed to work, and I was slowly losing my strength to push back. Then I remembered a tactic I had seen my Grandpa Small use in a similar situation. I quickly grabbed this mammoth beast’s tail and began to twist it. The twist wasn’t just a slight tug. It was a thorough yank of my full force to get this beast’s burdensome weight off me. It was a do or die moment! I had to do something to cause this gigantic animal to get it through to the deep recesses of his thought processes, to move. It was amazing how quickly he lightening-like stepped his body back to the other side of the stall. This is not unlike us, God’s children. There are many things He wants to teach us, yet we sidestep His leading and blow sweet human kisses to our spirits day after day, until we experience the prodding and goading touch of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It may be a difficult situation surfaces, or a decision that will take direction from Him. A sense of desperation fills our senses and then we finally agree to move into the position and posture He was trying to lead us to all along. Why is it we vacillating humans feel that many times we know better than God? We mess around in an experimenting way, to see how far we can get away with our own navigation tactics, without having to submit to His great leading and plan. Our verse says “He teaches” us. The question is, do I want to learn the easy way or the hard way? Do I need to be goaded, or prodded along on the pathway of my life, or will I quickly yield to His gentle, kind, loving touch? What about you? Are you yielding, or throwing your weight up against God’s direction and care over your life? Why not totally yield your all to Him today. He can be trusted, fully trusted. His ways are best.   

I Can Do All Things Philippians 3:13, 1413 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.Philippians 4:1313 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  There are times in our lives when our heavenly Father will stir up our spirit to do something out of our comfort zone, something that is new and stretching. Maybe it isn’t even so much about what the assigning commission given to us, as it is about our willingness to allow God’s power to sustain us in this stretching and difficult task assigned to our lives. These kinds of circumstances take us into a season of being drawn aside, not to punish us, but to draw us deeper into a place of isolation and aloneness. And for what purpose in the heart of God? I believe our Father does this so that we will be quiet and at peace enough away from the hustle and bustle of all the noise around us, so that He can speak to us, to grow us, mature us and even to reveal His great love and desire to draw us closer into this secret place of growth in Him. At first, you may feel bewildered, lost and even maybe a little bit down that this is the scenario you find yourself in. Dear one, God knows exactly what He is working in your life. The sooner you relent and labor into His rest, the sooner the greater work can begin in and through you. Always know our heavenly Father has your best interest at heart. The labor of learning a higher place of discipline and deeper trust, are all part of what you will find out you can do. How did the Apostle Paul write such anointed, powerful truths from a dank, nasty prison cell? Think about it, he wrote the book of Philippians most likely during his first Roman imprisonment, to the Philippian church to thank them for the contribution he had received from them. He even is thinking about the man, Epaphroditus, who had brought the gift from Philippi, and who was going to take Paul’s letter back to them. He encouraged the family of God in Philippi to stand united and steadfast together. He warned them not to fall for heresies that were going around. He writes with a tender, warm, and affectionate heart. He is personable, warm, and affectionate, all written from a dank, dark, cold and lonely prison cell. But here’s the best part: the theme for the book of Philippians is “joy,” true joy that is not a surface emotion that depends on favorable circumstances in your life presently. He teaches that a Christian’s joy is independent of outward circumstances, and that it is possible to have joy when all seems a battle never-ending. Remember, dear one, He would not give you a challenge for greatness in whatever He would speak to you, unless He would be with you throughout your journey, and empower you to accomplish your assignment with joy, even as He did Paul. What about you? Is the Lord stirring you up, pressing in on you for a task, an assignment you are trying to ignore? Know He is with you; know that He will empower you and that you CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Blessings on your day. 

Friends Proverbs 17:17 TPTA dear friend will love you no matter what, and a family sticks together through all kinds of trouble. Proverbs 18:24 TPTSome friendships don’t last for long, but there is one loving friend who is joined to your heart closer than any other.  Proverbs 17:17 NKJV reads, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” A true friend can be defined as a companion, neighbor, fellowman, a familiar person. It means to “associate with” and “to be a friend of” in Hebrew. The prescription for a healthy friendship is “a friend should love at all times.” We have a responsibility to our friends. The family of God, the Body of Christ as described in the Bible, is a shelter for each and every member of that family, from the youngest to the very oldest. This means we are there for each other, through the good times and the bad, through thick and through thin. Psalm 101:5 tells us, “Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; the one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure.” I have been in church families before who were no so nice, even to the point of lying and slandering others and me. All for what gain? It was to try to break those who they thought were standing in their way, for whatever reason they had in their mind at the time. Slander, lies, false accusations are what the enemy of our soul loves to get started and moving from one vulnerable listening person to the next. Proverbs 24:28 tells us, “Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, for would you deceive with your lips? 29 Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.” How childish and petty are those who act this way. There have been those brothers and sisters in the Lord over the years, that were there for me, even in my lowest hours. They have stood by me and loved and received me unconditionally. I felt the true love of God oozing from them. No judgment, no condemnation, just pure love. Genuine friendship shines through not in the awesome times of great blessing, not in prosperity. Friendship is at its best in the times of trouble. You know you can close your eyes in exhaustion and brokenness and your friend will have your back. There are the wise and prudent and then there is the fool, scoffer, or mocker. The former seeks wisdom and loves care and instruction; the latter fully neglects discipline and spurns reproof. Win at any cost, so says the fool, even to the detriment of others. Take inventory of what kind of friend you are. Do you love unconditionally or do you have unrealistic expectations and conditions on your friends? Take a good look at your own heart today. Be pleasing to the Lord and a blessing to others. What about you? What kind of a friend are you? What kind of friends do you have in your life? Are they a blessing, or are they users? Ask the Lord today to help you know and recognize what would be pleasing to Him in your relationships. Seek to be a true friend who loves at all times. He will bless you for it. Have a blessed day in Him.   

Hateful Speech Matthew 5:21-2421 You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your git there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift.  Anger is a dangerous emotion. How many injuries, even murders have been committed in a fit of rage. If anger is held in your heart toward someone, it can become like a boiling pot ready to boil over. If allowed to continue, seething within you, you are putting yourself in a dangerous position. Whenever we demean and insult someone, especially fellow believers, we will be held accountable before the Lord for that. To call down curses and evil remarks on others, our verses tell us we are in danger of hell fire. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to walk that close to the edge of the burning eternal volcano of hell. When our children were small, each of them knew instinctively how to provoke the other siblings to anger. One way was to hum a little diddy, teasing and antagonizing their brother or sister about a supposed classmate. They would say that classmate liked them and they secretly liked them back. Even tapping the rhythm of the diddy on the dinner table was enough to set off hysterical yelling and tears. Words can kill, especially angry ones. The word “Raca” can mean “spittle” or “lunatic.” It is a word that could imply calling a fellow believer demon-possessed. The Greek definition is “worthless fool, imbecile.” No one enjoys being called these hurtful names. There are times I have heard conversations about someone where these exact words were not used in talking about someone, but angry, vile descriptive put downs, filled with sour vernacular. I have often thought how much this would hurt and damage this talked about person if they heard what was being said about them. I know it would me. The term “fire” is also called the Gehenna of fire. Gehenna which was an actual place where garbage was burned outside of Jerusalem, became a figure of speech for hell in the days of Jesus. It used to be the site of child sacrifice to the god Molech. See 2 Chronicles 33:6. The old saying we should probably practice that is worth repeating is “If you don’t have anything nice to say about someone, don’t say anything at all,” for their sake and for yours. What about you? Do you understand how hurtful your words can be to others? Do you understand how you put yourself in danger and out of alignment with God when we talk so flippantly about others? Let’s ask the Lord to help us to tame our speech, and if we have nothing good to say, to stay quiet and distance ourselves form evil conversations. Have a peaceful day in the Lord.  

My Presence Will Go With YouExodus 33:15 KJVThen he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here.” I have heard it said, “So much of what we do is done out of ministry principles instead of out of the Presence.” I have lived my whole life in church. From my earliest memories to my present life, I have spent a good portion of my time in church from dead, dry services where a boring form was followed, that seemed like to me, it had be done a million times with the same outcome. There have also been seasons of my daily personal time with the Lord that was as dry as burnt toast. I don’t like it. I know there are times when God withdraws His Presence, I believe so that we will run after Him, press into Him and do what it takes to find Him. It’s a learning and testing time before Him to trust Him in the dark and a time for Him to access the hunger level we have for Him. I’m with Moses. What’s the sense of doing life in our own strength. We only receive back our own human reasoning, relying on our own intellect, still coming up empty. I am asking and seeking Him today to increase my awareness of His Presence so I can move with the utmost sensitivity to Him, the Prince of Peace. He says He will never leave us nor forsake us. Its true, He always is near. My heart needs to settle into the understanding of this and practice it, not from my human emotions, but from my spirit as I learn to receive Him by faith, quiet myself and listen and watch expectantly for Him. He will speak. He will guide and lead us. He will come in whatever way we need Him to come. Maybe its just that we need to quiet enough, slow down long enough and trust in faith long enough for Him to do His thing. What’s the sense of pushing on without His Presence, without His direction and His sense of wellbeing that He places on our lives? I, for one, am so done with manmade ideas, good ideas, maybe, but not God breathed direction. Wouldn’t it be much better to lay out our life situations before Him, not coming to Him, telling Him what and what not to do, like He doesn’t know anything about what the challenge may be? Then practice listening carefully to what He will say and direct. Yes, this means we have to slow down and really watch and listen in faith that He will speak, that He will guide. I’ve gone down too many roads of good ideas to only come up empty when its all been said and done. I have a certainty in heart now because of many learning experiences, that our heavenly Father will show Himself faithful, if I will but trust Him. Don’t move forward today in your life without His Presence. It leads to nowhere you really want to be. What about you? Do you have areas of your life you need to talk to Him about, people you need to surrender completely to Him, and then listen and watch for what He will say and for how He will lead? Let me reassure you, He can always be trusted. Let His Presence guide you today.   

In Wisdom’s House Proverbs 21:20 TPTIn wisdom’s house you’ll find delightful treasures and the oil of the Holy Spirit. But the stupid squander what they’ve been given.  There are those specific people who you meet in life who you can be at ease with. You can laugh deep belly laughs with them at some hilarious story, and you can also cry hot, gushing tears with them over a traumatic happening in your life. They don’t have to fix you or have all the answers. Just their presence and real transparency of heart bring great peace and solace to your needy spirit. They are a treasure. I have had a few, very few souls like this in my life. Some are now home with the Lord, and oh, how I miss them and their sweet, priceless fellowship. Full of wisdom and delightful treasures, they were wells of sweet, sweet water. They were lamps whose precious oil of the Holy Spirit never ran dry. I want to be just that. Not someone who points a judgmental finger at someone going through rough waters, or a person who turns their back to those who need them at critical times, when instead, a delightful treasure needs to be brought to the forefront to encourage and comfort. We, as Christians, can sometimes come across as “better than thou” in our actions and words when we don’t even fully know someone’s story or heart, or what they’re living through in this season of their life. I believe our criticisms of others come from our own insecurities, when consciously or subconsciously we think we are so much better, and far more mature because we are not in the kind of situation and ramifications of poor choices, such as the ones we are presently criticizing. Wow! This for sure is not wisdom. Can we discipline ourselves to not  judge others so quickly, functioning in our “know-it-all” fashion? In wisdom’s house, there are delightful treasures. Wisdom would reach out in gentleness and kindness, not in harsh criticism from a scoffing posture. If we have been in the Presence of the Holy Spirit, soaking, listening, learning, would it stand to reason that we would illuminate the essence of Him rather than our own fleshiness? Sometimes to say nothing is the wisest posture one can take. Whatever an individual’s challenges may be, whatever the mistakes one has made, the poor choices taken, wisdom says it is not helpful to lay layer upon layer of inflated, belligerent “know-it-allism,” but to be a listening ear and a neutral sounding board for this struggling soul. Here you have an opportunity to be healing balm and a refreshing spring in the midst of turmoil. Wisdom says—be that! Remember, God sees and hears all. Let’s not squander the wisdom He has afforded us. Be wise for this day and every day. What about you? Would you consider yourself “wise?” Do you just have to state your opinion and “get everyone told?” Are you gentle and kind, or quick to judge and respond in harsh ways to someone who is struggling? Don’t squander the wisdom God has made available to you. Be a conduit of His love and mercy today and every day. Value the wisdom He has given you. Blessings on your day.   

According to His Will  Ephesians 1:11 NKJVIn Him also we obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.  When the Word of God speaks about “the counsel of His will,” it is telling us that God has an eternal and unchangeable plan. There is a pretty heavy thought in theology and doctrine that can take us years, (and may not even then), be able to understand it completely. The word for this is “predestination.” Ephesians 1:5 speaks of God, “having predestined us to adoption.” Also we see this thought conveyed in Ephesians 1:9, “Having made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself.” Father God’s thoughts and ways go far beyond our human finite ability to comprehend. Isaiah 46:10 says, “Declaring the end from the beginning, and ancient times things that are not yet done saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure. 11b Indeed I have spoken it. I have purposed it; I will also do it.’” Romans 8:28 which is a very much quoted verse in Christendom, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”God has a deliberate plan, a proposition, an advance plan, an intention, a design for our lives. As we stay in His Word, and have tender hearts and listening ears for His voice, He will give us wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. He will direct our paths. The eyes of your understanding will be enlightened. This simply means that there will be a “thinking through” the challenges of life and the decisions that will need to be made. Father God goes before us and prepares the way as well as comes behind us and brings up the rear, so to speak. He knows all of the things we have lived through—the good, the bad, and the ugly. He wants to heal us from all of those rough things that have happened in our lives. He knows just how to do that. He was there with you all the time. Someone may be questioning today, “Well, if He was there, why didn’t He stop these hard, harsh things from happening in my life?” Here’s the answer: God has given man a free will; he allows man to make His own decisions for good or bad; for kindness or cruelty. It’s up to each of us how we will live and treat others. I believe He weeps when He sees people suffer in such hard ways. But I also know that He is the Healer and Comforter and will restore us from those devastating crises we endured. Our verse today tells us that “He works all things according to the counsel of His will.” Joseph in Genesis 50:20, told his brothers, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” There is a freedom and release that comes to the heart of man when we understand the truth that God has a specific plan for each one of us personally, and that we can rest assured that in the times of affliction and struggle, He is building something in us, causing us to gain strength and wisdom for the upcoming plan God has for our lives. Are you at peace today? Do you have inner struggles over life’s situations? Can you ask God to give you a glimpse of His future for you and embrace it by faith, knowing He is teaching you and preparing you for His purpose to come to pass in your life? Be strong and restful in the Lord today.  

Are You Listening? Proverbs 8:34 34 Blessed is the man who listens to me (wisdom), 35 For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord.  So often in life, it will look like someone is really listening only to see them cool off in their walk with the Lord. They continue to have a form of godliness, but they truly are falling asleep when it comes to connecting, learning and maturing in their walk in growing in HIm. It’s like their body is there, in the right spot, but their mind is somewhere else, possibly they are even totally asleep. If they are asked, “What is the Lord teaching you right now,” they would give you a song and dance, but in reality, they have no signs of growth in their lives. They are just an empty husk filled with nothing but just plain empty. Our verses today are talking about wisdom. There are those you see who carry a notebook with their Bible and fastidiously take notes at a Bible study or listening to a sermon. There’s no slackness or grass growing under their feet. It’s hard to awaken people who choose not to listen and hold the posture of knowing better than others who are light years ahead of them in their growth and experience in walking with the Lord. Verse 3:35 goes on and says “For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord.” Proverbs 9:6b says, “And go the way of understanding.” It takes true humility to sit at someone else’s feet, and to stop taking for granted that you know everything there is to know about life. Maybe you have even been warned to take a different road than the one you’re on, or not to get evolved in a venture, yet you won’t listen. You won’t heed the warnings. Nothing may happen right away. It may look like you’ve made a great decision in stubbornly leaning on your own understanding. Hold onto your hat because time reveals all things. Cocky stubbornness can bring a real burn. Make sure you seek the Lord first in all decisions that must be made. He is wisdom. He wants you to listen to Him. Listen carefully for His voice and you will find Him and hear Him as He speaks and leads you. You will find life and obtain favor from Him. There is safety in the counsel of the godly. Seek them out. Listen to their counsel and advice. It doesn’t mean you are weak or that you have to take every word of advice they would offer you. Listen for the voice of the Lord, wisdom, above and beyond any other voice. He wants to bless you. He wants to keep you safe. He wants to prosper you financially but also in your relationships and every endeavor you may pursue in your life. Seek out His plans for you. Psalm 33:1 says, “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generation.” He is wisdom. Wait on Him. Listen for Him. He will give His counsel and wisdom specifically, tailor-made just for you. What about you? What do you need to seek the wisdom of the Lord for? Are you slowing down long enough and listening carefully, and mindfully to His voice and His Word? He’s got you and the quicker you seek His wisdom, the sooner the answer will come. Trust Him fully today.  

Alone, By Yourself Acts 7:30 And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. Before Moses could be the one to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he spent 40 years in the wilderness tending sheep. When Moses was still living in Egypt, a much younger man, Acts 7:23 tells us, “Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.” He saw an Egyptian abusing an Israelite and became very upset, so upset, that he beat the Egyptian, killing him. Moses then fled for his life right out into the desert. When we take matters into our own hands, and we move on our “big ideas,” we often find out that our big ideas were not God’s ideas and plans. This is when God takes us, or should I say drives us into a place of solitude, where He can talk to us concerning us. This is a process that is not always a comfortable one. In fact, it many times, feels like real suffering. He can isolate you, shut things down around you, distance you from other people, and put you in a place where you have to listen, or maybe we should say, you will want to listen and hear what the Lord, your heavenly Father, has to say to you. It’s amazing how the human mind can become so preoccupied with every possible noise, person, happening, etc. all around you constantly, and miss the most important Voice of all for them…. the Lord’s. It took 40 years for Moses ability to develop to hear, to slow down, to let go of all the wrestling of the why’s and the what’s, all the questions about his life, to come down to a slow grind and finally a stop. This is when Moses noticed the burning bush, and he finally could hear the voice of the Lord speaking from it. This was no ordinary angel speaking, for when we see a capital A used in the word Angel in the Bible, they are telling us that it is actually Jesus Himself, not just a regular angel. How amazing this is! The Lord had come to make Himself real to Moses, giving the commissioning of Moses’ assignment to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Now, this is God’s way, His revelation for His people, and not Moses’ taking matters into his own hands. In a way, I feel sorry for Moses. His heart was in the right place, but he had not come into a place of complete yieldedness and surrender to the Lord to wait on God’s timing and be able in that quiet place before the Lord, to hear what God’s plan was, to get the when, the where, and the how. I can only imagine that there were days when Moses felt completely alone, maybe even resentful and confused. Haven’t we all been there? I have. Hebrews 4 tells us about laboring into God’s rest. This is learning to surrender all to Him, and learning to rest in Him, not doing life on our “I think,” but waiting for God to speak His direction and His way in all things. You can trust Him today. Just get quiet and let Him speak and work in your life. What about you? Are you struggling today? Are you depressed or discouraged? I have had days like this. This best thing to do is immediately surrender it all to the Lord, trusting Him to work. Get your mind on Him and what He will speak to you. Remember, He will take us to a place of aloneness and quietness, so that we will be able to hear Him. Trust Him in all His ways. He knows what He is doing. Have a blessed day in Him.

Come to Jesus Matthew 11:28-30 TPT28 Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to Me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. 29 Simply join your life with Mine. Learn My ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in Me. 30 For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.  Jesus doesn’t tell us when we are weary that He is too busy to deal with us, or go find someone else for help. He tells us to come to Him. Jesus said that in other places as well. Many times Jesus said, “Come after (follow) Me,” but only here does He say, “Come to Me.” In Exodus 33:14, God tells us, “And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Jesus said in Matthew 23:4 “For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” Many circumstances in life pile burden upon burden on us, whether from others or just the situations we find ourselves in. In the Aramaic translation, this phrase is used, “I am your oasis.” I remember years ago there was an advertisement for Calgon bath bubbles. The ad showed this overworked, overburdened woman sinking into a hot bath with lots of beautiful bubbles floating and gently swirling all around her. It made you want to start running the water for a nice, hot bath. When you are overwhelmed and bone tired, Jesus is the One you want to run to. Pour out your heart and all the emotions, no matter what they may be, cry if you want to. He is there for you. Just know that He will talk with you and make Himself very present and real in your time of need. He wants you to come to Him. The King James translates verse 29 as “Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” It also could read “Bend your neck to My yoke.” The metaphor of a yoke is that it joins two animals to work as one. Plainly said, it isn’t just work or labor that is the focus here but coming into union with Jesus. The end of verse 29, “You will find refreshment and rest in Me,” translates in the Aramaic as “Come to Me and I will cheer (refresh) you. I am cheerful (refreshing) and humble in heart, and you will find cheer (refreshing) for your soul.” I love the repeating of the word “refreshing.” How many times in life have I needed “refreshing” that only the Lord could bring into my life. No one, nor anything else but Him could do that. Verse 30 reads, “For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.” Pleasant and easy to bear,” can also be translated as “kind” or “delightful.” Doesn’t that sound good? It feels like the Lord lifts heavy stones off of your beat emotions and weary mind bringing His soothing touch to you. So dear one, along with our verses for today, let’s add Psalm 55:22, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Always know that He loves you so and is always there with His arms wide open just waiting for you. What about you? Are there situations or people that are weighing heavy on you today? Come to Him and cast it all onto to His waiting heart. He will lift them and bring refreshing peace, rest, and even joy to you today. Have a restful day in Him.   

God Knows the Way I Take Job 23:10 But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested (tried) me, I shall come forth as gold. Just as gold is refined in the fire, so too your character is being refined in quiet seasons with Him. We may face some spiritual battles, even as Jesus did when He was driven into the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. This time of being alone is not meant to harm you or to destroy you. God knows exactly what He is working in you. This season is meant to strengthen and empower you. What you learn to overcome in this season of aloneness will be the very foundation of your upcoming blessing. This is the very place where the Lord reveals vision to you. In fact, your vision grows in solitude. When life is whirling all around you, you are unable to hear the Voice of God as clearly as you need to. This is the place where the Lord will give you great clarity as you wait on Him in quietness. Don’t despise the time and season. He draws very close in your quietness. This is the time of His birthing His blessing in and for you. If we are intuitive enough to the heart of God, you will begin to discern that He has seasons that will come and then change to another in our lives. This season of isolation is one of the most profound. Even as winter can seem long, cold and trying, there are many things happening in the ground, in the trees, and even with the animals. This is the season when there appears to be nothing happening and can even seem like it is the end of coming to a full position of death. Yet it is one of the most significant phases in your spiritual development. This season of isolation is not one of punishment, but of preparation for growth and promotion. It is God’s divine strategy. It is God drawing you into an alone space where distractions are taken away and His awesome Voice becomes clearer than ever in isolation. This is the posture you will take as God works on your inner being. This posture is taken even as a human body is positioned on an operating table for a specific surgery. Understand that purpose is not birthed in a crowd. It is processed and refined when there is no one around, watching and adding their “I thinks” to your journey. It can feel like you are going to be forever isolated with not much contact and interaction with others. Understand this, rest in it, God is preparing you and He must do it in quietness and isolation. It is a deeper work that many will not allow the Lord to do in them. God hides you to prepare you. Just like a seed that is buried in the ground, you may feel like nothing is happening, but beneath the surface, transformation is taking place. God is shaping your heart and renewing your mind and strengthening your spirit for what’s ahead. Hold steady in this place. Your Father knows exactly what He is doing. What season are you presently in? Do you understand what God is working and processing in you presently? Can you comprehend that He is preparing you for a higher level, a greater place of authority, and greatness in His Kingdom? Rest in Him today. He is completely in control, and you know you can trust Him. Blessings on your day.   

Your Yard I Thessalonians 4:4 That each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor.  No one can be responsible for you. Here’s a good way to illustrate this. We each have our own yard. No one else can step onto your yard and plant flowers or shrubs just because they want to. No one can decide to dump their garbage each week on your lawn, or let their dog do its business there. This is your yard and they have no right doing anything on it. You, on the other hand, can plant flowers and shrubs, choose to dispose of your garbage properly or let it pile up, and if you own a dog, you can let it do its business anywhere on your yard you choose or not. It is your yard. Our feelings and attitudes are ours. If we will take responsibility for them, we can solve problems with them and make powerful decisions for our life. Whoever makes us angry is not responsible for it. Our anger is a sign that someone has sinned against us. Matthew 18:15 tells us, “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.” Moses also wrote in Leviticus 19:17, “Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.” If I am the one dealing with these feelings, I am the one responsible for them. Moses tells us we can reprove the one we are angry at, or allow this anger to turn into bitterness and hate. The anger will be resolved if we can talk it out with the offender and the relationship be healed and better. “Iron sharpens iron.” Each of the persons who have been in the conflict will be better for working it out. If we choose not to deal with our feelings, they can turn into bitterness and hatred and continue to fester. Back to our analogy—it is our yard. We can choose or not choose to deal with whatever is happening in it. It’s not someone else’s responsibility. Likewise, you are not responsible for what is going on in someone else's yard. You’re not responsible for others’ attitudes. Putting expectations on others is not our job in life. We usually end up complaining and becoming disappointed with them. When we begin to take responsibility for our own attitudes, then we begin to be set free from the expectations of others who try to put them on us. A pattern of thinking that is not healthy is to play the victim because of others’ expectations of us. Slow down and figure out where that attitude has come from, and process how you can be freed from the expectations of others when they try to put expectations on us. God has healing and health for you in every area of your life. He has great freedom and blessings as well. What about you? Are you free and at peace in your feelings and attitudes in your life? Do you have healthy boundaries where you are free to live your life led by the Lord and not others? Take some time to be with the Lord today, and let Him talk to you about any areas of your life that you may need healing. Rest in Him that He will speak and lead you to a healthy, balanced place in your life. Blessings on your day.  

Alone in Preparation Exodus 3:7, 117 And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmaster, for I know their sorrows. 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Lamentations 3:28 28 Let him sit alone and keep silent, because God has laid it on him. Don’t mistake isolation for punishment. God is not withholding something from you. He wants you alone so He can speak to you. He is preparing something through you in isolation. The Lord is breaking old patterns, old mindsets, and old ways of thinking that are not productive and conducive with the plan He has for your life. He is preparing you to be able to step into the new that is in His plan, with strength, surety, and purpose. Gold has to be refined in the fire, and so does your character which often is refined in this quiet season. This time of change, even isolation, is not sent from the Lord to hurt or destroy you. It is meant to empower you. Your blessing will come as you overcome this season of being alone. In a season of solitude, rest in the Lord and let Him reveal His vision for you. Vision grows in solitude. In this place of solitude God will give you clarity. It is hard to see clearly with noise all around you. Too many voices jealous for your attention, crowding out the voice of God. Don’t become depressed and despise this time of aloneness. This is the birthing place of your blessing. There are seasons in every journey of life, and one of the most profound season is the time of isolation. You can easily misunderstand this period. You will feel like you have been abandoned or think that something is wrong, when in truth, it is a very important time, an important time in the drawing of the Lord, drawing you close to Him, and a very significant time in your spiritual development. There have been times of aloneness for me when I felt like I had done something wrong, or that I somehow, had become undesirable to be around by others. Yet it is none of these thoughts. It is God’s divine strategy. The enemy of your soul will tell you otherwise, yet God’s Word tells us our heavenly Father is in control 24/7, and that He never leaves nor forsakes us. He is working something! It is not known and understood by you, yet here you are, reading this devotional today because He wants you to understand His ways. He wants you to relax and rest in Him. He is in total control of your life and knows exactly what He wants to work in you, causing you to understand and grow in your maturity in Him. The purpose for your life is not birthed in the crowd. The Lord refines His purpose in you in the quiet moments, in the deep places of your heart, when no one else is around or watching. You will feel like you are all alone and in truth, you are hidden from the world because God is hiding you to prepare you. What about you? Are you at peace and rest in your spirit, and in the season God presently has you in? Are you quiet enough to hear His voice and His preparation plan for your life to bring you into the fullness He has for you? You can trust Him fully today and every day. Let go and let God. Blessings on your day. 

Who Can Stop the Lord? Isaiah 14:23The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, and as I have purposed, so it shall stand.Isaiah 43:13bI work, and who can reverse it?  Years ago, as a young couple raising a very young family, finances could at times, be very tight. It seemed like several unexpected expenses came up that needed to be paid rather quickly. We did not have the finances in our checking or savings account. What were we going to do? As we went to prayer about this need, I heard the still small voice of God stir in my spirit saying that $1,000 was going to come via the mail. I was a little hesitant to tell Stephen what I felt the Lord had spoken to me. But I finally got up the nerve and quietly shared with him what I felt in my spirit. We checked the mail most days, but somehow, we must have forgotten to stop and get it at the post office for several days. When we did stop to pick it up, I was the one who ran in to get it out of the box. There was a different looking envelope among the magazines and other mail. I stopped and pulled over into a corner, out of the way in the post office. Slowly I opened the strange mail, and much to my surprise and joy, as I pulled the paper out of the envelope, I could see it was a check. Yes, it was a check for exactly $1,000! I left the post office as fast as I could, waving the envelope and check above my head with exuberant joy! Stephen’s face lit up at seeing me so excited. I HAD heard from the Lord! This was the best news first, and then the miracle of the much needed $1,000! You see, when our heavenly Father thinks a thought, it will come to pass, and it will be exactly as He purposes it to be. It will stand! He works and no one can reverse what He has purposed to do. It never ceases to amaze me to catch a glimpse of the infinite care of our heavenly Father over HIs children. Psalm 37:25 says, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor His seed begging for bread.” Like us, you may need a financial miracle, or you may have a physical need. Isaiah 53:5 says, “But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.” He is our healer! Cry out to Him and bring your need to Him. Trust Him to heal you however He chooses. Even emotional challenges and relational challenges can be healed by our Master and Lord. He will purpose to help you no matter what it may be. And no one can reverse what our Father purposes to do. What about you? What is your need today? Tell Him and then, listen in faith for His direction and answer to prayer. He hears you and He will answer you. He is a good, good Father that will not fail. Trust Him fully today.  

A Higher Place Psalm 105:23-26 TPT23 So you were fed up and decided to destroy them. But Moses, your chosen leader, stood in the gap between you and the people, and made intercession on their behalf to turn away your wrath from killing them all. 24 Yet they still didn’t believe your words and they despised the land of delight you gave to them. 25 They grumbled and found fault with everything and closed their hearts to your voice. 26 So you gave up and swore to them that they would all die in the desert. Poor Moses! My mind cannot even begin to get wrapped around the thought of having to lead so many people, and not just people, but ungrateful, thankless, self-centered, miserable people. Even God got sick of them and decided to let them all die in the desert, that terrible grumbling generation. Yet I want to focus on Moses. Here they all are, shaking their fists at him and telling him off with their selfish demands, when he had put his life on the line to bring them out of slavery in Egypt. He had stood in the gap over and over again, going to the top of the mountain to hear what God had to say to them when they, themselves would not go, but said to him to go hear from God for them. He would go in the tent of meeting and wait on the Lord to receive the Lord’s direction and heart for this people. Remember when Moses was on the mountain seeking the face of God, and they built a golden calf and danced around it naked in some sense of worship to it? How dumb! How belligerently stupid! As we study the life of Moses, we find that he, even in their times of the dumbest stupidity and rebellion, would intercede for them, begging God to have mercy on them, even to the place of semi-rebuking God when God said He was so disgusted, even He was done with them. Moses told the Lord if He didn’t go with them, Moses wasn’t going to go without Him. Here’s the truth of our devotion today—there will be people in your life that will be very selfish and even poisonous to you and others; never reciprocating but only taking. The funny thing about them is that they will expect consistency and kindness from you but require nothing from themselves. Here’s the rub—we can choose to cut them off, or we can choose to take a higher, more mature road and love them unconditionally. Truly, it is a challenge, but a choice you can make to love them as you love the Lord, and truthfully, as He has loved you. Your choice. I believe life becomes a little less dramatic when that decision is chosen and lived by. Others may even judge you as being a little thick, yet Moses had made this kind of decision. I don’t believe God ever faulted him for it. Sometimes God takes us to places where others never will have to grow. That’s ok, for in those places is where you will learn and be drawn closer to him than possibly many others. Let Him lead you as you draw closer to Him. What about you? Is the emotional roller coaster of others immaturity worth all the drama they may bring into your life? Can you take a posture of thinking and living on a higher place of thought in the Lord? Let God take you deeper in Him. You won’t regret it! Blessings on your day.