It Is Not About You
“All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come into the king these thirty days.” Esther 4:11, ESV
Many times when God allows things to come to us we think it is all about us. Esther knew that her people were in trouble, but she was concerned about her own life. We can be distracted about our own well being and miss the assignment that God has for us. God used Esther’s cousin Mordecai to put her mind back into perspective so that she could focus on the assignment at hand. Esther 4:13-15, ESV
Several weeks ago, my right eye was itching really bad. I would put a warm compress on it and took medication to stop the itching, but it continued. One night it was so bad that swelling and redness with little bumps appeared around the outside of my eye. I prayed and asked God what this was all about, but heard nothing. The itching and swelling got so bad that I called my doctor for an appointment.
When I called the doctor’s office the receptionist said that there was a cancellation and asked if I would I like to take that appointment. I said, “Yes.” When I arrived to the appointment the following day they took me back into the doctor’s office and I waited for my turn. While I was waiting I felt the urge to pray about the conversation I was to have with my doctor. I did not understand why I felt that way, but I prayed for the Holy Spirit to speak through me. A little history about my doctor: we have known each other for years, he is an atheist and knows that I am a Christian. So, we always joked with each other about our differences.
When he walked into the office we went through our usual spatting back and forth, but this time it was different. He looked sad and I learned that he and his wife were headed towards a divorce. I sat for at least 20 minutes listening to him talk about his marriage. I asked God what he wanted me to say to him and God gave me words to encourage his heart. When we finished our conversation I said to him, “You know, I am going to pray for you and your wife.” As he turned to head towards the door, he stopped, turned around and said, “Usually I would make fun of you and give you a hard time when you talked about praying, but today I just want to say, “Thank you.” I knew immediately that I would no longer have any problems with my eye. It was the mechanism God used to get me to visit his office. God sent me on an assignment as his vessel so that He could sit before a hurting individual and give him direction and hope.
I had been praying for years for my doctor to be saved! I could not understand why my eyes were bothering me so much, but it was never about me. It was about God doing the work in another individual’s heart. Amen!
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16, ESV
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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The Tongue
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease. Genesis 8:28, ESV
“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” Mark 11:23, ESV
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21, ESV
Below is an article from Got Questions that I wanted to share with you:
“The tongue” is used throughout Scripture in both literal and metaphorical ways, especially in Psalms, Proverbs, and James. The tongue is a “small part of the body” (James 3:5), yet Proverbs 18:21 says it “has the power of life and death.” This holds true whether we’re speaking of spiritual, physical, or emotional “life and death.”
First, we should keep in mind that the word tongue is often a reference to the spoken word. This is a special kind of figure of speech called metonymy, in which one word stands in for another, closely related word. A common example of metonymy is seen in this sentence: “The White House issued a statement.” Of course, the White House, as a building, cannot issue statements; however, in this instance, White House refers to the President, who lives there. In the same way, when Proverbs 15:4 states, “A deceitful tongue crushes the spirit,” tongue is a metonymy. Obviously, a literal, fleshly tongue cannot crush the human spirit, but the words the tongue produces can.
Spiritual:
What our tongue produces has eternal implications, for it reveals what is in our heart. Jesus said that “the good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him” (Matthew 12:35). Isaiah places words on par with actions for displaying a sinful heart (Isaiah 59:2-3). “Men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (Matthew 12:36). In and of ourselves, we are utterly unable to “tame the tongue” because “it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). A tongue under control is a mark of the Spirit’s power. Apart from accepting Jesus’ atonement on the cross, we will be judged according to our words: “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37).
Physical:
In order to take Proverbs 18:21 literally – that the tongue can cause physical life and death – we do not need to tax our imagination. Words create actions, good and bad. A judge or jury, by simply saying a word, can cause a person to be killed or to live. Words often save lives: a doctor advises surgery, a weatherman issues a tornado warning, a counselor gives hope to a suicidal person. Conversely, words can also kill: murders are often initiated because of arguments or verbalized hatred. In the sense of causing action, then, the tongue does indeed have the power of life and death.
Emotional:
Emotions are powerfully affecting, yet they are vulnerable to injury. James describes the tongue as “a fire” (James 3:6) – and who has not been burned by it? Proverbs 15:4 describes a “healing” tongue as “a tree of life.” As much as love is an action, what would romance be without words? Encouragement often comes through spoken words. So does discouragement. “Reckless words pierce like a sword” (Proverbs 12:18). The wound is emotional, and it is deep. What we say can have a profound effect on others.
Conclusion:
God made us expressive beings, so we are nearly lost without communication. That is why we have audio recordings and Braille for the blind, sign language for the deaf, and writing for anyone who has something to say from afar. Indeed, speech has enormous implications, especially as a vehicle for sharing the gospel (Romans 10:14). Therefore, we are commanded to control the tongue, to “keep [it] from evil and your lips from speaking lies” (Psalm 34:13). A Christian’s speech should consistently honor the Lord: with the tongue “we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be” (James 3:9-10).
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Obedience
…or of obedience, which leads to righteousness. Romans 6:16, ESV
Obedience: to submit, obey, submissive to authority.
I had just finished resting and praying in the Spirit when this image came to my mind. The Holy Spirit reminded me of a time when He really started to deal with me about being obedient.
I had gone shopping at an expensive store and bought two outfits. While shopping I heard the Holy Spirit tell me exactly what I could purchase, even down to the jewelry I could buy to go with each outfit. On my way out of the store, I saw these shoes that would match perfectly with what I bought. Now I did not hear the Holy Spirit tell me to get the shoes, but they just looked so good with the outfits that I purchased them anyway.
I was so excited about these new outfits I could not wait to wear them. Several weeks went by and every time I went to put on one of the outfits, I would hear the Holy Spirit say “No, put on something else.” About three weeks later, my sister called and said she was coming by for a visit. I was excited to have a visit with her because we had not seen each other for a while. When I hung up the phone, I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Give those two outfits you purchased with the jewelry to your sister.” My heart sank. “But God, I bought shoes to go with the outfit!” He said, “I never told you to buy shoes but since you did, you can give her those too.”
Now my heart turned from a joyous occasion of seeing my sister to being mad. I thought, “God, I did not even get to wear the outfits!” He said, “I know - they were never for you.” All of a sudden, the truth about how much I love God was in a battle with my desire for this stuff! I knew I had to be obedient to God; I did not have a choice. But I was upset! So, I gave her the outfits when she arrived and I thought that was it. Then one Sunday I saw my sister at church, and she had the shoes and a top from one of the outfits all mixed up with something else. I thought, “God, she is not even wearing the outfits right!”
I was so irritated. I had no idea that the material stuff had such a hold on me. Through submission and obedience, even though I had an attitude, God was cleaning out all of that junk inside of me. He was turning my heart towards the righteousness of Christ. I remember guilt and condemnation was trying to settle into my spirit because I knew I did not have the right attitude towards my sister - and it was not even her fault! But God in His graciousness showed me that He was working on my heart, and I was right where I was supposed to be.
God is always doing a work in us, and it will require submission of our will. When we surrender to God, we are releasing control. Remember when King Saul disobeyed God, it cost him his kingdom and God withdrew His presence from him? Obedience is better than sacrifice. “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience which leads to righteousness” (Romans 6:16).
Jehovah, thank you for the reminder that in all things I am called to release control to you. I asked for forgiveness for the times when I disobeyed your instructions and did my own thing. I repent and I ask for your help with surrendering my will in everything. In Jesus’s name, amen.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Am I Right with God?
None is righteous, no not one… Romans 3:10, ESV
In the past I often found myself saying to God, “I just want to be right with you. I want to pray right; I want to do the work you have given me the right way. I want to be in alignment with you. Am I where you want me to be?”
The more I focused on those thoughts about being “right”, the more I would try and make myself right with God. Yet, as much as I worked, I never felt satisfaction in my heart. I would become confused and frustrated, and a feeling of hopelessness would settle into my spirit. That was because I could never work myself into right standing with God. Jesus is the only one who could do that for me. There is absolutely no work that any of us can do to get right with God.
Right standing with God comes through faith in the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. No one can stake claim to righteousness based on his or her own obedience, for all have sinned and fall short of what God demands. The righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. We are justified by His grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. For scripture teaches that Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness (Romans 4:2).
Satan wants us to believe that we have to work to get right with God. But God called us to believe in Him. When we accept Jesus as our personal savior, we become righteous instantly because His blood covers our sins. Righteousness never had to do with our works! I remember praying to God about doing the right thing and staying in right standing with Him and I heard the Holy Spirit say, “I know who you are, I created you. I know how to course correct you.” Over the years Jehovah has taught me that His focus has always been on my heart posture. When my heart was right, everything else lined up in accordance with His will. There was never a need to worry about my positioning with God.
He gave us righteousness as a free gift, and He will work with us individually to get us where He has ordained us to be through the reading and hearing of His Word. Praise God that we are all righteous because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross. Amen!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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No Thank You
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Ephesians 6:11, ESV
I was in prayer listening to God. As He was talking to me, a spirit of comparison came upon me out of nowhere. I saw a vision of myself, comparing myself to someone else. In the past I would get mad and find myself fighting with the thought because it was taking me away from prayer. What I did not realize is that God was showing me an area that needed to be cleansed.
One particular time I had asked God, “What am I supposed to do with this spirit?” I had prayed about it and casted it out, but this somehow kept showing up. He told me that when the spirit of comparison presents itself, say “No thank you”. Immediately I saw myself at a table with a big feast. There were all kinds of foods, some of the food I liked and put them on my plate but there were other items that I did not like, and I said “No thank you” to them. God said to me, “Those spirits like to come back to see if the home is open or closed. You do not even have to fight because the door is closed, locked, and sealed. Eventually you will get to a place where the spirit can show up and you will not even acknowledge it.”
He told me that the spirit only keeps coming back because I give it some kind of attention. Why do I give it some kind of attention? Because I had not spent enough time with Jehovah understanding that He already paid for that sin. When that sinful spirit came, I took on condemnation and tried to pray my way out of that guilty feeling. The problem was I relied on my feelings rather than what I knew to be true - that the debt was paid before I was born.
Satan and his demonic spirits are always looking for a doorway in. That is why God tells us to put on the whole armor of God daily so we will be able to defeat the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). I looked up the word “wiles” and according to the Webster’s Dictionary, it means “…devious or cunning stratagems employed in manipulating or persuading someone to do what one wants”. We are not strong enough to fight the manipulating schemes of the devil by ourselves; we must armor up! And when he comes, we have the power to say, “No thank you!”
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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You Are Not Too Old
They still bear fruit in old age…Psalm 92:14, ESV
Why is it that when we hit a certain age, we think we are supposed to stop bearing fruit? No matter how old a tree gets, it continues to bear fruit. Everything that God makes bears fruit until it dies - except man. Society has told us that when we reach a certain age we are supposed to retire and do whatever we want. It’s a crazy notion, but many have bought into it.
In scripture we learn that God did not start using many of the amazing figures in the Bible until they hit what we would consider retirement age. Abraham was 75 years old when God called him to leave his hometown and move to Canaan. At 75 years old is when God said He would make him a great nation. Moses was not called to lead the people out of Egypt until he was 80 years old! Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist in her old age. Society tells us that at those ages, we should be in a resting home. But that is not what God’s Word says about us.
I am sure their aging bodies had some of the same elements that ours do today but because they said yes to God, He gave them what they needed to fulfill the promise He had inside of them. Listen, Caleb said to Joshua, “…and now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years…And behold, this day I am eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength then for war and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said” (Joshua 14:10-12).
Caleb never mentioned his fears, his shortcomings, or things that were happening in his body. He proclaimed that he was as strong as he was at 45. He believed God for the promise that He said was for Caleb. He stood on that promise regardless of what his body or society said. Remember, because of Israel’s rebellion, anyone over 25 years old would not enter the promise land (Numbers 14). That means everyone else was at least 24 years younger than Caleb and Joshua.
If you are reading this message, that means God has ordained you to be here because He still has work for you to do! Do not give up on what He has put in your heart no matter what your age! Age is not a problem for God. Abraham had Isaac at 100 years old, and God continued to bless His seed. After Sarah died Abraham remarried and had six more sons. (Genesis 25). “Nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Text Message
One early morning I was listening to Jehovah speak to me. I was just sitting, reading, and listening when I received a text message from my son. I knew better than to have my phone in my office when I am studying because it always causes a distraction. I only want to hear God and nothing else. My time with Jehovah is always amazing. He consistently pours into me revelation after revelation, and I do not want anything to take me away from that intimacy.
When I heard the chime ring from my phone, I immediately checked it. I was bummed that I let it distract me. I knew I had interrupted what God was saying to me. However, God in His graciousness still spoke to my soul. When I read the message, I was encouraged. My son was telling me how much he had enjoyed one of the posts I had sent out. My heart was filled with joy as I read his response.
Immediately I heard the Holy Spirit say to me, “That is how I feel when my children take the time to read my Word. I know they will not understand everything they read; I know they will not get all the revelation of the reading the first time, but I am so proud when they read my Word. They are following my instructions, and we are having a conversation together.”
As I meditated on what Jehovah had just spoken to me, I was elated that our obedience could bring Him that kind of joy. God is not looking for perfection, He just wants our obedience. Scripture says obedience is better than sacrifice. King Saul had offered a sacrifice to God instead of obeying His instruction and that disobedience cost him his throne. Our obedience to God’s instruction is what pleases Him (1 Samuel 15). Jehovah wants us to know that what makes Him proud is when His children sit with Him and talk to Him about His Word. Hallelujah!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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It Is None of Their Business
I was having a conversation with my sister when she mentioned not wanting to share her journey to healing with some of her co-workers. She said they were nosy, and it is none of their business anyway. I could totally relate to what she was saying. There are people who you just don’t want in your business and that is wisdom. You cannot tell everyone everything about you.
However, this was her journey to healing and the Word says that as believers we overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. She was not ready to share her journey because it meant she would have to be vulnerable about her illness. Vulnerability can be difficult because it opens the door for everyone else’s opinion. The definition for vulnerability implies that you are open to attacks, and open to being harmed. We all seek to protect ourselves, but Jehovah reminds us that He will protect us. He is Jehovah Shammah and He is always with us. When we become vulnerable and share our story it allows God to demonstrate His power through us. We become His vessel for others to taste and see Him.
She told God she did not want everyone knowing her business and God said, “Your business is my business, and everyone’s business is my business.” It does not matter who knows your business. We can get so caught up in our personal insecurities that we close the door for God to use us even though He has allowed us to be in that place of difficulty to be a testimony for Him. Our journey is not about us. When we say we surrender all to God, He takes us at our word! We have to remember the earth is over four billion years old and we were hand selected for this specific season to be used by Him and bring glory to His name. Our assignments are to walk in our faith and to draw the world to Him! Amen! Let us rejoice and again I say rejoice!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Seated
…and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6, ESV
When we accepted Jesus Christ as our personal savior we are born anew, meaning we were immediately washed of all of our sins, given eternal life, the spirit of Christ moved in us, and we were seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. For a long time, it was hard for me to understand the “seated” part of this scripture because I am here on earth, so how could I be seated with Christ Jesus in heaven?
Scripture says, “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:11-12). When we accepted Christ Jesus, everything He did on the cross, we did. Our old fleshy sinful person was cut away and buried with Jesus in death. When Jesus was raised up, we were raised up in our new spirit and where He is seated, we are seated. We have moved from the position of seeing from the eyes of our own flesh to the position of seeing with the vision of Christ. We now see from Christ’s vantage point.
This means that when there is an incurable sickness that comes into our lives, we don’t see devastation and the end of the world anymore. We see from the position of where we are seated that God is Jehovah Rapha the healer and all is not lost. We see that we can agree with His word that He is our healer. We can now see the healing power of Jesus, claim that for ourselves, and speak it out. When there is no provision, we can see from the position of where we are seated that God is Jehovah Jireh our provider and therefore because we can see that, we can claim that God our Father will provide and stand on that Word. We now sit at the right hand of God so we can see who He is, claim what He says, and stand on that! And now because He lives in us, we have the mind of Christ! We are in a new position with a new mind! Hallelujah!!!
…but we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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The Jump
I had a dream that a family friend from church needed help and called me. I was apprehensive because I could not truly understand what she wanted, but I told her to meet me at a certain location and I would help her out.
In the next scene, I was with my daughter on a high bridge looking down for the church friend. It was a long way into the water. I said, “I am glad that she is not coming this way because I would be afraid to have to go get her down there.” But my daughter did not understand me and said “Oh, she’s coming from down there,” and before I could say “no”, she had jumped off the bridge into the water.
I screamed and started praying and pleading the blood of Jesus as I watched her body go into the water. I waited and kept praying and she finally came up. She was happy, and perfectly fine. I was so grateful, and then I woke up. I immediately knew what God was showing me. I was too afraid to jump into the deep. My daughter jumped, but I did not. I did not even go after her. I stood on the bridge and prayed.
God showed me that a lot of people are moving but they are on the bridge where it does not require faith. I told him I wanted to jump off the bridge and began to pray. He showed me that every time I tried to move, something was holding me back - it was fear.
Jehovah is so gracious. As I prayed, He reminded me of Yeshua in the garden of gethsemane and how He prayed. I then understood that my prayer would give me the strength to move in faith. I read Hebrews 11:1 which says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Three words from that scripture attached themselves to me: assurance, hoped and conviction, so I looked them up.
Assurance: a believer's confidence in God, God's response to prayer, and the hope of eternal salvation.
Hoped: the confident expectation of what God has promised, and its strength is in His faithfulness
Conviction: A belief that is God-ordered
After reading the definitions I wrote my own faith meaning: My confidence is in God that He responds to my prayer, and I have complete assurance that what I prayed for will happen because I believe it is God-ordained. If that is not the case, I will not pray.
While in prayer, Jehovah showed me that He was holding up the bridge, and Yeshua and the Holy Spirt were holding me in my jump to them. I was jumping into them, and I was never alone! When you jump with Him, you are right where you are supposed to be.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Seeking A Leader
But now your kingdom shall not continue; the Lord has sought out [David] a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince and ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you. 1 Samuel 13:14, AMPC
Scripture says we are to pray for our leaders, and we are to pray for a righteous leader. It tells us that when we have a wicked leader the whole country will be led into wickedness. I was seeking God in prayer about the leaders of our country and who I am to vote for. I can’t tell truth from lies no matter what commentator I read; everything has a slant towards an opinion. So this morning God led me to the final words of King David, who was a righteous king, a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22).
“Now these are the last words of David son of Jesse says, and the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, says, The Spirit of the Lord spoke in and by me, and His word was upon my tongue. The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me, when one rules over men righteously, ruling in the fear of God, He dawns on them like the morning light when the sun rises on a cloudless morning, when the tender grass springs out of the earth through clear shining after rain. Truly does not my house stand so with God? For He has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure. For will He not cause to prosper all my help and my desire? But wicked, godless, and worthless lives are all like thorns to be thrust away, because they cannot be taken with the hand. But the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire on the spot” (2 Samuel 23:1-7).
Heavily Father, ELOHIM,
The creator of this universe, you know the hearts of all men. You removed King Saul because he was wicked and would not follow your commands. You found David, a man after your own heart to lead your people into righteousness and honor of you. We are at a time of seeking a leader, we have no idea of the heart of a man except by his actions. I pray that you will open our spiritual eyes and ears so we can hear from you, whom you have anointed for such a time as this so that we can have a righteous leader after your heart like King David. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Choose Life
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live… Deuteronomy 30:19, ESV
Moses gave instructions to the Israelites to keep the covenant of the Lord. God told the people of Israel that He called heaven and earth to witness the covenant. Then God gave them a choice: choose blessings or curses, life or death, but the choice is theirs. God then told to choose life. What does it mean to choose life?
The Bible says that choosing life is loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice, and holding fast to Him. I found it interesting the order in which God gave the instructions for choosing life. He started with loving the Lord, which brought to my attention that there are those who can obey God’s voice without loving Him! We obey the law of our nation, but we may not love the politicians who make the law. The first thing God was looking for was their heart posture. If our heart posture is right, then it will draw us into obeying God’s voice and that moves us near to Him.
While writing this message this thought came to me: we have the Holy Spirit to help us walk in love and follow God’s commands, but they did not. I asked God how could they have a heart after Him without the Holy Spirit, and He reminded me that love comes with spending time with a person. The more time I spent dating my husband before we got married, the more he showed me his character, his heart posture, and what he was about. That eventually led to the heart of love I had for him which brought us to marriage. It is the same with God - He had already shown Israel His love for them. He had brought them out of Egypt, He had slaughtered their enemies, and provide food, clothing, and shelter for them. God had already demonstrated His love before He presented this covenant to them.
I love that God never changes. He is the same! He has done the same thing for us that He did for the Israelites. Before He presented us with the choice to choose life, He loved us by sending His only son Jesus Christ to pay the price for all our sin. He slaughtered the enemy who kept us from receiving eternal life and provided food, shelter, and clothing for us. As we follow the instructions of love from 1 Corinthians 13, our heart posture begins to change. The scripture tells us that love endures long and is patient and kind. Love protects, trusts, hopes, preserves, and never fails. One thing I noticed when I was reading this scripture is that love is work! To choose life is to spend time with God in His word and doing the work of love. God worked to demonstrate His love and He requires no less from us. Amen.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Ready, Set, Wait
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him… Psalm 37:7, ESV
We were all seated in the plane ready to go. The plane was sitting on the tarmac waiting to take off when the pilot made this announcement: “I wanted you to know why we are just sitting here on the tarmac. We have been told there is too much congestion in the air right now, so we have to wait”. He said our wait time could be between thirty and sixty minutes.
It was already late, and I knew based on our schedule I was not going to get home until after 1:00am, and I was so ready to go home. My scheduled flight had been changed so many times that when I heard the announcement from the pilot, I started to pray that we would just get off the ground so I could get home.
The Holy Spirit reminded me that many times we are prepared and ready to move to the next level in the assignment He has for us, but the door seems to be shut tight. We are trying to make something happen in our flesh, but God is not allowing it. He showed me that the waiting is purposeful. The air traffic controllers could see that it was not the right time for us to move. I could tell in the pilot’s voice that he was a little annoyed with the instructions too, but he did not move.
The air traffic controller would not give approval for our fight to lift off that ground until it was safe for us to do so. They were making sure there was a clear path for us to get to our destination without any disruption. The pilot could not see what they could see, so he had to wait patiently. Many times, God will give us the desire to expand our business, start a family, purchase a new home, get married, move out on our own, and so on, but nothing seems to be happening. We are ready for that next new thing, but it seems that all those road blocks happen to stop the movement.
It is so important that we understand that God’s timing is not the same as ours. He may have you all ready to go but just like the pilot, you can’t see what is going on in the sky. We must trust Adonai, the one in control and wait on His direction.
Before the delay of thirty minutes, we were scheduled to arrive in Sacramento at 1:00am, but we ended up landing at 12:20am. In Dallas, Texas we sat on the tarmac for thirty minutes and somehow saved a total of seventy minutes in the air… I have no idea how that happened. But it is the same with God. He works outside of our time. It may seem like you are behind everyone else, but God will somehow move you to the front of the line even though it seems you have waited years. Keep the faith, His timing is always perfect.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Running The Race
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1, ESV
I woke up one morning with the image of a runner in my head. It was early, so I knew Jehovah was speaking to me. I saw a runner with her arm up high behind her, ready to start the race. As I meditated on why her arm was up so high, I heard the Holy Spirit say she was ready to win that race. She was ready to give all she had to win. Her arm was high to give her the boost she needed when she took off so she could hopefully take the lead when the race started.
Jehovah said that no one starts a race to lose - they are focused on winning. An image of a football player came into my mind. The player practices hard and prepares so that he can give all he has so his team can win. The player is totally focused on the game. His eyes are set on what is happening in front of him. Everything else has been laid aside. The runner’s focus is the same. In the run you can see her eyes focused on nothing but what is ahead of her. She never takes her eyes off the track. Her focus is totally on finishing the run and winning. I have never seen a runner in a race look up to watch the crowd while running. It is not until after the race is over that she gives a wave to the crowd.
Suddenly I thought, “Am I in the race to win?” Then the scripture came to my mind: “…Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it” (1 Corinthians 9:24). I had been away taking care of my sister who had surgery and I wondered if I could be doing better. I had brought other things that I could work on while she was resting, but I could not help but think that I needed to make sure I was in this race to win. I don’t believe there was anything wrong with me doing some additional work when I had down time, but I needed to make sure I was focused on what was in front of me instead of trying to hurry up and finish with her so I could do what I had planned next.
I was so grateful to Jehovah for bringing that word to me in those moments. It reminded me that serving Him required being focused on what He had in front of me. He would give me the time to focus on what was next when it was time for next. Whatever God has you serving in right now, is where you should be, just like the athlete who prepared to win. We are called to lay every weight aside, that includes multi-tasking. ELOHIM gave us the best example of how He works when we look at the creation in Genesis 1:1-2:1. He did not multi-task when He created. He was focused on that one thing, everything else was laid aside so that the task in front could be completed. Satan’s goal is to keep us distracted so we do not finish the race. Let us not get distracted by too many things so we lose focus on what God has in front of us. Amen!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Running the Race (2)
…Run in such a way that you may win. 1 Corinthians 9:24, LEB
I went to Texas to help my sister after she had surgery. I planned to stay a week and help her get back on her feet. When I arrived, I asked her to take me to Trader Joe’s so that I could prepare some meals for the week. I purchased the items and came to her home and immediately started cooking. I prepared several different kinds of meals that would last us into the second and possibly third week of her recovery.
I helped clean up her paperwork and get things organized. When it came time to head to the hospital, I took her there and waited until after her surgery to receive the update. I went into her recovery room and sat with her, making sure she was getting great care. I left about an hour before the visiting hours were over and returned the following morning to sit with her and make sure she was okay. I brought my laptop to the hospital so that when she was sleeping I could get some other work done. I actually thought that I was doing a great job taking care of my sister until God showed that I was in the race but was not winning.
My focus was off. See, I was focused on getting my sister taken care of so while she was recovering, I could work on things I wanted to get accomplished. God showed me that I was in the race for Him but was not moving to win the prize. He showed me that to be in the race and win there were other things I could do. My sister had a stack of clothes she had wanted to iron. She wanted her freezer cleaned out so she could freeze some of the food I had cooked for a later. She wanted to make these pumpkin thank-you bags to give to each one of the staff at the hospital who helped her.
Early one morning the Holy Spirit woke me up. While I was sitting in bed writing, the He asked me if I was going to win the race. He then started to show me how I was on my computer while there were things I could be doing that would keep me focused on winning the race. He reminded me that I could make the thank-you bags for my sister and take them to the hospital so she would have them to give out. He reminded me of the ironing that needed to be done and freezer that needed to be cleaned. Apostle Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth to run in such a way that you might win. A winner always goes the extra mile and puts in the extra time. They are always making a personal sacrifice for the goal. God was reminding me that He had called me to be His hands and feet for my sister and I needed to serve as it is done in heaven on earth. I need to be focused on what He had put in front of me because my race at that moment was my sister and her needs, not what I wanted to accomplish in my writing.
No matter how small the assignment we must remember that we are serving ELOHIM. He expects us to give our all in every task that is presented to us. In our society we used the term multi-tasking but when we are multi-tasking, we cannot give all of our attention to the assignment in front of us. Yeshua did not multi-task in His assignment while He was on earth, and He expects us to do the same.
Father, thank you for the reminder that what you put in front of us is what you want us to focus on. There are so many cares in this world, and we can get distracted from the task in front of us. We ask for your help to stay focused as scripture says. You have given us a spirit of power, love and disciplined mind! Hallelujah! To you be glory and praise. Amen!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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I Am Righteous
I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV
We all know John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” When we said “Yes, I believe this is true and I want Jesus as my personal savior”, immediately things changed in our life. We may not have felt it, but instantly there was a permanent move.
Our old spirit died. I am reminded of what a friend shared with me many years back. She had accepted Christ as her personal savior, and she understood that He was telling her how to move forward in her life, but she decided that she wanted to do her own thing for a while. So, she told God something like this: “I know you are real and I don’t want to play games with you, so I am going to go over here and do my own thing and I will come back.” She said instantly she felt God’s covering moving away from her and this darkness started to overtake her. She immediately repented and could feel that darkness leave.
Our old spirit was full of sin because Satan is sin. When we said “yes” to Christ, we received His righteousness because Jesus Christ is righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our spirit changed and we received the spirit of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). When my friend told Jesus she was going to do her own thing, she was saying “I want the spirit of Satan again”, and Jesus released her.
Receiving the righteousness of Christ has nothing to do with our behavior or our works. It has all to do with what Jesus Christ did for us. “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). When we said “yes”, we became like Christ. This does not mean that we do everything right, we are going to make mistakes and sin, but we no longer live in that sin. Christ paid the price for our sins before we were born (Romans 5:8). We now have a righteous spirit, and we are in right standing with God. We understand and hear God giving us instructions through the Holy Spirit and we obey. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, “…but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). But God has given us the power to overcome by daily putting on the whole armor of God, always praying, standing firm in the Word of God, and staying alert (Ephesians 6:13-18).
I started this writing with the affirmation I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. It is important that you consistently speak this over yourself because Satan and his demonic spirits constantly whisper lies to try and make you believe otherwise. He wants you to believe that you are no longer saved or that God is mad at you because of what you’ve done. God already knew what you were going to do, and He paid for all those mistakes and sin before you were born! God wants you to remember who you are in Him so you can walk in the boldness of what He called you to do. When you do this, His message can be heard throughout the world and lost souls can be saved! You are righteous! Amen!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Starving
I heard the word “starving” this particular morning and I could feel my stomach growling. Much more than my stomach, my spirit was growling for the presence of God. There was an unrest in my soul. I felt empty and kind of delusional in my spirit. It’s crazy - my stomach was growling for physical food and my spirit was hungry for spiritual food. I was wrestling with those feelings as I laid quietly in bed trying not to wake my husband up because it was so early in the morning.
A few minutes later my husband, without me even moving, leans over and says, “You should probably go to your prayer room and have your time so you can rest.” I hadn’t said one word to him, but he could feel the presence of the hunger in my spirit. I headed down to the prayer room and this song came to my heart: “Let us become overwhelmed by your goodness, let us become overwhelmed by your presence.” The lyrics just kept ringing in my soul.
I let those words settle in my spirit and started to hum them in my mind, then pulled the song up on the internet and played it. I prayed and worshipped, and I could feel my spirit being refueled. But right in the middle of that time God prompted me to call someone. I could barely say “Hello” when they answered the phone, and just begin to pray for them. Would you believe they had been waiting for God to bring them an answer?
All those promptings in my spirit were not just for me to get fueled up, but for another servant of the most high God who was seeking His help. I was being prepared to give them the answer they needed for what they were going through. We are not here for ourselves. We are soldiers for Christ Jesus and when one solider is down, God has equipped us to be the help to get them back on their feet and to Him.
Father,
Thank you for your divine activation that puts a hunger in our spirit for you. Thank you that the hunger is so violent that we feel we can’t move until we meet with you. I praise you as a soldier going off to battle never leaves without his armor. I praise you for not only filling us up, but you give us overflow so we can help our brothers and sisters. We give you glory and praise. Amen.
Affirmations; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Severing Others
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them…” Matthew 7:12, ESV
The verse above is from the Sermon on the Mountain when Jesus was speaking to a large crowd about righteous living. Jesus does not tell the people to do anything He has not already done. As He is teaching this message, He’s already set the example. He came into this world in a human body to die for sin He never committed so that all who chose to accept His gift would be saved from eternal death.
That is why I love this time of year. I know it is not the actual month or day Jesus was born, but the season of celebrating His birth brings with it a heart of giving. There are all kinds of different programs asking us to give to the unhoused and those that are in need. I heard the story of a young lady who was on her way to work but had to stop to get gas. It was an extremely cold day, and she did not want to get out of her car. As she contemplated getting out to put the gas in her car, she noticed a gentleman covered in blankets lying on the sidewalk not too far from the gas station.
She said her heart was so heavy for him that when she went in to pay for her gas, she bought a cup of hot coffee and took it to the man. He was grateful. That simple little act of kindness is what Jesus is talking about. At that moment she was Jesus’s hands and feet to one of His special souls who had fallen on difficult times. In the scripture above, all Jesus was telling the people to do is show God’s love.
My prayer is that we will follow Jesus’s instructions at all times, not because we are in a season of giving but because the world is healed through love. Amen.
Affirmations; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Seek A Pure Heart
Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. Numbers 21:6, ESV
In the book of Numbers, the Canaanites fought against Israel and took some of them captive. Israel made a vow to God that if He would give the Canaanites over to them, they would devote the cities of the Canaanites to destruction. God granted their request and Israel did as they had vowed to God.
After being set free, Israel set out by way of the Red Sea and the people spoke against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food” (Numbers 21). When I read that passage, I held my breath and began to pray for forgiveness. We serve a loving, gracious God but He will discipline those He loves, and at times, discipline can mean death. Scripture said, “Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died” (Numbers 21:6).
This passage just reminded me of how we can forget our blessing and, if we are not careful, curse God because we don’t like our circumstances. I remember complaining to God about my husband and some of the ways he behaved - mind you, I did pray to God for a husband. God began to show me all of my husband’s attributes and said, “Which one of these do you want me to take away so you can have what you want?” Thank God I understood I needed to shut my mouth and seek forgiveness. What God gives us is always best for us. And what He allows us to go through is because it is what we need. The next time you are tempted to complain, remember the fiery serpents God sent to His people that He freed from Egypt.
Father,
Thank you for being so gracious and kind to me. Thank you for your mercy! Scripture says no human being can tame his tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison (James 3:8). God, I seek forgiveness for my ungraciousness and careless words I have allowed to come out of my mouth. I pray for a guard over my tongue and a pure and righteous heart. Thank you for your forgiveness and the healing of my soul. This I pray in Jesus’s name. Amen!
Affirmations; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Desperate
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. Psalm 62:5, ESV
In the past I have often found myself desperate for an answer to a problem or looking for help getting some lofty project finished. It always seemed to be at the end of a deadline, and something would always drop off out of nowhere. But the other morning I was listening to a song in which the artist was saying, “Lord I am desperate for you, I don’t want to be content where I am.” Those words lingered in my spirit.
When we are desperate for something we are searching with all that is within us to get what we need. That was my cry to God - I was desperate for Him, and I wanted to go deeper. But I wondered if I was doing everything I needed to do to get to that next space that my spirit was so hungry for. All these different thoughts were running through my mind. I should pray more and read more and spend more time talking to God. I was trying to figure out what else I needed to do. In doing so I was causing my spirit to grow irritated instead of peaceful.
But God always has the answer. In Psalm 62 we see that David is desperate for God and it says that he waited in silence for God alone. Those words were so comforting. We do not have to “do”, all we need is to wait for God! Scripture says, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). Scripture also says my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation (Psalm 62:1-2). Waiting in silence is where our soul is refreshed.
In times past, I had found it difficult to sit in silence, but sitting a little at a time and consistently increasing the time has helped me get to a place where my mind can go quiet. I read in an article once that individuals took walks to silence their minds so they could hear from God. I have sat in my car, in a closet, in the restroom - wherever I can quiet my mind is where I would go. And God always met me there. In truth, God and His divine appointment is what places that desperation in our heart in the first place. He is actually telling us He wants to draw us closer to Him. Those feelings are truly from JEHOVAH Himself saying “Let’s go deeper!” How awesome is that!
Affirmations; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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