Awakened in my Faith!

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“Aroused by faith, Moses, when he had grown to maturity and became great…”  Hebrews 11:24

It is interesting that Moses had to be aroused by faith.  The word “arouse” means to be awakened; to be stirred up and awakened from slumbering.  We can get so consumed and overwhelmed with the struggles of life that we become discouraged to the point that our spirit slumbers, or shuts down and sleeps.

When you give in and are overcome by discouragement, you have a slumbering spirit.  An awakened spirit keeps you focused on what God is doing; even in the midst of trouble, you see the light.

There is so much bad news today that many are overtaken with discouragement. We need to ask God to awaken our spirit. All those who are called to be a modern day “Moses” need to wake up. Those who are called to be a modern day “Elisha” or “David” all need to wake up and take their post. It is not a time for some to sleep and some to work; it is a time for everyone to wake up and do what they were born to do. We were born in this time in history for a reason. It is time for everyone to face this reality and embrace who they are, and what they were called to do. (Romans 13:11)

Prayer: Wake me up Lord – I want to discover my divine calling, and know what I am to do in the work of the Kingdom.”

Searching My Heart

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“Search me Lord and know my heart, try me and know my ways and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

All through Scripture we are encouraged by the Lord to examine our heart.  It is obviously quite important and should be done regularly and prayerfully.

The psalmist David prayed, “Search me Lord and know my heart, try me and know my ways and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

David said, “Any wicked way”, this would be any wicked way of thinking felling or acting. The thoughts of our heart are sometimes hidden from view, but can be clearly seen by our actions and our responses. Psalm 23:7 says, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.” You can have the right intentions and want to respond correctly,   but find it very difficult if you have been hurt or offended. That is why the prayer that David prayed in Psalm 139 is so important for us to pray today. The thoughts of our heart determine our decisions, actions and how we respond to others. We need to examine the condition of our heart, especially after we have been hurt or wounded by someone and know we are offended. I believe that taking up offenses is one of the greatest traps of the enemy today.

When you ask, the Holy Spirit will reveal the condition of your heart. Ask Him to reveal every area that is not at peace. Therefore, when you ask the Lord to search your heart, don’t be surprised when the Holy Spirit brings to your attention a relationship conflict that still needs to be resolved. The level of peace clearly indicates how much we have resolved heart issues so that, we are no longer controlled by our circumstances. Peace is the inward witness of the presence God, as He leads us through every situation we face.

Hearing the Voice of God

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“Be still, and know that I am God”  Psalm 46:10

What does the voice of God sound like? It is a distinct sound that we hear with our spiritual ears? Spiritual ears are skilled to hear the voice of the Lord and they attain this skill through seasons of stillness.

A skilled bird watcher has ears that are tuned to hear the sounds of birds. He can walk outside and at once identify various birds. Each bird has a unique and distinct sound that sets that bird apart from all the other birds, but it requires an attained skill to hear them.

As a Christian, we are to be so tuned to hear the voice of our Lord that we hear Him above all the other sounds. In our world today, there are many voices trying to get our attention.  A time of stillness away from all distraction is required to learn how to hear Him.

At the creation, when the Lord said, “Let there be light”, everything changed. When He spoke, He separated darkness and light. His voice is just as strong today and can bring about a complete change in your life. All that is needed are spiritual ears to hear and a heart to obey. If you want change in your life, listen to Him as you read His Word and He will show you what He calls darkness and what He calls light. Listen and obey the still small voice of the Lord if you want things in your life to change.

God’s Will for Your Life

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“Our Father which art in Heaven, hollowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven…”   Matthew 6: 9-13

Have you ever wondered what God’s will for your life is? His will is simply for us to live and maintain His kingdom here on earth. God’s kingdom is distinct and a different way of life. Jesus taught us how to pray for the kingdom to come on earth, how He would work in us, and showed us how to live and work inside the kingdom. When Christ is in you, it is a perfect fit! He is in you, you are in Him, and you are both in the kingdom. It is Christ that works in both of you to accomplish His good pleasure.

I have found that I can pray the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done”, and then resist the work of Christ in me. I had to learn the difference between my will and His. My will consists of doing whatever I want to do, as much as I want to do it. If I live according to my will, then I will eat all the food I want, spend all the money I want, and then whine because I am overweight and broke. When I submit and abide by His will, then I have boundaries and parameters. I am doing what He wants me to do when I surrender my life to Christ and ask Him to be in charge.

Your life will not be complicated if you surrender to God’s plan and will for your life. It is Christ working inside of you, changing your will to do the Fathers will. Take time to read His Word and you will soon see who you are. You are His child and an heir. You will live as an heir, a joint heir with Christ. When you get a glimpse that you are here on planet earth as an heir to establish and maintain your Father’s kingdom, it will change your agenda for the day.

Pray this simple prayer, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

What is my purpose in life?

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“I will cry to God Most High …who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them.”   Psalm 57:2  (AMP)

 

Do you desire to know what your purpose is in life?   Are you lacking fulfillment and joy in what you do each day?  Does it feel like you are just spinning you wheels and never gaining ground?

Finding those things which gives our life purpose and meaning is important.  God has given each of us our own unique blend of talents and skills that will enable us to fulfill our purpose in life.  We are beautifully created and are special in every way.

So, how do you find your purpose?  How do you seek God’s purpose for your life?  You may be wondering, “why am I here and what am I supposed to do with my life?”  So many times we run here and there pursuing this idea or that idea trying to discover God’s purpose for our life.

We read in Psalm 57:2 that God has established His purposes for each of us and He will bring them to pass.  All we do is continue pursuing Him.  We must stop imagining castles in the sky and pursuing our own foolish lofty plans, and big ideas, so our soul can find rest and peace in the Lord.  Our main purpose is to pursue God, to love Him, to worship Him and enjoy fellowship with Him. Then our purpose will be revealed out of an overflow of our relationship with Him.

He created you with a unique design and purpose, and he will reveal that purpose in you as you seek Him.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, I am very weary, I have tried so many things in search of my purpose.  Lord, I ask You to forgive me for imagining castles in the sky and pursuing my own lofty ideas.  Lord, help me to cease from my own plans and ideas and simply pursue a relationship with You.  Lord, I ask You to reveal Your purpose for my life and give me Your peace.                                                                                                                                                          

In Jesus’ Name,  

Amen  

Walk in the Way God has Commanded

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“You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land which you shall possess.”  Deut. 5:33

You Shall Walk

The Lord has a path on which we are to walk.  We are to walk in His ways regardless of our circumstances.  God promised us in Deut. 5:33 that if we walk in His ways, we will live a long life and things to work together for our good.  Even when our circumstances do not appear to be going as planned, if we walk in the ways of the Lord and trust what He has promised in His word life will go well. This does not mean there will not be any problems. As we walk down the path of life, there will be bumps in the road.  Things will happen that we did not plan on, but nothing should change the way we walk.  We must still walk in His ways and not veer to the right or to the left.

When our son was in a coma, I could feel the pull moment by moment to give in to fear and to give up and accept the report of the doctors.  The doctors said my son would be in a vegetative state if he came out of the coma. But I resisted the pull and I didn’t give in.  I trusted in the Lord.  God said He would show us the path of life for our son. He said our son would live and not die.  As I read God’s Word, He encouraged me to not give up.

“The eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing for joy…” Isaiah 35:5-6

So, I walked in the ways of the Lord, believing His Word. The path of life for our son had been prepared ahead of time and now we had to embrace it by faith. Faith is the assurance of things we hope for even though we may not see them yet. We saw him lying in a hospital bed unable to move, talk or communicate in any way.  But we did not give in to what we saw.  We had to believe what we did not see.  We believed that he would walk and talk again……and praise God he is walking, talking and serving the Lord today.

Whatever you are going through do not give up, give in, or stop walking and trusting in the ways of the Lord.  His ways are a high-way above the circumstances. The high-way is the way of faith, believing what God says and not giving in to fear. Don’t let your circumstances dictate your thoughts and convince you that God is not faithful. He is faithful.  He will work all things together for good for those who trust in Him. Trust Him and ask Him to show you the path of life.

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasuresforevermore.  Psalm 16:11

Removing Every Hindrance

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“Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored]”   Joel 2:12 (AMP)

If you have ever traveled in a car with kids, you know that you are going to be questioned.  Every time I have taken my family on a drive, my children would inevitably ask at the half way point during our trip, “Are we there yet?” No matter how far you are traveling, all children seem to be programmed to ask this question.

On those long trips to Florida when the kids were getting impatient, tired, and weary of traveling, I was tempted to stop about half way, give up and turn around. But all along the way, we would call Nana and Papa just to hear them say, “Keep coming, we have cookies baked and the fishing poles are ready.” That was all we needed.  Everyone was energized with a burst of energy.  The children settled back down so we could keep traveling.

In your journey through life, the Lord knows when you are getting weary from so many obstacles and hindrances as you get closer to your destination. Call upon the Lord, “Are we there yet?” He may say, “Not yet, just keep on coming.”

God has eternal blessings that are far beyond what we can comprehend and they are right around the next curve. He has blessings in store that are far beyond the fresh baked cookies that we looked forward to at grandma’s house. His blessings are beyond what our mind can fathom but we must stay on the path that leads us there.

I learned a valuable lesson years ago as I traveled with the children.  When I got upset with them, I would be tempted to stop and forget about the vacation.  I could not give in to their tiredness.  I had to resist getting upset when they were tired of traveling. I had to rise above my own tiredness and do what was right.  I had to focus on keeping my heart right even if their hearts were not.  Keeping your heart right towards others will keep you on track, as you travel towards your eternal home.  Don’t stop half way on your journey by getting offended at someone.  Keep on track, keep on the highway!

Listen to what the Lord says, “Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and every broken fellowship is restored. ” Joel 2:12

How Can I Choose the Right Path?

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“That we may do those good works which God predestined for us…”  Ephesians 2: 10

In life, we often have important decisions to make and wonder – How can I choose the right path?  It’s not always easy to hear the whisper of God, but we do know that he is Ever-present in our lives.  He has made provision for our decisions so that we can know which path to choose.

Predestined means preordained and appointed by God. He has preordained and planned before hand what your purpose is on the earth. He has used the situations in your life up to this very moment to teach you and prepare you for His purpose for your life.

We can’t clearly see what God sees. It is only after we pass through a situation that we see it clearly. Then we can look down from a higher perspective and see what good came out of it, what we learned, and how God will use it. I know how it is to be in the middle of a bad situation, wondering what good could possibly come out of it. At that point we cannot see what God sees. That is why all along the way and in every situation we must learn to listen to His voice. His ways are so much higher than our ways.  He has a plan that we can’t see, so we must listen to His voice and choose the right way, the high way.

I believe God sets up situations just for learning purposes. He wants us to learn from our past mistakes, so we will make better choices and take the right path the next time. Paul said that if we take the path which He planned ahead of time that we will live the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live. That does not mean we will not encounter difficult situations anymore once we learn to walk on the high way.  But it does mean we will always have a clear path to walk on during those difficult times. That’s why we go through hard times so that we learn how to identify God’s ways and God’s path that leads us through the valleys and hardships of life.

Finding a Safe Place

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  “Create in me a pure heart, Oh god and renew a right spirit within me.”  Psalm 51:10

There was a time in my life that I needed a safe place for God to do open heart surgery. My heart was broken and as hard as I tried, I could not recover. During that time, well-meaning friends said things like, “Can’t you snap out of it and just get over it?” No, it wasn’t that easy. I needed someone safe to understand what I was going through- to listen to how I was hurting and help me release the pain. I cried out for a miracle and God heard my cry, He created in me a pure heart and renewed a right spirit within me.

My healing didn’t happen overnight; it lasted for two years. At the end, I asked the Lord, “Why did it take so long?” The Lord told me I had taken the long journey so I could minister the shorter journey to others and help them find a safe place for their healing.

For the next few weeks you will be on a “journey of healing.” Each day as you read the devotionals you will be looking at your past to identify wounds that have not been healed. Unhealed wounds are painful and very sensitive, and they can affect how you feel about yourself.

Once your heart is healed, you will be free from the fear of rejection and you will be able to love others unconditionally, regardless of their mistakes and shortcomings. Unconditional love never fails, and it turns a home into a haven.

Heavenly Father,
As Your Word says, “Create in me a clean and pure heart, and renew a right spirit within me.”

You Are Chosen and Have Purpose

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“He hath chosen us in Him…” Eph 1:4

Have you ever thought about what it really means to be chosen by God?  Do you remember an event or a series of events when it became clear that you were chosen?  Did you feel God’s sovereign hand protecting and guiding you?

You have been chosen to be God’s child so you can be His representative on the earth. Paul said in Ephesians 1:5, that He planned for us to be adopted and revealed as His own children. This is our identity and purpose in one verse.

Once you discover your identity and God’s specific purpose for your life, you will no longer get all tangled up in the world around you.  He has chosen you to carry His peaceful plan into a world of chaos and confusion.  Represent Him, speak what He says, and carry His peace into every situation.

The world can not produce peace.  Your presence should bring peace and order into the world around you.  You walk in a very special purpose and calling.  Let that calling shine to others around you.

“Grace be to you, and peace, from our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Eph1:3.