A Kinder Place

OCTOBER 16

MATTHEW 7:11_If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children…

If you are in the neglected, abused, abandoned, category—my heart breaks. I trust God to show Himself strong. I want to bring you to the place of understanding that God’s heart breaks for you. Even if you needed some type of corrective discipline, God would never design it through neglect, abuse, or abandonment. 

We are not in heaven. We live in a fallen, sinful world. Bad and evil things happen. God’s part is to pull us out of the pit. He wants to bring us to a kinder place (which will still have trials and troubles).

Praise God for Psalm 40:2 (KJV), “He [the LORD] brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”

God promises to use all the circumstances of life for your good. Remember Romans 8:28 (KJV), “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

God promises never to abandon us. Deuteronomy 31:6 (KJV), “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them [your enemies and God’s enemies]: for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”  

You’ll be a stronger, wiser, and more compassionate person because of the pain you’ve known.

PRAYER

Great God, Only You can make my pain into something good. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                                 

Christ knows all my pain—He is right there with me!

Seek!

SEPTEMBER 30

MATTHEW 7:7_seek and ye shall find…

To seek means to look for something. It may be something you’ve lost. Or it may be a need. Or it may be a want. It may be for yourself. Or it may be for a loved one. If you have everything you need or want: you won’t be seeking. 

There is something everyone has lost by way Adam and Eve. When sin entered the world, many things were lost: first and foremost the intimate relationship God intended people to have with Him. Seek that with all your heart. The man after God’s heart, King David, understood this: 1 Chronicles 16:11 (KJV), “Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.”  There are two words in that verse which I particularly love: strength and continually.

Also lost by sin was wisdom. If you lose wisdom, you lose her two companions, understanding and knowledge. Spend your lifetime seeking these three.

The wisest man of all, King Solomon, covers this in Proverbs 2:4-6 (KJV), “If thou seekest her [wisdom] as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.”

Seek!

PRAYER

Lord of Lords, I seek Your strength and wisdom continually. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                              

Christ knows what I should seek—He will show me!!                                   

Your Heavenly Body

JULY 30

MATTHEW 6:25_Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Raiment is translated as clothing or apparel or garments. Meat in this verse represents any kind of food. 

When you die, you won’t be packing a sack lunch. Food stays here—heavenly food will be provided for your heavenly body. Jesus’ first temptation in the wilderness was to eat when He had been called to fast. Do you recall what He said to the devil? Matthew 4:4 (KJV), “But he answered and said, ‘It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’’ This calls for the spirit to be stronger than the body. You can practice strength building for your spirit just as your body.

When you die you won’t be packing a suitcase either. The clothes stay here. You will have clothes on your body in a coffin, but the body in the coffin isn’t going anywhere either.

Again, heavenly clothes will be provided for the heavenly body. Heavenly bodies will not be dependent upon anything from the earth.

Your heavenly clothes may be full of light. How cool would that be?

Whatever you wear in heaven, I promise there will be no fashion police! 

PRAYER

God in Heaven, Thank You my spirit can withstand difficult times. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ strengthens the spirit—He will strengthen mine!

No Trespassing

JUNE 28

MATTHEW 6:15_But if ye forgive not men their trespasses…

God’s path for life is freedom.

You will never find a No Trespassing sign on God’s path. Feel free to roam, explore, and enjoy His path.

But God definitely places some No Trespassing signs. You will find them on the paths which lure from His path.

God empowered Joshua to lead His people into the Promised Land. In Joshua 1:7 (KJV), God says, “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.” There is an obvious plan here. You will need strength and courage to stay on God’s path. Do not stray—at all.

Moses was called to continue Abraham’s job. Joshua was called to continue Moses’ job. A new country for God’s people—designed by God, and for God. There were to be no other gods, no other laws, no other forms of worship—God’s only. To allow anything apart from God’s design was to stray.

When you set up a life designed by you and for you—you’ve strayed. You have decided straying a little to the right or left is not really a bad thing. 

What becomes of God wanting to bless you wherever life takes you?

PRAYER

One True God, Thank You for Your path that causes me to be blessed. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ knows the path I should take—He will guide me!

Some Kind of Power!

JUNE 21

MATTHEW 6:13_and the power…

God is the power!

Power is authority!

The weak submit to the strong! 

God has great power in His voice. Genesis chapter 1 states “and God said” ten times. Each time involved creation. With the exception of humans, all creation came forth from the power of God’s voice. 

Psalm 29 (KJV) gives the best description of the power in God’s voice, 3The voice of the LORD is upon the waters…  4The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.  5The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars 7The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire. 8The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness…  9The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests…”

That’s some kind of power!

God spoke His control over creation: giving the sun power to control day, and the moon power to control night and the ebb and flow of the ocean’s tide. If you are not impressed by God’s power in creation, just try to rope a tornado, or hurricane, or tsunami. Try to stop an earthquake.

This is the God of the Bible, of Creation, and of Power!         

PRAYER

Powerful God, I praise Your incredible power.  I know You can speak Your power into my life. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ can speak power—I want His power in my life!