Ephesians 4:14

Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.

Paul stressed to the Ephesians the need for the truth of God’s Word. The enemy is a master of deceit, and he cleverly twists God’s words in order to convince us of a lie that will damage our souls and render us ineffective or paralyzed in the kingdom of God. The best way to understand the truth of God’s Word is to dedicate time to it daily and meditate upon it. When we do, we build a strong reservoir from which to draw when the Devil attacks and begins to whisper his lies.

Paul urged the Ephesians to become mature in Christ. While many of us may have fought the responsibilities of adulthood, I seriously doubt any of us wanted to avoid the personal authority and freedom we gained in becoming mature. When we allow Christ to mature us in His love and in His Word, we experience a brand new freedom that makes us effective as ministers of the gospel. Refusing to grow holds us back, just as chains of bondage hold back the sinner. Truly breaking free requires submitting to the restrictions of God’s Word.

Determine to grow into the freedom for which Christ died for you to experience. Spend time daily in His Word, and apply the truth of what you learn. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that your maturity will bring you true freedom and real joy. Then you will no longer be like little children and tossed around by every wave of doctrine, philosophy, or lie of the Devil. You will know the truth, live by the truth, and it will set you free.

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 84:10-11

Better a day in Your courts than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather be at the door of the house of my God than to live in the tents of the wicked. For the LORD God is a sun and shield. The LORD gives grace and glory. He does not withhold the good from those who live with integrity.

I recently heard Christine Caine say, “What if our greatest purpose in life is simply to be a servant of the Lord?” Ponder the thought for a moment. What if the greatest thing you will ever accomplish on earth is simply to be considered a servant of the Lord? Would you feel like a success? Would you feel fulfilled? Could you be happy with just that, or would you long for more? As Christine explained, Moses is described as a servant of the Lord. With all the things he accomplished, Scripture still refers to him as a servant of the Lord.

We all want more blessing out of life than we get at times, but when we see the wicked flourishing, it can get very disheartening. At those times, we must remember that God isn’t finished with us yet, and He’s not finished with them, either! He withholds no good thing from those who are faithful to Him, and what looks desirable may not actually be a blessing in the long run.

God works through willing servants. God does not look at our capabilities when assigning a mission. He looks at our availability to serve and grants capability where He finds availability. The role of a menial servant in the house of God is more desirable and is a greater blessing than a life of luxury with the wicked.

The Message Bible states, “I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin.” It goes on to describe, “He (God) doesn’t scrimp with his traveling companions.” Don’t compare yourself to others who are not true traveling companions of God. What God has for you is greater and more valuable than anything this world can give.

Keep your eyes on God today, and simply do what He has called you to do. Make yourself available to His call. All good gifts come from Him, and He will not withhold anything good from you. Trust Him as your provider, protector, and sustainer. Unless a blessing comes from Him, it is not worth having.

Have a blessed day!

Hebrews 11:6

Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.

Through the blood of Jesus Christ, we have access to the very throne room of God, where we can come boldly before Him and ask for anything. To do this, however, we must come before Him in faith, believing that He cares enough to respond to those who seek Him. Faith requires a surrender of the matter to God in full belief that He loves us enough to give us His very best.

Satan knows how powerful our prayers are when we fully release a matter to God in faith. He, therefore, tries to convince us that God doesn’t really care about our concerns or that God is punishing us by making us endure hardship. On the contrary, trials and hardships come to increase our faith. The battle belongs to God; we must simply stand in faith, knowing that God exists and rewards those who seek Him.

Does your situation look impossible? Is an obstacle beyond your strength? Go before the throne of grace and ask God for what you need. He loves you and cares about the things that affect you. Faith pleases Him, and He goes to work on your behalf when you exercise that faith by surrendering the matter to Him. The battle is not yours; release it for Him to fight. Yours is the victory, so claim it today!

Have a blessed day!

1 Chronicles 29:19

Give my son Solomon a whole heart to keep and carry out all Your commands, Your decrees, and Your statutes, and to build the temple for which I have made provision.

Although David longed to build a house for God, God had other plans. Since David had been a man of war and had shed blood, he could not build God’s temple. God desired His house to be built by a man of peace. Therefore, He decreed David’s son, Solomon, to be the builder. David, however, cared so much about contributing to the building of the temple that he began collecting all the supplies needed for the project. When the people brought their offerings for the temple, David prayed over them and over Solomon, who was crowned king the following day. This verse is from David’s prayer.

Like Solomon, we all need a whole heart to follow God and to accomplish the things He has called us to do. We need a heart that is loyal to be obedient, as well as an uncluttered and focused heart to stay diligent to the task. We also need a healed heart, free of bitterness and full of compassion.

If our hearts are loaded with cares, we will have difficulty remaining loyal to God’s commands. Cast your cares on Him today because He truly cares for you. Clear out any clutter that distracts you from your calling. Seek healing for a damaged heart, and allow God’s love to fill you. May God grant each of us a whole heart to complete the work He has called us to do, and may we be successful in building His kingdom.

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 85:6-7

Will You not revive us again so that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your faithful love, LORD, and give us Your salvation.

Have you ever been battle weary or just discouraged from your own poor choices? Have you ever failed miserably or just gone too long without seeing the hand of God move in your favor? If so, these verses give hope. God’s salvation is very near us to revive, restore, and refresh.

God gets no glory from defeated people. Our triumphs are testimonies to His grace. He is near to the brokenhearted, quick to forgive, and ready to show favor and blessing in due season. We can count on His faithful love toward us because that is His nature.

The Message Bible states these verses as follows:

Why not help us make a fresh start – a resurrection life? Then your people will laugh and sing! Show us how much you love us, God! Give us the salvation we need!

We cannot create, manufacture, manipulate, or earn what we need to satisfy the longing of our soul. God has to give it. We must receive it. Are you in a position to receive a fresh start today? Ask God to revive you and bless your land.

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 125:2b-3

And the LORD surrounds His people, both now and forever. The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, so that the righteous will not apply their hands to injustice.

God knows how much you can take. He surrounds you and only allows the Devil to go so far in his attack against you. Spiritual warfare exists to assure that God’s promises are near.

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus affirmed Peter by declaring upon this rock (Peter himself), He would build His church, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. The indication suggests that hell would most certainly try but would not ultimately be successful. In the previous verses, Jesus asked Peter who he understood Him (Jesus) to be. Peter saw Jesus as the Messiah, which could only have been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit. Once Peter proclaimed who Jesus was, Jesus then told Peter who he was. When we see Christ for who He really is, He, in turn, shows us who we are in Him.

1 Corinthians 10:13 assures us that no temptation has overtaken us except what is common to man, and God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. He will always provide a way of escape and not take us where He has not first prepared us to go. He remains around us as a shield of protection, directing us by His Holy Spirit.

Rest in knowing that God surrounds you today. The enemy will not rule forever over your land. He will not be allowed to overpower you, and God will provide a way of escape from his tempestuous lures. God has your back, and He goes before you to prepare the way. He is all around you, and you can trust Him to safely lead you to your Promised Land.

Have a blessed day!

2 Samuel 23:5

Is it not true my house is with God? For He has established an everlasting covenant with me, ordered and secured in every detail. Will He not bring about my whole salvation and my every desire?

David spoke these words as part of a song and praise to God. He sang of God’s faithfulness to Him and to His people. David watched God overcome His enemies time and time again. God promised him the kingdom, granted him the kingdom, and even restored the kingdom to him after his own son stole it away. God had kept His promises to David, and David proclaimed praise to God in song and in deed.

We must remember, however, that David was not a man without fault or enemy among his own people. While he had a heart for God, he made numerous mistakes throughout his lifetime and fell into depression at times, as well. Life was not always victorious for him, and many people from Saul’s reign and Absalom’s rebellion hated him. Still, God called David a man after His own heart and blessed him.

When times seem difficult and you feel you have failed, trust in God’s faithfulness. Should you encounter enemies within your own camp, look higher than your offense and trust the God who placed you where you are. David was the greatest king Israel has known until this day, yet his life was afflicted with thorns, battles, trials, and much heartache. God established a covenant with David and held true to His promises. He has a covenant with us through Jesus Christ, and He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He is doing a work in us, and He has a purpose for us. When you can’t see His hand, trust His heart.

At all times and in all things, praise Him. If you are still breathing, He isn’t finished in your life yet. Let praise be on the breath you have, and honor God with it. He will bring about your whole salvation and every desire He gave you.

Have a blessed day!

Exodus 17:11-12

While Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hand down, Amalek prevailed. When Moses’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down.

At Rephidim the children of Israel faced a battle with Amalek, which represents every undisciplined area in our lives. One person could not win the battle alone. Joshua chose strong, able men to fight. Moses interceded before God for Israel. When he got tired, Aaron and Hur came alongside him to help him. When we are facing battles from the undisciplined places in our life, we need support, especially when it comes to intercession.

Any time you battle an undisciplined place in your life, you are waging war within yourself. You fight a longing that you often cannot control as you are forced to choose to feed the longing or to deny yourself and continue to hurt. Neither option satisfies you at first, but only the option to heed God’s Word will give you ultimate freedom. You need help – accountability from loving friends around you who can help you fight and stay on course and from the supernatural power of God Almighty through prayer.

Keeping a matter before God in prayer can be challenging, as well. When the enemy advances, we can become discouraged, thinking God is not hearing or answering us. Intercession, however, fuels the fire of God’s power. It plugs us into His strength to overcome the enemy. Speaking forth His Word in prayer and in praise gives us victory. Should we tire from the seemingly endless battle, support from friends can help us continue.

Don’t give up your battle to overcome any undisciplined area in your life. God gave Israel the victory over Amalek and promised to remove any memory of them. Reach for accountability when you need it. Gather prayer support. Be willing to fight. God is in this battle with you, and He will get you to the next level, where Amalek will not be able to touch you again. Hallelujah!

Have a blessed day!

Isaiah 54:5-6

For your husband is your Maker – His name is Yahweh of Hosts – and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth. For the LORD has called you, like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit, a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected, says your God.

As widows, we have felt the tremendous loss associated with the death of our husbands. A divorced woman has felt the sting of rejection from desertion. God saw Israel this same way after her exile and desired to show her great compassion. As Christian widows, we are examples of the way Christ loves His church. He calls us to be His wife, even though we may be deserted and wounded in spirit, and He graciously cares for us like no one else ever could.

The Hebrew word used for husband here is the word, “baal.” You might remember that Baal was Jezebel’s god, and she worshipped him with full devotion. Baal worship included sexual orgies in which the people would seek to arouse their god to receive the blessings of prosperity and fertility from him. God desires that we seek intimacy with Him. He is our Redeemer and the God of all the earth. There is no authority greater than Yahweh, and all the riches of the earth are at His disposal. He calls us into full fellowship – emotional intimacy – with Him. In doing so, He becomes our Provider, our Protector, our Redeemer, and as such, He is our Master – our Husband.

Many women seek to attach themselves to a rich and powerful man in order to get what they want in life. For these women, marital boundaries are nothing sacred. They seek the emotional connection with a man that will eventually lead to physical intimacy. Once that is established, he is trapped. Whether he wants her or not, he owns her and becomes responsible for her. These women – Jezebels – have the right idea but the wrong object. No man, regardless of how rich and powerful he is, can truly bless you the way Jesus can. He loved you so much that He gave His own life for you so you could have a right standing with Yahweh – the true blessing of the earth and the source of all prosperity. When you attach yourself to Jesus Christ through worship and create emotional intimacy with Him, He becomes your Husband. In Him, there is no shame and no condemnation. In Him, you rule and reign as a co-heir to all of God’s blessings!

Rejoice in the fact that your Maker is your husband! Worship Jesus with all your heart, and seek to strengthen your emotional bond with Him. Take every thought, every feeling, every concern to Him. He is your Confidant and your Defender. Don’t expect a man to do for you what only Jesus can do. He has called you, and He will care for you.

Have a blessed day!

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So because of Christ, I am pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in catastrophes, in persecutions, and in pressures. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

God’s grace is enough. Jesus is enough. When we feel overwhelmed by the pressures of this world and have no answers for the trials we face, we need to take heed to God’s response to Paul. His grace is sufficient for us, too.

Paul learned to surrender his weakness to God. By doing so, God’s power was perfected in Paul’s weakness through grace. God still operates the same way. If we try to be strong enough to handle every obstacle, we will not experience the power grace supplies. For this reason, we are sure to experience things in life that are beyond our control, where we must literally “let go and let God.” 

Having seen God’s power at work, Paul learned to be well pleased when he encountered limitations, insults, persecutions, and catastrophes because he knew those were opportunities for God to show Himself strong, and others would see God’s power at work in his life. By this grace, we learn to rely upon God.

If you need another Scripture to back this up, here is one:

1 Peter 5:6-7

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon Him, because He cares about you.

When we are weak and limited in our ability to do anything about a situation, we are to humble ourselves before God and cast the care upon Him. We can trust Him to take care of it because He cares about us, and if it matters to us, it matters to Him. When we take our hands off of it and allow Him to work, His grace brings power like we’ve never imagined. He is glorified, and we are blessed.

Are you frustrated or heartbroken in a certain area with no way to overcome it? Humble yourself before God, and cast your care on Him. He knows your limitations, as well as your need for resolve. His grace is sufficient for you, and His strength can move into your weakness when you cast that care on Him.

Have a blessed day!