Psalm 45:10-12

Listen, daughter, pay attention and consider: forget your people and your father’s house, and the king will desire your beauty. Bow down to him, for he is your lord. The daughter of Tyre, the wealthy people, will seek your favor with gifts.

This Psalm was written by the sons of Korah as a royal wedding song to celebrate the marriage of a king. Here, the poet instructs the new bride to forget her father’s house – move from traditions, customs, and practices of her past – and to devote herself fully to the king as her lord. She is about to take on a new role and a new way of life, and she must reflect him as his wife and queen.

Revelation 19:7 depicts a scene where the bride of Christ has made herself ready. She has turned from the traditions, customs, and practices of the world to join Christ in marriage and reign with Him. This is our future as Christians, but our dedication and worship of Him begins now. We are in the process of making ourselves ready for the return of Christ and the role of queen.

The people of Tyre were wealthy and prosperous Baal worshipers who credited their prosperity to their god. At some point, wealthy pagans would come with gifts to the bride to seek her favor in order to honor the king. When you seek God and His kingdom first, all of the “these things” of prosperity will come to you! We do not have to seek the things, as the pagans do. We simply need to worship God, and people of wealth will seek our favor in order to honor Him.

Worship Jesus today, and He will desire your beauty. You are a reflection of Him as His bride. Those who need Christ will seek your favor, and God will honor you with their gifts. It all begins with the preparation of leaving what is behind and clinging to Christ.

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 121:1-2

I raise my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Mountains will not move if you are looking down. Raise your eyes! Look toward your mountain and move forward! God will help you move any obstacle that stands in the way between where you are and where He has called you to be.

Seeing a mountain may tempt us to grumble, complain, and even blame others we think should help us. None of that will get you anywhere. Look above your situation. Raise your eyes to the mountain, and simply move toward it. Expect God to help you. He is the One who called you, and He will level any mountain that stands in your way. He made the mountain, and He can surely move it for you!

Do you feel overwhelmed? Does your dream seem so far away that you could never get there? I assure you that if that dream is from God, you can’t get there on your own! Just believe what He has put in your heart and start moving in that direction. He will move the mountains that stand in your way. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, and nothing – I mean absolutely nothing or no one – can ultimately prevent you from reaching your destiny when God is your help. So, stop complaining about that mountain, and raise your eyes to look toward it. You have help, Girlfriend! And what a Mighty help He is!

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 40:11

LORD, do not withhold Your compassion from me; Your constant love and truth will always guard me.

David knew well the need for God’s compassion. He could not stand without it, and neither can we. Without His compassion, we are doomed because of our sin.

David also recognized that God’s love and truth worked together to guard him. We want God to love us, but we don’t always want to acknowledge His truth, which is found in His word. The truth is that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, according to Romans 3:23. Romans 6:23 clarifies that the wages of sin is death. Therefore, we are all guilty before Him.

God’s constant love for us in spite of our sin is what gives us hope, but we must be willing to face the truth that we are sinful people and in need of a Savior. HIs love sent us Jesus, and without Him, we are hopeless. God’s constant love and truth in the person of Jesus Christ is what guards us from evil in this world.

God is not withholding compassion from you today. The Devil uses your sin to condemn you, but the truth is that there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus, according to Romans 8:1. Rely upon God’s constant love and truth to guard you today, and rest in the assurance that God is with you. He is for you, and He is working all things together for your good, as Romans 8:28 promises.

Have a blessed day!

Genesis 17:19-22

But God said, “No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will confirm My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will certainly bless him; I will make him fruitful and will multiply him greatly. He will father 12 tribal leaders, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will confirm My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.” When He finished talking with him, God withdrew from Abraham.

Abraham had no hope in himself or in Sarah and had asked God to just bless Ishmael. If God would just take what Abraham had already accomplished and blessed it, he would be happy. He loved his son and desired God’s blessing upon him. God, however, never intended to make a covenant with the work of Abraham’s flesh. He would bless Ishmael because he was Abraham’s son, but He would establish His everlasting covenant through Isaac.

Isaac was a child Abraham could not comprehend. How in this world could a 100 year old man and a 90 year old woman have a child together? How would they have the strength to raise the child together? How could this be? Abraham could not plan it, figure it out, or strategize to achieve it. God would do the work in him and bring forth what Abraham and Sarah could not. This miracle child that only God could produce would be the one to receive the covenant promise. God would not establish a covenant through the offspring of Abraham’s flesh and lack of faith.

God works through our faith and not our flesh. If He has given you a promise, He will work it in you. We do not change God’s mind by interfering with our own efforts. While He may bless the works of our hands, His covenant is found in the work He does through us. His purpose is greater than our blessing, although He will bless us in the process. We cannot change His purpose; we can only change how we participate. God’s plan was always to give them Isaac and to build His nation through him. The fact that Abraham produced Ishmael beforehand did not change God’s original plan. God’s plan has not changed for us, either. He will bring forth what we cannot comprehend to establish His purpose in our lives. Wait for it.

Have a blessed day!

Proverbs 21:1

A king’s heart is a water channel in the LORD’s hand; He directs it wherever He chooses.

The people of a land are subject to the king, but the king is subject to God. Even if the king does not honor God, he is still accountable to God for his actions, whether he realizes this or not. God has the power to work through the king’s heart to do the very work He is trying to accomplish. If He can speak through a donkey, He can surely perform works of blessing or of judgment through the kings of this earth.

God knows the very heart of man and what he is capable of doing if given the opportunity. The condition of the heart will ultimately determine a man’s actions. God can put hearts and happenings together to bring His will to pass. For this very reason, we should pray for our leaders. We should pray that God would change their hearts to honor Him.

All the wisdom in the world is of no effect when combined with a heart bent on doing evil. The heart is a greater influence to our actions than our minds. Unless we love wisdom and doing what is right, we will look for a way to do the evil that resides in our hearts. For this reason, God instructs us in Proverbs 4:23 to guard our hearts above all else because it is the source of life. Whatever resides there – whether good or evil – will look for a way to manifest itself in our actions.

Pray for your leaders today that God would change their hearts to do love wisdom and to do what is right in His eyes. Only He can change a heart. Submit your own heart to Him, and ask Him to change whatever is wrong so you will desire to do the right thing. Our hearts have the power to love and to motivate us to do good things. Hearts, however, can be black with evil. Ask God to direct you on a path that will give you a clean heart and one that worships Him. The new opportunity you need may be waiting for your heart to change. A clean heart will produce a happy life.

Have a blessed day!

Genesis 18:10-13

The LORD said, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year’s time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him. Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. So she laughed to herself: “After I have become shriveled up and my lord is old, will I have delight?” But the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying ‘Can I really have a baby when I’m old?’ Is anything impossible for the LORD? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son.” Sarah denied it. “I did not laugh,” she said, because she was afraid. But He replied, “No, you did laugh.”

Sarah heard God’s promise for herself while eavesdropping. God fully intended for Sarah to hear so she would know this promise was for her. When she heard the news, she could not help but laugh. Could she really have a baby at such an old age? Would God’s promise really come after such a long time? It just seemed impossible and humorous to her.

God heard Sarah’s laugh and questioned Abraham. Sarah was so afraid that she denied her laugh. She really didn’t think anything was impossible for God, and she was afraid she had shown disrespect. God assured them, however, that He would visit again in about a year, and Sarah would have a son. Ironically, the name Isaac means, “laughter.” God has a sense of humor, too! The name was only appropriate since news of his coming made both Abraham and Sarah laugh. All the years of waiting, serving, hoping, doubting, and longing were coming to an end as God’s promise finally manifested in their lives. What a reason to laugh, shout, rejoice, and praise! A new day was dawning for them in their old age that could only be attributed to a divine encounter with God. Their story would lead others to place their faith in God as He built His nation through this son of promise. There was something very special about this baby, and no one could deny his miraculous birth.

When God begins to fulfill His promises in your life, you may think it is just too late. At this point, the only hope you have might be the fact that you know nothing is impossible with God. If you can’t do it and only God can, chances are it is time for your miracle to manifest. Don’t laugh at God; laugh with Him. Believe and receive His promises with full delight. His promises come with purpose, and you are blessed in the process. When He finally does move in your life, you can laugh at the years you waited as you see His plan unfold. You have an appointed time with God, and He will come back to you to fill your arms with joy!

Have a blessed day!

Isaiah 53:6

We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the LORD has punished Him for the iniquity of us all.

When my son was in the fourth grade, he read the story of a young prince who had a “whipping boy.” The whipping boy was a boy his own age who came from a poor family and lived in the castle. Whenever the prince did something wrong, the servants in charge of him would whip the whipping boy. The parents believed that if the young prince saw someone else taking the punishment for his crimes, he would be remorseful and stop his bad behavior. The opposite, however, happened. Because he had someone else to always take his punishment, he never suffered any consequences and saw no need to cease his bad behavior.

One day, the prince decided he wanted to leave the castle, so he switched clothes with the whipping boy. They two were kidnapped, and the kidnappers confused the two. The young prince quickly came to realize just how much the whipping boy had suffered at his own hand and came to understand how unfair it was for someone else to take his punishment. While he could have had the young prince suffer for all he had done to him, he stepped in to save the young prince. After returning to the castle, the young prince had a change of heart and did not want the whipping boy to suffer any longer, so he changed his behavior.

In many ways, this story reflects the gospel of Christ. He is our “whipping boy.” God has already punished Him for our sins, but what is our response to it? Do we continue in our sins, thinking grace has already covered it, or do we watch our behavior carefully so as not to hurt Him any longer by our actions. Christ left the splendor of heaven to become a baby and live a poor life on earth. He died for the sins we committed. Do we look at His sacrifice as undeserving and have compassion for Him, or do we use it as an excuse to do what we want to do?

We do not appreciate grace until we realize we deserve His punishment. We are guilty and deserve the wrath of God, but Christ has stepped in and provided a new way for us. He did not die so we can live any way we want. He died so we can live the life God purposed for us. Until we can embrace God’s grace, we will never live out of purpose; we will live out of preference. Preference will never satisfy, but purpose will fulfill.

If you were kidnapped today, would there be enough evidence to prove you are a child of the king, or would you look like a rebellious sinner who deserved to die? Is Jesus your Lord, or is He your whipping boy? Choose to live out of a sense of purpose, and die to your preferences. You are guilty and deserve the wrath of God, but by His grace, you never have to suffer it. You can continue to live an unfulfilled life, or surrender to the purpose to which you were called and Christ died. Grace enables you to live above your sin and not with it.

Have a blessed day!

Judges 6:12

Then the Angel of the LORD appeared to him (Gideon) and said: “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

Gideon hardly looked like a mighty warrior. He was threshing wheat in wine vat in an attempt to hide it from the Midianites, who had stolen all their crops and left them hungry. They lived in fear of the Midianites, who wasted Israel’s land with their large herds of cattle to take what they did not sow and what was not rightfully theirs. The Israelites worked and raised the crops while the Midianites just came in and took it all.

Gideon had heard all the stories of how God had delivered his people from bondage, but he had not seen those kinds of blessings in his day. He could not sense the LORD’s presence with them at all. Gideon was the youngest son from the weakest tribe (Manasseh). He certainly did not feel like a mighty warrior. Certainly, he saw himself as a victim of injustice.

How we see ourselves will determine our actions. Gideon retreated as a victim and tried to hide his crops from the enemy. If we see ourselves as victims of others or of society, we will hide the things God has given us. The Angel of the LORD, however, called Gideon a mighty warrior because of the plan God had for him. He saw Gideon’s potential and reminded him that God was with him. If God was with him, he was not a victim but a victor. He had the power to overcome the Midianites and take back what was rightfully his.

How do you see yourself today? If you’ve been hurt by others, you may very well see yourself as a victim. If someone has taken from you and left a huge void in your life, you may feel injustice. With God, however, you don’t have to remain a victim. He assures you victory if you will just step forth in His plan for you. Don’t hide what He has given you. Put it to use for His glory. He will be with you to give you victory in your fight.

Begin to attack your fears with the faith of a mighty warrior. God does not want you hiding and hoarding in fear. He’s created and destined you for greater things, but you have to begin seeing yourself as more than a victim. Seek His presence daily, and walk forth in what He shows you. He will lead you into battle to assure your victory. A victim submits to its perpetrator, but a warrior overcomes. Decide which you will be.

Have a blessed day!

Ephesians 2:10

For we are His creation – created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

When we surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ and become Christians, we are new creatures. God transforms us from a dead state of sin to born again believers who are destined to do good works in Him. God chose us, drew us to Himself, saved us, and gave us each a gift to use to serve Him. All we do is respond to His calling.

The enemy will try to convince you that you are good for nothing. He will divert your focus to your weaknesses and inabilities. God, however, created you anew in Christ to do good works. Regardless of your past failures, God has destined you for good. He is strong where you are weak, and He is not discouraged by your inability. He simply looks for your availability to inhabit so He can work through you.

God prepared your good works ahead of time. He knew exactly where you would fail, where you would succeed, where you would trust Him and where your faith needs to grow. He can use your weaknesses in His favor because He is a sovereign God, and He works all things together for your good. Sometimes our limitations are simply obstacles in our minds alone. When we begin to move in the good works to which God has called us, He removes those limitations with grace that has no limits. Faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains when God goes before you to the mountain!

You were created for good works in Christ Jesus, and that is exactly what you will do when you walk in Christ. Don’t let fear hold you back from doing the great things God has placed in your heart. Even if you fall, God can lift you up and put you on course again. He’s not depending upon you do figure it all out and do it right; He’s waiting for you to depend upon Him and step forward. He can catch you if you fall, and He only wants you to trust Him to be there. Fear paralyzes; faith mobilizes. Begin to walk in good works, and expect God to work through them.

Have a blessed day!

Galatians 6:10

Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.

Paul had just taught the Galatians to correct each other in a loving manner and to give to each other’s needs. He warned them not to think too highly of themselves and to help carry one another’s burdens.  He then taught them they would reap what they sow and encouraged them to sow good so that it would come back to them. He finished this subject with this verse, which instructs them to always work for the good of all, especially for fellow believers. In a nutshell, he taught them that the good and bad they do to others will come back on them, so take every opportunity to work for the good of all.

We see clearly from this text that we are to take care of each other. Churches and ministries that grow are ones that take care of each other. I firmly believe that the older generation understands this much more than the younger generation does. Granted, God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7). Love meets needs, and a group that loves each other will reach out to meet the needs and carry each other’s burdens. Such caring for each other is what gives us a happy life – a joy that money, possessions, or position could never give. We all need a strong sense of family and community that gives to each other, lifts each other up, and gives in time of need.

We often think of giving in terms of money. Many of the needs around you, however, may come in the form of time, talent, fellowship, laughter, or just a listening ear. While times are hard, there are many who just need to feel a sense of belonging to weather personal difficulty. Take every opportunity to meet the needs God shows you. You will benefit more than you realize. 

Perhaps, you’ve already learned the art of giving and helping carry one another’s burdens. I commend you and challenge you to teach someone else to experience that same joy. Mentor someone else to give for the good of all. This is a lesson the younger generation needs to fill the empty void that selfishness, self-sufficiency, and independence has left in so many. Let’s take care of one another and help show others how to do the same. We will reap what we sow!

Have a blessed day!