The First Requirement of Ministry
 

"The priests are in mourning, those who minister before the Lord." - Joel 1:9b

The first requirement for being used by God in the life of others is to mourn on their behalf. We must identify with their pain and suffering. Each of us must be broken for others first.

In order to be fully used by God in the workplace, we need to understand what breaks God's heart. When we understand what breaks God's heart, we are able to mourn on behalf of a grieving person, or a nation we are called to serve. What breaks God's heart? When we begin to answer this question, we begin the first step to becoming instruments of change for those things that are important to God. Perhaps it is an overemphasis in our own talent and abilities, or lack of complete trust in Jesus.

Perhaps it is the lack of respect for human life that leads to the killing of innocent babies. Perhaps it is the deceit and pride that often rule the workplace of commerce. Or perhaps it is the strife and divisions among His own Body that grieve Him most. When we begin to mourn over our own sins in these areas, God begins to use us as instruments of righteousness to affect these things. It was only when God let me see my own sins in the workplace and how they broke His heart that I began to be an instrument for His purposes.


Today, ask God to show you what things in your world are breaking His heart. Then see how He might want you to be the priest to affect for Him. The first step is identification with what breaks God's heart.

The Race of Faith
 

here's the verse they are using:

Hebrews 12

The Race of Faith

12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.



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ÔÇ£Weeds"

By Mary Lee Moeny



Lay aside every encumbrance and the sin (bindweed, puncture vines, sand burrs) which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance Hebrews 12:1

It was a hot, muggy day and the flies were very sticky. I was tackling a long-put-off task of pulling weeds and was talking to the Lord about the weeds, the heat and the annoyance of the flies.

While pondering the weeds in my garden and my response to them, the Holy Spirit brought to mind other weeds ÔÇô my sins.

The writer of Hebrews 12:1 tells me to: Lay aside every encumbrance and the sin (bindweed, puncture vines, sand burrs) which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance

God reminded me of how the weeds came into my life ÔÇô through the sin of Adam and Eve, my original parents who turned from trusting God wholeheartedly and followed their own inclinations.

He reminded me that in this lifetime there is not a one-time application that removes those weeds, but that He has given me a lifetime task of pulling the weeds and deliberately removing sins from my life.

Weeding is now part of the process of following Him. Scripture says that Jesus ÔÇÿlearned obedience through the things He suffered.ÔÇØ

Because of His death on the cross, we have been given the resources to enable us to weed our lives, to deliberately choose to follow our Lord rather than follow our own desires and inclinations.

Weeding is taking on new meaning for me. Instead of being an onerous chore, it reminds me of the work of our good and gracious God ÔÇô that He is in the process of transforming me to be like His Son and that one day I will stand before Him, the weeds in my life totally eradicated. Gone forever!

In the meantime, I pull weeds.

Becoming a Valued Draft Pick
 

Looks like Glenn did not send one for Saturday

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"...Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel...." Zechariah 4:10

As children in grammar school we often played pick-up football. Two captains would alternate making the best choices among schoolmates to make up the two teams. My friend was often chosen first because he was a good athlete. I know it must have felt good to be valued by others for what they perceived he could contribute. Conversely, it must have felt crummy to be the last chosen or not chosen at all.

Such was the case for Zerubbabel. He was a man chosen by God to rebuild the temple. God saw something in Zerubbabel that He could use for His purposes. The people also recognized that Zerubbabel was a man in whom they could place their faith. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people (Haggai 1:14a).


Are you part of the remnant of workplace believers whom God is calling out today? Do not let the business of today's workplace sidetrack you from the importance of God's agenda for you. Can you recall the day God's Spirit rested on you? Have you walked in that anointing since that day? Satan's strategy is to keep us distracted with the urgency of the moment versus the importance of eternity. Ask God what your priorities should be today. Make God's priorities your priorities.

Stoplight Faith
 

I always tell people "i can live with failure..., i can accept I done something wrong, I cannot live with REGRET for not trying."

failure is for a moment, regret is for a life time
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"And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith" (Matthew 13:58).

You can learn a lot about people in traffic. For instance, I observe a lot when I see 20 cars in one line and only 3 cars in another. The reason for the longer line is these people want to make sure they get to make their turn after the light. I, on the other hand, want to get through the light first, and then I will worry about making the next turn. This is a difference in risk taking tolerance, or perhaps faith; or even some might argue with me that I'm operating out of presumption versus real faith.

No matter which person you might be in this situation, it is sure that faith is often spelled R.I.S.K. When the priests carried the ark into the Jordan River at flood stage there was a risk they could lose the ark to the Jordan River. However, that is not what happened. "And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap" (Joshua 3:13). God changed the entire environment and made it possible to walk across without the pressure of wading through the powerful water only when they took the first step.

Risk means there is a potential for loss. However, when God leads us to take a risk, then He is there whether we succeed or fail. He is there in the success and He is there in the failure. If He leads you to take a risk it may not always succeed in the way you think. In fact, it could even fail.

The only true failure is when we fail to take the risk when God is leading us to do so. Sometimes the fear of failure is the greater obstacle than the risk itself.

Has God called you to step out in an area that requires risk? This could be the place He wants you to move. Ask Jesus to give you the courage to step out.

Spirit-led Creativity
 

Spirit-led Creativity



"He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the LORD and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things" (1 Chronicles 28:12).



It is said of George Washington Carver that he got up early in the morning each day to walk alone and pray. He asked God how he was to spend his day and what He wanted to teach him that day. Carver grew up at the close of the Civil War in a one-room shanty on the home of Moses Carver- the man who owned his mother. The Ku Klux Klan had abducted him and his mother, selling her to new owners. He was later found and returned to his owner, but his mother was never seen again.



Carver grew up at the height of racial discrimination, yet he had overcome all these obstacles to become one of the most influential men in the history of the United States.



He made many discoveries with the use of peanuts and sweet potatoes. However, after he recommended farmers to plant peanuts and sweet potatoes instead of cotton, he was led into his greatest trial. The farmers lost even more money due to the lack of market demand for peanuts and sweet potatoes. Carver cried out to the Lord, "Mr. Creator, why did You make the peanut?" Many years later, he shared that God led him back to his lab and worked with him to discover some 300 marketable products from the peanut. Likewise, he made over 100 discoveries from the sweet potato. These new products created a demand for peanuts and sweet potatoes, and they were major contributors to rejuvenating the Southern economy.


As he made new discoveries, he never became successful monetarily. But during his lifetime, he overcame great rejection for being black. He was offered six-figure income opportunities from Henry Ford, and he became friends with presidents of his day, yet he knew what God had called him to do.



His epitaph read: "He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world."


Like Carver, each of us must connect with our primary purpose in life. Pray that God allows you to fully fulfill your purpose.

Devotion: Gently Leading
 

"So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir." Genesis 33:14


Work often determines that we move at a pace that can put incredible stresses upon people and relationships. Jacob was a man who learned to manipulate and control outcomes. He even stole the birthright of his brother, Esau, through trickery. The Bible speaks of Jacob as a man who strived with God. He knew how to force situations to his advantage. It took years for God to break down all the rough edges of Jacob so that he could be worthy of becoming the patriarch of the 12 tribes of Israel. God saw something in Jacob that He could use.


Robert Hicks, in his book Masculine Journey, describes five biblical stages of manhood that must be passed through before a man becomes a mature man of God. One of those early stages is known as the "warrior stage." In this stage of manhood, the man is known by what he does, what he accomplishes, and he is totally defined by his performance. It can be a tumultuous time for the man and those close to him. It is often signified by broken relationships because the goal is often more important than the way the goal is accomplished. When I meet with a man, I can easily determine what stage of life he is in by hearing him talk.



Jacob had successfully passed through these five stages based on the verse above. It takes someone mature to be able to "move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children." Leaders who never come to understand this may be successful materially but fail at the most important aspect of leadership-leading at a pace that his followers can maintain. The roads are full of wives, children, and workers who cannot keep up with the pace of leaders and are left behind with broken dreams, broken hearts, and unfulfilled promises.


Are you a person who is more concerned with outcome than how you achieve the outcome? Can the people around you describe you as someone who leads at a pace that ensures respect and admiration? Ask the Lord for the ability to be a godly leader who understands the condition of his flock and the pace in which you can lead without alienating.

Devotion: Live For Christ
 

Job 22: 23 ÔÇ£If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles."

Why is America falling apart? Simple, the Church has fallen asleep and fallen in dry, dead, powerless, lack of belief, full of iniquity, Body.

The Church is playing games at the foot of the Cross and while the Church has lost its burden, our country is going to waste. I am glad to say that I have been around some great men of God in my time.

If I were to name them right now it would take a lot of time and space, but one thing that I was taught by those great men is this; whichever way the Husband goes, so will the wife. Whichever way the Husband and the wife go so will the Children. Whichever way the Home goes so will the Church. Whichever way the Church goes, so will the Nation.

THAT IS A FACT! That is why I believe with all my heart that it is of the utmost importance that the Church has REVIVAL. I am not talking about a week of daily services, I am talking about where the lives of Believers are AWAKENED to THEIR Laziness, and the Church falls on their knees in REAL REPENTANCE.

Folks, if the Church would catch on FIRE, there would be a BIG change in this country. Not long ago, there was a huge fire that consumed the forest, it consumed houses and business. That is what America needs to happen, it needs a HUGE FIRE to start at the House of God that would consume the hearts of people, consume homes and cities for the Glory of God.

Right now, there are more people that do not believe in the Rapture, simply because the Church is not showing any evidence of a LIVING GOD IN THEIR LIVES! The question is not is God ready to send revival, the question is this, IS THE CHURCH READY TO DIE TO SELF AND LIVE FOR CHRIST?

Devotion: Simply Obey
 

Glenn works at the place that caught on fire yesterday, so was surprised to see a devotion from him...but it was time stamped 11 PM!

the Fire Dept was still out there this morning.

my daughter was driving by, when it started, she said the fire truck had to do like a 7 point turn to get down in there,

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Simply Obey





"But Naaman went away angry and said, 'I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy'" (2 Kings 5:11-12).



Naaman was an army general who needed healing from Leprosy. A young servant girl of the king's house suggested that the prophet Elisha could heal him. He followed her advice and Elisha sent a message to him to do the following: "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed" (2 Kings 5:10).



However, when the instruction came as to what he was to do, it seemed ridiculous to him. Like many of us, Naaman expected God to perform his miracle through Elisha in a dramatic and "religious" way. Sometimes we fail to recognize that God can work through a simple act of obedience that seems unrelated to the problem. God told Joshua to walk around Jericho seven times to win the battle. He told a man to put mud on his eyes to be healed. He told Peter to catch a fish to get a coin to pay his taxes.



There are other times God calls us to use the natural to receive a breakthrough. Sometimes we simply need to change our diet or go see a doctor to see a breakthrough in our health. Sometimes we need to change the way we are doing our work to get a breakthrough in our careers.



Samuel the prophet told King Saul that obedience is better than sacrifice. Learning to listen to the Lord and following His instruction is the key to success in God. Sometimes God chooses the dramatic and sometimes He chooses the ordinary. In either case, both are miracles because God is the God over all creation.



Ask Him what steps you are to take for your breakthrough.

Devotion: Living for a Cause Greater Than Yourself
 

guys, jump in here if you have a comment.

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Living for a Cause Greater Than Yourself



"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:13


In the thirteenth century a man named William Wallace became the instrument of freedom from England's tyranny over Scotland. A very wicked king ruled England. A tragedy in the life of William Wallace launched him into living for this cause. Initially his cause was revenge, but soon his cause turned to something bigger than himself - freedom for a nation.

When he challenged the commoners to fight for this freedom, they responded that the enemy was too great and that they might die on the battlefield. They also refused to fight for the nobles, the knights and leaders who had a vested interest in gaining more land for themselves versus a pure cause of freedom. Wallace's response: "Yes, we might die. We will all die sooner or later. But we will die for a cause worth dying for. So that our children and their children might live in freedom."



Today we find many Christian workplace believers living a status quo relationship with God that is more characterized as "business as usual" than a life demonstrating God's power. Our focus is often more concerned with improving our standard of living than improving the Kingdom of God through our circle of influence. While this takes place, millions upon millions die without the saving grace of Christ.

Many other Christians die never experiencing the freedom in Christ that His blood paid for. God has called each of us to live for a cause greater than ourselves - a life that is dependent on His grace and power to achieve things we never thought possible through our lives. This is His plan for your life. The apostle Paul prayed that He might experience the power of the resurrection in his life.

This power is available to you and me to live for a cause greater than ourselves. Ask God what He wants to achieve through your life today. And consider yourself dead already to the consequences of what that might mean for you.

Devotion: Revival
 

Revival



2 Chronicles 7: 14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

If I were to ask how many would love for your home, your Church, your town to have revival, I believe the vote would be over 75% in favor of Revival. It is a fact that every great Revival had a starting point. Many great Revivals started with just one person. Did you know that a revival could start at YOUR home, at YOUR church, in YOUR town all because of YOU?

The one thing that keeps us from having revival is this; it is always other people that are in need of Revival, not us. You know, Christians are so SELF RIGHTEOUS and we wonder why did Jesus have to die for these perfect/sinless people? The fact is, there is NONE righteous, NO NOT ONE!

Revival must start with YOU, so don't be quick to point out your brother or sisters faults! The Lord want you to be concerned with YOUR faults and the Lord is ready for YOU to deal with YOUR faults first. I have found this true, if we deal with our faults, then we will not have any time left to worry with our Brother and Sisters faults.

Instead of singing REVIVE US AGAIN, WE SHOULD SING, REVIVE ME AGAIN!

Revived Child of God
 

REVIVED Child of God



2 Chronicles 7: 14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

This one verse is probably the most used scripture of the entire Bible in Revival sermons. I call it the four Steps to Revival. It is actually four changes of the heart of mankind that brings revival. Those four things are to:

humble ourselves,
Pray,
Seek the face of God, and
Turn/Repent from our wicked ways.

Those four things, if Christians were to do them, WE WOULD SEE REVIVAL. Now, many times in History, mankind would turn away from God and that would bring the judgment of God upon God's people. Oh and then they would cry out, "OH GOD WE ARE SORRY," and expect God to stop the judgment, but it does not work that way.

You see, if a Christian starts to slip into sin, also known as Backsliding, they will be chastised by God. This is God's way of correcting the Child of God, like a parent would correct a child.
Oh but I believe God KNOWS the heart of man. If a Christians would cry out with a heart of repentance, I believe God would hear our prayers and that he would send revival. Who will take the four steps to a new Godly life with Christ to become a REVIVED Child of God?

What's Your Brand?
 

"The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

Coca-Cola is the number one "brand" in the world. Companies spend millions of dollars making their brands known in business. They want you to recognize their brand. When you think of their brand they hope you will have positive thoughts in hopes it will influence your next purchasing decision.

Every individual has a personal "brand" whether you want it or not. Cultures have a brand. Ethnic groups have a brand. Your brand is defined by your conduct. If you are always late, you'll soon develop a brand or reputation for being late. Others will even show up late because they know you will be late. If you are a person who exaggerates the truth, others will soon fail to take you serious.

However, the opposite can also be true. Your brand can be incredibly positive. By being a man or woman of your word, who is consistent in dealing fairly and honestly with others, your brand becomes known as someone who is faithful in all aspects of life.

One of God's most important characteristics is His faithfulness. Faithfulness means one is true to fulfilling their promises to others in the time which was committed. God is faithful to fulfill all His promises to His children.

Moses was also an example of faithfulness to his call. "Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a Son over God's house" (Hebrews 3:5-6).


What is your brand among your peers? Is it a positive brand or does it need improvement? Allowing the Lord to make us more like Jesus is the only way our brand becomes trustworthy.



Ask the Lord today to make you a faithful brand in which others can trust.


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about the fire:
Thanks for checking on us, yes, we are good, we had brought a new grinder and after having it only three weeks it caught fire and burned to the ground, setting the piles of wood around it on fire

Devotion: God's Faithfulness: Stones and Stories
 

GodÔÇÖs Faithfulness: Stones and Stories

By Melody Wright

ÔÇ£He said to the sons of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?' then you shall inform your children, saying, "Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.' ...that all the peoples of earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever." Joshua 4:21, 22, 24 NASB

We've all ÔÇÿbeen thereÔÇÖ in our lives and in our businesses. Disheartened, forgotten, grieved, betrayed, wiped out by a natural occurrence or by manÔÇÖs inhumanity to man. Sometimes, itÔÇÖs a thousand little things between work life and home life that finally bring us to a place of exhaustion and overwhelm.

In parallel, many of us have traveled through trial, and have seen the hand of a faithful God in the midst of it all. We see clearly how He got us through ÔÇô most of the time in spite of ourselves. Even better - many of us have stories of God turning a mess into nothing short of a miracle.


God knew if the Israelites had no physical remembrance to remind them of His faithfulness, they would soon forget when they came upon a new trial. But He used something as simple and common as a stone to prepare them for the future.

Remembering GodÔÇÖs faithfulness in our lives gives us confidence when we (again and again) face-off against another trial or challenge. Though we canÔÇÖt see the ÔÇÿhow,ÔÇÖ we learn to trust and know HeÔÇÖll turn it all to His glory. I believe that unwavering faith is connected to our ability to remember GodÔÇÖs past provision.

It is important that we remember and share our stories! In fact, we would be wise to heed GodÔÇÖs advice to the Israelites and be intentional about it. Then, whatever we are faced with, we can go back to those 'stones and stories' marking GodÔÇÖs faithfulness, and allow God to use them not only for our encouragement, but for the encouragement of others.

Devotion: The Faithfulness of God
 

The Faithfulness of God


"The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down." Psalm 145:13b-14

Have you ever had a relationship with someone who was faithful? You knew you could depend on that person to do what he said. You learned that his word was completely trustworthy. If he said he would call you, he would. If he said he'd be somewhere at a certain time, he'd be there. In fact, if he was late, you began to wonder if he had an accident because it was so contrary to his nature. It's great to have friends who are faithful.

God is faithful. He is faithful to fulfill every promise in His Word. Sometimes we think God isn't faithful because it appears He has not fulfilled a desire that we have. Sometimes we think He is not faithful because of a crisis event that seems to say God isn't faithful. We must remember that God is more concerned about accomplishing His ultimate purpose in the life of every believer than giving us the desires of our heart. Sometimes this results in hardship.

The Bible is full of accounts of God's faithfulness that was often accompanied by hardship. He brought Joseph out of slavery to be greatly used in a nation. He delivered the people from Egypt and brought them into the Promised Land. He gave Abraham the son of promise late in his life. He delivered David from his enemies and made him a king. In story upon story, we learn of God's faithfulness. Are you a faithful man or woman? The workplace needs faithful men and women. Take an inventory of your life today and ask God if you have been faithful with what He has entrusted to you.

Devotion: Found Faithful
 

how many of you guys are faithful to attend church...and why?

we just changed churches, and we have been going Sunday mornings, but not so much on Sun & Wed nights. maybe we need to get back to going Sun & Wed nights.

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FOUND FAITHFUL


Hebrews 10: 25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

What is it about the church and your fellow members that you don't like about your church? Now I know when you read this you will have a frown on your face and saying in your minds, "Where is he going with this?"

Well, where I am going is here, if everyone loved their church as much as I do mine, they would not miss a service unless an uncontrollable situation came up. I want to be found faithful to every service at my Church, where I attend. I have a duty to my Lord and my pastor, and my church.

I sing on the Praise Team there, I have a duty, but greater is my desire to BE FOUND FAITHFUL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. I do not go to church faithfully because of my singing on the Praise Team; I go to church faithfully because of my love for my Lord. I have never went to church faithfully because I did not want anyone to take my job, nor have I ever felt that no one could do my job in church like me. Understand, Jesus is my Savior, but He is also my Lord.

If Jesus is really your Lord, BE FOUND FAITHFUL IN YOUR ATTENDANCE AT YOUR CHURCH, IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD!

Getting Refueled
 

Getting Refueled



"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed" (Mark 1:35-36).



How do you get refueled? When our cars run low on fuel, we simply drop by the local filling station to get more fuel. When our bodies are hungry, we feed them. How do we refuel our spiritual lives? We can learn from the example Jesus modeled in His life.

In the New Testament we see that Jesus had a very demanding schedule. He traveled from town to town, often walking many miles between the towns. He spent a lot of time with people. It is very draining to minister for extended periods. Your body and your spirit become fatigued.



The day before the above scripture was recorded, Jesus had a full day of ministry healing the sick, delivering people from demons and walking to different cities (Mark 1:29-37). The following day it says Jesus got up before the sun rose and went to pray. The disciples were wondering where He was.



When Jesus was on earth, He was fully man. Everything He did was based upon receiving specific directions and power from His father to do them. He was not operating as God, but as a human being with the same limitations you and I have. So, Jesus knew one of the key ways to refuel His mind, body and spirit was by spending time in prayer to His Heavenly Father.



This is a critical discipline for every follower of Jesus if you expect to have power and victory in your Christian walk. We each need to find a solitary place to focus upon the Lord, His Word and His input for our lives.



If this is not a part of your daily experience, why not start tomorrow with a few minutes of focused time of reading and prayer. You will be encouraged with the new spiritual focus you will have by making this a priority

Devotion: From Adversity to Destiny
 

From Adversity to Destiny



"The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position" (James 1:9).



Most of us avoid pain. We keep our medicine cabinets loaded with pain relievers. We couldn't imagine major surgery without an anesthetic. We are so averse to pain that we think God must desire that we will experience pain-free lives. After all, a loving God surely wouldn't want us to suffer pain, would He? Although God takes no pleasure in our pain, we have to acknowledge that He sometimes allows painful circumstances to occur in our lives in order to shape us and make us more like Christ. Sometimes our times of despair turn out to be a much needed light into our soul.



I once came across the following poem written by an anonymous Confederate soldier, a devout young man who fought in the American Civil War. The lines of this poem express the soul of a man who has learned to view his times of adversity from a different perspective:


I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;

I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked God for health, that I might do greater things;

I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.

I asked for riches, that I might be happy;

I was given poverty, that I might be wise.

I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;

I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life;

I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for but everything I had hoped for.

Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.

I am among men, most richly blessed.*



Do we trust God to lead us even though we can't see the pathway in front of us? Do we trust Him to be all-knowing, all-loving, and all-powerful? Do we believe He does all things well? As Paul wrote, "Everything that does not come from faith is sin" (Romans 14:23). That's why God leads us through the dark places.

Devotion: Spiritual Harassment
 

Spiritual Harassment





"Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8-9).



In the spiritual realm we deal with spiritual harassment from satan and his legions. The Bible says "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians. 6:12). It is important to recognize when we are coming against these forces. Satan attempts to distract us from our calling and destiny in life. We often trivialize the reality of the spirit realm of evil.



Paul tells us we must set our minds to deal with the spiritual realm of evil when it impacts our lives. "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13).



The next time you feel obstacles have been placed in your life designed to distract you from your God-ordained mission, remember Paul's words and stand firm in Christ.

Devotion: Elevated From the Pasture
 

Elevated From the Pasture

Now then, tell my servant David, "This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over My people Israel." - 2 Samuel 7:8



Have you ever heard someone say, "He is a self-made millionaire"? They are stating that this person accomplished everything through his own efforts. His achievements were a result of his hard work and street smarts.



David was nearing the end of his life. The prophet Nathan was responding to David's idea to build a temple where the Ark of the Covenant would stay. God reminded David of his roots and where He had brought him. God took David from the fields of pasturing sheep to pastoring a nation. God reminded David that He cut off all of David's enemies. (David never lost a battle.)



Have you ever felt tempted to look at your accomplishments with pride as if you were the reason for your success? Have you ever thought your prosperity was due to your ingenuity? Has your material success been a testimony to others that God is the ruler of all aspects of your life, even the material side?



Joseph's greatest test was not his temptation to be bitter against his brothers. It wasn't the sexual temptation that came inside Potiphar's house. It wasn't even the discouragement of years of imprisonment for being wrongfully accused. It was the temptation of prosperity and ownership. Once he was elevated, he was given choices that he never had before. It was totally up to him as to which choice he would make. Stewardship reveals what we believe about God and ourselves.


Not every man can carry a full cup. Sudden elevation frequently leads to pride and a fall. The most exacting test of all to survive is prosperity. -Oswald Chambers



Do you have a proper understanding of who you are? Do you understand that it is God who has given you the ability to work and achieve? He is the source of all good things. Ask God today if your life models this belief.

Devotion: Seeing the Works of God
 

Seeing the Works of God


Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord.... - Psalm 107:23-24a



When you were a child, perhaps you may have gone to the ocean for a vacation. I recall wading out until the waves began crashing on my knees. As long as I could stand firm, the waves were of no concern to me. However, as I moved farther and farther into the ocean, I had less control over my ability to stand. Sometimes the current was so strong it moved me down the beach, and I even lost my bearings at times. But I have never gone so far into the ocean that I was not able to control the situation.



Sometimes God takes us into such deep waters that we lose control of the situation, and we have no choice but to fully trust in His care for us. This is doing business in great waters. It is in these great waters that we see the works of God.



The Scriptures tell us that the disciples testified of what they saw and heard. It was the power behind the gospel, not the words themselves, which changed the world. The power wasn't seen until circumstances got to the point that there were no alternatives but God. Sometimes God has to take us into the deep water in order to give us the privilege to see His works.



Sometimes God takes us into the deep waters of life for an extended time. Joseph was taken into deep waters of adversity for 17 years. Rejection by his brothers, enslavement to Pharaoh, and imprisonment were the deep waters for Joseph. During those deep waters, he experienced dreams, a special anointing of his gifts to administrate, and great wisdom beyond his years. The deep water was preparation for a task that was so great he never could have imagined it. He was to see God's works more clearly than anyone in his generation. God had too much at stake for a 30-year-old to mess it up. So, God took Joseph through the deep waters of preparation to ensure that he would survive what he was about to face. Pride normally engulfs such young servants who have such access to power at such a young age.



If God chooses to take us into deep waters, it is for a reason. The greater the calling, the deeper the water. Trust in His knowledge that your deep waters are preparation to see the works of God in your life.