No matter how simply Jesus explained what God was doing, there were some who would just never comprehend. To this day, there are some who will not receive what God has for them. Two people can be presented with the gift of eternal life but only one will perceive that it is a gift and accept it.
People scorned what Jesus had to say because they felt as if they knew Him. They said things like “Oh, isn’t that Mary’s son, the carpenter? I knew that boy since before he could talk – how could He be the Messiah?’
Some of those people were so busy being skeptical that they completely missed the blessing of who He was or the message that God the Father was sending through Him. They prayed for a Messiah but refused Him when He arrived because He wasn’t packaged the way they thought He should be.
Fast forward to right now, this second. How many times do we pray the same prayer and wonder when God will answer? How often have we come to the end of a situation and realized that God was speaking to us and pointing out the way the whole time?
The red flags that we ignored – God. The friend who warned us six months before it happened – God. The doors that kept closing and we wondered why until a better way was revealed – God. The times where everywhere we turned we kept hearing the same thing – God!
Be encouraged today – the Lord really does hear you when you pray. He also answers the burning questions that we have – but not always in ways that we expect. When you go before Him be confident knowing that He hears you and He will answer. Keep your eyes and ears open for Him. He may respond to you in a dream, in the words of a friend or acquaintance, a book or an article or any number of ways. If you miss His still small voice, don’t worry, His voice will continue to echo. If you have ears to hear Him, you will hear Him.
If your heart is willing to receive what He has to say, you will hear Him. You may not hear what you want or expect, but He will never steer you wrong.
Matthew 13:15-17 (New International Version)
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.
16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
It is amazing the lengths we go to as people to hide who we really are, what we really feel and what we really think. We do these things under the guise of protecting ourselves when all we are doing is creating more pain.
Hiding cuts us off from full relationship with God and the people in our lives. Think about how it feels when something you love is withheld from you, or when you really want to be with someone and it is just not possible. What if someone you love cut you short whenever you tried to get close to them? After awhile you may begin to feel rejected and wonder why you make yourself available.
Imagine that this is what you are doing to the people you love. Not only are you shutting them out, you are cutting yourself off from experiencing the fullness of being loved by others. You have rendered yourself unlovable and you reject the world before it can reject you.
When will you understand that you are whole and perfect, created in the image of God? You are fearfully and wonderfully made. There is no need to hide or withdraw. Your family needs you, your loved ones need you and God needs you to be salt and light in this earth.
Talk to the Lord about your fears. Stop running from destiny and live free.
Matthew 5:13-15 (New King James Version)
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Yesterday I wrote about the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy. This spiritual enemy will use any means necessary to wreak havoc in your life. He will pose as someone who cares, will assume a false identity to gain your trust, will disrupt the peace in your home and steal your joy.
The enemy will use your own mind against you if you do not keep yourself immersed in God’s Word. God’s Word is our backbone and the indicator of that which is True.
Jesus said in John 10, “I am the good shepherd”. He explained that the hired hand can’t even be trusted to protect the sheep. When the first sign of danger appears, the hired hand will protect himself and leave the sheep in harm’s way because they do not belong to him. Only the Good Shepherd will truly care for the sheep because they belong to Him.
Knowing this, I wonder why we place such little importance on knowing the Good Shepherd’s voice? There is no substitute for the relationship we have with Almighty God. The way to know Him is through prayer and meditation on His Word.
It is important that we submit our lives to that which lines up with God’s Word, otherwise we can be easily led astray or left vulnerable and exposed to be attacked.
I want to stay close to the Good Shepherd. No substitute will do. I will not leave my relationship with God in the hands of someone else. I cannot depend on the prayers of others alone. I must know Him and serve Him for myself because He is the only One who is perfectly able to take care of me even if it means sacrificing His own Life.
John 10:10-11 (New International Version)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
I know all too well what it is to be sweet-talked by the enemy. What is interesting is that the Lord always reveals the fake and the phony but we don’t always heed the warning. We give people the benefit of the doubt long after there should be no doubt.
God does not wish for us to blindly walk into a trap, but He does not force His will on us either. If He gives us clear warning and we choose to charge full steam ahead anyway, we have then made a conscious decision to choose Door #1, knowing that there is nothing good behind that door.
There are two things that I am meditating on concerning this subject right now. (1) As long as I stay in God’s will and seek His Face, He will reveal all that I need to know in every situation. (2) As long as I stay in God’s will and seek His Face, I can trust Him to not only reveal what I need to know but to Himself take care of all the details and fight my battles.
I can choose to worry myself about what I do not know or understand, or I can pray about it and allow the Lord to illuminate that which I need to know and act upon. Since my wisdom and knowledge is finite while God sees all and knows all, I am going to choose the latter. I will continue to trust in the plan He has for me and follow the blueprint as He reveals it.
Lord thank You for the Words You have spoken over me and for being a God who is faithful to perform every Word. I trust you with every detail of my life and I know that there is nothing under the sun that confuses You. You know exactly what is going on and You will work it out according to Your plan. Thank You for simply being You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Proverbs 26:23-25 (The Message)
23 Smooth talk from an evil heart
is like glaze on cracked pottery.
24-26 Your enemy shakes hands and greets you like an old friend,
all the while conniving against you.
When he speaks warmly to you, don’t believe him for a minute;
he’s just waiting for the chance to rip you off.
No matter how cunningly he conceals his malice,
eventually his evil will be exposed in public.
What are you holding onto that is holding you back?
A wealthy man told Jesus that everything he had belonged to him since he was young. Jesus saw the grip that the man’s riches had over his life, told him to give it all up, take up the cross and follow Him. The man sadly walked away. He just could’nt part with those things, even if it meant trading it for eternal treasure and a place in God’s kingdom.
This passage made me think about the things that can stop us from allowing the kingdom of God to come in our lives. I don’t believe Jesus told the man to give away his wealth because there was something wrong with having those things. I believe the problem was in the stronghold that those things had over his heart and mind.
I may not have many material possessions, but if I am obsessed with gaining wealth, I cannot possibly be wholeheartedly commited to doing God’s will. If I am so attached to my ideas about what life should be, I am not open to the path that God has for me. If I am stuck on feelings of doubt, fear, insecurity or pride, it must go! No matter how long I may have felt this way, even if this is the only way I have ever known, I must yield these thoughts, feelings and attachments to the will of God.
Any thought or desire that has become bigger than what God desires for you, must go in Jesus’ Name! Give it up and open yourself to God’s perfect will. His plans for you are Good. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Mark 10:20-26 (New King James Version)
20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”
21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
With God All Things Are Possible
23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”
Sometimes I think we need reminders that God is not limited in His Love and understanding like man is. There are times when I will
start picking myself apart over some character flaw or weakness and then when I try to pray, I picture the Father as if He has His back turned toward me because I have disappointed Him yet again. While my imagination runs with this scene, it gets harder and harder for me talk to Him or lift a praise. I begin to feel rejected, but the truth is, I condemned myself.
This is the trouble with our deceitful desires. The un-renewed mind focuses on thoughts that are not of God, or the accuser brings up your past and suddenly you begin to dwell on the thought of how dirty and shameful you are and think you are not worthy to stand before God and receive His Love.
We are not worthy of God’s Love in and of ourselves, yet He chooses to Love us always. The blood of Jesus Christ has guaranteed us a position in God’s heart. His blood makes us lawful recipients of God’s Love. It is so important to remember how He feels about us because this deceitful flesh tries to rise up and make us think that it is bigger than God’s love.
Those desires could have you thinking that it is too hard to give up a sinful lifestyle. The unstable nature of the flesh will have you thinking that it is normal to be angry all the time and always on the verge of cussing somebody out. The flesh will have you thinking that you can’t kick the habit, it’s just who you are. The un-renewed mind will have you thinking that you can never please God so you might as well give up on having a relationship with Him.
Sometimes we just have to tell the flesh to shut up. It can become so loud at times but that is when we must pray. Talk to the Lord about what you are feeling. He created you and He understands what you are going through. He is not angry with you because of what you did or because of what you want to do. He wants to help you. He wants to transform your life and give you peace.
Do not let the imaginations of your mind and the desires of your body deceive you into thinking that you cannot commune with God and worship Him. In reality, that is exactly what God wants. When you are tempted, do not run away from Him and hide as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden. Draw closer to Him and His Love and He will draw near to you.
Ephesians 4:21-24 (New King James Version)
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
You serve a God who is moved by your tears. Right now, in this very moment, He wants you to know that He keeps track of every teardrop.
Too often we judge relationship with God by our human relationships. If we become emotional, someone may find it inappropriate. Someone might tell you to “man up” or get over it. People may be turned off or scared away by your expression of feeling because you’re being too “deep” or intense.
This is not so with God. He wants you to know, whether male or female, whether your problem is big or small, or even if you feel you are the problem, you can let it out with Him. Bring Him your tears. He is the ultimate Comforter. He understands your pain like no one else can. After you release your thoughts and emotions with Him, just be still. Lay back in His Arms and let Him bring healing to your heart. In the quiet moments He will minister to You and speak life over You. He will show You what do next.
Bring Him your tears. Ask Him for help. He is a loving Father who cares about the things that concern you. He will hold You and give you what you need to make it better.
Be encouraged today!
2 Kings 20:1-5 (New International Version)
1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”
2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3 “Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 5 “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD.
1 Peter 5:7 (Amplified Bible)
7Casting the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
This morning I awoke hearing these words, “You’re Beautiful”. God is just sweet like that. In the quiet of the morning, when the only other thing I hear is the breeze blowing in the trees, my Lord is whispering sweet somethings in my ear. Oh, how I love Him!
It is so good to know that we serve a God who Loves us, accepts us, celebrates us and makes us better. We could be in the midst of crying and focusing on our mistakes when He says, “don’t cry, you’re beautiful.” When we ask for His forgiveness He is so quick to forget all about it. We are still looking down ourselves while He is just looking at us, admiring His handiwork and saying, “Wow, I’m good!”
As you go throughout your day today, remember what He said about you. Don’t worry about what anyone else says, it’s only His opinion that matters.
I feel led to repost this here. This is from Him to you.
Be blessed!
You have accomplished much and there is so much yet for you to do. Do not look to the left or to the right. I did not create you to be like them. You are one of a kind, uniquely beautiful by My standards and nothing could ever take that away. Look at yourself. Those eyes, that nose, those lips, that hair – Beautiful. Look deeper. That mind, that heart, that soul, all thirsty for more of Me – Beautiful. I love you in every way. I cherish every part of you. All I want to do is be with you. Come with me into the garden, Beautiful. You are so precious, My Love.
Song of Solomon 7:6 (New International Version)
How beautiful you are and how pleasing,
O love, with your delights!
Let there be no confusion. When I speak of a Man who rescued me from the pit of hell and a life of misery, there is only One with the power to do such a thing. There is only One who freed my mind from the grips of insanity and emotional distress. There is only One who brought true peace and happiness. There is only One who saved my soul and forgave me of my sins. His Name is Jesus.
I fell in love with Him because He first Loved me. Without Him, there is no Love, for He is Love. If I never knew Him, I would never know how to Love. Without knowing His Love, it would be almost impossible for me to receive true Love.
Some people kick against the knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God because they are afraid to relinquish control. Submitting to Him would mean departing from a dependence on man’s intellect and walking in faith. For some it’s fear of commitment – what if He’s not the One?
If that is you, I do not judge, for every man has to work out his own salvation. However, I do pray that you would come to know Jesus in an intimate way. You may have been introduced to Him before but never entered into full relationship with Him. If so, He is waiting for you to allow Him to come in and transform your life.
Those problems that you cannot seem to solve, He can fix. The love that you yearn for, He will bring. Your broken heart, He will mend. It does not matter how hard you have fought against Him. Nothing you have done in your past or ever will do can separate you from His Love – all you have to do is accept it.
If you want your life to change, if you need His Love to come in and make it right, pray this prayer today:
Lord Jesus, I believe that You died and rose again so that I can live. I need You and I no longer want my sin to separate me from Your Love. Please forgive me. Please come into my heart and rescue me today. Please show me how to live for You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
John 3:16-17 (New International Version)
16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Do you believe that the best is yet to come? I think sometimes we shy away from expecting better because we want to avoid disappointment. We may have even “tasted and seen that the Lord is good” but we still reserve our faith for times when “we really need it”.
In the first chapter of John it talks about how Jesus began selecting his disciples. When Jesus called Philip, he went home to tell his brother Nathaniel all about it. Nathaniel didn’t believe Jesus was all that everybody said he was until he saw for himself. He went with Philip to see what the fuss was all about.
Jesus already knew Nathaniel’s character and said, “There’s a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body.”
Nathaniel, said, “Where did you get that idea? You don’t know me.”
Jesus answered, “One day, long before Philip called you here, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi! You are the Son of God, the King of Israel!” ((John 1:47-49 MSG).
You could imagine that Nathaniel was blown away by this man who knew who he was on the inside simply by seeing him once under a tree. Jesus told Nathaniel that if he was impressed by that, he should see what else is going to happen!
Like Nathaniel, Jesus knows who you are. He called you by name and He has so much in store but you must stay close to Him in order to find out exactly what that is. Nathaniel could have stayed home with his unbelief but he chose to go and find out what his brother was talking about. When he saw that it was real, he stuck around so that he could experience it for himself. How different would his life had been if he had just been satisfied with that one encounter with Jesus?
Let’s decide to stick around for more! Let’s press into greater knowledge and intimacy with our Lord Jesus Christ and find out what it truly means to live.
John 1:51 (The Message)
50-51Jesus said, “You’ve become a believer simply because I say I saw you one day sitting under the fig tree? You haven’t seen anything yet! Before this is over you’re going to see heaven open and God’s angels descending to the Son of Man and ascending again.”
