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Monthly Archives: May 2012

God’s Possession

05 May

Psalm 95:3-6
For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.  In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.  The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

Everything we see in all of creation is the Lord’s.  Every mountain, valley, and stream is the work of His hand.  It is the incredible variety of the Creator, however, that amazes me.  Sometimes when I am driving, I see all the mountains on the horizon, yet no two look the same.  Each one can be recognized for its own individual features

Not only that, but the Lord knows each one intimately.  Every tree, every trail, and each animal are well known to Him.  He created the entire majestic realm of nature for His good pleasure, yet He provides this bounty for our enjoyment as well.

It’s easy to feel close to God when in the presence of His handiwork.  When we look at Creation through the eyes of the spirit, it becomes a reflection of the Creator.  It gives us insight into the awesome power and love of our God.

Take the time today to thank the Lord for the beauty of the earth.  Thank Him that He has allowed us to share in the wonder of it.  As you approach the throne of Christ, remember that all the wonders of Creation are but a dim reflection of His eternal majesty.

 
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Posted by on May 5, 2012 in Daily Thoughts

 

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Lost Donkeys

04 May

1 Samuel 9:3-4
Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.”  So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.

This sounds like a pretty boring passage of Scripture.  All we see is Saul, wandering in the wilderness, looking for some lost donkeys.  Did you ever have a day like that?  It just seemed like you spent the day spinning your wheels and nothing was accomplished.

I’m glad that’s not all there is to the story.  As Saul worked at this seemingly mundane task, God worked out His plan.  The Lord used this boring day to orchestrate a meeting between Saul and the prophet Samuel.  Little did Saul know that Samuel was looking for a king for the nation of Israel.  It was through the searching for lost donkeys that Saul met Samuel and was soon anointed king.

You may think you are only working in an office, or keeping a house clean, or attending a class.  God, on the other hand, may have more in mind for you than you think.  Keep your heart and your eyes open.  Maybe He has a meeting planned for you during the day that will change the direction of your life.  To prepare for this “divine appointment”, all you can do is stay focused on Him, and let the Holy Spirit guide you.

Allow the Lord to prepare you for the day ahead.  You must seek His wisdom for the days that are before you.  Only the Lord has access to the map that will lead to your destiny in His will.  Only when you seek His guidance will you be ready for whatever He has in store for you.

 
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Posted by on May 4, 2012 in Daily Thoughts

 

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A Shout from the Mountaintop

03 May

Isaiah 42:10-11
Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them.  Let the desert and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops.

Being on a mountaintop always gives me an exhilarating feeling.  It is hard thing to describe all the sensations that accompany it.  I cannot fully express them to someone who has never seen the clouds blowing by beneath their feet, or felt the wind whipping over the peak, or stood in awe to see the breathtaking landscape spread out before them.  Just being there evokes such a feeling on the inside that I want to burst out in praise to my God.

Sometimes, when I am alone on a peak, I will sing or pray out loud to the Lord.  At those times, the presence of the Spirit of God is undeniable.  I challenge you to look for those opportunities.  We must seek out the times when God makes His presence especially real to us.

Maybe you have never heard yourself pray, praise God, or sing out loud before.  Don’t let timidity stop you from experiencing a breakthrough in your Christian walk.  Try it out the next time you find yourself alone in God’s presence, even if it feels a little uncomfortable at first.  You will find that there is an awesome revelation of God when you praise Him audibly.  Experience it for yourself.  See the joy and freedom that fills your heart as you open up in His amazing presence.

If this has helped you, write me a comment about what you experienced.

 
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Posted by on May 3, 2012 in Daily Thoughts

 

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“Give Me My Mountain!”

02 May

Joshua 14:10-12
“Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert.  So here I am today, eighty-five years old!  I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then.  Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day.  You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

You would think some young soldier spoke these words.  The hill country of Israel is rough terrain.  It was especially tough because they had to battle fierce giants for the possession of it.  But Caleb, the man who spoke up, was 85 years old.  That’s not the perception we usually have of “Senior Citizens.”

I am glad that there is no age limit in the Kingdom of God.  We need to see that we will not be put out to pasture when we reach a certain age.  God can and does use anyone who is willing – no matter their age, background, or weaknesses.

This is a great principle to lay hold of.  It does give us some responsibilities, however.  Knowing that we are useful to God throughout our entire lives, we must harden our faith now.  We must be prepared so that when we reach our elder years, we will continue on spiritually stronger than when we started.

Take the time this day to establish the path of your life in the direction God has for you.  Commit your future to the Lord and purpose in your heart to finish the race strong.  If you’re already an elder in the body of Christ, don’t look at yourself as a has been.  The type of work that you do for the Lord may change, but you are still a vital part of the Kingdom of God.

 
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Posted by on May 2, 2012 in Daily Thoughts

 

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Proverb – What do You Value?

01 May

Proverbs 10:2
Ill-gotten treasures are of no value, but righteousness delivers from death.

This sounds like an oxymoron.  A treasure that’s of no value.  How does that work?  I guess it all depends upon your perspective.

In the natural realm, any treasure is good and valuable, no matter how it’s gotten.  That’s the trouble with us humans, we can’t see the big picture.  We look at what will make us feel good right now.  That’s why so many people in our generation have clawed and fought their way up the corporate ladder, only to find out it was leaning against the wrong wall.

We get trapped in the love of money and excuse it away.

“I’m doing this for you, so you can be comfortable.”

“This extra job is only temporary.”

It is only after we have lost those people who are dear to us that we start to question if it was worth it.

Righteousness – a life lived with God’s priorities in view, delivers us from death.  No, not the grave, but from a living death.  Living your life in God’s will for you will keep your relationships from dying.  It will keep you from an unfulfilled life.  Then, in your later years, you can look back with no regrets.

After all, what is value?  We are eternal beings.  Only a miniscule part of our existence will be lived in this life.  As wonderful as money seems right now, it is only an illusion.

Don’t get me wrong, I need money to get by, the same as everyone else.  But money has no eternal value.  It is only good for life on this planet.  I need to be storing up eternal wealth.  That’s where righteousness comes in.  It will last throughout the ages to come.

As I said, it all comes down to perspective.  What is important to you?  Better yet, what is going to be important to you one million years from today?  Remember, there will come a day when things that you highly valued will suddenly become worthless.  And things that you didn’t care about will suddenly become of supreme importance.

Start planning now for your life in eternity.  It will reap the greatest profit you could ever hope to achieve.

 
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Posted by on May 1, 2012 in Daily Thoughts

 

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