Psalm 107:4-9
Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Many times I read the news of someone who is missing in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Being lost in the wilderness is a frightening experience. When this happens, there is no course of action that is worse than wandering aimlessly. The best thing to do is either to stay put and wait for help, or to walk downhill and down stream.
As we look around at our society, we see many people who are wandering aimlessly with their lives. Without a compass or a direction for their soul, they live and die without ever reaching their destiny. It should be the number one priority to find your purpose in life.
This is why quality time with the Creator is so important in the life of a believer. It gives you the chance to set your heading with the Word of God and through prayer. Only by finding your God-given destiny will you be assured of living a life that means something.
Don’t allow yourself to live a life of wandering. Go before the Lord today and seek His plan for your life. Obtain vision from His hand. Live a life that reaps eternal benefits.
Tags: Bible, calling, compass, destiny, direction, God's plan, God's will, God's word, Holy Spirit, lost, mountain, prayer, presence of the lord, purpose in life, spiritual direction, wandering, wandering aimlessly
Jonah 4:3-5
“Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?”
Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.
If you haven’t noticed – sometimes our attitudes stink. There are times when we are mad at God, just like Jonah. He was upset because God was not going to destroy the city of Nineveh.
I have found the same things to be true in my experience. God doesn’t always carry out my plans the way I want Him to. He seems to never even consider my timetable.
Jonah found out how devastating it is when we desire God to do something that’s not in His will for our lives. Jonah’s response was to run away to a lonely hillside. Once there, he erected a shelter and waited. In spite of his attitude, God met with him there. Although the Lord didn’t say what Jonah wanted to hear, He was able to redirect some of Jonah’s thinking.
Maybe you have an attitude toward God about some things that have (or haven’t) happened in your life. These could be bad news, life altering events or unfulfilled dreams. Whatever they consist of, take them to the Lord.
Use your time in His presence to really wait before Him for an answer. Spend some quality time before the Lord. Let God redirect and refocus your life. Only then can you overcome the problems of the past and make a fresh start.
Tags: attitude, attitudes, bad attitude, distractions, God's faithfulness, God's will, Holy Spirit, intimacy, Jonah, Nineveh, presence of the lord, problems, redirect, refocus, wait on God
Hebrews 12:22-25
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?
In the pages of Scripture, Mount Zion was called the Mountain of God. It was a place where the presence of God was felt very powerfully.
I’m so glad that the presence of the Lord is no longer confined to a specific place. That being said, there have been times in my life when I have encountered the Holy Spirit in a powerful way. Other times He spoke with a “still, small voice.” When we come to Him in an attitude of expectation, He will speak to our hearts.
There is one thing I have learned in these encounters. When I hear His voice I must be quick to say, “Yes, Lord!” Sometimes He speaks a hard word – a word that calls for change – as He did many times in Israel’s history. Change is never easy, but when ordained by God, it’s for the best.
Seek to spend quality time in the presence of the Lord. But more than that; when He speaks to you, be the one who is ready and willing to agree with His plan for your life.
Tags: change, expectation, glory, God's plan, God's will, heart, Holy Spirit, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, Mount Zion, mountain, mountain of God, mountaintop, presence of the lord, still small voice, testimony
Genesis 16:13-14
She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.
We serve a God of many names. It is beyond the capability of human speech to adequately describe Him in one simple name. Each time someone met the God of Heaven and earth, they were inspired by the Holy Spirit to refer to Him by a new name.
He was called Jehovah Rapha, “God my Healer;” El Elyon, “God Most High;” and Addonai, “God Almighty”, just to name a few. Here Hagar has just come face to face with a new revelation of her Creator. She knows Him as “The God Who sees me.”
What an awesome thought. This is the God who created the universe, the One who upholds all things by His mighty power, the King of kings that sits enthroned above the earth. Yet in spite of all His glory, He sees me.
Think of it. God does not only see us, He sees me – personally. He knows my joys, hurts, frustrations, victories, and needs. The Lord knows me more intimately than I know myself.
As you go before Him today, acknowledge Him as the One who sees everything about you. This will allow you to rest in His holy presence, knowing that He cares about everything that concerns you. Bask in the assurance of His love for you.
Tags: destiny, encouragement, fellowship, God sees me, God's faithfulness, God's love, God's will, Holy Spirit, names of God, personal, running away, sees everything, trust
Genesis 16:9-10
Then the angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count.”
I don’t know about you, but I hate getting instructions like that. Unfortunately, this is sometimes the case in life. The only way forward is to go back.
I have learned this the hard way on many occasions. I love to go on road trips with my wife. Most of the time it’s great fun. However, there have been times when I have missed an exit or a road I needed to go down.
That’s when the “man pride” starts to kick in. Do I keep going forward as if nothing’s wrong? Do I humble myself, admit the problem, and turn around? Sometimes it can be a hard decision.
Backtracking is never easy to do. It requires you to acknowledge that you’re not perfect. But, the fact is that not turning around can compound the problem. If I hadn’t gone back to the right exit, who knows where I would have ended up.
In life, don’t be too proud to backtrack. Sometimes you need to find the place where you last knew you were in God’s plan. If you find yourself a little “lost” in life, take the time to go before the Lord and seek His wisdom to get you back on track. Don’t be too afraid or proud to work on the areas He speaks to you about. Do what is needed to bring restoration.
Tags: backtrack, calling, destiny, go back, God's will, God's wisdom, Holy Spirit, humble myself, lost, path, pride, restoration, running away, turn around, victory
Exodus 34:29-30
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.
Having spent time on a mountaintop with God, Moses’ face began to shine with a radiance like that of the sun. It was so bright that it caused the Israelites to fear even being near him. There was no doubt about it. Moses was changed, inside and out.
When you spend quality, intimate, time with the Lord, people will begin to notice a change in you. Your face will probably not begin to glow. But just like Moses began to reflect the glory of God, your life will begin to reflect Christ in a new and more powerful way. As a matter of fact, you may not notice the change as much as your family and friends will.
We all have areas in our lives that need change. Sometimes we try to do it on our own. Usually we fail – we are not strong enough. Lasting change comes from a deep work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The kind of work that requires a freedom from distractions. This means that you must have a “secret place” to get alone with Christ.
Spend some time with the Lord today. Open up your life to Him so that He might work in you. Yield your desires to the Lord that He might shed His transforming power upon your heart. Let lasting change begin today.
Tags: change, Christ, disciple, glory, Holy Spirit, inside and out, intimacy, Jesus Christ, mountain, mountaintop, prayer, presence of the lord, reflect Christ, reflect the glory
Isaiah 2:2-3
In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
When the temple was established in Jerusalem, no gentile could ever enter it, no matter how devout they were. Temple worship was the exclusive right of the nation of Israel.
Things are different now. Because of what Christ has done, all nations may now enter the invisible, holy temple of God. We can now climb the heights to His very presence. What was formerly impossible is now accessible by grace.
It is now possible to sit at the feet of the Lord and allow Him to teach you His ways. Even when the temple was open to Israel, only the priests had that privilege. Now, because of the cross, we can all experience the move of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Make that climb today, to the top, to the mountain of God’s temple. Approach the majestic presence of the Creator of all things. Worship at His feet, for He is worthy to receive it. Wait on Him, for His Spirit to move upon your heart. Lives are forever changed up on that mountain. Let yours be one of them.
Tags: accessible, Bible, calling, changed lives, Christ, Christian, cross, devotion, disciple, encouragement, fellowship, glory, God's temple, higher, holy, Holy Spirit, holy temple, holy worship, intimacy, invisible, Jesus Christ, mountain, power, praise, prayer, presence of the lord, revival, temple, victory
Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
In this passage, the Word of God is compared to a double-edged sword. The Word of God is sharp enough to cut through all your barriers to get to the real you. It knows where you live. It will find you and you cannot hide from it. People try to run from the Word, but it catches up with them.
Once the Word of God is sown into your heart it’s inescapable. As we walk through our everyday lives, we find that the world is alive with testimonies to God’s truth. The Word of God opens your eyes to them all around you. The Holy Spirit can speak sermons to you throughout the day.
Once activated in a person’s life, the Word cannot be stopped. It will achieve that for which God empowered it. Just think of the effect it will have if we yield to its power. If I line my ways up with God’s ways, I will see a greater degree of transformation taking place in a shorter time.
Don’t fight it. Let the Word of the Lord do its work in your life. Don’t go a day without prayerfully reading a portion of Scripture. After you’ve done that, then meditate on it throughout the day. It is life-changing. Apply it to your life, and see the difference it will make.
Tags: Bible, Christian, devotion, encouragement, God's will, God's word, Holy Spirit, meditate, meditation, power, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, Scripture, strength, sword, testimony, transformation, trust, victory, word, word of God
1 Peter 1:15-16
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
To be “holy” means to be “set apart.” It means that we see ourselves as reserved exclusively for God’s use. I am no longer a part of a crowd, headed for destruction. Through Christ, I have been singled out to serve the Lord.
Having a special time and place to meet with the Lord each day, helps to reinforce that mindset. As I make a break with the general population and come away to His presence, a change starts taking place. I am transformed from just a tiny drop in a huge bucket to a unique servant of the Most High God.
It is God’s desire to work in me through my own particular personality, strengths, and weaknesses. He has a calling for my life that no one else can accomplish quite the way I could. There is a destiny and a purpose set-aside just for me. I am special in the eyes of God.
Make that break from the pack today. See yourself as set apart, holy to the Lord. Don’t settle on just being a number or a statistic on somebody’s role somewhere. Start today seeing yourself as God sees you, as a chosen and unique vessel exclusively for the Master’s use. Armed with that knowledge, you can come boldly into the awesome presence of his holiness. Receive from the Lord today all that you need for fulfilling your destiny in Him.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christian, destiny, devotion, disciple, distractions, encouragement, fellowship, God's will, holiness, holy, Holy Spirit, personality, prayer, presence of the lord, purpose, servant, set apart, strengths, transformed, unique, weaknesses
Genesis 42:1-5
When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”
Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.
Many people down through the ages have had to deal with famine. Sometimes it’s a dry weather pattern. It might be poor farming techniques. Whatever its cause in a particular area, its effects can be devastating. We have all seen pictures of famine victims from around the world and maybe have even sent some money to help relieve the suffering.
The Bible speaks, however, of an even greater famine that is experienced by His people. I’m talking about a famine of the Word of God. It seems that these days, it’s not a famine of availability but a famine of receiving.
In the above verses Jacob’s sons were willing to take a wilderness journey of many weeks in order to satisfy their physical hunger. With us – if it’s not handed to us on a platter, we are not willing to strive spiritually.
We need to take the initiative to hear from God’s Word. Are we willing to put forth the effort to receive a feeding that will last throughout time and eternity? Avoid a famine of the soul. Spend quality time in prayer, read the Word, and hear from God that your spirit may be full.
Tags: Bible, Christian, devotion, encouragement, famine, famine of the word of God, God's word, Holy Spirit, prayer, soul, spiritual striving, strength, word, word of God
The Spirit and the Word 