Psalm 72:3
The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness.
I have always thought this was an interesting verse. It tells us that the mountains will bring God’s people prosperity, the fruit of righteousness.
How can a mountain “bring” anything? It can’t unless we do something first. If it is to be an abundant harvest of crops, then the mountainside or hillside must be cultivated, planted, and harvested. If it is to be a spiritual harvest, then we must climb the mountain by prayer and intimacy with the Lord. Either way it will require an effort on our part.
The mountain cannot do it alone. We are expected to initiate the blessing. People talk about “mountaintop experiences”, but I don’t think they fully understand them. They think it’s just a happy time in their life. That’s not quite it. A spiritual mountaintop is a place of clarity in your walk with God. It is a time when you see that way ahead and have a renewed vision for your destiny. This is the basis of true prosperity.
Seek out these mountaintop times with the Lord. Find a quiet time and place to prepare your soul to hear from the Lord. You can be changed in His life-giving presence. You can receive a new abundance in your life that you have never known before.
Spend time with the Lord today. Have a “mountaintop” experience. Come down from that place refreshed and renewed in your inner man.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christian, clarity, devotion, distractions, encouragement, glory, God's will, harvest, higher, Holy Spirit, intimacy, intimacy with God, mountain, mountaintop, power, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, prosperity, revival, spiritual mountain, victory, vision
Psalm 65:9-12
You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.
Most people don’t like dark, rainy days. Too many of them in a row tends to bring on depression. In the same way we don’t like trouble and testing. We even call days of trial “dark days.”
No one is exempt from testing, however. We must all face our own particular trials. But remember, as we face resistance, we gain strength.
If I want to have a beautiful lawn or garden, then it must be watered. Rain is a part of the cycle of life. We may not like it, but we need it to survive. There are many drought ravaged parts of the world that would do anything for a rainy weather pattern.
It is the same with our inner life. The only way to strengthen our faith is through difficulties. There is no other course. Testing is the spiritual rain that waters the seed we have planted in our hearts.
The end result of all this is abundance – abundant faith, abundant strength, and abundant victory. Nobody likes problems, but if we face them without complaining and with the realization that they will strengthen us, it will help keep our focus on the Lord and our joy intact.
Tags: abundance, abundant life, Bible, calling, Christian, devotion, encouragement, faith, God's will, Holy Spirit, joy, problems, rain, rainy days, resistance, spirituality, strength, test, testing, trouble, victory
Mark 16:12-13
Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.
After His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples at various times and in different ways. In this verse He shows up as a man walking in the country. He wanted to meet with these disciples in a quiet, unhurried setting.
Please realize that as you go through your daily routine, Christ can appear at any time. By His Spirit He speaks, guides, clarifies and corrects. You need to be expecting to hear from Him.
When the disciples returned from their trip, no one believed that they had seen Christ. Even today it is hard for some to think that you can meet with with Christ during the hustle and bustle of everyday life. They think you have to be in a church or in your “prayer closet” for the Holy Spirit to speak to you. The simple fact is, the Lord will show up anyplace there is a listening heart.
Listen for His voice today. We know that He will be found by those who earnestly seek Him. Do what it takes to quiet yourself before Him. That is how you prepare yourself to hear from the Lord.
Spend time in His presence as you walk out your day. Let Him guide you by His hand. Keep your spiritual ears open to His Word for you.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christ, Christian, church, daily routine, devotion, encouragement, fellowship, God's will, Holy Spirit, holy worship, intimacy, Jesus Christ, listening heart, prayer closet, prepare, presence of the lord, resurrection
Proverbs 12:1
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.
Discipline is one of those words that we don’t want to hear about too often. It brings up all kinds bad memories. But, like it or not, we all need discipline. In this verse, Solomon tells us that discipline and knowledge go hand in hand. Unfortunately it is something that this society seems to know very little about.
There is an attitude that says that I deserve to have what I want right now – no matter what. In many cases people will have their own way no matter what it does to their future. So often we are more than willing to place our future earnings, our relationships, and our health all on the altar of instant, momentary pleasure. Only discipline can keep our destiny safe.
The fact is that knowledge, without discipline, is almost worthless. Discipline is the ability to restrain my actions now and do what I need to do, so that I can have a greater enjoyment in the future. This goes against the “feel good now” attitude of our generation. Too often we are willing to sell our future for gratification in the present. That’s what Solomon is speaking to here.
Correction is when you are willing to listen to critical advice from someone who has been there. The word translated stupid in this version, simply means that they are destroying themselves. If you are not willing to take correction, and show the discipline it takes to change your direction, then you will slowly lose your future benefits.
How many times do we look back and say, “I wish I’d have done that differently.” The time is now to heed the voice of godly correction and allow discipline to shape your future. Don’t lose out on the destiny that God wants you to have. Don’t trade your future blessings for the instant gratification. Let discipline, knowledge, and correction bring you to a life worth living in Christ.
Tags: Bible, Christian, correction, cross, destiny, devotion, discipline, encouragement, future, God's will, Holy Spirit, instant gratification, knowledge, momentary pleasure, now, prepare, protection, self discipline
Philippians 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
It is not always easy to press on. Sometimes it is an effort just to put one foot in front of the other. Hikers and joggers have learned to just keep moving forward. There have been times when I was hiking that, because of injury or pain, I have felt like giving up. It is in times like those that I had to keep telling myself, “As long as you keep taking each step, you will come to the end of the trail.”
It is the same thing in life. It is usually not the big things that knock us down, but the continual monotony of our daily lives, day after day, week after week. It is the constant grind that saps our strength and weakens our spirit.
In order to overcome, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. We know that if we keep to His course for our lives, we will come out with His result. We will lay hold of the prize for which He has called us.
Don’t give up. Go to the Lord today and ask for His strength for the road ahead. Don’t live a day without allowing His renewing Spirit to work in your life.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christ, Christian, daily grind, devotion, disciple, effort, encouragement, faith, giving up, glory, God's faithfulness, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, monotony, move forward, overcoming, path, prayer, press on, problems, renew, renewal, strength, trust, victory
Ephesians 3:16
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.
Now that we are in the Spring season, my mind starts to think about hiking. I love to get out and walk the Appalachian Trail. In order to be ready, I have been either walking or riding my bike each morning. I want to strengthen those lazy winter muscles.
Strength is a necessary part of the outdoors experience. When my wife and I started to add children to our family we stopped hiking because of the limited time we had. Since I have started back up again I have lost 30 pounds. (Pounds that I had “found” up till that time!)
I can tell you by experience that out of shape people cannot enjoy hiking as fully as those used to the rigors of trail life. I remember well the pain in my legs and back when I first started. I had to stop every few feet while going uphill, just to breathe. Thank God, I am starting to get in shape again!
More important than physical condition, however, is the shape of your inner being. The spiritual trail you are on is far tougher than any wilderness trail. God wants to strengthen you for that journey.
It is going to take quality time spent in the presence of the Lord. That is why your time in the presence of the Lord is so beneficial. It builds you up internally. To do this you must free yourself from distractions so that you can concentrate on Christ.
Let Him strengthen you today. Spend time before Him just drinking in His Spirit. Take the time necessary so that your inner man is ready for the road ahead, no matter how rough the path.
Tags: Appalachian Trail, Bible, Christian, devotion, distractions, encouragement, Holy Spirit, inner growth, inner man, inner strength, intimacy, out of shape, path, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, problems, spring, strength
James 1:18
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
This verse is referencing our Heavenly Father. In the book of James He is called the Father of Heavenly Lights. It is His light shining on us that brings us life. In His love and wisdom He sent Christ into the world to bring us life.
This verse is clear. We have been given a new birth. A birth that was not of flesh and blood like our original entrance into this world. This birth was through the Word of Truth. I believe that James is referring to something more than the Bible, as wonderful as that Word is. It is a Word that speaks to our inner being.
One of the names of Christ is the Word made flesh. He was not a matter of ink and paper coming alive. He is the living and enduring Word of the Most High God. Christ said of Himself, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” He is the direct expression of the Word of Truth.
It is through this Word, Christ Himself, that we have been given new birth – if we have accepted the free gift of His salvation. He did this so that He could begin the renovation of the human race in us. That is what the last part of this verse is all about. The firstfruits of all He created.
This is the beginnings of the kingdom of God manifest on earth. Right now it is difficult to see. It is taking root in the hearts of men and women throughout the world. But they are changing, becoming what God intended them to be. His Kingdom is starting in us.
The more time I spend in the presence of that Word, the more I become like Him. Don’t ever take the presence of the Lord for granted. It is a privilege to have access to the throne room of God. It was paid for by the precious blood of Christ. Let the living Word do the work in you that only He can do. Spend quality time with Him today.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, devotion, disciple, encouragement, firstfruits, God the Father, God's word, Holy Spirit, holy worship, intimacy, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, living word, new birth, overcoming, presence of the lord, revival, testimony, word, word of truth
Exodus 13:20-22
After leaving Succoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
God was everything that Israel needed in the desert. By day He was a pillar of cloud to shield them from the desert sun. By night He was a pillar of blazing fire to warm them in the cold night air. But even more than that – night or day – they could see God clearly and follow the path He was marking out for them.
God will go before us in our lives as well, if we let Him. Our job is to look for the signs of His guidance. He wants to make the path clear before us. Even when we go through dark times – when it seems that we can’t go on, He will make a way for us to come through victoriously.
As drivers, many of us put our complete trust in the GPS receiver on our dashboards. We will turn any direction it tells us to go. If only we would follow God’s Word the same way, we would have a life that was truly worth living.
Turn your path over to God today. Let Him be your daily guide. Enter into the freedom that comes from knowing that the road ahead has already been mapped out. Commit yourself to following after the only true Guide of our souls.
Tags: Bible, Christian, devotion, direction, disciple, encouragement, freedom, God's faithfulness, God's leading, God's will, GPS, guidance, guide, Holy Spirit, path, prayer, presence of the lord, victory
Isaiah 64:8
Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
There was a preacher in the early 1900’s by the name of Adelaide Pollard. She had a traveling ministry that was quite successful. But, she desired to do more. She wanted to take a missionary trip to Africa – that was her heart’s desire.
In order to fulfill this dream, she tried to raise the support needed to send her there. In spite of all of her efforts, the money was just not coming in. The more she thought about it, the more discouraged she became. It was almost to the point of depression.
One night she decided to attend a local prayer meeting. As she was there, Adelaide began to listen to the prayers going up to the throne of God. One in particular caught her attention. It was a simple request spoken by an elderly believer.
“It really doesn’t matter what you do with us, Lord, just have your way in our lives.”
When the would-be missionary heard those words, they arrested her. She couldn’t shake the grip of the Holy Spirit speaking to her heart through them.
Later on, when she was home, Adelaide read the words of Jeremiah chapter 18, speaking of his trip to the potter’s house. Suddenly it all came into focus for her. It wasn’t about the money or the trip to Africa, but about God’s will for her life. That night, before she went to sleep, she had the entire hymn written.
This is a lesson that we all need to learn, as believers. It is not our agenda that is important. Our goal should be to let God have His way in our lives. After all, we are His people, He has redeemed us. And, it is His plan that will ultimately bring about the victory in our lives.
Go before God with this attitude today. It is not about my will, but Yours, Lord.
“Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way. Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me, after thy will. While I am waiting, yielded and still.”
Tags: Adelaide Pollard, Bible, calling, Christian, cross, devotion, disciple, encouragement, faith, God's faithfulness, God's will, have thine own way Lord, Holy Spirit, holy worship, hymn, missionary, overcoming, prayer, prayer meeting, presence of the lord, trust, victory
1 Corinthians 4:20
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
Paul’s words to us are very clear. When it comes to power in the kingdom of God, we better do more than just talk. The problem is that most of what is called power in the kingdom today is just that – talk. The first step toward walking in the power of God is to understand what true power is all about.
Let’s start by looking at things from a natural perspective. When we talk about “power” it is usually in the context of electrical power. We use phrases like power lines, power plant, and power outages. We think of electricity as being a form of power. This can help us to understand spiritual power.
Very simply put, the definition of power is the same whether you’re talking about electricity coming into your house, or the power of God to heal the sick. The International Edition of the Webster Comprehensive Dictionary defines it in the following way:
“Power is the ability to act. It is the property of a thing that is manifested in effort or action, by virtue of which that thing produces change.”
Let me boil it down for you. True power is the ability to produce change. That’s the key word. It takes power to transform water at room temperature into hot water for a cup of tea. It takes power to get a one-ton car to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour. It takes power to transform a body from sickness to health. It takes power to change a liar into a saint. It take power to replace guilt with innocence.
If we understand this correctly, then the verse above should bring new understanding. It’s our assignment in the Kingdom of God to produce change. It’s not about how well you can speak about it. Change is the priority. Is the church producing change?
You have to remember that this passage was written when Christians were the people who were “turning the world upside down”. In light of this, how powerful is the kingdom of God today? In order to answer that we must ask, how much change is being produced in the church today? The unfortunate answer is – not much. In most churches around the country not many are being healed, set free from sins, or seeing great growth in their spiritual lives. It seems that we have become masters of talking as if there’s power in our lives.
We say things like, “That was a powerful message.” Or, “We had a powerful service last night.” I have also heard, “She has a powerful anointing to sing.” Speaking of singing, one of the biggest areas in which we fall short is in our songs. We come to church on Sunday mornings and sing a host of songs about the power of God. Then we sit back and think that because we just sang about it, somehow that means we are walking in it. What I have found in actuality is that most of our “power” is usually just words.
If no one leaves the service changed, then there was no power manifested in the service. There are plenty of unsaved actors and singers that can evoke an incredible emotional response from their audience, but that’s not power. People weeping during the service is no indication of any power. We have learned to cover over our powerlessness by calling emotionalism power. The bottom line is – no matter how many people wept, no matter how many chills ran down your spine, no matter how many people were slain in the spirit – if no one was changed, then there was no power.
Do you want to walk in the true power of God? Then you need to stop talking about it, and admit your lack – if that is the case. We need a true, Biblical knowledge of what it is and how to use it. We need to seek God for a touch from His hand. That’s where true change – true power – originates from.
Tags: ability, Bible, Christian, church, devotion, electricity, emotions, encouragement, faith, glory, God's faithfulness, God's power, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, overcoming, power, powerful, producing change, strength, talk, victory
The Spirit and the Word 