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
Exodus 15:22-25
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”
Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them.
When walking through the desert, water is a great necessity. The effects of dehydration can be severe. In the above verse, Israel found themselves having to trust God for their most basic needs.
Sometimes in life we go through wilderness experiences. In the natural we can plan ahead to have the necessary food and water. But in our life-journey we occasionally run into unexpected droughts. These are the times we must trust God to feed our souls.
Grumbling and complaining about the situation that we find ourselves in is not the way out. The solution is to walk in faith. We know God will not fail us – He will see us through. Why then would we want to wallow in self pity, when in reality, that only makes matters worse?
You must seek the Lord, especially if you are going through a hard time right now. Spend some time in His presence, and obtain spiritual refreshment. Let Him strengthen your inner man. Renew yourself before His throne. In that way you will always have an abundant supply, no matter how bad the situation.
Tags: Bible, Christian, complaining, destiny, devotion, distractions, drought, encouragement, faith, fear, God's faithfulness, grumbling, overcoming, power, prayer, presence of the lord, problems, refresh, renewal, revival, self pity, spiritual, strength, trust, victory, wilderness
II Kings 1:9-10
Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!'”
Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.
There is a peace that comes from being on a mountaintop, or even a hilltop. It seems easier to seek the Lord in these places. The sights and sounds all combine together to make your spirit more open to God. Elijah was in such a place. He realized that the place of prayer was a place of power before God.
Sometimes, in our Christian walk, we experience a spiritual mountaintop. It is a place where God gives us special clarity about what’s ahead. It is an intimate place with the Lord and usually we don’t want it to end too quickly.
In this verse the king ordered Elijah to come down from his mountaintop. He even sent a contingent of soldiers to move Elijah off of his God-given assignment. Unfortunately for the captain and his men, the power of God worked to remove the distraction from the prophet’s path.
In our daily lives, it is the distractions of society that order us out of the presence of the Lord. We need to learn to remain on the mountain (at least in our hearts). If we can continue our focus on the Lord. Then, even when we must leave the place of prayer, His peace still remains.
Take the time today to find that place of peace with the Lord. Spend quality time in His presence, then continue to meditate upon Him throughout the day.
Tags: Bible, Christian, clarity, devotion, distractions, Elijah, encouragement, enemies, fellowship, intimacy, meditate, mountain, mountaintop, peace, power, power of God, prayer, presence of the lord, spiritual mountaintop, strength, trust, victory
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
Mark 1:35-39
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. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Many times Jesus would leave a house to find a solitary place to pray. Most of the time He would leave while it was still dark. I’m sure that He didn’t even tell anyone He was leaving. It must have been much later when the disciples started their search.
When the disciples finally caught up with Him they rebuked Him for “getting lost.” It is amazing to me that in reply Jesus ignores their complaints and simply tells them what He had heard from the Father – the next step in their ministry to Israel.
Do you need to know the next step in your life? If Jesus needed to seek God in that way, I assume that the same has to be true for us. We desperately need a Word from the Father to complete our task.
Find that peaceful place today. Go before the Lord in the stillness that surrounds you and open up your soul to Him. Spend some time just listening for His still, small voice to your heart. Then answer the call in obedience to His will.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christ, Christian, destiny, devotion, disciple, distractions, encouragement, fellowship, God's will, Holy Spirit, intimacy, Jesus Christ, next step, prayer, presence of the lord, revival, seek God, solitary place, solitude, still small voice, word from God
I John 2:6
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
This is one of the toughest assignments we could ever have been given. It could take someone his whole life just to get started. Fear, pride and other things will keep some from accepting the gift of salvation until they are much older. Personally, I’m glad I accepted Christ at a young age.
In this verse, however, John is not talking about our initial conversion to Christ, but rather our ongoing walk with Him. There are many aspects of this walk that I have heard people talk about. Loving one another, sharing the good news, and praying for the sick are just a few.
From what I’ve seen there is a major part of Jesus’ life that most Christians never even hear about, let alone imitate. I am talking about the many times that Jesus went to a solitary place just to be alone with the Father. It was during these times that He received the strength and guidance needed to fulfill His public ministry.
So, in my opinion, if Jesus needed this in His life, if He felt He couldn’t complete His call without it, then who am I to think I can get by without these private times in the Lord’s presence. That is why I put together these devotions. I want as many believers as are able, to experience this incredible meeting of them and God in that secret place.
Spend time in the Father’s presence today. Find there what your soul needs to carry on.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christ, Christian, destiny, devotion, disciple, encouragement, fellowship, God's will, guidance, Holy Spirit, holy worship, intimacy, Jesus Christ, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, revival, solitary place, strength, walk like Jesus
Mark 6:48-50
He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
In yesterday’s post, we saw that after sending the disciples off and dismissing the crowds, Jesus went up on a mountainside to pray and seek the Father. The disciples didn’t know that He could be up there praying and watching over them at the same time.
We sometimes think that God isn’t watching. Or maybe He’s ignoring us. The truth is that the Lord not only knows where you are, but He also knows the quickest route to get to you. There seemed to be no way for Jesus to be in a position to help the disciples. That is, until He started walking across the water.
He took the quickest path to the boat. Remember, the things that keep us down don’t bind the Lord. He knows how to show up in your time of need. The disciples weren’t looking for Him to appear. As a matter of fact, it seems that they were more afraid of the Lord walking on the water than they were of the storm.
If you are going through a storm today, don’t be afraid, Christ is nearby and ready to help you. Be in position to receive His help. Don’t fear His solution more than your problem. Put your life in His hands this day.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, devotion, disciple, distractions, encouragement, faith, fear, God's faithfulness, help, Jesus Christ, overcoming, presence of the lord, problems, storm, strength, trust, victory
Mark 6:45-47
Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.
As I read the Gospels, I find that Jesus loved the mountains. He went there often to seek solitude and to pray. I don’t think that the disciples ever realized the importance of this part of the Lord’s ministry until after the resurrection.
There were many times where the best thing for Him to do was to dismiss the crowds and to send away His disciples in order to be alone with the Father. This was one of those times. He had just ministered to thousands of people. That can be very draining no matter who you are.
When the Lord took on flesh and blood, He chose to live as one of us. Because of this, Jesus was bound by the same physical limitations that we are. He learned that you cannot just keep giving out to others. You must also take something in that can recharge your own spiritual batteries.
It was in these mountains of prayer that Jesus was able to renew His Spirit. He would seek the Father’s face and by the Spirit, hear the plan for the road ahead. In that way He could fulfill the work He was called to do without burning Himself out doing it.
That needs to be a lesson for us. If Jesus needed this time with the Father, how much more should we be seeking the presence of the Lord in our daily lives. Take the time necessary today to renew and refresh yourself in the presence of the Lord. You will be glad you did.
Tags: Bible, burn out, Christian, devotion, disciple, distractions, encouragement, fellowship, God's will, Holy Spirit, intimacy, Jesus Christ, mountain, mountaintop, overcoming, power, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, recharge, renew, solitude, strength, trust, victory, walk on water
Joshua 8:30, 34-35
Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel…
Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law – the blessings and the curses – just as it is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the aliens who lived among them.
Moses left instructions for the Children of Israel to complete after he died. Joshua was to take them to Mt. Ebal. As they came into that area they were to climb the sides of two mountains that faced each other.
The words of the entire law of Moses were then to be read aloud to them. In this way they were to hear the law again and reaffirm their commitment to God and to His law.
It is always important to review what God has called us to. From time to time we must come to a point in our lives where we can remember what was spoken to us. Then, with faith rekindled, we reaffirm our commitment to see it through. Sometimes all that is called for is a quiet, out of the way place to review where we have been and where we are going.
Is there some unfinished business between you and the Lord? Go to Him today. Let Him know, once more, that you are standing firm and will see your calling accomplished. If you have been ignoring it, now would be a good time to pick it back up again. Take some quality time today to talk with God.
Tags: Bible, Christian, destiny, devotion, disciple, encouragement, faith, God's will, Holy Spirit, intimacy, Joshua, Moses, mountain, overcoming, praise, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, reaffirm, remember, testimony, trust, unfinished business, victory
The Spirit and the Word 