Malachi 2:17 – “You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” Because you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the Lord’s opinion, and he delights in them,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”

Each day has its challenges and opportunities.  Each day is an adventure or an adversity. Each day is a gift, and its value is in our response to it. We do not face the day alone.  We have others, and more importantly, we have God. His love guides and provides.

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I was moved by one word in Malachi 2:17. God said, “You have wearied me…”  What?  How is it possible, and what is the danger of wearying God?

The weariness stemmed from a perversion of Grace.  Read the verse and realize that it is present today!   Cheap Grace.   Grace is abundant and freely bestowed, but never to be presumed upon.

God desires and demands our Whole Heart!   Anything less is to be guilty of offering Him second-rate offerings.   If we want God’s best, we must give Him ours.   It is not a good exchange for God, but He takes our gifts and transforms them.   Only as we are fully surrendered can we enter God’s rest through His peace.

In John 20:19, Jesus said, “Peace be with you.”   That suggests or reveals that Peace is a Presence!  It is a supernatural presence, not a gift but a presence!   It is a divine empowerment enabling us to endure any trial or test and secure His promised provision.

In verse 21, Jesus said, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”   We go with that presence working its divine purpose in our lives.   Then He said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”   There is a connection between the presence (peace) and the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

In verse 26, He said, “Peace be with you.”   Peace is not an emotion; it is a presence!   It guides.   It enables one to stand.   It assures.   It encourages. It is the divine power and person of Jesus with and in us.   It transforms.

Having done all to stand, we stand in peace.   When Jesus said, “My peace I give unto you…” He was offering divine enablement!   The pathway to peace is surrender and pressing into the presence of Jesus.   If God has my whole heart, I am In Him, and He is In me.   If that condition exists, Peace is the prevailing presence.  In peace, we can love and live like Jesus because there is no fear, and there is complete assurance and confidence.

Do you want Peace?  Give Jesus everything and seek Him above all else.

Hosea 8:4 – “They have set up kings, but not by Me.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, something stirred in me about the Kingdom we seek.   Hosea 8:4 – “They have set up kings, but not by Me.”   That is the beginning of destruction.   God’s plea is seen in Hosea 10:12 – “Break up the fallow ground of the heart.”   Setting up kings or seeking kingdoms for those kings leads to barrenness and destruction.

In Luke 15, we find the story of the Prodigal Son.   We tend to focus on the Prodigal and miss the bigger picture directed to the church.  The angry, jealous, wounded Elder Brother.  Both had received their portions.  (Luke 15:12). The elder brother was jealous and felt slighted and underappreciated. He complained in a poor-me pity party. He represents much of the church today.

The church often endures what it shouldn’t be enjoying and celebrating. Waiting for the elusive “someday will be” rather than living today!  We are looking for that future time or that time when all will fall into place, our ship will come in, and our dreams will be realized.  We are looking for the coming of the kingdom from a flawed view.

Jesus said, Luke 17:20-21 – “The kingdom of God IS NOT COMING with signs to be observed…Behold, the Kingdom of God is in your midst.” The KJV renders it “within you.”  Thus, we see that the kingdom with its king is Christ IN us, Christ Through us, and Christ BY us.

If He has our hearts, we have the Kingdom and begin to live the kingdom life Jesus came to give.    Luke 12:32 – “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”

If we set up any king, focusing on some unfulfilled event as our launching event, we are seeking a kingdom not by or from God.   If nothing is impossible with God, then what we thought was required to launch us is not required.  GOD is required.   Total surrender is required.   Total confidence is required.  He is not interested in our acts; He is interested in our hearts.

When God is in charge within us, the Kingdom is manifested through us.   Don’t wait for fantasy run to reality – Christ in us! God has no lack, but we often lack because we are seeking a king and kingdom, not by Him.

It is not that we give up things for Him.  It is that we give Him all things, and in return, we get Him who is and has all things. The kingdom is within us! Today is the day to be in the kingdom and see the fruit of the kingdom. The world needs Jesus, and He is IN us! Such as I have, I give!

LORD, help us to have no kings but You!

Luke 12:7 –  “In fact, even the hairs on your head are all numbered.   Do not be afraid; you are more valuable than many sparrows.”

As I prayed, read, and pondered the Word of God today, I was awed by God’s attention to the smallest detail.  There are no secrets with God. We may fool others and hide behind masks, but God sees, hears, and knows. That is either comforting or tormenting.

I thought about the words of Luke 12:7 and laughed, then cried, and rejoiced. “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”   I envisioned a scene in heaven’s computer room where the data keeper said, “Alert, hair number 121 just fell out.”  

Am I being silly?   Yes, but the minute details of our lives and bodies are recorded by God.   That is how much He cares for us.   That is revelatory of the Omniscience of God.   That is so inspiring and challenging that I can barely breathe.   This All-Knowing One is My God! He is my guardian! He is my Shepherd!

We fret over stuff without realizing who we serve.  If we knew Him for who He really is, we would live without fear, doubt, or any thought of lack. 

Luke 14:33 crushed my heart. “So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.”  Don’t take that as a call to poverty, but as a surrender of ownership!  Everything we possess must come under His Lordship, including ourselves.  What is the worth of our souls? What is the worth of our relationship with Him?

Luke 13:23-24 contains a deeply disturbing question and answer.  Are there just a few being saved? The narrow door, few find.  I surrender all! Lord, take all I have, and all I am or can be, and own it.   I want no will of my own but to do your will.  I understand (in part) how demanding and consuming that can be. I trust You. Therefore, I surrender to You.

LORD, thank You that You care so much, You even number the hairs on my head!

Luke 9:1-2 – “After Jesus called the twelve together, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, ² and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, the power of commitment gripped my consciousness.  Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were men of Total Commitment.  They weathered all attacks, facing death through the strength of commitment.

Commitment cannot be maintained without trust, and trust is learned. Learned via demonstrated reliability. The need supplied, the trial weathered, and the storm calmed all demonstrate reliability. Trust enables us to remain faithful.

Luke 9:1-2 speaks of bequeathed authority backed up by power.  Jesus gave the disciples authority.  That authority was worthless and powerless until they received it and acted upon it.  Authority given must be received and believed to function. Many hear the words of authorization but never act on them, rendering their authority impotent.   What we truly believe we do!

If we believe Jesus, we act upon His words.  If we are not acting on His words, do we truly believe?  If He is who the Bible declares, why are we not manifesting Him?   He is, but are we?   It is time to become who He says we are.   Our commitment to Him will open the door to His Commitment to us.

LORD, help us to make the required commitment and learn to trust You completely!

Mark 16:15-20 – “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. ¹⁶ He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. ¹⁷ These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; ¹⁸ they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

¹⁹ So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I had a keen sense of urgency!  I truly believe we are in the midnight hour of the Last Days. When we think of “Soon,” we realize that with God, “soon” can seem like an eternity to man, but the “soon” I sense is likely “soon” with God and man.

We have a mission and a commission as revealed in Mark 16:15-20.   All of us are witnesses, and some are called to be watchmen.   Some watchmen are local, regional, national, and worldwide. The assignment and appointment are not self-determined; it is a call of God.  The watchmen are accountable for speaking and for silence. But all are witnesses All.  

In Ezekiel 34, God’s anger toward false shepherds is exemplified.   Why the anger toward self-serving shepherds?  It is because they are assigned the responsibility of discipling, equipping, and nurturing the sheep.  It is because they are to lead the sheep to the places of nourishment and protection.  Sheep have to have shepherds to survive and thrive.   What shepherds tend to forget is that they, too, are sheep.

The commission is to take the gospel (good news) to Everyone!  The signs that follow are not simply signs that follow preaching.    It is, “and these signs will accompany those who believe…”    WHO?  Believers!   Let me ask a harsh and challenging question: “What if there are no signs following us?”

The signs listed are casting out demons, speaking with new tongues (how do we talk and think), unharmed by serpents (natural or spiritual), and poison (natural or spiritual) will harm them.

Are Signs Following Our Lives?   If not, why not?   Do we believe?   Is our belief theoretical or experiential and literally filled with expectation?   Don’t tell me we don’t need signs and miracles anymore.   When did Jesus change? (Hebrews 13:8)

If we are in the Last Days, then more than ever, we need Signs to Follow us so that we can manifest Jesus and win the lost!   This life is not about us! Our purpose is not us! We have an assignment – The Good News!

LORD, help us to feel the urgency of the hour!