1 Samuel 7:3 – “Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really turning to the Lord with all your hearts, remove from among you the foreign gods and the images of Ashtoreth. Give your hearts to the Lord and serve only him. Then he will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I was challenged with the thought of responsibility and perseverance. Accepting responsibility for our actions is not always easy. To keep on moving forward and trusting when the goal appears impossible, or the delay is lengthy, is extremely hard.

Samuel told Israel (1 Samuel 7:3), IF you are really turning to God with your whole heart THEN…  Personal responsibility demands perseverance.  Here’s what you do, not what God does, what you do (with God’s help, of course). It is up to you and me!

• First, remove all foreign gods (we have them). We don’t call them gods and don’t give them status as idols, but we serve them, or they control us. (Attitude, greed, covetousness, anger, bitterness, pleasure, position, etc.). Remove Them!
• Give your hearts to God and serve Him only.   It is a twofold action on our part: Remove something and put on something.

What we must grasp is who Jesus is, the resources available, and our responsibility. Hebrews 1:3-4 reveals that Jesus is the very essence of God. Hebrews 2:17 reveals that He was fully man (made like humans in every respect). He was fully man while fully God.   He is our example. He did it as man for man!

Hebrews 2:10 is fascinating.  God made Jesus (the pioneer-trailblazer of Salvation) perfect through (by or in) sufferings. Jesus’ completeness as a man was developed through trials. He is our example!  Then in Hebrews 2:14-15, through death, Jesus destroyed death and the devil. He set us free from the fear of death. He removed uncertainty!

Hebrews 4:14-16, we discover the amazing and liberating truth that Jesus was tempted in every way as we are! Yet, He did it without succumbing to it – NO SIN! He persevered. He accepted His personal responsibility.

We have Jesus IN us to live THROUGH us, which enables us to live the life He lived.  Additionally, we have something else He had – the ministry of angels and the fullness of the Holy Spirit!

Hebrews 4:12-13 gives an understanding of why the Word of God is so valuable. It is God-breathed, alive, and active. Its light reveals the heart, and it surgically exposes and removes the damaged parts.

Our hope of success is to acknowledge our responsibility for our actions, thoughts, and lives. Our hope is total surrender whereby we receive the help of the angels and the Holy Spirit AND refuse to give up. We persevere. Endure to the end and win!

LORD, inspire us to accept our responsibility and follow You!

Judges 16:4-5 – “After this Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the Sorek Valley. ⁵ The rulers of the Philistines went up to visit her and said to her, “Trick him! Find out what makes him so strong and how we can subdue him and humiliate him. Each one of us will give you 1,100 silver pieces.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, the revelation of the true heart filled my thoughts. Before we address that, remember this: the devil will send people into your life whose singular purpose is to find the weak link to defeat you.  Judges 16:4-5 is an example with Samson and Delilah. She was a hired destroyer.

In Titus 1:15-16, this truth of exposing the true heart is revealed.  To the pure, all is pure. To the corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure.  A corrupted mind and conscience may profess God, but the deeds reveal the heart.  The walk speaks louder than the talk. The acts don’t lie, but the mouth may!

In Titus 2:11-13, we have a powerful revelation of the work of grace in life. It brings salvation (wholeness) to all.  All who will accept and receive it. It trains us to do several things: reject godless ways and worldly desires. It trains us to live self-controlled and godly in this world. It trains us to wait for Jesus!

If our hearts are pure and Grace trains us, the Faith of Grace works in us powerfully. Philemon 6 is powerful. “I pray that the faith you share with us may deepen your understanding of Every Blessing that Belongs to You in Christ.” Grace Faith reveals the Work of the Cross!  That revelation transforms the heart, and through that transformation, we are justified and become heirs of God. What does an heir have? Everything that belongs to the testator of the will.

We need to examine our hearts by evaluating our actions. Our walk is more powerful than our talk. We examine our hearts by honestly examining our actions and intent. It’s not just what we do but why we do it.

LORD, help us to be aware of potential hired assassins sent by hell to shipwreck our call and commission.

Judges 6:1-6 – “The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord turned them over to Midian for seven years. ² The Midianites overwhelmed Israel. Because of Midian, the Israelites made shelters for themselves in the hills, caves, and strongholds. ³ Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east would attack them. ⁴ They invaded the land and devoured its crops all the way to Gaza. They left nothing for the Israelites to eat, and they took away the sheep, oxen, and donkeys. ⁵ When they invaded with their cattle and tents, they were as thick as locusts. Neither they nor their camels could be counted. They came to devour the land. ⁶ Israel was so severely weakened by Midian that the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I was both challenged and encouraged, and I gained insight and enlightenment. A ray of hope broke forth in my heart.

In the account of Gideon in Judges 6, we see something interesting, and even in the negative, there is encouragement. Gideon was “hiding.” He saw himself as small and insignificant. That’s one of the reasons God chose him; he wasn’t full of himself.

The angel came and declared him to me a valiant warrior! That literally made Gideon laugh. He knew the condition of Israel and his own timidity. It sounded like a joke! The angel told him to deliver Israel and said, “You have the strength.” Gideon did not immediately surrender and commit; rather, he doubted and hesitated.

Then Jephthah’s story is one revealing that God can bypass our doubt if we are obedient. Faith is required to please God, but the Kingdom is of utmost importance. Jephthah made a stupid vow out of his doubt that cost him his only daughter. Doubt is costly.

Then, in 2 Timothy, something challenged me that I had not previously considered. In 2 Timothy 1:5-6, we love to quote “No Fear but Power!” Consider the context. Paul focused on the heritage of faith and said in verse 6, Because of your faith heritage, “rekindle” (stir up) the gift you possess through the laying on of my hands. In that context, he gives verse 7 – “For God has not given us a Spirit of Fear…” Don’t be afraid to use your gift! Stir up your gift and take action. Be a good soldier! Soldiers have a singular focus and purpose.

Let our confidence in God, our hope in Christ, and our faith in the Truth motivate us to act. Remember what is ahead as is revealed in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Don’t become like those who “maintain the outward appearance (words, not deeds).”

Don’t let doubt that you are usable steal your dream or call. No Fear, God is near! Stir up and refresh your gift, then reject fear and step out! Look at Gideon. Defeated over 120,000 with 300. Impossible, naturally, but if Christ is in us, we don’t operate only on the natural.

No Fear! LORD, help us to live emptied of self and without fear!

Joshua 18:1-3 – “The entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh and there they set up the tent of meeting. Though they had subdued the land, ² seven Israelite tribes had not been assigned their allotted land. ³ So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long do you intend to put off occupying the land the Lord God of your ancestors has given you?”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, I saw a themed progression in my reading. In Joshua 18:1-3, Israel had subdued the land, but 7 tribes had not yet taken possession of or occupied their allotted land. 

The voice in my heart said, “After you dispossess, you must actively possess.  Just as you labored vigorously to dispossess, you must labor vigorously to possess.”    Winning the battle is only step one in the process and progression of life and spiritual development.   Emptying out is necessary, but filling with the new afterward is vital.  

Sometimes we become so focused on knowing that we fail to become!   Knowing can be equated with dispossessing and becoming with possessing.   We must become who God designed and desires us to be to be usable and effective for the kingdom in these last days.  

In 1 Timothy 4:14-15, Paul instructed Timothy to recognize the confirmed spiritual gifts in him.  He was charged to develop those gifts and take time to absorb himself in the prophetically confirming words spoken over him.  Do warfare with the prophetic words.

Our focus is God, not positions or possessions.  1 Timothy 6:6 is intriguing.   “Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit.”   Then, in verse 9, we have the warning against longing to be rich.  In verse 11, we are instructed to take the path of pursuing spiritual things, not earthly.   We justify our craving for wealth, saying, “Look what I could do for God with it.”  That is still craving riches.   Our craving should be for God; then we use what He brings rather than being owned by the desire for wealth.

Our focus in life must not be on position or possession, but on becoming who God designed us to be so as to fulfill God’s purposes!     My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.    Nothing is more important than God.   Let’s ensure our focus is on God.  Dispossess and Possess.  Empty out to be filled.  Seek first the Kingdom, and He will bring to you that which is to flow through you!

LORD, help us to become who You have designed us to be!