Psalm 34:7 – “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.”
The thought or image of angels surrounding God’s people is a theme that is repeated numerous times in Scripture. Some find it difficult to believe, but I find it comforting and encouraging as I go through life. It does not give me a false sense of worth or a license to walk with a prideful attitude or venture into arenas that the Spirit of God has not directed.
On the other hand, it encourages me when the Spirit of God directs my heart to attempt something or enter the spiritual battles of life. I go knowing that the angels of the Lord are encamped about me, that God is watching over my life, and that God will send forth the heavenly hosts to defend, protect, and deliver me at whatever time.
I feel like the three Hebrew children facing the fiery furnace when they declared, “God is able to deliver us, and if not, then we will just go home early.” That is how I view the spiritual battles of life, knowing that I fear God [with reverential awe]and that His angels are encamped around me to rescue me.
If you know that the All-Powerful God is available and waiting to come to your rescue, you develop a much bolder sense of confidence than if you are unsure. That is why I am so determined every day to face the day with the assurance that I am heading down the path God has chosen for that day.
It is in my confidence that He has “ordered my steps” that I discover a boldness to proceed. I am not saying throw all caution to the wind but exhibit the type of confidence that David had when he faced Goliath. He told the emissary of hell, “You come against me with a sword and a shield, but I come against you in the Name of the Lord.” Give me the name of the Lord anytime over man’s weapons, and I will feel quite confident that I will be the victor.
Therefore, as you go through this day, do not go in your power or might but in the Name of the Lord. You will discover that you are going not only in confidence but also in faith. I believe that God orders our paths, and as we follow His directions, we will achieve victory after victory. Never allow man to intimidate you. Never allow the powers of darkness to intimidate you. Remember that God is greater than all our problems and fears.
Psalm 51:10-13 – “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You.”
If anyone wonders why God would call David a man after His own heart, reading a Psalm such as this should explain it. David had a penetrating desire for God, and his continual expression and demonstration of a willingness and disposition to “Seek God” demonstrates why God would say this of David. He was passionate about God, and we find a guide for daily living as we consider what he said.
Create in me a CLEAN HEART.
That is an expression of “total surrender” to God; otherwise, the Holy Spirit cannot control the heart. As it is “cleansed,” we are translated from darkness into light, and in the condition and position of “light,” we are separated from wickedness and uncleanness. David was desiring to LIVE in God’s presence.
Renew a STEADFAST SPIRIT in me.
David wanted his heart clean and his attitude and spirit right and steadfast. He did not want to be easily swayed by the winds of adversity but wanted to be “rock solid” in God and through God. That meant allowing God to have control of his life.
Do not CAST ME AWAY from Your Presence.
Again, this expressed David’s desire to be “in the presence” of God all the time, where sin would be exposed and dealt with. Uncleanness would be brought to light and washed away. David continued to express his desire for God to “live in” and “through” him daily.
And do not TAKE YOUR HOLY SPIRIT from me.
David was expressing his recognition of the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit, a work and ministry we must have to live this Christian life successfully. Without the ministry of the Spirit of God, we would and will not be able to walk the walk.
Restore to me THE JOY OF YOUR SALVATION.
Salvation is “Joy,” David recognized that without the Joy of the Lord, which is our strength, he would succumb to the temptations of life, “cast away” his confidence, and stumble.He longed for the “Good News” of God.
Sustain me with A WILLING SPIRIT.
Oh, that we would have “willing spirits” and quickly respond to the Holy Spirit’s nudging whenever the Lord prompts or calls.
David then said, Lord, I will “teach” transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to you. As a result of God coming in and setting up residence in our lives, we “Spread the Good News.” It is not that maybe we will. It is a natural by-product of Salvation.
If something is overflowing within you, you will let others know. It will not be a labor or a chore. It will be as natural as breathing to “answer for the reason of hope that is within.” If sharing what is in you is a chore, you might want to double-check what is within you.
I am not talking about being someone who walks the streets or knocks on doors passing out tracts. There is nothing wrong with that. I am talking about a natural and normal part of life: you share your faith as the opportunity and situation present itself. You are “not ashamed of the Gospel” and rejoice in what God has done in you. It is natural in the life of a person who is “born-again.”
Luke 12:32-34 – “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” NKJV
If you read these three verses casually, you will undoubtedly be perplexed. The Lord Jesus addresses several issues, and each is important.
He addresses our State of Mind.
“Do not fear, little flock…” That is both a command and an encouragement. It is a specific directive of something that we are to do and a beautiful encouragement because he adds to it ‘little flock,’ indicating not necessarily the size of the flock but his view toward us as a shepherd to his lambs. He diligently watches over the ‘little flock’ and gives nurture and protection to the lambs. God does that for us, and thus He says, “Do not fear….”
He addresses the Father’s Heart.
“For it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.” Two things stand out in this passage. The desire of the Father for us and the extent of His desire! It is his Good Pleasure or His willingness to care for us. His Kingdom is His reign and rule, and He wants to give us ‘rulership’ and ‘dominion’ in the earth. That is something that the devil stole from us, and Adam abdicated that position in the fall, and now Jesus says – “The Father wants to restore you to that position and condition.”
He addresses our Lives.
“Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.” He specifically and purposefully tells us that ‘mammon’ is not to be and cannot be our source or focus.
Instead, by receiving the Kingdom from the Father in faith, not fear, we move from the natural to the spiritual, from the temporal to the eternal. We enter a dimension that mortal flesh outside of Christ cannot know. In so doing, we are storing up treasures in heaven, and no thief can steal, no moth can eat holes in, and no devil can disrupt. It is secure and powerful.
Then He brings it home.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” I have told people for years that if I can discover what is important to you and valuable to you, I can know the condition of your heart. Whatever is most important is where your heart is and identifies the condition of your soul.
It never fails. I have seen people driven to ‘make money ’ and‘amass fortunes,’ and their hearts were easily distracted from the things of the Kingdom of God. I have seen others who wanted to provide for their families, but the most important thing to them was God and His Kingdom, and they were locked in on pursuing the Kingdom.
I can say about the latter, as David did in Psalm 37:25-26 – “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread. 6 He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed.” NKJV
God never fails to take care of His children. We are the sheep of His pasture, and no shepherd neglects His sheep. So, as you go through this day and this week, know that you have nothing to fear and that the Father desires that you receive the Kingdom and reign in Christ!
1 Timothy 5:17-19 – “The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING,” and ” The laborer is worthy of his wages.”
If you consider the context of this passage, you will realize that it is not talking about “words of praise” for the pastor or elder of the congregation. It is talking about Pay! That is right, I said it: Pay!I am not pastoring a congregation, so I can say this without any concern that anyone would think I am trying to gain something for myself; I am not.
However, I would have no fear of saying it if I were a lead pastor in a church because it is truth, and I do not fear truth. That being said, I would refuse to allow money to be the deciding factor in anything I did spiritually, and I have proven that in the past, as others can testify.
Paul taught Timothy to instruct churches, ministers, or leaders in the proper execution of their duties and responsibilities. He was setting in order churches throughout the region, and this instruction was valuable.
Paul told his son in the faith that an elder who “rules well,” those committed to and working hard at rightly dividing the word of truth ‘teaching and preaching.’ The phrase “rules well” does not mean to lord it over people but to care for the flock with the heart of a true shepherd.
The ministry is not designed to be a hierarchy but a serving position. The particular passage that Paul quotes is from Deuteronomy 25:4, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.” That is an emphatic emphasis that by God’s direction, the ox that is laboring should also be able to eat the fruit or grain upon which he is laboring.
He also referenced the Lord Jesus’ statement in Luke 10:7, “Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages.” There is no question that Paul was teaching that the pastor who performs his duties well is worthy of Double Pay!
Before you lose your religion, I am not telling you that this is something that the man of God should demand. Rather it is something the congregation should desire for him. Most men of God would refuse to take that amount, but if they choose to accept it, there would be nothing wrong with it.
I have a problem when a man of the cloth makes Mammon (money) his objective rather than the Gospel. I have always believed that God would take care of my needs. I believe that I can take my petition to Him. I believe He will move on whatever hearts need to be moved upon to provide for me and my family, supernaturally raining it down out of heaven if necessary.
I remember one occasion when I had a $500 need. I had a debt due in a few days; it was $500, and I had $55.00 in the bank. I was praying about the need and heard the whisper in my spirit saying, “Pay tithes on your need.” I thought that I must be hallucinating because surely God would not be telling me to do something so outlandish. However, the more I prayed, the more convinced I was that the Holy Spirit was directing my heart.
On Wednesday evening, I wrote a check for $50.00 and put it in the offering, rejoicing! I knew that there would be no more money until Sunday, when I got paid again. We never knew what that would be, but it had never been $500.00 and would not likely be that on that Sunday.
I had to go into town the following day and had an individual walk up to me on the street, hand me something, and say, “God spoke to my heart to give you this,” then they turned and walked away. I resisted looking at it immediately and waited until I had settled in my car. Then I opened the check, and it was for $550.00. God had supplied my needs and given me back my $50.00 additionally.
Church leaders have chastised me for not letting them know my actual needs. They would, at times, with tears in their eyes, tell me that they wanted to take care of my family and needs. I have had churches that took care of us royally, and I have been in situations when I was told that I would toe the line (which I could never do) or they would do to me what they had done to others and “starve me out.”
My response then and now was, “God is my source, and He will take care of me.” I never let money determine what I preached or how I treated people. That being said, I believe churches that honor their pastors receive special blessings from God, and those that do not find leanness in their souls.
If you are an “ox muzzler’ stop and open your heart as God directs you to open your pocketbook. Greedy preachers and stingy congregations are not God’s desire! He wants preachers with servant’s hearts and churches with a spirit of generosity IN ALL THINGS! God loves a cheerful giver, and it is impossible to outgive God!
Psalm 23:4 – “…I fear no evil, for You are with me…”
Some people live their lives in a prison of fear and worry.
They fear the unknown as well as the known.
They fear what might happen as well as what does happen.
They expect the worst in everyone and everything and live a miserable life.
I have known some people that I genuinely believe that if they did not have something to worry about, they would worry about not worrying.
David makes a powerful statement in Psalm 23 and declares that he has no fear because God is with him. The presence of God banishes fear because God is love, and there is no fear in love.
1 John 4:18 – “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment.” NKJV
Psalm 27:1 – “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall, I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?”
David lived without fear because he lived in the presence of God and trusted God.
As one reads the 91st Psalm, one quickly realizes how dependent upon and confident David was in God. I am convinced as Hebrews 2:15 declares that many all their lives live in fear of death and are thereby held in bondage, never knowing the true freedom to live the Abundant Life that God has offered all who believe.
It is impossible to live in fear and faith at the same time. Fear prevents rational thought and causes one to live in such a manner as to miss many or most of the wonderful opportunities of life that God has laid before us. If the devil can cause us to live in fear, he has nothing further to do to hinder our progress because we live in paralysis spiritually as well as emotionally.
Some are unable to grow and develop as God desires because they live paralyzed by fear. Jesus told us in Matthew 10:28 not to fear those who can kill the body but cannot harm the soul. Sadly, we fear man and the devil rather than placing our trust, complete trust, in God.
If we allow the 23rd and 91st Psalms to become cornerstones of our lives and place our complete trust and confidence in God, we will escape the torment of fear and its paralysis. We will see life through a new grid, and our world will become brighter and filled with hope and cause for rejoicing.
We will enter a new dimension of living, allowing us to fulfill our destiny and become all God has intended for us to be. Life will become fun and productive. It will become an adventure of never-ending excitement and joy. Our lives will become beacons that draw others like moths to a flame because hope rises, and love is displayed when fear is banished.
May God enable you to live free of fear all the days of your life. Blessings as you go through this day!
Matt 28:16-20 – “But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 ” Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
It has often perplexed me as I read this particular passage. The eleven had walked with Jesus for over three years, seen the miracles, heard the teaching, and knew His promise and the prophecies of His Resurrection, yet “some were still doubtful.” Mark makes it a little stronger and says that Jesus rebuked them because they did not believe those who reported the resurrection.
That has caused me to wonder what people would do today if Jesus stood in the flesh or in person before them and declared His promises to them. Would they accept it as a true revelation of God and confirmation of His Word, or would they doubt it? I wish I could say that all would believe and receive the confirmation of the Word, but I have learned human nature well enough to know that would not be the case.
Let us move beyond that and to what He said in this passage. I want to approach this in the simplest terms possible.
Jesus declared, “All Authority had been given to Him in heaven and on earth.” In two realms, He Was All Authoritative.
In that Authority and Power, He Commissioned Those disciples and us to“Go therefore and make disciples of All Nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…”
He further promised that He Would Be Present in the process and be with them and us to the end of the age.
We have the Authority of Heaven to spread this message of Hope! We have the Power of God’s Authority backing us and the promise that He will be present to give oversight and assistance in the process. My question is: “What is keeping us from doing that?”
Years ago, I heard the story of an airman during World War II who was talking to the chaplain before a mission, and the chaplain briefly mentioned God and offered to give a generic prayer. The airman stopped him and said, “Chaplain, I don’t want you to pray because you don’t believe.” The chaplain was stunned, and the airman continued saying, “If I believed there was a God and hell, though England was covered with glass, I would crawl on my hands and knees to tell everyone to flee that place. You, sir, do not believe because you are not warning anyone.”
Sometimes, we must reexamine our actions and ask, “Do we believe?” Then ask, “How do people know we believe?” If we are the only Bible, some will ever read, “What is the Gospel according to our lives?’
John 14:15 – – “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” NASB
Jesus gave us a straightforward method of knowing whether we love God, as depicted in the verse above. Do we keep His commandments? If the answer is yes, then we may love Him. If the answer is no, we can safely say we do not. There is much more in scripture regarding knowing that we love God and evidence that we do.
We find in 1 John 3:16-24 – “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 19 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him 20 in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. 24 The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”
In 2 John 6 – “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” NIV
If we do not walk in and exhibit love, then how can we say that we love God? Jesus went even further and declared in 1 John 4:20 – “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
We all know that some people are easier to love than others, but the commandment is not to love selectively but to love! God loves us unconditionally, and we are to love as God loves. That is not meant to be easy but is possible through the work of Christ in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
I have told people for a long time that love is not only an emotion. It is a choice!We are too often enamored with William Shakespeare’s popularization of “Romantic Love” and gotten away from the biblical depiction of “Love by Choice.” God chose to love us; He did not “fall in love with us.” We “grow” into love. It is not a mud puddle that we fall into. As we get to know someone, we become more and more attracted to them, and we “grow into love.”
Love should be stronger after 50 years of marriage than in the honeymoon stage. The more I know God, the more I love God, and the more I love God, the more I want to know God and please God, and it is the same with us among men. It is time that we as believers strive to exhibit the true evidence that we Love God by Loving!
Matthew 15:8-11 – “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'” 10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.'” NIV
I rarely use the NIV, but today, I found that how this is worded is precisely what I believe God would have us hear. Jesus speaks to the Pharisees and others in Israel regarding “tradition” and “man-made rules and regulations.” In my years of studying the Scripture, I have found that Jesus never minced words and had an uncanny way of getting to the point and doing so pointedly but always demonstrating a desire for redemption and restoration.
Here, Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah and identified a problem that is not new to today’s church but certainly exists. Sadly, when polled, many people claim to be Christians and believe in God but do not practice what they say they believe.
Likewise, many churches, denominations, and sects have their list of “rules and regulations” or “traditions” that they elevate above God and even the Word of God. They believe they are honoring God and following His word but are doing so in vain because their “worship” is based on “man-made doctrine” rather than true worship of the Living God! They justify themselves by saying things like, “I go to church, I pay tithes, I do good works, etc.” but not with their hearts.
In Matthew 23:27- 28, Jesus said, “A Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside, they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 “So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
I understand why some are turned off by what is often labeled as Christianity today. I remember being told by a fellow minister about a situation he encountered. There was a man in his community who was dying of cancer, and a number of his congregation had gathered at his house to pray for him and comfort the family.
The man smoked and asked one of the older women in the crowd if she would light him a cigarette. He did not ask her to put it in her mouth, just light it for him while he held it in his mouth as he could barely lift his arms from weakness. He wanted her to hold the cigarette for him.
She lashed at him in a shocking way. This minister said, “God had set me free from cigarettes without me even asking Him to do so, and I am still grateful.” He said, “I knew that she believed that smoking was a sin, but I expected more Christian compassion in the situation.” She informed the dying man that she would rather strip naked and walk down main street than take one of the devil’s coffin nails in her hand and that he was going to hell if he did not repent.
He said, “I thought the example she used was strange and wondered how the two related but never dared ask.” He went to the man’s bedside, took a cigarette out of the pack on the nightstand, put it in his mouth, lit it for him, and assisted him as he smoked what was his final cigarette.
This minister did not smoke and would prefer no one smoke. However, the woman’s reaction did not lead the man to God or demonstrate Christian compassion. After he finished the cigarette, he said, “I asked him if he knew Jesus. He said, “Well, not really. I joined the church when I was about 12, but no preacher.I guess I do not know Him.”
This minister asked him if he would like to make peace with God, acknowledge his sins, and receive Jesus as his savior. He looked through eyes filled with tears and said, “A few minutes ago, I would have cursed at you thinking you were like Mrs. (calling her name), but you have shown me something I have never encountered before. You did not judge me for doing what I know you do not believe in. Instead, you showed me kindness. I sense something in you that I do not think I have seen in church or from church people before. I feel something that I have never felt before, and if that is what God brings to people, then, yes, I would like to know him.” They prayed as he wept before the Lord and received Christ. Later that afternoon, he passed away.
I am not saying this to elevate anyone, but that is the kind of compassion I received from people trying to lead me to Christ, and I have never forgotten it. Jesus said that the person who is forgiven much loves much, and I was forgiven a mountain of sin. How could we not show love and compassion to someone in that condition?
If that minister had followed the way of the Pharisees, that man would never have had the opportunity to receive Jesus before dying. I have been told repeatedly by ministers that they do not believe in “deathbed salvation.” That is their choice, but events like that remind me of God’s love and grace-filled grace.
I pray that God will help me be that compassionate to someone on the brink of eternity. I pray that the door to sharing God’s message of hope presents itself and that I will not fail to walk through it.
May God be with you as you go through your day. Remember that one small act of kindness and love may be the difference between someone receiving Christ or rejecting Him. Blessings!
Genesis 50:15-21 – “When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ” What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying, 17’Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”‘ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. 21 “So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So, he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”
I guess if you only read this part of the entire story of the “Life of Joseph,” you might think that the old saying, “Time heals all wounds,” was accurate, but if you read the entire story, you will see something you probably missed.
In this brief devotional, I hope to point you to a “higher revelation” that Time Heals Nothing! Yet, there is the opportunity for the Total Healing of the Total Man in the Finished Work of Jesus and His Unconditional Love!
I suggest that “time” outside the Finished Work of Christ is an enemy, not a friend. I ask that you hear the conclusion of the whole matter before rendering a judgment on what I am saying. That will require you to go back and reread much of the history of Joseph and Israel in the Bible. It will take time, but it will be an exciting and beneficial journey.
I hope to enable each of us somehow to see “How” to live our everyday life in the Unconditional Love of God amidst all the “Hurts, Beatings, Wounds, Fears, and Anxieties of Life.” I am talking about Total Freedom and Total Healing for the Total Man. Many do not even believe that is possible, much less possess it. My question is, “Are you interested in Total Freedom?”
Let Us Consider a Brief Background.
Remember the story of the Kid Joseph with his special treatment by his father, his dreams, and visions; you will recall how horribly mistreated he was by his brothers to the point that they “sold him” as a slave while fabricating a story of his death to their father.
Once Joseph arrived in Egypt, he received promotion after promotion and problem after problem until he was elevated to Second in Command. Years later, we come to the timeframe of our text, and his brothers stand before him in fear and trembling.
They were petrified because the “boy” they had sold into slavery was not the second most powerful man on earth as they knew it and held their lives in his hands. What if he holds a grudge, as they were optimistic, he would?
They expected him to get even. Then their father, Jacob, died, and they fabricated a story to tell Joseph to save their hides. Joseph responded by basically saying, “Do you realize what you are saying? You are afraid I will Get Even! Am I in God’s place? Oh, I know what you did to me! You meant it for “evil,” but God meant it for “good.” That is Incredible! How would you have responded?
The key, I believe, is that long before Joseph arrived in Egypt, he handled this. I mean, he settled it with God. If you study the timeline of his life, you will realize that he likely heard the story of Abraham from his grandfather Isaac while sitting on his knee.
He had heard the Story of Covenant from his youth and knew God! Moreover, he trusted God and knew that for God to fulfill His Promises, God would take care of Him so He could curl up in the Unconditional Love of God and Forgive! He was able to release his anger, the pain, and any bitterness he had, and I believe he did it before he got to Egypt, or he would have died a bitter old man in slavery in Egypt, and we would never have heard of him again.
It was not time but Love that Healed Him! Time only affords us the time to become calloused to the wound and live through the pain. It never removes it completely. Only love, forgiveness, and releasing it can do that. So, if you are dealing with something and hoping that “Time will heal it,” turn it loose and run to the arms of God and His love. It is there that there is Healing!
Jeremiah 1:9 – “Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.”
When I first became a Christian, I noticed something interesting in many preachers that prompted me to inquire of the Lord and seasoned veteran ministers about what I was seeing. I saw and heard men standing in the pulpits emulating the current popular preacher of the day, or in the denomination, I was associated with. I wondered if that was how it was supposed to be done.
Later, the Lord impressed upon my heart that He was calling me into the ministry, and I, too, would preach the Gospel. Since it seemed that the widespread practice was to copy and mimic the mannerisms, speech, and messages of the “current flavor of the month” preacher, I tried that.
Although I began simply speaking what I felt God would have me say, I soon transitioned into doing what I was seeing others do and failed miserably. It was distasteful, disappointing, and most unsatisfying for me and, I am sure, for those hearing me speak.
So I went to prayer, asked the Lord for a clear directive, and felt that the Holy Spirit whispered in my heart – “I want you to be a voice, not an echo.” That resonated with me in a way that I cannot describe. It was what I had desired all along without really knowing it.
Later, I felt that the Holy Spirit whispered – “I don’t need copies; I need people who will be obedient to what they hear and speak what is in their hearts with passion and compassion.” That became the foundation of the ministry that God gave me and has remained so through the years. My driving desire is to be a voice, not an echo.
I do not want to just speak about God; I want to speak for God or on God’s Behalf. I want to say only what the Holy Spirit whispers in my spirit, not the latest and most popular subject, topic, or method. No matter how simple and seemingly shallow that message is, I have found that it gets results. On the occasions I have copied someone else, it was like rain on a tin roof, and I accomplished about as much.
God did not call any of us to be “echoes.” He called us to be “voices,” speaking what He has spoken to us through prayer, the Word, and the Spirit of God. It is my heart’s driving passion and desire to have a Now Word relevant to the current congregation, situation, and need.
God knows where the people I speak to are spiritually, emotionally, relationally, etc. He knows every detail of our lives and sometimes uses others to speak words that provide the needed help even though they had no idea what they were saying was having that effect.
So, as you go through your days here on earth, seek to be a voice rather than an echo. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you to whatever situation might be before you. You do not have to understand it. Just be obedient to His nudging and urging. That is the Father’s desire for each of us.
May the Lord bless and be with you as you go through your day!
Roy's Covenant Corner 