2 Corinthians 9:6-8 – “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”  NKJV

I have long believed, through my study of Scripture and watching people, that generosity or the lack thereof reveals the heart of a person.  I am convinced that if God does not have our pocketbooks, He does not truly have our hearts for where the treasure is there the heart is also.  I know the context of this passage is focused on money, but I want to press it beyond that and do not believe that I am violating truth in doing so.

The Law of Sowing and Reaping reaches far beyond the monetary in considering the principle of reaping WHAT we sow, LATER than we sow, and MORE than we sow.  It is applicable whether it is about money, time, patience, or love.  In this truth, God promises that He will cause ALL GRACE to abound to us so that we have All Sufficiency in All Things and have an abundance for Every Good Work!  That is an incredible promise.

Sadly, some have taken it as a promise of personal wealth and attempted to manipulate God through their giving.  God is interested in the gift and the motivation behind the gift and His blessings are following that principle.  It would behoove us to examine what we are giving and why we are giving or what we are not giving and why.  It will reveal our hearts either good or flawed.

I have experienced times when I desperately needed finances and had no means of acquiring those needed funds.  I recall one such incident in which I had a $500 need and had $55 to my name.  I do not mean had that amount of ready cash I mean that is ALL I had in this world.  The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said tithe on your need.  What?  My response was “God I have $55 to last me a full week a wife and two small children to care for.  If I give the $50 you are asking for, I will have $5 left.” 

Three times I heard ‘tithe on your need’.  I took the $50 and planned to put it in the offering on Sunday morning and as the plate came around, I tried but could not turn it loose.  I spent a miserable Sunday afternoon and on Sunday night when the offering took place, I literally threw the $50 in the plate as though it were a hot potato that I had to get out of my hand.  I believed God would care for us, but my humanity kept me awake all night battling thoughts of my failure in my responsibility to my family and they would have little to eat this week if…  That is the problem IF…  

I was in the condition of the man that said to Jesus, “Lord I believe, help my unbelief.”  The next day after a time in prayer I went to town to run an errand for the church and a person walked up to me on the street and said, “The Lord spoke to me last night to give you this.”  They placed an item in my hand and walked away.  I sat in my car and opened my hand, and it was a check for $550.00. 

God met the need I had and gave me back the $50.00 above the need.  My family was cared for, the need was met, and my faith was given an adrenaline shot that has never been forgotten.  God responded to my obedience and blessed me despite my fears, questions, and even doubts.  From that time on my giving has been cheerful and I have not given out of necessity since that day but out of a desire to honor the Lord and help others.

I have faced times when I desperately needed someone to assist me, comfort me, love me or counsel me and found that the return on my investment in others came back to me manyfold.  When I apply the Luke 6:38 principles and “Give what I need” God NEVER fails to send help in the time of need.  If we allow Him to have control of our time and treasure, we will find that Grace will Abound to us in a mighty manner.

God bless you as you go through this day!

Matthew 12:43-45 – “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. 44 “Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.  45 “Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”  NASB

Let us move another step into our consideration of the topic.  Last time we identified that the first blunder or mistake this man-made was in thinking that harmlessness was holiness.  We noted that this is a misconception that is commonplace and refuses to die.  Now let us consider another dimension of this problem.

I contend, as I believe the Bible confirms, that emptiness or idleness falls short of holiness and can be classified as sin.  Please understand, I understand that just being busy is not what God is looking for.  I wrote a book entitled, “Too Busy With Busyness To Hear God.”  It is possible, as the Bible confirms, to bestow all your earthly good to feed the poor, and even give your body to be burned and it be a worthless act. 

An individual’s works may appear great and yet that worker is lacking in moral worth, but an idler is certain to be so.  James 4:17 declares, “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.”  May God help us to never reach the place where sin does not bother us.  Lost humanity crushes the heart of God and should us too.  No person can stand in the midst of a needy world, like the one we live in, and not be guilty in the sight of God if he or she remains empty and idle.

Jesus taught this truth and gave the example of cursing the barren fig tree.  He did not curse it because it produced poisonous fruit but because it bore no fruit.  Sin involves disobedience to God’s Word.  We can become a curse by refusing to be a blessing. 

Remember the parable of the talents?  The one was cast out, not because he wasted the talent, but because he did nothing with it.  Remember the parable of the wedding feast?  The man was cast out not because of the wrongness of his life, but because he did not have on a wedding garment.  Which is equivalent to accepting the Grace of God in Salvation!

I heard a story of an engaged couple who were in a movie theater and a fire broke out.  The man ran and later returned for her.  She refused to acknowledge him because he ran off rather than helping her escape.  She called off the wedding because he failed to do the right thing.

Not only is emptiness sin, the sin of omission, but it leads to positive or active sin.  There is only one cure – Fulness!  There is only one way to conquer the evil which is to bring its opposite into the mix and do good.  The only real foe of darkness is light.  The only way to destroy error is through the truth. 

Jesus taught a unique lesson regarding the tares and the wheat.  You focus on the wheat, not the tares.  It is better to allow some tares with the wheat than to destroy all and leave the field fruitless and barren.  Paul wrote to a semi-barbarous tribe in Galatia, who had been converted. They were having difficulty practicing self-control.  He did not say, “Set your face and make up your mind that you are not going to do wrong.”  Rather he said, “This I say, walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.”  Get the right focus!

Please hear me, we cannot win by doing nothing.  We must be filled with Christ and invested in His service.  We cannot simply be emptied of sin; we must be filled with Christ and His Spirit.  The world does not mind us gathering together and keeping all, we do within the four walls of the church building.  It is when we take the Good News to the community and begin to bring change that they resist.

There is a work for us to do and Jesus said, “The harvest is ready to be reaped but the laborers are few.”  Our focus is on the harvest, not the problem.  We do not know how long we have to work the works of Jesus for the night is coming.  We do not know how long it will be before the Lord Jesus returns, but He is coming again, and we need to be busy about the Master’s business. 

Let us allow the Holy Spirit to fill our lives with the Word of God and through the power of the Spirit of God and the Love of God, let us move forth in action rather than sitting idle. 

God bless you as you move forward in your life in Jesus!  Have a Great Day!

Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  NASB

I confess I hesitate to use a single verse as my text for this devotional because the preceding and subsequent verses are incredibly germane and vital for the full understanding and impact.  However, I will focus on three words, “But seek first…”  This is not meant to say, “just seek anything but something specific and that is God, His kingdom, and His righteousness.”  He must become the prime pursuit of our lives and must be sought before and above everything or anything else.

There have been countless messages, sermons, and exhortations regarding the need and value of Commitment and Dedication to God.  The warning cry of men of God for generations has been to beware of putting anything before or above God.  There have been urgent pleas week after week from pulpits around this world seeking to inspire and encourage people everywhere to see that which is the most important in life. 

There is something or someone that is to be placed above everything in life and that is God!  There is something or someone upon which or whom or Eternal Existence depends and that is God!  The message of Jesus in this declaration is not just valuable for the believer it is vital.  It is not simply a suggestion, but a declaration of not only what God desires but that which will produce the most incredible victory we could ever experience this side of heaven.

The declaration of Jesus, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and…” is important. The “and” is a vital word in this truth.  It reveals the benefits of following the directive.  It reveals the natural benefits and the material benefits, but it also reveals the eternal and spiritual benefits.  There is nothing in life that is more important than the Presence of God and In His Presence, we find Hope, Peace, Joy, Forgiveness, and the incredible Provision of His Promises.

Sadly, far too many stop at “seek first the kingdom…”  Rather than seeking His kingdom often they are investing themselves, their time, energy, money, talents, and abilities into developing a kingdom of their own.  A kingdom of recognition, fame, fortune, influence, power, and things.  In that kingdom, God is often forced to the sidelines or out of the picture entirely.  The world and even the church are filled with Kingdom Seekers, but not His Kingdom and His Righteousness. 

I must tap the brakes lest I appear overly negative.  I do not believe that everyone in the church or even most of the people in the church are in that position and condition. Far too often we relegate God to the Emergency Button Position.  We seek Him as we would break the glass in case of an emergency.  We talk to Him in times of trial rather than making Him the most important and first sought after of our day. 

When I meditate and muse on this passage, I see several things clearly suggested:

• Something is to be Sought.
• The Priority of that which is to be Sought.
• The Benefit of Obedience.

Over the next couple of devotionals, I will focus on those three things, and I hope you will join me and then take it far beyond what I suggest as you meditate, muse, consider, and ponder this passage again and again.

I am going to pause here and declare that in the next devotionals we are going to consider the question, “WHAT ARE WE TO SEEK?”

May the LORD richly bless you and create a hunger and thirst in your heart as you prepare your hearts to “Seek First, Him, His Kingdom, and His Righteousness.”   May your day be rich and filled with His presence and His blessings!

Matthew 5:38-48

As we move forward in considering what makes a Christian distinctively different from a non-Christian, I believe we need to be reminded that the Early Church specialized in brotherliness and not only loved fellow believers but outsiders as well.  That brings us to another dimension of their demonstration of love and that which made them distinctively different.

THEY LOVED THEIR ENEMIES…

That is a big pill to swallow, and I find many believers and professing Christians who find that almost impossible.  But they hurt me!  You do not know what they did!  You are right, I may not, but God does and if you consider what was done to Jesus, your argument falls apart rather quickly.

Loving our enemies or those who hate us and have harmed us is something the person of the world not only does not do, they do not want to.  I had a person tell me regarding another person, “I could not love him, even if I wanted to.”  The last part of that statement is revealing and identifies the root of the problem.  Yet, a genuine Christian not only wants to, the love!

In our text verses 44-45, Jesus drove this message home, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”  He repeated that message in Luke 6:27 and 35.  The staggering truth implied is that if we do not want to, we are not genuine followers of His.  That may anger some, and that is not my purpose, but I want all of us to be free of hate and to walk in love.

I offer an addendum you are not asked to like or condone their sinful ways.  You are commanded to love them.   Jesus practiced that kind of love.  Remember His words on the Cross, “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do”?  Stephen exemplified that quality, praying as he was being stoned, “LORD, lay not this sin to their charge.”  That is genuine Christian love.  It is to love the brethren, love those outside the faith, and even love our enemies.  That is only possible if we have an overriding love for God!  Christ in us, the hope of glory!

THE EARLY CHURCH NOT ONLY WANTED TO FOLLOW JESUS THEY WANT TO REPRODUCE HIM IN OTHERS…

They sought to inform everyone of the Good News of the Gospel. They wanted to introduce everyone to this glorious Good News and bring them to the new birth experience.  They wanted to include everyone.  They took to heart the words that “God is not willing or desirous that any should perish but come to everlasting life.”

That was a costly goal and mission.  There is a wide gate that leads to destruction, and it is the easy way, but it leads to death.  The way to life is the straight gate and the narrow way, but it leads to everlasting life.  There is a measure of self-denial and cross-bearing that we must embrace.  There is no cheap, easy, instant way to be a mature Christian, but love motivated them and they persisted and persevered.

That goal is a top priority with the Father.  The disciples and believers were motivated by God’s love, and they were committed to Him regardless of their plight or suffering.  Some of them were stoned to death.  Some were sawn asunder which is a picture of being tied with ropes and ripped apart as horses pulled in opposite directions.  They were tempted and slain by the sword.  Some experienced poverty and were persecuted.  Yet, they demonstrated the Love of God in all things.

The difference was they were not stopped by those things but counted it an honor to suffer for Jesus.  They did not seek suffering but when they did, they rejoiced.  They never prayed for escape, but for opportunity, boldness, and courage.  Remember in Acts after the apostles had been beaten by the Sanhedrin their prayer was beyond human reason.  They prayed, “And now, LORD, behold their threatenings…”  Who was threatening them?  The same people who crucified Jesus.

They continued, “grant unto your servants, that with all boldness we may speak your word.”  Wow!  The way of Christ is not self-preservation or ease but proclaiming the Good news and demonstrating the Love of God!

THEY HAD A HARD TIME BUT THEY HAD SOMETHING DIFFERENT… 

They had Joy Unspeakable and were Full of Peace and Glory!  They were full of God’s New Wine!  They were intoxicated not with alcoholic beverages but by the Spirit of God.  The apostle Paul had an incredibly difficult life but in prison, he could sing praises to God.  Nothing could rob him of his joy and the peace of God. 

Believers in fellowship with Jesus possess all that makes life worthwhile in both time and eternity.  My prayer is, “LORD, help me be a person who is different and manifests the love of God to everyone all the time!”  

Matthew 5:38-48

Now we will attempt to answer the questions raised in the previous devotional and particularly, “What is distinctive about genuine Christianity?”  In order to achieve that goal, we need to consider the character and characteristics of the Early Church.

THE EARLY CHRISTIANS SPECIALIZED IN BROTHERLINESS…

Simply, they out loved their pagan neighbors.  They specialized in love for one another.  In John 13:34-35, we read, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”  In John 15:12, Jesus said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” And in John 15:17, He said, “This is my command: Love each other.”

The Master Lover of All Time had taught them.  He who is love taught them about love!  How are we to distinguish a Christian from a person who is not?  “…if you have love one for another.”  There is no more powerful influence in the world than genuine love.

In 1 Thessalonians 3:12, this is exemplified, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and everyone else, just as ours does for you.”  Then in 1 Thessalonians 4:9, Paul clarifies,” Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.”  That is the theme of the entire New Testament.

In Hebrews 13:1 the apostle Paul enjoins them to “let brotherly love continue.”  In 1 John 3:14-15, the apostle John gives a powerful definition.  He says, “We know that we have passed from death to life because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. ¹⁵ Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.”  Could anything be clearer?

Love drew people to Jesus and still does!

Additionally, They loved the outsiders as well.  If you reread vv. 43-44 of our text, you realize how important loving others is to God.  In Matthew 19:19 the LORD instructs us to love our neighbors as ourselves and it is repeated in Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31; Romans 13:9; and Galatians 5:14. In Romans 13:10 we read, “Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, “love is the fulfillment of the law.”  That is incredible!

Love bridged and bridges the gap.  Our world today is deeply divided or fragmented.  We are separated by seemingly impassable chasms of ideology, bias, and prejudice.  In Jesus’ day, the world was equally if not more divided, but those followers of Jesus bridged those chasms through their demonstrated love! 

They bridged the gap between men or people, between ethnicities, and between social classes.  They loved every human soul and demonstrably manifested that love.  It was not flowery words but actions that demonstrated their love.

I need to continue this a bit further but will pause here and pick this up in the next devotional.  Until then, may the blessings of the LORD be yours and the peace of God overshadow you.  Have a wonderful day!

Jeremiah 28:16 – “Therefore thus says Adonai: I am about to send you away from off the face of the earth. This year you will die since you have spoken apostasy against Adonai.” TLV

I realize that speaking of death has morbidity that many reject and avoid like the plague.  However, it is a reality that each of us will face, therefore a topic that we should not fear.  I want to look into my title question, “What if this year was your last?” In doing so, I hope to challenge our hearts to learn to live life to the fullest and be the most productive and useful for the Kingdom of God possible.

The sandfly is born at daylight and dies at dark.  That is a long life for the sand fly.  Man lives, 70, 80, 90, or more but those years are far too short for a being made in the image and likeness of God.  The average person spends their time learning one art, one trade, one profession, and everything else is postponed. 

Occasionally, there is another Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Mozart, or Einstein who masters architecture, sculpture, painting, music, science, civil engineering, and all in one life.   In the world of literature, Samuel Taylor Coleridge was unique.  At his death, he left one hundred manuscripts carefully outlined and with big promise, but not one of them was complete.  Lord Shaftesbury, Anthony Ashley Cooper, was the leader of his generation in philanthropy.  He worked for coal miners, chimney sweeps, orphans, and castaways.  But while dying, he said that he had just started his reforms.

There is so much to do and so little time to accomplish all our hearts and minds desire.  The goal and drive to ‘do something’ that abides and outlives you are escribed upon most hearts.  We want to leave a lasting legacy.

We go to the museum and see bird tracks fixed in sandstone.  They left a lasting impression.  We can visit the old Warwick Castle in England and find dented helmets, broken shields, and nicked swords, all used by King Alfred’s men.  These remain though the men who wore or used them have long since departed this life.

We can visit the Egyptian room of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and see mummies that are yellow and dry.  Those mummies would crumble at the touch of a finger and beside them, there are seeds of wheat that ripened three thousand or more years ago.  Wherever we go and whatever we see brings to light that man, at his best, is temporary and mortal. 

THE LIFE OF JESUS, ON EARTH, WAS AN ABBREVIATED LIFE…

The consciousness of this was a catalyst that drove Him to work as no other has ever worked.  Every day he felt the pressure of that reality.  He said, “I must work while it is yet day.” (John 9:4) He kept no office hours and did not limit Himself to a 40-hour workweek.  Often, while others slept, He prepared Himself for the next day in prayer.  Jesus knew as we know that He was accountable for all that He did.  He had an assignment and he focused on it constantly.

The sense of the brevity of life should make every day precious to us.  The knowledge of the limitation of our time here on earth demands order and time management.  It should cause us to refuse aimlessness.  We cannot afford to drift!  The world cannot afford for us to drift!  We have a mission and a commission! 

Can you imagine the scene if a person approached an airline ticket counter and asked for a ticket?  The agent would ask, “What city?”  But the response would be, “It doesn’t matter, any city will do!”  Sadly, multitudes of people live their lives in exactly that manner.  They seem to be on a mission to kill time and get a new thrill’

There are multitudes who drift from the beach to the casino.  They jet from Broadway to Paris.  They float from cocktail party to cocktail party.  Their chief ambition, killing time and seeking a new thrill, is their biggest enemy and problem. It is purpose that turns a mob into a regiment.  It is thought and motive that organizes sounds into a song.  It is a blueprint that makes a pile of bricks a building. 

What mercy will there be for the trifler on the day of judgment?  May God help us to realize that this time we have on earth is a precious commodity not to be wasted.  It is time for the world and the church to hear the Gospel Truth from the pulpits and over the airwaves.  Life is too short to allow it to be lived without purpose, unorganized, and aimless. 

I want to address this further and will in the next devotional, but for now, I pray that the LORD of Hosts will enlighten your minds to see the value of your days here on earth. 

May His Blessings be yours today and every day!

Ecclesiastes 11:3-4 – “If the clouds are full, they empty out rain upon the earth.  Whether a tree falls to south or north, the tree lies wherever it falls.  ⁴ Whoever keeps watching the wind will not sow and whoever gazes at the clouds will not reap.” TLV

John 19:19-22 – “Pilate also wrote a sign and put it on the execution stake. It was written, “YESHUA HA-NATZRATI, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” ²⁰ Many Judeans read this sign, because the place where Yeshua was executed was near the city; it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. ²¹ The ruling kohanim of the Judeans were saying to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’”

²² “What I have written, I have written,” Pilate answered.” TLV

We have considered the Wind Watcher and the Cloud Watcher Christian, the pitfalls, problems, and solutions and now we will consider the last of the three types of Christians I mentioned at the outset.

THE FAITHFUL THROUGH IT ALL…

This is the person who receives the Word of God, receives the Pardon of Jesus, and is Born-Again.  They live a life of consistency and prayer is a cornerstone of life for them.  They are faithful to the LORD in all things and at all times.  Their focus is the Person, Power, Provisions, and Promises of God.  They have Vision. They have Hope.  They have resolved to completely surrender their entire being to Jesus.

They are a picture of the Psalm 1 believer and demonstrate the life expressed in Psalm 126:6 – “Whoever keeps going out weeping, carrying his bag of seed, will surely come back with a song of joy, carrying his sheaves.”

This person sees the wind and is not deterred because they know that God is All-Powerful.  They see the clouds and remain confident that God is their keeper and deliverer.  They sow in hope and reap in joy.  They know that it is God who gives the increase and their responsibility to obey.  They are anchored in the Rock and although night approaches and darkness surround them, they Trust!

The writer of Proverbs offers a warning that this believer receives and embraces, “There is a way that seems right to man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”  They know that the easy way may not be the right way.  They live in the light of the truth of James 1:2, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.”  Why?  Because they embrace the rest of the passage expressed by James that testing produces endurance and the perfect work of endurance is spiritual maturity and full provision by the God of all creation.

The directive that Obedience is better than Sacrifice resonates in their hearts and they, like the three Hebrew Children before Nebuchadnezzar, “we know our God can, but even if He does not deliver us, we won’t bow before anyone but Him.”

It is imperative that we remember we are saved by Grace!  We need to remind ourselves that through Jesus we can do all things!  We must never forget that there will be trials, tests, and temptations in life.  But hold to the truth of 2 Corinthians 12:9 where Paul relates the promise of Jesus,” My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Remember the words of Jesus in Mark 9:23, “All things are possible for one who believes!”

As we conclude I urge you to hold in your heart and mind that your Life is a book being written.  What you write you write!  The conclusion can be ‘Victorious Through Christ.  Overcomer by the Blood of the Lamb’ or it can be “Defeated in the end or stopped before you started.’

If you are finding it difficult to live victoriously then I urge you to run to the Cross and surrender your entire being to God.  Allow the Holy Spirit to enable you to abide in Jesus and allow His Words to abide in you.  Be transformed by the renewing of our mind and think on things above not be sidetracked by what you see in the here and now.  Return to the well of living water and drink.

God bless you as you write the book of your life by His Grace!  May the Grace and Peace of God go with you each step of the way!

Ecclesiastes 11:3-4 – “If the clouds are full, they empty out rain upon the earth.  Whether a tree falls to south or north, the tree lies wherever it falls.  ⁴ Whoever keeps watching the wind will not sow and whoever gazes at the clouds will not reap.” TLV

John 19:19-22 – “Pilate also wrote a sign and put it on the execution stake. It was written, “YESHUA HA-NATZRATI, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” ²⁰ Many Judeans read this sign, because the place where Yeshua was executed was near the city; it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. ²¹ The ruling kohanim of the Judeans were saying to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’”

²² “What I have written, I have written,” Pilate answered.” TLV

Yesterday we considered the first of three types of Christians – ‘The Wind Watcher’ and discussed the perils and problems in that type of life.  We also addressed the solution.  Today I would like to delve a little deeper into this discussion and consider additional types of Christians.

THERE IS THE CLOUD WATCHER…

This is a little different from the Wind Watcher in that this person is a born-again believer who sowed regardless of the wind.  In their zeal, they forged ahead even when the winds of adversity blew upon them.  They demonstrated faithfulness and a willingness to tackle any situation.

Then something happens.  The harvest is planted, and they have watched it grow and observe the fruitful field and fruit on the plants of life.  Then, like Peter when walking on the water, they see something that frightens them.  They see the clouds begin to form over the harvest and fear grips their hearts. 

Paul warned in Galatians 6:9, “let us not grow weary in well-doing; for in due season we will reap, if we faith not.”  Maybe it is battle fatigue and they have lost sight of the weapons of warfare provided for the believer in Ephesians 6:11. They fail to put on the whole armor of God which enables them to stand. (v.13).  They have forgotten the counsel to “be strong in the LORD, and the Power of His Might.” (v.10).

In life, we are all disappointed and let down by people.  They make mistakes, we all do.  But we must hold close to our hearts the truth of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”  We must remember that the battle is not our but the LORD’s.  What we do, we do as unto Christ and through Him. 

The Cloud Watcher is defeated at the end even though he had a good beginning.  Good beginnings have merit, but it is not the one who runs but finishes who receives the prize.  Jesus said in Matthew 10:22, “He that endures to the end shall be saved.”  But defeat is defeat whether at the beginning or the end.  However, it is even more tragic after having run well to falter with the finish line in sight. 

We are told in 2 Corinthians 9:24 this powerful truth, “Don’t you know that in a stadium the runners all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may win!”

There is a passage in Jeremiah 12 that is challenging and inspirational.  “If you raced with those on foot and they wore you out, how can you compete with horses?  If you are secure in a land of peace, how will you do in Jordan’s thickets?”  If adversity hinders you, your trust is in what you see not what God has declared.  It is time to repent and return and enjoy the Provisions, Protection, and Promises of God. 

I want to take this one more step further and will do so in the next devotional.  Until then I pray that the LORD of Hosts will guard and guide you each step you take.  

Blessings be upon you!