Judges 7

Great things are wrought when people hear and obey God’s direction.  When things reach the state of impossible with men, they are yet a minor task for God.  The only hindrance to the hand of God moving on our behalf is disobedient and rebellious hearts and minds.  God is not concerned about the way things appear in the natural.  We are!  He knows the end from the beginning, but we look at the beginning from the end.  We are temporal and He is eternal.  We are limited, but He is unlimited!

God is always more concerned about our obedience than the problem!  God is always looking for those who will risk everything in dependence upon Him and obedience.  He is looking for those who will dare to believe. 

This is an incredible account of the miraculous intervention of God in a national problem.  It can be applied to our individual lives, our family, or the nation.  God is God and will always be God and when He finds those who will trust Him and obey, He is anxious to manifest His Glory.

The Midianite army was massive and 32,000 had responded to Gideon’s call.  God did an amazing thing and said, “Sorry, Gideon, you have too many with you.”  What?  Too many?  LORD, do not you see the size of the Midianite army.  We are severely outnumbered as it is, what do you mean too many?  God said, “Tell those that are afraid to go home.”  If the rest were not afraid, what were they feeling when 22,000 packed up and left.  Now it is 10,000 against thousands upon thousands. 

God then says, “Sorry, Gideon, there are still too many!”  I can imagine what was going on in the minds of the 10,000.  They were probably thinking, God must be crazy, or Gideon has lost his mind.  Out of the 10,000, God’s instructions reduced Gideon’s army (if you can call it that) to three hundred.  God’s instructions could be translated, choose the ready, the watchful, and watch Me do my thing. 

If the battle is the LORD’s, then, trust must be at its zenith.  God reduced the number to the point that it would be impossible in the natural and there would be no way Gideon or anyone could take credit for the victory.  This is God’s Pattern!

It is always vital that we follow God’s orders exactly.  God had chosen a man to lead a group of people into a battle that when it was over, only God could get the credit.  He gave Gideon the plan and Gideon followed His orders precisely.  God then performed what only God could do and gave them an undeniable miracle. 

The message for us is, do not look at the immensity of the problem or the impossibility.  Obey the directive of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the voice of God.  Never mind the popularity of the action or the unpopularity, be obedient to God’s directive.  Public opinion does not win victories it may make us palatable to the crowd, but lasting victory is won in obedience to God.

If God is in it, it will not fail.  Obedience to the LORD is the only pathway to victory!  My question is, What has God directed you to do, that seems impossible?  Will you trust Him and follow His plan?  If you will, the Victory is assured.  It may not be easy, but God never fails.

Have a fantastic day in Jesus!

Exodus 5:2 – “But Pharaoh said, “Who is Adonai, that I should listen to His voice and let Israel go? I do not know Adonai, and besides, I will not let Israel go.”

The question of the Pharoah brings to light an especially important and interesting question.  Who is the LORD?  Another way of asking that would be “Who Is He In Our Lives?”  “Who Is He In Our World?”  Psalms 14:1 declares, “The fool has said in his heart there is no God.”  I find it impossible to look at creation and not believe there must be a creator.  The design of this world demands the existence of a designer.

Pharoah’s question suggests that there is no God.  He was the epitome of Psalms 14:1 because if we look with our eyes, we see the evidence of God everywhere.  We see Him in nature.  We see Him in the universe, the intricate detail and necessity of order scream there is a God who created everything.  When we consider the design of the human body and the world itself, we are at a loss to explain other than God.

There is a clock in Strasbourg, Germany that in addition to its regular features has a combination of moons and planets moving through the days and months coinciding with the heavenly bodies with amazing accuracy.  To say that it just happened would be an insult to the creator of the clock and intelligence.

The book Pilgrim’s Progress is an amazing work of literature.  No one would suggest that the author took a railroad car full of printers type and a shovel and began to heave the type in the air and this book just happened.  That would be so utterly ridiculous that the one suggesting it would be laughed to scorn.

If we consider the insect world, the Staghorn Beetle we discover something amazing.  The male has a horn twice the length of its body and the female has no horn.  As grubs, there is no difference between the two, but the male will dig a hole twice as deep as the female.  Why?  Where did he get his wisdom and instinct to do that? 

So, to Pharoah’s question, if God exists then, “Who Is The LORD?”  The biblical view gives us a valuable reality and understanding.  God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.  A cursory review of the Names of God will lend a powerful understanding.

He is Elohim (God).  It is used wherever the creative power and Omnipotence of God are described or implied.  He is the Creator God.  The plural signifies the fullness of the power of the Trinity.   He is Jehovah (LORD).  It comes from the verb ‘to be’ and includes all three tenses of the verb (past, present, and future.)  Since Jehovah is the God who reveals Himself to man, the name means – I have manifested, do manifest, and will continue to manifest Myself.

God’s relationship with the nation of Israel is expressed in His Covenant Names. 

• Jehovah-Rapha – (Exodus 15:26) – “The LORD that heals.”
• Jehovah-Nissi – (Exodus 17:8-15) – “The LORD our banner.”
• Jehovah-Shalom – (Judges 6:24) – “The LORD our Peace.”
• Jehovah-Ra’ah – (Psalm 23) – “The LORD my Shepherd.”
• Jehovah-Tsidkenu – (Jeremiah 23:6) – “The LORD our Righteousness.”
• Jehovah–Jireh – (Genesis 22:14) – “The LORD who Provides.”
• Jehovah-Shammah – (Ezekiel 48:35) – “The LORD is there.”

We have the combination names of God “El” (God).  He is El-Elyon (Genesis 21:33) – “The Most High God!’  He is El-Shaddi (Exodus 6:3) – “The God Who is Sufficient For the Needs of His People.”  He is El-Olam (Genesis 21:33) – “The Everlasting God.”

Back to the question, “Who Is God or Who is the LORD?”

He is Adonai – “The LORD and Master.”  He is Father – “The producer of all things! And the creator of man!”

Who is the LORD?  My question is “Who is He to You?”  To me, he is the one who is sufficient to supply every need and solve every problem.  He is the I AM THAT I AM!   He is my all in all!

God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day God has given us to live!

Genesis 2:24 – “This is why a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife; and they become one flesh.”

Ephesians 5:31 – “For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

In today’s modern society there are a host of so-called authorities on every subject that is discussed.  The tragedy is that too many times these authorities do not consider the greatest source of information there has ever been or will ever be – God’s Word, the Bible.

There are authorities on things they have first-hand knowledge of and those who have only theoretical knowledge.  If one is an authority with first-hand knowledge, then their resource materials must be of the highest possible quality and flawless if possible.

The subject of Marriage, it seems, is one of those topics that there are as many authorities as there are people.  Some of them have experienced failed marriages. Some have never experienced marriage and write about it out of their opinion rather than experience.  Some are wonderfully married and write according to their experience and preferences.  Those all may have some value, but they are not the Ultimate Authority on the subject.

The Bible, God’s Words speaks about marriage from the viewpoint of the one who instituted the institution.  That would be God Himself.  The Bible’s instructions are completely accurate, totally fair, impeccably honest, and above reproach.  The Bible informs us that “God is Love!”  So, who would be in a better position to give guidelines for a union of love that is to be for Life than the one who is Love?

If we view marriage based on the Word of God and conduct ourselves according to His pattern, we will enjoy the most wonderful union known to man outside our union with Him.

In Genesis 2:21-24 we discover some unique things worthy of consideration:

God made Eve from Adam’s Rib.  She was not taken from man’s head to be lorded over by him.  She was not taken from his feet, to be trampled on by him.  She was taken from his side, to be equal with him, from under his arm to be protected by him, and from near his heart to be loved by him.

God prepared the woman to be a helper to complete the man and that the marriage of one man and one woman would result in the two becoming one flesh, one unit, one in the union.  Both maintain their distinct personalities and abilities but now function as one family unit.

Adam referred to Eve as ‘bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.’  They had become One!

In the writings of the apostle Paul in his discourse in Ephesians 5:28-31, he gave these instructions:  Men were to love their wives as their own bodies.  He taught that if a man genuinely loves his wife, he loves himself also.  Because the two have become one, then a man is to leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife.  He concluded with the great insight that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the Church and gave Himself for her.

In Genesis 2 the language is stronger than that of Ephesians.  The man is to leave and cleave.  He is to step out from under the tutelage and governance of his parents and assume the responsibilities of adulthood.  He is to cleave to his wife indicating that the marriage vows are sacred and that this union unites a man and a woman into one single unit.  They become one working together in their pursuit of life.

We have allowed a dilution of this God-given directive and that has opened the door for man marital problems and divorce.  We have forgotten that the two are to be One.  We have lost sight of that oneness and allowed the condition where the two pull against each other in selfishness and misguided application of some biblical principles, to be the accepted norm.

If a man and a woman who love each other understand their new relationship in marriage, their responsibilities, their privileges, and their priorities, the marriage will have heaven’s blessings.  Their union establishes a new family unit.

When difficulties arise and they will, because we are all human and flawed vessels, those difficulties must be addressed with Love, Prayer, and a willingness to listen and surrender to God.  The Bible in 1 Corinthians 7, Proverbs 30, and Titus give powerful information about how marriage should be.

I know what becoming one is because my late wife, Bonnie, and I had become one in Christ and joined each other inseparably.  We each sought the highest good of the other.  We would each, at times, set our preferences aside to bring to the other their greatest joy.  We choose to agree with God not with the flesh and from a foundation of Love we had a wonderful marriage based on biblical principles and enjoyed God’s blessings upon that union.

God bless you as you enjoy this day in Him!

Genesis 1:26-28 – “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness! Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the flying creatures of the sky, over the livestock, over the whole earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the land.” ²⁷ God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. ^[c] 28 God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the land, and conquer it. Rule over the fish of the sea, the flying creatures of the sky, and over every animal that crawls on the land.”

I want to make a statement at the outset and proceed from there in our consideration of man the human creature.  Man was created good and upright, made in the image of God.  However, man by voluntary transgression and rebellion fell and thereby brought not only physical death to the race but also spiritual death and separation from God.

In considering the Rise and Fall of Man we must go back to the beginning and consider the origin and nature of man.  The Bible clearly teaches the doctrine of special creation meaning that God made every creature after its kind.  But God made a distinction between man (humans) and the lower creatures.

• Man Was Created in the Image and Likeness of God.

He was given intelligence, conscience, and will, which enabled him to perform two-fold in holding dominion over all living things on the earth and exercising free choice.

• Man Was Given Intelligence That Lifted Him Far Above the Animal Creation.

He has the power to choose between good and evil, which includes the possibility of disobedience.  His intelligence made him fully responsible for all his acts.  (Luke 12:47-48).

THE NATURE OF MAN.

• Man is a Tri-unity.

Genesis 2:7 – Tells us that man is composed of two substances, a material body, and an immortal soul.  The word Living Soul indicates both soul and spirit. The soul gives life to the body.

Hebrews 4:12 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23 – Tell us that man is composed of three substances – (Body, Soul, and Spirit).  The spirit and soul represent man’s non-material life and the body represents the material aspect of man.  The soul of man distinguishes him from all other forms of life on the planet.

MAN WAS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.

That means he was created God-like.  It does not mean that he is God, but he is like God in his original character and personality.  The standard of Scripture is that man is to be like God.  Leviticus 19:2 commands us to be holy as God is holy.  Matthew 5:48 instructs us that God’s desire is for us to be perfect as God is perfect.

That is a problem of epic proportions!  Not that the translation is incorrect but the reality that mortal man achieving sinless perfection is beyond comprehension.  In Leviticus 19:2, the word translated holy could be translated as ‘devoted’ and that involves complete surrender and obedience.  We are to be completely devoted to God, totally surrendered, and fully obedient in all things and at all times.  It is not sinless perfection but complete surrender that God is looking for.  This is the idea of Ephesians 5:1 – “Be therefore followers of God, as dear children.”

By or through creation we are the children of God, but that image has been marred by sin and therefore we must be ‘born-again.’  We were created with a moral compass, reason, capacity for immorality, and given dominion over the earth.

SIN IS AN UNDENIABLE FACT.

Man has created theories to either deny, misconceive, or minimize sin.  Atheism denies God, therefore, denies sin or its penalty.  Determinism says free will is a delusion, not a reality.  Some theoretical concepts of Christianity and Religion deny the reality of sin and insist that a Loving Father could never punish His children with eternal punishment. 

THE ORIGIN OF SIN.

In the Garden of Eden, the devil raised doubt in Eve’s mind about what God said and the character of God.  The Fall of Man opened the floodgate for sin, sorrow, sickness, and death to come upon the human family.  (Genesis 3:14-19; Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21).

THE DEPRAVITY OF MAN.

Man’s moral, mental, and spiritual natures were perverted and distorted in the Fall.  Instead of loving holiness and purity man became bent toward evil immorality and pleasure.  To only remedy is described in 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

The Bible reveals that Jesus was tempted in all points as we are and yet without sin thereby providing for us through His blood the perfect sinless sacrifice for the sin of man.

We were created in the image and likeness of God, pure and holy but became bent, twisted, and depraved through the Rebellion of Adam and Eve.  We are restored to the rightful condition through the Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.   1 John 1:9 gives us the answer – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  Ephesians 2:8 gives us beautiful hope, “For by grace you have been saved.  And this is not from yourselves – it is the gift of God.”

I apologize for the length of this devotional but if you have not received Jesus as your Savior, I urge you to do so.  If you have, then I urge you to realize and declare that you are not the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and submit to God and resist the devil.  Begin to live the Victorious Life that Jesus came to bring.

God bless you as you enjoy this day He has made!

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 – “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”  NKJV

I am fully aware of the directive and declaration of Hebrews 6 that we are to move beyond discussing the “elementary principles of Christ” and move on to spiritual maturity.  It is clear that believers are to “grow in grace” and move from spiritual infancy through adolescence into maturity.  I fully agree.  However, if we omit one of if not the central message of the church, “The Cross” we err. 

We cannot grow in grace until we are in grace!  The apostle Paul nor the other apostles and disciples ever forgot the central message of the gospel.  They continually returned to the preaching of the Cross.  In fact, Paul declared in Romans 10, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?  And how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach unless they are sent…” (10:14-15). Paul reminded us in 1 Corinthians 1:18 that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are saved, it is the power of God.

 I love seeing things I have not seen before, in Scripture.  I love when I am meditating on the Word of God or in prayer to have the Holy Spirit pull back the veil and allow me to see that which is beyond what I have seen.  I love it when I move beyond the “milk” into the “meat” of God’s word.  I love it when I am in a time of praise and worship and the heavens come down and glory fills the place.  I love it when I sense the divine presence of God so powerfully that I feel I could hold it in my hands.  Yet, if the angels in heaven are overcome with joy when one sinner repents how can I have less a response and desire to see people come to the foot of the Cross and receive the Lord Jesus as their personal savior?

 When I traveled in evangelistic meetings and talked about the Cross as being the central message of the Church some would say, “You evangelists are all the same.  Salvation, salvation, salvation.  That’s all you think or know.”  Thank you but the message God has burned in my heart is not a singular message of salvation, but salvation is a part of what I preach. 

If Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and the significant charge He gave to the disciples was to “go into all the world and preach” should it not be our message too?  If Jesus is the Door to salvation, should we not be attempting to bring people to the door?  Of course, we should seek to equip and train believers for the work of ministry, but it is like fishing I don’t clean fish before I catch them. 

I have been in some churches multiple times and have yet to hear them present the message of the Cross.  I have been in others, and they never present anything else.  I once was lost in sin, but Jesus took me in and as Paul on the Road to Damascus, a light shined in my heart.  I knew that I knew that I knew my sins were forgiven.  I met Jesus at the foot of Calvary and thank God, he drew me to Him and when I called out to Him, He came to me in Grace, forgiving my sins and washing me whiter than snow.

Never be afraid or ashamed to share your faith.  Never be ashamed of the Cross.  You may never have a great revelation that awes people but if you have been to the Cross and met Jesus there, you have experienced the most important part of your Christian walk.  I am less concerned with impressing people on earth than I am about introducing people to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Jesus!

Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.”  NASB

There have been movies and television productions about the “Living Dead” but what I’m talking about is the “Dead Living.”  The writer of Ecclesiastes in his nuggets of wisdom gives some incredibly good advice in this verse.  He tells us that if we opt to engage in an activity we should be totally committed to the objective. 

Jesus addressed that in the Book of Revelation as He spoke to one of the churches and said, “I would that you were hot or cold but because you are lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth.”  We often quote the first portion of the verse listed above but fail to include the latter portion. 

We are challenged to be fully committed to whatever we engage in and that is good, but I ask that you read the rest of the verse and notice the “for” that is there.  For or because it should get our attention and it tells us a reason to be fully committed in everything we do. 

If we embark on a project, activity, or ministry we are to be totally committed, because it is only as we are Alive that we can complete the task.  Once life has ended in the natural there is no more activity (on earth), no more planning, no more earthly knowledge, or wisdom.  This is our only shot at doing that which is before us whether it is accepting Christ as our Savior or completing an assignment.  We are to Live while we are Living! 

I have been around, known, and worked with people who I would call “Dead Living” because they were never committed and simply drifted from one crisis to the next.  They were lifeless and listless in their hearts, and no one could depend on them.  They had gone from fractured relationship to fractured relationship.  They had drifted from one job to another.  They had endured one dilemma to the next and from one uncompleted project to another.  Their lives were in constant drama and disarray.  They never found the Abundance of Life that Jesus said He came to bring.  They existed but could not be described as Living.  They were alive but not ALIVE!

Job said that “man that is born of woman is of few days and full of troubles.”  The Psalms tell us, “Many are the affliction of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.”  None of us are exempt from difficulties but all of us have an open invitation to enter into Life in Abundance in Jesus. 

I like the saying, “You only go around once in life: Go for all the gusto you can.”  Someone changed that and said, “You only go around once in life, but if you do it right once is enough.”  That’s true in Jesus!  He has promised to go with us in every situation both good and bad.  He has promised to never leave or forsake us and has invited us to enter into His rest and draw from His strength.  He has given us authority and power over all the power of darkness.  He brings us Abundant Life, and, in that life, we can Live while we are living on this earth. 

Make life a joyous journey, not a drudgery.  Never succumb to the temptation to just drift along but rather “whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…”  Learn to Live and in the process of living savor, every moment for you do not know what tomorrow holds.  Life is a vapor that appears for a little time and then it is gone in the natural.  We are not those who only live while on earth we are those who live for eternity.

God, bless you richly is my desire and prayer!

Numbers 13:1-3; 17-33

The Promise of God was – “The Land Is Yours.”  The Problem was – “There Were Occupants on the Land.”  Those inhabitants had controlled it for an exceptionally long time and did not honor God or His decree and had no intention of giving up the land they occupied.  That is a Problem!  God said, “It is yours” but the inhabitants said, “Over our dead bodies!”

Israel had to strategize and learn to fight to enable them to move into the Place of Promise and attain the Promised Victory. God had given the Promise. The inhabitants refused to honor the Promise and Covenant of God. It was up to Israel to transition into Spiritual Warfare which would have to be walked out in the natural and Possess the Land. They had to possess it spiritually before they could possess it naturally.  They had to Believe the Promises of God and no matter what their natural eyes saw they had to be willing to act on the Promise as though it were an accomplished reality in the natural. 

The Land of Canaan is a specific place, but this Promise is far beyond a plot of ground in the Middle East.  That is not to diminish its importance, but the Promise is The World as Romans 4:13 reveals.  This is far beyond land in the Middle East it is the opening to the Promises of God through Christ Jesus and our full victory in this walk of faith.  What took place in the Natural is to instruct us in the Spiritual.  God wants us to Possess the Land or Place of Promise.

It is important that we rehearse some things in Scripture as foundational principles and facts for us to build on.

• God gave Adam RULE over the Earth. (Genesis 1:26,28).
• God repeated that Promise to Noah. (Genesis 9:1-2).
• God gave man RULE over the Earth. (Psalm 8:6).
• God’s Kingdom is everlasting, and His Dominion endures to all generations. (Psalm 145:3).
• God Promises to subdue people and nations under our feet. (Psalm 47:3).
• God has given Authority (Dominion) over all the power of the enemy.  (Luke 10:19).

Those are Facts!  They are the Promises of God, but the devil does not want to honor God’s decree, therefore we have the responsibility to reclaim the land and appropriate the promises enforcing the Victory of Jesus at the Cross.  Therefore, in a very real sense Canaan is, in addition to being a specific place, the Place of Promise, Abundance, and Victory that has to be taken by force.  Through Spiritual Warfare! 

The question immediately comes to mind, “How Do We Do That?”  In simplistic terms, we follow the biblical pattern and revelation found in Numbers 13 as our beginning.  God has an order that He operates in.  That does not mean that one thing is more important than another, it simply means order which keeps focus and eliminates confusion.

GOD’S STRATEGY FOR TAKING OUR PLACE OF PROMISE…

Why is it necessary to have a strategy?  If God decreed it, can’t we just go and do whatever we feel needs to be done?  Why should we be concerned with the unseen realm, after all, we live in the natural don’t we?  Let me use a natural illustration that I believe will help.  How do you get rid of thistle bushes or crabgrass?  Do you clip it off at the ground or do you go after the roots?  One way you get to repeat the process over and over in a never-ending struggle, the other way you achieve victory.  Which is more effective and efficient?

Likewise, Satan cannot operate unless he has legal ground or unless we are ignorant of our Provisions and Promises in the Lord.  So, we need a strategy that allows us to investigate and find out if there is “legal ground.”  If there is, we must tear out the root of that authority!  We need to discover the history and see how the fruit and roots came into being and how they operate.  We need to renounce any wrong covenants we may have made and in repentance return to the Lord receiving the Blood Covering.

We commit ourselves fully and completely to the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us.  We take God’s Promises to heart and see them as realities in the natural as well as in the Spiritual Realm.  We then determine that we will not be deterred from the Place of Promise and learn to use the weapons of warfare that are mighty through God to the pulling down strongholds. 

We Hear the Promise! 

We then See the Promise! 

Then we Possess the Promise!

God, bless you as you move onto your Place of Promise in God!

Numbers 13:1-3; 17-33

I believe that the Spirit of the Lord would have me take a Historic Life Experience from the pages of the Old Testament and communicate a Spiritual Principle from the New Testament.  Hopefully, we can accomplish this with clarity and brevity. 

In Romans 15:4 we read, “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction…”  Then in 1 Corinthians 10:6,11, we find, “These things happened to them as an example for us, and they were written for our instruction…”  They were stamped as a model or a scar permanently in them and God used them to transform the minds and helped them keep those things written in the forefront of their minds as a testimony and encouragement.  I am confident that the Holy Spirit will communicate this to you, so you will be enlightened and thereby drawn into that which the Spirit of God is Saying and Doing in this very hour.

As we examine the record, we find that in fulfilling His Covenant to Abraham God made some incredible promises.  In Genesis 12:7 He said, “to your descendants (seed) I will give this land.”  In Galatians 3:7 we discover, “They which are of faith, they are the children of Abraham.”  In verse 16 of that same chapter we read, “To Abraham and his seed were the promises made.” 

Seed, not seeds which point to Christ Jesus our Lord.  Then in verses 17-18, we are told, “The Covenant, which was confirmed before the Law, which was 430 years after cannot disannul, that it should make the Promise of none, effect.  For if the inheritance [be] of the Law, [it is] no more promise; but God gave it to Abraham by Promise.”  Then in verses 27-29, we find, “For as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if you [be] Christ’s then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the Promise.”  That is incredible and in this, we discover God’s instructions to Moses for Possessing the Land or the Place of Promise.  In Numbers 13:1-2, God instructed Moses – “Go Get Information.”

I shared that once and had a person say, “That’s foolish and unnecessary because God already knows.”  But we discover that the order God used has been used by military strategists for generations.  Simply, Know the Enemy!  It is important that we Discern the Gates of the City in order to take the City.  Then in verse 3, we see Moses obeying the directive of God and sending out chosen men to spy out the land.  In verses, 17-20 Moses gave some specific and detailed instructions and there were four keys in his charge:  The Land, the People, the Cities, and the Fruit or Produce of the land.  I have learned in my years of service that God Never sends out an uninformed army.  He Always equips and prepares for battle, and we must never forget that His ways are not man’s ways. 

Moses sent them out and instructed them to bring back a Single Report (v. 25) with regard to the goodness and fruitfulness of the land.  However, as the record indicates they came back with two minds, not one.  One group (10) could only see the Natural.  Whereas the other group (2) could see into the Unseen!  They all agreed the Land (fruit) was good but the ten saw the inhabitants as impossible obstacles and the cities too fortified.  They were defeated in their minds and would have been defeated in battle.  The Bible continually teaches that this is exactly where the battle is waged and won or lost.  If we see with God’s eyes, we overcome but if we see with the eyes of flesh we are overcome.

I remind you of the account in 2 Kings 6where Elisha (the double portion prophet) thwarts the efforts of the entire Syrian Army by his ability to See and Hear in the Unseen Realm.  The Syrian Army came to Dothan to take Elisha captive.  His servant woke up, saw the massive army, and ran fearfully to the man of God crying, “WHAT DO WE DO?”  This was more than a question it was a plea of desperation and defeat.  He came to the prophet in despair. 

Elisha then prayed a powerful prayer that should be revelatory to each of us.  He prayed, “Lord, open his eyes that he may see.”  But Elisha couldn’t he see the Syrian Army?  Elisha was praying that God would open his servant’s eyes so that he could see into the realm of the Unseen.  The servant was not blind in the natural, but he could not see into the realm of the Supernatural.  Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:17-18, “that you have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation and the eyes of your understanding enlightened.” 

It is critical if we are going to Possess the Promise that we develop Eyes to see into the Unseen and Ears to hear beyond the natural.  I want to deal with this more deeply but will pause for now and pick up here next time.

God, bless you richly as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!

2 Corinthians 1:8 – “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.”  NKJV

I have experienced some incredibly traumatic things in life including the loss of someone dear.  I have incurred tragedy, abandonment to the point I despaired of life, and the pronouncement that I had a malignancy.  The experiences like those mentioned were incredibly painful and distressing but I know of no pain more debilitating than the feeling of helplessness.  But, the most painful time of helplessness was when my sweet wife Bonnie was fighting for life in her battle against metastatic breast cancer. I know what it is to feel the pain of helplessness.
 
I have watched my children face struggles that I could not step in and resolve and for a man who was raised to fend for himself, face difficulties head-on, and handle whatever came his, way helplessness is murderous.  You see the problem and know that within yourself you can do nothing.  It is outside your ability, authority, or power.  It is not dependent on what you do or do not do and may rest in the hands of others whom you cannot control.
 
Helplessness is as much a state of mind as anything, and it finds its roots in Fear and Trust or the lack of Trust.  The state of mind that says, “Nothing I do will make a difference” is not only paralyzing it is destructive!  It can and often does destroy relationships and faith.  It stems from the idea that we, as individuals, must be in control and are the captains of our own ship and masters of our own fate.  It, at its core, denies God although the person in that state of mind may be devout in their belief in God.  It views life through the prism of self and becomes incapable of looking beyond the

Helplessness is a continual spiral downward into the abyss of hopelessness.  If we find ourselves in a state of feeling helpless and hopeless, we have choices.  We can continue our focus on self and circumstances and revel in the helplessness and hopelessness of the situation or condition or we can look beyond ourselves.  I would contend that if we envision another can rectify our situation we are not in a state of helplessness.  It is when we see no solution from our own ability or any outside source that Helplessness reigns.  It is from that sense of helplessness that we become hopeless and despair of life.  NO HOPE!   NO HELP!  Total despair rules.

It is when we look beyond ourselves or others and realize that with God Nothing is Impossible that helplessness and hopelessness begin to melt away from our minds.  Our pathway to deliverance and victory may be tiny baby steps but the light at the end of the tunnel gradually transforms from a faint candle flicker to a brilliant floodlight.  Hope begins to rise within, and that hope dispels the sense of helplessness.

The Serenity Prayer is applicable especially when our confidence is directed to the LORD our God:

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Helplessness is a condition where we see ourselves as the final source of a solution.  Hopefulness is where we see God as the final source of a solution.  In a time of helplessness, we can either become hopeless or hopeful depending on where our look is focused.  Psalm 121:1-2 gives the solution, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help?  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”

I pray that God helps you to be free of Helplessness and walk, in Hopefulness for the remainder of your days!    

God bless you as you go through this day!

Ephesians 5:15-16 – “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time because the days are evil.”  NKJV

Paul gave life counsel to the Ephesians and one particularly noteworthy item was ‘how they were to walk or live.’   He gave a contrast saying, ‘walk this way not this way.’  The advice that would benefit each of us to carefully consider in our daily lives.

Some live more like a Circus Spectacle than Circumspect and demonstrate an inherent bent toward foolishness and as a result, are generally guilty of being timewasters rather than redeemers of that precious commodity.  Being a Christian carries with it a great responsibility in the presentation before the world a life that is complimentary of our faith, not one that is detrimental to our confession of faith.

Circumspect is defined as ‘watchful and discreet; cautious and prudent.’  A circumspect walk will not be one that is so outrageous that it would be more acceptable in a circus than in society.  The flummadiddle that is all too often manifest needs to stop for we have a monumental task before us that is of eternal significance.  Multitudes are perishing without God and unless we learn to live in a manner that reflects our Lord and demonstrates His wisdom, we limit our ability to witness to them.  If they see us more as Circus Spectacles than Circumspect, we have a negligible impact but if we manifest Him lifting Him up in our lives, they will be drawn to Him.

That by no means suggests that we are to be so solemn and serious all the time that we are viewed as fuddy-duddies.  God wants us to be overflowing with the Joy of the Lord and be anointed with the oil of gladness.  I have found that people who cannot or do now laugh or even know-how are often miserable and breed miserableness. 

I recall once having a person, whom everyone in town knew as the hardest man around, come to me and say, “Preacher, I want what you’ve got.”  He went on to tell me that because I was frequently laughing, would tell a joke, and even when things were difficult could find a lighter side he was interested.  He also told me that he had witnessed me shifting gears from humor to the serious and knew that while I liked to laugh, I was deadly serious about life, and he saw something in me he did not see in most. 

I did not take that to mean that I was better, more spiritual, or special than other dedicated believers in my community.  I took it to mean that God had used me to demonstrate a manner of life that caught this man’s attention positively.  Some in the same town did not like my way of approaching life and thought as a preacher I should be sour-faced and solemn all the time. 

So, if we live a life that is circumspect allowing God’s wisdom to flow through us as we redeem the time taking advantage of the opportunities set before us, we will touch others positively and powerfully.  My prayer is:  “Lord help me to walk circumspectly and never let me be viewed as a circus spectacle.”

God bless you as you go through this day!