Isaiah 6:8 – “Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”  NASB

In this passage, Isaiah begins by informing us that King Uzziah had passed away and that was a troubling event for Isaiah.  It was at that time that the prophet saw a vision that rocked him to his core.  He saw the Lord enthroned as Majesty and the Seraphim having six wings and he used two to cover his face, two to cover his feet, and with two he flew crying “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” 

That experience caused Isaiah to see his own sinfulness and he lamented, “I am ruined because I’m unclean and the people I dwell among are unclean.”  He understood that nothing was hidden from the eyes of the Lord.  Then he saw the Seraphim flying toward him with a burning coal he had taken from the altar and he took that coal and touched Isaiah’s mouth declaring, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sins are forgiven.” 

After this, Isaiah heard the Lord asking, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”  Isaiah had been prepared for service by cleansing and with a renewed heart he cried out, “Here am I. Send me!”  It was at that point the Lord said, “Go, and tell this people…”  God gave him a message and a purpose.  None of that would have any meaning had Isaiah not Volunteered for service.  God will not force us into service but will open the door of opportunity for us to serve. 

That is true in our individual lives and true in our church life.  We may see the need, be convicted of our condition, receive the cleansing and preparation of the Lord But until we volunteer it means nothing.  I’ve observed churches through the years who labored feverishly to press people into service.  People who had not volunteered although greatly qualified were the target.  My attitude has always been that I would rather have a person with lesser qualifications who really wanted to serve than someone with impeccable credentials who did not.  One will invest the time, the energy, the prayer and God will produce the results, the other will simply go through the motions based on their wealth of knowledge or ability and little will be truly accomplished lastingly for the Kingdom.

I’ve heard preachers and churches lament we do not have workers for a particular program and my response has usually been, “If there is no one to perform the task or carry on the program maybe God doesn’t want the program.”  I believe that God provides for that which He desires be that money, people, or whatever. 

If the Holy Spirit has touched your heart and quickened, you with regard to the need you see – Volunteer!  You may only be the intermediary until the one that God has designed and prepared for the task is ready or arrives but you just might be that one.  You will never know until you respond to the calling of the Holy Spirit. 

May God be with you as you go through your day!

Psalms 5:11-12 – “But let all who take refuge in Thee be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And mayest Thou shelter them, That those who love Thy name may exult in Thee. 12 For it is Thou who dost bless the righteous man, O LORD, Thou dost surround him with favor as with a shield.”  NASB

I want us to take a brief look at the treasure that is embedded in these two verses.  In some of my most difficult times, this and verses like it provide an instant charge in my spirit and inspire me to move forward.  David said that he encouraged himself in the Lord and if we are to do the same passages such as this are essential.  Let’s take it one step at a time and hopefully in a few paragraphs we can mine the needed nugget of truth that will help us rise above whatever is trying to press us down. 

Refuge in God.

We are told repeatedly, in Scripture, to seek God and to set the Lord before us.  We are to focus on His Person as well as His Promises and Power.  It is in the relationship with Him that we find true victory and genuine peace. 

As I read this Psalm, I immediately think of Psalm 91 and Psalm 23 and focus on the provision of God to provide a shelter or refuge for us to run to in times of difficulty as well as in times of blessing.  Notice that the Psalmist follows the declaration that those who ‘take refuge’ in God are to be Glad. 

Wow!  You mean we are commanded and instructed to ‘be glad’?  How do we make that a reality?  Notice the second part of that instruction – “Let them ever (always) sing for joy.”  What happens when we begin to enter God’s presence with a genuine attitude and expression of Praise?  He shelters us. 

However, it is never just about us.  In the process of taking refuge in God and being sheltered in Him through Praise, we are empowered to exult Him.  I ask that you consider the KJV rendering – “But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. 12 For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.”  Also, consider the Amplified – “But let all who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice, Let them ever sing for joy; Because You cover and shelter them, let those who love Your name be joyful and exult in you. 121 For You, O LORD, bless the righteous man [the one who is in right standing with You]’ You surround him with favor as a shield.”

The shelter and refuge of God are so that we can bring honor to His Name and make Him known among the peoples.  In doing that we take the blessing of peace He gives us and administer it to those without peace.  We become tools of evangelism by our lives. 

The Shield of The Righteous…

The Psalmist expresses the reality that as God’s people focus on Him, enter into Praise unto Him, and exult His name we are Blessed by God.  We are Defended by God against all attacks.  We are surrounded by the Presence of God and the Favor of God as a Shield!

The devil accused God of putting a hedge around Job and protecting him.  God had done exactly that, and in this Psalm as well as in Psalm 91 and Psalm 23 we realize that the Promise of Matthew 6:33 becomes a present reality in our lives.  God becomes our Shield and Buckler.  He becomes a Sun and a Shield for Us.  He lifts our heads and gives us Protection and Peace.

What we need to do is take Refuge in God through Praise and Exultation of His Name.  We need to receive the Shield of God’s Protection and Peace.  We need to embrace the Blessing of God.  We do not earn it; it is a Free Gift of His Grace!

God bless you as you endeavor to become one who takes Refuge in God with overflowing Gladness and Joyful Singing.  May you learn to be Sheltered in His Presence!

Have a Great Day!  

John 19:28-30 – – “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!”  29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” NKJV

When I think about Salvation and what is needed to receive Salvation I think of this passage of Scripture where Jesus said, “IT IS FINISHED!”  The final divine legally satisfying act to complete the transaction of purchasing man back from the “dominion” of the devil “spiritually” had been completed. 

Divine Justice had been satisfied that “blood had been shed” in sacrifice for sin.  Jesus’ innocent blood had been shed to satisfy the penalty for the sin of mankind and allowed us the opportunity to be “transferred” from the Kingdom of darkness into the “Kingdom of Light” through the Blood of Jesus that He shed on the Cross.  HE PAID OUR DEBT!  He broke the legal hold that Satan had on man and now we can “Whosoever will, can come unto Him” and receive His mercy!  THAT IS CAUSE FOR REJOICING!

The work is “complete”.  How complete is complete?  What else must be done to obtain Salvation?  Is there something that we must do to EARN IT?  NO!  Is there something other than repentance and accepting Him as Savior that we need to do?  NO!  The action on our part is to believe and receive.  The action on our part is to recognize the fact that we “have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” repent of our sins and accept His sacrifice and atonement.  At that point, He accepts us into the beloved and we become part of the family of God. 

The process after that of maturity is lengthy and lifelong but the door has been opened. Divine Justice has been satisfied.  The Cross is the symbol of the ultimate victory of Jesus over the devil and the triumph of mankind.  That’s why I value the empty Cross, the Empty Tomb, and the Risen Lord!  He has prepared for us an Eternal Abode that where He is we may be also!

Therefore, just a Joseph responded when I am confronted with sin or temptation my question is, “How could I sin against my master and my God in this way?”  Oh, I stumble, we all do. But I/We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous to make intercession for us. When we run to the Cross in repentance He accepts us into the beloved and restores our fellowship with God.

Truly, we are weak but He is strong. We must never despair over a stumble here or there but fix our eyes on the ultimate goal and the Finished Work of Jesus on the Cross! It is here that we declare “For, I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.”  We then can walk in complete peace knowing that the Work of Salvation has been Completed in Eternity and in us. We do not have to and cannot Earn it, we simply Receive it!

It is my prayer that you go through your new week with exuberant joy, complete peace, and filled with rejoicing as you walk in the Keeping Power of the Lord!  Blessings!

Ephesians 3:14-21 – “For this reason, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,   15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height —  19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”  NKJV

Nobody likes to be manipulated but too frequently we use manipulation to get what we want, or we attempt to.  My thought is, if we dislike being manipulated why would we resort to it?  SELF-INTEREST is the culprit.  I believe it goes far beyond that simple statement and can be discovered in the prayer of Paul in verse 17 of this passage. 

Note the prayer:  “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love…”  Of course, we must read the rest for the full context. But the thought I want you to catch and entertain is that the reason we manipulate or attempt to is because Christ does not dwell in our hearts to the point we are rooted and grounded in His love and demonstrating His character.  I do not mean Never but that at the moment of succumbing to the temptation to manipulate we are lacking.

Another key is this prayer is not a prayer for the unbeliever but believers.  Paul is crying out to God that believers Know the Love of Christ that transcends the bounds of human knowledge and understanding.  One of the problems is too many believers never move far from the point of entry where they encountered Christ as Savior and fail to follow the Process of becoming Christ-like.  God’s desire is that we be Complete!

I would suggest that man in the Garden of Eden was complete.  Adam and Eve were joined as one to the creator and it was only as they became disobedient; they fell into incompleteness.  You and I, to be complete must be joined as one to our creator and we cannot be complete any other way.  I cannot complete you and you cannot complete me that is something that can only come from God. 

We all need to be loved even if we insist, we do not, we do.  However, human love is conditional love and out of that need, we fall prey to the temptation of manipulation.  But if we are secure in the Love of God we can love as God loves and reject the need to manipulate others to give us the impression of satisfying that need deep inside our beings. 

We all have desires that in and of themselves are not wrong.  God made us to enjoy life. We need to be satisfied and as the old song goes, ‘we search for love (and satisfaction) in all the wrong places’ for true satisfaction can only come from God.

Churches and Ministers are often manipulators often without intending to.  We use religion to manipulate rather than release people.  The drive for acceptance is so strong that we manipulate and allow manipulation as we strive for acceptance.  Man is continually trying to fill that empty hole in his life and tragically some try to fill it with drugs, alcohol, work, sex, things, etc. 

When we attempt to manipulate God through religion we fail miserably.  We know that as humans if we do certain things for others they appear happy and pleased. Therefore, we seek to make God happy by what we do failing to understand it is not what we do that pleases Him but who we are in Him.  We manipulate our words and lifestyles to make God happy and to be accepted by Him.  We go to church, say our prayers, volunteer, and fill our daily schedule to the max to be accepted thinking if we do enough, He will like us, and we will receive His favor and blessings. 

Sadly, manipulation often results in emptiness and when a person is empty inside, they seek to fill that void with something.  There is a significant kinship between a person seeking to fill the emptiness in their lives with drugs and a person seeking to fill the emptiness with religion.  I understand that one may have by-products of worthwhile activities, but both are missing the mark that it is Who We Are not What We Do that moves the heart of God.

It is impossible to bargain with or manipulate God, so you only frustrate yourself trying.  We need to allow God to help us Be Who He made us to Be! As someone said, we are not HUMAN DOINGS we are HUMAN BEINGS and we need to be joined to our Creator as one and BE.  It is out of being that we are free!

God bless you as you embark on today’s journey in life!

Matthew 6:9-13 – “In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.” NKJV

You have heard of the Texas Two-Step dance but how about the Prayer Two-Step?  I would never suggest there are only two steps in prayer but wish to offer two that I believe are crucial to Victorious Praying. 

• STEP ONE – – Praise.

In this step as we enter our prayer closets praise enables us to shift the focus from “self” and “circumstances” to GOD!  It is as we focus on Him, His Promises, and His Provisions we create a place for faith to rise up and become strong.  Our confidence begins to flourish and our hope soars in new and powerful ways, enabling us to rise above the struggles of life and view things from God’s perspective mounting up with the wings of an eagle.  It is here that our hearts are strengthened, emboldened, and encouraged for the more difficult matters of Spiritual Warfare.

• STEP TWO – – Submission.

Until we come to the place of total surrender and submission we will never soar with the eagles and become the mighty warriors in prayer the Kingdom needs and God desires.  It is in the place of TOTAL SURRENDER of everything that we become formidable weapons in the hands of the Holy Spirit waging spiritual warfare and pulling down strongholds, moving mountains, and plucking souls from the clutches of hell.

As we do the Prayer Two-Step we find that a new dimension in the realm of the Spirit opens. Prayer becomes much more than a daily chore or obligation but a joy as we sense. We see the hand of God move in ways we may never have experienced or dreamed possible.  In this condition, we can invite God’s Presence into our lives so powerfully that the stage is set for the Holy Spirit to begin praying through us and guiding us in prayer to be the most effective. 

We must determine in our minds that God’s will is of paramount importance and that we are willing for His will to be done fully in our lives here and now on earth.  This is a total surrender.  I am not talking about getting saved all over again but a daily TOTAL SURRENDER of ourselves to HIS WILL!  It is here that we are in a position and condition to engage in prayer.  For it is here that the Holy Spirit takes control of the rudder of our lives our tongues and in agreement with the Spirit and Word of God, we set the course of life in prayer!

In this Two-Step we find four areas of focus: 

SELF – We place self on the altar of sacrifice daily and completely.  We determine that we will stay before God until the Holy Spirit charts that day’s course and then we proceed but not before. 

FAMILY – We should be praying for our spouses, children, and extended family.  We are placing them on the altar before God and praying for His guidance in their lives. 

THE CHURCH – If you are not praying daily for your pastor, the leadership, the congregation, and the harvest, I must ask why not? 

THE NATION – We are commanded by God to pray for those who have the rule over us and pray for His guidance in the decisions of the state that will affect everything we do in life.  I would suggest a fifth focus according to Psalm 122:6 that we are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. 

Someone asked me how long we should pray and my consistent response is UNTIL!  Until what or until when?  UNTIL you have heard from God, come into His presence, and received your marching orders for that day.  I have never placed a time on prayer for I have found times when in a matter of minutes I knew that I knew that I knew and at other times it was hours and even days before I knew.  Prayer is more than an exercise to twist God’s arm and get Him to do something for us it is Worship and Warfare as well as Petition.

God bless you as you embark on today’s journey in Jesus!

Matthew 6:9-13 – “In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”  NKJV

Through the years of studying Scripture and the Prayer Strategies that Jesus taught I find there are at least “six” definite topics or principles which need our focus. As we incorporate those principles in our lives we will become more effective prayer warriors in the Kingdom. 

Victorious Prayer affects others and incredible things result.  We must never forget or fail to realize that we are engaged in a Supernatural War. Our commission and directive are to utilize the Spiritual Weapons we have been given to defeat the enemy. Jesus commissioned us to pull down strongholds, and set the captive free from the chains of darkness. 

Our fight is not against flesh even though, at times, it seems it is.  We are battling those things not seen by the natural eye in heavenly realms.  We are standing against and battling principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places.  We are battling a defeated foe but one that will fight until the final chains are placed on them.

Let’s briefly consider the Principles we should learn and focus on in Prayer:

• PRAISE – – I call this the recognition stage where we give verbal and mental acknowledgment and recognition of whose we are and who we serve.  “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Your Name.” 

I am convinced that too frequently we enter the Prayer Closet with “gimme, gimme, gimme” and bombard heaven with our petitions rather than dealing with our hearts and entering God’s presence with thanksgiving and praise.  This is the conditioning of our heart in recognizing the One before whom we are standing or kneeling.  HE IS GOD!

• PRIORITIES – – This is the submission stage where we make a verbal commitment to obey the Will of God in all things and at all times.  “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven.”  In or on Earth AS IT IS in Heaven.  First things first and we know from the words of our LORD that we are to “seek first the Kingdom of God… seek first His righteousness…”  HE MUST BE FIRST!

• PROVISION – – This is the appropriation stage where we learn to appropriate the promises and receive the provision of God’s supply.  “Give us this day our daily bread.”  Remember Jesus telling His disciples, “take no thought of tomorrow, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof…”  I do not have to know what tomorrow holds but I do need to know who holds tomorrow and know that HE WILL PROVIDE.  This is the development of trust.

• PEACE – – This is the stage where we reconcile differences and learn how to get along with others in this life.  “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”  The conditional aspect of that is incredibly powerful and should be both comforting and arresting.  The word “AS” is incredible and key.  In this stage, we learn to roll our cares on the LORD and learn to release those who have wronged us and how to reconcile with those we have wronged.

• POWER – – Here we learn how to consistently and effectively defeat the devil.  “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”  There is power in the presence of God and this gives focus on the position and condition where we take up permanent residence in His presence.

• PRAISE – – We come full circle and this is where we reestablish our commitment, trust, and confidence in God.  “For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, for every. Amen.” 

For us to become mighty in God it is imperative that we learn how to pray!  For us to fulfill the commission given us, we must learn how to pray!  But more than learning HOW we MUST PRAY!

God bless you as you embark on today’s leg of life’s journey!

Matthew 9:35-38 – “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.   36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”  NKJV

I recall, early in my Christian service, thinking about the immensity of the Harvest and the great need for the Gospel to be proclaimed to the whole world and became despondent.  Some would chastise me over that statement and have, but I was viewing the work through the lens of one man and my insignificance and limitations. 

I believe that, in a great measure, is what the writer of Ecclesiastes was speaking to when he said, “He who observes the wind will not so, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.”  When we look at a project or objective through the lens of our personal limitations we will have a great tendency to pull back and not venture out because of the enormity of the task.  The Holy Spirit helped me overcome that mentality and explained something to me in such simplistic terms I was delivered from my fear and frustration as to the immensity of the task before us as believers.

The Lord helped me understand that the harvest is not dependent upon me alone but is a collective effort of every believer in every part of the world.  Some will reap thousands if not millions and some will reap one or two but each will reap in their field and contribute something to the harvest. 

It is not my responsibility to reap the entire harvest by myself but reap that harvest that is open before me where I am.  If my field increases I will increase my reaping but if it remains the same I will reap in that field and other fields are not my responsibility except to pray for the worldwide harvest and worldwide laborers to be trained and thrust into those fields of harvest. 

If the only opportunity you have to spread the Good News is occasionally to only a few people then rejoice in that opportunity and faithfully discharge your duties and invest yourself in your opportunity.  If God opens the doors for you to speak to millions personally or via various electronic media invest yourself in that opportunity that is your new field of harvest.  If you find yourself experiencing dry season and drought, then immerse yourself in prayer and remain faithful, planting seeds knowing that “some plant, some water, but God gives the increase.”  It is a collective and collaborative effort of the Body of Christ not each of us individually.

The Harvest Fields have not diminished even with the increase of evil in the world or the rise of religions that oppose and reject God and the Bible.  The number of laborers increases and decreases for various reasons but our individual responsibility is our “Jerusalem, our Judea, our Samaria, and our door of opportunity.”  Then, we are charged to PRAY for more laborers to be sent forth into God’s harvest. 

I have known of churches that invested themselves in prayer that God would do that very thing and send forth laborers into His harvest. When He did the harvest did not affiliate with their local congregation and they became jealous of those God choose or invited to participate and reaped the benefits of the harvested souls. 

If we keep in mind that it is HIS CHURCH, HIS KINGDOM, and HIS HARVEST we will rejoice when a soul is born again and plucked from the clutches of the devil.  I told a group of ministers that I was convinced I had helped build several churches other than the one I was charged with leading.  We would see people born again and their heritage caused them to gravitate to other denominations and rather than becoming angry I rejoiced they were born again and seeking to become established in a local congregation where they could be nurtured and developed spiritually.  It is God’s Harvest and I trust Him to plant people where He wants them planted and am committed to being a “faithful servant” and “steward” of His commission.

There is a Great Harvest, too few laborers, and too many times we seem to be hindered because of the immensity of the task.  Let’s move beyond that hesitancy and invest ourselves in the field of labor the Lord has set before us, reaping that which we can for the Kingdom.

God bless you as you embark on today’s leg of your life journey!

Jeremiah 29:11-13 – “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”  NKJV

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! My devotional today is not a typical Thanksgiving message but one that I believe is needed in this hour! God bless you and may your celebration be joyous and your heart full of thanksgiving!

I need to explain my title before launching into this devotional.  The text and the title do not seem compatible in many ways but I believe they are in perfect harmony.  Frequently, people argue that they are the way they are because God “made them that way.” 

In a measure, I can accept that and yet totally reject it at the same time.  If you follow that thought or idea through to its logical conclusion God would, in fact, be quite sadistic. He would be other than the God of Love of the Bible and the God who offered those comforting words in our text.  If we follow that idea through to its logical conclusion then one would have to determine that we are simply robots.

We would be without the ability to choose and therefore controlled by the divine. That would mean that sin is not sin because if we are not responsible for our actions we cannot be held accountable for them.  Sin would be God’s fault and if I sin, blame God.  I know of few Christians who would embrace that idea.  However, it seems to be taught indirectly by some who envision themselves as God’s Voices and Authorities on all things spiritual if not all things.

I readily acknowledge that genetics and environment play a significant role in our character and makeup.  I would never argue that there are not genetic, neurological, and even chemical factors involved in addiction and physiological and psychological bents in life.  However, if I adopt the view that “God made me this way” regardless of what “this way is” then whatever I am is God’s fault. If my makeup is unwholesome it is His fault and if it is wholesome He gets the credit.  The Bible speaks of choices from Genesis to Revelation and if we have no choice then those directives could be considered sadistic and that is foreign to the Bible’s teaching about the nature, person, character, and purpose of God. 

Let me approach it this way, I have battled weight for a considerable amount of my adult life but if I believe God made me fat, why should I get off the couch or out of the easy chair? Why take the steps needed to get in shape, lose weight, and become more healthy?  To do so would, under that ideology, be fighting the very design of God because after all, “He made me fat.” 

The Bible also gives warning about the dangers of anger or rage but if God “made me this way” then why resist?  Hey, I can fly off the handle and go into a fit of rage with no accountability because after all “God made me this way”, right?  NO! NO! NO!  The Bible clearly warns that if we become angry and that anger is not bridled it is akin to murder and God forbids murder as a violation of His righteous principles and a violation of the right to life of another human being. 

We have many people today who are addicted to something whether that be alcohol, drugs, food, sex, money, power, or many other things, and if we adopt the idea that “God made them that way” why fight against God?  Of course, genetics and other factors can and do come into play but there is also a choice and sometimes that choice is simply to call upon God for help. 

Remember our text and the promise of God.   He has plans for us that are good, not evil, and wants us to have peace, not turmoil.  He wants to give us a future and a hope, not a life of despair and the darkness of depression through addiction or something else.  His declaration was, “…You will call upon me and pray to Me and I will listen to you.”  He further said, “And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”  

Seeking is one thing Finding quite another and it would be sadistic for God to instruct us to SEEK HIM with no hope of FINDING HIM.  If we are doomed to a life, whatever life, of darkness because we were made a particular way that is not HOPE that is DESPAIR and that is not God!

God is not out to get us. Although human beings cannot explain fully why there are birth defects, difficulties, and propensities in some and not in others we can trust that God is not SADISTIC. He did not intentionally design us to make us suffer or cause us to be other than the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. 

If I believe, and I do, that God is a Loving God who wants us to prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers I cannot accept the notion that He made me a certain way with no hope of deliverance or healing.  I cannot adopt the mentality that God creates us in ways to force us into actions and lifestyles that propel us outside His will and desire to punish us. 

We are CREATED in the Image and Likeness of God and unless you want to label God in the ways we accuse Him of creating us you might want to rethink your argument.  We do a fine job of making ourselves other than the righteousness of God and He is not the blame.  He has provided a way of escape and a door to salvation and invites us to enter into the Joys of our Lord.  I cannot and will not blame God for any sin or flaws in my life but will credit Him with His Grace and Mercy that brings me forth to victory!

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