Psalm 92:13-15 – “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree. He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. PLANTED in the House of Adonai, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will STILL yield fruit in old age. They will be full of sap and freshness.”   [Emphasis mine]

Today, as I read, prayed, and pondered the Word, several thoughts tugged at the cords of my consciousness.   Among them were planting, peace, praise, and presence.

In the natural world, no plant grows without being planted.  It does not haphazardly wander from pot or plot to pot or plot.   The Gardner plants it, waters it, nourishes it, cultivates it, prunes it, and it takes root and produces fruit.   The planted plant does not have the luxury of deciding it would be better off in another pot or plot. It just grows and produces fruit.

That makes Psalm 92:13-15 so powerful!

Psalm 94:9-11 – “He who PLANTED the ear, does he not hear? He who FORMED the eye does he not see? He who CHASTENS nations will He not rebuke – One who TEACHES humanity knowledge? Adonai knows human thoughts – they are but a breath.”  [Emphasis mine]

God Plants, and it is not by our preference or choice but His purpose. It is not about us but the Kingdom.   Psalm 100 gives us a pattern for entering God’s presence, not a formula.

We are instructed to shout joyfully, serve with gladness, and come into His presence with Joyful Singing!    It is not any singing, but Joyful Singing!   It is recognition of Who He is – Creator, Living God!    We enter His gates with an attitude and expression of gratefulness and praise Him!    If we are planted and flourish, it releases a revelation of who He is, and an attitude of gratitude develops overflowing in Praise!  

That condition is what the writer points to in Hebrews 6:18-20. We are reminded that our God is incapable of telling a lie. His Promises NEVER change. Because of that, “now we run into His heart to hide ourselves in His faithfulness.” The place of peace is hiding in the heart of Jesus. This is where we find His strength and comfort, for He empowers us to seize what has already been established ahead of time – an “Unshakable Hope!”

Our objective should be cooperation with the Holy Spirit to be planted in the pot or plot He desires.   We are cells in the body, plants in His field, not isolated entities.  We are to flourish as threefold chords and cells feeding and being fed by the other cells.

Do you want to flourish?  Then allow the Holy Spirit to plant you where He wants you!  I will leave you and the Holy Spirit to interpret that for you personally.  The planted flourish, the unplanted wither and die!   Therefore, I encourage you to choose Life!

We are the Planting of the Lord, and His Plants Flourish!

Psalm 84:9 – “God, Your wraparound shield is our defense.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word, I was impressed by God’s impeccable timing and coordination.  I read both the Old and New Testaments each day for spiritual nourishment.  Although I study specific areas, my morning reading is from both.

Psalms 84:9 in the Passion Translation says this in a unique way that resonated with me.  What a picture of God’s covering and protection.  He is not just in front of us warding off frontal attacks but surrounding us to protect us from the snipers in the hidden areas.

Psalm 86:11 makes a powerful and purposeful plea, “Teach me more about You, how You work and how You move, SO THAT I can walk onward in Your truth UNTIL everything within me brings honor to Your Name.”

In Psalm 90:12, the request for God to teach us to number our days cannot be “How Many?”    We could never do that, so it must be focused on ordering our lives, for God is always cognizant of our brevity on earth.  We are to make the best use of every day.   It is as we focus on God, aware of our limited time on earth, we become more open to His correction and guidance; therein is wisdom.   That gives a foundation for the incredible revelation and promise of Psalm 91.

Hebrews 3:1 reveals that we are Now made Holy in Christ and have a standing invitation to the ‘feast of our heavenly calling.’   We are called to live the Life of Heaven now!  Jesus, in Matthew 6, said that we should pray for the Kingdom of God to come to this earth.  How do we enter into that Kingdom Life here?  The obvious first step is to accept Jesus as our Savior, then as Lord. Then, we fill our consciousness with Him, His Word, and Purposes.

Hebrews 3:10 reveals Israel’s wilderness experience: “They wandered in their hearts just like they do with their feet, and they refuse to learn My ways.” First, the heart, then the corresponding actions. The Life of Heaven flows from a transformed heart. It can never be produced by willpower or legalistic rules. It flows from Him through our redeemed and transformed hearts.

The guard, warning, or prescription given in Hebrews 3:12 is invaluable: “Search your hearts EVERY DAY…make sure that none of you has evil or unbelief HIDING within you.”  Then, in verse 19, we see their problem and our warning: ” They wrapped their hearts in unbelief.”  That requires effort to purposefully focus on things other than God. It is more than doubt!

If we treasure the Word and seek to make Jesus and His Word our permanent residence, we become equipped and empowered to stand regardless.  Stand victoriously!   Stand authoritatively, become candidates for the Isaiah 61 anointing, and be enabled to do the works Jesus did, manifesting the Greater Works!

We are invited to live the Life of Heaven NOW! Never settle for second best.

May God protect you from all the spiritual snipers and enable you to be fully protected at all times and in all things!

Titus 2:11-13 – “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. ¹² It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³ as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

I encourage you to be confident that God’s love for you never fails. A new day is upon us, literal in the natural and equally literal in the spirit realm. Doors, crossroads, obstacles, and opportunities are present and about to become more prevalent.  That means that right choices must be made.

• Right choices require right relationships.
• Right relationships require right investments.
• Investment of ourselves into Jesus, His purposes, and others is of supreme importance.

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word, the Psalms, I shouted to my heart, “Trust Him!”   The prayer was a constant cry for reception and preservation. It was a revelation that this life was temporary, and focusing on the wrong things destroys faith and leads to deception. Right focus puts it all in perspective, and we see eternity, and that provides hope!

In Titus 2:11-12, the apostle Paul unveils an incredible revelation: Grace is a Teacher!  Grace is a teacher, not just an experience of unmerited favor!  A teacher requires more than just getting the book being studied but to learn the principles and precepts contained therein.  We must learn to implement the principles and precepts.

God’s Grace introduces us to God, brings us salvation, and guides us in right living.  But it requires our participation.  Actions confirm the impact and presence of Grace. It gives us the information needed and equips us to implement those truths, transforming them into right actions (lifestyles). Our discipline and discipleship release the Power of a Grace Life that not only guides and guards us but becomes a testimony that draws others to Christ. It is not our words but our lives that are our true witness.

People may not remember or be significantly impacted by our words, but they will long remember our lives!  What we do speaks of who we are in a greater depth than our words. It’s easy to hide behind words but not actions. The adage, “The proof is in the pudding,” is applicable.   Saying, “I love you, or I love God, is proven by our actions.” I’m not promoting legalism or earning God’s favor but manifesting our hearts by our lives! God sees the heart!

Grace brings us into His presence, equips us to remain faithful, and guards us. Rest confidently, knowing He never abandons us.  A Grace-filled life is a life of peace, filled with God’s power and overflowing with love!

Let Grace Teach You Who He is and His Purposes, Precepts, and Principles to be applied in your life of present victory!

Deuteronomy 7:11-15 – “So keep the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that I today am commanding you to do. ¹² If you obey these ordinances and are careful to do them, the Lord your God will faithfully keep covenant with you as he promised your ancestors. ¹³ He will love and bless you, and make you numerous. He will bless you with many children, with the produce of your soil, your grain, your new wine, your olive oil, the offspring of your oxen, and the young of your flocks in the land that he promised your ancestors to give you. ¹⁴ You will be blessed beyond all peoples; there will be no barrenness among you or your livestock. ¹⁵ The Lord will protect you from all sickness, and you will not experience any of the terrible diseases that you knew in Egypt; instead, he will inflict them on all those who hate you.”

Deuteronomy 7:11-15 is capsulized in verse 11 – “Therefore you are to keep the (not a but the) commandment – both the statutes (boundaries) and ordinances (laws).”   In verse 12, we discover that obedience brought the promise of God to keep His Covenant of Kindness.   It promised God’s love (which is never earned), productivity, and fruitfulness.   There was a complete victory over all enemies.

Deuteronomy 7:20-22 reveals that God’s Hornets would lead the way for them, and a little at a time, God would give them possession of their Promised Inheritance.   We get frustrated over any delay.   God explained that wild beasts would overrun them because they were not ready to occupy fully.

God prepares us to receive and maintain blessings before He fully releases them.   If granted too soon, blessings can become a curse, a cause of pride, or an open door for wild beasts (demons).  Therefore, rather than lament and gripe about not having, ask God what preparation we need to make to receive and maintain the blessings!   Focus on our hearts, not the desired blessing.

In that condition, God will give us the desires of our hearts.  It will be a blessing if our hearts are one with His.  If not, He may give us what we ask, but with it will come leanness of soul.  We want God’s blessings in God’s timing so that we can not only be blessed but be blessings.   Deuteronomy 8:3, the wilderness experience taught them the value of God’s words…“In order to make you understand that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of Adonai.”

We need to focus on fully surrendering and developing the heart to receive and maintain, not just getting what we want when we want it.  When done in God’s way, preparation always precedes blessing.  With prepared hearts, we can receive all God has for us and become all He desires for us to be. We can live as overcomers and mighty weapons in His hands!  Today is our day of Victory!

We can have Victory over All our Enemies!

Numbers 33:55-56 – “ But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, then those whom you allow to remain will be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your side, and will cause you trouble in the land where you will be living. ⁵⁶ And what I intended to do to them I will do to you.’”

As I read, prayed, and pondered, two major streams of thought captured my attention.    I can only deal with one in this devotional.   One was in the Old Testament, and the other was in the Book of Revelation.   As intriguing as the revelation from the Book of Revelation was, I will hold it for a later time after more thorough meditation.

In Numbers 32:23, Moses addressed the 2 1/2 tribes that stayed on the other side of the Jordan.   He made a statement that has a context but is universal. “Be assured! Your sin will find you out!”  The God who sees all sees all.  Did you hear me?   The God who Sees All – Sees All!

Moses instructed them regarding dealing with the enemies who were occupying their inheritance or promise.   In Numbers 33:55-56, he spoke a universal truth.   You cannot leave the enemy (sin) unchecked and undealt with and try to coexist with it.    Every sin (wrong attitude and behavior) must be driven out.  Otherwise, it will hinder progress and block the fullness God desires.

In Deuteronomy 1:6, Moses reminded them that God had instructed them to stop circling the mountain and move toward the inheritance.  Deal with the attitudes and actions and move from carnality to Him!

They faced giants (seemingly insurmountable problems) and learned God’s infallibility.  They witnessed His love and mercy.   They learned the value He places on His Covenant (promises).

Then Moses said something that resonated powerfully in Deuteronomy 6:23: “He brought us out so that He could bring us in.”   God’s deliverance has a purpose.   He sets us free so we can be!   He sets us free so we can set others free.   He brings us out of the world to bring us into His Kingdom.

In His Kingdom, there is no room for self, selfishness, bitterness, hate, or unforgiveness.  In His Kingdom, there is Peace!   Peace cannot exist where sin is allowed to survive.   We can try to justify our sin, but sin separates and blocks the full inheritance of our blessings.

If sin is permitted, it will “find us out.”   Priding ourselves in fleshly victories that satisfy our carnality will block us from the eternal inheritance.   Which is more important, victories over people or eternity with God?   If we pursue the wrong pathways to what we call a win, we will find out that we have been found out and left out.

We must banish all sin and let Jesus in!   God’s love is extended to us all, and He is always faithful.

Let’s face our giants and lay them at the foot of the Cross!