Exodus 14:17 – “As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians with strength so that they will go in after them; and I will be glorified through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.” 

Today, two verses in Exodus 14 were succulent reminders of how God Works. Israel was fleeing Egypt and standing at the Red Sea.  An impassable obstacle was in front of them, and the Egyptian Army was behind them.    In their minds, they were trapped. 

Fear gripped their hearts. Moses attempted to calm and encourage them in Exodus 14:4: “The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.”   As I contemplated this, I realized that it contains an enormous amount of teaching, which pointed me to How God Works. 

Exodus 14:6-7 is where I was reminded of a powerful truth that is timeless.   God said, “As for you…”   As I read this, I could almost hear the LORD saying, “Here is what your part is.  This is what you do to see My miracle, provision, and deliverance.”

God does not desire nor does He normally “Do It All” for us without our participation.   We do not like that, but He is training us to reign and teaching us how to exercise our spiritual authority.    How can we know and function in our full spiritual authority unless we are trained?

God instructed Moses to lift his staff and point it at the problem.   Our minds tend to say, “That won’t do any good. GOD, You do it for us.”  However, Israel would have remained trapped without Moses being obedient and cooperating with God’s directive.

Exodus 14:17 –“AND as for Me…”    God says, “Once you do your part, I will do My part.” 

In the New Testament, we discover that we are laborers together with God.    God has no robots or puppets.   That would violate choice and negate faith and spiritual development.   It would destroy hearing and relegate us to spiritual infancy. 

If God did not involve us, He would be cruel in leaving us here after we are saved.  He has no 357-magnum ministry. He develops us through trial and difficulty.   We have the power and authority; if we do our part, we will see Him do His part.

Therefore, we need to stop praying for Him to arbitrarily do it all for us without our involvement and begin asking, “What am I to do?  Guide me into your plan and purpose!”   It may be incredibly simple and seemingly insignificant, but it is vital.

Remember that we “are” heirs and joint heirs.   We are more than conquerors through Jesus!   We have been commissioned and authorized to use His Name and All the Power embodied in it.   Let’s Use It!   Do not tackle the mountain until you have dealt with the molehill.  Do not take on the lion in the street until you have learned to handle the mouse in the house!

Today is your day to become Who He says you Are!

1 Chronicles 28:9 – “And you, Solomon my son, obey the God of your father and serve him with a submissive attitude and a willing spirit, for the Lord examines all minds and understands every motive of one’s thoughts. If you seek him, he will let you find him, but if you abandon him, he will reject you permanently.” 

As I prayed, read, and meditated on the Word, something gripped my heart in 1 Chronicles 28:9.   David’s charge to Solomon is powerful and revelatory as to God’s nature and desire.

David instructed Solomon to Know God, not Know about God.   He urged him to serve God wholeheartedly rather than have a compartmentalized relationship.    God was to be All.   He instructed him to serve God with a Willing Mind.   A willing mind is both open to God’s instructions and obedient.

David said, “For the LORD searches the hearts, AND understands EVERY intent (motive) of the thoughts.”   God examines the Why, not just the What.    In fact, the What is secondary to the Why.    

Mistakes should be judged by motives, not by actions.   Don’t focus on the What; examine the Why.    Get your Why right, and your What will become aligned rightly.

David said, “IF (key) you SEEK Him, He will LET YOU FIND HIM…”  [Emphasis mine] No more excuses for not knowing God’s will.  If we Seek Him, He reveals Himself to us.  But that is the key.  If we forsake Him (walk in disobedience with wrong motives), He will Forsake (reject) us.   How long?  Forever!

God desires never to reject us.   He desires to give us the Kingdom and make His abode with and in us.   He wants to be one with us.   We have to work at being rejected.  Likewise, we have to work at ensuring our desire is wholly Him and our motives are pure. 

We must come to Know Him—His character and ways, His love and long-suffering. If we Seek Him, He gladly allows us to find Him. We do not have to live one second wondering what God’s will is “if” (the key) we Seek Him with our whole hearts and develop a willing mind.

He wants us to know so we can do His will on this earth. You are an heir of God. Claim your inheritance and walk in the victory He has purchased.  

Have a great day, and set your heart on Knowing God!

2 Chronicles 15:8 – “When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he was encouraged.  He removed the detestable idols from the entire land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had seized in the Ephraimite hill country. He repaired the altar of the Lord in front of the porch of the Lord’s temple.”

This passage and the entire chapter of 2 Chronicles 15 brought inspiration, a directive, a warning, and a promise that challenged me.  2 15:8-15 provides the foundation for the message of the Spirit of God to my heart.

In 2 Chronicles 15:1-7, Asa, the king, was in the presence of the prophet Azariah.   The prophet’s message was age-old – if you seek God, He will let you find Him.  In verse 7, the prophet said, “But you, be strong and do not lose courage, FOR there is reward for your work.”

The revelation, inspiration, warning, and promise are embodied in that passage.  In 2 Chronicles 15:8, notice the progression: when Asa heard, he did not put on hold for later study.  When he heard the prophecy, he “Took Courage and Acted.”    It was immediate obedience.

He removed the abominable (the very appearance of evil as well). He Restored the altar of the Lord (place of commitment, sacrifice, worship, and prayer) personally and corporately, but the action was Immediate!

2 Chronicles 15:15 – “…so, the LORD gave them rest on every side.”

In Matthew Chapter One, we see this in Joseph, Mary’s husband, an example of this principle—“Hear, take Courage, and Act.”  When Joseph found out his fiancée was pregnant, it was a major system shock to his Hebrew religious mentality.   

He did what any man in his time would have done, but God gave him a dream and told him what was happening.  In verse 24, we see the principle put into action.  Joseph got up and married her but had no physical relations with her until Jesus was born.  His response was immediate.   There was no hesitation or theorizing, just obedience.

Later, after the visit by the Magi, another dream and warning, and “in the night,” Joseph acted.   His response was immediate in complete obedience.

The danger is that delay in obedience can become disobedience and thwart God’s desire for us.   It gives the enemy an opportunity.   The Key is knowing God, knowing His voice, and obeying out of that place of confidence. God provides guidance and protects us when we walk in obedience.  

2 Chronicles 20:20 (perfect vision 20-20) Jehoshaphat heard the prophet and acted immediately. He said to the people what we need to hear and heed: ” Put your trust in the LORD your God, and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets, and you will succeed.”

We “Hear” the word either in a word or in the Word (Bible).  When you hear obey, we are to Act!  Obedience shows us the door to an open heaven.  When the door is not visible, we should see if there has been a failure to obey immediately.  God desires to bless, guard, and guide more than we want, so receive it. 

Have a Great Day, and Determine that you will always Act in Immediate Obedience to the Holy Spirit’s Directive!

2 Chronicles 26:14-16 –“And Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and stones for slinging. ¹⁵ In Jerusalem, he made machines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones.  And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.  ¹⁶ But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction.  For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.” 

As I read, prayed, and pondered today, I was reminded of a great danger for believers.  That danger was made plain in 2 Chronicles 26:16.

Uzziah trusted in himself after victory and blessing.  Rather than becoming even more dependent on God, we tend to become filled with Ourselves after spiritual victory.

Uzziah was king when some people in his kingdom invented powerful, unknown weapons of war.   Verse 15 says, “…he was marvelously helped UNTIL he was strong.”  Then, in verse 16, we read, “BUT when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, AND was unfaithful to the LORD…”   He presumed upon the office of the priest and was smitten with leprosy for the rest of his life.  God will not honor presumptuous pride.  He shares His glory with no one.

2 Chronicles 26:5 says, “…as long as he sought the LORD, God prospered him.”  Man tends to think the blessings are because of his specialness.   God requires humility and obedience.

If we keep pride out of our hearts and always remember that it is because of God’s grace, not our goodness or specialness, God will do what God does, and no weapon, enemy, or obstacle can stand.

If we trust ourselves, we doom ourselves.   If we trust God, we guarantee success.  It is a choice and a total surrender.  We need to guard against “I” trouble.   God honors the humble and stumbles the proud.   God’s desire for us is victory!

Have a great day in the Lord’s peace, power, presence, protection, and provision!

Matthew 16:13-20 – “When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ They answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven! ¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.  Whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.” ²⁰ Then he instructed his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered today, something refreshed my spirit as I read Matthew 16 and beyond.  Jesus asked, “Who am I to the crowds?”  Then He asked, ” Who am I to you?”   That’s the key!

Peter’s response should be our response.   Out of that revelation, Jesus informed Peter and us that Who He Is provides the basis of our spiritual authority.  

THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM

Keys unlock and lock doors.  An unused key is a worthless piece of metal.   A used key is a mighty tool used rightly.  Through the revelation and embracing of Who Jesus Is, we can access the Kingdom provisions.

We can bind because we have the key and can unlock the door.  We can reach into the kingdom, see what is bound, and bring it into our present.   Likewise, we can see what is loosed and bring that reality into our present.  There is more to operating in that authority than just believing He is the Christ.  There is dying to self and becoming childlike in faith and trust.

It involves purity of heart and complete forgiveness of Everyone and Everything!    It involves relationships with God and others in the body.

Matthew 18:18-22 is worthy of in-depth study but suffice it to say that unity with pure hearts, right motives, and total forgiveness opens the door to the miraculous.

Binding and loosing are connected to belief but also to complete forgiveness.  Agreement, in that context, allows us to exercise our spiritual authority and bring the kingdom and ALL its provisions into the present.   Nothing is impossible for that person or group of people. 

No self-centeredness can remain.

In Matthew 19, we have the story of the rich young man who reveals a dimension of this truth.  He wanted to “do” something to earn acceptance, but Jesus said “Be” something.  Jesus told him that he must Release that which you treasure and consider yours to me.  That can be possessions, or it could be a harboring of a hurt or anything else.  Release that which holds your heart and surrender totally to Jesus.  The keys will become functional, and the world of the supernatural will open to you.

You do not have to be the devil’s whipping boy.  You Have Authority.  Use it.

Have a wonderful day of rejoicing in Jesus!  You are Victorious!