1 Kings 19:1-4 – “Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, including a detailed account of how he killed all the prophets with the sword. ² Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this warning, “May the gods judge me severely if by this time tomorrow I do not take your life as you did theirs!” ³ Elijah was afraid, so he got up and fled for his life to Beer Sheba in Judah. He left his servant there, ⁴ while he went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He went and sat down under a shrub and asked the Lord to take his life: “I’ve had enough! Now, O Lord, take my life. After all, I’m no better than my ancestors.”

A simple question consumed my thoughts as I read, prayed, and pondered the Word.   Elijah had seen the miracle of rain and fire defeating the prophets of Baal.   Then, Jezabel overrode his confidence with her threats. Sometimes, we are the most vulnerable after being powerfully used by God.  Following the outpouring of God’s Spirit, there is a release of demonic presence and threats.

Elijah ran for his life.  He went into seclusion in the wilderness.  Often, seclusion is a wilderness.  Alone, he was discouraged, disappointed, and disillusioned.   The angel came and fed him twice, and in the strength of that supply, he traveled 40 days and nights to Horeb.

He entered a cave, and God appeared, asking, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”   Elijah gave his laundry list of reasons, and God wasn’t buying it. God manifested Himself to the prophet, but what captured Elijah’s attention was the voice of God—a still and quiet voice that asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Again, his list of woe is me came forth.  That wasn’t the question.  

Sometimes, we are in a place God didn’t send us, distracted by the trouble around us.  God told Elijah, “You have a commission and a mission.”  The question to each of us is, “Who are we listening to?”  And “Why are you where you are doing what you are doing?”  Is it a fulfillment of His assignment, or are you running in fear?   Confidence in His call gives the courage to stand.

Psalm 25:14 -“The Lord’s loyal followers receive his guidance, and he reveals his covenantal demands to them.”

The Psalmist was facing trouble upon top of trouble.  In Psalm 25:17, he said, “My problems are going from bad to worse.”  He acknowledged that his only hope and help was God.  He declared, Psalm 25:18 – “Until You lift this burden, the burden of all my sins, my troubles and trials will be more than I can handle.  Can’t You feel my pain?”

God is asking, “Why are you where you are, doing what you are doing?”  Are we looking at our problems or our purpose?  We are commissioned; in that commission, we are secure even if all hell breaks loose against us.  He Does Not Fail.

Be encouraged; nothing is greater than God, and the more you are attacked, it just might mean you are nearing the epicenter of His purpose.  Make the choice to rejoice.  Enter that private place of Revelation Light and be Restored!

Have a fantastic day in Jesus, and guard your heart so that you listen only to the Voice of the Spirit of God, not the naysayers, including the devil.

2 Kings 4:1-7 – “Now a wife of one of the prophets appealed to Elisha for help, saying, “Your servant, my husband is dead. You know that your servant was a loyal follower of the Lord.  Now the creditor is coming to take away my two boys to be his servants.” ² Elisha said to her, “What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a small jar of olive oil.” ³ He said, “Go and ask all your neighbors for empty containers. Get as many as you can.  ⁴ Go and close the door behind you and your sons. Pour the olive oil into all the containers; set aside each one when you have filled it.” ⁵ So she left him and closed the door behind her and her sons. As they were bringing the containers to her, she was pouring the olive oil. ⁶ When the containers were full, she said to one of her sons, “Bring me another container.” But he answered her, “There are no more.” Then, the olive oil stopped flowing. ⁷ She went and told the prophet. He said, “Go, sell the olive oil. Repay your creditor, and then you and your sons can live off the rest of the profit.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word, the old story in 2 Kings 4 became my meditation. The wife of one of the sons of the prophets who followed Elisha came to him. She said, “My husband has died, and I’m destitute. “  Her sons and all she had were about to be sold to pay their debt.

Elisha asked two questions.   “What shall I do for you?”  And before she could answer, he asked, “What do you have in the house?”  She said, “Nothing but a pot of oil.” 

In this account, I see Evaluation.  What do you need, and what do you have? I also see Preparation. The instructions were to borrow empty vessels, not a few. Preparation Always Precedes Blessing.   ALWAYS!   God fills what we provide for Him to fill.  We empty and present to Him every part of our life, and He fills.

Then, he said, “Shut the door.”  That is petition, prayer, and participation.   God expects us to participate in the miracle.  The prophet said something interesting that is overlooked.   2 Kings 4:4 –“…the vessel which is full bring to me.”   We not only present the empty vessels to God to be filled but also bring the full to God in dedication.

When she ran out of empty vessels, the flow of oil stopped.   The only limitation of God’s miracle is in our hands.  If we keep emptying out and presenting the empty vessels to Him, the oil flows. We are pipelines, not reservoirs. Oil is to flow, not collect in a pool.  How much we have is not as important as how much can flow through us!

So, evaluate what you have and what you need.  Prepare empty vessels for God.  Petition, participate in the process, and stop limiting God.  Remember that Preparation Always Precedes Blessing.   God won’t waste His oil.  You can have God’s abundance, but you must give God your all.   Become a prepared pipeline and watch what He does.

Open your heart, and God will fill your hand.  Rejoice in His Provision and enjoy this day in Jesus!

Psalm 35:17 -“God, how long can you stand there doing nothing?”  

As I consider this passage, several realities in the Psalms captured my consciousness. The Psalmist in Psalms 35-40 repeatedly called attention to his desperation.  Psalm 35:17 – “God, how long can you stand there doing nothing?”   Have you ever been there?  The honest heart says yes.  He said, “Now is the time to act.”  How we impose our timelines on God.

Psalm 36:5-6- he shifts his focus from his plight to God’s greatness.

Psalm 37:3-5, he acknowledges an eternal truth.  If we fix our hearts on God and follow Him wholeheartedly, His deliverance and blessings come.

Psalm 37:5 – “Give God the right to direct your life, AND as you trust Him along the way, you’ll find He pulled it off perfectly.”  I love that!  God’s timing and ability are never wrong.

We struggle over the seeming success and ease of the wicked.  Psalm 37:16 reminds us of God’s reality.   Having little with God is more valuable than all the gold of this world.  Gold without God is just metal and meaningless.

Psalm 37:34 should become the theme of life.  “So don’t be impatient for Yahweh to act; keep moving forward steadily in His ways, AND He will exalt you to possess the land (place of promise) …”

I love the rendering of Psalm 38:9b – “My tears are liquid words, and You can read them all.”  What comfort!   Then, a gripping reality that should give us hope is Psalm 38:15 –“Lord, the only thing I can do is wait and put my hope in You. I wait for Your help, my God.”   God never fails, so wait.

Psalm 39:7 says, “And now, God, I’m left with one conclusion: my only hope is to hope in You alone.”

Psalm 40:1 resonates powerfully with me.  “I waited and waited and waited some more, patiently knowing God would come through for me.  Then, at last, He bent down and listened to my cry.”

Our hope and help are sure; our objective should be to continually walk in His ascending path. God may seem late, but He never is. Our problem is that, in our impatience, we doubt and act foolishly, complicating the mess. Relax; He pulls it off perfectly every time.

Have a great day, resting in Confidence that God is still God and Never Fails! 

Psalm 44:21b – “God, You know our every heart-secret…”

“Would not God discover it, for he knows a person’s secret thoughts?   (NET)

As I read, prayed, pondered, and mused on the Word, a thought kept tugging at my heart.  The looming question was, “Why do we fear and doubt?”   Honestly, I know no one who does not exhibit both occasionally, even those who say they do not.   It is evidenced in words, actions, and body language.   God knows ALL, so hiding behind pious declarations is futile and hurtful.  Victory comes when we are fully transparent to ourselves. We are to God.

Why do we have moments of fear or doubt?  I believe that at the root of it is – Confidence!  Confidence? Yes, misplaced confidence in ourselves, our possessions, talents, abilities, and experiences.  Psalm 44:21b declares, “God, you know our every heart-secret…”

We should be encouraged when we recall God’s demonstrated graciousness to us in times past. However, if we do not have specific personal experiences to relate to those of others, these experiences become mythological theories, not encouragements.

If we genuinely know God on a personal and intimate level.  If we truly see and comprehend the incredibleness of the Cross.  If we genuinely believe that God, the Creator, loves us.   Then, we are incapable of fear or doubt.

Why?  Why do we become immune to Fear and Doubt?  The short answer is that human logic and reason are replaced by divine revelation.    Divine revelation exposes the fallacy of self-trust and the incredibleness of God.

If we could embrace the revelation of Psalm 49 regarding those who trust self, wealth, position, or anything other than God, we would view life with a liberating eye.  Psalm 49:10-11.  Informs us that everyone dies.  Everyone, including the rich and the poor, the wise and the unwise, and the famous and obscure.   It says, “Even though they name streets and lands after themselves, hoping to have their memory endure beyond the grave, becoming legends in their own minds, their home address is the cemetery!”

That’s it!    Nothing in ourselves saves us.   It is God’s grace and mercy.  He is our hope!  He never fails!  He has never failed!   Therefore, the remedy for fear and doubt is total surrender and dependence on Him, no matter what.   Trust is a learned choice!

Today, decide you will give no place to the devil, the author of fear and doubt.  Decide you will live and die trusting God regardless—instant repentance at the slightest hint of fear or doubt.  God will replace your human logic with divine revelation and lead you into His presence.  

Give it all to Jesus and enjoy this wonderful day of Victory He has provided!

2 Chronicles 20:3 – “ Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he decided to seek the Lord’s advice. He decreed that all Judah should observe a fast.“

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God, a thought came to me as a question.  “Have you ever been afraid?”  The answer was so obvious that a second question arose: “Are you afraid?”  That caused consternation and introspection.   Afraid?  Of what?  Why?  Now?

The story of 2 Chronicles 20 and Jehoshaphat filled my thoughts.  20:3 – “And Jehoshaphat feared…”  There is no hiding it.  Fear gripped his heart and mind.  He prayed, fasted, and called for a national time of prayer and fasting.  He was fearful, but he knew where his ONLY HOPE was – GOD!

Psalm 70:5 gives the key to victory.  “Lord, in my place of weakness and need, won’t You turn Your heart toward me and hurry to help me?”   Psalm 71:3 was the confidence of God’s Covenant people and their reality.   “You’re the ONLY place of protection for me.  I keep coming back to hide myself in You, FOR You are like a mountain-cliff fortress where I’m kept safe.”

Jehoshaphat could have followed the path of the beginning of Psalm 73 and considered life unfair, with no reward for faithfulness to God. But he chose the path to victory, and He Sought God in times of troubling fear! Then, he praised God before he saw the victory in the flesh.

Psalm 77:10 crushed my heart and caused me to both repent and rejoice.  “Lord, what wounds me most is that it is somehow my fault that You’ve changed Your heart toward me, AND I no longer see the years of the Mighty One or Your right hand of power. “

Psalm 77:13 –“It’s here in Your presence, in Your sanctuary, where I learn more of Your ways, FOR holiness is revealed in everything You do.  Lord, You’re the one and only, the great and glorious God!”

Psalm 77:19 –“Your steps formed a highway through the seas with footprints on a pathway no one even knew was there.”

Are you afraid?   Look to Him and allow Him to reveal the pathway through the trouble, and you will see His footprints on a path you didn’t know even existed.   It is in His presence that we learn His ways and trust Him.  It is in His presence that there is peace.

If there is no presence, there is no peace!   If there is no peace, there is no pathway to victory!   No path, there is no deliverance!   If there is no deliverance, we will be overcome by fear!    If we are overcome by fear, it is because we have trusted in ourselves!   If we trust in ourselves, it will lead us to destruction!

As we commit everything to Him and allow Him to fill our hearts, we will see the pathway and His footprints in places we would never have thought to look.   Victory is ours “if” we press into His presence and are led by His peace! 

Have a fantastic day being led by the Holy Spirit!