Luke 19:37-48 – “As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, ³⁸ saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” ³⁹ And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” ⁴⁰ He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” ⁴¹ And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, ⁴² saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side ⁴⁴ and tear you down to the ground, you, and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” ⁴⁵ And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, ⁴⁶ saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” ⁴⁷ And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, ⁴⁸ but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.”  ESV

I have often wondered, why would people fail to recognize the time of their visitation?   Why did these people fail to recognize the time of their visitation?

Number Two – Preoccupation.

They were preoccupied with self-indulgence to recognize the time of their visitation and discern the times in which they were living.  I am reminded of the response of the Children of Israel in the wilderness in Number 11:5. They reminisced about the fish and vegetables they enjoyed in bondage.  They complained that they were having to endure any hardship in being delivered.  They wanted to satisfy their fleshly desires right then and sadly, so do we.

In Proverbs 16:26 we are reminded, “He that labors does so for himself for his mouth craves it of him.”  Also, in Proverbs 27:20 we read, “Man’s eyes are never satisfied.”  Our carnal cravings are always for more.  Paul addressed that in 2 Timothy 3:4 reminding Timothy that sinful people love pleasure more than God.  Too many are seeking physical and emotional gratification rather than spiritual freedom.

Proverbs 21:17 warns, “He that loves pleasure will be a poor man.”

They were preoccupied with the natural pursuit of life.  Jesus warned that if we focus on this life and saving ourselves in this world, we will lose our eternal reward.  If we place Him first, we will have a life here and hereafter.  (Matthew 16:15).

Isaiah warned of the greed for real estate or possessions in (Isaiah 5:8), and Jesus warned of the craving for possessions in (Luke 12:15).  The Bible is filled with warnings of the dangers and control of envy, jealousy, and pride. 

Paul instructed Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:14 that no person going to war allows himself to become preoccupied with the affairs of this life.  His focus is on the war before him.  He recognizes that he must win the war to pursue any semblance of life.  The word ‘entangled’ means to inweave, entangle, involve, or make the focus that object.

They were preoccupied with the problems and difficulties of life.  Their domestic needs and desires outweighed their desire for eternal peace.  Matthew 6:33 gives us the prescription – “Seek first…”  Seek what?  God and His Kingdom above all else and the result is we get both what we need in this life and eternal life.

I want to address this one more step but will pause and encourage you to focus on God not what is before you in life. 

May your day be joyous today!

Luke 19:37-48 – “As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, ³⁸ saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” ³⁹ And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” ⁴⁰ He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” ⁴¹ And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, ⁴² saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side ⁴⁴ and tear you down to the ground, you, and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” ⁴⁵ And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, ⁴⁶ saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” ⁴⁷ And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, ⁴⁸ but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.”  ESV

It is of significance to define what the word translated ‘visitation.’ In Strong’s Concordance, it is defined as ‘inspection’ and in Thayer’s Greek Lexicon the biblical Greek defines it as – “that act by which God looks into and searches out the ways, deeds, and character of men in order to adjudge them their lot accordingly, whether joyous or sad.”  The idea is inspection, investigation, and visitation.  It is, therefore, the time in which God Himself is manifested as gracious and offers salvation through Jesus Christ.

In this passage, Jesus is visibly and audibly moved by the reality of the inhabitants of Jerusalem’s spiritual blindness and rejection of the blessings of God.  Salvation through Jesus Christ has been offered, and they have failed to heed the call and accept His mercy and grace.  They did not recognize the time of their visitation!

The Kingdom of God had come to them, and they did not recognize it.  Why?  Jesus was there and therefore God was there, but they did not recognize the Kingdom of God.  Why?  Salvation had come to them and was available for them, but they did not recognize the Kingdom of God and accept salvation.  Why?

Why would anyone refuse this tremendous offer of forgiveness?  Why would anyone choose the pathway of condemnation to forgiveness?  Why would anyone take the pathway of eternal death to eternal life?  Why would anyone prefer garbage to gold?  Why would any intelligent, reasonable, sane person make such a choice?  There are more possibilities than I can address but let me address a few reasons why.

Number One – Religious Prejudice.

That may sound illogical to you but prejudice of any kind blinds to truth and fact.   Prejudice is to ‘pre-judge.’  It is to render a judgment before the facts are in and the evidence has been presented.  It is a judgment based upon bias rather than truth.  It is allowing preference to prevail over truth.

Remember the words of Nathaniel regarding the possibility of Jesus being the Messiah in John 1:46?  He said, “can anything good come out of Nazareth?”  In the Amplified, it reads, “Nazareth!  Can anything good come out of Nazareth!”  Remember the response of the citizens of Jesus’ hometown in Mark 6:3?  They said, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?”  Remember the response of the Pharisees to Jesus in John 7:52?  We read, “…art thou also of Galilee?  Search out and look for out of Galilee arises no prophet.”

Prejudice as to how the Messiah would come prevented them from knowing the time of their visitation.  Prejudice as to what the Messiah would do prevented them from knowing the time of their visitation.  Prejudice as to how He would do what He did prevented them from knowing the time of their visitation.

In a measure it was bigotry.  That is seen in the response of the Pharisees when Jesus went to be the guest for lunch of a local resident in Luke 19:7. They murmured and said, “Scandalous, He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 

Because of their bias and prejudice via the religious leaders, their culture, and their selfish motivations they rejected to examine every possibility and listen to the message.  When He healed the sick, they said, “He has a devil.”  When He forgave, they said, “He was committing blasphemy.”  The Bible says, “He came to His own and they received Him not.”

Today many fail to find God because of religious prejudices.  Some never discover the victorious life because they have been taught it does not exist.  Some never accept salvation because they have been taught that this life is all there is. Religious prejudice destroys more lives spiritually than all the Hitlers of the world.

I want to address this more but will pause and wait until next time to address reason Number Two why people fail to perceive their time of visitation.  

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

Luke 17:32 – “Remember Lot’s wife!” TLV

Today, I would like to consider some pertinent revelations regarding Jesus’ statement to ‘Remember Lot’s Wife!’  I believe it will be beneficial to consider some things about Lot’s wife and her failure.

SHE PERISHED – Although she was the wife of a righteous man.

I suggest that Lot was not all he could be or should have been, but the fact he was being offered deliverance indicates he was a righteous man.  If we read 2 Peter 2:7-8 we see that reality.  “He rescued Lot; a righteous man deeply troubled by the shameless immorality of the wicked. ⁸ (For that righteous man, while living among them, was tormented in his righteous soul day after day by lawless deeds he saw and heard.)”  I would also note that she was a relative by marriage to Abraham the father of faith.

SHE PERISHED – Although she was warned of the danger.

Imagine her situation.  A special message and messengers from heaven had come to warn them of the impending destruction and instructed them to escape for their lives.  That is applicable for today in that we are repeatedly warned in the Scriptures to flee the wrath to come and to come out from among them and be separate. 

In John 3:16 we have the amazing promise of Jesus, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  God, the Father, loves us so much that He has done everything short of forcing us to serve Him.  He offers us the choice to receive His grace and mercy.  We can either believe, receive, and obey or we can be like Lot’s wife and look back to destruction.

SHE PERISHED – Although she made an effort to be saved.

She heard the warning that Lot and their two daughters heard.  She partially believed it and was led outside the city by the angels.  She ran in the right direction for a while but the longing for what she had left behind became too much and she looked back.  She did not or could not ‘forget the things that were behind.’  Like Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8:21, her heart was not right with God.

We need to be reminded that doing our best apart from a steadfast faith in Jesus will result in our perishing by the way.  We must continue in the faith and how we finish is far more important than how we begin.

SHE PERISHED – Although she became separated physically from the Sodomites.

Her physical body was outside the city, but it is clear that her heart was not.  Where the heart is that is where our treasure is.  What we love, we long for.  The command was ‘escape for your life and do not look back.’  Even though she may not have practiced the sins of the sodomites it seems that she was fatally in love with the world.  We are told to love not the world, nor the things that are in the world.  We must be separate in our devotion.

SHE PERISHED – Although she committed but one act of Rebellion.

I call it rebellion for we are told that obedience is better than sacrifice and that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.  This was an act of rebellion.  Her failure was unbelief.  Her failure was disobeying the command to not look back.  In Luke 9:62 our Lord said, “no man having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God.”  In Hebrews 10:38 we are instructed that “…the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

God is offering us deliverance today.  He is offering it through the shed blood of Jesus.  We need to keep in the forefront of our minds and hearts the declaration of Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

It is one thing to say, “I am following the LORD” or “I will follow You LORD” but quite another to fully commit ourselves to Him and allow Him to be Lord of All in our lives.  Remember Lot’s wife – her love for this present world cost her eternity.  Jesus says, “Come!”

God bless you as you enter this day with a total commitment to Jesus!  

Luke 17:32 – “Remember Lot’s wife!” TLV

The title is not a question “Remember Lot’s wife? It is a warning.” I find that a most interesting statement inserted in Jesus’ discussion of the signs of the coming of the LORD and comparing it to Noah’s day.  It is one of the shortest statements of our LORD in the New Testament yet is impactful in more ways than I can fully convey in a short devotional. 

There are some very solemn reasons to ‘Remember Lot’s Wife!’  That is especially true as we draw near the return of Jesus.  Lot’s wife looked back and rendered herself unfit for the deliverance being afforded Lot’s family.  It is one of the most tragic pictures in the Bible.  Lot and his family were being led to freedom from destruction, but Lot’s wife disobeyed the directive and ‘looked back.’  Her looking back indicated a divided heart and disqualified her.

For anyone to be found unfit at the return of Jesus is a most tragic picture.  The account of Lot’s family brings to light some significant and interesting truths applicable for today.  In consideration of this verse, it is necessary to go back to the record of God’s deliverance of that family from the wickedness of Sodom.

Lot’s family and the families of today are quite similar in many respects.

• Lot’s Family had religious orientation – They knew and believed in the Almighty God, Creator of Heaven, and Earth.
• Lot’s Family was interested in self-betterment – Concerned with their own welfare.  I say that in light of the reason for Lot’s choice in separation from Abraham.  He chose what appeared best for him with little concern for his uncle.
• Lot’s family had settled in and were planting their roots in that region and culture.  They had established themselves in the community.  Lot’s daughters were marrying the residents and Lot was on the City Council (so to speak).

The city of Sodom had become their home and, they had turned a blind eye to the evil and corruption going on around them.  They ignored the wickedness of the city and the abominations being committed.  They appear to have adopted the attitude of live and let live and sought acceptance by accepting the culture.

Lot’s family lived near the corruption in such a manner as to not be offensive to the inhabitants of the city.  They were not rocking the boat.  Their lives and roots had become established.  They found security and comfort in their surroundings.  Their lives were invested in the society in which they lived.  Their philosophy seemed to have been that would live quietly and not advertise their faith.

In today’s world, some have become so tied to possessions and their standing in the community, they are unable or unwilling to see the evil and destruction.  I suggest that Lot’s wife’s love for what she had indicated that her heart was in Sodom and that was more powerful than the directive to come out from among them and be separate.  It seems she longed for what she had more than she longed for the deliverance being offered. 

Therefore, the directive of Jesus is germane to us – Remember Lot’s Wife!  She looked back and lost her deliverance.  There is the danger of being so in love with what we have in this world we lose sight of what God is offering in Jesus. 

I want to go a bit deeper into this and will address some pertinent revelations regarding Lot’s wife in the next devotional.  Until then, may God be with you guarding and guiding you through your day!  

Have a Great Day in Jesus!

Acts 1:6-8 – “So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”  NASB

The disciples and the followers of Jesus in that day had a problem with the ‘natural restoration’ of the Kingdom of Israel.  They failed to grasp the full import of the truth that Jesus’ Kingdom was not an earthly one but a heavenly one.  They were looking to throw off the bonds of oppression from the Romans and see Israel restored as a sovereign nation once again. 

Jesus addressed this on more than one occasion and each time He would say, “It is not for you to know….”  On this occasion, He reminded them that knowing the times and seasons of what the Father had planned was not theirs to know but something important was in their immediate future and it would impact the known world.

You will receive POWER WHEN… When what?  When the Holy Spirit has come upon you.  The result of that infusion of power will be your ability to take this message of the gospel that He has given to us. We will take it to our Jerusalem, all Judea, Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.  You will Impact the World more through this than you would if I restored the nation of Israel as a sovereign earthly kingdom right now.  They did not receive that until the Day of Pentecost and the visitation of the Holy Spirit in a mighty way that truly and literally transformed their lives, and those around them, and as a result swept the world and is still sweeping it today.

Sometimes we are so involved and interested in ‘uncovering secrets’ that we fail to realize that the most important thing for any of us is to receive the infusion of the Holy Spirit’s life and power to enable us to take the message of the Cross and the Gospel to the world.  With the anointing of the Holy Spirit, we can deliver the witness of Jesus to the lost and do so with God’s Power which is able to convince, convict, and convert them.  The power that can rescue the lost from their lost-ness and translate them from the kingdom of darkness into God’s marvelous light!

So instead of trying to ‘uncover’ all the hidden secrets of the Bible.  Instead of attempting to establish dates and times for coming events.  Why not leave that in God’s hands and seek to be saturated with God’s life and power through the Holy Spirit and allow the Life of Christ to spill out onto those we come into contact with? 

Our task is to rescue the perishing, not to identify when God is going to do His next thing on His prophetic calendar.  I am not saying finding out what God is up to is bad, but it is not the most important thing to be able to predict what is coming and when.  We are ‘watchmen on the walls’ not simply ‘heralds of coming events’ to show our knowledge and skill at research and interpretation.  We are voices in the wilderness!

May God help us and be with us as we go through this day!

Ephesians 4:23-24 – “…that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” NASB

Romans 12:2 – “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” NASB

Sometimes when I hear teaching about the thought life, I almost feel like I am in a “meta-physics conference” and being taught “mind over matter” and other forms of “mind control.”  I have had experience with that to a degree.  In my military training, I learned to virtually block out pain so I could function for a time regardless of the injury.  After I came to Christ, I stopped practicing that technique because I considered it bordering on the “metaphysical” and did not want to align myself with anything associated with the demonic world.

Yet, it is clear from Scripture that the Bible teaches us to take control of our minds, or our thought lives and we are instructed to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  We are instructed about the importance of renewing the mind, which is largely “thinking the thoughts of God.” 

We are to replace our carnal, worldly, earthly, natural thinking with thoughts that are inspired by the heavenly realm and from the perspective of God’s Omniscience.  It is “transforming” and allows us to “guard” our thoughts, “recognize” the intrusion of things foreign to the things of God, and exercise “discernment” when things look good on the surface but hidden beneath are elements of destruction.

A renewed mind is a mind that is focused on God first and foremost.  It is completely obedient to His desire, will, and purposes.  It enables us to put on the new self in righteousness, and holiness, and walk in His truth.  It enables us to walk not in conformation to the mindset of the world but to march to a different drummer, The Holy Spirit, and walk pleasing to God in all things.  It enables us to see, know, discover, prove, and pursue the will of God and walk in a state of Peace that the world neither understands nor can provide.

Our minds are like computers and the adage “garbage in, garbage out” is completely appropriate.  If we feed our minds garbage, then we will find our lives filled with the debris of this world and cluttered with things that hinder our walk in Christ.  If we fill our minds with the things of God, we find that we are able to stand against and resist the temptations of this life and walk in harmony with His Word, Will, and Way.  We do this through prayer, the study of His Word, listening to the Holy Spirit, and actively standing against things we know and recognize to be foreign to Him, His nature, and character.

I have no interest in “mind over matter” but I am interested in having a “spiritual mind” that honors Christ and walks in obedience to His call and purpose.  May you find that as you feed your spiritual man you find your mind being renewed day by day and your thought life become clearer, your peace becomes stronger, and your understanding of spiritual things becomes greater! 

Blessings as you pursue His purposes for your life.  Have a beautiful Sunday in the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

Romans 13:7-8 – “Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.  8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.”  NIV

Although it would be appropriate to address debt, especially in light of the massive mountain of debt that the Federal Government has burdened the American People today, or focus on personal debt.  But that is not what I want to focus on in this devotional.  Those are also matters of integrity but a subject for another time and place.

When we think of debt most of the time we think of our bills and obligations financial.  We think of the indebtedness we have incurred to lives in order to live the style of life we have chosen.  Yet, this passage speaks of other debts that are equally, if not, more important in the scope of our relationship with the Lord. 

Before, I address those let me say, “it is never right to fail to take care of those obligations to which we have committed ourselves.”  Therefore, I am not suggesting that in what I am saying.  My point in this is that there are some debts that run far deeper and that we often fail to even realize that we have those debts.  The bills rolling in every month prevent us from being able to ignore them, but the debts of which I am speaking are not always so obvious.

Let me suggest some of those debts.

Respect:       The apostle Paul addresses this as a debt to be paid.  Have you ever considered that respect could be a debt?  I did not think so!  I passionately believe that respect is earned.  Even though we may disagree with our parents we still owe them respect especially if they spent their lives attempting (with success or not) to provide for us, teach us the right paths in life, and protect us from the evils of this world. 

However, it does not have to be just parents but how about the military, police, teachers, preachers, or those who have devoted their lives to serving God and man.  One way to address the payment of that debt would be to remember them at special times and on special occasions, but how about just unexpectedly sending them a card, letter, phone call, or gift to express our appreciation for them not just what they do but for them.

Honor:           Wait, I have a debt of honor?  If there is someone in your life that has played a significant role in helping to shape and mold you, they are due honor.  The Bible teaches us to honor our fathers and mothers and in so doing we will live long lives. 

Consider those whose unwavering integrity has impacted not only your life but untold numbers of others.  Find a way to honor them to fulfill the debt of honor.  Could I suggest that you become the person that they have demonstrated and in so doing Honor Them! 

Next, the apostle with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says that there is to be no outstanding debt except the ongoing debt “to love one another.”  When you consider the debt that we have to love based on the Love of God exhibited toward us in the sacrifice of Jesus, how could we, not seek to pay this debt regularly to whomever we are able. 

It may be painful to love because we may not like what the object of our love says or does on any particular occasion.  Those words or actions may be like fingernails on a chalkboard.  Those we love may not understand why or what we have chosen for our lives.  They may rightfully point out some flaws in our thoughts or actions.  Those are not justifications for us to withhold our love.  All of us like to be affirmed.  We do not normally like to be challenged or even questioned. 

Love is a choice!  It is not an emotion!  That is not to say there will not be emotions attached to love, but in and of itself it is not an emotion it is a conscious decision on our part.  God chose to love us and because He first loved us, we can choose to love others.  We owe that debt not only to others but to God!  Obeying that directive and choosing to love will not purchase our salvation but will enhance our relationship with the Lord because it transforms our hearts.

I have had and have people now who find it difficult to love me!  In some of those cases, I know why and in others I am clueless but know it to be reality.  I may not like everything you do or even want to spend time with you, but I can choose to Love you!  Our personalities may clash and our views of what should or should not be done spiritually, naturally, economically, etc. may be diametrically opposed to each other, but I am still able to Love You! 

If you bring to remembrance an account in the Book of Acts, it might help.  The apostle Paul found himself in such a situation that his ministry team split up and went in separate directions due to a disagreement.  Did that mean they did not love each other, NO!  It meant that they recognized that they did not agree completely, and the Bible is clear that two cannot walk together unless they are in agreement. 

To try to have a close relationship in that situation would only cause tension and be detrimental to those involved and those they are trying to reach.  Paul did not criticize those departing and even recommended them in his travels, but it took years for God to mellow both sides to the point that they could link up in a common effort.  Do not allow the devil to defeat you if you find yourself in that situation but also do not allow him to rob you of the benefit of Love!

May this day be the best day you have ever lived and overflow with victories.  May the rich and bountiful blessings of the Lord flow out of an open window in heaven upon you and all that you do on this day! 

I treasure you and the opportunity to share my heart with you daily!  Blessings!

Galatians 6:7-10 – – “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” NKJV

Some years ago, I stayed up late and watched the Texas Rangers collapse in the World Series.  I do not watch professional sports anymore but when I watched that I thought of the contrast in the different styles and thoughts about the game of baseball and the lives of the two managers.  The thought came to me that one had a philosophy that the game of baseball does what it wants, and you just more or less watch it play. The other believed it was up to him to make the decisions, push the right buttons, and demand things from his players and actions have consequences.  One was right the other was wrong.

Life does not “just happen!”  It is the composite of our choices. The positives and negatives in life are always directly connected and traceable to our choices.  I realize that the above text has nothing to do with my first paragraph, but the first paragraph is what brought me to this scripture.  Isn’t it funny how God uses life events to bring remind you of spiritual truths? 

The phenomenal truth of this passage that causes many to cringe in fear but should cause us to rejoice in hope falls along these lines:

1. God truly does “know” and “see” EVERYTHING!  (Like the Psalmist said, “If I make my bed in hell you are there or ascend to heaven you are there….”  He Never sleeps and is never caught off guard.
2. Sowing and Reaping are a natural part of life.  (Just like farming.  The type of seed, the amount of seed, and the quality of seed put into the soil determine the harvest).
3. If our choices are carnal choices that are focused on the carnality of the flesh, we will reap the corruption that goes with it in our bodies, and it will taint our souls and spirits.
4. If our choices are focused on the spiritual man and the life therein, we will reap the spiritual growth and development in our body, soul, and spirit that goes with it.

Had He stopped there it would have been enough to give us a true picture of how to live life, but He did not.  He moved into the application and encouragement that follows true-life instruction.  He encouraged us to “not grow weary in our efforts” and this is a reminder of the farmer that (first he plants, then waters, then finally there is a harvest – but it is over time not necessarily Instantaneous).

If the farmer were to give up after a few days or weeks and plow up the field, he would get nothing for his initial efforts.  He then adds something that we tend to miss: “As we have opportunity, let us Do Good to all and especially those of the household of the faith.”  We are to plant seeds of kindness, generosity, love, compassion, tenderness, concern, etc.  As we plant those seeds in others, we will find that the harvest in our lives has multiplied a thousand-fold and we will have a continual supply of the provisions of life.  We can begin to embrace and enjoy the life that God not only desires to send to us, but we will enjoy the benefits of right choices. 

It did not just happen! You played a direct role in what is going on in your life through your choices and actions.  If things are bad for you right now, before you get angry at God or anyone else stops and think about the choices you have made. If things are going good do not just assume that you are somehow just fortunate or that God is favoring you without cause, think about the choices you have made. 

I am not saying that you earn God’s favor, you cannot!  I am saying that the truth of “Sowing & Reaping” is a Principle or a Law of God that is inviolable and one that He follows implicitly in our lives.  There are areas in each of our lives where we could benefit from making better, more responsible, more accountable, more righteous, and more honest choices. 

Therefore, cultivate the good choices and work to eliminate the bad choices you have been making and watch the difference in your life.  But – do not think that by making the right decision today you will instantly receive the benefit of the choice tomorrow.  It is like farming – – The harvest is produced as time passes and they are cumulative! 

May God bless you as you conclude your work week!  Have a blessed weekend in Christ!

John 14:25-28 – “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.  26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.  27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.”  NKJV

So much is embodied in that short passage of scripture!  So much comfort, hope, encouragement, direction, and information for our daily walk!  I love the Promises of our Lord that were made not only to those who were standing with him physically at that time but reaching into all successive generations and this passage is one of those incredibly powerful tidbits from the Treasure Trove of His Promises!

Notice He tells them and us that although he had been teaching and some did not remember, He reminds them that they should not worry!  Why?  Because the HELPER, the Holy Spirit, Who was coming from the Father would Teach them and bring to remembrance all that he had been teaching.  You and I have a helper, teacher, comforter, advocate, attorney, guide, and guard in the person of the Holy Spirit.  He even prays through us when we do not know how to pray!  He quickens our minds when we have forgotten important divine truths.  He is ever-present!

Then the Lord goes further and says Peace I Leave With You!  He further qualifies that by saying it is “MY PEACE” –not the world’s peace!  His peace is unshakable and never dependent upon outside circumstances or influences it is Who He Is!  We have God’s Perfect Peace when our minds are fixed upon Him.  We have God’s Unshakable Peace when we are in right relationship with Him.  We may be penniless, in pain, and facing impossible odds but because of Him we can “Live in Peace.”  That is what He gives and something the world has no concept of and is incapable of giving it.

He expands further about that Peace and calms all concerns about not only the immediate future but eternity.  Do not allow a troubled heart to rule, but remember my Promise!  Jesus reminded them that He was going away and in doing so would prepare a place for them and us.  If He goes, He promised to return!  He went and He is coming back!  The simple truth is that our eternal destiny is settled. 

We do not have to worry about a retirement plan in eternity, He has taken care of it.  We do not have to worry about a healthcare plan in eternity, He has taken care of it.  We know that is real because of Who He Is.  We can trust Him, and He backs up what He promises with the assurance of the Father!   What more could we ask?

Therefore, if you lack ask.  If you have fears, turn to Him.  If the turmoil of this life comes at you like billowing waves of a raging ocean look to Him and crawl up in His arms and Rest.  His Peace is our Peace!  His Promise is our Promise!  Thank you, Lord, for the assurance and evidence of your love, compassion, and concern for us!

May God watch over you as you go through your day!