Relaxing

In awe of God's handiwork! My God created all this.

2 Kings 7: 3-10

Take a Chance and Move

  In our text we see that the 4 men did not let their current condition keep them from making the choice to move. They knew that change was needed because death was certain were they were at.  The fact that they had leprosy was not going to prevent them from doing something different.  We cannot allow what our current condition to define us. God is still in control and His strength is made perfect in our weakness. We must be willing to take a chance and move in spite of our conditions.

Secondly, make sure you move in faith. As we move in faith we have may have to encourage our self. I don’t believe that these men were moving towards the enemy camp thinking we’re dead now, it’s over now, our goose is cooked. No I believe as they were moving forward they were thinking and speaking faith. Gods going to give us favor, they will be merciful to us. When we are afraid to step out or move in faith we need to count the cost of not doing what God has asked us to do.  What will happen if I do not do what God wants me to do? 

Thirdly move in selflessness. Selflessness is define as having little or no concern for oneself, especially with regard to fame, position, money in other words you are willing to risk your own gain to do, say, or give something for another person without expecting anything. The four men in our text understood that it was the day of good news and they could not keep what God had done a secret.  It is so important that as we move in God’s plans and purposes for our lives that we share the good news of Jesus Christ.  

The men in our text were face with having to make a choice to move, they had to take a chance. When they got up and started walking they had no idea what God was going to do.  While they were walking God was moving in the background to bring about a great deliverance not just for the 4 of them but for the whole city.

Word of the day

Sow the Seed

Matt. 13 3:9

Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

I love the parable of the sower found in Matthew13:3-23. As I was reading and meditating upon this passage of scripture God begin to prompt me to encourage others, as well as myself, to sow more.

I’m not talking about money, while God may lead some of us to sow more financially into His kingdom. But rather to sow more of Him into the lives of others.  To sow more, love, kindness, forgiveness and of course more of the word of God.

The sower had one job in the parable that was to sow the seed. His job was not to plow the field but to sow seed. His job at this time was not to cultivate the seed once it was in the ground but to sow the seed. Not to worry over whether the seed fell on good ground or bad but to simple sow the seed. Not all of the seeds he sowed fell on good ground, but he still sowed.

Today, I want to challenge and encourage you to simply sow the seed.  Sow the seeds of love, kindness, and His word. We cannot let the fear of rejection or failure stop us from sowing seeds of God’s word, love and forgiveness in the lives of others. Will the seeds we sow always fall on good ground? No, but we still must sow.

  While the stony ground of man’s hearts need to be broken-up and that is a job for God. He knows us and He knows the conditions of our hearts. He is simply asking us to sow the seed.

Place Guard over My Mouth

Ps. 141:3

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly].AMP

Have you ever had one of those uh-oh did I say that out loud moments? Perhaps you found yourself complaining to God instead of praying to God. (I have found myself doing both of these.)

 When the pressure and stress of life happen we may find ourselves speaking faithless words instead of faith filled words.  When we are frustrated with our husbands, children or co-workers we must be mindful to speak out of love not frustration. James 1:19 puts it this way” Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving];”{AMP}

In Psalms 141:3 the author understands how easy it is to speak words that can not only be damaging to others, but to ourselves and our faith. So he asks the Lord to place guard over his mouth. A guard is to protect, keep careful watch over, safeguard things that are valuable. Think about how valuable our words are.  Proverbs 18:21 declares that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.” {AMP}  Wow!  The words that come from our mouth are so valuable and powerful that they can produce life or death. Its’ no wonder we need to be mindful of what we say.

Father, today we ask that you place a guard over our mouth. Help us to speak words that are life giving and full of faith.  In Jesus name amen.

Amazing Father

Our heavenly Father is truly amazing.  Sometimes I think we forget just how amazing and awesome He truly is. 

In spite of all our imperfections and short comings He loves us. His desire is to have an inmate relationship with each an everyone of us. He so wanted this that He gave us His only begotten son (John 3:16). He allowed His son to pay the price for us.

God loves you! Do you hear me? God love you! Yes, He really does love YOU! You were created in His image and the Father desires to have a loving relationship with you.

Today don’t look at the mistakes made but the grace that was given. Let’s not focus on our imperfections but on His perfection.

Today choose to accept the Father’s love. Walk in His love, live in His love and most importantly share His love with someone.  

A Faith that is Alive

James 2: 14-17

Hebrews 11: 1-6

A Faith that is Alive

A Faith that is alive requires action.

James 2:17-18Amplified Bible (AMP)

 So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back it up], is by itself dead [inoperative and ineffective]. But someone may say, “You [claim to] have faith and I have [good] works; show me your [alleged] faith without the works [if you can], and I will show you my faith by my works [that is, by what I do].”  

To be dead is to be void of life.  The opposite of dead is alive. So then as believers in Christ we must have a faith that is alive.

The word work here is not referring to salvation because we know no amount of good works that can save us.  The word work when define means the act of doing.  So then faith without the act of doing is dead. So faith that is alive then must have an action to match.  

The ability to believe and have a faith that is alive is in us.  I want you to think about this. We will get up go to job and work the hours they give us because we believe that at end of the week or whenever the payday is we are going to get a check. But we do not even know if the business has money to pay us. We haven’t seen their checking account we don’t know how much debt they have. We don’t even ask. We simply believe because they hired us they have the money. If we can act on a man’s word and trust and believe that we are going to receive what he promises us then surely we can have faith to act on the word God and the promises of God.

Now go to Hebrews 11. There were 3 things God showed me that indicated these people had a faith that was alive.

1.     They moved in obedience to God.

2.     They Trusted God for the increase

3.     They Focused on God not Man

    Many of us have prophetic words and promises hanging over us and our families and while we are waiting on God, He is waiting on us to take a step of faith. What God is asking you to have faith for now very well could be the stepping stone for where He wants to take you.   It’s time for us to mix what we say we believe with action.