JACKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(Revelation 22:17) "Come and drink “the Water of Life’."
If there is any thing that I have learned in life… never have I realized so fully how important it is to have my relationship with God as the first and most important thing in my life.
It's true that we all have certain "caches" or "resources" that we have set aside to help in case there is a short fall during our daily living.
Now I am not just talking about financial resources.
But I am talking about mental stability… and physical relationships that we rely on… to help us deal with daily living.
Some people jog or exercise as a way to deal with stress and or life.
Some people have other hobbies or activities they use to stimulate them selves in a time or hour of need.
Unfortunately most people are tuned into and have bought into the "self help" mentality!
A mentality that says… "if I don't take care of myself who will"?
And so they live out their lives and days… protecting their little sphere or world around them.
Little by little growing more wary, distrustful, suspicious, and withdrawn.
This might seem natural to most… except that there is a God, a Creator, a Heavenly Father whom desires to be "an ever present help in our time of trouble" (Psalm 46:1)
And He has proven that all thru the scriptures… as well as in my life as we have served Him in a travelling faith ministry for fifty years… trusting God to meet our every need daily
The same held true for Gods people in the Old Testament of the bible.
The Babylonians had encircled Jerusalem and cut off its food supply.
The question was… how long could they hold out?
And that’s what many of you have been asking yourselves as well.
How long can I hold out… how long can I hold on?
That’s what the attacking Babylonians kept wondering as well.
But a month passed, then two, then an entire year, and still the city held out.
The secret of Jerusalem’s survival lay in a water supply from a spring outside the city walls where Hezekiah had cut a 1777-foot tunnel through solid rock.
From there water passed under the city walls to a reservoir inside called the Pool of Siloam.
Without it, God’s people would have gone down in defeat.
But it’s not just another interesting Bible story… there’s an important lesson here for you and I today.
To live victoriously you must…
(1) know your life’s true source;
(2) protect it;
(3) draw from it daily.
Our true “source”… is found in a relationship with God!
And not just in a limited supply but in an overflowing well.
Not just flippantly keeping it on the back burner bringing it out once in a while when you want to feel spiritual, but making it “a daily priority”… no matter what the distractions or constraints are that might be causing you to lose your focus on Him.
If your security, your strength, your self-worth, or your strategy for living comes from any other source but God… then you leave the door open for the enemy to defeat you.
Everything you need to over come in life comes from God… so protect and nurture your relationship with Him… for it will always be the focal point of Satan’s attack.
A day without reading God’s Word isn’t merely a slip up… it’s a setup for failure.
Prayerlessness isn’t carelessness… it’s foolishness to the extreme!
Perhaps you thinking, “Well, I’m doing okay and I don’t pray or read the Bible very much.”
Friend of mine just wait… if it hasn't come yet it will.
Maybe you haven’t reached your hour of testing yet.
But when it comes… without an established source to draw from… you’ll struggle more and succeed less.
(1st Peter 5:8) says "Be sober-minded… be watchful! Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour".
Don't be that lonely soul standing against the storm of life by yourself.
No matter what you do… no matter how much you prepare… no matter how much you save… it will never be enough
Is that really how you want to live?
If not, then the word for you today is… “Come and drink of the Water of Life.”
Let Jesus be "your friend that sticketh closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24)
and an ever present help in the time of trouble (Psalm 46:1)
Protect your relationship with Him today at all costs!
You wont regret it!
Good Day!
(Matthew 14:23) "After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray."
If your like me you probably get so consumed with "doing" at times, that you often forget to take care of your self.
I have to confess, "I tend to do that"!
And it wouldn't be such a bad thing except often times... we can hurt people in the rush to get things done and complete projects that are demanding our time.
And the ironic thing about it is that often my "overwhelming work load" that I have taken on… is caused because I am trying to help others.
But sometimes you just have to take a break, step back and analyze the effectiveness of what your doing and ask yourself "is the stress you are under" worth it all.
Jesus dismissed a crowd of listeners and fans in order to spend time with His Father in prayer.
As a result, when He returned to the crowd, He was empowered to work miracles.
Think about it... before an airliner takes off, the attendant tells you that if the plane gets into trouble, you should secure your own oxygen mask before attempting to help others with theirs.
After all, unless you’re getting enough oxygen, how can you help them?
So let me ask you this morning... are you getting enough spiritual oxygen to strengthen you, empower you?
If not it’s time to start taking time to meet with God before you "burn out".
The unfortunate truth is that people your helping... often won’t recognize when your plate is full.
Sometimes you have to say no, (for a season) so that you can get some rest yourself, empowerment from on high, so that you can do the doe’s, do the work that God has commissioned you to do.
The “Great Invitation” from Jesus in (Matthew 11:28) is as relevant for you as is it is to the rest of the needy and the hurting and the suffering. “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest for your souls”.
Sometimes you have to speak up and say no… sometimes you have to dismiss them or they’ll just keep pouring on more problems and responsibilities.
"Personal empowerment", begins by taking control of your life.
Overloaded people fail at marriage, ministry, and management.
They fail at parenting, partnership, and personal endeavors.
Like an airplane, if you carry too much baggage, you won’t get off the ground.
When you’re motivated by the need to please others or impress them, you’ll take on too much and fail to reach the heights God planned for you, and you’ll crash because you ignored your own limitations.
Here is a truth that I am slowly learning in my zeal to be a help and an inspiration to my fellow man.
"Every situation that arises doesn’t warrant my attention"!
Was Jesus misunderstood when He dismissed the crowd?
Probably… and you’ll have to make that same decision too.
People who don’t recognize your needs and respect your goals will drain you, divert you, and keep you grounded.
So what’s the answer?
Give what you can, where you can, how you can... and learn when to say “enough”!
Then take time to refill your tank, through prayer, relaxation, and the study of Gods word, so that you can continue doing those things that God sets before you... and then you can "run the race with diligence" (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Don’t forget that you are a part of a spiritual family, a spiritual team.
There are others that are gifted as well, to do what you think only you can do
You are not the only one that can handle the task or the need that has arisen.
Let others have the joy of serving as well, and you take time to encourage yourself and refresh yourself in the Lord.
Good Day!
(Ephesians 6:18) "Pray...with all manner of prayer."
Jesus was an example of a prayer life.
As we read the “red letters” of the New Testament, we often find references where He went off a way’s to pray, or He would be found praying as was His custom.
In fact His disciples were so impacted by His prayer life that they asked Him to teach them how to pray. (Luke 11:1-13)
So with that in mind when we think of prayer, what is the purpose of our prayers?
For “self-gratification”, or the support of others?
With that question in mind, I wonder if we wouldn't experience more satisfaction and purpose in life if we spent the little time we do pray, to praying for others?
In Scripture there are many different kinds of prayer.
There is the prayer of surrender. (Acts 9:6)
When Paul met Christ on the Damascus Road he prayed, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"
That's like signing your name to a blank check and saying, "Here I am, Lord, do with me as You please. I hope I like what You choose, but even if I don't, I'll do it anyway… Your will be done, not mine."
With a prayer like this, you're deciding to voluntarily follow God, rather than trying to get Him to follow you.
As a result He will do the work that needs to be done in you… so that He can do the work He desires to do, through you.
There is the prayer of commitment. (1st Peter 5:7)
The Bible says, "Casting the whole of your care, (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns) on Him"
As long as you keep trying to control everything, your stress levels will keep mounting.
But once you learn to hand things over to God, you'll wonder why you spent even a single day worrying.
(3) The prayer of intercession. (Ezekiel 22:30)
The prophet Ezekiel writes, "I looked for a man...who would...stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land"
"The gap" is the distance between what is… and what can be.
And when there's a "gap" in someone's relationship with God, as a believer you have the privilege (and responsibility) of placing yourself in that gap and praying for them.
Lets see what kind of a difference we can make by focusing our prayers "outward"… rather than "inward".
I once recall a very successful man in business say, on His fiftieth birthday, I have had the privilege of being successful in life… now I want to be significant.
Significance in life is found when we turn our attention outward, when we turn our attention to others and when we surrender to Gods will in our life.
When e become the hand of Jesus reaching into and helping the lives of others.
Prayer is the key that unlocks it.
The old song says “to be like Jesus, to be like Jesus, all I ask is to be like Him.”
It’s a great thought and a great prayer that each of us should make a part of our lives.
“Lord teach us to care, teach us to pray, teach us to be more concerned for the world around us.” Amen!
Good Day!
(1st Peter 3:7) "Husbands... be considerate".
A couple celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary was asked the secret to their success.
?
The husband replied, "the day we got married we agreed that if an argument arose... I'd go out and stand on the porch until I cooled off. And it worked like a charm… fifty years of being outdoors in all that fresh air was exactly what this relationship needed".
Although that little story might be humorous, I know that some of you “male gender” that are reading this devotion this morning have spent some time on the porch as well… me included.
So if you've been spending too much time out on the porch… here are three ways we can strengthen our marriages and affirm our wives.
By the way… though Peter addressed this thought “Husbands be considerate"... to the male gender”… it has great encouragement to the female gender as well.
1) Commitment… "You're first".
Speaking those words on special occasions is easy… but you need to speak them seven days a week.
I recall a very poignant thought that I heard during an interview of a certain movie star who'd been through several failed marriages…
They said..."I've given up trying to ‘find’ the right person… now I'm working at ‘becoming’ the right person”.
That formula always works!
2) Concern… "What do you need"?
Husbands and wives are as different as chalk and cheese.
And to complicate things further… their needs change according to the ‘season of life’ they' are in and going through.
So when you ask, "How are you today"?
Slow down and listen.
Your spouse may not necessarily want you to… or need you to "solve” her issue or problem… but there’s a very good chance they'd like you to sit and listen while they share it with you.
Closeness in marriage isn't an accident.
It's a decision you make and keep making every day... drawing to and cleaving to each other.
(3) Coping… "We can work it out".
Marriage may alleviate the problem of loneliness... but it also presents the challenge of getting along with another person.
It teaches you that you can't always avoid conflict... but you can make it work for you.
The truth is... unless there are "two winners" in a marriage… there are none at all.
So both of you need to stop thinking about your self and start "preferring" each other.
Today,start making this definition of love from (1st Corinthians 13:4-7) your model to pursue.
“Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered… it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.”
Good Day!
That formula always works!
2) Concern… "What do you need"?
Husbands and wives are as different as chalk and cheese.
And to complicate things further… their needs change according to the ‘season of life’ they' are in and going through.
So when you ask, "How are you today"?
Slow down and listen.
Your spouse may not necessarily want you to… or need you to "solve” her issue or problem… but there’s a very good chance they'd like you to sit and listen while they share it with you.
Closeness in marriage isn't an accident.
It's a decision you make and keep making every day... drawing to and cleaving to each other.
(3) Coping… "We can work it out".
Marriage may alleviate the problem of loneliness... but it also presents the challenge of getting along with another person.
It teaches you that you can't always avoid conflict... but you can make it work for you.
The truth is... unless there are "two winners" in a marriage… there are none at all.
So both of you need to stop thinking about your self and start "preferring" each other.
Today,start making this definition of love from (1st Corinthians 13:4-7) your model to pursue.
“Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered… it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.”
Good Day!
(Genesis 50:20) "You meant evil...but God meant it for good."
There are just far to many people living with guilt and shame hounding them about their past… making them feel less than they deserve.
The bible calls Satan a liar and a deceiver… and rightly so!
God has set you free… and given you tools and gifts for you to use to help others find freedom. ?
Because of that, Satan is afraid of what you can do… so if he can keep you from rising up in the freedom and power of the cross and the resurrection… then he can continue to hinder the growth of the Kingdom of God… and your effectiveness in it as well.
You see folks… our struggle is not so much about being good and fleeing evil… as it is a struggle against the devils schemes to confuse and disrupt our lives as we walk with God in the light of the Gospel.
(Ephesians 6:12) “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”.
Twenty-two years after selling Joseph into slavery… his brothers stood before him… the Prime Minister of Egypt.
They didn't recognize him… and… he held their fate in his hands.
If you had been in Joseph shoes… what would you have done?
Gotten even?
Reminded them of their past offenses?
No!!!!
Like God… Joseph chose to forgive and forget!
And the beautiful part of the forgiveness… it is that he kept their offence to himself.
The bible says "There was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers" (Genesis 45:1)
In fact He fact he was even complicit in helping them hide the truth… and told them not to tell their father (whom was Joseph’s father as well)… what they had done.
Now that’s something remarkable.
Joseph made sure no one in Egypt or the world around them would ever know what they had done to him.
And you know what?
That’s exactly how God treats us?
The Bible says… “He removes our iniquities from us as far as the east is from the west, never more to be remembered” (Psalm 103:12)
The fact is… He (God)… has enough on each of us to bury us… yet He refuses to resurrect our past sins.
So why do we?
To punish… to get even… to prove a point… to satisfy our own agendas?
The bible says… "Perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment" (1st John 4:18)
What are we afraid of… that offenders will get away with it?
We think offenders need to be punished.
We want them punished… so we tell everybody what happened.
We want vengeance… we play God!
But God says, "Vengeance is mine… I will repay" (Romans 12:19)
He alone knows the weakness in your offenders that caused them to hurt you… and whether they've repented and changed.
He alone knows what’s in their hearts… and knows what causes them to do the things they do.
But when we play God… when we demand vengeance… we set the standard by which we ourselves will be judged.
(Matthew 7:2)… "You will be judged in the same way that you judge others"
If that's a truth you're not comfortable with… then do what the bible says,
"Get rid of all bitterness... and instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another… just as God has forgiven you"
When you've been wronged… "forgive and forget"!
That’s the right response!
In fact the bible tells us to “pray for those who have wronged us and ask God to forgive them”.
(Matthew 5:44) “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”.
For many reasons God commands us to pray for those who’ve wronged us.
Prayer insulates us from bitterness!
When we look at our enemy’s need instead of the fault… God begins to change our own hearts.
I have experienced this firsthand… when I pray… even if my enemy doesn’t change… I change!
Through prayer… our hearts and minds are aligned with God’s heart and mind.
You can’t pray for someone consistently… (and the key word is consistently)… without developing compassion for that person.
Through prayer, the Holy Spirit softens the hardened pieces of our hearts… hatred is turned to love… bitter is turned to sweet.
We even begin to see our enemies through His eyes.
Prayer allows us to be controlled by the Spirit… not by the offender!
When we refuse to pray for our enemies… we give them illegitimate power over us.
When we are in the presence of our offender… we often react emotionally… and even physiologically with anxiety, stress, mental trauma and physical sickness.
Therefore our enemies are still controlling us!
However we can turn control of our lives over to the Lord…
We can begin to pray and then forgive… even when we don’t feel like it.
What tremendous freedom when we allow Christ… rather than other people… to control our thoughts and emotions!
Now I know that’s a challenge for each of us to live up to, but when we do… then God promises a forgiveness for each of us in return that goes beyond our wildest imaginations hopes and dreams.
Mark 11:25 “if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Good Day!
(Genesis 45:5) "Don't be angry with yourselves."
Like Josephs brothers, once we have come to our senses after committing a sin or going thru an experience that has revealed a character flaw in our own life… we often spiral into a time of “self degradation”… or a time of guilt… ridden with sorrow and shame.
Its one of Satan’s ways to keep us from rising up and becoming effective as a light for Christ as we keep wallowing in the darkness of guilt, shame and remorse.
I've met many, whom after the funeral of a loved one blame them selves for the loss, and they continually beat themselves up for not having given more time and effort to the departed one.
Unfortunately I’ve met and know many… whom are still bound by the past and the mistakes and bad choices they made.
Listen to me my friend… there is nothing you can do about it now!
Like David… though he had sorrowed before and during the child's traumatic sickness and death… we too need to rise up, wash our face, and set our face to living life.
David said… "while the child was alive I grieved and sought God for his healing"… but now that he is gone… all I can do is live life in preparation to go to him" (Genesis 12:14-23)
Remember our meditations concerning Joseph whom told his brothers…
"Don't be angry with yourselves that you did this to me... God has sent me here to keep you and your families alive, so that you will become a great nation. You meant it for evil but God meant it for good.” (Genesis 45:5)
When are we most likely to lay a guilt trip on others?
The answer?
When we've forgotten the grace we ourselves received from God.
Often it's hearing and witnessing the testimony of your forgiveness… that makes it possible for others to believe and forgive themselves!
Self-forgiveness is a high hurdle for most of us.
The Apostle Paul wrote, "I wasted the church" (Galatians 1:13)
He actually uses a "mafia term" for killing people.
Now he goes back to those same towns and preaches to them, and who's in the audience?
The widows and orphans of the families He destroyed!
If Paul hadn't learned to receive God's grace… he could never have fulfilled God's will.
From ancient history… we read that in some societies… part of the punishment a murderer would often have to endure was by strapping the dead victim to their backs.
Paul may have had this in mind when he wrote, "Who will rescue me from this wretched body of death?" (Romans 7:24)
Listen folks nothing weighs heavier on a mind than guilt and self condemnation!
It will drag you down and cause you to act and react in ways that will cause others to feel uncomfortable around you.
It will effect your relationship with those you love… to the point of destroying those relationships.
Who wants to be around someone that's obsessed with the past.
It can and will destroy your own health… because the human psyche isn’t built or designed to carry resentment or bitterness.
Cut it loose!
Somebody once said… "There should be a special cemetery in which to bury our faults… as well as the faults of friends and loved ones."
There is!
Its called forgiveness!
And that is what God offers all of us, no matter what the issue.
Grieve if you need to… then cut it loose… bury it and move on!
God wants each of you to experience His freedom, His peace, His joy, and His forgiveness.
Get up!
Wash your face… stop your guilt-ridden accusations and self-condemnation… and start living for God today!
(Isaiah 43:18) He promises to make "all things new"!
(2nd Corinthians 5:17) “If any man be in Christ he is a new creature… old things pass away and behold all things are become new”.
Remember… God forgives when we forgive…
Let it go… forgive yourself… and let His love begin to restore and make all things new
Good day!
(Romans 8:1) “There is now therefor no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus”!
So you've blown it and made a huge slip up.
And now the enemy of your soul is doing everything he can to harass you and cause you guilt and shame.
You've gone to the Father and have obediently confessed your issue before Him… but you just can't shake the self-condemnation and deep down inside you… there's a nagging feeling that there is something more you should do.
Or maybe your thinking what you've done is so bad that God won't forgive you.
Friend listen to me… and listen to me good!
If you've seriously repented before God… there is nothing more you can do… or need to do!
Simply hide in the shadow of His love!
Accept His forgiveness and move on!
God is not into holding things over your head.
(Psalm 103:10-14) “The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities”.
He gave us an example of His forgiveness in the story of Joseph who's brothers had sold him into slavery.
Not only did Joseph forgive his brothers… he protected them from their worst nightmare… that of having to go back and tell their aging father what they'd done twenty-two years earlier.
Joseph is a step ahead of them… he tells them what to say and what not to say:
(Genesis 45: 9-11) "Go up to my father, and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph… God has made me lord of all Egypt…
Come... You shall dwell in the land of Goshen and you shall be near to me … you and your children... and I will provide for you'."
Now perhaps your thinking… "but they should have been forced to confess what they'd done."
But no… that’s the human nature talking!
If they had done that… it would have given their father Jacob, an even greater burden to bear, struggling with regret over his lost years with Joseph… not to mention having to fight bitterness toward his other sons.
But Joseph was wise… and it made his brothers respect him all the more.
There's a big difference between confessing and "dumping."
Irreparable damage can be done when you try to get relief by dumping the details of your guilt on somebody who can't handle them.
After David sinned with Bathsheba he wrote, "Against You God… You only have I sinned" (Psalm 51:4)
When you consider that God already knows all about your sin… yet promises to keep it a closely guarded secret…
It should increase your sense of humility and gratitude… and cause you to refuse to hold anybody else's sins and shortcomings over their head.
Hey, God wants you to walk in peace filled with His joy!
That’s why Christ died on the cross and bore our sins and the sins of the world.
When it comes to sin, there is not much we can do about it.
But God can and He did!
So let Him do what He does best!
If there is something more you feel you need to do… then do this…
Now perhaps your thinking… "but they should have been forced to confess what they'd done."
But no… that’s the human nature talking!
If they had done that… it would have given their father Jacob, an even greater burden to bear, struggling with regret over his lost years with Joseph… not to mention having to fight bitterness toward his other sons.
But Joseph was wise… and it made his brothers respect him all the more.
There's a big difference between confessing and "dumping."
Irreparable damage can be done when you try to get relief by dumping the details of your guilt on somebody who can't handle them.
After David sinned with Bathsheba he wrote, "Against You God… You only have I sinned" (Psalm 51:4)
When you consider that God already knows all about your sin… yet promises to keep it a closely guarded secret…
It should increase your sense of humility and gratitude… and cause you to refuse to hold anybody else's sins and shortcomings over their head.
Hey, God wants you to walk in peace filled with His joy!
That’s why Christ died on the cross and bore our sins and the sins of the world.
When it comes to sin, there is not much we can do about it.
But God can and He did!
So let Him do what He does best!
If there is something more you feel you need to do… then do this…
Give thanks with a grateful heart for His grace, His forgiveness, and His salvation through
Jesus Christ our Lord!
“There is now therefor… ‘no condemnation’… to them who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1)
Good Day!
“There is now therefor… ‘no condemnation’… to them who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1)
Good Day!