JACKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(Psalm 119:11) “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You”
I have met so many people that are displaying symptoms of discouragement, despair, frustration because of their inability to cope with life… and the seemingly endless cycle of pain or discouragement caused by their inability to overcome the many tests or trials that they face daily.
The walk under the “Mastery of Sin”.
How about you?
Now come on fess up. You and I are no different, and I have been there!
Have you become discouraged because you keep committing the same sins over and over again?
The same habits and powerful addictions keep raising their ugly head and scream their deceptive call out to you.
You keep facing the same tests over and over.
Perhaps your feeling like the Apostle Paul when He cried out in Romans (7:15-25) “who will deliver me”, and then he goes on to describe the conflict that he is facing in overcoming the temptations and the sinful conflicts that continue to try to pull him down.
And after his tirade, he makes the following statement, “ But thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law,”
Please notice the words Paul uses here.
“In my mind I serve ‘the law’ of God.”
That “law” which he us referring to here is the “law of God” or the “Word of God”!
In (1st Corinthians 15:27) Paul says “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Thank God though we fall, though we stumble, “we will not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholds us in the palm of His right hand” (Psalm 37:24)
So how is that victory obtained?
Here’s your answer… soak your mind in God’s Word!
Just like you soak a sponge in water and it comes out dripping and filled to capacity, soak your mind in scripture until it’s filled to the brim with God’s Word.
That way, when you’re tempted to do wrong, your first recourse will be a Spirit-and-Word-empowered thought response.
If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting the same results.
So if you are sick and tired of living in defeat… here’s a time-tested prescription from God’s Word for making you whole!
(Psalm 119:9) “How can a young person (or an older one) stay pure? By obeying your word”
(John 15:3) “You are already clean because of the wordI have spoken to you”
(Ephesians 5:26) “That He might sanctify and cleanse (you) with the washing of water by the word”
(Hebrews 4:12) “The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit…joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”
(Jeremiah 15:16) “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart… for I am called by Your name”
These scriptures all lead to one conclusion… if you’re serious about wanting to walk in victory… you must get into God’s Word and get God’s Word into you.
There is no other way.
Jesus said (Luke 4:4) “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
Let me say this folks.
Our minds are nothing more than very sophisticated computers.
Computers can process only what is put into them.
When we saturate our minds and lives with the principles of the world then that is what you are going to get in return.
Garbage in garbage out!
In (1st John 2:1) the Apostle John wrote, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.
But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father… Jesus Christ the Righteous One… He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
And then thru the rest of the chapter he talks about how to over come the tendency to sin.
And the greatest strength he focuses on is “not loving the world”.
When we are focused on this world with all of its sin, moral degradation and humanistic philosophy, it wages war on the righteousness of God within our heart and minds.
(Romans 7:23) “But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.”
So today I want to encourage you… help you realize that the only way you are going to over come the bad habits, the addictions that keep beckoning out to you, the bleak “outlook” that our future seems to hold for us, is to see yourself in a different light.
The light of the Word of God!
(Psalm 119:105) “Thy Word O Lord is a lamp unto my feet and Light unto my path”.
That’s where our victory is found, that’s where our hope lies.
Not in our selves and our own sufficiency, but in the Word of God, that is able to save our souls.
It took me many years to learn this principle but as I have implemented it, I can honestly say that the bumps in the road are fewer the, endless war that wages in my mind is not as troubling… and I see more bluer skies than grey!
Good Day!
(Jeremiah 15:16) “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart… for I am called by Your name”
These scriptures all lead to one conclusion… if you’re serious about wanting to walk in victory… you must get into God’s Word and get God’s Word into you.
There is no other way.
Jesus said (Luke 4:4) “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
Let me say this folks.
Our minds are nothing more than very sophisticated computers.
Computers can process only what is put into them.
When we saturate our minds and lives with the principles of the world then that is what you are going to get in return.
Garbage in garbage out!
In (1st John 2:1) the Apostle John wrote, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.
But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father… Jesus Christ the Righteous One… He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
And then thru the rest of the chapter he talks about how to over come the tendency to sin.
And the greatest strength he focuses on is “not loving the world”.
When we are focused on this world with all of its sin, moral degradation and humanistic philosophy, it wages war on the righteousness of God within our heart and minds.
(Romans 7:23) “But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.”
So today I want to encourage you… help you realize that the only way you are going to over come the bad habits, the addictions that keep beckoning out to you, the bleak “outlook” that our future seems to hold for us, is to see yourself in a different light.
The light of the Word of God!
(Psalm 119:105) “Thy Word O Lord is a lamp unto my feet and Light unto my path”.
That’s where our victory is found, that’s where our hope lies.
Not in our selves and our own sufficiency, but in the Word of God, that is able to save our souls.
It took me many years to learn this principle but as I have implemented it, I can honestly say that the bumps in the road are fewer the, endless war that wages in my mind is not as troubling… and I see more bluer skies than grey!
Good Day!
(John 10:10) “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly”.
Here are two enemies that threaten your spiritual life.
1) Boredom. I heard a thought years ago that went something like this. “If you’re weary of some sleepy form of devotion or worship, God is probably just as weary of it as you are.”
Walking with God is the most rewarding life possible. (Psalm 16:11).
“In Your presence is fullness of joy… at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore”
(2) Busyness. Jesus told Martha, “You are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it” (Luke 10:41-42)
And what was Mary doing?
Sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to Him!
Martha loved Jesus… and she couldn’t do enough for Him.
Like many of us, Martha’s thought was, “if I do all this He will love me”.
But she was so busy serving Him that she didn’t know how to relax and enjoy being with Him.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… there is nothing you can do to make God love you more than He already does.
Yes He desires obedience from us… but what parent doesn’t desire that their children be obedient?
He desires faithfulness from us… but then again what parent doesn’t desire that from their children?
But what God desires even more from us… is our love… our devotion to Him… time spent with Him.
Maybe like Martha, you think that unless you do the job yourself, it won’t get done right… and you may be right.
But God will never ask you to do anything that takes His place… in your life.
He… wants to be your top priority.
Sometimes we approach God with a list of requests the length of our arm because we’re more interested in His “presents” than His “presence.”
David said, “The one thing I ask of the Lord… the thing I seek most… is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life… delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in His temple” (Psalm 27:4)
Can you imagine having that one thing… at the top of your agenda at all times… needing and desiring to spend time with God?
Think how that could revolutionize your life.
I meet people everywhere I go whom are professing Christians and church attendees… but who have told me they are bored with their faith and their walk with God.
To me that is a shock… something I don’t understand.
You see, “the life I live… I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me”. (Galatians 2:20)
And by that I mean that there is so much to learn and to do in this relationship with God… that I don’t know how one can find time to be bored.
There is so much to learn, so much to be involved in, in service to God.
I don’t know how anyone can be bored.
The relationship I have with God is exciting and new every morning… with new challenges and new opportunities.
How can you be bored with God?
Unless you have gotten your eyes off of Him… and instead… began to focus on this world and all of it’s lure and temptations.
But listen friend, the bible says that the world will give you pleasure… but it lasts only for a season. (Proverbs 14:12) (Proverbs 16:25)
(1st John 2:15-16) says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.
For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world.”
There is pleasure in this world but unfortunately most of it is sinful or leads to sin.
But the Bible is clear that sin’s pleasure is fleeting.
The writer of Hebrews uses Moses’ life to illustrate this point.
“By faith Moses, when he was grown up, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” (Hebrews 11:24-26)
Moses could have continued to experience the lavish and at times unrighteous lifestyle of growing up in Pharaohs court.
But instead, he chose to fully associate himself with the people of God, even though it would lead to mistreatment (since the Israelites were slaves at that time to Egypt).
He considered mistreatment for the cause of Christ to be more valuable than all the treasures of secular Egypt.
The pleasure of sin is fleeting.
It goes away.
Then you’re right back to where you started.
The pressures, the needs, the lack of confidence, the troubles, the things you desired or tried to eliminate are still there… and sometimes even more complicated now because of the sin in which you engaged.
The problem is that you’re left with the same result after sinning or enjoying the world’s pleasures or the pleasures of the world, than what you had before.
So how do you fight past the temptation of sin’s pleasure?
How do you overcome spiritual boredom?
How do you fight past boredom in your relationship with God.
How do you get past the busyness of “doing” just for the sake of being involved?
The answer? You keep your eye on the reward.
You keep your eyes on the prize.
That’s what Moses did.
He knew there was something greater coming in his relationship with the Lord, than what the world would offer.
Moses wasn’t perfect, and neither are we.
There will be times we give into sin, but remember that whatever you believe is being offered by that worldly temptation, there is something so much greater in Christ.
Listen folks Jesus said “I will never leave you nor forsake you lo, (this word ‘lo’, can be translated as ‘listen to me’, ‘get this’, ‘understand this) I will be with you always.”
Look to Jesus today, the Author and the Finisher of your faith.
God is not done with you .
He has an exciting plan for you in days to come.
Jeremiah said it like this. “For I know the plans I have for you says the lord. Plans to prosper you and give you a future, not plans for evil.
The devil will lie to you saying, “you haven’t lived till you’ve tried this.”
But God says “there is real freedom and life in Christ.” (John 10:10) “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Good Day!
(Malachi 3:10) "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse"
As I said yesterday I have been guilty of not preaching the whole message of God in the past because I have not wanted to offend people especially “non-believers”… with the subject of giving money to ministries the Church or the Kingdom of God.
God says in (Hosea 4:6) “my people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge”.
And one of the greatest areas of neglect… or lack of knowledge with believers… is in the area of finances and the Kingdom of God.
I find it so very interesting how quickly people, (especially people that call themselves Believers or Christians) get upset, when talking about finances and giving into the Kingdom of God.
Did you know (according to some statistics) that less than 10% of the people who attend church, contribute more than 90% of the income that comes into most churches??
Can you imagine the work that could be done in our communities and how much the church could help the needy in our world… if every believer felt it his duty or responsibility to give at least 10% of their income to the work of God?
When you honor the Lord in your business, He will bless your business!?
Imagine the advantage you'd have in the marketplace with God as your partner!
Many famous Christian business people throughout history were faithful tithers/givers to the Kingdom of God, including Henry John Heinz of “Heinz 57 Varieties” and William Colgate, the toothpaste magnate.
Some of these people were so blessed that before their lives were over they were giving God "ninety percent" of their income.
Yes 90%... and they lived very well off on the remaining ten percent.
In (Malachi 3:10-12)... God says "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.
Test me in this...and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it... All the nations will call you blessed"
When you demonstrate that God's business means more to you than your own... He will prosper you.
And He invites you to "test" Him in this.
How long have you known that you should tithe, wanted to tithe, said you were going to, and yet you've never gotten around to it?
Its time to start now… and start with what you have!
What you can do now, today, is the only influence you have over your future.
John D. Rockefeller is reputed to have made the following statement concerning the habit of tithing.
He said "I never would have been able to tithe the first million dollars I made... if I hadn't tithed my first salary, which was a dollar fifty per week."
One other thing.
Tithing demonstrates that you've conquered self-interest and the fear of lack. ?
It's a demonstration of faith!
And God always rewards faith!
Good day!
(Leviticus 27:30) "A tithe of everything... belongs to the Lord."
There seems to be a lot of opposition when it comes to finances and giving into the Kingdom of God.
And I suppose part of it comes from the abusive manipulation of many of the television ministries that have used up much time during a broadcast... to make the plea for financial support for whatever broadcast they are producing.
I remember in the early days of my ministry becoming very frustrated with television evangelists because I would often have people question my ministry because of the reproach the television evangelists had brought upon the Kingdom of God because of all the attention on “giving to God” that became a large part of their broadcasts
So much so that I determined in this ministry not to spend a lot of time trying to manipulate or convince people that they should support or give to this ministry that God has had Debbie and I involved in since 1988... wow thats 38 years!
Now with that determination, because of that determination to not offend people or turn people off from the message we bring of Gods love and salvation... I have also failed in delivering "the whole realm of the Gospel Message"... to the sheep that God has put in my path way… whether during a Cowboy Church Service or thru written opportunities like these daily devotions.
Which by the way I have been writing faithfully since December of 2015
Now it’s not that we haven’t needed the support of Gods people to partner with us and send us into "all the world" or into the Marketplace of our ministry.
In fact there have been times when I did not know how I was going to pay for the fuel to go to the next location or venue that was on our schedule.
I remember getting ready to leave on one particular occasion.
We had the coach loaded, the band had all arrived and we were just getting ready to go.
However I was rather worried because I had no resources to pay the band... or for the fuel that I needed to put into the coach to get us to the destination.
I can’t remember why, but I went into the church and up to my office and noticed a stack of mail that had just come in on my desk.
I took a moment to look thru the mail and lo and behold was a letter from an acquaintance we had just met a month or two earlier.
As I opened the letter a piece of paper fell out and imagine my shock when I picked it up and saw that it was a check in the amount of $4000.00, a gift to this ministry.
There have been many occasions since that time that God has come thru just in the nick of time as it were.
So what I would like to say this morning is thank you to all of you who pray for this ministry that we have been called to.
Thank you as well to the many who have partnered with us financially to send us to the masses and into the marketplace of our world, where we use the unique gift of music that God has gifted us with... to capture the listening ear of our world.
It is a ministry that is quite different than other ministries.
We are a ministry that uses “musical entertainment” to capture the attention of the listening world, and then very sensitively try to win the right to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with that audience or the world.
Over the years, literally thousands have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and the message of the cross, and the need for humanity to have a relationship with Jesus Christ... because of the uniqueness of this ministry.
But folks I have to remind you that the financial strain is some times overwhelming in the realm of finances... and lack of money to money to pay bills and salaries, let alone the sacrifices of time and energy, which seems to be more and more valuable as we are getting older.
Folks in keeping with the Gospel message there is a necessary message that each of us need to listen
to, and to heed as well.
That is the message of “giving” to Gods work.
Tithing to the church and Gods work in the community and giving in support of ministries like ours, and the many others that are out there.
Some say that there is no scriptural basis for "tithing" or giving a portion of your income to the work of God.
Others says that the new testament doesn't speak of "tithing" and still others say that it was a "law in the Old Testament, but now we live in the age of "grace" so it is not something we are required to do.
I heard a saying once that I have never forgot!
That saying goes like this. "When Gods got your wallet or your check book, you know He's got your heart".
Show me a man or woman who is excited about supporting the work of God and His servants with their finances, and I'll show you an on fire believer who's main concern in life is walking with God and being a part of what God wants.
But you say, "I earned it, so I own it!"
That is the message of “giving” to Gods work.
Tithing to the church and Gods work in the community and giving in support of ministries like ours, and the many others that are out there.
Some say that there is no scriptural basis for "tithing" or giving a portion of your income to the work of God.
Others says that the new testament doesn't speak of "tithing" and still others say that it was a "law in the Old Testament, but now we live in the age of "grace" so it is not something we are required to do.
I heard a saying once that I have never forgot!
That saying goes like this. "When Gods got your wallet or your check book, you know He's got your heart".
Show me a man or woman who is excited about supporting the work of God and His servants with their finances, and I'll show you an on fire believer who's main concern in life is walking with God and being a part of what God wants.
But you say, "I earned it, so I own it!"
No! The Bible says, "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof… the world… and they that dwell therein" (Psalm 24:1).
God owns every square foot of real estate on earth, and every person who walks on it… including you and I. ?
You're not an owner… you're a steward! ?
And while a good steward deserves to be well rewarded by his Master, his first priority should be to please Him and carry out His will.
The Bible says, "A tithe of everything...belongs to the Lord."
We need to get our thinking straight on this issue! ?
In God's eyes ten percent of your income is "dedicated funds", to be used for one thing only.
"His purposes on the earth".
And tithing isn't how the church raises its budget… it's how God raises His children!
We distort God's Word when we teach tithing as a means of getting money to pay off church debt, or as a substitute for other worn-out methods of fundraising, or as a cure-all for the church's financial shortfalls.
The Bible says, "Son (daughter)...give me thine heart" (Proverbs 23:26).
When God has your heart's deepest affection you'll give gladly, not grudgingly.
Generously not stingy or as the bible says begrudgingly!
The first man in Scripture to tithe was Abraham.
Why did he do it?
"Gratitude"!
Because God had delivered him from the hand of an enemy who was out to destroy him. ?
Has God delivered you?
Has He blessed you?
Then show your gratitude by giving Him a portion of what He has given you!
This ministry is able to accomplish what we do because of some who have the heart of God… living in their hearts. ?
Thank you to each of you who participate in sending us into the world to be a witness and a light of Gods love to mankind!
Can I remind you not to forget our ministry during these trying times?
Your love offering and or your love gift can be sent via internet transfer, to jack@geminibookkeeping.com or thru “PayPal” which you will find a support tab on our web site at www.jackjackson.ca
When the web site opens you can use the tabs at the top of the page and open our “ministries page” and you will find the Pay Pal option for both Canadian giving and USA giving at the bottom of the page.
You can also utilize regular ground mail to send a check.
Our mailing address is “Jack Jackson Care of” Geminibookkeeping 277 Erin Woods Circle SE Calgary Alberta T2B 3C9
If you want to use a credit card to send a sponsor gift you can call my number 403 8754 5225 and we will run a credit card transaction for your convenience.
As a further thought to this subject... know this as well that this ministry has a "not for profit" tax status on both sides of the border with the IRS and the Canadian CCRA.
That means that we can send you an income tax deductible receipt for your sponsorship and donations to the work of this ministry... for your year end tax deductions.
In closing this thought for today, let me say that there is a blessing that God promises to each of us, if we will be obedient and faithful givers of what He has blessed us with.
I myself have made the commitment to tithe and give of my personal income, to many areas of need that have come across our path over the years.
My motto is that I “cannot afford” not to give, because I believe my giving is a direct pipeline to the release of finances for this ministry.
Gods word says, “give and it will be given unto you pressed down and shaken together and running over, shall men give unto your bosom”. (Luke 6:38)
There it is, Gods promise to each of us!
Good Day
In closing this thought for today, let me say that there is a blessing that God promises to each of us, if we will be obedient and faithful givers of what He has blessed us with.
I myself have made the commitment to tithe and give of my personal income, to many areas of need that have come across our path over the years.
My motto is that I “cannot afford” not to give, because I believe my giving is a direct pipeline to the release of finances for this ministry.
Gods word says, “give and it will be given unto you pressed down and shaken together and running over, shall men give unto your bosom”. (Luke 6:38)
There it is, Gods promise to each of us!
Good Day
(2nd Corinthians 12:9) “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
As humans being we all like to boast about our exploits or accomplishments.
Further to that, we love it when “others” boast about our accomplishments.
But we must ask our selves, are we really enough?
Did I really realize this accomplishment on my own?
In truth folks, when we look back over our accomplishments, can we really boast or take credit for it?
In short, No!
There is not one person in any one field of technology… or one area of the medical field or any other career that can fully rely on themselves… rather, we all need to fully rely on God and His use of others.
I recall a story I read about the great evangelist Billy Graham who was driving into the parking lot of the venue that He was about to preach in.
A parking attendant met him and recognizing him said to Billy Graham “there you go sir you go on in and save them, I’ll make sure they have a place to park”.
I’ve never forgotten that… because without each of us doing our part as a small cog in the wheel, as a member of the team, the whole will never get done.
Christians can often forget that the verse where this originates (2nd Corinthians 12:9) comes from a background of weakness and frailty.
God’s grace fills the holes that other things we try to rely on cannot.
It’s so true that we as Christians often don’t have a true grasp of God’s grace.
Biblical grace means “blessing or favor” from God… in terms of our sinful nature.
Yes it’s true that God chooses to offer salvation to us, despite our rebellious nature and disobedience to Him.
It’s Him withholding His wrath and offering a path to Heaven if we follow Him (John 3:16).
Grace saves us when we cannot (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The verse makes it clear that in our weakness and our failures… God’s grace alone saves us.
But there are other verses of scripture that bring life to this subject of Gods grace working in our lives as well.
They are (2nd Corinthians 9:8) “God makes His grace abound to us so we will be equipped for every good work.”
God’s grace gives us the tools we need to preach the Gospel and speak about the hope we have in Christ.
(2nd Corinthians 3:5) “Our adequacy or abilities come from God.”
“We cannot survive without the vine” (John 15:1-7)
A branch apart from a vine will bear no fruit.
Because of our weakness, we can only boast in Christ… because we know any good work we do comes from and by Him working through us.
These verses show us we need to rely on God.
Only when we cling to the vine can we see God’s grace abound.
In the context of (2nd Corinthians chapter 12) we learn about sufficient grace to succeed in life?
Paul is preaching to the Corinthian people.
Like many believers today, the Corinthians had a problem with self-reliance and boasting.
To go the extra mile and make a point, Paul is telling the Corinthians he has nothing to boast about except his weakness, because his weakness makes him realize how much he needs to rely on God.
He speaks about a thorn in his side that he’s asked God to remove, but God won’t take away the thing that makes him realize his weakness.
Paul had a number of revelations and visions, epiphanies or direct communication in the presence of God… that could cause some Christians to be jealous of him.
But his thorn in his side brings him back to earth
Paul tries to help the Corinthians to do the same, to realize that only God’s grace is sufficient for us, and we should boast in nothing else but God’s grace.
Because of our weakness, we can only boast in Christ… because we know any good work we do comes from and by Him working through us.
These verses show us we need to rely on God.
Only when we cling to the vine can we see God’s grace abound.
In the context of (2nd Corinthians chapter 12) we learn about sufficient grace to succeed in life?
Paul is preaching to the Corinthian people.
Like many believers today, the Corinthians had a problem with self-reliance and boasting.
To go the extra mile and make a point, Paul is telling the Corinthians he has nothing to boast about except his weakness, because his weakness makes him realize how much he needs to rely on God.
He speaks about a thorn in his side that he’s asked God to remove, but God won’t take away the thing that makes him realize his weakness.
Paul had a number of revelations and visions, epiphanies or direct communication in the presence of God… that could cause some Christians to be jealous of him.
But his thorn in his side brings him back to earth
Paul tries to help the Corinthians to do the same, to realize that only God’s grace is sufficient for us, and we should boast in nothing else but God’s grace.
What is this verse trying to teach Christians today about grace?
Similar to the Corinthian believers, we can sometimes get a little puffed up.
If we have a certain spiritual gift or a gift in a ministry that is making an impact in the lives of others, we might run the risk of getting prideful about that gift.
We could forget from whom that gift came (James 1:17) “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,”
Because of this tendency… God will allow a thorn in our side to remind us of our weakness and the need to rely on God’s grace.
Maybe you have a gift for music and sing on your church’s worship team… but the thorn in your side is that you often lose your voice or can’t sing for a few weeks.
This verse teaches us to rely on God’s grace and Gods abilities.
Although He may bring us amazing experiences, such as the visions Paul received… we can’t forget God during the good moments.
Never forget that the God on the mountain is still God in the valley.
We have to rely on Him at all times.
There are some who misinterpret this verse to say God’s grace will pull us out of the hard time into greener pastures… but we run the risk of preaching false doctrine when we say that.
God will not always remove the thorn in our side… but His grace will be all we need, thorn or no thorn.
If you’re dealing with a thorn in your side like Paul,
Consider saying this prayer below and realize to day that you are not an island unto yourself.
The world does not revolve around you and what you are doing alone.
But it is Gods grace working in all of our lives for the benefit of the whole, and He,
Only He deserves the praise the glory and the honor… and we as His servants, (as His children should be)… are constantly and eternally grateful for His intervention in our lives continuously.
“Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you now and acknowledge my weakness.
You are the vine, I am a branch, and apart from you, I can do nothing.
Please remind me to cling to you and to remember that your grace is all I need.
In the good times and bad, I need you.
Thank you for your overwhelming grace. Amen.
If you find yourself relying on yourself, remind yourself of Paul.
Even though many Christians talk about his accomplishments and how he shaped the faith and the history of the church, he always points back at God.
One of the most famous Christians of all time boasted in his weakness, because he knew he couldn’t take a step without God’s help.
(2nd Corinthians 13:5) tells us to examine our selves and see if there are areas where we may be relying on something else apart from God.
Even when God gives us a spiritual gift, we can end up worshipping it instead of Him.
Recognize those areas and ask God to help you remove those idols and turn to His grace alone.
Good Day!
In the good times and bad, I need you.
Thank you for your overwhelming grace. Amen.
If you find yourself relying on yourself, remind yourself of Paul.
Even though many Christians talk about his accomplishments and how he shaped the faith and the history of the church, he always points back at God.
One of the most famous Christians of all time boasted in his weakness, because he knew he couldn’t take a step without God’s help.
(2nd Corinthians 13:5) tells us to examine our selves and see if there are areas where we may be relying on something else apart from God.
Even when God gives us a spiritual gift, we can end up worshipping it instead of Him.
Recognize those areas and ask God to help you remove those idols and turn to His grace alone.
Good Day!
(2nd Corinthians 12:9) “My Grace is sufficient for you”
I wrote yesterday that, from the scriptures of old comes a word of advice and insight that reverberates thru out the corridors of time and down the hallways of history.
It’s a word that mankind has continually ignored and discounted because of his arrogance.
And that word is this.
For the Spirit of the Lord says “'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty” (Zechariah 4:6)
When we learn this and adapt and surrender our lives to it, we will begin to experience not only the salvation of the Lord, but the deliverance of the Lord as well.
No one will be boasting of their own strength in Heaven.
In Heaven I will not be boasting about how I did it my way or how great I was or how many people I preached or sang to or how much people loved my family and I.
No, I will be boasting about how God sustained me through depression and heartache and trials.
I will be boasting about how God answered my desperate prayers for my children.
And how He met my desperate need for finances and provision.
God’s power is made perfect in weakness because it ensures that He alone gets all the glory.
If God’s grace alone is sufficient to sustain me, I can’t take credit for sustaining myself.
God does it all, and we will boast only in Him.
One of the great lies we are all tempted to believe and that our world has certainly bought into, is that I’m sufficient for everything.
For life, for marriage, for parenting, for working… the whole ball of wax.
But the truth is, I have zero ounce of sufficiency in myself.
This reality is highlighted all the more when I’m in dire circumstances.
I simply don’t have the spiritual strength to keep going when the Red Sea is before me and the Egyptians are behind me.
However, God’s grace is sufficient.
God is Omni-sufficient.
Sufficiency and strength and power course through His being and He is able to keep me through the bleakest days with it’s darkest struggles.
When I’m up against the wall, it forces me to cry out, “God, only you’re grace is sufficient to sustain me!”
And when He delivers me, His power not mine, is put on full display.
God loves to deliver His people when the stakes are highest and the odds are the worst.
He loves to come through in a Hail Mary, do-or-die, 11th hour situation.
God wouldn’t let Gideon use 30,000 or 3,000 men.
He carved his army down to a measly 300 men, making the odds of victory so unfathomably small… that only God could bring deliverance.
Goliath was an executioner armed with a colossal sword and spear.
David was a shepherd boy defending Israel with a sling and a few rocks.
God told King Jehoshaphat to go into battle with the priests and the singers in front of the army praising Him and His glory.
“You will not need to fight in this battle” God said “for the battle is the Lords”.
Only God could snatch victory from the jaws of certain defeat.
God’s power is made perfect in weakness because it shows that God and only God can deliver.
We don’t have the power to rescue or deliver or save.
But “God’s grace is sufficient”, to do all those things.
In (2nd Corinthians 1:8-9) Paul recounts one of his darkest moments:
“For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.
Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.
But that was to make us rely not on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead.”
God allowed Paul’s circumstances to become so bleak, so dire, so desperate, that he felt as if he had received a death sentence.
From Paul’s perspective, death appeared to be imminent.
Why would God let things get so horrifically bad?
Why would God let Daniel actually be thrown into the lion’s den rather than rescuing him beforehand?
Why would God allow the three Hebrew children Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, be thrown into the fire instead of delivering them by destroying the king and the vast army of Nebucadnezzer?
It’s because God wants you and I and His people to know that He alone is their hope.
God leads me “through” the Valley of the shadow of Death” (Psalm 23) so that I’ll trust in Him alone.
So that I’ll cling to His sufficient grace.
So that I’ll give up the ludicrous charade that I can go it alone with out Him.
When things get really bad, I tend to start playing out various scenarios in my head.
For example, if my finances are tight, I start doing all sorts of calculations about when this bill will go through and whether I can make some additional money doing this activity and how to make everything work out alright in the end.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with planning for the future, it’s easy for me to fall into the temptation of trusting in my own devices and my own understanding rather than God’s sufficient grace.
I think this is why (Proverbs 3:5) exhorts us to “trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not to lean on our own understanding.”
When I lean on my own understanding, I’m failing to trust God, whose power and ability to deliver are far beyond my understanding.
When God does intervene and rescue me… it becomes abundantly clear to me that it was not due to my magnificent strategizing… but His glorious, sufficient grace.
I love this quote by one of histories profound preachers Charles Spurgeon who said…
"Let us lean on God with all our weight.
Let us throw ourselves on His faithfulness as we do on our beds, bringing all our weariness to His dear rest."
The solution to weakness is not a stiff upper lip.
It’s to lean on God with all our weight… to throw ourselves on the one whose power is made perfect in our weakness.
Jesus said “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28)
Then and only then, are we really strong.
Then and only then can we say “It is well with me soul”
Good Day!
(2nd Corinthians 12:9) “My Grace is sufficient for you”
I wrote yesterday that from the scriptures of old, comes a word of advice and insight that reverberates thru out the corridors of time and down the hallways of history.
It’s a word of advice that mankind has continually ignored and discounted because of our arrogance.
And that word/advice is this.
For the Spirit of the Lord says “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord Almighty”. (Zechariah 4:6)
When we learn this and adapt and surrender our lives to it, we will begin to experience not only the salvation of the Lord, but the deliverance of the Lord as well.
No one will be boasting of their own strength in Heaven.
In Heaven I will not be boasting about how I did it my way or how great I was or how many people I preached to or sang to or how much people loved my family and I.
No, I will be boasting about how God sustained me through depression and heartache and trials.
I will be boasting about how God answered my desperate prayers for my children.
And how He met my desperate need for finances and provision.
God’s power is made perfect in weakness because it ensures that He alone gets all the glory.
If God’s grace alone is sufficient to sustain me, I can’t take credit for sustaining myself.
God does it all, and we will boast only in Him.
One of the great lies we are all tempted to believe and that our world has certainly bought into, is that I’m sufficient for everything.
For life, for marriage, for parenting, for working… the whole ball of wax.
But the truth is, I have zero ounce of sufficiency in myself.
This reality is highlighted all the more when I’m in dire circumstances.
I simply don’t have the spiritual strength to keep going when the Red Sea is before me and the Egyptians are behind me.
However, God’s grace is sufficient.
God is Omni-sufficient.
Sufficiency and strength and power course through His being and He is able to keep me through the bleakest days with it’s darkest struggles.
When I’m up against the wall, it forces me to cry out, “God, only you’re grace is sufficient to sustain me!”
And when He delivers me, His power not mine, is put on full display.
God loves to deliver His people when the stakes are highest and the odds are the worst.
He loves to come through in a "Hail Mary, do-or-die", 11th hour situation.
God wouldn’t let Gideon use 30,000 or 3,000 men.
He carved his army down to a measly 300 men, making the odds of victory so unfathomably small… that only God could bring deliverance.
Goliath was a warrior giant... an executioner armed with a colossal sword and spear.
David was a shepherd boy defending Israel with a sling and a few rocks.
God told King Jehoshaphat to go into battle with the priests and the singers in front of the army praising Him and His glory.
“You will not need to fight in this battle” God said “for the battle is the Lords”.
Only God could snatch victory from the jaws of certain defeat.
God’s power is made perfect in weakness because it shows that God and only God can deliver.
We don’t have the power to rescue or deliver or save.
But “God’s grace is sufficient”, to do all those things.
In (2nd Corinthians 1:8-9) Paul recounts one of his darkest moments:
“For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.
Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.
But that was to make us rely not on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead.”
God allowed Paul’s circumstances to become so bleak, so dire, so desperate, that he felt as if he had received a death sentence.
From Paul’s perspective, death appeared to be imminent.
Why would God let things get so horrifically bad?
Why would God let Daniel actually be thrown into the lion’s den rather than rescuing him beforehand?
Why would God allow the three Hebrew children Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, be thrown into the fire instead of delivering them by destroying the king and the vast army of Nebucadnezzer?
It’s because God wants you and I and His people to know that He alone is our hope.
God leads me “through” the Valley of the shadow of Death” (Psalm 23) so that I’ll trust in Him alone.
So that I’ll cling to His sufficient grace.
So that I’ll give up the ludicrous charade that I can go it alone with out Him.
When things get really bad, I tend to start playing out various scenarios in my head.
For example, if my finances are tight, I start doing all sorts of calculations about when this bill will go through and whether I can make some additional money doing this activity and how to make everything work out alright in the end.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with planning for the future, it’s easy for me to fall into the temptation of trusting in my own devices and my own understanding rather than God’s sufficient grace.
I think this is why (Proverbs 3:5) exhorts us to “trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not to lean on our own understanding.”
When I lean on my own understanding, I’m failing to trust God, whose power and ability to deliver are far beyond my understanding.
When God does intervene and rescue me… it becomes abundantly clear to me that it was not due to my magnificent strategizing… but His glorious, sufficient grace.
I love this quote by one of histories profound preachers Charles Spurgeon who said…
"Let us lean on God with all our weight.
Why would God let Daniel actually be thrown into the lion’s den rather than rescuing him beforehand?
Why would God allow the three Hebrew children Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, be thrown into the fire instead of delivering them by destroying the king and the vast army of Nebucadnezzer?
It’s because God wants you and I and His people to know that He alone is our hope.
God leads me “through” the Valley of the shadow of Death” (Psalm 23) so that I’ll trust in Him alone.
So that I’ll cling to His sufficient grace.
So that I’ll give up the ludicrous charade that I can go it alone with out Him.
When things get really bad, I tend to start playing out various scenarios in my head.
For example, if my finances are tight, I start doing all sorts of calculations about when this bill will go through and whether I can make some additional money doing this activity and how to make everything work out alright in the end.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with planning for the future, it’s easy for me to fall into the temptation of trusting in my own devices and my own understanding rather than God’s sufficient grace.
I think this is why (Proverbs 3:5) exhorts us to “trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not to lean on our own understanding.”
When I lean on my own understanding, I’m failing to trust God, whose power and ability to deliver are far beyond my understanding.
When God does intervene and rescue me… it becomes abundantly clear to me that it was not due to my magnificent strategizing… but His glorious, sufficient grace.
I love this quote by one of histories profound preachers Charles Spurgeon who said…
"Let us lean on God with all our weight.
Let us throw ourselves on His faithfulness as we do on our beds, bringing all our weariness to His dear rest."
The solution to weakness is not a stiff upper lip.
It’s to lean on God with all our weight… to throw ourselves on the one whose power is made perfect in our weakness.
Jesus said “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28)
Then and only then, are we really strong.
Then and only then can we say “It is well with me soul”
Good Day!