Category: God’s Promises

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Time to Listen

I know you’ve experienced it – been on your cell with someone, telling them something that is really important to you and you realize they aren’t listening. When that happens, I’ve been tempted to say, “I was just stepped on by a huge green elephant” to which I know their reply would be something like “Oh really, that’s nice”.

Yep, they’re not listening!

When the kids were little and we wanted them to pay attention to what we were saying we would tell them to “get your catchers on”. That meant we are about to say something you really need to listen to so catch every word.

Listening doesn’t mean giving answers or advice, it means listening.

“Listen to your teacher and learn all you can.” Proverbs 23:11 ERV

“Open your heart to teaching, and your ears to words of much learning.” Verse 11 NLV

“Listen to instruction and do your best to learn.” Verse 11 CEV

Three different translations saying the same thing – Listen!

Then there was this verse:

“So listen, my son, and be wise. Always be careful to follow the right path.” Proverbs 23:19 ERV

You see that? Solomon was making sure we had our catchers on. Jesus did the same thing with his teaching. He gave his followers a head’s up during his sermons. It went something like this:

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 KJV

Repeating the phrase verily, verily was not wasted words, it was spoken for emphasis, and it meant I am telling you a great truth, listen up, pay attention. As you read through the Bible look for these clues. It’s ALL important and we can learn something from each Scripture we read but take to heart when the writer says listen.

There’s a difference between hearing and listening.

“Hearing is simply the act of perceiving sound by the ear. If you are not hearing-impaired, hearing simply happens. Listening, however, is something you consciously choose to do. Listening requires concentration so that your brain processes meaning from words and sentences.” University of Minnesota, Duluth

“Listen to and obey (hearken diligently) all the Laws I am telling you today. Love the Lord your God. Work for Him with all your heart and soul. If you do, 14 He will give the rain for your land at the right times, the early and late rain. So you may gather in your grain, your new wine and your oil. 15 He will give grass in your fields for your cattle. And you will eat and be filled. 16 Be careful not to let your hearts be fooled so you turn away and work for other gods and worship them.” Deuteronomy 11:13-16 NLV

God promises to bring blessings into our lives when we “hearken diligently” to His word. He has so many good things for us, we need to listen. What you are reading is really God talking to you. Are you listening?

Get your catchers on!

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Be Strong – Be Courageous

These words came fast and with great emphasis this morning. These words are from God’s heart to yours!

“Trust the Lord! Be brave and strong and trust the Lord.” Psalm 27:14 CEV

“Be strong and brave, all of you who are waiting for the Lord’s help.” Psalm 31:24 ERV

“ I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 CEV

“When I asked for your help, you answered my prayer and gave me courage” Psalm 138:3 CEV

“Dear friends, if we feel at ease in the presence of God, we will have the courage to come near him. 22 He will give us whatever we ask, because we obey him and do what pleases him.” I John 3:21-22 CEV

“Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Don’t tremble with fear. I am your God. I will make you strong, as I protect you with my arm and give you victories.” Isaiah 41:10 CEV

“ David said to Saul, ‘Let no man’s heart become weak because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.’ 33 Saul said to David, ‘You are not able to go and fight against this Philistine. You are only a young man, while he has been a man of war since he was young.’ 34 But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant was taking care of his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and fought him and saved it from his mouth. When he came against me, I took hold of him by the hair of his head and hit him and killed him. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear. And this Philistine who has not gone through our religious act will be like one of them. For he has made fun of the armies of the living God.’ 37 And David said, ‘The Lord Who saved me from the foot of the lion and from the foot of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.‘” I Samuel 17:32-37 NLV

I’m not sure if you are facing is like a lion, a bear, the city of Jericho or an army that wants to destroy you, but God’s message is “Take heart – Be Courageous – I AM with you”!

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Don’t Quit Too Soon

I had been reading my Bible this morning and quit to have my prayer time. I closed my Bible and laid it on the shelf beside me. That’s when these words came ringing through the silence in my heart.

“You quit too soon”. Too soon? Yes, too soon.

I had been reading about Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem; I read about the heads of the clans of Israel. I read Solomon’s words in Proverbs and David’s words in Psalms.

“ Words from good people are like pure silver, but thoughts from the wicked are worthless. 21 Good people say things that help others, but the wicked die from a lack of understanding.” Proverbs 10:20-21 ERV

“Our Lord, everything you do is kind and thoughtful, 18 and you are near to everyone whose prayers are sincere. 19 You satisfy the desires of all your worshipers, and you come to save them when they ask for help.” Psalm 145:17-18 CEV

These words were establishing themselves in my heart. I was beginning to praise God for what I read – how could I have quit too soon? It was then I remembered that my reading yesterday took me up to the last chapter of Luke.

I had read about the mock trial, the persecution and crucifixion of Jesus. The last I had read was of His burial. So, I picked up my Bible and opened to chapter 24 of Luke. The words jumped off the page…

Jesus Is Alive

24 “Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices they had prepared. 2 When they found the stone rolled away from the entrance, 3 they went in. But they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus, 4 and they did not know what to think.

Suddenly two men in shining white clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were afraid and bowed to the ground. But the men said, “Why are you looking in the place of the dead for someone who is alive? 6  Jesus isn’t here! He has been raised from death. ” Luke 24:1-6 CEV

Now, don’t get religious on me. Listen to what I have to say. Of course, we all know that Jesus is alive.

JESUS IS ALIVE!

Too many times, we read the Bible like a history book, a good story or helpful instruction. But it is the living word of God!

John wrote in the first chapter of his writings that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. Jesus is the Word; He is alive and He is living with us through the pages of the book that we hold in our hands.

Heed the words of the angels – don’t go looking for the living where the dead are. When we need strength, go to the One who conquered death. When we need peace, go to the One who calmed the storm. When we need hope, go to the One who promises to satisfy our desires. When we need wisdom, go to the One whose words are like pure silver.

Don’t quit too soon!

“ For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.[a] 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 NLT

Jesus is alive and because He is, we have His life residing in us!

Don’t quit too soon, let the reality of the living Christ live, really live, in you!

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Take A Walk

When you read the Bible, do you read it as if you are there? Do you take time to look around and see what was going on and how people are affected by the story that is being revealed?

Can you imagine what you would do if you were in their shoes? I am always amazed as I read the account of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, and then the first couple of verses of Matthew 8.

Here Jesus has been teaching all day. The hillside is covered with people, children are playing and adults are trying to hear what Jesus is saying. Jesus has positioned himself in such a way that his voice carries down the hillside, without the amplification that we have today.

“Blessed are those that mourn for they shall be comforted…You are a light on a hill, don’t hide under a bushel…Heaven and earth will pass away but my Word will never pass away…Forgive, be faithful to your mate, don’t seek revenge…Give to the poor, pray often, don’t make money your master…don’t worry…God knows what you need, seek Him first and everything else will be added…take care of the beam in your own eye before you try to remove a splinter from your brother’s…ask & it will be given, seek & find, knock & it will open…bear good fruit…build on a solid foundation (the Word) and you’ll make it through the storms…”

All day long Jesus preached, the multitude listened, now the teaching is over and Jesus heads down the hill with his followers. But this is where the story runs into a road block! A leper, who has obviously been waiting at the bottom of the hill, can’t contain himself. He comes running and puts himself right in front of Jesus.

Unclean, unclean!

I can see the shock and repulsion on the face of the people. This leper should not be in close contact with all of us good “clean” people.

Wow! Weren’t you just listening – about removing beams and judging not? But this leper had been listening. He heard Jesus say, “ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find”.

It seems all the others on the hillside had heard words, words, words. Amen. But this leper had heard a message that would change his life forever. It brought hope and faith so he came to ask and to receive. What would you have done if you were in his shoes?

“Jesus came down from the hill, and a large crowd followed him. 2 Then a man sick with leprosy came to him. The man bowed down before Jesus and said, “Lord, you have the power to heal me if you want.” 3 Jesus touched the man. He said, “I want to heal you. Be healed!” Immediately the man was healed from his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about what happened. But go and let the priest look at you. And offer the gift that Moses commanded for people who are made well. This will show everyone that you are healed” Matthew 8:1-4

He received!!!

He asked and he received. Jesus did tell him to go show himself to the priest and have them declare him clean. He needed that pronouncement according to Jewish law to be able to go back home and live among his family and friends again. And he needed to offer sacrifice.

All the people that heard Jesus preach on the hillside that day but only one came to Jesus to receive! I guess it amazes me because for many years I just heard words, words, words about Jesus; of the things He had done, the way He lived and I read the stories in the Old Testament and thought how neat that would have been. I did let it impact and change my life to a small degree but then the Holy Spirit became my teacher and started showing me that what happened in the Bible was available to me today.

My life has been forever changed and I can identify with that leper. I was unclean but one touch from Jesus has cleansed my life forever! To God be the Glory!

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Taking Good Advice

Do you know that God is a very loving Father and that He desires the best for us?

His word is filled with good advice. Just like we try to impart good advice to our children, God has written a book of daily life advice for us to follow, to live by.

Why? Because He wants nothing but the best of us.

I want to share just a couple of things that jumped off the pages of the Bible this morning.

“My child, if you listen and obey my teachings, you will live a long time. 11 I have shown you the way that makes sense; I have guided you along the right path. 12 Your road won’t be blocked, and you won’t stumble when you run. 13 Hold firmly to my teaching and never let go. It will mean life for you. 14 Don’t follow the bad example of cruel and evil people…My child, listen carefully to everything I say. 21 Don’t forget a single word, but think about it all.
22 Knowing these teachings will mean true life and good health for you. 23 Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life.” Proverbs 4:10-23 CEV

Those are the words of Solomon who was endowed with an abundance of wisdom. Next, we have the words of the Apostle Paul to his disciple Titus.

“God has shown us undeserved grace by coming to save all people. 12 He taught us to give up our wicked ways and our worldly desires and to live decent and honest lives in this world. 13 We are filled with hope, as we wait for the glorious return of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. 14  He gave himself to rescue us from everything evil and to make our hearts pure. He wanted us to be his own people and to be eager to do right. 15 Teach these things, as you use your full authority to encourage and correct people. Make sure you earn everyone’s respect.  Remind your people to obey the rulers and authorities and not to be rebellious. (Chapter 3) They must always be ready to do something helpful 2 and not say cruel things or argue. They shouldbe gentle and kind to everyone. 3 We used to be stupid, disobedient, and foolish, as well as slaves of all sorts of desires and pleasures. We were evil and jealous. Everyone hated us, and we hated everyone.

4 God our Savior showed us how good and kind he is. 5 He saved us because of his mercy,
and not because of any good things we have done. God washed us by the power of the Holy Spirit. He gave us new birth and a fresh beginning. 6 God sent Jesus Christ our Savior to give us his Spirit. 7 Jesus treated us much better than we deserve. He made us acceptable to God and gave us the hope of eternal life. 8 This message is certainly true. These teachings are useful and helpful for everyone. I want you to insist that the people follow them, so that all who have faith in God will be sure to do good deeds.” Titus 2:11 – 3:8 CEV

As parents we have all given advice to our children, advice that we feel is good. God’s advice to us as His children is much better, more reliable and always true. We do well when we follow His teachings!

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Think On These

Yesterday’s blog was very timely – A Changed Mind.

God knows what He is doing. King Solomon put it this way in Proverbs 23:7. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:”

If we see ourselves as God sees us and we meditate on His word, we will be victorious when the battles and the challenges come. We’re told…

…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

…My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. Philippians 4:19

…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16

…If God be for us, who can be against us Romans 8:31

…the thief comes but to steal, kill and destroy but I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly John 10:10

…if any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally James 1:5

…He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed I Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:5-6

…(Abraham) Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Romans 4:17

God tells us that the battle is in our minds and we are to renew them to His way of thinking and not to be caught up in man’s natural way of thinking. Sucessful people throughout time have used God’s principal of renewing your mind and have come through with God-like results.

“The weapons we use are not human ones. Our weapons have power from God and can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments, 5 and we tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:4-5

This is what David did as a young shepherd; all the armies of Israel were in fear of one giant but David knew that God would fight with him and so he had no fear and defeated Goliath single handed. Abraham knew he had God’s promise for a child and so at 100 years old, he held on to God’s word and a miracle of conception took place and Sarah gave birth to Issac. Peter was in a sinking boat when Jesus came walking on the water and at Jesus’ word, Come, Peter stepped out and walked to Jesus.

The men and the women of the Bible were/are people just like us, 100% human, what made them special is they chose to believe that God’s words had power and they let those words change their circumstances. We can do the same today.

Give God’s word more credibility than the word of your neighbor, your spouse, a trusted friend and think on His words. Your situations will change as you put your faith in God.

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A Changed Mind

Having a changed mind, or a renewed, transformed mind, as the Apostle Paul says, is a two-sided coin.

We have to realize what God the Father says about us in His word and live that out each day, but we also have to realize that we have an enemy who tries to destroy what the Father desires to do.

We are the deciding factor.

Who do we agree with? If we side with the Father and believe His Word we will see the positive results that He intends for us. If we side with the enemy and agree with him, we will see results of destruction. God is greater than the devil and could just “force” us to believe the right, but He won’t.

God doesn’t want us to be mindless puppets. He wants us to be loving children who hear and obey His word. We have a free choice, even if that brings a negative influence into our lives.

I want to point out a few of the subtle and not so subtle mind games the devil likes to play. He uses the same old tricks he always has so they are pretty easy to spot and through our strength in Christ, easy to defeat.

“… He was always against the truth. There is no truth in him. He is like the lies he tells. Yes, the devil is a liar. He is the father of lies.” John 8:43-45 ERV

“…The snake spoke to the woman and said, “Woman, did God really tell you that you must not eat from any tree in the garden?” Genesis 3:1

“The devil came to tempt him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these rocks to become bread.” Matthew 4:3 ERV

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” John 10:10 AMP

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…” Romans 8:1-2 KJV

Identify the words of the enemy; he comes to bring doubt, destruction, condemning and “if” thoughts. “You can’t do it; look at your past; God won’t use you; did God really say that; you’ll make a fool of yourself; “if” you try you’ll fail; are you really sure you’re saved and God will come to your rescue?” All of these and so many more are the tactics of the enemy.

The devil’s a liar but God cannot lie!

If the thoughts that come to your mind are any of the above, you know the devil is at work trying to dis-courage or destroy what God has promised. Condemnation doesn’t come from God. When we do things wrong, He will correct and instruct and even discipline us but it always comes in a loving, you-can-do-better type of way. He doesn’t ridicule or defame.

“[Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),” II Corinthians 10:5 AMP

We are to take EVERY thought captive into obedience in Christ!

Don’t let thoughts that aren’t from God take residence in your mind, drive them out as Jesus did – IT is written, it IS written, IT IS WRITTEN!

God’s word creates a changed mind!

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Give Life

Knowing when to speak and when to keep silent is a hard thing to determine sometimes. Listening to the Holy Spirit will keep you on the right track. Just like Jacob from yesterday’s devotion who was tricked by Laban for 20 years, we will have folks who will use words and actions to come against us.

We must be careful to honor the Lord in whatever we say and do. Our words must be directed in love and not in retaliation. The book of James deals a lot with the tongue and how destructive it can be.

“We all make many mistakes. A person who never said anything wrong would be perfect. Someone like that would be able to control their whole body too. 3 We put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us. With these bits we can control their whole body. 4 It is the same with ships. A ship is very big, and it is pushed by strong winds. But a very small rudder controls that big ship. And the one who controls the rudder decides where the ship will go. It goes where he wants it to go. 5 It is the same with our tongue. It is a small part of the body, but it can boast about doing great things.

A big forest fire can be started with only a little flame. 6 The tongue is like a fire. It is a world of evil among the parts of our body. It spreads its evil through our whole body and starts a fire that influences all of life. It gets this fire from hell.

7 Humans have control over every kind of wild animal, bird, reptile, and fish, and they have controlled all these things. 8 But no one can control the tongue. It is wild and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people who were created in God’s likeness. 10 These praises and curses come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, this should not happen. 11 Do good water and bad water flow from the same spring? Of course not.” James 3:2-11

In chapter one of James we are told to be quick to hear, slow to anger and slow to speak. Control the tongue – our words. God created the worlds with His words – they are powerful! So, we need to emulate the Father and use our words wisely.

Finally, if we take instruction from King Solomon his words of wisdom will bring a good result in our lives.

“The tongue can speak words that bring life or death. Those who love to talk must be ready to accept what it brings.” Proverbs 18:21 ERV

“A gentle answer makes anger disappear, but a rough answer makes it grow. Listening to wise people increases your knowledge, but only nonsense comes from the mouths of fools.3 The LORD sees what happens everywhere. He watches everyone, good and evil.4 Kind words are like a life-giving tree, but lying words will crush your spirit.” Proverbs 15:1-4 ERV

Be a giver of life.

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A Mountain of Strength

The last few days I have been reading of the final days of Jesus. One thing has jumped off the pages of Scripture and spoken to my heart.

Prayer!

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will not pass away. 34 Watch yourselves! Do not let yourselves be loaded down with too much eating and strong drink. Do not be troubled with the cares of this life. If you do, that day will come on you without you knowing it. 35 It will come on all people over all the earth. 36 Be sure you watch. Pray all the time so that you may be able to keep from going through all these things that will happen and be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

37 Everyday Jesus taught in the house of God. At night He went to the Mount of Olives and stayed there. 38 Early in the morning all the people came to the house of God to hear Him.” Luke 21:33-38 NLV

Jesus was teaching about the struggles that believers, His followers, would face before His return. He wanted them to be prepared – He wants us to be prepared. His instruction was simple, watch and pray.

The Bible tells that Jesus would rise early and go to a solitary place to pray. His life was such an example of prayer that His disciples asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray”.

I’ve never been to Israel but the pictures I have seen of the Mount of Olives are beautiful. It’s a peaceful place, a place to be alone, a place to commune with the Father. It seems to be separated from the city, a destination to be planned. It required a walk away from distractions.

Everyday Jesus taught and at night He went to the Mount of Olives. This was His routine. This is how Judas knew where Jesus would be when he betrayed Him.

“Judas went away and talked with the religious leaders,,. He talked about how he might hand Jesus over to them. 5 They were glad and promised to pay him money. 6 Judas promised to do this and then looked for a way to hand Jesus over when there were no people around.” Luke 22:4-6 NLV

Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples. He told them of His death and then they followed Him to the Mount of Olives to pray. It was here that Jesus committed His will to the Father. He laid down His life emotionally and willfully before He gave up His life physically.

In prayer He gained strength from the Father for the persecution He would face in the hours to come.

“ Jesus came out of the room. Then He went to the Mount of Olives as He had been doing. The followers went with Him…There He got down with His face on the ground and prayed. 42 He said, ‘Father, if it can be done, take away what must happen to Me. Even so, not what I want, but what You want.‘ 43 An angel from heaven came and gave Him strength. 44 His heart was much troubled and He prayed all the more.” Luke 22:41-44 NLV

Where is your Mount of Olives? Is it a garden bench, a comfy recliner, a corner in your bedroom or some other quiet place? Where do you go when you’re troubled?

Whenever you meet with the Father in prayer, you will find strength.

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Gateway to Wisdom

The theme of our past several blogs is gaining wisdom. Wisdom is found in God’s word. When we stand on God’s word it’s a firm foundation keeping us secure in troubling and tumultuous seasons.

The best thing we can do is “I treasure your word above all else; it keeps me from sinning  against you.12 I praise you, Lord! Teach me your laws.” Psalm 119:11-12 CEV

When I start writing and can’t remember where to find a Scripture I just look it up. I either use my Strong’s concordance from the bookshelf or I use the Biblegateway app on my computer. But here’s the thing, if it isn’t in the concordance or if I hadn’t downloaded the app, I wouldn’t have it.

If we don’t put God’s word into our heart and mind, it becomes almost impossible to utilize it when we need it. Jesus was led into the desert by the Holy Spirit to be tempted of the devil and when temptation came, He stood strong because He had already spent time putting the Word into His heart. When the temptation came, his heart took over and out came the Word! His eye was single – He had set His mind on things above.

“Then Jesus was led (guided) by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness (desert) to be tempted (tested and tried) by the devil. 2 And He went without food for forty days and forty nights, and later He was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, If You are God’s Son, command these stones to be made [loaves of] bread. 4 But He replied, It has been written,” Matthew 4:1-4 AMP

About 15 years back I went out for an afternoon ride. The horse I was riding was a big old standard bred – he had been trained to pull our wagon but also to work cattle in the hills. We started out the side gate and had gotten up the first little rock basalt hill when he balked and hopped sideways. Little did I know but my cinch was faulty and off I came, saddle and all. As I hit the hard ground, the first words out of my mouth were “ ‘by His stripes I am healed’…I will have no broken bones. ‘He sent His word and healed them’ ‘He will protect me lest I dash my foot against a stone’”. With that I picked up my saddle and started walking back to the house. No broken bones, just a few sore spots for the next several days.

My point is this – we don’t know when we’ll need the Word of God but we WILL need it. Jesus taught that the Word would be a solid rock foundation for us when the storms of life come. We need to be standing on the rock – Knowing the latest sports stats, or Wall Street financials, or political talking points or quotes from the textbook aren’t going to provide the strength and answers we need when facing a crisis! There’s nothing wrong with that stuff but it shouldn’t be our foundation; if it is our house with fall.

But we have the God-given opportunity to read and know God’s word. We can put it to the test and find that He never fails. His word will stand true forever.

It’s only thing to look at a beautiful garden from pictures but it’s so much better to walk through the gate and enjoy the beauty personally. Walk through the gate of God’s word!

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