The same Spirit that rested on Jesus, rests on you. And so I pray this wonderful revelation of Isaiah for you today. May you be filled to overflowing with an abundance of God’s insight , discernment, and counsel as you make decisions in your life. May He occupy every thought with His sage advise – for the source of all wisdom is in God. Lastly, May you stand ever in awe and reverence before the throne of Grace…because without it, you’d be lost.
Psalm 108: 13 ” With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies.”
What terror and turmoil has you in its clutches today? Call on the name of Jesus, and all the mighty power of Heaven and Earth will be at your disposal…for it is because of Him that we gain the victory. The Lord will crush under foot the enemy that has you filled with fear. Call on His name.
John 10:2 ” The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep.”
The thief enters over the fence…the wild animal, by digging underneath the enclosure…but the shepherd strides up and opens the gate. The Good Shepherd – Jesus, is not only the sole person who can rightfully open the gate…He is the gate. For in verse 9, Jesus goes on to say, “I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved.” Jesus is the Good Shepherd and the only means by which we can be saved… ever watching over, and protecting His flock… allowing passage into eternity.
John 10:4 ” When He has brought out all His own, He goes on ahead of them, and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice.”
As His sheep, we need to be ever attentive, listening for His voice. But we also need to be ever on guard of confusing voices that draw us away from the one true voice. But alas, how do we recognize His voice? It’s by encounter after encounter with Him that we learn to perceive His voice.
Ephesians 1:17 ” I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.”
Oh, to have that divine knowledge and insight to discern good from bad…right from wrong…wise from foolish. But if you think about it…we do have access to that kind of wisdom – it’s through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit – that still small voice giving direction and guidance, helping us make the right choices every day. All we have to do is be willing to listen and obey.
II Corinthians 12:9 ” But He said to me, ‘ My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ “
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m limited…as a human being, I’m limited mentally and physically of what I can do. As a fallen sinner, I’m very limited spiritually and morally to do what I should. So here I sit, immersed in my weakness, when God, leans over and whispers, “But what I want to do through you can only be achieved, and carried through to perfection in that weakness. Otherwise, you’d think it was you doing it, and not Me completing it through you.”
Psalm 112: 7-8 ” He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear, in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.”
Bad things happen to good people everyday. In varying degrees of severity, we all face challenges… unpleasant, sad, harmful, chaotic things, that affect our lives and the lives of loved ones around us. But the point of this Psalm is – whose report are you going to believe…the world’s or the Lord’s? When our eyes are fixed firmly on the Lord, our confidence and reliance can not be shaken…we can’t be intimidated by the circumstances we find ourselves in, for our heart is secure in the Lord.
II Corinthians 5:7 ” We live by faith, not by sight.”
I tend to be a real visual person. I like to see something, rather than have it described to me. Abstract concepts are easier to grasp, if I can look at something first. But my faith in the Lord is not anything I can grasp in my hand and gaze at. Rather, my trust and belief in Jesus is based on the unseen…my obedience founded on the eternal.
Romans 2:1 ” You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”
We judge others daily, without even thinking about it. We causally judge and condemn others as we walk down the street, or stand with a group of friends. Judging others is a way to make us feel better about ourselves, but at what price? If we judge harshly, we too will be judged harshly…but if we relinquish that selfish need to elevate ourselves before others, we may start seeing people through the eyes of Jesus.
Romans 1:12 ” That is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each others faith.”
I’d love to hear how the Lord is working in your life…how He’s answered prayer, or provided in a time of need, or blessed you in an unexpected way. We all need to share these faith-building moments with each other, for by them, faith rises, confidence grows, and as a group, we are all urged forward in Christ.
Safetypinlove 