Jesus and His disciples were on their way to Jerusalem, when Jesus stopped to look for figs in this tree…but there weren’t any, which was very odd. Fig trees in this region of the world usually had fruit on them year round. So the next morning , as they passed by the fig tree again, they saw it was withered up. Jesus had cursed this tree to make a very pointed comparison between it and the fruitlessness of Israel. As Isaiah lamented…”All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good.” (Isaiah 65:2)
Deuteronomy 30:20 “and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life…”
Today, you may be needing an answer from the Lord. Which way do I go? Should I make this choice or another? Your mind is racing with ideas, but you truly just want God’s best in your life. It’s said that the greatest place to be is in the center of God’s Will, but how do we determine it? The Lord gave you an intelligent mind, He gave you His Bible as a road map…but He also gave you the Holy Spirit within as your Navigator. Make wise decisions, ever listening to the Holy Spirit for guidance…and when you have peace about the matter…you have the answer you were looking for.
Judges 8:27 ” Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshipping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.”
Just like the golden calf Aaron made in the wilderness for the children of Israel when they thought Moses was lost up on the mountain, idolatry rears its ugly head when we start worshipping the object rather than God. The lure of this object is always strong and enticing…we’ve some how gotten God into a small, neat package we can see and touch. But what sadly happens, is that we start treating the object with more love, respect, and honor than the Lord…this type of idolatry is called Spiritual adultery.
II Timothy 2 :12-13 ” If we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure , we will also reign with Him. If we disown Him, He will also disown us; if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.”
If we persevere through the adversities of this world with faith in Jesus Christ…we will have eternal life. But if we deny Him and His gift of Salvation, someday we will face judgment. For God is faithful to His Word…if we disown Jesus, He will disown us before God. (Matt. 10:33).
Ezekiel 34: 26 ” I will bless them and the places surrounding My hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessings.”
The Lord will bring forth His favor…at the ideal time. Not necessarily when we think it should happen. Rather, at the exact time…not too late, not too early, but at the proper time…the right Season. And at that perfect time, His peace and benefits will rain down.
Luke 18:7 ” And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night?”
Paul said to pray without ceasing…to pray continually, even if it seems nothing is changing. For each prayer chips away at the darkness, and if we persistently continue to pound at the door of Blessings, the Lord will throw open the windows of Heaven, allowing them to shower down.
Isaiah 41:13 ” For I am the Lord your God, Who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”
There is nothing like that sinking feeling of being lost. Nothing is familiar, everything around is strange and scary. Oh, what you would give for someone to come along side , take your hand, tell you everything will be Ok, and show you the way. But God is just like that…when we are lost, He extends His hand towards us, reassuring us that all will be well…” I will help you and show you the way… Follow Me.
Psalm 31:1 ” In You O Lord, I have taken refuge…”
About six years ago My husband and I were working in the garden, when suddenly he collapsed. Upon arriving at the Emergency Room via ambulance, it was discovered he was in Atrial Fibrillation. IV medication was administered and his blood pressure came down, but because of his cardiac history, he was kept for observation overnight. When I finally got home late that night, I figured our dog and I would have this massive melt down together, but instead, this verse was my prayer over us all. After a quiet, restful night I awoke, ready to face the day ahead. My trust was in the Lord…
II Corinthians 3:18 ” And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
What do you see when you look in the mirror? You see an image, a reflection of yourself. But if you confess Jesus as your Savior, you have been spiritually transformed into His image also. So when people look at you…they should see Jesus.
II Chronicles 35:3 ” He said to the Levites, who instructed all Israel and who had been consecrated to the Lord: ‘ Put the sacred Ark in the Temple that Solomon son of David King of Israel built’ “
King Josiah ordered the Ark of the Covenant to be placed in the newly restored Temple…interestingly enough, this is the very last time the Ark is mentioned in the Old Testament. Some think it was carried away by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon when he plundered the Temple. But an old Jewish tradition says that the priests hid the Ark, and when the Messiah returns, He will reveal the hiding place, thus asserting that He is in fact the true Messiah.
Safetypinlove 