Never Too Late

Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.”  (Genesis 18:11)

If you belong to Jesus, He is sure to give you a task too difficult to do without Him. Just as our Lord did nothing on earth except what He'd seen His Father do, we can do nothing apart from what we have seen our Savior do. Our attempts at reaching people for Jesus may be nothing more than a popular or corporate methodology — there is nothing of the raw power of faith in God and nothing of the Cross of Christ in that kind of "ministry." You and I, on the other hand, are called to that which is only done through the power of prayer and patience.

 

Remember, Abraham and Sarah were far past the age of bringing a child into the world, yet they would soon hold Isaac in their arms ("Isaac" means laughter). God laughs at the impossible. Let us laugh with Him. 

 

Let's Pray - Father, help me to take You at Your word and respond in faith when You speak — especially when it is hard to believe! With You, nothing is impossible, and impossible is nothing! Amen.

Here I Am

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”  (Isaiah 6:85)

Can God send you, and are you trustworthy in His sight? Are you pressing into Jesus and prepared for all He wants to show you and do in you? The Christian life is an adventure, and you have no idea where obedience and sacrifice will take you next. Do not go without being sent, but when you are, GO!

 

There are times when you hear the voice of the Lord so clearly that there is no doubt He has spoken to you. In those times, do not consult with flesh and blood, but GO! Do what He commanded at once before you fall into the devilish trap of doubt that Eve fell into - - "Did God really say . . .?" Yes, He did, so do what He said and do it now.

 

This is the life of the child and church of God; hearing, doing, and going. What are you waiting for? When He sends you, GO!

Let’s Pray – Dear Father, my heart is willing to go where You send me. I long to see the Gospel reach the ends of the earth. Prepare me to do my part, and I will stand for Your interests in the world. "Here I am, Lord. Send me!" Amen.

Let Him Lead

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me . . . (Psalm 23:4) 

It does not matter where we are or what is going on around us if Jesus is leading. Fear has no place to settle in a heart that is following the Lord and abiding in Him. If Jesus has led you into a difficult season, rejoice, because the victory is nigh. Stay close enough to hear His voice and enjoy His peace, even amid the storm. Jesus never leaves those He leads.

 

Some of us do not go forward, because we fear the consequence of confronting certain people, situations, or realities. However, growth is impossible without obstacles and strain. God uses life's difficulties to train us to look to Him, and we discover the depths of His love in those trying seasons. The work He is carrying out in you is dependent upon His grace, and nothing else.

 

If you have been stripped of every other resource, good — that is exactly where God wants you. Go forward, and He will provide everything you need on the way. Trust Jesus and let Him lead.

 

Let’s Pray – Dear Father, where You lead me, I will follow. Give me an ear to hear and a heart to obey. I want to be found in You, and to be a sheep who knows Your voice and will not follow another. Amen.

Perfect in Weakness, pt. 2

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

 

It seems absurd to “boast in my infirmities” as Paul did, but that is where the is power of God rested in his life. Before the Lord could use him, Paul had to lay aside any dependence on his many gifts, his wisdom, his accomplishments, and even his profound knowledge into the mysteries of God. While most men stand on these things, Paul learned to put them aside, that he might make way for an even greater revelation of God’s Son. It is a difficult truth, but God perfects us through our weakness, not our strength. Are you willing to be weak today?

 

God's divine life is imparted to us as we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit. He brings us to the nail-scarred feet of Jesus, and Jesus receives us as joint heirs of His Father. None of these things depend on our works or worth. We must not try to earn what Jesus has won; everlasting life is ours by grace through faith, and that alone. 

 

The fact that we are unworthy and undeserving only serves to magnify the Lord and illustrate the sweetness of His love and kindness. His strength seeks out our weakness — we can do nothing good without Him, nor should we try. Jesus is the only King who was willing to become weak and the only God who was willing to become a man. As He was willing to be weak, so must we be. 

 

May the Lord increase our understanding of these things.

 

Let’s Pray – Father, I lay down every claim and possession, and I take up that which You would give me, and that alone. Let Your divine excellence be my portion, as I humble myself in Your sight. May I be strong in the power of Your might today. Amen. 

Perfect in Weakness

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”  (2 Corinthians 12:9)

The weakness Paul speaks of here is not sin. The only answer for sin is found on our knees at the Cross. Weakness is the human condition — the frailties, disappointments, and shortcomings with which we all struggle. God searches out the areas of weakness we would hide in shame, and His grace strengthens us and glorifies Him in that place. In fact, the Lord’s strength is drawn to our weakness, as is His provision to our need. Go to Him weak, and He will acknowledge your weakness and strengthen you in that place!

True ministry is never based on our giftedness or excellence, and God will never settle heavenly matters by human efforts. We are not called to do things for God, but to present ourselves to Him daily and give Him the opportunity to do whatever He pleases with us. Anything we do in our own strength will bring us glory. So, God trusts us with weakness, so that our work is done in His strength, not ours.

 

Remember, when the job before us requires Kingdom power, only the weak need apply.

 

Let’s Pray – Dear Father, I confess my desperate need of Your Holy Spirit. Fill me today and live the life of Jesus Christ through me for all to see. Thank You for loving me and strengthening me, even in my weakness. In Christ alone, Amen.

Commanded to Love

“These things I command you, that you love one another.”  (John 15:17)

Love is the currency of heaven, and we can do nothing for God without it — so, it makes a remarkable difference to see love as a command and not a choice. Jesus can command us to love, because He has taken love out of the natural and emotional realm and placed it in the proper framework of the spirit. When our love is true love, it is spiritual, based on the personality of God, who is love. Therefore, He commands us to love others, and He can give us the power to do as He commands.

Some people, even Christians, tout "unconditional" love. But that is a fallacy, because God's love must have its conditions, and Jesus Christ is that condition. The love of God can only be understood and expressed in Jesus, and if we do not have Christ, we do not have love that satisfies God's standards. Men and circumstances will test the limits of our love, and it is the Spirit who sheds God's love abroad in our hearts to help us pass those tests. Only then can we obey His command to love one another. There is no other way to love, and there is no greater love than Jesus.

Let's Pray - Father, it is good and right to learn to define love as You do. Teach me to appreciate each person as an opportunity to love as You command. May my words and deeds be salt and light in the earth, and may You be glorified in Your servant. Amen.

A New Day

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory . . .  (2 Corinthians 4:16, 17)

God is after greater things in us than we are aware of, and once we realize how much He loves us, we can weather the most difficult seasons with a winsome joy. No more sulking or sour sadness disguised as “suffering for Jesus!” That is not devotion at all, and no one comes to the Lord by that kind of morbid religiosity. True worship comes from a heart that looks to the dawning of the new day and to the fulfillment of God’s divine purpose. Yes, God is looking for true worshippers!

The work God gives us to do is to believe on Jesus and all He says to us. We live joyfully and expectantly, because we refuse the clamor all around us, and we harken to the King above and the Kingdom within. The Lord wants us to be faithful and courageous, and His Spirit within us is always pouring out His love and giving us the power to be the overcomers He says we are. Remember, God will touch and bless every hand and heart lifted to Him. So, look up today, see Your Lord on high, lift your hands, and give Him the glory He deserves. It's a new day!

Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. (Psalm 24:7)

Let’s Pray – Dear Father, I will look beyond the difficulties of the moment and worship You in spirit and truth. You are firmly in control of my life, and You are always faithful. Thank You for trusting me with these trials. Through them all, I will rejoice and give You glory. Amen.

A New Thing

Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing.  (Isaiah 43:18, 19a)

The Lord will take you to unexplored heights and show you new things if you are willing. His mercy and love are new every morning, and He is leading you to new experiences where only the faithful can follow. Christ desires to live His life through you, so move every obstacle and concern out of His way. The things that lie ahead count most. Leave your past behind and move forward with God. Take His hand, trust Him, and follow Him closely.

"A new thing" is something greater than has ever happened in you before, and you are what the Lord is doing. He alone does what no human effort, self-help, or self-improvement can — for only He can do a perfect work in you. This new work will bring you closer to Jesus, where nothing is impossible, and the impossible is nothing! Your part is to present yourself daily, to be transformed until Christ is fully formed in you.

 

So, forget what's behind and press toward your new life in Him. That is where you will find your joy. That is where you will find Jesus.

Let’s Pray – Dear Lord, give me eyes that look forward, and I will approach this new year with great expectation. I trust You with every detail of my life. Lead me in the way I should go. In my Savior’s name, Amen.