Day 231    Follow God’s Instructions

Leviticus 18: 1-5 NLT

Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 "Say this to your people, the Israelites: I, the LORD, am your God. 3 So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life. 4 You must obey all my regulations and be careful to keep my laws, for I, the LORD, am your God. 5 If you obey my laws and regulations, you will find life through them. I am the LORD.

My translation of this verse actually uses the word “instructions.”  How many times have you said the the Lord concerning a situation you are facing, “Just tell me what to do and I will do it.”  

In the OT, they had so many laws and rules to follow and they were always covering for their inability to be successful by bringing sacrifices to the altar.  Thank God we do not have to do that.  We can just say to God,  “How do you want me to handle this”  or “What’s up with this,” and He will tell us.

Hmmmm......much simpler!!

GPS  (God’s directions)

• I Corinthians 2:16
• Psalms 1:2  Amplified Bible
• Proverbs 4:1

Prayer Focus:

Ask the Lord for His instructions on your greatest concern.  If you don’t receive them today, ask again tomorrow.  Have an expectant heart....an open heart.....a grateful heart.

What??  I Am The Clay?

Jeremiah 18: 5  New International Version

 ⁵ Then the word of the LORD came to me: ⁶ "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

When we go to God in desperation for our present circumstances to change,  He usually takes a good long look at us and says, “Okay, I'm on it, but there are some changes I want to make in you too!"

Who me??  Wait just a minute!!  I am the way I am.   I like what I like.  I know what I know.  It’s just the way I am. 

As you continue to seek God in your private devotional time, you will find yourself growing and changing.  That’s a good thing!  Don’t think He’s not working on those “circumstances” that you brought to Him, because He is, but He also wants to work on you.

It is good to start each daily time with Him by saying, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”  That gets “you”  out of the way so He can show you His ways.  It is also  good to say, “Teach me Your ways.”  I can promise you that if you ask, He will!!

GPS  (God’s Direction)

• Matthew 26:39 (your posture)

• Psalms 25:4 (your request)

• Romans 8:28 (your result)

Prayer:

Father, not my will but Yours be done in my life.  Today I defer to You and I trust that You know what is best for me. declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

When we go to God in desperation for our present circumstances to change,  He usually takes a good long look at us and says, “Okay, I'm on it, but there are some changes I want to make in you too!"

Who me??  Wait just a minute!!  I am the way I am.   I like what I like.  I know what I know.  It’s just the way I am. 

As you continue to seek God in your private devotional time, you will find yourself growing and changing.  That’s a good thing!  Don’t think He’s not working on those “circumstances” that you brought to Him, because He is, but He also wants to work on you.

It is good to start each daily time with Him by saying, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”  That gets “you”  out of the way so He can show you His ways.  It is also  good to say, “Teach me Your ways.”  I can promise you that if you ask, He will!!

GPS  (God’s Direction)

• Matthew 26:39 (your posture)

• Psalms 25:4 (your request)

• Romans 8:28 (your result)

Prayer:

Father, not my will but Yours be done in my life.  Today I defer to You and I trust that You know what is best for me.  

Day 230    God Is The Finisher

Hebrews 12:2

New King James Version (NKJV)

² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do you have some things that need to be finished in your life?  Well, God is the One who will help you bring things to a finish.

As I was praying about some things that needed to come to an end in my life, the word “capstone” came up in my spirit.

The word “capstone” signifies the finish of construction, or crowning of the completed goal.”

I encourage you to write down in your journal the things that need to come to an end in your life.  Here are some examples:  pain, strife, confusion, offense....just to mention a few.

Then begin to thank God that He is the “Finisher.”  On the cross 2,000 years ago, Jesus said, “It is finished.”  That is why we can say,  “It is finished” today.  We agree with the completed work of the cross and when we do, all that Jesus died for is free to flow into our lives.

Jesus died that we might have eternal life, peace, health, joy, provision and most of all fellowship with God.

GPS  (Directions From God’s Word)

·         John 19: 28-30

·         Hebrews 2:10  The Message Bible

·         Nahum 1:7-9

Prayer Focus:

Thank God that He is finishing up those things on your list.

Day 229  God Never Changes

James 1:17

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁷ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Life gets very confusing if we believe that God blesses us sometimes and seems to be no where around at other times.   This is my paraphrase but I believe God is saying in His Word,  “If you don’t understand, stick with Me—and you can ask Me as many questions as you like.  I will explain what I am doing and I promise that you can get ‘there’ from here.”

I have found that life with God is not a sprint but a marathon.  We all reach the finish line if we don’t drop out of the race.  If we listen closely, we will hear His words of encouragement.  Those are like “gold” to us. 

God in His love for us sent His own Son to the cross for us.  Can you even imagine doing that?? And especially for those of us who could care less at the time.  Then think on this scripture:

Romans 8:32 (NIV)

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Now that is good news!!!

GPS  (Directions in God’s Word)

·         Psalms 34:8

·         Malachi 3:6

·         Exodus 34:6

Prayer Focus:

If you have a question for God, write it down in your journal.  Then respectfully ask God your question.  And when the answer comes, thank Him for instructing you.

Day   228     Good is who God is

Ephesians 3:20

Amplified Bible (AMP)

²⁰ Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—

Every child knows that good means good.  We as adults question the meaning of good because we have had experiences in our lives that we do not understand so we say, “good couldn’t possibly mean good.”

We can choose to believe like a child and trust as a child or we can be skeptical of God’s goodness.  I always say to myself, “Why would I believe my fickle feelings with the All- mighty God has spoken?”  In the above scripture it plainly states that God desires to do “super abundantly, over and above….our highest prayers.”  Gloria Copeland says, “Good is who God is and good is what He does.” 

Let’s solidify this truth  in the foundation of our core beliefs. Either God is good or He is not.  It is something that we must settle.  We can choose to believe our feelings and opinions or we can believe what He says to us in His Word.

GPS  (Directions from God’s Word)

John 10:10  Amplified Bible

Psalms 107:8  NIV

Romans 5:17

Prayer Focus:

Stop to think about some of the good things that have happened to you or for you, and thank God that He was the author of it.  Ask Him about the not-so-good things and He will minister to you.

It's Not What You Know....

……It’s Who You Know.  Is it possible to really know God—His nature, His will, His ways and most of all His love?  It surely is—and I want to help you by giving you some very simple instructions. 

1.      Find a place where you can be alone.  It has to be a place where you can go everyday to be alone.  Here are some examples:  [ an office, a sitting room, or even a coffee shop.]  You choose!  There are no rules!

2.      Choose a time that you can consistently go to  this designated place--- when you know you will not be interrupted by family, by the phone, and by the demands of the day.

3.      Equip your designated place with a Bible, this devotional  (or another favorite devotional) and a notebook.

4.      Tomorrow go to your designated place at your designated time.  (Yes, you can bring your coffee!  God is not religious about that!)

5.      Open your Bible to the scripture designated for the day.  Open your notebook and put the date on the top of the page.  (Your notebook has now become your journal.)  Instead of journaling your past like most folks do, you will be journaling your future.  God is going to reveal to you that “good plan” that He has for you.  How exciting!!

6.      Read the scripture and the verses around it, letting God speak to your heart about your particular situation. 

7.      As certain words give you encouragement, write them on your journal page. 

It’s been about five years since I started this and I am totally blown away with God’s willingness to meet with me.  I know you will be blessed as you pursue your daily time with Him.

God Has A Good Plan For You

     

Jeremiah 29:11-14 (Amplified Bible)

¹¹For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

    ¹²Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you.

    ¹³Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

    ¹⁴I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will  release you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and all the places to which I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I caused you to be carried away captive.

There are times in our spiritual walks when we feel  caught—we cannot move ahead because of circumstances beyond our control. These circumstances can bring frustration, hopelessness, and a sense of powerlessness.

What we must always remember is that when we feel “caught” in our adverse circumstances, that God has already made a way out of them for us!!

Verse 13 in Jeremiah 29 says that we are to seek God, inquire of God, and require of God as a vital necessity.  Then we will find Him as we search for Him with all of our hearts.

GPS  (Directions From God’s Word)

·         Deuteronomy 4: 29 

·         2 Kings 13:4

·         2 Chronicles 15:4

Prayer Focus:

Thank God that He is accessible to you.