Life is tough, but it gets easier to understand when we allow God to lead. Let His Word be a light that guides your path.
Psalm 136
For every image my eyes bring into focus… for every sound wave that beats against my eardrums… for every flavor that grazes my taste buds… for every scent that tickles my nostrils… for every texture my hands embrace… for every (good) thought that rests in my mind… for every (good) motive that settles in my heart… for every breath I inhale and exhale… I am grateful.
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
“And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you. That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.” (vs. 11-12)
“Focus on your own business, and leave mine alone. Only then will you begin to understand where you belong.” -Ell
John 14:8-14
What is greater than healing someone who was sick? What could be greater than turning water into wine? What’s greater than walking on water? What’s greater than speaking a word, and causing a man to rise from the grave? What was greater than feeding 5,000 men (not including women and children) with two fish, and five loaves of bread? What greater works can we do today, than the list of awesome works I mentioned that Jesus performed thousands of years ago?
God wrapped Himself in flesh (Jesus), and came to the earth to redeem man back to himself, but while in the earth, His works were limited to a single vessel (Jesus), a single location, and the technology of that time. Jesus did some amazing things during His time with man, and His works continue to resonate during this 21st century, but what did He mean when He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (vs. 12). Where Jesus was limited to a certain place, He now lives in all those who have surrendered themselves to God, and can literally be expressed all over the world, at the same time, through countless believers. Could this be an example of greater works? I dunno… maybe, maybe not. Jesus raised men from the dead, and this was definitely amazing, but we have His power of influence to awaken men from their dead state of living. Could this also be a greater work? I dunno… maybe, maybe not. Jesus was limited to the technology of His time, and worked accordingly with it, but we have access to all sorts of high tech gadgets, that allow us to reach as many as we can with the Gospel message, in a matter of seconds. Could this be a greater work? I dunno… maybe, maybe not.
The Saints of God have the Holy Spirit literally influencing their every move (if they have submitted themselves to Him) and need not follow the man Jesus, as the disciples did, but can carry Him everywhere they go, inside their hearts, to do those things they’ve been empowered to do. This is just awesome in itself! Each believer can operate in the same power as Jesus did, to perform the same miracles He performed, and greater, if the situation demands it.
I’m only limited to what I’ve experienced, and what the news chooses to share with the world, but I am totally convinced, there are men on this planet, who have performed miraculous works, in the name of Jesus. There may not be apostles as there were in the time of Christ, who did those things Jesus did, but we have the same power flowing through us, that walked with the disciples, and we too can be used to do great works, even during these troublesome days.
Don’t limit yourself to the opinions of others, nor by the evil in the land, because God still reigns supreme, and you have His authority to represent His awesomeness, as Jesus did, in your lifetime.
“What do you and God have in common? – Ell
Genesis 43:20-25
In Scripture, servants were direct extensions of their masters. An example of this was evident in the previous lesson, where we read how Abraham’s servant, Eliezer, was indeed a man of faith, and righteous before the Lord. It’s very crucial (and beneficial for those who serve godly leaders) that men of God select those who are holy, full of the Spirit, righteous, and of good reputation to serve under their leadership. This is because, when God blesses the leader, those under his watch are blessed also. Also, leaders can expect humble and holy servants to adhere to, and obey their commands, without hesitation or contention. Servants who go against their master’s standards, cannot be trusted, thus must be removed and replaced immediately.
Remember when you were a kid, and you would select only the best kickers from a group of friends for your kickball team? You didn’t want anyone who was lazy or slow, but you desired the best of the bunch to represent your team. This is also true in the kingdom of God. While no man is perfect, we can all have prefect (mature and well-developed) faith. Eliezer was indeed a man after his master’s heart, and the man in our text served faithfully under Joseph also. After taking his once hard-hearted brothers through a brief season of rebuke and restoration, Joseph invited them all to join him in blessed reunion. Before the brothers were brought to Joseph’s presence, the steward of the house of Joseph met them at the door of the house. The steward was fully aware of Joseph’s plan for his brethren, and cared little about their explanation, but desired to fulfill his master’s plan to reunite him with his brothers. Although they were totally unaware what fate awaited them, Joseph’s brothers had many fears because of all the strange events they were experiencing. Fortunately, Joseph’s steward carried the spirit of his master, and showed hospitality to them all, including Simeon, whom they had kept in the house.
As a Christian, be mindful of those who work closely with you. We live in a world where Saints and sinners work closely together in most professions, but in the event God allows for you to manage or supervise fellow believers, be extremely grateful for the fact that you can not only work with other believers, but share with each other, the goodness of the Lord on a daily basis, as they operate in the same Spirit you walk in.
“Let your light shine so bright, until someone can see it in their valley moment.” – Ell
Genesis 44:27-34
One of the believer’s duties in service to God is, to protect those who also stand in agreement with their faith confession. The Bible teaches in the book of Romans, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me” (Romans 15:1-3).
Some who follow after righteousness diligently, will at times, become weak in spirit, and will be unable to bear their burdens alone. It’s during these moments when the power of prayer and intercession become of great importance to those who are weak, and those who can help bear the burdens of others. A sure way to identify a real child of God, from those who only use God’s name for selfish purposes is, to monitor how far they go, to ensure that others are properly cared for. There are many who claim the name of Christ, and appear to perform good deeds, but their actions are only done to promote themselves, and gain relevance in the spotlight. True Christians do their alms in secret, intercede in their prayer closets, and desire only to help those in need, without seeking glory for themselves.
After you pledged your allegiance in service to God, and to protect His people, did you do so with the intentions of making your name great, or did you purposely intend to fulfill the Words Jesus spoke when He commanded, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”? (Matt. 22:37-40)
“We live this life for purpose and reason, but not too long, for only a season.” – Ell
Psalm 51:1-12
When a Saint falls, their number one priority should be to first seek repentance from God, then allow Him to cleanse them from their error. Oftentimes, when we stumble, we tend to care more about the opinions of others, rather than coming before the Lord to seek forgiveness. While those who are the body of Christ should strive to represent holiness at all times to the world, when they veer off track, their first conversation should be with God alone. Man has no power to forgive sin, but God has all power, and He alone can purge, wash, and restore us back to our rightful place in Him. Throughout our lifetime, we will fall short of God’s glory, but because of Jesus, we can approach the Throne of Grace, and have our iniquities washed away.
King David, a man after God’s own heart, was responsible for committing two ungodly acts, that caused much misery and pain in his future. But, rather than blame others, or try to sweep those situations under the rug, the king repented, and sought reconciliation with the One Whom he had transgressed against.
God loves His people, but He hates when we sin. Everytime we submit to sin, we acknowledge that what we allowed to gain our attention, was more important than what God warned us against. For this reason, we should always get convicted when we mess up, because this proves that we are aware of our actions, and aren’t fixed on making sin habitual.
After king David messed up, then repented, he committed the rest of His life to service to God. Never allow your sin and mistakes to cause you to lose faith in God. We are born in sin, and shaped in iniquity, so it’s only natural for our flesh to desire things of the world. But, when we put off the old man, and gird ourselves with the new and improved, God fills us with His Spirit, that helps make avoiding sin a lot more easier, than trying to resist the devil on our own.
We live this life for purpose and reason, but not too long, for only a season.
Ell
Acts 13:1-5
When God speaks, can you tell whether it’s Him, or not? How do you discern the voices in your head, whether they are from the devil, the Father, or the spirit of your mind (conscience)? The best way to recognize when God is speaking to you (through His Spirit) is, to be in a position of proper posture, then you’ll be better prepared to discern what’s true, and what’s not.
As humans, we were created with intuitive minds, that have the capability of harboring endless thoughts in our brains. From those thoughts, we can discern what actions to take, based on the current situation we may be facing. Unfortunately, there’s also the devil, who oftentimes makes attempts to fill our minds with evil and wicked thoughts and vain imaginations. He does this in various ways, including infiltrating television shows, movies, music, and all other mediums to distract our attention from the things of God.
As a person matures in godliness, it becomes fairly easy for them to distinguish the different voices they hear. If at anytime, you are led to do something contrary to God, morality, or your sanity, then this voice is NOT from God. On the other hand, if you are striving to live holy, while keeping yourself pure and humble before the Lord, you’ll often hear clear and direct instruction, and revelation during times of prayer, fasting, or moments throughout your day.
God loves to have our attention tuned to Himself, because He alone knows what’s best for us, and how we can properly serve Him daily. It’s wise to follow and obey the voice of the Lord, but it’s foolish to place our own thoughts, or entertain thoughts from the evil one, over the Father. Pray to God for discernment and wisdom, so that you can always receive clear and precise instruction, on how to live your life with purpose.
If you die today, where will you spend eternity?
Ell
James 5:13-20
One of the most sound words of advice acknowledged by Luke in the New Testament says “that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” These words were mentioned right before Jesus began to teach the parable of the “Unjust Judge”. If you’re not familiar with this story, it can be found in Luke 18:1-8. Christ understood, keeping in constant communication with the Father, was essential to maintaining the right balance of natural, and holy living. God knows all, created all, and understands all, so the more we come to Him with whatever issue, the better we’ll understand His purpose for allowing it, and how to handle it.
Our text also gives a powerful word of wise counsel, as it states, “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (vs. 16b). While prayer involves communicating with God, in order for God to hear, or even acknowledge your words, a couple of things must first be dealt with. First of all, we should always approach God with a pure heart, and good intentions. If there is any sin in our hearts, we should confess our faults, and the Lord will save us. Second, when we pray, it must be done in faith. Praying without faith is, praying amiss, and God doesn’t acknowledge unfaithful requests. Many times, people come before God with doubt, fear, unbelief, or discouragement, but these things must be put aside, so that one won’t lose heart when seeking to receive an answer from the Father.
Because of Christ, we have a right to approach God, despite with the enemy says or does to convince us otherwise. Prayer is powerful and super effective, and when it becomes a customary pattern, the life of those who pray will become increasingly focused, and appealing in the eyes of God.
Why does the living man complain?
Ell
James 2:8-13
Do you love yourself? Do you really take note of the way you care for your own well-being? Do you make sure to keep yourself well-groomed, fed properly, healthy, safe from dangerous situations and areas, well-informed of worldly affairs, clothed in decent and clean apparel, distanced from drama, lies, and gossip, and covered in prayer, with fasting? When you love yourself, you’ll be certain to do all that’s necessary to ensure a safe, healthy, and productive lifestyle. In fact, God appreciates when His people keep themselves healthy in their physical bodies, and sound in their mind and soul. While God loves to see us care for ourselves, it pleases Him the more when we show that same love and care for others.
Do you find it easy to love others the same way you love yourself? Can you bless someone with something you could possibly need for yourself, or are you unable to sacrifice, so that someone else can bask in a moment of peace and provision? Loving “thy neighbor as thyself”, should never be a hard task for the children of God, because all their works are motivated by the Holy Spirit. When a believer sees someone with a need, their first instinct is usually to meet that person’s need (if possible). Even if you lack what someone else has need of, rather than give up on them, it’s wise to walk with them to seek resolution elsewhere. When we see others hurting, we are to show sympathy, as if their hurt was our own. Even during this unprecedented season of sickness and death, the church should remain humble, and sensitive to the feelings of all those who have suffered great loss.
Treating others the way we desire to be treated, is counted as well doing, according to Scripture, but showing respect to some, while avoiding others is considered sin. That’s right! It’s a sin to show favor to some, while avoiding others like the plague. In our society, we judge men based on their outer appearance, but God despises having respect of persons, and promotes meekness, kindness, and mercy amongst all who bear His holy name.
As you continue on your journey through life, be mindful of how you treat others. Have you been guilty of showing any degree of partiality or injustice toward others? If so, repent quickly, and strive to love everyone the same way you love yourself.
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold… don’t become one of them.
Ell
Ell's Daily Inspirations 