"For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."  (Romans 9:15) God is a sovereign God—something we all know but something we truly have a hard time grasping! His plans for each of us are very unique; the lives we live are very individual.  God has set His holy, righteous plan into motion with purpose and determination in order to accomplish His final goal to provide a pure and spotless Bride for His Son, Jesus Christ. It is easy to be "jealous" over someone who has had an easier life than you.  When I was less than two years old, my mother gave me up for adoption. I was adopted by a wonderful, loving family who saw to my every need through life.  They protected me, loved me, provided a stable family for me to grow up in . . . not perfect, but good.  Many years passed; I married and had my own family. ...

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." (Ephesians 4:29) Have you ever stopped to listen to what comes out of your mouth and suddenly feel ashamed for the words you've uttered? Most of us have and regret ever opening our mouth. Our words minister to those who hear them ... they either minister grace or they cause people to turn away hurt, dejected and may even bear the scars from our words for an entire life. Words, once they are released from our lips travel at the speed of sound; nothing can be done to reverse their affect once they’ve been spoken. Your words bear witness of what is truly in your heart:  "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Matt. 12:34) Next time you open your mouth to react to something, think twice and minister grace! Great will be your reward.  You may never know the impact your gracious response will have on the person with whom you're talking!...

"By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil."  (Proverbs 16:6) Have you ever wondered why there seems to be so much evil in the world today?  According to today's verse, it could be that the answer is quite simple: There is no fear of the Lord. The "fear of God" referred to here indicates much more than reverential awe and respect. The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 25:14 that we can't know the revelation of God's covenant until His fear is deeply rooted in us: "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant."  This verse connects an understanding of the covenant with the fear of God. In short, revelation is tied to His holy fear. Mankind cannot truly fear God until they know Him and His nature. Because this age we live in is so self-centered, self-sufficient, and self-serving, few are found who truly...

"Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth."  (1 Chronicles 16:31) The Lord reigns. He's in control. He's supreme over all. Shout it from the rooftops. Sing it in a song. Whisper it in a prayer. There is no god like our God. He's our all in all. He's Lord of all. We have been commissioned to tell it among the nations that the Lord reigns both now and throughout all of eternity. If the heavens be glad, if the earth rejoices, how much more should we be compelled to share the news that the Lord reigns. Don’t be silent.  Don’t be ashamed.  Don’t let intimidation cause you to hide the fact that our God reigns in your life, in the world, and throughout all of creation.   Intimidation is a veil that hides our light.  Matthew 5:16 reminds us, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify...

 

"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."  (John 15:12-13) Are you walking in obedience to His commandment? Do you love others as our Lord loves you? Are you willing to deny yourself everything including your very life for your friends? Have you ever thought about how deeply you love your own children – even to the extent of giving your own life for them?  It would be hard, but if it were necessary most parents would willingly lay down their lives for their children.  But this love that Jesus talks about in our verse today demands an answer to a much harder question:  Could I ever be able to give of myself to such an extent for someone I don't know, or for someone whom I don't really like? This is what the Lord is asking us—how much are we willing to give out of love for others? That kind of love requires far more than most are prepared to give....

"He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds." (Psalm 147:3)

Praise the Lord!

All through the Bible we are encouraged to praise the Lord and it is not without reason that we are called to this duty time and time again. Praise serves a two-fold purpose: When it is directed toward and centered in Him, it pleases Him beyond measure. Secondly, praise is in our best interest because it blesses us.

God's love for His people is overwhelming; He takes care of us and makes provision for every need. It is His pleasure to comfort the broken hearted, to bind up the wounded, to set free the captive. He is motivated by merciful love . . . not by anything we could ever do on our own to deserve it.

If you're broken hearted today, if you've been wounded by life's circumstances, take time to praise Him. Press into Him and praise Him with all your might! He's worthy...

"Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?" (Ruth 2:10)

How many times have we asked the same question: "Why have I found grace in thine eyes?"

As we look into His holiness, we become so very aware of our unholiness. The closer we grow to Him the more we realize how far we are from what and who He wants us to be. His desire for us is to be "holy even as He is holy." Yet, we live in flesh that is corruptible, flesh that is as filthy rags in light of His righteousness and holiness. Isaiah summed it up well with his reaction to seeing the holiness of God. His words were, "Woe is me for I am undone . . ."

It is necessary for us to realize that we are absolutely nothing without Him for in Him and Him only do we live and move and have...

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)

David knew where His strength lay. He had seen the Hand of God move in his life time and time again, from a youth until he drew his last breath. His relationship with the Lord was such that he understood Who God was in every area of his life—he knew God as the Strength of his Life.

Could you pass the relationship test? Do you have a revelation of who God is in every area of your life? In every need in your life? In every situation in which you find yourself? See if you can pass the test:

To whom do you run when there is a crisis in your life? - Your spouse?- Your best friend?- Your parents?- Your Lord?  

When you are faced with a sudden emergency, who do you call upon first?- The paramedics?- Your spouse?- Your best friend?-...

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)

David knew where His strength lay. He had seen the Hand of God move in his life time and time again, from a youth until he drew his last breath. His relationship with the Lord was such that he understood Who God was in every area of his life—he knew God as the Strength of his Life.

Could you pass the relationship test? Do you have a revelation of who God is in every area of your life? In every need in your life? In every situation in which you find yourself? See if you can pass the test:

To whom do you run when there is a crisis in your life? - Your spouse?- Your best friend?- Your parents?- Your Lord?  

When you are faced with a sudden emergency, who do you call upon first?- The paramedics?- Your spouse?- Your best friend?-...