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Jeremiah 18:1-6

"Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand." Jeremiah 18:6

God often teaches us spiritual truths in the Bible through the use of parables or living pictures. In our Scripture passage today God gave the prophet, Jeremiah, a living picture. God did this to help Jeremiah understand an important spiritual truth. God told Jeremiah, "Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message." (Jeremiah 18:2) In Jeremiah’s day one could not go down to the local retail store to buy a bowl, vase, or pot. One had to go to the potter’s house. The potter would start with a lump of clay. The potter would then put that lump of clay on a potter’s wheel; and with the touch of his hands he would form the clay into a beautiful vase, bowl, or pot of some kind. Sometimes the potter made something that did not please him, or the vessel "was marred in his hands" (Jeremiah 18:4) This may have happened because some impurities had not been removed, or perhaps a piece of unwanted material in the clay would not yield to the work that was being done on the potter’s wheel. If that happened, the potter would smash the pot and remake it over and over until it was a vessel pleasing to him.

The Lord God is the Potter in our lives, and we are the clay in His hands. He is in sovereign control of our lives, and He controls all the events of our lives. When spiritual impurities come into our lives the Lord God recreates and molds our lives to be more in tune with His will. All the events of our lives are used to make us more like Jesus. God especially uses problems, difficulties, and trials in our lives to mold us into the kind of people who truly reflect the Lord Jesus. The Lord wants to bring us ever closer to the center of His will. Difficulties teach us to not rely on our own self-effort and devices. Difficult times in our lives teach us to rely and trust only on the Lord. Difficulties in our lives also help to remove the impurities of sin from our lives, and they help us to grow in our love relationship with the Lord. All the events of our lives, including difficult times, are meant to shape us into beautiful vessels for the Lord.

Our prayer to God should be that He will make us into beautiful vessels of purpose for Him. When we fail and allow spiritual impurities into our lives we need to pray that the Lord will take us back to His Potter’s wheel. We need to pray that the Lord will then reshape us and form us into something more beautiful for Him. From the broken fragments of our lives the Lord can make us into beautiful vessels for Him!

We must not fight against or question the Lord’s molding of our lives. We need to pray that each touch of the Lord’s hand on our lives will help us to become whom He wants us to become. The Lord knows just the right amount of pressure to put on our lives. We must remain thankful for how He has made us and thankful for how He is working and leading in our lives! We must persevere in our willingness to submit to the Lord's will. We must be submissive to the Lord even in trials and difficult times in our lives. The Lord has promised to be with us all the way.

We must also ask the Lord for the filling of the Holy Spirit’s power and the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We must yearn for the Lord to control our lives completely every hour and every day! There is a song that this devotional writer has taught to her Bible class children for many years. The words to this song need to be our prayer each day. "Lord, You’re the Potter. I am the clay. Mold me and make me in Your own way. Take me and break me, Savior, I pray, into a vessel of honor today."

Jeremiah 17

Jeremiah 17:5-17

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; it’s leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8

There is much anxiety and emptiness in the hearts and minds of most people in this world. For the Christian there should always be a sense of peace and resting in the Lord. For even the Christian, however, worry sometimes creeps into our lives. Worry is sin. Worry occurs in our lives, because we are trusting in something or someone other than God. It means we are making someone or something else in our life more important than the Lord. Sinful worry involves having our roots or foundation in life in anything other than the Lord. Sinful worry involves putting our trust and hope in things other than the Lord. Jeremiah 17:5 says, "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord." If we put anything before the Lord, we will be like a dried up "bush in the wastelands." (Jeremiah 17:6a) Such lives are meaningless.

What makes you and I anxious? What makes us worry? What are our hearts set on? What we worry about may be a clue as to what is becoming more important to us in our lives than the Lord. Many things can be "good" things in themselves, but even "good" things must not be more important to us than the Lord. Is our jobs or careers more important to us than the Lord? What about our families? What about our reputations or what people think of us? Even when we think we are doing the Lord’s work we must be very careful that people’s perception of us does not become more important to us than the Lord. We need to be emptied of ourselves and filled with the Lord. If we are chasing after anything other than the Lord’s will, we will not even notice the blessings and prosperity that do come to us. We will still be discontent. It will still be as if we are living "in the parched places of the desert." (Jeremiah 17:6b)

What a contrast there will be in our lives, if we are truly resting and trusting in the Lord! "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream." (Jeremiah 17:7-8a) Blessed and joyful are we, if we trust in the Lord and find our total fulfillment in Him! Blessed are we, if we trust Him and have our confidence in Him alone. He will fill us with His living spiritual waters. He will give us all we need for time and eternity. In our natural state we are born in sin, and we are like a tree which is "a bush in the wastelands." (Jeremiah 17:6a) But the Lord Jesus through His wonderful salvation and work in our lives transplants us by the living waters of His Holy Spirit! We become rooted in Him!

Such a tree or life in Christ "does not fear when heat comes; it’s leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17:8b) Such a life in Christ does not fear and wilt in times of difficulty and challenge. Such a life continues to trust and rest in the Lord even in difficult times in life and continues to bear spiritual fruit. Such a life finds his or her joy and confidence in the Lord alone and puts the Lord first in his or her life. May we be deeply rooted in the Lord. He alone is our "spring of living water" (Jeremiah 17:13b) He alone is our "refuge in the day of disaster." (Jeremiah 17:17b) He alone must be the Lord of our lives!

TUNING IN TO HIS FREQUENCY

It is time for us to align ourselves with God's government and shift into our new season. However, to totally shift, we are must press beyond our circumstances and religious belief systems. We are being challenged to press beyond the pressures of our own abilities to make things happen, and press only to look to Him.

In our new season, we will not be able to make any "strange fires" as Nadab and Abihu (Numbers 26:61). They tried to start a counterfeit fire, not depending on the fire which only the Lord could provide. They sought an alternate route for the blessing by ignoring the divine instructions from God to depend upon His fire. Only by clinging to Him and His direction, do we become empowered to make a divine shift and remain in proper alignment.

Many of us thought it difficult to touch Heaven, as if we had to do everything right and perfect. However, touching Heaven is very simple--just worship Him, cling to Him, and never let go! If we do this, He promises to burn away everything displeasing to Him, and rekindle a fresh desire to serve Him.

As you cross over your Jordan, remain attached to Him. Remove all attachments of fear and doubt by attaching yourself to Him. This will empower you to keep touching Heaven for your breakthroughs, so that in 2013, you can fully pass through the new gates He has for you.

When we DETERMINE to align ourselves with God's Kingdom plans for our lives, we become determined to be in agreement with His Word. Also, we become aligned with His desires to establish His Kingdom upon the earth. First we must tune-in to the frequency which is aligned with His Kingdom purposes.

If we stop short of the proper frequency, all we hear is static. We must search for God's program, tuning into His frequency, and listen carefully for His instructions.The way to totally align with His Kingdom message is to not be conformed to this worldly kingdom, and to renew our mind to His truth. "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:2)

This will empower us to shift and properly adjust so that we move into 2013 with divine direction and purpose.

Our belief systems concerning God have become like giant fortresses. We have NOT believed that it is so easy to touch Him. And, our lack of faith and trust in His ability to lead us into the Promised Land has become a massive wall which hinders hope of deliverance and breakthrough.

THE PLUMB LINES ARE BEING DRAWN

The word "alignment" also refers to a line being drawn. A plumb line is a type of measurement to determine if an object is properly aligned. If not aligned properly, it is referred to as something being "off plumb." Do we don't want to be "out of plumb" with God's PURPOSE FOR OUR LIVES?

We embrace the mind-set that -- we are not satisfied with the measure that we have. We want more of Him, and We want to do more for Him than ever before.

He wants to pour more anointing upon each of us. He measures our attitudes and belief systems to determine if our levels of faith and trust are ready to receive His new levels of power and anointing.

LET HIM CARRY YOU

As you grow closer to Him, your love for His presence will cast out all fear.

Remember, Isaiah said that the government is upon "His shoulders" and not ours! We don't have to carry the weight of this change. He is well able to carry us through this season of transition. This is part of trusting God and having faith that He will perfect everything which concerns us. He desires to prove Himself as the ultimate "supporter." Our love for the Lord will cast out all restraints of fear and unbelief.

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18)

We allow Him to restructure and realign our life. As we position ourselves properly in this season and prepare our heart to shift with courage and steadfastness, He empowers us and "carrys us" into the NEW!

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Healing Is Yours

One of the main things to understand about healing is that God has already made the provision of healing available for everyone. God is not choosing who gets healed and who doesn't. Just like God is not choosing who gets saved and who doesn't. Salvation and healing are part of the same package (1Peter 2:24). If someone died and went to hell you can't say God didn't save him. God has made the provision of salvation for everyone, but the difference is some receive the provision and others don't. You can't say God didn't do it just because someone didn't get saved. Every sinner has salvation waiting on them to receive. Just like every sick person has healing waiting on them to receive. The one thing you can't do is look to your senses to tell you what God has done, because it don't know (1Corinthians 2:14). Let me give you an example in Luke 17 ten lepers cried out to Jesus to have mercy on them, in response Jesus said, "Go shew yourselves unto the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. Now when was the healing provided, when Jesus said, "Go shew yourselves unto the priest." That was all he did so whatever he did was done when he said. And as they went they received the healing that Jesus provided when he spoke.

Notice even though Jesus did what they asked of him their bodies showed no evidence of it. Your body can't tell you what God has already provided for you. Your body can only tell you when you have received what God has already provided. Some think that if God wants to heal then he will heal you, but that's not true. In 2Peter 3:9 it says, that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Let me ask you a question, does that mean no person will perish. Notice his will has nothing to do with whether anyone will be saved or not, but because it's his will he made the provision of salvation for everyone to receive. I've said it once and I will continue to say it, God wants you healed. How can I say that, because he made the provision for you to receive. Why would he provide something that he doesn't want you to have. Notice why Jesus came, to destroy the works of the devil(1John 3:8) and for you to have life and have it more abundantly(John 10:10). Now we know from scripture that sickness is a work of the devil (Acts 10:38). In other words the devil is the root cause of sickness. Sickness is the result of sin and sin came into the earth when man listened to Satan instead of God. So Satan became man's God (2Corinthians 4:4). And as a result his nature and the results of his nature was loosed in the earth. But, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. And on the cross Jesus said, "It is finished." Healing is complete just like salvation is complete. And you receive both of them by faith.

Now let's look at the word salvation because a lot of people hear that word and just think of being born again, but it means far more than that. Salvation means in the greek(heal, deliver, preserve, protect, make whole). Check your concordance for youself. And Romans 10:10 shows you how to receive salvation. You receive by faith in your heart and by the confession of your mouth. Notice it says with the mouth confession is made unto salvation, but I can't confess unto something that hasn't already been done. Because it is done is why I can confess it. This is another key to receiving healing, what you say is very important. The scriptures even tells you that your words are health(medicine) to your flesh (Proverbs 12:18; 16:24). James 3 tell you that if you can control your tongue then you can control your body. Notice in 1Peter 3:10 it says, if you want to see good keep your tongue from speaking evil. That's a principle so you could say if you want to see healing keep your tongue from speaking sickness. So, what you speak is very important to you receiving your healing. It's important that you speak in line with what God has said, by his stripes I am healed. And be patient, give it some time. Because the scripture says it is impossible for God to lie. So those things are very key to receiving healing: First God has already provided healing and wants you to have it. Second it's received by faith just as salvation for being born again. And Third what you say is very important to what you receive.

Philippians 4

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

We often think of Philippians chapter four as a chapter on joy. In this chapter we also learn how we can have peace, a sense of security in Christ, and how we can "stand firm in the Lord" (Philippians 4:1b) We are commanded in Philippians 4:4a to "Rejoice in the Lord always." This verse is not just telling us we are able to have joy in Christ, but that we must rejoice in the Lord. We are not to rejoice just on the days when everything is going smoothly, but we must also rejoice on the days which are difficult and full of trouble and challenges. True joy in the Lord does not depend on our circumstances but comes from the Lord. Paul wrote the book of Philippians in prison. He rejoiced in the Lord in spite of his trials and unpleasant circumstances. He had joy because of his relationship with the Lord. That must be our source of joy also.

Joy is first of all found in right praying. Joy and peace are not found in counterproductive worry. Worry accomplishes absolutely nothing except for depressing our spirit and in some cases causing physical ailments to our body. When we begin to worry we need to immediately cast our worries and anxieties on the Lord in prayer. We need to commit all our concerns to the Lord, and then leave them with the Lord. It is so easy to pray to the Lord, and then walk away from prayer still worrying. God commands us not to do that, but instead we are to leave all our worries in His hands. Worry and trust do not go together. When we bring our worries to the Lord we must also approach Him with a thankful heart. We must not forget to thank Him for all His past and present blessings. If we do this; God says that "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)

Joy and peace come from right praying, and they also come from right thinking. In verse eight of chapter four of Philippians we are told to think of things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Joy and peace also come from right acting. Philippians 4:9 says, "Whatever you have learned or received---put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Obedience to God's Word always produces joy and peace.

Joy and peace come from right praying, right thinking, right acting, and finally from contentment in all circumstances. We need to be content whatever our circumstances, and we must be content wherever God has placed us in this life. Paul was in prison when he wrote the book of Philippians. In spite of this fact, Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11b, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Can we say the same? Surrendering to God's will and resting in Him is the only way to true joy and peace. We might think that this is all easier said than done. The truth is we can do nothing in ourselves. Paul says in Philippians 4:13, however, "I can do everything through Him who gives me the strength" The Lord gives us the strength to rest all our worries in Him. He gives us the strength to face all of life’s problems. Finally, the Lord promises to be with us and meet all our needs. "And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) The promises of the Lord are always trustworthy. He has promised to meet all and not just some of our needs. He has promised to meet all of our needs out of His glorious and limitless riches. What joy! What peace!

Philippians 3

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him." Philippians 3:7-9a

Businesses have to consider their profits and losses, if they are going to be able to stay in business. Even families and individuals have to manage their finances. Consideration of profits and losses is even more crucial in our spiritual life, however. We need to ask ourselves what or whom is most important to us in our lives, and what is worth little or nothing. In verses four through six of Philippians chapter three the apostle Paul listed all the things that were important to him in the past. These were things that were important to Paul before he knew the Lord Jesus as His Savior, Lord, and friend. What Paul had considered important in the past, however, Paul now considered worthless. Paul concluded that there is no true joy outside of knowing and serving the Lord. Paul said in Philippians 3:7-9a, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him." Paul went on to say in Philippians 3:10a, "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection."

So often we foolishly place value on the things of this world. We each need to ask ourselves, "What is most important to me?" Is it money? Is it possessions? Is it pleasure? Is it my career? There is nothing that this world has to offer that can begin to compare to the joy of knowing the Lord. In comparison to knowing the Lord Jesus everything else in our lives is pure "rubbish." Absolutely nothing can compare to the joy of gaining our Lord Jesus Christ and being "found in Him." (Philippians 3:9a) Absolutely nothing is more important than knowing "Christ and the power of His resurrection." (Philippians 3:10a) Our supreme goal in life must be to grow in our love relationship with the Lord. Our supreme goal in life must be to grow in our understanding of the wonders of His Person.

There is no true joy in this world outside of the Lord. In Philippians 3:1a Paul said, "Rejoice in the Lord!" Paul did not say to rejoice in people and possessions, but he said, "Rejoice in the Lord!" The Lord is all that really matters for time and for eternity. The Lord Jesus is our only source of salvation. Depending on our own resources and works will never earn us salvation. Our salvation is completely of grace and a gift of God. The Lord and a relationship with Him is also the only thing that gives purpose and joy in life. Knowing the Lord and living for Him is the only thing that is really important. We must passionately desire to know and serve our Lord better and better every day. We must put everything out of our lives that would detract us from that goal. Paul said in Philippians 3:12, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." Our past with all its successes and failures and even joys and sorrows must be forgotten, and we must focus on our growing relationship with the Lord. We must focus on growing in holiness and on growing in our service to the Lord. Paul said in Philippians 3:13b-14, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." May nothing detract us from our relationship with the Lord and from living for Him. May Christ and His glory be our consuming passion and goal!

God's Word In Your Mouth Is Your Salvation

God's word in your mouth is your salvation. His word in your mouth and spoken out properly will produce your salvation. The word says the word of God is powerful(Hebrews 4:12), but for it to be powerful on your behalf it has to come out of your mouth. Romans 1:16 says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Notice, it's the power of God unto salvation. That word salvation is translated heal, preserve, save, make well, deliver, rescue. So, the word of God is the power of God unto all of those things, but to him that believeth. Well, according to 2Corinthians 4:13 when you believe you speak. That agrees with Romans 10:10 with your heart you believe and with the mouth you speak. And that combination brings salvation into your life.

That's why Paul says in Romans 10:6-8, you don't have to call Jesus back, but the word is nigh you even in your mouth and in your heart. Notice, it has to be in both places. A lot of people have no problem believing the word has to be in your heart, but they have a problem believing that it has to be in your mouth. But, the Bible has a lot to say about the word being in your mouth and what it will do. Like Proverbs 12:6, the mouth of the upright will deliver them. And the 18th verse of that same chapter says, but the tongue of the wise is health(healing). Proverbs has a lot to say about the words of your mouth like Proverbs 14:3, the lips of the wise shall preserve them. Now we know when the Bible speaks of the mouth, lips, or tongue it is referring to your words. And what better words are there to use than God's words. Because it is He that creates the fruit of your lips (Isaiah 57:19).

Philippians 2 Part Two

Philippians 2:9-18

Jesus Christ is worthy of all our praise and honor. The Lord Jesus is worthy of our praise and honor, because He is God. Jesus Christ is also worthy of our praise and honor, because He humbled Himself and left His home in glory to come to this world of sin. The Lord then lived a perfect life for us that we could not live, and He died to pay for the punishment of our sins. As a result God, the Father, "exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11)

Someday every knee will bow before the Lord. Someday every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords and worthy of praise and honor. Even those who reject Christ now will someday acknowledge Him as Lord. When the Lord returns to this earth every knee will bow to Him, but then it will be too late for those who have previously rejected our Lord. Therefore, it is God's will and design that we passionately pursue our love relationship with the Lord now. It is God's will and design that we seek to bring praise and glory to the Lord Jesus now with our lives. It is God's will and design that the purpose of our lives now be centered in the Lord Jesus and that we seek to serve and worship Him in all we do and say.

The Lord Jesus has given us an incomparable and awesome example of obedience and loving servanthood through His life. In fact, He laid down His very life for us! We now belong to the Lord. Therefore, we need to live our lives in continual praise to the Lord Jesus for His salvation. We need to live our lives for His glory. Philippians 2:12b-13 says, "work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose." This passage is not talking about some kind of works salvation or righteousness. We are sinful and can do nothing to earn or add to our salvation. Our salvation is all of grace and a gift of God. Because the Lord Jesus has purchased our salvation by His blood and the Holy Spirit now lives in our hearts, however, we need to show that we are children of God by our lives. We need to "work out" in our lives what the Holy Spirit has worked into our hearts. As redeemed children of God we need to live for God's glory. This must become our passion and purpose for living. As we can not earn or contribute to our salvation by any merit on our part, so we even now can not live for the Lord without the Holy Spirit's help. We must choose to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in our hearts, however. We must choose to avail ourselves of His strength and must seek to live holy lives. We must choose with the Holy Spirit's help to express glory to the Lord through our lives and to grow in spiritual maturity. This takes effort and desire on our parts, but we must seek our Lord's glory out of our thankful response to His grace.

We must do all we can to live our lives in gratitude for what the Lord has done for us in making us His children. We must always seek to live for the Lord's glory and must seek to live in the center of His will. We must not ever be discontented with God's will for our lives or compare it with the life circumstances of others. Instead our lives must be "blameless and pure" before the Lord. We must truly live as "children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation." In fact we must "shine like stars in the universe." (Philippians 2:15) Our lives must demonstrate unmixed and wholehearted devotion to living our lives for the glory and praise of God and to doing God's will. Our lives as children of God must be in sharp contrast to the people of the world around us. We must be like bright stars shining in the darkness of this world for God's glory! May Christ's glory and praise be our passion and purpose for living!

Philippians 2 Part One

Philippians 2:1-8

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." Philippians 2:4-5

Humility and thinking of others before oneself are rare commodities in today's world. Most of the world's philosophy and life style is geared toward self-fulfillment and self-advancement. The Lord, however, asks us to live lives of humility, love, and selflessness. Philippians 2:1-4 says, "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." The Lord has showered us, His children, with His spiritual blessings. The Lord gave us His salvation from sin's power and penalty through His precious blood on the cross. He also daily gives us His encouragement, comfort, love, and fellowship. The Lord daily lavishes on us His compassion and tenderness. In light of God's blessings to us we need to show that same love to others. We need to especially show that same love to our fellow believers.

We must show Christ-like love to others. We must seek to be united and "one in spirit and purpose" with our fellow believers in Christ. (Philippians 2:2b) This does not mean that we will have perfect uniformity of thought at all times, but there should be a common working together among believers for the glory of God. There should also be a loving and humble servant attitude towards fellow Christians. We must not act out of selfish motives or to stroke our own egos, but with a humble spirit we must consider other's needs and feelings before ourselves. This does not mean that everyone else is superior to us or more gifted than us. It simply means that we must follow Christ's example and give others preferential treatment. It means that we consider other's needs equally to our own needs. Romans 12:15-16a says, "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another." We need to experience joy and not jealousy in our fellow believer's accomplishments, honors received, and joyful experiences. We also need to mourn and sympathize with those who are going through difficult times.

We must show the same Christ-like love to others that Christ showed to us. Philippians 2:5 tells us, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." We are to demonstrate Christ's attitude of self-sacrificing love and humility in our lives. Christ Jesus, who is God Himself, left His place of glory with God, the Father, in heaven. He came to this world of sin and took "the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness" (Philippians 2:7b) What is even more amazing is that "He humbled Himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:8b) Jesus left the glories of heaven and came to this earth to live the perfect life for us that we could not live. Jesus then suffered the horrors of hell itself on the cross for us. What love! What humility! What sacrifice! Should we not show that same humility, selfless love, and servant attitude to others?

FACING OUR NEED FOR GRACE

Matthew 6:13 - "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

There is no temptation or sin in heaven. This prayer does not imply that God wants to tempt us. We know from James 1:13 that it is impossible for God to entice us to sin.

This kind of praying is important because it requires us to face our need for grace. It helps us to align our heart with heaven -- one of absolute dependency on God.

The phrase "deliver us from evil", as it is traditionally rendered, actually means, "deliver us from the evil one." A heart modeled after heaven has great success in spiritual warfare. Jesus was able to say, "satan has nothing in me."

The believer is to be completely free from all satanic influence and attachments. That is the cry voiced in this prayer.

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God's Word Can Heal You

I just want to encourage someone that might be going through a sickness or disease, there is hope in the word of God. Proverbs 4:20-22 says God's word is medicine and tells you how to take it. You need to understand the word of God and your sickness cannot stay in the same place. For God has spoken in Isaiah 55:11 that his word would accomplish that which he pleases and that it would prosper in the thing whereunto he sent it. The word and that sickness cannot prosper inside your body, and God has already said that it would be his word. The word is anointed, so it is equipped to remove burdens and destroy yokes (Isaiah 10:27). God's word is a healing agent. In Psalm 107:20 it says, God sent his word and healed them. Look at the ministry of Jesus, a lot of the accounts of his healings was simply by the spoken word. In fact, in Matthew 8 a centurion tapped in to that when he said, "Speak the word only and my servant shall be healed." Jesus spoke the word and his servant was healed. What did Jesus speak, he only spoke the words of his father, the word of God (John 12:49,50). Notice John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God." So you can't separate God from his word. So his word does heal just as sure as he heals. For example remember in Luke chapter 1 a woman named Elisabeth was barren and the word of the Lord came that she would have a son, she was unable to have a child and yet the word of the Lord came that she would have a son, and her condition could not stay the same it had to change. Notice when the word came on the scene things changed. So, be encouraged the word can change your condition. Be patient, give it some time for God is faithful and his word his powerful (Hebrews 4:12).

Philippians 1

Our Lord loves us and places great value on our lives. He loved us enough to give His very life as a sacrifice to pay for our sins. The Lord does not want to just stop there, however. The Lord wants to perfect us, so we can better live holy lives for Him. The Lord wants to perfect us, so we can better reflect the Lord's character in our lives. Philippians 1:6 tells us that we can be confident "that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." God's work in His children's lives can not be stopped. The Lord will continue to work in our lives to make us into increasingly more beautiful reflections of His beauty and grace. The Lord does this through His Holy Word and through the conviction of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Lord also does this through the events that He allows in our lives. Especially in difficult times we often lean more heavily on the Lord. Consequently, we grow in our love relationship with the Lord and in our ability to better reflect Jesus in our lives. The Lord Jesus will continue that work of perfecting us in our lives throughout our entire lives or until the day when Jesus returns to this earth.

While we live our lives on earth our constant prayer for ourselves and for our fellow believers must be that our "love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight." (Philippians 1:9b) Real love for God and others requires growth and maturity. It requires a growing knowledge of and insight into God's Word. This knowledge and insight must not just be a possession of facts, however, but must be diligently applied to our lives in godly living. This growing knowledge and insight into God's Holy Word must result in a growth in our love for God and for others. It must also result in our lives becoming more holy before our Lord. Our prayer for ourselves and others must be that we will grow in the Lord's knowledge and insight, so that we "may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-to the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1:10-11) May it be our constant prayer that we and our fellow believers will become more and more like Jesus in our character, thoughts, and actions. May we be growing in holiness our entire lives or until Jesus returns some day. May our consuming and growing passion be that God's name will be glorified in everything we do and think. In this way, God's will for our lives will truly be perfected in us by His Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ and living for His glory must be our consuming passion. We must grow in our passion and desire to reflect the Lord Jesus in our lives. Running after the things of this world such as money and pleasure is a mere "chasing after the wind." (Ecclesiastes 4:4b) The Lord must come first in our lives. He must be more important to us than even our careers and families. If we do not place the Lord first in our lives and make Him the reason for our lives, we miss the whole purpose for living. Paul said in Philippians 1:21, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Living for the Lord and for His glory is the only true purpose for living. Paul was in prison for his faith when he wrote the book of Philippians. Paul’s current circumstances did not matter to Paul, however. All that mattered to Paul was that he was living for the Lord and for His glory. Paul knew that living for the Lord was the secret to joy even in difficult times in his life. This is because Paul found his meaning and purpose for living in the Lord. May it also be our consuming passion to grow in our love and service for the Lord. May it be our consuming passion to grow in our desire to bring glory to the Lord and better reflect Jesus in our lives!

Ephesians 6

Ephesians 6:10-20

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6:10-11

We live in a society which emphasizes self-worth and self-effort. Our passage today, however, says that we need to live not in self-reliance but in God-reliance. We need to live our lives not in our own perceived strength but in the Lord’s strength. We need to "be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power." (Ephesians 6:10) Our self-effort is inadequate and will fail; but the Lord’s strength will never fail us!

In Ephesians 6:11a we are told to "put on the full armor of God." Roman soldiers in Biblical times put on a full armor before they went out to battle. They wore belts to hold up their long flowing robes, so their robes would not get in their way in fighting their battles. They also wore breastplates and helmets. Soldiers had their feet protected with supportive and proper footgear. They also held shields and carried swords. We as children of God are to be soldiers in God’s army. We are to put on God’s armor of protection, so we can take our "stand against the devil's schemes." (Ephesians 6:11b)

The Christian life is a warfare. God promises us His unlimited resources of power in the battle, however! The Lord desires for you and me to be strong and empowered by Him! Only in the Lord is there strength to meet the demands of the Christian life! You and I do not have sufficient strength in ourselves. We need to be strong in the Lord alone. Ephesians 6:12 tells us that we are not just fighting against human strength but against the devil himself and his schemes! We are inadequate to do that in our own puny strength. We need the Lord’s strength and power! We need His armor of protection, and then we need to stand against the devil and his schemes. We need to be prayerfully dependent on the Lord alone. We must listen to the Lord’s battle plan and go forth in His strength alone. We must put on His full armor so that we can stand our ground against the devil. If we truly do this we will live in freedom and joy instead of apprehension, guilt, and doubt; because we are living our lives in the Lord’s strength!

The first piece of armor we must put on is the Lord’s "belt of truth," so that we are prepared for action. (Ephesians 6:14a) We must at all times be prepared for what the Lord wants us to do and for where He wants us to be. Next, we need the Lord’s "breastplate of righteousness in place." (Ephesians 6:14b) As His child we have Christ’s righteousness given to us because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. We must also seek to show practical righteousness in our day to day lives. Then we must have our feet ready for anything necessary for the cause of the Lord and for fighting the devil. We can do this because of our confidence in the Lord’s love for us. The Lord grants you and me His peace! The Lord also desires that His children take "the shield of faith" with which we can "extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." (Ephesians 6:16) We need practical day to day trust and faith in the Lord. We need faith to fight against Satan’s "flaming arrows," the temptations in our lives. Next, we must take "the helmet" of His salvation. (Ephesians 6:17a) Satan wants to attack our minds and thoughts, so we become discouraged and want to give up. Therefore, we need the Lord’s "helmet" for the assurance of our salvation! We need a mind truly controlled by the Lord. Finally, we must not neglect "the sword of the Spirit, which is Word of God." (Ephesians 6:17b) This is so important, because we are fighting a spiritual battle. This spiritual battle must be fought in the Lord’s strength and not in our own strength. We must depend on prayer and on the Lord’s promises and commands in His Holy Word. In our own strength we will fail. In Christ’s strength we are victorious!

Ephesians 4-5

"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Ephesians 4:1

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children." Ephesians 5:1

In the Lord Jesus we have full forgiveness of our sins through His precious blood! Our forgiveness and salvation has been fully attained for us on the cross. There is nothing we can and need do to earn our salvation. It is all of grace! Praise His name! If we are His children, however, we will show evidence of it in our lives. This is because Christ sends His Holy Spirit into our lives to give us the power and desire to live for the Lord. God chose us from all eternity to be His child! As His children we were chosen for a purpose, however. That purpose was that we "might be for the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:12b) We were put on this earth to bring glory and praise to the Lord. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Christ redeemed us and washed away our sins. The Lord then recreated us and is shaping us to become more like Him. This is so we can serve Him and bring glory and honor to Him in our lives. This is His purpose and goal for our lives.

The Lord's love for us is infinite and unmeasurable. He seeks to live and work in our lives. The Lord wants us to grow in our passion for serving Him and in bringing glory to His name. Ephesians 4:1b tells us that the Lord desires that we "live a life worthy of the calling" which we have received as His children. Our lives must be filled with humility, patience, gentleness, and love. Our characters must be maturing to be more like the character of Christ. We must "become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:13b) We need to live as children of the light. Ephesians chapter four verses twenty-two through twenty-four tells us "to put off your old self" of sin and self-absorption and "to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." With the Holy Spirit's help we need to eradicate anything in our lives that is not pleasing to the Lord. Instead we need "to put on the new self." We need to act like children of the Lord instead of children of the world and of the devil. We need to "be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children." (Ephesians 5:1) Our lives and speech should be filled with thanksgiving for His grace to us. We need to "live as children of light; for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth." ( Ephesians 5:8b-9) We need to show we are the Lord's children by our kindness, compassion, love, and forgiveness for each other. We must also show we are the Lord's children by our righteous living and by our personal integrity. Our lives need to show that we are children of God!

Our salvation is all of grace. We can not add or contribute to our salvation. We were not saved, however, to go on with our empty, selfish lives of sin as if nothing was changed in our lives. We are to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in His work to conform us to become more like Jesus. We are to seek the Holy Spirit's power to always live our lives for the Lord's glory. This is the purpose for which we were placed on this earth. It must become our passion and joy to serve the Lord with all of our hearts!

Ephesians 3

"I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." Ephesians 3:17b-18

We as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are part of the family of God! We are His children! We are servants and children of God because of "the gift of God's grace" and "through the working of His power." (Ephesians 3:7) We are recipients in Christ of "the unsearchable riches of Christ." (Ephesians 3:8b) The riches of His grace and His blessings to us are so bountiful that they are far beyond our total comprehension in their magnitude! Isn't that an awesome thought?

Another blessing we have in Christ is our ability to approach God with confidence in prayer. "In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." (Ephesians 3:12) For this reason we need to pray the prayer of Ephesians 3:16-21. It is a prayer that the apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesian church and for all believers. It is a prayer that we also need to pray for our fellow believers and for ourselves. Paul prayed, "I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." (Ephesians 3:16-17a) Paul's prayer and our prayer should be that Christ will live in our hearts as believers in a powerful way. It should be our consuming passion and prayer that Christ will be at home in our lives and hearts. It should be our consuming passion that we will grow in our faith and that the power and fruit of the Holy Spirit will be ever more evident in our lives. It should be our prayer that sin will be eradicated from our lives and that's Christ's character in us will be ever more evident.

Paul's prayer for believers continued. Paul said, "I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:17b-19) Paul's prayer was that we would begin to comprehend the magnitude of the love of Christ for us, His children. We never will fully comprehend the greatness of His love, because it "surpasses knowledge" in its awesome greatness. In the measure we begin to grasp Christ's love for us, however, the greater will be our love for Him and the greater will be our desire to serve Him.

The way we can begin to understand Christ's love for us is by being "rooted" or foundationed in His love. He increasingly needs to become Lord of every area of our lives. We increasingly need to become "rooted" in Him by spending daily time in His Holy Word and in prayer with Him. The more time we spend developing our relationship with the Lord and the more time we spend serving Him, the better we will we be able to grasp the greatness of His love.

Our passion and desire for our lives must be to "be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:19b) Our passion must be that we be emptied of self and filled with Christ's character. Our passion and prayer must be that Christ will dominate our lives more and more and that our eyes will be open to Christ's blessings and love in our lives. There is no room for becoming complacent in the Christian life. We need to grow in our love and passion for the Lord. We need to grow in our understanding of His love and power in our lives. May this be our prayer and desire. Praise to Him "who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." (Ephesians 3:20)

Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2:1-10

"For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

In our natural state we are dead in our "transgressions and sins," (Ephesians 2:1b) but now we who are God’s children are spiritually alive in Christ Jesus! Praise His holy name! Praise His name that we have been redeemed from sin, the devil, and "the ways of this world! (Ephesians 2:2) The ways of this world involve "gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts." (Ephesians 2:3) The ways of this world involve ignoring the Lord and His will for our lives. The ways of the world involve a "my rights" mentality. The ways of the world involve a philosophy of self-effort and self improvement instead of turning to the Lord in total dependence for the forgiveness of our sins and the meeting of all our needs. We have been redeemed from "the ways of this world." We need to make sure that this shows in our lives in our everyday walk on this earth. We must be passionate in our love and obedience to the Lord. We must live our lives in gratitude for His love and salvation to us. Our lives and ways of thinking must be totally different from those who do not know and love the Lord.

Ephesians 2:4-5 reminds us, "But because of His great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved." Because of God’s great love and mercy for us we are no longer condemned for our sins! Because of His great love and mercy for us we are now spiritually alive in Christ! We are saved by grace, and we are His chosen children! Salvation is a gift to us and involves no effort or merit on our part. We are spiritually alive because of our union with Christ! Our spiritual standing with God is secure because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

Ephesians 2:6 says, "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." This verse is speaking about an eternity with Christ. Notice it is speaking in the present tense. An eternity with Christ is so certain a future reality for us that we already can claim the promise of eternal joys! God redeems us from our sins and is preparing a place for us in eternity, so "He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:7b) This gift of salvation to us which is totally undeserved brings glory to God.

You and I are totally "God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10) We have been recreated through Christ’s blood and the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. He is forming us into His work of art, and He is working out His sovereign plan in our lives. He is recreating us to do the good works which He planned and predestined for us from all eternity. The Lord has the blueprint for our lives. Our whole purpose in this world must be different from those who do not know the Lord. We are His chosen people who were created to serve the Lord and bring praise to Him by our lives. I Peter 2:9 sums it up beautifully, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light." May it be our passion to live our lives for His glory!

Ephesians 1

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3) In Christ alone we experience everything we need for time and eternity! As His children we have already been made recipients of every possible spiritual blessing. Some of these spiritual blessings we will not experience fully until we are eternally with the Lord. They are so sure a future reality, however, that we can claim them now! Hence, our attitudes must be different than the people of the world. When we face difficulties in this world we know we have a faithful God who will be with us, protect us, and guide us. When we face difficulties in this world, we know we have a sure and eternal future with the Lord! Therefore, we can face each new day with assurance and joy.

As children of God we experience many awesome spiritual blessings. First, the Lord chose us and then adopted us to be His children! Secondly, in the Lord Jesus Christ we also "have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." (Ephesians 1:7-8) Slaves in Biblical times were freed by the payment of ransom. The payment required for our ransom from sin and the devil was the blood of Jesus. Jesus had to suffer hell on the cross for us, so we would not need to suffer the just punishment for our sins. In the unconditional and unbounded love and grace of God we were forgiven of our sins and made His children! Another spiritual blessing we receive from the Lord is His bringing "all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ." (Ephesians 1:10b) In a world where many things don't make sense in our minds we can anticipate with excitement a time when all things will be brought together under Christ's headship. In eternity the things that we can't understand on this earth will all fall into place and make sense! We will then fully see that the Lord's plan and purpose through it all was good and right. Finally, we have the spiritual blessing of being "marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:13b-14) The seal of the Holy Spirit on us means we belong to the Lord for time and for for eternity! This seal is a kind of down payment on the glories we will experience for all of eternity!

We are given salvation and all of God's spiritual blessings for a purpose, however. That purpose is to bring glory and honor to the Lord with our lives. Ephesians 1:4 says that He chose us "to be holy and blameless in His sight." Only the blood of the cross was sufficient to purchase our salvation, and because of that blood we stand righteous before the holy God. As His children however, we also need to grow in practical day to day holiness in our lives. As children of God we need to reflect the character of Jesus more and more in our lives. It is our purpose as the Lord's children that we "might be for the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:12b) Only as we are living for the Lord and for His glory are we ever going to find purpose and meaning in our lives. It is the only way to joy and peace. It should be our consuming passion that we "may know Him better." (Ephesians 1: 17b) We should desire with all of our hearts to have not just a head knowledge of the Lord, but a growing experience of His love and working in our lives. The Lord promises us that we have His strength to live for His glory. We have "His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead." (Ephesians 1:19-20a) We have His resurrection power in our lives! Isn't that an awesome thought? May it be our passion to live our lives in holiness and in His resurrection power! May it be our passion to live for His glory!

Isaiah 51

Isaiah 51:1-16

"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn." (Isaiah 51:1)

There are many things going on in this world which could cause us to succumb to fear. This Scripture passage in Isaiah 51 offers comfort when we feel we are becoming entangled in the tentacles of fear. A child of God need not and must not be controlled by fear. When we begin to fear anything or anyone, we must quickly run to the Lord for comfort and protection. The Lord in His sovereignty already has our lives all planned, so we need not fear.

When we begin to sink into despair or fear for any reason; the Lord says to us, "Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut." (Isaiah 51:1a) We, who are the Lord's children and are seeking to live for Him, can look to Jesus, our rock and foundation. Jesus Christ is "the rock" from which you and I "were cut." Jesus is the rock which we need to turn to in times of great fear. The Lord Jesus gives our lives a sure foundation even in times of uncertainty and fear.

Verse two of Isaiah 51 also suggests that we can follow the examples of the Biblical heroes of faith for inspiration in our own walk of faith. Hebrews 11 gives a wonderful account of many of these Biblical heroes of faith. Furthermore, we can emulate the examples of people in our current life who are walking in faith without fear and with a sure confidence in their Lord. These people are all links in the chain of faith, and they can be an inspiration to us.

Isaiah 51:3a says that "the Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; He will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord." Zion was a name for God's people in Isaiah's day. The Lord will comfort His people when they go through fearful or difficult situations. He will turn the "ruins" and "deserts" of our lives into blessings. A believer in the Lord Jesus Christ will proceed from victory to victory. No ultimate spiritual harm can ever come to a child of God. Even if we die we will immediately go to be with the Lord. What have we to fear? Therefore, Isaiah 51:3b goes on to say, "Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing." Among God's people there need not be crippling fear, but rather joy, thanksgiving, and singing!

As children of God we need not fear, because the Lord is a just and righteous God. God says in Isaiah 51:6 that the heavens and earth will vanish someday. But then in that same verse the Lord goes on to say, "But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail." We need to fear nothing, because our righteous and faithful God is always with us to comfort and protect us. The Lord says to us, "I, even I, am He who comforts you." (Isaiah 51:12a) With the Lord on our side we need to never retreat or cower in fear. The Lord can diffuse any situation that we consider to be potentially dangerous or fearful! The great God of the universe says to us, His children, "For I am the Lord your God, who churns up the sea so that its waves roar-the Lord Almighty is His name." (Isaiah 51:15) The great Lord of the universe personally cares about and loves us! He knows us by name. He knows everything about us. He has our entire futures planned out moment by moment! He will always give comfort and strength enough for every difficult and fearful situation in our lives! Praise His name! Let's rest our lives in Him in joy and thanksgiving and not in fear! "If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31b)

LOOKING AT OUR WORKS

We as kings and priests in God's kingdom are the anointed ones, the sons and daughters of fresh oil, endued with gifts of power, strength, and grace to enable us to accomplish the WORK we're called to (our destiny).

"You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." - James 2:24

Jesus is not looking at our intentions, wishes, or knowledge of what is right. He is looking at our works! Are we allowing the grace of God to produce holy living and ministering to others in our lives, or have we received the grace of God in vain?

"I know your works......" - Revelation 3:15

"So then, because youre are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." - Revelation 3:16

Lukewarem people become like whoever they are around. Around true followers of Jesus, they can blend in with them. They know the Scriptures, sing the songs, and say the right statements. Around followers of the world they think and conduct their lives in a worldly manner, that is, selfishly. They obey God when obedience is pleasant or in their best interests. But they are really motivated by their own desires.

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Isaiah 46

"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." Isaiah 46:4

There are times in life when we are hit with unexpected and unpleasant events and circumstances. Isaiah 46 is a wonderful passage to read when we are facing a crisis or an uncertain future. In this chapter in Isaiah God is talking to His special Old Testament people, the Israelites. We can also apply these same words to our own lives as His children today. This chapter in Isaiah tells us that God is the only true God. The chapter also demonstrates the foolishness of relying on anything or anyone but the Lord in facing life’s challenges.

Babylon was Israel’s enemy in Old Testament times. Isaiah told Israel at the time of the writing of this book that some day Babylon’s false deities were going to be carried off into captivity. These false deities would fall and fail. Not so the Lord! In Isaiah 46:3 the Lord told Israel that He had carried Israel since her birth. He has also carried us, His children today, since our birth! Our Lord will never fail us!

The Lord said to Israel and the Lord says to us today, "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." (Isaiah 46:4) The writer of this devotional is old enough to have a few gray hairs. Looking back on her life she can see that the Lord has indeed always sustained her and carried her through both difficult and pleasant times. He has also rescued her in times of crisis. When one is a bit older one begins to gain some perspective on the Lord’s faithfulness. One has seen the Lord’s faithfulness in the past. Hence, it is a bit easier to begin to have greater trust in His faithfulness for the future.

In verse five of Isaiah 46 the Lord goes on to say, "To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?" These are rhetorical questions on the Lord’s part. There is no God, but our true God. No one or no other resource can be compared to Him in terms of His power, glory, sovereignty, mercy, or love. If we trust in anyone or any resource in this life other than the Lord for our ultimate protection and well-being, we are sinning. We are then making that person or resource our idol. The Lord God alone must be our first love and passion. He alone must be the One to whom we turn for protection and help. He alone is our help, our salvation, and our hope in this life and for eternity.

Read verses eight through eleven of Isaiah 46, and let the words flow through your spirit. Revel and find joy in their words of comfort to you. The Lord says to you, "Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart---I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.----What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do."

Our sovereign God is in control of the seeming uncertainties in this world. He is in sovereign control of our lives as His children. He is watching over us and protecting us in His goodness. He has every detail of our lives in His sovereign will and plan. He knows our beginning from our end on this earth and has an eternal future for us with Him. His purpose for us will stand. When we truly believe and begin to comprehend the glory of that concept there is no room for fear, worry, or panic even in times of crisis!