Then the Holy Spirit made Jesus feel very happy. Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. I am thankful that you have hidden these things from those who are so wise and so smart. But you have shown them to people who are like little children. Yes, Father, you did this because it’s what you really wanted to do.  My Father has given me all things. No one knows who the Son is—only the Father knows. And only the Son knows who the Father is. The only people who will know about the Father are those the Son chooses to tell.” Luke 10:21-22 ERV

I was reflecting on how some people are just so super smart and educated, but it seems that’s never been Gods selection process. He chooses the foolish to confound the wise, the least to be the greatest, those with little to give much. It just doesn’t make sense in the natural, does it?

I remember wrapping gifts to put under the tree for our own children, envisioning them as they opened them up to discover what was inside. Imagining that joy always made me smile. I think this is what Jesus was experiencing. He knew the joy we would experience as He revealed the Father to us.

I’m coming to You as a child today, ready to discover another aspect of who You are in me. So much to know, so little time.  I could sit with You all day, everyday and still not know all of You. But I hungrily wait, ready to partake, fork in hand, mouth watering. Come Holy Spirit and bring the Wine to complete the table set before me. Nothing satisfies like You do. It’s in Jesus I rejoice in the discovery. Amen

But her sister Martha was busy doing all the work that had to be done. Martha went in and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” Luke 10:40 ERV

This story of Mary and Martha has always made me smile. I guess since Thanksgiving is days away, I think of all the preparations and craziness of the season and how much work needs to be done, it gives me a little glimpse into the overwhelmed feelings Martha was expressing to Jesus.

“Lord, don’t you care?” Isn’t that our cry when we’re overwhelmed? It could be preparing for the holidays or just balancing our checkbook but I know I’ve cried out this same thing to the Lord. “I NEED HELP!!!!”

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are getting worried and upset about too many things.  Only one thing is important. Mary has made the right choice, and it will never be taken away from her.”

May I just say this without sounding all religious? Stop being consumed with tradition and rhetoric and be consumed with God. Before the day begins to get hectic, choose Him. Sit in His presence, at His feet and feed on His sweet Bread, the living Word. Give thanks for His provision and supply, for His peace and love. Ask Him to flow through you to those around you, family, friends, enemies……you know what I’m talking about!

Choose the important thing, it won’t ever be taken from you.

“Give to others, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands—more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.” Luke 6:38 ERV

I love this version because it simplifies an incredibly large attribute of God, His giving nature. Did you know that about your Father? He is such a giver! Think about this for a moment with me and I think you might just get a little bit excited.

1. He Gives Love
2. He Gives Life
3. He Gives Peace
4. He Gives Protection
5. He Gives Provision
6. He Gives Answers

There are so many, many more but suffice it to say that God is a giver. Not in the way we would give, but in the way you’d try to fit the last bit of flour in the bin. Shake it down, bang it on the counter, pour in some more, bang it on the counter again and continue to repeat until it overflows onto the surface or the countertop.

Let me say this; God doesn’t just give love, He is Love. He doesn’t just give life, He is life. He doesn’t just give peace, He is peace. He doesn’t just give protection, He is protection. He doesn’t just give provision, He is provision. He doesn’t just give answers, He is the answer.

When you received Jesus, you received everything you would ever need inside of you. He gave you ALL of the above and more. You’re so full you overflow onto others. If you would seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him. He’s not hiding, He’s in you ready to be exposed to the world through you. It’s been His plan all along.

The world is looking for answers you have inside of you. Open your mouth and give them what they’re looking for. The God in you wants to access your hands, your feet, your mouth and abilities. Surrender and choose to be a giver like your Father.

Ever have a large pile of yarn that got tangled? You can sit for hours trying to untangle the mess and someone else comes in, picks up one piece and pulls and the whole thing straightens out. Maddening isn’t it. Stress and strain can do us in, but another’s perspective can change everything.

You may be staring at a pile of bills that you don’t know how you’re going to pay. Perhaps a doctors report that looks hopeless or a pink slip that says your job ends on Friday. Whatever you’re facing, God wants you to step away into his arms and see it from his eyes. He said, “So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!” Hebrews 10:35 NLT

How much time do we waste trying to figure out things we weren’t meant to? He wants us to rest in HIS ability, not our own. I wonder how much further we’d be if we’d learn that simple act of rest. Our old pastor used to say that a sign of a good leader is those who delegate. We don’t even know how to delegate our concerns to God.

It reminds me of carrying groceries in from the car. No two trips for me! I try to carry WAY too much at once and in my effort to succeed, I usually end up hurting myself. How silly is that! God is standing next to us with outstretched arms waiting to carry our load. Lets not insist on carrying it anymore. Turn to him, place it all in his hands and say this, “I will rest in you until you tell me what to do with it, I will not come out of this place of rest.”

Do you feel the weight shift from you to Him? Eph. 3:20 NLT, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Let HIM take care of YOU!

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2 NLT

Lets mix things up a bit. Lets not be like everyone else, be different. How do we do that? By getting to know God, His way of doing, being, speaking and seeing. When will this happen? When you, yes you, decide that you just have to have more. When you become dissatisfied with your dull, powerless life and take a big risk & plug into the mega master power source, Jesus.

He came to give not just life, but abundant, power-packed, productive, fruit-filled life. If your life isn’t doing that, check the root you’ve tapped into. Jesus said, “I am the vine and you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

I believe that is our biggest issue right there-we try to do it alone and soon wither up and die because we’re not connected to the Vine. It’s He who gives us life to bring that life to others but we can’t do it on our own.

Stay connected to His power by plugging in every day and staying plugged in. Even if your switch isn’t turned on all the time, it will be charged and ready when God brings you into the dark places. Don’t be afraid of the dark, rather shine and dispel the darkness.

While reading in Hebrews CEB this morning, I noticed the title of this portion of scripture said, “Run The Race With Discipline” and continued with these verses 3-6: “Think about the one who endured such opposition from sinners so that you won’t be discouraged and you won’t give up. In your struggle against sin, you haven’t resisted yet to the point of shedding blood, and you have forgotten the encouragement that addresses you as sons and daughters: My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline or give up when you are corrected by him, because the Lord disciplines whomever he loves, and he punishes every son or daughter whom he accepts.”

Sometimes, when you’re going through an exceptionally hard trial, it’s good to remember what Jesus went through. The only ones who excepted Him were those who needed what He provided. They were also the first to turn on Him and yell ‘crucify’ when given money by the religious leaders. Fickle people. And such were some of us!

When we don’t get what we want, we just give up, thinking that maybe God doesn’t love us as much as he does someone else. He calls us sons and daughters BECAUSE he loves us and as Paul said, he disciplines the ones he loves.

So when things aren’t so perfect in your life, we need to yell out, “HE LOVES ME! I’M HIS OWN!” He’s only setting us on the right path so that we’ll be where He needs us when He returns to take us home. Home sweet home. Lets keep in mind that where we are today is not our home, we’re merely leasing for a period of time.

Someday, He will call out to us, “Lease is up! Time to move on!” Don’t be so comfortable with your surroundings that you lose sight of whose you are and where you’re going. Lots wife looked back with longing and turned into a salty statue. Lets keep our eyes longing for our prize; Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7 MSG

Just go ahead with what you know and what’s been given will be enough! If we’ve truly received Jesus Christ, then we must live Him. This journey isn’t rocket science, it’s simply allowing the Love He is to live through us into others.

I’ve heard so many people say, “I can’t do that! I’m not ready! I’m not comfortable with that.” But the truth is that the moment we received Jesus, we received power to be His witnesses. We are Kingdom citizens sent as ambassadors into this foreign domain to display Gods glory in the earth.

Our foundation on which we stand is solid enough to hold us in this unstable world. We were built for this. Start where you are and let that be enough. Quit trying to be perfect before you move out and be His witnesses in the earth. There are people around you who are starving to see signs, wonders and miracles and Jesus said they will follow you, but if you’re not moving, neither are they.

Father, forgive us for being insecure in who we are. We are Your sons and daughters and there is no where we can go that You won’t accompany us. Right now we choose to go where You say and do what needs to be done for Your glory we give you thanks, Amen.

For who do you know that really knows you, knows your heart? And even if they did, is there anything they would discover in you that you could take credit for? Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need. You already have more access to God than you can handle. Without bringing either Apollos or me into it, you’re sitting on top of the world—at least God’s world—and we’re right there, sitting alongside you! 1 Corinthians 4:7-8

Never allow what others think of you, to keep you from being who God called you to be. Stop trying to be like other people, to imitate the gift that’s in them. Don’t compare yourself with someone else because you have been chosen for a specific task. The success of your assignment hinges on your ability to obey the direct instructions of God. Are you listening?

If you don’t take time to listen, you will never hear. If you never hear, you will continue on the same path you’re on, possibly going in the wrong direction. Find a quiet place, turn off the noise and distractions, worship the Lord and give Him thanks, then with no agenda, no prayer requests, just wait for Him to draw near and speak to your spirit. It will be the most productive time of your entire day.

You are good because God says you are. You’re not good based on your goodness, but on His goodness. You’re not gifted because of what you can do, but because of what He did. It’s not about who you hang around with or even what clothes you wear, it’s all about obedience to the instructions; Go into all the world. That’s your world, your neighborhood, your community, your city, state or zip-code. Be the gift to the world that is in you.

Father, I may be unsure of the direction, but if I’m moving I know You’ll direct me. I may not feel gifted, but You’ve placed enough of Your gift in me that will enable me to be effective. Thank that no one carries what I do and no one can be who You created me to be. It’s in Jesus name and for Your glory, Amen.

Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner. 1 Peter 4:12-13 Message

Well I don’t know about you but I sure needed this word! Life can get real difficult very quickly, can’t it? And when it does, we do tend to think, where is God? Did He step out for a break? Is He at lunch or involved with one of His other children? Of course not! He’s our ever present help in time of trouble. He never leaves us or forsakes us. We know this, but in the middle of the hard things, it’s not the first thing that comes to mind.

But the second verse is what really got me, ‘This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.’ Now that is definitely worth going through the tight spot, the difficult situation, the hard stuff, isn’t it. The glory we’ll see on the other side of this mess is going to be worth it all.

When I think of refining, my mind automatically goes to Zechariah 13:9; “I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ”

If this is just testing toward fulfillment of the depth of intimate fellowship and relationship with God, where when I call on Him, He promptly answers and calls me His own, I’m good with this. My heart leaps within me at the glory this holds for me. The Lord is MY God.

Oh thank You Lord for each difficult refining process I must endure, knowing that on the other side of the test awaits deeper trust and intimacy with You. I’m all in God! Not looking back at the past only to see how far I’ve come. You’re faithful to the end and I’m thankful that You alone are the Rock of my salvation. It’s in Jesus’ name and for Your glory, Amen.

Most of all, I’m writing to encourage you to pray with gratitude to God. Pray for all men with all forms of prayers and requests as you intercede with intense passion.  And pray for every political leader and representative, so that we would be able to live tranquil, undisturbed lives, as we worship the awe-inspiring God with pure hearts. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 TPT

I sure do love what Paul said to Timothy in this passage of wisdom.  Let’s take a minute to break this down a little bit. First up is the ‘pray with gratitude’ to God. That word gratitude according to dictionary.com is the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful. So we are to come before God with thankful and grateful hearts, not crying because we didn’t get what we asked for.

The second portion says to pray for ALL men with all forms of prayers and requests as you intercede with intense passion. We don’t pray for just those we agree with or those who are Christians, but we pray for ALL men. How? With all forms of prayers. There’s not a right way or a wrong way, but we are to intercede (to act or interpose in behalf of someone in difficulty or trouble, as by pleading or petition: to attempt to reconcile differences between two people or groups; mediate.) with intense passion.

Ok, wait for it, ‘And pray for every political leader and representative,’ no specificity as to right or wrong, democrat or republican, good or bad, beautiful or ugly, rich or poor, Christian or heathen, just pray! Why? ‘So that we would be able to live tranquil, undisturbed lives, as we worship the awe-inspiring God with pure hearts.’ 

Our part; pray. It’s the only way we will be able to live in peace. Our peace does not come from man but from God. His peace boggles the human mind. Listen to what David says in Psalm 37:29 TPT; The faithful lovers of God will inherit the earth and enjoy every promise of God’s care, dwelling in peace forever.

I believe the deepest travesty today that is tearing families and friends apart is not allowing our hearts and opinions to be changed in the waiting room. The place where relationship with God becomes the ONLY thing we value and what we receive there, transforms our relationships with others. To set aside our rights and ask God what HE would have us value.

Here’s what Jesus says in Matthew 5:9 NASB; “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” What a beautiful name to be called! I wonder what the name is for those who stir up strife and trouble? We’ll pray for them as well and allow the Holy Spirit to stir them to change.

Father, with a humble heart I come to You desiring Your heart be seen in me. May my love of You and Your Word be more evident then my opinions. I am thankful for those who are in authority over me and I lift up each elected official before You today. I ask that You instill them with wisdom in every decision they make. I believe that they are there for a reason that only You know the plans and purposes for their lives of service. You alone order our steps for Your glory in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.