The Plan Has Been Implemented
According to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. Luke 1:9, ESV
When our daughter got engaged, all kinds of plans were implemented. We had the engagement party, the bridal shower, and of course the wedding. We had planned about a year in advance for the celebration. When the date finally came, we were all excited and ready to implement everything that had been prepared. It was time for a party!
When the priest Zechariah was chosen to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense, he had no idea it was time for the next part of God’s plan for his life to be implemented. When Queen Vashti refused to go before the king and his guest, Ester had no idea a plan had been implemented for her to save her people. When Mary became engaged to Joseph, she had no idea that she had been hand-selected to be the mother of Jesus.
God’s plans rarely ever look like ours. He lets us go on doing our daily activities believing we are in control but in truth, day by day he is moving us closer to the next thing He has waiting for us. I love that His plan is always waiting for us. Oh, how good is that! He even tells us in scripture that he knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11). But the best part is that the plan for our life has already been implemented because we are here!
Scientists say they believe through all their study that the earth is over 4 billion years old. If that is the case, then earth has been waiting over 4 billion years for our season of life. We are here because it was in God’s plan. We were specifically chosen to walk this earth after Jesus came. In this season of celebration, I pray that we will enjoy every moment and be the light that He has already ordained for us years ago.
Affirmations; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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How Great Are Your Works
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
How great are your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep! The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; but you, O Lord, are on high forever.
For behold, your enemies, O Lord, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered. But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil.
My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants. The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. (Psalm 92, ESV)
Affirmations; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Grace Upon Grace
For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. John 1:16, ESV
One morning my husband and I were awakened by a phone call from my parents saying there was a man sleeping on their porch. My parents are in their eighties and live down the street from us, so it was easy for us to go and check on them. My mother said that she had gotten up to open the blinds and before she got them completely open, she saw a man on one of the benches on their porch.
My husband and I immediately headed down to their house. On our way down, I asked my husband what we were going to do, but he didn’t say much - he just kept walking. Sure enough, as we walked up to the front of my parents’ home, there was the man, pacing around on the porch.
My husband approached him and asked what he was doing. The gentleman mumbled some words that we could not understand. My husband asked what he was looking for, and if he was lost. He began to tell us that he lived there, and it was clear that he was confused. We told him this was not his home and asked if he wanted us to contact someone for him. He said no, and that he just needed to go, pointing down the street. We said okay, but we asked if we could pray for him first. He said yes, and we prayed.
There were so many other houses this man could have gone to before he got to my parent’s home. But God led him to a home where he would receive kindness, prayer, and the grace of God. Things could have turned out so differently depending on where he went. But God, in His love for us, even when we are not in our right thinking, is still showing His grace and care to each of us. We must always remember to give the grace we so graciously receive. Amen!
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6, ESV).
Affirmations; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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God Will Make It Happen
“How can this happen?” Luke 1:34, NIV
The Bible says, “Mary asked the angel, ‘But how can this happen? I am a virgin.’ The angel replied, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’” (vv. 34-35NLT). Has God been telling you things He wants to do through you, but you’re looking at yourself and thinking, “How can this happen?” You’re saying, “I don’t have the training, the resources, the skill, or the connections. And I certainly don’t have the strength to accomplish it alone.” If you’re wondering how God will bring it all to pass, remember that He will accomplish it! No one else will get the credit. How will it happen? “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v. 35 NLT). The Holy Spirit can impregnate you with a vision, inspire you with creative ideas, introduce you to the right people, and empower you to do the job. God had a unique plan for Mary, and He has one for your too. You aren’t privileged to see the future and you don’t know all that God has in store for you—but He has a plan. After the angel spoke to Mary, notice what she said: “Be it unto to me according to thy word” (v. 38). Not according to your social status, or your job resume, or your finances, or what you deserve. No, “Be it unto me according to thy word!” Was that easy to say or believe? No, she was taking an extreme risk. To be pregnant and unmarried brought dire consequences in those days. Yet she gave herself willingly to God—and the results were miraculous. And God can do the same for you.
Source: The Word For You Today
Affirmations; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Repentance brings Restoration
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? Numbers 23:19, ESV
I heard a speaker read the verse above in a message and it just caught my attention. King Balak of Moab saw the large number of Israelites that had come from Egypt across from his land. He sent for the prophet Balaam to bring a curse on the Israelites who were his enemies. When the prophet went before God to see if he could curse the Israelites, he was told he couldn’t curse them because they were a blessed people. Balaam reported this back to the King but he did not like the message and was persistent in having Balaam come to curse them.
After several request, Balaam finally went with the king’s men to the location of where the Israelites were. He told King Balak and his officials to offer sacrifices to God and he went before God on behalf of the king. When Balaam returned, the only message God gave was a blessing over the Israelites. King Balak was upset and chose another spot for Balaam to curse the Israelites. But when Balaam went before the Lord again, God respond with the verse above. God basically said, “I will not change my mind. What I have spoken I will do, so do not ask me again.”
I was so excited about this verse because a few days earlier I had asked God to restore the years lost from some mistakes my husband and I had made. God prompted in my spirit to pray the verse from Joel 2:25-26 which says, “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.” I wanted to make sure I understood the verse and that I was not taking it out of context, so I went back and read several chapters in the book of Joel.
The children of Israel had disobeyed God and as a result, He brought punishment to them. The prophet Joel was sent to explain to them why they were receiving this punishment. In speaking to the people, he says what the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten. “Yet even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.’ Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster” (Joel 2:12-13).
“Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?” (Joel 2:14). Scriptures says that the people obeyed Joel and God restored everything to them and more.
Those same promises are for us today. We all have made mistakes that cause us to lose out on the blessings that were there for us. But God is saying if we repent, turn from our wicked ways, and obey Him, He will restore back to us what we have lost! Wow. I encourage you to read the book of Joel and Numbers 22-23. Your heart will indeed be lifted because our God watches over every word He has spoken, and He will perform it. Take Him at His word because He does what He says He will do.
Affirmations; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Control
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34, ESV
In Matthew 5th through the 7th chapter, Jesus is teaching the people about how they are to behave as believers. This is called the Sermon on the Mount because Jesus sat down on the mountain side and began to teach.
I was sitting in a doctor’s office waiting to hear the results of an exam. I had completed two different tests so the doctors could be sure of their analysis before they gave me the results. As I sat there thinking about the results, my mind went to the worst possible situation that could happen. I started to feel anxious and I just wanted to know the outcome. I prayed and sought Jehovah Shalom for peace in my mind so that I would calm down.
Reflecting on that behavior, I realized my anxiety came from not having control. I wanted to know the results so that I could take control over the next steps. I did not like the uncertainty. Scripture tells us to trust in the Lord with all our heart, and to not lean on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Jesus even told the people you cannot make your hair turn white or black. I had absolutely no control over the results; they were all in God’s hands, yet I was fretting in my spirit.
ELOHIM, the creator of this world has been taking me on a deeper journey with Him. And He reminded me of who He is and how easy it should be for us to release all and trust Him, and no matter what we are going through. Here’s a little bit of what He’s been teaching me:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). Our earth sits on the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy and is 26,000 light years from the center. A light year is 6 trillion miles. Our galaxy stretches 80 billion trillion miles, and it is estimated that there are two trillion galaxies in the universe. The earth that we live on travels 67,000 miles per second around the sun. It takes 365 days, 6 hours, and 9 minutes to orbit the earth. While the earth is orbiting around the sun it sits on its axis and wobbles around. It wobbles in a circle and takes 26,000 years for it to complete the circle. It is believed that the earth is 4.543 billion years old (you can find this information at NASA Solar System Exploration). The Holy Spirit said, “If I did this in the beginning before I put man in the earth, why should you be anxious about anything if you trust me? I have prepared for every second of life.”
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on” (Matthew 6:25).
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
Amen!
Affirmations; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Angel
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” Luke 1:13, ESV
The angel was given specific instructions by God to go to Zechariah and tell him that his prayer had been heard. God had set up a specific appointment so that Zechariah would be by himself when the angel spoke to him. The angel brought great news to Zechariah, for his wife was barren and they had no children. Although they were now passed the age of childbearing, God was proclaiming that He was going to give them a miracle.
Just like the angel was sent from heaven with God’s message to Zechariah, God is doing the same thing in the earth today. He is sending His message through His servants to tell of the good news He has for each of us. I am reminded of a time when God had a Prophetess call to give me specific instructions on what God was calling me to do. The Prophetess gave me detailed instructions, just like the angel did with Zechariah. The word that I received from her was confirming what God had put in my spirit long ago, something I thought was not going to happen.
I later shared the message with one of my dear friends and she told me that God had told her the same thing. She said she asked God when she was to tell me, and He told her that she would know when it was time. My friend wrote the message on a sticky note and put it in one of her journals. Would you believe she was able to find the note with the date God told her what He was doing in me? God had sent the word through the Prophetess, but He also had confirmation waiting for me so that I would know for sure this is what He had called me to do.
Affirmations; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Grateful!
Happy Thanksgiving! It is such a blessing to know that each one of us have so much to be thankful for! This Psalms reminds us that we need to give thanks everyday! For God is our light and our salvation!
The Lord is my light and my salvation—Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the refuge and fortress of my life—Whom shall I dread? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war arise against me,
even in this I am confident. One thing I have asked of the Lord, and that I will seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty [the delightful loveliness and majestic grandeur] of the Lord
and to meditate in His temple.
For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, in His tent I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious and compassionate to me and answer me. When You said, “Seek My face [in prayer, require My presence as your greatest need],” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I will seek [on the authority of Your word].”
Do not hide Your face from me, do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; do not abandon me nor [a]leave me, O God of my salvation! Although my father and my mother have abandoned me, yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child]. Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies [who lie in wait].
Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have come against me; they breathe out violence. I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord. Psalm 27, AMP
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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God’s Business
Give us this day our daily bread… Matthew 6:11, ESV
Every morning I seek God for His daily instructions and revelations. I believe that in requesting our day and our daily bread I am seeking after more than physical food - I am asking for His spiritual food to carry me throughout the day. I love that when we ask, God always answers, even if it may not be in the way we expect. If we pay close attention, we can always hear Him guiding us.
My husband and I took a trip to Carmel for our wedding anniversary to get away for a few days, just to spend some time together. The hotel we stayed in was close to the ocean and the rooms had amazing views. The hotel had a roof top restaurant bar that was covered, but guests could see the ocean from the restaurant. One evening we decided to go sit by the fireplace, have a few snacks, and enjoy the view of the ocean as the sun went down.
When we arrived, there were quite a few other guests who had the same idea. We grabbed some seats by the fireplace and began to chat with those around us. We met some lovely families and had great conversations but when God was ready for His work to be done, the conversation changed to being centered on Him. I have no idea how it happened. Before we knew it, God was the subject, and he was speaking to the hearts of those around us. God was using us to minister His word and uplift hearts, reminding us all that He never leaves us nor forsakes us.
We all came to that hotel for our own purpose, but God had other plans and it was about His business. I love how God keeps our secrets, knows exactly what is going on in our lives, and sometimes sends a perfect stranger to encourage our hearts. When we follow God’s commands and ask Him for our day and daily bread, He always has the answer waiting for us.
Jehovah Shammah is always wherever we are. Jeremiah 1:12 says that He is alert and active watching over His word to perform it! What a mighty God we serve! Praise you, Lord. Amen!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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The Answer is Waiting
…Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. Exodus 2:15, ESV
In the scripture above Moses is fleeing Pharaoh after murdering an Egyptian for mistreating a Hebrew. When Pharaoh finds out about what Moses had done, he seeks Moses’ life to kill him, so Moses flees. What looks like an atrocity actually works as part of God’s plan to move Moses out of Egypt. Now, I am not saying God wanted Moses to murder someone, but the circumstances moved Moses in the direction God was sending him.
Moses has no idea that as he fled for his life, God had a plan that would send him right back to where he ran from. God sent Moses away to Midian so that He could prepare him to lead His people out of bondage. Moses lived in Midian for 40 years tending sheep. Remember - God calls Israel His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 79:13). As Moses was learning to care for sheep, God was teaching him how to shepherd His children.
Back in Egypt the treatment of the Israelites had gotten worse. It had reached to such a degree that the people begin to call out to God for help. But God had already prepared their help - he was in Midian, waiting for their cry to God.
Many times, when we are going through a difficulty, Satan can make us feel like God is not hearing our prayers. I remember sitting with my sister-in-law during her cancer treatment. The treatment had got so bad that she just said “I give up! I want to go home. I am done!” She was crying, frustrated, and tired of it all. I put earbuds in her ear and played soaking music to help calm her spirit and prayed for her. At that moment I did not know what to say, but God had prepared the answer for her weeks prior.
The women in our family have a tradition of getting together to check-in with one another other several times a year. At one of those meetings together it was suggested that we all purchase two greeting cards for my sister-in-law and write encouraging messages for her to read during her treatment journey. All the cards were put in a box and were given to her, reminding her that she had a tribe behind her. On this particular day when she just wanted to give up, she grabbed one of those cards and read it. When she opened the card it said, “Brighter Days Are Coming”. She started to cry even more, but this time with tears of joy. She knew God was taking care of her. That card had been sitting in that box for weeks and God had it waiting for her when she would need it most.
It does not matter how big or small the problem is - God has already prepared an answer to take care of us! That is why He tells us in Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”. Do not fear or worry. In whatever you are dealing with right now, know that the answer is before you. If you can’t see it, just wait. It is there! Just like Moses was there as God’s answer, coming to His people. God bless you.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Popcorn
And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:4, ESV
As I was getting out of bed, I spoke to God about all the writings I needed to do and the timeline I needed to get them finished by. God said to me, “Anything you see relates to me and I can have you write about it. There is nothing for you to worry about.” Immediately the word “popcorn” came in my spirit. God started to show me how the kernel of corn must be put under the pressure of heat for it to produce its fruit.
He began to tell me that every believer will be put under the pressure cooker like kernel of corn to produce their fruit. I asked for an example, and He led me to the Hebrew boys: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Because they stood firm in their faith and did not bow down to worship idols, the king, in his anger, put them in a fiery furnace that was seven times hotter than usual.
I asked God for an example in my own life, and he reminded me of my marriage and how hard it was in the beginning. We fought about anything - I mean stupid stuff. At times, I wondered if we should have ever gotten married. We were young and came from very different backgrounds. We had our own beliefs of how marriage should work. We both knew we were married to the right person because of how God brought us together, but that did not stop our flesh from trying to have its own way. God was putting us under the heat like a kernel of corn so we could produce the fruit He knew was inside of us. He had to burn off all the selfish desires so we could be used by Him to produce fruit for the kingdom.
We have been married for 40 years now. I can honestly tell you the joy that we have now is amazing. We are not just a married couple, but we are happy, in love, and looking forward to another 40 years together. Stay in the heat with God so that you can become all He has for you to be!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Moving With God
And the Lord said to Moses, ‘When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power.’ Exodus 4:21, ESV
In the scripture above, Moses received instructions from God to leave Midian and to go back to Egypt to speak with Pharaoh. Egypt was the most powerful and prosperous nation in the region at the time, which would make Pharaoh the most powerful man in the region. Moses did not have an appointment to see him and yet, God told Moses to go to Pharaoh and show him the miracles and power He have given him to deliver His people.
Moses understood the power of Pharaoh and the Egyptian monarchy because he had seen it from the inside. He was raised as one of Pharaoh’s grandchildren. God told Moses that all those who sought to take his life had died and he was to go back to Egypt and speak with Pharaoh. Moses was apprehensive, and although God became angry with Moses, he sent his older brother Aaron to meet him and to be his spokesperson.
Moses left Midian with his family headed back to Egypt and met his brother Aaron on the way, just as God had told him. Here is the amazing part - God prompted Aaron to leave Egypt and go to his brother. Scripture says, “The Lord said to Aaron, ‘Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.’ So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him” (Exodus 4:27).
In this story, Moses and Aaron learned obedience and how to move with God. He is teaching us how He works and showing us what we can expect from Him. He never told Aaron that He has an assignment for him. He simply told him to leave Egypt and to meet his brother in the wilderness. Moses has been gone for 40 years and Aaron never attempts to go see his brother until God tells him to move. The amazing journey they had together could never have been imagined in their minds. Aaron would become the high priest of Israel and Moses would deliver God’s people out of Egypt. Neither of them had any idea what God had planned, yet they moved with God. They gave him their yes!
We are to move in faith. The reason I believe God lets us read the testimonies of so many in the Bible is for our faith to increase, so that when He call us to what looks impossible, we will move and give him our yes. Amen!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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The Joy of The Lord
…the joy of the Lord is my strength. Nehemiah 8:10, ESV
In the scripture above, the book of the Law had been read and explained so that the people of God understood its meaning. They were grieved after what they’d heard and realized they had disobeyed the commands of the law. But Nehemiah and the leaders encouraged them saying, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
Nehemiah was reminding the people that God was their strength and that He would give them the ability they needed to follow His commands. I’m reminded of the scripture in which God spoke to Zechariah and told him to tell Zerubbabel that he wouldn’t build God’s temple in his own strength. “‘Not by might, or power but by my Spirit’ says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). In the same way, God’s Word feeds us. His Spirit gives us the ability to do His will. Just like with gardening - we can give a plant all the necessary nutrients, but God is the one who makes it grow.
When we think of the joy of the Lord being our strength, we have to understand that joy is one of the Fruits of the Spirits (Galatians 5:22). Jesus describes His Spirit like the wind, saying, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). We all know and understand the power of the wind. When a tornado hits a town, everyone runs for shelter. God’s joy is our strength because it points us to the power of His Spirit.
The joy of the Lord brings gladness to our heart as a result of knowing God, abiding in Christ, and being filled with the Holy Spirit. As we surrender our will to the Holy Spirit, we will see His power move in every aspect of our lives. And His Spirit gives us the ability to do the things we could not ordinarily do, whether physically, emotionally, spiritually, or mentally. All of what we need comes from the Spirit of God. Amen!
I encourage you to let the power of the Holy Spirit be your guide. Remember when David killed Goliath? He said, “I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty…” (1 Samuel 17:45). David did not go in his own strength - and neither should we.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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God’s Joy
…for the joy of the lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10, ESV
I was sitting in my quiet place with God, just taking notes as He spoke to me. I heard Him say “The joy of the Lord is your strength. Find out what that means.” This of course led me to look up Nehemiah 8:10. Ezra the priest had been reading the book of the law to the people of Israel. After the reading, the people’s hearts were grieved because they had not followed God’s instructions. But Ezra tells the people that this is a day of rejoicing - do not be grieved, we will have strength in God.
As I researched further, I found that the Hebrew word for “strength” was koch which comes from a root meaning, “to be able” or “the power to”. God’s joy gives us the power to be able to do what we could not do in our own strength. This joy is a fruit of the Spirit which comes from God and fills us with His power (Galatians 5:22). We can only keep this power by staying connected to God.
Scripture makes it clear in John 15 that God is the true vine and we are the branches. If we continue to abide in Him, we will be able to walk in His strength. If a branch is removed from the tree, it dies. If we keep God’s commands, we will remain in His love and have His strength. Scripture says, “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:10-12).
I found this list of ways to cultivate joy in your life:
1) Renew your mind, Romans 12:2
2) Trust in Christ, Proverbs 3:5-6
3) Fix your eyes on Jesus, Hebrews 12:2
4) Rejoice in the Lord, Philippians 4:4
5) Abide in Christ, John 15:11
To walk in the joy of the Lord, we must obey His commands and stay in His word. God’s joy remains in us when we remain in Him. Amen!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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Don’t Stop
Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord. Haggai 1:2, ESV
In King Cyrus’s first year of reign over Persia, he declared that the Lord told him to build a house for Him in Jerusalem, located in Judah. King Cyrus proclaimed that all God’s people, who were exiled by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon could go up to Jerusalem to rebuild the house of the Lord. He also declared that each survivor, in whatever place he left, was to be assisted by the men of his place with silver, gold, goods and beasts, and were to receive freewill offerings to bring to the house of God.
The people left and went back to Jerusalem encouraged and ready to rebuild the temple. Zerubbabel with Jeshua took the lead in facilitating the project. When the foundation was laid there was a great celebration with worship and thanks to the Lord. When those living around them found out that they had returned from exile and were building the temple, they wanted to join in. The people of Israel refused them - they were going to build the temple to their God themselves. Immediately the people of the land worked to discourage the people of Judah. The Samaritan’s opposition was so great that the people of Judah completely stopped construction for 16 years. God had given them all they needed to build His temple but because of fear and intimidation they stopped working on their assignment. They built their own houses and business instead, leaving God’s temple in ruins.
God sent His prophet Haggai to remind them that they had not followed His instructions. He told them that God had withheld their blessings because of their disobedience. Many times, when God gives us an assignment, we start off excited to follow what He has put in our hearts. But when opposition and difficulty come, we can be just like the Israelites and stop. In the past, I’ve found myself saying, “Oh, I will get to that!” and before I know it a year has gone by. Listen, there is no such thing as a little disobedience. Obedience is all or nothing. But I love how the story ended with the temple. After the instructions came from the Prophet Haggai the people repented and finished building the temple. It was not without opposition, but they followed God’s instruction in the end.
This word brings good news to all of us, as it reminds us of God’s graciousness and patience. The Israelites disobeyed God, yet His love covered their sin, and He blessed them to finish their purpose. I want to encourage you - it is not too late to repent and surrendered to God so He can guide you to fulfill all that He has placed in your heart! Amen.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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Trusting God’s Timing (2)
“What I have said, that I will bring about.” Isa 46:11 NIV
God has a plan for your life that requires certain things to happen at a particular time. And since He sees the big picture and you’re working with limited information, you must trust Him—even when you don’t see how it will all come together. God can take the loss of a relationship or a job and make it work for your good. The trouble is, while He’s doing all this, you can feel uncomfortable and downright miserable. Seven hundred and eight-two years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Micah said that He would be born in Bethlehem (See Mic 5:2). But Mary and Joseph were living in Nazareth. So how did God solve the problem? The Roman emperor Augustus decreed that a census should be taken: “All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for the census. And because Joseph was a dependent of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son” (Lk 2:3-7 NLT). Are you worried about the future? “Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! Keep traveling, steadily along his pathway and in due season he will honor you with every blessing” (Ps 37:34 TLB). Relax: the God who arranged for His Son to be born into the right family, at the right time, in the right place is looking out for you today.
Source: The Word For You Today
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Trusting God’s Timing
“When the right time came, God sent his Son.” Galatians 4:4 NLT
God doesn’t consult us to make sure His plans line up with our timetable. God sets the schedule; sometimes we have to run to keep up, and other times we have to slow down in order to get in step with Him. Mary planned to marry Joseph, then have a child, but God had a different plan. The child had to be without inherited sin, so He needed a perfect father; therefore; the Holy Spirit was called on to do the job. Humanly speaking, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Mary became pregnant before she got married, and Joseph wasn’t the father. Besides being ostracized, the law said she could be stoned to death. How did she respond? Amazingly: “Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38 NKJV). God has set a plan, and He is always working toward it. The trouble is, we are only working with limited information, so we become impatient and upset when He doesn’t answer our prayers when we think He should, or in the way we think He should. It’s said that George Muller, evangelist and founder of the Ashley Down Orphanage in Bristol, England, once waited on the dock for a special chair to be delivered; he had a bad back and needed the chair for the ocean voyage. When departure time came and it still hadn’t arrived, his friends offered to buy him one. But Muller said, “Either God will provide or he will give me the grace to do without.” Then, just like a Hollywood ending, the chair arrived right on time! Trust God—He knows what He’s doing!
Source: The Word For You Today
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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Moses
These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. Exodus 1:1-4, ESV
God said to me, “I want you to study Moses”, and I was excited to start this study. He had me start with the first chapter of Exodus. When I got down to the end, God said to read it again. For the next two months God would only let me read and listen to the first chapter of Exodus.
About the third week into this reading He said, “Write down everything you have learned in this chapter”, so I wrote everything I could think of. I was so excited about everything I had learned, including how to pronounce the names of each one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Then God said to me, “Name the order of the sons of Jacob.”
The very first verse of chapter one of Exodus starts with the twelve sons of Jacob, but they are not listed in birth order. I had not even bothered to look that part up. I didn’t even know they were out of order until God asked me to say them in order of birth. I now understand why the author wrote them in that order and I can now recall the birth order of the sons and each of their mothers.
The Bible is a love letter from God to us. It is His way of building a wonderfully intimate relationship with us. I remember how much I enjoyed my grandparents telling me about when they were younger and all that they went through. In the same way, God is interested in us taking the time to listen to Him teach us the story of our beautiful family.
God wants us to know who He is, who we are, where we came from, where we are going, and the plan that is to come. When we open the Bible, it is not just a book – it’s our Father sharing life with us. He is not concerned with us getting to the end. He wants us to enjoy every moment as He teaches us about ourselves. I want to encourage you not to rush through reading the Word. If you take the time to ask the questions and follow the promptings He gives you, you will find yourself in an amazing relationship with our heavenly Father. Amen.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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Hidden Answers
Many times, when we are seeking God for answer I believe that He sends the answers, but we are often so busy doing our own thing that we miss Him. When we sit and just be still before God, there is this sweetness that comes over us - a place of compete rest. Even though our situation and what we have asked for has not changed, all worry and anxiety is gone. The inside of us has changed and God is working on our outward situation.
I was listening to a speaker who said that hidden answers are revealed in the wilderness. I have been married forty years and when I look back, I can see many times of wilderness. My husband and I once separated because I wanted things my way. I was able to get my own place and furnish it with nice things I didn’t even have to pay for. When I thought I was well on my way, God sat me down in that home and course corrected me right back to my husband.
I often put myself in those places of wilderness not wanting to wait on God. God in His graciousness somehow managed to work out all those situations for my good, and in the midst of those wilderness seasons were hidden answers on how to move and what to do. The answers God had been trying to show me all along were there, but I was too busy doing my own thing, trying to have things my way. When I was alone in the quietness with Him, he began to change my heart and bring restoration to my marriage. When Jacob stole his brother Esau’s blessing, Esau had planned to kill him. But Jacob’s father sent him away to his uncle’s home to find a wife. On his way, while all alone, God met him in his wilderness state and spoke with him. Even though Jacob had done wrong, God still met with him – promising to bless him and to always be with him (Genesis 28:10-17).
God has great plans for each one of us, or else we would not be here. He specifically hand-picked us to be here at this time in life. Satan will lie to you and tell you that you have messed up so bad that God will not forgive you or do anything for you. He is a liar! I messed up and now I have forty years of marriage under my belt. We are more in love now than the first day we met. Jacob messed up but God poured out more abundance in his life than he could have ever imagined.
Do not run from the wilderness that you find yourself in. God has hidden answers that will bless your soul and bring transformation to your life when you say yes. God bless you, family.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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God’s Timing: Moses
Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.” When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. Exodus 1:22, ESV
Jacob and his family lived in Canaan when a serve famine hit the land that was going to last for seven years. God made a way for Jacob’s son, Joseph, to become second-in-command to Pharaoh in Egypt. Joseph brought his father and the rest of his family to Egypt to care for them during the famine. Joseph, all his brothers, and all that generation later died, but the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly. They multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
A new king arose in Egypt who did not know anything about Joseph. Because the Israelites had grown so strong, the new king of Egypt feared them and put fear in all of Egyptians towards the Israelites. The king enslaved the Israelites and treated them harshly, but God kept blessing them and they continued to grow in number. Pharaoh tried to put an end to their growth by commanding his people to do something evil - throw every Hebrew baby boy into the Nile River.
God always wants us to know that no matter what the situation looks like, He has a plan. At the time Pharaoh gave this command Moses was a baby. It would appear by looking at the circumstances that Moses would die. His mother kept him hidden for three months but when she could no longer hide him God gave her insight about what to do. She put together a basket with tar pitch, put baby Moses inside, and placed the basket in the Nile River. At the time Moses was placed in the Nile, Pharaoh’s daughter and her attendants were coming down to the river. Baby Moses cried and Pharaoh’s daughter heard him. The attendants brought him to her and when she saw the baby, she had compassion on him and decides to raise him as her own child. Now Moses’s sister was watching to see what would happen. She went to Pharaoh’s daughter and asked if she could get someone to nurse the child for her. Pharaoh’s daughter agreed and his sister brought her mother. Pharaoh’s daughter paid Moses’s mother to care for him.
God is teaching us so many lessons in this story: 1) We do not need to fear those who are in power over us. Scripture said that Moses’s mom tried to keep him hidden as long as she could. She did not want to see him die and did not have the power to keep him alive, but God had already made a plan. 2) God’s timing is always perfect. We do not need to get anxious about how things are going to work out. Moses’s mom was about to miss her blessing trying to protect her son. God not only allowed her to nurse her him, but even paid her to take care of him. I love that God could have had Moses born at any time, but he chose to have him conceived right when Pharaoh was trying to commit genocide of the Jews.
It does not matter how hopeless your situation looks; God has already worked out a plan. Get out of God’s way and let Him give you the blessing that you could have never imagined. He has it all worked out! Amen.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMoEcr3koSqRbqVma5EGWgA/videos
My recently published books are now available at:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss