“All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.” Exodus 17:1 ESV Throughout the book of Exodus, we can read the story of how God delivered the Israelites from the hand of Pharaoh. We read of plagues, destruction, and famine occurring as a means to get Pharaoh’s attention, but to no avail. The ruler of Egypt was stubborn, and in his eyes, the fate of the Israelites had already been decided.…
“The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them. You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth.” Psalms 104: 8-9 ESV Have you ever experienced a season of drought in your life? By this, I mean a spiritual drought, where the answer to desperate prayers seem to elude you, leaving you confused and disappointed. Have you ever had mountaintop moments where you were sure that you could conquer anything thrown your way, those precious moments of victory and rejoicing? Life is a pattern of ebbs and flows, some valleys and some mountain tops. None of us are excluded from the drastic changes that life is known for throwing our way. The above scripture is a beautiful reminder that God commands the literal, physical mountains and valleys to their appointed places. If He has the authority and power to cause mountains to rise and valleys to fall, this ensures us that He can also do the same for the changing seasons in our lives. If you are on the mountain top today, know that God has allowed that mountain to rise for a purpose and…
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9 ESV This verse contains a very important promise from God, and that is that we are his possession. To some, this may sound like a bad or frightening thing, but to me, it sounds like safety and peace. It sounds like a place where I can find rest, security, and purpose. I am so thankful that I belong to Christ. When everyone fails me, and when I fail myself, He remains constant and nothing can separate me from His love. (Romans 8:38) As a result of us being set apart and belonging to Christ, we have been given a new mission and purpose. We have been called out of darkness into light, and we are now called to love others and show them the goodness of God. So how can we show them the goodness of God? First, we love them. I’ve heard it spoken before that it is not our place to change people, we are called to love them.…
Speak FAITH! “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness is from generation to generation; You have established the earth, and it stands fast.” (Psalm 119:89-90 AMP) It has been researched that there are over 30,000 promises in God’s Word. However, God’s promises are conditional; they are not automatically applicable to everyone. If we desire and expect to receive His promises (those that apply to us) and walk in His blessings, we must first believe that He IS and then obey His Word. “(Jesus) said, Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”…
Your VOICE is your CHOICE. “Worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Rev. 19:10 KJV) Feelings, often, are involuntary; but our voice is our choice. Every day, we have the option to intentionally verbalize our thanks and our trust—our thanks for God’s proven power in our lives AND our trust in His promises. This voice is our testimony. We have enough solid evidence of the past faithfulness of God in our lives to give us cause for a continuous stream of testimony to the power and love of Jesus. Giving voice to that testimony is prophesying FAITH (persuasion and confidence from our PAST) directly forward into our HOPE (anticipation for our FUTURE). This is a powerful tool, but only if we choose to use it. “Faith turns the promise (of God) into a prophecy. A promise is contingent upon our cooperation, but when we exercise genuine faith in it, it becomes a prophecy. Then we can move ahead with certainty that it will come to pass, because ‘God … does not lie.’” – from Days of Heaven upon Earth Lamentations 3:21-24 says – “This I recall to my mind (from my PAST) … therefore, have…
Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.” And the name of the second he called Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.” (Genesis 41:51-52, NKJV) It was common in the Old Testament to give children meaningful names. Names that parents hoped would define their child’s character, names to describe the location or circumstances of their birth, or names to illustrate something the parents themselves may want to remember. Also, names were changed later to commemorate new experiences. In Genesis 21: 3-6, Abraham named his son Isaac, which means laughter because Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” In Genesis 32:28, an angel of the Lord changed Jacob’s name to Israel because he “Struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Naomi changed her name in Ruth 1:20 to Mara because she said, “The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.” In referring to Jesus, Matthew quoted the prophet Isaiah, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” translated as, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23 and Isaiah 7:14.) Some…