Month: November 2018

I AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE:

TO BRING HARVEST

GALATIANS 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

This is one of those verses that you and I need to consistently revisit. We know it, but we just forget it. We need to be reminded. Even Jesus said:

* Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Quitting is something that can happen to any of us. A great variety of things can contribute to that. Life is not easy, paying bills is not easy, marriage is not easy, parenting is not easy, ministry is not easy, being single is not easy. Do you get my point? Whatever you do, where ever you are, and whatever situation you are in is probably not “easy”.

* I I Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

Matthew Henry said, “if we grow weary of it, and withdraw from it, we shall not only miss of this reward, but lose the comfort and advantage of what we have already done; but, if we hold on and hold out in well-doing, though our reward may be delayed, yet it will surely come, and will be so great as to make us an abundant recompence for all our pains”

You and I need to remember that there is a “Due Season”. This word means “proper time, proper occasion”. Some people might reap quicker than you will. God knows every individual and what is best for them. The word “REAP” here means to harvest. You don’t reap until seed has grown. There is a time to sew, and time to rend (Eccles 7). We want to reap all the time but don’t want to work to plant.

* Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
* 2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

It is possible to lose the opportunity to reap rewards for what you have done if you give up before the “due season”. “Well doing” is simply sowing good seed along your way. It is guaranteed to reap a harvest if you don’t give up. Don’t give up today. I am persuaded that He is able to bring the harvest.

I AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE

TO GIVE US WISDOM

Proverbs 4:7-13
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. 9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace:  a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. 10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings;  and the years of thy life shall be many. 11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. 12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened;  and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life

As we discussed yesterday, there are four sources of wisdom that the Bible mentions. The first source is God, and the second source is God’s Word.

SOURCE 3: GODS PEOPLE
“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” Proverbs 13:20

You and I have to choose who we will be influenced by. We usually acquire the same characteristics of those we choose to be around, and be influenced by. This word companion means to graze, as in a pasture. It is the idea of a cow who seems to follow the other cows around a pasture. Wherever they move to eat, the cow follows them. The problem with that is that others may lead us wrong. And especially if we choose to “graze” with fools, then we have a problem. When someone brings u down they take you further than they are. If we want wisdom, we need to be influenced by people that have Godly wisdom. “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise”.

SOURCE 4: GODS REPROOF
“For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” Proverbs 6:23

None of us enjoy reproofs, but let’s be honest, much wisdom is gained by them. None of us like the idea of being shown that we are wrong. That goes against our prideful tendencies. But when we are shown where we are wrong, then we learn what is right. Do not fight against God’s reproof, or be bitter because of it. God has many ways to try to get us on the right path, and His reproofs are one of the ways that God teaches and gives us wisdom. Remember, “wisdom is the principle thing”.

I AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE

TO GIVE US WISDOM (part 1)

Proverbs 4:7-13
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. 9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace:  a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. 10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings;  and the years of thy life shall be many. 11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. 12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened;  and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

As we have discussed in past devotions, you and I desperately need wisdom. To be more specific, we need the wisdom of God. There are four what I would call, “sources of wisdom” that I would like to point out. If you want wisdom, this is how you get it.

SOURCE 1: GOD
James 1:3-5 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

We can get knowledge without a God, but we cannot get wisdom without God. If you need wisdom, ask God. He is the source

SOURCE 2: GODS WORD
Psalms 19:7-8 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Did you notice the key phrases in these verses? “Making wise the simple”, and “enlightening the eyes”. That is what God’s Word does. The more of God’s Word we learn, the wiser we get. Time in God’s Word always produces wisdom. There are always things that can be potential problems in our path that we just cannot see. They are things we need to notice and avoid, but we are just not able to see them many times in our own wisdom. This is why we need the Word of God. It opens our eyes. It allows us to see beyond the obvious, and to see through the disguised. We will discuss more tomorrow, but today, if you need wisdom, if you want wisdom, ask God and get in His Word.

I AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE:

TO LEAD US IN THE PERFECT WAY

Psalm 18:30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

“HIS WAY IS PERFECT”
This word “perfect” is defined as entire, without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely, sound, without spot, undefiled, or whole. This verse says that God’s way is perfect not yours, and not mine. It does not say that God’s way will agree with your way, or everyone else’s opinion of your way. The verse does not say God’s way will be easy, or comfortable, or without difficulty. It does not say that God’s way is negotiable, it just says that His way is perfect.

“HIS WORD IS PROVEN”
The Word of the Lord is tried. This word “tried” means to fuse, refine, or melt till pure. This means that God’s Word has been repeatedly put through the fire and come out stronger, purer, and perfect. An old time preacher named Gipsy Smith told of a man who said he had received no inspiration from the Bible although he had “gone through it several times.” “Let it go through you once,” replied Smith, “Then you will tell a different story!”

HIS WARRANTY IS PERMANENT
“He is a buckler to all those that trust in him”
“Buckler” means a shield, a protector, the hide of a crocodile, a defense. In His warranty, God has promised His Protection to those that put their trust in Him. In Psalm 23, David acknowledged that the Lord His Shephered would take care of His sheep. David said “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” God’s way is not just perfect, and proven, and his warranty is permanent. God is able to lead us in a perfect path.

I AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE:

TO RETURN AT ANY TIME

MATTHEW 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Jesus is coming again. We should never allow ourselves to get away from a consistent awareness of this promise. Remembering that Jesus is coming again changes every area of our life. It changes our behavior, our decisions, and our priorities. We can begin to think how unfair life is and how unfair people are and think that we cannot continue with all these disappointments. But when we remember that our Savior May come today, it should motivate us to finish strong.

“YE KNOW NEITHER THE DAY NOR THE HOUR”
Jesus says that we do not know when He will return. A lot of people have claimed to know over the years. You and I will never be fooled by stuff like that if we will just read the Bible. Jesus did not think it was important for us to know exactly when He will return. He just felt it was important for us to know that He will.

“WATCH THEREFORE”
When you see the word “therefore”, stop and see what it is there for. The Greek word for “watch” in this verse literally means: to keep awake, i.e. watch (literally or figuratively): to be vigilant, wake, (be) watch(-ful). Jesus tells us to ‘keep awake’. It is very easy for us while we are waiting for Jesus to return, to forget that He is returning. We get so caught up in the day to day process that we lose sight of this life-changing principle. I encourage you today, remember throughout the day that Jesus is able to come at any time.

I AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE:

TO DO EXCEEDINGLY GOOD

NUMBERS 14:7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. 8 If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

“EXCEEDING GOOD LAND”
That is what God has for us if we will just follow Him by faith. Whatever God does and wherever God leads is “exceeding good”. This chapter tells a common story when it comes to the tendencies of God’s children. Notice the description:

1. THEY DOUBTED GOD’S PROVISION
Verse 2 ) And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!
They began to forget how bad things were before God freed them. They also began to doubt that God could take care of them. Unfortunately, we do that sometimes.

2. THEY DOUBTED GOD’S PROTECTION
Verse 3) And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey?
God had just saved their lives and miraculously protected them through the Red Sea and yet apparently that was not enough for them to trust His protection now. In fact, they would wander in the barren wilderness for years because they just did not trust in God’s protection.

3. THEY DOUBTED GOD’S PLAN
Verse 3-4) And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, ………were it not better for us to return into Egypt? 4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.
Can you believe they said, “let us return into Egypt”? Have you ever doubted God’s plan? Have you ever thought things were better before God seemingly got involved?

So here are the lessons for us to learn in this passage:

* GOD’S WAY IS NOT ALWAYS EASY, BUT IT IS ALWAYS BEST (7)
This land had more potential than they realized. This land has blessings that they could not see yet. Yes, it won’t be easy, and yes there are giants, and obstacles, but it’s worth it.

* GOD’S BLESSINGS ARE OFTEN DETERMINED BY OUR CONDUCT (8)
“If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us”. Remember that David said, “Delight thyself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” God delights in us when we delight in Him.

* GOD ALWAYS PERFORMS WHAT HE PROMISES (8)
It should be a great comfort to know that the giants, walled cities, the rough terrain, the grasshoppers, and everything else is up to God to worry about. “He will bring us into this land”. Trust me, God is able to keep His promises, or He would have never made them.