Thoughts For Today

“Therefore also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints do not cease to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of His glory of His inheritance of the saints, and the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only to this age but also in that which is to come.  And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:15-23).

Thoughts For Today

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:29-32).  The words that come from our mouths really come from what is in our hearts.  If there are hidden hurts that are causing bitterness then our words are often filtered through that hurt, spilling out onto those we love.  As we daily renew our minds, dwelling on the things Jesus encourages us to think about, things that are good and pure and not of evil; we see a transformation taking place in our hearts.  The Word is correct when it tells us that out of the abundance of the heart will come either good or evil.  It is by daily spending time in God’s Presence that this transformation takes place.  As we exchange our thoughts for His, the things that come out of our hearts will be good treasure indeed.

Thoughts For Today

“He is risen, He is risen indeed” (Luke 24:34).  The resurrection of Christ Jesus is our hope in glory and our inspiration to answer the call to the great commission.  In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus spoke to His disciples saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  As Jesus reveals God’s great plan to those ordinary men who were called to do extraordinary things, the disciples asked the question in Luke 24:32, “Did not our heart burn within us…while He opened the Scripture to us?”  Resurrection Day is traditionally celebrated once a year.  Prayerfully, the hope of its promise burns within our hearts daily.  Now is the time to go, make disciples and teach them to observe all that Jesus commanded.  “…Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest.” (John 4:35).

Thoughts For Today

“Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day” (Psalm 25:4-5).  The word “truth” means certainty, stability, truth, rightness, and trustworthiness.  Truth originates from the Hebrew word “emet” which is derived from the verb “aman” meaning, “to be firm, permanent and established.”  Emet conveys a sense of dependability, reliability and firmness.  When truth is in evidence, it is something that can wholeheartedly be depended upon.  Remarkably, the word “emet” is spelled with the first, middle and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet.  Hence, it has been concluded that truth upholds the first and last of God’s creation and everything in between.    

• “The Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King…” (Jeremiah 10:10). 

• “I am the way, the truth, and the life...” (John 14:6)” 

• “Everyone who is of truth hears My voice” (John 18:37). 

• “If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the    truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).

• “Gird your waist with truth...” (Ephesians 6:14). 

• “Truth will be your shield...” (Psalm 91:4). 

• “It is the Spirit that bears witness, because the Spirit is truth” (1 John 5:6). 

• “I have no greater joy than to hear that My children walk in truth” (3 John 4). 

As we abide in God’s Word, we truly become disciples of Christ, seeking His truth.  Because God is Spirit, we must commune with Him through intimacy with Him.  As we sincerely seek Him, bringing our spirit, soul and body into the spiritual reality of God’s Presence, it becomes much easier to trust that His Word is true and that He is truly Who He says He is.  Truth in this context literally means to be hidden or to escape notice.  The Hebrew form of this word is “aletheia” and is the opposite of fictitious, feigned, or false.  It denotes veracity, reality, sincerity, accuracy, integrity, truthfulness, dependability, and propriety. 

Never doubt that God is: 

Certain Right, Permanent Sincere, Stable, Trustworthy, Accurate, Full of Integrity 

Firm, Truthful, Real, Reliable, Established, Dependable.

Thoughts For Today

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.  Day unto day utters speech and night unto night reveals knowledge.  There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.  Their line has gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world….”  (Psalm 19:1-4).  These verses vividly unite the revelation of God to man, through creation and through His Word.   “…In them, (His Word) He has set a tabernacle for the sun which is like a bridegroom coming out of His chamber and rejoices like a strongman to run its race.  Its rising is from one end of heaven and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat” (Psalm 19:4-6).  As the earth rotates around the sun, darkness is dispelled and even the moon, which has no light source of its own, begins to reflect light, almost as brightly as the sun.  Matthew 5:14-16 declares, “You are the light of the world…let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”  As strongmen who are set to run the race, we have no light of our own, but only the reflected light of the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.  The light of God that refracts in us and through us is the reflection of the light of Christ in us.  Genesis 1:16-18 tells us “…the greater light is made to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night.”  Jesus, the greater light, rules the church, the children of the day.  He has given authority to the church to rule over darkness.  As we let the reflection of Jesus’ light shine, we begin to penetrate darkness, impacting and influencing those in our sphere of influence and we truly become the “light of the world.”

Thoughts For Today

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).   Jesus is always ready and waiting to support our faith when we prove Him through His Word.  He will sustain His promises and reward our faith.  James 1:17 states, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, what are these gifts that come down from our heavenly Father?  Romans 14:17 tell us, “The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.”  Psalm 84:11 confirms, “…the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”  God is unchangeable.  He always keeps His promises.  Rest in the promises of God; yet pursue Him aggressively to build faith.  Numbers 23:19-20 says, “God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should repent, has He said and will He not do?  Or has He spoken and will He not make it good?  Behold I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.”  When we trust in God we learn that:
 He is immutable.
 He never changes.
 His character remains the same.
 He always does what He says He will do.

Hebrews 1:12 declare that Christ is the immutable one.  “…You are the same and your years will not fail.”   In Psalm 102:27-28 we are assured that Christ remains the same and promises, “But You are the same and Your years will have no end, the children of Your servants will continue, and their descendents will be established before You.” Christ is the fulfillment of all the promises of God.  “For all of the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (2 Corinthians 1:20).  Though the things of this world are constantly changing, we have a changeless and matchless King who is standing on His immutable promise to bless us.  Remember, His promises and His Word are the same yesterday, today and forever.

Thoughts For Today

As the children of Israel continued their sojourn, God supernaturally provided for them at every turn.  The Red Sea was parted for them just in time to save them from Pharaoh’s pursuing armies.  They walked across the sea on dry land, and every single one of their enemies perished trying to do the same (Exodus 14:19-31).  A cloud led them by day, and a fire appeared at night to protect them (Exodus 13:21).  God provided manna from Heaven to feed them (Exodus 16:4).  Water poured forth from a rock so that they could have plenty to drink (Exodus 17:2-6).  They were on their way to the Promise Land, and everything was looking good.  The deliverance of God’s people from Egypt was a result of answered prayer.  It was also a shadow, or type, of our personal relationship with God.  For us there is deliverance from darkness (Egypt).  We will go the waters of baptism (the Red Sea).  The wonderful Holy Spirit will meet us (God’s supernatural sustenance and provision in the wilderness).  And even so, we may still find ourselves in a wilderness. Egypt will be behind us, and the desert will be ahead.  There are only two choices: go back or push forward.

Thoughts For Today

When God spoke to Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the people go, Moses immediately began to make excuses, explaining to God why he wasn’t the man for the job.  He had a whole list of excuses, and he started with the question: “Who am I to go?” (Exodus 3:11).  Although he saw himself as inadequate, that was a good question and became the turning point of Moses’ life.  Moses’ next question was: “Who should I say sent me?” (Exodus 3:13).  God’s response was, “I AM has sent you” (v. 14).  Unbelievably, Moses persisted: “They will not believe You have appeared to me!” (Exodus 4:1).  The miracles God then demonstrated (Exodus 4:1-9) were for the benefit of Moses, to prove to him that God was indeed with him.  After God had supernaturally shown Moses that He would take care of all the details, Moses still had one more excuse: “I am not eloquent?  I am slow of speech” (Exodus 4:10).  God took care of this final series of excuses by telling Moses, “Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall say” (Exodus 4:12).  Moses did go before Pharaoh, and the Israelites were freed, but not before Egypt was struck with all manner of plagues.  The miracles that God performed to sovereignly protect the people of Israel were for their own benefit, to build their faith in Him.  Once Moses and Aaron had declared all of the words God had spoken to them and had displayed all the signs He had shown them, the people then believed (Exodus 5:30-31).  The psalmist recalled that great day of deliverance from Egypt: “He brought them forth also with silver and gold [the wealth of the Egyptians] and there was not one feeble person among their tribes” (Psalm 105:37).

Thoughts For Today

It is by faith that we understand the mysteries of the Kingdom.  Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.”   Faith is the established conviction that we have a settled expectation of a future reward.  It is trusting that what God has told us in His Word is true.  During our Christian walk there are times that our faith is tried or tested.  There are so many different ways for that to happen, and if we do not understand why it is easy to give up and lose sight of the end result of our faith being tried.  To remind ourselves that it is our heavenly Father teaching and guiding us through various trials, it helps if we look at faith with this perspective: Faith is Fantastic Adventures in Trusting Him.  God never tries our faith just to try it.   He tries our faith to prove His faithfulness.  As we learn from each life lesson exactly what He is teaching us our faith is strengthened to withstand whatever winds of adversity blow our way.  It is our trust in Him that will sustain us so we finally reach the things for which we hoped.

Thoughts For Today

Why did Moses have to experience a time of solitude in the wilderness?  He would never have been able to take the people of Israel through the wilderness if he had not first experienced it himself.  You cannot lead someone to or out of something you have not gone through yourself.  More importantly, it was in the wilderness that Moses’ mentality was changed.  He had started out with the faith to deliver a single Israelite, when God’s plan was to use him to deliver the entire nation, numbering as many as three million, including men, women and children, “in one night” (Exodus 12:37).  Be encouraged.  Our wilderness experiences will work in us the capacity to accomplish God’s plan for our lives.  He wants to do above and beyond what we could ask or even imagine.  Paul wrote: “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20).  God’s desire is to equip us for the many challenges that await us, and He does it day by day while we are living this life He has given us.

Thoughts For Today

Are our concerns focused on investing our time wisely by seeking God’s will for us?  “What is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that’” (James 4:14-15).  It is rare in day-to-day living that we stop to consider if we are investing in our eternity.  Knowing what God’s plan is, by seeking Him daily, puts us in the position to hear His voice, know His will and make the choice to obey His direction. By making your time with our Creator top priority, you are investing not only in your present, but also in your eternal future.  Take steps today to reorder your time, putting Him first.  The results will transform you.  On our way to answering the High Call of God, the Spirit will lead us into some intense times of pressure.  During this time of training, our spirit man becomes so strong inside of us that no matter how much pressure comes from the outside, we are able to resist the pressure and maintain our climb.  Just like the life-saving information given to us on a natural airplane flight, this spiritual training will equip us for the pressures of life.  There are training camps believers go through:

(1) Wilderness Training 

(2) Warfare Training 

(3) Endurance Training 

It is important to comprehend that our training never really ends.  That understanding helps as we go from one level in our climb to the next.  With every new revelation of who God is in us, we must go through a similar process or preparation each time.  Paul explained this perfectly in his letter to the Romans: “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation works patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.”  How quickly we go through the training depends upon how quickly we recover when the crosswinds of life try to blow us off of the mountain.  The Bible states, “They [the Israelites] were overthrown in the wilderness” (1 Corinthians 10:5). Our first training camp is Camp Wilderness.  Be well advised not to pitch your tents here. Keep moving forward.  Our stay in Camp Wilderness is meant to be temporary.  The Israelites are a very good example of what not to do in the wilderness.  Exodus 12 gives a detailed record of the Passover and of their incredible deliverance from four hundred years of slavery.  In one night, the entire nation was freed.  They had prayed and believed for this day for many generations.  From the time this generation had been small children, they had been taught of the covenant God had made with Father Abraham to make them a great and mighty nation.  When Moses, their deliverer, finally came, he had already spent forty years in the wilderness himself.  Moses knew he had a destiny, but in his limited understanding he believed that by rescuing one Israelite he could fulfill the call on his life, and that his ministry would then “take off” (Exodus 2:11-12).  After trying to fulfill his destiny in his own way he was immediately taken into the desert, where God enlarged his capacity to understand what his true purpose was and the fact that it did not depend on his own strength, but on God alone.  If you are in the middle of wilderness training, remember that God took you in so He can take you out.

Thoughts For Today

“Bodily exercise profits little; but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (1Timothy 4:8).   With every New Year there are always resolutions that we make to ourselves, promising that we will improve our health, get rid of bad habits, exercise more and eat less.  The list goes on and on.  The above verse tells us that bodily exercise profits little, but godliness is profitable to all things.  However, godliness in itself takes much work and if you will, exercises. How does God exercise us?  Ecclesiastes 3:10 shows us that God does indeed work us out: “I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.”  Tough times work us out, but it is through the trials and testing that we have the opportunity to really grow in godliness.  It is during these times that we are challenged to grow spiritually like never before.  Acts 24:16 expounds upon this matter: “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and men.” Offenses will come, but if you are in position to stretch spiritually, you can exercise yourself unto godliness and not get caught up in being offended or any other test you may be in.  Hebrews 12:11 sums it up perfectly, “Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”  Like physical strengthening, you may experience pain while exercising yourself unto godliness, but your reward will be great in this life and that which is to come.  The peaceable fruit of righteousness is yours. Let God be your personal trainer and exercise yourself unto godliness.

Thoughts For Today

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.  Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.  I will now say, Peace be within you.  Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good” (Psalm 122:6-9).  There is much excitement about the natural city of Jerusalem.  The word Jerusalem means City of Peace. God’s plan has always been for Jerusalem to be free of strife and blessed by peace, happiness, prosperity and health.  Psalm 122:6 is a prayer that all those who pray for this Holy City will experience God’s blessings in their lives.  As Christian believers, we know that there will one day be a New Jerusalem, known as Zion, God’s Holy Mountain.  This is where Jesus will establish His government when He returns to rule and reign for one thousand years.  Psalm 102:13 tells us, You will arise and have mercy on Zion; For the time to favor her, yes, the set time, has come.  Now is the time to pray for Jerusalem and see the manifest blessings of God: peace, happiness, prosperity and health become reality in your life.

Thoughts For Today

“‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of the grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine and all the hills shall flow with it.  I will bring back the captives of my people Israel; they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.  I will plant them in their land and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them, says the Lord your God’” (Amos 9:13-15).  The fulfillment of this promise is based on the unconditional mercy and grace of God’s blessing.  Security and stability for the heirs of our heavenly Father are not only for His future Kingdom but also for those serving Him in obedience right now.  God is planting His people.  The harvest we have been sowing for will be so great and come so quickly that we will enter into another season of reaping before the first is completed.  We are supposed to enjoy the fruit of our labor.  The Word of God confirms it again in Proverbs 14:23, “In all labor there is profit…”  Financial provision is only one aspect of the blessings of God.  Our harvest will come as we see sons and daughters saved for the glory of God.  We will reap blessings in our physical bodies as we are healed and made whole.  As captives are set free from years of emotional bondage, deliverance will become their portion and season of reaping.  “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.  He, who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing His sheaves (His harvest) with Him…weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 126:5-6, Psalm 30:5).

Thoughts For Today

There are times in each of our lives, as believers, when it is only by faith in Christ Jesus that we are able to continue on.  It is during these times that our gifts of joy, peace and hope must be stirred.  Why?  “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).  The gift of peace is ours because, “He Himself is our peace, and therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:14, 19).  Our hope is made real by the promise of Colossians 1:23 & 27, “If indeed, you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which you heard, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”  Do not lose the joy of believing.  Psalm 27:13-14 declares, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.”  Keep your joy, wait on the Lord and your faith will be rewarded.

Thoughts For Today

“Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men” (Psalm 66:5).  God’s sons and daughters are emptying themselves out before Him, crying to Him that it is His Spirit for which they hunger.  As you seek His Presence, He is ministering mightily by pouring Himself out, answering prayers, bestowing mercy and grace upon all those who call out His Name.  It is truly awesome to behold.  As you seek Him, diligently pressing into His Presence, seek Him for who He is.  Expect Him to answer by renewing your strength, refreshing you, and revealing Himself to you through answered prayer.  Psalm 66:19-20 says, “But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.  Blessed by God, Who has not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me.”  Choose to trust in Him to answer your petition as an act of faith, not an emotion, and be determined in your expectations of a response.  He will give you clarity in every area of your life, and rest assured that victory is yours.  “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).  As believers, we have been given spiritual gifts by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but we have also been given joy, peace and hope.  Verse 17, of Romans, chapter 15 states why.  “Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God.”  Our joy, peace and hope all come from one source.  It is our belief in Christ Jesus that, by faith, we have reason to glory.  Hebrews 11:1 & 3 declares, “Now faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen.  By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so the things, which are seen, were not made of things that are visible.”  Joy, peace and hope are also things that are not seen, neither are they emotions.  Rather, these gifts are choices that we make, as we trust, by believing, that they are truly ours through our hope in the Holy Spirit.

Thoughts For Today

Some storms you will be able to walk on, others you will be able to rebuke, but some you will just have to grab the wood, hang on and ride the storm out.  During trials, results from bad choices, storms, or whatever you may be dealing with, hang on.  Deal with the heart issues anger; bitterness, resentment, judgment, rejection, unforgiveness or whatever is holding you.  Facing yourself is sometimes painful.  However, it is also crucial for you to acknowledge issues, accept correction and advance to the next level.  Be open to God revealing YOU, TO YOU and expect to experience true revelation in your life.  The Word tells us in John 15:16, “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain” John 15:2-5 tells us, “Every branch in Me that bears not fruit He takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, He purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  Now you are clean through the Word, which I have spoken unto you.  Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except ye abide in Me.  I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.”  We know that outside of Him, nothing could be accomplished, but through Him, all things are possible (Luke 1:37).  Even as God is purging us and revealing the things that need to be cut away, He is still encouraging us to understand that not only will we see fruit, but that it will be fruit that remains.  Ecclesiastes 3:14 tells us, “I know that, whatsoever God does, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it: and God does it, that men should fear before Him.”  It will be added to your account and shall remain eternally.

Thoughts For Today

In the days we are living in, there is always opportunity for spiritual and emotional growth.  There are many changes taking place throughout the Body of Christ as believers are coming face to face with themselves.  As we mature in our walk with Christ, we come to the understanding that not everything that goes wrong is an attack from the devil.  As spiritual growth occurs and more of Christ’s character manifests in our lives, we have to face the fact that there may be choices we have made that are hindering our walk with Jesus.  There are as many varied situations and issues as there are believers.  One key is realizing that we all have issues.  Most often the people around us know it long before we do.  As opportunities for growth arise, either as a direct result of wrong decisions or trials or storms, our response is what determines whether we go on with God or stay stuck in our circumstances.  Remember, we are responsible not only for our actions but also for our reactions.  Our best course of action is to:

1. Recognize a bad choice and repent (2 Samuel 11 & 12).
2. Encourage yourself in the Lord, just as David did
(1 Samuel 30:6, Psalm 42:5).
3. Rehearse all the good God has done for you.  Do not dwell on circumstances and injustices (Psalm 103:1-2).

The Word speaks of many types of storms:
 1. Peter walked on top of a storm (Matthew 14:22-29).
 2. Jesus spoke to a storm and it ceased (Mark 4:35-39).

3. Paul was in a storm and had to grab a piece of wood and hang on  (Acts 27:13-44).

Thoughts For Today

Many are pressing into the Word of God like never before.  People are hungry to hear the voice of God for themselves.  They are desperate for answers and direction.  Jesus is looking for people who will surrender their lives to Him, for the purpose of getting the Gospel to a lost and dying world.  In this portion of scripture, Luke 5, Peter allows Jesus to use his fishing boat and as he lets down his nets (the work of his hands) the blessings of God overflowed from his life to others fishing around him.  When we surrender our boat (life) to Jesus, He will bless the work of our hands and use us to bless others.  Peter went from giving up (washing his nets) to overflowing with bounty once Jesus came into his boat.  When Jesus came on board, everything changed.  Amazingly, Jesus did not ask Peter to go a long way at first.  In verse 3, Jesus asks him to row out a little way.  After Peter released his boat (life) to Jesus and obeyed him, Jesus responds to his obedience in verse 4, “Since you obeyed me in going a little way, I am going to go with you, all the way.  Launch out into the deep.”  When we are faithful in obeying God to share the good news of the Gospel He will go all the way with us, even into the deep waters, to see His plans, provisions, and promises fulfilled in our lives.  After obeying Jesus’ command, the blessings of God so filled Peter’s boat that he had to call for help to pull in the catch. Luke 6:38 declares, “Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down; shaken together and running over men will give unto your bosom.”  God will give us such abundance that not only will our lives be blessed, but He will also make us a blessing to someone else’s life.  Be a blessing to someone.  As you grow in faithfulness allow Jesus to use your boat so your life will overflow with all He has for you.

Thoughts For Today

Isaiah 9:6-7 prophesies the reign of heavenly and earthly Kingdoms through the birth of the promised Messiah: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His Kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever.  The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”  Our confidence in Jesus can be sure that there will be only increase of His government and peace.  Haggai 2:4-7 states, “Yet now be strong…be strong…be strong, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work; for I am with you, says the Lord of Hosts.  According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear.  For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory, says the Lord of hosts.” Haggai prophesies that we will be filled with the Spirit of God to keep us strong.   Paul then confirms this word in Hebrews 12:26-29.  “…Now He has promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”  Now this, yet once more, indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.  Therefore, since we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.  For our God is a consuming fire.