We all love getting in the presence of God and soaking in worship. While God loves our praise and worship, He also longs that we get in the word daily. Jesus is the word and the word is what will sustain us. He is our daily bread that we must take to strengthen our walk with Him. It's time to get in the word.
I used to not be excited about reading the Bible until I realized that God speaks and reveals himself through the word. There was a time when I would open my Bible and whisper, "I hope God speaks today."
I said these words years ago without realizing that God does speak through His word. It's not that God is not speaking, but that we are not willing to linger long enough to listen to His voice through the word.
You can receive revelation through the word by the Holy Spirit. Jesus reveals himself and his will for your life through the word.
John 16:13 says, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."
The "truth" in this verse is the word of God. The Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth, teaching and directing our lives practically. Reading the Bible isn't just about getting knowledge of Jesus, but experiencing Jesus. He wants to be relevant in our lives, and that's where the Holy Spirit plays a role in bringing revelation - making the word alive and practical in our lives.
Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Jesus can be found in scripture, His word can be made alive when you invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you through the word.
I believe the enemy is planting a lie in many believers that we can't encounter revelation through the Bible; in other words, God doesn't speak to us through the Bible. We've relied on preachers or yearned for encounters in the midst of worship to hear God besides the word itself.
The truth is, God does speak through the word. Why? Because the word is Jesus.
John 1:1,14 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."
Jesus is the very scriptures we hold in the Bible. We can encounter Jesus through the word because the word is Jesus.
We must be as excited with reading our Bibles like we are when entering into His presence in worship.
I've received the greatest breakthroughs in my life through the word. The Holy Spirit uses the word of God to correct and show me things in my heart that I never realized I had. He opens my eyes and gives me vision for my future. He's used the word to give me practical direction for my daily life.
I went from not being excited when reading the Bible to being excited and expecting God to speak.
Paul writes in Colossians 1:9-10 "We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way."
The Holy Spirit's job is to illuminate the word and bring it to life as we read it. We can be reading the word but not give the Holy Spirit room to speak to us through it. Jesus has a lot that He wants to show us and it starts with giving our time in the word.
We cannot neglect the word of God because it has been given to us as our daily bread. Jesus says, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35). He tells us that every day we are to pray "give us this day, our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). This means we are to be in the word daily to receive Jesus as our daily bread.
When was the last time you were in the word of God? Are you reading it every day and making that a priority?
When we neglect the word, we neglect the truth that Jesus is trying to speak to us. We miss out on the revelation that he yearns to fill our hearts with. If we are needing to be set free, we must be immersed in the word that is the truth. Jesus says in John 8:32, "then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Are you needing direction in your life? Do you long to be set free from strongholds that have been holding you back for so long? You will find everything you need in the word and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
If you haven't invited Jesus as your savior into your life, that is the first thing you need to do. Through Jesus, you will then receive the Holy Spirit who will illuminate the word for you. Invite the Holy Spirit in and pray John 16:33 before reading scripture. Read the Bible with excitement and expectancy that He will speak through it. So remember, it's time to get in the word.
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Overcome The Fear Of Giving
Our natural tendency is to save what we have for our own well-being. There is fear of the possibility of not having enough when we give to others. However, God's truth says otherwise. We can be sure we are always taken care of when we give. Will you overcome the fear of giving?
My husband and I were about to leave a worship night at church. A lady stopped my husband and asked if he knew anyone who lived in the downtown area because she needed a ride home. He didn't know anyone from that area, and we ourselves lived quite far from downtown.
He could have told the lady sorry and left, but he instead asked me if it was ok if we took her home. I had thoughts in my mind that it would mean we would get home later and have to drive farther which meant more gas. But I knew that God had provided us with the means to help this lady so I agreed to help her.
On our way to taking her home, we found out that she actually works at Universal Studios and gave us 2 free tickets to enjoy the park. What a blessing!
That situation showed us that God loves it when we help those in need and He rewards us for it. Whether it be driving someone home or giving to others, God sees our heart to serve His people. We don't serve to get something from others, but it is God's principle to bless when we give.
Luke 6:38 says, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap..."
The key word in this verse is "running over". When we give with a genuine heart, He makes sure to provide us with more than what we need. The enemy wants to paralyze us with fear so that we never see God's principles as a reality over our lives.
Fear says when we give, we will be in lack. God says when we give, we will be in overflow.
God's ways will always require our faith, and it's no different in regards to giving. It's impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). He wants us to prove our love to Him by obeying and trusting in Him.
God's desire is for us to help those in need. Leviticus 25:35 says, "If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you." Jesus says in John 21:17 if you love me feed my sheep.
When we give unto others God promises us this:
"If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land." (Leviticus 26:3-5)
When we give and obey God, He promises that we will always be taken care of. He knows the desires of our hearts and longs to see us enjoy His blessings. Every day we have the choice to follow our ways or God's ways. If we want to see God real in our lives, we have to start obeying His ways.
Another fear we may have with giving is seeing our current situation of lack. Whether we are in lack or not, we must always trust what God is putting in our hearts to do. 1 Kings 17 talks about the widow women and her son who were in lack, yet because they gave what they had God provided more than enough for them.
The women said in 1 Kings 17:12, "I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son..." Elisha still asked her to give him bread because God told him "the jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land." (1 Kings 17:14)
The women obeyed and she saw God's promise come to pass. 1 Kings 17:16 says, "For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah."
Just as God made sure the widow and her son were well taken care of, God will also make sure that you are well taken care of. He never breaks His promises.
What has God put in your heart to do? How can you be used of God to help those around you?
Whether you are in lack or not, know that God can use you and will bless you. God is a good father and would never ask you to do anything that would harm you. So remember, overcome the fear of giving.
Prayer: Lord, I thank you that I have the opportunity to give and bless others knowing I myself will be well taken care of.
My husband and I were about to leave a worship night at church. A lady stopped my husband and asked if he knew anyone who lived in the downtown area because she needed a ride home. He didn't know anyone from that area, and we ourselves lived quite far from downtown.
He could have told the lady sorry and left, but he instead asked me if it was ok if we took her home. I had thoughts in my mind that it would mean we would get home later and have to drive farther which meant more gas. But I knew that God had provided us with the means to help this lady so I agreed to help her.
On our way to taking her home, we found out that she actually works at Universal Studios and gave us 2 free tickets to enjoy the park. What a blessing!
That situation showed us that God loves it when we help those in need and He rewards us for it. Whether it be driving someone home or giving to others, God sees our heart to serve His people. We don't serve to get something from others, but it is God's principle to bless when we give.
Luke 6:38 says, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap..."
The key word in this verse is "running over". When we give with a genuine heart, He makes sure to provide us with more than what we need. The enemy wants to paralyze us with fear so that we never see God's principles as a reality over our lives.
Fear says when we give, we will be in lack. God says when we give, we will be in overflow.
God's ways will always require our faith, and it's no different in regards to giving. It's impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). He wants us to prove our love to Him by obeying and trusting in Him.
God's desire is for us to help those in need. Leviticus 25:35 says, "If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you." Jesus says in John 21:17 if you love me feed my sheep.
When we give unto others God promises us this:
"If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land." (Leviticus 26:3-5)
When we give and obey God, He promises that we will always be taken care of. He knows the desires of our hearts and longs to see us enjoy His blessings. Every day we have the choice to follow our ways or God's ways. If we want to see God real in our lives, we have to start obeying His ways.
Another fear we may have with giving is seeing our current situation of lack. Whether we are in lack or not, we must always trust what God is putting in our hearts to do. 1 Kings 17 talks about the widow women and her son who were in lack, yet because they gave what they had God provided more than enough for them.
The women said in 1 Kings 17:12, "I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son..." Elisha still asked her to give him bread because God told him "the jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land." (1 Kings 17:14)
The women obeyed and she saw God's promise come to pass. 1 Kings 17:16 says, "For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah."
Just as God made sure the widow and her son were well taken care of, God will also make sure that you are well taken care of. He never breaks His promises.
What has God put in your heart to do? How can you be used of God to help those around you?
Whether you are in lack or not, know that God can use you and will bless you. God is a good father and would never ask you to do anything that would harm you. So remember, overcome the fear of giving.
Prayer: Lord, I thank you that I have the opportunity to give and bless others knowing I myself will be well taken care of.
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