My Journey - 5/12/2010

God's insight to me:

Max Lucado's devotional spoke to me about all of God's children in the background, doing His work, His deeds through love. Those deeds that don't get noticed by many but stand out in God's sight. All the people that work in a Food Ministry, or care for the maintenance of His church, or just helping when asked. All as important as the minister standing in the pulpit preaching the message that the Holy Spirit put on his heart.

Adrian Rogers devotional speaks of being poor in Spirit. I can truly relate to that for I cried out for God's Spirit in my life and what a change it made in me. My spiritual gas tank was below empty. I had nothing left to run my life on. At that moment I could almost hear all of Heaven say, "He is ready now!"

Sylvia Gunter's devotional truly inspired me as I was reading it. So many times in my life, my family lives, my friends lives and all those around me that experience life's battles day after day need to read this. The God's Love Outreach Ministry ministers to so many senior individuals that their lives have been drastically changed either physically or mentally, battle after battle. I tell them time and time again, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" In my own life just knowing that makes the battle easier to fight. Do the battles disappear? No, sometimes it seems they may increase. But the victory is ours! It is written! Praise be to God! He is my Shepherd and because of that I have no wants.

How awesome God is for that leads into the last devotional by F. B. Meyers. How uplifting this devotional is. As I was reading it songs of praise entered my mind. Songs like, "He Is My All In All", "I Surrender All", and "To God Be The Glory." F. B. Meyers breaks our day down by following our Good Shepherd. This might be a devotional you might want to print out and keep handy as your life's battles come your way.

From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott

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The Power of the Good News By Max Lucado
“Do the work of telling the Good News.” 2 Timothy 4:5

For every hero in the spotlight, there are dozens in the shadows. They don’t get press. They don’t draw crowds. They don’t even write books! . . .

Behind a rock slide is a pebble. And a revival can begin with one sermon . . .

Tomorrow’s Spurgeon might be mowing your lawn. And the hero who inspires him might be nearer than you think. He might be in your mirror.

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Poor in Spirit - What Does It Mean? by Adrian Rogers

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3

What does it mean to be "poor in spirit"? Jesus is talking about being a beggar. He is saying, "Blessed are the beggars." He's not talking about finances here. He's talking about a person being poor spiritually.

Before a person can enter into the kingdom of heaven, he must first admit that no matter how much he may have in the material realm or psychological realm, he is absolutely and totally bankrupt spiritually and a beggar before God. If he doesn't see that, he will never, ever get into the kingdom of heaven.

I've often said that I am just one beggar showing another beggar where to find food. Do you see yourself as a beggar in need of the Bread of Heaven?

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The Battle is the Lord’s by Sylvia Gunter

Our enemies are God's enemies, and He is an active and aggressive Mighty Warrior against them. We face an enemy that has already lost the war but won't concede without a fierce fight. Many of the Psalms could appropriately be called "Battle Psalms." It was not by accident that the most excellent worshiper in the Bible was also the most successful warrior. David focused on praise in one of the great spiritual warfare passages in the Scriptures.

"Praise be to the LORD my Rock,
Who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.
He is my loving God and my fortress,
My stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues peoples under me." Psalm 144:1-2

Throughout His history of dealing with His people, God asserted that the battle is the Lord's. Moses told the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still" (Exodus 14:13-14).

David gave God all the credit for His defense. "With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our fathers; you crushed the peoples and made our fathers flourish" (Psalm 44:1-2). Generations later, God was still reassuring His faithless people, "Yet I will show love to the house of Judah; and I will save them, not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by the LORD their God" (Hosea 1:7). In all ages, the purpose of battle is always to exalt the Lord and to cause us to draw near to Him, to see His glory, to praise Him for His victory. In fact, the psalmist prayed for God not to take away all his enemies, lest the people forget their God (Psalm 59:11).

O that we would not be faint-hearted when God has provided Himself as our El Gibbor, the mighty God; the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle; El Shaddai, almighty God; the Lord our defense; the Lord our deliverer; Jehovah Sabaoth, the Captain of the Lord's heavenly armies. Isaiah said, "They shall see the glory of the Lord, the excellency of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, 'Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you' "(Isaiah 35:2-4 NKJV).

Take God's Word to heart for your defense and victory as a vital part of the whole armor of God. It is the sword of the Spirit that is ever-ready in the mighty hand of God.

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A PSALM OF LIFE by F. B. Meyer
"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."-- Psa_23:1-6.

THIS IS "the Nightingale" among the Psalmist choristers! The first that we learn in infancy, the last we whisper with dying lips. It implies consecration, for God is this only to the soul which is wholly surrendered to Him. You cannot have all of God, or God in all, until you are willing to surrender your all. Do you want to put "My," the pronoun of possession, before the Name of God? Well, then, you must be willing to answer His voice, and follow where He leads. "My sheep hear My voice, and they follow Me, but a stranger will they not follow."

Morning! The Shepherd's leading. When He puts forth His sheep from the fold, in the dewy morning, He goes before them over the grass or up the mountain-track towards the pastures. It would never do for the flock to precede him. Whatever roughness you find on your path, remember that the Shepherd has gone before. "He leadeth me." Remember also that His name and character are involved in bringing you through "for His Name's sake."

Noon: The alleviations of rest. In all lives there are times when He makes us to lie down, or leads us by the waters of rest. Sometimes it is a period of convalescence after an illness. Sometimes a holiday, an interval between the pressure of engagements, a respite when the stress and strain of toil is over--these are our quiet pasture-lands. At other times, in the midst of life's rush and turmoil, our soul is kept at rest in God's peace. The heart rests for part of a second between its beats. "He maketh me to lie down!"

Night: the oil and the cup. The flock has reached the fold where it is to shelter. At the doorway stands the Shepherd, watching each one as it passes. This one has grazed and torn its head in getting through a hedge, and for it there is the anointing oil. Near His hand is the food and water, from which He fills the bowl, to wash the face, or give refreshment; and as it overflows, there is evidently enough and to spare!

Goodness and Mercy follow the flock, as the Shepherd precedes. "The House of the Lord" is the Fold from which we shall go out no more, and the Lamb shall be our Shepherd and abiding joy for ever.

PRAYER
O Lord, support us all the day long of this troublous life until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes, the busy work is hushed and the fever of life over and our work is done; then, Lord, in Thy mercy grant us safe lodging, a holy rest and peace at the last, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

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