My Journey - 5/18/2010

God's insight to me:

I guess as I read Max Lucado's short devotional, but to the point, I fall into that category. I was an introvert and very shy but look at me now. Reaching out for Jesus! Touching lives through the Holy Spirit. Would a shy person do this? Impossible? Not for God! to Him goes the glory!

Adrian Roger's devotional I agree with. I am now righteous through the blood of Jesus Christ and praise His Holy name, I am at peace. All is well with my soul! I pray for all eyes that read this they can say the same.

The last line of Dr. Charles Stanley's devotional says it all. "Bend your heart and mind toward the Lord, and He will enlarge your vision of who He is and what He can do on your behalf".

In the devotional by John Grant I can also agree whole heartily. My testimony is a living proof to that. Living what most would call an ordinary life. Then in 1997 I gave God control and at 67 years of age my life is dedicated to reaching out to all the lost, hurting and confused "wounded children of His". In 7 1/2 years I have brought His message, of His love to almost 30,000 people. Shamgar's name and my name last name have the same first three letters. Hmmm!

Charles Spurgeon's devotional "Losses Overcome" speaks of something that I always thought about, "What if I would of given control of my life sooner than at the age of 54 years?" Charles Spurgeon states God will give us those years back. Now I can see how, for I have more Christ tasks fit into a 24hr. day than ever before. Spurgeon calls those wasted days, "locusts of backsliding, worldliness, lukewarmness". Yep, that sounded like me. He goes on to state those wasted years by a miracle of love, can be restored.

Thank You Jesus! Use me, use me, use me.

The Task

God spoke to my heart and said,
“I have a task for you,
I want you to share My love
in everything you do.

No matter what the place,
or even the day or time,
it is important that everyone you meet,
knows that you’re a child of Mine.

The way for you to do this
is simple as can be,
just smile and tell them all,
“it’s because Jesus lives in me!”

So when this task is finished,
that I have asked of you,
be ready to come home,
for My Son will be coming for you."

E. P. Shagott
5/19/2010

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

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Making the Impossible Possible
By Max Lucado
“If you have faith, it will happen.” Matthew 21:21

God always rejoices when we dare to dream. In fact, we are much like God when we dream . . . He wrote the book on making the impossible possible . . .

Eighty-year-old shepherds don’t usually play chicken with Pharaohs . . . but don’t tell that to Moses.

Teenage shepherds don’t normally have showdowns with giants . . . but don’t tell that to David . . . And for sure don’t tell that to God.

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MAY 18

Standing for Peace and Righteousness
by Adrian Rogers

"Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means." 2 Thessalonians 3:16

One of the strangest verses that ever fell from the lips of the Prince of Peace, Jesus, is this: "Think not that I have come to send peace on the earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword." That's incredible, because the Bible calls Him "the Prince of Peace." What is He talking about then?

He is saying, "I came with a sword to put a line of demarcation between truth and error, between light and dark, between sin and righteousness."

When God's standard of righteousness is set, there will always be division. Without righteousness there can be no peace. Peace can never come where sin remains. God will never make a peace treaty with sin, never!

Some people think when others act righteously that they are acting religiously, and sometimes not very peacefully. How can you stand in the gap for peace AND righteousness?

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May 18
Praise in Troubled Times by Dr. Charles Stanley
2 Chronicles 20:1-25

Faced with his nation's certain demise, King Jehoshaphat responded with worship. Read his prayer in today's passage, and you may find it difficult to separate the petition from the praise. Going deeper than familiar expressions like "hallelujah" and "praise the Lord," his prayer celebrates God's personhood and extols His virtues.

Furthermore, the king led the nation in glorifying God for His past redemption. As the Israelites focused on the Lord (and away from the incoming armies), the people recalled anew how He had intervened, sometimes dramatically. This was exactly what God had told the Israelites to do—to instruct their children about His ways so they could honor Him every day (Deut. 6:7). This builds courage and strengthens faith.

The people's praise paved the way for their complete dependence upon Him. The odds of the small Israelite army beating the united force of three enemies were slim. However, in the people's worshipful state of mind, they could admit their weakness and await divine intervention. God gave them an outrageous solution to the problem: to do nothing. Even so, Israel was spiritually prepared to go against human reason and obey. God loves it when we throw ourselves upon His mercy, because then His power can be released in its fullness.

God is also willing to lead you to victory in troubled times. The Israelites' story is recorded in His Word so that all believers may apply its principles. Bend your heart and mind toward the Lord, and He will enlarge your vision of who He is and what He can do on your behalf.

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God often calls the Ordinary to do Extraordinary Things
May 18th, 2010 by John Grant

“After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.” Judges 3:31

In the Bible, as in everyday life, some people get more notoriety than others, but God created each of us for a purpose and for most it is low profile, but not necessarily unimportant. In the Bible we read so much about Moses, Abraham, Paul and all of the disciples, but many who get lesser attention play no less an important role.

One of those is Shamgar, who is mentioned only in two verses, both in the Book of Judges. We know little about him, but we do know a lot about the time he lived. The Philistines were the terrorists of their day keeping the Israelites in constant fear. In Judges 5, the only other place where Shamgar is mentioned, it says “the roads were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths.” So fearful were God’s people that they were afraid to travel on the established roads.

Shamgar lived in an area infested with Philistines. Shamgar was likely a farmer, as he is described as having only an “ox goad,” an instrument of wood about eight feet long, armed with an iron spike or point at one end, with which to spur the ox at plow, and with an iron scraper at the other end with which to detach the earth from the plowshare when it became encumbered with it.

Shamgar was minding his own business of plowing when the Philistines made an inroad upon the country to ravage it, and God put it into his heart to oppose them; the impulse being sudden and strong, and having neither sword nor spear to do execution with, he took the instrument that was next at hand. The weapon was weak, but God placed strength in his arm and he slew six hundred Philistines. An ox goad with God was a better weapon than the sword of Goliath without God. He overcame six hundred to one odds.

Shamgar was an ordinary man upon whom God called and equipped to do extra ordinary things. Shamgar and God partnered against a common enemy. Shamgar is an example of a man who was willing to be used by God for the purpose God designed for him. For the place and time God had for him.

Shamgar was ready when God needed him. And that is the main lesson we learn from Shamgar and the most important quote of that one verse is “that he too saved Israel.” By the world’s standards, Shamgar was a most unlikely candidate to save his country, but one person plus God can be a majority.

We learn four lessons from Shamgar on how to serve God:
1. Start where you are.
2. Use what you have.
3. Do what you can.
4. Depend on God for the rest.

Are you willing and ready for God to use you as a Shamgar? If you are, He will.

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May 18

Losses Overcome by Charles Spurgeon
"And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten" (Joel 2:25).

Yes, those wasted years over which we sigh shall be restored to us. God can give us such plentiful grace that we shall crowd into the remainder of our days as much of service as will be some recompense for those years of unregeneracy over which we mourn in humble penitence. The locusts of backsliding, worldliness, lukewarmness, are now viewed by us as a terrible plague. Oh, that they had never come near us! The LORD in mercy has now taken them away, and we are full of zeal to serve Him. Blessed be His name, we can raise such harvests of spiritual graces as shall make our former barrenness to disappear. Through rich grace we can turn to account our bitter experience and use it to warn others. We can become the more rooted in humility, childlike dependence, and penitent spirituality by reason of our former shortcomings. If we are the more watchful, zealous, and tender, we shall gain by our lamentable losses. The wasted years, by a miracle of love, can be restored. Does it seem too great a boon? Let us believe for it and live for it, and we may yet realize it, even as Peter became all the more useful a man after his presumption was cured by his discovered weakness. LORD, aid us by Thy grace.

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