Monday - Divine Vision - Exodus 3:9 
So often when we think of Divine vision we think of how we can gain the insight that the Heavenly Father has, His perspective, His point of view. But when we come to the story of the Lord God getting Moses ready to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt, we see that it is about how God sees and recognizes the plight of His people. He sees clearly what was.. .what is... and what will happen through His might and strength. The eye sight of God is more than what we call 20/20. His vision is perfect in all ways and all times and in comprehended by Him. God saw their affliction just as He sees what we are going through and He will answer our outcry if we trust in and wait on Him.

Tuesday - Divine Knowledge - Matthew 6:8 
We say that God is omniscient, meaning that He knows all things and everything about all things. But yet in our time of need we have the occasion to forget that He knows all about our situation and knows what we have need of even before we think to ask. Even before we have formulated our request God knows what He wants to do about the situation... when.. .how... and why. God had allowed that growing up time for Moses of 40 years tending the sheep of his father-in-law, Jethro, before even thinking about putting him in' charge of His plan to rescue the Israelites from Pharaoh. 


Wednesday - Divine Direction - Luke 15:11-24 
God has a way of giving us the clarity of mind to understand what needs to be done to return home. Just as it was going to take Moses and the Israelites trusting in God to bring them back to the land that was promised to Abraham's offspring through Isaac, God was willing to take the time to grant the wisdom in understanding the directives on how to get home as in the story of the prodigal son. When the boy came to His senses he knew what it would take to go back home even to be just a servant in his father's house. And that was okay, a true blessing over what he could do himself.

Thursday - Divine Call - Isaiah 6:1-8 
The calling of God has come in so many different ways. With Moses, it was a direct voice heard speaking to him from a burning bush that was not consumed by the flames. To Isaiah, the call of the Divine One came when in fact Isaiah was in a loss of purpose and direction. In the year that His relative and friend King Uzziah died, God made Himself known and was worshipped by Isaiah and the angels. The calling was not direct but was an overheard question from God to the angels or possibly the Triune Godhead.. ."Who will go for us, whom shall we send?" In hearing that call Isaiah responded with the idea that he was there, willing and able by the grace and touch of God. Have you overheard such a call. 


Friday - Divine Presence - Matthew 18:20
Moses was given the promise that in facing Pharaoh that he would not be alone but that God would go with him and give him all he needed to say. And that God would bring back to the land of promise made to Abraham. Jesus lets us know , as He did His followers, that wherever two or three or more are gathered in obedience to Him.. .in praise and worship of His Name.. .in love with Him, He would be with them (in the middle of them all). The wondrous presence of God will inhabit.. .abide.. .infiltrate... complete the sweet fellowship that we long to have in the truest sense of love that only God can give.

Saturday - Divine Leader - Psalm 77:20 
God has a way of leading His people. Whether we want to think of how He did it in the past (in scripture) or how he is doing it in our time today (one step at a time, daily). God may choose to do it through others like Moses or do it like the shepherd David or our beloved Lord and Rabbi, Jesus the Christ. God does it with care and protection, strength and yet compassion, calling out to us or taking us by the hand. We can read about His leadership in scripture and in the lives of spiritual leaders down through the ages or we can sense the touch of His live on us through the Holy Spirit; leading us along the way that is best for us. God Divine leads His dear children along. Praise His Holy Name!

Monday - Shepherds - John 10:11-16 
Being a shepherd, even in biblical times, to some is a job where for only a short time do they have responsibility or a strong connection with the sheep. But for those who are called to be shepherds, it is a lifestyle that brings out a compassion for the sheep and the desire to have a closer relationship with each sheep, ewe, and lamb. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The sons of Israel were not the caring, compassionate shepherd, but were hirelings, who were tending sheep because their father told them too. Jesus set the example for what a true shepherd is all about in the Gospel of John, chapter 10.

Tuesday - Human Jealousy - Luke 15:28 
In our scripture from Sunday in the story of Joseph, the brothers became very jealous of the way their father favored Joseph above the rest of them. That jealousy became the root through which Satan entered the brothers hearts and caused them to hate Joseph to the point of wanting to kill him.. .sell him as a slave to the merchants. Jesus told a story of a father and two brothers where neither brother was truly favored, but the father came to a point one day of celebrating the return of the younger, from being lost. The older brother became jealous to the point that he could not celebrate. 


Wednesday - Dreams - Acts 10: 9-20 
Have you ever noticed that in most situations that when someone is said to have had a dream there was always a need for an interpreter to share the meaning of the dream. In the story of Joseph the dreams of Joseph, the baker, the cupbearer, and Pharaoh, God provided an interpreter in the person of Joseph. Yet in the scriptures those who had visions needed no so much an interpretation as they needed confirmation through what was about to happen. Peter when up on the rooftop had a vision which told him that God shows no favoritism and what He gives is all clean (good). The men that came to the gate did not interpret the vision but confirmed what God had to share.

Thursday - Sheaves - Deuteronomy 24:19
Sheaves of grain are the blessing of the Lord revealed in the harvest of what God has allowed to grow. To say that you harvested sheaves of grain from just planting seeds (30, 60 or 100 fold), is to recognize that God's will is being done. Though the brothers could not see it because of the jealousy they had within their hearts, the dream of their sheaves bowing down to those of Joseph, could have been recognized as God giving a special blessing that was going to be shared by all. In the law given by God on how to harvest the blessing of God, sheaves of grain; God said if a sheaf is left behind leave it for the less fortunate of the community with compassion. Let what has been a blessing to you be a blessing to all.

Friday - Supremacy - Genesis 49:8 
In the closing moments of Jacob's life, He gave blessings to his sons. If we read this section of scripture completely we see that it is not Joseph or Joseph's sons who end up being the blessed one of supremacy. The tables have turned, for God used Joseph for a certain time and Jacob comes to pronounce that Judah will be the greater tribe later on as God develops the nation of Israel in the centuries ahead. It will be out of Judah that the Savior of the world will come and supremacy will be His for Jesus was all God and all man.. .blessed by the Father in Heaven. 


Saturday - Subjection - Joshua 10:16-25 
It is found in scripture that God has given blessing after blessing to those who are obedient to Him and have placed those who at times may have seemed more powerful under subjection to the "children of God." Joseph was raised up and his brothers were in subjection to him. Joshua and his army was raised up to defeat the five kings and their armies to the point that they were all found under the subjection of God's people. Even though there may be battles where the odds against believers in God may seem overwhelming, the Word of God gives to us the truth that when it is all over with, the enemy will be in subjection to those who follow the Almighty God and His Christ. So hang in there.

Monday - Spiritual Tests - John 6:5-6 
From Sunday's message we see that there are times when God tests our faith to see how obedient, how trusting we are in what He would command of us. Jesus did the same with His disciples and will do with us as well. Jesus saw the crowd coming and asked the disciples how they could take care of the people's physical need for food. The disciples saw the size of the situation and wondered how anything could be done, but Jesus already knew what He was going to do. It is the same in our lives today. When the Lord asks of us something that seems so overwhelming, He already knows how He will handle the situation if we will but let Him. He tests our faith to bring strength to it.

Tuesday - High Places - 1 Kings 18:19ff 
In this passage of scripture we see another instance of worshiping God on a high place, as Elijah offers an offering calling on God to let the fire fall to prove Himself to be the One True God to Israel and to the prophets of Baal. This high place was unlike others that were then considered evil for the worship of Baal and Asherah taking place there. In Sunday's message the mountain or high place was going to become the very spot of the Temple in the time of David and Solomon, where the worship of God Almighty would take place. We need to make sure that the high places in our lives are those spots where we gather to meet our God and that we come to Him often.

Wednesday - Worshipers - John 4:23 
The question in the life of Abraham was what kind of worshiper was he going to be? Was it to be one who would properly worship God only when things were good and easy or would Abraham worship the Lord God no matter what? Jesus shared with the woman at the well that true worship done by true worshipers, is done by those who worship in spirit and in truth. It is not dependent upon the a place, but upon grace; not upon an altitude but and attitude. Worship must be done properly and in the Presence of the Lord.

Thursday - Burden-bearer - Matthew 8:14-17 
On Sunday we read about how Abraham put the wood on the back of Isaac and carried the fire and the knife himself. Each of them became a burden-bearer by carrying a load that was not really their own but given to them. In Matthew we read where when Jesus was healing many from their sickness and demon possession at the house of Simon Peter, Jesus was fulfilling the truth that the prophets spoke. Messiah would come and take upon Himself the burdens of many, elevating the load, setting them free to live life the way God had intended for them to live. Isaac was a burden-bearer for the testing of Abraham. Jesus is the burden-bearer for the salvation of mankind.

Friday - Providence - Matthew 6:26 
Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, shared that if we would observe the birds of god's creation, we would see that they do not provide for themselves the food or labor in anyway for it, but that it is provided by God. He goes on to share that we are much more valuable than the birds to God, so we must realize that God will provide for us as well. In the situation with Abraham it was God who provided a substitute sacrifice for Isaac in the heat of the moment. Yet in the passage from Matthew, Jesus shares that the Lord will provided what we need in the everyday situation and in those moments when desperation is apparent. Trust in the Lord. Abraham told the servants that "...we will go over to worship and we will return..." Abraham trust the Lord for the sacrifice as he had trusted the Lord for the promised son.

Saturday - God's Promises - 2 Peter 1:3-4 
The promises of God have always been upheld for it is by divine power that they are given. Just as Isaac was saved from the altar of sacrifice, we have the glory and goodness of God's promises that brings us to place where we can participate in the divine nature, becoming the children of God, being rescued from the corruption of evil desires that are in the world. It is the power of God that has given us everything we need for life and the understanding of Who that life comes through.

 

Monday - Divine Direction - John 6:38-40 
Just as Abram was willing to follow the divine directives of the Heavenly Father, Jesus lets us know that the whole reason he came to earth was to do the will of the Father. Even in the time of His temptation, Jesus said that man could not live on bread alone but by all the words (commands, directives) that come from the very mouth of God, the Father. God through the power and person of the Holy Spirit directs us in each step we are to take as we follow in the footsteps of the Savior.

Tuesday - Divine Call - Isaiah 6:8 
Every time God called for a person to step out and take on the role of being "an instrument of righteousness in the hand of God," it has been given to folk like you and me who were living a life of following God in an everyday fashion until God needed to accomplish something special. Isaiah was a priest, a preacher who was going through a tough time after losing a friend (family member) in death. Yet God called upon Isaiah to be a prophet that was needed to relay some of the most important messages about the coming Messiah that Israel needed to hear. It was the voice of God that called. A divine calling that came with all of the power of God to help fulfill the task that was to be accomplished. 


Wednesday - Blessing - Genesis 17:15-20 
We read that the blessing of God comes through the covenant relationship that we can have with the Heavenly Father. But God has a way of going beyond what we may ask or think and bless in such a way that brings joy to our hearts. In the story of Abram, God shares that Fie will bless both Isaac and Ishmael. Isaac would be the person through whom the covenant will be fulfilled, but God told Abram that He would bless Ishmael to be a great and mighty nation. God knows that we not only want blessings for ourselves but He is willing to give blessings to others on our behalf.

Thursday - Guidance - John 16:13 
Just as God gave guidance to Abram to gain the land of promise for himself and his descendants, God through Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit who will guide us in our times of trouble, moments of searching for His will for us. The Holy Spirit leads us into the will of God which is the truth that all seek but few find. It is only through the information passed from God through the Son and to us through the Spirit that helps us to realize what the truth is and how to live by it is such a way as to find fulfillment and joy in our lives and be able to share it with others. Abram was guided to be blessed but to also be a blessing to all that would come after him and believe in his God.

Friday - Covenant - Isaiah 54:10 
God lets us know that as we live our lives of faith trusting in the covenant relationship that we have with Him, His unfailing love will never be removed or the peace that it brings to our hearts will never be taken away. God makes His covenant to last and as we enter into that relationship with Him the promise is our and nothing can take it away. But we must remain in that relationship with him. We must rely upon the Holy Spirit's strength to keep us true to that covenant made. Both parties are needed to give to make the covenant stand true to the tests of time. It is like unto the covenant made between God and a repentant David who serve the Lord. 


Saturday - Altars - Genesis 13:18 
We see how that when Abram came to the land of promise God appeared to him and he built an altar to worship the God who not only led him but revealed Himself to him. Those sacred places where we meet the Lord are precious to us and there are times when we need to run back to the altars and call upon the name of the Lord just as Abram did when he returned from a terrible trip to Egypt. A trip that left him shaken in his faith, needed to be restored. Abram called upon the Lord, not waiting for an appearance but calling out of a heart that was broken and weak. Abram needed his God.

Monday - Divine Direction - Joshua 1:2 
There are times in our lives when explicit instruction, commands, are given to us by God and our obedience is timely. In the case of Noah, when God said to enter into the ark with all the animals, his family and provisions, God was not wanting to debate the issue but was ready to close up to any other alternatives. Joshua came to see that just as in the past 40 years of wondering in the wilderness when it came time to now cross over the Jordan and enter the opportunities afforded by the Promise Land, there was no time to waste. God was ready now to place the land into the hands of the Israelites. If they wanted to possess the great promise, now was the time to obey.

Tuesday - Hearts Searched - Matthew 12:25
Jesus is able to read the thoughts of man that come from the heart, the innermost part of a person. After doing the work of God, casting out demons, the Pharisees said that Jesus did this by the power of the devil himself. Jesus shared that every kingdom divided against itself (every divided heart) will fall, it will not stand. In the time of Noah, God had examined the heart of Noah and his family and found and declared them to be righteous as they followed the instructions in building the ark and gathering the animals and the food needed for the time in the ark.

Wednesday - Faith - Daniel 3:17 
In this story of the three Hebrew children, they believed so much in the Lord, God that they were not going to give in and bow down to the image of Nebuchadnezzar when the music played. They believed enough that they were willing to face the fiery furnace's heat. Noah and his family were obedient even with the probable ridicule of the neighbors and the peer pressure that was mounting to give up on this foolish project. But Noah knew that even if the rains did not come, he was going to believe in all that God had said and the protection and providence that God would extend to them.

Thursday - Sure Word - Luke 21-33 
Jesus declares that in the last days, end times, things as we know it to be will pass away, the heavens and the earth. But He gives His word that the His teachings, the truth that He shares, the promises of God will never pass away. This is the security that we are given; that blessed assurance that we sing about which brings hope and increases faith, brings peace to our hearts and lifts us up out of the darkness into His wonderful light. In the time of Noah the word of God was taken to be unchangeable and a secure foundation to build trust upon in the relationship between God and mankind. God would not let them down for He had said they would be safe and later makes a covenant with Noah that a global, or universal, flood would never come again, that would destroy all. 


Friday - Rain - 1 Kings 17:1; 18:1 
Rain came for the first time as a judgment of God upon the evil of the world. In the time of Noah God used a rainfall of forty days and forty nights, and the waters of the deep bursting forth, to wash clean the wickedness and violence that He saw among His creation. From that point on rain fell or did not fall by the workings of God. In 1 Kings the prophet Elijah shared the word of the Lord that there would be no rain except at His command, and later it was at the command of God that the prophet's servant told the king to hitch up his chariot and make way to the city for a great rain would come, the first in around three years from a cloud that at first was the size of a man's hand. God has control!

Saturday - Protective Providence - 1 Peter 5:7 
Throughout scripture we are informed that God will take care of us in all of our times of need. All we have to do is trust in Him and live like we trust in Him to guide us each and every day. We are informed to cast all our anxiousness upon Him because He will take care of it. We are not to worry. We must walk in the paths He directs us to in order to receive that care, just as Noah had to be obedient and enter the ark at the command of God to be protected from the destruction that was about to happen. God will take care of us if we trust in Him with all of our life.

Monday - Time is of the Essence - Galatians 6:9 
As we saw in the story of Esther, she became concerned about doing what was truly the right thing to do to save her people, which was the will of God. We are to not grow weary of doing what is right for there is coming a time of harvest, reward or retribution that will take place. There is a timing that is involved and we need to be faithful to see that the tasks are done so as to be prepared when Christ Jesus returns. We cannot give up on what God wants us to do as laborers of the kingdom. We should not give up even when the pressure to quit, surrender, is upon us.

Tuesday - Relief and Deliverance - Psalm 68:19-20 
Mordecai lets Esther know that for God's people relief and deliverance will come from somewhere. God is faithful to the promises to those who follow after Him daily. The Psalmist reminds us that God is a God of salvation and that in His hands salvation come to those who live lives of praise to Him. God makes ways of escape from even death itself as a part of the daily work that He performs on our behalf. God has a way of using those who will yield themselves to His bidding. Mordecai shared with Esther that if she did not want to be the answer God would raise up someone else but saying no to God has it consequences. 


Wednesday - Help From Somewhere - Hebrews 4:15-16 
God has resources available to Him that we have no idea of where they come. In my ministry I have known people who were at the end of what they thought were available to them as far as resources go. But just at the right moment, sometimes just in the nick of time, need resources seem to be given from individuals or places we never thought of as being the answer for them. God uses His blessings to cause others to want to be a blessing, ad the work gets accomplished.. .needs are met. Sometimes we forget that we have a Lord, a High Priest, that understands our situations in life and brings about aid (grace) that meets our specific need.

Thursday - Fasting with Purpose - Matthew 6:16-18 
Esther asked for Mordecai and the people of Israel to fast with her an for her so that she would be courageous and accomplish the task of influencing the King to retract the judgment against the Israelites. It was for a certain purpose. That purpose is the will of God for His people. Jesus taught that fasting was not for the purpose of letting people know you are fasting, to gain recognition or praise; but to fast in secret, just between you and God. This was to bring about the "reward" that we can gain from God as a part of the glorious plan that He has in place. The purpose of fasting should be a godly purpose.

Friday - Three Days and Counting - Exodus 19:10-19 
In the passage from Esther we see that the call to fast was for three days. This was not the first time that the idea of three days of preparation were important. When God came down to meet the People and Moses in the wilderness, they were to cleanse and sanctifying themselves for three days. Jesus was in the grave for three days before setting the fullness of salvation in place through resurrection. On that third day Jesus rose triumphant over sin and death for us so that we would never die. 


Saturday - Not According To the Law - Galatians 5:22-26 
In the passage from Esther we know that her hesitation came when she realized too that she would have to go against the law of the Assyrians about the proper way to approach the King. But we know that just as Mordecai encouraged her and the Spirit of God gave her strength, we too have the strength, the fruit of the Spirit to get us through the toughest of situations. For when we live our lives according to the fruit of the Spirit, no one can find fault with what we do for there is no law that argues, condemns, or even considers doing what is truly right.. .being wrong. Let us live according to the right "For Such a Time as This."

Monday - Filial Honor - Genesis 47:12 
In this passage of scripture we see Joseph honored his father and brothers by taking care of their everyday needs. He provided for them in such a way that they did not have to worry about the day or the future for it was taken care of by Joseph. Esther found herself in a position where she acted upon the idea of filial honor of taking care of Mordecai and yet he wanted her to expand that action to take care of her people, the Jews. She tried to give comfort and clothing to him but he would not accept it until she did the same for all their people, God's people who were being threatened. 


Tuesday - Jews Persecuted - Acts 16:18-21 
Over and over again in the Bible we are told of the different times when God's people came under great persecution by different nations and peoples, enemies and instruments in the hands of God. In the ministry of Paul, persecution came upon him and his fellow travelers because they set a girl free from the imprisonment of an evil spirit from which men were profiting. They could no longer use the girl for their own benefit. In the sermon from Sunday we saw that the Jews were about ready to be persecuted, killed because of Haman's selfish feelings and jealousy. 


Wednesday - Intercession - Hebrews 7:25 
The writer of the book of Hebrews shares with us that not only was the purpose of Jesus Christ's coming to bring salvation into the world, but that His purpose in coming is a part of His present purpose, to make intercession to the Father on our behalf. The writer goes so far as to say that "He always lives to intercede for them (us)." Jesus is our priest and a part of that priesthood is to make intercession on behalf of the people. In Sunday's sermon Esther is called upon to intercede for the people of God, even though it calls her to make tough choices not knowing the outcome. Are we not also to be ready to intercede for those around us that need Christ Jesus and His salvation that will turn their lives to the right.

Thursday - Selfishness - Matthew 25:37-46 
Jesus taught His disciples and all that would believe and act upon His word, that we are to care for those less fortunate than we in relationship to fellowship with Christ Jesus. We are to work in several different ways but for the one purpose of drawing others into the kingdom of God. If we do not join in the work of the kingdom how can we expect to be a part of the kingdom? Esther was told by her cousin Mordecai, that she needed to not be selfish and try to save herself from the persecution to come for surely her and her father's house would be destroyed, lost if she did not work to save her people from destruction. It was not a time to think of her self alone, just as we must not just think of ourselves as we draw closer to the time of Christ's return.

Friday - Neglect of Duty - James 4:17 
Esther faced a tough decision of what she was going to do and what the outcome might be for her and her people. But her duty was to be a leader who allowed herself to be used by God, willing to do His will, fulfill His plan of salvation for the nation of Israel. James tells us that it is a must to do what we know is the right thing to do, to avoid the consequences of sin. Yes, James tells us, under the inspiration of God , that "Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sin" (NIV). To neglect to do what God has placed us in the situation to do, is working against God. 


Saturday - Self-sacrifice - Hebrews 11:25-27 
The writer of Hebrews shares with us that Moses chose to sacrifice any claims that he had in connection with Pharaoh or his daughter, to suffer with his people the Israelites, for to do otherwise was wrong, sinful. Esther realized that she would have to make a similar decision to stay in the favor of God, even if it meant that she would not be in the favor of the king. Sacrifice has been the calling for all who would align their lives with the will of God. The writer of Hebrews shares that Moses had captured a vision of the One who is invisible and knew that he must serve Him. We, who call ourselves by His name must also sacrifice all for Him!

 

 Monday - Gospel - Matthew 4:23 
To Jesus the gospel was the good news of how the kingdom of God or heaven was coming to man through Messiah.. .Himself. When He was questioned by the disciples of John the Baptist about if He was the "One." He told them to tell John what they heard and saw. All of the healings and strengthening acts were a part of that gospel (good news) that was coming to the people through the Christ from heaven, in answer to their prayers. The message that God was reconciling mankind unto Himself was the good news that the people longed to hear.

Tuesday - Mystery of Christ - 1 Corinthians 2:7-16 
Paul here calls upon us to think and understand that the mystery of salvation is revealed only by the Spirit of Christ that comes to us teaching us how we can receive Him as our Lord and Savior. These mysteries are confusing to the man who does not know the Spirit of Christ, for it is the Spirit that shares them using spiritual words that only a Spirit-filled individual will understand, but by the Spirit will understand clearly the idea of love that brings forgiveness and how God thought of the plan of salvation from the beginning of time because He knew the hearts of mankind. 


Wednesday - Security - Colossians 2:6-7 
Paul shares that just as we have received Christ, we need to receive the strength of faith through the teachings of Jesus in order that we come to be built up and rooted in the truth that is Jesus. When we have Jesus in our lives we have the assurance that He gives to us bringing about a peace of heart and mind a security in our faith that is in Christ Jesus. Remaining in Christ and having His words remain as our guide for living, we can have what has been called a "Know-so faith" and life.

Thursday - Revelations - John 15:15 
The message that we hear Jesus relay to His disciples is that everything that He knows from the Father He has revealed it to those who would seek to follow Him as disciples for we will have the same mind as Christ and will be able to understand what the father has in store. This revelation is given to the friends of Christ who in turn are the friends and servants of God the Father. This revelation is of Himself, revealed in the Son, Jesus Christ.. .Messiah.

Friday - Obedience - Matthew 7:21 
Jesus shares with us the truth about the security of our relationship with Him is based in our obedience to the will of God. Without that obedience we can call on His Name all we want but we will not receive the assurance of heaven or fellowship with Christ. Jesus said that entrance into the kingdom of God comes through doing the will of God, living our lives aligned with His commands and teachings revealed to us through the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 


Saturday - Glorifying God - Matthew 5:16; 1 Cor. 6:20 
In these two passages of scripture, we are to let the way we live our lives for Christ be what brings glory to God, even by others who are watching what we do and how we act in our relationship with Christ. For God directs us to do good works that are recognizable by all mankind. Knowing that we do these good deeds because of the relationship we have with Christ, lovingly serving Him because of our debt that He paid, will bring honor to God in all that we are, from head to toe...inside and out.

Joy to the World the Lord has come! Let us serve Him with gladness, giving Him the glory for all that we can be a part of in Christ Jesus our Lord. AMEN!

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Monday - Spiritual Workers - 1 Timothy 5:17 
Paul shares with us that those leaders that care for us in our spiritual growth and maturity are worthy of the honor and praise that is due them as will as in other ways. The workers who labor for the benefit of man and are doing the work of the Lord are due their wages whatever that may be. Paul shares that though at times they may need to share a disciplining word, if done with the Lord's guidance and compassion they prove themselves to be peacemakers among believers, encouragers to others in their development of Christlikeness.

Tuesday - Peace - 2 Timothy 2:22 
Paul shares with Timothy that in order to stay true to his calling Timothy needed to flee the things that are of youthful folly, or sin, and to go after the qualities that have been proven to be right in the sight of God, faithful to His calling upon us to be His disciples, to share the love of God in every way and deed, and to pursue peace with others as Christ shared His peace with the disciples and instilled within them the quality of peace that is needed when dealing with those in the fellowship of believers and outside that fellowship. There is a peace that is needing to be placed within the hearts of all men for them to get along even in those situations where is would be thought of as natural and yet for some reason is missing.

Wednesday - Comfort - Isaiah 40:1 
Paul shares with us the need to help others through instilling the idea of comfort that can be found in Christ Jesus our Lord. We need to encourage our people to be at ease in the love of the Lord and to find that place of peace of mind where we can relax and sense the comforting power of the Holy Spirit settle in to our spirits. We are to work to bring forth that feeling of comfort so that frustration will not over come those around us. So they will not feel overwhelmed with the pressures of this world and be able to find true satisfying peace. '"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people!' saith our God." 


Thursday - Warn - Ezekiel 3:18
The Old Testament gave a duty to those who knew the word of the Lord and His commands that they need to give warnings about the consequences in order to win the evil doer over to the ways of God. If we know the way but do not share it with those who are lost in sin then their life's blood will be on our hands and God will hold us accountable. So we are to care enough about those we come in contact with to the point of giving them the word of God and allow the Spirit to do the rest of the work that we cannot do, the convicting of sin and the convincing of the need for the Savior. That demonstrates the love of God found in us.

Friday - Patience - James 1:4 
Have you ever noticed how often the Scriptures speak to us about needing patience with others and even with ourselves? In the sermon on Sunday the scripture referred to the need of patience and here in James it is reinforced that we need to have patience working in our lives on a daily basis to show spiritual maturity and how we have opened our lives us to the working of the true Potter who develops us into that wondrous vessel that is of His own making. He does that work in us that makes us complete in Him and in His service. Thank the Lord He can do that work, right?

Saturday - Hold Fast - Hebrews 3:6 
Steadfastness is that ability to hold on to the good and true, according to God's word, in such a way as to never lose it no matter what comes our way. It takes the determination to not give up on the things that we know to be good by God's standard and will bring us through life's storms on a daily basis. There will be times of struggle but God has given us His promises and absolute truths that we can rely on in any and every circumstance. Christ showed us through His own time of temptation that we can rely upon the will of God and not have to face things on our own. God has supplied our every need. He is the One who ties the knots in the rope so that we can keep our grip through the strength that we have been given by the Spirit of Christ.

Monday - Spiritual Sowing - Hosea 10:12 
It is the wonderful work of God that brings to us the message of salvation, but we need to decide to receive and allow it to be planted firmly in the correct depth of our hearts. As that seed begins to grow and produce fruit unto the Lord, we see that it is the love of God that comes from that seed. We still need to seek the Lord for it is He who brings to us the showers of His blessing that waters, nourishes the seed so that it can grow to its full potential in us to His glory. Those showers are the opportunities given to us to bask in His righteousness and to become like Him in holiness of heart and life.

Tuesday - Spiritual Harvest - John 4:35-36 
Jesus, being the Lord or Master of the harvest, knows exactly the right time to come to us, revealing our role in harvesting souls for the kingdom. It first starts with our own soul being gathered in and carried by the Lord Jesus, Himself into the depths of the blessing of His kingdom that is nothing like this world at all. As we continue to fellowship with Jesus in the wonders of His kingdom, we have the privilege to pray, to share His compassion with, and to reach out to those who are in that place where we were of ripeness to be gathered in. Here at this time of thanksgiving we are reminded of all that the Lord has done to bring us into His garner, barn, and we are blessed.

Wednesday - Spiritual Abundance - Ephesians 3:17-21 
Paul shared with the Church of Ephesus that he wanted them to experience all that God had for them through Jesus Christ. It would include salvations fullness to the extent that they would be rooted (set deep) in the love of God and be grounded (well established) in the relationship that comes out of that love, to the point of knowing and experiencing all that is involved in the workings of God the Father. It was going to take them, and it will take us, well beyond anything that we could ever ask for, or beyond anything that we could imagine as being a part of this journey with Jesus, the Holy One of God. 

Thursday - God's Grace - Philippians 4:11-13 
Paul shares with the Church at Philippi that he had learned to be satisfied with the blessings he had received from the Lord and that in the on going relationship with the Lord, contentment had been His strength. Not that everything came easy. There were times of great need and times of great blessing, just like we have experienced in our lives. Yet in every situation that may have confronted Paul in all the dealings he had with believers, he knew that his strength came from one source and One source only, Christ Jesus the Lord. It is that grace that is given freely to us when we come and call upon Him, that brings us through it all. We, too, can have that type of relationship with Him, grace-filled strength.

Friday - Spiritual Growth- Hebrews 6:1 
There comes a time when we need to move on, from the things that we have already learned about in this relationship with Jesus, and go into the deeper teachings that will bring about a maturity in our faith which can be shared with others so that they too may grow in the depth in understanding the fullness of salvation. We need not to go over all the things we have already incorporated into our lives spiritually, but we step out into the depths of His love and compassion so that we can be carried by the moving of His Spirit, experiencing the tides of His blessings.

Saturday - Spiritual Riches - James 2:5 
James was eager to share with the Church the good news that though we may consider ourselves to be hard pressed, poor in spirit, needy and seeking; God has chosen us, who believe in Him , to be rich in the things that matter most for eternity - faith and in the hope of His kingdom that will last forever. It is that hope which brings value to our lives that are lived in Christ. He has promised all of the riches of that glorious kingdom to those who love the Savior and given their lives to Him. He takes care of His own and give to them all they need. That is what the Bible talks about when it says there are "unsearchable riches" in Jesus.