PRESS THROUGH ...
Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. - Matthew 7:7 AMP
In Mark, chapter five, there was a woman who had been sick for twelve years. The doctors gave her no hope. But, she heard that Jesus was coming through her town. Something deep on the inside said to her, “This is your season. This is your time to get well.” In the natural, when she saw all the people around Him, she thought, “I’ll never get to Him. It’s so crowded and I’m weak. I just don’t think I can do this.” She almost missed her season. But instead of dwelling on those negative thoughts, she started reminding herself, “If I can just get to Jesus, I will be whole.” She made the choice to turn her thoughts in the right direction. She kept pressing her way through the crowd until she got just close enough to Jesus to reach out and touch the edge of His robe. Instantly, she was made whole. This is what Jesus said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.”
Notice, it was her faith and her persistence that connected her with God’s power, and the same is true for us today. No matter what you are facing, don’t give up! Keep praying! Keep asking! Keep seeking! God is faithful! Stay determined because He will meet your faith with His miraculous power when you continue to press through!
GOD WANTS TO SET YOU UP FOR A BLESSING
Ruth 2:12 - The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”
Have you ever wondered why, in some Bible stories, God asked the people to give what little they had to Him? It may appear cruel, but the truth is that God was setting them up for a blessing! God’s way is to use whatever we have, and multiply it back to us once we put it in His hands.
The widow of Zarephath had only a handful of flour and a little oil to make one last meal for her son and herself before they faced starvation. But she trusted God and used a portion of the little that she had to make a cake for the prophet Elijah. And God rewarded her by making sure that her bin of flour was not used up and her jar of oil did not run dry until the drought ended. (1 Kings 17:8–16)
Similarly, the boy who gave his little lunch of five loaves and two small fish to Jesus not only ate well, but he also saw it being used to feed more than 5,000 people with 12 baskets full of leftovers! (John 6:1–13)
Whenever we give what little we have to God, whether it is money, time or energy, it opens up our hearts so that God can fill us up with more. And when we give our lives to God, we can trust Him to make things right for us and to be the rewarder of our faith.
When Ruth, a childless Moabite widow, left the comfort of her home to follow her mother-in-law Naomi and the God of Israel back to a foreign land (Ruth 1:16), she was given a full reward by the Lord. God gave Ruth protection and ensured that she was well-provided for through Boaz, a wealthy relative who took on the role of kinsman-redeemer for her and Naomi. (Ruth 2:9, 4:9–10)
Beloved, as you trust God with what you have today, know that He loves you and is setting you up for more blessings. So expect to see even more of His provision and abundance in the days to come!
Thought For The Day :
Whenever we give what little we have to God, it opens up our hearts to receive more from Him.
A PRIESTHOOD OF BLESSINGS
As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” - Hebrews 5:6
God said this about Jesus after He rose from the dead: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Notice that the priesthood of Jesus isn’t according to the order of Aaron, but Melchizedek. The old Aaronic priesthood of Israel was under the law. And because it was under the law, it meant that you got blessed only when you obeyed God’s laws. If you disobeyed God’s laws, then curses would come upon you.
In contrast, the Melchizedek priesthood of Jesus doesn’t dispense both blessings and curses. It only dispenses blessings. When Melchizedek first appeared to Abraham in the book of Genesis, only blessings proceeded from his mouth: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand” (Genesis 14:19–20). There were no curses.
My friend, because of Jesus’ finished work, you’re no longer under the old priesthood where curses were part of the deal. Today, you’re under the new and “forever” priesthood of your High Priest, Jesus. I encourage you to meditate on how, under this priesthood, there are only blessings and success promises—no curses—for you, forever! Jesus has perfectly made you righteous, and blessings only crown the head of the righteous (Proverbs 10:6)!
THE SILENCE OF THE SON ...
Luke 22:63-64 "And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?"
Here is the account of God's own creation mocking and insulting His Son without Him intervening. The pain that this must have caused the Father defies description.
Those who struck Jesus and told Him to prophesy who it was that struck Him, must have taken Jesus' silence as proof that He was not who He claimed to be.
The natural mind could not conceive that Almighty God would take this kind of abuse from His creation. But this was the plan of God.
Isaiah prophesied that, as a lamb before its shearers is dumb (Isa. 53:7), so Jesus would not open His mouth. Isaiah also mentioned that Jesus "was taken from prison and from judgment" referring to the fact that He was not given a fair trial (Isa. 53:8). Isaiah went on to prophesy in Isaiah 53:9 that Jesus would make "his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death." This was fulfilled when Jesus was crucified between two thieves and buried in a rich man's tomb.
OUTLASTING BITTERNESS
If anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. —Colossians 3:13
During the Second World War, Corrie ten Boom’s family owned a watchmaking business in the Netherlands, and they actively worked to protect Jewish families. Eventually, the entire ten Boom family was sent to a concentration camp, where Corrie’s father died 10 days later. Her sister Betsie also died in the camp. While Betsie and Corrie were in the camp together, Betsie’s faith helped to strengthen Corrie’s.
That faith led Corrie to forgive even the ruthless men who served as guards during her concentration camp days. While hate and the desire for revenge continued to destroy many lives long after the concentration camps were gone, Corrie knew the truth: Hate hurts the hater more than the hated, no matter how justified it may seem.
Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. - Matthew 7:7 AMP
In Mark, chapter five, there was a woman who had been sick for twelve years. The doctors gave her no hope. But, she heard that Jesus was coming through her town. Something deep on the inside said to her, “This is your season. This is your time to get well.” In the natural, when she saw all the people around Him, she thought, “I’ll never get to Him. It’s so crowded and I’m weak. I just don’t think I can do this.” She almost missed her season. But instead of dwelling on those negative thoughts, she started reminding herself, “If I can just get to Jesus, I will be whole.” She made the choice to turn her thoughts in the right direction. She kept pressing her way through the crowd until she got just close enough to Jesus to reach out and touch the edge of His robe. Instantly, she was made whole. This is what Jesus said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.”
Notice, it was her faith and her persistence that connected her with God’s power, and the same is true for us today. No matter what you are facing, don’t give up! Keep praying! Keep asking! Keep seeking! God is faithful! Stay determined because He will meet your faith with His miraculous power when you continue to press through!
GOD WANTS TO SET YOU UP FOR A BLESSING
Ruth 2:12 - The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”
Have you ever wondered why, in some Bible stories, God asked the people to give what little they had to Him? It may appear cruel, but the truth is that God was setting them up for a blessing! God’s way is to use whatever we have, and multiply it back to us once we put it in His hands.
The widow of Zarephath had only a handful of flour and a little oil to make one last meal for her son and herself before they faced starvation. But she trusted God and used a portion of the little that she had to make a cake for the prophet Elijah. And God rewarded her by making sure that her bin of flour was not used up and her jar of oil did not run dry until the drought ended. (1 Kings 17:8–16)
Similarly, the boy who gave his little lunch of five loaves and two small fish to Jesus not only ate well, but he also saw it being used to feed more than 5,000 people with 12 baskets full of leftovers! (John 6:1–13)
Whenever we give what little we have to God, whether it is money, time or energy, it opens up our hearts so that God can fill us up with more. And when we give our lives to God, we can trust Him to make things right for us and to be the rewarder of our faith.
When Ruth, a childless Moabite widow, left the comfort of her home to follow her mother-in-law Naomi and the God of Israel back to a foreign land (Ruth 1:16), she was given a full reward by the Lord. God gave Ruth protection and ensured that she was well-provided for through Boaz, a wealthy relative who took on the role of kinsman-redeemer for her and Naomi. (Ruth 2:9, 4:9–10)
Beloved, as you trust God with what you have today, know that He loves you and is setting you up for more blessings. So expect to see even more of His provision and abundance in the days to come!
Thought For The Day :
Whenever we give what little we have to God, it opens up our hearts to receive more from Him.
A PRIESTHOOD OF BLESSINGS
As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” - Hebrews 5:6
God said this about Jesus after He rose from the dead: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Notice that the priesthood of Jesus isn’t according to the order of Aaron, but Melchizedek. The old Aaronic priesthood of Israel was under the law. And because it was under the law, it meant that you got blessed only when you obeyed God’s laws. If you disobeyed God’s laws, then curses would come upon you.
In contrast, the Melchizedek priesthood of Jesus doesn’t dispense both blessings and curses. It only dispenses blessings. When Melchizedek first appeared to Abraham in the book of Genesis, only blessings proceeded from his mouth: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand” (Genesis 14:19–20). There were no curses.
My friend, because of Jesus’ finished work, you’re no longer under the old priesthood where curses were part of the deal. Today, you’re under the new and “forever” priesthood of your High Priest, Jesus. I encourage you to meditate on how, under this priesthood, there are only blessings and success promises—no curses—for you, forever! Jesus has perfectly made you righteous, and blessings only crown the head of the righteous (Proverbs 10:6)!
THE SILENCE OF THE SON ...
Luke 22:63-64 "And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?"
Here is the account of God's own creation mocking and insulting His Son without Him intervening. The pain that this must have caused the Father defies description.
Those who struck Jesus and told Him to prophesy who it was that struck Him, must have taken Jesus' silence as proof that He was not who He claimed to be.
The natural mind could not conceive that Almighty God would take this kind of abuse from His creation. But this was the plan of God.
Isaiah prophesied that, as a lamb before its shearers is dumb (Isa. 53:7), so Jesus would not open His mouth. Isaiah also mentioned that Jesus "was taken from prison and from judgment" referring to the fact that He was not given a fair trial (Isa. 53:8). Isaiah went on to prophesy in Isaiah 53:9 that Jesus would make "his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death." This was fulfilled when Jesus was crucified between two thieves and buried in a rich man's tomb.
OUTLASTING BITTERNESS
If anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. —Colossians 3:13
During the Second World War, Corrie ten Boom’s family owned a watchmaking business in the Netherlands, and they actively worked to protect Jewish families. Eventually, the entire ten Boom family was sent to a concentration camp, where Corrie’s father died 10 days later. Her sister Betsie also died in the camp. While Betsie and Corrie were in the camp together, Betsie’s faith helped to strengthen Corrie’s.
That faith led Corrie to forgive even the ruthless men who served as guards during her concentration camp days. While hate and the desire for revenge continued to destroy many lives long after the concentration camps were gone, Corrie knew the truth: Hate hurts the hater more than the hated, no matter how justified it may seem.
Like Corrie, we each have the opportunity to love our enemy and choose
forgiveness. Forgiveness doesn’t excuse the offense but when we forgive we show Christ to the world. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:32).
God will help you let go of every angry grudge as you watch the Spirit build into you a place where others see the Savior.
The love of God within our hearts
Enables us to show
Forgiveness that is undeserved
So others too might know.
When we forgive someone, we look more like Jesus than at any other moment in our life.
YOU ARE A 'PRIEST' AT WORK (1)
'Be fruitful...multiply...and govern.' Genesis 1:28 NLT
If you want to know God’s original intention for each of us, look at Adam. ‘God created human beings in his own image…Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it.”’ (Genesis 1:27–28 NLT) We were created to be productive, to multiply and to govern. And every profession known to man is encapsulated in those three words. A priest is one who represents God on behalf of others, and others on behalf of God. But in reality, that was the original description of all of us. We were made in God’s image to continue His work of making the earth flourish, and by our flourishing, give voice to the whole earth to praise God. All work was designed by God to be priestly work. It’s not just professional clergy or missionaries who are called by God, nor are they more pleasing or important to Him. Bible scholar NT Wright paints a wonderful image of this concept. Picture human beings as mirrors set at a 45–degree angle between Heaven and earth. We were created to reflect God’s care and dominion of the earth, and reflect the worship and gratitude of creation back to God. This is what we do when we work. You have a calling. You are gifted. You are a priest. This isn’t just something that relates to volunteering at church. Your work is a primary place—maybe the primary place where your calling gets lived out. When you start seeing yourself as ‘ordained by God’ to do the job you do, it’ll put a smile on your face, a spring in your step, and add dignity to your work.
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