Move Without Delay

There's a snippet of scripture in the book of Judges that always catches my eye. It's somewhat obscure in that I don't think that I've ever heard it preached, but it is interesting to say the least. The book as a whole is filled with story after story of the children of Israel's struggle between obedience and disobedience/doing evil. True to form, they were evil in God's sight then they repented, cried out to God, He heard their cry and raised up a deliverer (Ehud) from among them. Interestingly, Ehud killed the king behind closed doors and managed to slip out without being noticed. In fact, some time that had gone by before anyone even noticed that the king was dead. And, as a result, Ehud got away:

"But Ehud had escaped while they delayed..." (Judges 3:26)

It's a small portion of scripture but so poignant to me and has me asking: How many times have we missed things in life because we delayed? How many times did we allow something precious of ours (as the king was to his peop
le) to die because we were not vigilant? This week, God will be giving you direction in small ways. His voice may not be clear but this is where your faith has to fill in the gaps of confidence and clarity and MOVE WITHOUT DELAY. This week, make a choice to not allow opportunities to pass you by simply because you failed to act with vigilance with the things God has blessed you with. Walk with confidence and assurance instead of fear and defeat.Be encouraged to move in boldness--not allowing the enemy any room to steal, kill or destroy that which God has ordained for your life.

Blessings
@PastorAYD

No Explanation Necessary

He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. ~ Psalm 1:1-3

There are times in all that we do when we feel that pressure to answer for our actions. Why did you do that? Where did that decision come from? What were you thinking? The questions about life's choices plague our ears from without and our minds from within. And the problem is that we don't often know what to say to ourselves or anyone else (for that matter) especially when the answer is based in God. The pressure to clearly articulate and explain our faith walk in a way that makes sense to those around us can be overwhelming.

As Christians there are times when the opportunity to attribute choices to God comes and goes with our silence. It's easier to not answer than to say "God said" and deahl with the skepticism and doubt that we at times may face. We think no one will fully understand the decision to be fully guided by the Holy Spirit. But this week's point of prayer is a simple reminder that you don't owe anyone an explanation for the things God is doing. You only owe God the glory. At the end of the day, your victory will tell it's own story...your testimony will shout of your faith and God's goodness from the rooftop. In the mean time, you don't have to explain yourself for doing what God said.

This week, choose to walk in the confidence of God. Let the Spirit guide you with freedom--standing like that tree planted with leaves that don't wither and whose fruit will be the ultimate explanation for Who God is in your life and all that He is capable of doing.

Be encouraged,
MinD

The Task To Believe

"And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, 'I believed and therefore I spoke,' we also believe and therefore speak"

II Corinthians 4:13

Over the last couple of months there have been so many changes in my life. Most of those changes have mandated how I view my life. I've had to reconfigure the lens through which I see what God is (or is not) doing and find ways to be okay with that. And, if I'm honest, in the midst there is a part of me that has been losing ground--my ability to believe. Now, I'm sure that it's sacrilege for an ordained minister of the Gospel to make such an admission. God often compels me to preach and teach around the very topic of belief. It is certainly not lost on me that the power to believe in what God says and in what the tenants of the Christian faith suggest are cornerstones to being victorious in this journey. However, when we put that faith into action, there are times when the monstrosity of our problems and circumstances seems to dwarf the fortitude of our faith--casting a shadow over life that begins to dim our ability to see God clearly.

In this equation, God hasn't changed and never will. However, I came to the realization that I was having a difficult time truly believing that God wanted to do the things He has said for, with and through me. I have no trouble believing in the ability of God to take care of me and my situation. His omnipotence and sovereignty are never in question. However, I find myself constantly thinking of the three Hebrew boys and the fiery furnace--before being sentenced to the fiery furnace, they told the king that they trusted God to be able to bring them out and knew that the only way that they wouldn't make it out was if he didn't want them to. (Daniel 3:8-25) With them in mind, I've often put a caveat on what God has said for me that resembles that very idea but with a flaw. I realized that in providing God that "out" verbally, I have also been giving my belief an "out" as well. In my human desire to guard my heart and avoid disappointment, I had unwittingly put a chink in the very thing that undergirds my faith--that basic ability to believe God. Forgetting who I am in Christ (heir to the throne and one of His chosen people), I had begin to think that maybe God simply doesn't want to bless me in this area or that. I know He can, but when I don't see it happening, it is easier for me to believe that He's changed his mind about me or changed his mind about doing certain things for me (marriage, ministry, direction, etc.). Without much effort, the enemy had begun to slowly erode away at my confidence in being able to hear God clearly by shining a tiny light on the corner of doubt in my mind--resulting in making the task to believe a greater one. And it took two people (prophets of God) on different occasions to reiterate the things that God has said in the past to make me realize just how much of a foothold I had given doubt over my faith.

So this week, it was important to me to send you a reminder to knock doubt off it's pedastal in your heart. Turn off that small light on the corner of doubt and focus on the ability for FAITH to shine brightly if you allow it. I've come to remind you that whatever the Lord said to you before--before the madness of life and the whispers of the enemy began to take root--you need to believe. Whatever God said you need to speak. Don't give faith an "out". Not only is He ABLE to do what He said, He is WILLING and WAITING to accomplish every thing that He set out to do in your life. And your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to encourage yourself and solidify the strength of your belief by speaking that thing each and every day until it comes to pass.

Be encouraged and encourage someone else.

Blessings,
MinD