For The Word Of God Is Alive and Active

                                                     When The Door Slams 

Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. I wait for your salvation, LORD,  and I follow your commands.            Psalm 119:165-166 NIV  

        The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews once wrote of scripture, "For the word of God is  alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Nothing in all creation is hidden from God sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13 NIV). 

        That is a great summary of the role the Bible plays in the life of the believer. However, it does not mention one great benefit of spending time reading and studying the Word: it brings us peace and strength for our walk.

        The writer of Psalm 119 points out that the words in the Bible (he refers to it as God's "law") have an amazing ability not just to bring us that inner peace God wants us to live in, but also to keep us from stumbling and falling into sin. 

        Have you been lacking peace lately? Does it seem like your life in Christ lacks power? Do you find that you are not walking with Jesus as much as you are stumbling through life? It may be a matter of putting a daily time of reading and studying the Bible higher-maybe number one-on your list of priorities.

        Think about this: Life in the twenty-first century is busy. Once we are finished with our daily work, our family, home projects, and friends all contend for our time. But if we want the peace and strength we need to live the life God calls us to live, we can't afford to miss out on time spent with Him and His Word. 

But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains (1 Timothy 6:9-10 HCSB).                                                   

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

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Do God Hear Your Prayers

                                                       When The Door Slams

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.   Deuteronomy 8:3-5 NIV 

        As the people of Israel journeyed through the barren wilderness strewn with rocks and sand, we can hardly blame them for worrying about what they would eat, drink, or wear while confined to such a bleak location. Gathering enough food for an entire nation in a land without set-aside fields for agriculture, irrigation, or pasture became a daily struggle for existence. How would such a large people survive forty hours, let alone forty years, in such a hostile wilderness?

        While the Israelites surely considered the wilderness the last place they wanted to be, the Lord wasted no time using it for a good purpose. The wilderness was the place to learn complete dependence on God. It is almost counterintuitive for us to read this. Why in the world would God remove their reliable food supply in order to demonstrate that they needed more than bread in order to survive?

        In part,  Lord used a difficult situation to teach His people complete and total dependence. They could not do anything clever or innovative enough to provide for themselves. Their only way out was prayer, and their only resource was God's timely help. Did God hear their prayers? Would God provide? It took a difficult journey through the wilderness to find out. 

        Think about this: Most of us have more blessings than we can count, yet we can still find reasons to complain about the minor frustrations of everyday life. To do so, of course, is not only shortsighted, but it is also a serious roadblock on the path to spiritual abundance. So the next time you are tempted to complain about the inevitable frustrations of everyday living, don't do it. Make it a practice to count your blessings, nor your hardships.    

     Thanksgiving: You raised up Pharaoh for this purpose, that You might show him Your power and that Your name might be proclaimed through all the earth (Exodus 9:16).

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

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Do You Want To Be Made Well

                                                       When The Door Slams

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.         James 5:16 NIV

  

        Jesus once asked a man if he wanted to be made well, and perhaps we should consider this question for ourselves in light of today's verse. Do you want to be set free from anger, lust, greed, or just selfishness? Do you want to experience the freedom and abundant life that Jesus promised us? We can probably tread water on our own for a while, but we may never experience a true breakthrough until we humbly ask a fellow believer to pray for us as we fully confess our sins to them.

        James seems to anticipate our potential objections: What if I open up my deepest, darkest secrets to someone and they can't help me? Do I want to risk exposing my self to a fellow Christian if it is not going to do me any good? 

        James assures us that wisely choosing a righteous believer to pray for us will bring the healing we desire for our shortcomings. Whether you feel weak or stuck with a particular issue in your life, consider who you can approach for prayer. 

        Your life may not turn around until you openly confess your sin and receive prayer. Do you want to be made well? Then it is time to stop hiding your secret sins and relying on yourself. We may only find true freedom when we finally confess our sins to each other.

        Think about this: Sometimes the Lord God makes Himself known in obvious ways, but more often His guidance is subtle. So we must be quiet to hear His voice. If you are serious about discovering God's plan for your life-or rediscovering it-start spending quite time with the Lord God every day. Ask Him for direction. Pray for clarity. And be watchful for the Lord signs. The more time you spend with the Lord the sooner the answers will come.

        Petition: No one who waits for You will be ashamed, But those who are treacherous without cause will be ashamed. Show me Your ways, O Lord, Teach me Your paths; Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation, And my hope is in You all day long (Psalm 25:3-5). 

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                        Never Rest Ministries