And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Judges 7:2

God raised up Gideon to defeat the Midianites who were terrorizing the Israelites. Gideon created an army of over 30,000 to go to war against this enemy nation.

God looked over this situation and said to Gideon your army is too big and if I give you the victory the Israelites will claim the glory and I will be forgotten.

God took steps for Gideon to reduce his army to 300 and then He told Gideon they were ready to encounter the enemy. God likes it when the odds are stacked against Him.

This is an amazing truth and illustrates the heart of God. He desires to exalt Himself when you are weak and God wants the glory to come to Him at all times.  He wants you to attribute all your success to Him and not to your own strength, resources, or power.

In fact, God delights in creating an almost insurmountable situation where you are backed up against a wall with no way out.

Then God can demonstrate His greatness and all the glory will come to Him. You will personally witness that it is not by might, nor by strength but by His Spirit. And, all those around you will see the glory of God at work.

So next time you are facing a challenge come to God and ask Him to intercede in a way that will bring glory to Him.

Remember, when you are weak and lacking God can do mighty works for you. He thrives in helping those who admit their weakness and cry out to Him!

Thought for the day: “I turn defeat into victory for those who call upon My name and follow My ways. I want all the glory to come to Me for my greatness and power. There is no one like Me.”

“For in Him we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28

Do you take God seriously?

The apostles took God very seriously. They lived, and moved, and breathed in Jesus, the Son of God.

If you are a believer, you have to trust that God lives in you in the essence of the Holy Spirit. This is the starting point to walking with God.

Secondly, you have to believe that God personally wants to be involved in your life. You live by the truth “He is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your pathway”. God will make His presence known by infusing you with His strength, wisdom, and protection. He is a living God!

God wants to share Himself with you and be involved in every aspect of your life. He also wants to go before you and lead you into His perfect pathway.

God lives by His Word so if you pray sincerely and commit your works to God each day, He will establish His thoughts in you. You will have the mind of Christ at work in your life!

The Holy Spirit is the embodiment of the resurrected power of God. The power that raised Jesus from the dead resides in you and this is your source of life.

You have to be right with God to walk with Him. You can’t hide your sin. You have to make a conscious decision to live a life pleasing to God and allow the Spirit of God to search your heart and correct you.

You will never be able to measure up to God but you can have a genuine heart attitude to seek the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. The blood of Jesus is your only hope for the forgiveness of sins and restoration to God.

Walking with God is about centering your life on the person of Jesus Christ and looking to Him for your every need. Faith is trusting in the invisible God and waiting patiently for Him.

The spiritual man does not depend on the world for help. He looks to God who has power and authority over the heavens and earth. There is a deep and subtle attitude of recognizing the sovereignty and power of God but not dismissing the ability of God to work through people, institutions, and governments.

You can’t experience the fullness of God unless you abandon yourself completely to Him. If you play act through life you are depriving yourself of the richness of the Living God.

Thought for the day:

“Do you really believe who I Am? I have power and dominion over all things. Life begins and ends with Me. Put aside your stubbornness and come live with Me by faith! I will show you My greatness.”

 

 

 

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded (pleasing yourself) is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Romans 8:5-6

This spiritual truth is an excellent method to judge your walk with God. Do you live to please yourself or live according to the Spirit of God? Where are your thoughts coming from during the day?

What most people cannot understand is the Spirit wants to enrich your life and satisfy all your needs. You don’t have to waste your thoughts and energy on trying to please yourself.

The Spirit of God wants you to come into oneness with Him and allow Him to guide your thoughts and actions throughout your day. This is how you live with God and experience His reality.

I spent most of my life in the field of marketing. This profession is filled with many details, timelines, and priorities. I would start off each day with prayer and commit all my works to God. I knew in my heart God was my best friend and would help me meet all the challenges of life.

I was amazed to see how the Spirit of God organized my work, gave me creativity and insight, and helped me to be successful. He would fill me with His thoughts to help me have a productive day.

I learned very quickly that I would never think of entering my office and starting up my computer without seeking God out ahead for wisdom and strength.

He is a living God and wants to be your helper in all aspects of life. God wants to guide you into safe paths and prevent you from walking into unsafe mine fields or making costly mistakes. His ways are perfect and He wants the very best for you!

If you rely on your own mind and follow your natural passions, this will lead to misery, suffering, and death. The mind not linked to the Spirit cannot please God! You are living and acting opposed to God!

Walking with God through His Spirit will bring life and peace!

Thought for the day: “Lean not to your own understanding. Living apart from My Spirit will bring heartache and failure. I want to be a vibrant and active partner in your life. Set your mind on Me and I will show you the abundant life.”

 

“The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63

In the Hebrew language God is also referred to as Yahweh, the most Holy God. Yahweh, the Father of Jesus, is the first and last God. There is no other God. Jesus, the Son of God, is our advocate and pathway to Yahweh.

Jesus said that the words I speak to you are Spirit and Life. This is spoken in the present tense. You and I have to be one with the Spirit and hear the words from God today. They will convict you and draw you into the perfect path of God. You will learn the reality of God through His words.

Yahweh can not be found through a scholarly approach or through religion. And if you are living in your natural state and unattached to the Spirit, it is virtually impossible to hear the words of God.

Jesus said that you must worship God in Spirit and Truth. It is the Holy Spirit that brings the words of God to you and they are life changing and eternal. You experience the presence of almighty God through His words. They can be trusted and will never fail you.

Come to God through His Spirit and be still and listen for His voice. You have the mind of Christ and He wants to direct your pathway. He is a living God!

Thought for the day: “Come into My presence by faith and learn from Me. I will share My thoughts with you and teach you about Myself.”

In Hebrew almighty God is often referred to as El Shaddi. He is the first and last God and He created the heavens and earth and every living creature. You can be personally touched and anointed by our everlasting God! He embodies eternal life and desires to share Himself with you.

The question is how much of your life are you willing to give up to receive the fullness of His holy and precious life. The more you let go and allow God to crucify your natural life, the more of Him you will receive.

This is about a heart desire to love God and be obedient to His voice. You can’t impress God with your works or religious activities. You have to make a genuine decision to live for God by faith and make Him the centerpiece of your life.

The life of God is the Holy Spirit dwelling inside you. To receive the fullness of His Spirit you have to ask each day for the forgiveness of sins and to be covered by the blood of Jesus. You also have to seek God out for correction and guidance in your life. Most importantly, you have to wake up each day to live for God.

The Holy Spirit can manifest Himself to you in many different forms. He can touch and anoint you with the fire of God. Literally, you can experience His fire flowing through your body. This is just an inkling of His power and glory but it is an awesome and uplifting experience.

He can also show Himself to you through signs and wonders. You can have dreams and visions, mountain top adventures in the transfigured life, and visits from angels.

The Book of Acts did not stop with the life of the apostles. It is alive today and fully available to you. The caution is to seek out God not signs and wonders. You and I have to wake up each day and commit our works to El Shaddi. Your serious devotion and trust in God will bring His glory and power into your life.

When you meet El Shaddi, the Living God, your life will never be the same. You will witness the radiant glory and power of God and stand in awe of our great God!

How much of God do you want?

Thought for the day: “I want to share My life with you. Come to Me with a sincere and open heart and I will show you My wonders.”

 

 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

God does not think like you and your ways are not God’s ways. So what you think may be the best course of action because it is logical and seems like the right thing to do, may not be God’s will for you at all.

God knows you better than you know yourself. He understands your personality and your strengths and weakness. He wants to direct your path in His ways.

You do not see the invisible working of evil around you and how Satan intends to steal, kill, and destroy. God wants to protect you from the ploys and attacks of Satan. And God is omniscient and knows every detail of your future and the world stage and desires to keep you on course with Him.

As a believer, you have the mind of Christ and He desires to fill you with wisdom and guidance. However, you have to commit your works each day to God and ask Him to infuse your mind with His thoughts and counsel. This includes family and friends, work, your decision making, and your prayer life.

Take everything before the Lord and inquire of Him for wisdom. For example, you have an important decision to make and are not sure what to do. Take it to God and wait on Him for an answer. This is now no longer a burden to you because you have deferred to God and removed yourself from taking action. This an expression of your genuine faith in God and it now becomes God’s responsibility to provide you with wisdom and perfect decision making.

This method of living with God is how you can avoid conforming to worldly thinking and be transformed by the renewing of your mind to find the good, acceptable, perfect will of God.

You are now acting in the role of a doer of the Word!

Thought for the day:  “I see all things and have power and authority over every detail in your life. I want to be your Keeper. Come to Me for your every need. I will never let you down or disappoint you. My Words are Truth and Life.”

“Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan.” Joshua 3:11

Joshua was ready to lead the Israelites across the Jordan River and claim the promises of God.

God told Joshua they were to follow the ark of the covenant as they crossed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land. All the people were to walk behind the ark of the covenant.

There is a powerful truth in this living story. You must wait on God and allow Him to go before you to claim His promises. If you try to go ahead of God you will fail.

Whether you are seeking a new job, planning to start a family, pursuing an education or a new direction in life, you must wait on God and make certain you are in His perfect will and timing. The ark of the covenant must always go before you. This will bring you victory!

Walking with God is not by might nor by strength but by His Spirit. Joshua was successful in leading his people into the Promised Land and conquering all their enemies. He was in oneness with God and obedient to His leading.

Timing is everything with God! You cannot jump start God. Moses waited 40 years for the calling of God.

God keeps His promises but you and I become impatient and lose faith when we see no evidence or proof of God at work.

We get tired of waiting for God and sometimes take matters into our own hands. If you step out on your own, this will cause striving, headaches, and failure.

If God is in your endeavors, you will be successful! He is the first and last God. There is no other God.

Thought for the day: “Apart from Me you can do nothing!”

 

 

 

“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6

The proud takes ownership over their successes and worldly possessions. They tend to boast of what they have and their achievements. They believe success comes from their natural skills and talents.

Pride is placing yourself above God and will lead to trouble. You are denying God and putting your faith in self.

The spiritual man understands that every good thing in life comes from God and he praises God for everything in his life. He boasts of the goodness of God. He believes in his heart that God is the source of everything in his life.

Humility is a gift from God. You see the power and glory of the Living God and you fall on your knees over His wonder and greatness. You understand He is the author of life and you are just a passing vapor trail.

There is no reason to be proud when you recognize God can shake the earth, turn the sun into darkness, walk on water, and raise people from the dead. Your destiny begins and ends with God!

Pray for humility and a deeper understanding of God. Ask God to help you live by this truth “In Him we live and move and have our being”!

Thought for the day:

“Acknowledge Me in all your ways. I am the author of life and all things come through Me.”

God has been speaking to me about the soul.

The definition of the soul is “the spiritual part of a human being, regarded as immortal”.

The soul is really the essence of an individual’s spiritual being. Your soul is an indication of your spiritual health.

Your soul thirsts for God and desires to be filled with Him through praise, prayer, and His Word.

Your soul needs the refreshing touch of the hand of God. Come to God with an open heart and a willing spirit!

Your soul finds rest in God. He is your salvation and strength in life.

Your soul waits patiently for God. He is your hope for life.

God is the guardian of your soul. He desires to preserve you and keep you in His sanctuary.

God will satisfy your thirsty soul with His Living Water. Come into His presence and seek oneness with God. He will fill your cup with Himself.

Your soul is the essence of your spiritual life. If your soul is empty or lacking in the fullness of God, you cannot be a light for Him.

Seek out God for a healthy and vibrant soul! It is a matter of life and death!

Thought for the day: “Your soul sings out for Me. I alone can fill and refresh your soul with My abiding life.”

 

 

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!” Isaiah 30:18

Many times I have confronted God and asked Him where is your justice in my life? Why have you abandoned me?

The answer from God is He is a God of justice and mercy and blessed are those who wait for Him.

God loves justice and does not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever! However, what you think is justice is not necessarily the ways of God. You can’t evaluate the justice of God because He works behind the scenes!

I have a family member whose wife battled cancer for many years and eventually died. The husband told me this was the best thing that ever happened in his life. He saw life from a godly perspective and realized what was really important to him.

Sometimes God will impoverish your life (make you poor) to bring you to your knees. He will take away your riches and opportunity, cause you to become weak, or give you a sense of being empty or depleted. This is is done to show you He is God and He is your only lifeline to an abundant life.

God’s methods can seem harsh and cruel at times but you have to believe God is perfect and knows what He is doing. You have to learn patience, wait on God and have faith that you will see the goodness of God in the land of the living.

One of the most difficult things in my life is to resist judging God when I see injustice. However, God keeps reminding me that I am not God and my judgments are impaired by my emotions and not understanding the deeper purposes of God.

Jesus told a parable about an unfair judge and a widow that was tormented by an adversary. He concluded by stating “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly”.

You cannot control God or sit in the judgment seat. All you can do is cry out from your heart and plead for justice and mercy from God. Your faith in God is your only hope for victory!

Thought for the day: “I look at your life through microscopic eyes and I know everything about you. I want to perfect you into becoming My witness to the world. Don’t judge Me by the difficulties in your life. Judge Me by My Word! I will make right the wrong in your life. I am a God of justice.”