“When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the Lord;
And my prayer went up to You,
Into Your holy temple.” Jonah 2:7

Jonah is a great story filled with many truths of God. This Hebrew prophet was given a mission by God to go to Nineveh and tell the King and His people they must turn away from their wickedness or perish. Jonah refused to obey God. He did not want to dirty His hands with the wickedness of the people of Nineveh. So Jonah ran away from God.

The Spirit of God will not strive with the spirit of man. If you choose to live without God or disobey Him, He will allow calamities to fall upon your life to get your attention.

Jonah wanted to live on a holy hill with God. He did not understand that God will take you to the gutters of the world to do His work. Jesus did not come for the righteous but to bring sinners to repentance.

Jonah also made the mistake of placing his self righteousness above the people of Nineveh. He was judging right and wrong and acting in the role of God.

Jonah did not understand you are saved by the grace of God and all people have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. It is the loving kindness and mercy of God at work to determine who He will bless or bring judgment upon.

Jonah was incapable of determining justice for the people of Nineveh. As Jesus taught, you have to take the speck of dirt out of your own eyes before you can see clearly or execute His judgments over others.

When you see yourself for who you really are with all your weaknesses and inner depravity, it becomes easy to extend the mercy of God to all people regardless of the depth of their sins and rebellion against God.

In the midst of Jonah’s misery, He remembered the Lord and repented and was cast out of the belly of the whale.

The question is whether you are following the voice of God or running away from Him? Nothing good will happen to you if you try to go it on your own!

“I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.” Psalm 71:16

David created this wonderful prayer to start his day. It is a recognition that the strength of God is made perfect in your weakness. Whatever you are facing today, God wants to give you His strength to accomplish your goals. His strength is unlimited because it comes from the Father of Lights.

David was also praying that his lips would only speak words of the righteousness of God and would edify and encourage others.

David wanted to fill himself with the Word of God through prayer, praise, and music. He asked God to insulate him from all the evil around him.

David kept his eyes on God and not the circumstances in his life. He wanted to always be linked to God through His Spirit.

David believed in the innermost part of his heart that his help comes from the Lord who created the heavens and the earth.

David would not accept anything from the world because he knew it was corrupted and filled with evil. His only hope was in the power and glory of God.

This prayer is life changing and invites God to do mighty things for you today!

 

 

“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” Daniel 6:10

Daniel’s enemies conspired against him and convinced the King to issue a decree that anyone who worshipped a God other than the King would be cast into a den of lions.

Daniel heard about this decree and the first thing he did was to go before God in prayer and thankfulness.

Daniel lived in a country filled with evil where the King and most of the natives worshipped false gods. The Lord was not magnified or worshipped as the sovereign God of the universe.

God used this dire situation to bring glory to His name by saving Daniel from the lions. He wants to be exalted above all things and for all people to fear and respect Him. God demonstrated His omnipotence and this caused the King and all the natives to bow down before almighty God.

The United States is very similar to Babylonia. You live in a country filled with evil and the worship of false gods.

The government leaders are attempting to remove God and His truths from our society. Organized religion has whitewashed the truths of God and lead people astray.

The truth in this story is when you see a storm coming into your life turn immediately to God. This is a strong expression of your faith in God and belief that He has power and dominion over all things in heaven and earth.

Do not compromise your faith but stand firm on the promises of God through prayer and giving thanks to almighty God. He will deliver you and magnify His name in your life!

“Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him;” Daniel 6:3

Daniel was successful above all his counterparts because he committed his works to God and desired to glorify God and keep His commandments.

God desires to distinguish you in your work or whatever your endeavors are in life. He wants you to be at the top of the class! He will make this happen to those who seek Him first and dedicate their work to Him.

God does this because it brings glory to Him and changes lives. People see the integrity, ethics, peace, and wisdom of God working through a believer. They see how setbacks do not discourage a believer because they know God is at work to favor them.

You can have this excellent Spirit at work in you just like Daniel. When you make a decision for Jesus, He fills you with His Spirit.

This decision is about honoring Jesus in all aspects of your life. You choose to live for Him and please Him with your thoughts and actions.

Each day you ask God to forgive you for your sins and to correct anything in your life that is not pleasing to Him. You commit your works to God and ask for His wisdom and guidance.

This discipline will cause the favor of God to fall upon you and will take you to new heights you could never achieve on your own.

 

 

“But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Daniel 3:18

Daniel and his friends were steadfast in their conviction not to worship any false god. They had the courage to defy the King and were willing to die for their belief in the Lord.

Every day people around the world are facing the same persecution and death for their belief in Jesus Christ. They are living out the experience of Daniel with their hope in the promise of the resurrected life.

The miracle of this story is the saving grace of God to intervene and protect these three young men. The King saw four men loose in the midst of the fire and none of them were touched by the fire and the fourth looked like the Son of God.

The King was so touched by this miracle that he made a proclamation that all people must worship the Son of God or they would be killed.

The question is will you accept the standards of the world or remain steadfast in your walk with God? This is not about placing a sticker on your car or quoting bible verses to your friends. It is living out the sanctified life as a member of the “set apart” people of God and reflecting His renown, praise, and glory.

Faith in God is your obedience to His voice regardless of the cost to you. It is placing God above yourself and walking in His footsteps. It is about giving God permission to live through you.

You allow the light of God residing in you to shine in all your words and actions. You do not participate in conversations filled with trashy talk or enter into the gutters of the world.

You live in the world but you are not of the world. Your life revolves around the Son of God and people see God in you!

“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” Daniel 1:8

Daniel was a young man from Jerusalem raised in the Jewish culture. His name in Hebrew is “God is my judge.”

He was taken captive and transported to Persia. From the very beginning the hand of God was over Daniel and the precepts of God were in his heart.

It was God that helped Daniel and his two friends find favor with King Nebuchadnezzar and Ashpenaz, the master of the King’s eunuchs.

At this point, Daniel came to an important crossroads in his life. He could go the way of the world and sacrifice his beliefs in God for the security and protection of the King.

You and I face this same decision everyday of our lives. Will you live for God or give in to the temptations and evil of the world.

The easy way out was for Daniel to accept the menu of the King and forget about his Jewish heritage and the laws of God.

Daniel took this decision before God and asked for His wisdom. This is the fear and respect of the Lord in action. Daniel wanted to stay in the center of God’s will.

God answered Daniel’s prayer and gave him perfect wisdom for how to maintain his purity with God and stay under the authority of the King and his master.

God desires to protect you but you must seek Him out through prayer and His Word looking for His perfect wisdom. Take all your decisions before God and He will bless you abundantly and magnify His name through your life.

The easy way out is temporary and will eventually lead to destruction and misery. God’s way is eternal and will bring peace and prosperity!

 

 

 

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

The definition of incompatibility is “the condition of two things being so different in nature as to be incapable of coexisting”.

God is a perfect spiritual being. He is the creator of all things and is holy and majestic. Nothing can compare to God. He will not tolerate sin or allow it to come close to Him. God told Moses when he was in His presence to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground.

God created man in His image. He wanted man to be like God and live forever. He desired for man to be fruitful and multiply and He gave them a paradise to live in.

Adam and Eve created an irreparable gap between God and man when they disobeyed Him. Sin was born and mankind, this perfect creation of God, was now tainted and separated from God.

The beginning of creation was perfect and there was a symbiotic relationship between God and man. This has now been corrupted by sin. God has not changed but man is no longer able to draw near to God in his natural state. It is impossible to coexist with God.

God created you, He loves you, and He wants to bless you abundantly but there is an impediment blocking you from God. The only way to bridge this gap is through His Son. The blood of His Son covers your sin and allows you to to be reconciled to God.

Jesus saved the adulteress from being stoned to death. His parting words to her were “Go, and sin no more”. This is how you bridge the gap from God. Jesus restores you to God.

The resurrected life of Jesus redeems you from death and works to create a new person in the likeness of God.

You can now be one with God and enter into His kingdom of glory and power! Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

He is your life preserver!

 

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” Psalm 84:11

To be blameless before God is to have the blood of Jesus cover you and to walk by faith in His name. Your faith in God will bring His righteousness into your life.

The blood of Jesus will forgive you and His Spirit will change you into a new creature. Don’t try to be holy or a “goodie goodie”. It turns people off. Just be yourself.

The holiness of God happens unconsciously as you walk with Him. The source of His holiness is your trust in God. There is a direct relationship between the strength of your faith and your godly values. The more you trust, the more you become like Jesus.

Abraham believed God and received the righteousness of God. It was Abraham’s faith that gave Him the ability to stand blamelessly before God.

If you are serious about God He will test you to the ends of the earth to determine how far you will go living by faith. Your faith is the “hot button” with God. King David made a lot of mistakes in his life but you can never question the genuineness of his faith and belief in the power and glory of God.

You can’t please God if you are straddling the fence. He wants all of you. When you truly let go and live for God He will reward you abundantly.

The righteous shall live by faith!

 

“For there is no partiality with God.” Romans 2:11

God is impartial and without any bias. He does not care about your age, ethnicity, education, religion, or status in life. There is no “one up man ship” with God. All have failed and fallen short of the glory of God.

God knows you will never be perfect or have the ability to be like Him. He accepts you just as you are with all your blemishes and shortcomings.

God judges all people with the same set of standards of truth, justice, and mercy.

God is very jealous and wants your total devotion to Him. This is the most important way you can please Him.

God wants you to trust Him implicitly for every need in your life. He wants you to look to Him and never the world for your help. He wants you to recognize your inner weakness and inability to be a righteous person.

God wants you to seek Him through prayer and His Word. He wants you to be yoked to His Spirit residing in you and tuned into His small still voice.

God hates wickedness and wants to purify with His righteousness and use you to defeat evil. He wants you to be a light shining in the darkness!

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” Matthew 17:5

The definition of transfiguration is a “complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state.” Jesus was changed from his human form into a spiritual being reflecting the glory of God.

What happened is God showed the disciples a glimpse of Heaven and let them briefly experience His glory and power. God also made it very clear to the disciples that Jesus was the Son of God and to listen and abide in His words.

This experience was not for the sake of Jesus. He did not need to see God or hear His words. God orchestrated this for the three disciples so they could understand the power and authority that was given to Jesus by His Father.

The question is how does this mountain top event relate to you and me? In all likelihood, you won’t be taken to the Mt. of Transfiguration until you die and go to heaven. However, if you draw near to God with a genuine desire to do His will, He will give you glimpses of the transfigured life. The real significance of this story is two words “Hear Him”.

As a believer, you have the mind of Christ and He desires to speak to you through His Spirit. Listen for the still small voice of God. He is your lifeline to an abundant life.

Jeremiah spoke about the importance of listening to God to the Israelites. He told them that God has caused you to cling to Me like a sash wrapped around the waist and as His chosen people they are to reflect the renown, praise, and glory of God. He concluded with the admonition that they have not listened to God and will face His punishment.

It is not a pretty picture for believers that refuse to listen to God (Jeremiah 13). The nation of Israel was destroyed and the people suffered greatly and were scattered to other nations.

The challenge is to listen and obey the voice of God. Learn to be open to Him at all times!