A Destroyer

I Samuel 18:5-9 (KJV) Says, "And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music. And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward."

As we see from the above passage of scripture, David was a Godly man, and he was well liked by all. In fact, King Saul liked him enough to have set him over the men of war. King Saul had no problem with David as long as he felt he was above him in all things which he felt he was, until the day they returned from battling the Philistines. It was a tradition in ancient Israel for the women to greet victors returning from battle with music, and dancing, and when they came out in celebration and gave David credit for slaying ten thousands, and Saul only thousands, Saul instantly became overwhelmed with jealousy.

King Saul had rule over everything in the land, his word was final in all matters. Being king he had the finest of living spaces, and he had an abundance of the best food in the land to eat. He had the finest apparel, he had wives, and children, he had chariots, horses, servants, and anything else he desired. Having all he could possibly want, however, wasn't enough to satisfy him once the women of Israel had given David credit for slaying more men in battle than they gave him. From that point forward King Saul was nothing short of miserable, and spent the remainder of his days in pursuit of David having the desire to kill him. He was so filled with jealousy that he couldn't love and appreciate David for the asset he was to him as a loyal friend, and a skilled warrior. In lieu of living like the king that he was and remaining at home in his palace, Saul spent his time roaming around in search of David with the hope of finding him and taking his life. He felt he could not be content until David was dead.  In short, King Saul allowed Jealousy to destroy him.

I've known people like King Saul in my lifetime, and more than likely you have as well. They are perfectly content and pleased to call you friend as long as you have less than them in all areas of your life. They are even okay with you being equal to them in possessions as long as their brand is better than yours. These type people go through life making everything a competition, and they must win. They may not be out to kill someone who surpasses them in some area of praise or materialism, but they certainly make it obvious that they will do everything they can to regain the position of top dog. Most often people like King Saul, who are prone to extreme jealousy, become jealous of those who are neither competitive or jealous, when it comes to what others possess or the praise they receive. Those who are filled with a spirit of extreme jealousy are so easy to spot, and the fact that they are miserable because of it is quite obvious to everyone around them.

Extreme jealousy caused Saul to spend countless days chasing David instead of spending time in the luxury of his palace minding his kingdom. His pursuit of David took him away from his family, and the finer things of life. How must he have appeared to the people of Israel as he pursued a man they hailed a hero? As with anyone else who is consumed with jealousy Saul's behavior made the fact that he was overcome with it blatantly obvious. He had it all, but that one statement made by the Israelite women ignited a jealousy in him that he allowed to absolutely destroy him.

Do you have a jealous spirit? Do you feel the need to always best your neighbor? Do you allow jealousy to consume you? Or, can you be genuinely happy for others when they receive praise or material possessions? For instance, if your friend purchased a home twice the size of yours, could you tell them congratulations on their new home and actually be sincere about it? Or, would you congratulate them by forcing the words out of your mouth through gritted teeth making it obvious that jealousy had its hold on you? When you hear of someone receiving praise or a new material possession do you walk around for days afterwards complaining that you deserve it more than they do? Do you become so jealous of others that like Saul you wind up in a state of misery? If so, I urge you to begin working on that area of weakness in your life immediately. I urge you to go to God in prayer confess that you have a problem with jealousy, and ask Him to help you conquer that negative emotion.

I encourage you to look around, and be grateful for all the blessings God has bestowed upon you, and your family. Be genuinely happy when you hear that God has blessed someone else with praise or some material need. Jealousy is such an ugly emotion, and it is a destroyer. It destroys friendships, families, your health, and it steals your joy, peace, contentment, as well as precious time from your life. I urge you to be happy for others in all they are blessed with, to walk in obedience to God, and to wait patiently for Him to rain down the many blessings He has in store for you.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.

What's Best For You?

Philippians 4:6 (KJV) Says, "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Psalm 27:14 (KJV) Says, "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait,  I say, on the Lord." 
Romans 8:32 (KJV) Says, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"

The above verse of scripture taken from Philippians instructs us not to worry about anything, to go to God in prayer, let him know we are thankful, and then to present our requests to Him. The above verse of scripture taken from Psalm 27 reminds us that after we go to God in prayer, we are to wait patiently on Him. Finally, the above verse of scripture taken from Romans reminds us that there is nothing God will not do for us.

I've heard many people complain that they have gone to God in prayer asking for something, and that they never received it. In some cases the reason a prayer seems to have gone unanswered is because people lose patience, and simply give up. They start complaining that God doesn't hear them, that He never answers their prayers, and that they don't understand why He didn't give them what they asked for. They never stop to think that God may have been preparing to answer their prayer and give them what they prayed for, but they gave up on Him instead of waiting, and realizing that He does things in his time. We must be patient, and wait on God to do things in His time; remembering that He is never early, never late, but always right on time. His timing is perfect.

Another reason a prayer request may seem to go unanswered is because God loves us, He knows what is best for us, and the request we made is not best. You may think that what you ask was not unreasonable, and you may have absolutely no idea why God would not grant the request that you made, but we must remember that God is all knowing. God knows what the outcome of Him answering our prayers in the manner that we desire for Him to answer them will be, and therefore he denies some of our requests for our own good. God is our Heavenly Father, and we are his children. Just as earthly parents tell their children no when they ask for something they don't feel is best for them, God on occasion tells us no for the very same reason.

I can remember as a child getting so upset with my parents, when they would tell me no about something. I would whine and complain asking why not repeatedly. I failed to realize at my age they were telling me no because they loved me and wanted what was best for me. As adults many people react the same way, when God denies their request.

Looking back, it is clear to me now why my parents did not allow me to stay out as long as I wanted to, when I was in high school. They being older, wiser, and more experienced in life than I was, knew that it was not a good idea for a teenager to be out late at night unsupervised. Another clear and basic example of a child being told no for their own good, would be if parents saw their child playing with a lighter, took the lighter away from them, and told them no. The child wanted to play with the lighter, and had no idea he or she could be burned. The parents did know the dangers, however, so they responded by taking the lighter away, and telling the child no.

We are God's children, and He loves us tremendously. He is not going to grant our prayer request, knowing that the result of doing so would not be in our best interest. For example, let's say you are searching for a job and you've applied for several positions, but you are praying daily that you land one in particular. In the end you fail to get the job you prayed so hard for, and you are upset because you were not only qualified for it, but feel you truly deserved it. Because you failed to land the position you desired, you become upset with God, and begin whining and complaining to him professing that you just can't believe he didn't answer your prayer. It is ironic that parents get aggravated if their children whine and complain, when they are told no, but then these same parents will turn right around and behave the same way, when God tells them no. In situations like this it is important that we remember God loves us, and He knows and wants what is best for us. Isn't this the same way earthly parents feel about their children? It could be that the job you wanted was in jeopardy because the company was going out of business within a year or two. It could be that although you felt strongly you wanted the position you would have been extremely unhappy there. It could be that the position you do wind up landing is one that places you among numerous non-believers, and   will provide you with the most opportunity to witness by example for the Lord. God denies some of our requests for our own protection.

There could be any number of reasons why God doesn't answer some of our prayers in the manner we desire Him to, and the truth is we may never know the reasons. We can, however, be certain that He loves us, He wants what is best for us, and being all knowing He is fully aware of exactly what the best is. There is no room for doubt, when it comes to the fact that we are God's children and He would do anything for us. If doubt as to whether or not God loves you and wants the best for you ever creeps into your mind, I urge you to remember He sent his only Son, being sinless, to die on the cross for our sins. If  He loves us enough to offer us a sacrifice of that magnitude, what would He not give us as long as it was for our good?

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you

God Never Changes

Malachi 3:6 (KJV) Says, "For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." Hebrews 13:8 (KJV) Says, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and for ever."

How powerful these two verses of scripture are, and what great comfort, strength, and reassurance we can draw from them. We are advised in the above verse taken from Malachi that God never changes. We are further advised in the scripture taken from Hebrews that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. That God never changes is a promise given to us more than once in scripture, and God never breaks a promise. What greater foundation could one find to stand on than the promises of Almighty God? The answer friends is none.

Many people place their faith and trust in earthly things only to wind up disappointed. For instance, personal relationships. Whether it be a spouse, someone we're dating, or a friend we can bank on the fact that they will eventually disappoint us. Now I'm not suggesting that some of these disappointments are not ones that we can forgive and move past quite the contrary many of them are. My point is that we are human beings subject to mistakes, and being far from perfect we wind up disappointing others at times in our lives. For example, there are people who claim to be our friends, and they are, as long as we give to them and do for them. The minute we are no longer capable of giving and doing for them they walk out of our lives. These people were never our friends because true friends don't walk out on you merely because they can no longer use you.

When we open up to someone, and expose our deepest feelings, we do so because we trust them, and believe they are in our lives to stay. On occasion, after having opened up to a person however, we find ourselves disappointed because the person we confided in tells us or demonstrates to us by their actions, that they no longer love us, and no longer want us around. It is then that we realize we made a mistake in opening up to that person. Had we known that they was going to change their feelings for us we would never have confided in them. Then there are some that opt to gossip about the personal information we shared with them, and this too is highly disappointing. How grateful I am that we can talk to God at any time, and that we can confide and trust in him about anything and everything.

Some people place their trust and faith in their careers, and what a huge mistake that is. These people have put their trust in a position that is paying them well, and affording them many of life's luxuries. Then one day their company shuts down, or they lose their position for another reason and thereby lose all of their material possessions. That leaves them devastated and disappointed because all along they had a concrete belief that their worldly status would never change. These people find out with a quickness that they have put their trust and faith into the wrong things. Worldly possessions change, for instance a new expensive car will eventually be old, begin to break down, and one day rust away in a junkyard.

I encourage you to remember that in this earthly life people, and situations change. I urge you not to forget, the fact that there is only ONE that remains the same always, that never leaves or forsakes us, that we can trust whole heartily, that we can have one hundred percent faith in without doubt, and who is there for us twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. That ONE is God. I urge you to place your trust and faith in him, knowing you can confide in him always, that he keeps every promise he makes, that he will never walk out on you or disappoint you, and that he will absolutely NEVER change.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.

Judging A Person's Heart

I Samuel 17:26-29 (KJV) Says, "And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? And the people answered him after this manner saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightiest see the battle. And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?"

In the above passage of scripture David has been sent to the battlefield, by his father Jesse, to bring his brothers food. When he arrived, he began asking the men around him what would be done to the man that kills Goliath, and who Goliath was to defy the armies of God. While he is speaking with these men his eldest brother, Eliab, over hears him, and becomes angry. He begins a verbal attack on David by asking him why he came down to the battlefield. He then moves on to insult David further by asking who he left tending the few sheep he was in charge of. Eliab's insults came in the form of him using the word few when referring to the number of sheep David was shepherd over thereby  doing his best to minimize David's job as a shepherd, and of course, in accusing him of being full of pride. He then goes on to judge David's heart, and to assume he knows why he came to the battlefield. It is made evident that this wasn't the first time that Eliab had picked on David by the question that David poses to him after being the target of his insults. David asks Eliab what he has done now to cause him to be angry at him.

Eliab clearly jumped to conclusions and judged David's heart having no idea what David's reason was for coming to the battlefield, or his reason for questioning the men about Goliath. The truth as to why David had come down to the battlefield was that he did so in obedience to his father's request that he bring Eliab, and his other brothers food. Then Eliab goes on to make another major mistake in judgment, when he assumes David is questioning the other men in regards to Goliath out of pride. The truth is David was asking those questions because he was confident in the fact that God would lead his army to defeat the Philistines, and that with God working through him, he could slay Goliath. Pride had absolutely nothing to do with it. David was confident because he had faith, and trust in God not in himself. David knew that God had seen him through trials in the past, and that this Philistine giant was nothing God couldn't handle. Notice that David does not argue back with his brother, but moves forward slaying Goliath with a sling and a stone having faith and trust in God. Judging David's heart without having the first fact to base his assessment on, prompted Eliab to behave in an  unkind and harsh manner toward his brother, when he had no valid reason whatsoever to do so.

When we jump to conclusions, and judge another person's heart, it can cause tremendous pain to that individual. There are people who based on assumption, think they know exactly why someone is doing what they are doing, and they also tend to convince themselves that the person's motive is less than upright. These same people are not only quick to make a rash judgment, but they also begin spreading terrible rumors based on what they have concluded as if they're stating facts. This is a horrible way to behave toward another human being. We certainly wouldn't want someone to judge our hearts, and begin spreading vicious rumors about us or begin lashing out at us, when they couldn't be further off course. Eliab is a prime example of how wrong a person can be when they opt to judge one's actions and motives, forming an opinion based on no facts. David was bringing his brothers food, and demonstrating confidence in God, that was David's true heart. By judging David's heart on his own, Eliab had David coming to the battlefield just to watch, and behave in a prideful manner. How far away from the truth we can be, when we jump to our own conclusions.

Friends, I urge you not to be quick to judge another person's heart. It is impossible to know for a fact what a person's motives are at a glance, and without the first fact. I encourage you to make certain you know the truth behind a person's actions and motives before you react as Eliab did, and wind up regretful and feeling guilty because you caused someone great pain only to discover that you were way off on your assessment of them, and their actions.  

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.

Don't Quit

Luke 19:1-9 (KJV) Says, "And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zaccheus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who He was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him: for He was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw Him, and said unto him, Zaccheus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received Him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured saying, that He was going to be a guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham."

Mark 2:2-5 (KJV) Says, "And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and He preached the word unto them. And they came unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was born of four. And when they could not come nigh unto Him for the press, they uncovered the roof where He was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy, son, thy sins be forgiven thee."

In the above passage of scripture taken from Luke, we are informed that Zaccheus was a chief tax collector who was not always ethical in his work. He had apparently heard about Jesus, and wanted to see for himself who this man was. Being short, he was unable to get a clear view because of  the crowd surrounding him. Knowing that Jesus would soon be coming down the road, Zaccheus didn't give up and go home pouting, instead he devised another plan. He climbed up into a sycamore tree, and was able to get a good look at Jesus. To his surprise, as he draws near, Jesus tells him to come down from the tree because He is going to his house. The scripture indicates the excitement Zaccheus felt upon hearing that Jesus was coming to his house by telling us that he made haste coming down from the tree. He didn't just slowly get down as if the idea of Jesus coming to his house was not exciting, he came down quick. After visiting with the Lord Zaccheus tells Him that he will give half of all he has to the poor, and that any man he has wrongly taken from, he will pay back with four times what he took from them. Zaccheus had a divine appointment with Jesus that day, and the result of that appointment was Zaccheus accepting Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He would have missed this divine appointment had he been one to quit.

We are told in the above passage of scripture taken from Luke that Jesus was preaching in the temple, and it was so crowded that it was impossible for anyone else to get in through the door. There came some men carrying their friend in his bed because he was unable to walk due to his suffering with palsy. When they saw they could not enter at the door to get to Jesus they devised a second plan. They climbed up on the roof, cut a hole in it, and lowered their friend down through the ceiling whereupon Jesus healed him. When these men recognized that there was no possible way for them to enter in at the door they did not quit. They came up with a way to hoist him onto the roof, cut a hole in it, and lower their friend down to Jesus. The result was that through faith, and determination their friend was healed.

These two passages of scripture contain examples of men that were persistent, determined, and who refused to quit. They faced obstacles that some would have automatically deemed insurmountable, and yet they refused to quit. It would have been far easier for Zaccheus to have given up, and started whining and complaining about being short, about people failing to notice that he couldn't see, and that he should have known that he'd never be able to see Jesus in a big crowd, but he didn't quit. It certainly would have been easier for the men carrying their friends bed to quit when they saw there was no way they could enter the temple with him through the door. They too could have whined and complained about how far they had carried that bed, how heavy it was, and what a waste of time it had been, but they didn't quit. Because they didn't quit, Zaccheus was born again, and became a new creature in Christ, and the man sick with the palsy was healed. What precious blessings they would have missed out on had any of these men simply quit.

Often times things worth having in life require us to go that extra mile, and to overcome obstacles that are in our way. What prevents most people from succeeding is their lack of persistence, and determination. The first obstacle they come to they begin whining, complaining, deeming the task impossible, and proclaiming they have no alternative except to quit. When we have a mission to accomplish, we must remember that with God all things are possible, and we must be determined, to see it through.

Are you a person who pushes forward through obstacles with determination to succeed? Or are you one to come upon the first obstacle and begin whining, complaining, blaming, and making excuses as to why you can't possibly complete the task at hand? I want to encourage you to never give up, be determined to succeed, have perseverance, and  to remember that with God working through you all things are possible. I encourage you to set a good example for others in situations that seem insurmountable. When you are facing things that seem impossible,  I urge you to remember who your God is, press forward, and never quit.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, send me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.

Trust God

Luke 5:4-7 (KJV) Says, "Now when He had left speaking, He said unto Simon (which is Peter), Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. (the word draught means "catch" of fish) And Simon (which is Peter) answering said unto Him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink."

In the above  passage of scripture Jesus tells Peter to take his ship back out into the deep water, and to cast his nets to catch fish. Peter responds by telling Jesus that he and the men with him have fished all night long, and have caught  nothing. These men were more than likely exhausted and discouraged after fishing all night, and coming up empty. Pause and give their physical and mental state true consideration. Most of us have experienced staying up all night, and how that makes us feel. Now think about how heavy the nets were, and how much labor they had spent casting them out, and dragging them in against the force of the water only to find them empty repeatedly. Imagine how they felt, when Jesus comes up as they are folding their nets in preparation to leave, and tells Peter to go back out into the deep water, and cast his nets again. Peter could have very easily said I am a professional fisherman, I fished all night and caught nothing, the fish just aren't out there, continued folding his nets, and left the vicinity. Instead, Peter responds by addressing Him as Master, which lets us know that Peter was aware of who Jesus was. Peter then says to Him even though we haven't caught anything all night long, since it is you telling me to go back out into the deep water and let down my nets I will do it. As the scripture tells us, when Peter and the other men went back out into the deep and cast their nets they drew up so many fish that they filled two ships to the point that they began to sink. Peter had trusted God, stepped out in faith, and was blessed in abundance for doing so.

Have you ever felt God was instructing you to do something, and found yourself listing all the reasons in the world why it won't work until you talk yourself out of even making an attempt at it? Have you always had it on your heart that you should be doing something specific, something God has gifted you to do, but you've allowed negative thoughts sent from Satan to hold you back? Has God called you to do something that you are running from because you are afraid of failing?       

Peter did not hesitate to follow Jesus' instructions, if he had he would have missed out on an abundant blessing. Fortunately Peter opted to trust God, step out in faith, and follow the instructions Jesus' gave him, and as we read in the above passage of scripture, it certainly paid off. When God calls you to do something or He instructs you to do something, large or small, do you hold back? Or Do you react like Peter, step out in faith, trust God, and  following His instructions without hesitation? 

Friends are you holding yourself back from something God has called you to do, if so you are doing two things. Most importantly you are demonstrating a lack of trust in God. He would never call us to do something He hasn't equipped us to do, and He would never call us to do something that He would not work through us to accomplish. He would never instruct us to do something in order to set us up for failure. The second thing is you are operating according to your fleshly feelings. You are allowing your doubt and fears to rule your actions, and prevent you from being all that God has called you to be. You are also missing out on the many blessings God has in store for you.  Peter could have allowed fleshly feelings to prevent him from casting his nets back out. He could have said I'm tired, I don't feel like it, it won't do any good because the fish aren't out there, and I won't catch anything, but instead he trusted God. I urge you not to hesitate to respond as Peter did to God's instructions. I urge you to step out in faith, trust God, and be all that he has called you to be.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.