Meditation: March 22

“Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” James 1:18

It was not as the result of skills or ingenuity that we were presented on the scene possessing the qualities the world is in desperate need. In due time, God presents to the world His solution to its greatest challenges through a people who have been qualified to speak life into the culture of death. Yet none can take the credit for what is spoken or demonstrated. It is His awesome power on public display. Within His own time He raises up a people who are qualified to speak the truth in love. When the righteous are raised in power all things are in the process of being restored. Only the truth spoken in love is a basis for God’s order to replace the confusing philosophies of religious gurus who twist the truth to their own whims. All of creation awaits the manifestation of those who would be willing to stand for the truth at all cost. Then there will be the dawning of a new day of liberty from the bondage of corruption.

Meditation: March 21

“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”  1 Peter 5:10

The progression that takes place in the life of a Christ-follower begins with the call. He calls us to Himself.  Then we can be conformed to the image of His Son. It is only when we answer the initial call will we qualify to experience what is produced in us as the result of being drawn close to Him.  His eternal glory is the finished product of His grace. God looks at the end from the beginning. But the path requires suffering even though it is only for a little while in contrast to the glory that shall be revealed in us. We are matured to see things from His perspective, thus established in the faith not wavering because of various trials. Each challenge provides strength for future challenges as we develop a greater resistance to the evil one. Finally we are settled as not to be moved by whatever may come our way. A steadfast faith remains constant and undisturbed in a fixed position in relation to God. Pray that the God of all grace release an abundance of His grace towards us for the journey which lay ahead.

Meditation: March 20

“Let’s decide which of us is in the right. God may avenge me, but it is in his hands, not mine.”(MSG) 1 Samuel 24:12

We are in a battle for the souls of men. The opposition has the populous vote and has gained momentum over the years. It often appears as if we are on the losing side while vices seem to be virtuous. What the fathers of our faith established is now under attack led by those who ought to be defenders of the faith. Their creeds have been reinterpreted or altogether ignored. Their values have been viewed as obsolete and often amended. Who is listening while God is yet speaking through the faithful few?  There are those who are willing to stand against the winds of adversity and defy the storms of error that are unleashed in order to overtake, if possible the very elect. Let God decide who is right and who is wrong. God will avenge His elect. Truth crushed to the earth will rise again.  The argument of who is right and who is wrong will eventually be settled. It will not be a draw between two opposing views.  God know those who are His and will avenge His own, but it is in His hands and not ours.

Meditation: March 19

“And you? Go about your business without fretting or worrying. Relax. When it’s all over, you will be on your feet to receive your reward.” Dan 12:13 (MSG)

There are places to go and things yet to be done by those who have put their trust in the Lord. None can predict the future, but we can rest assured that the outcome is in His hands. Situations can be paralyzing to those who have no hope beyond what they are able to see. Then others have completely ignored the signs and have not prepared themselves for what we have been prophetically forewarned. There is a God-given task to which the sons of men ought to be engaged. We are to occupy until He comes. The threats are real, but should not create fretting or worrying to the prepared. We have One in whom we have placed our trust. When the storms have passed us over, and the clouds have lifted, we will be standing on our feet to receive our rewards from God who rewards the faithful.

Meditation: March 18

“The field is wasted, the land mourns; for the grain is ruined, the new wine is dried up, the oil fails. Joel 1:10

There are times when conditions are bleak and the people are called to repentance. Nothing occurs by chance. God withdraws His Hand among a people who think they have the abilities to manage their affairs. It is not that the people are completely abandoned but rather, they are allowed to feel the results of decisions made when He is no longer reverenced as Lord. Without His oversight, the field is wasted, the grain is ruined, the new wine is dried up, and the oil fails. Each requires what only God is able to give for their sustenance. Without His care the people must manage without the rain that must fall from heaven. Nothing planted is able to grow without the rain. When it touches the seed, it will then spring forth with new life. Spiritual dryness is a condition where the people have not come to realize the source of challenges facing the world. God’s people must in humility seek His face and turn in the direction of righteousness in order for the rain to fall from heaven and cause all things to flourish.

Meditation: March 17

“You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.” Psalm 65:11

Whatever happens and however it may happen, God ends with the placement of His crown of goodness. That is why He is called good even when things happen that are difficult to explain. When there are valleys there also must be mountains. The deeper the valley indicates the higher the mountain must be. Valley experiences are not always fatal. They can be but not necessarily must be fatal. His path is frightening to the fainthearted. Every wall in the valley contains a message that you have reached the point of no return. But as long as you are aware that He is leading you, you can trust Him throughout the journey. A crown awaits you at the end of the season of testing.  Not only is there a crown, but there are rich blessings to be gathered along the way.

Meditation: March 16

“The earth is violently broken, the earth is split open; the earth is shaken exceedingly.” Isaiah 24:17

The earth is violently disturbed as the result of the violent offenses measured against its Creator. It awaits the rule of the sons of God whose aim is to reflect the glory of Jesus Christ. Until then, it is held captive, not willingly but anticipating a liberty that will only come as the rule of the righteous. Some will grow bitter towards God because of the calamities that many inhabitants on the earth are now suffering. They will think of God as being cruel and unfair. But His  judgments will ultimately bring an end to sins that often appear to be benign, but are the root cause of wars and all earthly calamities. The mark established by God is not the aim of many leaders who now lead many astray, thus sin runs its full course. He created the earth to be a habitation of rest and peace, but sin has left its mark and produced death. Pray that righteous rulers will arise in order for the people to rejoice because the Prince of Peace is ruling over them.

Meditation: March 15

”The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.” Proverbs 12:26

The righteous ought to practice the art of carefully choosing their friends. Once the purpose of friendships is understood, each one can be taken seriously. There are commitments made to each other to be genuine and trustworthy at all times. The character of men is similar to a magnet which draws like-minded individuals together. Deceptive people may seek out those that they envy who possess the character that they wish was their own. Yet their deceptive ways have reduced them to mere pretense which leads many who trust them astray. Our influence is either positive or negative. We assimilate the character of the company that we keep. Choose friends carefully because one’s own character is reflected by their choices.

Meditation: March 14

“For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Romans 3:3

God is determined to fulfill every one of His promises. Too much is at stake for Him to fail. Yet there are many who doubt Him and question His authority and abandon their post defecting from the faith. Does unbelief negate God’s faithfulness? He allows the rain to fall on the unjust as well as the righteous. He provides for believers as well as unbelievers. Seasons of the year that change for all to receive the benefits of change. Yet God is determined to raise up a remnant among His people who will obey Him and receive the full benefit of His promises. They will hear His voice and heed to His call. If not the parents, He may reach some of their children. What is rejected by one generation may been embraced by their successors. God will provide future evidence of His truth. When all else is shaken and crumbles to the earth, His Word will remain. And what was once cast down and rejected will be raised by and through what God has already spoken.

Meditation: March 13

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,” Jude 24

God has the ability to stabilize our walk and keep us from staggering. It is the staggering walk or the unsettled and unsure steps that eventually lead to a fall. We don’t have to waver in unbelief, but can maintain a steady confidence that God is all that He says in His Word. The world has a dizzying affect upon all who focus their attention in its direction. The contrary winds of error spoken by the majority blow in such ways as to cause the fainthearted to sway under its control. But God has a path that is straight and the power to keep us straight on the path. It leads to the Presence of His glory as one who has victoriously endured the pressures that otherwise would have caused us to drift away. Even if we stumble or stagger or even drift for a moment in time, He gets us back on course and teaches us what we need to know in order that we may stand erect in the center of the storm. There His peace abides and we learn to trust in Jesus as Lord over the storm.