Looking a Little Ashy

…To give them beauty for ashes…

Isaiah 61:3b NKJV

Science will tell you that millions of years ago, large pockets of carbon dioxide were deep beneath the Earth’s crust. "Extreme heat and pressure caused the carbon atoms to crystallize forming diamonds," according to the website www.library.thinkquest.org. Extreme heat… fire from the depths of the Earth.

Did you know that the depth of a diamond is actually the height of a diamond? It is measured from the very bottom of the culet to the table facet at the top. However, there is another term related to diamonds that most people don't know. It is Depth %. 

According to the aforementioned website, depth % is the height of a diamond (measured from the culet to the table) divided by the width of the diamond. The depth % is critical to creating brilliance and fire in a diamond. A depth % that is too low or too high will cause light to leak out of the stone, causing the diamond to lose sparkle.

Have you ever experienced extreme heat from pressure in your life - the kind that felt as though it came from the pit of hell? Although the depth % may be critical to creating brilliance and fire, the good news is that the height and width of the Cross were in perfect proportion, so keep reaching for Jesus. There is no light, no love and no life lost in Him. Even when it feels like all that’s left is ashes, Christ came to give us beauty for those ashes.

Prayer:

Father,

           In all things, for every circumstance and event of our lives, we cannot always know or understand Your ways, but this I know. You are God and You are holy and You are righteous and nothing can separate us from Your love. You are our eternal hope. Give us beauty for ashes, Father. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

The Same Word

And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

Luke 4:3-4 KJV

We know who Jesus is. We know He is the only begotten Son of God, equal part of the triune Godhead. Our Saviour. In John 1:1-4 NKJV, we read,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Through study, we understand the Word to be Jesus. He is the living Word. John 1:14 NKJV tells us, 

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

So, Jesus came to earth, born of a virgin, to dwell among us, to set us free from our rebellious, sinful nature so that we can live eternally with Him. THAT Jesus, that's the One - who when being tempted by satan said to satan, IT IS WRITTEN...

Now if the Saviour of the world, who - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God - THAT Jesus fights and defeats the enemy of our soul with "It is written..."    why would we think that we could do it withOUT reading and KNOWING the same written Word of God?

Just something to think upon going into the weekend.

Prayer:

Father, 
          Thank You for Your Word; for speaking to us, for having men write it down for posterity, for becoming flesh and living it out before us. Thank You that we are able to study it and live accordingly. Illuminate Your Truths to us. Write them on the tablets of our hearts, O God, by Your Holy Spirit, that we have the power to be Your sons and daughters. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

It'll Get Done

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Philippians 1:6 NLT

One commentary I read had this observation:

Do you sometimes feel as though you aren't making progress in your spiritual life? When God starts a project, He completes it! As with the Philippians, God will help you grow in grace until He has completed His work in your life. 

When you are discouraged, remember that God won't give up on you.  He promises to finish the work He has begun. When you feel incomplete, unfinished, or distressed by your shortcomings, remember God's promise and provision. Don't let your present condition rob you of the joy of knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to Him. 

Prayer:

Father, 

          Thank You for the promise that You will complete the work You began in us. We're counting on it, Lord, and asking for Your mercy and grace and the power of the Holy Spirit to walk it out in our lifetime. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Understanding the Purpose

His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”
“But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they didn’t understand what he meant.
Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.
Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.
Luke 2:48-52 NLT

At 12, He understood His purpose. He was to be about His Father's business, but His earthly parents did not understand. This is the last story we read about Jesus' childhood. For the next EIGHTEEN YEARS, there isn't one other record of Him. However, we know that the Saviour of the world lived in submission to His earthly parents. Jesus knew that all authority is placed by God the Father, and if He was to be a man of authority, He had to submit to authority - to God's authority and the authority God placed in Jesus' life. What is the main point? Obedience.

And because He did, He grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people. Jesus understood the purpose of submission. He understood the great power of obedience and He walked it out in His life. How do we know that? Romans 5:19 assures us, For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. And also because 18 years later - when Jesus re-emerged onto the scene - He was fully equipped to complete His purpose... in obedience. 

And He did.

Prayer:

Father,
           We understand so little about submission to authority and complete obedience from the heart. We want to know it more. Forgive us, O God! We want more of You and less of ourselves. Help us to humble ourselves under Your mighty hand that we may fulfill Your purpose for our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Without Fear

We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.
Luke 1:74-75 NLT

How important do you think it is to serve God without fear? For as many times as it appears in the Scriptures to fear not, I'd say God is not just suggesting that we don't, but commanding that we don't. Why? Because He IS love and perfect love casts out all fear. 1st John 4:18 reads, There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

So, let me share with you how important it is to NOT be fearful. Revelation 21:7-8 AKJV reads, He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. [emphasis mine].

The fearful and unbelieving are lumped right in with perverts and murderers, and all liars... NONE of whom has a place in heaven.

Prayer:

Father,
             Help us to trust in Your perfect love at all times. We know You have our best interests at heart always. Help us to trust Your sovereign goodness and move forward with confidence. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

How to Know What's Going On

He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.
Luke 1:15c

At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy."
Luke 1:41-44 NKJV

Elizabeth knew about Mary's pregnancy before Mary told her, even though Mary had only been pregnant for days (see Luke 1:39). How did she know? She surely wasn't showing - there was no baby bump in that short amount of time. If we look back, we know the angel, Gabriel, told Zechariah the priest that his son would be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. When Mary greeted Elizabeth, John, the baby, leaped within her and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. (Remember, John was already filled with the Holy Spirit.)  The Holy Spirit revealed it to both John and his mother. Mary knew because the Holy Spirit had overshadowed her.

How can we know the mysteries of Scripture unless they are revealed to us? How can they be revealed to us unless the Holy Spirit does the revealing? John 16:13 NKJV tells us, However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. We must know God's Word to be able to fulfill our purpose in being here. We must receive the Holy Spirit to be able to know the depth and mysteries in God's Word. It's how we can know what's going on... 

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for sending Your Son to provide our salvation and redemption. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to lead us into all Truth; past, present and future. Reveal Yourself to us, Lord, so that we may know the Truth and the Truth will set us free. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Psalming Words

In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done.
Psalm 118:5-9, 14-17

This is my story - I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done. He alone is my Strength and my Song, and He has given me the victory!

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for Your Word that You provided for us - to teach, to train and to exhort. Let it come alive in us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen