His Ways

On July 23, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 145: 17

The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.

I like this Psalm, as many of you do, and I have several passages highlighted. As I read it today, I kept coming back to this verse. I imagine that for most of us there is no revelation in this verse. We expect God to be righteous and at a minimum we want to believe He is kind in all His deeds. Still, I find value in reviewing this verse for two reasons. First, it is good to be reminded of His goodness. Second, when we ponder this verse, it grows in our understanding.

God is good, all His ways are righteous. That means God isn’t out there performing badness. Isn’t that good news? He bring righteousness to everything. That means that everything we invite Him into enjoys that same quality of righteousness. When He comes to our event, He brings with Him everything that is good. The only way He knows how to be is right; doing right, being righteous. All His interactions with each of us are filled with righteousness. God will always do right by you.

Mediation on this verse leads us to examine each word. The word “all” captures my attention. I am especially taken by God’s kindness in “all” His deed. What does that mean if you rephrase it? Every single act of God is kind. Now if you are a person who believes in the Bible, that can have a major impact on your theology. If everything God does, every act, is an act of kindness, then He never does an unkind thing to anyone. That necessarily means that He did not blow out my knee even though some people told me He did. It means He never gave anyone cancer. He never, ever, in all the millennia, did an unkind thing. Everything He has ever done has been kind.

Soak that in. He didn’t allow you to get fired from your job so that you would learn to seek Him. He didn’t break you so He could make you. His way of making you, actually, is to love you into the version of you that He sees when He looks at you. He loves you and only wants the best for you because His kindness extends to the way He thinks of you and the plans He has for you. Every thought He has towards you is kind.

As we expound on the little words in a verse, they expand our understanding and our insight. Thinking our way through these kinds of verses illuminates the very nature of God. Then, as we begin to appreciate His inherent goodness, we grow in our trust in Him. Soon, the entire dynamic of one’s relationship with Him is altered for the good and forever.

Take your time with this little verse and let the Father’s kindness infiltrate your life.

Back to Top

Being Blessed

On July 20, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

2 Chronicles 20: 25

And they were three days taking the spoil because there was so much.

For those of you who have been reading the Word of the Day for a while, you know this story from 2 Chronicles is one of my favorites. It shows how God works in our lives as well as showing what our part of the dynamic is. (Go to our website, https://iveyministries.org and select the daily devotional tab. From there you can search 2 Chronicles 20 and read other messages taken from this moving passage.) This chapter is a classic teaching on spiritual warfare but today I want you to see something different. We can see God’s economy working here too.

I understand when I write about us living in God’s economy rather than the world’s it is challenging to put practical legs on it. It seems so nebulous, so farfetched. I agree. It’s hard to wrap your head around God being your source when all you see is a job or a paycheck. We have been trained to work for an income but God is telling us to believe for our income. Use your paycheck as seed and your faith for your income. That is just a little hard for most of us to understand. Here, in 2 Chronicles, we get to see a practical application of God’s economy.

Back in the day, the armies went out to fight and “to the winner went the spoils” of war. In this passage from 2 Chronicles, though, no one drew their sword. Three different nations gathered together against Judah and yet not one soldier fought. King Jehoshaphat had people standing upon the ridge singing and playing their instruments as if there were not three armies ready to annihilate them. Can you picture that. Instead of sharpening their swords or setting an ambush, these guys had a sing-a-long. Not one of them fought, not one of them died and yet they ended up with the spoils of war. There was so much booty that it took them three days to haul it off. What does this say to us about God’s economy? They certainly did not work for it. One can hardly say they were the victors of battle. None the less, they walked away with a bounty.

This is one example of how God can bless your pocketbook. I am not suggesting He is going to slay three armies for you but certainly you have your own situations. He has all kinds of ways figured out to get resources into your hands without you having to earn them. The key, in this case and in our lives, is following His direction. Judah listened to the voice of the Lord and then did what He told them to do. That is the entire secret. We only have to do whatever He says, no matter how ridiculous it sounds, and He will prosper us. So, if you wanted to know the secret, now you do.

Be blessed in all you do. Let God increase you. He is our source and the master of our increase. Set your heart and mind on following this example. Embrace the idea that God can make material goods come into your hands from any source. He is your provision, your job is not. He will make His enemies pour their gold into your hands. Believe it and it is yours.

Back to Top

Shut Up Legs

On July 19, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Romans 5: 3 – 4            GW

But that’s not all. We also brag when we are suffering. We know that suffering creates endurance, endurance creates character, and character creates confidence.

It’s July 19th and we are deep into the running of the Tour de France. I love biking so I love to watch the race, but there is more to the Tour de France that I enjoy than just a bike race. There are beautiful views of France and its architecture, gorgeous churches, history lessons and their impacts, insights into the people of the various regions, and more, much more, in fact. One of the most captivating elements of the Tour de France though, is the human drama. The racing that goes on is fabulous and exciting but following the riders’ personal stories and triumphs is riveting. These professional bike riders turn themselves inside out with massive efforts. Mile after mile they continue to ride after their legs have begun to loudly complain.

One recently retired but still popular rider is Jens Voigt. Among other things, Voigt is known for his saying, “Shut up legs.” In fact, he had it on his top tube where he would see it when he looked down. Instead of letting his legs dictate his outcome, he made up his mind what he wanted to do and then expected his body to obey. He didn’t let the pain and discomfort dictate his race. I love this so much. In fact, I need to get his T-shirt with “shut up legs” emblazoned across it because like “Jensie,” this is my philosophy on life.

If you want to see suffering, watch one of the mountain stages of the Tour de France. Despite their suffering, though, they persist. That persistence produces endurance in their minds and bodies. Endurance absolutely does produce character. The top riders know how to suffer but their perseverance has produced confidence. They know they can push themselves and triumph. It is tried and tested.

You don’t know what you can do until you push yourself. We have to learn to stand on faith even when everything in us is yelling to quit. We’ve gotta yell back, “Shut Up!” We are the masters of our destiny and if God has given us something to do then we have to go all in like these professional bike riders.

Ask yourself, who is in charge? Is it fear, or is it you. What forces are keeping you from reaching the finish line? Let your faith speak louder than your fear. Don’t let the circumstances dictate your race. As I say often, “The facts don’t count.” What counts is your belief, tenacity and your ability to persevere in the grace of the Lord. If God has called you to climb a mountain then you can, no matter what the facts say. Speak to your mountain. Let it know that it must obey you. The mountain does not determine the finish, the character of the person determines the outcome.

Don’t be a quitter. Don’t give up when the going gets hard. Don’t stop believing just because you cannot see the finish line. Go on You Tube and watch this video of Jens Voight
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zreFKnBLDjg) and take inspiration from a champion. See determination in action and let it encourage you to persevere through challenges and seeming impossibilities. Get a big dream in front of you and chase it down. When it gets tough speak to those circumstances like Jens Voigt. Tell them to shut up!

Back to Top

Sell Out

On July 18, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

2 Chronicles 16: 9

For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.

Do you ever wonder what God is up to? What is he doing with His time? Now you know. He is scanning the whole earth looking for those he can support and strengthen. God wants to bless us. He wants to uphold us by His strong right arm but the truth is that we won’t let Him because we don’t allow ourselves to receive from Him. Some of us lack belief, others lack expectation. Still others of us don’t appreciate His goodness.

Being blessed is a process of teamwork. The first part is that we must be dedicated to God. Do you see that He scans the world looking for a heart He can work with? Those are important words and if we are not living in the blessing as fully as we think we should be, then this is the place for us to begin our analysis. We see that God wants to bless us. He wants to support us in all we do. He is just looking for someone who will cooperate with Him. His eyes constantly search for someone who is wholeheartedly in for Him. Is that you. Is your heart for God? Are you completely sold out to Him?

If you answered, “Yes,” then God is all in for you too. My next question is, “Will you allow yourself to be blessed?” Some people have difficulty receiving. It begins with believing that God wants to bless His people. Hebrews 11: 6 reads, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” We have to believe that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. So, He is searching the earth for those whose hearts believe that He is and that He is a rewarder. You see, you are not sold out to God nor wholehearted towards Him if you don’t believe His word and even specifically this verse from Hebrews. He is looking for someone who will believe that God is for them in every way. He wants us to lean on the expectation of His strong support.

That brings up another point from today’s verse. God isn’t looking just to sprinkle you with blessing or just give you a small step up. He is a big God and wants to show Himself strong to you. He wants to “strongly support” your dreams and goals. That means that not only is He in your corner, but He is the loudest cheerleader you have. He wants to give you all He has. That ends up boiling down to all you will receive. He isn’t trying to be a subtle encourager. He wants to get loud and flex His muscles with strength.

I think if you will mediate on this verse, you will find more here than you have previously considered. I hope it blesses you from the top of your head to the bottoms of your feet. Get your heart fully committed to the Father who loves you and who wants to be your supporter. Be sold out to Him. Believe Him and let Him help you.

Back to Top

Choked

On July 17, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Mark 4: 19

[A]nd the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Most people would probably say that they are not enjoying all of the victory in life that they would like. Jesus tells us here why some of their work is unfruitful. The Word is getting choked out. It is so easy to start out right where you need to be and then the next thing you know, something is spinning out of control. What happened? Usually it is one of the above. I would add one other item to the list.

Sometimes busyness is the thing that chokes out the Word. We get too tied up in the things of this world and with running around trying our very best to get everything done only to realize that we have neglected the most important thing.

Look, you have seen plenty of wealthy celebrities with their lives in complete shambles. They were deceived into thinking that wealth and fame would make them happy. Striving for the money and the toys has left us all empty. When our desire for the things of this world outweighs our desire for the things of God, it is inevitably going to go badly for us. And as children of the most high, we should know that we do not even have to pursue those things like the world does. We seek the Lord and he gives us the desires of our hearts including some toys and other things that enrich life.

If we do not want the Word to be unfruitful, then we must guard ourselves against getting our eyes on the things of this world, including our jobs and other activities to the detriment of having our attention stayed on God, His son, His spirit and His Word. If we keep our priorities in line and keep our desire fixed on the Lord, then all these other things will be added to us.

Back to Top

All the Time

On July 16, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

2 Chronicles 26: 5

And as long as he sought the Lord, God prospered Him.

God is just waiting for you to seek His guidance so that He can lead you into His blessings. He wants to help you with all life’s questions and choices. He can give you His Godly wisdom rather than you having to search for answers. He can tell you in a minute what might take you years to research and learn. All He is waiting for is for you to seek Him in all of those things. You have to open the door to Him. You are going to prosper and succeed in all you do when you have the wisdom and guidance of the Lord. His all knowing can be your benefit.

We all need to learn to pray constantly. We need to be in prayer about every little thing. We’ve got to stop making prayer into some ritualistic event so that we can, with ease, enter into God’s presence at any moment. I am not saying that you shouldn’t have quiet prayer time with God in your private space. I am saying you cannot wait until you have that perfect circumstance in order to talk with the Lord. Why do you think He is omnipresent? It is so He can be with you every minute of every day. Sometimes I talk with Him while I am pumping gas or walking through the grocery store. We need to invite Him into all of those moments as well as our spiritual time. He wants to be our everyday Lord not just our Sunday Holy God.

We prosper and succeed when we seek Him and we need His help all of the time. Therefore, let us learn to seek Him often so that we can walk in His grace and in His wisdom.

Back to Top

Behind My Back

On July 13, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 38: 17      AMP

You have loved back my life from the pit of nothingness (destruction), for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

Do you ever wonder what God is thinking about your sin? Well, here is your answer. He has forgotten it. He cast it behind Him. It is where He cannot see it or be reminded of it. Maybe you should cast it behind your back as well.

The God’s Word version adds this, “Now my bitter experience turns into peace.” Why? Because God has forgotten our sin. Our sadness and disappointment from our many mistakes and sins is changed to peace because God has looked upon us with compassion and never-ending mercy. Romans 8: 28 reads, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Did you ever consider this includes our sins? It does say “all things” does it not? So all of your errors, whether intentional sin or errors in judgement are cast behind God’s back because He cares for you. He is turning your bitter experience into peace; peace for you, peace between you and He.

God doesn’t want to be angry with you. He does not want you condemned or feeling guilty. He sent Jesus so that you could experience true freedom in your life and in your inner self. He has redeemed you from the pit of destruction by His own choice. Why would He hang on to your sin. Why would He continue to dangle it in front of you in that He gave His most precious asset in order to redeem you? That would make no sense.

Is there something that has troubled you for years? Let it go. God has put it behind Him so it is time for you to put it behind you too.

Back to Top