Let All Praise

On September 9, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 67: 1 – 5

God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us— Selah.
2 That Your way may be known on the earth, your salvation among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You.
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on the earth. Selah.
5 Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You.

Indeed, let all the people of the world praise the Lord our God. He will judge righteously. Remember judgment isn’t just a negative. Someone wins a judgment in a lawsuit. Our God has already decided that we will win when He passes judgment because He has chosen to see us through the blood of righteous Jesus.

He will guide us all, all the peoples of all the nations. He will show himself to all the people of the earth and they will revel in His glory and majesty. All the nations will praise Him and sing of His glory. We will shout for joy at the revealing of His grace and beauty. The glory of His face will shine upon us all, for it is luminous, the light of the world. And we shall glory in His presence.

This is the description of the real end of days. When God shows Himself all the world will recognize Him as the one and only true God. They will see His beauty and majesty and will delight in His presence. There will be no unbelievers. There may be some people who choose not to follow Him but no one will be able to doubt His majesty.

He is gracious and kind and will lead all the nations in love. He will lead all people in delightful paths that will fill their hearts with joy and fulfillment. Then the people of all the earth will honor and praise Him. Selah.

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Diverging Strategies

On October 2, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   2 Comments

Isaiah 55: 8

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.

This might go without saying but it is probably good that it was stated so that we can consider it. Of all the doctrines and all the interpretative opinions we hear, surely there is little disagreement over this passage. However, I wonder how much we actually pay attention to the deep revelations within.

I searched my database to see how many times I have written on this passage and was astounded to find the answer to be none. I have referred to it in other Words of the Day but it has never been the subject of its own devotional. Let’s correct that today. My part is to write what the Father is telling me, yours is to meditate on these words but specifically this scriptural passage and determine how the application of its wisdom can (and should) impact your life.

 I have been thinking about today’s verse in relation to Jeremiah 29: 11 which says, “I know the plans that I have for you.” When I put them together I get – Diverging Strategies. Our plans are not His plans because His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55: 9). When you intellectually connect these dots, it changes everything. And I find that it points out a major flaw in our prayer life and our relationship with Him.

One of the major purposes of Ivey Ministries is to teach believers how to operate in the realm of God, the Kingdom of God. Today’s verse and devotion is a key cog in that curriculum and part of the Ivey Ministries Foundation Series. It is too big for one devotional but I will try to develop it over time.

One of the loudest conclusions of this study is that we need to allow our Father to be the author of the strategies for our success and fulfillment. He knows what will fulfill us and He is leading us on that path. His plans are for our well-being, not for calamity (Jeremiah 29: 11). Since He knows the way, we would be well served to follow His leading instead of stumbling around in our ignorance. Most of us, however, have learned to ask God to bless our plans. Few ever really take the time to discern God’s plans. This is a major failing in our individual lives as well as in the body of Christ. 

The shift we all need to make is to spend our time and prayers inquiring of God rather than petitioning Him to do what we want. If we will do this we will find ourselves in the promised land instead of the quagmire that so many of us are forced to deal with on a daily basis. Take the time, please, to ask Father what He wants, what His desire and plan is for you. His path and plan leads to a land flowing with milk and honey where he even gets water from rocks on your journey there. His blessing is in His plan, His plan for goodness. Your blessing and abundantly blessed life is right here in today’s devotional. Please don’t miss it.

Send your questions and responses to www.iveyministries.org or use the comment section below.

 

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You Win

On June 3, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 73: 28

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Thy works.

Here is David’s answer to the success of the world. He found his rest and his success in the shelter of the Lord. Take your time with this verse and feel the intimacy David had with the Father. That kind of close relationship is worth everything the world has to offer. What can you imagine would be greater to have than a personal closeness with God Almighty? I cannot conceive of anything better. David could always retreat to his place of fellowship with the Lord. It was his refuge and his hiding place. In his relationship with the Lord were his safety and his well-being. When you attain that kind of familiarity with the Lord, then all of the other needs are just automatically fulfilled. In God is everything we could ever possibly need or want. Seek Him and this kind of intimacy and you will have no want of anything.

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