Category: Strength for Today

Hosea 2:7
“And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.”

A sad but tragic reminder is found in the verse above. A woman who married a man and had children with him one day thought she was not happy with him, so she left him for other men whom she thought would make her happy. These other men showered her with money and possessions just to get from her what they wanted. As long as she was being showered with these material and worldly possessions she was happy.

What this woman did not realize was that one day those men whom she called her lovers would forsake her. As the verse above says, she would seek for them but would not find them. Her only option was to go back to the man she married, for it wasn’t until she was forsaken and the life of whoredom didn’t suffice that she realized how much better life was with her husband.

My question to this woman is, where are they now? Where are those men whom you thought were better than your husband? Where are those gifts they showered upon you? Where are their sweet words to lure you to fulfill their lustful and selfish desires? What this woman found out was that what she once thought was bad was actually better than she had realized. This woman would have had to live on the streets if her husband, who was a much better person than she, had not waited for her to return. This story reminds us of some valuable lessons we must never forget.

First, sin always looks better from the other side. Sin can only show you the flashing lights and the first nights because it cannot show you the end of where it takes you. Sin only has one side to show. You may think the Christian life is too restrictive, but wait until sin has taken its course to see how much more restrictive it will be on your life. Don’t believe the lies of sin, for sin will never show you the other side of the door.

Second, don’t take for granted what you presently have. We are prone to forget the goodness of what we have. Let me encourage you to never stop looking at the goodness of a spouse, parent, friend, church or the Christian life. If you are not careful, you will focus so much on the negatives of life that you stop seeing the goodness of what you have.

Third, you are always wanted back even when sin has robbed you of your original value. The greatest part about this story is that Hosea never stopped waiting for his wife’s return. She may not have returned in the same condition she left, but his love for her still wanted her back no matter what sin had done to her. It doesn’t matter how deep in sin you have gone, you can always come back to God. There are plenty of people who are awaiting your return and will gladly take you back. Don’t believe the lie of the Devil who tells you that nobody wants you.

Friend, don’t ever give up on those who have gone wayward. You will never know what the LORD is doing in their heart until they return. Keep praying and waiting! If you are reading this and have gone astray, let me plead with you to return. We are waiting for you.

Daniel 9:3
“And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:”

Have you ever had a time in your life when you needed to seek the face of God to get an answer you needed in life? There are many times when people seek the face of God. In times of need, you should seek the face of God. In times of sickness, you should seek the face of God. In times of indecision, you should seek the face of God. In times of heartache, you should seek the face of God. In times when direction is needed, you should seek the face of God. There are many times in your life when you should seek God’s face to get an answer as to what you should do or to get Him to intervene on your behalf.

Daniel came upon one of those times in his life when he read the Book of Jeremiah and could not understand what God was trying to get across. It is interesting the actions that Daniel took as he sought God’s face. Those actions that Daniel performed are the same actions you need to take when seeking God’s face for whatever reason. Let me show you these actions so that you will know what you need to do in those times.

First, seek God’s face in prayer. You will never find the face of God without spending time in prayer. It is always through prayer that one finds the face of God. I fear too often we run to personalities for help instead of to the prayer closet to find the face of God. The only way you will find an answer to your situation is to seek the face of God. It is God Who can meet your needs. It is God Who can step in and turn your situation around.

Second, seek God’s face in humility. Notice when Daniel sought the face of God he went “with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes.” It is the humble heart that God notices. God’s face will never be found by the one who presumptuously thinks they can demand God to give an answer. You must always have the mentality that you do not deserve to be in His presence, and that you are entering the presence of a holy God.

Third, seek God’s face through confession. One of the first things Daniel did was to confess his sins and the sins of Israel. When is the last time you truly confessed your sins to God? I’m not talking about saying the ritualistic prayer, “God, forgive me for all my sins.” I am talking about truly confessing to God what you have done. List your sins to God in humility. It is during the time of confession that you will begin to see your depravity and God’s holiness.

Fourth, seek God’s face by being transparent and accepting responsibility. Daniel did not blame his sins on others, but he was honest with God and took responsibility for his own actions. You will never find the face of God as long as you give excuses as to why you did wrong. Admit your wrong, and accept responsibility for your own actions.

Fifth, never give up when you seek God’s face. Daniel prayed until God gave him an answer. My friend, if you want God to step in on your behalf, you must never stop seeking His face. You may have prayed for months or even years, but keep seeking His face until He comes through. There is an answer to your need, but that answer will only be found when you seek God’s face.

Daniel 1:17
“As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.”

When Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem, he told his soldiers to only bring back the best. What he wanted is found in verse 4 where it says, “Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.” These children were very capable on their own. These children were not the outcasts of society, but they were children who were the best in their class.

Among these children were four young men who were different from the rest. These four young men were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. They were not much different from the rest of the children with the abilities, but there was something that was completely different about these four young men. The difference is found in the verse above when it says, “As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom…” These young men were different because of the source of their learning and wisdom. Though these four young men had personal abilities like the rest, they chose to put aside their abilities and get God’s wisdom and knowledge. They understood that God was their key to making a difference.

If you are going to make a difference in your world, you must realize that it must start with God. You will be no different from anyone else if you rely upon your own abilities to make a difference. Your abilities have limits; whereas, God’s abilities are limitless. You can tap into your source and eventually hit a wall, or you can tap into God’s source and find there is no limit as to what God can do through you.

Let me warn you, if you choose to tap into God’s resources, then you are going to have to take a stand. These four young men had to take a stand for right when others would not. When it came to following God’s diet, they chose to be the only four young men who didn’t compromise and eat the king’s meat. When it came to bowing to the golden image, they didn’t crumble under the pressure when everyone around them bowed. When it came to taking a stand for prayer when it was against the law, they didn’t let that pressure hide their beliefs in the Word of God.

Furthermore, if you choose to tap into God’s resources and make a difference, then you will not be liked. I promise you, you will become the bad guy when you choose to stand for God. Those who bow will not like you revealing their compromise. I’m not trying to be negative, but I must tell the truth. It is never popular to trumpet truth and promote God in a truthless and godless society.

The one thing that can help you to be different from anyone else is not a thing but a person, and that person is God. You may not be the most liked or the most popular when you choose to rely upon God and His Word, but you will make a difference when others will not. You will be the one to whom they come for answers when they come to the end and desperately need an answer. I ask you frankly, what are you going to do with God? I hope that you choose to make God your source for life.

Matthew 21:5
“Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.”

As you step into an elevator, you have a choice of floors to which you can go. You can push a button to take you to the top floor, or you can push a button to take you to the bottom floor. That elevator has the power to take you to every floor in the building. The person who presses those buttons determines where the elevator goes.

This is probably the best illustration of meekness. It says about Christ that He was meek. In other words, He was willing to take the elevator down to the level of those to whom He ministered so that He could be a help to them. When He was in the garden talking to the Father, He pressed the elevator button to go to the top floor. When He met the woman at the well who was living in adultery, He was able to press the elevator button to go down to her floor and help her. He had the power to go to any floor of life to help every person. No, He did not lower Himself to their lifestyle of sin and commit sin with them, but He came to them at their level to help them. The attitude of Christ was to meet people where they were and try to bring them to the top floor.

The one thing that Christianity needs are Christians who have Christ’s attitude of meekness. It is a meek spirit that will help us to meet the needs of everyone with whom we come in contact. It is not an attitude of superiority that will help people come to Christ or even grow as a Christian, but it is a meek spirit that is able to go to any floor to help bring people up to the next floor.

If you are going to acquire meekness of Christ, then you are going to have to spend time with Him in His Word and prayer. You will never acquire an attitude of meekness by spending it with those who don’t know how to go to any floor. The Scripture will help you to bring your elevator to any floor to meet the needs of any person.

Second, an attitude of meekness will only be acquired when you realize that your goodness does not come from you. The only reason anyone would have an attitude of superiority is because they think better of themselves than they should. We must remember “there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Even our “righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Stop thinking that you are something that you are not. You will never be able to take the elevator to any floor as long as you think you are better than what you really are.

Third, your purpose of using your elevator is to help others get to the next floor. When you remember that you are not on the top floor, then you will be able to bring others to the next floor more easily. You simply are going to go down to their floor to tell them how great it is on the floors above them. This is meekness exemplified. Your whole goal of going to any floor is to meet people where they are so that you can help them get to that top floor.

My friend, this will only happen when you are filled with the Spirit of God. You will never be able to go to any floor under the power of your flesh. Let me encourage you to be filled with the Spirit so you can take the elevator to any floor and help others go to the next floor. When you are able to take the elevator to any floor is when you will be the greatest help to others.

Proverbs 23:1
“When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:”

In this chapter, God is giving some very important financial advice to every person. He says, “When thou sittest to eat with a ruler…” God is saying that when you find yourself in an atmosphere that is above your financial bracket, there are some very important things you need to do to keep yourself from financial ruin.

First, you need to consider that you are not financially capable to have all that the “ruler” has. In other words, when you see the fancies and delicacies that the rich have, you need to consider that you are not capable of having them. God is teaching that if you are going to stay financially stable, then you need to keep your emotions in the world of reality. Don’t ever allow yourself to become emotionally attached to things that you cannot afford. Always remember the capabilities of your finances when you get around people who are above your financial bracket.

Second, don’t be given to appetite. Verse 2 says, “And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.” If you are going to be financially stable, then you must not be a person who buys on a whim. This is why God says, “…put a knife to thy throat…” Many people see what someone else has and they go out to purchase it only to realize they can’t afford it. Just because you have money in the bank doesn’t mean you can afford something. If it’s not in your budget, then don’t buy it. When you buy on a whim and find out later you couldn’t afford it, that is when it becomes “deceitful meat.” It will become something you will regret.

Third, don’t set your eyes on being rich. Verse 4 says, “Labour not to be rich…” Many people get so focused on being rich that they will do anything to get there. They fall in love with money, and they start doing things they normally would not do. That is why God says in 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil…” Many people have hurt others just for the sake of having money. Christians are not to live their lives that way. When you love money, you will run over people and hurt them just for the sake of making an extra dollar. It may seem good at the moment when you make the money, but in the long run you will regret hurting those who are closest to you.

What is the answer? Is a Christian not supposed to be rich? The answer is found in Psalm 112:1 when God says, “…Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.” God then tells what the blessings of those who fear Him will be in verse 3 when He says, “Wealth and riches shall be in his house…” In other words, you just need to do right and let God worry about how much money you make.

It all comes down to this, take your eyes off possessions and money and set them on the LORD. Live your life fearing the LORD and delighting in His commandments, and He will be sure that you will have the finances you need. Does this mean you will be rich? No! It means that when you live with a fear of God and obey Him, you will always have the means to take care of your financial obligations. Certainly, God allows some to become wealthy, and there is nothing wrong with that, but your goal should be to live for the LORD and do right with your finances. Let God take care of how much money you make.

Psalm 107:38
“He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.”

We are a quick fix society that wants everything right now. We want God to work off our time table when He clearly shows us that before He brings us to the end of blessings there are many things that we must do. God does not work off an entitlement mentality, but He has an order that we must follow before the blessing comes.

It says in the verse above, “He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly…” We want the multiplied blessings, but there were many things that happened before He blessed and before the blessings became great. God shows us five things that must be done before the blessings become great.

First, there is preparation before blessing. Verse 36 says, “…that they may prepare a city for habitation;” Great blessings will never be realized without preparation. Every great work has always started with preparation. In other words, there must be something you are working towards. If you have no goal, then you are sure to hit it. Let me ask you, what are you working towards? What is the destination to which you are trying to arrive? It all starts with preparation. God blesses right, but He can provide greater blessings when someone prepares to do the right work in a prepared way.

Second, there is work before blessing. Verse 37 says, “And sow the fields, and plant vineyards…” Work is always the precursor to blessing. Too many people want the blessing without work, but work has a way of finding the blessings. Any blessing without work is not a blessing. If God were to bless us without work, then He would become an enabler to an entitlement mentality; instead, He always responds to our work by blessing. Never allow the blessing to come before the work. Work always comes before blessing.

Third, there is reaping before blessing. Verse 37 continues to say, “…which may yield fruits of increase.” The fruit of the field cannot be reaped without someone getting into the field to harvest it. Friend, when the fruits of your labors begin to come, that does not mean it is time to stop doing what you have done, but to continue doing what you have been doing. You must continue to work in the reaping season.

Fourth, there is resowing before blessing. If we stop after the first harvest of blessing, then God cannot bless greatly. You must continually go through the process of preparation, work and reaping before God blesses greatly. His model must be done over and over again.

Fifth, there is time before multiplied blessing. You will notice in the verse above that God says, “…so that they are multiplied greatly…” Many people quit way too early. One of the things I have observed about those whom God has greatly blessed is that they have done what they were supposed to do for a long time. Don’t become impatient with the blessing. Keep doing what you are supposed to do year in and year out and in God’s time you will see multiplied blessing.

Ezekiel 28:2
“Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:”

Tyre had a great history with Israel. Tyre was a city that always seemed to be a help in the building of Israel. Tyre was blessed by God because of this. Tyre was an island city located about one-half mile from the mainland with walls whose height were no less that 150 feet. Its main source of income came from the cedars and precious metals it sold. Anytime they sold these, they also offered to send their citizens who were experts in woodwork and working of precious metals.

This led this city to become a city filled with pride. They became so self-reliant upon their abilities that they didn’t think they needed God; thus, they turned to idolatry and made their own idols. Their pride is seen in the verse above when they said about themselves, “I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas…” They literally thought that nobody could take them down.

What they did not realize was that they were simply a pawn of someone else. It is interesting that God addressed this city as the “prince of Tyrus.” A prince is not the supreme ruler. So, to whom were they servants? When you look later in this chapter, you find that God addressed Satan as the “king of Tyrus.” In other words, though they thought they were God, they were simply a pawn in the hand of Satan. Their pride and self-reliance was the key that brought them down because God was greater than them.

Friend, you must always remember that when you run from God you are only becoming a pawn that Satan uses to fight against God. Anytime you lift yourself above God, you are a pawn in the hand of Satan. You may think that you can make it on your own, but God is greater than you. He has the power to take you down just like He took Tyre down. It matters not how wise you think you are, God is wiser. It does not matter how strong you think you are, God is stronger. You may think you are wealthy enough to buy your way out of any situation, but God is wealthier. It doesn’t matter how great you think you are, God is always greater and will never allow you to place yourself above Him.

Moreover, God will remove anyone who is placed above Him. God has removed many leaders, including men of God, because people placed them above Him, and He will share His glory with no man. Your final authority is not a preacher, but God. Just because your church is a large church with prominent influence doesn’t mean God won’t take it down when those in leadership become so prideful that they allow compromise to take place. God can always build another great church, He is not obligated to any congregation.

My friend, let this judgment against Tyre be a warning to always keep God as your focus in life. Never allow yourself to become a pawn in the hand of Satan to lift yourself above God. When you become that pawn, then judgment will soon come.

Ezekiel 18:31
“Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”

One of the joys of being in the ministry is seeing those who have lived in sin come back to God. Nothing will ever take the joy away from seeing parents whose child has wandered from God come down an aisle and get right with God. It will never get old seeing the smile on the face of a spouse whose husband or wife has decided to come back to God. This is one of the things that keeps those who serve the LORD going.

In the verse above, God talks about someone getting right. We often wonder if someone truly means it when they say they are going to get right. Though we cannot know the heart, and we should not judge their motives, their actions will oftentimes reveal if they are truly repentant. God shows three evidences of a repentant heart.

First, they become totally transparent about what they have done. God says, “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed…” If a person is still hiding their sin, then they have not truly repented. Deceit is always at the core of every sin. When a person truly wants to get right, transparency will not be an issue with them. The repentant don’t justify what they have done. The repentant won’t give excuses for their sin. Every person I have helped come back to God always comes completely clean and transparent about their sin. You will never come back to God until you are willing to be completely transparent about your sin and admit how wrong it is.

Second, the heart of the repentant changes. God says about the repentant that He would “make you a new heart.” When someone gets right, you will find them immediately wanting to get involved in the things of God. They can’t help it, because when their heart is right with God then they will have new desires. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” I know this verse is talking about salvation, but the principle of the change of heart is very evident. Anytime someone comes back to God their actions and goals will change.

Third, the spirit of the repentant changes. God says about the repentant that He would give them “a new spirit.” Every time I have seen someone get right they always have a different disposition about life. When a person gets right, their anger will subside and the temper they once had will no longer be a common problem. Their spirit will become tender and joyful towards others, authority and the things of Christ.

These three actions are very evident when someone gets right with God. Let me warn you that if you are struggling in any of these areas to examine whether your heart is right with God. Not only are these three things the evidences of the repentant, but when they are not present in ones life they are the alarm that one is straying from God. If you will keep an open and transparent heart with God then your actions and spirit will always be right.

Matthew 14:31
“And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

The greatest need in Christianity today is the need of little faith. Notice, I did not say great faith! Throughout the Book of Matthew, Jesus rebuked His disciples for not having little faith. It is amazing what little faith can accomplish. There is no doubt in my mind that this world could be changed if Christians just had little faith.

Little faith will supply your personal needs. In Matthew 6:30, God shows that all it takes for God to care for your daily needs is little faith. Yes, God will supply all your need, but it takes little faith for that need to be supplied.

Little faith overcomes fear in adversity. When the disciples were on the sea and the storm was all about them, they feared that they would die in the storm. Before Jesus stood and rebuked the wind, He said to them in Matthew 8:26, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” It was little faith that calmed the storms.

Little faith gives personal miracles. Jesus said in Matthew 14:31, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” This was said after Peter began to sink when he was walking on the water. You may need a personal miracle in your life right now, but it takes little faith to see those miracles happen.

Little faith understands doctrine. In Matthew 16:8, Jesus rebuked the disciples for not having “little faith” to understand His teachings. The only reason one does not understand the Word of God correctly is because they don’t have “little faith.”

Little faith changes lives. When the disciples could not help a man whose son was a lunatick, Jesus rebuked them for not having faith the size of a “grain of mustard seed.” It doesn’t take great faith for God to use you to change one’s life, instead it takes little faith.

What is the key to getting little faith? First, it takes the Christian to read and hear the Word of God. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” You are missing the opportunity to have little faith by missing your personal time with God in His Word. Friend, you will never get little faith until you start reading the Word of God.

Second, it takes prayer and fasting. After rebuking the disciples for having no faith, Jesus said to them in Matthew 17:21, “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” You may think your time in prayer is doing nothing, but rest assured it is building little faith. Not only does praying build little faith, but when you take the extra step to fast and pray it builds your faith.

We all hear of the great faith of Christians and we desire that faith, but you will never acquire great faith before you have little faith. If every Christian would just have little faith, then we would see our lives changed, and see God use us to help change the lives of others. Great faith will come, but you must first have little faith.

Ezekiel 13:23
“Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”

Real preaching has come under more scrutiny and attack in these days than I can ever remember in my lifetime. I know this is certainly not the first time, as we can see from Ezekiel 13. God says in the verse above that the prophets would no longer “divine divinations.” In other words, God would no longer allow them to sway His people with their spells. He was stepping in to stop their divining ways. His judgment upon these prophets would come because they tried to sway the people with their spells instead of preaching the Word of God.

Sadly, this commentary can be said once again in our day of many preachers who have tried to sway people with their divinations instead of preaching the Word of God. God shows us four reasons why these preachers were trying to “divine divinations.” There is no need to “divine divinations” if the preacher will simply do what God has commanded them to do.

The first reason preachers try to “divine divinations” is because they are not studying the Word of God. Verse 2 shows us that these preachers prophesied “out of their own hearts.” One of the most important things a preacher can do is to study God’s Word. You must never get too busy to spend time with God in His Word. You may need to get up earlier, but you must find the time to study God’s Word. This is the only way that you will ever receive the truths that God wants you to speak to His people.

Second, preachers “divine divinations” because they are not filled with the Holy Spirit. Verse 3 says these prophets followed their own spirit. You can entertain all you want, but lives are not changed through entertainment. The only thing that changes lives is Spirit-filled preaching. You had better spend time in prayer seeking the filling of the Spirit if you want to see lives changed. One of the biggest reasons preachers feel they must “divine divinations” is because they are not filled with the Spirit of God.

Third, verse 5 shows us that preachers “divine divinations” because they won’t stand in the gap. Oh, how we need men of God who have a backbone to stand in the gap for decency, holiness and the souls of men. One of the tasks of a man of God is to stand in the gap. It may not be popular to stand in the gap, but God expects of His men to keep His children safe by standing in the gap.

Fourth, verse 6 shows us that preachers “divine divinations” by twisting God’s Word to fit their worldly lifestyle. It is sad that when truth and life’s circumstances collide, many men of God have twisted Scripture to fit their lifestyle. Friend, we are not to try and bring God and His Word down to fit our lifestyle, but we are to change our lifestyle to fit God’s Word and identify with Him.

If your man of God doesn’t “divine divinations,” then you should be thankful and do all that you can to support him. If you happen to have a man of God who abuses his position because of one of these areas, then I’d advise you to prayerfully consider finding a man of God who does not “divine divinations” but lives and preaches what the LORD says.