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For His Glory!
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When I know I have done all I can do… I read a statement made by David Wilkerson that caught my attention: "Faith demands that I turn all my problems – all my critical situations, all my anxieties – into the hand of the Lord. When I know I have done all I can do, and I know my battle is beyond my power, I must turn it all over into his hands." The part that caught my attention was, "When I know I have done all I can do…". What does it mean to do all I can do? Sometimes we fail to recognize we have a problem before it becomes a real big issue. Often it is the enemy trying to appeal to our base (human) nature, it can sneak up on us. Or we may not realize the seriousness of the situation, thinking we can handle it; suddenly we are trapped. Besides that, how do we know it is not YHVH giving us various tests to prove our resolve and see if we will trust Him? We are tested for a reason: Exodus 16:4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. Exodus 20:20 Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin." Deuteronomy 8:16 " …that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end. Revelation 3:19 ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.
When I know I have done all I can do… What are some of the things we have been told, from Scripture, to do? Pray: James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 1Timothy 2:8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension. Luke 6:28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 22:40 …He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." Praying entails more than just asking: 2Chronicles 7:14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Obey: Leviticus 22:31 "So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the LORD. John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. Jeremiah 26:13 "Now therefore amend your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the LORD your God... Hebrews 5:9 …He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,
Rejoice: Psalm 13:5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. Ecclesiastes 3:12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; 2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Love: Leviticus 19:18 ‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD. Deuteronomy 6:5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Romans 12:9-10 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 1John 2:15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Repent: Ezekiel 18:32 "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live." Acts 2:38 …"Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 26:20 …that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. Revelation 3:19 ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.
Flee – resist evil: 1Corinthians 6:18 Flee immorality... 2Timothy 2:22 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. James 4:7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Do we have our mind set on the wrong things, have the wrong motives? Consider Paul’s admonition. 1 Timothy 6: 9-12 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s. But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. When we use YHVH’s word as a check list of things we can do, we know we can "… turn all our problems – all our critical situations, all our anxieties – into the hand of the Lord." resting assuredly in "Faith" that He will do what we cannot do and more. Philippians 4: 4-8 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. May the Peace of Yeshua be upon all who do all that they can do then turn the rest over to Him. John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." And remember without the Spirit of Yeshua we can do nothing. John 15:4-5 ...Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. |
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The book of Proverbs is a way of checking if we are, ‘doing what we can do…’ when we face difficult issues. Proverbs 3:1 …let your heart keep my commandments; Proverbs 24:17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls… Proverbs 24:1 Do not be envious of evil men… Proverbs 23:4 Do not weary yourself to gain wealth... Proverbs 20:19 …do not associate with a gossip. Proverbs 20:13 Do not love sleep, or you will become poor… Proverbs 21:3 To do righteousness and justice is desired by the LORD ... Proverbs 4:27 Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil. |
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Fretting? "Expecting people and circumstances to change for us is fruitless. Nothing moves because we judge it, or get angry at it, or try to manipulate it." Stephen R. Covey In line with our theme about making sure we are doing all we can before we turn it over to our Creator, in faith, believing He will resolve the situation, we need to be sure we are not creating the doleful situation ourselves. Contemplate the above quote; what is causing our crisis? Psalm 94:19 When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul. Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. |
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In our pursuit of humility: "Pride creeps in almost everywhere, and the assemblies of the saints are not exceptions. Let’s ask ourselves what would be the effect if all of us were guided by the humility of Jesus..." "Study the humility of Jesus. This is the secret, the hidden root of redemption. Believe with your whole heart that Christ, whom God has given you, will enter in to dwell and work within you and make you what the Father would have you to be." Andrew Murray When we do all we can do… we must examine our life for the leaven of pride. The above statement by Andrew Murray is giving us the, ‘What we can do’ about many of the problems of life; – ‘Study the humility of Yeshua’. 2Timothy 2:15(AV) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Paul gives us more reason to study and what we should be doing: 1Thesslonians 4:11(AV) And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; |
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1 What fish produces an electrical discharge powerful enough to kill a man? 2 What color is an amethyst? 3 What fish swims the fastest? 4 What color is a live lobster? 5 How many bones are their in the human body? 6 What burrowing animal has very poor eyesight? 7 What does an ichthyologist study? 8 What is the medical term for the human wind pipe? 9 What is a young owl called? 10 What is the largest plant eating animal found in North America? 11 What is a sidewinder? 12 What nut- bearing tree is almost gone from America? 13 What two animals have names that include the word "bear" but are not really bears?
1 electric eel 2 purple 3 the sail fish 4 green 5 206 6 mole 7 fish 8 trachea 9 an owlet 10 moose 11 a snake 12 Chestnut tree 13 Koala and Panda |
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In the hot days of midsummer, my container plants need to be watered every day, sometimes even if it rains. Plants are different and show their need for water in various ways. My lantana's leaves droop dramatically at the slightest need for water and revive just as quickly. Fuzzy Rex begonias will get a grayish cast to their leaves before they wilt for lack of water. My geraniums will look fine for a long time, but they will drop their buds in protest when the water has been too scarce. It makes me wonder about how I react to a lack of personal time with God. He is the water of life and spending time in prayer and study is like water to my spirit. Do I droop dramatically and instantly recognize that I am missing something? Does my attitude turn for the worse but I continue on thinking "I'll get to it later, I have time"? Or do I seem fine when I miss my personal time? However, like my geranium, my flowers, the fruits of my actions, will definitely be dead and spoiled without the constant daily reminders from His word and humbling myself in prayer. I hope that I will be like my lantanas…ever mindful of how much I need God and recognizing immediately when I have missed Him. |
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Bill Finds Direction It was not too difficult for Bill to make adjustments to his life in order to care for Mabel as they moved into the former Kettering place. However it was time for the landowners to collect their rent from the tenants and negotiate the next year’s terms. Often the landowners would buy and sell land at this time. For this reason share-croppers would often find themselves faced with a new owner who would increase burdens or cut some benefit. It seemed the land owner would not consider the plight of the sharecropper. Bill was faced with just such a change of land ownership when the new landlord came to call upon him and Mabel. The new owner introduced himself as Mr. Hargrove. He was dressed well and arrived in a fine looking carriage. The first thing he asked Bill was his plans and intent involving the land. Mr. Hargrove became very interested in Bill’s plans and his sencere attitude. He could tell Bill was well read and had a since of his fine moral character. Because of this, things were to get better for Bill and Mabel. Mr. Hargrove was a successful business man who was looking for a retirement investment by buying up land as a future source of income. He had bought up three adjacent farms; he planned to develop quality crops on this land and a cattle ranch. His careful questioning of Bill was to determine if he would be a good manager of his estate. It was not long before Mr. Hargrove asked Bill’s opinion about how he would handle the goals of his master plan. Bill only responded by telling Mr. Hargrove such plans were achievable and he would be willing to assist in any way he could. Bill was asked to draw up a plan on how he would develop an estate to fulfill Mr. Hargrove’s expectations. Could this have something to do with the plan that was prophesied by the stranger? Bill accepted Mr. Hargrove’s proposal, and went to work. He was not slow to consider this plan as it would be just over two months to planting season. He and Mabel applied themselves by first seeking the will of God. They prayed, they fasted, they studied. They asked pastor Michael for advice and other leading elders from their small congregation. Borrowing paper and pen from the school teacher they set their thoughts and ideas down in writing. Bill walked the length and breadth of the vast estate Mr. Hargrove had purchased. It was nearly 1000 acres. There were hills, valleys, a large wooded area with plenty of sturdy trees. A river bordered one property line with three streams feeding it. There were two wooden bridges and lots of open farm land. Bill was careful to map out the lay of the land with it’s small buggy trails and the main dirt roads that bordered two sides of the property. During this process Bill was teaching Mabel to read and write; her quick sharp mind made this task quite easy. Bill applied the book of Proverbs to his life and diligently sought the LORD in everything he did. One day the prophecy stranger showed up at their cabin door. He was invited in and asked to stay for as long as possible. After a meager meal with bread and milk, the stranger who gave his name as Guardian told them to pursue the path they were on and they would be greatly used of God. He told them that they must never allow pride to well up and to remain humble at all times, trusting in the guidance of the Spirit of YHVH. Guardian explained they must become strong, willing to follow what would be revealed to them from Scripture, without compromise. He also told them they would receive a riding horse, a doctor would arrive to check on Mabel’s weak condition. When Guardian stepped outside after their conversation, followed by Bill, he was nowhere to be found. Again Bill and Mabel wondered about the direction given by the stranger. They could hardly sleep that evening. They discussed the meaning of what they heard as Bill read to Mabel from their new Bible by the flickering kerosene lamp. Next morning Bill had planned to leave early to walk the boundary and mark distinguishing features on his map. Before he could leave there was a knock on the door. Opening the door Bill saw a stranger that told him he had a dream; in it he was to give him this horse with saddle, saddle bags and bridle. Bill had a hard time accepting such an expensive gift realizing it was the fulfillment of the prophecy by Guardian. He was thanking the stranger when he turned and left on another horse. What a fine looking horse, probably the best in the whole surrounding area. He helped Mabel to the porch to see such a fine specimen of an animal. Mabel reminded him about the warning not to be prideful. He hung his head and asked forgiveness, thanking God for this fine gift. Now he could be home in a day instead of several days. Just as Bill was preparing to mount his new horse, he contemplated a name for him, what should I call him? He thought; "Faith," yes, that is what is going to be required as we go forward. Once mounted he looked down the country lane to see a carriage coming. He nudged Faith to meet the guest. It was Doc Benson from the next county, one of the most respected doctors in Arkansas. He said, "I understand you have a sickly young woman in your cabin. I was sent by Mr. Hargrove to see if we can help." "Praise God," Bill exclaimed; only he and Mabel knew about Guardian’s prophetic prediction. Bill rode along side of the doctor’s carriage talking as they went to the cabin, he decided to delay his mapping trip until tomorrow. After the examination, some instruction, and a couple bottles of pills Doctor Benson prepared to leave. He informed them he would be back in a month to check on Mabel’s’ progress; also they were to prepare for Mr. Hargrove’s visit next week. He also gave them the good news that there would be no bill as it was taken care of by their new landlord. Mabel and Bill thanked Doc Benson and praised God. Next time: Bill is tutored. |
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1. Twelve Luke 2:41-42 2. Michael and Gabriel Revelation 12:7; Luke 1:19 3. Tarshish Jonah 1:3 4. They planned to kill him along the way Acts 25:1-3 5. Fourteen Genesis 29:18-30 6. Moses’ own mother Exodus 2:7-9 7. A centurion Matthew 8:8 |