Are You Praising Him Yet?

Psalm 13:6
6I will sing to the Lord,
for he has been good to me.

King David was facing an illness that was considered deadly. He cried out to the Lord because only the Lord could heal him. His enemies were taking delight in his illness. But no matter what, David decided that he would give praise to the Lord. Even in his illness, he knew the Lord had been good to him. He knew that no matter what he was facing, the Lord deserved honor. When things aren't going right for you, do you still praise the Lord or do you curse Him? Some of us are fair weather lovers of the Lord. We only love the Lord if we are healthy, have money in the bank and are well liked. But what if none of these were true at the moment? Would you still praise the Lord? Could he still count on you to be faithful to Him? The Lord is faithful to us even in our sickness like he was to David. He still heard David and continued to sustain him though he hadn't brought him out of his trial, YET. We must learn to praise God before he brings us out of a trial, whatever it maybe. Simply because, he is the only one that can bring us out and he supplies our every need. Are you praising Him yet?

Rebuking the Storm

Mark 4:39
39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

A fierce squall came over the sea of Galilee. What is a squall? A squall is a violent storm. Jesus was tired and laid in the boat sleep. When the storm broke over the sea and dumped water in the boat, the disciples were scared. But Jesus simply got up and rebuked the wind and told the waves to quiet. What awesome power Jesus displayed that put the disciples in awe!! What does it mean to rebuke? Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary defines rebuke as:

1a : to criticize sharply : reprimand b : to serve as a rebuke to

2: to turn back or keep down : check

— re·buk·er noun

The storm over the sea that dumped the water into the boat is representative of the storms that come into our midst. Jesus allows them to come close enough for growth but they don't take us out. It may "appear" that way but it's only an optical illusion. Jesus is still in control. Just as he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, so he can rebuke or force back the storm that hovers over you at this moment or the one soon to come. He has been given "all power and authority" not just over the natural realm but the spirit realm as well. He sees the storms coming long before they ever hit our radar screen. Jesus has already settled you in the right spot in the boat where you will see the storm front and center but you will also see Him work front row and center to bring you out. Keep your eyes and your faith fixed on Jesus, not the storm.

When You Call

Psalm 20:1
1May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

The king was on his way to battle and well wishes were given to him especially that God would answer Him in a time of distress.  The charge was that no matter what's happening during battle, the Lord would be His protector. The psalm was of David who was a man after God's own heart. What if the Lord stopped listening to us like we often stop listening to Him when he's telling us the things we don't want to hear? If God stopped listening to us, how many of us would be able to survive our own follies? If the Lord had the same attitude many of us do, none of us would be here. The Lord answers us out of love. Even when we're at a place in our lives that is due to our own folly, he will hear our cry for mercy. But why do we not answer in him love? Why do we turn a deaf ear to Him when His pleas are loudest? The maker of heaven and earth makes pleas to us on a regular basis through the Holy Spirit yet we do not listen. But when we are in trouble we call on Him. Are we part-time lovers of the Lord? Will we only love and listen to him when we want Him to do something for us? When you call, God answers as a loving parent does. When God calls, will you answer?

What Does God Want You to Do?

Judges 7:2


2The Lord said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her,

Simply put, God doesn't want to share His glory with anyone. Our God is a jealous God. When He does something, He wants everyone to know that it was by His hand and no other that a work was accomplished. Gideon was a man who preferred to be alone in his work. Gideon was not a trained fighter but God called him when the Israelites cried out after being oppressed by the Midianites. God chose Gideon because he wasn't a warrior. He was considered least likely to succeed. And though he was given a large army to fight with, the Lord said it couldn't be done that way. If there was a large army, then the credit would be given to the army and not God. God had Gideon reduce his army to only 300 men. God had given Gideon the privilege of hearing the interpretation of someone else's dream. It was meant for Gideon to hear so he could prepare for what the Lord had in store for him. In Gideon's case, it was victory. Have you seen a Gideon in your time? Are you the Gideon? Are you the one considered least likely to succeed? Or maybe you don't have great stature in the eyes of those around you but has God called you to do something great with His strength? If it is you, know that you are where you are because God wants to show everyone that He alone can do the impossible. No matter what it is and where you are, if God wants you to be there, he will make provision. God wanted the oppressed Israelites to overcome the Midianites because He heard their cry. What does God want you to do?

P.S. Remember to tune in on Saturday to V of the Artist to Artist Show on www.Qliveone.com at 8:30am CT, 2:30pm & 8:30pm CT and listen for the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment. Also tune in on Sunday from 6-10am ET to Stubbs of the Leap of Faith Show at www.leapoffaithshow.com and listen for the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment which occurs every hour on the hour. You can also tune in to Leap of Faith Mon-Wed from 6-9am ET.

An Inevitable Pain

John 13:21
21After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me."

Even Jesus knew what it meant to be betrayed. For Jesus to be "troubled in his spirit" he was disturbed by the idea that one he shared with would seek to set him up. Jesus prayed, ate, taught and nurtured the disciples. Yes, he cared for them. One would have to care in order to have the patience Jesus had with them. Knowing the truth didn't mean it hurt any less. It meant that Jesus had to deal with the reality of what was coming. It was an inevitable pain. Jesus was innocent but was being condemned by those around him. And his enemy used someone close to him who was full of greed to get the job accomplished. Greed was the motivator for Judas, for the high priests, it was a matter of any means necessary. But every situation has a different motivator. But what does it mean to betray? Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary defines betray as:

1: to lead astray; especially : seduce

2: to deliver to an enemy by treachery

3: to fail or desert especially in time of need <betrayed his family>

4a : to reveal unintentionally <betray one's true feelings> b : show, indicate c : to disclose in violation of confidence <betray a secret>

intransitive verb

: to prove false

Judas delivered Jesus to an enemy and proved to be a false friend. Jesus spoke directly to his betrayer but those around him were not aware. They never figured Judas or any of them to be the one Jesus referred to. It was dismissed as something else. Jesus was hurt for just as he is divine, for a time He walked among us. For this is why Jesus knows exactly every pain we feel. He feels with us and grieves with us when we hurt.

Romans 8:28
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

And just like Jesus knew He would be betrayed, He knows what will happen with us as well. He understands and seeks to cover us. Just like God used it for good with his own begotten son, so He shall use it for those that love him. Let us turn our grief over to Him for indeed no one can love like Jesus loves because He knows what it means to feel unloved.

Parched

Isaiah 19:5
5The waters of the river will dry up and the riverbed will be parched and dry.

God gave to the prophet Isaiah a prophecy against Egypt. Egypt continued to worship idols. Just as during the plagues the Lord brought upon Egypt through Moses, so God was using another great prophet. The Nile River was and is the longest and main source of water for Egypt. Water is used for cleaning, quenching thirst, etc. Can you imagine such a natural resource drying up? God can do anything and so he can cause things to flow or stop. For the Egyptians that continued in their idol worship, God decided to dry up the source of water that affects every bit of life. We that live in countries where the natural resources are numerous often take water for granted because we have easy access to it. But if God dried up the water, what would we do? We can live without food longer than we can live without water. What represents the idols and what represents the water in our lives? If God wants them removed and we don't remove them, what will He dry up to  get our attention like the Egyptians? How many other areas of your life would that parched land affect? And all for disobedience. Is it worth it?

Swept or Power washed

Luke 11:25-26
25When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26Then it goes and takes several other spirits more wicked than itself and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.

Jesus had been accused of driving out evil spirits by the power of Satan. Jesus noted that Satan couldn't be divided against himself. But more importantly, Satan couldn't operate the way in which Jesus does. Any attempts to do so is also known as counterfeiting. Jesus noted to the crowd what happens when an attempt to imitate the power of God is made. Things are worse off than before. Such is anything in life. Finding a place swept clean is only on the surface. Reformation without transfer of power is only temporary. How so? Have you ever attempted to kick a serious habit and failed? What do you need to kick the habit? Ultimately one needs strength. You have to get that strength from somewhere. That place is from God. Once you agree that where you are is not good and you can't do it alone, God gives you the strength and the power you need to climb out of the pit. It's by His power that you can kick that nasty habit. It's only by His power that you can overcome such a stronghold.  But you have to know that you're even in one. Has your spiritual house been swept or has it been power washed?