Truth Is, This Journey With Jesus Gets Hard! Maybe You Have Been Serving Him With Everything You’ve Got, But You’re Missing Him Still. He Has Come Your Way Today; He’s Asking You To Just Take A Walk With Him. You Can Start On Empty, And End On Full.

All I Can Hear Is God Saying Put Me First and I Will Put You in Position. We Do not Want GOD to Say to Us; You Did Run Well but What Hindered You. When you put God first, it sets an example for the rest of your family to follow suit. God should be at the center of your family.

I Decree &; Declare That I Shall Be VICTORIOUS!!! I DECLARE I Will Speak Only Positive Words of Faith; Victorious Outcomes Over Myself, My Family, My Future.

When you decide to serve God with your whole heart and make Him first in your life, your spirit will flourish. You also will have a brighter, more joyous outlook on life. You will finally be at peace. Remember to lean on Him more than anything else, and tell Him, “God, I want to do this, but I can’t do it without You.” He does not expect you to live for Him in your own strength or ability, so He will give you the tools you need to succeed.

When The Journey With Jesus Gets Hard.

Truth is that this journey with Jesus gets hard! And when it does, allow His words to soften your heart. Hear Him and Heed Him. You can start on empty, and end on full. What makes the difference? The personal presence of God. He’s the one who makes all the battles worth it. Experiencing the reality of His presence is what always makes the difference. That’s exactly what you may need right now, and maybe what you’ve been missing. It’s too long since you just had a walk with Jesus; a time when you pour out your heart to Him and He pours some of His heart into you.  Maybe you have been serving Him with everything you’ve got, but you’re missing Him still.
Other things are looking bigger than they really are because you haven’t been with the One who’s bigger than all those battles combined! The bottom line is simple. It’s all about Jesus, and you’re missing Him during all your battles.
 

But your King, the Commander-in-Chief, has come your way today, and He’s asking you to just take a walk with Him; to have a heart-to-heart talk with Him. There’s something very re-energizing about a personal visit with the person that you’re fighting for. Believe me, there is nothing to turn the tide in the battle that you’re fighting right now like the personal presence of your King of kings. There are times when we just throw our hands up and say enough is enough. I can't take it anymore, my faith is gone, and I am exhausted. Don't ask God why He's allowing something to happen. Ask Him what He wants you to learn and do in the midst of it. 

Clearly, Jesus Has No Problems Visiting With Us, Sitting With Us, Breaking Bread With Us, Drawing Near to Us. So, what’s the problem? The only problem is us extending to Him an invitation! This is what we need to dine on when we feel hungry and empty…Jesus…the Bread of Life! Invite Jesus in, He wants to feed the hunger in your soul where frustration eats away at your faith! Life itself can test us at times, we get irritated easily, we have short circuit patience, at any given moment we are ready to blow a fuse. So, are you going to let your battles keep you from Him, or lead you to take a walk with Him?  

Luke 24:13-19, “That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who He was. He asked, “What’s this you’re discussing so intently as you walk along?” They just stood there, long faced, like they had lost their best friend. Then one of them, his name was Cleopas, said, “Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard what’s happened during the last few days?” He said, “What has happened?” (MSG)

Now, you may not be on any military front lines, but truth be told, the battles you’ve been fighting lately are taking their toll on you! Making you feel as if you’ve been shot at, run down, blown up, I mean there simply hasn’t been much of a break in the action, and you’ve got some serious combat fatigue. You’ve been battling in marriage, on the job, in finances, in the ministry, in the family, in your health, in school. Every direction you’ve turned in has been an uphill battle! In fact, maybe it feels like you’re losing the battle right now. And if so, do you know what you need? You need some personal time with your Commander-in-Chief. Not the President of the United States, because no human leader can hold a candle to your Real Commander-in-Chief! He is, after all, according to the Bible, the King of all kings! He is King Jesus!

Now, in Luke 24, beginning with verse 13, two of Jesus’ followers are battle-scarred and going down for the count (ever feel like that?) Well, in this instance, their Savior had been crucified, His body is now missing from the tomb. They’re on the road to Emmaus and here’s how our text reads: “And behold, that very day two of [the disciples] were going to a village called Emmaus, [which is] about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things that had occurred. And while they were conversing and discussing together, Jesus Himself caught up with them and was already accompanying them. But their eyes were held, so that they did not recognize Him. And He said to them, what is this discussion that you are exchanging (throwing back and forth) between yourselves as you walk along? And they stood still, looking sad and downcast. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered Him, do you alone dwell as a stranger in Jerusalem and not know the things that have occurred there in these days? And He said to them, What [kind of] things?” (AMPC)

First, can I be real with you? When I read, “And behold, that very day two of [the disciples] …”, I immediately thought, as a disciple of Christ, why should the road be so rough for us? I’m being honest now. These two disciples were walking away from a gruesome scene of cruelty, their hopes dashed, and they’re walking, talking, and trying to figure out what now and what next? And sometimes I think that’s what hurts us as believers, because we’re often taught that there’s this ‘bed-of-roses-faith’ that occurs once you receive Christ. As if all the bad things in the world that happen, will not happen to you. You are suddenly exempt from it all. It’s the ‘bad guys ‘that get the bad stuff, not us. We’re believers, children of the Highest God, rescued, ransomed, and redeemed. It is all well with our souls! But the truth is, even as disciples we have to deal with some rough roads, and some harsh circumstances. Contrary to popular belief, we’re not exempt. We blame the devil for more than he needs to receive credit for, because we were warned by our Commander-in-Chief well in advance: John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have TRIBULATION and TRIALS and DISTRESS and FRUSTRATION; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you].” (AMPC)  

Yes, disciples of Christ, we too will have to deal with discouragement, distress, tribulation, trials, and frustration. Again, we are not exempt. But we are to be encouraged because there is absolutely nothing that can overwhelm us that hasn’t already been overcome by Him! So even when we feel something is “not fair”, bear in mind all His soldiers must fight in battle, and many of those wars will leave us with painful, bloody, battle-scars. However, it will not take our lives! So, what must we do? Keep fighting! 

We must take our fair share of the fight! Yes, life gets hard, and life is hard, but all that means is that we fight harder!

These two disciples were discouraged and downcast because of what they had just experienced. And so, they’re walking and talking on the road to Emmaus with heavy hearts. Jesus appears and asks them, “What has happened?” and they begin to explain: “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. Then our high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death, and crucified him. And we had our hopes up that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. And it is now the third day since it happened. But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and couldn’t find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn’t see Jesus.” (vss. 19-24 MSG) 

Can you hear the frustration in their voices? They’re DOWNCAST, CONFUSED, FRUSTRATED, their faith is being tested as their hopes begin to seep away. Ever walked in those shoes? Sometimes, life can throw you curve balls that you don’t even know how to swing at. So, some of you may say you can really identify with these two disciples. Like, what now…what next?!

Well, what’s next is, Jesus allows them to vent (just as He allows us to) and then He speaks: “Then he said to them, “So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can’t you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don’t you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter his glory?” Then he started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to him…” (vss. 25-27 MSG)

One of the things I love most about this text is Jesus’ response! First, I just told you I was frustrated and confused, then I explained why. My hopes are dwindling, and my faith is fading fast. I don’t know where my Jesus is, who took Him or why. I don’t know what these women are talking about. I have no idea what to do next. Can’t trust any of the leaders since they’re the ones who killed Him in the first place. And yet, Jesus bypasses all of this and calls them “thick-headed and slow-hearted…” Um, Jesus, that’s not very encouraging! LOL! But I love the way He simply addresses them because He most certainly pulled no punches! Let’s be real, if we went to one of our leaders in the church and shared all our struggles and all they said to us was “you thick-headed, slow-hearted numbskull”, we would have left that church that Sunday! But Jesus gets to the heart of the matter, in a nutshell, ‘why are you allowing the battle to beat up your belief’?

However, Jesus doesn’t leave off His words there, nope, He goes on to the very beginning of the Books of Moses and all the Prophets carefully pointing out to them everything that the Scriptures say about Him. Why is that so important? Because can you imagine the time and patience it took for Jesus to do this? He started at the beginning and worked His way all the way through all the prophets just to encourage, empower and inspire their faith. And believe it or not, but He loves you enough to do the very same thing. The question is: Have you taken out time to walk and talk with Jesus? What might He share with you to rekindle the flame and fire of your faith, if only you took time to take your frustration to Him (instead of everybody else)? How might He enlighten you; encourage and empower you; inspire and impact you?

Let this be a challenge for you today, don’t take your next battle to people take it to Jesus! Tell Him all about it, and don’t mince your words. Speak from the heart like the Psalmist often did. Pour it all out to Him in honesty, not eloquence, and have a listening, attentive ear to what he may say that will strengthen your walk of faith as you journey through this life with Jesus.

Well, the story doesn’t stop there. Let’s see what’s next: “They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he were going on, but they pressed him: “Stay and have supper with us. It’s nearly evening; the day is done.” So, he went in with them. And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared. Back and forth they talked. “Didn’t we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?” (vss. 28-32 MSG)

How personable is Jesus? Truth is, you can rarely find leaders today who are that personable. Not only had He walked and talked with them, but He sat down to bless and break bread with them. You know, I often hear people say when they’re going through that they feel distant from God. But reading this text makes me wonder how can that be? Jesus loves spending quality time with us, encouraging our faith, and even sitting at the dinner table. Though they didn’t recognize Him yet, they invited Him to dinner. We who do recognize Him, don’t. How can that make sense? Maybe the next battle you must endure would be better if you invited Jesus into the midst. Note: He didn’t invite Himself, He was asked. When is the last time you asked Him to come and sit with you? After all, we’ll sit on the phone for hours, we’ll sit among our friends and family, we’ll sit at the altar, but when is the last time you sat with Him? Inviting Him into your personal, and even painful, space.

Revelation 3:20-21, “Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you. Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That’s my gift to the conquerors!” (MSG)
He blessed and broke bread and gave it to them. In essence, He was feeding them. Makes me wonder if when we feel hungry and empty if it’s because we haven’t invited Jesus to come and sit with us and feed us. Remember:

This is what we need to dine on when we feel hungry and empty…Jesus…the Bread of Life! John 6:35, “Jesus replied, I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me will never thirst anymore (at any time).” (AMPC)

With this as your option, how can you choose anything else? Invite Jesus in, He wants to feed the hunger in your soul where frustration eats away at your faith!

And what happens next? “…At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared. Back and forth they talked. “Didn’t we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened the Scriptures for us? They didn’t waste a minute. They were up and, on their way, back to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and their friends gathered together, talking away: “It’s really happened! The Master has been raised up – Simon saw him!” Then the two went over everything that had happened on the road and how they recognized Him when He broke the bread.” (vss. 28-35 MSG)

The Bible goes on to say they returned to Jerusalem totally pumped! They started exhausted; they ended excited! They started on empty; they ended on full! What made the difference? The personal presence of their Commander-in-Chief. He’s the one who makes all the battles worth it. Experiencing the reality of His presence is what always makes the difference. That’s exactly what you need right now, and maybe what you’ve been missing. You’ve been running all over the place, but it’s too long since you just had a walk with Jesus; a time when you pour out your heart to Him and He pours some of His heart into you. Maybe you forgot Who it’s all for – the One who loved you enough to die for you. He’s the reason for fighting the battles. He’s the joy. He’s the reward, you’re in essence, suffering from a Jesus-deficit. You might be serving Him with everything you’ve got, but you’re missing Him still. Other things are looking bigger than they really are because you haven’t been with the One who’s bigger than all those battles combined! The bottom line is simple. It’s all about Jesus, and you’re missing Him during all your battles. But your King, the Commander-in-Chief, has come your way today, and He’s asking you to just take a walk with Him; to have a heart-to-heart talk with Him. Not just today, but every new day. There’s something very re-energizing about a personal visit with the person that you’re fighting for. Believe me, there is nothing to turn the tide in the battle that you’re fighting right now like the personal presence of your King of kings.

These two disciples were headed to Emmaus, and after a walk, talk and sit with Jesus they return to Jerusalem re-energized for whatever may come next. They also go back and tell the rest of the disciples what happened. And that’s exactly what you need to do with this devotional today. Allow it to encourage you to walk, talk and sit with Jesus in the midst of your battles. And once you’ve been refueled, take the message to the other empty disciples you know and encourage them with what happened to you!

Truth is that this journey with Jesus gets hard! And when it does, allow His words to soften your heart. Hear Him and Heed Him. Your Commander-in-Chief wants to spend some time with His best soldiers. So, are you going to let your battles keep you from Him, or lead you to Him?

Many of Us Have Faith, But This Is the Year of Faith Expansion! This Is the Year That Our Faith Is Going to Grow to The Point That We Simply Believe God No Matter the Situation or Circumstance. Our Faith Will Be Unwavering and Unmovable!

Remember You Have A History with God. You have seen His faithfulness over and over down through the years. He will look out for you. When you put God first, even a Bad Month is a Blessed Month. If you have a problem God has an answer. Do not take it to the phone, take it to the throne. God is Your Protector Not Man. People of God, Put Your Faith to Work, And Watch Your Faith Work for You! And all you must do is refuse to die in fear, and instead, live in faith!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com

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All You Need Today Is HOPE In God For HELP With What Maybe STRESSING You! There Are Some People Who Need To Shift Their Vision And Focus From ‘Buzzard Vision’ To ‘Hummingbird Vision’. God Has A Word For Someone Today.

We need to start looking at the hope factors instead of the hurt & fear factors! All you need today is hope in God for help with what may be stressing you!  There are some people who need to shift their vision and focus from ‘buzzard vision’ to ‘hummingbird vision’. God has a word for someone today.

That is the danger of ‘buzzard vision’, it does not just look for something dead, it Always looks for something dead. Neither its vision nor focus ever changes. That cannot be you! It is one thing to deal with hurt, pain, and discouragement, but it is another thing to let that be all you see! And no one can better show us how to shift our vision and focus from ‘buzzard vision’ (only looking for ugly death) to ‘hummingbird vision’ (only looking for beautiful life)!

What is the definition of Lamentation: the passionate expression of grief or sorrow; weeping.

Lamentations 3:19-27, “I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed. I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there is one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God’s loyal love could not have run out, His merciful love could not have dried up. They are created new every morning. How great Your faithfulness! I am sticking with God (I say it over and over). He is all I have got left. God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It is a good thing to quietly hope, quietly HOPE FOR

I consider where I live to be a beautiful spot in the country! Daily I see things here that I would never see in the big City. The bird life here is not limited to only sparrows, the wren, the whippoorwill, and there are a few rowdy crows, robins, cardinals, orioles, and blue jays.  I can see all those beautiful birds daily, including one of the classiest birds around – the hummingbird. Now, I am sure at one time or another, you have seen them probably doing their amazing hovering thing and flying from one flower to the next. But what I love most about them is their ability to always be attracted to the most beautiful things in the yard. My husband loves watching the hummingbird and the orioles above all the others, for that one reason too, it is always attracted to that which is beautifully scented. Now, as much as he loves to watch the classiest of birds (the hummingbird), he also, unfortunately, gets to see one of the un-classiest birds around too – the buzzard. I mean, what an amazing contrast. You have got the hummingbird (attracted to that which has the fragrance of life) and the buzzard (attracted to that which has the fragrance of death), flying over the same ground! The hummingbird looks for the beauty in life; the buzzard only looks for the ugliness of death! We need to shift our vision and focus from ‘buzzard vision’ (only looking for ugly death) to ‘hummingbird vision’ (only looking for beautiful life)!

Thinking of these two birds made me also think of the book of Lamentations, written by the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, who wrote from a broken heart. You see, his country is devastated, and likewise, his personal life is devastated as well, and so he talks about his feelings in chapter 3, verses 19-20. He says, “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness, and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.” (NIV). We are talking about a depressed prophet here! And he is thinking about all the negatives and the pain and the failures. Listen to him in the following translations:

“Remember [O Lord] my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood, and the gall (bitterness). My soul continually remembers them and is bowed down within me.” (AMP).

Jeremiah is in deep pain! In this moment he has ‘buzzard vision’! He is looking at the ugly, looking at what is dying, or looking at what is dead. He sees affliction, wandering, homelessness, bitterness, depression, troubles, loneliness, misery, discouragement, grief, and loss. But before we judge him too harshly, can’t we all be honest and admit we have felt some of those things too? And some of us felt many of those emotions for a long time, and even at the same time, for a long time. We have all had those moments when we could not walk by faith, because we were stumbling in fear. When the loved one died, when the marriage is looking at divorce, when the children are struggling with sin and peer pressure, when we were afraid; we would lose the house or the car, afraid that we might have to pull the aspiring student out of college because we could not pay the tuition. Or the moment when the doctor gave the diagnosis. When our strong parents, have become so weak and frail with age and ailments that they are now weaker than we were as babies. When business fails, the church declines, the job lays off. The long-time friendship/relationship ended in the blink of an eye. We have all had something, (whether it is listed above or not), that dampened our spirit and deflated our faith. So, let us not judge Jeremiah too harshly. After all, when you have sat where someone else is sitting, shouldn’t it bring out compassion, empathy, concern, patience and understanding?

So, Jeremiah the prophet is depressed and in pain. And before we move on from here, can I say this…Leaders Are Not Exempt from These Same Emotions! Jeremiah, THE PROPHET, the mouthpiece of God, proclaiming God’s word and directions to the masses, still battled pain and depression, loss, and discouragement. Therefore, never let anyone tell you to just ‘get over it’ (no matter what your ‘it’ may be.) Believe it or not but Apostles deal with ailments; Bishops battle discouragement; Pastors press through pain; Elders must endure suffering; Deacons go through bouts of depression; Ministers have countless miserable moments. In other words, we ALL, even LEADERS, must deal with LIFE, and all that it brings. Which means you should never feel guilt, shame or embarrassment when hurting. Do not masquerade, do not hide, do not pretend, do not cover up. And despite what most will tell you, do not make the foolish mistake of ’faking it till you make it’. Please hear me, nowhere in all of Scripture does God tell any of His children to pretend to be okay! What He does say is this:

You are admonished to be honest about how you are feeling, what you are feeling, and then to take it all to God. Aren’t you glad you do not have to play a role and perform for God? He loves you, as is, and that is a wonderful feeling! So, leader, and laity, alike…do not let anything or anyone shame you because of what you are dealing with right now. Be honest about where your emotions are visiting right now because that is all they are doing is Visiting! They will not, cannot, stay and Live here!

That is the danger of ‘buzzard vision’, it does not just look for something dead, it Always looks for something dead. Neither its vision nor focus ever changes. That cannot be you! It is one thing to deal with hurt, pain, and discouragement, but it is another thing to let that be all you see! And no one can better show us how to shift our vision and focus from ‘buzzard vision’ (only looking for ugly death) to ‘hummingbird vision’ (only looking for beautiful life)!

Read where Jeremiah’s vision shifts, it is found in verse 21. He says this: “YET this I call to mind and therefore I have hope.” (NIV) Let us look at this in more detail:

“But there’s one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope” (MSG).

You see, after all of that “affliction, wandering, homelessness, bitterness, depression, troubles, loneliness, misery, discouragement, pain, grief and loss”, Jeremiah says there’s ONE thing he remembers, and it is that ONE thing that gives him hope! I must say that ONE thing must be something awesome and powerful, to only be ONE thing, and yet when he remembers it, all the rest is irrelevant! I do not know about you, but I want to find out what that ONE thing is!

Jeremiah goes from downcast to hope; from slumped shoulders to his chin held high! Reminds me of the Scripture, “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory [and my honor], and the ONE who lifts my head.” (Psalm 3:3 AMP).

But what made the difference for Jeremiah? What lifted his downcast soul to an uplifted position? Let us read and find out: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for Him. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him.’” (NIV) The Message Bible says it like this: “God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out; His merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They are created new every morning. How great Your faithfulness! I am sticking with God (I say it over and over). He is all I have got left. God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It is a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God. It’s a good thing when you’re young to stick it out through the hard times.” (MSG)

What a change here! Jeremiah starts looking at the HOPE factors instead of the HURT factors! Can you believe it? As much pain as he was in, all it took was ONE thing, HOPE in God for HELP, to shift his entire perspective! And that is all you need today as well! HOPE in God for HELP with what’s HURTING You!

NOW, before you get to running and praising…here is a tough question to ask Jeremiah: Has the situation changed? And his answer? NO. But his focus is about to because he talks first about the margin of difference when times are tough. He says, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed.” He suddenly decides to focus on the Lord’s great love. When you realize just how much the Lord loves you, it deepens your hope in Him. Because when you think about it, when it comes to the people we love, what do we do? We guard them, treasure, and cherish them, protect them, provide for them, help them, encourage, and strengthen them. And likewise, God loves us so much that he does not leave us in our helplessness, He steps in with a reminder of His love that brings back to our remembrance…HOPE! A hope that reminds you that you will not always feel this way, you will not always be in this place. A hope that reminds you that change is still possible. A hope that reminds you that no matter how long you have been driving down this dreary, miserable road, there is yet a TURN coming! “You have TURNED my mourning into dancing for me; You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy” (Psalm 30:11 AMP) Your Turn is Coming! You have Endured, now get ready to Enjoy! “Weeping may ENDURE for a night, but a shout of JOY comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5 AMP) In a nutshell: GOOD MORNING SAINTS!

And not only does Jeremiah now focus on Hope and God’s Great Love, but then he talks about the Lord’s Compassions that are new every morning. Those compassions, I think, are like specific, customized actions of love from God that are in each 24-hour period. And you will see them if you will look for “God sightings” every day. They are God’s little interventions and sometimes big interventions. And Jeremiah has decided to look at those instead. And because they are new every morning, God never misses a day of making sure you have Hope, which is your reminder of His Great Love and Great Compassion! There is always some to see, but you must look for them!

God always supplies us with mercies for what this day will need. The Bible says it like this: “Give us THIS DAY our DAILY bread.” (Matthew 6:11) The New Living Version says it like this: “Give us the bread we need TODAY.” (NLV). How wonderful to know that God looks after us DAILY! He provides and protects us DAILY! He hears us DAILY! He grants us His Great Mercy, Great Compassion, Great Love DAILY! No matter what a day may bring, you are never in that day without God! Which is why you need not worry, fret, fear, or be discouraged. God is with you every-day! Do not worry about yesterday or even today or even tomorrow, God has them all covered on your behalf!

Here’s Proof: “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. “Has anyone fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he will attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I am trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who do not know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing RIGHT NOW, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” (Matthew 6:25-34 MSG)

Yet another reminder of the Lord’s Great Love, Great Hope, Great Provision, Great Compassion and Great Faithfulness Towards YOU!

Maybe you have been dwelling on the pain, you have been kind of falling into the identity of being a life-long victim. Maybe the monster of self-pity is consuming you. You have been focusing on your failures and building this wave of self-doubt and paralysis of faith. Well, if that is you, know this: It is only Satan who focuses on the past, because it cannot be changed. A portion of John 10:10 says, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…” Satan focuses on the past (and tries to get you to do the same), that which is done and over with. Those issues that are dead and not to be revived. He has ‘buzzard vision’, all he looks for is the bad and the unchangeable. He focuses on dead things, but You Do not Have to! Why? Because the rest of that Scripture reads, “…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Satan and his ‘buzzard vision’ only focus on the dead, but God in His ‘hummingbird vision’ only focuses on life! God points to the future that has yet to be written, and so should you. After all, aren’t you tired of just seeing the carnage, the ugly, the hurting, the negative? Why don’t you choose to focus on what you can thank God for each morning? Look for His love. Review His interventions and His blessings and you will feel wind start to rise under your wings instead of weights growing on them pulling you down! It is a daily, hourly, minute-by-minute, second-by-second deliberate choice! And Only You decide what you want to focus on as you fly over today’s ground!

Do not be a buzzard! Go for hummingbird vision! Look for beauty. After all, when you can wake up in the morning knowing that Last Night was not your LAST Night, why would you want to dwell on anything negative? You made it over into a new day, leave the old behind!

“Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, BE PRESENT. I am about to do something brand-new. It is bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I am making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. Wild animals will say ‘THANK YOU!’ —the coyotes and the BUZZARDS—Because I provided water in the desert, rivers through the sunbaked earth, drinking water for the people I chose, the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me.” (Isaiah 43:16-21 MSG) How funny that you get to enjoy forgetting about old history…but even the ‘buzzards will have to tell God ‘Thank you!’ And surely if God can cause ‘buzzards’ to tell Him Thank You, so can you! Today, make a deliberate decision to be happy and joyful and content. Today, remember the Lord’s Help, Hope, Compassion and Care. Today, remember the Lord’s Great Love and Great Faithfulness that are yours for the taking! Today, Dare to Hope Because God is There to Help!

“I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed. I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—the feeling of hitting the bottom…”

Yes, like it or not, but we will ALL have moments just like the prophet of utter hopelessness because of varying life struggles. However, we must do as the prophet did, keep moving forward as you remember:

Stick it out through the hard times knowing that you have God’s loyal love, His mercy, His faithfulness, His goodness! And all you must do is passionately wait and diligently seek God knowing that your quiet hope is bringing some loud help from God that all will hear! Keep trusting and relying on God; keep pressing through the pain; keep releasing all your hurt in prayer, your turn around will come right on God’s schedule, and He is never late!

Romans 5:5, “Such hope [in God’s promises] never disappoints us, because God’s love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (AMP)

Never let a bad situation bring out the worst in you. Choose to stay positive and be the strong person that God created you to be.

Dare to Hope, God is There to Help!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com

Join Journey Into The Word each Sunday morning at 5:30 AM CST & 6:30 AM EST on The Now Network http://www.theNOWnetwork.org

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God Showed Joseph Eleven Stars, Moon & The Sun Bowing Down Before Him, But Never Showed Him the Pit & The Prison. God Promised the Israelites the Land of Milk & Honey but Never Told Them About the Desert Experience. God Will Show You the End, But!

 You Cannot Walk in the Promises of God on the Feet of Unsteady, Unstable, Wavering Faith!

God Showed Joseph Eleven Stars, Moon & The Sun Bowing Down Before Him, But Never Showed Him the Pit & The Prison. God Promised the Israelites the Land of Milk & Honey but Never Told Them About the Desert Experience. God Will Show You the End from The Beginning but Will Never Show You the Process to Your Destination. So, Whatever You Are dealing With, Stay Focused Your Destination Is Far More Important Than What You Are Going Through. May you no longer miss the fruits of divine connections because of insecurities.

This Season Fresh Focus, Fresh Faith, Fresh Initiative! This Season Make a Move and Do So on Purpose and With Purpose! You Never Know Who You Will Inspire by Your Initiative to Do the Same Thing!

“It’s Who You Are And The Way You Live That Count Before God. See, Sometimes We Give The Lord What Is Easy For Us To Give Him, But The King Deserves Our Best. People Of God, Whatever We Do—Or Neglect To Do For That Matter—Always Catches Up With Us Eventually! 

I reiterate, we are accountable for what we DO and for what we leave UNDONE! Family, God’s Inspection of the Work You Have Done, or Left Undone, is Coming and You WANT to Pass His Test! Therefore, No More Hesitation, Laziness, or Procrastination, Get Your Works in Order TODAY! Luke 9:62, “Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You cannot put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.” (MSG)

Those who procrastinate end up like the man in playwright James Albury’s verse: “He slept beneath the moon; he baked beneath the sun. He lived a life of going-to-do; and died with nothing done.” Do not let this be descriptive of your life and legacy!

Paul writes: “…God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well…” (Romans 12:6 NLT).  

Proverbs 6:6-11, “You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. NOBODY HAS TO TELL IT WHAT TO DO. All summer it stores food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. SO HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO LAZE AROUND DOING NOTHING? How long before you get out of bed? A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest.” (MSG)

What can an ant teach me?” I hear you ask. You would be surprised.

Ants fall into the successful category and can teach us how they succeed time and time again.

1. Ants are driven by purpose

By purpose I mean having a clear long-term objective or goal which shapes everything you do. For example, one ant’s sole job description is to find food for the colony. This is his purpose, and all that he inputs this time and energy into, and so it compounds his chances of success.

2. Ant’s work as a team

Ants are team workers and work together to achieve something great. Likewise, for you to achieve something substantial in life, you must align yourself with others who can help propel you to another level.

3. Ants have a time to rest and a time to work

Ants must work with the natural seasons. So, in summer they gather their food and in winter they hibernate to conserve energy because of the lack of food. You need to know when to stop.

Burnout is when you have come to the end of yourself and suddenly give up and withdraw from all kinds of work. You have simply had enough. For this not to happen you need to schedule periods of rest, especially after the completion of a major project.

4. Ants think big

Now ants can seem like one of the most insignificant insects on the planet because of their size. But the colonies they build and the contribution to their society is extremely significant and great.

What big dreams do you have for your future? Pursue those. No matter how small you think you are, you should always pursue something bigger than yourself.

5. Ants prepare ahead of time

Ants prepare in their food in Summer because they know that there will be a time when there will be no food to find in wintertime. So, they are constantly preparing for a season which is yet to come upon them. It has a stark contrast with human behavior. When you should be studying, you are watching TV and when you should be working, you are on Facebook communicating with friends. Your priorities can sometimes be driven by what you feel like doing and not by what the most important thing to do is.

The only way you can maximize any given moment is by preparing for it. If you think ahead to that meeting, conference or event and work backwards, you will then be able to prepare adequately.

6. Ants carry workloads they can handle

Although they are small, ants can handle up to one hundred times their weight. They know their limitations. All too often we say ‘yes’ to things that we can’t do and take on responsibilities that we struggle to fulfil. All we need to do is know our boundaries and never venture beyond that point.

7. Ants serve one another

Living for just yourself is a lonely existence. Serving people goes that one step further and asks, ‘what can I do for you?’ You start to live beyond yourself and purposefully contribute positively to others.

When a few ants in a colony are infected by a fungal disease, they spread the disease throughout the colony, by licking it off one another, with each ant receiving as much of the disease that their individual immune system can fight off effectively.

Far too many of us are sitting around wasting time waiting for someone to come along and tell us what to do next!

The story’s told of a man who was employed by a duke and duchess. One day he was called in to speak to his employer. “James, how long have you been with us?” said the Duchess. “About 30 years, Your Grace,” he replied. “As I recall you were employed to look after the dog,” she said. “Yes, Your Grace.” “James, that dog died 27 years ago,” said the Duchess. “Yes, Your Grace,” said James, “I was waiting for you to tell me what you would like for me to do next.”

As comical as it sounds, many of us are just like James! 10 years later and we are still waiting to be told what to do next. In ministry 15 years and still waiting to be told what to do next. What is the problem? A LACK OF INITIATIVE! Why do we fail to take the initiative? BECAUSE WE DON’T REALIZE THE HEAVY CONSEQUENCES OF OUR INACTION! Solomon writes in our text from: Proverbs 6:6-11, “You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. NOBODY HAS TO TELL IT WHAT TO DO. All summer it stores food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. SO HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO LAZE AROUND DOING NOTHING? How long before you get out of bed? A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest.” (MSG)

Whatever We Do—Or Neglect To Do For That Matter—Always Catches Up With Us Eventually! 1 Corinthians 3:9-15, “Or, to put it another way, you are God’s house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you will be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You will not get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it does not, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely.” (MSG)

I reiterate, we are accountable for what we DO and for what we leave UNDONE! Saint’s, God’s Inspection of the Work You have Done, or Left Undone, is Coming and You WANT to Pass His Test! Therefore, No More Hesitation, Laziness or Procrastination, Get Your Works in Order TODAY! Luke 9:62, “Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You cannot put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.” (MSG)

Those who procrastinate end up like the man in playwright James Albury’s verse: “He slept beneath the moon, he baked beneath the sun. He lived a life of going-to-do; and died with nothing done.” Do not let this be descriptive of your life and legacy!

Paul writes: “…God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well…” (Romans 12:6 NLT).  

Knowing your ability is one of the keys to understanding life’s assignment. However, you can only plan and prepare for so long, EVENTUALLY YOU’VE GOT TO TAKE SOME ACTION, TAKE SOME INITIATIVE AND BECOME WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MADE TO BE!

Notice 2 things about taking the Initiative:

1…TAKING INITIATIVE CLOSES THE DOOR TO FEAR: Although none of us wants to admit it, we all have fears. The question is, are we going to control them or allow them to control us? Norman Vincent Peale said: “Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different actions or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all.” To have any chance at getting what we desire, we need to work for it. Nothing is as discouraging or draining as hanging on to an Uncompleted Task. The longer we let things slide, the harder they become. And the hardest work is often the accumulation of many easy things that should have been done yesterday, last week or last month! So how do you get rid of a difficult task? JUST DO IT! Stop talking about it and become it! Turn the blueprint into a building! It is time you Step out of Fear and Walk by Faith! Truth is, once you become engulfed in doing it instead of talking about it, you will find yourself too busy to focus on fear! But standing still and just looking at it will always give you the anxiety that it cannot be accomplished! So today, determine to send your resume in for that job. So, what you do not qualify, they may be looking for some new blood to train and shake up the office. After all, what is the worst that could happen, they tell you no!? Surely, that will not stop you from breathing and continuing with life. Listen: If you have got a pulse, you have got a purpose, so get to producing it! You do know that you do not have forever, right?! So, go back to school, learn to drive, apply for the job, go after the grant, start the business, move out of state, etc.…whatever you plan to do, know that you only have a limited time on earth to get it done, so start Today, since Yesterday is Gone, and Tomorrow is NEVER Guaranteed to Come!

2…TAKING THE INITIATIVE OPENS THE DOOR TO OPPORTUNITY: People who take the initiative and work hard may succeed or fail. But anyone who does not take initiative is Guaranteed to Fail! So, today ask God, “Is there a decision I should be making? Is there a problem I should be solving? Is there a project I should be starting? Is there a goal I should be setting or striving toward? Is there an opportunity I should be seizing?” Solomon writes, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4 TLB). It is better to be 80% sure, and start, than to wait until you are 100% sure, because by then the opportunity may have passed you by, never to return. So today, DETERMINE TO TAKE SOME INITIATIVE! Remember This: Doors Do not Stay Open Indefinitely! Think about it, when you come home, you enter the door and close it behind you! You do not leave the door open indefinitely! Likewise, supermarket doors close, business doors close, school doors close, office doors close, bank doors close, restaurant doors close, Macy’s, Nordstrom’s, Lord & Taylor, Payless and even most Laundromats and 99 cent stores all close! No Door Stays Open Indefinitely! So, while you have the opportunity of an open door, Walk Through It Before It Closes…For Good! That position may not be available tomorrow; that grant, and scholarship may not be offered next year; that mortgage and dealership flyer may not come in the mail again; the chance to travel may not happen again! Write that book on that topic before someone else does; record that song today; even go out on a limb and tell that person how you really feel about them, today! Are you getting this? Open doors of opportunity do not stay open indefinitely! So, find your courage, take heart, and go for it! Take the Initiative Now!

The Bible says this: “…Steep yourself in God-reality, GOD-INITIATIVE, God-provisions. You will find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Do not be afraid of missing out. You are my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.” (Luke 12:29-32 MSG). However, please understand that you can only pray, plan, and prepare for so long, EVENTUALLY YOU HAVE TO STEP OUT IN FAITH AND ACT! 

If it is one thing that bothers me sometimes, is having asked someone to do something, and they do it, but do it, half-heartedly. The term “half-hearted” is defined as “without enthusiasm or determination; feeling or showing of little interest; to give lukewarm support to.” And what does God think about “lukewarm people “? Revelation 3:15-17, ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic); I wish that you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm (SPIRITUALLY USELESS), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust]. Because you say, “I am rich, and have prospered and grown wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked [without hope and in great need],”

So, do you still want to serve God halfheartedly and lukewarm?

Let us look at John 4:24 in a few translations:

“God is Spirit, and those who worship God MUST be led by the Spirit to worship him according to the truth.” (CEV) – The word “MUST” is defined as “to be obligated to; should; expressing insistence on something that should not be overlooked or missed.”

In essence, in our service, no matter what the form, when it is to God, it is a necessity to have it done wholeheartedly in the Spirit, something that should not be overlooked or missed because it is our basic requirement. God has always given us His absolute best, in fact He gave us His Heart (His Son, His Sons Blood, His Sons Life) so, how do we dare serve Him halfheartedly?

Therefore, we need to evaluate the work we are doing for the Lord. We need to pay attention that we are giving Him our all and our best because the day is coming when we will be tested and graded, and unlike school when you get a failing or passing grade, this grade affects you eternally. There is no make-up, it goes through the fire, and either it survives or burns, sounds a lot like our souls. Which is why this is so vital that we handle this appropriately, carefully, and cautiously.

“It’s Who You Are and The Way You Live That Count Before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That is the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honest about themselves before Him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” (John 4:23-24 MSG) Nothing about that sounds halfhearted!

There is an interesting story that is told about Queen Victoria. She loved being able to go out and be by herself, without being recognized, so she could mingle with ordinary people. And to keep from being noticed, the Queen would “dress down.” On one of her walks, it began to rain, so she knocked on the door of this cottage and asked to borrow an umbrella. Well, not recognizing the Queen, the elderly woman who answered the door lent her a beat-up umbrella, instead of her best umbrella. She did that because she was not sure she would ever see the umbrella again of course. Well Queen Victoria left thanking the woman and promising to return the umbrella. The next day a royal messenger returned the lady’s umbrella. And he said to the woman, “The Queen asked me to return your umbrella.” The elderly woman was heard to say, “Oh, if I had only known who it was, I would have given her my best. “

See, Sometimes We Give The Lord What Is Easy For Us To Give Him, But The King Deserves Our Best. Think about it: No one in their right mind would serve an earthly king dinner on paper plates, plastic silverware, bowls, cups, and discount store napkins! Why not? Because that is not what you serve as a king! And certainly, our KING is deserving of much better than any earthly king! Yet, we will not serve an earthly king on paper and plastic, but our KING we serve with watered down worship; procrastinated praise; and perfunctory prayers! We bypass bible study, and we are so busy checking messages on our phones that we pay little or no attention to the Message coming through the microphone in the sanctuary! We sing songs with no emotions, and dance for show. How does God get any honor out of any of that? But we are first to cry out “He’s Our King of Kings!” Well, if He truly is, then serve Him as a King should be served!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com

Join Journey Into The Word each Sunday morning at 5:30 AM CST & 6:30 AM EST on The Now Network http://www.theNOWnetwork.org

ROKU, Cable & Online

https://www.thenownetwork.org/sunday