Time To Take Inventory. Anytime You Spend Time With The Lord, You Gain…You Never Lose! Let God Close The Door, So You Can Sit Down And Reason Together About What's Working & What's Not. Anything That Falls Off In Your Silence Was A Quiet Blessing

When He Closes the Door, Take Out Your Pen and Pad and Do Some Much Needed Inventory!

Let God close the door, so you can sit down and reason together about what's working and what's not. What should be added, what should be taken away? And you can't sit with God while you're busy serving others. You need to put your "closed for inventory" sign up, and let people know, "not today…." Let God restructure and renovate you and your life. Let God handle it. Take your hands off it. It would help if you had a break from being everything to everybody. 

Psalm 42:1-5, "As the deer pants for water, I long for you, O God.  I thirst for God, the living God. Where can I find him to come and stand before him?  Day and night, I weep for his help, and all the while, my enemies taunt me. "Where is this God of yours?" they scoff. Take courage, my soul! Do you remember those times (but how could you ever forget them!) when you led a great procession to the Temple on festival days, singing with joy, praising the Lord? Why then be downcast? Why be discouraged and sad? Hope in God! I shall yet praise him again. Yes, I shall again praise him for his help." (TLB)

Anyone that knows me knows that I am a bookaholic! I read everything! There is absolutely no time when there isn't a book in my hand, on my desk, in my bag, or on my nightstand. I love reading books! And when my daughter and sons were little, I would always make sure that they had reading time at home.

Well, my children spent a lot of time at the public library. I would take them; they would find their book, and I would find mine. But there's one memory about our library trips that I remember most. It's what stirred today's devotional. Me and the kids and I, as usual, went to the library; however, this time was different when we got there. Usually, it would be full of parents, guardians, and kids, but this time there was no one. And it suddenly dawned on me that this time wasn't a good time to go. You see, this was when they traditionally conducted their inventory. Yep, what a lousy time to go to a place you want to be in, but you can't because they were shut down to take stock.

Before we go on, let's define the word "inventory." It means "a complete list of items such as goods in stock or the contents of a building; several goods in stock." Its Latin Origin "inventarium" means "a list of what is found," from "invenire" which means "to discover." Inventory is conducted to discover what's good, what's wrong, what's outdated, what's needed, what's no longer needed, and how much of all of this is present. Inventory is done to determine the cost of the goods and the cost of the bad in stock.

With that in mind, there was one man in history who was called the man after God's own heart by God Himself. His name was David. It's this man whose personal spiritual diary is in your possession. It's called the book of Psalms. One of those is Psalm 42; it's a natural look inside David's heart. No pretense, no mask, no phoniness, no cover-up, but the real heart of David.

Psalm 42 begins with verse 1, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." In a word, David is struggling. In essence, something's not right. But instead of sinking, he knows the lifeguard to call on for help. He says this in the Psalm, "My soul is downcast within me: therefore, I will remember You."

Here, David is much like the library, and he's saying it's time to close the store and meet with God. It's time to take an inventory of my life and where I am. It's time to discover what's good, what's wrong, what's outdated, what's needed, what's no longer needed, and how much of all of this is present. It's time to find out the cost of the good and the cost of the bad I have in stock.

There Is A Blessing Behind Closed Doors. I believe that God closes doors to force you to turn to Him, so He can finally point you toward the right door you should've entered. 

Maybe it's that time for you too.  Let Him close the door (that no man can open), and you take close inventory. The truth is, we can only go but so long without time away from all the other voices. And can we dare be honest? There are a lot of voices. Our spouses, children, family members, coworkers, bosses, clients, church, neighbors, and the list could go on forever. Someone somewhere is constantly talking to us about something. But with so many voices to listen to from day to day, when do you get quiet time to hear the voice of the Lord? And isn't that the one voice we can't afford to ignore?

Isaiah 40:28-31, "Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of His understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall into exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." (NLT)

God asks us to pause or ultimately makes us wait, not to punish us, but to refit us. He wants to slow you down for work that needs to be done, for refueling that you desperately need, for retooling, or for redirecting you back into the center of His will. And He's wired us to do what His Son did at the beginning of His unbelievably busy days here on earth - to spend quiet time with Him. To hit 'pause' each new day to hear our master's voice before we listen to any other, appropriate our Master's resources, experience our Master's healing touch, and receive our Master's orders for the day. 

Life has a strange way of simply spinning out of control without a periodic time of uninterrupted inventory with God. Because besides listening to all the other voices, we also have jobs, school, responsibilities, appointments, meetings, and once again, the list could go on and on. For instance, there was a time when I was heading out of the house with a million things on my mind, teaching sessions, leadership workshops, preaching engagements, on top of handling the household affairs of my own house, and my appointments, etc.… All the distractions didn't dawn on me until I was almost to my appointment, and a woman on her phone stepped out into the street on a green light and was almost hit by a car. She screamed "Jesus! Thank God I prayed before I left home this morning!" And that's when it hit me…did I pray this morning? I honestly couldn't remember. I had so much to do, so many places to be, so many meetings to attend, so many workshops to facilitate, so many decisions to make, I simply couldn't remember praying before I left home. That's a rarity for me since walking around in the quiet of my living-room is my absolute favorite place to pray every morning. But somehow that morning, I didn't "have time to pray." But when I finally got to my job, I went in my conference room and just sat quietly for a moment. As ironic, and maybe even comical as it may sound, my silent prayer to God was asking God, "did I pray this morning?" So grateful that He didn't disconnect His communication with me, because I could clearly hear Him say… "No…" Immediately I wondered what God's grace, mercy, favor, and protection had spared me from, as I walked along the morning without ever asking Him to keep me covered by His blood and His name? I thought about that woman so distracted by her phone that she almost lost her life getting struck by a car, but even in her distraction, she still remembered that she'd prayed that morning.

I know for most, that sounds tragic coming from a speaker, preacher, teacher, but it's my truth. Sometimes I can get so busy (with both the good and the bad) that I don't take time out for God or myself. Even more disturbing is that morning prayer is my favorite. I always come out of morning prayer feeling like a superhero (don't laugh!) But I do. I feel like I have God, all His angels, the whole armor of God, and the entire host of heaven walking out the door with me to face the day. I feel so inspired, empowered, encouraged, lifted, and strong, and yet I was too busy that day to pray.

I hope this will encourage and inspire you to re-evaluate (and do a personal inventory) your life. Then, go to God like David did. God will close the door, and you will have uninterrupted, personal time with your Savior. This makes me think of the many times in the Bible (Old and New Testament) when a door was closed, there was often a miracle performed on the other side. From Noah and Elisha to Jesus and the Disciples, something extraordinary happens when doors are closed!

Stores know you can't take stock of what you have while you're still selling and servicing customers at the same time. They must close the doors. They must hang out a closed sign to do it. It's the same spiritually, mentally, and emotionally for us. Because it's hard to see where you are and where God wants you to be while you're still meeting all the demands of your daily responsibilities and servicing all the "customers" in your life. It's hard to know what You need while simultaneously serving all the needs of others.

But what I've learned (albeit the hard way) is that you must value yourself enough to ask God to close the door because you need to meet with Him to re-evaluate your inventory.

There must be those times when you hang out the closed sign and say, "I'm all yours, God." Spend some extended time with your Lord. Remember David's question: "When can I go and meet with God?" It might be a day; it might be a couple of days or occasionally a more extended period. And what you do is, take your bible, a pen, and a big notepad to write down what comes to you while you're listening to the Lord, and you can expect Him to fill that pad. He loves when we go to Him with an empty piece of paper instead of our own full personal agenda.

A church or a ministry is wise to allow, even to encourage their leaders to stop all the business and running the church machine and take time out for the inventory. The truth is that many marriages, relationships, friendships, businesses, and churches are going under because everyone is too busy to do inventory. You need some quiet time away from it all (and them all) to sit with God and see what's good, what's wrong, what's outdated, what's no longer needed, and what requires more. If not, you'll still try to make deposits in others when you're depleted yourself.

In honesty, there are some relationships/friendships/companions we no longer need, and we're stressed out over their very presence. However, if you took the required time to sit behind closed doors and talk to God, He would've shown you months or even years ago. So many of us have people, places, and long-outdated things, and still, they're hanging onto us because we haven't taken the necessary time to re-evaluate them and realize that keeping them is far too costly!

Listen: Psalm 139:23-24, "Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about…" (MSG). You need to ask the Lord to do this for you. "investigate" means "to conduct a formal inquiry to establish the truth." Its Latin Origin "investigare" means "to trace out". When you "trace" something, it means "to find out by investigation". And there are simply some things in your life that you will never discover a need to be removed from your life until the Lord does His own private investigation. It's not until you sit with the Lord, with your undivided attention, and listen attentively to Him, that you'll be able to finally trace where your exhaustion is coming from; where your discouragement is coming from; where your depletion is coming from; where your peace, joy, and contentment are going. It's not until then that you can trace where your aggravation is coming from. It takes investigation, and investigation doesn't happen in 5 minutes. You need time to spend time with the Lord. You're losing too much sleep, money, sanity, and strength. You need to trace the source.

You need to deal with wrong actions and wrong attitudes that have developed. So, stand back with Him and get the big picture again. Then ask Him to help you see each of the key people in your life as He sees them – through His eyes. And when He says he goes, then you let him go! When He says she stays, whether you like it or not, she stays! You need clear and concise guidance and direction, and you can't get that surrounded by a multitude of noisy distractions!

So how long has it been since you closed for inventory? Are you afraid they'll get mad? Are you afraid you may miss an opportunity? Are you afraid the time apart will destroy the relationship/friendship? Are you afraid you'll miss out on money? Are you afraid you'll lose 'friends,' posts, likes, and tweets? Are you afraid you'll lose your seat, title, office, and position? Are you afraid you'll lose your ring and robe? What has you so afraid of temporary closed doors granting you permanent peace? Listen, anytime you spend time with the Lord, you Gain…you never Lose! So, anything (or anyone) that falls off in your silence was a quiet blessing!

God has so much He wants to show you, and you need to hear His voice so much. You'll come out of that seeking time ready for business again. But first, you must be still and know that He is God. You Have to Take Time to Be Still! Some may not like this, but I'll say it anyway, you are NOT that anointed, gifted, talented, influential, and vital that all the world and the Kingdom of God will go on hold because of your absence.

Jesus shares these exciting words in Luke 14:28-30, "Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn't first sit down and figure the cost so you'll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you will look foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: 'He started something he couldn't finish.'" (MSG) You need to have the Lord close doors and sit you down to do inventory. You need to know if you have all you need to do and be all that the Lord desires, or are you missing something? And if you are, do you even know what it is? You'll never know until you sit down and count the cost. Do your inventory before you start the business, open the church, relocate, marry them, go to school there, take this job… Can you finish what you started with what you have? And I understand potential and ambition, dreams, and desires, but I also understand the importance of time with God to hear His voice and heed his direction. You need to know how much you've gained by having her in your life, and you also need to know how much you've lost by having him in your life. And you'll never know either without time with God.

I believe that God closes doors to force you to turn to Him, so He can finally point you toward the right door you should've entered. Even David knew that. Because as distressed as he was, he at least knew he needed some time with God. He said, yes, I'm going to praise Him again, but for right now, I need some help with what I'm feeling. So do you, and that's not a bad thing to admit.

Let God close the door, so you can sit down and reason together about what's working and what's not. Where is the gain, and where is the loss? What should be added, what should be taken away? And you can't sit with God while you're busy serving others. You need to put your "closed for inventory" sign up, and let people know, "not today…." You're not out of commission permanently; you're just under New Management and receiving some Over-Due Repairs, and when you open for Business again, this time, you'll turn a better Profit! Let God restructure and renovate you and your life. Let Him go over the plans and look at the numbers. Let God Handle It, and Take Your Hands Off It. It would help if you had a break from being everything to everybody. Let God replenish you. Let God restore you.

Keep in mind: YOU are not the only person people can go to! For instance, I could've taken the girls to other libraries, and there were other beauty supply stores I could've gone to. So, in other words, get rid of your Elijah Complex; you Are Not the Only One God Has Left to Use!

Listen to Matthew 6:6: "But when you pray, go into your [MOST] PRIVATE ROOM, AND, CLOSING THE DOOR, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open." (AMPC)

 "Here’s what I want you to do: Find a QUIET, SECLUDED PLACE so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.” (MSG)

Based on these translations, how is your behind closed doors meeting supposed to be done when doing inventory with God?

You enter your most private room and close the door; you go to your room and shut the door; you go into a room alone and close the door behind; you go away by yourself, all alone, and shut the door behind you in secret; you find a quiet, secluded place, so you’re not tempted to role-play before God; you go into your inner room and close your door; you go into a room by yourself and shut the door!

In other words, this is a private matter between you and God! Not your prayer circle, not your BFF, not even your pastor, spouse, or children! You and God alone need to have this conversation and complete this inventory! So by no means think that you are being selfish; this is about self-care! after all, you are no good to the body of Christ if you can’t even take proper care of your own body!

Do not take this lightly! Like David, set aside your time with God, take your pen and pad, and work! We need a healthy, healed, and whole you in the kingdom of God to aid in fixing this fractured world!

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Take your stand today and declare that the best is yet to come, and you shall see the goodness of God's working power.

There Is A Blessing Behind Closed Doors.

Blessings

J.P. Olson

https://www.thewordwithjpolson.com

God May Be Trying To Get You To Slow Down Or To Stop Right Now So He Can Show You Some Things That You Are Never Going To See If You're Constantly On The Run From One Project To The Next, One Fight To The Next.

Isaiah 40:28-31, “Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of His understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” (NLT)

Many of us are still driving along not realizing that we're directionally challenged and heading for a crash because we won’t slow down. You must slow down, even when you’re exhausted, never forget your God is inexhaustible!  “Lord, I’m exhausted and empty, please fill me again! Help me to slow down and rediscover Your reserve tank of strength.

Shut Everything Down. Like Our Computer Our Life Gets Fragmented: One situation tugs on our emotions while trying to concentrate on something else. We want to accomplish everything that needs to be done, but our mind won't stop, and our body won't start. Sometimes we are scattered, restless, and half here.  We need to pause from time to time and reflect on the condition of our hearts and lives.

I often defragment my computer; it needs a tune-up every now and then. Then I had a thought: Prayer can help to defragment our lives. When we cast our cares on the Lord, He will show us what we need to do and what only He can do.  Many of us need some defragmentation going on right now.  We need prayer the most when we have the least time to pray. Take time to defragment your life today. Shut everything down and go to God in prayer. Is it time for your checkup?

God May Be Trying To Get You To Slow Down Or To Stop Right Now So He Can Show You Some Things That You Are Never Going To See If You're Constantly On The Run From One Project To The Next, One Fight To The Next, One Battle To The Next. But How Can God Show You Anything When Your Focus Is Always On Everything Else?

It could be that you've been running ahead of the Lord's timing, or you've been pursuing what you want instead of what He wants.  Many of us are still Driving along not realizing that we're Directionally Challenged and Heading For a Crash!

Maybe you've been neglecting the regular timeout that God calls a "Sabbath"; you're all Accelerator and no Brakes, you're violating God's created order of taking regular rest! You’re daily bypassing all the signs that are God’s messages to you for your safety: ‘Stop, Do Not Enter, Yield, Dead End, One-Way, Wrong Way, U-Turn, Speed Limit, Caution, Bump, Bend, No Passing Zone, Bridge, Slippery Road, Falling Rocks, Road Work Ahead, Detour, Under Construction, Don’t Walk, Slow Down, Hazard, and even Hospital, just in case you decide to ignore all the other signs!”

It's possible that God's been trying to say some very important things to you, things that would bring sense to your swirling world, but you can't hear Him because you're running so fast, in so many directions, with so many people, to so many places, on so many projects, to do far too much! Whatever the reason for your non-stop pace, I know there must be someone listening right now to whom God is saying, "It's time to take a break…it’s time to hit 'pause.' It’s time for Time Off, Time Out and Time Away!" Don't ignore His call to "be still and know that He is God."

Because truth is, if we don't choose to slow down, He will as the 23rd Psalm says, "…MAKE us lie down in green pastures..." And truth is, many times the only way I took my Time Off, Time Out and Time Away was by God's Force! It wasn’t until I was flat on my back sick that I received the much-needed rest I should’ve been getting all along. And I had to learn how to even force myself to take better care of myself!  I didn’t want God to ‘MAKE me lie down flat’ anymore. So, I had to start taking a hard look at all the things I was involved in and see where I needed to make some better arrangements and adjustments for my life.

God asks us to pause, or ultimately makes us pause, not to punish us, but to refit us. He wants to slow you down for work that needs to be done, for refueling that you desperately need, for retooling, or for redirecting you back into the center of His will. And He's wired us to do what His Son did at the beginning of His unbelievably busy days here on earth - to spend quiet time with Him. To hit 'pause' each new day so we can hear our Master's voice before we hear any other, appropriate our Master's resources, experience our Master's healing touch, and receive our Master's orders for the day. Therefore, it’s so vital that you take Time Off, Time Out, and Time Away! He is our reserve, but we are running so many times on empty, we don’t realize that God is our Reserve.

A good friend of mine named Earl recently picked up a used pickup truck for a friend of ours. However, it’s when Earl started up the truck that the trouble began. You see, Earl (everybody’s friendly neighborhood mechanic) was taking the truck out for a test drive for Jim who had just bought it. And as he backed it out of the new owner's garage, it suddenly started sputtering and stalling. He couldn't keep it running no matter what he tried. He got to a phone and called the old owner and said, "What's the deal with this truck you just sold?" Well, the man who sold it is an honorable man, and he was really distressed about this suddenly dysfunctional truck. Then suddenly he asked Earl, "Did you happen to mess with the radio at all?" Yes, he had. The previous owner told Earl to go check these two switches that are right next to the radio. You see, this truck has a wonderful feature, especially for the country roads that it travels so much. It has what they call a reserve gas tank. Earl had unknowingly turned off Tank 2, which was full of gas, and turned-on Tank 1, which was totally empty. But the good news is that as soon as he switched from the empty tank to the reserve tank, Mr. Pickup Truck ran and ran and ran.

I'm assuming that your life runs fast, and hard much like mine. You have family, work, church, friends, schedules, children, business, school, leadership, health, financial checklists, and the like. And because of it, there are times when your tank is basically empty. You're totally exhausted; you have nothing left to give. But there is good news that gets delivered Right when your tank has nothing Left!

Isaiah 40:28 says, "Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He doesn’t grow tired or weary. His understanding is beyond human reach.” (CEB) Now, in case you didn’t know, the God you belong to, the God who lives in you is inexhaustible! And that wonderful word “inexhaustible” is defined as: “of a never-ending supply; incapable of being used up because of its continual abundance; tireless; incapable of being wearied or worn out. This is talking about the God who holds you together when you’re ready to fall apart!

His resources and wisdom just never, ever run out, but yours do, and don’t feel bad because mine does as well. But as for God; He is never tired or weary! He's the One who created the ends of the earth (and still He is never tired or weary). And no matter what the problem or struggle is, His understanding of it is still beyond human reach. There is nothing we can bring to Him, that so perplexes us, will ever stress Him! He can handle anything and everything…now if only we’d stop thinking we can as well! God never runs low, or runs out, but we do. The good news is that when we do, we still have our connection to Him!

And here's where the reserve tank kicks in. The passage continues, “He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak. Even the youths shall be exhausted, and the young men will all give up.” (Vss. 29-30 TLB). By the way, any words here that sounds like you? "Weary, weak, tired, worn out, exhausted, feeble, faint, no might, stumble, fall?"

And furthermore, what’s so interesting about this text is that even the “young” and the “selected” will not be exempt! You’d think the young would have nothing to complain about, but truth be told, life hits hard and it doesn’t care about your age! Even the youth will be exhausted, and young men will all give up. And we can’t judge them either. Because you never know what someone’s struggle is. You may be 60 and battling with diabetes, but believe it or not, there’s a 6-year-old battling cancer, and a 16-year-old battling addiction. No one is exempt from running on empty! Not even the “select”!

Even those who are physically strong, in good health, young, at their best possible level of quality, in excellent condition, are still tired, weary, need rest, stumble and fall, get weak and trip! So then why are you being so hard on yourself? Don’t attempt to ‘fake it till you make it.’ Be honest with yourself, if no one else, and admit that you’re exhausted…However....don’t get stuck there…remember you still serve an Inexhaustible God!

You see, much like Earl, who got inside the pickup truck and immediately went to pressing buttons…by the way, we do the same thing. Pressing an unnecessary button (the radio) caused a necessary button (the reserve tank) to be switched off. Sometimes in life we think we know what we’re doing, but we don’t. And like Earl, who had to contact the person who owned the truck first and therefore knew it best, we need to go to God who created us first and knows us best to ask Him, “God what’s wrong with this?” Meaning our life, our family, our finances and health, our choices, our decisions, our marriages, churches, ministries, and businesses. “God why is this not working?” And as silly as it sounds, I’m certain we’ll get a response much like Earl did, “did you mess with the wrong button?” And if we’re honest and humble enough, we’ll admit that we did. Then we can have God tell us what to do next to fix it. And like Earl, it will be the same answer, switch to your reserve tank. And what’s your reserve tank?

Well, Here's What God Promises To The Totally Overwhelmed And Depleted Person: "But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power; they will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not grow tired." (vs. 31).

When Earl’s Tank 1 on that truck was empty, the fuel in Tank 2 made all the difference! I can't tell you how many times I have reached empty in my tank and God's never-empty tank has kicked in and it has, likewise, made all the difference. After an exhausting week, I wake up and say, "God, I'm so tired." He says, "I'm not." I say, "I'm empty, Lord." He says, "I know, but switch on My power. I'm not empty."

Now, I know we are “supposed” to be strong and able to handle anything and everything. But can I'll tell you how untrue that is. You are to be god-like, but you are never to attempt to be God. You will get tired and weary and worn out and exhausted. And none of that makes you a “weak person.” What makes you a “weak person” is when you think your source of strength and power comes from you!

No Matter What You Are Going Through, God’s Grace, Loving-kindness and Mercy are Sufficient…More Than Enough…and Always Available…REGARDLESS OF THE SITUATION! There is nothing you can bring to God that He can’t handle in your life! Nothing that weakens you can weaken Him! In fact, His power is more evident and effective IN YOUR WEAKNESS! That’s why we can boast, because no matter what weakens us, God will always be our reserve of strength! Whether it’s divorce, debt, death, or diabetes…God can handle any situation that’s draining you! But you must contact Him, like Earl had to contact the previous owner of the pickup truck. God is waiting for you to stop trying to be strong and hold it all together. He’s waiting for you to slow down and come to Him for Help!

Now, I don’t know about you, but when I go to someone for advice and help, I like to know that they’ve already sat where I’m sitting. And who better to talk to about our weaknesses than one who has experienced weakness and overcame it?! This is our God who so desperately wants us to bring our failures, hurts, discouragement, disappointments, stress, and struggles to Him. He wants us to bring Him our weaknesses and emptiness to Him. He desires that we cast every care on Him!

Remember, You Have To Slow Down, Even When you’re Exhausted, Never Forget Your God is Inexhaustible! When You Need to Refuel, He is Your Reserve. Today, Don’t Complain About Being Empty, Just Switch Tanks! Take Your Empty Tank to God in Prayer, and Watch Him Pour in Fresh Power to Keep You Pressing Onward, Going the Full Distance to Destiny!

Who knew that GRACE is the GAS we need to REFUEL?! And all we need to attain it is honesty… “Lord, I’m Exhausted And Empty, Please Fill Me Again! Help me to slow down and rediscover Your reserve tank of strength, just for me!”

Blessings

J.P. Olson

Increase Your Expectancy, Reverence, Alertness & Willingness To God. Go Out Of Your Way For Him, A Promise You Should Claim Daily: No Harm Will Befall You. Angels Are Commanded Concerning You! They Do Not Have An Option! God Loves You So Much. Listen

 "O GOD, YOU ARE MY GOD; EARNESTLY, I SEEK YOU." PSALM 63:1 NIV

God has also made a command for each of us; let me share why this is crucial; look at God; He has made a command for each of us. Another Promise You Should Claim Every Day: No Harm Will Befall You. Why? Angels Are Commanded Concerning You! They Do Not Have An Option! God Loves You So Much. Listen To What He Commands:

Angels Are Charged to Protect! But WHO is this protection for? The Bible says, "…Those who will RECEIVE SALVATION." In other words, Reject Jesus, and you Forfeit the Ultimate Protection; Accept Him, and You are Covered 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week, 366 Days of the Year! (Yep, Angels Cover You All Year Long. Take special time to increase your Expectancy, Reverence, Alertness, and Willingness to God. Go out of your way for Him, as you have never done before. Make a sacrifice to spend quality time with Him. Seek Him with all you have got. Pursue Him as if it is your last time to grasp Him. Love Him enough to be quiet before Him and hear what He says.

When You Come To Meet With God, You Should Have An Attitude Of:

1...EXPECTANCY: Expect to 'give and get' from your time together. And make it a time of Intimacy. Now, intimacy was not designed to be found in a crowd or a public place; intimacy calls for being alone with the one you love. The Bible speaks about Christ as the groom and us (the church) as His bride. Therefore, the groom has an Expectancy when it comes to His bride. He Expects us to go out of our way to be with Him, spend valuable time with Him, talk with Him, share with Him, and love Him. He Expects us to show and prove our love for Him. He Expects words of appreciation, adoration, and admiration from His bride. Without a doubt, He as our groom has already given us this and much more, so don't you think by now He deserves to be loved by us in return? "And behold, a woman brought an alabaster box of ointment, stood at his feet behind him weeping, began to wash his feet with tears, wiped them with the hairs of her head, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment." (Luke 7:36-38) Intimacy with God is Important!

2...REVERENCE: Do not clumsily rush into God's presence! Prepare your heart by being Still before Him and letting the Quietness clear away the world's thoughts. Remind yourself Who it is you are meeting with – GOD! When you enter the presence of God, set aside time for yourself and Him, and take the time to Prepare Yourself. "You are Worthy…to receive Glory and Honor" (Revelation 4:11 NIV). Make sure you have enough praise and worship; enough thank you, Jesus; enough I love you, Lord. Remember, He's Worthy! Take the time to present Him with a clean and pure heart. Present Him with a mind that is focused on Him alone. We have been giving God a lot of Entertainment but, not accurate enough, heartfelt Endearment. "Worship the Lord in Holy Clothing. May all the earth shake in fear before Him" (Psalm 96:9 NLV). "Bravo, GOD, bravo! Gods and all angels shout, "Encore!" In awe before the glory, in awe before God's visible power. Stand at attention! Dress your best to honor Him!" (Psalm 29:1-2 MSG). If He means what you say He means to you, love Him enough to enter His presence at your Best! You Cannot Rush Reverence!

3...ALERTNESS: Get to bed early to be in good shape to meet God in the morning! He deserves your Full Attention. Give God the Best part of your day – when you are the Freshest. Follow the example of Christ: "VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING…Jesus…went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." (Mark 1:35 NIV). Hudson Taylor said, "You don't tune up the instruments after the concert is over…you tune them up before you start." I have Learned to Be Alert to His Presence. When I know I will meet Him in the morning for prayer, I get to the bathroom and get myself together! We cost God too much to short-change Him now if you think about it! "Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be Alert servants of the Master, cheerfully Expectant…” (Romans 12:11). Don’t Give God Your Aloofness When He Deserves Your Alertness.

4...WILLINGNESS: This Attitude is Crucial: You do not come to your quiet time to choose what you will or will not do but do anything and everything God wants you to do. So come to meet with the Lord, possessing a mindset to do His will—no matter what! Determine that I am not just going to enter His presence and laugh, jump, and shout, but He has something Vital to tell me. Therefore, I must be ready to receive and willing to fulfill whatever the day’s assignment might be. “Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, “My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. BUT PLEASE, NOT WHAT I WANT. BUT WHAT DO YOU WANT?” (Matthew 26:39 MSG). One of the questions that should always be on your lips when you enter your quiet time with God is, “What Do You Want from Me, God?”

Take special time to increase your Expectancy, Reverence, Alertness, and Willingness to God. Go out of your way for Him, as you have never done before. Make a sacrifice to spend quality time with Him. Seek Him with all you have. Pursue Him as if it is your last time to grasp Him. Love Him enough to be quiet before Him and hear what He says.

Remember: There is no greater Return than Investing in Quiet Time with God; Jesus Christ is the magnet who holds us all in place. The vertical forgiveness is that which we receive from our gracious God, and the horizontal forgiveness is that which we extend to others in His name. God has also made a command for each of us; let me share why this is crucial; look at God; he has made a command for each of us. Another Promise You Should Claim Every Day: No Harm Will Befall You. Why? Angels Are Commanded Concerning You! They Do Not Have An Option! God Loves You So Much. Listen To What He Commands:

Hebrews 1:14, “Are not all the angels’ ministering spirits sent out [by God] to serve (accompany, protect) those who will inherit salvation? [Of course, they are!]” (AMP)

If you believe in the Bible, you must believe in Angels! Why? Because there are over 300 references to them! How are they described; you ask? Maybe Chiffon wings and Meringue sweetness? Nope! Two words tell them: Many and Mighty! How Mighty are they, you ask? Well, it took only ONE Angel to shut the mouths of the lions for Daniel (Daniel 6:22, “My God has sent His angel and has shut the mouths of the lions so that they have not hurt me because I was found innocent before Him; and also, before you, O king, I have committed no crime.” AMP); also, an angel was sent to bring Peter out of prison on the eve of his execution! (Acts 12:7, “Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared [beside him], and a light shone in the cell. The angel struck Peter’s side and awakened him, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off his hands.” AMP).

Now, do you remember Elisha’s servant? Elisha asked God to open His servant’s eyes when an army threatened to take their lives. The Bible says: “And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:17). With that said, I wonder if God opened your eyes today, what would you see? Possibly Angels escorting your children to school? Shielding you from drunken and distracted drivers? Guiding the hand of the surgeon? Protecting you while you sleep?

Were they redirecting the robber and rapist from your path? Blocking the bullets and knife wounds that were aiming for your body? Would you see angels holding back the hand of incidental and accidental and untimely death?! Would you know the gang and terroristic activity being shut down on your behalf? Would you see angels stopping the flood and the fire from breaking out? Would you see angels moving your feet before that tree fell or that pipeline blew up? Would you see angels delaying your train so you would not be the victim of the pusher or the slasher? Today, Ask God to Open Your Eyes So You Can See the Angels He's Assigned to Your Life!

When they attempt to foreclose on your home, Look Out For Angels;
When they attempt to repossess your car, Look Out For Angels;
When the doctor says there’s nothing else that can be done, Look Out For Angels;
When they say you’re about to be laid off, Look Out For Angels;
When they say your church doors are about to close, Look Out For Angels;
When your children look like they’re heading in the wrong direction, Look Out For Angels;
When your marriage is driving towards divorce court, Look Out For Angels!

As a Believer, Angels Are Commanded to Care for You! So Always, “…Expect Powerful Angels to Accompany You in Your Life’s Experiences”!

Angels Are Charged to Protect! But WHO is this protection for? The Bible says, “…Those who will RECEIVE SALVATION.” In other words, Reject Jesus, and you Forfeit the Ultimate Protection; Accept Him, and You are Covered 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week, 366 Days of the Year! (Yep, Angels Cover You All Year Long, Including Holidays and Leap Year Too!) As a believer, one of our most significant benefits is that we are never without coverage! We are shielded in the supermarket, in the parking lot, at the bank, doing laundry, standing in the unemployment line, at the pharmacy, at school, at work, at church, waiting for the bus, just boarding the train, standing on the platform, entering the cab, at the doctor’s office, getting our nails done, at the barbershop, at McDonald’s, getting gas, in the bathroom! There is nowhere that the believer is, that protection is without!
 
Listen: “The angel of the LORD Encamps all around those who fear Him and delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7). Note, He does not wave as He flies past; He 'Encamps,' He Lingers, He Lives, He Keeps Vigilance Over You! 

Let that understanding lower your anxiety levels in this life.

Another translation says this: “GOD’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us…” (MSG). A Circle is a Full Coverage All Around You! Meaning Not One Area of Your Life Is Left Exposed to the Hand or the Enemy's Attack! Angels Circle You and Block His Every Entry Way to Cause You, Harm!  The truth is, some of the Wealthiest people on the planet do not have it that good! Strapped with guns, knives, and bulletproof vests, the bodyguard still goes down! But it is Not So for the believer! Thank God for My Angels! The word ‘circle’ has its origin in Latin, from ‘circulus,’ which means ‘a small ring,’ from ‘circus,’ meaning ‘ring.’ Look at it this way, when I think of a ‘small ring,’ I think about a boxing ring. You are on one side, and the devil is on the other. And as many times as the devil can beat you upside the head with every struggle, circumstance, sickness, and trial, he can never knock you out! Because you have got angels in the corner of your small ring!

The Bible gives yet another translation of our text: “On Every Side, the LORD’s Messenger Protects Those Who Honor God; And He Delivers Them” (CEB). You Are Covered “On Every Side…” Angels Are Encamped Around You; Angels Have Formed a Circle of Protection About You; Angels Have Got You Covered on Every Side! Be it North, South, East, or West, Before You or Behind You, Above You or Beneath You; Angels Have You Fully Covered! On your best day, on your worse day, in sickness and in health, angels have you fully covered, on every side, always! 

Therefore, learn how to talk like the Psalmist: “I can lie down and sleep soundly because you, LORD, Will Keep Me Safe” (Psalm 4:8 CEV). Another translation reads: “I fall asleep in peace the moment I lie down because you alone, O LORD, Enable Me to Live Securely” (GWT). People of God, You Can Go to Sleep! Why? Because the God you serve never sleeps nor slumbers! Psalm 121:4, "...Will neither slumber [briefly] nor sleep [soundly]." (AMP); "...never sleeps or rests!" (CEB); "...doesn’t doze or ever get drowsy." (CEV); "...does not get tired. He never sleeps." (ERV); "...will not close his eyes or sleep."

God Has Promised in His Word That You Are Safe and Secure! And God cannot fail and cannot lie! Last I checked, God has also Promised: “…Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So Will the Words That Come Out of My Mouth Not Come Back Empty-Handed. They’ll Do the Work I Sent Them to Do, They’ll Complete the Assignment I Gave Them” (Isaiah 55:8-11 MSG). Therefore, When God’s Word Says You Are Safe and Secure, You, My Friend, Are Safe and Secure! Now Sleep on That!

Here’s Another Promise You Should Claim Every Day: “…No Harm Will Befall You, No Disaster Will Come Near Your Tent. For He Will Command His Angels Concerning You to Guard You in All Your Ways.” (Psalm 91:10-11 NIV). Angels Are Commanded Concerning You! They Do Not Have an Option in The Matter! It Is Not A Suggestion! God Does not Ask the Angels How They Feel About Protecting You; Or What They Think About Protecting You; They Do not Even Have a Choice! Because God Loves You So Much That He Commanded Angels to Care for You! And a ‘command’ is defined as ‘to be given an authoritative order.’ So angels do not decide to protect you; they have been commanded and ordered by the only Authority that matters, the Godhead! And it is the Godhead that has said, “…NO HARM WILL BEFALL YOU; NO DISASTER WILL COME NEAR YOUR TENT. FOR HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU IN ALL YOUR WAYS.” I reiterated, “…IN YOUR ALL YOUR WAYS.”  

So again, I say to learn how to talk like the Psalmist: “You, LORD, are the light that keeps me safe. I Am Not Afraid of Anyone. You Protect Me, And I Have No Fears” (Psalm 27:1 CEV). WE HAVE NO REASON TO FEAR! Why? Because we have angels on guard to protect us day and night, no matter where we are! So, no matter the diagnosis, the financial struggle, the marital dispute, the family quarrel, no matter the job chaos, you are safe, secured, covered, protected, and have full-time heavenly surveillance that never ceases!

Lastly, believe it or not, angels not only Serve you, but they’re Stunned by you!
Listen to the Word of God: “…Do you realize how fortunate you are? Angels would have given Anything to be in on this” (1 Peter 1:12 MSG).  Can you believe it? There are things that God does not tell the Angels, but He Tells US!

However, you may still ask, why would angels be Stunned by us? Think about it: Does the Holy Spirit indwell angels? NO, but He indwells you! Do angels thank God for salvation? They have never been lost—but you have been both lost and found! Did Christ become an angel? NO, but He became a human being just like you, and angels stood in awe! Angels attended His birth, witnessed His death, and announced His resurrection! And still, they stand in awe of what We Know! They would give anything to be in on the secrets God only tells US!

Angels are so involved with us that they even watch over the work of the Church: The Bible says, “Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about Even Among the Angels.” (Ephesians 3:10 MSG). Imagine the angels gathering to discuss the Church: “Gabriel, have you seen what’s happening in Nigeria? As well as the Australians that are taking great strides…Yeah, but Michael, I just returned from New York—let me tell you about those awesome Brooklyn believers.”

God’s angels are so involved with us that the Bible even admonishes us: “Do not forget to Entertain Strangers, for by so doing some people have Entertained Angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2 NIV).

Angels not only stand to guard and protect you, but they also stand in awe of you!

Did you catch the Scripture above? “Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels.” They are talking about us, the church! Can you imagine being the topic of conversation among the Angels?! Yes, my friend, you are valued that much, even among the heavenly hosts!

BE ENCOURAGED: Mark 1:12-13, "At once, this same Spirit pushed Jesus out into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights, he was tested by Satan. Wild animals were his companions, and angels took care of him." (MSG). Like Jesus, angels will take care of you even during temptation and demonic attack!

BE ENCOURAGED: John 20:11-13, "But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to investigate the tomb and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus’ body had been laid. They said to her, “Woman, why do you weep?” (MSG) Even in a time of crisis, death, sickness; grief; loss; and confusion, angels will always be present with you!

BE ENCOURAGED: 1 Timothy 5:21-23, "God and Jesus and angels all back me up..." (MSG) You have God; Jesus, and Angels that back you up too!

BE ENCOURAGED: 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10, "All this trouble is clear that God has decided to make you fit for the kingdom. You are suffering now, but justice is on the way. When the Master Jesus appears out of heaven in a blaze of fire with his strong angels, he will even up the score by settling accounts with those who gave you such a bad time. His coming will be the break we have been waiting for. Those who refuse to know God and refuse to obey the Message will pay for what they have done. Eternal exile from the presence of the Master and his splendid power is their sentence. But on that very same day when he comes, he will be exalted by his followers and celebrated by all who believe—and all because you believed what we told you." (MSG) Not only are angels present with you now, but 'strong angels' will return with our Master Jesus to take us home! That is the best good news of all for every believer!

Listen, No Matter How Lonely You May Feel, You Are Never Alone! Angels Are Always on Call and On Guard Where the Believer Is Concerned! How wonderful to know you have your bodyguard unit—and you did not have to pay a dime for it either! God sends His bodyguards to protect you! But is this sloppy Christian sentiment, you may ask? NO, it is Solid Scriptural Reality! If Jesus is Lord of your life, then angels are watching over you!  The Bible says, “Watch that you don’t treat one of these childlike believers arrogantly. You realize, don’t you, that Their ANGELS Are Constantly in Touch with My Father in Heaven?” (Matthew 18:10 MSG) So, No more worry, fear, anxiety, and panic attacks! No more stress and frustration! Regardless of what the bank says, the doctor says, the employer says, the school says, the dealership says…Remember GOD’S WORD SAYS: You Have Got “…Personal Angels…” that are “…Constantly in Touch With…(our) Father in Heaven”! Where You're Concerned, to God, Your Protection is Personal!

You will know when you are Earnestly Praying and Earnestly seeking when your pursuit of God's presence makes you feel trapped in a desert, hungry and thirsty, and He is your only source of satisfaction and fulfillment! Yet, somehow the church, the bride, has lost her hunger and thirst, her passion, her desire and longing for God, her bridegroom.

My prayer for you today is that God will mold you into Disciples of Earnest Prayer. I pray that you will develop the characteristic of persistence and tenacity. And regardless of the situation or circumstance, you will not give up, give in, or give out!

So, From This Day Forward, Rest in The Promise That You Have Angels Assigned to Watch Over You! You Are Safe, and it is Well!

Blessings

J.P. Olson