…be ye therefore wise as serpents….
— Matthew 10:16

Yesterday we began looking at what Jesus had to say about being “wise as serpents.” Today I want to continue because there is more truth to glean from this verse. The word “wise” in Matthew 10:16 is the Greek word sophos, and it depicts special insight and a wise approach to a matter. According to Jesus, serpents are “wise” in the way they do things, and there is something we can learn from their actions.

One particular aspect we can learn from the serpent’s behavior is the importance of timing. This is so key to fulfilling any assignment that God may give us, because knowing when to act is as important as knowing when to lay low.

For a serpent, this knowledge is key to its very survival. When prey passes before the serpent, it instinctively knows when it’s time to strike. If it waits too long, the opportunity will pass irretrievably, and the serpent will go hungry.

So what can you learn from the serpent in this arena? When it’s time for you to act, you must put aside all fears, emotions, and second-guessing — and seize the moment!

I have seen so many young ministers fast, pray, and wait for that golden moment of divine opportunity to come to them. Then at last, that time arrives! A great door of opportunity stands directly in front of them. It’s time to act. But rather than seize the moment and walk through that door, they pause to pray just a little bit more. God brought them exactly what they’d been praying for so long, but because they hesitated, they lost the opportunity. When they finally got around to saying yes, it was too late.

Let me give you another personal example.

Back in 1993, I earnestly prayed and sought God to open television ministry wider to us. One day I received a phone call from the top directors of a national television station in the former Soviet Union. They asked me to meet them and talk about putting my program on national television. My associate and I booked the next available flight and flew to meet those two powerful men in their offices.

My heart was filled with anticipation as the plane carried us to that meeting. Was this the opportunity I’d prayed for? Was it actually happening? Was God really answering my prayer?

I had a sense that something great and awesome was about to transpire, and I could hardly wait to arrive at the meeting to hear their proposal.

I had already done my homework. I had studied the statistics about the full reach of the TV channel on which they were about to offer me time. I spoke with pastors and churches throughout my region to find out what they thought of that channel. My time of “lying low and blending into the environment” had given me the “wisdom” I needed when I stepped into that meeting with those directors. I was equipped for this long-awaited conversation.

Armed with information and supported by the prayers of our partners, the meeting began. Those directors asked me, “Would you like to broadcast on our national channel and penetrate every single home in the nation with your program?”

This is exactly what I had been praying and waiting for — for such a long time! The opportunity of a lifetime was sitting on the table in front of me in the form of a TV contract. I held my composure, not wanting them to know how excited I was at this chance to reach every home with the Gospel. I waited to hear how much this divine door of opportunity was going to cost our ministry each month.

When I heard the price of the time slot they were offering me on that channel, at first I felt some hesitation. Fear tried to form in my mind that we wouldn’t be able to come up with the cash each month. Yet I knew a door had opened before me that had never been offered to anyone else before! Only God could open such an incredible door for the Gospel. There was no doubt that He was orchestrating the entire event.

My head and logic said, “Don’t do it,” while my spirit said, “DO IT NOW!” In my heart, I knew it was the moment to strike and seize this opportunity. Within a few minutes, I picked up an ink pen and signed my name on the dotted line. National television had fallen into my hands!

Within days of signing that contract, politics radically changed, and if I had not seized this divine opportunity at that exact moment, I would have lost it. Just one week later, that same wide-open door would have been tightly closed. Because we seized the moment at just the right time, our television program was locked into a contract that this new government had to honor! As a result of acting at the right time, our television program and our ministry became one of the most powerful spiritual forces in that part of the world. Since 1993, when we walked through that door, we have made a strong impact to affect that nation with the teaching ministry God has given us!

I thank God that I had the spiritual guts to act at the right moment. I had already prayed and prayed. Then there came a time to seize the moment and strike!

The Lord has taught me over the years that there are moments to “lay low” — and there are other moments to “strike fast.” Surely, this is a key part of what Jesus meant when He told us to “be wise as serpents” (Matthew 10:16).

You may be asking, “But how do I know when it’s a time to lay low or to take action and seize the moment?” The Holy Spirit will lead you and cause you to know — if you will be sensitive to follow His leading. And believe me, if you will listen to and follow Him, He will guide you past every obstacle, camouflage you from every attack, and show you exactly when to take action in your family, your business, your church, or the assignment God has given you.

Romans 8:14 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” The word “led” is the Greek word ago. It means to be gently led about and was the same word used to describe a man leading his cow about on a rope. The farmer is the leader, and the cow is merely the follower. The cow doesn’t argue with the farmer; the animal simply trusts and follows.

This is how we are to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. He is the Leader!

Many people are afraid to obey what the Holy Spirit puts in their hearts to do. Fearful that they will be led astray or that they will make a mistake, they sit on the sidelines and watch other people achieve success, while they remain right where they’ve always been.

But let me assure you from very personal experience: You can trust the leading of the Holy Spirit!

In John chapters 14-16, Jesus called the Holy Spirit “the Spirit of Truth” four separate times! It seems that Jesus thought this was a truth worth repeating! Jesus was emphatically assuring us that the Holy Spirit will not lead us in a wrong direction. He is “the Spirit of Truth” on whom we can rely.

If the Holy Spirit is prompting you to take action now, it’s because He sees and knows something you may not see. Let the Holy Spirit become your eyes and ears to key moments and divine opportunities for your life, family, business, or ministry.

Timing has been a major key to the success of our ministry, and it is the key to your success as well. Denise and I are not brilliant enough in ourselves or by our own reasoning to figure out the right timing for everything we’ve been able to do in the former USSR. We give God all the glory, because we know our timing has been directed by the Holy Spirit, not by us. Denise and I have depended on the Holy Spirit’s leading through the years, and as a result, we have walked through many strategic doors at key moments. We’ve learned that when He says, “NOW!” — He really means exactly that!

So don’t move too fast, and don’t hesitate when the time is right to act. And now you know what Jesus meant when He commanded us to “be wise as serpents”!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY


Heavenly Father, I thank You that You are faithful to lead me in the direction I should go and in the decisions I must make. Help me recognize when it’s time to lay low and blend into the landscape and when it is time to strike! I have prayed for divine opportunities, so when they present themselves to me, help me to recognize them and to have the courage to step out by faith to accept the assignment. Holy Spirit, I know that You are a faithful Leader, so today I put my trust in You to lead me in each and every step that I take!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I confess that I am wise as a serpent! I know when to lay low, how to blend into the landscape, how to learn my new territory, and how to discern and recognize when a God-given opportunity passes my way. Fear does not hold me back. Hesitation does not stop me. Because I have prayed and done my homework in advance, I am well prepared for that golden moment when God gives me the opportunity for which I’ve waited for so long. The Holy Spirit is my Leader, and He is leading and guiding me every step of the way.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. Have you had a moment in your life when the Holy Spirit instructed you simply to lay low and blend into the environment so that you could learn more about your new territory? When was that, and what was the result of that course of action?
  2. What spiritual disciplines and practices have you built into your daily life to develop your discernment and sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit? Do you read your Bible, meditate in the Word, and pray daily? If not, what steps can you take to make your personal time with the Lord a non-negotiable necessity in your daily schedule?
  3. Can you identify your own patterns and tendencies for taking action on something God has put in your heart to do? Do you move quickly or do you procrastinate after you know what to do? What steps do you plan to take to ensure you are moving in sync with the Holy Spirit’s leading to avoid a misstep or mistake?

…be ye therefore wise as serpents….
— Matthew 10:16

Over the years in our ministry, I have discovered timing to be extremely important. I have certainly found it to be true that we need to act when favor is obviously on our side. But let me also say that wonderful opportunities can also come packaged with difficult challenges.

Knowing exactly which opportunities to take — and which ones to let pass us by — has been one of my personal challenges in the former Soviet Union. One day I was seeking the Lord about several opportunities that were presenting themselves. The Lord said to me, “If you’re going to survive and do what I’ve called you to do in this part of the world, you have to learn to think like a snake.”

At first, these words caught me off guard. But immediately Matthew 10:16 came to my mind: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” In this verse, Jesus commanded His disciples — as He is commanding us today: “be as wise as serpents.”

The word “serpent” is the Greek word ophis and it simply describes a snake of any type, but it is used here as a sign of cunningness or cleverness. Matthew 10:16 had always perplexed me because I had previously thought of a serpent as being only evil. But as I meditated on this verse more deeply, I began to gain new insight about what Jesus was saying. He was saying serpents are “wise,” and we need to take a lesson from them!

If you’re a little squeamish about the subject of serpents or snakes, just stay with me for the next few moments so you don’t miss the full impact of what Jesus was telling us. He is the One who chose to use a serpent to make His point!

Let’s consider the behavior of serpents to see how Jesus’ statement about these creatures in Matthew 10:16 relates to timing. First, serpents blend into the environment when they move into a new territory. Rather than announce their presence, they lay low, stay quiet, and blend into their surroundings. In fact, you could walk right past a snake and not know you’re close to it!

Most snakes have the ability to be nearly invisible because they were designed to be camouflaged. This camouflage serves as a protective “covering.” Even the fiercest aggressor could pass by, but the serpent would not likely be noticed because it blends so well into the landscape.

The camouflage gives the serpent latitude to find its way around new territory — to move about freely while “evaluating” a new situation. Serpents will assess a situation to identify places of shelter so they can settle into a new environment. They find hiding places to protect themselves from attack. They also observe where to find the easiest prey. When all of these assessments are made and the facts are assimilated, the serpent is ready to act. But this “settling in” is a key time for a serpent.

Can you see the parallel between the behavior of a serpent and Jesus’ strategic plan for us when we are entering new territory for Him? Jesus said there’s wisdom to glean from such a study!

As I carefully pondered the behavior of serpents, I understood exactly why Jesus used this example. This analogy applies to all of us in regard to our families, businesses, ministries, or any other opportunity God places before us in which we must implement His strategies in order to establish His victory on the earth.

When God calls us to do something new — to move into a new territory or seize a new opportunity — it is wise for us to move slowly and carefully into that new phase of our lives. A common mistake is to act too fast. Acting hastily, before all the facts are gathered and assimilated, often leads to erroneous decision-making. In fact, one serious mistake can cause us to lose out on an opportunity altogether. Better to lay low, stay quiet, blend into the environment for a while, and learn from the facts we observe.

Let me give you a perfect personal example of how the “wisdom of a serpent” served Denise and me so well when we launched out to begin our ministry in the former USSR.

When Denise and I and our family moved halfway around the world, we took time to learn the customs and the culture of that new territory. We knew it would take time to understand everything we would see and experience, so we moved slowly and very carefully. Although we immediately saw opportunities for ministry, we decided to first watch and gain as much knowledge as possible of the new environment and the circumstances we found ourselves in at that moment. In retrospect, I can assure you that for us, acting too fast would have certainly meant making some poor decisions that we would have greatly regretted down the road.

In the first few months we lived in the USSR, we made little noise and were hardly noticed. This allowed us the ability to move about freely and without disruption. We visited churches unannounced. We wandered in and out of different parts of the city, where we began to observe and ascertain the spiritual condition of this new territory. Before I made any grand announcement that we were going on television, I first wanted to know something about television in that part of the world. The best way to learn — especially at that volatile time in those nations — was to do it covertly.

During this time of acclimating ourselves to our new home, we also observed that many American missionaries were announcing great plans that never developed or got off the ground. Many of those ideas were wonderful — and perhaps they were even from God. But because these missionaries acted before they understood the full picture, they ruined their testimony and lost glorious opportunities to bring the Gospel to places where it was needed so badly. These sincere men and women were trying to take ground for the Kingdom of God that they really knew nothing about. They hadn’t taken the time to learn.

It is very unwise and a waste of Kingdom resources of money and time to start fantastic projects without first understanding the challenges, risks, and dangers. Many people have been hurt because of someone getting in a hurry and acting too quickly.

Denise and I knew that moving slower may take more time initially — but in the end, it would produce more stable, serious, and lasting results. We made the choice to move “slow and steady”: to gather all the facts we could, analyze the accumulated information, and then seek the Lord in prayer, listening for what He might have to say to us through those facts. Only then would we make announcements concerning our plans. I can’t emphasize it enough: To move ahead more quickly than we did in those early days would have proven a harmful mistake!

Most mistakes in forging new territory for the Gospel are avoidable. God is a strategic Planner who delights in giving you the wisdom you need in whatever venture you’re undertaking for Him. Your part is to move forward by His grace and according to His guidance. As you do, you will be well able to secure the victory He has planned for you in that new territory and season.

So I strongly advise you to take your time in any new venture for Jesus — and be sure of the actions you take. Before you act on that opportunity publicly, I suggest that you first do the following:

That is how you emulate the strategy of the serpent, taking advantage of your “settling in” time. Then when the right moment comes and opportunity strikes, you can seize your divine moment with the grace and favor of God!

But how can you be sure you’ll recognize the right moment to strike? That’s what I want to talk to you about in tomorrow’s Sparkling Gem. Jesus was being very deliberate and strategic when He instructed us to act as “wise” as a serpent, and there’s still more to learn from this example. So don’t miss tomorrow — it could be a game-changer for your life!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY


Heavenly Father, I take heed to Jesus’ instructions to be as wise as a serpent when surveying new territory for the Kingdom of God. Father, You are the ultimate Strategist, and You leave no detail unattended in Your great plan! As I follow your specific instructions, I will be able to avoid unnecessary difficulties or destruction. Lord, I ask You to show me Your ways and grant me a wise and understanding heart. Teach me how to walk in great discretion with accurate discernment. I want to finish the assignment You’ve given me, so I am willing to move slow and steady to avoid harmful mistakes. Thank You for giving me the wisdom I need for each venture You have set before me. Then when the time is right, I will seize the moment by Your grace to fulfill the outcome You desire.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I confess that I am as wise as a serpent yet harmless as a dove. Your gentleness, oh, Lord, has made me great! You give me wisdom and sound counsel before I publicly act on my God-given opportunities. I pay close attention to the strategies of the Lord, and I learn the “landscape” of the environment where He wants me to establish His Kingdom. I follow the strategies of God while remaining discerning of and alert to the tactics of the enemy. I am diligent to pray out the plan of God so He can alert me to the enemy’s potential attacks against me. I take time to understand my God-given opportunity, and I make sure that I am completely informed of all the facts I need to help me adjust smoothly and move forward in fulfilling my assignment without unnecessary delays or detours.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. Have you ever had a golden opportunity placed before you, but you acted too quickly and lost that opportunity because you were not well informed enough to seize it yet?
  2. There is wisdom in becoming acclimated to new surroundings without making too much fanfare. The results could be disastrous if you parade about and make your presence and intent known in a new environment too soon before you become familiar with your surroundings or your purpose in it. Have you ever had the experience of becoming hasty in a new situation that ultimately sabotaged the reason you were sent there in the first place? How did you recover your ability to function, or did you?
  3. What Bible examples can you think of that demonstrate taking time to acclimate to a new environment before launching out to do something new?

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
— 1 Peter 4:10

Every person has been bestowed with grace-given gifts that were not earned, but rather divinely imparted by God’s grace. This is a biblical truth, whether or not we realize it or even want to agree with it. These are not gifts bestowed for the purpose of boasting — they are given and released and activated to reveal God to man. And you have these powerful gifts inside you, just waiting for you to take ownership of them and use them!

In 1 Peter 4:10, Peter wrote, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” Today I want to look at that word “stewards” as it pertains to the grace of God and these “grace gifts” that we have received from Him.

The word “stewards” in 1 Peter 4:10 is from the Greek word oikonomos, which is a compound of the words oikos and nomos. The word oikos is the Greek word for a house, and nomos refers to the rule of law. These two words used together literally mean the rule of the house. But in Greek culture, the word oikonomos was specifically used to describe the household manager of a wealthy, upper-class home. This oikonomos, or household manager, was responsible for keeping law and order in the house. The owners of the house had found this person faithful and therefore elevated him to the powerful ruling position of chief manager over their personal property and private affairs.

In Greek culture, this chief manager was accountable for overseeing the house itself, the gardens surrounding the house, the contents inside the home, and the assets and treasures of the family. He was also in charge of distributing wages faithfully and on time to the other servants and employees who worked in the house. For the master of the house to give this much responsibility to one person was a great trust, and the master demanded that his household manager faithfully perform according to his expectations.

By using the word oikonomos in this verse, Peter profoundly declared that when God placed His grace-given gifts inside each of us, He was making us the stewards of His own personal treasures. Because of this, He expects us to be faithful managers of the gifts He has entrusted to our care. We are to use our gifts as God intended when He bequeathed them to us. In other words, He expects us to use our gifts faithfully and on time to meet the needs of those around us and to do it in such a way that He receives all the glory.

Taking all the Greek words into consideration that are contained in this verse, 1 Peter 4:10 carries the idea that every single one of us, without exception, has received grace-given gifts from God. We must embrace what God has placed inside us, taking ownership of it and doing our best to use our gifts to meet the needs of others. God has entrusted us with great spiritual treasure by placing these special gifts in our lives, and He is depending on us to be faithful with this weighty responsibility.

If you’ve believed and acted like so many others, just sitting around waiting for the perfect moment when you could begin using your God-given talents — now you know that you’ve been using the wrong approach! It’s time for you to recognize what God has placed inside you and to begin using those gifts as God expects you to do. You’ve been waiting on God to do something special, but He already did it when He placed those gifts in your life. It’s up to you to start releasing them now for the benefit of those around you!

I can tell you this from my own personal experience and from my experience with others over the course of my ministry: Those who wait for some fantasy-like moment to occur so they can step out and use their gifts usually end up very frustrated. They wait and wait — seemingly endlessly — when God, who gave the gifts, has already given them permission to use those talents for Him. In fact, He has commanded them as stewards of His grace to get about the task of managing those grace gifts and using them to meet the needs of others.

So I encourage you, if you’ve been waiting on a special moment to step out and use your grace gifts for God — don’t waste any more time! The Holy Spirit within you has already enabled and empowered you, so start making the most of your divine equipment that’s just waiting to be released!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY


Heavenly Father, I am so thankful that You have placed grace-given gifts inside of me. I understand that You have made me the steward of these divine treasures. You expect me to faithfully manage these gifts that You have entrusted to my care. Father, I ask You to teach me how to use these gifts as You intended so I can meet the needs of those around me and do it in a way that gives all the glory to Jesus. Give me a pure and understanding heart so I can exercise these gifts wisely and with great responsibility!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I confess that God has given me gifts of His grace that are powerful and have the ability to make a difference in the lives of other people. God expects me to do something with these gifts, for He gave them to me for the purpose of building His Kingdom. I refuse to let another day pass without allowing these grace-given gifts to be expressed through me. This divine equipment has been given to me in order to help others, so I will not sit by idly while others are in need! God will move through me and use this supernatural equipment, not only to meet people’s needs, but also to help them come through their situations with victory.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. Are you aware of the grace-given gifts God has placed in your life? If so, what are those gifts? Can you identify them? What are you doing to cultivate them?
  2. How do you allow those gifts to operate? Can you give a personal testimony of what happens when this divine equipment operates in you and how it affects other people? How has God used these in your life to make a difference in someone else’s life?
  3. Is it possible that there are grace gifts in you that you have never allowed to manifest because you’ve been afraid to step out in faith? What is stopping you from letting these marvelous treasures do what God intended for them to do?

…we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, which raiseth the dead.
— 2 Corinthians 1:8,9

Are you currently facing hard times in your life? Today I want to encourage you from the Word of God and show you how to tackle these difficult circumstances and emerge victorious. The devil will try to convince you that you’re a failure, that your life is over, and that nothing good lies ahead for you; however, this simply isn’t true. These emotions are temporary and fleeting, and the enemy is trying to use them to hold you back and keep you from experiencing the fulfilled life that God wants you to enjoy.

Although we don’t like to admit it, we all occasionally have times in our lives when we hit a brick wall, so to speak. We don’t know what to say, what to do, where to turn, or even how to pray. Sometimes it seems as if we’ve hit a dead end and everything is finished, over, and done with. If you’ve ever been in a place like that, you know what a hard place this can be! These feelings usually arise when we think that we’ve failed, that people have misunderstood us, or that we’ve been unfairly judged. However, even when we’ve made serious mistakes, these setbacks are rarely as irreparable as they seem.

I understand that these emotions feel very real in the moment. When others tell you that your situation is not as bad as you think or that you need to remember to be grateful for all the good in your life, it may even make you angry. Their comments may be right, but because you’re the one in the midst of the trial, you still feel hopeless. Somehow you’ve found yourself caught in a storm and you don’t know how to put one foot in front of the other to make your way out of it. You may feel like nothing you do pleases anyone, so you question why you should even try.

In truth, it doesn’t matter if the emotions you are experiencing stem from real personal failure or from circumstances outside of your control. It’s still your responsibility to get up, brush yourself off, and start moving forward again in your walk with God! Think about it — your entire faith is based on resurrection. The resurrection power of God is inside you, and it can lift you up above all the jumbled emotions and turmoil — into a better place than you’ve ever known in your life!

There have been many moments in my own life when I felt overwhelmed by circumstances and challenges. Usually those are the times when the devil seized the opportunity to whisper, There is no way out. You have no way to crawl out from where you are. You’re trapped with no escape. However, his words of discouragement and despair have never proven to be true! Although it may have taken longer than I anticipated to reach my goal and required me to grow to new levels of faith, there was always a way to do whatever Jesus had asked me to do, and I ultimately found victory in every challenge.

If we stick with our assigned tasks and keep moving forward — even if it’s one step at a time — we will always win! And after we’ve pressed beyond our struggles into victory, we’ll always be thankful we didn’t give up!

When I am facing challenges in my life, I always derive immense strength from Paul’s words in Second Corinthians 1:8 and 9, where he wrote, “…we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, which raiseth the dead.” Paul wrote these verses when he felt trapped by crushing ordeals in his ministry, and his words tell me that he didn’t know if he would survive. How thankful I am that God didn’t hide the apostle’s difficult moments from us!

Paul’s words in Second Corinthians 1:8 and 9 teach us what to do when we feel like we simply cannot make it any further in our own strength or that we’re no match for the challenges we’re facing. We simply must surrender to the resurrection power of God! That’s what the apostle Paul did when he found himself face to face with life-threatening situations. When Paul wrote, “…we had the sentence of death in ourselves,” he was at one of those dead-end places that I’m talking about today. In fact, the situation he faced was so acute that he compared it to a sentence of death. That’s dramatic language!

The word “sentence” is the Greek word krino — a word that usually referred to a jury who had just handed down their final sentence in a court of law. You could say that it denoted a verdict or a final sentence pronounced as the result of a court trial. After all the evidence had been presented and the judge had examined all the facts, a final verdict was issued by the court.

By using this word “sentence” or krino, Paul told us that so many problems were stacked against him and his companions that, by all appearances, it seemed like there was no way for them to escape or even to survive. It looked as if they’d hit a dead-end, as if everything was finished, over, and done with! Paul went on to say that it looked so insurmountable that, as far as he was concerned, it seemed there was only one possible outcome — death!

But in spite of how bad things appeared, Paul didn’t die, nor did he fail at fulfilling the job God had given him to do. It may have looked like it was the end of the road for Paul, but it was really the beginning of a new supernatural flow of divine power into his life. That’s why he went on to say that through it all, he learned not to trust in himself, but in God who raises the dead.

Paul had been under intense pressure, but right in the midst of this horrible situation, God’s resurrection power was released inside Paul and he was rescued! Paul said it was so dramatic that it was almost as if he and his companions had been raised from the dead.

When you don’t know what else to do but turn to God, that’s usually when His resurrection power can begin to operate in you in the greatest way. You see, in God there’s no such thing as a hopeless situation. That dead-end place you may be facing right now can become a place of new beginnings!

Let me tell you, people all around you are struggling right now. The devil is telling them that they won’t make it. But they will make it if they choose to turn their focused gaze to Jesus, and you will too! Your victory may not come as you thought, but God is with you, and He will get you through whatever it is you’re facing if you’ll surrender to the Holy Spirit’s resurrection power inside you.

This is not the end for you! God has a marvelous plan for your life, and the devil simply doesn’t have the power to hijack what He has planned. Remember — if the devil has tried to tell you that you’re a failure, that life is over, and that nothing good lies ahead of you in the future, it’s not true! What you’re feeling will pass, and better days are ahead. Just determine to lay hold of the resurrection power of Christ in you, and let it lift you up above the storm into a brighter and better place!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I thank You for Your marvelous plan for my life. I praise You because the devil is powerless to hijack it. I turn my attention from my failures and fix my gaze upon Jesus, who is the Author and Finisher of my faith! My victory might not be coming to me exactly as I expected — nonetheless, my victory is on the way. I surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit and allow Him to flow through me to bring me to a place of victory!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I confess that when I don’t know what to do, I turn to God for direction and help, and He releases His wisdom in me. There is no such thing as a hopeless situation. When I feel that I am facing a dead-end, God’s power turns it into a place of a new beginning. What I am facing is not the end for me — it is, in fact, the starting point for a glorious new beginning. When the devil tries to tell me that nothing good lies ahead for me, I remind him of the future that is awaiting HIM! I confess that the resurrection power of Jesus Christ has already lifted me far above his attacks and that a brighter and better future awaits me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. Have you ever felt that you came to a dead-end place in your life, only to find it was the beginning of an entirely new chapter, which turned out better than anything you had ever previously known?
  2. How do you respond when the devil tries to attack your mind with thoughts of failure and defeat? Do you submit to his insinuations and fall into despair, or do you rise up in the power of the Spirit to take those thoughts captive?
  3. How would you advise someone whose mind was under assault with thoughts of failure and defeat? How would you instruct them to take authority over those thoughts?

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
— Philippians 4:6

Over many years and through many experiences, I have learned that I have to be proactive to keep my spiritual life strong and healthy. We can’t ignore our spiritual life and expect it to remain strong. Just as our bodies need regular care and attention, our spiritual lives need a maintenance schedule in order to remain healthy.

I want to give you five principles that Denise and I have learned over the years to keep us strong and vibrant. These five principles have become essential elements in our daily lives — and they have resulted in our being continually strengthened to accomplish the tasks the Holy Spirit has entrusted to us. These five elements are very simple, but if you will do them faithfully, I am fully convinced that your life will be strengthened in every way.

1. Every day spend time with God in the morning.

In Psalm 5:3, David wrote of his commitment to spend time with God every morning. He said, “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”

I want you to particularly notice the italicized portion of this verse: “…and will look up.” I have learned that if we don’t begin our day by “looking up,” our natural tendency is to start by looking down. By the time we read our text messages on our mobile devices each morning, read our emails, answer a few phone calls, listen to the morning news, or simply contemplate everything that is on our “to do” list for that day — our emotions can pull us into a downward spiral before we ever even leave home!

David understood this. He was surrounded with enemies outside his home and even among his own family members. David knew that he needed to start each morning “looking up” before his flesh had an opportunity to take him down.

Similarly, you need to start every day with the Lord “looking up.” You accomplish this by focusing your attention on the Word each morning and by spending some concentrated time in prayer.

Making the Lord and His Word your first focus each day will be a lifeline for your spiritual strength. Ignore this element of your spiritual walk, and you’ll end up troubled, nervous, worried, and lacking spiritual power in your life. Make this a daily habit, and you’ll be at peace. You’ll be infused with confidence, and you’ll experience power to overcome the daily problems you face in life. Making a commitment to do this may require that you get up earlier or that you to go to bed earlier. But making the Lord your first focus every day will absolutely change your life.

I start every day of my life exactly as I am suggesting to you. When I wake up, I grab my cup of coffee, head to my chair in our TV room, sit down with my Bible, and immediately begin to put God’s Word into my heart and soul. It feeds me, keeps me on track, and helps my heart stay tender before the Lord.

One day without God’s Word is all it takes for the hardening process to begin in your heart. That’s why it’s so crucial that you hold yourself as an alert watchman on the walls of your heart, carefully guarding what comes in its “gates,” as well as your level of intake of the Word versus the level of outflow. Proverbs 4:20-23 states the divine warning concerning this: “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

And while you’re already sitting there with your Bible, you should take time to pray! That’s a crucial part of “looking up” to get your heart set on the Lord at the beginning of the day. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” The word “everything” is from the Greek panti, and it embraces everything. It is an all-inclusive word — including the finest, most minute details.

My advice is that you:

I have implemented these simple guidelines in my own prayer life, and they have added great strength to my walk with God.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Paul tells us to “pray without ceasing.” The words “without ceasing” come from the Greek word adialeiptos, which means without interruption, without taking a break, or continuously. The only way you can do this is to develop a lifestyle of prayer. Starting early in the morning is the best way to get started — and then you can keep it up throughout the rest of the day.

2.  Every day spend time feeding your spirit on other godly sources.

When Paul was in prison writing the last letter he would write, he told Timothy, “When you come…bring my books…” (2 Timothy 4:13 NLT).

Paul asked for books — books he could read to strengthen his own spirit as he waited in prison for his execution. Paul was filled with revelation and knew the Lord better than any of us, yet he still longed to read and to grow as he waited to depart to be with the Lord. He could have said, “Forget it — I’ll be in Heaven soon anyway!” But Paul understood that as long as he was alive, he needed to feed his spirit.

Never forget that growing people are reading people. It’s usually true that people who are stagnant in life don’t spend much time reading what others have written.

It is simply a fact that reading is like fertilizer to a garden. The more you read good books, the more your mind and spirit expand and your inward capacity grows. And it doesn’t have to be hours upon hours of reading. It can be a chapter a day from a book that causes you to dig deeper or that challenges your mind and spirit to grow. The point is to make a deliberate effort to read on a regular basis in order to bring growth to your spirit and mind.

If you are an auditory learner more than a reader, you can do the same thing by taking a few minutes each day to listen to an audio series or audio books as you drive your car or work around your house. One of our sons showed me a group of teaching CDs he had been listening to as he drove his car all over Moscow. It impressed me. Why not use the valuable time you spend in your car to feed your spirit and produce strength in your life?

What you put into your mind will determine what you think, what you believe, and, ultimately, what will happen in your life. That principle can work both negatively or positively, so apply it to your advantage by regularly reading or listening to words that will lift your spirit and help change your circumstances to conform to God’s will. If you say you don’t have time to do that, I suggest that you log the time you spend watching television programs in a given week — programs that do nothing to nurture and grow your life spiritually. You’ll see that you really do have time to invest in your own spirit by feeding on other godly sources.

3.  Every day spend some time in quietness.

Proverbs 27:19 says, “As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.” Just as you see your reflection when you look into a pool of water, you can see and hear your own heart when you get quiet enough to listen.

I am convinced that the failure to do this is one reason people get confused in life. They get so busy that they no longer are in touch with themselves — what they believe, what they need, and what they feel. Instead, they just keep moving through life like robots.

But you need times of deep contemplation in order to stay in touch with your own heart. Perhaps journaling will help you process your thoughts, as it does for some people, and articulate your ongoing conversations with God.

In Psalm 37:4, David wrote, “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” We all want the desires of our hearts — but if we are not in touch with our hearts, how can we even know what those desires are? The fact is that much activity with no pause leads to spiritual dullness and confusion. You need a few minutes of “quiet” every day.

Where can you find a time and place for quiet contemplation? If you don’t have a place to be quiet, consider these possibilities:

Finding a few minutes of quietness has become a very integral part of my life. It is essential for me to stay in touch with my own heart and the deeply imbedded, God-given desires in my spirit. It helps to chase away inner turbulence and to bring the peace of God to the forefront of my mind.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” God commands us to be still because He knows how much we need this for the health of our spirits and souls.

To get started spending time in quietness each day as a habit, consider setting aside even as little as five minutes every day to be alone and allow God to minister strength to you through a concentrated time of quietness.

4.  Every day spend some time with those who strengthen you.

Hebrews 10:25 says, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another….” People tend to think this verse refers to attending church, and that’s true. You need to be faithful to attend church; after all, you are a part of the Body! Your church family needs you, and you need what others have to give you. In the Body of Christ, there is a mutual exchange of strength that occurs in fellowshipping with other believers that you absolutely need.

However, for me personally, I need more than a weekly meeting with an auditorium full of people. That corporate worship time is essential, but I also need people who speak into my life — to encourage me, to check on me, and to hold me accountable in various areas of my life. These times of fellowship can be done by telephone, by email, by Skype, or by a number of means that are available today — or by the old-fashioned way of personally meeting together!

There are six people who speak deeply into my life — and I speak with at least one of them every day and nearly all of them at least once a week. With all that I am required to give of myself to others, I have found a great need to have people who impart spiritual wisdom and insight into my life. It helps keep me strong and healthy. The primary one who does this is Denise — but in addition to my precious wife, I have come to treasure five men who fill this vital role in my life.

These five men remind me of God’s faithfulness. They remind me to keep my eyes on Jesus, and they encourage me to keep marching forward in obedience to Jesus’ call on my life. Yes, I could probably do it without them, but I’m so thankful I don’t have to! I deliberately and purposefully stay in touch with these precious men. I don’t wait for them to call me. I actively pursue these relationships, because I know I need them and that God wants to strengthen me through them.

Who speaks into your life with this kind of authority? These types of relationships need to be identified, pursued, developed, and maintained, for they will serve to make you stronger in your walk with God.

5.  Every day take time to stop throughout the day to acknowledge God.

Psalm 119:164 says, “Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.” This is something you can stop and do several times a day that requires almost no effort. But I promise — doing so will radically change your life.

I personally take pauses throughout each day to recognize God’s presence in my life. I have a program on my mobile device that “chimes” like a church bell intermittently throughout the day — and regardless of where I am or what I am doing, when I hear that “chime,” I pause to recognize God’s presence in my life and to thank Him for being in control.

When so much seems to be going on beyond your control, it’s good to pause and acknowledge that God is on the throne and is righteous in all His judgments — regardless of what you see, what you feel, or what others are doing or are failing to do. Pausing to recognize this at various points throughout your day will energize your atmosphere and keep you “connected” in your soul to the Living One!

There is nothing more important than your relationship with God. Please prayerfully consider how you can implement these five life-changing elements in your life every day. Making these five principles a part of our daily lives has truly changed Denise and me — and we know they will add so much strength to your life as well.

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY


Father, I thank You for speaking to me today about areas where I need to be more proactive in guarding my spiritual life to make sure that I stay spiritually strong, healthy, and vibrant. I understand that to keep my spirit in strong condition will require time and energy and perhaps the sacrifice of other good pastimes. There is nothing more important than my relationship with You. How I walk with You affects every other area of my life. Help me take this seriously and apply these principles to my life. Show me how to get started, because I know that my spiritual condition is vital to the rest of my life and to the lives of those You have positioned me to influence for Your glory.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I confess that I am proactive in keeping my spiritual condition strong, healthy, and vibrant. I do not ignore my spiritual life. Just as I feed my body every day and have certain regimens in place to care for my physical condition, I am careful to attend to the needs of my spirit and soul. As a result, I am spiritually strong; I am spiritually healthy; and my heart is vibrant. I am disciplined, committed, and careful to keep my spiritual condition in top-notch shape!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. What did you honestly think when you read this Sparkling Gem today? Did you feel overwhelmed by the list of five things to do, or do you believe that these are elements you can apply to your life?
  2. Perhaps you already do some of these things in your daily routine. Which ones are already essential elements in your life? Which one do you need to implement immediately?
  3. To implement these suggestions, or even a partial list of them, what changes will you have to make in your daily schedule? I suggest that you look at the main points of this Sparkling Gem once again, and choose which elements you can most easily adapt to your life. The point is to get started.

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering….
— Colossians 3:12

Let me challenge you today: Set aside some quality time to be alone with God and make this specific request of Him: “Father, I ask You to show me what areas of my life need to be adjusted so they more accurately represent the attitude of Jesus Christ.” And as you begin a search with that question in your heart, I suggest that you begin with Colossians 3:12, where Paul described the Christ-like attitudes we need to implement in our lives.

Paul wrote, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.” Paul’s choice of wording for each character trait is very specific, so let’s take time today to deconstruct them to better discern his exact meaning of each one.

To begin, I want to focus on the phrase “bowels of mercies,” which sounds very strange in today’s vernacular but conveys a powerful message. It is a translation of two Greek words, splagnon and oiktirmos. The word splagnon refers to the inner organs of a human body, or more specifically, the bowels, and the word oiktirmos denotes compassion or a deeply felt urge to help relieve some kind of pain or sorrow.

Before I elaborate further on the Greek word splagnon (“bowels”), I must ask you to pardon me in advance for being so blunt with my explanation. However, it is important to consider the function of bowels in order to understand the reason why that word is used in connection with “mercy” and “compassion” in the New Testament.

Physically, when your bowels move, you feel it deeply. When the process is done, the bowels have made a physical deposit and rid the body of human waste. The purpose of these feelings, however, is not superficial — they are a sign that the intestines are working to push waste through the system and out of the body.

Thus, by using the word splagnon, Paul was saying that deep feelings of compassion should do more than merely provoke pity for a person’s situation; they should spur you to action. When these feelings begin to well up deep within your spirit, you must surrender to them and let them work through your inner man until they manifest through your words and actions. As you do this, God’s Spirit simultaneously works through you to reach out and make a spiritual deposit into those who are suffering, sorrowful, or going through a difficult time in their lives. To feel that inner pain without taking any action simply produces no benefit.

It’s interesting to note that “bowels of mercies” is the very first Christ-like attitude that Paul listed in Colossians 3:12. Throughout the four gospels, the Greek words splagnon and oiktirmos are frequently used together to describe moments when Jesus was “moved with compassion.” The Bible tells us that when Jesus experienced this feeling, compassion flowed from deep inside Him to help multitudes, heal the sick, or otherwise demonstrate God’s kindness to people who were in need (see Matthew 14:14-21; 15:32-38; 20:34; Mark 1:41,42; 6:34-44; 8:2-9; Luke 7:13-15). By listing this quality first, Paul was urging us not to focus on our own needs but rather to turn our attention outward to others who are in trouble and allow our hearts to feel their pain until we are inwardly touched!

Is there someone you know who needs a touch of God’s compassion? That divine compassion is deposited deep inside your spirit, and if you will yield to it, it will flow from the deepest part of your being to heal, change, deliver, and bring relief to that person in need. So I exhort you: Please don’t shut off your bowels of compassion! If you sense the urge growing and building inside your spirit to alleviate another person’s pain, let that compassion flow and bring him or her the delivering power of God.

The next attitude Paul told us to put on in Colossians 3:12 is “kindness.” This is a translation of the Greek word chrestotes, which means to show kindness or to be friendly to others. In Greek history, it often depicted rulers, governors, or others in positions of leadership and authority who were kind, mild, and benevolent to their subjects. Anyone who demonstrated this quality of chrestotes was considered to be compassionate, considerate, sympathetic, humane, kind, and gentle. Elsewhere in Scripture, the apostle Paul used this word chrestotes to depict God’s incomprehensible kindness for people who are unsaved (see Romans 11:22; Ephesians 2:7; Titus 3:4). One scholar has noted that when the word chrestotes is applied to interhuman relationships, it conveys the idea of being adaptable to others.

When chrestotes is working in a believer, that believer strives to become adaptable to the needs of those around him rather than harshly requiring everyone else to adapt to his own needs and desires. This is so contrary to the flesh, which says, “Excuse me, but if you don’t like me the way I am, that’s tough! This is the way I am, and if you don’t like it, you can just get out of here. I’m not changing for anyone!”

When the Holy Spirit produces “kindness” in you, your entire mode of thinking will change. You’ll begin to ask people, “How can I be different for you? Is there any way I can change that will help you? Is there anything I can do better for you? How can I serve you to meet your needs more effectively?”

When you become adaptable to meet the needs of other people, a supernatural work of God takes place in your heart, and you grow substantially in your spiritual walk as a result. If this kindness hasn’t started to work in you yet, today would be a great day for you to ask the Holy Spirit to start producing this Christ-like attitude in your life!

Paul continued in Colossians 3:12 by urging us to allow “humbleness of mind” to develop in our lives. The Greek word used here is tapeinophrosune, a compound of the words tapeinos and phronos. The word tapeinos is translated humility, and it depicts the attitude of one who is humble, lowly, and willing to stoop to any level that is needed. The word phronos simply means to think. When these two words are compounded, as in this verse, the new word portrays the attitude of someone who is unassuming and not self-promoting. It suggests a person who is modest and unpretentious.

Does “humbleness of mind” operate in your life? Jesus was known for stooping to the level of everyone around Him in order to minister life to them. Had He seen Himself as “better” or “more deserving” than others, He never would have died on the Cross for you and me. Kindness is also a Christ-like attitude that the Holy Spirit strongly desires to produce in all of our lives. Is it working in you right now, or is this an area in which you need to allow the Holy Spirit to work more deeply in your character?

In this remarkable list of Christ-like attitudes found in Colossians 3:12, Paul next mentioned “meekness.” Most people assume that if a person is meek, he must be weak. However, this is a grossly incorrect view of the word “meekness.” In reality, “meekness” is one of the strongest attributes a person can possess, because it refers to a unique strength that dramatically impacts everyone it touches. In fact, in the ancient world, meekness was considered to be a high and noble ideal that people aspired to attain in life!

The word “meekness” is the Greek word prautes, which describes a person who is forbearing, patient, and slow to respond in anger or a strong-willed person who has learned to submit his will to a higher authority. This isn’t a weak person; it’s a controlled person. A meek individual may possess a firm will and a powerful character, and he may have his own strong opinions. However, he has fundamentally learned how to bring his will under control. When confronted by an injurious situation, a meek person doesn’t react with a rash or angry outburst, flying into a rage and throwing a temper tantrum. Instead he responds with kindness, gentleness, mildness, or even friendliness.

In rare instances, the word prautes (“meekness”) was used in Classical Greek literature to describe wild animals that had become tame because the word correctly conveys the idea of a wild, fierce will being brought under control. Thus, the meaning of this word extends to the idea of an individual who remains in control of himself in the face of insults or injuries. In the Greek language, the word prautes also conveys the idea of a high and noble ideal to be aspired to in one’s life.

In addition, the word prautes was used in a medical sense to denote soothing medication to calm the angry mind. Thus, we see that a meek person doesn’t project the countenance of one who is offended, upset, angry, or reactive to insults or injuries. Instead, his response is so gentle and mild that it acts as a soothing medicine for an angry or upset soul in an unsettling situation.

The flesh loves to rage out of control, but “meekness” makes you careful and controlled even in difficult circumstances. Instead of flying into a rage and throwing a temper tantrum at every perceived slight, you’re able to remain silent and keep your emotions and temper in check. Your very presence will become God’s soothing medication for angry, upset people, and you will impart peace to situations that previously were unsettling and unstable. And if you find yourself in a situation that you fiercely believe is wrong, you’re still able to remain silent until the appropriate moment to speak or until you’ve been asked for your opinion. You know how to control yourself and your emotions.

Last in Paul’s list of Christ-like attitudes is the word “longsuffering.” This is a translation of the Greek word makrothumia, which is a compound of the words makros and thumos. The word makros indicates something that is long, distant, far, or remote. The word thumos is often translated anger, but it also embodies the idea of a strong and growing passion about something. When the two words are compounded, they form the word makrothumia, which refers to the patient restraint of anger, longsuffering, forbearance, or patience.

The idea of makrothumia, or “longsuffering,” can be compared to a candle with a very long wick that allows it to burn for a long time. In a similar way, a person who is longsuffering is ready to forbear and patiently wait for people to “come around,” listen to counsel, make progress, and ultimately implement change in their lives. Walking in makrothumia is a part of our Christian responsibility. We have an obligation before God not to be short-tempered with people who struggle or fail. Instead, we are to forbear with them and help them succeed!

Longsuffering is so different from the way the flesh wants to react. Flesh gets easily angered, blows up, loses its temper, says things it later regrets, and doesn’t want to give the same mercy it demands from others. That is the exact opposite of the response God wants us to have when facing difficult situations. In fact, He commands us to make longsuffering a key characteristic in our lives!

This one verse holds so much insight into the question that we need to answer before God: What areas of my life need to be adjusted so they more accurately represent the attitude of Jesus Christ? Any or all of these qualities we discussed above may represent some of those areas that need to be adjusted in our lives. The good news is that the Holy Spirit lives in us, and each character trait discussed today is a fruit He wants to produce in our lives. All He needs is our cooperation.

So I encourage you: Make the decision today to yield to the Holy Spirit on a continual basis, and allow Him to produce these Christ-like attitudes inside you!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY


Holy Spirit, I am so thankful that You live inside of me to produce the attitudes of Jesus Christ in my life. Today I have been convicted regarding areas in my life where I need to grow and change. I ask You to release Your divine power inside me to produce the attitudes and the attributes of Jesus’ character in my life. Let Colossians 3:12 become a reality inside me as the very nature and life of Jesus becomes replicated in me!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I boldly confess that I am changing every day as I surrender to the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. He is convicting me of areas where I need to be more Christ-like, and I am responding to what He reveals to me about the areas I need to change so I can become more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. I am not powerless. I am not a victim to my ugly old nature. The Spirit of God indwells me, and He gives me the power to change in these areas where He is speaking to my heart!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. Can you think of a time when God’s compassion tried to flow through you, but you reasoned yourself out of yielding to that inner urge? Were you later sorry that you denied the love of God to be expressed through your life?
  2. Take a moment to examine the way you respond to insults, injuries, or volatile situations. Do you find that you are often a contributor to a heated and potentially explosive atmosphere? Or does your presence bring peace into the midst of the conflict? When others say or do something that could offend you, do you quickly retort with a harsh answer, or are you able to control your emotions and temper, remaining silent until a more appropriate time to speak?
  3. Do you “suffer long” with others who struggle in some area, or are you easily angered and irritated when people don’t “get it right the first time”? Have you ever said something rude to someone else who was genuinely trying his best to succeed at something yet had failed? Were you later convicted of your own failures and shortcomings? Do you remember others who practiced longsuffering toward you when you needed it? What about those who didn’t demonstrate longsuffering? How did their attitudes or behaviors help or hinder you?

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
— Hebrews 4:16

I can’t begin to count the times that I’ve felt pressed into a hard place and didn’t know what to do. But in those moments, I’ve learned to lean upon the promises made to us in Hebrews 4:16. It says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Today I want us to look at the words “boldly,” “obtain,” “find,” and the phrase “help in time of need.” I am sure that these words are packed with awesome insights that will absolutely thrill your heart and will give you such peace!

The verse begins by saying, “Let us therefore come boldly….” The word “boldly” comes from the word parresia, an often-used Greek word that was used in ancient times to refer to freedom of speech. It normally depicts a person who speaks his mind and who does it straightforwardly and with great confidence. In New Testament times, freedom of speech was restricted, and people who violated the rules were punished. The word parresia, used in this verse, depicts a frankness that was so bold, it was often met with resistance, hostility, and opposition. It just wasn’t acceptable to speak so candidly. Therefore, when someone freely spoke his mind and thoughts, such outspokenness was met time and again with scorn or rebuke.

Because the Holy Spirit uses the word parresia in Hebrews 4:16, it tells us several important things. First, we know that whenever we approach the Lord in prayer, we need never fear that we are too frank, too bold, too forthright, too honest, too outspoken, or even too blunt when we bare our hearts to Him or request His help. We should never be irreverent, but neither do we need to be ashamed to speak exactly what is on our hearts. When you go to the Lord, He wants to hear exactly what you have to say!

Second, the use of the word parresia — which was used to give us the encouragement to speak boldly to God in prayer — tells us that God will not rebuke us for telling Him exactly what we think. Even if we are wrong, it will not bother God when we’re honest with Him. He may correct us or take us to the Word to help fix our wrong thinking and believing, but He is always glad when we come to Him and speak freely from our hearts.

As the verse continues, it exhorts us to “…come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” We all need mercy, so now let’s look at the word “obtain” to see how we can obtain it!

The word “obtain” comes from the Greek word lambano. It can be translated a couple of ways, depending on how it is used in the text. For example, it can mean to seize or to lay hold of something in order to make it your very own, almost like a person who reaches out to grab, to capture, or to take possession of something. In some cases, it means to violently lay hold of something in order to seize and take it as one’s very own. At other times, it depicts a person who gently and graciously receives something that is freely and easily given.

How easily you receive from God may be determined by your own personal circumstances or inward struggles that affect the ease with which you receive God’s help. If your mind is tormented or you feel the world is pressing hard against you, it may be more difficult for you to receive — not because it’s difficult for Jesus to give, but because it’s difficult for you to focus on what He wants to give you. In that case, it may mean you have to reach out and forcibly lay hold of the help God offers.

The truth is, Jesus is willing to simply give you what you need, and all you have to do is open your heart and by faith receive it. But if exterior forces seem to be pulling you in countless different directions, it may take a deliberate act on your part to shove those external pulls out of the way and reach out by faith to lay hold of the mercy that Jesus offers you. Lay hold of it, take it, and make it your own so you can receive the mercy Jesus wants to give to help you in your situation.

But don’t stop with obtaining mercy, because the verse continues to say that you can also “find grace to help in time of need.”

The word “find” is a translation of the often-used Greek word eurisko. The word eurisko simply means to find. It expresses the idea of a discovery that is made by searching.

Usually the word eurisko points to a discovery made due to an intense investigation, scientific study, or scholarly research. There’s nothing of chance left to this kind of investigation. After working long hours and searching extensively, the time and effort finally pay off as the researcher finds what he has been seeking! In that ecstatic moment of euphoria, he shrieks, “Eureka!” — which means, “I found it!” In fact, the word “eureka” is derived from the word eurisko that is translated “find” in Hebrews 4:16, informing us of the joy experienced when a seeker finds what he has sought for so long.

Maybe you’ve sought God’s help for a long time. Perhaps you’ve prayed for it and searched for it. You’ve heeded Jesus’ word to ask, seek, and knock (see Matthew 7:8; Luke 11:10). And you’ve been persistent like the woman who knocked on the judge’s door and never gave up (see Luke 18:1-8). You have knocked and knocked and knocked — and you have sought and sought and sought. Finally, the door opens and you receive the help you needed. You have every right to shout, “Eureka! I’ve found it! I’ve received it! I have it!”

After you seek, God promises that you will capture exactly what you need from Him, so don’t stop seeking it until you have finally laid hold of it and have made it your very own!

But there is something else very important about the word eurisko that I must point out. This word doesn’t just describe a discovery made for yourself; it can also mean to acquire something for someone else. For example, do you know someone in need of some kind of help?

Because the word eurisko also means to acquire something for someone else, it means you can go to Jesus, the Great High Priest, and seek Him for help on behalf of others. You can obtain help for those who are in need — those who need healing, those who need deliverance, those who need relief from mental torment, those who need wholeness in their marriages and families, and those who need a financial breakthrough. Not only can you take your own needs to the Lord, but you can also take their needs to Him to obtain the help they so desperately need. This means the Lord wants to hear about your needs and the needs of those you love and hold dear to your heart.

But now let’s look at the phrase “help in time of need.” The phrase is a translation of the Greek word boetheia, a word with a military connotation. The word boetheia can be translated to help, as to help a person with his or her needs, but the military connotation of this word adds much more meaning and makes it really powerful.

In the world of the early New Testament, it was a military word that beckoned soldiers to battle. That word was boetheia, which was first and foremost a military word that depicted the exact moment when a soldier heard that his fellow fighter was entrenched in battle, captured, or struggling. Once alerted to this situation, the soldier quickly went into battle to fight for the safety and well-being of his fellow fighter. For that soldier, just hearing of a fellow fighter in need was all that was necessary to beckon him into battle. He spared no effort to deliver his brother as he went into action to rescue him and bring him back into a place of safety, security, and protection.

The Holy Spirit uses this same word to tell us that when we get into trouble and we tell Jesus about it, He goes into battle like a Mighty Warrior to be our defense and to secure our deliverance!

When Jesus fights, He is always on the winning side. So the next time you’re struggling, don’t try to slug it out all by yourself. Instead, go to Jesus and tell Him your situation. He will go to battle for you and fight until you are delivered and free! This is the kind of “help” Jesus wants to provide if you will present your needs to Him in faith. Why fight alone when the greatest Warrior in the universe is willing to fight for you?

For the last 2,000-plus years, Jesus has been seated at the Father’s right hand, where He ever lives to make intercession for anyone who comes to Him by faith (see Hebrews 7:25). The Lord has been fighting for every believer who has come boldly and honestly to Him in prayer. If you are willing to seek His assistance and not stop until you get it, Jesus will step up to the plate and fight for you. More than 2,000 years ago, Jesus died for you, but today — and right at this very moment — He is living to fight for your every need!

Isn’t that some of the best news you’ve ever heard in your whole life? Jesus is just waiting for you to present your needs to Him and to ask for His help. So why don’t you take a few minutes right now to present your needs to Him? Don’t worry that He will rebuke you for being too honest. He is beckoning you to come boldly to His throne to obtain mercy and to find grace to help in your time of need!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY


Lord Jesus, I come to You boldly with the needs I am facing in my life. I have wrongly lacked confidence and failed to be straightforward about them with You, but now I understand that You want me to be frank, forthright, and direct with You about these challenges I am facing. Thank You that You don’t rebuke or scorn me for being bold — and thank You for stepping forward as a mighty Warrior to help fight my challenge with me. Today I am coming to You boldly, and I am expecting You to step forward to fight in my defense!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I declare that I obey the Lord’s charge to pray boldly and forthrightly when I come to the throne of God’s grace. He bids me to come, and today I accept His invitation to come boldly and to declare my each and every need. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I will lay hold of the answers that I need and my exterior circumstances must change as a result of this time at the throne of God’s grace. Jesus will step forward as my Mighty Warrior to fight for me. He is just waiting for me to issue Him the invitation to step into the fray with me and to manifest His victory in this battle!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. Can you think of a time when you boldly approached the throne of God and received help in your time of need? When was that experience? What happened as a result of boldly asking for help?
  2. Are there others you know who need you to do some asking for them today? Who are those individuals who really need you to bring their names before the throne of grace?
  3. Is there a moment you recall when Jesus stepped forward like a Mighty Warrior and fought for you when you were in need? When was that moment? Wouldn’t it be good for you to meditate on His faithfulness to you today? It will help stir you up for the victory that you need right now.

I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and how thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith….
— Revelation 2:13

Today I want to encourage you from the words Jesus used to address the believers in the First Century who were also experiencing pressure to bow to society and its demands. Christ commanded the early believers to remain faithful in the face of opposition. It is the same message that He is speaking to Christians today!

Early believers were bombarded daily with opportunities to deny their faith. Yet, even in the face of these immense external pressures, there was always a core group of steadfast individuals who refused to waver in their commitment to Christ — and the same is true today. This company of believers simply would not cave in to the unrelenting intimidation brought against them. It was for this reason that Jesus declared, “…and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith”

The words “hast not” in this verse are a translation of the Greek word ouk, which essentially means no. However, the form of the word used in this verse is an exclamatory word expressing a strong, emphatic no. Thus, we see that the King James Version does not carry the full weight of the message conveyed in the Greek text, which actually reads as if Christ raised the volume and tone of His voice in order to make a resounding proclamation of these early believers’ commitment.

Christ continued by saying, “thou…hast not denied my faith….” The word “denied” is the Greek word arneo, which is usually translated to deny, to disown, to reject, to refuse, or to renounce. This word arneo commonly referred to a person who had become unfaithful in a relationship and subsequently disavowed, forsook, walked away from, and washed one’s hands of that other person. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology offers insight into the reasons behind such a total rejection: “The motive for denial is usually fear of others, fear of suffering ridicule or persecution, or anxiety about what others will think.”

As persecution intensified during the latter years of the First Century, some believers chose to deny Jesus and abandon their faith in order to escape tribulation. Fear of other people’s opinions and ridicule, fear of persecution, and even fear of death were all factors that contributed to this decision. Jesus, however, chose not to address these defectors in Revelation 2:13. Instead, He raised His voice to affirm the faithful core who did not disavow Him in their time of struggle. When Jesus said, “…thou…hast not denied…,” He was essentially saying, “When you had the opportunity to break your vow and walk away, you did not do it.”

Notice that Christ specifically said, “thou…hast not denied my faith….” In the Greek text, there is an emphasis on this phrase “my faith” that reveals how Jesus truly feels about the message of the Gospel. These words are the Greek phrase ten pisten mou, which could literally be translated the faith of me. Of course, in English, the order of these words doesn’t make much sense, but in the Greek, this phrasing is deliberate and logical.

The first word in the phrase ten pisten mou is the word ten, which simply means the. This word is a definite article, which always points to something very specific. In this instance, it appears directly in front of the word pisten, which is the Greek word for faith. Therefore, when these two words are used in conjunction with one another, they denote a specific set of beliefs, a specific doctrine, a specific creed, or a specific faith. It clearly refers to the faith or the body of truth comprising the New Testament. It was this truth that Satan hated and wanted to destroy, and it was this truth that these dedicated believers refused to deny.

In order to convey how personally He feels about the faith, Jesus followed the word pisten (“faith”) with the word mou, which is the Greek word for “my.” Like its English counterpart, mou always denotes ownership and possession. When mou is used in conjunction with the phrase ten pisten, an accurate translation could read my faith, the faith that belongs to me, or the faith that I hold closely.

The Gospel not only comes from Christ, but it is also firmly in His possession. Jesus is the Originator, the Giver, and the ultimate Supervisor of the faith; therefore, it is incredibly precious to Him.

We are the recipients of the truth of the Gospel and its amazing benefits, but Christ is the One who paid for it with His blood to make it available. What One bleeds for, another lives for — and Christ shed His own blood for the truth of which we freely partake.

Even if the spirit of our age tries to lure us into modifying the message of the Gospel to pacify the shifting whims of our society, we must firmly proclaim the faith in its purest form. The faith didn’t originate with us, and we don’t have the right to modify it in any way.

You are destined to live as a shining light in the midst of a lost generation. But that destiny can only be fulfilled as you hold fast to the truth of Jesus Christ and refuse to compromise your stance or conform to the world, regardless of any pressure you face to do otherwise. THAT is something for you to think about — and to make a rock-solid decision about TODAY!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY


Father, I want to be a part of the remnant that refuses to bend to the pressures of society in these last days. Although there is pressure to modify what we believe and to be less committed, Your Word has never changed; therefore, I know that You have not asked me to change my position or what I believe. Please help me to be strong in these times and to impart strength to others who are feeling the same pressure to conform to the dictates of society in these last days.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I declare that neither society nor the courts will determine the standard by which I live and that I will live according to the teaching and dictates of the Bible. There is no doubt that society is trying to force me to change the way I think and believe, but I hold fast to the name of Jesus and to the teaching of the Word of God. It has been correct for thousands of years, and it remains the unerring guide for my life. I recommit myself to living according to the teaching and the standards of God’s Word, even if it puts me at odds with what society is trying to tell me to do.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. Describe some opportunities that you see presented for believers to deny their faith in society today.
  2. The Gospel is Christ’s message and no one has the right to change it. In what ways are society and even the courts attempting to change and twist the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
  3. Give some examples in which your life is in direct contrast to the way the world encourages people to live and to believe.

And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
— Mark 5:29

Do you know anyone that has ever been subjected to a plague? Have you ever had a plague afflict you? Technically, what is a plague?

We tend to use this word “plague” to describe worldwide pandemic outbreaks, but that is not the way it is used in Mark 5:29, which tells of a woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years. Specifically, Mark 5:29 says that when this woman touched Jesus, she was healed of her “plague.” Yet this woman’s sickness was not contagious, nor was it imminently life-threatening, since she had been sick with it for 12 years. So today I want to tell you about how I discovered the meaning of the word “plague” in the New Testament and why this was such an important discovery to me.

As a university student, I suffered tremendously from allergic reactions. In fact, a simple change in the weather could affect my whole body. To combat the pollens in the air and my body’s reaction to them, I went to the university infirmary twice a week to receive allergy injections in both arms. As I had grown older, my allergies had progressively gotten worse and worse until they nearly controlled my life. One day when I was praying for an answer to these debilitating allergies, I began to delve into the story of the woman with an issue of blood in Mark 5, whom the Bible says had a “plague.”

When I picked up my Greek New Testament to study this story in depth, I was quite struck to see the Greek meaning of the word “plague” used in Mark 5:29. It really gave me insight that helped me know how to pray more effectively for myself — and through this insight, I ultimately received healing and have never had an allergic reaction since! I believe this Greek word study will help you, as it helped me, to be more effective when you are praying about ailments that afflict you or others whom you know and love. At the very least, it will give you something to think about!

Before we delve into Mark 5:29 and the meaning of this word “plague,” let’s first briefly review the story of this woman with the issue of blood.

According to Mark 5, this woman was sick for 12 years, and she had spent all her money on physicians. However, instead of getting better, she only grew worse (see Mark 5:25,26). Then one day she heard of Jesus and set out to find Him. She came up from behind him in the crowd and reached out and touched the hem of His garment. Immediately, power flowed out of Jesus into her — “and straightway [immediately] the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.” According to these verses, this was a 12-year affliction that simply wouldn’t go away or permanently respond to any type of medical treatment. Perhaps this woman would get better temporarily, but then it would recur again — much like the allergies that afflicted me for many years earlier in my life.

When I looked up the word “plague” in my Greek New Testament, I was shocked. I ran every reference to make sure I was understanding it correctly. I studied the historical usage of the Greek word for “plague” to be certain I was seeing this accurately. And I found that this word did not describe a pandemic disease at all. It was the Greek word mastigos — a very unusual word to be translated “plague.” But once I studied it out and carefully thought through its usage, it made perfect sense, as I believe it will to you too. The word mastigos — translated “plague” — is a word that is borrowed from the world of torture.

Specifically, the word mastigos denoted the act of recurrently beating a prisoner or victim. Once the person’s wounds had mended, the torturers would bring them back to the whipping post, where they were struck again and again and again. These beatings were sporadic but constant, and although they were not serious enough to kill the victim, it kept them in constant pain and misery. It was torment and abuse — a scourge that caused great suffering and prolonged anguish.

I’m sure you can see why this word was used to describe the condition of the woman with the issue of blood, for her ailment struck her again and again for 12 long years. She experienced a sporadic, regular attack of this condition all those years. It was a physical torment that would not go away but just kept coming back again and again and again.

I found it extremely interesting that this was the original meaning of the word mastigos — the word “plague” — that was used to describe this woman’s long, protracted ailment. Let’s think about this scenario for a moment. This woman didn’t die from her affliction; it simply kept her life torn up for years. This was a “plague” that struck this woman over and over and over again. She’d feel better — and then suddenly that affliction would reappear to strike her again.

By the time we read of this poor woman in Mark’s gospel, she had been afflicted with this recurring ailment for 12 long years. Physicians tried to help, but there was simply nothing they could do to permanently relieve the misery that this woman had lived with for more than a decade of her life. It wasn’t serious enough to kill her, but it made her life continually miserable. But when she touched Jesus with her faith, she was instantly made well of that torturous, recurring affliction!

So what is a “plague” as it is referred to in Mark 5:29? It is an ailment, sickness, or affliction that regularly strikes an individual again and again. It is a recurring condition that is not serious enough to kill but that continually keeps the individual sick and miserable. It is a sick, demented, elongated devilish attack upon an individual’s physical body that causes discomfort and pain. Thus, this word mastigos, translated “plague,” would describe chronic conditions such as migraine headaches, rashes, allergic reactions, high blood pressure, foot fungus, and so on. These are conditions that come and go, can last for years, and rarely permanently respond to medication or the treatment of physicians.

When I saw how the word mastigos was used to describe the woman with the issue of blood and then compared it to my own allergic condition, which had gone on for years with no relief, I understood that I was being victimized by the devil’s multiple, recurring attacks against my body. When I understood that this was more than a medical condition — it was a premeditated spiritual attack — I took authority over it in Jesus’ name and broke its power over my life. And I have never had another allergic episode since that moment!

Medicine is an important tool in administering aid to physical suffering. However, throwing medicine at a spiritual attack can at best bring only temporary relief; the symptoms will inevitably come back again because you are dealing with an attack and not an entirely physical problem. This was a great revelation for me, and it resulted in my physical healing. I stood up to each attack and resisted it in Jesus’ name until those recurring allergic reactions stopped. The power of Satan that was attacking me was literally broken, and I’ve been free ever since.

Today you can take that same revelation to stand against the enemy’s recurring attacks against your body. It’s time to live free! No weapon formed against you shall prosper in Jesus’ name — including every recurring physical condition that falls into this tormenting category called “plague”!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY


Father, I thank You for the power in the name of Jesus. Today I use the name of Jesus to break every demonic attack against my body. I have suffered long enough with the afflictions that have assailed me. Starting today, I stand up against them with the name and the blood of Jesus Christ, and I command the devil to take his hands off my body!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I confess that healing belongs to me because Jesus purchased it in my redemption! Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world, and I authoritatively command the enemy to remove that whip that He has used to strike me and to keep me continually sick. I break the burden of its binding yoke by the power of the anointing of Jesus Christ in His mighty name!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. Do you have any sporadic yet regular sicknesses that afflict you? Have you ever considered that these may be the result of devilish attacks against your body?
  2. If you’ve used medicine with no results, like the woman with the issue of blood, have you ever considered that a spiritual answer may be what you need for your physical ailment?
  3. What is your response to this Sparkling Gem? Has it given you illumination to a situation in your own life and body? How does it affect your view of the recurring sicknesses that have afflicted you for a long period of time?

And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
— 1 Corinthians 2:3

Our Moscow church waited many years to have its own building, and when that moment finally came and we moved in, it was a time of great rejoicing. The building had been constructed debt-free, and it was one of the few church buildings of its type in Russia. I was so awestruck by what God had done that when I first approached the pulpit to preach, I found myself trembling.

I have always felt comfortable speaking to people from the pulpit. However, when our congregation moved into the new facility, I understood that the transition held more significance than a simple change of venue. The whole scope of our ministry had been elevated, and I had a palpable awareness that I was being held to a higher level of accountability. Every word I spoke from that pulpit had to be accurate, at least to the best of my ability, because it would be carried far and wide on television and the Internet, and the impact would be great.

In the week prior to the official move, I was gripped by a sense of electric anticipation. I pored over my notes again and again, trying to discern if there was one last truth that I needed to share from the pulpit. When Sunday finally arrived, I rose up early that morning, reviewed all of my notes again, drove to the church building, and entered the main auditorium with the full knowledge of what God was expecting in my delivery. Stepping up to the platform, I could literally feel myself tremble as I approached the moment when I was to speak behind that pulpit as the oracle of God to our church congregation.

Speaking for God is a great responsibility for any preacher of the Gospel, and the older I get, the more aware I am of the magnitude of this responsibility. I do not always tremble when I speak, but there are certainly moments when I do. The apostle Paul must have felt similarly at times, because he referred to a “great trembling” that he experienced as he prepared to preach to the pagan audience in the city of Corinth. In his first epistle to these Corinthian believers, Paul reflected, “And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3).

When Paul first stood up to preach before that crowd of pagans, he was about to begin his public ministry in Corinth — a city rife with paganism, immorality, and demon spirits. Paul knew that he was totally dependent on the power of God and would have no success in Corinth without it. Therefore, he was overwhelmed with a sense of utter dependence upon God.

Paul actually says that in that moment, he experienced “much trembling.” This is a translation of the Greek phrase en tromos polloo. The word en means “in” and describes the state of being that he was “in” when he began his ministry to the Corinthians. What was that state of being? Paul told us with the preceding Greek word, tromos, which means to shake, to quake, or to tremble. He even told us the extent to which he was trembling by adding the word polloo, which describes a large magnitude or a great quantity. Together these words emphatically tell us that Paul literally “shook” as he stood up to preach to the Corinthians.

But what would make Paul feel such a great trembling? He had stood in front of large audiences and preached the Gospel on numerous occasions throughout the Roman Empire. So why did he feel such a strong inner shaking then?

Paul had just come from Athens, where his success as a preacher of the Gospel had been limited (see Acts 17:32-34), and it is likely that he felt that he had failed there. He was also very aware of his own shortcomings as an eloquent public speaker (see 2 Corinthians 10:10). Knowing that refined oratory skills were important to a Greek audience, Paul may have felt overwhelmed by his inadequacy of speech as he remembered his experience in Athens and prepared to publicly declare the Gospel to the Corinthians. And as if these feelings were not enough, Paul was very aware that enemies were present in the crowd, lying in wait to attack him over the slightest verbal misstep. Any of these factors may have contributed to the “great trembling” he felt that day.

However, in spite of the emotions that tried to engulf Paul at that pivotal moment, he made a decision that proved to be key to the outcome of his entire ministry from that moment onward. He determined he would know nothing among the people except the simple message of Jesus Christ crucified for them (see 1 Corinthians 2:2) — and then he went on to preach in the power and demonstration of the Spirit (v. 4). In the end, the apostle’s ministry in Corinth was an amazing success that led to the establishment of one of the most important congregations in the early Church. His feelings of inadequacy produced an utter dependence upon the power of God that resulted in a message that was accompanied by supernatural manifestations — which proved far more successful than any elegant oratory skills.

Over the years I have come to realize that if such a powerful apostle like Paul felt weakness and trembling from time to time, others who are called to do something significant for God may also feel such emotions when it is their moment to stand up and be counted. That was precisely what I felt when I stood in the pulpit of our new Moscow church during those first weeks — totally insufficient without the power of God assisting me. But in spite of that tangible sense of my own natural deficiencies, I have also sensed an increased level of God’s power manifested every time the Gospel is proclaimed from the platform of our new church building. To God be the glory! It is all for Him and His purposes!

So how does this apply to you?

When you are called upon to do something new — something that seems bigger than you or outside of your capabilities, yet you know it is your assignment — that is the moment for you to push aside those feelings of deficiency and turn to the sufficiency of the Holy Spirit. Prepare as well as you can, but when the time comes for you to stand, to speak, to sing, to witness, or to testify, lean upon the Holy Spirit and His power.

Train and prepare as much as you can, but make room for the Holy Spirit to do His part that only He can do. You may feel “great trembling” at that moment, but if you’ll make room for the power of God to operate, you’ll see Him work with convincing proof that is far more effective than anything you could do on your own. In fact, you’ll be utterly amazed at the things God works through you!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY


Father, I admit that I’ve had moments when I shook to the core when it was time for me to stand up and publicly speak, sing, testify, or to take a public position on an issue. Today I surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, I ask You to do the supernatural part that I cannot do. I’ll train, prepare, and present my body to You as a living sacrifice. As I do my part, I ask for and yield to Your help as You step forward to do the part that only You can do. I am completely and utterly dependent on You.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I confess that I have felt weakness, fear, and great trembling at times when I’ve been called to stand up and be counted in a significant way. But from this point onward, I will do my best to train, study, and prepare so that when my moment comes to step forward, I will lean upon the Holy Spirit and not on my preparation alone. I will make room for the Holy Spirit to work, and I declare that He will work through me with supernatural, convincing powers that are far more effective than anything I could have ever done in my own strength!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. Have you ever had a “great trembling” moment in your life? When was that moment, and what about that event caused you to feel such trembling? Did you experience the power of God in that experience? What did you learn from that experience?
  2. The next time you are called to stand up and do something that will be viewed publicly or significantly, what will you do differently than the last time? What did you learn from your last experience that will make you act differently the next time an opportunity arises?
  3. Can you think of other Bible personalities who had “trembling” moments in their lives, but who experienced the power of God? Who were they? Can you make a list of them by name?