ONLY TRUST
Jeremiah 17:5-13

In the issue of trust and distrust, there is nothing like “middle ground.” It is not possible to claim a
 “Middle ground”, it is either you trust or do not trust. Trusting God for who He is, and what He can do, is all that will make the difference between a believing believer, from an unbelieving believer. Trusting God is what will make a believer prevail in the issues of life. Trusting God is a demonstration of faith in God. The inability not to trust God is the evidence of lack of faith. A believer’s inability to trust God makes such a believer to become an unbelieving believer. When challenges arise, when all ways are blocked, when it is evident that the going is rough, the only way out is to turn to the Way Himself. “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) It is not enough to be claiming Christ by mouth and not live to trust in Him. There are so many blessings to trust in Him and so there are curses not to trust in Him. Jeremiah 17:5, “ Thus says the LORD: “ Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD. 6 For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited.” God is true to His word and He will not lower the standard of His word. What He said He would do, and He will do. Jeremiah 17:7-8 stated the blessings that are available for those that trust in Him. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Trusting in God offers so much gain, and nothing to loose, while not trusting in Him offers all to be lost. Have you considered giving everything up to Him in trust and expectation that He will do it? God is a faithful God and He will not fail. A new beginning deserves a new approach. If this is a new day, week or a new month, why not start with Him all over, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:4-5)
Prayer for today: My Lord and my God, I ask for the grace to know how to trust and rest in you as I navigate through my daily walk in these challenging days.

ALMOST THERE
Exodus 15:22-27

The miracles of God are not to be kept quiet, but to be a testimony to what the Lord has done and evidence of what He can do. It is to be a constant reminder, energizing a believer in the journey of life. The children of Israel, having come out of bondage of over four hundred years, ran into a stumbling block on the way to salvation. The children of Israel were bewildered by the land, closed up by the wilderness, had nowhere to turn to, but to face the forces of Pharaoh or jump and die in the Red Sea. God in His goodness and mercy showed up on their behalf, and made a way in the middle of the Red Sea. God did not only make an ordinary passage, but He made a convincing way, a way that could never fail them in their passing through. “So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.” (Exodus 14: 22) They walked on dry land, and the enemy’s attempt to walk on the same dry land became a death land for the enemy, while the children passed through. When God is behind a believer the enemy can never be more powerful. It cannot be imagined that the children of Israel, having passed through the Red Sea quickly forgot what the Lord had done, and entered into a rebellious acts against the Lord God. The children of Israel, coming out of the Red Sea, “Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.24 and the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” (Exodus 15:23-24) The complaint to Moses was an indirect complaint unto God, who sent Moses. Acts of complaining are acts of rebellion. All that could have been done was for them to cry unto the One that brought them that far. Does this sound like you? Are you quickly forgetting what the Lord has done? Right after God’s response, the bitter water became drinkable, “Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.” (Exodus 15:27) If they had remembered what He had done, they would have known that He is ahead of them in challenging times. The Lord has not forgotten you. When you remember what He has done, He will render unto you more than your imagination.
Prayer for today: Deliver me, O Lord, from every spirit of complaining. Help me to constantly remember what you have done and what you can do.

LIFT ALL UNTO HIM
Psalm 121, 123
 
Whatever you pay attention to will give you direction. The more you look up to Him, the better your direction will be, because He that is above, is above all, and He will direct you beyond and above all that can derail you. The Psalmist recorded in Psalm 121:1-2, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.” If you have been lifting your eyes to the one that is above without any expectation there, will be no manifestation. Lifting up without expectation is religion, not Jesus reality. God is faithful and God will not forsake His own. Psalm 123:1-2, “Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens. 2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He has mercy on us.” Many have the Word memorized for the purpose of uplifting self or others when need requires. However, memorization without mediation will not produce results. Meditation is the reason for memorization. Meditation is what will allow a believer to observe, and live according to the Word of God. Joshua 1:8, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Take the Word from above seriously, John 3:31 encourage all that will listen by stating, “He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. 33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.” (John 3:31-33) Evidently, given all to looking up unto Him will cost nothing but a trust in Him. He that is above has all power over all and His name is above every other name. Looking up unto God is not labor, but favor for anyone that has been looking and not wait until a problem calls for looking up to Him. If you will consider looking up indeed, and in truth, to God who has never denied Himself, will look down to lift you up. He is a faithful God. He that is above has all that it takes for those that look up to Him. Turn unto Him, who has been highly exalted, His name is above every name and every situation.
Prayer for today: Lord, have mercy on me let all of my concerns be lifted before You this day, in the mighty name of Jesus.  

PRIDE
2 Chronicles 18

Hear and give ear: Do not be proud, for the LORD has spoken. (Jeremiah 13:15)
Pride is all that will cause man not to listen, and hear the word of deliverance that comes from God. To hear and give an ear is to listen and hear when the Lord is speaking. Many at times there is the possibility to hear from a distance, or from close by, and not pick up from the conversation because of not giving an ear. It is the same as hearing and not listening. Without listening, no matter how loud communication can be, nothing passes through beyond just hearing. Jesus once addressed the disciples about the issue of hearing, and not gaining understanding in John 8:43, “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.”  Pride is what makes a man not to hear and give an ear. Pride is a silent killer that will make you to think you are right, when you are wrong. Pride is an act of not giving glory to God, when He speaks through His messenger. A failure not to give glory is what brings about darkness that causes man to stumble. Pride is self-destructive. It is the highway of traveling away from God. Pride is of the devil and it breeds hatred, anger, deception, lies, and manipulation of others. Can any of the mentioned traits be identified in you? Ahab, King of Israel, had pride and demonstrated hatred and deception (disguising). Once, Ahab persuaded King Jehoshaphat to go to war against Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat requested for a confirmation of word from God after some prophetic backing to go to the war. Ahab responded, “There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!” (2 Chronicles 18:7) Ahab confessed hate against the prophet of God that eventually asked the two kings not to go to the battle. As they prepared to go to battle against the word of the prophet of God, “…The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you put on your robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. (2 Chronicles 18:29) Hatred, disguising, was evidently the identity of the proud King Ahab, and he did not return from the battle alive. Disguising the truth is dressing up for disaster. King Ahab paid the price of deception with his life. Is there any trait of pride in you? It is time to take it to the Lord in prayer, because determination will not deliver, but His intervention will deliver.
Prayer for today: Father, I ask for Your divine intervention that will terminate every trace of pride in my life.