King David was not even considered by his own father or family to be thought of as a prospect for anything other than a shepherd. Yet the prophet Samuel singled him out as the one with the destiny to be King of Israel.
What did he do when he received this great announcement and anointing? He went back to shepherding. The difference was, the idea was now birthed in his heart and he began to dream of himself as a king!
But it was neither the prophet nor the dream that made David a king. It was the victory gained through the challenge of Goliath that put him on the path to kingship. Confronting this giant was a decision he had to make alone, but something within him rose up and moved him to face Israel’s enemy. Where others saw a young boy tending sheep in the present, the Lord saw a mighty man leading Israel to greatness in the future.
Search your heart, seize the moment and be bold because of the Greater One living within you!
In the dynamics of life there should be evidence of a person’s innermost being. Who we are on the inside will eventually pop out, and it usually happens in the moments we don’t plan for!
Tea gives its flavor when put in hot water. It’s usually in pressing moments that our inner self reveals outer fruit. In times of fear, faith will paint a picture for the future in the believer. In times of sickness, confidence in the Healer will emerge. In times of anger, peace will calm the storm within. In times of wrongdoing, forgiveness will cover the multitude of sin.
This fruit will show up on a believer’s tree. It is not the fruit of a charismatic, Pentecostal, Baptist, Evangelical, Catholic or any other denomination. It is the fruit of a Christian with Jesus Christ alive on the inside!
“…And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith” (Mark 11:22).
Jesus is saying that there is a force inside the heart. It is a force so powerful that even a natural obstacle as large as a mountain cannot withstand its power. This power is called heart-faith, and every day people are using it for either their benefit or their destruction.
Faith is as natural to the heart as air is to the lungs. Most people think it is something only for the super spiritual or saintly, but in reality all of us have it. Where we put it in action will determine our future outcome to our joy or dismay.
What counter-force will short circuit this power? Doubt. When doubt is operating in your heart then fears rise and sleep is lost. Nervousness, sickness and anger spring up, causing wrong decisions with bad consequences. Keep doubt out by using your words to keep your dreams alive!
You might be thinking that your faith is a personal matter. It’s true that it is extremely personal. There is nothing that controls your personal life more than what you believe. At least, that’s what Jesus believes.
He is the authority on life. When He talked with people, what did He predominately tell them to do? He spoke to a woman with a blood disease, saying, “Your faith has made you whole.” He spoke to two blind men, telling them, “According to your faith be it unto you.” He told a high ranking Roman soldier, “As you have believed so be it unto you.”
Notice what Jesus is saying: life is not according to your past experience, your wish, or even what He wants. It is according to what you believe!
Inspired living is not an option. Negative thinking is as natural to living on earth as the effects of gravity. So if a human is not aware of the pull downward, they could wake up one morning in a state of paralysis from all the negative thoughts that bombard the spiritual and natural airwaves.
In my car, the GPS was picking up street signs while my radio was picking up satellite programs, and my phone was receiving a signal from an overseas conversation. All this was happening at the same time in the same car! The air is impregnated with signals that we can now capture with our state-of-the-art electronic devices. Likewise, we also pick up feelings, ideas, and insights from the spiritual realm we live in that are both good and bad.
We must choose to live an inspired life just like a plane is required to start its engine before it can move to break free of and overcome the law of gravity. When we put on Christ and walk in the Spirit, we are living an inspired life.
Staying inspired is also our choice, because the people of the world are tired and hurting. Hurting people will naturally take something out of you. We are here to give to them, but we ourselves must be up to lift them up.
It is your choice whether you live an inspired life or are dragged and held down by negative thinking. Listen to your vocabulary…is it up or down?
This question can be one of the most informative or one of the most destructive questions we can ask. When it comes to discovery, this question has opened the door to fabulous inventions and modern technologies. But when it comes to life and death, the question “Why?” causes many a soul to sink to levels of depression never before experienced. Some aspects of the question “Why?” which pertain to death, dying and destruction will never be resolved until one day when we stand before the creator of humanity.
How do we come to grasp with these issues of ‘why’? First, understand that God is not the creator of evil, but it issues forth from the heart of humanity that is separated from God by sin. Second, recognize that from the very beginning of time there has been a force of evil (Satan) determined to destroy the very creation that God holds as the apple of his eye. Third, realize that it was only the deepest love that created humans different from all creation giving us the faculties of reason, will, humor, imagination, words and decision-making capabilities—and with these abilities come great responsibilities for life, family, country and even our earth.
So today, let’s turn our ‘whys’ in life into a “Why Not?” and turn the negativity of depression into the positivity of expression! If you’re down and don’t understand, choose to release this situation to the Lord and find the good that remains in the life or lives around you!
“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Prov 18:21 NIV).
When I enrolled in Bible school I only had three dollars in my pocket and no job. The idea came to me to apply at the tennis club called Shadow Mountain. When I applied the manager said there were no openings.
The next day the same idea came to me so I went again. The manager told me again that there were no jobs. On the third day the idea came to me again to apply for a job there. When I approached the manager, he asked me why I kept coming back. Then suddenly another manager in the complex got into an argument with an employee and fired him. She looked up and there I was ready to fill his shoes.
Jesus instructed His disciples on where and how they could get the desired result. When they obeyed the words of their Master, they were abundantly blessed. In much the same way, when we heed His ideas, we will enjoy God’s best and will be delivered from unproductive and fruitless efforts.
It seemed strange to keep going back, but it pays to be persistent. The Bible says that in these last days God will speak to us through dreams and visions. It would pay to listen to all those little “hunches” you get and see what develops!
We all are familiar with sitting down in a restaurant and placing an order. We look at the menu and enjoy making our choices. I have seen some people get very anxious about it, and I have seen others wait and wait and wait because they can’t make a choice.
Years ago in Russia, where the food was rather bland, I recall looking forward to working on the border of China and going to a Chinese restaurant in the city of Khabarovsk. I was excited to eat spicy food, and with over 200 items on the menu, I was ready!
I asked for a certain type of rice but was told they didn’t have it, so I asked for another. They replied, “Don’t have it,” so I asked for another. They again replied, “Don’t have.” I gave up and asked what they did have.
“No rice, only potatoes.” Then I ordered Peking chicken. “Sorry, don’t have.” So I switched to Szechwan chicken. “Sorry, don’t have.” Hunan chicken? “Sorry, don’t have.” I finally gave up and asked, “What do you have??”
“Only Russian chicken legs.”
What would you do? I tell you this because some people believe it doesn’t matter what they really want in life. Many people think there is only one thing, opportunity, or flavor on the menu of life, just like I experienced. It might feel like you have no choice—but you always do!
Joshua 24:15
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
You may not immediately get what you ask, but you can respond in a way that keeps your faith alive and an answer coming. Anger, disgust, frustration, or even hate is NOT the response that will bring a miracle. Forgiveness, mercy, joy, patience, and love toward others will turn the decisions of others into a triumph for Christ.
When Paul and Silas were thrown in prison, they could have responded with great anger because it was Jesus who told them to go to that city. They could have responded with tears, depression, resignation, etc., and everybody would have agreed to their sob story…but they chose to sing!
When the presence of Jesus is fresh in you, then you will have a good response to whatever is on the menu of life, or not on it. Your response is what makes you different, because you know you have a different source. The jail shook and doors flew open, and Paul was led out of the city as a dignitary, because he saw beyond the situation!
What do you see when you look into the mirror? Do you see your weaknesses, your inadequacies, your imperfections? Or do you see what God sees? He sees you as the righteousness of Christ Himself. He sees you as more than a conqueror in Christ!
We have an opportunity to look into the mirror of God’s Word—the perfect Law of liberty—and allow it to transform us from the inside out! We must not form opinions of ourselves based upon other people’s opinions or our own failures. They do not define us!
See yourself as God sees you. His idea of you is as wonderful and glorious as the Apostle Paul wrote: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18 NKJV).
In the Old Testament we find the story of the children of Israel and God’s promise that He would take them to a land flowing with milk and honey. Moses led the nation of Israel to the edge of that Promised land. Perhaps you are on the edge of your promise today?
Moses sent twelve men to spy out the land. Ten of the spies saw themselves as mere grasshoppers in the sight of the giants that lived in the land. Two of the spies had a different perspective. They saw the giants through God’s eyes and said, “These giants are bread for us” (Numbers 14:9 KJV).
What is your perspective on healing? Has healing become a giant in your life? Jesus said, I am the bread of life (John 6:35)! He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38).
With the advent of His life, miracles became the foundation upon which everyday life was to be built. No longer were miracles to be a mystery or strange phenomenon, but miracles were to be front and center on the table of life!
Jesus came down from heaven as the express image of our heavenly Father, taking Him out of the shadows and revealing Him as the healer of humanity. Have you seen the bread of life come down for you? Jesus has set the table with healing for you!
