Praise the Lord for taking you thus far!

A Place of Thus Far

 Wendy Pope

 

 "Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, 'Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?'"  2 Samuel 7:18 (ESV)

         

Devotion:

Have you been in a place of "thus far?" A place where you find yourself in the constant misting of God's blessing and favor on your life.  Not blessings and favor by the world's standards of materialism and wealth, but by the Lord's standard of provision, protection, providence, and peace that come from walking with the Lord on a daily basis. 

 

You arrive at the place by faith, following the Lord's leading and trusting His ways, not your own.  One day, as you meet with the Lord, like David, you sit and take summary of all the Lord has done for you.  With compulsory praise and complete humility you say to the Lord, "Who am I that you have brought me thus far?"

 

Oh the places David had seen in his lifetime! From the grassy meadows, to the splendor of palace life, a drafty cave, back to the throne itself.  Yes, King David had arrived at a place of "thus far" in his life. He had experienced every emotion that exists, from confidence to fear, love to hate, and sadness to joy. After all that King David had been through I can certainly understand why he needed to go sit before the LORD and ask, "Who am I?"

 

He was overwhelmed at the goodness of God and the faithfulness he had experienced. He had been through some of the toughest situations a person could go through, yet because He remained faithful God was allowing David to receive his just reward. I have to think the reward of kingship and royalty paled in comparison to knowing the goodness and faithfulness of God.

 

Have you been there? Life has taken twists, turns, and changes at every bend, yet somehow for a season you have arrived at a place to receive abundant blessings from the Lord. You realize your place of thus pales in comparison to knowing and experiencing the goodness and faithfulness of God.

 

No matter what current circumstances you find yourself in, with our Living God there is always a place of "thus far" awaiting around the next bend. This is a place of celebration, praise, complete humility and gratitude before the Lord. I have discovered the hardships we go through are all worthwhile when we get to our place of "thus far."  In compulsory praise, with a humbled heart, we can pour our blessings back out to the Lord in praise and cry, "Who I am Lord, that you have brought me thus far?"

 

Dear Lord, forgive me when I fail to sit and take summary of Your tremendous favor in my life.  The misting of blessings and favor are far superior to anything this world can afford me.  Help me to remember my place of "thus far" when Your plan for my life leads me to another season that may be risky and cause me to walk by faith and not by sight.  I offer this praise of thanksgiving to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen

 

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

 

Living Free in Christ-CD by Wendy Pope

 

i am not, but I know I am, by Louie Giglio

 

Visit Wendy's blog and resource page

 

Application Steps: 

Find a place to sit quietly with the Lord.  Take summary of His blessing and favor on your life.  Write down all the Lord brings to mind.  Read the list back to Him as a song of praise.

 

Reflections: 

Is there anything in my life preventing me from entering the place of "thus far" the Lord has for me?

 

How can I use my time while in a place of "thus far" to be a blessing or encouragement to others?

 

Power Verses:

Psalm 52:9, "I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints." (NIV)

 

Psalm 63:4, "I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands." (NIV)

 

© 2009 by Wendy Pope. All rights reserved.

 

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

Confession precedes God's protective hedge to follow you

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Over the years, I’ve come to understand the precariousness of our position as believers here on Earth. For example, one morning a few years ago I was carrying a basket of dirty laundry out to our washing machine. Like many modest homes in Mexico, our laundry is outside. At the last minute my then 2 year old came running up, wanting a “ride” in the laundry basket. I picked him up and off we went around the house. I was bouncing him around as we walked and suddenly I tripped over a loose paving stone. Down we went, quick as a flash.

My only thought was to try and land under Aidan so he wouldn’t be injured in the fall. I did, coming down with a thud that knocked the wind out of me on the edge of the concrete pad our laundry sits on. I banged up my left arm and leg and jammed the toenail on my left big toe back under the skin of my toe. The way it hurt, I thought I had broken it. Miraculously, Aidan stayed in the laundry basket, and the clothing cushioned his fall. Aside from the scare he emerged unharmed. Soon he was laughing about it and helping his mom patch me up.

While reading this Psalm, I thought of our tumble that day and thanked the Lord again for protecting my son. But why did I fall? Didn’t the Lord say that He would not let my foot slip?

“Oh it was just an accident,” you say. “Don’t make a big deal out of it.” But the Lord’s promises are either good or they’re not. What’s going on here?

Here’s what I think the problem was. Another missionary had gone off in a direction that had the potential to divide the Christian community here, and I was upset about it. During the shower I had taken just before doing the laundry, I had been doing some venting to myself, and got a little steamed up in more ways than one.

My anger was a sin, and I hadn’t asked for forgiveness. In that instant I was out of fellowship, fair game for the enemy’s mischief. He couldn’t do any serious damage, but he could take advantage of the momentary gap in my defenses to trip me up. Don’t blame him. He’s our enemy. That’s what he does. It was my fault for letting my guard down.

Just as Job’s self-righteousness left him open to attack, so had my anger exposed me. And the ever vigilant enemy saw the opening I had given him. Aidan had no such problem and his angels kept the laundry basket beneath him even though the law of gravity says he should have spilled out on the concrete with me.

God didn’t break His promise to me, and neither did my little tumble catch Him asleep at the wheel. My sin put me out of fellowship and left me open to attack. And God, Who is righteous, had to permit me to experience the consequences of my behavior.

We Christians are big on holding the Lord accountable for His promises to us, but when it comes to being Holy as He is Holy, we have a lot to learn. One thing is that staying in fellowship is critical. The way we do that is to invoke 1 John 1:9 when we’ve sinned. It’s the Christian’s bar of soap and cleans us up again. When we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If you’re like me, you claim that promise frequently. And as soon as you do, the promise of Psalm 121 becomes operative again.

Website: www.gracethrufaith.com

See Through The Prophetic Eagle's Eyeview!

Jimmy's Devotional

Genesis 6:22

I realize that I do not every minute of every day do all that the Lord has directed me to do through His Word. As I come to our key verse for today, having read the extended portion as well, I am even more frustrated with myself. This man Noah is known throughout the world as a man who did all that God had commanded him to do.

I am humbled by how Noah lived his life in a day that was much more ungodly than our day. I know this is true because Jesus said in Matthew 24:37 that He would come back to earth in a day when it was as Noah's day. Jesus has not come back so our days are not yet as bad as Noah's day.

Take a moment and think about our key verse again as we consider what the Lord told Noah was going to happen and what He told Noah He wanted him to do. Verse 13 tells us the conversation between Noah and God.

Noah heard from God that the Lord was going to destroy all of humankind with the exception of himself, his wife, their three sons, and their son's wives.

Now that would have blown me away, but Noah continued to listen to the instruction that God was giving him, in light of the coming judgment. God, in this same conversation, would tell Noah that the boat, the Ark, which he was to build would protect his family and two of each kind of animal on the earth. The boat was to protect them from the judgment that was coming - a worldwide flood, verse 17.

Can you imagine what Noah might have thought? What is a "flood?" What is "rain" that will cause the flood? Until this time in history, there had never been rain - thus no flood had ever happened - like what Noah was hearing about.

Noah was given exact instructions on how to build the Ark, verses 14-16. Noah was given 120 years to prepare the Ark and to warn all of humankind, verse 3. And the end result was that only 7 people believed him. Those seven were his wife, his three sons, and their wives.

What a testimony that Noah had, those closest to him were those who believed him and were spared the judgment. Once again I am in awe of Noah, a man who in this situation did all that the Lord commanded him to do.

One final thought. Keep in mind what Jesus said in His Olivet Discourse,Matthew 24:37. As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days that the Lord will return.

If you read Genesis 4-10 you can determine how it was in those days. Genesis 11 is focused on Babylon, the location of a one world religion and one world government, which is how it was in Noah's day.

By the way, Biblical Babylon is modern-day Iraq. The world today is focused on the same part of the world that it was in Noah's day was. We could well be in the day of His return.


PRAYER THOT: Lord, help me to be a man like Noah and do all that You direct me to do.

Recently, on Prophecy Today, Jimmy De Young interviewed several guests concerning current news which sets the stage for the prophetic to be fulfilled. We have these insightful interviews archived for you on our Prophecy Today Radio Network. Col. Bob Maginnis - Reduction of nuclear weapons Itamar Marcus - Islamic Summer Camps Eric Hovind - Young Earth Creationism

Let our Daughters be like graceful pillars!

A Graceful Pillar

Lynn Cowell

"May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace." Psalm 144:12 (NLT)

Devotion:

Where did the time go? I remember like it was only yesterday...the dark-haired little princess dancing on top of the coffee table, star-studded sunglasses gracing her face, singing as though she was the next "American Idol."

Now, she's a beautiful young lady in the making, grinning at me from the dressing room. Her smile still says, Look at me, Mommy, don't I look pretty? And she does, in so many ways. Her beauty is more than just physical. I see a tender heart that is learning who she is and becoming who the Lord made her to be.

Vickey Courtney says, "Girls who are 'sugar and spice and everything nice' are made, not born." This is so true. Girls today have so much pressure on them to be this and do that; attempting to please the ever-changing culture around them. They often find themselves caught between the daytime world of school and evening world of family. Their desire to be accepted is deep and very real. They want to know that they are valuable; that they have worth.

Maybe that is why God created mothers - to be the conduit for the power of God's truth to be given to the next generation. It is our place to teach our daughters exactly how He sees them. To be the voice that says, "All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you." (Song of Solomon 4:7, NIV). When they are looking in the mirror picking themselves apart, we can pour into them God's Word. Psalm 45:11 "The King is enthralled by your beauty..." (NIV). "Enthralled" means captivated. They are desperate to have someone say, "You make my head spin" and who better to say it than their Creator who is flipped-out over them!

As I think about today's key verse, "May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace," I am reminded that pillars are not found in the wild. Pillars are not born. Pillars are formed. Carefully, an artesian chisels away at the stone little by little, creating a masterpiece. You can be the artesian in the life of your daughter. Don't be afraid. The Master Artesian is your teacher. You can be the one that the Lord has appointed to take the rough piece of stone and carve it into the graceful pillar, fit for a palace.

Dear Lord, this task seems too big for me. Raising a daughter that glorifies You could not possibly be more contrary to our culture. I do want my daughter to be like a graceful pillar; a graceful pillar that brings You honor. Show me opportunities today where I can lovingly speak that Truth into her life. In Jesus' Name, Amen

Resources:

Secret Keeper Girl: 8 Great Dates for You and Your Daughter by Dannah Gresh

The Mom I Want To Be: Rising Above Your Past to Give Your Kids a Great Future by T. Suzanne Eller

Visit Lynn's blog

Application Steps:

One way that I pour into my daughters is to have special days with them. On these dates, we do fun things: at-home facials, day at a tea room, a special shopping trip. During these dates, I incorporate a lesson that teaches them one of God's truths. Secret Keeper Girl is filled with these types of dates. It is a perfect way to build memories and relationships too!

Learn who you are in Christ. Study scriptures that teach these truths. As you learn them for yourself, it will give you a fresh revelation to share with your daughter.

Begin a Gather & Grow group with Proverbs 31 Ministries for teen girls. Be a part of forming not only your own daughter, but the many girls today who do not have a godly woman in their life.

Reflections:

Do you feel comfortable having conversations with your daughter about the Lord, or do you need a little help with some conversation starters?

Find another woman who has a raised a godly daughter and ask her for wisdom on this.

Power Verses:

Zephaniah 3:17, "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." (NIV)

Song of Solomon 4:7, "All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you." (NIV)

Song of Solomon 2:16a, "My lover is mine and I am His." (NIV)

© 2009 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

Sit firmly on the foundation

Our Firm Foundation

Ephesians 2:1-9

What we believe determines how we will act. To behave in a godly manner, we must embrace biblical truth. So let's continue examining our beliefs:

• Man's relationship with God is broken, apart from Jesus Christ. When Adam and Eve rebelled against the Lord, their nature became corrupt and alienated them from God. All future generations are born with this condition--a "flesh" nature that separates them from the Father (Rom. 5:12). On our own, we can neither make amends for our sin nor change our nature.

• Salvation comes through Jesus alone (Acts 4:12). God's justice required a penalty for sin, but only a sacrifice without defect would suffice. Jesus, who lived a perfect life on earth, was uniquely qualified. He bore our sins and died in our place so we might be forgiven and adopted into God's family. When we receive Him as Savior, we're given a new nature, and Christ's righteousness is counted as ours (Phil. 3:9; 2 Cor. 5:17).

• The church--Christ's body--is made up of born-again believers throughout the world (1 Cor. 12:13). All Christians are commanded to worship the Lord, care for one another, and share in the work of spreading the gospel. God's followers are also given spiritual gifts to use in building up other believers.

If these truths are the basis for our view of life, we'll find ourselves growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Forgiving others will become a possibility--and dying to self a more common occurrence. Ungodly traits will fade away and be replaced by the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).

Essential Truths of the Faith

Matthew 7:24-25

Through faith in Jesus Christ, we become children of God and citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20). We no longer belong to this world. Our allegiance is to the Lord. To live in a way pleasing to Him, our beliefs must align with His. These include:

• The Bible is true. It contains the self-revelation of our heavenly Father--His nature, plan of salvation, and dealings with mankind. God in His omnipotence made sure that His Word was recorded accurately (2 Tim. 3:16). There, we find everything we need for the Christian life (2 Peter 1:3). Since Scripture is the final authority on faith and conduct, embracing its truth is essential for all believers.

• The Lord created the heavens and the earth, including each of us. Genesis reveals a personal God who was intimately involved in this work. As Creator, He has authority and power over what He made.

• There is only one God, and He expresses Himself in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The terms Godhead, Trinity, and Triune God are all used to describe this concept, which is supported by numerous scriptures. For instance, both the Spirit and Jesus were active at creation (Gen. 1:2; Col. 1:16) and identified as divine (John 10:30; 16:7-15).

Ask yourself, Do I believe that the whole Bible is the inspired, infallible word of God? Am I growing in my understanding of it? Am I learning to know the Holy Spirit as well as God the Father and His Son Jesus? Have I accepted the Lord's authority over my life, my family, and my world?

For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit

www.intouch.org

and

click here to listen to Dr. Stanley at OnePlace.com.

Confess your way to righteousness restorational crediting in your spiritual account!

Exposed

Micca Monda Campbell

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9 (NIV)

Devotion:

I have a talent for embarrassing myself. A few years ago, at one of our Proverbs 31 Ministries' Conferences, I was alone in the elevator on my way to a meeting, when I noticed that my panty hose were sagging. I had been running non-stop since the conference began, so naturally I needed to freshen up. I figured since I was the only one in the elevator, it was safe to lift up my skirt, bend over, and pull up my hose. I'm sure you have done something similar.

There was only one problem. When I entered the elevator at the bottom floor, it had a back wall. As I rode the elevator from one floor to the next, I noticed something had changed. The back wall had magically transformed into a glass wall! Ingeniously, the hotel was built in a circle with a large floor-to-roof atrium. This design meant that all of the glass elevators overlooked the center of the hotel as they moved up and down. What was in the center of the atrium with the translucent elevators? The hotel restaurant. What time of day was it? You guessed it - dinnertime. The room was packed with people unaware that they were getting both dinner and a show!

I was horrified! Aren't we all when a side of us is exposed that we would rather keep covered? I think sin is like that. We try to hide it, but at some point it reveals itself, leaving us embarrassed, sorrowful, and ashamed. Not all sins are exposed; there are some that we manage to keep concealed. In doing so, it gives us the false illusion that no one can see them. While others may not, we forget that God can see all. And He doesn't need a glass wall to see what is hidden.

What does our sin do to the heart of God? The Bible says that our sin grieves the Holy Spirit within us (Ephesians 4:30, paraphrased). I don't know about you, but knowing that I can break the heart of God does something to my own heart. Not only am I ashamed, but a deep sense of separation from God comes over me. The good news is God doesn't keep a record of our sin. What He keeps a record of is when we believe Him.

The Apostle Paul tells us, "Consider Abraham: 'He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness'" (Galatians 3:6, NIV).Therefore, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). That's a promise. There is no need to hide our sin or defend our wrong actions when we can simply have God's forgiveness.

In the historical event found in Matthew chapter 26, Jesus sat down with His twelve disciples to prepare for the Passover. During this time, Jesus reveled to His followers something only He could see. "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me." (Matthew 26:21, NIV). I love the disciples' reaction. They didn't become defensive at Christ's words.

When I know that one of my three children have disobeyed in some way, but I don't know who, I say to them, "One of you has broken a rule." They usually respond by blaming one another or defending themselves. The disciples did not. They didn't try to play cover up or debate the matter. They didn't even point fingers at one another. Instead, each one examined themselves. Even Judas asked Jesus, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you." (Matthew 26:25, NIV).

Once Judas' eyes were open to his sin, he had a choice to make. He could either fess up and be done with it or he could carry out his betrayal. He chose the latter. That choice determined his tragic destiny. Yet, Judas' fate didn't have to end that way. If Judas had responded to his conviction before he betrayed Christ with repentance, someone else would have had to fill his role in history. Why? Because Christ our Lord was sent to free us from sin and restore us back into fellowship with God.

You and I need to understand that Jesus doesn't expose our sin to embarrass us or condemn us. God didn't send Christ into the world to condemn but to save. When you and I sin, God is simply waiting for us to look inward and say, "Lord, it is I?" In the instant we confess with faith, Christ is ready and willing to make all things new.

Dear Lord, I confess to you my sin of _________. I'm sorry that my sin breaks Your heart. Cleans me and restore my relationship with You. Fill me once more with Your peace and presence, In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

Confessions of a Good Christian Girl: The Secrets Women Keep and the Grace that Saves Them by Tammy Maltby

An Untroubled Heart by Micca Campbell

For more from Micca visit her blog and check out her additional resources .

Application Steps:

When you know that you have sinned against God, confess it immediately. Don't wait.

Reflections:

Do you often try to hide your sin or are you quick to confess it?

How are you betraying yourself by not confessing your sin?

Power Verses:

Romans 10:9, "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (NIV)

Ephesians 1:7, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sin, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." (NIV)

© 2009 by Micca Campbell. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org