June 30

Israel came against Judah and killed 120,000 soldiers and took 200,000 wives and plunder back to Samaria where they were met by a prophet who told them they were in the wrong. Even though God had destined Judah to be defeated, it still wasn’t just. There is a great lesson to be pondered here. God removed His protection because of Judah’s idolatry and used Israel and the Arameans to defeat Judah, yet this “using” wasn’t an order from on high. This subject requires some deep thinking and studying, but the point here is that God allows things to happen for His purposes in us that are not just. Hmmm…

I want to be like the leaders of Ephraim who confronted the soldiers and then gave mercy to the captives. These poor captives were participants in idolatry yet mercy was shown to them. They were clothed, fed, given drink and the weak ones were given donkeys to make it back home.

I need to help people make it back home. Some will certainly turn again to the Lord, but some won’t. That is not mine to decide, mine is to be merciful and help people back home – where God dwells. How much should I do? As much as the word of the Lord said to do. I cannot cool the desert with a massive air conditioner, but I can invite some people inside my dwelling to enjoy an air conditioned atmosphere. Start somewhere and work from there.

June 29

“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all”. Even though there are many things in today’s reading that are worthy of ponder and writing, this spoke to me and stood out. What is standing firm in my faith and why is it all or nothing?

I am an all or nothing kind of guy, but even I am uncomfortable with this verse. It can be looked at as a verse of defeat or as a verse of victory – I choose victory! God is saying partial will not cut it. That strikes fear in me because even when I purpose to go “all out” I sometimes miss that mark. I don’t want to get knocked down and fail because I tried! Yet when you look at this verse as a simple fact of life it makes complete sense. If you don’t stand firm – remain standing where you are, you will not stand – remain standing where you are. Do you get it? This is a great either or and it is true in all of life. Stand your ground or give it – there is no other option!

This verse brings in the extra added ingredient of faith, which deepens the meaning to me. I have to stand in my “faith”, or in my trust in God’s ability! To do that I have to understand His ability, His will, and His love toward me – or I will “not stand”. Which could mean 2 things – either I will fall on the ground or I will be moved off my ground. For me the key for today is to continue to get “convinced” of God’s will and love toward me. Then I can stand in faith for any and everything I need to.

June 28

Great leaders, famous men and brave warriors – but they were unfaithful to God. Who cares how great you are unless you remain faithful to God! The word says that they “prostituted” themselves to other gods. That is an interesting word and frankly, it is offensive to some. It connotes a depth of intimacy with other gods that should be Gods – Jehovahs – and His alone. If you are like me you are thinking of sex when you hear prostitute and that is exactly what God wants us to envision. We are supposed to have sex with the one we have pledged our lives to, but we go off and pay for it with another. To us, this would be sick in relation to marriage, and we would think that a man or woman who did that are, “sick”. It is the same thing here! This is a shocking phrase that God uses to stir our imagery to understand how debase our sin is.

When I forsake God – when I make up my mind to be unfaithful to Him and join with another for my provision, my peace, my security, my whatever – I commit adultery against the Lord. Sadly, I have done this in my life. When I was young I sought the love of a woman to bring love to my heart. Years ago I worked hard to attain my provision – thinking that I was my provider and my family’s provider. (I am confident that this was one of the reasons for my poverty). Now I am prodded by the Spirit to search and see if there is any other lover in my life besides the Lord. Just me I think, and it is not an affair. There are roots of the mentality still left that want to propel me into an affair with my own ability or inabilities, but I am confident that I am free from adultery against the Lord.

Keep me that way Jesus. I don’t want to go out on you and trust in anyone or anything but you. Help me get rid of those old roots of thinking. You and me Jesus.

June 27

Today hope has sprung with Micah. Let it spring in me Lord. The heart of God is ALWAYS to bring back His people. Judgment, exile, punishment is about teaching a people to obey, but more than that it is bringing people to the place of understanding of the love of God! How? If God just let His people do whatever they wanted forever, they would end up like those before the flood – everything they did and thought was continually wicked. It is His mercy that drives Him to judgment. If He never sent them into exile, then they wouldn’t have ever turned back to the Lord! There is a lesson in that for us.

As so many of the prophets do, they end with or at least lace their prophecies of judgment with God’s words of longing for reconciliation. Here the Lord is saying to Israel’s enemies, don’t gloat over them, they will make a comeback and you will go down for the count. He says that about me too. When I am struggling, when I am under it, when I am down, I will make a comeback. He will make sure of it!

June 26

Many nations will come to Zion for instruction in the ways of the Lord. The original intent for Israel was to be a light into the world. Now we are that light. God keeps pressing me about reaching the lost. I am in Peru to do just that but it is the daily habit of reaching.

Nations will turn to God! They will come to Him, however they must know who He is first and that is where I come in. In my outreach I am mandated to teach who God IS. I believe that means I must display His glory and splendor by inviting Him to move miraculously in the life of others.

June 25

One of the things that hit me this morning is that these prophecies all predict judgment. Well, that is obvious right, but I was thinking about my life and how it is affected by sin and then it hit me that the great prosperity that Israel and Judah had was also taken away by the judgment. It connected for me financial ruin and sin. However, it doesn’t come quickly all the time. God is slow to anger and it only lasts for a moment, but it does come to correct us. God uses financial crisis to correct us and bring us back to Him. That is comforting to me – He loves me.

So you could fee-d the prophets and they would say pleasant things – prophesying your prosperity. That warns me about not rebuking people for their sin because I want their friendship. I really don’t equate tithes and offerings with people for the most part, but friendship and partnership is important to me. I must not hold back a correction from the Lord for the sake of my feelings or discomfort.

I will lead strong Lord and say what needs to be said as you tell me to say it. Strengthen me.

June 24

We have only begun the prophetic words of judgment and I am losing heart. The people of God are so dull. Are they today? I pray not!

Today there were 2 things of interest. First God details a plan for His people – of their redemption! “Though their sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow!” That is and has always been His plan for us! His judgment is His rulership by justice. It is the avenue of bringing us back to Him – it is all about bring us back. Then it is about us bringing others to Him.

Isaiah has a vision and he thinks he will die. He saw the Lord! God wants to reveal Himself! It should be obvious that God wants to fellowship with us and love us and us Him, however it goes deeper than that. He is asking if we will go – be sent. That’s an easy one today because as you are reading this, I am either boarding or on a plane to Peru! God wants me all the time though – every day. Peru will be a glorious time, but here, at home, my work isn’t always glorious. Sometimes as with Isaiah it is hardening people rather than softening them. Oh God help me to be willing to be used no matter what the outcome of the ministry. I’ll leave that to you!

June 23

God gets weary – wow! He gets weary when people exchange what he has given them for what sin gives them. He gets weary especially when they are religious and offer sacrifices and continue to be unjust, drunks and self-absorbed. There are a lot of lessons from today’s reading, but here is the one for me. God wants me to be real!

I don’t want to weary my God. I want to be real – as real in daily living as I am at church. I am thinking about Peru and how I will be living there. It won’t be the same. I will become something I am not here – more powerful, confident, directed. I think that it is not an act, but a desire, maybe an expectation I put on myself. I want to be that here as well, but it seems easier when you are on a mission. It brings you up a level, maybe two or three! It’s like you have permission to be that there. You are honored greatly by the people and they expect something great out of you – maybe that is the difference. It helps me believe what is true.

Oh God, help me to retain the glory you gave me and exchange no good thing for evil or even “natural”. Help me to walk in your authority and power everywhere and to love the fatherless and poor.

June 22

It’s a short read day, funny when that happens. Amaziah the priest doesn’t like the prophecy and tries to inflame the King to kill Amos. Hmmm… That sounds familiar. In fact, that has happened to me! People don’t like what I say, or how I say it and they try to stir up others against me. Amos tells me that God has my back. We do live in a different “age” than Amos, but God has my back and will defend me and see that my words from Him will come to fruition.

Amos was just a normal guy, a shepherd, and God called Him to go prophesy to Israel. Just a regular guy sent to bring a message to a people that God so deeply loves. There have been great detractors in my life and ministry, and I don’t think they will go away. However, I have a calling that cannot be revoked and a mission that must be finished. I don’t know why God has chosen me for the task that I have, but I must stay focused on it and not turn to the left or to the right.

June 21

Do you ever get the feeling like God is serious? Sometimes I think we get lulled into thinking that things are optional – as long as we are going to church and not killing people. As we see here, things are not optional, in fact, although the people did their religious duties (at least going to church and giving an offering), everything was good – or so they thought. But they had forgotten to let God be God of all! He just doesn’t want some, He wants all!

It seems like everywhere that I go lately there have been divine appointments. Nearly everyone I meet, God wants to use me. From meeting someone in a store to the guy from Craig’s list, God is doing something through me. There is no, and must be no option – I must give all to Him, especially when it comes to the needy, as Amos spoke about. I can’t save all the poor in the world, but if my relationship with God is so lofty that I don’t do anything for, nor reach out to the poor and needy, then my relationship with God has degraded to a selfish one. I can’t solve homelessness or the plight of the poor, but God’s heart is for them, and if I have God’s heart, I will be for them as well, and that heart will drive me to action.

June 19

What a beautiful end to this prophetic book. God will no doubt deal with His people, but it is ALWAYS to bring about reconciliation. Judgment always has a purpose with God. It is never venting His anger (like we do), it is meant to bring people to humility and to quit trusting in themselves (kings) and give our lives over to God.

Both in chapter 14 and in chapter 11 we see how God loves so deeply. His emotions of love run deep and His words speak to ME. I am reminded of the song lyric; “Oh, how He loves us so, oh how He loves us, how He loves us so.” I sure don’t want to be under His hand of rebuke, but better to be rebuked by the Lord than given over to my deceptions or wanderings. Yet, when I am in the middle of His heavy hand, do I think like that? I must admit, that I think I deserve what I am getting when chastised of the Lord, but I don’t like it all the time. Looking from by my perspective today, I would opt for that chastisement rather than roaming from His presence into harm and deception.

I realize as I am writing that I am speaking about deception and I will tell you why. When we wander from God, we wander towards another. When we get close to another we tend to justify it in our minds. When we do that, our thinking becomes a stronghold for them enemy to nestle in and we become deceived in our own thinking. Our mind has been taking captive. That is deception – oh God, rebuke me in the wandering so I never get to the deception.

June 18

There is one thing – no, two things for sure; First, God is emotional and He is broken by His people leaving Him. The second is that God will deal with His people! I want to concentrate of the first observation.

It is an incredible thing that God is so much like me! O.k., o.k., I am like Him. He is so emotional, so driven by his disappointment. As we read yesterday, and will read tomorrow, He loves so deep that His heart is vexed when generations choose another – a worthless other! I think God’s heart is hurt on 2 levels; personal and personal. What I mean is that His heart feels like ours (we are created in His image and likeness), (we also see this in the heart of Jesus), and God himself is bummed internally about His chosen people He has given so much to, living for themselves and giving themselves over to worshiping man made idols. The other deep level hurt is that God loves His people so much that He HATES to see them hurt themselves and not prosper in His plan for their lives AND have a great and loving relationship with HIM! I just thought of one more thing; God is bummed because it is Israel’s charge to bring the world to the knowledge of God, and they can’t even bring themselves into that knowledge because of the deception they have swallowed. Make no mistake about it, God feels and God hurts.

June 17

I don’t know about you, but I am super glad I am not the prophet Hosea! God tells us to do wild stuff sometimes… – but if I am honest, I still don’t fully comprehend why Hosea couldn’t just give a prophecy to Israel instead of marrying a prostitute and having children by her and then taking her back (paying for her too!) after she strays! However, I see a divine story line in it – do you?

“I will allure her…speak tenderly to her…” Wow! God is so good! So forgiving so forgetful! I hear His great love and His greatest desire – to have us (me) as His own! When I stray, He allures me back to Him. He loves me! I can’t help but notice that he takes me through the desert on my way back. Hmmm… The place of dependence I suppose – where I learn to trust the one who loves me most. I love you Lord!

June 16

Jonah’s whole problem is that his heart wasn’t for people, especially the people of Nineveh. His disobedience to God sprung up out of his callousness for people or maybe just Gentiles. Wherever his lack of love was focused, it was evident. We read the story of this portion of his life in 5 minutes, but it was probably weeks in the making. Imagine the time that everything took and then imagine your repentant attitude after 2 ½ days in the stomach of a great fish! Yet it still didn’t change Jonah’s heart for people, just his heart for God.

My lesson today is that my love for PEOPLE will determine much about how my life proceeds and how I proceed in ministry. I am not talking about ministry as in pastoring, I am talking about ministry as in divine appointments and “sendings” from the Lord. It is obvious to me that God will cause trouble at times of great magnitude to get me to a repentant place of humility and obedience. In this case my love for people is being called out and I again have learned a key to life – have God’s heart toward people and your life will avoid the scenarios in which God will put you in to bring you to that place of love. God lives in me and he loves – if I surrender myself, I will love. If I don’t surrender, I will spend time in a fish of sorts. That in itself may not turn my heart toward people, but it will get me to listen and obey. Fortunately for me (us) God lives in me and has already given me love for people – it is already there!

Terry, love when it is hard to love with the great love of God in your heart.

June 12

Jehu did what was right in the eyes of the Lord… but not everything right. Yet he still was rewarded and blessed immensely! His line would sit on the throne for 4 generations. There would be a dominion given to him for over a century, and that was for partial obedience!

When I read the OT and see the judgment it is hard to reconcile Psalms that say that God is slow to anger, rich in love…, but here is a great example of just that! In fact, the judgments that have been handed down in the context of everything were not only just, but were not swift! God was waiting and wanting His people to repent, but after a certain time, God sees that His mercy is hurting more than helping and judgment must come, especially for the future generations.

This passage illustrates God’s willingness to bless us. Jehu’s whole heart was NOT for God, yet He blessed him and his children. Just think of what God would do with a heart that is fully His!

June 15

What happened with Elisha’s bones is both stunning and interesting. As I read it the Lord spoke to me about what happens when people come in contact with me. Do they receive life and love or does nothing out of the ordinary happen? This wasn’t a purposeful happening either, it was a quick and thoughtless intersection with Elisha’s bones because of another happening in the life of those burying their friend. When people just “bump” into me, do they receive life?

Almost every time that I would talk to Pastor Dave, he would have some lesson for me. He was purposeful about giving me something – do I? I think sometimes I would rather just move on and get to the business at hand. But that is not my calling! My calling is to have a life giving affect on the people I come into contact with. I want them to leave different – in a good sense.

Finally, it was miraculous! Even after his death Elisha’s life was bringing miracles! There is a lesson in that for me (us). He lived his life in the supernatural realm! I keep thinking – how did he get there? He was completely submitted and served a man of God that was supernatural.

June 14

The priest were given money and didn’t start the work of repairing the temple. So Joash hired workers (after some time) and they were completely honest and finished their work. The King, Joash, started his reign well enough, but something happened to him and he ended miserably, even killing the chief priest’s son in the temple! Wow! The king and the priests were outdone by the craftsman!

Sometimes it is not the well positioned, nor the highly anointed, nor the greatly gifted, not even the expected visible leaders that come through for the Lord. It is the regular Joe’s who keep their nose to the grindstone and do the work of the Lord and bring it to completion.

Will I be that type of men? Will I be faithful in performing my duties to completion with integrity and honesty? I will Lord. Strengthen me and show me you power working in me to see things through and never fall short of completing the work you have for me.

June 11

I read this and think, that is a lot of killing! I look at it from the perspective of a 21st century American though. It wasn’t that long ago that the world was conquered by the shedding of blood, empires were built and kings were overthrown. The one thing that hasn’t changed is that the Word of the Lord will come to fruition. Whether it is because there is a king (you and me) that knows the Word of God and brings it to fruition with great effort, (like the killing of Ahab’s family), or the Lord performs is himself, (like the devouring of the body of Jezebel), it will happen!

The thing I get from a reading like today is that God is serious about purging evil from his people. He was serious in all of the law that we have read and He was serious about the kings who lead his people into idolatry and He is still serious today! We know that there is a serious violence that is happening in the spirit realm right now! Violence is a way of life for us who call themselves Christians. These passages illustrate that violence against whatever in my life that causes me to turn to anything but the Lord (idolatry) is warranted. I cannot caudle things in my life that take me away from the Lord, I must kill them without hesitation! We are in a battle, not just for our lives, but for the lives of those around us! That is our reality! God help me to be a zealous warrior for you!

If I may make an observation that God has given me. The devil has gone after men and emasculated them by various means. One of the reasons for this is because he (satan) wants to take the fight out of the man. He doesn’t want any men like Jehu around because they are a huge threat to do real harm to his dominion.

June 10

Wow!!! What a day! How in the world can I focus on one thing? Some of the greatest histories in the Bible are in today’s reading!

A couple things stand out to me as fresh manna. The first is that the servant asked Elisha what they should do about the overwhelming odds against them and Elisha said – “Don’t be afraid.” That is so powerful to me – that is that ACTION that I need to willfully perform in the face of adversity, trouble or suffering. To not be afraid here is to not see the doom of the circumstance, but see the Lord’s deliverance.

Second, Naaman was only healed when he humbled himself. In fact the whole scenario seemed to be set up as one of humiliation. The King freaked out because Naaman was coming to be healed, (he knew he had no power to do that – which is humiliating) which was no big deal to God. There is a lesson there… The other humiliation was that Elisha wouldn’t come out to see Naaman, but gave instruction through his servant – who is another person who didn’t humble himself to his master’s (Elisha’s) wishes. Naaman humbled himself and was healed, Gehazi didn’t and got leprosy. That is powerful!

Jesus, help me to be fearless, and help me to be humble and do whatever you tell me to with the faith that you have all things in the palm of your hand!

June 9

In this short reading we see that judgment was pronounced on Edom in the form or “you reap what you sow”. God is my defender! When men conspire against me, who will not be paid back out of their own garden of ill will? I may not always avoid a battle, but one thing that I know is that God is with me and He will take care of my enemies with His righteous judgment. I don’t know if my enemies getting what they deserve is that much of an encouragement to me, but it is encouraging to know that I have a Father that is for ME!

The other thing is that what I sow, I will reap. That universe-al principle is not just for my accusers and people who criticize me and want me to fall, but it is for ME! I will reap what I sow as well!

Help me to sow good seed Lord, seeds of love, faithfulness and blessing. May I throw into the fire those seeds of doubt, discouragement and judgmentalism.

June 8

Elisha, another of my heroes is purposed in seeking the Lord and he does so with the playing of the harp. This is what stood out to me at first in this reading. The Lord was reminding me of what I have known for many years – use songs of worship to draw close to me. It is one of my passions and I was encouraged by the Word of God today to do just that. The prize of this is hearing my Papa!

Yet, as I was about to write the blog, a fact popped into my head. Elisha said that if it were not for King Jehoshaphat he wouldn’t even have come to the meeting. That seemed pretty rude, but there is a lesson in that for me. Not everyone is worthy of my ministry. Even saying that seems rude, but it is true. There are people, that for whatever reason, I should not honor with my place as priest. I think those would be extreme cases but they do exist. The other thing is that some people reject my discipleship, leadership and my teaching. God is telling me to not spend my time on them, but to go to those who are open, willing and desirous to be disciple and taught through me.

June 7

I know that the miracles were grouped together in this reading, but it sure spoke to me about the life of a man of God. Elisha’s life was nothing short of miraculous! Did you notice that some of the miracles were just to fill a small need? (Like the axe head floating). That spoke to me as well. Why shouldn’t I expect the same thing in my life? Why shouldn’t I live a life of miracles? The answer of course, is I should, or better yet, I can!

When I read these accounts in the Bible I must make sure I don’t read them as a story, but read them as life giving revelation. It is easy to make excuses of why we don’t live like that (why I don’t), but there really is no excuse. The one thing that Elijah and Elisha had in common was they expected things to happen. There is a great clue on why! Remember when the Shunammite woman came to Elisha and fell at his feet? He didn’t know why because God hadn’t told him. They (and all miracle workers including Jesus) were listening to God and would do what He said, even if it was to throw a branch into the river to find the axe head.

I will expect miracles and be surprise that when asked for or acted for or commanded, they don’t happen. Give me that faith Lord, to know in my knower that you have commanded these things to happen already, and I am just bringing it to pass on the earth.

June 5

Ahab was sullen and angry because Naboth refused him. When he didn’t get his way, he acted like a spoiled brat. Now you know that I have never been like that :/ but just in case I have forgotten an instance or two, God spoke this to me – Jezebel was released to do her evil by the king acting like a spoiled brat. The Lord is speaking to me today about the rise of evil and the rise of Jezebel (one who usurps – takes over what is rightfully my place). When I act all bummed out when I don’t get my way, (and throw a little fit), there is a release of someone else to get in my way – and it isn’t the Lord! The enemy is released! It can come in different forms, but one of the forms will become and enmity between me and the person who disappointed me. Another form is that I will give my rightful place of rulership away. Wow!

Thank you Lord for this revelation. Help me to remember it when I become “sullen and angry” over not getting my way. I don’t want to give away my authority, nor do I want the enemy released to pit people against me and me against them. Further than that make me like you who never threw a fit.

June 4

I love Elijah and all of his life. It is hard not to preach this blog today, but I will stay true to the vision – what has God spoke to ME.

Elijah had quite a day of ministry in the supernatural. He went against the prophets of Baal, prepared a bull, killed and had the prophets of Baal killed, prayed for rain and got it, ran with supernatural strength and then he traveled into the desert. This probably happened over a couple of days, however Elijah was tired – whooped – exhausted and depressed. After all, he just proved God is God and not Baal - 3 times (offering by fire, rain, running) and look what victory God gave him, Jezebel swore to kill him. That word from her destroyed him and he took off and hid. When he was under the broom tree, he wanted to die and asked the Lord to take him. Hmm….

The angel who gave him some food and water said, “the journey has been too much for you”. The first thing God wanted to do for Elijah to bring him back to reality was feed him. This was a time of refreshing that Elijah had to have to gain his strength back and this happened, I believe, in preparation for his meeting with God. The Lord spoke to me and said that I need the same. I need to come apart, eat, drink and be refreshed BEFORE I meet with Him. When I am physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted I can’t hear Him like I should. Elijah should have been on cloud nine, but there was a chink in his armor which allowed Jezebel’s words to mean too much to him. (Or anything at all) I so identify with that.

Oh Lord, draw me away to get refreshed and to meet with you when I am exhausted and downcast. Let me have the understanding to see those times in my life when times of refreshing must be forced – when I should be exhilarated at the work of your hand yet and am heavily affected by the few – and when I am exhausted. May I come away with you, not to wish to die, but to be built up to carry on your work.

June 3

I have heard 1 Chron. 6:9 (For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.), my whole Christian life, but I have never “caught” the context, the rest of the verse and how significant it is! “You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.” That is the end of the verse! Wow!!! The context is King Asa, who was super blessed for following the Lord, turned to the King of Aram for help. He sought diplomacy to beat an adversary instead of seeking God. God had already allow for years of peace and when the peace was broken by an army much larger than his, God beat that army and Asa got all of the spoils of war! Yet Asa, not doing anything “evil” sought others to help instead of the Lord. The judgment for that was unending war!

God is telling me that He is looking for me to be totally His so He can make me strong with all the strength of God. However if I look elsewhere for help in life, marriage, ministry, church growth or anything else, I will be at war! What a principle of life God has given me today. Thank you Lord. It is only by God’s might that the Kingdom goes forth!

June 2

“So they will learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands.” “Indeed there was some good in Judah”

God taught Rehoboam (King of Judah) a big lesson that spoke to me today. King R. not only didn’t follow the Lord’s commands, he became involved in and led Judah into idolatry. God was angry and gave them into the hands of the King of Egypt. That is where we find the above verses. King R. and Judah humbled themselves before the Lord and God did not allow the King of Egypt to destroy Jerusalem, but they all became enslaved.

When I replace God with idols (money, earning potential, wit, effort, comfort in materials, security in relationships, preoccupation with building my empire – however small it may be…), yet I humble myself before the Lord, there may NOT be a full deliverance that is immediate. In fact I would dare to say that there hasn’t been, in most of my life, an experience of FULL deliverance at the point of repentance and humility. God lets the effect of my decisions linger to teach me and instruct me FOR my future. That is good revelation to me, but check this out - “Indeed there was some good in Judah”.

My challenge is this, will I settle for the SOME good I am having? Do I want to be fully free or is it o.k. to only have some of what God wants for me, which is total freedom. Total freedom comes at a cost – continued worship of only 1 God.

Eyes – don’t stray from the Lord as your all and everything! Look towards nothing else – and give your life to no other effort except that of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.

June 1

No matter what you think of the whole story of the prophet, there is a powerful lesson of strict obedience. When I don't follow the Lord's will and Word, I open myself up to devouring! It is quite sobering to think about. I am reminded that the devil prowls like a lion seeking to devour people. He will have opportunity to reek havoc in my life only when I don't follow the Word of the Lord. How far outside of God's will do I have to get? I don't know - and I never want to find out through experience.

May 31

A time for everything. Hmmm... I tend to do certain things the same way. I wash the car in a certain way - top, hood, sides and don't let the soap dry! The same way -every time.

What God says is that there is a time for everything which many times necessitates change. I like change in certain places, but many times change is uncomfortable or shall I say uncontrolable. God's hand can work wonderfully within staying or changing. I grow more many times within change.

I gave special note to the phrase there is a time to quit. That rocked me because I hate quitting. There cannot be change without quitting what you are doing. Help me Lord to be sensitive to you and be willing to switch between laughing and crying, stopping and going. I want to hear you Lord - speak.