Looking for the Promise

Our Secret Place

Ken

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1 KJV). Everyone needs a secret place to meet with God alone. Only the Almighty is capable of furnishing such a unique place for each of us. If we desire to come into the “secret place of the most High” (91:1), we rely upon our faith to visually or verbally imagine such a comfortable meeting place with God. We can do this, when wide awake. And, even in our dreams, we can find ourselves in this secret place with God, as we sleep. Pray for that blessed meeting before we sleep and the remembrance of that meeting, after we awake. LORD, draw us into closer communion with Yourself whether awake or asleep. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. 

 

Incentive to Seek the LORD

Ken

“When He slew them, then they sought Him: and they returned and enquired early after God” (Psalm 78:34 KJV). Survivors became seekers. How does God get us to do something without taking away our ability to make a free choice? God only knows where to draw the line. My choice is choose Him, but satan seeks only to keep Him from being my last choice. Faithful LORD, perform the good work You began in me, to the end. Amen. 

How Is Your Faith?

Ken

The only way you can prove you have faith is to presently walk in faith. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2Corinthians 5:7 KJV). Faith is sensitive to the present. We may have first believed in the past, but we must continue in the present, or there is no faith. We hope to walk in faith to the end, but we must continue in faith in the present to get there. Our great enemy is the deception that faith is not active. We deceive ourselves, when we are not trusting Christ for “all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2Peter 1:3). If we are truly in the faith, then let us avoid shipwreck by allowing Christ to direct our hopes and fears through all the opportunities and troubles of life. 

Perfect Peace of Mind

Ken

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace [Hebrew, shâlôm, completeness, tranquility], whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee” (Isaiah 26:3 KJV). In Scripture, peace is not a lack of warfare or hostilities with man. Perfect peace is a state of mind, which comes from absolute confidence and trust in God. Said our soon-to-be-crucified Saviour, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Do not be downcast! “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (16:33). 

Convicting Power of the Holy Spirit

Ken

How can you tell if the Holy Spirit is present? God the Holy Spirit is everywhere, but the convicting power of the Holy Spirit upon anyone who hears the Truth is a special evidence of His presence. “He will reprove [Greek, elegchō, to convict, to prove one in the wrong and thus to shame them] the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:7-8 KJV). When we sense ourselves or someone else becoming uncomfortable about the Truth presented, then the Holy Spirit is reproving exactly as Jesus promised. When we hear someone presenting the Truth, and we hope they don’t mean it applies to us, or we need to do something, then the Holy Spirit is effectively working. In the Courts of Heaven, some may call it An Uncomfortable Truth. Father, instead of embarrassment about the effect of truth upon the world, give us the courage and humility to work with Your Spirit to guide and harvest the results of Your convicting presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Heaven’s Book All About You

Ken

“Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:16 KJV). God has our individual destiny and purpose recorded in a book in Heaven. He works to fulfill our destiny, while the enemy passionately works against us. Good news. “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1John 4:4). LORD, may Your Word and Your Spirit make plain our purpose. And, may the wicked one be defeated in our lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen. 

Angels: Third Person Syndrome

Ken

“Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14 KJV). God’s unseen realm touches us for good so much more than the minions of the wicked one for evil, if we are numbered among those who are “saved by hope” (Romans 8:24). It is embarrassing that the world notices this help, when the godly more insistently cling to their failed narratives of unanswered prayer. I ran across this account. “[#9] I was taking a shortcut across a frozen reservoir on the way to a friend’s house. Suddenly, the ice cracked, and I started to fall through. I felt two hands slam into my back, and I skidded across the ice. I was soaking wet when I arrived at my friend’s house, cold and shivering. I told him the story as I changed into some of his clothes so we could throw mine into the dryer. My friend turned white, and his eyes were bugging out of his head. He guided me to the bathroom so I could look in the mirror, and I saw what disturbed him. There were two hand-shaped bruises forming on my back. 40+ years later, I still get chills thinking about it.”

Be Content

Ken

“Be content” (Luke 3:14; Philippians 4:11; 1Timothy 6:8; Hebrews 13:5 KJV). Content with poverty, injustice, and hate? Obviously not, for we are taught to “deliver the poor and needy” (Psalm 82:4) and “love thy neighbour” (Matthew 22:39). Content with God is the answer. Contentment makes us grateful to God. Our only discontent is with any sense of not seeking the highest good of Him who is the Only Good. “There is none good but one, that is, God” (Mark 10:18). Instead of hating ‘it when that happens,’ our contentment exalts our Good God. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

Blessed Sleep

Ken

Who doesn’t want to get a good night’s sleep? Before we can get that sleep, of course, God must give it. “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so He giveth His beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2 KJV). Too much caffeine, excessive liquids, too hot, too cold, too much noise, inconsistent sleep patterns are only a few things that may prevent that sleep. David’s first contact with Saul was to play a harp to help the king feel better, when he was troubled by an evil spirit allowed by God to harass and disturb the king (1Samuel 16:15). We may initially not be theologically receptive that God would give the enemy permission to harass us, but Paul’s “thorn in the flesh, the messenger [Greek, aggelos, angel] of Satan [Greek, Satân, adversary] to buffet me” (2Corinthians 12:7) was just that. Certainly, we should petition for sleep and “glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (12:9), if the LORD does not give that sleep. But, we just may be benefitted by playing not-too-loud,  soothing, calming, rejoicing, uplifting, overcoming, faith-filled Christian music without a driving beat as we sleep (through in-ear, wireless bluetooth earbuds connected to a smartphone music app) to gain the benefit that God allowed David to give Saul. “And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him” (1Samuel 16:23). 

Cure for Fear

Ken

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee” (Psalm 56:3 KJV). Better than whistling a happy tune, because the One we trust is greater than anything that can harm us. David didn’t stop there, but went on. “In God I will praise His word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me” (56:4). In God We Trust may only sound like an advertising slogan minted on coins, but true confidence in God is deceptively powerful. Faith is so effective an antidote for fear, the enemy mocks and trivializes it in hope the godly will be lulled into a false sense of “maybe this is too simple to work.” Exactly. Because it is not about us, but about whom we are trusting. Almighty God. “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14).