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Good News – Part 1

God’s good news is live-giving. His directives lead us into abundant life in Him.

Deuteronomy 30:19 instructs us to “choose life.” But how do we know which way offers God’s best life?

We will know by first knowing Him and His Word. By seeking Him and developing a relationship with Him that builds trust in Him and His truth (Ex 14:31). By putting His ways above our own desires. By being obedient and waiting on His timing.

The more we come to trust God and extend faith to go His way, the more His faith in us takes root in our souls (mind, will, emotions) and instills new life. This is the same everlasting life that our loved ones, who have gone before us, experience in Heaven. It is a lifeline of God’s goodness that is inherently void of harshness. It’s what Jabez prayed for (1 Ch 4:10).

So, even during hard times, we can choose to look at the sonship Heavenly Father offers to us more than our hardship. God has provided His abundant lifeline, even in the midst of difficulty. Therefore, we are not without His best option.

Choosing life in times of endurance enables us to progress with our Lord along His timeline. Even in the face of no way out, He will make a way. He will move the immovable and do the impossible. We will see it and experience it as we look to Him and obey Him.

A few weeks ago, while driving home one night, our Lord gave me a visual of a miraculous work He is doing in my life:

As I was driving on an interstate, this highway suddenly turned into a “parking lot.” GPS said the wait would be three-miles long. So, I prayed to God to make a way where there didn’t seem to be a way for myself and everyone else.

Then, I turned on Christian radio and immediately heard the lyrics, “Move the immovable. Do the impossible.” I began to sing these words in my car and thank God for doing exactly this.

Ironically, after the song, a local pastor broadcasted a message that included the lie that God doesn’t do miracles anymore, ever since He gave us His Bible. Isn’t this just like the enemy to try to counter a work of God before it happens?

Still, God got me through the road construction zone, little-by-little, where three lanes narrowed into one.

In situations like this, I have learned to pray, “Lord, what would You have me see and know in this?”

In this case, He revealed to me that this is a visual of what He’s doing in my life regarding a particular assignment—that, even though it has seemed impossible, like there is no way I’ll ever get through it, He will help me as I progress with Him.

When I arrived home, I learned that my husband, who had driven separately through the same “parking lot,” suffered through five miles compared to my three. He was up ahead of me. But, even so, God accelerated my timeline to pass through.

Over the next twenty-four hours, our Lord confirmed His promise to me through three witnesses and by highlighting His Word in John 1:16 NIV, which says, “Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.”

The Amplified Classic version says, “For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.”

Friends, God’s every Word trumps every enemy lie.

Jumbo blessings require a narrow path of truth, focus, discipline and persistence. It’s on this narrow path of obedience that we experience God’s favor to accomplish His will with Him by His grace-power and authority. Our faith is activated by our will to use what He has put in our hands to create what He desires.

Think Moses and his staff (Ex 4:2, 17; 14:16).

Good news came at just the right moment for the Israelites to cross through the Red Sea, as Moses obediently followed God’s command and extended his hand with staff over the water (Ex 14:21, 26-27).

What God put in my hand is a laptop purposed to write a book that He told me will help save many lives.

So, what has God put in your hand that will bring good news to others?

What we do for others, God will do for us. Multiplied. So, there’s no need for selfishness or jealousy. We can choose to grow in faith and be extensions of God’s goodness of deliverance when we do good to those who wrongfully blame us, like the Israelites did to Moses (Ex 14:11-13). God will protect us by His hand, and others will ultimately appreciate the handiwork (Is 49:2, Ex 14:31).

I believe we are in a special time and season where, as we speak to the mountains before us and put our hand to the task assigned us, we will see God’s manifest miracles that will enable us to progress through impossible obstacles. His weight of glory is bigger than the weight of any responsibility or pressure that we can hand over to Him. As we dwell in God and put evil behind us, we can expect to see God’s upper hand defeat the enemy’s underhandedness in our mission (Jo 11:14). So, let’s keep our eyes of faith on God, who carries our burdens, and outweighs enemy lies of defeat with His assured good-news victory (He 11:20 AMPC).

To God be the glory.

This video-devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.

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Buds, Blossoms & Dead Leaves

My eyes devoured the beauty of the fall trees on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Orange, red, yellow, and purple swathed the mountainside in a palette of color.

As I looked over the valley between the mountains, the wind blew leaves in front of my face. I captured one and admired its brilliant hue. I saw firsthand that the life-giving source in the branches ceased after nature’s purpose had been accomplished. The season’s clock told the forest to make room for new spring growth.

Form a New Image

Just like in this reflective moment, wrong beliefs can latch onto us like a dry leaf. Our emotions and lives can even gather dead leaves. Habits and mindsets that are familiar to us can cause us to place our security in them. But new growth cannot begin until the old is detached and discarded. Just like the tree that stopped nourishing its many old leaves, we need to let go of all that does not align with God.

Limiting God’s influence in our lives will hinder us from following His will and experiencing victory over obstacles. Living in doubt regarding the abilities the Father has given us can paralyze us. But when we are willing to grow, we can bloom and not produce dead leaves; because expansion brings new opportunities.

God’s Word instructs us in Isaiah 54:2-3a TPT that “Increase is coming, so enlarge your tent and add extensions to your dwelling. Hold nothing back! Make the tent ropes long and the pegs stronger. You will increase and spread out in every direction.”

So, to grow and develop new opportunities, we need to release leaves of doubt and insecurity. Transforming old ways of thinking to God’s way places us on the path to enlarging our boundaries and removing limitations. Then, we will experience a new bloom of life.

Remove the Limits

On the contrary, Psalm 78:41 TPT refers to the Israelites wandering in the wilderness. It says, “Again and again they limited God, preventing him from blessing them. Continually they turned back from him and provoked the Holy One of Israel!”

The Lord didn’t want them to stay in the desert for forty years, but their inability to believe Him for bigger and better things stopped their progress.

Ephesians 3:20 AMPC reveals that God is for us by saying, “Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams].”

So, God’s power lives within us, but it’s up to us to allow that power to work and develop in and through us by faith and obedience. His plan doesn’t automatically happen simply because He desires it.

Likewise, in Matthew 13:58, we learn that Jesus did many miracles and healed the sick, lame, demon-possessed and lunatic. But unbelieving people limited what Jesus could do for them. His ability was always there, but the ones He ministered to had to reach out and accept what He offered. If they didn’t get healed or delivered, it wasn’t His fault.

Change Involves Risk

It can be hard to take steps that feel risky, but without exercising this level of faith, everything stays the same. Because growth requires transition.

In 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 NKJV, we read about the story of Jabez. It says:

Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name, Jabez saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that your hand would be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.

We see here that Jabez asked Jehovah to help him escape the legacy of his name, which means “sorrow-maker” (AMPC version) and “to grieve” (Strong’s #3258). Jabez didn’t succumb to the label bestowed upon him at birth. Instead, he sought to rise above it, so God could birth new life through him. Dissatisfaction with his familiar environment urged Jabez to seek advancement.

Jabez faced what felt like risk by voicing his request. Leaving his family and home may have been a requirement to escape the limitations placed on him by his family. Still, he was willing to move forward and ask God to give him new territory and not cause pain to anyone, including himself (1 Ch 4:10 AMPC).

This doesn’t mean we all have to leave home for the Lord to accomplish something in our lives. But cutting ties with people who pull us down removes the atmosphere of peer pressure tied to outgrown identities and performance. While surrounding ourselves with wise mentors separates us from limited understanding and pushes us forward to unseen heights.

When we allow labels from others’ words to stick to us throughout our lives, those impressions can affect what we think and how we act. When this happens, we are agreeing with the label instead of agreeing with what the Bible says. Jabez escaped the name placed upon him at birth, because he didn’t submit to its meaning.

God is so good, and He wants us to live an unlimited life aligned with Him. There is no end to His knowledge, goodness, love, mercy, creativeness, and wisdom. Our Father has placed gifts into each of us, but without stepping out and allowing Him the freedom to work, these talents will remain dormant, and the circle of influence we have will be hindered.

Friends, when we expand our minds, stretch out our stakes, and lengthen our cords, we will grow a bouquet of buds and blossoms and will not gather dead leaves and sticks.

God invites us to leave the ungodly familiar behind and answer the call to reach beyond ourselves toward a new pathway of living.

Pray with me if you will…

Heavenly Father,

Show me those things in my life that have no purpose for me any longer. Help me to receive Your wisdom to know how to expand my horizons, enlarge my tent, and stretch out my stakes. Help me to not put limits on what You want to do in my life.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name.

Amen.

To God be the glory.

This video-devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.

Barbara Latta is a true southerner and is transplanted from Arkansas to Georgia. She writes a monthly column in her local newspaper, contributes to devotional websites and has stories in several anthologies. She is the author of God’s Maps, Stories of Inspiration and Direction for Motorcycle Riders. She loves traveling with her Harley-riding prince on his motorcycle, taking in the creativity of nature. Drinking coffee on the patio while the sun comes up is her favorite time of day. Her desire is to share how the grace of God overcomes all obstacles and writes as a Titus 2 woman on her blog at www.barbaralatta.blogspot.com. She loves being a mom to two grown sons and Mimi to one granddaughter.

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Goodness of God – Part 2

Jesus is our good news. He is the Word, and every Word out of His mouth—written and revealed—is an expression of His goodness (Strong’s #2097).

He calls us to “…Despise evil and embrace everything that is good and virtuous” (Ro 12:9 TPT). To “hold on to what is good” (1 Th 5:21).

We can experience God’s goodness of new (eternal) life when we call upon His Name and walk in agreement with Him (Ro 10:13).

James 1:17 TPT reminds us of His faithful and complete grace being worked out in our lives by saying, “Every gift God freely gives us is good and perfect, streaming down from the Father of lights, who shines from the heavens with no hidden shadow or darkness and is never subject to change.”

I love how King David expresses His praise for our Lord in this regard by saying, “What a glorious God! He gives us salvation over and over, then daily he carries our burdens! Our God is a mighty God who saves us over and over. For the Lord, Yahweh, rescues us from the ways of death many times” (Ps 68:19-20 TPT). “Yahweh,” he sings, “you are my soul’s celebration. How could I ever forget the miracles of kindness you’ve done for me” (Ps 103:2 TPT)?

Life is always about glorifying God. Even in the midst of what we endure, redemption rules. Our God made us conquerors in advance, and faith is our “standard of measurement” (1 Jn 4:4, Ro 12:3 TPT). So, let the redeemed say so.

I believe we are in a special time of redemption—a time where we will see greater forms of prosperity pursue “the God-lover,” those who responded to God’s Word by clinging to it and keeping it dear as they endured difficult circumstances in faith. I believe God will bless them outwardly in many ways, as a reflection and a fulfilling of John 10:10 and John 15:5 abundant life (Pr 13:21, Lk 8:15).

Psalm 84:11 AMP assures us that “…the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord bestows grace and favor and honor; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

Romans 8:31-34 NIV asks us, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

His higher, eternal life flows from righteousness and justice by grace as God’s people submit to Him by His life-giving faith and do not surrender to evil out of fear (Is 32:1-2 TPT).

1 John 4:18 AMP reminds us that “There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love].”

Nothing can separate us from this perfect, unlimited love as we trust God to protect and bless us (Ro 8:38-39, Pr 30:5).

Romans 8:37 TPT affirms this by saying, “Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all, for God has made us to be more than conquerors, and his demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything!”

I love what Moses said to Joshua before Joshua was about to enter into God’s greater promises. Moses said, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (De 31:7-8 ESV).

I love how God is with us where we are and also out in front of us simultaneously, waiting for us to step further into the unique destiny He has for each of us.

God is our Commander of Angel Armies, a shield. He protects us, delivers us, spares us, and rescues us, “just as a bird hovers over its nest to protect its young” (Is 31:5 TPT).

In this way, He has been traversing us through former places into His greater promises. He has been fortifying and guiding us as He purifies our souls. Safely crossing us over into a more advantageous position that requires us to follow Him even more closely.

So, let’s always reach for Him. Living life in the fullness of God without compromise is where the higher life is. He desires to bless us with His stores. So, let’s choose Him and His standards and ways above lesser ones and prove victorious. Let’s think honorably and do good (2 Co 8:21, 13:7; He 13:16).

Remember that “Those who live to bless others will have blessings heaped upon them, and the one who pours out his life to pour out blessings will be saturated with favor” (Pr 11:25 TPT).

So, Lord,

Help us to be Your hands and feet. Help us to “show mercy to the poor and not miss an opportunity to do acts of kindness for others, for these are the true sacrifices that delight” Your “heart” (He 13:16 TPT).

In Jesus’ Mighty Name.

Amen.

This video-devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.

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Goodness of God – Part 1

God is good no matter what we experience or do, even when we operate in self-justified sin. But, as we look to His beauty and trust and obey Him, we can see His goodness progressively in our lives.

He will fulfill His divine promises to us and bring us into abundance as we follow our Good Shepherd (Jesus) and do life His way (Jn 10:11).

Deuteronomy 30:8-9 NLT says that when we obey Him, “The LORD your God will then make you successful in everything you do…”

So, if you are a person who has a hard time depending on anyone, the good news is that you can always count on God, even when people fail you, because He is faithful to His Word.

Psalm 107:9 TPT assures us of this by saying, “How he satisfies the souls of thirsty ones and fills the hungry with goodness!”

God invites us to feast at His table, to partake in all He has for us—His fruit of Spirit and earthly inheritance as He wills.

There is no shortage in God’s Kingdom. He gives good gifts to His children who ask, and those gifts are always better than what we think we want on demand (Matt 7:11).

Many already know this truth and shine with praises to God as loving Father.

Psalm 89:1 TPT says, “This forever-song I sing of the gentle love of God! Young and old alike will hear about your faithful, steadfast love—never failing!”

“For he has conquered us with his great love, and his kindness has melted our hearts. His faithfulness lasts forever, and he will never fail you” (Ps 117:2 TPT).

Psalm 52:1 ESV reminds us that “The steadfast love of God endures all the day.”

It is from this enduring, everlasting love that His goodness prevails.

God’s goodness is His intrinsic moral excellence (Strong’s #19). This Fruit of the Spirit in us is what enables us to do good. It’s what makes us useful and well-fit for Kingdom purposes and is void of harshness (Strong’s #5544). God’s goodness is full of benefit and is for our welfare (Strong’s #2896).

God’s Word is filled with His goodness. His (good news) gospel is more than the first four books of the Bible. Every Word from His Spirit is gospel—written and revealed—because His Word brings life to us when we receive His invitation for all He desires to give us by faith.

God has been carrying us through opposition into our land of Promise. The Word Holy Spirit gave to me in early September was “traverse.” He has been traversing us, as in defending us and moving us along by His amazing grace-power.

People who share in God’s heart of love, especially get to participate in His victory of goodness. Those who learned to fight in the Spirit, above the flesh, are now being delivered into their promises. As they learned to trust and believe that God’s power carries weight and that they don’t have to add any false weight of harshness (Ro 12:21).

1 Corinthians 2:9 AMPC says, “…What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed]. [Isa. 64:4; 65:17.]”

Even if you don’t feel like you are on the winning edge right now, you are still one of these people as you turn your heart toward God.

2 Corinthians 7:10 TPT tells us that “God designed us to feel remorse over sin in order to produce repentance that leads to victory. This leaves us with no regrets. But the sorrow of the world works death.”

God assures us of this victory promise in Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV, which says, “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”

As we trust God for our bright future He has stored up for us, waiting to be released, He offers us a key strategy in Isaiah 41:10 TPT, which says, “Do not yield to fear, for I am always near. Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God. I will infuse you with my strength and help you in every situation. I will hold you firmly with My victorious right hand.”

Pray with me if you will…

Dear Lord,

Thank You that You love me enough to not leave me in a lifetime of harsh regret. Thank You that Your written Word offers me examples of Your righteous goodness and that, by Your Spirit, You will deliver me into it fully. This day, I hand You my sorrows. I confess my selfish wrongdoing and turn toward You to restore my life. You say in Psalm 6:4 TPT that when I turn to You that You will “rescue my life because I know Your faithful love will never fail me.” So, I am asking You to rescue and restore my life to Your higher place of holiness, filled with abundant blessings. I surrender my ways to Yours and invite You to do that which only You can do in me, for me and through me.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

Amen.

Now, “May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope” (Ro 15:13 AMPC).

To God be the glory.

This video-devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.

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New Life – Part 3

Our Lord spoke to my heart recently, revealing that He is bringing us into overflow as we remain on the narrow path He has set us on—the path that requires our focus, time and co-labor with Him.

He revealed to me that, where we have walked a narrow path in the past in terms of our commitment of heart and discipline that led to tangible success by His grace, this new path is one He will use to facilitate greater measure as we continue to obey Him.

As we walk this narrow path with Him, our Lord will prepare us for our years ahead by tempering us now for the things He will bring around again and make new to us.

Right now, He is giving us time and space to setting some things, refine us and align us. Along this current, new path, He is offering us grace to recover when we mess up in the form of another opportunity to get it right.

In all of this training, He will offer us His very best, and those who refuse to settle for less will receive it.

As we progress with Him, the word “first” is key. First as in first-rate. Our Lord is lifting us above areas where we have settled for second and even felt second in the past by extending us grace to catch up and not lag behind anymore in thought, expectation, deed and relationship.

As we have sought God first, made Him our center and followed Him, our Lord has been establishing us in first place all along. As we continue to come up higher, and as He continues to work His standard of righteousness in and through us, He will also put first-rate surprises in our hands, and He will release us into manifest first-place positions in new areas as He does the impossible by His grace working on our behalf.

I believe this is all leading up to a time, that’s just a few years in front of us, a year of Jubilee, where many people’s lives will pivot dramatically as our Lord brings important changes and shifts us into high gear, enabling us to receive greater, next-level blessings and to give more blessings—bigger and better than we ever have.

God has redemption rainbows for us, where we enter into the divine promises that await us with new life—the overflowing, abundant life. Our glorious rewards for enduring storms (Ro 8:17).

When the time comes, we can expect to see more redemption established in our lives. This will include a new circle of people, a new direction, a new destination. Some elements will be old things made new by God over time and reconnected to us as covenant connections.

God is building us right now by training us to wait for the right things, the promised things, including timing, people and opportunities. He is working to settle some things and build a strong foundation so we can be made stable forward. He is using small things to illuminate our weaknesses for the purpose of running to Him for the strength of His righteousness. His desire is to sustain us for greater.

He will be specific in His instructions to us as we walk this journey with Him. Just like our Ruth and Naomi story from Parts 1 and 2 of this series, where Naomi’s homeland was made new to her as she came around again, faith, hope and love never let go of her in the journey.

1 Corinthians 13:8 AMP reminds us that “Love never fails [it never fades nor ends]…”

Those who have walked a narrow path with Him before know that the aloneness with God in the assignment will prove peaceful, empowering and priceless. We must remember that it isn’t solely about us. Once we arrive at our destination, there will be an outflow, an expanse that will bless multitudes.

So, friends, what form of redemption is God working in you right now to strengthen you for a greater future?

What does He have stored up just for you?

What directives has He given you to receive these blessings?

What is He releasing now into your hands that will help position you?

For Ruth, it was wheat in a field that she would soon own. Ruth went from being a foreigner to being invited to being married to being a landowner and then a mom. She and Naomi were a family restored and expanded, progressively united in old positions and in an old place—all made new to them.

God made it right again for them and even better than before, as they pressed forward to their finish line.

Psalm 92:13-14 TPT says, “You’ve transplanted them into your heavenly courtyard, where they are thriving before you, for in your presence they will still overflow and be anointed. Even in their old age they will stay fresh, bearing luscious fruit and abiding faithfully.”

God is doing the same for us today. He is making us a reflection of His goodness and able to sustain greater blessings. (Is 46:4). As we commit to abide in Him, He promises we will see the fruit. He has provided timelines and markers along the way.

Jesus says in Mark 1:15 TPT, “…It is time for God’s kingdom to be experienced in its fullness! Turn your lives back to God and put your trust in the hope-filled gospel!'”

So, friends, let’s keep pace with our Lord and win this race.

To God be the glory.

This video-devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.