Tag: #Ecclesiastes 3:11

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Beautiful!

By now in your life, you may have learned a few things, namely that God is the most beautiful person, companion and source in your life. You’ve learned that He makes all things new (Re 21:1-7). 

And now, it’s time to see the beauty for ashes come into place. It’s time for outward redemption, righteousness and justice. It’s time for recompense. 

And it’s time for convergence.

Convergence is the powerful action of parts coming into a new whole—God’s shalom. Convergence forges fullness of promise.

You may have seen an increase of undeniable signs as God’s time for fulfillment converges in your life. 

Maybe you have waited and waited until you’ve become fully surrendered to God’s ways in the wait. Maybe God has gotten you past all the tests and attacks. And now, it’s just a matter of time—weeks, days, hours or even minutes until the moment of crescendo, when suddenly everything shifts into a more complete new. 

Everything.

Hard times are no more because the pressures that were sent to test and refine you lifted so you could be lifted. And all you see now is the open door, a beautiful expanse waiting for you. 

It’s real. And it’s of The Lord. 

King Solomon new a bit about beauty as the convergence of wholeness. He could see his temple come together over time and imagined what the outcome would look like, according to God’s plan.

As the author of Ecclesiastes, he wrote in 3:11 that “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy] . . .”

How can we not be swept up in holy awe as we experience God moving pieces to build purposed fragments into a new wholeness?

While God is converging His beautiful pieces in your life, He’s also removing the unholy bits. Because you have rejected evil, there simply won’t be room for ugly anymore. 

You may have noticed Him establishing new boundaries to protect your heart or giving you the help you need to clean up messes that have been in place way too long. 

God has been awakening you to receive better.

One morning, during quiet time, Holy Spirit highlighted Abigail twice to me within a couple of hours. When God offers us two confirmations like this, according to Genesis 41:32, it means that it has been firmly decided and it will happen soon. 

When we look at Abigail in 1 Samuel 25, we see in verse 3 that she is described as “intelligent and beautiful.” She was a woman of “understanding” and could discern things. Abigail was wise with the wisdom of God.

Also, in verse 3, we see that Abigail was married to quite the opposite. Her husband, Nabal, is described as “harsh and badly behaved.” He didn’t even display mercy during a time of mourning in all of Israel when Samuel passed (1 Sa 25:1).

This story is a revealing of hearts and how God realigns them.

God saw that Nabal’s heart was hard and that Abigail suffered as a result. God knew she had the submitted heart of a generous giver, of courage, of truth and righteous. And God was about to set Abigail free and make her life better. 

God ultimately sent her an anointed king to rescue her. David was his name. The one after God’s own heart (Ac 13:22). Someone who also knew what it was like to be devalued, disregarded and shamed by those close to him. 

Finally, Abigail had met her match and God made it covenant.

We can look at her testimony as a type of Joseph story in that what man (and the devil) meant for evil, God meant for good to develop a wise ruler. 

We can also see how it parallels with the two differing 10-spy reports and how God used that to test and separate the good from evil within the Israelite community (Nu 13-14).

God manifested His goodness to faithful Abigail by giving her a better life forward, where she would be honored as the queen He made her to become.

Friends, God will not let His beautiful and discerning ones waste away when they look to Him and choose His ways. He is about to separate His faithful ones from among the headstrong, unbelieving, selfish, hard-hearted and greedy to forge them ahead into His promises with Him. 

He’s calling His wholehearted ones out to enter into better. And not just better for themselves but also for the betterment of those for whom they will steward.

When Abigail married King David, she gained influence and authority to make a difference in the land beyond what she could do in her aloneness. Although she wasn’t perfect, she had a heart that could go and grow into the role God assigned to her.

And it was all done by God’s Spirit. 

Many of you have waited a long time to be delivered into greater freedom to help free others. Know that, no matter what you’ve endured, there comes a time when God will move on your behalf, like He did for Abigail and Joseph, to bring you into a palace time of noble service.

And when He does, you will come to know, more than ever, that you are the victorious crown that God has made you to be, according to Philippians 4:1 TPT, which says, “My dear and precious friends, whom I deeply love, you have truly become my glorious joy and crown of reward. Now arise in the fullness of your union with our Lord.”

To Him be the glory.

Amen.

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

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Obedience As Entryways

Obedience is the beautiful entrance to our purposed assignments in this season. The “everything“ in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that has been made beautiful in its time is now ready, and one of those things is you!

Our Lord desires that we continue to follow Him as doors close. Don’t look back but be grateful for His faithfulness. He has open-door relationships all lined up for you forward. 

And as we obey Him, He will lead us into and through.

In this light, Holy Spirit has highlighted two areas of scripture on repeat for weeks:

Deuteronomy 7:11-13a MSG and Psalm 75:10.

Deuteronomy 7:11-13a MSG say: 

So keep the command and the rules and regulations that I command you today. Do them. And this is what will happen: When you, on your part, will obey these directives, keeping and following them, God, on his part, will keep the covenant of loyal love that he made with your ancestors:

He will love you,

he will bless you,

he will increase you.

These verses point to John 15:10 and reveal to us that God is working to restore legacies of honor now and that you and I have important roles. If you don’t know what your role is, you need to pursue God and find out. This is not a time to waver or wander. This is a time to listen to God and know that you know.

In Psalm 75:10 TPT our Lord reveals, “My praises will break the powers of wickedness, while the righteous will be promoted and become powerful.”

In Psalm 75:10 CEB we see that “God says: ‘I will demolish every bit of the wicked’s power, but the strength of the righteous will be lifted up.'”

It’s important to memorize this verse because it’s applicable in so many areas right now and along the way.

Holy Spirit is revealing that He is contending with that which contends with you and me. He is reversing bondages. He is freeing us up from that which once limited us. He is removing those prior constraints so we can move forward into Kingdom expanse and accomplish, with Him, the destiny He has for each of us. 

It’s time and the only way there is through careful obedience unto our Lord. 

In this season, He will invite us into new exploits with Him, works we haven’t done before. And it will be up to us as individuals to pursue Him for specifics along the way. 

“I don’t know how” is not acceptable. So, don’t even go there, except as a humble confession before Him. Holy Spirit has all of our answers. So, commit to honor Him by pursuing Him for wisdom.

Also, it’s not solely about the tasks at hand. It’s about what will happen as a result of working those tasks. Remember, God is at work with you. He releases His power on our work to accomplish the mission, so we are not alone and do not have to feel like we have to make it happen in our own strength. We can remember to leave room for His grace to show up in our weak areas right on time.

The next steps He reveals may not make any sense. His instructions may evoke fear in you and around you because you’ll realize you have to relinquish control to Him. Nevertheless, choose to remain close with Him and do it anyway, trusting Him. This is how you’ll break through fear that tries to bind you from moving forward. 

It’s a faith walk. So, trust Him with it all.

Remember Joshua and Caleb—those two leaders, out of an entire community, who chose courage and wholeheartedness in the face of impossible. This level of submission will be required of you and me, too, if we choose to move into our promised lands with Him.

John 14:15 NIV says, “If you love me, keep my commands.”

There is no other way in and through the true victory that is within reach. His standard and strategy of obedience is the path to blessing.

Holy Spirit reminded me that He built us to be like Jesus and that we are to be strongly and openly identified with Him (1 Pe 2:4-8 NIV). 

He took me to 1 Peter to see a fresh perspective for this season. I encourage you to read 1 Peter for yourself and invite Holy Spirit to highlight what He desires you see right now. Because if you want to be blessed, you need to hear from God for yourself and do what He says. 

Notice how these key verses link with Psalm 75:10:

1 Peter 2:9 NIV says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

1 Peter 3:12 NIV says, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

1 Peter 1:5 NIV says, You “who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

1 Peter 4:17-18 NIV – “For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, if it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

“To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Pe 5:11 NIV).

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

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Until Now

Three times, very recently, Holy Spirit highlighted the title of this devotion to me. We know that “until now” implies a continuance of something up to a point and that a shift is present or imminent.

According to Strong’s (#5704, #6258), “until now” can mean at “this time.” And it can also reference a limit of quantity and measure, even in the area of “no more” suffering.

This is what I believe God is saying in this hour:

The completion of your assignment has begun, and it’s not just for you. Some I AM calling home to Heaven. Some I AM reassigning on earth. And in all cases, I AM calling my beloved higher.

Official documents, that you may have to file, are your certificates of completion, as well as the evidence of what I have been leading you out of. Also, there are additional steps of closure I will bring you through in the days and months ahead.

Until now, you have seen gradual change. But I am bringing you into a fast-approaching close. Therefore, focus your time and energy on Me and what I instruct you to do, so you can keep pace with Me with the least amount of stress.

What I have instructed you not to do is equally for your benefit. It isn’t that I AM against your activities. It’s that, if you work your own list, you won’t have time for Mine.

You have patiently endured persecution (1 Co 4:12-13). And now, I AM completing your mission impossible with a good ending. Your suffering, as you have known it, is over.

Because you have prioritized Me as your First Love, I AM blessing you in My “beautiful and appropriate” time, where you will experience greater measure of my divine purpose (Ec 3:11).

I AM releasing that which has been held up, including, but not limited to, finances. You will finally encounter the expanse of your dreams and the embrace of approval.

I will give you a short rest before I open up your next assignments, where you will experience a whole new freedom of rejoice.

Just as Boaz gained insight to Ruth and offered direction for My newness during Harvest time, so, too, am I giving you insight, direction and clarity forward (Ru 2).

As you move increasingly toward your new assignments with Me, know that what is in front of you has a new heart, as I have renewed yours. It will not be like before, for I have made all things new. I have been working in others’ hearts to facilitate new covenant connections that are waiting for their moments in time, as well.

I will deliver you into your new assignments by My redeeming love, and I will not stop with the heart. You will see manifest miracles in soul and body in those for whom I have given you a heart and identified to you. For I AM bringing you into more of My power and what delights Me.

I AM bringing the Kingdom breakthrough you have longed for. And, as it was for Ruth, there is a fullness of harvest for you there. I will not stop short. It will be all that I have revealed to you and more. It will be light and legacy for My Glory.

So, continue in My ways, and you will be victorious, as I cause your efforts to prosper.

I AM with you all the way. And you will not be alone.

Your new time and place await you. You are almost fully there.

Friends, whatever your story, God will get you where He desires you to be. I encourage you to take His hand, follow Him wherever He leads. Trust Him and rest in Him. He will get you to your destiny and will not fail you. He loves you with an everlasting love and delights to surprise you in the best way.

So, pray with me if you will . . .

Dear Lord,

Thank You for the power of Your gracious salvation operating in my life. Thank You for breaking the enemy’s death grip to free me from confinement and bring me into Your expanse. I trust You to show me Your way, to help me to rest in You and stay the course.

Thank You for forgiving me for much (Lk 7:47), for bringing much-needed change and for protecting me all along the way (Ps 3:3). Thank You for giving me an undeniable identity in Your Son, Jesus, and for helping me walk it out.

In His Mighty Name I pray,

Amen.

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

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Keeping Secrets

I love that God reveals Himself and His secrets to us. I’ve learned that keeping them or sharing them depends on the wisdom of God in regards to purpose, people, approach and timing.

When I think of the secret that Mary, the mother of Jesus, carried and the responsibility of such divine purpose, I can barely imagine it. The life or death level of obedience that was required of her to deliver God’s big promise to the world amid threatening surroundings must’ve felt impossible at times. Not knowing exactly what would happen next, as she fled to safety, surely caused her to cling to God even more.

And, just like with Mary, God sometimes keeps details that threaten us from us.

In my own life, I’ve learned that God, in His kindness, will reveal elements of life to me to set my heart on His righteous expectations. It’s more than a holy gesture and an outreach of love. It’s His guidance for divine protection and provision to the point of life over death. It’s to help keep my focus on Him so I keep the faith and make righteous decisions amid chaos.

Even when Jesus grew up and began His ministry, as we know it in the mysterious Gospels, His identity was relatively hidden from the world until it was time for it to be fully revealed. Father God knew the impact and persecution His Son would have as He was increasingly presented to the world. Every marker was graciously timed and purposed.

Likewise, when God prepares us to enter into our destinies, He prepares us for new beginnings. Only after we’ve entered into a thing do we receive the sustaining grace to be developed and established in it. If you’ve ever gotten married, you know what I mean. It’s a process that happens progressively. This is why we feel like we don’t have all the answers to accomplish a thing at the forefront. It’s a trust walk above fear, where God reveals His secrets to us as we walk with Him. He also keeps secrets for a time along the way (Lk 24:16). But He has us the whole way.

When I think of Ruth, I’m reminded, especially of her courage to keep choosing life after death for a new beginning, to keep moving forward when all seemed lost. I think of the wise guidance God provided for her through Naomi and the faith it must’ve taken for her to keep believing, to keep heading into a new land to find a new life. I think of the growth and level of spiritual maturity it surely required and the days of gritty work. But the beauty of it all is that God graciously worked on her behalf the whole time to provide a kinsman-redeemer as she kept moving closer to Him daily.

Likewise, every day that we choose faith as we live our lives, God is working on our behalves to bring us into new life and greater life. As we trust Him and move with Him, He will show us which way to go, leading us to safety and fulfillment of His purpose alongside Him. The secrets we hold in our hearts fuel us. The ones He reveals to us in the secret place.

When I think of Esther, and how she risked her life approaching the king to save a nation of people. How so much was plotted against her and them. But how God took care of them all—protecting and working to give Esther overflow favor for her obedience, as she risked her life for divine purpose beyond herself.

When I drill down into Luke 8:17, I see the core of Esther’s story. The ESV says, “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”

The word “hidden” here means “secret parts, inward nature (character),” according to Strong’s (#2927). The word “secret” in this verse means stored up and treasured (Strong’s #614).

So, from the purposed time Esther entered into and served out her role as queen, God secretly developed her character, revealed His treasure and pierced the darkness with His light (Es 7:10). God’s priority was the purity of gold and it prevailed. So, where the mixture of Vashti was banished, Esther aligned with God and reigned victorious (Es 1:19, 8:15).

Like Esther and Ruth and Mary and Jesus, we can carry God’s secret plan and make decisions that align with His will (Ro 16:25 NLT). When we know God’s secret, we can rise in His strength of truth in the midst of impurities and let Him graciously work it all out for His Glory. And we can trust Him in the areas we don’t yet understand, remembering that He makes everything beautiful in its time (Ec 3:11).

Pray with me if you will . . .

Dear Lord,

Thank You for choosing me to carry Your purposed secrets. I embrace Your ways and choose to take courage to step out into Your Kingdom assignments for Your Glory. Help me to steward Your secrets wisely, with great honor to You. Thank You for revealing Your wisdom and “remarkable secrets” to me that I didn’t know about things to come (Jer 33:3 NLT).

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

Amen.

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