Tag: #Galatians6:9

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Faithful Harvest – Part 2

It’s harvesttime. And God is completing promises to us as He enables us to do the work before us. 

Hebrews 12:11 NIV reminds us that “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

The word “righteousness” here means divine approval of character or actions (Strong’s #1343). And we know this perfect nature to be found in and through Christ.

In Part 1 of this series, we saw that Ruth—in her faithful expressions of generous heart and enduring work—gleaned and gathered her way to a better life forward. 

In this we are reminded that “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride” (Ec 7:8 NIV).

Ruth humbled herself, completed the work at hand and came out as pure gold. 

So, how do we do the work before us in a way that is approved by God? And how do we not become weary in well doing during this harvesttime (Ga 6:9)?

As we remain in intimacy with God and keep right priorities, never putting tasks before Him, He will guide our path and equip and empower us by His great grace to complete them (He 6:15).

So, keeping right priorities honors God, keeps us energized and brings rewards.

Very recently, during quiet time, Holy Spirit reminded me that our victory depends on Him in this way and that the spirit of defeat will try to reverse the priority to exhaust us and make our efforts inefficient. 

Matthew 6:33 TPT reminds us by saying, “So above all, constantly seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly.”

Intimate time with God is greatly beneficial. It’s where we realize we are not alone. It’s where we open ourselves up to receive more of God’s beauty. It’s where He nurtures us and warms our hearts to move in His ease of grace for duty. It’s where perfect love casts out fear and makes a way. It’s where God aligns us for our assignment by helping us see His greater vision for greater victory. It’s where we gain insight to do tasks more efficiently. 

When we keep God’s order, we gain access to greater clarity.

God will sometimes specifically draw us to come away with Him to refresh us just before an important assignment. A wilderness experience is an extended stay experience to strengthen us little-by-little for the big assignment ahead in the Promised Land. Daily, we should be encountering Him as the Spirit of Grace, sufficient to help us complete tasks. 

When we feel like we don’t have time to invest one-on-one with God, it may be due to fear that we won’t be able to accomplish them. But this fear is linked with self-reliance and unbelief. Instead, we can choose to believe God’s truth which is that, when we make time with Him a first priority, we open ourselves to receive whatever we need from Him to complete the job before us that day. 

God’s grace is empowerment, a Holy ease. He will show us how to best accomplish it, so we can face it ready and able. 

So, invest time in the priority that empowers you, not drains you (Ep 6:10). Act in faith, not the false energy of anxiety. Feast on God. And believe He will deliver His promises. Believe He will continue to show you your part and help you fulfill purpose alongside Him as you go forth with Him. 

When circumstances feel tough, we can choose to not give up. We can choose to give up more of our ways to God’s and be fueled by His anointing.

We can also keep God’s faithful promises ever before us, knowing that His promise preserves our lives (Ps 119:50).

Pray with me if you will…

Dear Lord,

Thank You that You secure promises by Your grace as we extend our faith in action for it to be so. “May your unfailing love come to me, Lord, your salvation, according to your promise” Ps 119:41 NIV. With this in mind, we constantly pray that our God will empower us to live worthy of all that he has invited us to experience. And we pray that by his power all the pleasures of goodness and all works inspired by faith would fill us completely” (2 Th 1:11 TPT). Thank You, Lord, for awakening us to see Your way, agree with You and obey You.

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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Magnificent Multiplicity – Part 2

Two weeks ago, on June 29, during quiet time, I heard the melody Canon in D (Pachelbel) in my head. 

It looped and looped until, finally, I paid attention.

I realized Holy Spirit was revealing something to me. 

This was the bridal march tune at my wedding many years ago and the favorite of many other brides.

So, I asked The Lord what He desired I know. 

I believe He impressed upon my heart an invitation to those who are willing and ready to walk in greater holiness: to meet true majesty (Christ’s character and nature) to receive a greater exchange of intimacy, power and authority (Ep 2:22).

Holy Spirit also brought to mind that a bride doesn’t look back when she walks down the aisle toward greater sanctum. Rather, she looks forward with anticipation and captivation, not giving thought to anything God finished behind her. 

I believe this action is purposed and necessary for building God’s Kingdom inside of us as He sends us out on more complex exploits to minister to the scattered ones.

In Holy Scripture, “Scattered” is the opposite of “spread.”

In Webster’s, “spread” is another word for “multiplicity.”

Two synonyms of “multiplicity” are “abundant” and “harvest” (Thesaurus.com).

In Part 1 of this series, we saw how the Israelites spread in number to the extent that their enemy of worldliness (Egyptians) could not stand them and that, with God’s help, worldliness could not even stand against them any longer.

I believe that, as God spreads His Kingdom on new levels and layers, His made-ready bride, who is obedient to “have” and “to hold” God’s victory-hand of intimacy, power and authority, will be the great harvesters and reapers among the crowd.

God is gathering and preparing His ekklēsia, which is Greek for His called out ones, even higher to bring deliverance, by His Spirit, to the ochlos, which is Greek for “crowd, mob, or multitude.”

The example Holy Spirit highlighted to me is in Matthew chapters 9 and 10.

In Matthew 9:36, the King James Version says, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”

“Multitudes” in this verse is derived from the Greek word, ” echó,” which is spelled like the English word “echo.”

“Echó” means to have, hold and possess.

We know that to faint means to lose heart, give up, grow weary, become exhausted and lose inner strength (2 Co 4:16 Ga 6:9). Without Jesus, the crowd in Matthew 9:36 could not go the distance in their race or destiny on earth. 

Jesus heard this crowd echo a desperate cry. He knew they needed a touch of His majesty to overcome the false power that held them and possessed them.

This crowd needed to be loosed from the grim reaper. They needed the life-blood of Jesus—His strength and protection. They needed Jesus’ harvest reapers to help them.

So, Jesus, in His great compassion, turned to His harvesters and reapers, which were His disciples at the time, and said to them in Matthew 9:37-38: “The harvest is huge and ripe! But there are not enough harvesters to bring it all in. As you go, plead with the Owner of the Harvest to thrust out many more reapers to harvest his grain!”

I believe this is both our prayer and our answer for this hour.

I believe God has highlighted this crowd in scripture to move our hearts with compassion, like His, to echo His calling to us, as His bride, as an invitation to reach out to help the scattered ones know His truth and love.  

The Lord’s strategy involves spiritual reproduction and collaboration—the backbone of reaching multitudes, which is illustrated in Matthew 10:1.

It says, “Jesus gathered his twelve disciples and imparted to them authority to cast out demons and to heal every sickness and every disease.”

Here, we see the sovereign grace-power of God’s Kingdom at work through His people. 

We see resurrection life on earth as it is in Heaven. We see solidarity, salvation. 

And invitation.

It’s what The Lord empowers us to do when our confidence is fully in Him, when we know Him as able and we are willing and equipped to go in faith and be sustained by Him. 

In Matthew 10:5-8, Jesus commissioned His disciples “to go out into the ripened harvest fields” to “find the lost sheep” and preach the message that “Heaven’s kingdom realm is accessible, close enough to touch.” Jesus tells them that freely they “have received the power of the kingdom, so freely release it to others” to heal the sick, deliver people from demons and “raise the dead back to life.” 

So, are you ready to collaborate with God for the Kingdom in fellowship, power and authority?

As we submit to Jesus to be His hands and feet in a greater way, we can expect to be strengthened in Him, too. We can expect to receive power from on high that will cause our spiritual enemies to respond, according to His Word through us.

We can expect Holy Spirit to flow like a river.

When The Lord revealed this Word to me, He also issued a warning… 

Remain on course with God no matter what. 

Turn from all foolishness, choose wisdom and enter into The Lord’s banquet (with Him) to feast on all He offers.

Jesus and you make for a perfectly-synchronized double (wide) door of invitation. You are a light, fueled by His oil as you carry His Spirit of Glory.

So, be strong in Him, full of Him and do not let others provoke you to compromise by taking advantage of your compassion. Do not let the enemy provoke you away from Holy Spirit and His anointing. 

Ephesians 6:10 affirms this by saying, “Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you.”

To God be the glory!

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