Tag: #Hebrews13:16

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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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Obstacles or Opportunities – Part 1

When seasons change, so do opportunities.

Opportunity, according to Strong’s, means “a due measure,” and “a fixed and definite period, a time, season.”

“A fitting time” (Strong’s).

Webster’s defines opportunity as, “a favorable juncture of circumstances” and “a good chance for advancement or progress.”

Some synonyms for “opportunity” are liberty, freedom and one’s turn (Dictionary.com).

But opportunity can also mean “a place” (Strong’s).

So, hold this “place,” and I’ll come back to it.

The Lord showed me the word “op-port-unity” in three sections, like this:

Op – which can be an abbreviation for “optical” and also for the word, “opus,” which means to creatively produce.

Port – which can mean a place of exchange, including redemption, truth for lies and blessings for lesser things in general.

Unity – which can mean union with Jesus and solidarity to serve others.

What creative work does God see to produce through you?

Through those who will build His Kingdom in this opportune season?

Where will He assign you?

What exchanges will occur?

The Lord led me to these five strategy scriptures:

Galatians 5:13 TPT says, “Beloved ones, God has called us to live a life of freedom in the Holy Spirit. But don’t view this wonderful freedom as an opportunity to set up a base of operations in the natural realm. Freedom means that we become so completely free of self-indulgence that we become servants of one another, expressing love in all we do.”

Galatians 6:10 AMPC says, “So then, as occasion and opportunity open up to us, let us do good [morally] to all people [not only being useful or profitable to them, but also doing what is for their spiritual good and advantage]. Be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith [those who belong to God’s family with you, the believers].”

Hebrews 13:16 TPT says, “We will 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 God’s heart.”

2 Peter 3:15 TPT says, “And keep in mind that our Lord’s extraordinary patience simply means more opportunity for salvation…”

James 4:17 TPT warns us, “So if you know of an opportunity to do the right thing today, yet you refrain from doing it, you’re guilty of sin.”

So, to summarize, God revealed this five-point strategy for the extraordinary opportunities His faithful followers are about to step into:

  1. Live in true freedom.
  2. Reach out in solidarity to be a blessing to others.
  3. Show mercy to the poor and do acts of kindness to others.
  4. Patiently expect more opportunity for salvations.
  5. Do the right thing and don’t refrain.

What will this strategy look like for you in your unique divine assignments?

As I continued researching, The Lord seemed to hone in on the word “port.”

Then He led me to find a golden nugget: A deeper look at the French derivative, “opportune,” which means “suitable for a purpose or occurring at just the right time.” It’s from the Latin word, “opportunus,” which means “favorable (used of the wind).” It’s derived from a Latin phrase that means “coming toward port” (Encarta).

The Lord was revealing that it’s time for the favorable wind of Holy Spirit to breathe on His redeemed vessels and bring us into port for divine exchange.

This port is a place of opportunity, as I mentioned earlier.

The word “exchange” means “to give up (something) for something else;” to “change for another” (Dictionary.com).

What change does God desire to bring us into?

What trade would He like to make?

Are there obstacles we need to lay down?

As saints, we know about the great exchange of Jesus’ atonement for our sins, bringing us into union with Him as our port-ion and growing us from glory to glory.

We know about the beautiful trading ships of Tarshish that sailed into port “bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks” for King Solomon (1 Ki 10:22), as well as back out of port carrying hammered silver (Je 10:9).

But we also know that those same ships of Tarshish were destroyed, and trade halted swiftly, due to prideful obstacles. (Is 2:16, Ez 27:25-27).

So, in all of this, we see, metaphorically, that Holy Spirit (wind) blows favorably on us as His vessels to remain on course and advance us into the port (an opportune place for a rich exchange) that He has planned (and has even imagined) for us. In this, we can see that we need to yield our will fully to Him in order to bear more good fruit by His Spirit.

There can be no false pride or other idols, lest the port be closed to us.

Therefore, the questions are:

Are we ready for the opportune exchanges as God furthers us into His new season?

Are we ready to come to a place of greater authenticity to be a greater blessing to God’s Kingdom?

If our minds have been renewed and our hearts made pure. If we have firmly decided to keep God as our first love throughout the journey. Then we know that the port of exchange will remain open to us.

So, friends, let’s call on The Lord in prayer as He releases His promises to us.

We can ask Him to enable us to receive all He has for us for His glory. We can ask Him to help us walk out His strategy in this season for His Name’s sake. We can pray for His perfect wisdom to be released in us. And we can thank Him for the harvest before us.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name.

Join me next week for Part 2 of Obstacles or Opportunity.

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