Snowflakes

Over the past few weeks, winter is setting in and we have experienced a bit of crisp and chilly weather.  This includes some snow flurries and wintery mix.  I trust this devotion finds you doing well and staying safe in your travels about town.

It is my understanding that every snowflake is one single ice crystal that falls through the atmosphere often emerging with others along the way.  This is symbolic of the unity that should exist in the body of Christ. We are endeavoring to obtain this kind of bond of unity at Harvest and we welcome you.

Just like a snowflake, we should cling to and cherish each other.  We should hold tightly to friendships and Christian bonds that sharpen us and bring us strength.  We also should gather together for worship, as we see that great day of the Lord approaching. 

Each snowflake is uniquely different in design than all others. Thirty-five different types of ice crystals have now been identified.  And it is thought that many more exist. As a child, perhaps you sat down with paper and scissors and cut out paper snowflakes on a winter day.  It’s almost impossible to recreate the same snowflake twice even if you really try hard.

YOU also are a unique creation of God, one of a kind.  God designed you with only YOU on His heart.  And He knew exactly what He was doing.  Scripture declares in Psalm 139:14, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Marvelous are your works, and my soul knows it very well.”   

YOU are not limited by age, culture, economics, color of skin, family heritage, or birthplace.  Study the human body and look deeply to examine its’ intricate detail.  You will quickly understand how exceedingly powerful and incredible God is and how very amazing He made you. 

Afraid

Do you realize there are times when we are all afraid? The Psalmist made a clear statement of faith in Psalm 56:3, "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You."  What I gathered from this passage is the fact there will be times when you and I are fearful and do not know what will happen next.  We may be disillusioned by the condition of this present world or the things we are facing, but we must push with everything within us to trust in the Faithfulness of a Mighty God.

Because we live in a fallen world, we will face sickness, pain, death, tragedy, hard times and struggles in relationships.  Mankind has been granted a free will by God and will continue to walk his own way and make decisions that do not line up with God's Divine and perfect plan.  

What we can do to better the hard situations of life is simply to draw close to and trust in God.  Work hard to allow God to be the driving force within you and pray often.  Listen for the voice of God and do the will of God with the decisions you make in life.

God desires to bless you.  He desires to keep you well and strong.  He wants your relationships to be wholesome and pure.  So develop a heart like His and a spiritual ear that is open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  God wants His very best for you.  Therefore, when life has been hard and you find yourself afraid, push through and place your trust in the Lord.

No Other Name

Do you realize there is no other name, but the name of Jesus by which demons tremble and flee, sickness disburses, and shackles of bondages fall off?  There is no other name, but the name of Jesus that is able to restore marriages, lives, and brokenness.  His Name is Above All Names. There is no other name, but the name of Jesus that is deserving of exaltation and praise every day, regardless of the circumstances of your life.

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father."  Philippians 2:9-11

His Name is above all and worthy of honor and praise. Just think about how much He loves you. Ponder the sacrifice He made to redeem you from your sins.  And consider how He daily guards and keeps you in all your ways.

It is only by the name of Jesus that we are able to walk in liberty and freedom in the spirit. And it is only through that name that we stand forgiven. His Name is powerful. His Name is Above all Names. There is no other Name whereby men must be saved. No other name.

Called by Name

In Isaiah 43, the Lord reminds us that we belong to Him and we are called by Name. He purchased us with His own blood and He says to us, "I have called you by your name, you are mine." Your path used to be navigated by the wrong navigation system. You were driven by the voice of the enemy and pulled by peers and their opinions, but things have changed because of your new commitment to Christ and now God is in control. You are living in a new spiritual house and you've got a new owner.

New freedoms await you and you do not belong to your old owner anymore. And once God raises you up out of your past, don't go back, don't think back, and don't gaze back - don't pause for one moment thinking you've missed out on something. There's nothing back there worth looking back for.

In verse 18, God says, "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old." Don't wallow in the past, don't talk of it anymore. Your past is over and you have a new testimony now. So consider the fact that today - you've got a new name. So, walk in that freedom. You now have a new name.

Unchanging

Everything around us is constantly changing. The leaves on the trees change in color and texture. Highways progress and steadily change. People develop, mature, age and change. But God remains constant and changeless. The God who was faithful to you in times past is the same God (unchanged) today. In Malachi 3:3 the Word proclaims, “I, the LORD do not change..." 

He never gets tired or impatient with you. He is longsuffering. He never forgets (except on purpose) to put your sins into a sea of forgetfulness, no longer to be remembered. He never grows weary of helping you in times of need. He never forgets to provide constant care and protection for you. He is definite, constant, changeless. Hebrews 13:7, "... Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

God offers you the same forgiveness, the same compassion, the same everlasting love today that He offered you some time back when you refused to accept Him. Jesus stands at the door of your heart, knocking. Won't you let Him in? His love is changeless.

No matter where you have been or what you have done, God & His love for you is changeless. Even when we botch up some  things in our lives, His promise is to rebuild us. "Again I will build you and thou shalt be built O' virgin of Israel..." God desires to rebuild you and make you over, if you will but give Him an opportunity. Lay yourself today at the feet of Jesus and pray, O' God change me.

Listen

The Word is clear that man has difficulty listening because we have not learned to be quiet. We absolutely love to hear our own voice and we are sometimes selfish when it comes to having a conversation with another. James encourages us, "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God." 

If we could be honest with each other today, we would confess that we often talk too much. And often when we are swift to speak, our words come out all wrong. 

We say things that we do not mean and sometimes disclose information that is better left unsaid. I do it. You do it. We all do it.

We seldom take time to truly listen when others speak.  We sometimes cannot wait for others to hush so we can say something in return. We are selfish and have not cultivated the art of listening. This is something we must learn.  We must learn to be courteous in conversation and realize it includes both talking and listening. Listening reflects value in the other person and declares that what they have to say is important to you. 

Be "swift to hear, slow to speak" and watch your relationships change and improve. We must learn to simply listen.

Walk in Love

We must daily practice "love walking."  It is a choice to walk in love with the way we display our attitudes, actions, and conversation.  We must work at it and practice every day. It's also important that we maintain a positive attitude in our dealings with others.  And vital that we continually reflect on the goodness of God and His blessings on our lives. 

Ephesians 5:2 instructs us to "walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour."  Later in this same chapter in verse 19, Scripture teaches: "speak to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord."

Sometimes, we sing the wrong song and do not share the love of Christ. And sometimes we dwell on negative circumstances that we cannot change, when we need to sing praises and rejoice that God is Sovereign and in His Providential care He is watching over us.  

We are such a blessed people, chosen of God, who have experienced the love of God.  We must walk in that love and be thankful for God's benefits.  This week try "love walking."  And let your life impact someone else. 

Discouragement

Discouragement can make you very tired and weary, but God’s promise for you has not changed.  When we rest in God and keep His commands, we are carried by an Almighty God in high places on eagles’ wings.  This example of God’s provision shows the security and peace we can find in a solid relation with Christ.  You are the apple of God’s eye.  He loves you and desires for you to serve Him.

The Lord declares in Exodus 19:4-5, “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.  Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.  Although the whole earth is mine.”

Several times in Scripture the Lord compares us to a great eagle who soars the altitudes.  The eagle is known for flying high in the atmosphere and for being an extremely strong bird.  Keen eyesight and the ability to see miles into the distance is another amazing quality of the eagle.  This incredible bird is documented for precisely and successfully identifying and attacking his prey. 

Ezekiel 17:3, “And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, long winged, full of feathers, which had divers colors, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar.”  The eagle dominates the sky and is not to be reckoned with.  We often see the eagle in Scripture in HIGH places.  God gently reminds us repetitiously to be strong, climb up HIGH and SOAR.

The circumstances that have knocked the wind out of you - have no power over you.  God is greater and has promised you the altitude.  My prayer for you is that God would renew your strength, and you would find yourself climbing the atmosphere again.  Be encouraged, take flight and SOAR.

Peace in God

Did you know you can stand strong and courageous when you know God holds your Hand tightly?  You are secure in Him. 

God told Joshua before he stepped out into battle that He (God) was in charge of the situation.  This brought great confidence to Joshua in a time he could have been very fearful about the circumstance he faced.  In Joshua 8:18 God declares, "Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand."

When you walk in relationship with Christ each day and prayerfully surrender to the Lordship of Christ, you can remain secure in faith that God has got you covered. His grip is secure. You do not seem to fear what the day will bring forth or how troublesome relationships will eventually turn out because deep inside you know that God's got your back. 

There is great assurance in walking in that type of closeness with God. Nothing compares to it and nothing can replace it. It is a life of peace when you stand in God's grip.

If you long for this type of confidence today, then ask God to help you to rest in Him and keep your hand tightly in His.  Because when you know that your hand is in the Hand of God, the security you experience is like that of a very small child hanging onto his 6 foot tall, strong Dad when he stumbles and begins to fall.  In that instance, you know that your Father's grip is strong and sufficient and this gives you peace.

His Presence

There is nothing quite like standing in the presence and the power of God - in a Holy Place.  The Psalmist declared, "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity..."

When we come to Christ with a heart of repentance and ask him to cleanse our hands and our hearts, He does just that. His blood paid the debt that made our righteousness possible. However, you and I must then strive to maintain a life of holiness and purity before God. 

Daily, we must surrender wholeheartedly to the Lord. We must acknowledge that apart from Him we are nothing and He holds the answers for all of life in His hands.

Scripture teaches us to balance a daily life of walking upright before God. This takes discipline and a surrender of heart and mind and will. God said, He would "keep us from falling and present us faultless before the Presence of His Glory with exceeding joy." That means no more excuses. 

God has made the way for us, now walk it that. The result will be a stable walk in the refreshing of God's Spirit and a confident faith that God will see us through where-ever life takes us.