“Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” ~ Genesis 28:12 REFERENCE: Genesis 28:10-18 Welcome to a new month! Yesterday, we learned about Jacob sleeping in a 'certain place', which he eventually discovered was the gate of heaven and the house of God. That 'certain place' was an unequaled opportunity given to Jacob; the significance of that place was rooted in the ladder he saw standing on the earth, but whose top reached into the heavens....
“Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” ~ Genesis 28:16 REFERENCE: Genesis 28:10-18 We often miss opportunities because we are unaware of them and blinded to them. Imagine if you saw all the opportunities life presented you and took advantage of them; where would your life be today? Our success or failure in life is a product of the opportunities we took and improved upon or those we missed or ignored. Jacob nearly missed an opportunity. Jacob was a fugitive, running away from his brother. He...
“The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.” – Esther 2:17 REFERENCE: Esther 2:5-17 Sometimes, we do not know how God works the events of life to cause things to fall into place for us. Who would have thought that Queen Vashti’s refusal to present herself to the king and his officials would have any connection to an unknown orphan girl in the backstreet of Persia? Well, that...
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” ~ John 10:27 REFERENCE: John 10:26-30 Sheep are experts at discerning the voice of their shepherd. During World War I, some Turkish soldiers tried to steal a flock of sheep from a hillside near Jerusalem. The shepherd, who had been sleeping, awoke to find his sheep being led away by strangers. He couldn’t recapture them by force, so he called out to his flock with his distinctive call. The sheep listened and returned to their rightful owner. The soldiers couldn’t stop them from returning to their...
“Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.” ~ I Samuel 18:2 REFERENCE: I Samuel 17:57-18:5 David just won a momentous victory for Israel. Prince Jonathan (Saul’s son) was likely on the battlefield when this youthful shepherd-soldier went against giant Goliath in battle, armed only with a sling and stones. He witnessed David's self-sacrificing bravery, which brought deliverance to the whole of Israel. He took in the full weight of what David did: 1. Deliverance from perpetual shame to the crown (his father and their lineage). 2. Victory when defeat was looming (or...
“He said, Bring me a new bowl and put salt [the symbol of God’s purifying power] in it. And they brought it to him.” – 2 Kings 2:19. REFERENCE: 2 KINGS 2:19-22 God has strategically placed His children everywhere in this world to do His word and will at all times. They are to sweeten bitter spirits, make barren souls fruitful, and better their community. Their lives are to be an aroma of life and hope, leading a dying world away from error unto God, the Father of all. Elisha asked the elders of Jericho, “Bring me a...
“Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren.” – 2 Kings 2:19. REFERENCE: 2 KINGS 2:19-22 The ruins of Jericho were cursed by Joshua (I Kings 16:34) to ensure the city was never rebuilt. Now it appears that although Jericho had been rebuilt and is beautiful, some invisible powers were making it produce contrary to its potential. Hence, the elders went to Elisha to inform him that although they lived in a beautiful environment, the...
“And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth…” –Deuteronomy 8:18 REFERENCE: Deuteronomy 8:11-18 The world is going through one of its most financial shakings in decades. Inflation is on the rise in most countries, and purchasing power of most world currencies weakens daily. To rise above these murky waters of financial collapse, you must make God your source: He can be trusted. Look beyond your salary, network, business, or organization; these are just avenues for God to connect with you. He is not limited to, or by, them...
“Please run now to meet her, and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’ ” And she answered, “It is well.” ~ II Kings 4:26 REFERENCE: II Kings 4:17-37 You often hear people mouth the phrase, “It is well", just in about any situation they find themselves. I was one of those who concluded that the phrase had become a cliché and would not often want to ‘parrot’ it until I was praying recently, and it bubbled forth in my spirit. The woman in our text...
“So, Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.” – Mark 11:22 REFERENCE: Mark 11:20-24 “Have faith in God,” Jesus said. That may be one of His most profound admonitions to His saints because a life of faith is a life of possibility, as we see in Jesus Himself. God designed you to live by faith because it makes up for our human limitations. We are not omniscient, omnipotent, or omnipresent; however, we can achieve things beyond our human ability by faith. By faith, Jesus made a fig tree to wither overnight. The original reading of our...