Tag: Inspirational Photos

“Before there was Egypt, there was a promise!”

Many times when we discuss the land of Egypt within the confines of the Bible, our minds automatically track back to the time when the children of Israel were in bondage there.  We see them under the weight of the taskmasters, dealing with oppressive circumstances that are beyond their control.  They stand by and watch as some are beaten, others are killed; lack and degrading situations run rampant throughout their time there.  Fear, hatred, and jealousy by others drove them to the place where they are residing; a place where tough days seem like they will never come to an end.

Oftentimes, when people find themselves in a hard spot of life, or when they find themselves coming up short and just not happy with the way things are turning out at this particular time, they refer to that circumstance as their place of “Egypt.”  This is where heartbreak and troubling times lie.  This is the place where it seems everything is fighting against them, and no matter what one does, it just doesn’t appear that they will ever come out on top.  People may not have taskmasters’ whips to deal with, but other things just lash and lash out at them, making it hard to get back up again.

As hard as this may be to believe, I assure you your Egypt will not last forever.  I’m sure the children of Israel had doubts about this.  After all, their time there lasted about four hundred years.  Yet, even before this family of seventy ventured into the land and grew to the astronomical numbers we see in Exodus, God knew all about their time there before they were even there.

In Genesis 15:13 God told Abram, “Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.”  Outside of that prophecy God also said, “And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance,” (Genesis 15:14).  In this we see, there was a promise before they even set one foot in Egypt; before they even encountered a problem, God already had a blessing lined up for when they came out.

Today, we fight against so many unknowns.  We deal with all the this’s and that’s of life that simply weigh one down.  One might not find themselves in a literal state of captivity, but something just sits on them heavy, becoming an almost unbearable burden, and they just don’t know what to do.  With a feeling of exasperation, some just give up, content to go through the motions of life, without grabbing hold of the feeling of hope because of the fear of being let down again, just to drift back into that state of uncertainty once more.

But, I am here to tell you today, continue hoping and never give up.  Your “Egypt” is not lost on God.  God knows what you are facing.  He knows every disappointment you are dealing with.  He knows every struggle you are battling.  He knows everything that you are fighting through, and that’s fighting against you.

It may be hard to see the proverbial silver lining in a dark cloud at times or the light at the end of the tunnel, but we have something better.  We have a promise!  God told Abram that when his people came out, they would be coming out better than when they went in.  God was going to judge those who did them wrong, and God was going to bless them greatly.

Another promise Abram received was in a few verses before those noted above.  God told him, “Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be,” (Genesis 15:5).  Not only were they going to be blessed, but they were going to come out increased in the people they were.  To go from one individual to the millions they would come out to be, they were going to grow not only in number but in experience through their troubling times.  They would have to learn to endure some stuff to be the people who would eventually be fit to take on the Promised Land.

While it may at times seem like the hard times are breaking you, they may actually be making you.  So remember, before there was Egypt, there was a promise.  And, I don’t know about you, but I will take a promise of God over a so-called silver lining any day.  The promises of God are sure.  Through our relationship with Jesus Christ, we are told, “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us,” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

In other words, no matter what you are facing today, Jesus has you covered.  No matter the obstacles or hard places that make you feel like you are in Egypt and you just want to give up, God has an unfailing promise of His love, grace, mercy, peace, and deliverance through even the most difficult circumstances.

Reposted from April 19, 2020

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Limiting God | Reposting Encouragement

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Today, I am reposting encouragement. May you walk in the fullness of God’s unlimited blessings, because almost everybody wants to see a mighty move of God in their life.  But often, some things get in God’s way; obstacles that act as barriers to blessings.  There are two very specific items I want to deal with in this article that the Bible clearly shows us to be things that limit God’s power to work in an individual’s or a people’s life.

But, before I move any further in this article, I want to clarify a few things: 1) Just because one may be in the waiting process, it doesn’t mean these items that are going to be discussed apply to that individual or their situation.  Sometimes, for His own wise reasons, God just has us waiting for His right time to move.  And, 2) The two items that are going to be listed here are not the only things that form themselves as a blockade to one’s blessings.  A truly seeking heart will prayerfully peel back the layers of self for a close-up examination of the inner man to see if there is anything else that may be getting in the way.

As I was reading my Bible, I came across Psalm 78:41, which states, “Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.”  This psalm recites Israel’s history, and it highlights several of their rebellious moments.  Particularly, God’s deliverance of them from Egypt, and their provocation of Him in the wilderness, through sin.  The verse above brings out those same disobedient actions as limiting God.  Their sin made a mark or drew a line, prohibiting them from the fullness of God and what He had to offer.  Rather, they ended up provoking Him to anger.

Disobedience is one thing that will definitely limit God’s ability to work in you, through you, and for you.  Disobedience evicted Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-11) when God’s blessing was for them to live in paradise.  Disobedience turned Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:17, 26) when God’s blessings wanted to deliver them from that city of sin.  Disobedience caused Jonah to end up in the belly of a fish (Jonah 1:3, 15-17) when God’s blessing was for him to be a great witness to a great city.  And, there are oodles of more cases noted in the Bible.  Disobedience will always forfeit God’s best in one’s life.

As I was pondering this verse in the Psalm about limiting God, I was reminded of a time when Jesus wasn’t able to do great works in Nazareth, His hometown.  Matthew 13:58 tells us, “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”  He was limited by their unbelief.

Now, we all know by now Jesus’ ability to do absolutely anything.  One thing He won’t do is infringe, encroach upon, or overstep one’s belief.  Mankind is a creature made with free will.  It is His hope and desire that one would fully believe who He is and all that He says He can do.  But it is a choice that every individual must make, by faith, for himself or herself.

The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms that, “Without faith it is impossible to please him:” (or, to agree with Him), “for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him,” (Hebrews 11:6).

God is the God of all possibilities, but a lack of faith and belief will hinder those possibilities.  Unbelief caused the first group that attempted to enter the Promised Land to be made to turn back (Hebrews 3:19).  God’s best wasn’t for them to wander in the wilderness for forty years.  His blessing was for them to go in and possess it at that time.  Their own unbelief refused the blessing for them.  Going back to Psalm 78 in the recitation of their history, there are other noted instances where the unbelief of the people came to the forefront (Psalm 78:22, 32).

In the New Testament, if it had not been for Jesus on the boat with His disciples, they may have perished in the storm.  Jesus had already done miracles and even taught many powerful parables, but when the storm blew, they freaked out and asked Jesus, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (Mark 4:38).  But after Jesus stilled the storm He asked them this one question: “How is it that ye have no faith?” (Mark 4:40).  Faith matters.

Back to Jesus’ experience in Nazareth, in parallel verses found in Mark, the Bible tells us, “He marvelled because of their unbelief” (Mark 6:6).

God, throughout the Bible, wants the best for His people.  God would rather add blessings to our account rather than subtract them.  If God blesses and takes care of the birds of the air and the grass in the field (Matthew 6:25-29), “shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith,” (Matthew 6:30).

But He says in Matthew, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you,” (Matthew 6:33; emphasis added).  Go after a life of obedience and faith!  Reject those hindrances to the blessings.  The things that stand in one’s way and limit God’s moving in their life have to be put down so that He can raise His people higher.

We hear a lot of inspirational messages dealing with the subject of “No Limits.”  And, that’s wonderful!  But, in order to have a life of no limits, one needs to make sure God isn’t being limited in their life through disobedience and unbelief.

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“Forget, and Be Fruitful!”

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While every day we have is a gift, admittedly, some days are harder to move past than others.  Hurts, disappointments, and pain can sit on people like heavy weights.  Past negatives can seem like an insurmountable mountain we may struggle to climb. So, I pray today’s devotion will help to lighten the steps on the path you are walking and encourage your heart to keep moving forward productively in faith.

And one person who can teach us that is Joseph. He was a man who suffered trials, unfair treatment, and affliction, and yet overcame them all.  His relationship with his brothers was filled with ridicule, lack of support, jealousy, and hatred, which caused them to look unfavorably upon him.

Eventually, their hostility toward their brother led them to do the unthinkable and cast him away by selling him into slavery. The sting of their betrayal was with Joseph as his new life began as a slave in Egypt. But thankfully, this would not be the end of his story, nor would his heart rest in bitterness here.

Though in his land of affliction he originally found favor, unfortunately, there he was also lied about and mistreated, adding salt to the open wounds he had already suffered, eventually finding himself thrown in prison.

And although he was held in prison, prison didn’t have a hold on him. Joseph’s character never changed. In prison and alone, he was still willing to help others by working, being faithful, and using the gift that God instilled in him in revealing dreams.

Unfortunately, once again, he was overlooked and forgotten and left to deal with life alone.  The awesome thing about his story (and ours) is that even if he felt like it at times, Joseph was never alone.  God had a great plan for his life.

Many of us are familiar with how God elevated Joseph from his affliction and blessed him with a position of great honor in the palace after revealing the meaning of Pharaoh’s dream.  Eventually, he became governor over all Egypt, where everyone bowed to him except Pharaoh.  What a change of life and position!

After coming to power, Joseph married and had two sons: “And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.  And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction,” (Genesis 41:51-52). 

His story shows that when stepping into new days, we do not have to carry the unwanted baggage of days before. We can declare, as Joseph did, that we are ready to move on and be fruitful in the place God has us in right now, for that’s what his declaration in naming his sons meant.

Every day, God has opened a world of opportunity for us to forget the past and move on into something greater.  We may not be the governor of Egypt, but I don’t believe God has allowed us to see this new day for naught.  We were designed to make the most of our time here and now and be fruitful right where we are.

Fruitfulness is a desire of God for His people: “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper,” (Psalm 1:3). 

Therefore, today is the time to venture forward in faith and be productive.  Today, we can release the weight, lay down the heaviness, and walk confidently and abundantly into where God has us for this season. This is your time. Today is the day of new beginnings!

Image by Diego Ortiz from Pixabay

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HOSANNA! BLESSED IS HE THAT COMETH IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!

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𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝟏𝟏:𝟖-𝟏𝟎 “𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲: 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝, 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝, 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚; 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝. 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝: 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭.”

That day, the people honored Him with their “Hosanna” shout. They rallied and proclaimed the praises of Him who would save them, for that’s the meaning behind the word “Hosanna;” to “save now.”

“Hosanna” was the shout of triumph. In Him, they saw a victorious King. In Him, they had an expectancy of deliverance. In Him they rejoiced, proclaiming that He is the one who would fulfill the promise of “the kingdom of our father David,” (see 2 Samuel 7:12-14).

So, they rejoiced and shouted that He was, “Blessed.” His “kingdom” is “blessed.” He is the one that “cometh in the name of the Lord!” They were getting their praise on as we say it today! The King has arrived! The King has come! “Blessed is he!”

Jesus is He that was to come; the King to reign for all eternity. Let us shout his praises: “Hosanna in the highest!” There’s no need to look for another. He’s the One!

Friend, because of His triumph, we are no longer defined by the past; rather, we are now defined by what Christ has already done for us. New life awaits those who trust in Him. Today, you can rest in the finished work of Christ on the cross for yourself! That’s what Passion Week is all about. It’s about remembering and celebrating what He already accomplished for us on that sacred tree! In that, we honor our Lord Jesus Christ! “𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚! 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝.”

~Word for Life Says

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

Standing on the Edge

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Sometimes you may come to a place that seems impossible to pass.  This is a place that edges the border of what we have been delivered from to where we are being brought to.  It is in situations like these when God shows up, there is no doubt that His hands have been working something extraordinary through it all.  The waters may crash on the shores before and the enemy’s army may be rolling behind, but God sees you, standing there on the fringe, in a world where these two impossibilities meet, yet in Him, there is nothing impossible.  In Him, there is always a way.  In Him, you are not in a helpless position.  In Him, the victory is already won.  Before you ever came to this place, He already knew what He would do.  So rest, weary one, in His sovereignty.  Rest in His plan.  You may not understand it, but He does.  You may not know how it will work out, but He does.  This will be performed by His strength, His wisdom, and His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6), not by anything we say or do.  In getting past this place, all glory, honor, praise, and credit go to God.  He is the one who will get you to the other side in peace and wholeness, with singing and rejoicing (Exodus 15:1-21).  To you who are standing on the edge, in Him, you are not standing alone.

 “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.” Exodus 14:13-18

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Originally Published October 26, 2022

The Infighting Must Stop

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There is an old hymn written by Joseph C. Ludgate titled “Friendship with Jesus.”  In this hymn, the refrain sings out the sweetness of being in fellowship with the Savior:

“Friendship with Jesus!
Fellowship divine!
Oh, what blessed, sweet communion!
Jesus is a Friend of mine.” (©Ludgate,1898.)

But what about our fellowship with one another?  How often have the hands of division ripped away the core foundation of our Christian faith by seeking to tear apart what Christ has established: fellowship among those who are recognized as being of Him; that blessed, sweet communion with one another?

Unity among the body of believers was so important that Jesus prayed, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me,” (John 17:21).  Jesus knew that if His disciples would ban together as one they could positively impact the world, helping many believe in Him.  Vice versa, if divisions and contentions prevailed it would not work to draw people to Himself, to His kingdom message; rather, it would repel.

How often are we fighting amongst ourselves, in our congregations, or even with different denominations because they serve differently than we do?

John, the disciple of Jesus said one day, “Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we fobade him, because he followeth not with us.  And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us,” (Luke 9:49-50).

Instead of rebuking the one who was accused of: “he followeth not with us,” Jesus set the record straight among His own disciples that they should not be focused on a reason for division. Jesus said, “For he that is not against us is for us.”

Too often great emphasis is put on how one group may do things differently as opposed to another group, or how one may work the gift that God has given them over another.  One may not care for the way another does something for God’s kingdom but Jesus Himself said, “For he that is not against us is for us.”  If someone is working to build up the kingdom of God, do not forbid them just because they are not following what you are doing.  Don’t forbid them just because they are not in your clique.  Don’t forbid them because they worship differently than you do.

There is no room for division in the body of Christ.  There is no room for infighting among the members of God’s family.  The Apostle Paul put it like this by saying, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12).

In 1 Corinthians 1:12-13, attempting to squash division, Paul said, “Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.  Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?”

Over and over again we see the Bible proclaim unity among God’s people and division to be put away with. While we may have differing doctrinal beliefs, love must be the motivator for addressing those differences because Jesus also said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another,” (John 13:35; see also 1 John 4:20-21).  

Remember Jesus’ prayer that I quoted above, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou has sent me.” Is this why the world can’t see the Christ in us and believe because there is too much infighting?  Does our rejection of another who “followeth not with us,” push the world away from believing in the Christ we proclaim and follow?

Regarding the Scriptures, and seeing Jesus’ prayer, I would have to conclude that it can play a part.  Let us learn from our Lord and say, “For he that is not against us is for us.” Let us work to build up God’s kingdom together.  We are all fighting in the same war.  Let’s edify one another and not tear down.

Disagreements Don’t Need To End In Disaster

Text Free Image by Brian Merrill from Pixabay

 

“Heavenly Father, take my hand…”

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Heavenly Father,
take my hand,
and lead me through
this desert land.

Where hope seems dismal
and love fades.
But, You are my shelter.
Your heart is my shade.

Each step I walk,
I am found with You.
You hold me, You guide me.
You carry me through.

No matter the dreariness
of the land ahead.
I have no reason
to fret or dread.

My hand in Yours,
we keeping walking through.
Til I arrive in that City
whose destination is true.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

Psalm 23:4

“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.  I and my Father are one.”

John 10:28-30

Reposted from July 2, 2018

Quiet

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Friends, there is a stillness of heart and soul one must appreciate and long for. When the world demands noise and roars its desires, the Lord beckons us to steal away in His presence and just be still (Psalm 46:10). It is in the quietness of this moment where we shut out the world’s demands and wrap ourselves in the familiar embrace of knowing our God.

~Word for Life Says

More Than Noise

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“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

“Roses are red, Violets are blue…” is the beginning of many poems regarding love. Going back through history with many versions attached, these words declare verbally (and sometimes funny), how one feels about another.

But I will tell you, while words are nice and sweet and can edify (Proverbs 16:24; 25:11; Ephesians 4:29), there is no substitute for love produced through action.

Substance. Making a difference. The Christian life is so much more than just talking and telling. It is more than sounding off. It is love with motion behind it outflowing from one’s being into the lives of others.

With God, love is the number one principle because He is love (1 John 4:16). As those who have been adopted by His grace, love should be our natural response to others as well. It’s the emblem of our Heavenly Father, not carried about on our chests or in words only, but seared upon our hearts that propel us forward.

Love is our regulator.  It governs how we behave and treat one another. It serves as a thermometer to measure that we are fervent in the things that God is fervent for.

Love is about serving like Christ did (and we all know what His love looked like, John 3:16). It is about using what God gifted you with to help one another under that same umbrella of love He operated in.

Since that’s exactly how God does everything, under love, we too should be imitators of our Father.  Outside of it, we are “nothing.”  It doesn’t matter how important one thinks their gift or contribution is, if love is not the motivator, then the gift is empty.  That box has nothing to offer the world except a bunch of extra noise; or, as Paul puts it, “sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”  

I don’t know about you, but I want to be more than noise, more than fluff.  I want to have substance working at the core of my gift.  I want lives to be changed and hearts to be lifted through what God has placed in me.  This should be the attitude of every Christian.  Not to get ahead, but to make a difference.  Being a vessel so filled up with love and anointing, mixed with His special stuff He put on the inside of us so that we could help shift the atmosphere for some and help steer them on a course closer to God.

This can only happen if love is operating at the helm.

Jesus once encouraged His disciples by telling them, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith,” (Mark 11:23).  Yet, Paul says you can “remove mountains” all you want, but if love is not what’s lifting your faith to do that than forget about it. Although the action may be carried out, the core of it doesn’t mean anything.

Paul was not by any chance contradicting what Jesus said because everything Jesus did from birth to death was done through love, and His disciples are always expected to follow in His footsteps.

Neither is Paul denouncing doing things for others such as one who would “bestow all . . . goods to feed the poor” or the sacrificing of oneself (he gave the example of being “burned”); but what he is saying is that without love, it will not last; it will not make the difference that He is looking for and it will not please God because we are told, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men,” (Colossians 3:23) and that can only be done through love.

Later, Paul wrote another letter to the Corinthian church that says, “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him,” (2 Corinthians 5:9).  Everything must be “accepted of him.”  But, without love (charity) all our works and gifts put together add up to a big, fat zero.  There is no gain or “profit” from it.

The world we live in today needs more than talk, more than noise. They need to see, feel, and experience the substance of love in action through those who have been redeemed by love in action.

Today, look for ways to be more than noise. Look for ways to be that force of love in action for another.

Blessings~

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Translated

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“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13).

Ah, my friends, a mighty move took place at the moment of salvation. Physically, your position and status of life may not look different, but spiritually, you were translated. You were taken from where you were and placed in a better position. You were taken from the power of darkness and delivered to the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Who you were identified as before no longer exists spiritually. While in this world there may be remnants, consequences, or residual effects from the previous walk, but in the spirit, we are free. In this new life, those identification markers do not exist. The things that bound you or tried to attach themselves to you are subdued under the power of God because now you are His. Now, you breathe the breath of each day differently. Now, your walking and thinking patterns do not follow those previous footsteps. Now, there is freshness. Now, you are a member of a new family. Now, you are a part of a kingdom that will never fail, nor will it ever fade. Eternally, you have been translated there.

Now, our souls are happy. Now, even if it doesn’t seem so conditionally, our spirits have been liberated to new life. Now, because of what He has done, we cannot help but “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (Colossians 1:12).

The move has taken place. And thanks be to the Lord Jesus Christ “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14), has secured this translation for us.

Text Free Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay