Come Up Higher, Vol. 2 | Day 58

Day 58                                   

I    Chronicles 29:30 NIV

"King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped."

Although the Levites were commanded to sing praises to the Lord, they did it with gladness. When we enjoy doing something, it is possible to do it with gladness, even when we are following orders. Everything is not necessarily more enjoyable because we choose to do it. Sometimes we choose to do things and end up not enjoying ourselves. On the other hand, we can end up thoroughly enjoying some things we did by command and not choice.

When we can sing praises to the Lord on command with gladness, we have grown in our love for praising Him. If we practice exalting and praising Him in private more, perhaps we will be more enthusiastic when we are commanded to do so in public.

Praising God will become such a regular thing that I do privately, that praising Him in public by command will be a joy, because it is something I always want to do. I love to praise Him.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 1 | Day 57

Day 57

II Samuel 22:50 NIV

"Therefore I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name."

God is great and worthy of all praise, honor and glory. The psalmist, David, declared in II Samuel 22 that He had a reason to give thanks and praises to God. He owed Him gratitude. He served God with praises, declaring His greatness.

Does God need our praises? Are we ministering to Him with praises? Does it please Him and bless Him emotionally? Emphatically, yes! Because God is perfect, we can be misled into thinking He doesn't need anything. Because He has no lack, it seems He needs nothing. So we can think that praising God only benefits us. However, that requires an assumption that He has no feelings, and no soul.

Imagine what our life would be like if we had no emotions. Think about how that would affect not only us, but those we interact with. How meaningless relationships would be if one party had no needs. Even selfish people have a need to be needed.

What would motivate God to send Jesus into the earth to be mistreated and crucified if he had no feeling? Why are we admonished to not grieve the Holy Spirit? Someone without feeling could not be grieved. Love is not a feeling, but feelings definitely manifest themselves when love is real.

When we have done well, worked hard and given our best, no matter how humble we are, we look for someone, if only God, to notice and comment. Even if it was all His power that we used, we want Him to be pleased with how we obeyed Him or allowed Him to flow through us. We want praise. We want someone to be proud of us.

Just think -    we want praise for our accomplishments, and all of our abilities have been given to us. Realize then, that God wants praise, because all He has, and all we have, is to His own credit. Oh! He won't fall off the throne or cease, to exist because we don't praise Him. Hopefully, we can continue 'serving and living without compliments. However, the need will be there, and we are so grateful for the persons who minister to that need.

By the way, compliments from those close to us, those who mean something to us, such as members of our family and close friends, are more meaningful. When people who don't know God or who have no relationship with Him praise Him and thank Him, that's good. However, God is looking fol' His family and friends to minister to His needs.

Yes, praising God does benefit us in different ways, but don't forget that it blesses Him too, Sometimes He instructs us to praise Him. That's usually for our own benefit. We benefit Him when we praise Him, not because of a requirement, but because we mean it from the depths of our souls. Let us think about His love, think about His goodness and the things He has brought us through. What should we feel like saying?

I   will praise God more than I ever have before. He is worthy of my praises. I am special to God.l will give praise to Him and He will love it. I will minister to God's emotional needs.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 1 | Day 56

Day 56

Exodus 15:11

 "Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders?"

The Old Testament saints and early Jewish Christians always "magnified" the Lord before making requests. Exodus 15:11 is an example of how God's people would brag on Him. Isaiah 44:8 is an example of how God would respond to the question in Exodus 15:11. Isaiah 44:8 NIV says, "Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one." God declares that there is no power to compare to His. Therefore, since He is our God, and He is on our side, we can cast away all fear that comes as a result of any force that would challenge our victory.

The psalmist David said in Psalm 34:3, "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." One of the meanings of magnify, according to the pocket Webster is "to make (an object) appear to be larger, as with a lens." Something can seem small when it is far away. It is not that the object is that small, but the lens of our eyes only permit us to see it as a certain size. However, that object can be made to appear larger by looking through the magnifying lens of a telescope or binoculars. Scientific instruments can enlarge our view of the actual size. God is already "larger" than what we can see. Our view of Him varies, depending on the "lens" we are using. God is not physically larger than our natural eyes can see, but His greatness is so large, that we cannot see His actual "size" in this lifetime, even with our spiritual eyes. However, we can increase our view by adjusting our "lens." The psalmist suggested that we make Him bigger in our eyes. For some of us, God is too small. We see Him confined to a chair, and we must plead with him to move and try to help us if He could. With this type of vision, it is impossible to see ourselves the way God says we are or see ourselves as having victory. In contrast, when we gaze on His greatness and meditate on the fact that this great God is on our side, it is easier to understand that we are more than conquerors through Him.

I will see God more clearly. I will magnify the Lord and exalt His name. I will adjust my spiritual lenses and see Him more as He is. I am getting closer to God and He is getting closer to me.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 1 | Day 26

Day 26

Luke 19:10 NIV

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost"

Jesus referred to himself over and over during His earthly ministry as the Son of Man. He humbled himself to be associated with and identify with us as men. He did this so we could be promoted to being associated with Him as He returned to His position as God. (He was always God, even while on earth, but He abdicated that position to fulfill His earthly mission.) This is wonderful.

The prophets of old were great men who were anointed by God to produce mighty signs and wonders and foretell things to come then, as well as hundreds of years later. Even though they operated under such an anointing, they were not privileged to be called sons of God. This helps us understand why Jesus said, ''Truly, I tell you, among those born of women, there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than he." (Matthew 11:11 amplified version) No matter how great they were, they were not privileged to be called sons of God until Jesus fulfilled his mission to redeem mankind.

Is not this a reason for us to rejoice today, because of how we have been honored? It is. It is a cause for us to boldly and confidently approach our Father and communicate with Him. It is also a reason for us to humble ourselves and walk worthy of our position. It should also motivate us to fellowship with Him and bless Him. When an earthly father deals with the harsh outside world as he works, he looks for a refreshing time with his family at home. If he cannot find that pleasure there, he hesitates to come home. Hopefully, our Father never has to hesitate from coming to us. I hope we will make time each day to be sons of God in this way. Let us take a walk with Him or just sit with Him. Let us tell Him how proud we are that He is our Father. Let us express our love and affection to the Most High, who has chosen to refer to us as "sons of God."

I am God's child. He is my Father. I will be a son to Him so He can be a Father to me.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 1 | Day 25

Day 25

Ezekiel 17:1-2 Amplified Version

 "And the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, put forth a riddle and speak a parable or allegory to the house of Israel;"

It is interesting to note that God called the prophet "son of man." Daniel was also referred to as "son of man" (Daniel 8:17). These men, Ezekiel and Daniel, great prophets of God, lived under the old covenant and were referred to as sons of men.

Then Jesus came. He, the Son of God, became the Son of Man so that we, the sons of men, might become the sons of God. "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God..." (John 1:12). I John 3:2 says, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God..." The first verse says, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God:..."

God loves me so much that He has lifted me up from being a son of man and made me a son of God. I receive my Father's love for me. Thank you, Father.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 1 | Day 24

Day 24

Romans 8:39 Amplified Version

 "Nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Paul, in this verse, sums up everything imaginable as he says "nor anything else in all creation." He shows that God's love for us is permanent and not able to be tampered with. Does God love me? Even "if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there." (Psalm 139:8b) The psalmist, David, described how intimately God was involved with him. Regardless of whether we choose to serve Him or not, and whether we go to Heaven or Hell, God's love is unconditional.

As long as a person loves someone, he makes his power available to that person as much as he can. If we choose to go to Hell, God will love us to the end, but He will not be able to bring us back. It  is not  a question of God's physical ability, but His integrity. There is no "Purgatory," there is no escape from the land of the damned. He cannot alter His Word. It is not a question of His love.

Jesus said if a man loves Him, he will keep His words, and the Father will love him (John 14:23). Does that mean God will love us only when we are obedient? While we were still sinners, Jesus died for us. So it could not mean that. What it does mean is when we cooperate with God by obeying His Word, we allow Him to manifest His love to us. We allow Him to love us, or to love on us.

While we are on this side of Heaven, we should meditate on God's love for us and do what we can to allow that 'agape' love to work for us. To remind ourselves of God's love is to remind ourselves to cooperate with Him with a positive attitude. Love does not require obedience for selfish reasons, but for the benefit of the one loved. Even His commandments are a demonstration of His love for us. Let us receive our Father's love!

God loves me with an everlasting love. I will obey Him and allow Him to manifest His love to me. I receive my Father's love.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 1 | Day 23

Day 23

Acts 9:6b Amplified version

" ... But arise and go into the city and you will be told what you must do."

Saul, later called Paul, was instructed by Jesus to go into a city, not knowing what he would do after he got there. His first set of instructions, after choosing to follow Christ, was a lesson in trust and faith. Like Abram, he had to begin walking with God without knowing exactly where he was going.

It is important to understand 'basic training' in God's 'army'. As in any army, strict and quick obedience must be learned, even when we don't know why we are doing what we are doing. At times, it is essential for a commander not to give details about his instructions for various reasons, such as not enough time to explain, or the inabil­ity of those under his command to comprehend fully the complexity of the situation. However, it is also appropriate for a leader to give unexplained commands just for the practice. A soldier must have learned strict obedience to his superiors before an emergency occurs. My husband, who is a pastor, was led to purchase a piece of prop­erty that he would not have selected personally. It made no sense to him to purchase the amount of acreage that this parcel contained. It was too much land for his needs, in his opinion. Thank God he had some basic training prior to this incident and knew to obey without further explanation. It turned out that he would need every inch of the soil to fulfill parts of the vision that was yet to unfold. Since then, he has been entrusted with not only that land, but more than twice the amount of the original piece. Jesus said if we are faithful (reliable, dependable) over a little, we can be trusted with much.

Promotion comes in the earthly army by being a good soldier -a faithful one, and one that can be counted on to honor, respect and obey his superiors. In God's army, we can expect promotion when He has proven we can be trusted in the same way. Since we are the Body of Christ in the earth today, our Commander must be able to depend on us to carry out His plan. He has chosen us to accomplish His mission on earth.

Finally, we must realize that strict obedience without questioning can not only earn us promotion, but it can save us from losses, disappointments and even premature death. If we obey today, we will be glad we did tomorrow.

I will obey my Father when I don't understand as well as when I do understand. My Heavenly Father can count on me.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 1 | Day 22

Day 22

I Chronicles 1:1

"Adam, Sheth, Enosh,"

 The author of I Chronicles begins by tracing Adam's descendants to the children of Israel. He lists the forefathers from Adam to Jacob (Israel).Adam is listed as the first father.

All mankind descended from Adam, and he was created by God. Therefore, when God made Adam, He made man - all of mankind. In Adam was every man, woman, boy and girl who has ever lived or will ever be conceived. When God made Adam, it was a result of His desire to make man (the species) -  not one person, but an entire race of people. Note that Genesis l :26 said, "...Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion..."

So, when God created Adam, He created me and you. He made us in His image and in His likeness. If this is true, then why is Colossians 3: l O telling us that we, as Christians, have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him? Why is Romans 8:29 telling us that God predestined that we should be conformed to the image of His Son? It is because when Adam lost the image and glory of God, we all lost it, since we were in Adam.

Genesis 5:3 tells us that Adam produced a son after his own like­ness, after his own image. This helps us understand the need for a new birth for the Adamic race - a birth that would connect us to the second and last Adam - Jesus Christ - who is the image of God. Colossians 1:15 says, "He is the image of the invisible God, the first­ born over all creation."

It makes me feel more special when I realize I am God's cre­ation. It's like this: whoever invented chocolate bars sees every chocolate bar as his creation, no matter where it is made. Although as time went on, millions of humans were created in different ways through different people, God sees us all as His creation. Even more special is the way He looks at us who are born again. We represent the restoration of His image in the earth. We are all created in Jesus Christ who is the image of God.

It helps us understand why Jesus said He wanted the world to see that God loved us the way He loved Him. Jesus was referring to those who were His own. When God sees us, He sees Jesus. Jesus feels the same way. When He sees us, He sees Himself. He said in Acts 9:4: "..Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

I am God's creation, being conformed to His image through Jesus Christ. I am valuable and precious to my Father. I am His own.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 1 | Day 21

Day 21

Ephesians 6:3a Amplified Version

 "That all may be well with you..."

God's desire is that ALL be well with us. What is not well in our lives today? We must not accept it, tolerate it, learn to cope with it or live with it complacently. Although we must allow nothing to discourage us or make us miserable, we must also not allow anything ungodly to become permanent fixtures in our lives.

God is a "repair man." Throughout all time, our Father has repaired broken lives, broken bodies, broken hearts, broken homes and more. As He takes up residence in us (John 14:23), let us give Him all that needs to be fixed and made whole. He designed the physical temple to be perfect. He moved upon the hearts of men to repair the house dedicated to Him when it was broken down or in need of renovation. Now that we are His temple, let us not accept brokenness as permanent. Regardless of how long it takes, let us keep an attitude of wanting all to be perfect in the house (body) and life where He dwells.

Paul admonished us to present our bodies to God as living sacrifices, wholly, acceptable to God as a reasonable service. The sacrifices given under the Old Covenant, which contained types of what was to come, were  perfect  - without any flaws. David said, 'The Lord will perfect that which concerns me." (Psalms 138:8) We should have the same attitude.

God wants all to be well with me. I yield myself - all that I am and all that I have - to my Father, that He may perect everything in my body and my life until His desire is fulfilled in me. By faith, all is well with me.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 2 | Day 127

Day 127

Proverbs 4:18

"But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."

It is thrilling to know that there is more of God to be revealed to us; more knowledge, more understanding and more wisdom. Whatever our current struggles may be, with Christ in us, we have the hope of overcoming every challenge. We will still win, despite the fact that we are still seeking wisdom in many areas, because our path is getting brighter all the time. Insight we do not have today will come tomorrow. We will continue to increase, until we arrive at perfection.

So, let us not give up, for giving up is the only way to lose. The psalmist said we should wait on the Lord and be of good courage, so He could strengthen our spirits. A strong spirit in a man will sustain him through difficult times.

Our path is getting brighter, not dimmer. May we remember that when circumstances declare something contrary to God's Word. We walk by faith. Paul said the spirit of faith declares what it believes. So, let us declare today, since we believe God's Word, that our path is shining more and more, as we head for perfection.

My path is getting brighter and brighter as I move toward perfection. Regardless of what it looks like now, my chances of winning are getting greater every moment.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 1 | Day 126

Day 126

Exodus 24:8

"Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words."

Moses read the words of the covenant God made with Israel. A covenant is an agreement between two parties. The people heard their part and God's part. They told Moses they would be obedient and do all God instructed them to do. That meant they were accepting the covenant. Moses then sprinkled the blood of the covenant on them, indicating that the agreement was then in force.

The covenant could not be established without blood. Once the blood was applied, the covenant was irreversible - it was sealed forever. If we grasp this concept, it will be easier for us to understand the integrity of God's Word. God finalized the words of the Old Covenant with blood, and He performed everything He promised. In the part of the world where these things took place, blood was the most powerful symbol in making a covenant. Since the Old Covenant was sealed with the blood of the animals and God did not alter one word, how much more secure is the New Covenant, which was sealed  by  the blood of Jesus Christ?

Jesus promised His disciples many things before His departure. He said He would not leave them comfortless, but would send the Holy Spirit. He assured them that He would return for them, and they would be where He was. They were promised supernatural power to carry on His work on earth. He made other promises. Before He departed, while having communion with them, He said the grape juice they drank represented His blood of the New Testament. That meant when His blood was shed to ratify the New Covenant, all he promised was secured.

It is up to us now to receive the covenant. Like the children of Israel, we receive that covenant by agreeing to our part. They said they would be obedient to all God's instructions. As we receive communion (an act of accepting the blood of the covenant), may we remember that it is a way of saying we will  be obedient to all of God's Word. He is always faithful to keep His Word to us.

I will he obedient to all the instructions I receive from God. I will remember my part of the covenant, as well as God's part, when I partake of Holy Communion.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 2 | Day 125

Day 125

Exodus 12:13

"And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. "

We know the blood represents life. God told the Israelites to put the blood of a lamb (a type of the blood  of  Jesus) on their door posts, so the death angel would not touch them. The blood would symbolize life to that house -  a shadow of the results of Calvary. This is where Jesus would conquer death by his sacrifice; by the shedding of His blood.

This helps us understand what is meant by "pleading the blood." To plead the blood means to claim protection from harm by applying the blood of Jesus to our lives. Just as the Israelites placed their confidence in the blood for protection as destruction came their way, we should also trust God to protect us, because of the blood of Jesus. The blood of Christ represents our redemption, our covenant and our new eternal life.

Now the blood was provided for the Israelites, but they had to apply it. Whether or not we use the same terminology, such as "pleading the blood," in some way we must make the benefits of Calvary applicable to our individual lives and circumstances. Just because something has been provided does not mean we will benefit from it. We must apply it. How do we do that? By the words of our mouth. So, let us lift up our voices and agree with God that the blood of Jesus makes a difference in our lives today. We are protected, because of the blood.

I declare that the blood of Jesus makes a difference in my life today. I am protected from every plot of the destroyer.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 3 | Day 244

Day 244

Genesis 8:22

"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

God said while the earth is in existence, there are certain unalterable natural laws that will operate. One of those laws is seedtime and harvest. Whatever is sown in our lives, we will reap.

Today, we are reaping the results of seeds we and our parents have sown. The grace of God causes some of our unwanted crops to fail and helps us cope with some undesirable ones that come forth. As we acknowledge that this spiritual law is a permanent one that will affect our lives and the lives of those we are associated with, let us be careful how we plant today. When Jesus encouraged us to do to others as we would have them do to us, He was reinforcing this principle of sowing and reaping. What we do to others will come back to us.

We should endeavor to treat people well, as we interact with them today. We should also purposely do some good deeds to bless others and, at the same time guarantee blessing for ourselves and our families in the future. Not only will we be planting for a good crop in the future, but we will also be experiencing the joy of giving while we are planting.

I thank God for the blessings I enjoy today, because of the seeds my parents and I have sown before. I thank Him for the grace that has saved me from some undesirable crops that were headed my way. I thank Him for the grace to cope with some of the negative things I have reaped. I will deliberately sow good seeds today that will bless me and my family in the days to come.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 1 | Day 44

Day 44

John 14:1, 27 Amplified Version

 "Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). "Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid- stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled."

Jesus bequeathed His peace to His disciples, indicating that they had authority to maintain peace. He said, "Do not let..." That means the person being addressed has responsibility. We cannot have responsibility where we have no authority. So, it is exciting to know that we have control of our state of being by the authority of Jesus' words.

The centurion said to Jesus in Luke 7:8, amplified version, "For I also am a man daily subject to authority, with soldiers under me, and I say to one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my bond servant, Do this, and he does it." He was explaining why Jesus did not need to do anything more than speak a word to heal his servant. He understood that when one has authority, he exercises that authority with words. Jesus equated this understanding of authority to great faith. We must use our mouths to appropriate and maintain the peace of God. By faith we speak and control our state of being. "Heart! You may not be troubled!" "Peace! Be still!" "Trouble! Go! Calm! Come!" Whatever is applicable or appropriate, we must lift up our voices and fulfill our responsibility of maintaining peace.

"Do not fret or have anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything by prayer and petition [definite requests] with thanksgiving continue to make your wants known to God. And God's peace..... which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds.." (Philippians 4:6,7 amplified version) I Peter 5:6,7 indicates that we are to, in humility, cast all our cares (anxieties, worries, concerns) on God permanently. We must realize that the power of God takes up where we can go no further. There is a human responsibility and a God responsibility. When we are told to maintain peace, and natural circumstances dictate that this is impossible, we must realize that God must take over. We give Him the cares, and we maintain the peace. He invites us to leave the difficulties to Him. We must not struggle with what we cannot change. God has offered to participate with every intimate and minute detail of our lives. Let us let Him do it! Let us face it - a problem to us is not a problem to God.

I will cast my cares on the Lord and use my authority to maintain peace.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 2 | Day 179

Day 179

Matthew 10:24

 "The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord."

In Matthew 10, Jesus sent His disciples out to minister on His behalf. He gave them instructions on what to carry and how to conduct themselves. He warned them about unpleasant things they might encounter. When He described the persecution they would face, He told them that whatever men had done, or would do to Him, they would also do to them, and even worse. Verse 25 of this same chapter says, "It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?"

We expect to endure persecution. We are not supposed to allow anything to discourage us from our mission as ambassadors for Christ. He is to be our example of enduring suffering and staying committed. It may seem simple. Yet, it is something we must ponder from time to time. The way many Christians react to difficulty shows we are still not prepared to handle challenges to our faith and commitment. Understanding thoroughly what Jesus taught about persecution will lead us to a life of consistency in endurance and obedience.

From time to time, we have done things that  were against the still small voice in our spirits. It was the gratification of our flesh that motivated us to make the wrong move. The disciple moved out of position and put himself above his Lord, who was attempting to guide him through his inner man. When the negative consequences came along, we reacted, saying something like, "OOPS! I missed it again. That was not unnecessary. If I had only followed my spirit, I could have avoided that blunder."

So, let us ponder Matthew I 0:24 today. We can endure more than we have already endured. We have not suffered as much as our master. It is in our power to be consistently obedient, as we use the tools God has given us. Among those tools are prayer, Bible study, meditation and regular confession of the Word out of a spirit of agreement with God.

I am submitted to my master and Lord, Jesus Christ. I will be a good ambassador of Christ, as I allow the Holy Spirit to help me. I can endure and overcome  anything  that comes my way, through Christ who strengthens me. I am obedient.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 2 | Day 178

Day 178

II Chronicles 32: 7,8

 "Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: With him is the arm of flesh: but with us the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah King of Judah."

Whose words carry the most weight with us? That is an important question we must ask ourselves. The answer reveals the kind of relationship we have with God and the level of faith we walk in. The passage above says the people  rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah. Regardless of what may have come to their minds or what others may have said, they chose to accept the words of the  king as most reliable. Thus, their behavior was one of rest,  or confidence.

Jeremiah 17:5 tells us that a man brings a curse on himself by departing from the Lord in his heart and putting his trust in man, or making flesh his arm. We can tell where our confidence is when we react to circumstances. For example, if  we were to go to the doctor and he gave us a bad report, would we fall apart as though his word were the most reliable -  the word we would rest ourselves on? What about the banker, the realtor, the judge, or any other official? If we act as though a man's word is the final one, we are relying on flesh. We must always see what God has to say about the subject and let His Word be the last thing we say about the matter.

God's last word for those who trust Him is always victory. That does not mean everything will be rosy or without trouble, hardship or heartache. It simply means that if we keep our confidence in Him, respecting Him as final authority,  He will take even tragedy and turn it into triumph. It means sad moments may occur during our story, but there will always be a happy ending.

God's Word is my word to rest on. I will look to the Lord, who is my shepherd,for the final word in every situation.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 2 | Day 177

Day 177

I Chronicles 16:12-13

 ''And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great:  yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians. And Asa slept with this fathers, and died in the  one  and fortieth year of his reign."

What an indictment against a king of Israel! He relied totally on physicians, instead of God. God is not against medical professionals who use the talents He gave them to help hurting human beings. He is, however, against our using them as substitutes for Him.

Doctors should be viewed as people to whom God has given skills to help humanity. We should never choose between God or doctors. Our total reliance must be in the Lord, and we should see the doctor as a vessel Our Father can use to help us. All our help comes from the Lord, whether natural or supernatural. It is obvious that supernatural power to help comes from God, but all natural talents and abilities also come from Him.

I will rely on God as the source. of my total supply. Whether my help comes from natural or supernatural means, I will thank God, who gives every good and perfect gift.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 2 | Day 176

Day 176

Deuteronomy 7:9

 "Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy  with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations.

What a comfort to know we have a God we can trust fully. His Word is eternally dependable.

Deuteronomy 7:9 shows us that God's mercy can be extended to someone a thousand years after His Word has been spoken. That explains His mercy and favor upon the modern descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, despite the fact that many of them are not serving Him. Proverbs 11:21 says the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. No matter how Satan  has tried to wipe out Israel, it has been impossible, because of a covenant God made with their forefathers thousands of years ago. The suffering they have experienced is a result of their own wrongdoing, but the mighty deliverance that has come to them is not to their credit. The supernatural has taken place to  bring them victory, all because of a faithful God.

Sometimes we look at people and wonder why they are still alive, or why they seem to have so many chances. We think maybe someone is praying for them. That is possible. It is also possible that they are reaping the rewards of a great great great great grandparent who had a covenant relationship with God.

David once searched for a descendant of his deceased friend, Jonathan, to show favor to because of a covenant  they had between each other. When he found Jonathan's descendant, he did not check to see if he was good enough. The only qualification the man had was that he was a descendant of Jonathan. That caused David to show him special favor. That gives us insight into the power of a covenant, the way God's people understood it.

We can experience divine favor through utterly no credit of our own. (We can also establish a flow of divine favor for our descendants, because of our relationship with God.) Apart from our natural blood line, we have a spiritual blood line that constantly causes us favor. The Bible says in Galatians 3 that we are Abraham's seed through Jesus Christ. Romans 8 says we are children of God and therefore heirs and joint-heirs with Christ.

That should bring us to a point of great humility. If we have ever thought we must be all right because God  has shown us favor, we may want to think again. We may need to correct many areas, but we can still experience the favor of  God, because of His faithfulness.

I humble myself before God, who has shown me undeserved favor. I am more thankful for His grace. I will endeavor to live in such a way that my children will also be blessed through my obedience.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 2 | Day 175

Day 175

Jude 20

 "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost"

Praying in the Holy Ghost, or praying in other tongues, as the Holy Spirit gives the utterance, charges us up. It strengthens our spirits and helps us resist temptation. It produces boldness and enables us to do things that will amaze us.

Speaking in other tongues, according to some former Satan worshipers, is terrifying to the enemy. The devil fights against the manifestation of being baptized with the Holy Spirit, because it confuses him, and  he hates what  it does for us. Even in communist countries where they have tolerated churches to a small extent, those who spoke with other tongues  were absolutely forbidden. Even the godless knew that the Christians who were baptized with the Holy Spirit were more  powerful  than those who were not. They knew what Jesus prophesied in Acts 1:8 "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you."

When we receive the ability to pray in a heavenly language, Satan fights to stop us from using it. He finds candidates who will try to convince us that the whole business is crazy, or those who will degrade it in some other way. Just because someone is filled with the Holy Spirit and speaks with tongues does not make them perfect. It is up to each of us to take advantage of, and use properly, everything God gives us. Speaking with tongues is one of many things God has made available to us to help us win in the game of life. When used in conjunction with other things, such as walking in the fruit of the spirit, regular praying in the spirit can make us powerful and effective ambassadors of Christ. Among other benefits, it increases our ability to hear from God accurately.

Let us stir up the gift within us and begin now, this moment, to pray in the spirit. Jude tells us that we build up ourselves on our faith. It takes faith to pray in a language we have not learned. We must lift up our voices and trust the Holy Spirit for each word. This is a way we exercise our faith. Exercising faith is good, because it is practicing dependence on God.

I will stir up the gift in me and pray in other tongues more. I will build myself up on my faith, praying with the Holy Spirit's help.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 2 | Day 174

Day174

Micah 7:7

 "Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait /or the God of my salvation: my God will hear me."

What a beautiful statement in Micah 7:7. The prophet speaks of the confidence God's people can have in Him. It does not matter what the circumstances appear to be. We can exercise patience, because God hears and responds to all His children who call on Him in faith. That is absolutely special.

A songwriter wrote, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow." The key is not just the fact that Jesus is alive, but  that He also loves us and is actively involved in our lives. If He would give His life for us, what will He not do for our benefit while we serve Him? Paul said in Romans 8:32, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he  not with him also freely give us all things?"

It is essential that we remain aware of our divine connection. It will bring us peace and comfort in pleasant and unpleasant times. Let us thank the Lord today for the blessed assurance that He never leaves or forsakes us, and always listens to and responds to us.

I will look to God, my salvation. I will wait for Him. He always hears me.