Weekly Spiritual Meditations - July 7

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Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Psalm 25:4-5

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If you get busy serving God, you're too busy to sin.

Sitting still and wishing makes no man great. The good Lord sends the fishing but You have to dig the bait.

A changed life convinces people of God's power.

A classic prayer: Lord, what wilt thou have me do?

THE FOUR BLESSED LOOKS
Look back and thank God.
Look forward and trust God.
Look around and serve God.
Look within and find God!"

Our worst days are never so bad that we are beyond the reach of God's grace; our best days are never so good that we are beyond the need of God's grace.

Prayers will become powerful when we allow God to change our desires so that they correspond to His will for us.

Rather than praying for a change in circumstances, we should pray for a change of heart.

Please Lord, teach us to laugh again, but, God don't let us ever forget that we cried.

Teach me God when to speak and when to be silent; when to act and when to refrain from action.

Patience is accepting God's timing in life.

Real prayer is not telling God what we want; it is putting ourselves at His disposal so that He can tell us what He wants.

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BACK COVERS
There’s an expression, ‘He’s an open book.’ If people were books, the back covers would be just as important, or more, than the front covers.
The front cover is minimal info: title, author. Something nice, like a photo, or graphic design. The back cover usually has lots of information: endorsements, an author blurb, what the book is about and why you should buy it and read it.
We can be assaulted, emotionally or spiritually, in our most vulnerable places. Coming up from behind, attacking from the back, is the sneaky way. “Stabbed in the back”’.
It is wonderful and wise to daily “put on” the armor of God, as we are instructed by St. Paul in the bible (Ephesians, sixth chapter). However even with the breastplate, which covers all our shoulder area and front, protecting some vital organs, our backs are still bared.
Picture a circle of people, all facing forward, side by side. Now picture the same circle as each person turns to the right. This is how we ourselves, can be the protection for another’s back attacks. We can cover each other’s backs by blanketing them with prayer.
Intercession for another person couldn’t be easier: ‘Lord, please bless____ .” Often while you are interceding in prayer, Holy Spirit will show you specific ways to pray. These prayers of the saints are so important they are referred to as the incense that fills the golden bowls in the throne room of God (Rev. 5:8).
Thank the Lord, He has provided human back covers, none other than the saints - who just happen to be the believers. That is good news. --Sally Kennedy

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Sooner or later in everyone’s life, there comes a situation and a time when you simply cannot do it on your own, and you must “cross over the line” and begin to trust the Lord rather than yourself. God has drawn a line in the sand, so to speak, that we must cross in reaching Him to declare our dependence on Him.
This “faith line” is what you need when you want God to do the “impossible” in your life. It’s what you need when you want to be firm in your faith and yet you keep wavering back and forth between your circumstances and God’s promises, believing first one, then the other.
Abraham had natural facts to deal with just like we do. He knew there was no natural way for God’s promise to him to come true. Yet the Word says Abraham considered not his own body. In other words, Abraham ignored the natural evidence around him and believed only God’s promise.
Somewhere he stepped across the line of faith. He made an irreversible decision to go with the Word of God. He made a final commitment. He chose to step past the point of no return. Romans 4:19-20 says “And being not weak in faith, [Abraham] considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.”
If you and I are ever going to see God do the impossible in our lives, we’re going to have to do the same thing! How do you step across that faith line? Begin with the Word! Search the promises of God and purposely believe what He has said, and is saying, about your need. Meditate on those promises until faith rises and rests in your heart.
Then take that step! Cross that line of faith! Do it in your mind and heart. Step over it in your prayer room. Say, “In the presence of God, in the presence of all the angels in this room, and in the devil's face, I am stepping across the line of faith. From this moment on, I consider this matter done. From this day forward, I give God the praise and the glory in the Name of Jesus, Amen!”
>From that moment on, speak only as if your miracle has already happened. Turn your back on the problems, on the doubts, and turn your face toward Jesus! God will do the impossible in your life! Dare to step across the faith line! --Author Unknown

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Have You Sharpened Your Axe?
A young man approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked for a job. “That depends,” replied the foreman. “Let’s see you fell this tree.” The young man stepped forward and skillfully felled a great tree. Impressed, the foreman exclaimed, “You can start Monday.”
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday rolled by. Thursday afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, “You can pick up your paycheck on the way out today.”
Startled, the young man replied, “I thought you paid on Friday.”
“Normally we do,” said the foreman. “But we’re letting you go today because you’ve fallen behind. Our daily felling charts show that you’ve dropped from first place on Monday to last place today.”
“But I’m a hard worker,” the young man objected. “I arrive first, leave last and even have worked through my coffee breaks!”
The foreman, sensing the young man’s integrity, thought for a minute and then asked, “Have you been sharpening your axe?”
The young man replied, “No sir, I’ve been working too hard to take time for that!”
Our lives are like that. We sometimes get so busy that we don’t take time to “sharpen the ax.” In today’s world, it seems that everyone is busier than ever but less happy than ever. Why is that? Could it be that we have forgotten how to stay sharp?
There’s nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But God doesn’t want us to get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like taking time to pray, to read and study scripture or to listen to “the still small voice of God.”
We all need time to relax, to think and meditate, to learn and grow. If we don’t take time to sharpen the axe, we will become dull and lose our effectiveness. Take time today to sharpen your axe! --Author Unknown

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A merry heart does good like a medicine.
—Proverbs 17:22
When we are weighed down by heavy cinderblocks of sadness or depression or overwork, or laid low by unrealistic demands and expectations, it seems like our very life is sick. We want to put our life into bed and do what we can to lower its fever and restore it to health. While we are plotting how to give our life a needed break, someone with a merry heart crosses our path, and for the moments we are in their presence, we forget the sickness of our life and feel as if we have been whisked away on angels' wings.
More than just a delicious respite from our weary lives, we are invited to taste the power of gladness. We begin to see that there is the possibility that our own hearts will be merry if we will but trust that heaven has more in store for us than the current confinement that has surrounded us.
In other words, the sickness of our lives is not permanent. It is what it is right now, but it is not the end of the story.
As we claim that truth for ourselves, we will begin to see our heart lighten, and gladness will touch us like a breeze. We'll hardly even notice, but the fever of our lives will break and health will begin to wash over us.
O God, help me feel the realm of eternity wrapping its arms around me and healing me of my dis-ease. --The Signposts

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In every situation, there are always two stories—the story you see and the story God sees.
Sometimes life seems to be taking us down a huge detour and everything looks like it's not going our way. In those situations, our life and our story seems to be a disaster.
This is exactly what happened to Joseph, whose story is found in Genesis 37-50. Joseph's brothers jealously hated him and sold him into slavery. Joseph was wrongfully put in prison for raping Potifer's wife, when really he refused to compromise his integrity by sleeping with her. Then, Joseph helped get the chief cupbearer out of jail; however, when the cupbearer had an opportunity to return the favor and get Joseph out of jail, the man forgot about Joseph. Joseph ended up spending thirteen years in jail for something he didn't do.
At this point Joseph's story was going haywire, but God's story was right on track. That's because God had an amazing plan for Joseph's life; God was going to use Joseph to save Egypt and the surrounding lands for seven years of devastating famine. What looked to Joseph like a huge detour was really a great plan of God to provide food for countless people, including the very brothers that had sold Joseph into slavery.
At the end of this, Joseph realized that God had a bigger plan for his life, and after his brothers come to him for food, he tells them: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Genesis 50:20).
All along, God's story was right on track.
This same principle is also true in the life of Jesus. To the disciples, it looked as those Jesus would be a great king who would rule Israel and return the nation to greatness. They hailed him as a great leader. So, when Jesus was being crucified, the story they saw looked like a major train wreck—this great leader whom they had followed for the past three years was suddenly dead. However, God's story was at its peak—God was in the process of connecting humanity to himself.
There's what you see and what God sees.
When your life seems to be a major disaster; know that God has bigger plans to use your life for great things. The story you see may not reflect the long-term story God has planned. Therefore, trust God, knowing that he works for good in all circumstances (Romans 8:28). --Weekly Wisdom

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The Truth Will Set You Free
We celebrate freedom. We struggle for freedom. We long for freedom. We search for freedom. We fight for freedom. Many have died and others will die to defend freedom. That is who we are. Freedom is one of our most valued gifts.
God is a God of freedom. He understands our desire for freedom. His desire is for us to live as free people. Consider His words:
"Jesus returned to Galilee with the power of the Spirit. News about him spread everywhere. He taught in the Jewish meeting places, and everyone praised him. Jesus went back to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and as usual he went to the meeting place on the Sabbath. When he stood up to read from the Scriptures, he was given the book of Isaiah the prophet. He opened it and read, 'The Lord's Spirit has come to me, because he has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor. The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers,' Jesus closed the book, then handed it back to the man in charge and sat down. Everyone in the meeting place looked straight at Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, 'What you have just heard me read has come true today.'" (Luke 4:16-21, Contemporary English Version)
On another occasion Jesus tells us how to be free:
"Jesus told the people who had faith in him, 'If you keep on obeying what I have said, you truly are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' They answered, 'We are Abraham's children! We have never been anyone's slaves. How can you say we will be set free?' Jesus replied: I tell you for certain that anyone who sins is a slave of sin! And slaves don't stay in the family forever, though the Son will always remain in the family. If the Son gives you freedom, you are free! I know that you are from Abraham's family. Yet you want to kill me, because my message isn't really in your hearts." (John 8:31-37, Contemporary English Version)
Then, later Jesus reminds us that He is the truth: "I am the way, the truth, and the life!" Jesus answered. "Without me, no one can go to the Father." (John 14:6, Contemporary English Version)
The message from Jesus seems clear: "I have come to bring freedom. Freedom is found in the truth. I am the truth. If you know me, if you follow me, if you obey me, you will be set free."
Freedom is found in knowing Jesus. The truth will set you free. Jesus is truth. Jesus will set you free.
Praise God that in Jesus we can find the truth that sets us free! --Tom

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
Do you hear My voice, says the Lord? Can you sense the unction of My Spirit? You will recognize it by an undefined restlessness and a desire for new vibrancy and fresh anointing. Business as usual and distractions have moved you from your place of spiritual sensitivity and gifted creativity, and I am calling you out of this place of stagnation by causing you to stir up the gift that is within you. Then, watch for opportunities to manifest outwardly your great desire to demonstrate My presence and power. 2 Timothy 1:6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

Let Me move you into the prophetic flow as times and seasons unfold. I will open the way before you and lead you along a clear path so that there will be no question in your heart or mind that you are in My perfect will, says the Lord. Be still and refuse to allow questions, concerns, and fears to become noise pollution in your spirit. Peace and quiet assurance will be the sign of your faithful trust in My guidance. Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

As you stand face to face with situations and possibilities that you never could have imagined, your inclination is to make decisions based on how you feel. But, that is not your best recourse. Do not be impatient or hasty. Take the time to really seek My face for wisdom and guidance. Come to the place of peace in your soul so that you can actually be led by My Spirit. To do otherwise will only create more chaos and confusion. Trust Me to direct your steps, says the Lord. Ecclesiastes 5:2 Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few.

Stand strong and maintain stability. The enemy has launched an attack through your circumstances to send you reeling. Refuse to dump down into self-pity, mourning, or regret through focusing on what you see. Beloved, I have called you to walk by faith and not by sight, says the Lord. You must look beyond the natural realm into the realm of the Spirit so that you can perceive and discern My purposes and direction at this time. And, be aware that your first thoughts or impressions are not necessarily reliable; you need to be patient and wait for confirmation so that you know exactly what I am showing you and where I am taking you before you launch out. Psalm 107:26-30 They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven.

When in doubt, don't! There are decisions to be made in your looming circumstances, and it is difficult to know what to do or which way to go. As long as you are uncertain or in confusion it is best if you do nothing outwardly. However, your best course of action is to withdraw from the pressures momentarily, rise up in the Spirit, seek My guidance and ask for wisdom. If you trust Me, I will show you the way, says the Lord. Isaiah 30:21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.

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Held In God's Hands
Life has a way of handing out
some hurtful crushing blows;
There are disappointments all
must face, as everybody knows!
We can let them get the best of us
and let them leave us tied and bound;
Or with God's help we can be strong
and firmly stand our ground!
We may try to face life by ourselves,
thinking we can cope;
But nine time out of ten,
we'll find ourselves without a hope!
If we'll get down upon our knees
and call upon our Lord,
He'll give us what is needed
so that we can be restored!
There's nothing that's too big for Him,
that He can't overrule;
When we come to Him for help
we'll have that extra added fuel!
He'll pick us up and carry us when
life's problems get too rough;
He'll shield us with His might and power,
for He knows when we have had enough!
He'll always be there for us, and with
His help we can withstand,
whatever life may throw at us for He
holds us in the palm of His Hand!
--Helen Johnson

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Two Roads
Are you standing at a crossroads
wondering which way you should go?
One road looks temptingly wide and smooth...
While the other looks narrow, uneven and slow!
You've been warned that the wide road will lead to destruction,
leading you downward straight into hell!
On the other, you'll struggle, falter and stumble
but you'll finally reach heaven, if you will prevail.
There will be many obstacles
you'll have to face
and you may have to travel
at a much slower pace;
There will be times when the road will
seem rough and obscure,
but if you'll trust in the Lord,
He will help you endure.
The wide smooth road may seem
easy my friend,
But horror and misery
you will face in the end!
The choice is yours
and is one you must make,
Which one will you choose,
which road will you take??
--Helen Johnson

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If I can Survive
If I can survive for a moment
When my world is so shaken and torn,
and muster the courage to "Stay with the ship",
regardless how rough be the storm.
If I can remember that song in my heart,
which sustains me for all I've been through,
that comes from my Father,
and just be content that this tempest will pass away, too..
Then, I have no reason to worry,
that me Father will cease to provide
or, that "In the valley of the shadow of death",
He is walking by my side.
For He knows my strength and my
weakness, and what I am able to bear,
and nothing can come which He doesn't
allow ,for I'm under His special care.
So I must continue on living with
that song in my heart and smile,
lamenting not over the reason, that
I face this particular trial.
I must look for my Father's direction through prayer,
and His word that's so true.
Knowing all the storms last for a moment,
and this storm shall pass away too!
--Author Unknown

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God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2

We do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16:24

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced. 1 Chronicles 16:11-12

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. Psalm 62:1

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24

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Time is the price you must pay for intimacy with God.
One of the most valuable things that a person could possibly have is an intimate relationship with God. That same God who is big enough and powerful enough to create the whole universe is also small enough and caring enough to desire a personal relationship with you--a relationship that will last for eternity.
Of course, such an intimate friendship won't happen by chance. Your relationship with your best friend didn't come overnight, and your relationship with God is no different. It requires time.
There is a principle that can be seen both in the Bible and in the world, which basically states that you reap what you sow (see 2 Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 6:7-8). However, you can't expect to reap a harvest on seeds you've never sown. In other words, you can't expect to know God well if you don't invest significant amounts of time and energy into the relationship.
Therefore, it is very important how you use your time. No wonder Paul, in Ephesians 5:15-16, wrote this: Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Here, Paul is encouraging us to use our time wisely--that is, to make the most of it.
The way to make the most of your time is to invest it into something of great value that lasts forever--an intimate relationship with God.
A practical tip that I have found to be true in my own life is this: Reserve a specific slot each day to spend time with God. Don't do anything else during that time; make it your time specifically for you and God. You can't use the excuse, "I'll read my Bible and spend time with God, as soon as I can find some time." You will never find time! You must make time. Therefore, reserve time for God, remembering that time is the price you must pay for intimacy with God. --Weekly Wisdom

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Prayer for Trust in Jesus
O Christ Jesus, when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness, give us the sense of Your presence, Your love, and Your strength. Help us to have perfect trust in Your protecting love and strengthening power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for, living close to You, we shall see Your hand, Your purpose, Your will through all things. --St. Ignatius of Loyola

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Read Through The Bible
Ezekiel 26
1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken that was the gates of the people: she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste: 3 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up. 4 And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. 5 It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God: and it shall become a spoil to the nations. 6 And her daughters which are in the field shall be slain by the sword; and they shall know that I am the Lord. 7 For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people. 8 He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field: and he shall make a fort against thee, and cast a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler against thee. 9 And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers. 10 By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee: thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the wheels, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach. 11 With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets: he shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground. 12 And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise: and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses: and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water. 13 And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard. 14 And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the Lord have spoken it, saith the Lord God. 15 Thus saith the Lord God to Tyrus; Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded cry, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee? 16 Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble at every moment, and be astonished at thee. 17 And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it! 18 Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled at thy departure. 19 For thus saith the Lord God; When I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee; 20 When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited; and I shall set glory in the land of the living; 21 I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt be no more: though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again, saith the Lord God.

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For Those Searching for God
O Lord my God, Teach my heart this day where and how to see you, Where and how to find you. You have made me and remade me, And you have bestowed on me All the good things I possess, And still I do not know you. I have not yet done that For which I was made. Teach me to seek you, For I cannot seek you Unless you teach me, Or find you Unless you show yourself to me. Let me seek you in my desire, Let me desire you in my seeking. Let me find you by loving you, Let me love you when I find you. --St. Anselm

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