Daily Wisdom

“Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.” Jere 28:15

Be cautious when it comes to God’s law and your will, one is fixed the other wishful.  Hananiah prophesied concerning the yoke (bondage) of Babylon would be broken, and though it was a worthy prayer and desire, even of Jeremiah was prayerful (vs 6), but it was not of God thus only making it wishful and unfortunately a lie in this case. The next yoke that God would place upon him and the surrounding nations, however, would be made of iron (vs 13-14). For every action (Hananiah pushed against God’s ordained will) there is an opposite, but not always equal, reaction (God pushed back). Take gravity as an example. An object (be it a bird or a plane) can only resist the resistance of gravity for so long. Then it must succumb. Why? Because gravity is a fixed law, ordained of God, and you can only resist a fixed law until its resistance to you prevails. Both God and His laws are fixed. They are ordained. Resist them and for a while it can appear that you are winning, but in the end, you will lose every time. When it comes to resistance, something always gives. Will that something be what you are resisting against or will that something be you? That will depend on what you are up against, God, be prepared to move!

Resistance to your will is obedience to God’s.

HSAY… Todd

Daily Wisdom

“Behold the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” Amos 8:11

Amos is an ordinary farmer God uses in a great way warning Israel of their fall to Assyria. Amos gives a stirring call for Godliness in our daily living allowing Christ to be displayed. In ch. 8, verse 1: we see a fourth vision “basket of fruit” illustrating Israel being ripe for destruction.  Ever heard the saying “green and growing or ripe and rotten” this is Israel’s situation and Amos’ warning to use in vs 11. Amos warns of a famine beyond the physical, one that is more destructive to our well-being than a lack of food (Mt 4:4 “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”).  Man is prone to avoid the word of God while seeking wisdom for survival elsewhere.  The absence of God’s word and the power it possesses through the Holy Spirit works just like physical, slowly robs you of nutrients needed to keep you healthy.  Causing you to binge on artificial nutrients to sustain you, all the while you’re breaking down Internally and Eternally.  And with it our faith slowly weakens and falters, because faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word (Rom 10:17). The greatest why for you to hear the voice of God is with your eyes, but first you might need to turn down the volume of the world to do so. Don’t blame God for being silent if you haven’t opened your bible.

Cautious: the word listen contains the same letters as silent!   

HSAY … Todd 

Daily Wisdom

“He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.” Psa 15:2

David’s plea comes from the first verse, inquiring who can dwell in the tabernacle or presence of God? It’s answered in our Walk, Works, and our Words, and they must be done uprightly, righteously, and in truth. Further clarify… to walk uprightly means in maturity, completeness not avoiding any accountability (Psa 1:1). Righteousness longs to do what is right and proper in relation to God and man (Mic 6:8), scripture tells us that no man can be a friend of God who does not do habitually what is right (1 Jn 3:6-10). Truth, all that is in accordance to doctrine and opposed to all mere outward professions, and hypocritical pretenses. It is set in the heart and not just in religious forms and shows itself in upright intentions and purposes, and never selfish.  Live accordingly and you’ll find the presences of God, and with it be renewed, rejuvenated and refreshed.

Don’t be focused on the presents of God, and seek the presences of God.

HSAY … Todd

Daily Wisdom

“O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.” Isa 38:16

There can be existence without life (Eze 37:4), Ezekiel prophesied to the dry bones to come into existence, but there cannot be life without the Spirit of God breathed into it: “Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; behold, I will cause breath (spirit) to enter into you and ye shall live.” (vs 5). One can live, but one cannot have life separate from the Spirit of God. Isaiah proclaims the goodness of God and celebrates his praise for what He had done. By “these things”, the promises of the word, God sustains us through the power of the Spirit that gives us true life, not just living. It was the Spirit that brought life upon earth in Gen 1:2 after it was void of such life. It was the Spirit that brought life back into Jesus from the grave. We can live, but we can’t obtain life without the power of the Spirit.  Know, we are not designed to be human beings having a spiritual experience… We are called to be spiritual beings having a human experience.

Don’t lesson life to just living by avoiding the power of the Spirit that dwells within you.

HSAY … Todd

“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” Jn 15:11

The measure of your joy is consistent with the measure of your abidance in Jesus. Any measure of separation in your life, by how you live it and in it, from Jesus is like pulling a plug on a barrel and watching your joy slowly drain away.  Apart from your presence in Jesus, joy does not exist much less persist, and that which separates you becomes your source and dependence for your joy. Worship is key to your abidance in Jesus, not emotionally driven but faithfully driven by his word/promises (vs 10 “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love…”).  Psalm 91:1 “He that dwells (abides) in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” If you desire the promise of joy while in the presence of a harsh and hot world you must dwell where it exist and persists, in the shadow of the One who can provide it. Not abiding in Jesus is as foolish as unplugging a lamp and still desiring it to provide light!

Live as if Jesus died yesterday, rose from the grave today, and is coming back tomorrow!

HSAY … Todd

Daily Wisdom

“When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.” Pro 16:7

Many times, we have the wrong objective in confronting life’s battles. The victory occurs before we ever engage the enemy themselves. In vs 1 Solomon states, “The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.”  But, it’s hard to fight life’s battles victoriously if we’re not truly prepared! Don’t fool yourself in your preparedness, (vs 2) “The ways of man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirit.”  Without the Preparation and the Power of God, it’s difficult to find purpose and spiritual prosperity through life’s battles in our own flesh. The difference is fighting in the spirit verses the flesh (Zec 4:6). With Christ as our example we’re to fight by faith not by sight. Most falter in fight and flee their faith, isolating themselves against their enemy. David faced Goliath in his faith not his strength, it would have been futile.  Prepare yourself in the purpose of pleasing the Lord before you start throwing punches at the enemy. You just might find a punch doesn’t even have to be thrown to be victorious.

The fight is in the faith… the battleground is the heart and mind. (Eph 6:12)

HSAY … Todd

Daily Wisdom

“And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” Acts 7:60

How much heat can your witness bear?  Stephen during his own death, though he was unable to persuade them during his defense, was willing to plea for his accusers before the throne. Stephen was instrumental in the birth of the N.T. church which lead to the eventual conversion of Paul who was personally involved in disputing against Stephen and casting judgement upon him.  Know that it’s your story/witness that can be the key to unlocking someone else’s prison. Paul had to recount Stephen’s plea to heaven at his stoning when he faced Jesus on the Damascus road leading to his conversion.  You may feel your story is a mess, but with Jesus it becomes a message of hope for others if you’re willing to bear it.  Don’t let your witness define you as a victim, but rather a testimony to the victory in Jesus.  We’re called to be a witness, not a judge to another’s willingness to believe. Don’t let the stones in life sour your willingness to share the promise of our Saviour.

Testimony: Bear it, Mean it, and Live it!

HSAY … Todd