Psalms 25:21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

It is hard to wait on the Lord. It is hard to put aside your own selfish desires in order to pursue the things of God. Many people have a mindset that when they become a Christian, they are giving up so much fun stuff that God should be honored by their sacrifices.

We serve a holy God who created a perfect world. Sin destroyed this perfect world. Because of sin, many people think that sin is normal and that doing the will of God is extra ordinary. However, God sees those who are doing that which is right in their own eyes as those who need correction.

We all understand that if we put our hand on top of a burning stove, we should be burned. We all understand that if you start juggling knives, you should not be surprised if you are cut. We all understand that if you fall thirty feet, one can be seriously injured or die.

When we sin, there are consequences for our actions. In this psalm, David asks God to protect him because David is patiently waiting on the Lord. Throughout his life, David understood that there were those who desired to kill him. David needed the Lord to protect him. David refused to take the life of Saul because he was the Lord’s anointed. Because David waited on the Lord’s perfect timing for him to become king, David requested the Lord to protect him from his enemies.

Have you ever heard someone share their testimony where they had all sorts of problems in their life? This individual had some sort of secret sin and they could not understand why their kids were rebelling, their wives health was in shatters, and why they kept going deeper into debt. Then this individual shares the powerful story of how once they forsook their secret sin, they saw a change in their children, their wife was healed, and their financial fortunes had changed.

Maybe you have a similar testimony in your life? There are consequences for our actions. Rather than think that we should be rewarded by the Lord when we do the right thing, we need to understand that doing that which is right in the eyes of the Lord is what God expects of us.

We all know people who do not act with integrity. They say one thing with their mouth and do another thing with their actions. We watch these people appear to succeed by their dishonest actions. We feel that if we do the right thing we are going to miss out. We feel that if we do the right thing, not only will we be considered out of touch but that we will be taken advantage of.

We understand that God does not want us to lie. We understand that God has commanded us to allow our yes be yes and our no be no. It will never be easy to do the right thing. However, by patiently waiting on the Lord and refusing to do that which is right in your own eyes, you put yourself in the hands of the Lord. Do you really want to rely upon your own strength or would you rather see God protect and provide for you.

All around you will be people who are refusing to wait on the Lord. Just because others are doing what is right in their own eyes it does not mean that it is right to do it. Just because someone else would jump off a cliff, does it mean you would jump off a cliff? We need to understand that God’s ways are not our natural response. By putting the things of God first in our life, God will be your protector and God will be your provider.

II Kings 6:9 And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.

The king of Syria went to war against the nation of Israel. Even though the king of Israel was a wicked man who did not fear the Lord, the nation of Israel was God’s chosen people and God desired to show HIMSELF strong in the life of HIS people. Even though the nation of Israel had a history of serving false gods, God was going to do something special to protect them.

In this passage, we see that God revealed to Elisha something that was spoken of in secret in the tents of the king of Syria. The king of Syria had made his secret plans, but God revealed it to Elisha who informed the king of Israel. The king of Israel was not asking God to reveal to him the plans of his enemy, but God still answered a need of the king of Israel.

How many times has God protected us and we did not realize we needed protection. Maybe we were going to drive one way to work and God directs us to take a different way and we later find out that there was a huge accident on the original path. There are many ways that God has protected you that you probably never will know about until you reach heaven. Maybe there was friend who God caused you to move from just before they became involved in drugs and thus you never had to face that temptation from your close friend.

When God reveals to us ways that HE is protecting us before we even ask HIM for protection, we need to demonstrate a grateful heart and praise HIM. God has a reason why HE does what HE does. We need to spend more time drawing closer to HIM so that we can understand HIS desires for our life. Do not take the protection of the Lord for granted, instead, take the time to thank HIM for all the ways that HE has protected you.

Sometimes God will protect you from a harm you never knew existed like God did with the king of Israel in this chapter. Sometimes God will protect you from a harm that you know exists like God did with Daniel when he was thrown into the lion’s den. Sometimes God will protect you by allowing you to be hurt but then healing you afterwards like HE did with the boy who fell out of the 3^rd floor window while listening to Paul preach.

God’s protection comes in all shapes and sizes. It is your duty to recognize when God’s hand is upon your life and to praise HIM for HIS love for you. God has promised to be with you and protect you. David told us that “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. … Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Psalms 23:1-2, 4.

David understood how God protected him even though it appeared his world was falling apart. David gave credit to God for what God had done in his life. It is important that we follow the example of David by developing a heart after God’s own heart.

Things are going to happen to us that we do not always understand. When they do, we need to thank God for what HE is doing. We need to be patient with God because we do not always understand HIS perfect will for our life. By being patient, God will soon reveal to us some of the good things that HE is doing in our life. Let your heart be filled with praise and may your mouth proclaim the goodness of God.

I Kings 19:6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baked on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink and laid him down again.

Elijah is running for his life and after asking the Lord to just take his life, he fell asleep under a juniper tree. An angel came and woke him up and gave him a meal. After eating this first meal, Elijah simply went back to sleep. The angel came again, gave him a second meal and informed him that he was about to make a trip that he could not do in his own strength. Elijah was able to go 40 days without eating while he went where the Lord desired him to go.

Elijah had experienced the Lord’s provision in the past. Elijah had seen the Lord bring food by ravens. Elijah and seen a widow never run out of the ingredients that she needed to make bread. As such, it really did not seem to surprise Elijah when an angel wakes him up and has a meal prepared for him. In fact, Elijah was so use to the Lord providing for him that Elijah did not make any attempts to see why the Lord was providing for him and instead he went back to sleep.

As you mature, you will have seen the Lord provide for you in many ways. Your faith in God will grow to such a point that when the Lord does the same thing for you again, you may forget to thank God for HIS provision. The first time God brought food by a raven, you would be very thankful. However, after 180 days of this same miracle, you are going to start taking the ravens for granted.

We needed to be careful that we do not become jaded by the miracles of God around us. If God is taking you through a tough financial time where HE is just meeting your financial needs, thank HIM. Do not forget to thank HIM for the good things that HE is doing for you.

Maybe you are in a situation where God is constantly directing you every step of the way. You hear God tell you to do something and you do it and you find yourself being blessed by God. The more times God tells you what to do, the more routine it will be in your life to hear the voice of God. Soon, if you are not careful, you will not appreciate the voice of the Lord speaking to you.

The Lord desires to direct, protect, and provide for you. The Lord desires to build your faith and to cause you to focus upon HIM. Do not lose focus by allowing Satan to convince you that because you have seen God do something before, you do not have to be grateful to God for what HE is doing.

In the same way that a High School student would not think twice about doing his first grade homework, so also, there will come a time when you spiritual mature to the point where the trials and tests that God gave you in the past just do not seem all that difficult. It is at this time that you should thank the Lord for what HE has done in your life.

God is watching you and HE desires that you can be all that you can be. If you desire to be a man or woman of great faith, this means that you must start one step at a time. Be patient with God because there will come a day when you look back and you will be surprised that you had so much concern about such a small trial. Just as young child must be patient to grow up and have more responsibilities, so you must also be patient to wait until you reach the point in your life where the trials that you are now facing seem so routine. Never take for granted the test that God has before you today. God has a reason for everything that is happening to you and you need to be diligent to discover why God is doing what HE is doing today.

I Kings 19:3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.

Elijah had just seen God answer his prayer by bringing fire from heaven. Elijah had just seen God bring rain from a cloud that started the size of a man’s fist. Ahab also had seen these things and had seen what the Lord had been doing. However, when Jezebel heard these things, she was more concerned about her false gods then she was about the people whom she governed.

Jezebel was not a happy woman because the rain had finally returned to the nation. Instead, Jezebel was upset that Elijah was able to kill 400 prophets of Baal. Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah informing him that she was going to take his life.

Upon hearing that Jezebel desired to kill him, Elijah ran for his life. Elijah served a God who had provided and protected him during the three plus years of drought, why he did not trust the Lord this time we do not know. Elijah had seen God do several miracles based upon his request, but why he thought he needed to run for his life, scripture is not clear.

Elijah was truly a great man. Elijah was able to raise a widow’s son back to life. Elijah was one of two who saw Jesus on the Mount of transfiguration. Elijah had done so many things that demonstrated he had a close walk with the Lord, but all of a sudden, he hears his life is in trouble, and he skips town.

Elijah most likely had heard the story about how God protected Jacob from both Laban and his brother Esau. Elijah most likely had heard the stories how God protected the nation of Israel time after time when they were attacked. Elijah most likely had heard the story of how God protected David from the hand of Saul.

It is easy to forget how big of a God we serve. Sometimes we become so focused upon our own problems, that we lose track of who God is and what HE can do for us. Satan loves to get our focus upon the things of this world. Satan loves to cause us to turn our attention upon our problems and try to solve our own problems in our own strength.

One of the biggest faith killers is our own responses to our own problems. It is easy to look at others and say that they are not living by faith. However, it is much harder to remain faithful every single day when it appears that your world is crumbling around you. When things do not go the way you think they should go, this is not the time to react, this is the time to stop and listen to the still small voice of God. The worst thing that you can do is to react to your problems because our natural tendencies are not very often God’s best for our life.

When Eve heard that the fruit would be good for her and she saw that it was pleasant to the eye, Eve decided to react and follow her own impulses. That fruit was not going to go anywhere, it still was going to be there the next day. Eve could have waited and talked with God about her desire to eat of the fruit that God had instructed her not to eat.

Patience is a quality that we all need to exercise. Rather than reacting to our problems, we need to stop and allow God to direct our steps. How many blessings of God do we miss out upon when we immediately react and we do not take the time to see what God has for us. Elijah may have missed out on another miracle as God protected him, but instead, he ran.

Job 42:11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.

In the prior verse, we are told that God had already turned the captivity of Job. There are times in our lives where God has already released us from a trial, but it is not obvious to you or those around you. Sometimes, God requires that we be patient to see how HE removes an obstacle from our life.

God had already stopped Satan from persecuting Job any more. Nonetheless, it takes many years for Job to have seven sons and three daughters. In this verse we see how God used Job’s relatives to give Job some money which apparently was used by Job to amass great wealth once again. A single earring of gold or a single piece of money would not be enough to amass great wealth, but God burdened many individuals to give a little something to Job and God used everyone’s collective gift to start Job back on a prosperous trail.

In this passage we see many people bemoaning the suffering of Job. However, instead of bemoaning the suffering of Job, they should have been rejoicing that God had removed the captivity of Job and was now opening the door for Job to return to his prior financial status.

Sometimes we lose focus of what God is doing and we have the wrong response to what is going on around us. When Elisha’s servant saw the hosts of the enemy, he asked Elisha what they were going to do. Elisha’s servant should have been rejoicing in the heavenly hosts that were protecting them from evil but he was focused upon the wrong thing. God had to open the eyes of Elisha’s servant so that he could remove his focus from that where it was not supposed to be.

How often does your focus stray from the power of God to that which is not profitable? If you are like most Christians, it is very easy for your focus to stray from God to your problems. We need to learn to be patient with what God is doing in our life. Rather than focusing upon our problems, we need to focus upon the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Lord already knew how HE was going to enable the nation of Israel to escape the hands of the Egyptians long before the nation of Israel ever entered the land of Egypt. The nation of Israel could look back at the Egyptians and worry about their life or they could look forward and loudly proclaim the power of God and watch what HE would do. One of the problems the nation of Israel had was they lacked the wiliness to trust God and allow HIM to provide and protect them. Instead, they treated every crisis as an insurmountable obstacle.

The next time you have a trial that overwhelms you, stop and thank God for what HE is doing in your life. If you cannot find something to thank God for regarding your current crisis, find 10 other things that God has done for you in the last week and thank God for those things.

God had a plan for your life. Do not be like Job’s family who were so concerned with Job’s suffering that they failed to see that God had already delivered Job from his trial. If you keep your focus upon God, you will be less likely to stray and make the mistake made by Job’s family. If you keep your focus upon God, you will be more likely to learn the lessons that God has for you.

Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

This quote by Job is not made at the beginning of the book when Job is living a life of luxury. This quote by Job is not made at the end of the book after Job had a conversation with God and God had restored everything unto him. No, this quote by Job is made in the middle of the book during a time when he was in the midst of a trial.

Job was not high on a mountaintop receiving special instructions from God on how he was supposed to live his life. Job was not in his bed at home listening to God speak to him during the night. Job was not on a walk with God talking to him about what was going to be happening in the world around him. No, Job had lost everything he had and his friends were verbally beating him up about some secret sin that he had committed.

Job was not facing perfect circumstances but he was able to loudly proclaim that he knew that God was alive. It is easy to say that you know God is alive when things are going your way. It is much harder to proclaim the goodness of God when life’s trials seem to be about to overwhelm you.

Hannah was a married woman who desired a child. She had the love of her husband but the thing she desired more than anything else in the world was a son. Hannah desired a child so bad that she could not celebrate with everyone else at the feast. Instead, Hannah went to the temple where she prayed with great fervency. Hannah understood that her God lived and that HE was the only one who could deliver her from being childless. Hannah knew that the problem was not with her husband since he was having children by his other wife. Even though God seemed to have cursed her by not giving her a child, Hannah was not going to be persuaded that God could not give her what she desired.

Do you know that God lives today? Can you share a testimony of how God has delivered you from some sort of trouble? Can you share a testimony of how God has provided for you in a special way? Can you share a testimony of how God protected you from something before it even happened?

God is alive and HE is to be the source of your strength. Job understood this principle and even though most people would look at his life and make a comment about “how could a loving God allow such a terrible thing to happen to HIS faithful follower?” Job was not going to be discouraged.

If you are relying upon your own strength, the problems that you will face in this world will discourage you. However, if you chose to rely upon God, it does not matter how large the storms are around you, if you keep your focus upon HIM, there will be nothing that Satan can do to destroy you. It will not be easy to trust God in the midst of the storm, but if you patiently keep your focus upon HIM, soon HE will give you the desires of your heart.

It is in the midst of the storm that you need to say with confidence, “I know that my redeemer liveth”. Yes you need to have faith in God at all times of your life, but when Satan starts attacking your faith, that is when you should be diving into the word of God for strength to see you through each day.

Job 9:11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

Job is responding to the statements made by Bildad. In this passage, Job is talking about how we do not see God like we see other humans. Our relationship with God is different and always will be different then it is with others around us.

If a mother is seeking her son, the mother usually knows all of her son’s favorite hiding spaces. The son will not be able to hide for too long before the mother finds that which she is looking for.

If the same mother desires to see God, she will not see God like Moses saw God by looking under the bed. If the mother desires to see God as Abraham saw God, she should not be looking in the garage. If the mother desires to see God as Jacob saw God, looking in the backyard will probably not help.

Job understands that seeing God is not like seeing your spouse or your best friend. Instead, seeing God is dependent upon God’s desire to making HIMSELF real to you. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. You must remember that God made this world and he daily had fellowship with Adam and Eve. During the time of Abraham, he walked down the road to pass the tent of Abraham. Had Abraham not stopped and offered his hospitality, God probably would have continued along HIS way and never stopped.

In the book of Hebrews, we are admonished to “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 13:2. Who knows, but you may have actually seen an angel or even better, you may have seen God and never knew it.

When the enemies of the nation of Israel came to capture Elisha, Elisha’s servant saw the enemy and was terrified. Elisha however understood that greater was HE that was with him then those who were of this world. Elisha prayed and asked God to open the eyes of his servant and the servant saw the hosts of the Lord surrounding the enemy. There was no way that the enemy was going to touch Elisha without God’s permission.

As Job tells us in this passage, God can walk right by you and you will not see HIM. God can pass you on a busy street and you may never perceive that you were that close to the presence of God. How many times did God or HIS angels direct your steps in such a way that you missed a major calamity? God is watching out for us and HE is directing, protecting, and providing for you in ways that you never imagined.

You may not be able to see God, but HE does see you. You may not know when God has been around you, but HE does know your deepest secrets. You may live your entire life never realizing all the times that the presence of God or HIS angels was within a few feet of you; however, that does not mean that God was not with you.

You will never understand God. Nonetheless, if you take the time to draw closer to God and develop a close relationship with HIM, you have a much better chance to seeing the presence of God in your life. Be patient with God and daily spend the time drawing closer to HIM. Seek HIM and while you may not see God, you will learn to recognize HIS hand upon your life. Maybe today the Lord will pass you by.

Job 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

How could God allow Satan to do terrible things to a man who feared the Lord and hated evil? Based upon what scripture tells us about Job, most of us would say that Job was a much more righteous individual then we are. However, even though Job was a man of great faith and lived in the fear of the Lord, God allowed him to be attacked by Satan in a way that would serious shake most of our faith.

Job was a good man and the Lord allowed Satan to attack Job by taking away his family and his wealth. In the matter of just a few minutes, Job loss almost everything of any value. Why would a loving God allow a good man like Job to face that kind of trial?

The problem with most of us is that we focus upon what God did not do for us rather than on what God did do for us. It is really easy to focus upon the negative and not the positive. While God gave Satan a long leash in which to attack Job, God was still looking out for Job and HE did not give Satan permission to touch the health or the person of Job.

It is easy to focus upon the negative and to become discouraged. Some of us will easily fall into depression when God does not give us what we want when we want. We focus our attention on what we do not have and as a result we find it hard to be patient with God let alone sing forth HIS praises.

The thing is, even when things are not going our way, God is often blessing us in some other way. When Joseph was a slave, he found himself the head of Potiphar’s house. When Joseph found himself a prisoner, he found himself second only to the guard. When Daniel found himself a captive in Babylon, he found himself gaining favor with the ruler. When Elijah was hiding from King Ahab, God provided his daily substance. When the nation of Israel was being held in Egypt, God blessed them and allowed them to grow in the best of the land in an area where they did not have to worry about interracial marriages.

Throughout scripture, when someone goes through a great trial, if you look closely, you can find that God was involved in such a way that the person could praise God. It is not always easy to find something to praise God for when you are in the midst of a trial, but that really needs to become our focus. God may allow us to lose someone who is very close to us, but that does not mean that we should curse God. God may allow us to lose our financial security, that does not mean that we should turn our back on God and stop believing in HIM.

One of the reasons why we are told that Job is a patient man is that he did not quickly turn his back on God just because the fortunes of his life had changed. Job was a man who understood the importance of maintaining a right relationship with God. Just because things had changed, that did not mean he had the right to reject the God who had given him the good things to begin with.

The next time something discouraging happens in your life, turn to the Lord in prayer. Seek first the kingdom of God and find things in your life that you can praise God for. If you do not look for the ways God is blessing you in your current trial, you will never find them. If you do not look for the ways God is blessing you, your perspective on life will be backwards.

Job 1:9-10 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

Satan has appeared before God and God has pointed out to Satan that Job is a righteous man who feared the Lord and hated evil. Satan’s reply is that of course Job fears the Lord because of the way the Lord has protected Job. Satan claims that the only reason Job fears the Lord and hates evil is because God has protected him and blessed him in a spectacular way.

We know that just because God blesses and protects a believer, it does not mean that they fear the Lord and hate evil. Look at the nation of Israel. They saw miracle after miracle of the Lord protecting them and blessing them in a supernatural way. Nonetheless, the nation of Israel did not fear the Lord and hate evil. As soon as Moses was gone for a prolonged period of time, the nation of Israel made a golden calf that they started to worship.

Satan knew that there was something special about the life of Job, but he figured if God would open up the hedge and allow him to attack the personal possessions of Job, then Job would not have as close of relationship with God as he currently had. Satan had seen how Job prayed for his children and surely if he took Job’s children from him, that would cause him to curse God.

Job loved his children in the same way that Abraham loved his son Isaac. Just as Abraham had to go through a test in losing his son Isaac, so also, Job was about to go through a test where he did lose his children whom he loved.

God tests each one of us in different ways. God tested Abraham and Job through their children. In one case God actually allowed the children to die whereas in the other situation God spared the child. You do not have any control over how far you must go to prove your faithfulness to God. God may actually require that you give up the thing that you love and it will be up to HIM whether or not HE actually gives it back to you.

Satan ended up attacking the wealth of Job, the family of Job, and eventually the health of Job. Just because you have seen the protection and blessing of the Lord in a certain aspect of your life, it does not mean that God will not allow you to face trials in those areas in the future. Will you still trust the Lord if HE takes away HIS blessing from certain areas of your life? Will you still trust the Lord if HE stops protecting you in certain areas of your life?

We are told that Job is an example to us of patience. Your character is not proven based upon the good times in your life but instead, it is proven by how we respond to the trials in our life. Just because everything is great and wonderful in our life, it does not mean that we have reached our destination in spiritual growth. Instead, life is like a journey on mountain roads, there will be ups and there will be downs. Our true character will be revealed based upon how we respond to the obstacles that we face in our life.

You may be in the middle of a trial or you may be in the middle of a time of great blessing; regardless of where you are at in your life, you must understand that God is first in your life. You should fear the Lord regardless of whether you are in a trial or a time of great blessing. You should hate evil regardless of whether you are being protected by God or whether your entire life is in turmoil. Do not be a fair-weather friend of God as Satan accused Job of being.

Acts 9:25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.

Paul came to Damascus with the permission of the religious leaders with a mandate to persecute the Christians. In a short period of time, Saul had been touched by God and he was now preaching the name of Christ so boldly that Saul became public enemy number one. Saul became so despised by those who used to use him that he had to escape over the wall of the city in a basket.

Think about it, when Saul was pursuing God his way, things were going great. Saul had power and Saul had friends in high places that gave him a lot of leeway. Now that Saul was serving God the right way, rather than live this life of wealth and power, Saul found himself suffering for the cause of Christ. Saul no longer had the same influence.

If you were to look at Saul’s life before his Damascus experience and after the Damascus experience, you would think that Saul lost a lot more as a result of his conversion. We naturally try to measure the blessing of God based upon our power, prestige, and pocketbook. Saul lost all of these and found himself being let down over a wall in a basket because he allowed God to obtain 100% control over his life.

Nonetheless, if you were to interview Paul at the end of his life if he considered himself blessed by God before his Damascus experience, Paul would have told you that he was not. The things of this world are not the true blessings from God. While God may bless some with riches or power or great influence, this does not mean that HE blesses everyone with these things. Saul was blessed by God by winning many souls. Saul was blessed by God in that he saw the Lord constantly protect, direct, and provide for him. Saul was blessed by God in that he learned to be content with next to nothing.

The world would have looked at Saul and said that he was an utter failure. The world would say that Saul lost everything when he chose to be religious. The world would say that Saul threw his life away. However, the things of this world are temporal and they do not amount to much. We need to learn to put our focus upon the things of God and how HE can use us today.

Stop measuring your life by the Steve Forbes, Oprah Winfrey, and Kobe Bryant’s of the world. What the world measures as success and what God measures as success are two different things. Some would say that the English Olympic runner Eric Liddell threw away so much when he moved to China and stopped competing for the fame and glory of man. However, Eric Liddell was competing for the favor of God and the lives that he helped lead to the Lord were worth more than a 1,000 gold medals.

Stop looking at others to determine where you should be at in life. You need to learn to thank God with exactly where HE has placed you. Be patient and allow God to be God and allow HIM to mold you and make you into the person HE desires for you to be. Take the time today to praise God for the things HE has done to direct, protect, and provide for you.

It is easy to look on outward appearances and come up with false conclusions. If you had looked at Saul escaping with his life by being let over the way in a basket as a failure, you would be wrong. Saul was just being to learn to live his life under the protection and direction of God. Saul would experience many more blessings from God because he trusted in HIM.

Genesis 45:8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Joseph has just revealed himself to his brothers. He has explained how there is going to be five more years of famine. Joseph twice has told his brothers that God sent him to Egypt in order to save many people’s lives. In this passage, Joseph is once again reminding his brothers that it is God who has directed his path and given him the blessings of position and prestige.

God had protected, provided, and directed Joseph. Joseph saw the hand of the Lord in his life and he was quick to direct his brother’s attention to God for what God had done in his life. It was God who sent Joseph to Egypt and it was God who placed Joseph in a position of influence with Pharaoh. It was nothing that Joseph did or his brothers did that resulted in the position and prestige that Joseph now found himself in.

As you go about your daily life, you have the option to take credit for what you have done or to give God the glory for what HE is doing through you. If you are giving God the glory, this means that your life is a testimony to HIM of what God can do through those who trust in HIM. If you are faithful in sharing with others the power of God, God can use you and HE has incentive to continue to bless you so that the world can hear that there is a living God.

Even when things were difficult for Job, Job refused to curse God. Job understood that the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Job understood that he came into this world with nothing and that he would leave the world with nothing. The things of this world were only things in his hands for a limited period of time to use to bring glory to God.

Joseph understood the importance of giving God the glory. Joseph was diligent to work both during the times of plenty and the times of great difficulty. It did not matter if he was in prison or if he was second in command over all of Egypt, Joseph gave God the glory. Because of the faithfulness of Joseph, God made sure that Joseph was in a position of great influence so that the people who heard the testimony of Joseph would know that God was real and powerful.

God has a purpose for your life, do you see it. When was the last time you looked back on your life and saw how God put everything together in a perfect way that you never would have imagined? Have you ever wondered why God allowed something to happen to you only to see several years later how your prior experience worked beautifully into his perfect plan for your life? Were you quick to give glory to God?

You are not God and you do not know what HE has in store for your life. Learn to be like Joseph and Job and give glory to God in both the good and difficult times. It takes temperance to restrain yourself from complaining when things are difficult. You must exercise self-control over your mind and not allow Satan to tempt you with thoughts of blaming God for your difficult situation.

Joseph gave glory to God not only privately but more importantly in public. Joseph did not allow others to inflate his ego but instead, spoke in such a way that God received the glory that he was due. It is not easy to follow the example of Joseph but it is not impossible. God is able to give you the grace necessary so that you do not sin against HIM in your mind or with your mouth. The battle of the mind is great but through Christ you can overcome.

Genesis 35:5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

Dinah had just been raped and two of Jacob’s sons had killed all the men in the city where their sister was abused. Jacob chastised his sons because he feared that his entire family would be killed by those seeking revenge for the killing of their loved ones. Jacob worried that the situation was soon going to escalate as the inhabitants of the Promise Land sought eye for an eye revenge.

The fears of Jacob were unjustified. God was with Jacob and God was not going to allow the family of Jacob to be destroyed because his sons defended their sister’s honor. Jacob had lost sight of God’s promises for his life and this is why he allowed worry to enter into his life when God did not want him to worry.

It is easy to take your eyes off of the promises of God. As you focus upon that which God desires you to focus upon, you will fill your mind with thoughts that God never desired you to think about. The longer you mind is not upon the things of God, the more Satan will be able to tempt you into concerning things that are never going to occur.

Jacob had seen God protect him from his brother Esau and from Laban, Jacob did not need to worry about the inhabitance of the Promise Land. God was working on behalf of Jacob and God made sure that those who desired to do harm to Jacob feared the Lord. God worked in their minds and caused Jacob’s enemies to fear that Jacob was stronger than he was.

Throughout scripture we see how God put the fear of the Lord in the enemies of those who served God. When the nation of Israel re-entered the Promise Land, we learn that God the city of Jericho feared God because 40 years earlier he had utterly destroyed the Egyptian army with the Red Sea.

Jesus commanded us in the Sermon on the Mount that we are not to worry. God is our protector and provider. HE does not want us to waste our time thinking about what could go wrong. Instead we need to focus our attention upon the promises of God. As we remember what HE has promised us, we do not need to worry about what may occur. God desires that our focus be on HIM, not on our problems.

If we take the time to add temperance to our life, we will be able to say no to the temptation to start worrying about the things of this world. Worry is a common temptation. However, we can overcome worry by simply saying no and exercising the faith that is necessary so that God can be glorified through your life. It is easy to worry, but you need to exercise self-control so that God might be glorified in your life.

Jacob was worried about what others might do to him so he did not properly protect and defend his daughter. Jacob was worried about what others might do so he chastised his sons for doing what he probably should have done. Jacob did not have to worry because God had already taken care of the problem. God protected Jacob by putting the fear of the Lord in Jacob’s enemies. Jacob had no need to fear and as such, his fears were simply a waste of his time and were a determent to the growth of his faith. Your faith will grow when you allow your focus to be placed upon the promises of God rather than the worries of the world.

Genesis 35:1 And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

When Jacob fled from Esau after stealing his blessing, God met Jacob at Bethel. Now many years later, God is directing Jacob back to Bethel. Bethel was a place where Jacob met God and now God desires for Jacob to be refreshed.

When Jacob first encountered God at Bethel, it was during a real difficult time in Jacob’s life. Jacob had now seen God make him very wealthy, seen God protect him from Laban, seen God protect him from Esau, and had even seen God protect him after his sons destroyed an entire town in revenge for the rape of their sister. God desires that Jacob renew his relationship with HIM so God calls Jacob back to Bethel.

As a Christian, it is good to sometimes go back and remember the promises of God for your life. As you sit down and start recounting all the ways that HE has directed, protected, and provided for you, your faith in HIM should grow.

When was the last time that you sat down and started to recount all the promises that God has made to you and reminded yourself of all the ways HE has fulfilled what HE has directed you to do? If you do not take the time to remember the times that God has made HIS presence known unto you, how do you think you are going to make it through the next difficult trial in your life? God has not abandoned you in the past and HE will not do so in the future. God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

When Jesus was on this earth we see that on many occasions HE went to a desolate place so that HE could be alone with God. Jesus the Son of God who lived a perfect life still set aside time to fellowship with God. As Jesus was preparing to die, HE yielded HIS right to do anything but the will of God. Jesus understood what God desired HIM to do and Jesus gained the resolve necessary by focusing HIS attention upon the purposes of God for HIS life.

Satan desires to change your focus from the perfect will of God by distracting you with the cares of this world. As you start focusing upon the most recent problem you lose focus on God and your faith is weakened. However, when you renew your mind with the promises of God, God will renew your strength so that you can overcome the trials that you currently are facing.

When was the last time you said no to all the commitments that the world throws your direction so that you could go to a place just to get alone with God? You must add temperance to your life if you are going to say no to the things of this world so that you can prioritize your time with God. Until you start restraining yourself from all the things that this world has to offer and start renewing your mind with the things of God, you will never have the true freedom that God designed for those who are called by HIS name.

Jacob was about to renew HIS relationship with God at Bethel. It had been several years since he returned to the promise land and it was time for HIM to change HIS focus back to God. God had a purpose for the life of Jacob so HE made sure that Jacob understood the direction that God had for him. Jacob was obedient to the voice of God and was flexible to change his plans so that his actions conformed with what God desired him to do. The true blessings in life can come when we are ready to focus our attention upon our Creator.

Genesis 19:8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.

Lot had invited two strangers into his house and when night came, the men of the city came to the house of Lot and insisted that he turn over the men so that they might know them. Lot was willing to give two of his daughters to this mob of men so that they might leave his guest alone. Lot was more concerned about his reputation with these strangers than he was about protecting and providing for his daughters who also were under his roof.

After God had destroyed Sodom, we see that the daughters of Lot have Lot drink and they go into him so that they might conceive children by their father. Lot had failed to protect his daughters and his daughters knew of his lack of love to them and as such, we later see them defiling their father in order to get what they want when they wanted it.

To understand just how brutal of an act that Lot was doing by offering his daughters to this mob, we have to look at the story of Levite who was traveling with his concubine. In Judges chapter 19 we learn that the men of the city Gibeah attacked the house that this Levite was staying at that night. In order to save his life, the Levite pushed his concubine out into the street where the men brutally raped her. In the morning, when the Levite awoke, he found his concubine dead.

Had Lot actually shoved his two daughters out into the mob, it is most likely that the two girls would not have lived through the night. They would have been abused by the lusts of the mob.

God had given Lot several children. At this stage of his life, he only had two daughters who had not married. These daughters were dwelling in the house of their father and it was one of his duties to protect them from the lusts of men. However, this is exactly what Lot refused to do. When Lot felt that his reputation would be ruined he was willing to sacrifice his family.

While you might not be so evil that you would be willing to throw your virgin daughters into a dark alley with a bunch of sexual perverts, what sins would you commit in order to keep your reputation? Are you willing to tell a white lie so that people will think more highly of you then they ought? Are you willing to break a promise with your children because you think something else might be more important?

You are not God. You need to start understanding your priorities. God should be number one in your life. God commands you to be perfect and this means that you cannot commit one sin just because you think it would be advantageous. After God, your focus should be upon your family whom God has given to you and then you can worry about what your boss and friends think.

Lot was not focusing on how God desired to live his life. Lot was living his life by his own standards and this led him to be making some very bad decisions. If Lot simply loved the Lord with all his heart and his daughters as himself, he never would have been willing to throw them out into the mob.

Temperance allows you to put a new focus on your life. Rather than live for the moment, you are able to focus upon the perfect will of God and how HE desires that you live your life. Stop making decisions because they seem right; start living your life according to the will of God.

Acts 26:22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

It is not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit says the Lord. In this passage we see how Paul recognizes how it was not by his strength that had kept him alive all these years. Paul understood that because he was vigilant to sharing the truth of the gospel with those around him, he was not the most popular man in the country. Paul had experienced the protection of the Lord because he was diligent to put the things of God first in his life.

Paul understood that if it were up to his own strength, he would not be living. Paul had been stoned and left for dead. On many occasions, Paul was leaving town just before anyone could have him killed. Paul could try to pretend that it was because of his dynamic personality that he had survived all these terrible circumstances, but he did not.

Throughout scripture we read stories of how God protected those who were faithful to him. God saw that Noah and his family were the only righteous ones on the earth so he provided a way of escape for Noah from the pending flood. When Laban came to take back Jacob along with his wives and children, God protected Jacob by showing himself to Laban the night before.

When the nation of Israel was trapped by the Red Sea and the Egyptians, God showed HIMSELF strong and kept HIS chosen nation from being killed or enslaved once again. When Daniel was thrown into a den of lions, God sent an angel who shut the mouths of the lions.

What is the difficult situation that you face today? Do you have financial problems that are making your life difficult? God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same God who was able to protect his saints is able to protect you. You have a choice, you can continue to face your difficult situation in your own strength or you can learn to rely upon God and allow HIM to protect you.

As long as you are relying upon your own strength, you are going to continue to flounder and continue to worry about your difficult situation. However, if you follow the commands of Christ and learn to stop worrying about your problems, you will learn to experience the peace that passeth all understanding. God is willing to protect you just as soon as you are willing to let go of the reigns of your life.

If you allow the things of this world to control your life, you will never be able to see the ways that God can protect you. You must diligently add temperance to your life and start saying no to the things of this world. Start spending your time learning how to have a heavenly perspective on this earth.

Paul was focused upon giving credit to the One who was truly responsible for HIS safety. Because Paul understood that it was God who was protecting HIM, HE was excited to share with others the testimony of the power of God. Paul was not about to start relying upon his own strength. You too need to start following the example of Paul. When God does something special in your life, you need to be quick to acknowledge HIM. As you start focusing your attention upon God and what HE has done for you, you will learn just how dependent you are upon the strength of God.

Acts 26:8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

The problem with mankind is that we impose our limitations upon God. We read the stories about Peter walking on water and it is such a difficult topic to grasp that the same God who enabled Peter to walk on water is the same God that we serve today. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We serve a God that nothing is impossible.

In this passage, Paul is speaking with king Agrippa. Paul is trying to explain to Agrippa how God who can do the impossible raised Jesus Christ from the grave. When people die, they are dead; you do not see people rising from the dead very often. The resurrection is an essential element to the Christian faith and thus Paul needed to explain to Agrippa the impossible so that Agrippa could fully understand what was necessary to believe in order to be converted.

Paul was not taking anything for granted. Too many of us when witnessing to someone will simply state the fact that Jesus lived on this earth, that he died, and that he was raised from the dead. We state it as a fact, and do not take the time to break it down so the unsaved person can understand the perfect plan for God.

If someone were to come up to you and say, two hundred years ago, there was this man who jumped off a certain cliff that was 300 feet above a canyon. That this man jumped on a full moon and that half way down he grew wings and was able to fly. They now tell you that based upon those facts, that if you jump from the same cliff at night, this man would come back and catch you in mid flight so that you would not be harmed. Do you realize how much faith it would take to believe such a story and act upon it?

We serve a God who does the impossible who demands of us that we learn to walk by faith. When we try to impose our earthly limitations upon a heavenly God, we diminish not only our faith, but also greatly hamper our ability to trust in HIM. God desires that we learn to rely upon HIM for our protection, provision, and direction. However, if we cannot fully trust in HIM for our salvation, how can we trust in him for our protection, provision, and direction?

Christ taught us that one must have the faith of a little child in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. Christ understood the impossible task it is to convince an educated mind to fully comprehend a heavenly God in an earthly world. Christ understood how difficult it is to truly walk in faith. However, regardless of how difficult it is, this is still the assignment that God has given to us in that we are to walk in faith.

You will never understand all that God can do for you if you are looking at all this world has to offer you. As long as you are controlled by the things of this world, the things of God will seem like an impossibility. When you add temperance to your life and put aside the things of this world in order to pursue the things of God, you will start to understand the impossible things that God can do through you.

If you desire to see God do the impossible, then you must learn to have complete faith in HIM. You must put aside your worldly perspective and start drawing closer to HIM so that you can understand just exactly who HE is. God can do the impossible when HE is protecting, providing, and directing you in the way you are to go. There is nothing that is too hard for God if you will just let HIM.

Acts 13:3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

Several of the prophets and teachers in Antioch had been fasting for the purpose of ministering unto God. As these men put the things of God as a priority in their life, they clearly heard the voice of God. They heard the voice of God as a multitude. This means that there was a wonderful confirmation knowing that it was not just Barnabas and Saul who heard the calling, but all the men together heard the calling of God and knew that God had a special purpose for these men.

These men had fasted for the purpose of ministering unto God and they had heard the calling of God for the life of Saul and Barnabas. In this passage, we see that before they sent Saul and Barnabas away, that they fasted and prayed some more. Whether this is a separate fast from the fast in which they ministered unto God we do not know, what we do know is that they fasted for the purpose of sending Saul and Barnabas out to do the work of God.

The prophets and teachers already knew the will of God so why would they need to fast and pray? These men were not fasting and praying to receive confirmation of the will of God, they had heard God speak through a multitude of men. There are several reasons for this time of fasting and prayer. It could have been a sacrifice of praise to God for calling these men out to go and serve HIM. It could have been a time of asking God to protect these men as they went out and started several churches. It could have been another opportunity to live their lives in a manner that was pleasing to God.

While we do not know why these men fasted and prayed before sending Saul and Barnabas out, we do know that they did fast and pray. Remember that the believers were first called Christians at Antioch. One of the reasons for this title was because of how much they strived to live their lives in a manner that was pleasing to the Lord. From this passage in the book of Acts, we see that these Christians were quick to abstain from the things of this world in order to put the things of God as a priority in their life.

Fasting is a time when one abstains from food. There are many reasons why people fast. Some people fast for health benefits that they might receive. Others fast as a way to show their spirituality as the religious leaders did during the time of Christ. Some people fast as a way to demonstrate their repentance for their sins as the nation of Ninevah did after hearing the sermon of Jonah. Others fast in order to hear the voice of God and to receive direction for their lives as Elijah did after he saw God bring fire out of heaven and rain from a cloud the size of a fist.

Yes there are many reasons why you can fast for your own benefit, but in these verses, we see the importance of fasting not for your own benefit but for the benefit of God. These men were saying no to the things of this world in order to draw closer to God. By putting the things of God first in their life they received direction that they were not even asking for; by putting the things of God first, they received purpose that they were not even seeking.

Fasting and praying are tools that help demonstrate that you are adding temperance to your life. When you fast and pray, you are saying no to the things of this world and saying yes to the things of God. The more that the things of this world do not entangle you, the clearer the voice of God will be in your life and the easier it will be for you to go where God needs you.

Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

In Antioch there were a group of prophets and teachers who were ministering unto the Lord and while they were fasting, God showed this group of men that God had a special plan for Barnabas and Saul. These men were not fasting because they wanted to hear the voice of God, they were fasting as a part of their ministering unto the Lord and as they put the things of God first, God made clear to all HIS perfect will.

Barnabas and Saul had just gotten back from a short term missionary trip where they had taken a special love offering from the Christians in Antioch to the Christians in Judah. Barnabas and Saul went back to serving the church and ministering to the local Christians. They were not proud of their past service to the Lord but instead were humble and willing to serve those who God brought into their lives.

It was as Barnabas and Saul served the local church that we see God opened the door for them to go out and do great things for HIM. Barnabas and Saul were sacrificing their desires for the things of this world so that the things of God might be more visible to them. These men were not fasting so as to see what they could get from God, but they were fasting so that they could see what they could give to God.

How many times have you opened up the Bible and asked God to direct you in the way you were to go? It sounds like a good thing to be doing, seeking the will of God. How many times have you opened up the Bible with the intent just to minister unto God with your actions? Too often, our relationship with God is all about us and what we can get from this relationship.

You have met people who are always takers in a relationship. They never give back but are always taking to the point that eventually, you need a break from that person. In order for a solid relationship to exist, there needs to be both giving and receiving. While there are going to be times that you come to the Lord for direction, protection, and provision, there also needs to be times where you come before the Lord just to praise HIS holy name.

Think about two friends who both want a special treat of ice cream. One of the two friends goes home and spends the next 3 hours begging his parents for an ice cream treat while the other does his chores and does a bunch of extra clean up around the house. Both sets of parents know that their child desires an ice cream treat, but which set of parents is more likely to give the ice cream treat to their child?

It is important to say no to the things of this world, but it is more important to do so for the right reasons. God has asked you to add temperance to your life and this means you can obey HIM because you have to, or you can do it because you desire to minister to HIM and to put the things of God first in your life.

It is amazing the doors that God can open up to you as you put the things of God first in your life. Yes there will be times where you need to put aside the things of this world in order to receive direction, protection, and provision from God; but there will also be times where you should put aside the things of this world just because of your love for HIM and your desire that God be magnified through your life.

Matthew 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

This is one of those passages that are extremely difficult to fully comprehend. How is it that you can be happy when you are suffering because you have chosen to do the right thing? When others persecute you because of your faith, all sorts of unjust things are happening in your life and being happy is not your natural response. You must remember that the ways of God are not always your ways. Your definition of happiness is not necessarily the definition that Jesus uses in this passage.

Elijah was a man who was persecuted because he was a servant of God. It was because of this persecution that he experienced the hand of God in his life. Elijah saw God miraculously provide for his daily needs. If Elijah had not been persecuted for righteousness sake, his relationship with God would not have been as strong because he then would not have had the daily need that only God could provide.

Later on in the life of Elijah, we see how Elijah was used of God to bring fire out of heaven and rain from a small cloud. Even though all the people saw the hand of God in his life, Elijah still had to flee for his life. Elijah was upset that he was being persecuted, yet it was during this time that he received new direction from God. Yes Elijah had to endure a 40 day fast and a long journey, but he once again found his relationship with God growing.

Elijah never would have received the blessings from God which included HIS protection, provision, and direction had he first not suffered persecution. Elijah may have complained and he may have been upset, but true spiritual happiness was the result of his persecution. Seeing God protect you, provide for you, and direct you is very important aspect of your life: would you rather lack direction, lack provision, or lack protection?

There are great rewards that come from persecution. When the early New Testament church was persecuted, we see how God used this to help spread the gospel around the world. The Christians who were persecuted and fled where then blessed because they obeyed the Great Commission to go into the whole world and preach the gospel. If it had not been for the persecution, the church would have grown stagnant and remained comfortable in their current position.

You must remember the promises of God. God has promised you that you will be blessed when you suffer persecution. If you allow your persecution to be the center of your attention, then you may lose sight of God and HIS provision, protection, and direction for your life. God does not make a mistake and this persecution is brought into your life for a purpose. When you listen to the words of Christ and you learn not to worry about things that you cannot control, then when persecution comes, your attention will be drawn to God and HE will be able to bless you in ways you never imagined.

Stop and take the time to add knowledge of the ways of God. As you study the scriptures, you will understand how God used persecution for the furtherance of HIS kingdom. Until you take the time to understand who God is, you will lack the ability to fully appreciate the trials that God has brought into your life. If you desire the blessings of God, you must release your control over your life, and you must allow God to use these difficult times for HIS glory.

Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Why was it that you mother always told you to eat your fruits and vegetables? It was because the fruits and vegetables were good for you and would promote your health. So likewise, every word of God is pure and thus it is desirable for you to partake of the word of God. The more time you spend adding to your knowledge of the ways of God, the stronger your trust in God will be.

If the words of God were not pure, you would not want to waste your time reading and meditating upon them. If you knew that the fruits and vegetables that were served at dinner were cooked in poison, you would be justified in abstaining from eating them. So likewise, the vein philosophies of man are cooked with a deadly spiritual poison. Spending time reading and meditating upon such philosophies will destroy your ability to trust in God.

We know that the nation of Israel had spent many years in the land of Egypt. When they left Egypt, while they had seen the Lord do many wonderful things, they were still filled with the poison of unbelief that inflicted them from being around the worldly Egyptians for most of their lives. It did not matter that they saw the 10 plagues inflicted upon the Egyptians or that they had seen God part the Red Sea, when it came time to enter into the Promise Land, the entire nation bulked with the exception of Joshua and Caleb.

While we do not know much about Joshua and Caleb before this time, we do know that when Moses went up into the Mountain in order to receive the Ten Commandments, it was Joshua who went with Moses and waited for him. Joshua had spent some time alone with God and this apparently helped prepare him for the time when he was going to have to trust in God even though everyone around him was going a different direction.

God desires to protect you, but HE needs you to first put your trust in HIM. In the same way that eating your fruits and vegetables will help boost your immune system which in turn helps protect your body; so likewise, the time you spend filling your mind with the pure words of God will in turn help boost your trust in God who desires to protect you.

When Peter walked on water, we see that Jesus was right there protecting him. Peter was able to do the impossible because he understood who Jesus was. Peter had been spending time around the pure words of God and this boosted his faith and caused him to desire to do the impossible. Peter never would have needed the protection of Jesus as long as he had kept his focus on Jesus and not on the storm around him. Yet nonetheless, Jesus still protected Peter even though Peter did not fully trust in Jesus.

Do you believe that every word of God is pure? Do you have a healthy appetite for the things of God? It is easy to say that you believe that every word of God is pure, but it is another thing altogether to live your life accordingly. You need to understand that your ability to trust God is proportional to the time you spend filling your spiritual stomach with the pure words of God.

You desire to do great things for God. You have asked God to bless you and to expand your borders. However, have you done your part to make sure that you can trust HIM? Why should God bless you if you have not put your full trust in HIM? Why should God bless you if you are spending all your time filling your mind with the vain philosophies of man? If you desire the protection of God, then you must start doing those things to increase your trust in HIM.

Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

You have heard that the Lord desires your obedience over your sacrifice. Saul had been instructed to kill all of the inhabitance of Amalek and to destroy everything they possessed. Saul however saved the best of the flocks and he spared the life of the king. When Samuel confronted Saul, Saul made an excuse that the animals were for a sacrifice unto the Lord.

Saul really did not love the Lord so much that he really wanted to sacrifice all these animals to the Lord. Saul desired to increase his wealth. Saul most likely spared the life of the king so that he could parade him back home so that everyone could see what a great warrior he was. Saul was in this for himself, but when caught, he came up with a logical sounding excuse as to why he had not obeyed the Lord. God was not interested in any sacrifice Saul would make, God desired to see the obedience of those who call upon HIS name.

God delights to hear the prayers of those who are righteous. However, just because you pray from something, it does not mean that you are going to receive it. Remember Jesus was a perfect man; HE never sinned while on this earth. The night before HE died, HE asked the Lord to take the cup away from HIM. Jesus essentially asked that God not require HIM to die on the cross. God did not grant Jesus HIS prayer request, but God did delight in the prayer.

If you are a Christian and have taken the righteousness of Christ as your own, prayer should be an active part of your life. Prayer is not just a time when you can ask God to give you the desires of your heart. Prayer is also a time when you praise God for the good things HE has given you. Prayer is also a time when you seek the will of God for your life. Prayer is a time when you confess your sins and once again put on the righteousness of Christ. Prayer is a time when you ask God for protection from not sliding into sin once again.

God desires that you take the time each day to talk with HIM. You need to take the time to read the Bible and then to discuss what is going on in your life. As you seek HIS face, HE will be able to direction you in the way you are to go. As you draw closer to God, HE will be able to protect you from the attacks of the wicked one. As you yield your life to the purposes of God, HE will be able to provide for your every need.

You desire that God give you the desires of your heart, why are you not concerned about giving God the desires of HIS heart? This is not a one way relationship. In fact, if it were a one way relationship, it surely would not be from God to you. God is your Creator and as such, if it were a one way relationship, then your attitude would need to be to do whatever God desired you to do without you having any hope that God would give you the desires of your heart.

We live in a society where we do not understand who God really is. We are so independent in our ways that we fail to recognize God. We are caught up in our world and we simply see God as some great big object out there that we must acknowledge and that because we acknowledge HIM, HE owes us the desires of our heart. It is time that you start adding knowledge of the ways of God to your life. As you spend time learning who God is, your attitude will change and so will your prayers. Your prayers need to change so that you can properly communicate with God. God already knows your needs; develop a relationship through prayer so that you can grow in HIM.

Proverbs 7:3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.

You have heard of people tying a string on their finger so that they would not forget something important. You have heard of people keeping a journal or a diary so that they would not be quick to forget what occurred in their life. God desires that HIS words have equal importance upon your life. God desires that you do not ever forget the times that HE showed HIMSELF strong in your life or the times that HE spoke to you.

When the nation of Israel entered into the Promise Land, God had Joshua send 12 men back into the river to gather 12 stones. With those 12 stones, Joshua built a memorial unto the Lord of exactly what God had done. Eventually, everyone who walked across the Jordan River died, but God desired that whenever anyone passed the memorial, it would remind them of what the Lord did that day.

We serve a God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. You may be going through a very difficult time in your life. It is during these difficult times that you need to draw upon the faithfulness of God in order to survive the storm. If you are not able to recall the miracles God has done for you in the past or if you are not able to recall the words that God has spoken to you, your faith will be weak and you will be more likely to overcome the temptation.

God had promised Abraham a son. However, in-between the first time that God made the promise and when the promise was actually fulfilled, a period of 25 years had expired. Do you think that you would have remained faithful in trusting God if you had to wait for 25 years for God to fulfill a promise to you? You know that Satan is going to do everything in his power to cause you to doubt God. On many occasions God came back to remind Abraham that one day he was going to have a son. So likewise, when you take the time to put the words of God first in your life, you will have the ability to fall back on the words of God when the storm surrounds you.

God has not promised you that every day you will see a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God has not promised you that every day you can go gather the manna right off of the ground. God has promised that HE will direct, protect, and provide for you. Nonetheless, there will be times when we face extreme trials that God will use to draw us closer to HIM. Satan desires to use that trial to draw you away from God. While you cannot chose your trial and when you face it, you do have the ability to chose how you respond to the trial.

It will be hard to draw closer to God in the midst of the storm unless you have first taken the time to develop a close relationship with God. Take the time to start writing down the things that God has shown you and the things that HE has done for you. As you establish a record of the goodness of God, you will develop the strength necessary to prevail.

It is time for you to start adding knowledge of the ways of God to your life. You need to change your thinking so that hearing the voice of God is the desire of your heart. As you fill your life with the things of God, God will become more real to you and you will then have the strength that you need to overcome the trials that you will face.

Acts 18:9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:

Paul was a man called by God to preach the gospel. While God used Paul to bring many to HIM; Paul did have some enemies that tended to make his life difficult. Paul had preached the gospel in Thessalonica and it was the Jews who drove him out of their city. Paul then went to Berea but the Jews from Thessalonica followed him and again they drove him out of Berea.

Paul had just told the Jews in Corinth that he was no longer going to be working with them but that he was called to preach to the Gentiles. Paul must have had some concern for how long he was going to be in Corinth. However, unlike Thessalonica and Berea, God did not want Paul to be moving on so quickly. God desired Paul to stay for a period of time to work with the Gentiles. God came to Paul by night and spoke to him in a vision. God made sure that Paul knew that he was not to move on at the first sign of trouble. God wanted Paul in Corinth.

God has a plan for your life. God desires to be involved in every aspect of your life. When you are walking with the Lord, HE is able to show you when you are to move on and when you are to be persistent. If you walk in your own strength, you could easily find yourself pursuing the wrong thing in the wrong manner.

God is willing to show you the way that you are to go. Are you ready for God to guide you? Paul was. Paul heard the voice of God, and he ended up staying in Corinth for an addition year and a half. Paul knew the voice of God and he lived his life according to the wishes of God.

God had prepared the hearts of the gentiles in Corinth and HE was going to protect Paul while Paul served HIM. What would have happened to Paul if he had chosen to go to another community and preach the gospel there? God probably would not have protected Paul there because God desired Paul to stay in Corinth and bring in the harvest of souls that God had prepared. Because Paul was in the will of God, God protected him from his enemies and caused his enemies to stay away.

We must spend time with God if we are going to be in the center of HIS will. If you desire God to make HIS will clear to you like HE did with Paul, then you must first make it clear to God and others that you desire to do HIS perfect will. As you strive to put HIM first, HE will show you the way you are to go, and like Paul, HE will show you when you are to stay with what you are doing.

It is important to move when God desires you to move, but it is also important to hear confirmation that you are in the center of HIS perfect will. The nation of Israel had the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud to help direct them when they were wondering in the wilderness. God is willing to direct your steps if you just seek HIM and HIS perfect will.

Paul was commanded to be not afraid. Paul was to hold fast to the course that God had set before HIM. Paul obeyed God and he saw much fruit in his life. God does not speak to Paul every night with a vision. Instead, this was a special time that God wanted Paul to know with clarity exactly what HE wanted him to do. As Paul remained faithful to God, we see the blessing that God placed upon his life and ministry. You need to take the time to seek God. If God does not show you the way right away, be patient and God will reveal it to you in HIS perfect timing.

Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Paul was not teaching the disciples that because they were saved, they would live a life of peace with great financial wealth. Paul was not preaching that because they had accepted Jesus Christ, that they would have many friends and be admired among their community. Paul was not encouraging the Christians that if they chose to follow Jesus Christ they would spend the rest of their life having mountain top experiences.

Paul was preaching to the Christians that because they were pursuing the things of God, that the enemies of God would be their enemies. Paul wanted to encourage the Christians to continue to pursue the things of God even though they were persecuted for the faith. This message was heard by the Christians and they understood the truth of what Paul was preaching because he had just recently been stoned to death because of his boldness to preach the gospel. Many had probably seen with their own eyes the enemies of God throwing huge stones to kill Paul. However, the testimony of how Paul arose up and walked away from that trial probably quickly spread among the church.

The God that Paul served was powerful enough to protect those who serve HIM. It does not matter what evils the world attempts to do to you, if you are serving God and HE still has work for you to do, HE will protect you regardless what the world tries to do to you. Jesus never promised that those who agreed to follow HIM would live a life at ease. We do not follow Jesus because it is the financially prosperous way; we follow HIM because we must do what is right.

If you desired to climb Mount Everest, you would understand that the journey you are about to take is not an easy journey. One will make certain preparations to ensure that they are properly prepared for the assent that is before them. Much time and effort will be expended to ensure that one not only packs the proper items, but that they are physically, mentally, and emotionally prepared to climb to the top. A mountain climber would think it crazy if someone said that there is a nice easy paved road that goes to the top of the mountain and all one had to do was jump in the car and drive up the mountain and they could see the great view.

Paul is warning the Christians that in the Christian life the journey to follow the perfect will of God will never be easy. Paul understood that one of his jobs was to encourage the brethren to be faithful to complete that which they started. Paul did not encourage them by telling them that life would become easier if they were saved. Instead, Paul told the Christians the truth that they were going to face great trials that would test them. Paul was able to encourage them that God was still with them and that HE would protect them, but that they needed to remain faithful to HIM and not allow the enemies to discourage them from doing that which is right in the eyes of God.

Do not be deceived into thinking that just because you are a Christian that life will be free of trials. Instead, when you diligently understand the ways of God, you understand that the Christian life is full of trials. You will be persecuted for your faith as you share with others the truth that there is only one way to God. When you take the time to add knowledge of the ways of God, you must understand that there are those who are not prepared for the trials that they will face. You need to follow the example of Paul and encourage those whom God brings into your life to remain faithful regardless of the trials that they face.

Acts 12:7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

The apostle James had just been killed by Herod. Herod then had Peter arrested and he was going to have him killed also. While Peter was in prison, the believers made prayer for Peter without ceasing. God answered their prayers and HE sent an angel to release Peter from prison. It did not matter how many guards were trying to prevent Peter from escaping, the power of God was greater. Because it was the will of God for Peter not to parish at this time, the chains fell off.

God had not protected James the brother of John, and later on, God did not protect Peter when he had to lay down his life for his faith. However, it was not time for Peter to die and God cleared a path through some difficult circumstances so that Peter was able to escape from prison. The believers did not know what the will of God was, but that did not stop them from praying for Peter. We do not know what they actually prayed during the trial of Peter, but we do know that they were praying. Based upon the fact when Peter appeared to them after escaping from prison that they were astonished, they probably were praying that God would be with Peter and that he would remain faithful to the very end.

Peter was faced with an extreme trial; was this the end of his life? Peter did not know what God was going to do; all he knew was that he had to be faithful today. Herod could send his guards at any moment and kill him. However, at the same time, God could send his angels at any moment and release him. God had not spared James, so why should HE spare Peter?

It is important to understand that God does not always show us very far into the future. God desires that we live by faith one step at a time. Peter was ready to go home to be with his Savior, but if the Lord were to spare his life, Peter was ready to continue to be faithful here on this earth. God can bring you home to be with HIM any time HE desires. It does not matter how safe you live your life, God is ultimately in control. When you serve God, you must allow HIM to be God; you must allow HIM to guide you in the way you are to go.

It does not matter whether you are going through a great trial or you are going through a mountain top experience, you should daily be looking for ways to minister to those who God is bringing into your life. You need to live each day as unto the Lord. God has allowed you to face the circumstances that you are facing today for a reason; you need to trust HIM and see how you might serve HIM today, exactly where HE has placed you.

Yes there might be a thousand other places that you would rather be at, but this is where God has you today. You do not know what is going to be happening tomorrow, but you know that you should be faithful to God today. Who can you tell about the love of God? Who can you encourage to grow in their faith? Who has a need that you can meet today?

Just because you are diligently adding knowledge of the ways of God to your life, it does not mean that you know what God has in store for you tomorrow. However, because you are diligently studying the ways of God, you do understand that no matter what trial or test you are facing today, God is with you and that HE has a purpose for it. You should be faithful to pray to God that HE will give you the strength to endure the trial that you are facing today.

Psalms 141:3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

Do you pray daily for God to protect you from evil? Do you pray that God will put a guard over your mouth so that you do not say foolish things? Do you pray that God will guard your eyes so that you will see no wicked thing? Do you pray that God will protect your mind so that you do not think thoughts that are not pleasing to God?

There is a spiritual battle going on around you. Every day the enemy will attempt to cause you to sin and fall short of the glory of God. Since the battle is constant, you must be spiritually ready for the battle.

David was a man after God’s own heart. One thing that David did as we can see in this Psalm is that he asked God to protect him from evil. David asked God to guard his mouth and to guard his heart.

God hears our prayers. If you have the fear of God in your life, you will have no desire to sin and fall short of the glory of God. However, because you know your own sin nature, you know how easy it is for you to slip from God’s perfect path. Those who desire to please God will take the time to ask God for deliverance. God will hear your prayer and HE will protect you from evil.

When Jabez prayed, he asked God to “keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!” Jabez received the desires of his heart and God protected him. When Jesus’ disciples asked him how they were supposed to pray, one of the elements of the Lord prayer was that we are to pray “and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”.

God can protect you from doing that which is displeasing to HIM. You must first learn to hate doing evil. When you learn to hate evil, you can then come to God in prayer and ask HIM to protect you from that which is displeasing to HIM. God hears your prayers and HE is willing to show HIMSELF strong in your life.

Very often, you do not know all the ways that God has protected you. However, you need to learn to praise God every evening. Praise God for how you did not face temptation. If you know how HE protected you from evil, be specific in your praise. If you do not know how HE protected you but you made it through the day without being tempted to do evil, thank HIM that HE protected you from the attacks of the enemy.

Every morning when you get up you need to pray to put on the full armor of God. Every morning you need to establish your mind to do that which is right in the eyes of God. Every evening you need to praise HIM for all that HE has blessed you with including HIS protection from evil.

God is real; HE knows your thoughts, actions, and deeds. You desire to have the fear of the Lord and to do that which is right in HIS eyes. Establish your heart and mind upon the things of God. Focus your attention upon those things that are pleasing to God. As you fill your mind with virtue, and that which is pleasing to God, God will bless you by protecting you from temptation so that your borders might expand and you can do even more for HIS glory.

Psalms 140:7 O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

When Joshua fought against Amalek, Moses stood upon the hill lifting up the rod of God. As long as Moses’ hands were raised, Joshua prevailed. When Moses’ hands grew weary and fell down, then Amalek prevailed. Joshua was only as successful as Moses was able to intercede on his behalf. Because Moses became to tired to hold up his hands, eventually Aaron and Hur had to help Moses keep his hands raised so that Joshua was able to defeat Amalek.

Of his own strength, Joshua was able to do nothing. Joshua could only win the battle if Moses was successful at interceding on his behalf. Moses of his own strength could not hold up the rod of God all day. Moses needed others to help him. Because no one person was responsible for obtaining the victory over Amalek, God was the one who received the glory. God received the glory for the actions of Joshua, Moses, Aaron, Hur and the entire Israelite army.

Joshua was covered in the day of battle by the interceding of Moses. When we are pursuing the battle that God has called us to, than we have HIS protection. Unlike Moses, God does not grow weary and HE will be with us every step of the way. God will protect you when you are in the center of HIS will.

God protected David when he stepped onto the battlefield against Goliath. David understood that HE was doing God’s will and that it would be God who protected HIM, not the weapons of the world. Daniel’s three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah understood that God did not want them to bow down to gods made of man’s hands. They did not know if God was going to save them, but they knew that they were not going to disobey God and not receive the blessings of HIS protection.

What can man do to you when you are doing HIS will? God is able to protect you regardless of the situation that you face. God does not grow weary but is faithful and just to be with you every step of the way. In Psalm 23, David acknowledges that “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.” David understood that no matter how dark the situation becomes, God would never forsake him. God would always be HIS cover.

When you are doing the will of God, you will face some difficult times. However, this is not the time to give up and walk away. Instead, this is the time where God desires you to step up and trust in HIM. Make a commitment that you are not going to allow Satan to discourage you. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and allow HIM to work through you to do many great things. Let God be your covering in all that you do.

If you are going to see God do great things through you, than you must allow HIM to be your cover and protection. This will require that you no longer lean on your own understanding but instead requires that you fill your mind with the things of God. When you add virtue to your faith and fill your mind with the things that are pleasing to God, God is able to do many mighty things through you.

Psalms 136:1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Throughout this psalm, the psalmist reiterates the point that God’s mercy endures forever. All 26 verses contain the phrase about God’s mercy. The psalmist gives many examples of how God demonstrated HIS mercy upon the nation of Israel. He gives examples of God’s protection, provision, and direction.

It is important that we take the time to remember the mercy of God. It is important that we keep record of just what God has done in our life to demonstrate to us that HE is God. Look at HIS creation, look at the things HE has done for you, and look at what HE has done for others. If you do not see that you serve a living God, than you need to examine your heart and see what is clouding your vision.

It is important that you learn to thank the Lord. It does not matter if it is good or bad; you need to thank the Lord for what HE is doing in your life. God has a purpose for your life and you need to learn to acknowledge HIM in all your ways. Someday you will be able to look back and see exactly how God directed your steps.

HIS mercies are new every morning. Stop and take the time to acknowledge just what God has done for you. If you think about it, God owes you nothing. If God owes you nothing, than what gives you the right to complain about what God has not done for you. You much change your attitude and start being faithful to God for what HE has done for you. Learn to give thanks to God for telling you “no” or “wait”. You must change your attitude and be willing to serve God right were HE placed you today.

Giving thanks to God is important. You should learn to daily praise HIM for the good things HE is doing. Your time of prayer should not only be about the daily bread that you need. Instead, you must learn to have a grateful heart. You must learn to see the hand of God in everything that occurs in your life and no matter how difficult things become, God is still in control.

You will find it hard to praise the Lord if you do not love the Lord with all your heart. If you are serving two masters, your ability to praise God will be very difficult. If you have placed something or someone above the one true God, then you will be singing the praises of your false god and not the praises of your Creator.

It is easy to praise that which is important in your life. When a young couple is pursuing a closer relationship with each other, they are so in love that all they can do is sing the praises of their future spouse. They have purposed in their hearts to love each other and because of that purpose it becomes natural for them to complement each other to anyone who is around to listen.

You need to have a grateful heart. You need to fall in love with God your Creator once again. By adding virtue to your faith and by putting the things of God as a priority in your life, you will be like the psalmist and you will begin to understand the mercies of God. As you see all the things God has done for you, your heart should naturally desire to sing out God’s praises. Praise the Lord for HIS mercy endureth forever.

Psalms 129:2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.

Most people do not like affliction. Most people do not sit around and see how they can make their life more difficult. However, afflictions arise in your life and it is a test of character to see exactly how you respond to the affliction. You can either yield to the affliction and give up, or you can stand strong by the grace of God and watch as the Lord protects you.

God is able to protect you from any evil that man would like to do unto you. Do you trust HIM? Are you willing to put your life into HIS hands and allow HIM to protect you from the afflictions of this world? Has God ever let you down? You know that you have sinned and let God down, but has God ever failed to protect you?

Joseph was thrown into a pit and left to die. Joseph was under great affliction, but God remembered Joseph and HE brought a caravan by and caused his brothers to lift him out of the pit and sell him as a slave. Joseph’s life was not easy, but God was with Joseph and he protected him along the way. God did not stop evil things from happening to Joseph, but HE was with Joseph every step of the way. God used all the evil things that occurred in the life of Joseph for good.

You have faced times of affliction, but affliction is one of those things that God uses to draw your attention to HIM. You can either allow the affliction to distract you from the things of God or you can use the affliction to draw closer to God. As you look at your past affliction, can you see how God was with you and how HE did not allow that affliction to prevail against you?

God is trying to build a testimony in you. HE desires to use you in such a way that HE receives the glory. God purpose is that you be the light unto the world. In order to be the light, HE needs to purify you from the things of this world that tarnish your walk with the Lord. HE needs to then do something mightily so that all the world will know that HE is with you and that you serve a powerful living God.

If the world does not see power, why should they trust God? The nation of Israel was willing to kill the prophets of Baal when they saw that God was real and powerful. The world is watching you to see if God is alive and active in your life.

The world faces afflictions just like you. They know that you claim to be different so they watch you to see how you respond to your affliction. If you respond to your affliction like they do, then they have no reason to follow your example and be a servant of God. However, if they see in you the peace that passeth all understanding, if they see the power of God in your life, then your life is a testimony that can touch the life of another.

In everything give thanks; this includes when God brings affliction into your life. Stop feeling sorry for yourself when bad things occur in your life. Instead, use affliction to remind you of the faithfulness of God. Change your mindset to cause you to use your affliction to draw closer to God. As you fill your life with virtue and think upon the things of God, God will be with you and will turn evil into good.

Psalms 124:2 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us:

How many times in Israel’s history would they have been destroyed had God not intervened? When the Egyptians tried to chance down the Israelites, God destroyed them by causing the Red Sea to crash down upon them. Throughout the bible, there are many examples of God’s hand of protection upon HIS people.

However, there are also many stories where God did not deliver HIS people but instead allowed them to be delivered to their enemies. When Achan sinned, God allowed a rather small city of Ai to defeat the nation of Israel. Israel may have been the better army, but because there was sin in the camp, God was not with the nation and 36 men lost their lives.

God is your protection and HE will deliver those who call upon HIS name. However, if you desire to receive God’s protection, you must first follow God’s direction and you must obey HIS commands. Why should God bless you if you do not stay in the center of HIS will? Why should God bless you if you do not obey HIS commandments? Why should God bless you if you do not live your life so that HE receives the glory?

As a child, your parents probably gave you many rules that you had to follow. At the time, you probably did not understand most of the rules but now that you have matured, you better understand the purpose for most of the rules. Your parents loved you and they had certain rules so that you would be safe and so that they could protect you. If you disobeyed your parents, you put yourself in a position that they could not protect you.

If you desire for God to be with you and protect you in the way you are to go, then you need to focus your attention on being in the center of God’s will. You need to learn to hear God’s still small voice. As you understand God’s purposes for your life, then you can live your life so that God will protect you from those who desire to harm you.

God does not have rules because HE is a mean God who desires to bring misery upon your life. God has rules on how you are to conduct your life so that your life can be a testimony to the world of what God can do through those who dedicate their life to the glory of God.

If you desire to do great things for God, then it is your duty to take the time to change your mindset. No longer are you allowed to live this life for yourself but instead you are here to live your life for God. As you fill your life with doing God’s will, God not only will direct you in the way you are to go, but HE will also be protecting you from those who wish to destroy your ministry. The testimony of God’s protection in your life as you fulfill HIS purposes will give you the confidence to continue living your life for HIM.

God wants to build a testimony in you of how HE protected you as you seek to follow HIS direction. Do not be afraid of the enemy when they attack you because if you are in the center of God’s will, God will use this enemy to demonstrate to the world HIS power. Fill your mind with the virtue of God and trust completely in HIM. Do not let the enemy frighten you because greater is HE that is in you then he that is of this world.