JACKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(Micah 6:8) “He has told you O man what is good… and what does the Lord require of you… but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
(2nd Timothy 2:4) tells us… (the believer in Christ)… not to be entangles with “the affairs of this world” as we grapple with ongoing “unrest” in response to racial tension and injustice, the collapse of economies world wide and the increased tension of political unrest…
And the question could be asked… “How am I to deal with the societal problems that we are facing without entangling myself in the affairs of this world?
The best recourse for the Christian is to turn to Scripture.
It’s important to not only read it and share it, but to allow the Holy Spirit to use it to challenge and mold each of us.
This scripture text I have chosen to day has long been one of my favourite verses in the Bible.
It is simple in its message and easily quotable… but it is also one of the most challenging verses for each of us to adopt… speaking directly to the heart of the issues we are facing today as true believers in Christ and the sovereignty of God in our lives.
Micah wrote his prophecy to warn Israel and Judah of its impending judgment because of their disloyalty to God.
But, it’s not all bad news.
Micah also prophesies about God’s plan for redemption through Jesus (Micah 5) and the love, compassion and forgiveness God offers to the transgressors (Micah 7:18-20).
Essentially, Micah is saying that God is more pleased with our actions than our words… He’s more satisfied with our obedience than our worship.
Micah mentions three things God “requires”.
They are… to do justly, loving mercy and loving-kindness towards others… and walking humbly.
Each of these three things involve action… love expressed in positive response or “activity” towards another.
Walking humbly with God implies an active faith… one that sees God as a daily guide.
It implies that we are seeking Him in all aspects of our lives.
In doing so, we are reminded that as followers of God, we are to be marked by “a life of humility”!
We are encouraged to set aside our selfish desires and align ourselves to God’s will as opposed to our own.
It means having a full reliance on God, not ourselves.
But what does it mean to “do justice”, as used in this verse?
To some, justice might seem simple, but there’s a lot here that many of us don’t always grasp about the biblical concept.
In unpacking it, it speaks directly to many of our current issues.
When we think of justice, many of us conjure images of a courtroom, with a judge, attorneys, witnesses and a jury.
I think of Tom Cruise thundering away at Jack Nicholson in the movie, “A Few Good Men”… as he demands accountability and an answer to the search for justice for his clients… “I want the truth!”… and the response was…You can’t handle the truth!”
Simply put, we usually just think of justice as being a punishment for wrong doing.
Someone has committed a crime, and they receive the punishment they deserve.
Justice is served!
But, it’s often times more than that.
It includes giving people “their due or right”.
This is often referred to as “restorative justice”.
It’s proactively seeking out “the vulnerable” and helping them.
In (Proverbs 31:9) we read, “Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
(Psalm 146:7-9) “The Lord executes justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free… the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down… the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners… He upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked He brings to ruin.”
(Psalm 146:7-9) “The Lord executes justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free… the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down… the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners… He upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked He brings to ruin.”
This speaks of God breaking down “unjust systems” and restoring dignity to the downtrodden.
Scripture makes it clear that the meaning behind the word “justice” is far beyond just making sure bad guys are punished.
To fully grasp what we can glean from (Micah 6:8) and God’s desire for justice and righteousness… there are 4 things we need to recognize from the full counsel of God’s word, that relate to our current crisis.
I will share them with you in tomorrows devotional.
But today lets all recognize our need for “empathy” toward those that are the “down trodden” of our society, and ask God to give us “a heart of compassion” for each of them.
No matter whether they are red, yellow, black or white… all are precious in His sight.
Good Day!
(2nd Corinthians 12:7) "To keep me from becoming proud."
The Bible doesn’t tell us what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was, but Paul tells us why God permitted it… “To keep me from becoming proud.”
Increased achievement and success can lead to increased pride and independence from God.
Have you noticed that when life is going great, staying close to God becomes a forgotten priority?
We tend to think God is so good to us because we are so good to Him.
We don’t drink… we don’t chew or go with girls that do! (A little humor there)
We pride ourselves on being better than most folks or at least thinking we
are… when all the while God knows our heart of pride and arrogance.
We must always guard against this.
God can use anything for your good and His glory.
In His wisdom and patience… He permits or allows something we think is intended to hurt us…
but He instead turns it around and uses it to help us… and that help is usually a stepping stone unto maturity
Here is what He does… He balances blessings with burdens.
(Matthew 28:11) “for my yoke is easy and my burden is light”
Christ’s invitation encourages believers to trust Him with their struggles, embrace His teachings, and rely on His strength.
While discipleship requires commitment, it is ultimately fulfilling and joyful because it aligns with God’s purpose and is sustained by His grace
“My burden is light” reassures Christians that following Jesus transforms the weight of spiritual obligations… into a source of rest, peace, and empowerment, making the path of discipleship both sustainable and rewarding
The psalmist said, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits” (Psalm 68:19).
If God filled your hands only with blessings, eventually you would fall over on your face.
And if He continually loaded your back with burdens, you would fall on your hindquarters.
So He apportions blessings and burdens… so that we can stay in balance.
It’s easy to get out of balance.
We become so absorbed with the joys of Heaven that we neglect our calling to be salt and light here on earth.
We get so involved in the work of the Lord that we fail to spend time with the Lord of the work.
We get so involved in church and church activities that we rob our families of the love and attention they need.
We get so involved with the things of this life, this world, that we forget that this world is not our home we are just passing thru… that we are citizens of Heaven (Ephesians 2:11)
So God brings us back into balance by allowing us a thorn to remind us that we need Him.
Some thorns are sharper than others but they all remind us that we need His healing, saving, keeping grace… so that we can be overcomers in this life and more than conquerors yes... but only thru Him that loves us.
So stop complaining, and start letting the discomfort of the thorn drive you to giving thanks to the
Here is what He does… He balances blessings with burdens.
(Matthew 28:11) “for my yoke is easy and my burden is light”
Christ’s invitation encourages believers to trust Him with their struggles, embrace His teachings, and rely on His strength.
While discipleship requires commitment, it is ultimately fulfilling and joyful because it aligns with God’s purpose and is sustained by His grace
“My burden is light” reassures Christians that following Jesus transforms the weight of spiritual obligations… into a source of rest, peace, and empowerment, making the path of discipleship both sustainable and rewarding
The psalmist said, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits” (Psalm 68:19).
If God filled your hands only with blessings, eventually you would fall over on your face.
And if He continually loaded your back with burdens, you would fall on your hindquarters.
So He apportions blessings and burdens… so that we can stay in balance.
It’s easy to get out of balance.
We become so absorbed with the joys of Heaven that we neglect our calling to be salt and light here on earth.
We get so involved in the work of the Lord that we fail to spend time with the Lord of the work.
We get so involved in church and church activities that we rob our families of the love and attention they need.
We get so involved with the things of this life, this world, that we forget that this world is not our home we are just passing thru… that we are citizens of Heaven (Ephesians 2:11)
So God brings us back into balance by allowing us a thorn to remind us that we need Him.
Some thorns are sharper than others but they all remind us that we need His healing, saving, keeping grace… so that we can be overcomers in this life and more than conquerors yes... but only thru Him that loves us.
So stop complaining, and start letting the discomfort of the thorn drive you to giving thanks to the
One that holds all of us in the palm of His hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
(Psalm 121-1-7) Fear thou not for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee… yea, I will help thee… yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Understand that the thorns are there for one purpose only… to get our attention and keep us focused on Him... the one whom has an individual plan for you…
“Plans for good and not for evil” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Good Day!
(Psalm 121-1-7) Fear thou not for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee… yea, I will help thee… yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Understand that the thorns are there for one purpose only… to get our attention and keep us focused on Him... the one whom has an individual plan for you…
“Plans for good and not for evil” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Good Day!
(2nd Corinthians 12:7) "I was given a thorn in my flesh."
Bible scholars disagree as to what Paul’s “thorn” was.
Many explanations have been put forward, but whether Paul is referring to a physical, spiritual, or emotional affliction… has never been clearly answered or proven.
Since he was not talking of a literal thorn, he must have been speaking metaphorically.
Some think it may have been poor eyesight, others a speech impediment, and others a physical challenge.
Why doesn’t the Bible tell us?
Paul clues us in concerning the thorn’s purpose… “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations.”
So, God’s goal in allowing the thorn in the flesh was to keep Paul humble.
Lets face it, anyone who had encountered Jesus face to face and was commissioned personally by Him (Acts 9:2-8) would, in his natural state, tend to be “puffed up” or maybe a little pride full.
Add to that the fact that Paul was moved by the Holy Spirit to write much of the New Testament, its easy to see how Paul could become “haughty” or “exalted above measure” or “too proud” of his accomplishments.
After all He was just another human being like you and like me, and how often do we puff ourselves up with pride and a haughty attitude when we accomplish greatness.
Another reason the Bible may not tell us what Paul’s thorn was, is because of the bibles “relevancy “for all of us, in all of our lives.
If his problem was poor eyesight, then we would say, “That doesn’t help me because I have 20/20 vision”.
If it was a speech impediment, those with the gift of communication wouldn’t find comfort in his words.
If it was a physical challenge, those with good health would think they are exempt.
The reason the Bible doesn’t tell us may be this… no matter what your particular struggle or affliction is, the same God who gave Paul victory over his thorn will give you victory too.
The exact nature of Paul’s thorn in the flesh is uncertain and there is probably a good reason that we don’t know.
God likely wanted Paul’s difficulty to be described in general enough terms.. to apply to any difficulty we may face in each of our lives today.
Whether the “thorn” we struggle with today is physical, emotional, or spiritual… we can know that God has a purpose for each of us and that His grace is “all-sufficient”.
The point is this… God wants all of us to lean on Him, depend on Him, focus on Him!
No one likes to live in pain.
Paul sought the Lord three times (2nd Corinthians 12:8) to remove this source of pain from him.
Like you and I, Paul had many good reasons why he should be pain-free.
But the Lord was more concerned with building Paul’s character and preventing pride.
Instead of removing the problem, whatever it was, God gave Paul more overwhelming grace and more compensating strength.
Paul learned that God’s “power is made perfect in weakness”
(2nd Corinthians 12:9)
So here is the question I’d like to present for all of us today.
Who the person, or what is it in your life today, that you would describe as “a thorn in your side”?
What’s the “thorny” situation at work you face day after day?
You can have a “thorny” relationship with someone that requires extra grace, love, and prayer.
That’s why Peter wrote, “Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord…Jesus” (2 Peter 3:18).
Each of our thorns is different because God customizes them to our need and personality.
Why?
So that we will “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus.”
God is more interested in our “character” than He is in our comfort… so when we pray for a lighter burden, in actuality He gives us stronger backs… patience develops stronger… and with that we learn to perservere.
The songwriter said… “He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He giveth more strength when the labors increase,
To added affliction He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.”
There’s an old cliché that says that which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
So, while what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger… you can ease the suffering and difficulties by learning to surrender to your Heavenly Father... and trust Him for the strength, patience, tenacity, and determination… to rise above its limitations.
It may not make it magically go away, but it will bring you closer to the heart of God… where you can hide your heart in His and know Him more intimately… make it less painful and your relationship with Him more meaningful.
In the end it’s all about our relationship with Him!
Good Day!
(Psalm 3:2) "Many are saying of me, God will not deliver him".
Regardless of how badly or how often you have failed in life... God does not, and will not give up on you!
Peter writes “God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance
So don't give up on yourself!
There is forgiveness with God for you today!
Nothing you've done is beyond the scope of His grace.
Others may give up on you, but not God.
King David fell as low as a person can get.
He was guilty of adultery, deception, and murder… all of which are “major-league” offences… but God forgave and restored him.
David writes about it in two of the Psalms.
In (Psalm 3:2-7) he writes… "Many are saying of me, God will not deliver him. "But you are a shield around me O Lord… you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
To the Lord I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy hill.
I lie down and sleep… I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side... from the Lord comes deliverance".
Then in (Psalm 40:1-3) he writes, "He turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire… He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear… and put their trust in the Lord".
There is a comforting message delivered to us in both of these Psalms.
It’s a message for you and I to understand and be encouraged with… in that this God whom David is speaking about in these two Psalms, is the same God who turned David's greatest failures and mess into a message of hope for you and I.
It’s a testimony of a sinful human being whom others had given up on… but not God.
Forgiveness is granted to the humble and the penitent.
He God will do the same for you when you turn to Him and receive His forgiveness, His mercy, and His grace. ?
From the Book of Acts (Acts 10:34) we read… "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons and of a truth there is no partiality with God".
And in (Romans 2:11) “For there is no respect of persons with God”… meaning that not one person is more important than another in the eyes of our Heavenly Father.
What He did for King David, He is more than willing to do for you as well today!
So you are not to late!
You have not committed the unpardonable sin!
You can find forgiveness, you can find mercy, you can find restoration!
Turn to Jesus today, confess to Him your weaknesses, your faults and failures, and ask Him to forgive you and set you free.
Good Day!
(Hebrews 6:1) says: “therefore, let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity…”
When you think of the greatest golfers of all time, you may think of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones, or Tiger Woods.
Perhaps there are others that you would put at the top of this list, but my question for you this morning is this, what makes these golfers great?
Obviously, they all know how to win, but beyond that, they have all gone about winning in very different ways.
They all have different golf swings, different putting strokes, different personalities, and different approaches to the game.
However, they all understand that they have to have a “wholistic” approach to the game of golf.
They cannot just be a good ball-striker or just a good putter or just have a great mental game to become the one of the best.
They have to “grow” in all areas and “perfect” each aspect of the game, to be looked upon as one of the best golfers of all time.
On a spiritual level, when you think of the greatest “Christian” examples of all time, you may think of the Apostle Paul, Augustine, Martin Luther, Mother Teresa, or Billy Graham.
But what makes them great men and women of God?
The answer is that they were mature in Christ!
In order for us to mature and grow in our spiritual lives, we need to know what a “mature” follower of Christ truly looks like.
Do they just “believe” doctrinally the right things about God, the Bible, and the person and work of Jesus Christ?
Do they just “exhibit” the right attributes and characteristics (i.e. love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control)?
Do they just “do” the correct actions and activities (i.e. go to church, pray, help the poor, etc.)
Obviously, all of these things are important, but what is the most important?
The answer, they grew up… they became “mature” in Christ.
And that should be our challenge as well.
Grow Up!
What makes us mature Christians?
Just like the golfers above would not have become great golfers by only focusing on one aspect of the game of golf, we as Christians must take a “wholistic” approach to our spiritual lives to become “spiritually mature” men and women of God.
God desires all believers to “go on to maturity” (Hebrews. 6:1), but He does not leave it up to us to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and mature on our own strength.
No He is there with us all the time!
Jesus said “I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you” (John 14:16-18)
In (John 16:13) Jesus said “I will send the Holy Spirit and He will be in you and lead you into all truth”
The phrase “all truth” refers to the complete and full revelation of God’s will and plan, particularly concerning Jesus Christ and His teachings.
The Holy Spirit illuminates Scripture, reminds believers of Jesus’ words, and ensures that the message of God is faithfully understood and applied
We are invited to participate in this “maturity process” by responding in faith and obedience.
By working out our salvation, (Philippians. 2:12),
By training ourselves to be Godly (1st Timothy 4:7),
And by loving God with all our heart, our soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).
But first, we need to live in a manner that allows the guidance of the Spirit of God.
Second, we must never be complacent but always be willing to try harder.
Third, we need to exercise faith belief and trust in God.
Fourth, we need to purge ourselves of personal pride or accomplishment.
Fifth, we must beware of and forsake all pride and self-righteousness.
Sixth, we need to be humble and submissive.
Seven, we should always try to do that which is good for others.
Eight, we need to learn to enjoy the fruits of the Spirit.
Nine, we should do works of righteousness that God has prepared for us as outlined in
(Ephesians 2:9-10)
These nine activities reflect the nine fruits of the “Spirit“ said to be “character traits” of the mature believer.
(Galatians 5:22-23) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”.
It never ceases to amaze me that so called believers and professing Christians can feel comfortable engaging in the “unfruitful works” of darkness…
(Ephesians 5:11) “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them”.
(2nd Corinthians 6:17) “Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you”.
But here is the beauty of this walk we can have with God.
We don’t have to strive or do it on our own!
It is the Lord who brings about the change needed in each of us as we “submit to Him” like little children.
As we walk in obedience to the “do’s”, we start to change from the inside until the outside begins to mirror what’s on the inside.
(2nd Corinthians 5:15) “if any man be in Christ He is a new Creature, old things pass away and behold, all things become new”.
Remember, He has promised to conform and transform us into the image of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit
(Romans 8:29) “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed” to the image of His Son”
(2nd Corinthians 3:18) “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being “transformed” into His image
He will not stop until He has completed the work He has started… (Philippians. 1:6) “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”.
Conformed, transformed and performed, all by and thru Christ as we submit to Him.
The Holy Spirit is here to help us grow up!
Hey… lets pursue that together.
Good day!
These nine activities reflect the nine fruits of the “Spirit“ said to be “character traits” of the mature believer.
(Galatians 5:22-23) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”.
It never ceases to amaze me that so called believers and professing Christians can feel comfortable engaging in the “unfruitful works” of darkness…
(Ephesians 5:11) “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them”.
(2nd Corinthians 6:17) “Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you”.
But here is the beauty of this walk we can have with God.
We don’t have to strive or do it on our own!
It is the Lord who brings about the change needed in each of us as we “submit to Him” like little children.
As we walk in obedience to the “do’s”, we start to change from the inside until the outside begins to mirror what’s on the inside.
(2nd Corinthians 5:15) “if any man be in Christ He is a new Creature, old things pass away and behold, all things become new”.
Remember, He has promised to conform and transform us into the image of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit
(Romans 8:29) “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed” to the image of His Son”
(2nd Corinthians 3:18) “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being “transformed” into His image
He will not stop until He has completed the work He has started… (Philippians. 1:6) “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”.
Conformed, transformed and performed, all by and thru Christ as we submit to Him.
The Holy Spirit is here to help us grow up!
Hey… lets pursue that together.
Good day!
(Romans 5:3) "Tribulation worketh patience."
Isn’t it interesting how as we get older, we tend to become more patient, even though we have less time left?
Have you ever wondered “why is that”?
I think it’s all about “perspective”!
The word perspective means… “a particular way of considering something”… or “to think about a situation or problem in a wise and reasonable way”
Perspective is all about how we see things!
Our problems haven’t changed that much, but our “perspective” has.
Things that once upset us don’t anymore, because we’ve lived long enough to know “His grace is sufficient” (2nd Corinthians 12:9).
That “this to will pass”.
Life can be bad, then it can be good, then it can be bad again.
But, the main thing to remember is that nothing is permanent in life.
Bad times cannot last forever, and neither can good.
The sun will always set, but it will rise again in the morning.
There is always hope, and the pain will pass.
Once you realize that it’s no big deal (and most things aren’t)… you can say… “been there, done that"!
Instead of fretting and complaining, which doesn’t work and only steals our joy… we need to learn to sing “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father… There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not… As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.”
Like Joseph, of old...you can look back to times in life you thought you would never get through… and stuff you thought you would never survive… and say, “You meant evil against me… but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).
Yes, perspective produces patience… (Romans 5:3-5) tells us “We can rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that sufferings produce endurance/patience and … endurance/patience… produces character and character produces hope and hope does not put us to shame”.
When we run into problems and trials… we know they are good for us… they help us learn to be patient… and patience develops strength of character…and helps us trust God more each time we use it… until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.
When that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well.
"For we have experienced… and yes have come to know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:3-5).
In the book of (Hebrews 10:35-36) the writer writes to us saying “So do not throw away your confidence in Him… it will be richly rewarded.
You have need of patience, you need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised”.
That’s where faith comes in!
To persevere… to be “steadfast and unmovable”!
So as you deal with each of the irritating issues of life that tend to tire us all out… remember that God is using them to make us stronger and wiser.
They are actually tests... to see if we have learned our “lessons” as it were.
So today determine to let God develop your patience.
O and “give thanks continually for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus” (1st Thessalonians 5:8)
Good day!
(John 15:15) “Instead, I have called you friends”,
Yesterday I left you with the question, “are you a friend of God”?
I love the old Gospel song called “Friendship with Jesus”,
The lyric says the following, “Friendship with Jesus, fellowship divine, Oh what blessed sweet communion, Jesus is a friend of mine.
When God is your friend, divine activity accelerates.
When God has a useful vessel that has been prepared for noble purposes, He will use that vessel.
Similarly, God will use the one who “walks” with Him.
But He's looking especially for three crucial qualities… humility, faithfulness, and loyalty.
He wants to work with friends who are loyal to him, no matter what.
Enoch was the quintessential example of a man who walked with God.
He walked so closely with God that He was always in the Spirit.
He and God… discussing the mysteries of creation and eternity
together.
Jesus would often go away from the people, go away from the disciples, get away from the crowds, so that He could go to His secret place with God.
The secret place is where we develop a walking relationship with God.
We must develop a secret history with God before he gives us a public history before people.
Hidden in the secret place, we learn what He's looking for in friends, and we find out what pleases Him.
Our inner chamber with Him becomes our training ground for a life that is rooted and grounded in love.
The term "secret place" appears in the Old and New Testaments and most often refers to the way our soul is in relationship with God.
For example, (Psalm 27:5) says, "For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble… He will conceal me under the cover of His tent… He will lift me high upon a rock."
This "tent" of God is, of course, not a piece of camping equipment or ancient desert dwelling.
This is the word “cether”… used in the Hebrew language and refers to a place to hide or be concealed… a secret place.
In the New Testament, Jesus instructs us to go to a quiet place, a secret place, a room with the door shut when we pray (Matthew 6:6).
He is not telling us, necessarily, about a physical location to pray, but a secret place in our lives… set aside for one-on-one time with God… a place of solitude.
When we spend time with someone, we learn more about them, and with enough time we even tak on similar qualities… even beginning to act like them.
When we spend time alone with God, we learn more about Him and it is also a way He transforms us to become more like Him.
Spending time in our "secret place" with God is one way of choosing the Spirit over the flesh (Romans 8:5-8).
When we do that, we have more of a heavenly, eternal perspective.
This idea of a secret place is not a call to a monastic existence.
It is also not a call to make our spiritual lives secretive or private.
Rather, having a secret place is an “intentional decision” to establish a routine that includes time with God, reading the Bible, praying, and listening to Him.
It is those times when He will meet you there (John 14:21)
This secret place, where we meet with God one-on-one, is where we should often find ourselves.
(Psalm 91:1–2) says, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'"
Abiding in God, we find shelter, refuge, and a fortress/protection and provision.
It is in the secret place that we are most vulnerable with God and experience His intimate love.
Jesus told us that He confides His kingdom purposes to his friends (John 15:15).
So today make this your prayer, “Lord, I want to be your friend, your confidant, loyal to the death.
I want to walk with you, talk with you, listen to you, hear your heart, and participate in your activities in this momentous hour.
Teach me Lord, to walk with you!”
Now comes your part, start walking with Him.
Find a secret place and make Him your priority
Good day!