Tag: Obedience

I WILL Wednesday 5/13/20

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It’s I WILL Wednesday!

“I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me.” Psalm 57:2

In today’s I WILL Wednesday, we find David in the cave running from King Saul, when an opportunity to kill his enemy stares him in the face. Instead of taking the opportunity to rid himself of the one who literally turned his life upside down and tried to kill him multiple times, David spares Saul’s life.

In Psalm 57, David focuses on the need for God’s protection. He talks about the enemies around him trying to entrap him and kill him. However, it is also here in this situation where David looks past all of what he is going through and focuses on the One who gave him the victory over a bear, a lion, and a giant.

David exclaims that he will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for him. Isn’t that amazing? Surrounded by enemies who wanted to kill him, he knew where his help came from. In a dark cave, far from the palace of which he would one day live, he did not rely on his own ability to get him out. Staring at a complete victory over the one person who has reeked havoc in his life he stepped back and cried out to God. Why is this so important? Because God is the One who can and will perform all things according to His perfect will. David knew that it was only God that could give him the complete and total victory. David knew that it was God who would fulfill His purpose in his life. So even though the pressure of the situation was weighing heavily on his shoulders, David took a step back and he cried out to God, who never fails.

What I love is that David resisted the urge to take things into his own hands. He had been anointed to be the next king of Israel about twenty years earlier. He had fought Goliath, and he had become a mighty warrior for Israel’s army, leading them in several victorious battles. David had even married King Saul’s daughter. Now, right before him was an opportunity! At least that’s what David thought for a moment, but then he remembered that it was not for him to perform, but God (see 1 Samuel 26:9-11). He truly believed the he would be king, and that God called him to that position. If God anointed him king, God would appoint him king at just the right time. David trusted God’s promise and God’s timing.

We all have had times in our lives that backed us into corners and made us question what we are to do. Times where it seems as though you have to make a move that God has not ordained. Even now with the coronavirus upending our lives like no one ever thought possible, we find ourselves in “caves” wondering when will we be free. Don’t move until God says so, because whatever He has promised, he will also perform.

Let’s take David’s example and cry out to God. He and only He can perform all things for us. God will see us through, and He will fulfill His purpose in us. So no matter where you are, or what you are going through, join me today and declare, I WILL cry out to God the Most High!

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I WILL Wednesday

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It’s I WILL Wednesday!

Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises to You. For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, That I may walk before God in the light of the living? Psalm 56:12-13

As we sit in our homes and long for some routine, we may be thinking “normal is a long way off.” Well David could relate to what we are feeling as many of us are greatly missing the connectedness that may come from our jobs, social activities, and especially from our church family fellowships.

In today’s I WILL Wednesday, David can relate to what we are experiencing. Psalm 56 was written at a time when David had been captured by the Philistines in Gath. He was afraid, yet trusted God all the way.

Though he was far from the altar where he would normally offer sacrifice, David felt an obligation to honor God. He was constrained by his vow to do what he promised. More so, he felt that in the light of the mercies of God, He would present his offering, just as he would if he was before the altar. Because God is good and faithful to His promises, David knew that his rescue would come. Even in what appeared to be imminent danger, David knew he was walking in the light of life. Therefore, even in the midst of captivity to the Philistines, David said, “I WILL render praise”.

Today, we don’t offer sacrifices in the same way as they did in the time of David. But we do bring sacrifices of praise into the “House of the Lord.” We render praise and service in ministry to fulfill what we consider to be our Christian duty. Right now, we may feel like David, far from the House of God, but let me remind you that YOU are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19)! Where you are, God is there! You don’t need a building to praise, you don’t need walls to rejoice! What about rendering service? Romans 12:1 speaks to this, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” I love how the Message Bible puts it, “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him” (Romans 12:1 MSG)

In light of what God gave for us, His Son; and in light of what Christ did for us, gave His life, we are constrained to worship. Not just lifting hands and singing songs with a congregation in a building, but in all that you do, worship Him. Present your body—all that you are and all that you do—as a living sacrifice. That’s your worship—that’s real worship!

Though there are talks—more like controversy—about opening back up our country, we may still be a long way from normal. No matter where you stand on the issue, you can say like David, I WILL render praise!

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I WILL Wednesday 4/15/2020

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As for me, I will call upon God, And the Lord shall save me. Psalm 55:16
It is I Will Wednesday!

Today we find David  making a declaration that no matter what is going on in his life he will continue to rely on God, despite what others do.  To get a full understanding of what David is saying, we can look at the previous scriptures where he is noticing those who embrace destruction, iniquity, and wickedness and he draws “a line in the sand” stating he will not follow suit.
In his writing, David  refers to these people as those who would seek the Lord with him and stand beside him; these were not enemies.  I truly believe that their actions broke his heart, but David, (being a man after God’s own heart) had to stand up for God and what he believes.
Have you ever been in a situation where people who are near and dear to your heart suddenly make a decision that lead them on the wrong path? More so, they are so caught up in what they are in that they refuse to listen or return? It can be extremely painful. You miss that friendship, you miss that person you could call on. Your heart goes out to them, and you want to do any and everything to get their attention so that prayerfully they will turn and come back to God.
But just like David, sometimes we have to draw a line in the sand.  As children of God we have to make a declaration concerning our posture and how we are going to react to situations that arise.  “And that ye may put a difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean” Leviticus 10:10
(KJV)
Our declaration has to be the same as David’s, that in spite of what others do, I Will call upon God and I know the Lord will save me.
As the world seems to be turned upside down, I WILL call upon God. As
health issues seem to grow all around me, I WILL call upon God. As I sit here in my home wondering when this pandemic will end,  I WILL call upon God, and rest in the fact that my Lord will save me.
No matter what comes your way, stand on the Word of God and declare with me, “I Will call upon God!”3842085D-8BCC-474F-A54B-51E703957722

Write The Word- April 2020

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We’re writing through 1 Corinthians! This is a powerful book with so much for us to explore. This is just part one, but still packed with all the power that Word of God possesses.  Also, for those who would like to write up until Resurrection Day, here is  a special Write the Word guide leading up to Resurrection day.

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I WILL Wednesday 4/1/2020

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It’s I WILL Wednesday!

I will praise You forever, Because You have done it; And in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good.  Psalm 52:9

In today’s passage, David ends Psalm 52 with a beautiful, yet powerful statement of praise and faith to God. It comes after God delivers David from Doeg, the Edomite who was chief herdsman to King Saul and responsible for the deaths of a large number of priests (1 Samuel 21, 22). When David realizes that deliverance had come, he says to God, “I will praise you forever, because you have done it; and in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good.” In those few words, David said so much concerning his faith in God, his dedication to God, and his trust that God can and will bring forth deliverance. Let’s look deeper at the parts of this verse.

“I will praise You forever.” Not only was David making a declaration of his allegiance to God, but he was also speaking to his posture in difficult situations. He says, “I will praise You forever!” In the good times and the bad times; in the happy times and in the sad times I will praise You. David was making a commitment that his posture would not change. Just like David, our posture towards God should not change. No matter what the situation, we should have a posture of praise, and a posture of reverence to God at all times.

“You have done it.” When David proclaimed this message he was talking about his deliverance from Doeg, but we too can say the same thing, “God, You have done it!” You delivered me from my pain.You have delivered me from shame. You have delivered me from all types of trouble. When we take a look back on our lives whether it was years ago or even minutes ago, God has done it (His work of deliverance), in each of our lives. He has delivered us from things we had no idea how we were going to get out of. He provided for us when we had no idea where we would get our resources from. Just like David, we all can say, “You have done it!”

“And in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good.” David’s love and dedication to God was never hidden from the public eye. This is the same King who danced out of his kingly garb in the middle of the streets! He was not ashamed of Who he depended on, He was not ashamed of Who he belonged to. The last part of the verse says, “I will wait on Your name, for it is good.” This is so amazing! He was saying in every situation, he could wait on God, because God never let him down. I’m sure we all have people who said they would be there for us, but unfortunately they ended up letting us down. But not God! His is a name you can depend on. No matter the situation, hold fast to the trust and the faith that you have in Him. He will not let you down, He will be there right on time.

Isn’t it a wonderful thing, to know that God is faithful in deliverance, faithful in His love, and faithful to supply our needs. Oh yes! He is faithful indeed. So like David, make the declaration “I will praise You forever,” and no matter what “I will wait on Your name.”

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The Fear Factor

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In the old show, Fear Factor, contestants would come face to face with extreme and bizarre challenges. In the end the contestant that successfully faced their fears and overcame the challenges emerged as the winner and the host would say, “fear is not a factor for you!” Exciting stuff!

But, truthfully, fear is a factor for us all. It is one of the enemy’s most used tactics. It keeps us from truly walking in the things of God. It can stop us cold in our tracks and keep us right where we are with no hope of moving forward. We’ve heard all of these things before. But what HOPE can we give someone who is truly afraid? David shares His heart in Psalm 56. This beautiful song, filled with transparency, can bring hope to anyone who feels fearful.

Psalm 56 was written during a time when David was running from Saul. He ran to the Philistines. He fled from one enemy to escape another! David found himself in an overwhelming crisis! This account is found in 1 Samuel 21:10-15.

David fled from Saul because he was afraid. David acted like a madman to escape the Philistine king because he was afraid.

David was afraid.

And sometimes, so are we.

In the Bible study Trustworthy, author Lysa Terkeusrt makes this profound statement, “I can sometimes feel afraid, but I don’t have to live afraid.” Yes! Fear is something we all feel at times. We can’t, however, allow fear to consume us. Before we allow fear to paralyze us, we can reach to Our Father.

Psalm 56:3-4 shows two coexisting realities for David, fear and trust. Yes, coexisting. David says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” David couples two thoughts to combat the fear he felt.

The two thoughts could read like this:
When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.
Because I trust in You I will not be afraid.

David doesn’t deny that fear exists. Instead he tells us what to do when we feel fear—trust. That trust in the middle of a storm leads a courageous life—because I trust You, I will not be afraid.

Let’s read Psalms 56:3-4 again, in The Voice Translation—
When struck by fear, I let go, depending securely upon You alone.
In God I place my trust, I shall not let fear come in.

Courageous living is not the result of the absence of fear, but it is the result of confident trust in God even when we ARE afraid. Leaning and depending on the only One who calms my fears blocks out the fears that attempt to destroy my security.

Is fear a factor for you? If so trust God!
Pour out your heart to God! Tell Him what you are feeling. Run to Him, trust Him and then fear will no longer be a factor for you.

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I WILL Wednesday 3/4/2020

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It’s I WILL Wednesday!

Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. Psalm 43:4

Today’s I WILL passage is found in a journey from pain to praise. At the onset of this Psalm, the psalmist starts by crying out to God. From a place of despair, he seeks God’s help in desperation. He pleaded for vindication and rescue from the assaults of his enemy. The psalmist cried out to God because he confidently knew that God could deliver him. Verse 4, our focus for today, points out a very important thing the psalmist did, he went to the altar. Now an altar, in this time was a place of sacrifice, a place where something changed, a place where something died. Today it’s not so much a place, but the posture of our hearts. Our hearts should be a place where something changes, where something is altered.

This psalmist reminds us that when we come to the altar something will change. It may be your broken heart, it may be your wounded spirit, it may be your wayward thinking, or even your negative outlook. In the presence of the Lord, change happens!

Look at the psalmist’s altar experience. At the altar, he remembered his God; at the altar, a praise burst forth. At the altar, his pain turned into praise. He began to speak to himself! The psalmist asked himself, “ Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues?” (v. 5MSG). Then he had a reality check, and told himself, “Put your hope in God” (v. 5).

At the altar, we can gain an objective view of ourselves! Am I wallowing in self pity? Have my circumstances clouded my thinking? Is what I’m going through bigger than my God? NO! Then adjust your thinking, adjust your speaking, and place your hope where it belongs, in God.

Are you in need of a change? Does depression, negativity, and self pity need to die in your life? Do you need to journey from pain to praise? If so, remember this psalmist and share in his declaration, “l WILL go to the altar of God.”

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