Reflections

The Virtue of the Spoken Word

FOLLOWING THE MASTER – A Lenten Devotional

29th Day of Lent

March 14, 2016

The Virtue of the Spoken Word

Copyright 2016 Monica Hernandez

A...and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water@ (Numbers 20:8, KJV).

Moses and Aaron went before the Lord, seeking a solution to the problems of the people. And God told Moses to speak unto the rock and it will give them water. God's command to Moses was clear saying: Aspeak unto the rock...@ however, in disobedience, Moses smote the rock instead of speaking to it, yet Athe water came out abundantly and the assembly drank, and their beasts also.@

This Old Covenant account of water flowing from a rock reminds us of times when God comes through for us out of rock-like situations: financial troubles, family troubles and times of confusion, indecision and pain. Yes, there is creative virtue in the spoken word for the Scriptures tell us that Adeath and life are in the power of the tongue...@

This account reminds us of Jesus telling His disciples “…but if also ye shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed…it shall be done.” Are there mountain-like situations in your life? The presence and power of God lie behind and within every mountain-like issue that you are facing and when you speak God
=s truth to those situations, they will obey you.

What words are you speaking into your life? Are you speaking words into your life that represent adverse conditions? Words represent ideas and they will certainly bear fruit after their kind. Words are powerful because they are capsules for expressions of the heart.

However, when our hearts are attuned to God and the bounties of His Kingdom, the words that we speak will be capsules for His divine power. As you examine the thoughts you hold in your heart concerning your affairs it will make you more accountable to the idea of God=s providence and power.

Knowing this truth will help you consider that if God can cause water to flow abundantly out of a rock, would He not cause His presence to flow abundantly as
Awaters of life@ into your life and affairs and transform them?

May God bless you as you speak His providence and blessing into your life, never doubting His goodness and power.

SUGGESTED READINGS: Proverbs 18:21; Ecclesiastes 10:12; Isaiah 50:4; Matthew 19:21.

PRAYER: AGod's Word quickens me and opens a way for me where there seems to be no way, and I thank God for His Word active in my spirit, soul, body and affairs.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

There is virtue in the spoken word.

A Threefold Gift - Part 2

FOLLOWING THE MASTER – A Lenten Devotional


Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 13, 2016

A Threefold Gift – Part - 1
Copyright 2016 Monica Hernandez

"For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge and joy"
(Ecclesiastes 2:26),

To those who are good in God’s sight He gives wisdom, knowledge and joy, and how can that be except we walk in covenant-relationship with Him, Jesus our Master, and the Holy Spirit.

It is heartening to know that Jesus wants us to have fullness of joy. He told us about this at John 15:10-11 and it all has to do with covenant-relationship with Him: abiding with Him and having His words abide in us. It also has to do with obeying what He says and abiding in His love. He said: "These things have I spoken to you that my joy might remain in you..."

And
at Nehemiah 8:10 we read: “...for the joy of the Lord is your strength” indicating that out of the Lord’s joy we receive strength—not merely physical strength, but its spiritual counterpart.

Joy is a gift from God. Joy is spiritual. Joy exists. And when we experience joy, it is not merely of ourselves but it is the joy of the Lord being manifested in and through us.

Sometimes, adverse forces seem to overwhelm us and keep God’s joy away from us, however, we can quickly turn those situations around by recognizing that the joy of the Lord exists and that we can experience it.

Just as there is peace in the midst of every storm, so there is joy in the midst of every sorrowful situation, however, when in need of joy, we need to seek it from God and speak it into our lives. This could lead us to break forth into singing joyful songs, reading and meditating in Scriptures of joy and quickly bring unpleasant cycles to an end.

Are you experiencing the opposite of joy at this time? You can break that unpleasant cycle by knowing that there is a well-spring of joy deep within your spirit and with the help of Christ, you could bring it into manifestation.


Knowing that there is death and life are in the power of the tongue, even in the midst of your sorrow, you can speak words of joy into your life.

SUGGESTED READINGS:
Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 16:11; John 15:10-11; John 16:24.
PRAYER: “Heavenly Father, help me to realize that joy is a gift from you and I can have it exceedingly abundant in my life. Help me to know that your joy is my strength. Thank you Father for your joy in me. Amen.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
True spiritual joy is a gift from God.

 

 

Your Divine Birthright

FOLLOWING THE MASTER – A Lenten Devotional

27th Day of Lent

March 11, 2016

Your Divine Birthright

Copyright 2016 Monica Hernandez

"And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright...And Esau said...what profit shall this birthright do to me?" (Genesis 25:31,32, KJV).

The story of Jacob and Esau is a long-time favourite both in Sunday school classes and among adults, as well. On an earthly level, it provides us with various lessons to help us be wise in accepting offers from others and making decisions in trading or selling what is ours. And on a heavenly level it tells us about our Father’s love and provision for us.

Regardless of houses and lands and properties that might be laid up for you in this world, you have a birthright that is divine, laid up for you by God, your Father, and it is priceless.

You have a birthrightCa divine birthright. Primarily, your divine birthright is that you are created in the image and likeness of your Creator. This affords you dominion and mastery over the earth.

Your divine birthright is fourfold in nature: firstly, you were created in the image and likeness of your heavenly Father who is omnipotent, sees and knows all things, and is every where present. Secondly, you were created with the potential for dominion and mastery over all things in the earth.

Thirdly, you were created with a spirit of power, love and a sound mind, and fourthly, you have access to a Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, which promises abundant living to you, not only in the future but even today.

Think about this: can anyone take your birthright from you? No. Like Esau you would literally have to trade it and become a loser because there is nothing to compare with your inheritance of dominion, creativity, mastery and abundance, laid up for you by God, your Father. Even so, you can never truly lose that birthright because it is yours by divine default.

In spiritual ignorance, you may yield your sense of birthright to circumstances that pressure you, but you can truly never lose it. At any time you find yourself yielding to the pressures of this world‑system, you can stop, turn around in repentance and prayer and you will regain your sense of birthright.

Take a few moments to inquire of yourself: Can anyone deny me the goods of the Kingdom of heaven? Can anyone prevent me from receiving my inheritance from God? To both questions, the answer is Ano.@ And if you seem to have lost your sense of birthright it is because you have yielded it.

SUGGESTED READINGS: Genesis1:26‑28; Genesis 25:31-33; James 1:17.

PRAYER: "Heavenly Father, help me to understand and appreciate my birthright in you. Amen"

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

No one can take my God-given birthright from me.



A Threefold Gift - Part 1

FOLLOWING THE MASTER – A Lenten Devotional

28th Day of Lent

March 12, 2016

A Threefold Gift - Part 1

Copyright 2016 Monica Hernandez

“For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge and joy”

(Ecclesiastes 2:26).

In the Book of Ecclesiastes the Spirit of God gave us this beautiful triplet: wisdom, knowledge and joy and it is interesting to note that the Spirit chose joy to be in the company of wisdom and knowledge.

Wisdom is a combination of both knowledge and experience. It is similar to the process of going to school to learn a skill or trade and, with experience, applying such knowledge. A student in any vocation begins by learning the basic principles of the work, day by day, until he gathers information on all there is to know about that skill or trade, and learns how to apply it.

One day, the student leaves his place of learning and goes out into the work force and begins to apply the knowledge he has gained, most likely, over many years. There he gains experience by hands-on application and begins to develop deeper wisdom in his chosen skill.

Knowledge gives us the information to learn concepts, and put pieces together but wisdom affords us another dimension in the learning process. It is an overall deep sense of knowing how a piece of machinery will work, for example. No matter how much is learnt by way of knowledge, it takes experience to bring us into full wisdom of our skill.

And there is no greater knowledge than knowing God through His Word, and how He works. As we pursue knowledge of God through knowing His Word, He takes us through step by step, line by line, precept upon precept, confirming His Word by signs and wonders. As we build into this experience we gain wisdom.

And as we gain wisdom in the way He works by knowing Him and applying His Word, He furnishes us with greater stability, peace of mind, and true spiritual joy.

Proverbs 4:7 tells us that “wisdom is the principal thing, therefore we must get wisdom and with all our getting we must get understanding.” Are you gathering knowledge of God through knowing His Word and experiencing how He works, and setting the stage for a revelation of His wisdom?

SUGGESTED READINGS: Psalm 119:130; Proverbs 4:7; 17:24; Ecclesiastes 2:26.

PRAYER: “Heavenly Father, help me to pursue knowledge of you and help me gain wisdom and understanding. Come, O Spirit of wisdom, and reveal thyself to me, in Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore get wisdom.

The Wonders of Divine Direction

FOLLOWING THE MASTER – A Lenten Devotional

26th Day of Lent

March 10, 2016

The Wonders of Divine Direction

Copyright 2016 Monica Hernandez

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart...in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 5:6, KJV).

Trusting the Lord with all our hearts calls for one requirement: a childlike trust. And acknowledging Him in all our ways calls for our understanding that He sees and know all things, even the innermost secrets of our hearts, and can direct our paths to the desired ends we seek.

Once, when Jesus warned His disciples of coming persecutions, He told them that Athey should take no thought of what to say and how they should say it for at the very moment of need it would be revealed to them...@ Jesus was teaching His disciples the wonders of divine direction.

He was teaching them how to act out their roles in daily living as they were led by the Divine Director, the Holy Spirit. He was teaching His disciples that by faith, the right words would come to their lips at the right moment.

They were to walk onto the stage of life where the props had already been set, act out their roles and speak their parts effectively without strain.

In life we have a choice; we could either sleepwalk through life, bumping into obstacles and spoiling our speaking and acting parts or we could choose the divine direction of the Father and experience a fuller and more meaningful life.

Psalm 46, verse 10 says: ABe still, and know that I am God.@ The word Astill@ in the Hebrew in that text means, to Alet go@ or Acause to fall.@ When we earnestly seek God's direction in our affairs we are then to become still, meaning we are to Alet go@ our problems to Him and watch how His Spirit performs for us, through Christ.

Is there some issue you are facing at this time that is distressing and you cannot choose which way to go? Two or more courses of action all seem right but you can only choose one! Bring that issue to God in prayer, acknowledge Him as the Director of your paths, and in quietness and confidence, ask for His direction.

Then willingly place yourself and your affairs into His directing hand with a childlike trust. Let go and let Him direct your paths.

SUGGESTED READINGS: Psalm 46:10; Proverbs 3:5-6; Matthew 10:19-20.
PRAYER:
AToday, I shall walk in faith, yielding to the Spirit of the Father within me, and I thank Him for His guidance and direction in my life.@

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Life is like a stage and we are the actors. God holds the props and directs the drama.