3-22-08 Psalm 72:6 Refreshing Springtime Rains

Psalms 72:6 (NAS)
May he come down like rain upon the mown grass, Like showers that water the earth.

Psalms 72:6 (NLT)
May his reign be as refreshing as the springtime rains—like the showers that water the earth.
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Sometimes you may feel as if the enemy is trying to mow you down like the grass. You do not believe that you have the strength to withstand him and you may think that you have been cut off from the rest of the flock. Like a sheep that is being shorn, you are lying helpless on your back.

However, at those times, you need to put your trust in God. He will come down to you, descending from His throne to bring you the help you need. His Spirit will fall upon you as rain. As newly grown grass begins to grow again after a healing rain, so too will you begin to heal and grow again, after the Lord visits you.

You know that you are unable to count the accumulation of water drops in a rain shower. When the Lord sends you a shower, He is giving you an increase that you cannot number. He is multiplying you in manifold ways. He will pour tens of thousands drops of water upon your land, to release the abundance that He has promised you.
Therefore, rejoice when you find yourself in a "mown down" state, for you know that the enemy has set you up to receive more of the blessings of God.

3-21-08 Psalm 65:9 God Provides a Bountiful Harvest

Psalms 65:9 (NAS)
Thou dost visit the earth, and cause it to overflow; Thou dost greatly enrich it; The stream of God is full of water; Thou dost prepare their grain, for thus Thou dost prepare the earth.
Psalms 65:9 (NLT)
You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The rivers of God will not run dry; they provide a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so.
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You know that Almighty God is the Creator; the heavens and the earth belong to Him. What you might not understand is that the Lord God often visits His creation. He comes to oversee and care for the earth and everything on it. As a part of His creation, you should understand that Adonai cares for you also. He wants to deposit good things into your life. He is committed to providing for your every need. He has made the earth firm beneath your feet and sends abundant water to continue the cycle of life. Through Him, you have an overflow.

One of God's main desires is that you continue to grow and increase. He wants to multiply you and to see you wax rich. As you give your tithe, a tenth of your income, to help further the Kingdom of God, you will begin to accumulate more; you will abound exceedingly. Soon rivers and streams of blessing and life from God will flow onto your lands. Then, you will find that you are full and furnished for everything.

The Lord God has already prepared this increase for you. As a fish spawns many offspring, so too shall your blessings become numerous. The Lord has moved rapidly to provide all of the corn and wheat that you need. You will never lack for grain. You are now established, fixed, and becoming more prosperous day by day. Therefore, stand fast in this certainty.

3-20-08 Hosea 10:12 Plant Good Seeds of Righteousness

Hosea 10:12 (NAS)
Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.

Hosea 10:12 (NLT)
I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of my love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.
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God has designed your life so that you must sow seeds. He wants you to plant, so that later on you will be fruitful. From the very beginning of time, the Lord created mankind to be fruitful and to multiply.

However, when you sow your seed, believing that it will conceive and bear, you should do so from a right heart. When you sow from your righteous nature, you will always sow with the proper attitude and motive. You know that everything that comes out of your righteous nature is pure and will bring you prosperity. Likewise, anything sown or planted through your fleshly nature will only lead to poverty and death.

After your time of planting, at the appropriate season, you will receive a harvest on your seed. What you have scattered abroad, Jehovah has commanded and appointed to come back to you. And it will be returned to you with kindness and mercy. His favor rests on each righteous seed that you plant and He causes it to yield back to you in the same manner in which it was sown.

Therefore, till your soil in preparation; make a fresh furrow in which to plant more seed. Plow the land that you have left lying fallow. When you cultivate this land, you will discover that though previously undeveloped, it now has great potential. You are in a new time and a new season; so seek and pursue the Lord Jehovah. Diligently ask and inquire of Him and He will reveal what He requires of you.

As you continue to go before the Lord in worship, He will soon come to you. He will rain equity and prosperity on your land. Righteousness will flow from God's throne into your life and you will see the just dealing of God in every area. The blessing of Adonai will fall on you, as the arrows shot from a multitude of archers. Then your land will no longer lie fallow, but will produce richly and exceedingly.

3-17-08 John 16:33 Jesus Gives You Peace

John 16:33 (NAS)
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

John 16:33 (Philips)
I have told you all this so that you may find your peace in me. You will find trouble in the world—but, never lose heart, I have conquered the world!"

John 16:33 (NLT)
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
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The Lord Jesus was always clear about His thoughts and often disclosed what was on His mind to His disciples. As one who has believed in Jesus, you should take His words to heart, for in His words is life. Since you are now in Him, you now have His life.

Because you are in Him, you possess the peace that only He can give. You need to hold fast to that harmony and concord that you have received from Him. The Lord has also given you security, safety, and prosperity. When you wear His garment of peace, you live in a happy and joyful state. You have joined yourself to your Messiah and as His companion, you can live in complete contentment and satisfaction. Your soul is assured of its eternal salvation through the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Even though you are born again of the Spirit of God, you must still live your natural life in the world, that is generally alienated from Adonai and hostile to the cause of Christ Jesus. The world, of course, does offer advantages and pleasures, but you have found that these are hollow, frail, and fleeting. Being a resident of this present age, you often experience the pressure, oppression, affliction, and tribulation that is normal for the world system.

However, you should not let yourself be overly concerned about the trouble and distress that the world tries to serve up to you. The wounds that you have suffered are not long lasting. Jesus Himself has told you to be of good cheer and to maintain your courage. In Him you can have confidence, for He has already conquered the temptations and persecutions that the world brings. As He was victorious over death and the grave, so too you now have that same victory.

3-16-08 Psalm 89:24-26 God's Name Is Your Defense

Psalm 89:24-26 (NAS)
And My faithfulness and My lovingkindness will be with him, And in My name his horn will be exalted. I shall also set his hand on the sea, And his right hand on the rivers. He will cry to Me, ‘Thou art my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.

Psalm 89:24-26 (NLT)
My faithfulness and unfailing love will be with him, and he will rise to power because of me. I will extend his rule from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the east. And he will say to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.
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Adonai, the Lord God, is always firm and secure. He is faithful, steady, and true. You can always trust Him, for He will always build you up and support you. You know that He daily fosters and nurtures you. He is the only thing permanent in your life, which gives assurance to your faith. The Lord desires to be kind to you and show you His abundant mercy. As you behold His beauty, He will bestow His favor and goodness on you.

The Lord has given you His name, which embodies all of His honor, authority, and character. Since you are known by His name, you have the power to use His authority. As an animal uses its horn to defend itself, so is God's name to you. His name is your defense; through it you have power.

The Lord is bringing you into a broad place where you have plenty and more than enough. Because of this you can open your hand to others, allowing them to partake of your bounty. You can dip your hand in the sea and come up with a great yield, for the Lord has given your hand the force and power that you need to mine its riches. When you put your right hand into a river, like the Nile in Egypt, you are flooded with prosperity, for you have chosen what is right and God has blessed you.

Therefore, you can call out to Adonai for you know that He is your Father. He has been the chief and principal influence over you. He is your God, Who is strong, mighty, and great. He is all powerful; to you, He is as the greatest oak tree. You are safe under His branches and His trunk is a sure defense to you. He, as a rocky cliff, is your refuge. Through Him, you have salvation, deliverance, and victory. In Him you have health and prosperity. Now your life is open, wide, and free; for the Lord has rescued you and made you safe.