A Courageous Leader
The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant in the Lord’s presence. He pledged to obey the Lord by keeping all his commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and soul. He promised to obey all the terms of the covenant that were written in the scroll. (2 Chronicles 34:31 NLT)
Despite the fact that he became king when he was only eight years old, Josiah was an incredibly influential leader.
He confronted the idolatry of the nation by destroying the high places of idol worship. He rediscovered the ancient Law of God and began reading it publicly, reintroducing to his people the God they had abandoned.
Most importantly, Josiah purposes in his own heart to be a man that followed after God.
As a leader I can learn much from Josiah.
1. Leaders must confront destructive behaviors and wrong patterns of life in order to set people free from the traps of the enemy.
2. Leaders must bring people back to God’s Word, so that they can once again hear His voice.
3. Leaders must lead by personal example.
Father,
Today I ask you to help me to be a courageous leader, one who is willing to make difficult decisions in order to set people free to be all that God intends.
Help me to declare your Word, so that people can know the truth and know your voice.
And help me to be the man of God that people can look to and learn from.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
The Stairway Between Heaven and Earth
… the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth. ” (John 1:51 NLT)
In a brief conversation He had with Nathaniel, Jesus made this subtle, yet profound, statement. Jesus revealed Himself as the stairway between heaven and earth.
The New King James Version says it like this:
And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” (John 1:51 NKJV)
Since every word, and the order of each word in Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit, we can discover significant truth by simply reading with intention to understand.
Unlike how we would imagine a stairway being built in a home or business, the stairway in this verse is constructed top to bottom – from heaven to earth.
Jesus, God’s Son, descended to earth, subjected Himself to the limitations of humanity. He came DOWN. He was one of us.
But the beauty of what He did is that, once the stairway was built, it could then be used in either direction, for heaven to reach earth, and for earth to reach heaven.
Not only did Jesus come down to earth to reach you, He gives you access to reach heaven every time you pray, every time you meditate on His Word, every time you extend yourself in worship.
Heaven is within reach from where you are.
The ultimate promise is that, when your life on earth is complete, and you have breathed you last breath, you can, through Jesus Christ, ascend to heaven to forever be with The Lord!
God’s angels are dispatched and on assignment for you today. God Himself is with you. You are not on this earthly pilgrimage alone. Heaven is with you.
Call on Jesus right now, and thank Him for building the stairway between heaven and earth. You have access to God, and He has access to you THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
Jesus is the stairway. He is the only stairway. Only He was the perfect embodiment of heaven and earth – God and Man.
Father,
Today I thank You for the access I have to heaven. Jesus has brought heaven’s promises within my reach. I ascend to Your presence right now, and will bring your promises into my world today, by faith.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Chew it Again: How to Meditate on God’s Word
He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! (Psalms 103:5 NLT)
The word “meditation” can conjure a variety of images, from “emptying the mind” to cult-like chanting.
Biblical meditation, however, is a discipline of the mind to focus specifically on a particular portion of Scripture, in order to fully digest and apply all that God intends to speak and do in your life through that word.
In fact, the picture is of a cow chewing its cud. (I know, quite picturesque!). Like many animals, a cow digests food by chewing, then swallowing, then bringing it back up again, chewing some more, and repeating the process until all of the nutrients have been extracted from the food.
When we meditate on God’s word, we “chew on it” for a while, go about our day, then intentionally bring it back up again and chew some more. Our goal is to get every nutrient out of the bread of life!
So, today, I am meditating on this verse from Psalm 103.
He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! (Psalms 103:5 NLT)
As i meditate, God is reminding me that, amidst the challenges I am facing, He fills my life (to the point of overflow) with GOOD things! My youth (energy, strength, hope, joy) is renewed like the eagle’s (which soars with ease above all danger and turmoil, and has keen eyesight to see the big picture from the heights of God’s vantage point.)
A wise man once taught me that meditation is as simple as: Memorize, Visualize, and Personalize.
Also, meditation involves muttering out loud, speaking the word, declaring verbally the promises of God. It’s not just a mental exercise, but a verbal one.
When you read God’s word everyday, simply choose a portion of Scripture, read it out loud several times, chew on it, save it as your home screen for the day, write it on a note card, come back to it several times a day, declare it over and over again, and watch what God will do to bring His Word to pass in your life!
The Word of God is LIVING and ACTIVE! When you meditate on God’s word you will prosper in all that you do!
Read Psalm 1 and Joshua 1:8 to see more on the power of meditation.
If you need healing, meditate on healing Scriptures. If you need encouragement, find God’s word on courage, strength, and joy.
There is a Word for you today. Find it, and chew on it. You’ll be glad you did!
Earth is temporary. Eternity is forever.
For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. (Hebrews 13:14 NLT)
My life on earth is limited to just a few years. So, what will I do with that?
There are only two kinds of investments we make with our lives. Each decision, each conversation, each pursuit in life either benefits Earth or Eternity.
Often I find myself concerned with (or even consumed by) earthly things – bills, college decisions for my kids, home repair, work situations, etc.). If I’m not careful I can become entirely focused on things of earth.
The Holy Spirit, however, often reminds me of the grander picture. He reminds me that I can trust God with my life, my finances, and my family. And He reminds me that there are others around me who need encouragement and prayer. These are eternal investments.
Jesus said: “Don’t lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, because they will ultimately disappear; instead, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, because they will last forever.”
Here’s the ultimate distinction between the earthly and the eternal: THINGS are earthly; PEOPLE are eternal.
Today, choose to give your life away to people. Encourage someone. Pray with someone. Invest into someone. Inspire someone.
Earth is temporary. Eternity is forever.
Father,
Help me to make an earthly impact by living with eternity in mind.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
My Soul’s Anchor
…it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.
This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. (Hebrews 6:18-19 NLT)
God cannot lie. He is truth. Therefore, every promise that He has made concerning my life comes with absolute certainty.
My boldness is not based on my worthiness of His promises, but on His faithfulness to do what He said He would do.
It is THAT hope – the hope in Jesus and his Word – that has become an anchor for my soul.
On the sea of life my boat tends to drift. There are often two causes for my waywardness:
The WINDS – those unseen but very real spiritual realities of life
The WAVES – the circumstances that become disturbed as a result of the winds.
When the disciples encountered the WINDS and the WAVES, they became frantic and fearful. But Jesus remained at peace.
When you encounter spiritual opposition and circumstantial disruption, your soul – that is, your mind, your will, and your emotions – needs to be anchored in order for you to remain steadfast.
Hope is the anchor whose weight steadies us amidst the storm.
When I am steadied in the storm, then I can rebuke the wind and speak to the waves! By the way, it is significant that Jesus rebuked the unseen, spiritual forces (winds), and then simply spoke to the circumstances (waves).
You and I have that same authority and privilege. But we cannot let our souls become lost at sea – we must be anchored.
Father,
Thank You for the authority I have through Jesus Christ to rebuke the winds of spiritual opposition.
And thank You for the power I have through Jesus to speak to the situations of life and command peace.
But more than anything, thank You for the hope I have in Jesus – the hope that anchors my soul amidst the storm.
Today I declare: “Peace! Be still!”
Pastor Dale Jenkins 