Tag: Devotional

“I am the Glory and the Lifter of your Head. I am your High Strong Tower. I am your Defender against all of your enemies. I am for you; no weapon that is formed against you will prosper. I am the One you can call upon whenever anything hinders the way that I have planned for you. Before everything that has ever existed, I was. I have covenanted Myself to you. All that I Am is for you and never against you. I am your Father God. I give notice to your enemies. Enough!”

Deut. 1:6 NIV

The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain.”

Psalm 3:1-6 AMP

1) Lord, How they are increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me.

2) Many are saying of me, there is no help for him in God. Selah [pause and calmly think of that]!

3) But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.

4) With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of His holy hill. Selah [pause and calmly think of that]!

5) I lay down and slept; I awakened again, for the Lord sustains me.

6) I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about.

Psalm 18:1- 2 NIV

1) I love you, O Lord, my strength.

2) The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield…

Psalm 61:2-3  NIV

2) From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

3) For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.

Proverbs 18:10 NIV

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

 

I believe that as I write this, and as you read this, something has changed in the spiritual realm about our lives. Many of you, as well as we, have been under an onslaught of pressure and trials. Even though they are refining trials, they have seemed overwhelming, especially in the last few days. Often we have cried out to God, who seemed not to hear.

This day, He has said “Enough!” It is now time to move on. All along He has been working on our behalf to prepare the way for us as we proceed. Our command is to avoid what they did in Deuteronomy when they walked in fear because of the obstacles that lay ahead. Have the mindset of Joshua and Caleb.

If this message is for you, if your time is now, have the Lord confirm it and walk with your God. He is with you. If this message is for you down the road, save it and pull it out when the Lord reminds you of it.

Thank You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“I am continually observing the relationships that you share with others who are called by My Name. I guard your interactions with a steadfast love because I love each of you, even when you sometimes hate each other. Do you know that an indication of how much you love Me is how much you love each other? Do you know that I care more about your attitude in every relationship that I bring your way far more than how much you strive to do for Me? Anything that you claim to do in My Name means nothing to Me if you don’t love others more than you love yourself.

"Jesus put aside everything, even His own opinion, to show you how to get along with others and serve in true humility. Doing only what I asked Him to do, saying only what I wanted Him to say, He showed His love for Me and His humble heart, which I want you to emulate. When you count others as more important than yourself, you show those who give lip service to humility who they really are. I call them fools.

"Strive to lower yourselves in your own opinion, and I will lift you up before the world. Strive for true humility. Show it by taking time to listen to the heart of even the smallest child. Make others’ cares and concerns worth your time, especially your brothers and sisters in Christ. I devote all that I am to others; so does Jesus. Shouldn’t you, if you claim to obey My Word?”

 Phil. 2:1-5 NIV

1) If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,

2) then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

3) Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

4) Each of you should look not only to your own interests , but also to the interests of others.

5) Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ.

James 4:10 AMP

Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant].

 

I don’t know about you, but most people don’t have a clue about getting along with me. Few people understand that I’m always right, so I have no time for their opinion. Most don’t know that the way of being my friend is to always strive to meet my needs. Fewer understand that making me happy is their portion in life; and for the life of me, I don’t understand why I have no friends, when being my friend would give everyone the opportunity to always hear my opinion only, serve someone worthy of service, and understand someone with true wisdom.

Have I made you sick yet? I sure hope you understand that the above paragraph depicts a person that the Bible calls a fool, and I pray that I am not one. If I really thought that way, I would be a fool’s fool.

Proverbs 18:2 is one of the Father’s many definitions of a true fool. It states in the Amplified Bible: A [self-confident] fool has no delight in understanding but only in revealing his personal opinions and himself.

Not caring for the opinions of others shows a heart attitude of complete selfishness and usually follows with an attitude of knowing everything and serving no one. This type of person, who believes that he has all the answers, is an indication of a hardened heart towards God; and he is usually unteachable, untrustworthy, and unwilling to learn anything from anyone - even from God. He is totally self-absorbed and a friend to no one but himself.

Throughout the Word of God, true godly friendships and Christ-like character are manifested in how much we value others above ourselves, especially those who can give us nothing in return. The Christ-like characteristics of gentleness, kindness, tolerance, understanding, and compassion for others are exhibited in the heart that is in line with God’s heart.

Anyone calling himself a follower of Christ endeavors to allow God to develop these characteristics in him, so that Jesus can be seen in him wherever he goes, knowing that acting with love gives hope to the hopeless. His ardent desire is to eventually care for others only, putting himself completely aside, just like the Lord that he serves has done. To the loss of reputation, honor, finances, and material worth if necessary, he relentlessly moves in a direction to acquire the heart that cares only for the other’s best interest in any relationship. Anything less would dishonor his Lord. Anything else he might do for Him would be hollow service.

Wanting to learn how to lay my best interests down just as my Lord did,

Jim Corbett

“When you come to Me with your requests, you make the transition from the physical to the spiritual. Your physical needs are placed in My hands where I apply My spiritual power to accomplish them. The difference is so great that it is beyond your comprehension. One word from Me begins an unbeatable process toward the completion of everything needed. Come to Me with your needs. Come often. I reassure you, I will listen, and I will attend to everything My way in My perfect timing.”

Gal.3:3 NIV

Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?

 

If we ever really understood the concept of placing everything in God’s hands and leaving it there, most of us would finally find freedom. One glimpse into the spiritual realm, one instant of the revelation of the mightiness of the Almighty, and our whole lives would change forever.

Show me truth, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“When you come to Me with your requests, you make the transition from the physical to the spiritual. Your physical needs are placed in My hands where I apply My spiritual power to accomplish them. The difference is so great that it is beyond your comprehension. One word from Me begins an unbeatable process toward the completion of everything needed. Come to Me with your needs. Come often. I reassure you, I will listen, and I will attend to everything My way in My perfect timing.”

Gal.3:3 NIV

Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?

 

If we ever really understood the concept of placing everything in God’s hands and leaving it there, most of us would finally find freedom. One glimpse into the spiritual realm, one instant of the revelation of the mightiness of the Almighty, and our whole lives would change forever.

Show me truth, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“You are not your own. It has been very costly to purchase you. Nothing but the blood of Jesus was of sufficient value to redeem you from eternal separation from Me. Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself so that you could be spared the horrors that awaited you because of the one to whom you belonged. Now you are legally Mine. Your heritage has been restored. Never forget Who you now represent. I am perfecting you to represent Our Family properly.”

John 8:42-44 NIV  

42) Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I come from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me.

43) Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.

44) You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire.”

I Cor. 6:20 AMP

You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own].  So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.

Eph. 4:12-13 AMP

12) His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ’s body (the church),

13 [That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ’s own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ and the completeness found in Him.

 

Maybe one day we might get it. I wonder if we will ever comprehend what has happened because of the cross of Jesus Christ. It is no small event to change families. It is no little thing to have averted eternal damnation and been given eternal union with God.

I believe that it is important for each of us to remember who we were, who we now are, and who we are to become. We must never forget how much mercy we have been given. None of it has to do with what we deserve. All of it has to do with how much we are loved.

Never let me forget, Lord,

Jim Corbett