Tag: Devotional

“Those of you who are following hard after Me affect your world more than you know. Most people don’t know what to do with you, especially in My church. Your mere presence makes carnal followers of My Word very uncomfortable. People who are prideful in what they know become confused just being near you. Their little world is rocked by your immovable love for Me. Your faith makes them see how puny their faith is. I have told you this before; now I am telling you again, so that you can shake loose from the guilt that has been placed on you for so many years.

"Be prepared to see foolish, prideful hearts harden before your very eyes. Prepare yourselves to see what you have considered to be close friends separate themselves from you for no apparent reason. Watch as they do an about face, making flimsy excuses for their departure. It is not you. It is the exposure of their hearts. They cannot go where they would be expected to go if they stayed in your midst. Their boundaries are being stretched by My call on your life, and it is too far for them to go. All of their talk of service, all their religious games are too comfortable to leave. You don’t fit in their world. You are too much of a maverick in their eyes. They must revert to their comfort zones. They are too weak to face the scorn of their peers if they acknowledge your way of life fully.

"Rest assured, I will take care of you. You will never really fit with anyone but those of like mind and Spirit. Your life will always expose the values of others whether you know it is happening or not. Take comfort in the fact that I will lead you to those who are not playing games with Me. Others will go about their business, relieved that you are no longer in their midst. I will heal your wounds and remove the rejection. I will be Lord for you. I will be your friend. I appreciate you. Pray for the others as they increase their activities, so that the stain of rejecting you feels less painful to them.”

Ps. 31:20 AMP

In the secret place of Your presence You hide them from the plots of men; You keep them secretly in Your pavilion from the strife of tongues.

Matthew 5:13 AMP 

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality) how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.

 

It is encouraging and refreshing to share “war” stories with fellow misunderstood, so-called maverick believers. Somehow, doing so makes the rough times a little easier and the very difficult times more bearable. It also helps to know that you have kindred spirits in your corner, when your faith seems small and all you have the strength to do is hang on desperately to the hem of Jesus’ garment.

To those of you who have embraced the call of a crucified, sacrificial life, you need to understand that you will not ever be understood. Every opportunity to discredit you will be taken. Every effort to show that your way of living is not the proper way will be made.

You will be forever on the sidelines, perpetually called to do without, and continually labeled as misfits. When your spiritual help is no longer needed, you will be discarded with as little concern as yesterday’s laundry, of no more use. After you have paved the way to the most current move of the Lord, others more powerful and more credible in the eyes of the church will take what you have given and make it more saleable, marketing it with professional expertise. You will then be called to start all over, paving the way for the heart of your Lord to be presented in another way, until that takes hold, and so on and so on.

Having said that, you will also have access to the heart of our Father in a way that few understand. You will be able to intimately hold the hand of your Lord during the roughest of times, and you will feel the refreshing breeze of the Holy Spirit more than those who do not have your calling could ever imagine. You are truly blessed.

In the times when you feel weakest, and long for even a morsel of the delicacies that most of the comfortable church enjoys daily, you need to remember the life of your Lord and Savior. You need to remember that you have been called to live as He did among others. Your reward is not in this present time. Your reward is in seeing the Lord’s pleasure as He directs your life, paving the way for His desires to be initiated in a cold church. He will be your reward.

You are groundbreakers. You are called to stir up the complacent. You are gaining the heart of God. You are the salt that has not lost its saltness.  He is very pleased with you.

I remember what it is all about once again, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Are you sure that the road you are traveling is the road that I have planned for your life? Are you sure that those with whom you’re traveling are appointed by Me? You can be! You can know without a doubt what My plans are for your life and whom I have placed there to support those plans, if you spend enough time with Me to know My heart. I hide nothing from those who come to Me often and stay until We both are satisfied. I especially love to share Myself with honest hearts and open spirits. Come to Me with all that is on your heart. Allow Me to guide and direct you into the quiet peace of My love. I will show you truth. I will give you clear direction. I will open My heart to you and set you in My perfect will. In My presence is where you will find the peace and safety for which you have been looking.”

Isa. 30:20 AMP

And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide Himself any more, but your eyes will constantly behold your Teacher.

Mark 4:24 AMP

And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you – and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.

John 5:19-20 NIV

19) Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

20) For the Father loves the Son and shows him all He does.”

 

Most of us rush to our Father in heaven with our laundry lists and then rush to wherever we choose to go from there, never realizing the incredible wealth we are missing. We miss His heart. We miss what He desires, His plans for us, and how He chooses to implement His will through us. Is it any wonder then, why we stagger aimlessly, and have little strength and few answers for those who need truth?

Father God is waiting for us to tarry with Him. He has designed you and me to be in His presence as our primary residence - not only in the future, but now. The cross of Jesus opened the door for us. It would seem to make sense to spend most of our time where we have been designed to be - with the One with whom we are designed to be. From there everything else would become clear.

Teach me Your ways, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Your weakness is one of the most powerful offerings that you can give to Me. You honor Me by understanding that you need My power to overcome your world. Your reliance upon Me for all your needs shows Me that you understand the concept of Lordship and all that it offers. It transfers your attempting to overcome vast powers with your very limited abilities to My unlimited resources. Think about this. If I asked you to attempt to engage a vast army, blindfolded, would you consider Me to be a friend? If I then gave you plastic weapons, told you very little about the weapons and the style of warfare that the enemy engages in; but sent you to the battle front, would you think that I expect you to win any battles? Of course not. It would only show My lack of love for you.

"Because I love you so much, I give you authority over all of the enemy’s power and mighty weapons to tear down strongholds, but it is still My strength in Jesus’ Name that overcomes. I plead with you: Do not engage in battle with the enemy in your own strength. I know that you cannot win. Because that is absolute truth, I promise you that I will fight your every fight. Even though the enemy’s power was no match for the power exhibited at the cross and was annihilated at the resurrection, you are still no match for anything that comes your way in your carnal power.

"Thank you for trusting Me. Thank you for believing in Me. Thank you for being wise and giving Me the privilege of intervening in your life. I hold your needs in high priority. I will never let you down. You are Mine and I love you.”

Psalm 23 1-6 NIV

1) The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2) He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,

3) He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4) Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5) You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6) Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

 

When the Lord was teaching me a little more about the covenant that I had entered into when I gave my life to Jesus, he gave me a vision. I was standing before a vast, angry army of many soldiers. They were in an open field with implements of war such as catapults, longbows, and mighty swords. In the distance, I saw thousands and thousands of troops ready to war against my every move. They were screaming and hollering, jumping up and down. Every one of them was having quite a time of strutting their scary war stuff. Standing in that field all alone, needing to fight such a formidable foe was frightening beyond belief. I had no hope.

All of a sudden, I had the feeling that I was not really alone. Turning around, my Lord Jesus was right behind me, standing calmly with a loving smile on His face. He was magnificent. Behind Him were countless hosts of giant angels, dressed in splendorous heavenly battle gear, with indescribably mighty weapons ready for war on my behalf. They covered the landscape for as far as I could see. I remember how calmly they stood there. My horrible battle was an afternoon’s joust for only one of them. The overwhelming show of force was for my benefit. It was to show me how little I had to worry about any battle, no matter how large I thought it was.

Then something wonderful happened. Jesus asked me to take a walk with Him in the fine meadow off to the side of the battlefront. Foolishly, I commented to Him that I had a battle to fight; that I was needed.

In an instant, He showed me the folly of my concerns. First, He showed me that the battle was no longer mine now that I was His. Second, He allowed me to ponder my chances if I were to take the foe on single-handedly. Third, He explained to my heart the awesome power of His troops. Knowing my foolish heart, He also allowed me to understand how little help I would be if I decided that it was my job to lend them a hand.

My lightning-fast mind finally got it. The battle was no longer mine, so the most productive thing I could do would be to go for a walk near the stream, over in the meadow, off to the side of the battle front, while my enemies were being soundly defeated by probably only one of the mighty angels while the others were watching over us. It finally made sense.

I then woke up and once again began to worry about whatever battle was before me at that time. Now that many years of defeated foes have passed, I remember that vision, and walk by the stream with my Jesus when the battle rages more often, rather than trying to go it alone.

Needing to remember who I am in Jesus more often,

Jim Corbett

“Do something today that points to Jesus. Love someone the way He would. Testify of His life. Bring hope to someone who has no hope. Live His life as if you mean it! Someone is waiting for that to happen.”

 II Cor.1:3-4 AMP

3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the God [Who is the Source] of every comfort (consolation and encouragement),

4) Who comforts (consoles and encourages) us in every trouble (calamity and affliction), so that we may also be able to comfort (console and encourage) those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the comfort (consolation and encouragement) with which we ourselves are comforted (consoled and encouraged) by God.

II Cor.5:20a AMP

So we are Christ’s ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us.

I John 2:6 AMP 

Whoever says he abides in Him ought [as a personal debt] to walk and conduct himself in the same way in which He walked and conducted Himself.

 

Our every breath should testify of the love of Jesus. We should act as He would act in every situation that comes our way, because there is no better way to live. His life is passionate and deeply involved in the lives of others. His ways are monumental.  What an incredible honor to have that same life indwelling in us!

Burst forth, my Lord,

Jim Corbett

“I call you to a quiet place with Me. It is a place of refreshing for you and a desire fulfilled for Me. Jesus lived and died so that We could be together again after Adam’s sin. He opened the door. You have been born of the Spirit so that you are able to be in My presence. Set aside your lists and requests. Come to speak of the deep things of the Spirit. I will show you My heart and My ways. As you submit yourself to Me, I will show you truth.  Come to Me often. It is your redeemed place for eternity. I love to be with you.”

 Matt. 14:22-23 NIV

22) Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.

23) After he had dismissed them, he went up into the hills by himself to pray...

Mark 6:30-32 NIV

30) The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.

31) Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

32) So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.

 

I’ve always wondered why so many of us attempt to do God’s will and spend so little time with Him to know what that really is. A pretty scary pattern has emerged in the church. We take a couple of favorite scriptures and base almost all of our actions on them, thinking that that small piece of His heart is actually the whole.

Is it any wonder that most of us are confused about so many things in life? How often we walk in blindness, when the light of God is available to us if only we took the time to find it by being with Him. It almost seems that we would rather grope in darkness than be with the One who really desires to be with us and show us the way.

I’m sorry for my independent attitude, Lord,

Jim Corbett