Tag: Devotional

“You delight My heart. I notice you as a father notices his beloved child. I love to invest in you. As you respond to My leadings, I straighten the paths for your journey. Your obedience thrills My heart. Don’t be concerned about how many mistakes you make along the way. They are covered by the blood of Jesus and My mercy.

“I am looking forward to you finishing the race set before you. Pattern your life after the life of Jesus. As We walk together, I will show you My heart. Respond to My leading. Be obedient to My will. Your life is a wonderful journey that We will enjoy together.”

Gen. 1:27-28a AMP

27) So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him: male and female He created them.

28) And God blessed them and said to them, be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man]…

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

5) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

6) in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

 

As the Father reveals all aspects of His heart, sometimes I reel with the overwhelming challenge that I am called to face. I begin to condemn myself for who I am not, cower at the prospects ahead of me as a Christian in the coming times, stagger at the weight of my responsibility to represent Jesus properly; and become discouraged as I attempt to prepare for His return. It is then that I remember that none of this was my idea in the first place. My Father has ordained my life and has promised to fulfill His plan for it and in it. My job is simply to need Him desperately.

Thank You for my life, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Few of you, My children, are bold enough to ask Me for all that I have for you. You choose to wander on the perimeter of My perfect will - looking but never really seeing, listening but never really hearing; and doing, but never really having enough of Me to change your world. I have sorrow in My heart for you. You are really missing out on the abundant life that is your inheritance.

“If I were given access to every area of your life, you would never be the same. I would make some changes. You would have to forgive everyone who has ever offended you.  You would have to throw away some of the diversions in your life that replace your time with Me. You would need to start seeking relationships for their closeness to Me, rather than because they give you alternatives to My working in your life. I would overhaul your days, dwell in your dream patterns; and maintain your every thought, bringing it captive to My will.

“I am a loving taskmaster, wanting only the best for you. You would lose all things that make you weak and receive everything that builds you up to emulate Jesus. Choose to find the abundant life. Be bold! Ask Me to really control every area of your life. It will be worth it. I promise!”

Ps. 18:30 AMP

As for God, His way is perfect! The word of the Lord is tested and tried; He is a shield to all those who take refuge and put their trust in Him.

John 10:10 AMP

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

Rom. 12:2 AMP

Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

Eph. 3:20-21 AMP

20) Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]­­‑

21) To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it).

 

I think about the caterpillar. (I don’t really do it often, honest.) If the caterpillar chose to stay outside the cocoon, it would never experience the lofty life of the butterfly. Its very nature would, however, continually attempt to drive it to its destiny of becoming a butterfly. To resist that call would take more effort than submitting to it. That is like each of us before we made Jesus our Lord.

Now carry that simple caterpillar-butterfly analogy further and relate it to us as born-again believers. If we don’t completely submit to our Father’s hand, it would be like the caterpillar entering the cocoon; but then deciding what parts of the butterfly it will accept and what parts of the caterpillar it will keep. The result would be a pretty foolish-looking, half-finished combination of both creatures, ill equipped to properly function as either. Maybe like some of us, huh?

Finish me completely, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Have you noticed that very few people are coming into My kingdom in recent years? How many have come to Me in your immediate circle? It seems that testifying of what Jesus has done has lost its charm in My church. What is actually happening is that few people are craving to know Who Jesus is because of their hardened hearts. They are so consumed by the world and its ways that there is no time for even questioning what will happen after they breathe their last breath.

 “A much greater concern of Mine is that My church simply does not love enough to care. You do not love Jesus enough to make His sacrifice for others the priority in your life. You do not love others enough to really care what happens to them after they breathe their last breath. If that offends you, how much time do you spend planning your life so that others see Jesus in what you do and say? See!”

Jeremiah 2:13 NIV

“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

Amos 3:3 KJV

“Can two walk together except they be agreed?”

John 4:34 NIV

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”

 

The world has changed so much that sometimes we do not realize how far we have fallen from the right path, until the Lord shows us and wakes us up. Time is passing so fast, that days turn into months and months turn into years before we can catch ourselves and wonder where it all went. Things take over our lives so insidiously that we wonder how we ever became so consumed with what has a hold on us, eating our lives minute by minute, hour by hour.

Now is the time to stop and take an inventory of our lives to see if we are really where we should be. What is out of order? What is not of God? What needs to be changed? Are we in the center of God’s will, or have all the intrusions of this life pushed us off the path and made us walk in the brambles?

Put me back on Your path, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“You have no idea how much and by whom you are being observed. The heavenly hosts and demonic hoards are learning of Me through what I have done for you. They know who I am. They have seen My power. They understand absolute authority and eternal consequences for actions taken.

“Now, through My interaction with you, they are observing grace and mercy. They have witnessed the wonder of the cross and its redemptive power. You have access to Me whenever you need it because of the blood that was shed for you. If you could only understand what they understand, you would be forever grateful. You would not take your privileges as lightly as you do.”

Ephesians 3:10-12 AMP

10) [The purpose is] that through the church the complicated, many-sided wisdom of God in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects might now be made known to the angelic rulers and authorities (principalities and powers) in the heavenly sphere.

11) This is in accordance with the terms of the eternal and timeless purpose which He has realized and carried into effect in [the person of] Christ Jesus our Lord.

12) In Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear).

 

Yah! We don’t get it. One day, when this time down here is all over and we are brought before our Father in heaven, we’ll understand the full impact of our astounding wealth because of the cross and its work. As I understand these and other verses, you and I have been given more than even the angelic beings. It’s time to wake up and smell the astounding aroma of our salvation.

Show me truth, Lord,

Jim Corbett

 

 

“If you hold Me in the highest esteem, if you make My will your priority in life, if you covet Our time together and allow nothing to interfere with Our fellowship, if you rely on the truth of My Word and apply it in whatever you do, if you submit fully to Jesus and the work that was accomplished on the cross, you will always walk in the safety of My presence.

“You will know the plans I have for you. You will understand My will in all situations. Your life will be in order, and you will have a continuous peace, knowing that I am with you. You will be called blessed. Others will seek you out. You will impact your world and the people that I send you in a profound way. Your life will be of great consequence.”

Psalm 16:11 AMP

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 25:12-14 NIV

12) Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

13) He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.

14) The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.

Isaiah 26:3 AMP

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.

Amos 5:4b AMP

Seek Me [inquire for and of Me and require Me as you require food] and you shall live!

 

Let’s see, we allow most everything to take priority over our time with our Father God. We sometimes (most of the time?) choose man’s ways above God’s ways. We really don’t believe that the Bible is true all the time and can be counted on in every situation we face; and we have difficulty believing that the Lord will be there to reveal His plans for us when we seek Him. Then we wonder why we have little spiritual power and our lives are out of order. Hmmm!

Thank You for inviting us to come to You, Lord,

Jim Corbett