Faint for lack of God

‘Amos 8:11-14

“The time is coming,” says Adonai ELOHIM,
“when I will send famine over the land,
not a famine of bread or a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of ADONAI.
People will stagger from sea to sea
and from north to east, running back and forth,
seeking the word of ADONAI;
but they will not find it.
When that time comes, young women and men
will faint from thirst.
Those who swear by the sin of Shomron,
who say, ‘As your god, Dan, lives,’
and, ‘As the way of Be’er-Sheva lives’—
they will fall and never get up again.”

This is America today, like Israel under Yarov’am we have made our own religion instead of heeding the Word of God. It is that lack of knowledge of God’s Word that has our country reeling under riots, violence, animal encroachment, droughts, diseases, and moral corruption. The young have no hope but see only despair in a life that muddles forward without the living water coming from ADONAI’s Throne. As believers we must stand in the gap and pray healing for our land just as Eliyahu prayed until that little cloud appeared coming in from the sea. Lord let me have the disciple, drive and desire to intercede for Your people. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Heart condition

Titus 1:15-16

To all who are themselves pure, everything is pure. But to those who are defiled and without trust, nothing is pure—even their minds and consciences have been defiled. They claim to know God, but with their actions they deny him. They are detestable and disobedient; they have proved themselves unfit to do anything good.

It is the condition of our heart, whether we are pure in our trust in ADONAI or selfishly appointed to seek only our own gratification, that determines if we are defiled. If our hearts are for God then our minds and spirits can only dwell on what He wants for us. But if one is base and self-centered then one cannot help but to dwell on what is good only for him at the expense of others. Lord let me never loose sight of the path that You have for my life, keeping my feet stable by dwelling on Your will. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Let Him shine in our weaknesses

2 Timothy 4:1-2

I solemnly charge you before God and the Messiah Yeshua, who will judge the living and the dead when he appears and establishes his Kingdom: proclaim the Word! Be on hand with it whether the time seems right or not. Convict, censure and exhort with unfailing patience and with teaching.

While Sha’ul challenges Timothy in this letter and us in it’s sharing I have failed almost daily in its command. I cannot number the conversations I had with people when two minutes or two hours later I remember something from the Word and though “man I should have said that!”. Also, when I do express God’s Word to someone I tend to loose patience explaining something I already know but they may not. Lord don’t let may failings keep Your witness of Your love for people from those You have put in my path. Shine through the holes in my shortcomings so that it is Your Love that lights their souls. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Our Cornerstone

2 Timothy 2:14-15

But you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, recalling the people from whom you learned it; and recalling too how from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which can give you the wisdom that leads to deliverance through trusting in Yeshua the Messiah.

Sha’ul is exhorting Timothy to rely on his foundation of trust as Timothy goes forward in spreading the gospel. All of us as believers have this foundation, people we can trust that are like minded and can lift us up in dark seasons and the Holy Scriptures that all point to trust in Yeshua ha Mashiach. It is this rock, this cornerstone that we as believers stand on during the storms of our lives so that we may show the world Adonai’s love. Abba thank You for Your Word with which all creation was made. Thank You for a path of salvation through Yeshua and the rest we have in abiding by Your Word. Praise You in all seasons, praise Your holy name, amen.

Look to God not ourselves

Yonah (Jonah) 1:7-16

Then they said to each other, “Come, let’s draw lots to find out who is to blame for this calamity.” They drew lots, and Yonah was singled out. They said to him, “Tell us now, why has this calamity come upon us? What work do you do? Where are you from? What is your country? Which is your people?” He answered them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear ADONAI, the God of heaven, who made both the sea and the dry land.” At this the men grew very afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done?” For the men knew he was trying to get away from ADONAI, since he had told them. They asked him, “What should we do to you, so that the sea will be calm for us?”—for the sea was getting rougher all the time. “Pick me up,” he told them, “and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; because I know it’s my fault that this terrible storm has come over you.”
Nevertheless, the men rowed hard, trying to reach the shore. But they couldn’t, because the sea kept growing wilder against them. Finally they cried to ADONAI, “Please, ADONAI, please! Don’t let us perish for causing the death of this man, and don’t hold us to account for shedding innocent blood; because you, ADONAI, have done what you saw fit.” Then they picked up Yonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging. Seized with great fear of ADONAI, they offered a sacrifice to ADONAI and made vows.

It is the same in our world today. Many who don’t know ADONAI will do anything they can to avoid the punishment of ADONAI just like the crew of the ship Yonah was on, except what they are told to do by God. The men knew in their hearts and minds that Yonah was fleeing ADONAI, Yonah had even told them bluntly that was what he was doing and they ignored the answer to calm the seas around them and continued to try to save themselves. Only in the deepest despair did they finally turned to God and trust what Yonah had said. It is the same now in our time, violence erupts around us, hatred and spewing vitriol has replaced civil conduct in society and yet no nation turns to God to restore us instead we paddle wildly under our own fear. Lord feed into the spirits of all men so that we will all submit to Your will in our lives. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Keep pushing

2 Timothy 1:11-12

It was for this Good News that I was appointed a proclaimer, emissary and teacher of the Goyim; and this is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, because I know him in whom I have put my trust, and I am persuaded that he can keep safe until that Day what he has entrusted to me.

When we operate in the giftings that ADONAI has given us, there will be opposition and there will be strife. Yet as Sha’ul was telling Timothy as long as our trust is in God we know that we will be kept safe through the storm until that day that we are with Him forever. Lord thank You for Your promises of salvation through trusting in You. Hold me close so that my trust grows every day until I stand redeemed before Your throne. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Keep the Fire

1 Timothy 6:4-6

If anyone teaches differently and does not agree to the sound precepts of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and to the doctrine that is in keeping with godliness, he is swollen with conceit and understands nothing. Instead, he has a morbid desire for controversies and word-battles, out of which come jealousy, dissension, insults, evil suspicions, and constant wrangling among people whose minds no longer function properly and who have been deprived of the truth, so that they imagine that religion is a road to riches.

It breaks my heart to see so many go down this road and forget the fire Adonai first gave them. Dear Lord help keep my trust simple and always focused on You. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Keep the holy, Holy!

Divrei-HaYamim Bet (2 Chronicles) 22:9b-12

At this point there was no one in the house of Achazyah strong enough to rule the kingdom. When ‘Atalyah the mother of Achazyah saw that her son was dead, she set about destroying the entire royal family of the house of Y’hudah. But Y’hoshav’at the daughter of the king took Yo’ash the son of Achazyah, stole him away from among the princes who were being slaughtered, and sequestered him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus Y’hoshav’at the daughter of King Y’horam, wife of Y’hoyada the cohen and sister of Achazyah, hid him from ‘Atalyah, so that he was not killed. He remained hidden with them in the house of God for six years; during this time ‘Atalyah ruled the land.

As believers we should be like Y’hoshav’, disregarding the chaos around us caused by evil people like ‘Atalyah the idol worshiping, self-destructive queen mother and know that our salvation is hidden away in our hearts until that time and season when He shall come bursting forth in power and glory restoring righteousness to us and the land just as Yo’ash restored the kingdom of Judah to worship of ADONAI. Lord let Your reign come now, bring justice to our land! I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Let God move

1 Timothy 4:12

Don’t let anyone look down on you because of your youth; on the contrary, set the believers an example in your speech, behavior, love, trust and purity.

As believers all of us have something that we believe that will hold us back from serving Adonai. For Timothy it was his youth, for me it is something else but there is some weakness there that on our own we would not be able to serve but through God’s strength by the indwelling Spirit He gives us, we can overcome our limitations and serve with distinction. Dear God You fill me with Your awesomeness how can I do anything but serve You. Thank You Adonai for using my weakness as a show of Your strength. Amen.

Pray correctly

1 Timothy 2:8

Therefore, it is my wish that when the men pray, no matter where, they should lift up hands that are holy—they should not become angry or get into arguments.

How many times have my prayers been cold and insufficient because of the anger I was holding on to. Sha’ul tells us it is okay to be angry but it should only be in the moment like a lightning strike and then gone not something we nurture day after day. It is this prolonged anger that becomes the idol in our lives replacing the love of the Father for something that can cut us off from everyone. Lord cleanse me and keep me worthy of Your service. Forgive me for my vendettas and forgive me as I forgive and release the anger in me. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.