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Devotional for
Willing to be humbled “6) Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7)Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5: 6-7 NIV A piece of advice that my mother, who is an Elder, and my bishop has often shared with me is that my relationship with God and the ministry He has put in me is a process. I will usually shake my head in agreement, because I do know this to be true; however, the part of the process I tend to have problems with is the being still. All of my life I have been a doer, an overachiever, a worker bee if you will. I have consistently volunteered, started activities, joined organizations, gone the extra mile in anyway that I could. Wouldn’t it be nice to say that I always did these things out of the kindness of my heart? But I didn’t. I thought about my career and how I could advance. I knew that by being a part of a particular committee my supervisor would see me and I would be one step closer to getting what I wanted. Then on another spectrum, I would be a part of something because I genuinely wanted to, but become upset when my work was not recognized. I wanted to be seen, to be thanked, to receive the award. At one point in my career, I had created an activity to increase student achievement. It was such a success that I shared it with other teachers with my motivation to help students. The principal of the school had observed another teacher using my activity and was thoroughly impressed. He brought all of the teachers together and commented on the wonderful job the other teacher was doing. I stood there fuming. It was my idea. Why was she receiving the “good job”? Wasn’t the motivation of sharing the idea to help students? I was more focused on being seen than being glad that it was working and students were learning. Right then, my heart was being checked. You see, it is so easy to say we are humble and that we are submitted to God until something happens. In that moment, we are able to see where we really stand in our relationship with God. When we are humble, we allow our view of ourselves, our talents, our giftings to be abased to the will of God. In essence, being humble is a state of being where we recognize that all we have, all we are is a result of His sovereign grace and mercy. Peter gives us a challenge to humble ourselves to God’s mighty hand, or rather God’s strength. By living a life of chosen submission to God, God promises to exalt us in due time. In exalting ourselves, we must do the work to keep up there, but when we allow God to exalt us, it is He that sustains us. When we are living a life humbled to God, we will no longer seek to be recognized, to get the awards, or do things to get ahead. Instead we know that the ways that we move are directed by a loving God who already knows what is best for us and when the season He has appointed for us comes, He will exalt us in such a way that no man can knock us down. Prayer My loving and forgiving Father, thank you for allowing me to grow in such a way to receive your correction with a willing heart. I am thankful that even in my ignorance, you were always there. Please forgive me for seeking to place myself in places that were not ordained by you. Forgive me for seeking vain glory from men instead of seeking to serve you with a willing, humbled, cheerful heart. Please guide me in all my ways so that what I do is directed by you. I thank you that you will exalt me in due season and that I choose to be submitted to you in the process. Thank you for those that you have put as authorities in my life to help hold me accountable to your Word. Please bless them for their obedience to your will. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Suggested Weekly Monday 1 Peter 5: 1-7 Tuesday Matthew Wednesday James 4: 6-10 Thursday Luke Friday Colossians Saturday Deuteronomy 8: 2-3 Sunday Luke Application Seek God in prayer to see if you are involved in activities for His purpose or your own. About the author: As a wife, mother, educator, daughter, friend, I, Minister Mamie L. Pack, seek to be an accessible tool to the Lord. It is my desire to use my gifting of writing to reach the lost, encourage the believer, and teach the people through the Word of Jesus Christ. Click here for other writings available at the author's blog www.LifeINowLive.blogspot.com Devotional for By Minister Mamie Pack Going Back “19)Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them. 20) I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,’ declares the LORD. 21) ‘I will save you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel.’” Jeremiah 15: 19-21 NIV Recently, I have been hearing the prompting of the Holy Spirit to return back to God. At first, I didn’t know what that meant. I didn’t leave God. I was still saved, serving Him, praying, tithing, etc. So, go back? Go back to what? It just didn’t make any sense at first. After all, I was getting up at It wasn’t until I found myself in the midst of a professional challenge that I understood the spiritual purging that was going on within me. There I sat, angry at the individual criticizing my work, angry that this person would not help me when I was asking for help, and angry that I was even going through this. How dare this person challenge me in this way? Without even realizing what was going on, I was allowing my heart to be infected with anger, frustration, bitterness and most of all pride. I had been praying about the situation and for God to fix the person that I forgot to really take a look at what was going on with me. In the effort to fix the situation, my intimacy with God began to suffer. Instead of spending the quiet time to study and meditate on His word, I was rushing, if I did it at all. Sure I was praying, but my heart was not in the right place. I had begun to ignore my relationship with God because I thought I needed to fix a problem. Reading these scriptures, particularly verse 15, is very encouraging to me. Prior to these verses, Jeremiah had been communicating with God. He was frustrated at the persecutions that he had been facing as a result of serving the Lord, the refusal of the people to receive Christ, and the attacks he had been suffering from his family. Jeremiah was tired, struggling, and feeling defeated. In his prayer, Jeremiah accuses God of going against His word. God listens, patiently, to the ramblings of the prophet and then begins to speak. He immediately says, “If you repent”. He is calling Jeremiah and us to come back to God to be at peace with the plan He has for our lives. He calls us to stop complaining, to stop allowing situations to be distractions, to stop allowing our emotions to dictate our spiritual walk. He wants us to get out of the pity party. In order to do this, we are to go back to Him acknowledging what has truly been in our hearts, in our minds, and what has been spoken out of our mouths. When we repent, God promises to restore us. When we are restored, we are able to not look at the situation for what it is, but we are able to see how God is using the situation for our good. He restores our passion, our patience, our ability to minister to the very ones who so easily criticize our work. He promises to give us peace and joy. God understood Jeremiah’s disappointment, anger, and frustration, but focusing on them was just a trapping to pull him away from the ministry that God has anointed him with. So I get it now. Go back! Go back to God and repent. Open my heart to Him so that He will be able to restore me. Go back to fellowshipping with Him with the intimacy and openness that has been the foundation of our relationship. Go back to studying His word and casting my cares upon Him. God wants those of us who have allowed our priorities to get off track to go back. Prayer My Lord, how awesome, loving and merciful you are. There are not enough words or ways to thank you for continuing to be an ever present part of my life. I am thankful for the gift of ministry that you have placed within me and providing me with your word so that I may continue to grow perfect in my relationship with you. Forgive me for allowing pride, bitterness, or anger to plant roots in my heart. Purge me Lord and continue to use me to the fullness of your plan. I choose to seek you first in all things and to meditate on your word day and night. Thank you for the men and women that have sowed the seeds of your word in my life and continue to intercede on my behalf. I love you Lord. In the name of Jesus, Amen. Suggested Weekly Monday Jeremiah Tuesday Zechariah 3: 7-9 Wednesday Psalm 37: 40 Thursday Jeremiah Friday Isaiah 41: 10 Saturday 1 Kings Sunday Ezekiel 44: 23 Application If you have found yourself distracted, lacking trust, angry, or frustrated in your walk with Christ, repent and take special time this week to be intimate with Him. About the author: As a wife, mother, educator, daughter, friend, I, Minister Mamie L. Pack, seek to be an accessible tool to the Lord. It is my desire to use my gifting of writing to reach the lost, encourage the believer, and teach the people through the Word of Jesus Christ. Click here for other writings available at the author's blog www.LifeINowLive.blogspot.com Devotional for By Minister Mamie L. Pack Controlling our thinking “3) For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4) The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5) We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5 NIV Have you ever found yourself faced with a challenge or sharp words from an individual that caused you to question yourself? Lately, I found myself questioning the very thing I know that God had spoken to me simply because someone else didn’t see it in me. I gave my ear to the voice of that individual’s opinions and quickly discounted the plan God had spoken into my life. At that moment, it was so easy for me to do. After all, this person was more experienced and more educated than I. My husband stood there looking at me as I poured my anger, my hurt, my frustration out to him over what had been spoken to me from that person. Immediately, his response was “Why?” Huh? I didn’t get it. Why what? He asked me, “Why was I giving this person so much power over me? Why was I allowing this person to make me question God’s plan in my life? Why was I given an ear so readily to believe what that person had to say?” Now, at first, I was not so willing to hear what he had to say; I just wanted the hug and a “it’s going to be alright” kinda thing. Thankfully, that is not what he gave me. Although I did not want to hear his words, they were received in my spirit. I knew right then that I had been warring with this situation and person in the flesh. Paul reminds the church in When we glean that our strength is in God, it becomes our responsibility to first take into captive, even demolish, the thoughts and actions that hinder our walk with Him. I had to decide to demolish the thoughts of myself that I had allowed to be planted by the other person. This was simply and enemy attack to get me off of my course in my relationship with Christ. As long as I was fighting in the flesh, it was hindering me in my spiritual walk with the Almighty. It was up to me to control my thinking about myself and even concerning the other person, in my anger. Either I was going to let the root continue to grow or I was going to allow Christ to help me uproot the ungodly thought so that I could continue to walk boldly in the plan He had set for me. It is easy to get mad at a person or to even get upset at ourselves than to recognize the spiritual battle waging around us and in us. At that moment we have a choice; we can choose to wage war in the flesh through sinful responses like anger, rage, revenge, bitterness or we can choose to wage war in the spirit through prayer, meditation on the word, faith in Christ, etc. Although the individual didn’t change, my response to the situation and the person did. I choose to not convince the person of my knowledge and qualifications, but to trust God that He will grant me all revelation and favor that is needed for the task. I choose to fight this battle in my faith in Christ, but I am reminded that it is a process which we all face day by day. Prayer Most heavenly and awesome Father, thank you for being the Christ that you are. Thank you for allowing your son to die on the cross for my sins. I pray that I may put on the whole armor of Christ each day. Show me the areas of weakness in my armor so that I may be strengthen in you. Help me not to engage in spiritual warfare in my flesh. I pray that I not be so haughty that I do not acknowledge that I need your help. Continue to reveal to me thoughts that hinder my walk with you so that I may cast them down. I pray that as each day goes by that I continue to choose to trust you and have faith in your plan for my life. I pray that I not give my ear to receiving what others say that is in contrast to the life you have already spoken over me. I am thankful to be your child. In Jesus name, Amen. Suggested Weekly Monday 2 Corinthians 10: 1-6 Tuesday Colossians 2: 8 Wednesday Ephesians Thursday 2 Corinthians Friday Isaiah Saturday Jeremiah Sunday Romans 8: 2-4 Application Spend some time in prayer and meditating on the Word to allow God to show you the areas in which you have been fighting the in the flesh instead of in the spirit. About the author: As a wife, mother, educator, daughter, friend, I, Minister Mamie L. Pack, seek to be an accessible tool to the Lord. It is my desire to use my gifting of writing to reach the lost, encourage the believer, and teach the people through the Word of Jesus Christ. Click here for other writings available at the author's blog www.LifeINowLive.blogspot.com Devotional for By Minister Mamie Pack Are you willing to carry? “53) When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54) As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55) They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56) And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.” Mark 6: 53-56 He had arrived. Although the path was slated to go to I imagine them carrying bed after bed to the city where they heard of Christ presence. These people knew that God had the ability to heal all of the sick, but they had to get the people there. They stopped working, stopped washing their clothes, stop doing whatever it was to make sure that their sick would have the chance to get to Christ. Placing the bodies of the afflicted in the marketplace, they cried out for the sick on their behalf to Christ. These people were not concerned with their own cares, but had a heart for those that were sick. All around us the hurting, the sick, the wounded are there. Some are afflicted with illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, or fibroids. Others are wounded from divorce, verbally abusive parents, physically abusive spouses, or a broken heart. Then there are those hurting from callous words spoken in frustration, nonchalant attitudes of those who desire not to get involved, or from the body of believers who refuse to help. Yes, these people surround us as believers every day. So what are we to do about it? As believers, we are called to pray and intercede on behalf of those that are hurting. When we enter our private times of prayer, intercession is our way of carrying the sick. We are able to prayer for salvation of the lost, restoration of the weary, healing of the sick, and so much more. This requires us to get outside of ourselves and to have the faith to believe in Jehovah Rapha, the Lord our healer. We are called to share the Word of God in our homes, our jobs, our grocery stores, wherever. When we take the Word to the people this is also our way of carrying the sick. Please take the time to pray for others, to share the Gospel of Christ, to uplift those who are weighted down. For truly, our God is able to heal. Prayer My Lord and Savior, I am truly thankful that you are Jehovah Rapha, the Lord my healer. Thank you for healing me of the broken places in my life. Continue to mold me and purge me of those areas that hinder me in my walk with you. Thank you that in spite of the brokenness, the pain, the discomfort, you not only heal but you also restore. I pray that you may bless all those who interceded for me time and time again. Help me to have a heart for your people and for those who are sick, hurting and wounded. Help me to get pass my own selfish desires and seek to carry the sick to you. Strengthen all those that are spiritual intercessors. Lord I love how you love me. In Jesus name, Amen. Suggested Weekly Monday Mark 6: 53-56 Tuesday Matthew Wednesday Acts Thursday Mark 2: 1-12 Friday Numbers Saturday Psalm Sunday Matthew Application Take the time in prayer to pray for others whom you may know that are unsaved, hurting, sick, or wounded in any area each day this week. About the author: As a wife, mother, educator, daughter, friend, I, Minister Mamie L. Pack, seek to be an accessible tool to the Lord. It is my desire to use my gifting of writing to reach the lost, encourage the believer, and teach the people through the Word of Jesus Christ. Click here for other writings available at the author's blog www.LifeINowLive.blogspot.com Click here to send to a friend.
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