Tag: walk

Immediately

I was quickened to write about the word “immediately” after a friend made me aware how often the word is used in the Bible. If you search the word immediately in either the NKJV or the NLT, you will obtain at least three pages of references. There is something to acting immediately that I believe God is trying to tell those of us who believe. Most certainly he wants us to follow Him as soon as our heart is alerted to the fact that we need Him in our lives.

Matthew 4:21-22 A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too.  They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.

He as our rescuer and strong tower is Always there for us, we must have faith.

Matthew 14:30-32 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.

Healing is an instantaneous result when we have faith and believe with our whole heart.

Matthew 20:34 So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

Mark 5:28-29   For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.

Mark 5:41-42 Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.

Mark 7:34-35 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.

Luke 4:38-39  Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.

Luke 5:24-26 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!”

Getting further in our walk or near our destination is expedient when we allow Jesus in our boat and keep our focus on Him.

John 6:18-21 Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!

There is immediate deliverance in the name of Jesus and in worship.

Mark 9:22-25 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”

Acts 16:18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.

Acts 16:25-26  Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself.

Our salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord poured forth with his blood and water.

John 19:34-35 One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. (This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also can believe.)

Our response to him should be immediate.

Acts 16:33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.

John 11:29 So Mary immediately went to him.

Prayer: Father, help my response to you be immediate, without hesitation.

Example

“I will not be like my parents. I won’t do or say the things they do.” How many times in our young lives did we say this only to find out when we have our own children, we say or do the same things as our parents? I have found myself saying or being in this situation while I’ve raised my children. Sometimes I have thought “I have become my mother or my father.” I had good parents, I know some who have not. They raised me to follow God. If that was the one thing they imparted to me, it would be enough, because the example they taught me to follow is Jesus, not them. 

Recently, I studied the words ‘labor in vain’ in the Bible. The verses I looked up are as follows:

“I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing.” Galatians 4:11 (NLT)

“Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.” Philippians 2:16 (NLT)

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” I Corinthians 15:10 (NKJV)

This morning I thought; I wonder, did my parents say: “I have worked and tried to raise you to be the best you can be and has all my hard work paid off?” Then I think of the many ways we disappoint God, but still he chooses to have a relationship with us. My children (two are grown) have turned out well, but I don’t take the credit and sometimes I’ve said that they turned out as they have, in spite of me. I have tried to give them the example of God to follow as well, because I am definitely not perfect. If they are following Jesus and reading the Word, they have the best example they can have through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the best counselor they have.

“Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.” Hebrews 12:7-9 (MSG)

I have prayed a verse for my children through the years. This doesn’t let me off the hook, but if I failed in any way, hopefully I expressed the importance of following God in their lives. The verse I have prayed for them is:

“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” Proverbs 22:6

Prayer today: Father help those around me to look to you. May my life be an example of Christ. May people see the Christ in me. Thank you for being my father and my counselor.

Roadblocks

We face all types of roadblocks in our life but the most important thing is how we deal with them. We must know how to manage roadblocks by perceiving whether to press through them, go around them, or avoid them. When we are in God’s will for our lives we will know which path to take. He guides us as we seek him in intercessory prayer, which is a prayer of petition on behalf of someone else by speaking the Word of God, not an itemized list of personal needs or wants. God knows what we need; we don’t have to tell him. Sometimes, we allow our minds to get in the way when we go to God in prayer. He understands our needs better than we do – our omniscient Father. We must pray what He puts on our hearts to pray for and it is not about us.

Last weekend, while I was out-of-town touring the countryside, I came upon five roadblocks in one day. The first one was the result of a storm, which prompted action by the utility companies to make repairs. There was a policeman blocking the road to reroute traffic. The second one was a downed tree, but we were able to drive around it. A while later, we came upon another fallen tree and we had to turn around. It was too large to move and there was no way around it. Next, after hiking a bit along the Pee Dee River, we returned to the car to find a flat tire, which had to be substituted with a spare. It was beyond adding air. The last one was a police barricade stopping all cars to check identification. I was given favor when I couldn’t find my driver’s license because it was in my camera bag instead of my purse. The policeman or deputy told me to pass through because I didn’t look “shady.”

One of the roadblocks I encountered.

Facing all of these roadblocks in one day caused me to pause and ask God what he was trying to tell me. If I had only encountered a couple of them, I probably would have chalked it up to being in the wrong place at the wrong time but five caused me to contemplate further what they meant. I reflected how three of them were impassable and if we are not in the will of God, our communication with him is cut off. We may try to hear from him, but he stops communicating until he has our attention. The communication flow opens once we are obedient and trust him. Then it is like a floodgate that has been fully opened. We hear from him and we have peace.

In that peace, we can touch others when we are fully reliant on God. Sometimes, we allow obstacles in our lives to cut us off from God’s instructions for our lives. We do this by not fully trusting him, when the Word says he will provide for us. Or we may allow activities to get in the way, which hinder us from our daily time alone with God. There are numerous ways we may permit things to obstruct our walk with God. Hopefully, we correct them quickly and get back on the path he has prepared for us. The farther away we stray, or the longer we don’t communicate with God, the harder it is to find his path.

Our lives are more simple and straightforward when we keep on the right path. There may be some roadblocks we can avoid altogether. We have to learn to recognize them and not be pulled into temptations. I want to avoid these obstacles, because it is more expedient when God levels our path. In avoiding these obstructions, we may have to search out an alternate route. Other times he allows us to go around them. When we pass through, this is a form of avoidance. Then there are times when we go through unscathed.

To pass through trials unscathed is victorious! Even though others may try to steer our course or be ‘in our face,’ God sanctions a way through without us being physically hurt. We may be emotionally hurt but it is our response that opens the door. If we allow emotions to take control and dwell in the pain, the doors may remain shut. Although we may get hurt initially, when we turn the emotions over to God, he opens the door or window for us to pass through. When we are hearing from God, the opinion of other people should not influence us. There have been well-intentioned people in my life who have tried to convince me to take different paths at times. I know from experience this is the time I need to immediately go to God and seek what action I should take. If they are correct, God will show me how to correct myself and what they are saying. But if I am already in his will, their words will not affect me and I will continue the journey He has set before me. At times, this is difficult because some of these people are people who I believe hear from God and I respect. There is the crucial point. They hear from God for their lives and sometimes others, but who is responsible for our actions? I hear from God and without hesitation, I seek His will for my life.

Here is a rhetorical question: Who is a better guide, the Holy Spirit or someone else? What I have learned is God will speak to me what he wants me to hear. If I’m on the wrong path, he will convict me but if I’m where he wants me, he will give me peace to continue on. His peace is the key to knowing we are following God’s plan. It is his peace I seek out and not other’s. He knows what is best for me and when I follow him with his Word, I attain that peace.

Whatever roadblocks you are facing in your life now, I pray that you will seek God to show you the way. You may have health issues, financial woes, a family crisis, or countless other things bothering you. Maybe you are going through more than one. Now is the time to get before God and let him calm the storms in your life. I intercede on your behalf for you to know whether to search for another way, trust him to pull you through, or how to avoid roadblocks altogether. I pray for his guidance through the Holy Spirit as you seek his will for your life that you will experience his love and indescribable peace. Praise him for the answer and read his Word. In love, K-D

Click on the Verses for this writing to read them: Psalm 143:10; Proverbs 3:1-6; Isaiah 26:3-4; Isaiah 40:3-5; Matthew 6:6-8; Matthew 8:26; John 16:13-15; Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 4:6-8;  Hebrews 12:5-12