#timewithjesus

WEEK TWENTY FIVE

Scripture Proverbs 31:1 The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him:

Observation Who is Lemuel? He is only mentioned once in the entire Bible. Some say that he could be Solomon taking advice from his mother, Bathsheba, while others say he could be Hezekiah, a king of Massa, or just some made up person. We don’t even know for certain what he was King of. With such little given information about King Lemuel, we can only speculate. However, we do know for certain that his name “Lemuel” means belonging to God.

Application Oh for King Jesus to rule! For Him to reign requires a life laid down, surrendered, and submitted to His good and perfect will. To be called a disciple of Christ means we deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him. If Jesus is our King and His Kingdom has been established in our heart, then He must surely have full jurisdiction in our lives. Upon salvation, we accepted Jesus, believed in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead, and confessed Him as Lord. We have become recipients of His ministry of reconciliation. We have become a manifestation of God’s original plan to have fellowship with His creation. Without restraint, the name Lemuel is freely given by His grace. Therefore, Let it be said of us:  “we belong to God”.

Prayer Jesus, I love you so much. Let your Kingdom be established and expanded in the territories of my heart. I give you full jurisdiction in my life. My life I give as a laid down lover, surrendered and submitted to your good and perfect will. Let your Kingdom come and your will be done in me as it is in heaven. In Jesus name, amen.

WEEK SIXTEEN

Scripture

Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters, He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Yea, 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”

Observation

Many look at this psalm as the biblical chapter to be read at funerals, but this psalm is actually one that is meant to bring joy and excitement in our lives here on earth. Although he is in the presence of his enemies, David discovers the greatest reason behind why he doesn't fear and why he overflows with abundant life and hope. The answer is: “I will not fear, For you are with me.” It's perhaps the most simple verse in this chapter yet the most powerful. Because of his confidence in knowing that the Lord is with him, he is able to look ahead and say, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, All the days of my life.” It's why David can say “I shall not want.” He will always have more than enough in his life because the Lord is with him as the Provider. He is the Good Shepherd. All of David's peace and joy which is felt by reading this psalm point to the belief that God is with him.

Application 

It's hard to find rest in God when you believe that something bad will always happen to you. Part of why so many people struggle with hopelessness and anxiety about the future is because they are imagining their future without God. I have definitely done this before, resulting in feeling fearful. I've discovered that there is no beneficial outcome from imagining my present or my future without God. What I have found is that when I imagine God in my present and future and trust that He is working out all things for good in my life, anxiety fades away and peace comes at once. There may be enemies sitting in front of me but He has given me the ability to have joy because He is with me. What I like to do when reading this psalm is remind myself that no matter what happens in life, I will thrive because God is with me now and even years from now. I meditate on the truth that goodness and mercy are my inheritance and that nothing will stop God from being my provider, defender, restorer, and good shepherd of my life.

Read this psalm and feast on it. Ask Father God to show you where He is in your right now and where He is years from now. Ask Him to show you how goodness and mercy have followed you and will follow you all the days of your life. When He shows you, receive it in your heart. Sometimes what I like to do is say out loud, “I receive it and believe it,” to get my whole being in agreement with this truth. He says, “Let the weak say, I am strong.” It's powerful when we declare. 

“I am with you” is what gave Gideon strength to lead an army into victory when he believed that he was the weakest of the weak. “I am with you” is what gave Moses courage to face Pharaoh day after day asking him to let God's people go which resulted in the splitting of the Red Sea. “I am with you” is what David believed when he faced a giant that no man wanted to confront, which ultimately led him to lead the Israeli army into freedom against the Philistines. Imagine God with you daily because He is, and when a giant comes your way, you won't be afraid to run after it, cutting off its head. God is saying “I am with you. And I will be your hope and strength.”

Prayer

Good Shepherd, I pray that we would be a people that is fully convinced of the truth that you are with us. And when we know that you are with us, comfort, peace and courage fill us. Open up our imagination to see that you are in front of us and behind us leading us with your rod and your staff. I pray that we would lie down on green pastures in peace through disasters because our peace isn't in external realities going well. Our peace comes from fully trusting you as our faithful Good Shepherd over our lives. May we be people who truly and wholeheartedly trust in you.

WEEK TWENTY EIGHT

Scripture Psalm 119:50 NKJV This is my comfort in my affliction, For your word has given me life.

Observation This Psalm is the longest chapter in the entire bible. Written with beautiful history and experience with the Lord, King David penned this treasured acrostic poem describing his value to meditate, read, and obey God's word above all else. We see in this psalm that what lifted David up in hardship and what led him to victory was God's word. There's no doubt that David's success came from a passion and love for God's word.

Application His word is the very thing that will always sustain us in the season of hardship and in the season of abundance. When we take time to allow His words to be the only words that lead us we find comfort for our souls. Matthew 4:4 says: “It is written, man shall not live by word alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

We were meant to feast upon His word. When we do, life and identity naturally flow through us. Psalm 119:96 states: I've learned that there is nothing perfect in this imperfect world except your words, for they bring such fantastic freedom into my life. If we want to be sons and daughters of God that live in freedom, then meditating on His words that are written and that were spoken to us are essential. Friends, family, and positions cannot tell us who we are or give us life. Jesus speaks to us through His word and always brings us to a place of greater freedom. His desire for our lives is abundance. He is His word, so when we read and meditate on them we come face to face with the living God. No wonder David came alive during such hardships which is why we will too.

Take time to read this whole psalm and not skip to the next one because it's too long. This psalm is meant to be chewed upon. Get in receive mode and ask the Lord Jesus to fill you with His words and promises over your life. It's hard to feel low when we believe His words, and it becomes easy to feel abundant life. Let’s allow His word to give us life.

Prayer Lord, You are a man of your word. We choose to be people that allow your words to speak to us and guide us. We pray that you would overflow in us like a mighty rushing river overflowing its banks. No one can make us come alive like you do. May our relationship with you come alive consistently, daily, and rhythmically. We love you. Amen.

WEEK ONE                               

Scripture

Mark 5:30 TPT

 Jesus knew at once that someone had touched him, for he felt the power that always surged around him had passed through him for someone to be healed. He turned and spoke to the crowd, saying, “Who touched my clothes?”

Observation

There are two this that stick out to me most here.

Jesus was so immersed in the presence that He had a constant surge of power around Him and because of this constant communion there was this unprecedented sensitivity to the things of the Spirit.

There is a relentless desperation that grabs His attention in such a way that He says “Who touched me.” It’s this constant pursuit that says “I may not be where I need to be, and I’m glad I’m not where I was before, but God I’m hungry for more.”   

Application

I want my pursuit of God to be bigger than any barrier or obstacle the enemy would place in front of me. I want this relentless desperation that draws His attention in such a way that He say Eric touched me.

The level of sensitivity to His Spirit that I desire comes from a deep love for Jesus and constant communion with the One who is constantly interceding for me.   

Prayer 

God I love you so much! I pray for increased sensitivity to the things of the Spirit. Let the things that break your heart break mine and may I find joy in the things that bring you joy. Lord, I pray that I may recognize and acknowledge you in everything I do. That I will never minimize my constant communion with you. That I may always be hungry for more of You. In Jesus name, Amen.

WEEK SIX        

Scripture

Ephesians 4:1-3 (TPT)

As a prisoner of the Lord, I plead with you to walk holy, in a way that is suitable to your high rank, given to you in your divine calling. With tender humility and quiet patience, always demonstrate gentleness and generous love toward one another, especially toward those who may try your patience. 

Observation

Paul is pleading from a Roman prison that the life and attitude of Christian looks like something. 

Like Jesus, we have been set apart to walk in holiness, power, and authority but with incredible levels of humility, patience, gentleness and love. This beautiful balance is our birthright and new heavenly identity. We are no longer orphans. We are sons and daughters of the Most High God. Jesus paid the price on the cross so that we can sit with Him in heavenly places (Eph 2:6). This is wonderful news! It’s not prideful to recognize and acknowledge how God truly sees us. 

But it gets better. God gives us the power (grace) to love like Jesus loves. Our position is high and our love is high. We don’t use our position to control, put down, or boast. We sit with Christ and see life from heaven’s perspective, and we love others in the same way Jesus loved others. 

Application

The ability to live out this verse is supernatural. We need God’s grace to fill us daily. Especially for those who rub us the wrong way. It’s easy to love those that our lovable. Anybody can do that. But it takes God’s supernatural power to really love the unlovely.

God’s heart is to expand our ability to love like He loves. In order to do that, he often purposely places the `hard to love’ in our life so that we can learn to love like Jesus. If there’s someone in your life right now that really pushes your buttons or that you avoid, there’s a good chance that God has put them there. It’s not the devil. Instead of running away, ask God to fill you with his love for that person. Ask Him for patience. Ask Him for an understanding heart. Ask Him for wisdom. And, don’t give up. Keep your love on. If you keep running away, God will probably send more people who will try your patience. Why? Because he loves us so much.

Prayer

Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. I thank you that I am no longer an orphan but I am seated with you in heavenly places. Thank you that my position in you is eternally secure. Help me to think and see my life how you think of and see me.  

God, thank you for your never-ending supply of grace available to me. By faith, I receive your power to walk in the high calling of my position with incredible love. Fill me, Holy Spirit, with the supernatural love of Jesus. I love you God! Amen

Hump day at Study Books. ☘️

Though it is not easy, I choose to climb out of the pit of failures.

WEEK THIRTY TWO

Scripture Matthew 20:32 (NKJV) So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, What do you want me to do for you?

Observation In Matthew 20:29-34, you see the heart of the Father manifested through Jesus turning toward those in bondage. We see that the cry of the broken heart is restored as Jesus shows up in compassion and displays a wondrous work of supernatural healing. He heals the eyes of the blind.

Application Never has there been a moment where Jesus has looked at our pain and decided to walk away. He is not afraid of our pain. This story shows the Father's heart to come close and restore us emotionally and physically.

There were two blind men sitting by the road and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, Have mercy on us, O Lord son of David! And it was at that moment Jesus stood still (20:32). There were people who were listening to the blind men crying out to Jesus, trying to silence them, but the blind men ended up shouting out all the more. Why? These men didn't care about what others were thinking about them or telling them what to do. They essentially were saying, Get out of my way; you don't need Jesus the way that I need Him! This caught the heart of Jesus and the men were healed.

God stands still for us and has compassion on us no matter what we face. How powerful is it when we as sons and daughters go after Jesus when those around us criticize or condemn us. Jesus looks at that person and draws near and makes that person come alive like never before. There will be times in our lives when we are mocked and criticized for having one focus and that is okay. We are not weak Christians, but strong men and women who live by faith in the son of God. We are so powerful that if people around us are mocking us for our hunger, we press in more because we know that we want Jesus more than anything else in this world.

Take the stinking world and GIVE ME JESUS! This is the kind of heart that moves God to stand still in wonder because He sees a heart that hungers for one thing: Him. As we live out this kind of hunger, we see miracles take place, broken hearts restored, and the Son of Man stand still for us to come alive. This is what we live for His presence.

Prayer LORD I pray for a hunger that only grows and a fire in us that never fades. I pray that we live as sons and daughters who fully seek after your heart. I pray that in times of criticism we press in more because we know deep inside that there is only One thing that matters, and that is Jesus. When we live this out daily, we live our best lives and that is how we want to consistently live. We ask that you increase the hunger in our hearts for more of you Jesus. Amen!

WEEK EIGHTEEN

Scripture 1 Samuel 18:6-8 It happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with musical instruments. The women sang as they played, and said,

“Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.”

Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on.

Observation The story of Saul’s life is sad lesson in what can happen when one never deals with the spirit of jealously. As the favor of God grew on David’s life, Saul’s bitter roots were exposed, which ultimately led to his downfall.  Instead of recognizing and celebrating what the Lord was doing through David, Saul was now partnering with the enemy to attempt to crush God’s anointed.

Application James 3:16 says “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing”. As Christians, we must guard our hearts from allowing jealousy to find agreement. The enemy knows that if we allow jealously to take root, it will breed all kinds of evil including fear, anger, disappointment, and murder.

Jealousy is a thief, a liar, and a killer. When you hear its soft whispers, don’t entertain it!  Cast it out, and immediately begin to speak out words of blessing and thanksgiving.  Instead of partnering with jealousy, chose to celebrate what the Lord is doing in others.

Be patient. We are all in different seasons. When you don’t see any fruit in your life, don’t get upset. It’s just not your season. Work hard to enjoy and celebrate the fruit of others. Your day will come!

Prayer Jesus, thank you that I am dearly loved and for the amazing plans that you have for me. Help me to keep my eyes on you and not to compare myself to others. Search my heart and expose today any agreements I’ve made with the spirit of jealousy. I repent and cast out those lies in Jesus’ name. Fill me with your supernatural love for others and with the peace and joy of God. You are my ultimate reward, and in You I am completely satisfied.  Amen.