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Selfless in the midst of loss

And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”But Ruth said:

“Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.” Ruth 1:15-17

In the midst of becoming a widow, Ruth had a difficult decision to make. A practical decision would have been to return home. Her mother-in-law released her to go back to her family because she had nothing to offer Ruth. However, Ruth chose to stay and serve her mother-in-law.

Why did she choose to do it? She must have experienced her God. In the natural, Naomi had no promise of security to offer Ruth, but her God was more valuable than any earthly security she could give her. Against all odds, Ruth chose to follow Naomi and her God, and in the process she gained so much more than she could have ever imagined!

Because Ruth remained in Naomi’s family, Boaz as a Kinsman’s redeemer was able to marry her. They had a son named Obed who became the grandfather of King David. Ruth was not a Jew, but she had the great privilege of being in Jesus’ lineage because she followed and loved Naomi and her God!

Ruth passed the pressure test by being selfless. Are you selfless under pressure?

Merciful in the midst of injustice

When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him. Luke 22 (49-51)

Our ultimate example of a man under great pressure is our Lord Jesus Christ. He was a man who was sinless and hadn’t done anything deserving of death. Peter tried to protect him by cutting off the ear of the servant.  Jesus could have felt appreciative by the loyalty of those around Him, but that wasn’t his response. In the account of Matthew, He actually warned Peter, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52). Regardless of the pressure we are in, Jesus’ statement is a profound and powerful statement to write on the tablet of our hearts. 

Jesus was neither looking for man to defend him nor was he going to retaliate. On the contrary, He healed the man’s ear. Jesus didn’t do it with the expectation that things were going to be changed for him, or the soldiers would stop from arresting Him. He did it because he was merciful. His assignment was to do the will of the Father and represent a loving father to humanity.

God is in control

The scripture tells us, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

If we keep looking to God and not be compelled by the stress of the moment, we can respond well under pressure! Nothing can deter God’s plan in our lives. Neither life nor death, neither injustice nor cruelty, neither a person nor a circumstance, neither lack nor abundance can keep God from performing His good and perfect will in our lives!

One moment under pressure can reveal much about what is inside of us! We don’t have to deny or excuse it. The Lord shows it to us, so He can deliver us from it!

Lord, reveal and remove from our hearts what is not like you. Help us to be yielded to the Spirit and respond well under pressure! Thank you for empowering us to do right.

To our shock, pressure has a way of squeezing what is inside of us! God doesn’t expose it to humiliate us, but in His mercy allows us to see it, so we can surrender it to Him.

Sometimes we expect an unbeliever or a new believer to be open and vulnerable with their issues, but we don’t want our weaknesses or issues to be exposed. The Bible never paints a rosy picture in an attempt to create a perfect or untouchable image of His people. Here are some of the stories from the Biblical characters and how they handled pressure.

Fear led to lying

Now there was a famine in the and, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.  And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance.  Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.  Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.” Genesis 12:10-13

If Abraham had focused on God’s promises, he would have remembered that God was going to make him a great nation. Since he didn’t have any children at that time, he couldn’t die yet!  He didn’t have to rely on lying about his relationship with his wife. Unfortunately, out of self-preservation, he manipulated Sara and asked her to lie for him. A person in panic mode is like someone drowning in a lake, they hold on tightly to whoever is close, potentially endangering the lives of others. Abraham involved his wife in a lie out of fear of being killed.

God corrected the situation through a faithless Pharaoh to save the Father of faith! He also allowed it to be recorded, in order for us to learn from it. Regardless of our previous successes and obedience to the Lord, we can panic at times and take the matters in our own hands and even compromise truth!

Lack led to complaining

In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Exodus 16:2-3

The Israelites had seen God’s mighty hand in their lives. If God really wanted them to die, he could have left them in Egypt to suffer and die. They forgot how God had miraculously brought them out of a 400 year ordeal, and separated the waters in order for them to walk on dry land! A few months of wilderness was nothing to the one who had taken them out of the hands of a tyrant!

Remembering where God has brought us from, could be a matter of life and death in a given situation! The Israelites blamed Moses for bringing them out of Egypt into the wilderness to die there. They ended up having a self-fulfilling prophesy because their complaint and unbelief kept them from entering the Promised Land; they did die in the wilderness!

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

What can we learn from the church of Thyatira?

These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:  “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.  And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. Revelation 2:18-23

Be discerning

This was a good church with good teaching but passive towards one person who sinned and led others to sin. The above scriptures are an important reminder to all of us to be discerning of the teaching we receive regardless of the person or the success of the ministry. We cannot become gullible and simply believe and receive whatever is taught. Any person and any church can get derailed over time. That’s why it is important to stay alert, study, and examine the scriptures to ensure what is taught is Biblical and balanced.

If a leader falls into sin or gets derailed from sound teaching, God is going to hold him/her accountable. At the same time, we are held accountable to our knowledge of the Bible not what our leaders or our pastors taught us. Jezebel’s followers got the same judgment as her!

Be aware when one takes a scripture to prove their point! Look for other scriptures related to that topic and do your own study. God may not deal with someone’s error right away, but their short-term success does not mean God is pleased with them. The Lord is never passive about sin!

This woman called herself a prophetess; as a result people just took her words as the utterance of God. Sometimes we can be so enamored by the individuals’ success, title, or popularity, that we forget to pay attention to what is communicated.

Be aware of becoming religious

One of the reasons we get religious is because we subtly think we have arrived and know everything there is to know about Christianity. We’re not open to hearing from others especially those who are not part of our church or denomination. We think that we have reached the pinnacle of knowledge and understanding.

Some people become religious because of the number of years they have walked with God. They don’t want to hear someone who is younger in the faith to challenge them or share a new revelation with them.

Some are still drinking the milk of the word and are not ready to chew on the meat to deal with harder issues. They have a self-satisfaction with their spiritual state out of lack knowledge. These individuals are a target for being easily influenced!

Others are religious because they grew up in the culture of faith. Their uncle or grandpa was a pastor, so they think that they have a direct line to God because of their association with Godly people. What if this Jezebel was our aunt or mother? Would we able to see her issues?  Or would our love and affection cloud our judgment?

The main danger of being religious is over-confidence and becoming unteachable. The Lord must have sent the voice of correction and conviction into the life of this church! That’s why Jesus was waiting for her to repent. If we are open, we will hear the truth through His word, His spirit, or others.

Sometimes we are surprised by the fall of a leader, but when you look behind the scenes, God had been trying to get the leader’s attention for sometime. They just refused to respond and confidently went about their business teaching, preaching, and  acting like they have done nothing wrong!

Lord protect our churches from Jezebels, false teachers, and false prophets. Help us to be discerning while we remain teachable!

Jesus’ performance evaluation of the church of Thyatira was alarming!

And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,

‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.  Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Revelation 2: 18-21

The scripture tells us that while Jesus gave Jezebel time to repent, she chose not to.

Why didn’t she repent? Was she comfortable because she had a following? Just because a group is in agreement with each other or someone has a following, it doesn’t mean God is pleased! First and foremost, our agreement should be with the Lord and His word, and secondarily with others. If our priority is to stay in unity and agreement with others apart from the Truth, we will be in a pitiful position!

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” Matthew 5:13

Jesus called us to be salt and light to the world, but He said if the salt loses its saltiness how can its state be changed?

In this day and age, we see a lot of false teaching including the encouragement of sexual immorality in the so-called “church”. Some do it in the name of compassion. Others are doing it because they themselves want to do what they want to do. There is a group who thinks that the church is supposed to reflect the culture as a result they are trying to stay relevant and open minded about the issues. Denominations are being split over these issues and everyone is quoting the Bible to do it! The bottom line is that when we compromise the word of God, we may gain an audience and a following, but in the process the church will lose its saltiness!

We shouldn’t have to argue/disagree with our brothers and sister in Christ on what sexual immorality is. The Bible is very clear on this issue. Our struggle should be to help the unbelievers to be healed of their issues and see the heart and the will of God regarding their sexuality, identity, and purpose in life. If the church loses its saltiness to preserve the culture from going in the wrong direction, then what will happen to the church? The church will lose its mission, its message, and its power to be God’s changing agent in the earth!

Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. Revelation 2:22-23

Jezebel had a following, but Jesus was ready to cast her and her followers in the bed of sickness and kill her children for the sexual immorality. When the salt loses its saltiness, it has lost its power & purpose. God will not use it, and as matter of fact, He will curse it!

Are we staying salty by allowing ourselves to be preserved through the word of God and not lose our saltiness? Are we willing to be preservers of what is true in whatever sphere God has given us? Are we willing to bring about the seasoning of truth where there is partial truth? Are there things around us that make our spirit grieve which draw us to prayer and intercession?

How can what happened in the church of Thyatira happen now? There is much we can learn from this church. I will continue with this topic in the next devotional.

Jesus handed performance reviews to the seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation! Most of the churches addressed by Jesus were a mixture of good and evil. They did some good things, but they also did things that were not pleasing to the Lord. Five of them were criticized and two were not. If the same holds true today, that means there is 5/7 ratio or 72% chance that a church could be a mixture of good and evil! We should take heed from these churches and stay alert!

I wrote this devotional at the beginning of the year, but the Lord didn’t allow me to release the message until this week.

And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:  “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.  Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.  And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 2:18-21

Jesus looked with his fiery and penetrating eyes at His bride. He saw both the good and evil. He acknowledged a church that had offered their works, love, service, faith, and patience. The works of this church had even increased over time. This could have been because either the church had grown, or they had gained greater influence in the community. However, a woman named Jezebel or with a Jezebel spirit had dominated part of this congregation. She was given the power to call the shots and had become a self-appointed prophetess!

A prophet or prophetess is supposed to represent the Lord and deliver the Lord’s message. A self-appointed prophet will look/act like they are representing the Lord, but they are really representing their own desires and agenda. No one challenged this Jezebel, and so she continued in her teaching of what was evil as good.

The difference between this Jezebel and the Jezebel that Elijah dealt with was that the Old Testament Jezebel made no bones about being an idol worshipper. She spoke out against Elijah and his God! On the other hand, the Jezebel mentioned in the book of Revelation is someone who is in the church. She had a trusted position and got to teach “truth” to the people of God! While the Bible mentions this leader as a woman, this situation can hold true with a male or a female leader.

Why was this allowed in the church? Where were those who should have spoken up? Were the real prophets fearful of her like Elijah was of Jezebel? All we know, the leaders trusted her enough to do what she wanted to do, and she derailed the people of God into sexual immorality!

Jesus was merciful to Jezebel and gave her time to repent from her sexual immorality. However, she chose not to repent!

Why did she choose not to repent?  Was she a true believer who became haughty and deceived in her own mind? Was she a wolf who entered the church with the intent of seducing and misleading the people of God?Why did the people of God follow her immoral views when God’s word has always been very clear about sexual immorality?Did people just follow her blindly? We don’t have many answers about her or the people, but there is much to learn from Jesus’ response to this situation.

I’ll continue with this subject in the next devotional.

God’s assignment to a prophet

“See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:10

God’s words through the prophet’s mouth are going to bring about a change in the atmosphere! God uses a prophet to stir things up in the spirit realm.

Assignment #1: To Root out

First and foremost, a prophet will root out, pull down, destroy, and throw down what is not of God.

“What injustice have your fathers found in Me, that they have gone far from Me, have followed idols, and have become idolaters? Jeremiah 2:5

The first prophetic word that God gave Jeremiah was an indictment against His people. The Lord began by reminding them of their love towards Him in the wilderness, but now they have followed idols and walked away from Him. God used Jeremiah to root out and pull down the weeds growing in the spiritual fabric of His nation. It was important for His people to know how far they had walked away from their God.

People have a tendency over time to get comfortable and careless in their lives, and God uses a prophet to deliver a word in order to awaken people from dullness and stupor. He uses a prophet for recalibration purposes!

The first prophetic word delivered by Samuel was an indictment of Eli’s family of their wickedness. He was hesitant but obedient to deliver the word! Sometimes we have a tendency to think that we need to have a few positive prophesies under our belt before we are qualified to speak a rebuking word. God decides what we should prophesy. If we are new or unsure, we can always get help from those who are more seasoned to confirm the word. If we belong to a church that understands and operates in prophesy we should have the safety net not to shy away from delivering a tough word.

The Lord identifies the issues of hindrance in a believer’s life and uses a prophet to speak on those areas. This is not going to be directed by the prophet’s preferences or timing but by God’s initiation.

Assignment #2: To Build

Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

While God uses a prophet to uproot things out of the life of a believer, the primary work of prophet is to cast vision, establish, and build in God’s kingdom.

God reveals His heart to a prophet and shows him what needs to be built. Prophets become His mouthpiece and architect to pave the way by sharing the blueprint with His people. Nehemiah is a great example of a prophet whom God used by giving him vision and strategy on how to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Jeremiah was sent to God’s people to tell them that they were going to go into captivity while the false prophets were telling them otherwise. However, Jeremiah also gave them great encouragement that if they sought after God, God was going to do a restoration in their lives because ultimately His plans for them were for good not for evil!

The purpose of prophetic gifting is not to gain popularity with people neither is it to create unnecessary enemies by delivering bad news. The purpose of the prophetic is to exhort and encourage as God instructs and directs. Whether it is received or not, we rejoice because we have obeyed God. If we desire to be popular, then the prophetic realm is not the place to be!

What truly is a blessing is that most prophets including Jeremiah had a heart for God and for His people! They did not enjoy delivering bad news or rebuking the people. Many times they were before the Father crying, praying, and interceding on behalf of the people. Their desire was to see the people of God prosper by responding to the Lord’s message.

Do we have a heart to root out and build up as God desires regardless of the person we are sent to?

In the last devotional, I shared about God’s conversation with Jeremiah and him being commissioned as a prophet.  The Lord declared that He assigned and ordained Jeremiah as a prophet before he was born. God touched Jeremiah’s mouth signifying His authority and anointing on Jeremiah’s words from now on. The Lord’s conversation with Jeremiah continues:

God affirms the prophet

Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 1:8

God expects his prophets to deliver the word that He has commanded them and not be afraid of man. The Lord reassured Jeremiah by promising to do two things:

First of all, God told him that when Jeremiah opens his mouth He will be with him. A prophet who is representing God is never alone! Sometimes, as a prophet, it may feel like one is sent before the lions to get devoured. However, the person who is representative of God and has His seal of approval, will not be left unprotected in the midst of the battle. Daniel obediently prayed to His God three times a day. When his prayers got him into the lions’ den, God was with Him and kept the mouth of the lions shut!

Secondly, God told Jeremiah that when he spoke, He was with him to deliver him. Praying for deliverance from bondages and demonic oppression is important. However, there are times that only in facing our fears we are delivered from them!

Whose face are you afraid of? What makes you afraid? Is it disapproval, anger, rejection, or indifference that you are afraid of? When God calls a prophet to represent Him on the earth, no one is off limits for delivering a message. God must deliver the prophet in order to deliver His message through the prophet accurately and powerfully!

God’s authority in a prophet’s life

 ⁹ Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me:

“Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
¹⁰ See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms,..” Jeremiah 1:9-10a

In verse 10, God says that He is the one who has set the prophet over the nations and over the kingdoms. Because God ordains a prophet, He gives him/her authority to speak and to bring forth what He desires on the earth. What is beautiful about God’s ways is that while He anoints a man or a woman of God as a prophet, He doesn’t want them to be annoying or arrogant. A powerful prophet is still only a vessel in God’s hands.

Many may enjoy the mantle or the title of a prophet, but very few are willing to lay down their own opinions, preferences, and fears in order to be His mouthpiece on the earth.

Lord, help us to represent you well on the earth by being willing to go through the process. If we are gifted prophetically, we don’t want to just “wing” it. If we have been fearful, we don’t want to hold back anymore. If we have used our prophetic gifting as a permission to judge others, please forgive us. Deliver us from anything that is a hinderance to be truly your mouthpiece on the earth.

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional about the Lord’s assignment to Jeremiah!

The Lord had a conversation with Jeremiah as He commissioned him to go forth as a prophet!

God speaks about the past

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

God reminds Jeremiah about knowing him and calling him to be a prophet since before he was born. God’s call to a prophet far surpasses man’s decision, intention, or passion. It all has to do with God’s will. God is the one who calls someone and anoints them to be His mouthpiece on the earth. The office of the prophet cannot be achieved by our effort. It is not because of consistent attendance or good behavior that one is called a prophet. It is birthed, developed, and ordained by God and for God’s purpose! However, God will develop the character of a prophet to match up the call and the gifting of God in their lives.

God speaks about the present

Then said I: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Jeremiah 1:6-7

When God spoke to Jeremiah, He told him not to consider himself unqualified for being young. Since the prophetic call comes from the throne room of God, it has very little to do with the age and the stage of man and has more to do with the anointing and the call of God. The qualifications for prophetic are not dependent upon the person’s age, education, status, or gender. God is looking for someone whom He can trust! The enemy will try to throw darts of doubt at a prophet about their adequacy for the job. It is important for the person not to take the bait and try to prove the call of God in their lives. Otherwise the person can get derailed and distracted from God’s purpose!

God’s work in a prophet’s life

Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. Jeremiah 1:9

The scripture tells us that He touched Jeremiah’s mouth. While all of us as believers are called to be careful with our words, there is a greater level of expectation for the prophet of God. A prophetic man or a woman of God cannot afford to pollute their words by speaking things that are defiling, belittling, untrue, or twisted. Since there will be mistakes, a prophetic person should be quick to admit they were wrong and try to make it right. Denying or justifying it, will cause a prophet to lose credibility before God and/or before people.

It’s a good thing for God to touch our mouths. Sometimes, He will stop us from stating something. There are times that He needs to shape the words a little differently, so they can be delivered in a more compassionate way. At other times, He needs to purify our words before He allows us to share them.

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23

Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? James 3:10-11

A prophet’s mouth must be dedicated for the work of God and doesn’t belong to the prophet anymore. There is deep work that God has to do in a prophet’s heart in order to cleanse the mouth of any unrighteousness spoken. Bitterness in a prophet’s heart must be dealt with otherwise it will pollute the word of God and the will of God in delivering it to others. God is looking for consistency in our words that brings forth living waters to others and don’t harm people.

What is God expecting a prophet to do? I will share about this in the next devotional.

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.  John 10:1

The scripture tells us that, a thief does not use a lawful entry but climbs up some other way. A thief/robber is a person who is trying to get something unlawfully. He/she is trying to acquire something that doesn’t belong to them.

Most of us might say, “I have never robbed anyone!”. How do we rob others? When we are fighting battles for our children that are their battles to fight, we are robbing them of growth and maturity. If we backbite or gossip about someone, we are robbing them of their reputation. We rob them of the opportunity to present their side of the story. When someone manipulates their way to get into a job or a marriage, they are robbing themselves and others of God’s perfect will. When people purchase things that they can’t afford, they are robbing the family of peace and unity. They put the family in a tough financial position.

Are we willing for God’s open door to enter lawfully in any situation? Can we trust God without manipulating or pushing our way through to get somewhere?

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.

 O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You! Psalm 84:10-12

Being a doorkeeper is rather a lowly position. The Psalmist declares that he would rather stay in God’s presence as a doorkeeper than to practice wickedness and be identified as one of gang members. He would rather be in God’s will than out of God’s will. It would be better to humbly stay by the door than to enter unlawfully and be among the wicked.

When we walk uprightly with God, He gives us the grace and glory to handle difficult situations. We don’t have to rescue others. We don’t have to push our way in. We don’t have to fight to be right. We don’t have to participate/create unhealthy relationships, and we don’t have to steal someone’s reputation, in order to secure a place for ourselves. God sustains a man/woman who trust in Him!

The scripture tells us that God will not withhold any good thing from us. So if we feel something is withheld from us, it is either not good for us, or it is not time for us to have it. If it is in His will, the Lord will not withhold it but bless us richly in His time. Our job is to walk uprightly and stop climbing!

Whenever Jesus speaks so clearly, He is speaking it for the sake of deliverance not for condemnation! God wants to deliver the climbers. It is important to repent from those actions even if they are in your past. Make the commitment that you will choose not to “climb” anymore. Declare your trust in Him especially when you are tempted to “climb another way”!

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. John 10:1-3

Anytime, someone does not use the proper entrance to enter a building, it brings up a few questions:

1. Does this person belong here?
2. Is he/she a threat to this place and/or the tenants?
3. What is the motive of the unlawful entry?

An illegal entry sounds the alarm that something must be wrong! A doorkeeper has the best interest of the person/people inside, and he will not allow anyone to enter in who can be a threat to his/her people.

Some people have an aggressive nature and would not mind climbing to get somewhere.  As a matter of fact, they may consider it challenging and exciting! If there was someone in front of them, they’ll somehow push their way through to reach their desired goal. They don’t take “no” for an answer, and they will force and/or manipulate the issue until they get their way. I have seen this while driving, at DMV office, in families, and a whole host of other situations.

Unfortunately, our culture equates success with one who is aggressive and can climb the ladder the fastest. The culture focuses on the goal, not the means by which someone gets there. The Lord works the opposite. He generally gives us goals that we cannot achieve with human strength. He declares promises to us that are prophetic in nature. We only understand them in part, and they will require faith to see them come into fruition in our lives. God’s promises help us to stay in tune with Him and not get distracted.

The Lord cares about the means we use to get somewhere. That’s our responsibility. How fast we are going to get there is His responsibility. He can choose to work in a situation immediately, or can choose to take us through a process for years! Our methods show our trust in Him and our care for others. If a door is closed, and we are compelled to unlawfully climb to get there, that shows our lack of trust in God and our lack of concern for others.

When we are the ones subject to unlawful entrance, we know how dangerous and potentially hurtful it can be. I would not want someone who has cheated or manipulated their way in getting Medical Board certification to be my doctor. I also would not want to be on an airplane flown by a pilot who cheated his hours of flying to get his certification. God purposefully has set lawful entry for us, and it is best to trust His ways and His timing.

Has the Lord said that it would happen? If He has, then we can be confident that His word is trustworthy, and He will bring it about in a special way. If the Lord hasn’t spoken it, do we really want what He doesn’t want for our lives? Only lawful entry can produce good results!

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.