PRAISE GOD FOR MORNING DEVOTIONS

This morning my family and I got up early and did our morning devotions over coffee! Oh it was a tremendous boost to my spirit, and it got the day off to the right start. It's amazing that getting up half an hour before you normally do, and spending that time in God's Word can make such a difference, but it does! I feel like I'm on top of my day, I have a song in my heart and I am eager to see what this day will bring. We had a time of fellowship and prayer and though we had 5 minutes to get ready and get out the door, they made it to work with 10 minutes to spare...THAT IS MY GOD! "Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven, and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." It's like my Dad used to preach. I thank God for my Dad. As faulted as he was, in all things that mattered he was a great man. Glory to God.

ALLOWING GOD TO USE ME

Thinking of the life I've lived by my own ways, regret seeps in and tries to take hold, to break down and destroy my spirit. I thank God that He doesn't look back, that He looks forward to what will be, what can be, with a willing vessel.

Today's devotion follows yesterdays amazing study with a call to not remain stagnant and focused on the past. Moving forward and allowing God to use me, the flawed vessel that I am, and not trying to do it under my own power.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
-2 Corinthians 4:7

Earthen vessels... a vessel such as a pot or container used to contain something. A vessel that is made of dirt, that is to say it is like clay, as we were created from the dirt of the earth, but also has the understanding that this clay vessel can be broken. As human nature goes, we stumble and fall, often cracking or busting wide open. This scripture proves to us that God knows our flawed humanity, and while He does not condone our sin, He accepts that we are the flawed creations of a fallen nature. And as such, in His predestined knowledge, He accepts that. It is the contents of the vessel that He focus' on. We have to be full of Him, full of His Glory, His Spirit, His Power...to enable us to go forth and make a difference in this world. Even the most flawed vessel, when filled with the finest wine, can be used to serve a guest of honor. Sometimes we have to confess to ourselves that we are not the golden vessel... we are the dirt and water. We may not be the golden vessel, but when God needs us to fulfill His plan, we become the CHOSEN vessel. Praise God even in our flawed nature we can be chosen to serve.

A NEW DIRECTION

Last night, as I lay on my pillow I considered my life and the direction it is headed. The end thereof was death. My dreams have been exceedingly active lately, some of which I remember vividly, others are more of a feeling I wake with in the morning. One thing remains the same...urgency.

As I lay considering the day and my lack of productivity there was one prominent thought in the back of my mind, one which came forward with an almost violent abandon: I AM THE TRUE VINE. The husbandman cometh. Branches that do not bear fruit are taken away. Immediately I saw a vine that had great leaves and was strong, but bore no fruit. Then I saw it laying on the ground, withered and dead.

Though I spoke not a word, my heart, which has been stone cold dead for so long, cried out to the Lord. Save me O God from my self and sinful nature. I drifted off to sleep to the piano music that I left playing on my laptop, no answer received.

This morning I woke around 5:45am to take out the trash and open the gate for Thom & Kay and da lil'man. After getting a cup of coffee, I decided to blog this morning and chose to make it about this new direction in my life. A physical declaration of my intention in my own words. So I decided to do some scripture reading this morning. Considering my lack of time spent in the Word lately, I had no idea where to begin. I decided to pick up Old Faithful, my Smith Wigglesworth devotional. I was not ready for what took place next.

Title: HE IS COMING!

James 5:7-8 
Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

The study talks about the precious fruit of the earth... which is the church, the Body of Christ. I finished the study with a feeling of purpose, divine appointment if you will. I looked up 'husbandman' and found that it appears in 7 verses in the Bible. And there, in the comfort of my own room, God met me and told me what I needed to hear.

John 15:1-5
  ¹I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
   ²Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
   ³Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
   ⁴Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
   ⁵I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Abide in me, and I in you. I have known for a long time, as taught to me by a great saint whom God gave me study under, that the scriptures, and the DAILY study of them, is the washing of the Word. We must continually cleanse ourselves by reading God's Word. Have I been doing this? No. To my shame I have not. It is no wonder to me that my life has become the cesspool of shame that it has. ABIDE. For without me you can do nothing. My life is living proof of this. Believe me, I have tried. It's time to return, to abide.

It is amazing to me that God can be as forgiving as He is. With all the time I've lost, it took one heartfelt cry and He met me here, in my shame, just like He did the first time. I didn't have to clean myself up, not that I even could have though I have tried and failed miserably. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

God grant me the strength to abide in Your Word, the courage to find the day an opportunity for Your Glory, and the wisdom to follow Your Will for my life.