Today's Devotion: Rain From Heaven, Salvation in the Earth

Wednesday Greetings,

The Lord has commanded His salvation in the earth:

"Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I, the Lord, have created it." 

Seeing there was no justice, no righteous man or intercessor—His own arm brought salvation, and His own righteousness, it sustained Him. Praise God!

Scripture References: Isaiah 45:8 & Isaiah 59:14-16

In His Love,

A Walk In The Garden 

Hope & Encouragement for Life's Journey

Evening Meditation: Majesty!

Lord God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords: You are worthy of honor, glory and praise! We worship Your Majesty! You have created all things and there is none besides thee!

Related Bible Reading:

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (Colossians 1:16 & 17)

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Rain From Heaven, Salvation in the Earth

 Wednesday Greetings,

The Lord has commanded His salvation in the earth:

"Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I, the Lord, have created it." 

Seeing there was no justice, no righteous man or intercessor—His own arm brought salvation, and His own righteousness, it sustained Him. Praise God!

Scripture References: Isaiah 45:8 & Isaiah 59:14-16

In His Love,

A Walk In The Garden 

Hope & Encouragement for Life's Journey

Today's Devotional: An Enduring Love

Pondering the greatest and ultimate sacrifice, Christ made on behalf of the human race, one's finite mind cannot fathom the enormity of it all. It takes the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us into all truth, teaching us what we in ourselves are incapable of grasping. As we grow in the knowledge of him who gave us himself, we can then appreciate more and more the reality and relevance of his enduring love.

The dictionary defines love as “An intense affectionate concern for or passionate attraction to another person.” The Word of God says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) 

So fervent and intense was his love for lost souls, Christ did not regard the pain He would endure: The accusations, mocking, scourging, insults, taunts, betrayal, and denials. If he had considered these things, he would have done like his friends— He would have found the nearest exit and flee into obscurity, but His purpose was ordained, and He was intent on its fulfillment. Fulfilling the will of his Father was His mandate, and He was not to be stopped by detractors.

Such enduring love was demonstrated to the fullest extent. There are few who willingly give up their own lives without a fight. In His agony, you could hear Him in your heart whisper, “I love you.” You could feel it as He opened his mouth and said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

You saw it in His full surrender, as He gave them His hands and His feet. He did not clench His fist, but opened His palms to the thrust of the nails. He could have exercised His authority and divine powers in their midst. He could have disappeared to their utter amazement, but He didn’t...he endured!

He knew it was our sins that alienated us from true fellowship with our Maker; He knew we were prisoners of  His greatest adversary Lucifer and the fallen angels. Once the works of the devil were destroyed, and the sting was taken out of death, we could experience the healing of our own wounds.

“He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

Let us therefore thank God for His enduring love; He has shed his love abroad in our hearts. May we reciprocate and love the Lord our God, with all our heart, and mind and soul, and our neighbor as ourselves. Let us abide in His enduring love!


A Walk In The Garden Devotionals

A Well-Lit Temple

The Light of the Son

Imagine, that God would make us in His image to reflect His glory and His praise. Fallen short of that glory, Jesus died to save us and rose again that we might me justified by faith in Him.
   "Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed." To demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:25 & 26)
   Having chosen us to be the temple of the Holy Ghost, His light needs to be seen in us, shining forth into a world of darkness, causing men to be drawn to God through our witness and lifestyle.
If the windows of the temple are stained and cloudy and there's debris at the door, the world would question who really lives there, and some may stumble on the path to finding out.
   Let us walk uprightly before God in all matters pertaining to life. Holding fast to sound doctrine, having no part in the works of darkness from which we have escaped by the marvelous grace of our loving Father. Giving no place to the devil with his trickery and craftiness, but rather yielding our members to God who is able to keep us from falling. 

The Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer

Scripture Meditation: 

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

A Walk In The Garden Devotions

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord...

Our Heavenly Father has plans for His people
A beautiful passage of scripture declaring God's love and care for His people -- "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
 

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Sanctification and the Proper Order of Kingdom Living

There was great rejoicing on the day the ark of God finally came to the City of David, to the place David had prepared for it. It had remained in the house of Obed-Edom for three months following an initial attempt to bring it from the house of of Abinadab in Kirjath Jearim. Uzza and Ahio drove the cart containing the ark on that day, but God struck Uzza because he had put out his hand to hold the ark as they stumbled at Chidon's threshing floor. Being fearful, David would not move the ark with him into the City of David, but took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. (See 1 Chronicles 13)

We later learn that God had broken out against them because they the Levites had not sanctified themselves. "And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab. And he said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites, sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order." (1 Chronicles 15:11-13.)

The manner in which the ark was transported also came into question--they had used a new cart instead of it being carried on poles by the Levites.

God is holy and He has called us to live a holy life not by our own might, but by His grace working in and through our lives. As members of His royal priesthood, a holy nation, we have been separated to God to be his instruments of grace on the earth, vessels of honor for him who purchased our souls' salvation with His own blood. Therefore, let us handle the word of the Lord and our Father's business with a clean heart, being sanctified by the Lord himself. How often we stumble and fail in our attempts to do even good, not realizing that it's often through our own disobedience and lack of attention and diligence to the proper order of kingdom living.

What started out as a day of great celebration, ended on a sad note. It's a reminder that what really impresses God is our willingness to inquire of him and heed his voice. In the multitude of counselors, there is wisdom, but when all is said and done, it's only what God has imparted to us according to His purpose and design that will endure.

The precious blood of Jesus Christ sanctifies us and makes clean. Do not mingle with the works of darkness, but rather expose them. Do not conform to this world, nor yield to the sin that easily besets us. Do not allow anything or anyone to make an adjustment to the order established by God the Creator of heaven and earth. His law has been written now upon our hearts; hearts that have been sanctified, lives that have been changed by His awesome grace and power. Let us walk humbly before Him, in all things seeking to please Him who has called us and given us His special treasure in earthen vessels.


God bless you!


- A Walk In The Garden Devotion

Rely on the Lord of Hosts: He is More Than Able

Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles Chapter 16

In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
  Then Asa brought silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and sent to Ben-Hadad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying, "Let there be a treaty between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold; come, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me."
  So Beh-Hadad heeded King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel. They attacked Ljon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali.
  Now it happened, when Baasha heard it, that he stopped building Ramah and ceased his work. Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones and timber of Ramah which Baasha had used for building, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah.
  And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: "Because you have relied on the king of Syria and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand.
  Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet beacuse you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand.
  For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars."
  Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.
  Note that the acts of Asa, first and last, are indeed written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet and his malady was severe, yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians.
  So Asa rested with his fathers; he died in the forty-first year of his reign. They buried him in his own tomb which he had made for himself in the City of David; and they laid him in the bed which was filled with spices and various ingredients prepared in a mixture of ointments. They made a very great burning for him.

Exhortation:

Let us trust and keep trusting in the Lord of Hosts. It is God who alone has all power to save and to deliver. There is nothing or no one who is hidden from His sight. Neither is there any force greater than God, for He has made all things. Asa thought he was now secure with the help of the King of Syria. He went ahead and built two cities with the materials he took from Ramah. He did not prosper at all, but became diseased in his feet and died.

May our total reliance be on the Lord! Let us love Him with all our hearts and depart not from His holy presence. Do not despise His correction. Walk humbly before the true and living God. He is more than able!

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They have bowed down and fallen, but we have risen and stand upright.
Psalm 20:7

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