God's power in our lives increases as our ability to understand His grace increases. He is constant, unchanging, unaffected by circumstances or passing time, unswayed by man's politics or economy. We are the ones who by seeking God, drawing near to Him, obeying the Word of God, yielding to the Spirit's leading, will see an increase of faith, a greater understanding of His working in our lives, an ever growing awareness of His presence through out the day.

Matthew 8:2 And, behold, a leper came and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou art willing, thou art able to cleanse me.

Mark 1:40 One day there came a leper to Jesus entreating Him, and pleading on his knees. "If you are willing," he said, "you are able to cleanse me."

Luke 5:12 And it came to pass, in his being in one of the cities, that lo, a man full of leprosy, and having seen Jesus, having fallen on his face, he besought him, saying, 'Sir, if thou mayest will, thou art able to cleanse me;'

2 Corinthians 13
v.4 For to be sure, He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak in Him, yet by God's power we will live with Him to serve you.

Jesus disappointed so many people. He failed to fulfill the promise to which they held Him. He knew that many would feel their dreams and hopes shattering as they were dashed to the ground with His "trial," beating, mocking, and crucifixion. The fact that it occurred according to God's will, for a greater benefit than a mere earthly kingdom, and for all people rather than merely the Jews, frankly did not prevent pain and heartache among a people which had felt hope starting to swell inside after nearly being extinguished under enemy occupation and rule.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Let God be your source in strength and in weakness, in plenty and in need, in health and in sickness, in peace and in turmoil.

Matthew 7
v.24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
v.26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

Matthew 25:2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise

Let God attend to your needs. As you go about your day, as you give Him those moments of free time by saying, "Thank You," and acknowledging that He is, and that He is there with you, as events transpire, let God attend to your needs at the moment. He loves you, and has already given His Son, Jesus, for you; why should He hold back anything of lesser value from you? If you are worried about something, tell God about it -- He already knows of it and has an answer for it. If you are upset about something, talk to God about it -- He understands and will not be critical; after all, He loved you before you ever knew Him. If you are feeling fearful about something or for someone, take it to God. His love will counteract the fear you feel and give you a peace and an assurance that has no way of being explained by circumstances.

The belief that "everything is possible with God" (Matthew 19:26) is central to the growth and development of our spiritual walk. Those who decline to embrace this fact or avoid confronting the issue will endlessly skirt the topic and miss the great majority of blessing God is holding available for them.

God has much to say, and we have much to hear. Let us be slow to speak, and quick to listen. When we speak, let it be as the oracles of God, in fear and trembling, knowing it is not our wisdom or understanding, realizing that out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.

Have you tried to follow a path that feels right to you? Tried to do something that won't leave your mind and feels like the fulfillment of your heart?

God does not require perfection from us; He supplies it as we draw near to Him. God does not require that we make ourselves righteous; He supplies the robes of righteousness for us to wear.

Nothing is very important. Nothing matters very much. Nothing has great value. Nothing is extremely critical.

So many people have the same questions about prayer. It makes one start to think there might be a common source for all these doubts and concerns. "If God knows everything, He already knows what I am going to pray." "I can't find the time to." "I can't stay awake when I try." "I'm just talking to the walls." "It just bounces off the ceiling and doesn't go anywhere." "Things are going to happen the way they should anyway." They all boil down to asking, "Why bother to pray?"

Matthew 9
v.35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
v.36 When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
v.37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
v.38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field."

Psalm 6:1   O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.

In the short, often cloudy, days around the end of the year, we often find ourselves longing for daylight, for bright sunshine. It is something we enjoy having, and something we miss when it is in short supply.

Psalm 142
v.3 When my spirit grows faint within me, it is You who know my way.
v.5 I cry to You, O Lord; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of living."

The goal of life is not happiness, and the purpose of life is not the search for happiness. Happiness is the result of right living and right living involves doing what is right in service to others

Trust in God. When He speaks to you through the personal, intimate, inner voice of the Spirit, and you hear Him confirm it through the many different sovereign ways He can use, through the Word as His Spirit opens it and makes it life to you, through the body of believers as they are moved by the Spirit, through mundane or secular channels as God's Spirit quickens it to your spirit, trust God and obey Him.

Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good! How blessed is the one who takes shelter in him!

Are we picky eaters, or do we know anyone who is? Do we find ourselves trying to limit what we will accept? Do we have a small comfort zone that controls what we receive? When our children want to limit their diet to only a few specific food groups (chocolate, cookies, chips, cereal), we may, for a time, allow it, and give them a chance to grow out of it on their own.

Our walk with God is one of growth and change, adding and increasing in the things of God, decreasing and dropping the things of the flesh, our old nature, that to which we died through baptism into Christ's death and resurrection.

Ezekiel 37:25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob...and David my servant will be their prince forever.

This promise is in the midst of a larger passage which begins with the vision of the valley of dry bones. In chapter 37 God expresses His heart by describing what He will do for His people and how He will show His love for them.

Ezekiel 20:42 Then you will know that I am the Lord

This is the focus of God's interaction with every one of us. He purposes to be known as the Sovereign Lord in each of our lives and His majesty and worth will be acknowledged by His entire creation.

Do you have a lack or a shortage in your life somewhere? Do you feel you are missing an essential element or ingredient? Have you sought the Lord for it, spending time in His presence bearing this question to His throne without receiving what you have sought?

Psalm 100:3 Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture

The Father encourages us to be shameless before Him.