I'm Following Jesus – Page 2205 – Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Monday, April 30, 2018
Chapters: Psalms 102-104
Message: Keeping Our Grass Green

Hello My Friend,

I am late getting the message out today because as I was preparing the message I got extremely tired and had to lay down for a few minutes, which turned out to be over an hour. Grass, there is something peaceful and tranquil about the grass, especially after it has just been mowed, you get that scent that just lets you know that God is good. Unfortunately, grass has a very short lifespan, it turns brown and dies rather quickly if it is not cared for, the important thing to keep grass growing is the ground where it is planted. Jesus often compares seeds to the word of God, we being the seed and the ground being the word of God, we must have good ground if we want to keep growing in the LORD. “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” – Luke 8:15.

“and bring forth fruit with patience.” There is that word again, patience, and I wear this is God answering me from earlier this morning when I was talking to Him. So, I asked God why things have to be such a challenge for me, I cannot just go in and get what He has planned for me, I have to go through this obstacle course to get it. His answer, right here, patience. You see, we have need of patience that after we have done the will of God we might receive the promise. The thing about the will of God is that it is not always an easy walk. David sure had his challenges once he was told he was going to be king, everywhere he went he had people chasing him. Quite often he cried out to God wondering where he even was, and why He would not answer his prayer, but just as fast as he complained about Him not hearing him he realized, He always takes care of His own.

“Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily. For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth. My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread. This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth; To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem; When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD. He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days. I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.” – Psalm 102:2-4,18-28.

“to loose those that are appointed to death;” This is a grim reminder that, just like the grass withers and dies, we are all appointed to die a death unlike no other, in fact, it is a second death, much more devastating than a physical death, this is the death of the soul. But there is hope for those who put their faith and trust in the LORD, Jesus Christ, He is the only way for to be pardoned from that second death. “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” – Revelation 21:7-8.

I have to admit that when I pray it is not always genuine, prayer becomes so routine that you just pray because it is what you do. That is why I try to set aside an hour or two just to speak to Him one on one, but when life gets busy, even that can be a challenge. Do you think God cannot tell when we are really talking to and pleading with Him? Of course, He can. Do not get me wrong, God likes to hear our prayers, He knows our heart and that is what gets His attention when we speak. We do not even have to speak a lot of words for Him to hear us, but let me tell you when we really pour out our heart to Him, He listens, and you feel His presence when He speaks to You. Psalm 103 is a reminder of how merciful and gracious God is to those who are faithful to Him. His faithful are no where near perfect, but they are His, and He will truly bless them if they fear Him.

“The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.” – Psalm 103:6-12,15-18.

“He hath not dealt with us after our sins;” We certainly have not gotten what we truly deserve by the mercies of God, but our days on earth are numbered, just like the grass, and that is why it is important that we choose our time wisely and wait patiently for God. He knows what we need and when the time is right to get it, and while we are waiting He nurtures us and feeds us with these obstacles so we are prepared to receive that promise. “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” – Hebrews 10:35-37.

Let me tell you, we make the challenges a lot more tougher than they have to be, and sometimes we even cause God to prolong them because we make bad decisions that He has to fix that before He can give us what we really want. There are some things in this world that we have to deal with, the majority of our suffering is self inflicted, meaning we chose to deal with it without God’s direction. Think about everything that He created, every creature does what it was designed to do, they to not go out of their realm, they remain within their element, following whatever path was given to them by God. That is except for us humans, since we have our own freewill we do what we want to do then wonder where God is when the afflictions start overwhelming us.

“He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart. The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house. The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies. He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down. Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens. Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening. O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.” – Psalm 104:14-24.

“how manifold are thy works!” Nature itself knows God, it trusts Him to provide and care for them. We have nothing to fear when we put our trust, faith, and challenges in the hands of God. We are going to be tempted, tried, and even persecuted for standing up for our rights to stand with God, but God will protect us one way or another. And with patience we will receive the promise. “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” – I Peter 5:10.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.” – Psalm 103:19.

Today’s Prayer: God, Everything You created has a purpose and is often used to show us that You love and care for us. The grass, the flowers, the animals, and even the planets know their place and let You guide them in they way they should go, and they do it naturally because they trust and obey You. We too have a purpose, and since we are much more valuable than grass, we are going to face challenges to show us that only by trusting and obeying You we might receive the promise, and much more than we ever dreamed, we receive eternal life with You, no more death, pain, or challenges, just enjoying walking through the freshly mowed grass between our toes. What an amazing thought! Lord, lead me and guide me, nourish me with Your word and help me grow into the good, enriched soil that makes me fruitful. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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