The Excessiveness of God
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:7 KJV)
Our LORD has set the pattern for going beyond the ordinary on behalf of His people.
Of that we are assured in the excessive, the abundant, pardon of God.
And that is why the Bible speaks to the wicked with these words, Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7 KJV, emphasis mine).
We are assured of the excessiveness of God not only with reference to His pardon but also with reference to His power.
This excessive nature of our Lord on behalf of His people was illustrated at the Red Sea when His people went through that sea on dry ground, not through shallow water and not on wet soil, but on dry ground.
We are assured of the excessiveness of God not only with reference to His pardon and His power, but also with reference to His thoughts. That is why He said, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9 KJV).
We are assured of the excessiveness of God not only with reference to His pardon, His power, and His thoughts, but also with reference to His provision of more abundant life. That is why He said, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10).
But there is more, and this is perhaps the ultimate excessiveness. It is the reality of deliverance and of exaltation in the two-fold excessiveness of God.
Our LORD has not only delivered us from the power of darkness but He has also translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son… (Colossians 1:13).
The same excessive nature of God appears again in Revelation 5:9-10 when the redeemed sing not only of their redemption but of their being made unto God kings and priests.
That is a brief look at the excessiveness of our Lord. It is enough to let us know that we should never fear of falling short of His provision for our victory in Christ.
Dr. Robert L. Alderman
Writer for “Real Victory for Real Life”
365 Devotional Thoughts in the Spirit of America’s Keswick
VOLUME 2
To order a copy of “REAL VICTORY For REAL LIFE” 365 Devotional Thoughts in the Spirit of America’s Keswick, forwarded by Dr. Joseph Stowell visit www.americaskeswick.org and click on store.
ARE YOU USING YOUR GIFTS FOR HIM?
Have you ever noticed that God is such a stickler for detail? First, He gives exact measurements for the Tabernacle and even exact placement of the furniture. “So the people of Israel followed all of the Lord’s instructions to Moses. Then Moses inspected all their work. When he found it had been done just as the Lord had commanded him, he blessed them” (Exodus 39:42-43, NLT).
Then God gifted people. “Then Moses told the people of Israel, ‘The Lord has specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.’ The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts” (Exodus 35:30-31, NLT).
Your gifts may not be as obvious as Bezalel’s but God has gifted you. Your gifts may be in the area of knowing when to show up on someone’s doorstep, or in knowing exactly what to say to comfort a hurting soul, or in knowing when to pray or when to give monetarily or to listen. Sarah Young, the author of the little devotional JESUS CALLING, writes, “I have gifted you with amazing freedom, including the ability to choose the focal point of your mind. Only the crown of My creation has such remarkable capability; this is a sign of being made in My image.”
One thing I have learned is that we can depend on our gifts showing up when we need them.
When I was young, the last gift I would have said God had given me would be in the area of writing and speaking, mostly because I felt I had nothing to say. But I do remember one of my college professors saying, “Your experiences may not be that unusual, but you have learned to milk them for all they are worth.”
Since that time, my experiences have become more unusual, and I have continued to “milk them for all they are worth.”
I would have said that I would not be able to write even one book, but now as I look back, seven books later, I see that I was not able, but God was because I was willing to “milk them for all they are worth.”
As I stand before large and small crowds, I try to take a deep breath and say, “Thank You, LORD, for the gift You have given me. You’ve done it before, now please do it again. USE ME, LORD.”
Are you letting God use you or are you thinking “I couldn’t do that!”? Trust in Him. He may be empowering you in an area that you call insignificant, but just remember He also has prepared someone who needs your ‘gift’ today. We are never insignificant to God.
“We have different gifts….If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage…if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully” (Romans 12;6-8 NIV).
Marilyn Willett Heavilin
Is a wife and mother; author & International conference speaker
Author of Roses In December,
December’s Song
Becoming A Woman of Honor,
Profound Common Sense
When Your Dreams Die,
Grief Is A Family Affair,
I’m Listening, Lord
Limping Into Heaven
I had the pleasure of catching up with a friend from “way back” the other day. What a joy to see how God has worked in both our lives over the years! I shared with her, and she with me, some of the difficult roads we had traveled since we last saw each other, some of which we are still traveling. We came to the same conclusion that God uses all things, including the painful ones. Intentionally God is molding us into His image.
Lately, I had been thinking about different circumstances in my life and saying that “_______is gonna kill me!” More recently the Lord reminded me that “________” WAS going to kill me. My flesh would die through this as He intends it to. As I shared this with my friend she said, “Kathy, if we have to, we are going to limp into heaven.”
Now this does not sound like a Victory Call but it is. When we die to ourselves, even if our dreams and desires die, we are becoming victorious! As we submit ALL things to our Heavenly Father, and His perfect will for us, we die so He may live stronger in us. When we feel so battle-scarred from this world, even if we are limping into heaven, we are victorious because we have made it through! Yes, I want to finish my race with joy. Yes, I want to finish well! However, if I have to finish by limping or crawling over the finish line and into the presence of the Lord, so be it! All will disappear when I see my Savior face to face! There will be no more tears, no more sorrow, no more trials!
Soon after I wrote this I found two quotes that touched my heart. “Now we catch glimpses of God, then we will see him as he is. Until then, life is not about ease. It’s not about collecting all the treasures and gadgets we can stuff in our pockets. It’s not about turning back or settling down. It’s about keeping to the path until we reach our final destination in the arms of God.” (Ann Spangler, The Peace God Promises, pg 88)
“Offering yourself to serve Christ and laying down your ALL at the foot of the Cross will change your life! There will be mountains and valleys along your journey and there may be twists and turns that come your way. Keep moving forward under His grace -the blessings that you receive will be greater than you can comprehend.” (GraceWords by Chris Gillespie, Founder and Executive Director ,Team 413- GraceRunners Ministries.)
Are you limping today? Each of us are wounded and struggling but we will make it!
Blessings,Kathy Withers
Kathy’s on staff at America’s KESWICK in the Development Department. Kathy has been married to her husband Dave for 27 years. They have two adult children. Kathy is active in her local Church and has taught Sunday School and Bible Studies for women. Her passion is to encourage women to deepen their walk with Jesus Christ by finding and living out the truths of God’s Word.
Hand-Me-Downs
If you were a little sister, then you probably remember hand-me-downs. There is something neat about fitting into the clothes of someone who you look up to. I have to say honestly that it also has its drawbacks as bell bottoms and mini-skirts had gone out in the five years it took me to inherit my sister’s clothes. (It is a good thing I was quite a bit shorter than my big sister.) But that is just a side note =). Back to my point:
I still have sweet friends that pass along treasured items, and when I wear the hand-me-‘over’, I remember the story that goes with it. The item reminds me of my friend and I often take a moment to pray for them. I love to say, “My friend gave this to me” when someone compliments me on an outfit.
I have been saving this special pair of mittens that belonged to my oldest son. I needed a pair of mittens for my younger son the other day and I reluctantly went to the drawer where I keep those special mittens and put them on Carter. As I did, I told him the story behind those mittens. I told him that one day when Jordan was little we prayed for a pair of mittens to keep his hands warm. I knew that God cared about us, and I asked Him to provide mittens. We went to a church and shared a concert that following Sunday. After the service, a lady took us to the church missionary closet and she apologized that it was not full, as they had just had a missionary conference so they had very little left. She said we could take anything we needed. When she opened the door, I saw straight ahead, on an almost empty shelf, a pair of hand-knitted mittens, just the right size for my son. I was also amazed that they were just the right color to go with his winter coat!
In Deuteronomy 6:6-12, the Israelites were told to pass on what God had taught them, to keep them written on their heart, “You shall teach them diligently to your children and talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. And when the Lord your God brings you into the land …with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant, and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord.” (ESV)
What do you have that reminds you of God’s faithfulness? Something tangible? Pull it out of the drawer and put it in some prominent place to remind yourself; and when someone asks what it is there for, you can “Hand-Me-Down” the story of God’s faithfulness!
Joyce Hayes
Artist-in-residence at America’s Keswick
There’s just something about looking up….
It was a cloudy day and yet as I looked up there was something refreshing and inspiring about it. What is it about looking up that can stop us in our tracks? Think about it.
How about a gorgeous sunny day, nothing but blue sky scattered with airplane contrails? Or a sunny day with puffy cumulous clouds that look like cotton balls soft enough to touch? Even on a snowy day with snowflakes drifting down from the sky, there is something mesmerizing about gazing up. The night sky on a clear night can cause us to stop and stargaze or a beautiful autumn moon glowing like an orange ball that looks so close we would pluck it from the sky. What is it about looking up that draws us?
King David was also enamored with looking up, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” Psalm 19:1.
Maybe looking up reminds us that there is something far greater than ourselves. There is creation beyond what we can see and feel and experience. There is comfort in looking up that goes beyond the beauty, there is a subtle reminder of the big picture, which we so often forget.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:3-4
The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory. Psalm 97:6
To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Psalm 123:1
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!” 1 Chronicles 16:31
Look around you; this is not all there is. Take time today to look up… be refreshed and inspired.
Blessings,
Diane
Diane Hunt is part of the Development and Addiction Recovery teams at America’s Keswick. In addition to being a Biblical Counselor, she is a Women’s speaker for retreats, conferences and events. She is a regular writer for Victory Call and one of the authors of Crossing the Jordan Bible Study. She has been married to her husband John over 28 years. She has 2 adult children and 3 grandchildren and 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 10 in all. She delights reading and teaching, but mostly laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.
Serving God in the Midst of Godlessness
Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples. (Isaiah 8:16)
Isaiah served God at a most difficult time. The Lord revealed that, as a prophet, he would see his audience, outside of a small remnant, reject the word from God (6:10-13). Even so, Isaiah remained faithful, preaching the message of His God over several decades under different earthly kings. How does one remain so faithful to such a God-rejecting culture?
The key to remaining strong spiritually is found in verse 11 of our chapter, For the LORD spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people… To walk God’s narrow way in opposition to the broad way of the surrounding culture demands the resolve to love and obey our God. In his obedience Isaiah was mentoring others to walk the same path as he states, …among my disciples. As the Word from God had gone forth and been rejected by the majority, God’s man determined that his mind would be stayed on the revelation of God and he declared further that he would go, To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word; it is because there is no light in them (v. 20).
To walk godly in a godless culture requires unwavering faith in the revelation of God as the Truth to be accepted and acted upon each and every day. Isaiah was able to remain faithful in the face of great opposition because he had been allowed a glimpse of God which revealed his own sinful and needy condition (chapter 6). Such an ongoing revelation is necessary for the disciple to understand the need of total reliance upon God. Jesus would state it this way, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me (Luke 9:23). Our revelation is God speaking to us through His Word. Our daily time in the Word and in prayer is our “conversation” with a God Who reveals His love to us in such a way that we grow in love toward Him. The outworking of this is a life of loving obedience lived out as light in the midst of the cultural darkness around us.
Dr. Joe Olachea
Board Member and Writer for “Real Victory for Real Life”
365 Devotional Thoughts in the Spirit of America’s Keswick
VOLUME 2
To order a copy of “REAL VICTORY For REAL LIFE” 365 Devotional Thoughts in the Spirit of America’s Keswick, forworded by Dr. Joseph Stowell visit www.americaskeswick.org and click on store.
God’s Blessings
Part 2
Why do we so often miss God’s blessings in our lives? We are not looking for them.
So how do we recognize God’s blessings in our lives?
To review yesterday’s Victory Call:
1. Be INTENTIONAL
2. CULTIVATE a heart of Thanksgiving
3. LOOK BEYOND the circumstance to the benefit
4. Offer a SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING
Let’s consider 4 more ways to recognize God’s blessings today:
5. Keep a GRATITUDE JOURNAL – seek to fill a page every day. Before putting your head on the pillow each night, think through your day and jot down all the various ways God blessed you today. Why fill a page every day? It will force you to really think through your day to compile a full page. A gratitude journal makes great reading in the middle of the night when sleep escapes you.
6. STUDY/MEDITATE on Scriptures about the blessings we have and will have. Ephesians 1 is a great place to start. Pick a book of the Bible and scour it for every blessing you can find that we have in Christ and record it in your journal. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds Psalm 77:12.
7. Practice, rehearse, remind yourself, REMEMBER the blessings. We are so forgetful if we do not intentionally remind ourselves of God’s truth. Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth Proverbs 4:5.
Over time, as you practice GIVING thanks you will gradually BECOME more THANKFUL.
Blessings,
Diane
Diane Hunt is part of the ministry team at America’s Keswick. She is a regular writer for Victory Call and one of the authors of Crossing the Jordan Bible Study. Diane has been married to her husband John over 27 years. She has 2 adult children and 3 grandchildren and 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 10 in all. She delights reading and teaching, but mostly laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.
God’s Blessings
Part 1
Why do we so often miss God’s blessings in our lives? We are not looking for them. So how do we recognize God’s blessings in our lives?
1. Be INTENTIONAL – our flesh may be inclined toward dissatisfaction, lust for more, or discontentment. We must make a decision, a choice to give thanks. 51 or 52 references in the Bible say “Give Thanks” We can give thanks even when we don’t FEEL thankful. If we wait until we feel thankful, we may never give thanks.
2. Cultivate a heart of THANKSGIVING – Stir up the soil of your heart. Ask yourself what you received in place of what you deserved. I deserve death, but You gave me life. I deserve condemnation, but You gave me acceptance. I deserve to labor and to be heavy laden, but You gave me rest. I deserve ___________ but You gave me _______.
3. LOOK BEYOND the circumstance to the benefit. Thanksgiving is an expression of gratitude. Being grateful is being appreciative of benefits received. Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. There is healing power in a thankful heart. It is the number one cure for anxiety. Philippians 4:6-7, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The big difference between anxious prayers and the prayers that bring peace is the component of thanksgiving.
4. Offer a SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING…Psalm 107:22: Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing. Psalm 116:17: I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD. You can GIVE thanks even when you don’t FEEL thankful. It is a sacrifice – an offering unto the LORD. The sacrifice of thanksgiving.
GIVE THANKS TODAY.
Blessings, Diane
Diane Hunt is part of the ministry team at America’s Keswick. She is a regular writer for Victory Call and one of the authors of Crossing the Jordan Bible Study. Diane has been married to her husband John over 27 years. She has 2 adult children and 3 grandchildren and 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 10 in all. She delights reading and teaching, but mostly laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.
ANXIOUS PRAYERS?
I once had a friend tell me that they, at times, felt they could be anxious even in their prayers. Can you relate to that statement? I know I can. There have been times in the midst of a difficult trial or when something was weighing heavily upon me that, even as I was bringing the issue before the Lord in prayer, I was feeling much anxiety within my spirit. I was bringing it to the Lord, yet I was not leaving it with Him; I was continuing to carry the burden.
There is a verse (well, there are many), but one I want to share with you today that the Lord has used in my life in many different circumstances. As someone who can struggle with being a control freak and wanting to fix everything, it is a verse I need to hear often……”Be STILL, and know that I AM GOD” (Psalm 46:10a, emphasis mine). “Still” can be defined as “calm, tranquil, free from noise or turbulence, peaceful.”(1)
The Lord has used that verse to bring peace to my heart during some of my most difficult trials. Now I have it hanging on a plaque in a prominent place in my home where I see it often. It is something I need to be reminded of…….be still, cease striving, rest; He is God, I am not. What freedom there is in those few words.
Do we need to pray fervently? Often? Specifically? With faith? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. But in the midst of laying our burdens at His feet, let us remember to leave those burdens there, and be still and rest in the loving arms of Jesus, remembering that He, and He alone, is Lord over all the universe. Sisters, let us find rest and peace in being still, and knowing that He is God.
Stacey Poplawski
WOC Graduate
1 Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, G & C Merriam Co, Publishers, 1965.
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