Daily Devotions

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What Have you Been Entertaining?

Melissa—Recently I was driving and praying, minding my own business, when all of a sudden I clearly hear, “You have been entertaining things that have shaped your life and belief system.” Well, I instantly knew this was big and the Holy Spirit had just put His finger on something that has been a big hindrance in my life.  When I got home I looked up the definition of ‘entertain’ and here’s what it says: “to show hospitality to, to hold in the mind; harbor; cherish, to receive and take into consideration, to have as a guest.”  I knew what entertain meant but this was a whole new perspective.  He was saying, “You have shown hospitality to things that have shaped your life.” “You have harbored things that have shaped your belief system.” “You have cherished things that have shaped who you are.” He wasn’t talking about the good things.  For the Holy Spirit to make that clear in this moment, especially when I have been asking Him to give me insight and understanding, I knew He was revealing hidden things that needed to be dealt with.

Shortages and Scarce Supply

Kathy—Days of Elijah were times of shortages and scarce supply.  The God-backed stand we take must pivot on obedience to God’s will and directions. After Elijah confronted the king, the Lord told him to leave and go hide near Cherith Creek.  He was to drink water from the creek, and eat the food God told the ravens to bring him. Elijah obeyed the LORD and ravens brought him bread and meat twice a day.  He drank water from the creek, but after a while, it dried up because there was no rain.  The drought lasted over three years and everyone was affected.  The shortages even reached Elijah, but so did God’s detailed plans and supernatural provisions. After the airmail deliveries stopped, the Lord told Elijah to go to Zarephath where a widow would give him food.  At first the widow adamantly told him she couldn’t feed him because she was also in scarcity and lack. In fact, she was planning her last meal before dying, but there was Divine connection between Elijah’s lack and the widow’s shortage of supplies. That connection not only brought provision for both of them, it also revealed a supernatural resource for both of them. We too shall come through days of Elijah having experienced the miraculous of our God and His planned connections.

Bullies be Shut Down

May the Lord step in and save our children from bullies in this school year, whether on campus or off campus. May the bullies be shut down and learn that they cannot abuse others.  “My God, free me from the grip of Wicked, from the clutch of Bad and Bully. You keep me going when times are tough— my bedrock, God, since my childhood.” (Ps.71:4-5, Msg) 

Confronting Powers That Be

Rain on PuddleKathy—Days of Elijah were times of confronting governmental powers that be.  Elijah showed up in 1 Kings 17 to confront the puppet king of Israel with a proclamation:  “I’m a servant of the living LORD, the God of Israel. And I swear in his name that it won’t rain until I say so.  There won’t even be any dew on the ground.”  Beyond the forecast of a drought, it had to unnerve King Ahab that a man would get in his face and tell him, “I have the say so over your domain and over the weather warfare of your storm god, because I represent the higher government of God Almighty.”  In these days of Elijah, whether we are dealing with dark forces at work against our home or community or region or nation or other realms, we can take a stand when we are convinced and confident that Almighty God is backing us.  

Confronting Powers That Be

Kathy–Days of Elijah were times of confronting governmental powers that be.  Elijah showed up in 1 Kings 17 to confront the puppet king of Israel with a proclamation:  “I’m a servant of the living LORD, the God of Israel. And I swear in his name that it won’t rain until I say so.  There won’t even be any dew on the ground.”  Beyond the forecast of a drought, it had to unnerve King Ahab that a man would get in his face and tell him, “I have the say so over your domain and over the weather warfare of your storm god, because I represent the higher government of God Almighty.”  In these days of Elijah, whether we are dealing with dark forces at work against our home or community or region or nation or other realms, we can take a stand when we are convinced and confident that Almighty God is backing us.  

God is Working on Your Future

As the people of God assemble today may they look to Him Who has plans and a future for each of them. May they clearly see and understand that just because they may have a history of defeat and never-ending need, that the future Jehovah God is working on is one of hope and security in Him. Rom.15:4—“Whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction so that we could have hope through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures.”  Heb.10:23—“Let’s hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, because the one who made the promises is reliable.”

Hope Beyond Present Reality

A public school teacher from our home church was talking with one of her students. The boy said that since his father was in prison, he would likely be in prison. She simply told him that he did not have to be in prison just because his father was. His response was, “I never thought of that.” The teacher only had to speak something that you might think could be left unsaid because it should be obvious. But for a boy who lived in an environment without hope, a simple word of encouragement changed his whole outlook.  Just because something has been a reality, even for a long time, does not mean it is a given for the future. Through Christ our Lord, we are free from what has been and have hope for what shall be.  “Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage. 7 . . . And if you are a child, you’re also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance.” (Gal.4:5,7 Msg)

Not Bowing to Impossibilities

Melissa—The Holy Spirit presented this to me awhile back, “Either you are bowing your knee in awe and reverence to Me or you are bowing your knee in tolerance and submission to everything else.” How can we see miracles when we are bowing our knee to the impossibilities mounted against us? How can we leave a winning legacy when we count ourselves among the doomed statistics of disease and age and depletion and debt? It’s really starting to make sense why we have only seen glimpses of effectualness.  So many have been under the control of the enemy who planted subtle deposits of fear for years through platforms to which we’ve given our trust and they didn’t work.  But now it’s our time. We get to be alive for this! We get to be alive for the awakening and to bring the Kingdom to earth in ways we’ve never seen before.  

Days of Elijah

Kathy—Over a two week period I kept hearing, “These are the days of Elijah.”  It wasn’t a song echoing within me but a declaration. I later discovered several other folks were hearing this also. Since I know we hear in part, I figured it was likely that each of us was hearing a different emphasis in the Days of Elijah. Setting out to embrace my part, I searched out significance in the Days of Elijah.  I was amazed how vividly the conditions he faced were the same we are facing in our days of history. 

Days of Elijah were crucial times under wicked leadership.  Ahab was the king, but the true ruler was his witchy wife, Jezebel.  Her influence had infiltrated the nation and led Israel into idol worship as they bowed the knee to her Phoenician god, Baal.  Baal was considered the sun god and the storm god, and worshiping him involved sensuality, ritualistic prostitution and human sacrifice. (Who would have imagined such would ever be the case in America?!) The evil forces behind Jezebel and her puppet king were the cause of Israel’s troubled state.  Elijah came at the peak of their arrogance and atrocities to warn them God had had enough.  Like the days of Elijah, we too stand at just such a precipice to confront the wicked arrogance and atrocities of this day because God is saying enough is enough.    
(This is the first excerpt from Kathy’a article “Days of Elijah”)

READ SEEC MAGAZINE

SEEC MAGAZINE    Volume 26   Issue 3

SEEC Magazine Latest Issue   Volume 26  Issue 3 __  July2022–September2022
*** Our 26th Year of Publication! ***
Marty and Kathy Gabler invite you to read this issue for your edification.

>> PLEASE NOTE:   We are now publishing SEEC Magazine once each quarter.
This is the third quarterly issue.


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