Refrain thy voice from weeping

 Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they [your children] shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border.

– Jeremiah 31:16-17

Jesus has redeemed us from the curse. Many of us have been well taught about that redemption where sin, sickness and poverty in our own lives are concerned. But we often fail to realize that redemption has power over the destruction the devil tries to bring on our children's lives as well.

Deuteronomy 28 states the curse of the law in verses 16-68. Notice what that curse says about children. "Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand" (verse 32).

"Thou shall beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity" (verse 41).

Many Christian parents are still suffering needlessly under that curse. Their children are being taken captive by drugs, alcohol and perversions. But it doesn't have to be that way! Since Jesus broke the curse of the law, these parents have the authority in the Name of Jesus to order Satan out of their children's lives.

Don't let the devil run roughshod over your children! When you see the first warning signs of rebellion in them, confess the promises of God over them and refuse to give the devil any room to operate.

Remember, the children don't understand the unseen forces that are coming against them. So it's your responsibility to stand against those forces on their behalf. Exercise that responsibility. Then take every opportunity to minister love to them.

God knows how to deliver your children. Do your part and trust Him to do His. He will bring them back from the land of the enemy !

When the pressure is on

 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.

– Malachi 3:16

Have you ever noticed that those who have the most exciting, faith-inspiring testimonies are those who've been under pressure at some time in their lives? They're the people who stayed faithful when the pressure was on. They're the people who believed God's promises of prosperity in the midst of desperate financial situations or trusted God for healing in the face of a terminal disease.

My friend, when you get into a hard spot, that's not the time to back out on God and begin to say, "Well, God, why did You let this happen to me?" It's not the time to step back and reevaluate His faithfulness.

What I'm saying to you is this: When tough times keep dragging on and the situations around you seem to refuse to get in line with the promises of God, don't reevaluate God! He's not missing it, and He's not failing.

If you're going to reevaluate anything, reevaluate yourself! Look and see where you may have failed. If you still can't find out what the problem is, just say, "God, I don't know what's wrong here, and I'm asking You to show me. But one thing I know, the problem's not with You, and I continue to be moved by Your Word and not by circumstances." Then, when He reveals something to you, be quick to make changes.

I want to encourage you to stand firm and to keep honoring God with your words. The Lord is listening to you when the pressure is on. What is He going to hear?

Scripture Reading: Psalm 62

Stake your claim

 Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.

– Psalm 112:1,3

I'll never forget the time Gloria discovered that scripture. We didn't have any money at the time, and the walls in our house were as bare as they could be. But she was ready to decorate. So she took that promise, "Wealth and riches shall be in his house" and laid claim to it by faith.

Suddenly, everywhere we went, somebody was giving us a painting or some other little treasure for our house.

Unfortunately, most believers aren't as quick to believe God for that kind of thing as Gloria was. Some even claim God doesn't promise us New Testament believers physical prosperity, just spiritual. But the truth is, you can't separate the two. That's why Jesus says, "If you'll seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all these [material] things will be added to you." He knows the spiritual realm and the material realm are connected.

The physical world cannot operate independently from the spiritual world. What happens in one is simply a reflection of what happens in the other.

Obviously, your spiritual standing profoundly affects your financial standing. That's why, when you get hold of the gospel and begin to prosper spiritually, you can begin to prosper physically and materially as well.

Don't let anyone talk you out of God's promises of prosperity. You don't have to choose between financial and spiritual prosperity. Both belong to you. Lay claim to them by faith. As a born-again child of God, dare to reach out and receive the riches that belong to you!

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 7:8-13

Powerhouse of protection

 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

– Isaiah 54:17

No weapon formed against you shall prosper. Isn't that great news! Isn't it good to know that no sickness, no circumstance, no problem that rises against you can successfully bring you down?

Some years ago, one of our friends was facing a lawsuit. He and I prayed together according to this scripture and agreed it was the final word in the situation, not the allegations against him. We stood in faith, believing that lawsuit had to fail.

Sure enough, when my friend went to court, they just couldn't beat him. He didn't win that case because of his keen and witty lawyers. He won because he was innocent and because he had believed that powerful promise of God.

Follow his example. When the devil attacks you in some area of your life, don't sit around crying and begging God to save you. Open up your Bible to Isaiah 54:17 instead. Remind yourself of what God has promised you. Use that promise to strengthen you against sin and every other evil work the devil would like to use to keep you bound.

Then establish yourself on it through prayer. Say, "Lord, I refuse to be afraid of this weapon the devil has brought against me because I know that according to Your Word, it cannot prosper. I trust You to protect me, and I thank You for it now. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

Don't let the powerhouse of God's protection go to waste. Put it to work in your life. It is your rightful heritage as a servant of the Lord.

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 54:10-17

The inner witness

 The Spirit itself [Himself] beareth witness with our spirit.

– Romans 8:16

Do you ever have trouble hearing from God? Do you find yourself caught in confusing circumstances needing guidance, and yet even after praying and reading the Word--you're still not sure what God wants you to do?

I've had that experience. I knew His written Word and acting on it changed my life. But I was uncertain when I had to make decisions about things the Word didn't specifically address. Things like whether to move to one city or another, for example.

What held me back was my ability to know that I was doing the right thing. You see, God's written Word and the inward witness are two different things. They never contradict each other, but they're both a vital part of our walk with God.

God expected Israel, for example, to obey His written Word. But He also said to them, "Obey my voice" (Jer. 7:23) because He wanted them to know His will in specific situations. That's what happened when Israel invaded Jericho. They heard God's voice. Where else do you think they would have gotten that strange battle plan? It wasn't written in the law of Moses. And certainly, no human being would suggest a seven-day march around a city as the most effective form of invasion!

But exactly how, you may wonder, does God speak to us? Does He just shout down at us from heaven?

Not usually! Romans 8 says the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit. That means that God's directions come from inside, not outside, of you.

At times when you hear His guidance, you may even wonder, "Was that me, Lord, or was that You?" That's because God doesn't normally inject thoughts directly into your mind from the outside. Instead, He speaks to your spirit, and your spirit translates it into a thought.

Tune in today to that inward witness, to that quiet knowing, that urging, prompting and leading arising within you.

If when you hear it, it sounds like you, don't be surprised. It is you! It is your spirit being influenced by the Spirit of God! After you're born again, your spirit is a safe guide because you are born of God's Spirit. You have His nature. And the Holy Spirit lives in your spirit to teach you and to give you direction.

Scripture Reading: Joshua 6:1-20

God's message

 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. For in the day 


of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.

- Psalm 27:4-5

God is with you all the time

 Today, God’s message for you is release fear. Though life provides difficulties to strengthen your spirits you do no face them alone. God is with you, beside you, and surrounding you. He will provide all the help you need, he will hold you up. His source of comfort, security, and infinite love knows no end.