Archive | February 2023

The Sovereignty of GOD By JoBeth Kested

Feb27

 Learning to accept and yield to the sovereignty of God is not an easy process. When it seems our prayers only hit the ceiling. When we can’t understand “WHY!” in all the affliction of our circumstances. Everything we thought we knew about the character and ways of God isn’t making sense. Our faith may be deeply shaken or feeling shattered under the weight of a broken heart. The disappointments and suffering sometimes leads us into a dark night of the soul that no one would ever choose. As believers we are forced to deal with scriptures that we would prefer to quickly pass over.

    Is anyone excited about being invited to come and die? “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25). Or, what about those not mentioned by name in the Hebrews Hall of Faith, “of whom the world was not worthy…having attained a good testimony of faith yet did not receive their promise.” (Hebrews 11:38-39).No, that is NOT encouraging! And, none of us go around believing for the promise at the beginning of John 16:33! “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” It’s definitely not easy to embrace this scriptural command to be cheerful in the middle of our trials and suffering. But, that is exactly what we’re told to do in the process of learning how to live in the overcoming power of Jesus.

    I once heard a message by a minister that had paid a high price for persevering faith. He said, “Both Satan and God are out to kill us, the choice is ours who gets to do the job!” What a sobering statement! Though I didn’t fully understand his premise at that time, I never forgot that message and have drawn from the truth of it many times. Our best option is definitely to choose a loving Father God that not only promises a glorious eternity, but peace that passes understanding, sufficient grace, merciful kindness, and a future with hope. 

    Some years after experiencing a radical salvation, I found myself captive in a deep dark pit of depression; and couldn’t see any way out. At some point I came to the realization that I was faced with a choice. I could continue down the slippery slope into the deep dungeon of hopeless despair, defending and holding on to all my dashed dreams, rejected woundedness with self righteous victimizing pity; or choose to believe that God is Who He says He is in His Word. That meant no longer believing in a God that was supposed to fit into all my boxes. It required making the critical choice to believe that the Word of God is more real than my feelings. To surrender to the truth that He is sovereign and worthy of worship even if I never understand His ways or purpose in my circumstances. The light of His Word began to shed light in my darkness. It was a process of learning to discover His sufficient grace with mercy and blessings in each new day, and choosing gratitude instead of victimization with it’s accompanying hopelessness. God’s word truly became light unto my steps. 

    Father God, I pray for anyone finding themselves relating to these words. Please remove any blinders from their eyes. May Your merciful loving kindness heal broken hearts and help them forgive those that betrayed and wounded them. Break them free from the chains of bondage, victimization and self pity. Let them know your goodness and find your empowering sufficient grace to make the hard choice of surrender to Your sovereignty. Help them accept that Your ways are not our ways, nor are Your thoughts our thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8) May the truth of Your Word shed light in the darkness; revealing Your overcoming path for them. In Jesus’s Name, amen.

    May the following scriptures be light in the dark for you as much as they were for me. 

    “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalms 27:13-14) 

    “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)  

    “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:18-19)

    “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

    “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’”  (Isaiah 41:10)

    I truly believe and declare, that like me, you will also discover the resurrection healing power of God in your life. You will not only experience the reality of Isaiah 61, but you will now qualify to walk in an anointing of those called to set other captives free.

    “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.” Isaiah 61:1-3, 6a-7 NIV

 

Photographer unknown, Free Sunrise Wallpaper Wallup.net posted 3/5/2017

All scriptures are from NKJV unless otherwise stated.

© JoBeth Kested 2023

Scripture Of The Week By JoBeth Kested

Feb26
JoBeth Kested – Photo Credit

Scripture for the week of February 26, 2023
By JoBeth Kested

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Lamentations 3:20-24 (ESV)

Do you ever struggle to find your faith to trust God in the midst of overwhelming situations? It can be especially hard when it seems like the cries of your prayers bounce off the ceiling and all you hear is silence. In the verses before these scriptures, the Prophet Jeremiah describes in great detail his sufferings and that he feels like God caused it all. He was not afraid to talk to God about his disillusionment, frustrations and anguish. But, he then reminds himself of God’s love, mercies and faithfulness in the past. How amazing that even though the circumstances have not changed, Jeremiah is able to declare with renewed hope that the Lord is all he needs! Take your list of problems to God today and pour out your doubts, fears and pain. Then be encouraged with new hope recalling all of the Lord’s unshakeable love, unending mercies and great faithfulness to you always. Selah (ponder and think on these things).

The Truth In Love – A Great Reminder by Beth Auman

Feb15

Hebrew Word Kapparah – Atonement, Ransom for Sin. To cover, to ignore, “expiation;” something that wipes out or erases guilt or sin.

Through Yeshua (Jesus) sacrifice, even the guilt of our sin has been erased. Ponder this in your heart as you continue to read.

1John 4 CJB

Dear friends, don’t trust every spirit. On the contrary, test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Here is how you recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges that Yeshua the Messiah came as a human being is from God, and every spirit which does not acknowledge Yeshua is not from God — in fact, this is the spirit of the Anti-Messiah. You have heard that he is coming. Well, he’s here now, in the world already!

You, children, are from God and have overcome the false prophets, because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore, they speak from the world’s viewpoint; and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God doesn’t listen to us. This is how we distinguish the Spirit of truth from the spirit of error.

Beloved friends, let us love one another; because love is from God; and everyone who loves has God as his Father and knows God. Those who do not love, do not know God; because God is love. Here is how God showed his love among us: God sent his only Son into the world, so that through him we might have life. Here is what love is: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the kapparah for our sins.

Beloved friends, if this is how God loved us, we likewise ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God remains united with us, and our love for him has been brought to its goal in us. Here is how we know that we remain united with him and he with us: he has given to us from his own Spirit. Moreover, we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as Deliverer of the world. If someone acknowledges that Yeshua is the Son of God, God remains united with him, and he with God.

Also we have come to know and trust the love that God has for us. God is love; and those who remain in this love remain united with God, and God remains united with them.

Here is how love has been brought to maturity with us: as the Messiah is, so are we in the world. This gives us confidence for the Day of Judgment. There is no fear in love. On the contrary, love that has achieved its goal gets rid of fear, because fear has to do with punishment; the person who keeps fearing has not been brought to maturity in regard to love.

We ourselves love now because he loved us first. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar. For if a person does not love his brother, whom he has seen, then he cannot love God, whom he has not seen. Yes, this is the command we have from him: whoever loves God must love his brother too.

Today, we come before Your Throne Abba and thank You for Your Love. Your Love, Your way of Love far exceeds anything that any of us could ever imagine. Anything that this world could offer us.

Thank You for Loving each of us. We choose You, Your will, Your way, Your Son Jesus Christ-Yeshua HaMashiach and declare that He is our Anointed Salvation.

Fill each of us a fresh with Your Ruach HaKodesh today to overflowing measure that we may share Him and impart Him to others who need Him.

Be who You are in fullness Abba. We place no limits on You! Be who You are on our behalf.

In Yeshua (Jesus) Name Amen

Blessings and Shalom- Love Beyond Measure, Beth Auman

Scripture Of The Week By JoBeth Kested

Feb13

Scripture for the week of February 12, 2023
By JoBeth Kested

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10 (NIV)

If God supposedly knows everything and has a plan, why should we bother with prayer and asking for His help? Do you have childhood memories of playing hide-and-seek and how much fun it is to surprise someone in their hiding place? And how special it is to see the joyous expression on a loved one’s face when they walk into a surprise party in their honor? These verses reveal God’s heart in that He longs for us to seek Him and to find the overwhelming joy of how much He loves us. How awesome that God loves to reveal Himself to us and to surprise us with signs and wonders in answering our prayers. Be encouraged to keep on asking to receive, seeking to find and knocking for the open doors of God’s blessings and abundant provision for you today.

Declaration For Today In Jesus Name

Feb8
Each day I go before Adonai and ask Him what I can read to Him. I read and declare as He leads. Recently, He instructed me to share. My hope is that you will be strengthened to move forward by His anointed Word. I declare life into each of you. His Life, His Love, His Word be it unto you this very day in Yeshua (Jesus’) Name Amen
Psalm 32 CJB

32 (0) By David. A maskil:

(1) How blessed are those whose offense is forgiven,
those whose sin is covered!
2 How blessed those to whom Adonaiimputes no guilt,
in whose spirit is no deceit!

3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
because of my groaning all day long;
4 day and night your hand was heavy on me;
the sap in me dried up as in a summer drought. (Selah)

5 When I acknowledged my sin to you,
when I stopped concealing my guilt,
and said, “I will confess my offenses to Adonai”;
then you, you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Selah)

6 This is what everyone faithful should pray
at a time when you can be found.
Then, when the floodwaters are raging,
they will not reach to him.

7 You are a hiding-place for me,
you will keep me from distress;
you will surround me
with songs of deliverance. (Selah)

8 “I will instruct and teach you
in this way that you are to go;
I will give you counsel;
my eyes will be watching you.”

9 Don’t be like a horse or mule
that has no understanding,
that has to be curbed with bit and bridle,
or else it won’t come near you.

10 Many are the torments of the wicked,
but grace surrounds those who trust in Adonai.
11 Be glad in Adonai; rejoice, you righteous!
Shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Blessings and Shalom- Love Beyond Measure, Beth Auman

Scripture of The Week by JoBeth Kested

Feb5

Scripture for the week of February 5, 2023
By JoBeth Kested

“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16 (NIV)

Have you ever been blinded by the penetrating brightness of the sun or by a winter snow storm where you couldn’t see the road ahead or the next step in front of you? Sometimes we can feel so blinded by sudden unexpected circumstances that we have no idea how to find our way out of the anxiety and fearful darkness. What comfort it is to find God’s promise to us that even when we are lost and can’t see, He is there to help us find our way. The Lord declares that He will turn the oppressive darkness into glorious light and that He will even make the rough places smooth before us. What an uplifting hope to have such assurance that the Lord is always there and will never abandon us in any helpless place! Whatever darkness you may find yourself in, be encouraged to call upon the Lord; reaching out to Him, to guide you into the light of His presence along the path of His peace.

Shevat – 5783 The Month of Trees

Feb5

Psalms 1–41

1 How blessed are those
who reject the advice of the wicked,
don’t stand on the way of sinners
or sit where scoffers sit!
2 Their delight
is in Adonai’s Torah;
on his Torah they meditate
day and night.
3 They are like trees planted by streams —
they bear their fruit in season,
their leaves never wither,
everything they do succeeds.

4 Not so the wicked,
who are like chaff driven by the wind.
5 For this reason the wicked
won’t stand up to the judgment,
nor will sinners
at the gathering of the righteous.
6 For Adonai watches over
the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked
is doomed.

Blessings and Shalom-Love Beyond Measure, Beth Auman