Daily Devotion

Dispel the Curse
 
"And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."  Genesis 12:3 NASB

Good evening everyone!! I know, I know, its been way too long since my last post.  But I've been on a soul searching and spiritual journey as of late, abandoning all and everything just to get my life in proper perspective.  I had a fabulous time in Jamaica with one of my best friends for her birthday (and well, one of my delayed gifts to myself).  It was so appropriate for me to go then; God blessed me to realize just how much He favors me.  And to be honest, He favors us all the same way.  As long as we commit our lives to doing His will by accepting His Son, we can rest assured that God's hand of blessing will be upon us.

So irony struck me today because God orchestrated it that all of my devotions that I read at the start of the day were all discussing blessings and curses.  It lead me to share my take on it; for a long time I would complain and have a 'woe is me' attitude towards my life.  We all received the ultimate blessing of eternity with God by accepting Christ as the supreme sacrifice, the great atonement for our sins.  We are to repent–that is, forgive and be forgiven, and then turn away from our former behaviors towards God.  Once we repent and sin no more, we are reconciled to God.  From the time we accept Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we share in the blessings–and the inheritance.  Because of my journey lately, I know realize how blessed I really am.  But that prevalence of 'blessings and generational curses' discussions forced me to really look at why things happen, and seem to keep happening to people.

My fascination rose when I came to read about curses.  I'm not versed in the occult, but I do know that it exists, simply because the enemy satan exists.  His desire to pervert everything that is God–the purity, the love, the family, the marriage, everything, so why would he not provide for a way to pervert God's way of showing He loved us by creating a way to show how much he hates us?  So I came to understand that curses can only come upon us when we step outside of God's will for our lives.  Looking at Numbers 22-23 in my bible study showed me that nothing God has blessed can be cursed.  Nothing (See Numbers 22:12 and actually read both stories…this shows you where God will use anything and anyone to speak to you!) can remove the blessing on you but you and your own sinfulness.  The Israelites were blessed and it was their own sin that caused them to become cursed in latter centuries.  These curses fell upon them because they opened the door and let satan take up residence among them–in fact many of them were sleeping with the enemy (God forbade the Israelites to marry outside of their race, but many disobeyed and it is even evident in some of the most famous kings, i.e. Solomon, who left their love of God for the love of these foreign women, and eventually their idols.) 

When we fall outside of God's will, there are all sorts of evils awaiting us.  Because our flesh is sinful in nature, it is easy to get caught up and drift away in sin.  It is only then that the enemy can get us. In the case of the Israelites, they kept on sinning, generation after generation, each worse than the one before.  It was not until Christ came and died, that through Him we are able to again direct communion with God.  I started working on this devotion nearly 3 weeks ago (Aug 17) and it was only a few days ago this week that I found the scripture I was looking for. In Exodus 34:6-7, "Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”  So I remembered that without Christ, without accepting His seed of eternal life and rebirth as a child of God, we are doomed to these 'curses'.  By turning back to that life without God, outside of His will, I overlook the best blessing He gave, Christ.

 
So I believe that when we accept Christ, we are freed from the curse–in fact Galatians 3:13 says so!  We are no longer bound by generational curses and self-inflicted ones because the blood of Jesus was the ultimate atonement.  Believe in Him and be free!  He redeems and saves us from our greatest enemy, satan and our own selves.
 
"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."  2 Cor 5:21 NASB

Daily Devotion

He's Getting You in Line

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."  Genesis 50:20 ESV

I was watching a movie today–Love Chronicles: Secrets Revealed.  It was a pretty good movie.  But something one of the characters said stuck with me.  She was a caller into the radio station, and was sharing her testimony.  She had dated many wrong guys, and finally decided to stop everything she was doing to get right.  She had realized that all of her 'Mr. Wrongs' were helping to get her in line, get in line for the right one.  Well all I could think about today was getting in line.  God has allowed a whole lot to transpire in my life for me to get right and get in line with Him.  What things has God allowed to happen in your life, and are you even recognizing them?

I'm sure my friend meant no harm, but she commented how young I looked two years ago.  Two years ago, I was in a totally different place.  I was on a high, somewhat, because I had a new lease on life with my newly transplanted kidney.  I still had some of my innocence.  But in the course of two years, well truthfully less than a full year later, I had lost that light in my eyes, and the blinders of what life really was had fallen off.  I was still hurting and wounded deeply, but I recognize now that had those things not taken place in my life, I would not be in line.  God allowed that hurt and pain to root some things out of me so that I could cut out things that were keeping me from my destiny.  Even now, every hurt I have experienced helped to get me in position to hear God, to pay attention and take heed to the things He plans to work in me. 

God can and will allow whatever He needs to get you in position for His will.  You must recognize that by looking back and observing those things.

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:13 NASB


"No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of God and their righteousness is of me," says the Lord.  Isaiah 54:17
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