IN THE GARDEN DEVOTIONS

“After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” Genesis 15:1 God told Abram that He was his exceeding great (boundless, endless, abundantly above all that he could ask, think or imagine) reward. He did not give him a reward of mere money or things but gave Abram Himself. God said, "I AM the Reward". Abram received access to the King of Glory, the Possessor of heaven and earth, the

"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14 Often, I found myself regretting things that I've done or didn't do, mistakes made, and problems because of those mistakes. Thoughts of what if I had done that or what about this? While in a moment of fee

🌿A Place of Divine Encounter In the beginning God placed man in the Garden of Eden. It was a place where the source of all things met man to commune with him. It was a place of perfect provision and pure fellowship. Can you just for a minute imagine being in such a place where God actually called out your name simply to commune with you? In Genesis 3:8-10 Adam and Eve heard God's voice, but God first only spoke to Adam. In Acts 9:3-8 the men traveling with Paul heard God's

For God is the "...I Am That I Am:...". Exodus 3:14 He's whatever you need Him to be according to His will!

"And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not." Ezekiel 33:32 Back in the day, I used to love the song "Thin Line Between Love and Hate" and knew every single word. But it wasn't until I was in my thirties that I actually understood what the lyrics meant. As my relationship with God deepened, I found myself drawn less and less to those types of songs. My s

“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia , and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia , and help us. ” Acts 16:9 I once remember being called to an office to assist someone, only to find out she did not need my help. As I sat at one of the desks, a manager of another department passed by and stated, "I need help!". She looked at me and said, “Denise, what are you doing?” I said, “I was called here to assist in this office.” Right at th

"And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.". 1 Corinthians 8:2. There was a time when I would hear 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 preached from the pulpit and thought the pastor was criticizing and speaking directly about me. I didn't realize it was the living Word of God, sharp and powerful, doing its work of conviction within my heart (Hebrews 4:12). Back then, I had a serious need to be right. I truly believed I knew some stuff and wa

Jesus saith ..., I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:44 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23 There is none right

Humility is not thinking less of yourselves but thinking of yourselves less. "Humble yourselves [with an attitude of repentance and insignificance] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up, He will give you purpose]." James 4:10 Amp Humbling yourself before the Lord is the act of surrendering your ego recognizing your dependence on God and aligning your will with His.

God has a New Beginning for every Loss, Mercy for every Mistake A Comeback for every Setback "The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT

"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:" Psalm 23:5 On the television sitcom “Good Times” back in the 70s, James finally received his big break. He had a job interview that impressed the lady interviewer so much that she, in so many words, promised him the job. He went home bragging to his wife, Florida. Florida was skeptical and asked him how he knew he had the job. James pulled up at his belt, stuck out his chest and said, “Hayy, Hayy, Haayy, tha

"But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes." Judges 1:6 In the midst of the battle in Judges 1:1-7 God stops for a moment to tell us about King Adoni-bezek. He once captured seventy kings and humiliated them by cutting off their thumbs and big toes and made them eat the scraps from under his table. You see, part of the attack of the Enemy is to humiliate you. He strips you of your dignity, mortifies you, and bri

There is not a problem we face that God has not already lined up a solution. " for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Matthew 6:8 "...my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

Don't Judge Anything's Worth by Its Size! "Do not despise these small beginnings,..." Zechariah 4:10 NLT

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:43-45

Whatever You're Not, God Is! For God is the "...I Am That I Am:...". Exodus 3:14 He's whatever you need Him to be according to His will!

“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread .” Psalm 37:25 I can remember a time when my daughter was a baby, and I did not have enough milk for her. She was on her last bottle, and I was crying out to the Lord. I remember watching her take the last drop. During this time, I was anxious and praying, “Lord YOU said in YOUR WORD, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his

Like, Comment, Share Our Victory is In Learning How to Overcome an Enemy that is Already Defeated. "In this way, he disarmed[a] the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. Colossians 2:15 NLT The Bible teaches that the enemy — whether it be Satan, fear, or spiritual opposition — has already been defeated through Christ’s victory on the cross. This truth is not just a one-time event; it is a foundation for our ongoing sp

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” Proverbs 27:6 "The Emperor's New Clothes" is a short tale by Hans Christian Andersen. The Plot: A vain Emperor, who cares about nothing except wearing and displaying fabulous clothes, hires two swindlers who promise him the finest, best suit of clothes from a fabric invisible to anyone who is unfit for his position or "hopelessly stupid". The Emperor's ministers cannot see the clothing themselves

“And taking the five loaves and two fish, He looked up to heaven and, praising God, gave thanks and broke the loaves and kept on giving them to the disciples to set before the people; and He [also] divided the two fish among [them] all. And they all ate and were satisfied.” (Amp) Mark 6:41-42 While giving thanks at our Thanksgiving Day celebration, I heard the Spirit whisper a profound truth: "Even the very least thing you have is still great in God." Mark 6:41-42 describes t