Exodus 15:19-17:7, Matthew 22:1-33, Psalms 27:1-6, Proverbs 6:20-26

What God said to me – In life you will meet optimists and pessimists.  Optimists see the good and pessimists see the bad.  Optimists see the positive and pessimists see the negative.  Optimists look at the upside and pessimists see the downside.  Optimists cry out to Me for direction and help and pessimists grumble and whine.  Just look at the Hebrews – I brought them out of slavery by My strong arm with riches and plunder from the Egyptians.  I brought them through the sea and saved them from Pharoah’s army.  I led them to water, and they grumbled and complained that it was bitter rather than crying out to Me for a solution.  Grumblers are always focused on their circumstances and how they affect them.  Seekers, on the other hand, see the circumstances but turn to Me for direction or for a solution.  They look at them as an opportunity to seek Me and to trust Me whether I answer their prayer or say, “buckle up, it’s going to be a rough ride.”  They say thank you Lord for being with them – teach us to trust You through it.  Now think about your walk with Me – are you a grumbler or a seeker?  Do you focus on the circumstances, or do you focus on seeking Me and My direction?

Exodus 13:17-15:18, Matthew 21:23-46, Psalms 26:1-12, Proverbs 6:16-19

What God said to me – Have you ever known someone who is out of work, and they say they are trusting Me to provide them with a job and then they sit at home doing nothing?  You ask them how their job search is coming, and they reply they’re waiting for Me.  Have you noticed that very seldom do you pray a prayer, and the answer just falls into your lap?  “I AM” sovereign but you have a responsibility to walk in obedience, seeking Me and My direction.  I said that those who wait on Me will walk and not get weary and run and not faint – but notice they are walking and running and not just waiting.  When the Hebrews were afraid because Pharoah’s army was approaching and they were trapped by the sea, I told them to stand and see My salvation – that I would fight for them and save them while they kept silent.  Moses kept crying out to Me and I told him to stop crying out and to move out.  I provided the salvation, but they needed to act on it and obey.  When you are waiting for answered prayer, don’t just stop doing everything unless I tell you to – you keep walking in obedience, doing those things you know you are to do to be in obedience and fellowship with Me and you’ll see the answer to your prayer in My timing as you go on with Me.

Exodus 12:14-`3:16, Matthew 20:29-21:22, Psalms25:16-22, Proverbs 6:12-15

What God said to me – Under the Old Covenant, My temple was a place of sacrifice and offering and prayer and worship.  By the time My Son came it had devolved into a place of commerce and trade.  One of the last things He did before He was crucified was to cleanse the temple of moneychangers and sellers because it was supposed to be a house of prayer.  Under the New Covenant, you are My Temple – I live in you and like the temple of old, your heart and life are to be a place of sacrifice and offering and prayer and worship.  Periodically you need to look at your heart and examine your life to see if it is still a place of sacrifice and offering and prayer and worship or has it devolved into something else entirely because your focus has moved away from Me and onto worldly things.  Periodically you need to allow Me to come in and cleanse it and restore it to its proper place and purpose.  If you confess your sin and repent, “I AM” faithful to cleanse you and restore you.  Is your heart truly a place of prayer?  If not, repent and allow Me to cleanse and restore it.