“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bring forth its fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he does shall prosper.” Psalm 1:3

Consider writing out what today's verse means to you, not simply a translation of the text; but, as God's personal promise to you.  Let's try it with today's verse. 

For instance, for me, it means that when I remain resolute concerning God's promise of replenishment in my life, my endeavors will continue to blossom; and, whatever I plan, within the will of God, will prosper. Yours can be more specific in regards to your family, career, talents, gifts, health, goals, and yes, even finances. Try making the text so personal to you that, when you feel as if you are failing or overwhelmed, your personal verse will completely replenish you. Try inserting your name in the original text; you will feel the difference immediately.
Here's an example:
I, ___________, shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bring forth fruit in my season. My goals, health, wealth, love, and forgiveness shall not wither, and whatsoever I do shall prosper. Amen.  L.

**(Ordinarily, Your Thoughts is posted only on the weekends on Facebook. To access, simply click the Facebook link above, it should take you directly to the, In The Master's Hands public Facebook page.)

Study Reference: Psalm 1
From: "Your Thoughts: Planted By The River."In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living. 
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

“Take heed of yourselves; if thy brother trespasses against thee, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shall forgive him.” Luke 17:3-4

Maybe you have noticed that there are several dailies on forgiveness. Since it is the beginning of the year, it seemed a good idea to start the year off with your forgiveness in tow. At least this way, your prayers will carry some degree of weight and have a better chance of being answered by God. In using the forgiveness devotions on the previous pages, and earnestly praying to incorporate them into your daily life, you will ensure that there is nothing inhibiting the flow of your blessings and favor from the Most High. 

It was one of my hurdles, and I am earnestly attempting to make certain it does not become one of yours. You will see other dailies on forgiveness throughout the year, but for now, adding them into the first two weeks of the New Year, will ensure that all your prayers requests, and/ or petitions placed before God will be heard and answered. 

Take the time today to pray for yourself, those you love, and more importantly, those who you have difficulty forgiving. L.

Study Reference: Luke 17:3-4
From; "Finding A Forgiving Spirit." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living. 
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek Me, and find Me when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.”      Jeremiah 29:11-13 

 
American writer, Henry David Thoreau, was born in 1817. He wrote in an era when the male majority literally had all the privileges of a new independence. Yet, he is credited with the quote: “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.”  Thoreau wrote this statement contemplating his own personal understanding of quiet desperation and that of mankind. 

At some point in our lives, we all suffer from secretly living in quiet desperation. For most of us, it occurs when we believe we are not fulfilling, or have no hope of realizing our God-given potential.  For others, it is the full acceptance of mediocrity, both in themselves and others. It is safer to continue in the mundane routine of our daily lives, than to take the risk of the unknown; to break free of the quiet unlit embers that have somehow quelled the fire in our souls. 

In today’s verse, God reminds us that no matter how dismayed we become, His thoughts towards us are of Divine love and complete peace. No matter how discouraging our circumstances, when we call on the name of Jesus, the verse says, He will hear our plea and respond. There is absolutely no reason to go through your life in quiet desperation. At some point, you will have to really believe that God values your life’s potential. After all, He was the one who placed it in you to begin with. 

Take the time to really read your Bible; it was created to inspire deep internal thought about your life in relation to God. Use it as the ultimate tool to guide you in understanding the God-given potential for your life. Pray for guidance to alleviate any inner doubts so that you can internalize the depth of God’s love towards you. Continue to write down your thoughts as you read. It will recalibrate your thinking to foster action, helping you to develop a keen awareness of your life’s purpose; and, eliminate that quiet desperation. Believe that God values your life’s potential, because the contrary would be to agree with Thoreau, and, go to the grave with your song still inside you.  L. 

Study Reference: Jeremiah 29:11-13   
From: "Quiet Desperation." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living. 
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
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"And his servant came near, and spoke unto him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, would thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, “Wash and be clean?”  Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."    2 Kings 5:13-14 

 
There are times when we are certain our blessings will emerge from a source we recognize, ignoring those things or people sent in our path, by God, to redirect our focus.  Sometimes it can be a perfect stranger, a circumstance, or an event which dramatically impacts a major decision.  Our task is to maintain such a strong connection to God, when it shows up, it will be easily discernible from the other things or people in our lives.  

Today's verse, found in 2 Kings, is the fulfillment of a blessing from God, through the Prophet Elisha.  Naaman was a beloved Captain of the Syrian Army whom, although beloved and revered by the King of Syria for his valor, was stricken with the disease leprosy.

It is interesting to note how Naaman learned of the Prophet Elisha's gift of healing others. The short version is, the Syrians battled with Israel, and as the victors, they kept those who were captured in battle as servants.  One of the captives, a young Hebrew girl, was given to Naaman's wife as a servant. One day the maiden told her mistress that she knew of a Prophet in Samaria who could heal Naaman of his leprosy. Hearing this from his wife, Naaman goes to the King of Syria for an introductory letter to the King of Samaria, requesting a meeting with the Prophet Elisha. When he arrives in Samaria, Naaman is instructed by Elisha to dip in the Jordan River seven times to heal himself; but, like us, his arrogance and ego almost prevents him from receiving God's blessing. 

Although the healing was miraculous, today let's consider the circumstances that led to the healing—the truly miraculous part.  First, we have to assume Naaman treated all the servants in his household quite well, since, the Hebrew servant girl felt inclined to offer help to her new captor.  Secondly, Naaman's own personal servant had no fear in recommending to his master that he follow Elisha's instructions precisely. And lastly, because of the sincere urgings of his personal servant, Naaman reconsiders his own arrogance and follows Elisha's instructions precisely, submerging himself into the Jordan River exactly seven times.  When he finally emerged after the seventh dip, he was completely healed. 

Today, we may or may not have servants; however, consider this. How do you treat those whom you consider  beneath you?  What about those employees on your job who are your subordinates?  What about those you consider less fashionable, less educated, younger, unattractive, or of a lower income group?  Had Naaman not respected or listened to the urgings offered by both his servants, he would not have experienced the healing prepared for him by God. 

How we treat those whom we command, or those who serve us, can be the difference between receiving a blessing or not.  So remember, the most wondrous thing about receiving a blessing from God is, we never know through whom the blessing will manifest.  We simply cannot predict who will be chosen to fulfill God's blessings in our life. Furthermore, we have no idea when, where, or how our blessings will take form.  It is thoroughly uncanny; it can come from anyone, anywhere, at any time.  We only need to be prepared for it by faith, and to accept it graciously and with gratitude when it occurs.  L.   

Study Reference: 2 Kings 5:13-14
From: "An Uncommon Blessing." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living. 
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
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“Now to Him that is of power to establish you according to His gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.”     Romans 16:25-26

“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of [God’s] Vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.”  This statement was written by the late Poet, Audre Lorde; I took the liberty of replacing her word “my,” with the word “God.”   We have to assume when Ms. Lorde wrote this statement she was referring to her own vision for her life.  However, the word powerful seems more profound and fortified with God in the text. 

When we are given the power to step out of the ordinary to embrace the higher aspects of ourselves, we can opt to be fearful, or dare to embrace the possibilities of life and run with it.  Throughout the Bible there are examples of those who chose to embrace God’s power in their lives, simply to find enough trouble to fulfill multiple chapters and verses. Yet endure they did, embracing the process and fulfilling their purpose.  God never said it would be easy, He said, “My Grace/strength is sufficient unto thee.”   2 Corinthians 12:9

There are some aspirations you will have that, unbeknownst to you, are divinely inspired; times when you simply are not certain how you came to want a particular thing for your life, yet somehow the dream lives and burns in the depths of your soul, waiting to be fed, nurtured, and birthed in the reality of your existence.  Do you dare to fulfill its calling, or do you simply fear its strength, cower into yourself, and vanish? 

There will come a time when you are summoned to use your strength in the service of God’s vision, and you will have to decide whether you have one or the other; overwhelming fear immobilizing God’s vision for your life, or enough overpowering faith to conquer your fears and put the vision in motion.  L. 

Study Reference: Romans 16:25-26 
From:"The Power to Endure."  In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.  
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell ​

“Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him; because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.”
​Deuteronomy 15:10

“Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak; for your work shall be rewarded.” 2 Chronicles 15:7

As children we were taught to bless our meal; not because the meal was potentially dangerous, but because it was an opportunity to thank God for His provisions in our lives. As adults we must learn to extend this blessing to our work or daily routine, since our work is ideally a provision from God; and, by blessing our provisions we are also blessing God. 

The act of verbally blessing your work not only helps you to go through your daily routine, it also helps to alleviate potential problems with co-workers and /or others, who may be going through issues even more difficult than you could ever imagine. In addition, it blesses your work in direct opposition to those whose only desire is to sabotage the work you do. Sometimes, those you work or interact with are simply going through problems so overwhelming in their personal life, it manifests itself in their demeanor at work. Either way, many times you have no way of knowing which one is which. Pray for them; nothing grandiose, just quietly at your desk prior to your interaction with them. It will work wonders. The truth is, we never really know why certain co-workers are placed in our path. Like the Ethiopian eunuch baptized by Phillip in Acts 8:26-38, it just might be to get them closer to God, or simply for God’s Glory. 

In today’s text, Deuteronomy 15:10, God instructs employers to deal fairly with their servants /employees; since, in doing so, not only will they be blessed, but everything within their business will be blessed. This includes you! 

Bless your work, bless the company you work for, and more importantly, bless your bosses.  It will change their outlook; but even more importantly, it will change yours. L.

Study Reference: Psalm 103:22, Psalm 145:2, Romans 12:14
From: "Blessing Your Work." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.  
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

“...That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed My voice.”       Genesis 22:17-18
 
American historians say the family trees of most Americans can only be traced back to 4 generations within the United States. For most of us, this means that our great-grandparents probably had a thick accent, spoke another language, and arrived from another location in the world. 

This country is uniquely made up of people from all nations, creeds, cultures, languages, and races.  Many of their origins can be traced to specific migratory habits of whole groups of people, African slaves notwithstanding, since theirs was not a migration; it was an abduction. Eastern Europeans came during the turn of the century with the development of the machine age. Those from Ireland came en masse during the potato famine; Africans from the Caribbean and Asian-Americans began their migration during the early years of the 20th century for all types of opportunities; and America’s Mexican neighbors began crossing the borders, as all the other groups in the nation began prospering, well enough, to ignore the more menial jobs of their great-grandparents.

Now, unlike any other nation in the world, the United States of America is truly diverse in its culture, food, accents, languages, etc.  When we look back at all the cultures within the US, we have to admit, God certainly had a very specific plan for this nation. The “Founding Fathers,” charted and plotted a concept that was so far-reaching into the future, there is absolutely no way that those original slave-owning founders could have possibly imagined what the nation would become, yet evolved we have! 

God has you and your family here for a reason. Like visionaries before them, your great-grandparents, grandparents, or parents somehow believed they were casting a special life for you. Like Abraham’s seed fulfilling prophesy, so it is that we live at this time, in this place, helping to cast our family’s story into the future for God’s purpose. Ask God to help you to fulfill His purpose in your life; because ultimately the question is, will God’s purpose be fulfilled with you, or without you?  L.   

Study Reference: Genesis 22-25, Proverbs 29:18
From: "God's Timing, Vision, & Blessing." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living. 
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
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“...And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God...And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And He answered him, Pursue; for thou shall surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.”     1 Samuel 30:6, 8 
 
As I was thinking about the hopes of the coming year, and some of the questions I needed to ask God, I ended up opening my Bible to 1 Samuel 30. It is the story of David and his troop of 600 men returning to Ziklag.
Upon returning to Ziklag, a city of refuge and rest for both David and the families of his men, they find the city burned to the ground, their possessions gone, and all the women and children, including David’s two wives, taken captive by the Amalekites.  Some of the men, consumed by fatigue and the grief of losing their wives, sons, and daughters, wanted to stone David. Yet David, in the midst of his own sadness, has the wisdom to pray for guidance from God, asking if  he is to pursue the Amalekites.  
God answers David, saying, “Pursue; for thou shall overtake them, and without fail, recover ALL!”

Several years ago, ABC’s Nightline did a story about a Korean family who fled North Korea to freedom in America, leaving everything they had behind. Any family member who chose not to flee at the predetermined date and time, clearly understood that the chances were unlikely they would ever see their family members again.  So, after paying off all the necessary parties, under the guise of night, four members of the family of five escaped. They hid under the floorboards of a small boat, and glided across the river separating the dictatorial regime of North Korea, to the lesser constraints of South Korea. The family included the father, mother, younger son, and daughter; the eldest son, fearful for his life and the life of his young family, would elect to stay behind.  Once in South Korea, the family would find their way to America; and, for the next 30 years, the mother prayed every day for the reuniting of her family that was left behind when they fled. 

Fast forward 30 years.  The younger son, now an adult, is an affluent businessman, husband, and father to a daughter attending Harvard University. One day, his daughter, an upcoming filmmaker, exasperated from hearing her grandmother’s 30-year-old prayer to reunite the family members left in North Korea, says to her father,
“Dad, why can’t we just go and get them?”  Her father, understanding that his American-born child simply didn't understand the dangers associated with the task, responds by saying, “We can’t. -You just don’t understand!”  
However, his daughter, with all the hopes, dreams, rationale, and bravado of a typical American youth, adamantly says, “Why can’t we? -We have the money; all we have to do is pay off the necessary people to smuggle them out the same way you and Grandma came out!”   The father, thinking of his daughter’s words, had never looked at the problem quite this simply before.   

Fast forward a few months later.  With all the necessary people paid off, every family member who wanted to escape North Korea was placed between the floorboards of a sizable boat, and under the guise of night, smuggled to South Korea.  Once there, the paperwork would finalize a thirty-year prayer to bring the remaining members of the original family to America.  -What a huge family!   Like most reunions, it was truly beautiful to see.  However, here’s my thought.  
God answered the mother’s prayer 30 years earlier. For 30 years God watched and waited for her or someone in her family to have the courage —the faith, to fulfill His response.  For 30 years she asked, and God waited ...and waited ...and waited for her to move—to create action—30 years.  

It took 30 years and a third generation to remove the fear associated with her prayer.  In 1 Samuel 30:8,  David asks God, “Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them?  And God tells David, “Pursue; for thou shall surely overtake them, and without fail, recover all.”   Not some, not a few, ALL!   And, just so you fully understand why it is important for you as a Christian to pursue the dreams and desires God has placed in your heart without fear; the spoils are not simply for your benefit only.  David shared the spoils of his victory with 600 families, and the people in 14 cities. 

This is the beginning of a new year, God has promised in Deuteronomy 28:1-13 to uplift you when you follow His commands.  Yet, for many of us, the thing God requires of us is such a quantum leap forward in its simplicity, it immobilizes us in fear, turning what should be the simple process of obedience, into a quantum leap of faith.
When you believe that God has already answered your prayer, take the steps to act boldly!
Let this  year, be the year your faith takes you a quantum leap forward.  L.

​Study Reference: 1 Samuel 30, Deuteronomy 28:1-13
From: "Recovery." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living. 
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

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