Perhaps you are feeling depressed for the lack of opportunities available in your life. But, your situation does not have to stay that way because God is our source for opportunities for completing tasks, accomplishing goals and reaching our destines. What is important then, is not to be defeated by discouragement but to be prepared, alert and obedient for when the Lord makes an opportunities available to you.

It does not matter what kind of opportunities that you may be lacking. Whether you are seeking job opportunities, advancement in your career, new or improved relationships, projects for ministry, or to be able to travel or relocation to a new area, there are opportunities headed in your direction that will show up, often at times when you least expect them or when you might be engaged in some other activity. It is important then to be ready and expectant when these opportunities show up. How? By staying in close relationship with the Lord Jesus so that your are sensitive to his guidance so that you will recognize when these opportunities arrive and how you can take advantage of them. Through the Lord you can receive guidance to be at the right place at the right time and with the wisdom to solve a problem that no one else can solve.

For example, often in my neighborhood children play soccer in the street in front of my house. They and I never had much to do with each other for many months until one day when their soccer ball became stuck in a tree, far out of their reach. Because of all the commotion they were making, I went out to the street to check on them. When I got to tree, the children were making futile attempts to dislodge the ball by throwing stones at it. I was not able to reach it either. So, I quick got a rake and used the handle to free the ball which brought joy to all the kids. Thus, their problem became my opportunity. And because I was alert to what was going on and sensitive to the Lord’s guidance, the Lord used the situation for the children and I to become friends.

Now, I could not have planed this event or some how made it happen, that is the Lord’s job. I just had to be ready and available when the opportunity came. The same will be true for your life.

Yet, we also must consider that the will be situations that my look like great opportunities but are in fact traps of the devil. That is, we will encounter opportunities to do what is not right, to fall into temptations and snares through bad decisions or faulty thinking. But these can be avoided when we give attention to and obey God’s word. For we will understand then when a path is leading us to act dishonestly or to do harm to ourselves or others. We must stay on the straight and narrow path of doing what is right if we want to reach to destination and the destiny that God has for us. Remember Joseph? God had a plan for his life. Yet he encountered many setbacks, temptations and betrayals. But Joseph remained faithful to God and to God’s ways. And what was the result? God got him to his destination in spite of all the setbacks and betrayals. And God can get you to your destination if you will keep him as your source.
So let us not become discouraged about our lack of opportunities. Rather let us use the time to:

• prepare ourselves
• developed our relationship and our sensitivity to the Lord
• to become expectant and thankful for the opportunities that are coming to us

And as opportunities come into our lives let us not forget to give glory to God for what he is accomplishing.

You see, God is not weak, his supplies are not running low and he is not subject to current economic conditions. Neither is He effected by political upheavals. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Yet the level of his power and influence in our lives is determined by us:

• We set the level of faith and confidence that we have towards God.
• We set the amount of his word that we taking in and receiving as truth in our lives.
• We establish our level of obedience to his will and to his word
• And we are the ones who have the choice to appropriate his promises for our lives

We are the ones who can effect the quality of our lives, accomplish victories and achieve breakthroughs not by passively drifting through life but by:

• seeking the Lord for his directions for our lives
• reckoning ourselves dead to our own agendas, ideas and methods
• applying our faith concerning what he says about us
• speaking words that line up with what we expect God to accomplish in our lives
• walking in love as Christ loves us
• avoiding strife with others

It is by our active participation and obedience with God and his word through the Holy Spirit that we can define the course of our lives and when necessary overcome obstacle, setbacks and reversals.

So what is it that the Lord Jesus wants to accomplish in and through your life in 2012? Take time in the remaining weeks of 2011 to sit quietly before that Lord and listen for his directions for you for the coming months. Maybe he is directing you to become active in a particular ministry or to begin a new job or move to a new city. He may be guiding you to work on self-improvement, to lose weight, begin an exercise program or learn a new skill. He may be telling you to expand your relationships and showing you how you can be better at reaching out to others and minisitering to their needs. Take these things that the Lord shows you and meditate on them. Write these things down. Keep them before your eyes. Pray about them each day. Back them up with promises from God’s word. And begin to confess these goals over your life. Then be ready to act when opportunities suddenly appear.

Yes, 2012 can be our best year yet, if we maintain God as our source, activity apply his principles and meet his conditions in our lives.

Jesus told us in John 10:10, “The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” What then is the key to experiencing this abundant life that Jesus came to bring us? I think it has to do with recognizing that God is our source and that everything we need flows out our relationship with him. In Ezekiel 47:1-12 there is an interesting passage of scripture about a flow of water which comes from the temple of God that the prophet saw in a vision:

He brought me back to the door of the temple; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the temple eastward; (for the forefront of the temple was toward the east;) and the waters came down from under, from the right side of the temple, on the south of the altar. Ezekiel 47:1

The prophet Ezekiel goes on to relate how he and his guide follow the flow of water downstream and found that it kept increasing in depth:

When the man went forth eastward with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the ankles. Again he measured one thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the knees. Again he measured one thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the loins. Afterward he measured one thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass through; for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. He said to me, Son of man, have you seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the bank of the river. Ezekiel 47:3-6

So the flow of the water, which is a source of life, comes from the temple. And what is the significance of the temple? Remember how in the New Testament our bodies are referred to as temples of the Holy Spirit:

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” …But he spoke of the temple of his body. John 2:19-21

Don’t you know that you are a temple of God, and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 1Corinthians 3:16

Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1Corinthians 6:19-20

A number of expositors of scripture, such as Andrew Murray in his article, Lessons From the Jewish Temple, have pointed out how the three parts of man (body, soul and spirit) are analogous to the three parts of the Jewish temple: the outer court, the holy place and the holy of holy where the presence of God dwelt. And what kind of activities took place at the temple? There were offerings, sacrifices for sin, worship, instruction and regulations to be followed.

What other references can we connect to this passage in Ezekiel? There were two occasions that we should note when Jesus mentioned water:

Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14

Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.” But he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus wasn’t yet glorified. John 7:37-39

It is possible then, as we learn to function as God’s temple that a life giving flow from God will emanate from our lives as we maintain a right relationship with God through the Lord Jesus by:

• being continually cleansed from sin (1 John 1:9)
• give him offerings and sacrifices of praises (Hebrews 13:15 )
• following the commands to love to God and others (Matthew 22:37-40)
• forgiving those who have wronged us (Mark 11:25-26)
• making his lordship the first priority in our lives (Matthew 6:33)

Yes, I think it so. Let us endeavor therefore to stay connected with and under the influence of the Lord Jesus. Then we will see needs met and burdens lifted, not only in our lives but also in the lives of those around us.

With the approach of the holiday season many are reminded of the opportunity to gather to give thanks to God for his goodness and for all the things he was done for us this year. But why wait till November 24th to give thanks? For the believer who has God for his or her source, giving thanks to God for all that he has done should be a daily practice. It is part of what I call the God is my source life-style.

How can you participate in this life-style through thanksgiving? First of all, when your first get out of bed in the morning, the first thing you can do as you get dressed and prepare breakfast is to begin giving thanks to God:

• Thank Him for the new day and for its new opportunities.
• Thanks Him for another day of life where you can be a light to the world and bear fruit by being a blessing to others.
• Thank Him for what you have: your home, your family, etc… and for all the things that he provides to sustain your life: food, clothing, job, etc..
• And thank Him for all the things that He provides that make life easier, if you have them, such as the stove, the refrigerator, the water heater, the heater or furnace, the washing machine, the computer, etc.

In addition to this we take time to thank him for his benefits at different time during the day, just like David did in Psalm 103:

Praise The LORD, my soul! All that is within me, praise his holy name!
Praise The LORD, my soul, And don’t forget all his benefits;
Who forgives all your sins; Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from destruction; Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfies your desire with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:1-5

You see, when we make thanksgiving our daily practice, we are cultivating a grateful heart, a heart that is humble and content. Yet, not a heart that is focused on what it does have. No, a heart that is focused on God and his goodness. This is the perfect kind of heart that the Lord is looking for, “For the eyes of The LORD run back and forth throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him,” 2 Chronicles 16:9. It is those who demonstrate such a heart as this who continue to experience God’s support, favor and provision. So, don’t stop giving thanks once this holiday is over but rather make the expression of thanks to God a fundamental part of your daily life.

We are in Christ, not in crisis! Remember what Jesus told the church in Laodicea, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me,” Revelation 3:20. It just keeps getting better and better because we are not alone as trials and difficulties come into our lives. Jesus is present with us! And from him we can receive comfort, guidance and assurance as we face difficulties. That why we should always have joy and respond to our difficulties with rejoicing; not because of what is happening to us but for what can come from our circumstances.

The Apostle Paul has a similar idea. He said in Philippians 4:4-5, “Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, Rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.” Remember his is the same Paul who along with Silas was arrested, beaten and tossed into jail. Yet, at midnight he and Silas were praying and singing praises to God. Then what happened next? They experienced a breakthrough: an earthquake cause all the doors in the jail to come open and all the prisoners chains to fall off, but no one tried to escape. Paul convinced the jailer not to kill himself and soon let his whole family to Christ!

So what can a little joy do for your life? Start rejoicing today and begin your continual feast!

We could say that such an assertion is analogous to students in high school or college claiming that education is obsolete. But this would  be recognized as a false assertion because we understand that the root of the problem falls on the teachers and/or students. Either the teachers did not teaching the subjects well or the students did apply themselves to learn and master the subjects taught. And this the case in the media’s claim about marriage.

The real problem is that people have failed to live up to the standards that are necessary for marriage to succeeded and society has failed in its responsibility to promote, strengthen and protect the institution of marriage. Marriages fail not because it is an inferior practice but because of flaws in the character of those partaking in it. Many individuals are failing to demonstrate qualities such as loyalty, discipline, self-control and perseverance. They also fail in taking responsibility for their decisions.

Society also fails in supporting marriage because of is emphasis on pleasure, self-centeredness and the acceptance of immorality.

Yet, God is our source for living up to the standards that will bring success in marriage; that there are higher standards we can attain when we live our lives with accordance with God word and when we live with Jesus as our Lord. Success is found when a marriage is God oriented rather than self-oriented. Marriage is a union that seeks to live under God’s rule and to follow his principles. It teaches us how to live selfless lives where we are able to learn to recognize the needs of others over our own needs and how we can minister to those needs.

Marriage will not become obsolete but societies will suffer and fail if they neglect to support and strengthen marriage and the family. Our current social problems are a result of our departure from following the highest standards of behavior. It is when individuals return to following those standards that God has given us and we learn to rely on Him to help us live up to those standards that we will see more marriages and families strengthened and succeeding. Let us not allow the secular society lead us away from these ideals.

Everybody is wanting things. What kind of things?

• Relationships
• Influence and power
• Money and wealth
• New or better relationships
• Wisdom
• New opportunities

The good news is, the Lord desires to give you such things:

But as it is written, “Things which an eye didn’t see, and an ear didn’t hear, Which didn’t enter into the heart of man, These God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

But can the Lord trust you with any of these blessings?

• Will it become an idol and take God’s place in your life?
• Will you abuse it or misuse it?
• Will it cause  you become exalted with pride rather than humbled by God’s graciousness
• Will you use if to bless and serve others or use it to fulfill our own lusts?
• Will possessing it make you more like Christ or more like the world?
• Will you use it to glorify God or glorify self?

These are some of the concerns that God has. Surely he does want to bless us. Yet he does not want the blessings he gives us to destroy us. Just like any parent, he must balance our requests with our ability to properly handle the things we desire. Thus, when we are truly living with God as our source, we seek to attain the spiritual maturity that one needs to manage the things that God desires to bestow on us.

Remember what Jesus told is in Luke 16:10; “He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much.” The life of Joseph provides us a great example for this truth. God gave Joseph a vision of what he want to accomplish in his life (Genesis 37:5-10). Yet these dreams did not come about quickly. Before God could bring about the fulfillment of these dreams, Joseph had to pass a series of test. Would he remain faithful? Thus, Joseph had to suffer being betrayed and being sold into slavery (Genesis 37:12-36). He had to resist the advance of Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:1-18). He had to endure the injustice and shame of imprisonment under false charges (Genesis 39:19-20). He had to maintain his faithfulness even when others like the chief cupbearer were unfaithful to him. (Genesis 40:1-23).

Yet, because Joseph remained faithful and demonstrated that God could trust him then the fulfillment of the dreams that God had given Joseph came about.

What can we learn from the life of Joseph? That for us to realize the fulfillment of our dreams we have to maintain God’s standards and values in our lives. Having stuff is nice, but having possessions, wealth, influence or relationships are not the most important things that we can acquire in during our lifetimes on the earth.

The most important thing is the development of the qualities of faith in God, discipline, godly character and love for God and others. For these qualities will propel us to our destines in this life and will set the course of our existence in the age to come, when Jesus set up his kingdom on the earth. Certainly the Lord has some awesome  things he wants to accomplish in our lives? But are we ready for it? Can he trust us? For as long as we desire things apart from fulfilling the purpose that God has for each of our lives, we will remain in our current state. It is only when we demonstrate our faithfulness to God’s way of doing things that more of his blessings will show up in our lives.

The prophet Elijah was called by God to confront the nation of Israel about going after other gods. Elijah was a man of faith and a man of prayer. He understood from the word of God, that the Lord would withhold rain if his people turn aside to serve other gods. And he knew that by praying according to the God’s word he could bring the rain back, once the land had been purged of foreign gods. Thus he was able to say to the King Ahab, that no rain would fall except according to his word. Then the Lord sent Elijah away to the brook Cherith, to keep him safe from King Ahab.

The lack of rain caused a famine. How would Elijah survive without food? This would not be a problem, because the Lord was Elijah source. Elijah had made serving the Lord and accomplishing his purposes first in his life. All Elijah had to do was to obey God’s instruction. There at the brook was the Lord’s provision for Elijah. The Lord commanded ravens to bring him his food. What if Elijah has gone to some other brook? He would go hungry, since the ravens were sent only to the brook at Cherith.

We can count on the Lord to be our source too as we yield ourselves to accomplishing his purposes; as we listen for his instruction and obey them. Our provision is waiting for us at the point of our obedience. Find out what the Lord wants you to do today and do it.

Have you given much thought about your destiny? How would you answer these questions:

• What is my reason for being?
• What was I put on this earth to accomplish?

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says The LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope in your latter end. Jeremiah 29:11

Even if we have not given any thought about these questions God has because he never does anything without a reason, Yes, The Lord had a purpose for creating each of us. He has a destination and a destiny in mind for each one of us. Have you discovered that destiny yet?

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

And while there may be things that we are hoping to accomplish or experience in this life we need to realize that we have a higher purpose for our existence; a purpose that fits in with God’s kingdom.

May your kingdom come. May your will be done on Earth, as it is in heaven. Luke 11:2

However, many of us have never realize the destiny that God has for us. And many of those who have a realization have gotten sidetracked by distractions.

Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him who has endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, that you don’t grow weary, fainting in your souls. Hebrews 12:1-3

God is our source for discovering our destiny and overcoming distractions and setbacks:

…being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

• He is our source for making the right choices that will lead us to our destiny
• He is our source for the skill and expertise needed for reaching our destiny
• He is our source for the right relationships that will propel is to our destiny
• He is our source for opportunities that will move us closer to fulfilling our destiny
• And He is the one who can help us overcome obstacles and setbacks

Yet, we must also do our part.

But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead? James 2:20

We must hold on to and pursue our dreams even when others speak or act to hinder us from reaching our destinies

Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:13-14

Our greatest fulfillment and satisfaction is waiting for us at the destiny and destination that the Lord has prepared for us.

For us to live with God as our source, we will need to make our love for God supreme over any possession, person or purpose. It is important then that we develop a proper view of the place of money, possession, objectives and others in our lives.

Money is a tool that we can use to meet needs and bless others; it has no value if we hold on it  The same is true with possession, they are tools we use for the purposes that God has given them:

• That we may enjoy God’s blessings
• That we can use them to minister to and bless others
• They are not an end in themselves

Others – these are those for whom Christ has also died and whom the Father loves. We owe them a debt, the debt of love (Romans 13:8).  But  our love for them should not be greater than or love for God. And as for purposes there is no greater purpose than serving God. As Jesus said in Luke 9:23-24, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same will save it.”

We must guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) and not to let any person, possession or purpose to became an idol in our lives.  The Apostle John warned us in 1 John 5:21 “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” To guard means to set and enforce boundaries. We can use God’s word as the standard for the boundaries for our heart; that we will not tolerate an idea, offer or suggestion that is counter to God’s word.

An idol can be anything that takes God’s place in our lives. Some have erred when attempting to live with God as their source because they only see God as  means to obtain things. Such individuals need to make an adjustment in their attitudes. For the end result of living with God as our source to to fulfill his purposes, not ours; to make Jesus the Lord of our lives and to make severing and worshiping him our number one priority. This is a basic principle of kingdom living (Matthew 6:33).

Thus, when we are living with God as our source, we make worshiping and serving God a priority in our lives. We can not expect to prosper if we are not taking some time to immerse ourselves in worship each day. Neither can we expect to prosper if we are more interested in God giving us things than we are in hearing his instructions and carrying out his assignments. That is why the Holy Spirit could speak to members of the church in Antioch in Acts 13:1-2. Their priories were in line with God’s and their ears were open to instructions.

Therefore, let us take a moment to evaluated ourselves today:

• Our we impatient about the things we lack or the things that have not yet happening in our lives?
• Are we more focused on getting things from God than on severing him?
• Are we too busy to spend time each day in the Lord’s presence worshiping, praying to and listening to him?

If you find any of these statements true about your life, then now is the time to repent, to change your thinking! Take time today and every day to express your love to the Lord. He is our source that can never be taken away from us; a source that will never run dry, which is available to us as we bring our lives in line with his principles.