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Harvest Daily 11/26/04


Harvest Daily Devotional
by Pastor Greg Laurie



 

November 26
Inspiration vs. Perspiration

The hard-working farmer must be first to partake of the crops. - 2 Timothy 2:6

Many times when people are burned out or overwhelmed, it's not because God has given them too much to do.  It's because they have not spent time with Him.  Psalm 91:1 says, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."  Likewise, Paul says, "The hard-working farmer must be first to partake of the crops" (2 Timothy 2:6).  That simply means you cannot give out what you don't possess.  So first dwell in the secret place of the Most High.

What does it mean to dwell in the secret place of the Most High?  The Hebrew word for dwell speaks of quiet and resting and remaining with consistency.  It parallels the New Testament word abide that Jesus used in John 15, "Abide in me, and I in you, for apart from me you can do nothing" (emphasis mine).  It means to stay in a given place.  Essentially, God is saying, "I don't merely want a relationship with you.  I want fellowship.  I want you to come close and to remain consistently in My presence."

Believers will sometimes substitute perspiration for inspiration.  We will substitute work for worship.  We are so busy doing Christian things with Christian people in the Christian church that we forget about Christ.  Did you know that is possible? 

I ask you today, are you dwelling in the secret place of the Most High?  There is a time for work.  But at the same time, the best work will always overflow from a life of worship.  But it can never take the place of it.  We have to have our priorities in order.

Copyright (c) 2004 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright (c) 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.



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