Thank You Lord For My Advantage! by Myra Boozer

2 Corinthians 1:3, "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort: Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God,” This is a powerful word. Thank you, Lord!

When I went to read this scripture, I came across a wonderful short story in The Inspirational Study Bible by Max Lucado. Here is a brief review of the story.

“Every morning, the school bell rang the children arrived very reluctantly...they came on time but never early except for one young girl. She would come to help the teacher get ready for class... she would also stay late to dust the erasers. She was very fond of the teacher and sat close to her, taking in as much as she could from the lessons. One day, as the teacher was dealing with unruly and inattentive students, she used the girl as an example...’Why can't you be like her? She listens. She works. She comes early, and she stays late.’ A young boy spoke up from the back of the room. In his quick-to-respond manner, he said...’It isn't fair to ask us to be like her.’ The teacher wanted to know Why? The boy then didn't feel so bold as he shrugged and said, ‘She has an advantage.’ The teacher said, ‘And what's that?’ ‘She is an orphan,’ he almost whispered and sat down.”

Now this spoke to me as I continued to read. The boy was correct. She did have an advantage. In the eyes of the world, she was an orphan, alone with no name, no future, no hope. But she knew that school was better than the orphanage. She knew that she appreciated that more than the other children, and she considered it very special and was very thankful. She loved the teacher and the time she spent in school. I think because the world otherwise held nothing for her, her tribulation was her advantage.

The world in it's self absorbed lifestyle doesn't have time to come early and stay late at the feet of Jesus. Nor does it have time to do any work for the Lord to show its appreciation. I see myself in this little girl. I was so much in need of love, acceptance, and a safe place to be me. Without the Lord being my teacher and my guide, where would I be? I, too, have an advantage! Every test, every trial, or heartbreak is an advantage when it leads me to Jesus. Jesus is the Master Teacher. I am nothing without Him and His plan for my life, because this world is not my home. I do not belong here. I have no desire for its fame or its fortune, no desire for great achievements or fellowship with the world. Thank you, Lord, for loving me. Thank You For My Advantage! 

Our Salvation Is Near!

Romans 13:11, “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”

We must understand the task that is before us! The weight of our mission is insurmountable apart from the inspiration, revelation, and anointing of the Holy Spirit. We cannot finish what Jesus began without a visible, recognizable, Holy Ghost discerned spiritual awakening!

My very soul cries out, “Lord, send Your fire among us! Burn away everything that is unlike You! Reveal to us anything that is displeasing to You!” Let us call out to God with the Psalmist in Psalm 139:23, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Lord, help us to see ourselves as You see us. And give us the desire and strength to make the necessary corrections.

I pray that God pour out a holy desperation in the Church to fulfill His plan in this hour! Are we willing to be shaped and molded as a vessel that God will choose to use? God can use whoever or whatever He chooses when He chooses. He has utilized various elements in creation as it has served His purpose. He has used animals, birds, fish, and even inanimate objects like a staff or a piece of wood. He has even used some of us when it suited His purpose. But we need to be so hungry to be used by God that He will invent occasions to use us. That He will see our desperation to come along beside Him and fulfill His Plan in this hour.

May the Spirit of God bring about a hunger in our congregations that He can birth Pentecostal revival as in our history. Revival that will change us and our families, move our communities, and affect our nation. We must have Divine intervention in this hour! If we seek Him according to His will, He has promised to answer. 2Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” And again in Luke 11:9, “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

May we desire the presence of the Holy Spirit and welcome Him when He comes. It’s time to pray like our future depends on it! It does, and the future of everyone within the sphere of our ministry! IT’S TIME TO PRAY! Our Salvation Is Near! 

Lord, You Are My Strength! by Myra Boozer

Psalm 22:19, “But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.”

Father God, I come to You in humble adoration for what You mean to me. You are my strength like no other. When the world comes crumbling down in front of me, when the enemy tries to flood my thinking with fear about the day in which we live, You Lord, come and hold me in Your arms of great comfort. You soothe all my doubts and calm all my fears. You hold my head up so I can breathe.

Lord, You know where we are and what is going on in this world. It does not take You by surprise, because You have already been here. You are the beginning and the end! You are the everlasting and the glorious future.

I stand in awe of Your great power, Your love, and Your mercy that surrounds me. I know You abide in this place. I feel Your Spirit upon me. I am honored to live my life in Your presence and have Your strong arm of protection against the enemy. I am pleased to write Your Words when they overflow the banks of my mind. I am humbled to pray for the sick as compassion arises in my heart. I am blessed by Your voice that speaks unction and direction. I am honored to be called Your Child!

Today, I am asking for a greater anointing to speak to the Nations and to the world around me. I want to speak to those who have a desire to know You, to hear what You are saying through what You give me to write. But, I need the strength of Your anointing! I am helpless, I am empty, I am nothing without Your anointing! When You come and sit with me, speaking directly to my heart, something arises, and I feel such love and compassion for the world and those around me that need You. Lord, we really need You, not for the moment but for always and forever! (continued) 

Our Faith In God Remains Steadfast!

2 Chronicles 20:20, “And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. 22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. 23For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.”

The enemies of Judah rose up against her. Through prayer and supplication, King Jehoshaphat and the people petitioned God for His intervention. They placed their faith in God, and He came to their aid, ensuring them that “the battle is the Lord’s.” What they needed to do was follow His instructions. Their faith remained steadfast in the Lord God Jehovah, and He delivered them without a single skirmish. The enemy destroyed themselves!

The future is uncertain, but our faith in God is steadfast! Time is passing swiftly as all of creation marches into eternity and God’s judgment. What lies before us only our heavenly Father knows. God knows where He is going and where He wants to lead us. He knows what He desires to happen in our world today. Paul exhorted the Church to pray for all men everywhere that they might lead a peaceable life in godliness and honesty. God’s desire is for all men to be saved. 1Timothy 2:4, “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” Our Faith In God Remains Steadfast! 

What Should We Be Doing Until The Lord Returns? by Myra Boozer

In Matthew 25, Jesus gives parables that could help us know what should be the priority for the child of God. First, He tells of ten virgins, and at midnight the cry was made, "Behold the Bridegroom cometh." He tells us five were wise and five were foolish. Now what was it that made them different? It was their lack of oil. Five ran out and asked to borrow from those five who had oil. The wise had to answer NO. This shows us we cannot give away what we have. Each person has to receive for themselves. When they couldn't borrow, they had to leave to find more oil. The bridegroom came while they were gone.

In verse 10, "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were READY went in with him to the marriage: and the door was SHUT." This makes me think of Noah and the Ark. God shut the door to the Ark when it was time, and that was all that went in. There will be no allowances for the procrastinators, the lazy, the apathetic, or the careless.

We must be WISE and be filled with His Spirit, as the oil represents the Holy Spirit. We must be watching and waiting. We must stay the course! No playing around, running here and there, doing other things that can so easily beset us. The wise virgins stayed near the door, and when the bridegroom came, they were READY. So, we must constantly be Watching for His Return and Listening for His sound!

Matt. 25:13, "WATCH therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." My heart says it won't be long until we hear the sound. Lord help us to be full and overflowing with Your Holy Spirit, Ready to leave when You Return! 

If He Asks For Bread? Conclusion

(for part 1 see 4/18/26)

John 6:35, “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger.”

Jesus is our Beginning, and He will be our End. He is our Sustainer of Life. He is our Provider and constant Companion. Though we pass through this intense darkness, He is our Light and our Salvation. We may not know the next step to take, but He is our Guide and will give us perfect Peace in the turmoil. He will speak to this storm and declare “PEACE BE STILL” to all who will put their trust in Him. He restores the strength of the soul and causes us to rise up on wings as an eagle. He makes us soar high above the conflict in this world, separated from the darkness and the struggle. His Light dispels the darkness! The struggle or battle is the Lord’s! Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

He will keep us in the hollow of His hand, and nothing can pluck us from His saving grace. That is the power of His abiding presence. Power to push back against the evil and darkness that has captured the innocence of life and destroyed so many precious souls. The power of His presence in us enables us to declare in the Name of Jesus, “YOU SHALL PROCEED NO FURTHER.” There is power in the Name of Jesus over all that comes against us. As He abides in us and we in Him, He will vanquish every foe and make us triumph over every evil plan of the enemy. Oh! Victory in Jesus! He is our Savior forever! He will keep us in perfect peace as our focus is on Him! That Peace is our total Freedom Forever! Amen!

John 6:33, “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world...35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger;” If they ask for bread, will you give them a stone? Give them the Bread which you have received from God, the Bread of God which comes down from heaven, and gives Life unto the world. Give them Jesus! He is the Bread of Life! 

One Thing Have I Desired Of The Lord! by Myra Boozer

David said in Psalm 27:4, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple."

What are we seeking today? What are we looking for? Matthew 7:7, “...seek, and ye shall find...” David wasn't talking about staying in the temple every day, but about dwelling in God’s presence “all the days.” Psalm 27:5 says, “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret of His tabernacle shall he hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock." We find Divine refuge in Psalm 31:20, and a hiding place...a place of safety, yes, in the time of trouble. 

Psalm 27:8, “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” So, many times we seek His hand, which is his provision, but He told David, “seek my face,”...His person...Who he is. When we truly seek Him, we live in His house, His pavilion, His tabernacle, His presence. When we dwell there, we are set upon a rock...a firm foundation. The very best thing we can seek is the face of the Lord. Oh! to know Him... to really know Him... to cherish Him like we cherish nothing else.

When you love someone, you want to share life with them. You don't just visit them on Sunday. They become part of your everyday life. The Lord doesn't want us out on the porch. He wants us to come on in and dwell (live) with Him! One Thing Have I Desired Of The Lord!