7 Things To Never Misplace

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Have you ever misplaced something you not only wanted to find. . .but you had to find.

Perhaps, it was your car or house keys. . .an important document for work or some back-up files for your taxes.

After some time passed and more mental anguish than you care to admit … you finally found the misplaced items.

Recently, a precious, close friend of ours, Pastor Malc Burton, sent me the following text.

“Good morning, Pastor.  Read Psalm 62:5 when you get a moment.  God stirred me this morning about misplaced expectation and misplaced trust.  Love you.”

Pastor Malc is full of revelatory insight.  He has ghost written over 100 books for many well-known Christian leaders. . .names you would immediately recognize.

As I read Pastor Malc’s text I was stirred as well.  Even before reading his scripture. . .I felt impressed to write seven things never to misplace.

1.     Misplaced expectation.

Psalm 62:5 in the Amplified Bible says it this way:

“My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him.”

The problem with some Christians is their expectation is more negative than positive.  It seems they’re always expecting the worst case scenario.  It’s almost like they’re giving a prophetic word about their lack of success. 

Here’s what I know about the Word. . .and using it to travel through adversity.

Don’t worry about things you can’t change. . .don’t fret about today or tomorrow. . .don’t play Worst Case Scenario or give any thought to negative things that might happen. . .and even if things should go south . . don’t go south with them. . .rise up in your faith. . .because you have the assurance. . .the promise of the most high God.  Your heavenly Father not only loves you. . .He’s got your back.

Matthew 6:34 in the Message Bible says:

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

God will help YOU. . .are you getting this?  Say it out loud. . .GOD WILL HELP ME.

That’s right, our great God Jehovah will help you. . .the scripture doesn’t say that He only helps preachers, teachers, the rich, the successful, the famous . . .  the Word says “God will help you [no matter “who” you are] deal with whatever hard things come.” 

So we must refocus our expectation from the negative to the positive.  God is helping us. . .so victory will be ours.

Begin each day filled with supernatural expectation about the manifestation of God’s presence, peace, protection, promises, power, promotion and provision.

Psalm 5:3 in the New International Version says:

“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

I begin every day with a positive expectancy about supernatural favor, divine connections, revelatory insight and yes, even goals that will be accomplished.

In fact, expectation is a powerful part of my daily confession.

“I thank you that I’m anointed to get people out of debt.  I thank you there is going to be a miracle in my life today and anybody who gets near me is going to have a miracle in their life as well.”

My expectation lies in God.

Once again, Psalm 62:5 says:

“My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.”

Sadly, many people manifest less than the best. . .because that’s what they’re expecting.  Think about that for a moment

2.     Misplaced trust.

Have you ever placed your trust in someone and what they said they would do. . .only to be disappointed when they didn’t come through?

Who do you really trust?

Do you put your trust in someone more than God?

Do you trust your money, financial assets, personal skills or training?

Do you trust in your job to meet your every financial need?

Do you trust in your family. . .whether they’re known or unknown . . . to give you happiness and fulfillment?

If you trust in anything or anybody more than God. . .your trust is misplaced.

When the chips are down. . .your back is up against the wall. . . who do you trust?

When you’ve been laid off. . .your landlord is threatening eviction. . .who do you trust to help you out?

When you need financial help. . .who do you trust?

Psalm 20:7 says:

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” 

Some trust in chariots (jobs and retirement accounts).

Millions of Americans and other folks around the world are discovering that they can no longer trust in their job to provide the necessary income to pay their bills and care for their family.

The roller coaster ride of the stock market and rampant fraud among financial advisors has devastated many retirement and investment accounts.

Financial investments have been subjected to demonic magic . . .now you see them, now you don’t.

Some trust in horses (the federal government).

Remember this. . .the government that’s big enough to give you everything you want is also big enough to take away everything you’ve got.  [Excerpt from Paul Harvey’s book Remember These Things.]

As believers, our deliverance has never come from Egypt (the world financial system) and it never will.

There are way too many believers who are looking to someone other than the Lord for their financial deliverance.

That’s definitely misplaced trust.  Who should we trust?  The answer is simple.

In God We Trust is more than a saying our American currency.  It’s the essence of life.

The only way. . .let me put those words again for added emphasis. . .THE ONLY WAY for you to be protected in the current financial crisis. . .is for “IN GOD WE TRUST” to become a way of life for you.

One more thing, as Woodrow Kroll said:

“If God was faithful to you yesterday, you have reason to trust him for tomorrow.”

3.     Misplaced confidence.

According to dictionary.com the word confidence is defined as:

“full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing; belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance.”

Who do you put your confidence in?  Your spouse?  Your best friend?  Your job?  Your parents?

Do you put your confidence in your plans for the future or the One who holds the future?

People will disappoint you. . .but God never will.

No matter what you’re facing. . .He’s the One in whom you must place your confidence.

Psalm 53:6 in the Amplified Bible says:

“What time I am afraid, I will have confidence in and put my trust and reliance in You.” 

The only way to lasting peace in the circumstances, situations and problems of life is through our confidence in Him.

When you have confidence in the Lord and the power of His might. . .you’re no longer concerned about what mere mortals can do to you.

Hebrews 13:6 in the New Living Translation says:

“So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear.  What can mere people do to me?” 

Our confidence should always be in the One who has the ability to turn this thing around.

Misplaced confidence will lead to less than desirable consequences.

Proverbs 14:16 in the New Living Translation says:

“The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.” 

Proverbs 25:19 in the New Living Translation says:

“Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble is like chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot.” 

Saint Augustine once said:

“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.”

4.     Misplaced focus.

Matthew 14:28-29 in the Amplified Bible says:

“And Peter answered Him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.  He said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus.”

The scripture doesn’t say Peter took a step or two and began to sink. It says he walked.  How far did he walk. . .I don’t know?  But it had to be some distance from the boat.

Peter focused on Jesus. . .which meant He was focusing on the Word of Jesus.

Jesus was the Word (John 1:1-3).  As long as Peter focused on the Word. . .there was no limitation to what he could achieve. . .even walking on the water.  But. . .

Matthew 14:30 in the Amplified Bible says:

“But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]!”

When Peter misplaced his focus. . .from the Word. . .to His circumstances. . .he began to sink.

It’s interesting the verse says he began to sink. . .not he sank. . .but he began to sink.  To me this means it was a process instead of begin instant.

When we misplaced our focus from the word to the world. . .it is sometimes a process.  It happens slowly with a compromise here. . .a compromise there.

A little white lie here. . .a little white lie there.

An inappropriate conversation with a fellow employee here. . . an inappropriate conversation with a fellow employee there.

Missing church here and then missing church again.

Failing to read the word and pray here. . .failing to read the word and pray there.

When we misplace our focus onto things that are not kingdom building. . .we may find ourselves sinking into the ways of the world.

But here’s the good news.

Matthew 14:31 says:

“And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

Peter’s doubt was the result of misplaced focus. . .from the Word to his circumstances.

When you’re facing adversity. . .keep your focus on the Word. . .and everything will turn out. . .all right.

Matthew 14:32 in the New Living Translation says:

“When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.”

I believe Jesus carried Peter back to the boat.  How else would he have gotten back in the boat?

When we misplace our focus. . .and call on Jesus. . . the Word will literally carry us back to safety.

Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor, once said:

“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.”

5.     Misplaced affections.

If we love anything. . .anyone. . .more than we do God. . .we have misplaced our affections.

As we read 2 Timothy 3:1-4 in the Amplified Bible ask yourself. . .do these verses sound like our lives today.  Here’s what the verses say:

“But understand this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].

2 For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.

3 [They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.

4 [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.

I couldn’t have written it any better.  So the question that begs an answer is. . .are our affections misplaced on the things of this world?

Colossians 3:2 says:

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Where should we set our affections?

Matthew 22:37-40 in the Amplified Bible says:

“And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect).

38 This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment.

39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.

40 These two commandments [a]sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

On this point. . .we could have discussed misplaced affections when it comes to your spouse.  Are you more conversational and perhaps, more affectionate with someone other than your spouse?

But truthfully, if we set our affections on God. . .and love him with all of our heart, soul and mind. . .our other affections will line up.

My prayer is for us to never misplace our affections again.

6.     Misplaced plans.

A misplaced plan is one that God didn’t initiate. . .or give you the green light to go on.

Sometimes we get ahead of God’s timing and even His direction.

Exodus 2:11 in the Amplified Bible says:

“One day, after Moses was grown, it happened that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of [Moses’] brethren.”

Moses knew in his heart that he was to deliver his people. . .but he tried to take matters into his own hands.  Moses, first responded, as the military leader he was trained to be by the Egyptians.

No doubt Moses thought the Israelites would follow him to freedom but they did not.

Acts 7:25 in the Amplified Bible says:

“He expected his brethren to understand that God was granting them deliverance by his hand [taking it for granted that they would accept him]; but they did not understand.”

Moses knew he was Jewish and called to deliver his people out of the bondage of slavery.

The biggest problem for Moses was that he didn’t know God’s plans and his timing.

Proverbs 19:21 in the Amplified Bible says:

“Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand.”

We can have a good plan. . .even a Godly plan. . .but if it’s not in God’s timing it will not prevail. . .but fail.

We must have God’s plan and it must be in God’s timing or we’ll be in big trouble.

2 Samuel 11:1 in the Amplified Bible says:

“IN THE spring, when kings go forth to battle, David sent Joab with his servants and all Israel, and they ravaged the Ammonites [country] and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.”

The King James Version says that David “tarried in Jerusalem.”

The root, the reason, the decision that started King David’s greatest sin didn’t begin with the adultery, murder, pride or cover-up. . .it all started because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

2 Samuel 11:2 in the Amplified Bible says:

“One evening David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, when from there he saw a woman bathing; and she was very lovely to behold.”

David wasn’t supposed to be in Jerusalem.  The scripture clearly says: “In the spring, when kings go forth to battle….” King David’s place was at the battlefront. He would have never seen Bathsheba if he’d been where he was supposed to be in the first place.

In life, timing is critical. . .you need to understand God’s timing in fulfilling your destiny.

One last verse.

Psalm 127:1 in the New Living Translation says:

“Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.”

Purpose in your heart. . .no more misplaced plans.

Jim Rohn, the motivational speaker and author, once said:

“If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”

7.     Misplaced Revelation

1 John 2:15:

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

This verse is another one of those used by folks who embrace poverty and lack as godly.  They try to use this verse as spiritual justification for financial failure or their lack of motivation and success in life.

I’ve heard this verse quoted by those who, in their own estimation, are on a higher spiritual plain when, it fact, they are just into spiritual pride and rationalization.  But enough about that. . .let’s talk about what the verse really means.

The word love is in verse 15 three times. . .the first two times it is the Greek word agapaƍ (G25) and according to Strong’s Concordance it means:

“of persons; to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly and 2) of things; to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing.”

Love can be a person but it is not a person hereLove is a thing.

So the scripture is saying do not be well pleased with the world. . .do not be contented in this world or with a thing.

The word world is in verse 15 three times as well and on each occasion it is the Greek word kosmos (G2889) and according to Strong’s Concordance it means:

“1) an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government

2) ornament, decoration, adornment, i.e. the arrangement of the stars

3) the world, the universe

4) the circle of the earth, the earth

5) the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family

6) the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ

7) world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly

a) the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments riches, advantages, pleasures, etc, which although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ

It’s interesting that it’s the seventh definition before we ever get to what the cynic would cite as their rationale for lack and just getting by in life.  However there are two key phrases in definition number seven“seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ.”

The purpose of this verse is focus. . .we’re to keep our focus on God. . .His purpose for our being. . .His purpose for giving us the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18.) 

God wants us prosperous because poor people cannot help poor people very much. . .  we’re blessed to be a blessing.  We are to have enough money to be able to help others.

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