Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The day is still young and yet I’ve already seen the Hand of my God in so many ways. Naturally, I see His Hand in the beauty around me. His Word says that man is “without excuse” because His Majesty can be seen everywhere in the heavens and on the earth. I saw His Hand as He guided me to Truth in His Word this morning…Truth that my Spirit needed to see and Lessons that can only be taught by Him. I saw His Hand in prayers answered precisely as I prayed them and I saw His Hand when this confident (yet humble) Servant thanked Him for hearing and intervening in the Life of another in ways I never could. As I look across the porch to the oak tree this morning I see that it still has a few relentless leaves hanging on to the branches and it reminded me of the Journey of Faith. Many have already fallen away but there are some of us looking for His Hand in everything and Relentlessly hanging onto His Promises with everything we’ve got. Isn’t that the way you see the Journey too?

Sometimes it’s not easy hanging onto the Branches when the world is riddled with darkness because our one true enemy is just as relentless in his goal to drop us to the ground as we are to hang on. He has the ability to throw darts at all the leaves and he never stops whispering lies to defeat us. Sometimes he comes around huffing and puffing like the wind, giving it everything he’s got to shake us loose, BUT Jesus can even rebuke the wind so his attempts are lame when we look to Jesus for help. Our enemy comes by way of division too, and I’m pretty sure he’s overjoyed at the “disjointed” and divided state of the Church these days. Sadly, only the leaves relentlessly hanging onto the Branch fully understand the battle and who is behind it and we KNOW what His Word says about the way we treat one another – “By this, all will know that you are My disciples if you love one another.” When we determine to love one another there is no division because we are all of “one accord. Lastly, our enemy loves F E A R but the “spirit of fear” doesn’t come from God and fear isn’t just a feeling…it’s a spirit from the pit of Hell set out to destroy and the enemy knows that people hiding under the bed are powerless. BUT the leaves relentlessly hanging onto the Branch know that they have the power to rebuke any spirit at any time…and we do.

Unfortunately, there are many leaves on the ground that just didn’t hang onto the Branch. Some didn’t believe they could hold on during the storm so they fell under the pressure because they lack the Strength and Confidence that can only come from the Branch. Some didn’t think it was that big a deal to be a leaf on the ground as opposed to one relentlessly hanging onto the Branch, and their eternal destiny will reflect their lukewarm Heart because of it. And then there are some that have been so deceived that they wouldn’t know the Branch from a butterfly…they never knew the Branch at all. It doesn’t matter what excuse the leaves have for letting go of the Branch, all of them need people like me. They need someone to relentlessly pray for them to be able to hang on and they need a Word of Encouragement straight from the Throne of the Living God. As for those who didn’t think it was a big deal to hang on…well, the Bible gives us insight on them too when it says, “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.” Whatever the “cause”, leaves not relentlessly clinging to the Branch need Truth, Prayer, Patience, and Love…they need people like me.

I don’t know exactly how this day will unfold but it’s been pretty amazing so far. All I really know is that I am relentlessly clinging to the Branch just like these oak leaves are and I’m never letting go. I’ll be praying that when the downcast see me clinging with everything I’ve got, they might want to Know my Secret…the Source of my Strength, the source of my Confidence, the source of my Joy and, and the Source of my Faith…it calls from Jesus Christ…the same yesterday, today, and forevermore!

“For you, oh Lord, are a shield around me; you’re my glory and the lifter of my head” Psalm 3:3

How about you?