Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s one of those spectacular days where the cool air and warm ground meet to bring the fog over the fields. That’s a sure sign of the changing seasons in Virginia. You never know about the mornings here in September – it can be scorching hot OR it can be in the high 40s like it was this morning. Either way, it’s always beautiful from where I sit. I spent my time with the Living God outside despite cooler temperatures and I’ll keep clinging to the front porch until it’s too cold to bear. I took in the beauty and thanked God for another day of Life and then I opened up my Instruction Manual looking for Wisdom and turned to just the Right Word for me on this cool new day, thanks to the Living God. The outside temperature seemed to heat up as the Message straight from the Throne of God was Burned into my Heart and I was no longer aware of my outward circumstances at all. Sometimes bright light can be blinding and it’s nearly impossible to keep your eyes open when it is. But the Light of the Lord is brighter than any other light in all of Creation and when He Lights up, my eyes are wide open. Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

It can be so easy to let our outward circumstances get in the way of Life, and when they do, we lose out on the Light that lights the way through it all. Sometimes it’s something as simple as an uncomfortably hot or cold morning, and sometimes the distractions are much bigger. When tragedy and heartbreak strike, we naturally focus on our circumstances, and if we aren’t careful we’ll snuff out the Light that lights the way when we do. It’s not easy to comprehend how a Loving God can allow the tragedy and the heartbreak when it comes to His Children, but whenever these things show up it’s time to focus LESS on the details and more on the Light that will light the way to our Healing. He’s the ONLY way, the ONLY truth, and the ONLY life any of us ever really have, and if we’ll just be sure not to allow our circumstances to blind us He’ll Light a way through the deepest, darkest pain and He’ll bring Joy back to the Heart. This is the Key to Peace.

When God’s people were blinded by hunger, He rained down manna from Heaven to meet the need. When they grew tired of the manna and began to whine (again), God rained down enough quails to feed millions of people. When a widow was blinded by fear of debt and was at risk of losing her sons to slavery because of it, God miraculously filled up jars of oil for her to sell to pay off her debt AND He provided abundantly so that she could sustain her family moving forward. When the family of Lazarus was blinded by the heartbreak over his death…they questioned why Jesus wasn’t around to help, but on the fourth day, Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave just to prove His Power over the very things that appear to be impossible. When the Israelites were blinded by fear as they were being pursued by the enemy with no way out in sight, God parted the sea to free them and His Light led the way to their safety. The outward circumstances appeared hopeless for all of these people when they lit up the details in the human mind, but God showed up to Light the way to peace, safety, joy, and provisions…and He always will if we let Him. He is the ONLY way and He’s Faithful through it all…IF we focus on His Light instead of lighting up the details that only He has control over.

I am just as inclined to light up my trials the same as everybody else, but I’ve been through the Fire enough to know that it serves no Purpose at all when I do. God has my Life in the palm of His Hands and He loves me enough to send His son to die for me. When I turn to Him instead of all those details that have the potential to consume me, He Lights the Way for me every single time. I’m focusing on His Light and I’m Trusting Him through it all – and if I find myself faced with outward things that have the potential to snuff out His Light (if I let them) I will be sure to “take captive every thought” and Surrender to the Light of my Life all over again. And that, my friends, is the Key to having the kind of “peace that surpasses all understanding” no matter what’s going on in the world around me. I’m on Temporary Assignment and I take my Job seriously. I’m an alien in a foreign land and I’m an ambassador for Jesus Christ. I’ve been Called by the King and I’ll be Headed Home to the place He’s already prepared for me One Day. In the meantime, I can’t afford to squander even one day focusing on the outward instead of the Inward.

How about you?