Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Most High God who “gives and takes away” and He Illuminated His Word to speak to my Heart all over again this morning. While I was enjoying the warmth of the farmhouse, I watched the deer making their way to a feast that had been covered with snow for the last few days. It is fascinating to watch them move in for their feast after the melting takes place and the ground is clear of snow, but it’s not as if they didn’t eat while the ground was covered. It’s not as if they would starve had the melting taken longer. It’s not as if they need men to feed them. They just need to work a little harder for their supper and temporarily turn to the back up diet of bark and twigs instead…AND NEVER give up. The deer intuitively know that if they just keep moving, and refuse to give up, their Provider has a Plan to sustain them. So, as I sat there taking in the ways of nature, I thought about how our Waymaker gives and takes away, and when He does, it’s not time to be discouraged and it’s never time to give up…it’s time to go to the bark and twigs instead. What a Sweet Reminder from a Mighty God that He’s got my Life Covered in Grace no matter what it might look like to me sometimes. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

I’m not sure why some people Persevere through all kinds of turmoil while others throw in the towel at the first sign of difficulty and wait to be fed instead of looking for the twigs and the bark, BUT I AM sure that it’s how we Handle the Journey that will determine our Peace and Joy in the end. If we don’t KEEP MOVING we’ll never get to the other side of the turmoil and we’ll never be able to Claim our Victory because of it. If we refuse to KEEP MOVING like our furry friends, we’ll never be Transformed into a Vessel that can be used by the Living God. If everything in Life was smooth sailing we’d never Develop our Character. If we don’t Overcome…and Live to tell about it….we’d squander away a Testimony of the Power and Might of the God of Grace.

It’s sad to see that some people live their entire lives as if all the “good” is covered by the snow and they don’t hesitate to whine about the God of Grace as if He forgot all about them. They often turn to man to make a way without realizing that, although man may “feed the deer”, it’s never a good idea. Feeding the deer weakens their instinct and feeding the deer attracts their enemies, and the same is true for man. God will always make a way for those who Trust Him. But if we insist on taking matters into our own hands to force the Hand of God…well, we’ll suffer the consequences for our lack of Trust every time. When Moses found himself “confined” by the sea that separated his people from freedom, he whined to God to fix it too…and God DID fix it AFTER He told Moses to KEEP MOVING forward in Faith. Sure enough, the Waymaker made a Way that the world still talks about today but it took Obedience and Faith on the part of Moses to get there.

God used a few feasting deer to speak to my Heart this morning and now my Heart overflows with Gratitude for the One Who ALWAYS makes a way…the One who always Provides…the One who died for me. I Know the One who holds to Keys to Heaven and Hell can open any door, part any sea, heal any disease, halt any snowstorm, and melt any field to feed nature, has my Life Covered in Grace no matter what it looks like to me. I’ll KEEP MOVING because He says so and when (or if) I doubt, I’ll just turn to my furry friends for another lesson on what it looks like to truly “Let go and let God”.

How about you?