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Pride Goes Before Destruction…

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I had a long meeting with the Living God inside a warm kitchen this morning, and we spent some time working on my Heart. He made sure to highlight my weakness, and He reminded me of His Strength. Some of the Message He had for me made me weep with shame, and some of the Message made me overflow with joy. But none of the Message would have been possible, nor would it have any impact on my Life whatsoever, had I refused to be willing to be Molded by my Maker again this morning. When it comes to things like Heart and Character, there’s no such thing as being “complete”. There’s always room for improvement and I’m always so eager to be all that I can be for Him. The birdhouse in this photo served as a sweet reminder to me, that I may stand out like a soar thumb in a dark world, I may stand alone in this life, and I sometimes waver in the wind…but just like this old birdhouse, I’ll keep standing Tall and Reaching High until the End of my Journey. Isn’t that the way you look at your and your life too?

There are lots of reasons why most people don’t continue to Grow for as long as they live; but I think the biggest reason is pride. It’s often said “pride comes before the fall” but that’s a spin-off from Words in Proverbs that drives the message home a little deeper… “pride goes before destruction, a haughty (arrogant) spirit before a fall”. Pride is what prevents us from being willing to be transparent, and pride is what keeps us from sharing our trials. Pride is where we convince ourselves that we’re something we’re not, and that we’re bigger and better than we really are. Pride is what makes us run from the Spirit of God when it’s Lesson Time, and pride is what stands in the way of revealing our weaknesses. Pride is what prompts us to judge someone else, and pride is what makes us lie to ourselves about who and what we really are. Pride drives greed, and pride drives lies. It’s pride that will stop us from helping the helpless, and it’s pride that leads us to find our identity in wealth. A prideful heart refuses to admit when it’s wrong, and pride stands in the way of forgiveness of another. There’s no end to the destruction that pride brings with it, and eventually pride will build a shell around the heart that it is so hard, that we’re no longer recognizable as God’s people and we’re useless to the King. There’s no room for pride if we want to grow, and unless we get a handle on pride; we can’t find humility.

I’ve been slapped around by people of Faith more often than I can count when they hear me confess my weaknesses or when I share my trials or temptations. Their pride drives them to believe that if you are a person of Faith, all those things are “in the past” and that those aren’t things aren’t things we share with the world. But I have no pride when it comes to being a Vessel for the Living God, and I know that the more I share about my own Life; the more inclined God will be to use me to help someone else. My Life isn’t just a big ball of mess, even though it’s felt that way sometimes, my Life is Powerful, Living, Breathing Testimony, and I’m not too proud to share it. Every single piece has grown me, and every pain has made me Stronger. But most of all; I know that ” in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose”…so ALL of it has been used for Good. My Life has Purpose, and I’m humbled to be used by the King. So, whenever pride sneaks in, and I begin to take credit for things in my life, it’s time for a Lesson in Humility straight from the Throne of the Living God. I may not like it much when it’s Lesson Time, but I’m ready and willing to be Molded by my Maker so that I can be ALL that He intends for me to be for as long as there is breath in my body.

How about you?

Beware of Routines

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s another cold and cloudy morning at the farm, and I’m longing to see the sun. It seems like it’s been day after day of gloomy skies, so my first thought the first thing this morning was “here we go again”; but that attitude didn’t go over well with my God. In the blink of an eye He opened the sky and He quickly pointed me in the Right Direction. He lit up my heart and my soul with His Majesty in every way that matters. The skies may have become “routine” in my heart, but time with the Living God will never look or feel that way when He’s the Keeper of your Heart. Isn’t that the way the it feels for you too?

Some routines in the life are necessary in order to function, because they set us apart as the “responsible” ones, and they add law and order to our world. But some people get so accustomed to their routines that if anything alters the routine even in the slightest of ways; everything else gets off track too, and before you know it their life is off kilter and disheveled. Some people find security in routines, and they’ve learned to identify themselves by them, and nobody or nothing on the planet could get them to change the routine because “that’s the way I do things”. Some people refuse to go here and there, and they refuse to do this and that, because if they do; they’ll fall out of their routine…the thing they value most There is no room for spontaneity in the midst of rigid routines, and once we get so programmed to perform each little task, we perform them without thinking or feeling at all…unless something threatens to shake things up, that is. There’s a lot of value in having a routine if we want to function like responsible human beings, that’s for sure. But when it comes to the Living God; routine doesn’t go over very well, and routine can lead to us into doing “godly” things over and over again without even thinking about it. There are countless little routine things that we do for our children, or our mate as an expression of love, but those routines aren’t the keys to having a relationship at all. If routine doesn’t “cut it” for our relationships here on earth; why would the Living God, the Creator of All, the Alpha and Omega be alright with just a little well-meaning routine from us either?

Six times the Bible mentions singing a “new song”. A “new song” wasn’t needed because the old ones got old. A new song was referring to new joy, renewed love, new hope, and a multitude of other possible “news” that break us away from the routine and set us apart from just the “orderly ones”…especially when it comes to the Heart. If we turn to the Bible, we see that when Jesus was asked how we are to pray; He gave a great example in the Lord’s Prayer, but He wasn’t offering us a script to just be repeated mindlessly as part of our “godly routine”. The prayer He gave (as an example) was to direct us in HOW to pray, not WHAT to pray, and the first thing on the “how to pray” list is to Praise Him and Honor Him. If that’s the first thing on the List…the most significant part of our prayers…don’t you think God might want it to come from the Heart and not from a routine script? This is what sets apart Relationship from routine.

I have a few routines of my own, but I’m spontaneous by nature…especially when it comes to my Time the Living God. I set apart the time to spend with Him and then it all begins with Praise…for who He is, and for all that He does for me. I don’t have a script, because I don’t need one. I just pour out my Heart to my Amazing, Powerful, Loving, Mighty and Spontaneous God and He’s true to His Word every single time “draw near to God, and He will draw near to you”.

How about you?

 

 

The Sky Went Dark And The Earth Shook!

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On the day Jesus died, there was darkness all over the land “from noon until three in the afternoon”.

At “about three in the afternoon” Jesus cried out in a loud voice “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

When he cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

“AT THAT MOMENT the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom”. The temple curtain was 60 feet long and 4 inches thick!

AT THAT MOMENT “the earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open”

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were TERRIFIED, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

Everything surrounding His life here on earth was miraculous…from His birth to His death. But the greatest Miracle of all is that He didn’t die on the cross or stay in a tomb for long… HE IS RISEN! Through His death, and the price He paid for the sins of the world on that cross so long ago, I have a future in Heaven with Him one day! Hallelujah!

Remember the King today.

Easter Message Beyond the Fog…

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The fog rolled in and I can’t see much beyond the front porch; but I know what’s there because I know it so well. It’s Holy Week, and there is a whole lot to celebrate as we remember the Crucifixion AND the Resurrection of our Lord. But there are some Holy lessons that get lost in the fog while most of the world focuses on just the End Result. Plenty of things lead up to the Crucifixion of Jesus; and one of they was betrayal. Everybody ever born has experienced betrayal at some point in life; but nothing that compares to the way Jesus’ friends betrayed Him or to the consequences that followed. I know that behind the fog of my life, I will experience betrayal again too at some point…and I’ll sure be hurt when I do. BUT I also know that I have the potential to betray another IF I ever let my guard down…and so do you.

On this side of our Faith we can get very comfortable, and we arrogantly convince ourselves that we’re above and beyond committing a wrong like betrayal; especially when it comes to someone we love. But that’s not true. All of us have the “potential” to commit any Wrong known to mankind if we aren’t careful,and nobody is forever “cured” of the potential to sin just because of their Faith. It takes Faithfulness and it takes Work…every day we live and breathe. It takes understanding that we DO have the potential to Fall, and it takes looking beyond the fog for Strength and Truth…which is ALWAYS there even when we don’t “see” it. We’re not helpless wussies that fall subject to these things, or victims that have no power to control our wrongs; no more than Peter or Judas were when they Betrayed the King of Kings. These two guys were VERY close to Jesus…He was their friend..their “brother”..their mentor…their teacher and their Hope. They followed Him everywhere, and they clung to His every Word. They traveled together and they broke bread together… they were in awe of His teachings and they witnessed miracle after miracle that He “performed”. When Jesus warned them that they would betray him, they didn’t believe it for a second…Peter said “I’d rather die!”. These guys loved Jesus so much that they couldn’t imagine EVER hurting Him…and it’s the arrogance of Faith that gets us ALL in trouble. A little love for money; and Judas sold him out. A little fear about getting caught up in the “drama” and Peter denied that he knew Him and he threw him under the bus. These guys betrayed the King of Kings and they helped the process along (in their own way) that lead to the Death of their Friend. We ALL have the potential to betray..and we’ll ALL experience betrayal at some point in life. What we do with our betrayal and how we deal with being betrayed, all comes down to the lessons behind the fog at the Cross.

Judas and Peter both betrayed the One they loved the most..the One they left everything behind for…but they handled their Wrong in very different ways. Judas scrambled to make it right…but it was too late. He was overcome with despair and He lost sight of his Hope in the process. He quickly forgot the Message of Mercy and Grace, and when he couldn’t bear the guilt over what he had done; he hanged himself. Peter, clung to the Message of Mercy and Grace and he quickly confessed his wrong. He believed in the Message of Forgiveness and he knew that all he had to do was ask; and it would be Forgiven. Peter didn’t “own” his wrong forever, and he didn’t spend the rest of his life dwelling on what he had done. Peter was restored, and I’m sure he was made stronger the process. He got to experience the Joy of restoration and he kicked his past to the curb, while Judas, so consumed with despair, lost out on the Message of Mercy and Grace and he never fulfilled what God had for him because of it. There is NOTHING that Christ won’t forgive…even betrayal by those closest to Him that helped in the process that lead to His death…and there’s NOTHING that He won’t forgive you and me for too IF we just take it to the Cross and ask Him. Once we do that…it’s OVER and we no longer “own” it like Judas did! We’re FREE…all because of the Price He paid for you and for me. So, what about you? Do you cling to your past and refuse to let go of things that He already paid the price for, OR do you live in peace after your wrongs like Peter did because you accept the Message of Mercy and Grace?

I know what’s possible FOR me, but I also know that I have the potential to fall if I’m not careful….so I work on me and my heart day after day. My past doesn’t define me and I’m not filled with despair even though I’m a murderer. I may not have committed the act itself, but I sure lived it out in my mind, and the Bible says “as a man thinketh; so is he”. But the very second I confessed murder in my heart, and the very second I threw it at the Cross; I was Forgiven. And in the eyes of my Gracious and Merciful God it has been forgiven AND forever forgotten. There is no dark part of you and your past that He won’t forgive…IF you just take it to the Cross and confess it and ask Him to forgive you! That’s the reason He died on the Cross…this is the Hope of Redemption.

I hope that you’ll share this message with everybody in your world as we lead up to the remembrance of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord,Jesus Christ. Share it with the arrogant ones who believe that they are above and beyond committing Wrong, and share it with the ones suffering in despair because they’re consumed with guilt over something they’ve done in the past because they’re missing out on the Message of Grace and Mercy. There is Hope and Grace and Mercy and Redemption just beyond the fog….always and forevermore.

Happy Easter, world. HE IS RISEN!

You Words Have POWER!

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. As I sought what the Living God would have for me today, every Prompting and every Word I read kept directing me to the significance of, and the Power that can be found in our spoken Words. There was no avoiding my Lesson today, and no attempt on my part to move onto other Lessons could change the Course of what I was intended learn today. The God of the Universe was on a Mission with my heart, and the God of the Universe will always Win…one way or another. I know what it is to wrestle over those difficult Lessons that I need every once in a while, and I know what it is to obey. The longer I live the less I wrestle, and the easier it has become to Obey. Isn’t that the way it is with you too?

Spoken Words have life as surely as I do, but the power of words will last much longer than just a lifetime…once those words are “out there”; they can never be withdrawn. Negative or destructive words can mold the very being of a child, and there is so much power in those words, that they have the potential to negatively impact generations to come. Anybody cold and reckless enough to speak destructive words to their child, will someday witness destruction if they live long enough to see it. “The tongue has the power of life and death”. Those words may have been spit out decades ago, and perhaps there was an apology and even an acknowledgment of forgiveness that followed at some point. But the words and the pain that the power that was granted to them, can never, ever be withdrawn. The same is true in relationships. One fit of anger and a few insults will last longer that the argument, and those words will be forever embedded in the heart and in the mind of the other. No amount of apologies can withdraw the words or negate them from the heart and mind. Once they’re “out there”, they’re “out there” forever, and we might be forgiven for them one day, but the damage they caused will last forever. Words have more power than most people ever realize, so if there is anything on the planet worthy of focus and self discipline; it’s the tongue.

Those negative words may have power of their own, but the Good ones do too! When we speak out loud the Promises that God reveals to us in His Word; nothing has more Power than those Words, and the Blessings that follow will last more than just a generation or two….IF we speak them and IF we believe them. When we speak Good Words over our children, our loved ones and everybody else that God places in our path; they are “out there” forever and they can never, EVER be withdrawn. They have Spiritual Life, and they are Spiritual Truths that the Living God set in Motion from the time of Genesis and through forever more. We don’t just HOPE for good things. We don’t just WISH for good things. We don’t even just PRAY for good things. We PROCLAIM (out loud) Good things, and when we do; we’ll see Power and Change and Hope and a Future and everything else that is Good. We’ll experience prosperity much more significant than our checkbooks…we’ll experience spiritual prosperity and physical prosperity…everlasting prosperity in all the ways that matter.

I got a Heavenly Reminder this morning on the power of my words, and I’ll be sure to exercise self control when I open my mouth. God forbid that I should speak unkind words to anyone in my path today or any other day of my life and God be with me as I Proclaim Good things to world. Words that can never, EVER be withdrawn and Words that have Power forever more!

“‘The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’

Numbers 6:24-26

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Peel Back The Layers, Lord!

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a new day of a new week and I’m looking forward to how He’ll be using me every step of the way. I took a little “beating” straight from the Throne of the Living God this morning as thoughts of doubt about myself and my Purpose crept into my soul; but it didn’t take long for Him to set me straight at all. When I begin to feel doubt about me and my Mission, it’s always because I’ve allowed someone or something else take up residence in my mind or my heart, and when I allow that to happen; I become worthless to the King. So, after a gentle Reminder from Him and a little confession from me; I’m recharged and I’m filled with excitement for my Life and my Purpose…and I’m humbled for the journey…and now there’s not a doubt in my mind that I’ll be having an impact for the Kingdom today! Isn’t that the way you deal with doubt and discouragement too?

It’s so easy to complicate Life and to get wrapped-around-the-axle over things that make no difference at all in the Bigger Picture of Life; and it’s even easier to become discouraged when we do. There will always be someone “out there” intent on rocking-the-boat, and there will always be Obstacles set out to discourage. It’s only when we look at Life through the Eyes of a Mighty God that we realize that none of those things have the “power” to derail us or to stop us from making a Difference in the world at all…unless we let them. It’s not the people who disappoint us, or those who fight against what we Stand for that matters; it’s how we deal with those people that has the potential to make an Eternal Difference beyond anything we can begin to comprehend on this side of Heaven. The way we “deal” with them, has everything to do with the way we “deal” with God and how we allow Him to deal with us. It’s only when we let God peel back the layers to reveal who we really are without Him; that we find the grace, the love and the compassion to see someone else for who they really are too….and we extend love and forgiveness freely no matter what. This is why when I’m feeling discouraged… when I’m doubting myself and my Purpose… or when I get my feelings hurt here and there…that it’s my transparent Time with my Transparent God that matters the most. It’s when I get ME Right that can I get it Right with the World too. And when I get ME Right…there’s no Limit to the difference I can make in the world on behalf of the Living God.

When we’re willing to step-up and to speak-up about our Faith anytime and anywhere, the world is ready and waiting to lash out in ways that most people can’t imagine. It’s not possible to count the number of people prepared to debate politics or Rules set forth by the Living God. But the people most ready to “attack” aren’t the people who don’t know better when it comes to things of God; it’s the people of Faith instead. Somehow the world has become filled with Pharisees that have convinced themselves that it’s their Role to battle these things no matter the bad Witness they are to a Good and Righteous God in the process. People of Faith spit insults at the clueless ones, and they’re ready to judge the world at the drop-of-a-hat. But there will always be people who go against us and what we Believe. It’s not what somebody else believes or doesn’t believe that matters the most…it’s the way we deal with them in spite of what they believe or don’t believe that matters the most. The way we “deal” with them has everything to do with the way we “deal” with God and the way He deals with us. It’s only when we allow God to peel back the layers to reveal who we really are and how pathetic we’d be without Him; that we find the grace, the love and the compassion to meet others where they are too…no matter what they believe or don’t believe. There’s “nothing new under the sun” and there isn’t a conflict that we face (or a people so vile), that compares to the persecution and Crucifixion of Christ… if He could extend grace, love and compassion to his enemies while hanging from a Cross…I think that’s a clue for us in how we are to treat our “enemies” too. If we’re truly Followers of Christ (and not just bird-dogs for righteousness) then we have to learn to love others no matter what they say or do…AND we need to tame the tongue. It’s when our world sees Christ IN us that we make the Biggest Difference, and nobody has EVER been won to Christ by insults and judgement. If we want to be Right with the World; it all begins with getting it Right within ourselves and Right with Him. This is the Key to humility.

I may have temporarily succumbed to my heart over people and things in my Life, and I may have doubted myself and my Purpose at sunrise; but it’s an entirely difference story now. He peeled back the layers of me and I’m humbled, And NOW I have the grace, the love and the compassion to Represent the King of Kings.

How about you?

Get Up and FIGHT!

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It was a restless and sleepless night, and it felt like the morning would never come. My body needed rest, but there was a Spiritual War taking place in the heavenly realms with lots of fiery darts set out to discourage and devour me. I tossed and I turned. I tried to read but I failed. I tried to pray but I couldn’t concentrate. I even went out for a walk around the farm before the sun came up in an attempt to settle my soul. Thankfully, I recognize the schemes of my enemy, and I refuse to surrender to them…ever. So, instead of fretting over a little lost sleep, I set out to battling of my own. I wrestled and wrestled to control my thoughts, and I fought back with audible Words that have the Power to stop my enemy in his tracks. I fought a Spiritual War last night, and although I’m tired at sunrise; I won…and I always will as long as I know what weapons to use in the War. Isn’t that the way it is for you when you do battle too?

There’s a Spiritual War taking place in the “heavenly realms” 24 hours a day; but not everybody is subject to it. Although there are plenty of people that will comment on the schemes of the enemy when obstacles cross their path; serious Spiritual War…the kind where the enemy is consumed with destruction and trying so hard to devour; is foreign to most people of Faith. There have been fiery darts thrown around in the “heavenly realms” since the beginning of all time, but not everybody gets “hit” with them. There are plenty of people that will credit the enemy for their temptations and their wrongs, as if he’s to blame for their choices. But the enemy doesn’t have the power to make anybody do anything…if they’re on the Right Team and they know how to Fight, that is. The enemy I battle against doesn’t bother with “innocent bystanders”, because they are no threat to him and his war plans at all. So, the “innocent bystanders” don’t suffer the “casualty” of war like some of us do. After all, why would ANY enemy bother with anybody that isn’t considered a threat in the first place?

It’s only when we become a real threat…when we are in relentless Recruiting-mode…when we’re unstoppable…when we speak up no matter who’s listening and no matter the consequences…when we take a stand for our Commander in Chief for all the world to see and hear no matter how many enemies we make in the process…when we have Unlimited Potential to make our Army bigger…THEN the Spiritual War takes on an entirely new shape, and the enemy goes into rage-mode…stopping at nothing as he sets out to devour. This kind of war isn’t for wussies, so most people don’t “sign up” to be Warriors. And as long as they sit quietly on the sidelines while the rest of us do Battle, they have nothing to worry about at all. They’re just “innocent bystanders” sitting-out the most Significant War of all time.

I’m a force to reckon with in the Spiritual world, and I do some serious Battling because of it. I’m Fearless when I go to War on behalf of ALL that is Good, because the biggest price I’ll ever pay is just a little lost sleep. I can’t be devoured because I belong to Him, and fiery darts can’t wound me no matter how many fly around in “my space”, because I have on my Full Armor and nothing can penetrate it. With so many people sitting-out this War as “innocent bystanders”, I guess I’m taking one for the (Spiritual) team; and that’s okay with me. Because all that I do I do FOR Him; and that makes the War worth Fighting day after day…and night after night.

How about you?

Intimacy With God…

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It looks harmless enough outside this morning, but I can hear the freezing rain hitting the windows and snow is on the horizon. So, I met with the Living God inside where it’s warm and where I can enjoy the view; and I gave Thanks for it all. My time with Him was precious this morning, and it felt more like I was meeting with my Best Friend than the Ultimate Authority over my Life. We have an Intimate Relationship and it shows; especially on days like today. My Life is not merely about striving to DO His Will…my Life IS His Will, and the closer I draw to Him, the more inclined He is to use me to bring Glory to Himself. Isn’t that the way you look at your Relationship with Him too?

It’s funny how often people quote comforting Words from the Bible, but it doesn’t look much like they believe them at all…at least not in the depths of the heart where the Intimate Relationship with God is. Some people try so hard just to obey all the Rules, and they do a pretty good job of it overall. But they remain so focused on walking the Straight Line, that they forgot about Intimacy with the One who Wrote the Rules in the first place. Their “obsession” with the Rules out-shadows the Message of Redemption, and they lose the Joy of their Faith in the process. They’re just good Rule followers.

Then there are others that cling to the Message of Forgiveness so strongly that they don’t seem to have any Rules at all. They free-roll through Life, doing pretty much whatever they want to do, because they know that all that have to do is “ask and it shall be forgiven”; but they have no Intimacy with the One who Died for them in the first place. No more than a rebellious child in perpetual rule-breaking mode can have an intimate relationship with mom & dad; neither can we when it comes to God. There’s a sweetness to Intimacy with God, and when we “go there”, there is also a Desire to please Him, and a natural sense of remorse when we disappoint Him. All the “rich nuggets” of Faith can ONLY be found in an Intimate Relationship with the Living God.

When we’re in “good standing” with the Living God, and the heart is in Intimacy-Mode, we find FREEDOM, and LIBERTY and DELIGHT because we are in His Will. We don’t need to spend our entire Life on our knees begging for answers or waiting for Direction, because we KNOW, through the Intimacy of our Relationship, that if we get headed in the wrong direction; He’l be sure to Redirect. It’s through the Intimate Relationship with the Living God that we realize that we don’t merely strive to DO His Will…that we ARE His Will. We don’t sweat the small stuff in Intimacy Mode, because we know that He cares about every single tiny little piece of our Lives and absolutely NOTHING will slip past Him and His Heart for us. I have an Intimate Relationship with the Living God and it shows. I Walk like it…I Talk like it…I Live like it and I Love like it. I AM His Will.

How about you?

“I Waited Patiently on the Lord”…

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. God took me by surprise this morning and He dusted the farm with snow; as if to say “I’m not finished with winter yet”. No matter how much wishing I do for the Spring, He’s the ultimate Authority for when it arrives, and His timing is always perfect. So, as I met with Him this morning, my heart considered those things I “wish” for and I was filled with Peace because of this simple reminder…He IS the ultimate Authority and His timing IS always Perfect. Isn’t that the way you look at the Timing of His Plans for your life too?

It’s so easy to think like a child and to want what we want when we want it. Sometimes it can feel like we’re left out in the dark to suffer while we wait for Him to set the Plans in Motion. But His Plans are always in Motion; even when we don’t see any sign of them, and even when our heart hurts in the waiting. Once in a while He’ll provide a sweet reminder that He’s the Authority over all, just the like the dusting of snow this morning. And sometimes it gets so quiet while we wait on Him that the heart can become downcast in the process. But as surely as the sun rises, and as surely as there are stars in the sky; His Plans are in Motion and He has our best interest in Mind…ALWAYS. David said “I waited patiently on the Lord and He turned to me and heard my cry” and I can’t help but wonder if He’s pleased with us when we are able to “wait patiently”. When we embrace His Authority, and we’re consumed with Love; it’s much easier to be patient until He “turns to us” and “hears our cry”, because we are CONFIDENT that just because we don’t see the Plans in Motion; they are. This is the Key to Trust.

I’ve “waited patiently on the Lord” for many things in my Life. Sometimes I’ve waited for a short season and He revealed His Plans in Good time. But there are a few things that I’ve been waiting patiently for for years, and when I cry out to Him to consider me; I know that He hears “my cry”. But I also know that no amount of reminding Him about the time it’s taking to fulfill what I know is Destined to be will rush things along in my Life. He’s the ultimate Authority and His Timing is always Perfect and one day soon He’ll pull back the curtain of my Life and behind it will be the Perfect Plan, in the Perfect Time “produced by” the Ultimate Authority of my Life.

How about you?

No Such Thing as “Coincidence”…

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I opened my eyes long before daybreak but instead of stepping into the presence of the Living God in the “middle of the night”; I closed my eyes for a few more hours of slumber instead. Even though He was on my heart when I first opened my eyes, and I whispered a prayer to Him before I fell back asleep; I put off my time with Him until later. There was a song on my heart when I finally got up and the words to that song kept rolling around in my head. How precious it was to open my Instruction Manual to feed my soul only to have Him lead me to those very Words! His love for me overwhelmed me and I wept as I considered that He put that song on my heart and He revealed their source because He loves me…a personal Gift to me…a sweet reminder straight from the Throne of the Living God! Isn’t that the way God surprises you sometimes?

It can be so easy to give credit to “coincidence” or “chance” when surprises come our way; but there are no coincidences when it comes to to the Living God. One of my favorite names for God is “Jehovah Shammah” which means “God is there” because it brings me comfort when I’m reminded that He’s always there with me. He’s not just there for me when I think I need Him…He’s there for me every second of my Life. Sometimes when I’m feeling “all alone”, I eventually feel so ashamed. How can I be lonely when Jehovah Shammah is always with me? How can I be afraid if Jehovah Shammah is my Protector? How can I worry about finances if Jehovah Shammah is my Provider? How can I worry about health when Jehovah Shammah is my Physician? How can I concern myself with people I need to encounter in life or in business when Jehovah Shammah already knows who I need to meet? He knows my every need and He never leaves His Throne. He knit me together in my mother’s womb and He knows every hair on my head. Jehovah Shammah…He’s ALWAYS there and nothing happens by “chance” or “coincidence”…not the painful things and no those little surprises either.

Even though I set aside the Living God this morning, and I traded time with Him for a few more hours of sleep, He loves me enough to remind me of His Majesty this morning as He put a song on my heart that matched the Words that He chose to lead me to. What a precious Gift from the One who placed all the stars in the sky and Who knows them each by name! A sweet Gift…a God reminder to me that He is Jehovah Shammah…He’s always there…He cares about my every need…He forgives me when I’m weak…He loves me no matter what. I’m feeling pretty special this morning and it’s all because of Him.

How about you?