Conquered with a crown

"And I looked, and behold, a white horse, He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer" ~Rev 6:2~

One day, my Jesus, your Jesus, will mount a white horse, bow in hand, crown adorning the brow where thorns once pierced...and forever defeat every evil thing that exhaults itself agains Him. With bow drawn and eyes focused with fire, He will defeat every cursed thing we have had to endure in this life...pain, agony, suffering, sin, shame, fear, abuse, loneliness, disease, death, the grave...forever under His rule and reign. He will ride in on that white horse, and forever set us free. Total peace, living with the Prince of peace. Completely safe. Oh, Father, until that day comes, rule my life everyday. Reign over my spirit, my mind, my body, my life. Conquer me with Your crown.

Safe!

"...Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you" ~Is 43:1-2~

One of the most unsettling emotions to live with is fear. That gut-wrenching feeling that takes your breath, knocks your feet out from underneath you, and then overtakes your mind with anxiety. That situation that looks so disasterous, you can't imagine any way it can end well. I find that the hardest time for me is early in the morning, when my eyes flutter open. I am faced with that gut wrenching reminder "still here"....a dear prayer partner pointed out to me yesterday why it's so bad early mornings...the devil comes then because he knows you haven't had time to get in the word yet. He sees that as his best shot at victory, before you have time to draw strength from the word and defeat him for the day.
Are you facing waters in your life that you fear will overtake you? Walking thru a fire you fear will burn your spirit & hope forever? He promises IT WILL NOT! Open your eyes every morning singing the name of Jesus, over and over as you head straight to The Word. Draw from that well of direction, comfort, peace, wisdom and strength to get thru this day. You are safe in His presence.

Salvation sent

"He saw that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him" ~Is 59:16~

It's a sad thing when God will not hear you. Is 59:3 says: But you iniquities have separated you from your god; and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear....Our sins. Heavy burden to bear. O, the guilt, the shame, the despair, hopelessly without peace. Yet, just a few verses later, He reminds us that He looked down, saw that there was no intercessor, and His own Son brought salvation for Him. God's righteousness sustained Jesus to come as our Savior. We are not left without hope. We are not left without help. Jesus paid the price for our most horrible, and embarrassing sins. He did this so that we might be free. Don't let satan bind you any longer with heavy weights you were never meant to carry. Run to the feet of Jesus, cast them there. Let His forgiveness and His love envelope you and lift you up in peace and hope. His burden is easy. His yoke is light.

I will not fear

"Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?" ~Ps 56:3-4~

My life is not my body. I will not fear what can happen to it. I will trust in You, Lord.
My life is the spirit and soul within me, not this outer frail shell. I will trust in You.
Every time I think I've mastered another level of faith, You bring yet another area that I must learn to trust You in...I will trust in You here too Lord.
I know the promises You have for me, and that whatever You purpose, nothing can stop. I will trust in You.
When storms around me rage. When I'm tossed to and fro, and I cannot find my way, I will trust in You.
When my mind is overwhelmed, and my heart trembles at the unknown, I will trust in You.
When this body, tired and weary lays down to die, I will trust in You.
I will trust in You. I will still love You, Lord. I will still praise You, Lord. I trust in You.

Endures forever

"...the grass withers and it's flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever" ~I Peter 1:24-25~

Whatever God shows you, you can bank on it. No matter how unlikely, how unseen the promise, even if there is no trace of it anywhere...you can have faith that it's as good as done. The word of the Lord endures forever. He doesn't change His mind.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" ~Jam 1:19~

Making preparation...

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" ~Eph 2:10~

God prepared not only a place for us in the hereafter, but He prepared good works for us to do in the here now. There is a designated path, a footprint for our life to follow. He has things laid out all along the way for us to do...good works. He expects us to live for today, prepared to take advantage of all the opportunities to serve Him. Often we miss them, focused too much on just our self, and we miss some enormous blessings. Lord, open our eyes to the good works You have prepared for us, help us to walk in them day by day, let us be Your workmanship and make You proud!

Draw near

"It is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Your works" ~Ps 73:28~

Refreshing spring time, or deep cold winter....exciting summer fun, or fall when everything is changing...every season of your life is a time to draw nearer to God. Cling to Him in the uncertain times, find shelter beneath His wings on dark days, praise Him when He newly purposes you in the spring, and celebrate with Him when that purpose becomes full. It IS good from me to draw near to God. I trust You, Lord...in every season, I see Your mighty works!

Forever

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" ~Ps 23:6~

Lord, because You love me, and because You are Lord of my life, I will dwell in Your presence forever. There is no valley too deep, no mountain too high, no place You are not there with me. Surely, no matter what I face in this life, Your goodness and mercy flow into that situation....blessing me regardless. Me and You, forever...

The night seasons

"I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; my heart also instructs me in the night seasons" ~Ps 16:7~

Lord, only You can light my way in the night seasons. When dark things come, You bring them into the light, and counsel me through them. You give my heart instruction, showing me which way to go. Lord, show me how to be the best mom I can be. Help me love my kids through the rough spots, and to live YOUR example before them.

Cast them here

"Cast your burden on the Lord and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved" ~Ps 55:22~

Oh Lord, when will I learn? I let fears and anxieties overwhelm me at moments, and I look for human help to quiet my spirit. But only You can. You are the ever present help, The Great Comforter. You are the bearer of my burdens. I was never meant to carry them alone. Help me cast them here, at Your feet. Quiet my soul within me. I above all people should know without doubt where my source of strength and peace comes from...for all the protection and provision, healing and hope I've received by Your mighty hand, it should be enough to encourage the world. When the ground under my feet is quaking, remind me to find a stable foothold in The Rock of all ages. Remind me to cast my burdens here.

Drawn in

"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself" ~John 12:32~

You and I don't have to prepare a 3 point sermon to share Jesus. We don't have to take seminars to learn the right things to say and not to say. We don't have to carry a Bible tucked under our arm every where we go, and we don't have to spout out the entire Romans road to salvation demanding a decision in 5 minutes. All you and I have to do in order to share Jesus with others is to praise Him. In line at Walmart, buying 6 loaves of bread (normal for this family of 5 kids)opens the door to share how God provides for this single mom. And right there the chance to encourage another single mom (unchurched) to raise her baby to know & love the Lord. I love street witnessing, or cold-door knocking to share Jesus, but few things are as personal as our daily walk with the Lord. Just living our life, lifting Him up... that's our part. The Holy Spirit does the rest...He draws them to The Light.

The gift

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" ~Eph 2:8~

It is the gift of God that we receive salvation. He saves us by His own free will choice, lovingly forgiven, you and me. And anyone who will accept this gift. I know it breaks His heart to see us shoot our own wounded...us, His children, fighting among ourselves, running each other's character in the ground...how easily we forget the gift that cost Him so much. But for the grace of God, that lost or strayed sister would be me...and has been me several times. His grace covered me to save me, and His mercy covers me to forgive me when I stray. Lets love one another and lift up our fallen family in Christ... He still picks me up when I fall.

Not by sight

"For we walk by faith, not by sight" ~2 Corinth 5:7~

Thank goodness! Because what I see sometimes is most disappointing. I'm relieved to know that the promises of God rely on faith in things occurring in the spiritual realm that I cannot see. I know by the Holy Spirit's presence, bearing witness to my soul, that better things are yet to come. I have to walk by faith to see them...

Take a deep breath...

...now slowly exhale...

"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him..." ~Ps 37:7~

Take a few moments to clear your head. Close you eyes, relax every muscle in your body, take some deep breaths in, slowly exhale. Remember He is in control. Let go, because you are not in control. Be freed of it all. Feel safe in His arms. Rest...rest your body, rest your mind, rest your weary wounded spirit. Wait patiently for Him, wait patiently with Him holding you. Rest in the Lord.

Just another mountain...

"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy." ~I Peter 4:12-13~

Whatever it is you face today, just remember, there is an end to it eventually! There is a better day just over the top of that mountain! His trials for you? They serve a bigger purpose in His plan than you can imagine...His glory, your good. Keep the faith. Battle it out on your knees in prayer, stay close under His wings, get through this rough spot...but keep your eye on the horizon just over the mountaintop when His glory is revealed. With the lessons you're learning, the strength you're building, and the closeness you're gaining to Him....that peak is going to hold some exceeding joy! Just you wait and see

Speechless...

"When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour" ~Rev 8:1~

Half an hour of silence...in heaven. Try sitting half an hour in silence, not reading, no headphones on, no tv on, no one speaking, no one moving, breathe quietly. Deafening, isn't it? What things can we hear the Holy Spirit speak if we are silent for just half an hour? This passage is John's vision of the end times. This great silence came after the seventh seal was broken, and before the seven trumpets sounded. Great destruction was about to pour out onto the earth. Revelation has always been a mystery to me, such great symbolism and spiritual depth to it...great Bible scholars disagree on how things will be when Jesus returns...but I am convinced that even in this great destruction, there is something being created. It is the ground work for a new heaven and a new earth. There can never be something new created in your life if you never have the old removed in it's place. Two temples cannot stand in the same location, and man cannot serve two masters from the same heart. If there is a time of holy hush, great silence in your life, embrace it. Listen with your heart to the Holy Spirit's preparation. See what idols and temples must be destroyed in your life so that new hallow ground can be broken and chief corner stones can be set in place for His greater purpose. I know, it's scary...Be silent. Be excited. He is using you.

Sleep on...

"The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him" ~Nahum 1:7~

What is the ultimate sign of faith? For me, it's being able to sleep, especially through troubled times. I guess that comes from so many sleepless nights. So many times I've prayed about something, laying it down at Jesus feet, only to pick it back up. Ps 127:2 says: It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep....The vain part is for me to think I have control of things. It's arrogant for me to think I have all the answers, or that the future is up to me. My part in all things is to seek His face, obey the way He chooses, and sleep in sweet peace, trusting Him with the rest. I need not eat the bread of sorrows, crying over what is or what could have been...what is, IS, and God is in control of it all. He is our stronghold. And He loves to WOW those who trust completely in Him.

Walk this way

"Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You" ~Ps 143:8~

Lord, this is me again, asking for direction. God, I ask You once again to open up heaven and pour out a supernatural blessing in answer to our need. Protect us from things that could be. Guide us to safe choices, and close doors of danger. Illuminate the path I should take through this. I know where ever You lead me, You are already there, waiting to hold my hand. Gird me with strength to face each task as it arises. Thank You for every stronghold You have broken in the past and making us free. I know that whatever You do, it is absolute. You have not brought us this far to abandon us now. Stay close to me Father. Let me walk in strength, and rest in peace at night.

Stick to it

"Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church...Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, 'Arise quickly!' And his chains fell off his hands" ~Acts 12:5 & 7~

Ever faced a situation that you are completely exhausted with? I know I have a few of those in my life. I've fasted, and prayed, laid out fleeces, asked for signs...and God has answered, yet the answer appears delayed....God has to get my attention in the weirdest ways. I've been trying to get the kids little pool cleared up for them to enjoy for the summer. I've worked and worked, and had decided that maybe this was as good as it would ever be. Yet, I was determined not to give up. Then suddenly, it just cleared. It's the strangest moment to see your hard work just pay off all at once. Our spiritual lives are just like that. When we have a situation in our life we are exhausted with, we need to stay in constant prayer, never giving up. Here with Peter, I'm sure the church felt the situation was difficult, maybe even impossible. I bet they had no idea what their prayers were accomplishing the moment Peter's chains fell off. Yet the church kept on, offering up constant prayer. Our lesson...offering up constant prayer, especially over those situations we are most exhausted with, and one day the chains will just fall off, and the water will clear.

Eyewitness

"But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear. For assuredly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it" ~Matt 13:16-17~

Here Jesus is speaking to His disciples, and explaining why He speaks to them in parables. I had a parable lesson of my own yesterday. My 12 year old son was begging to go somewhere. I was explaining to him how grateful he should be for the 4 activies he had been allowed to do the week before without whining about the one time he couldn't go...then it happened. I could feel God tapping me on the shoulder, clearing His troat to get my attention, as if to say: Excuse me!?...I needed to learn my own lesson. God has done SO much for me in the last 2 yrs, healed so many areas of my life-emotional, financial, physical for my son, deliverance from bad circumstances-the list goes on and on. Yet, on occasion, I get out of focus & I begin to whine & waller in self pity about the 1 thorn I still have to deal with personally. I forget all the good my eyes have seen, and all the blessings I have already received. I become like an ungrateful child to God. Many people would love to have what you have in life-that's right, YOU. God has blessed you with individual things that other people dream of having. You have been an eyewitness to many of God's greatest blessings-stop and remember them. You and I have to focus on the good things, trusting Him to deal with the things we wish were different...before we know it, our spirit's are lifted with gratefulness, and we are reminded how powerful and able our God is to supply ALL our needs.

Morning comes...

"As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice. He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me..." ~Ps 55:16-18~

Morning still comes....my devotion this morning was so good, spoke to my heart...Joni Tada reminded me that regardless of what is going on in my heart and mind, there is an electrifying buzz of angels all around. They ARE interested in the thoughts and affections of every human being. The demons also sit wringing their hands, waiting to see if this affliction will turn me to God, or away...Morning still comes. God has never been more than a call away. Cry aloud! Evening, morning, and noon, cry aloud! As my Sunday school teacher says, "storm the gates of heaven until you get an answer!" He will redeem me with peace from the battle that rages against me...all I have to do is reach Him. I don't need to focus on preparing for death, He is the master of resurrection in the morning!..."Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they and certain other women with them came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.... but they found the stone rolled away from the tomb" ~Luke 24:1-2~ Hallelujah!!!