Last week, I was reminded of my word for the year. Recompense.  It was strange because I had almost forgotten that word, but during a prophetic word that was being released from a website, I heard it again.  Isn’t that crazy?!  The word for our family, also seems to be a word for the body as a whole according to this site.  It’s so neat how God works.  He knits everything together in the coolest way.

So, I thought today would be a good day for you to re-visit your word.  Go back and look at it and any verses you have to support it.  Don’t forget.  Remember what God had promised over your year.

Has it been happening?  If not, then the next few months ought to be pretty exciting for you.  Because He is true to His word and you can plan for it to unfold.

He is faithful to His word.

To be honest, I’ve seen a lot of recompense in our lives this year, but in some key areas I’m still waiting.  I’m not always sure how to process it.

As a recovering perfectionist, I find myself pulled back and forth between being so grateful for all He’s done and the desire to see more.

Isn’t that the common challenge?  I don’t think I’m alone in this.

So, take time before church and recount all the blessings of this year so far, and hold in your heart an awe and joy to continue to see Him move.

Thank Him for His bounty over you and let it encourage your whole being.

Below I am writing out a Psalm that I had painted on a large canvas for my husband.  It hangs on the wall in every home we live.  God gave it to me, for him many years ago, but it’s funny because when I feel troubled, I reflect on it and say to my soul, “I am a fruitful vine within our home.”  We can even be encouraged by other’s words.  God is so good.

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him.  You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.  Your wife will be a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.  Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord.  May the Lord bless you from Zion; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.  May you live to see your children’s children-  peace be on Israel.  Psalm 128

 

If you’d like to share your word with others, then I encourage you to leave a comment below.  I am so eager to hear from you, and to share encouragement with one another.

Blessings!!

 

I was just watching a movie and they had been fishing.  When they were packing up the gear, one man discovered one of the characters lines was tangled and he asked, “What’s the best thing to do when the line gets tangled?”  “The leading lady chuckled and said cut it with a knife.”  The man replied, “No, if you find the beginning of the line then it will all unravel.”

I know it’s a movie, but sometimes the things I hear stir a deep place in my spirit.

The above-mentioned scene was followed by a commercial for depression medication.  The woman on the commercial says, “I am on an anti-depressant, so why do I still have the symptoms of depression.” And she walks with a tangle of lines behind her.  The irony of timing was not lost on me.  My kids and I have heard that ridiculous commercial numerous times, and they always say, “Medicine doesn’t cure depression, they need Jesus, right momma?”  As you can tell, I have spoken with my babies about depression and what the real cure is because it’s something I used to struggle with myself.

I know I’ve written about depression in these devotionals previously, but it’s come back around, and I can only assume that one of you needs to hear this.

I have also been open with you all about the way I write these devotionals.  I write what He leads me.  He’s leading here today.

I pray that if you are struggling with depression, you will take an honest moment.  Take some time and envision your struggle, then ask God to take you back to the beginning of the line.  Ask Him to unravel this burden that you are carrying.  You are not intended to walk through this life pretending.  Stop acting like everything is fine.  Instead, will you choose today to let Him heal you?  It’s beyond a pill, it’s a true heart issue.  The only long lasting, real healing comes from going back to the root and allowing God to unravel wrong thought patterns and lies you’ve believed and letting His truth, the only truth, fill you up.

If you are depressed, I pray today you are set free.  If you are feeling down trodden, I pray today you feel lifted up.  Restored, not in part, but in full.  Won’t you receive the fullness of His joy?!

You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.  Psalm 16:11

But now I come to you; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.  John 17:13

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. John 15:11

 

 

Recently, I was reflecting on God breaking off the fear of man from my life.  When I began to think back, God showed me how a major part of this freedom came right from my own home.

Without really knowing it, I used to fear my families rejection.  I would orchestrate each day, unknowingly, with this in mind.  Every step I took was to ensure their affection, and over time it wore me out.  Completely.

There were times when I feel the Father asking me to spend time with Him, but I was worried about my husband getting offended, so I wouldn’t go.  There were times when I neglected myself and my own needs, that I was left totally depleted.

Then I began to respond to a gentle wooing.  It began slowly and honestly, unintentionally.  I simply knew I was hearing God and began to respond to the gentleness.  When living in Conway, AR every morning when I woke up I would not get out of bed until I felt the peace and presence of God.  No matter what.  Don’t forget that was the time when I had 4 kids under the age of 8 and was nursing one of them and Chris was living in PA.  Nonetheless, I would lay in bed with eyes closed waiting for peace, no matter what I heard going on in the other rooms of the house.  It began to transform my whole world.  It was amazing how such a simple act began to shift the atmosphere of the home and also began breaking the fear of man’s approval from my heart.

Sometimes things break off in one dramatic moment, but other times it’s a gradual progression and a result of many seemingly small decisions.

My next hallmark decision came while living in PA.  God asked me to begin having a date with Him every Sunday afternoon.  So I told Chris about it, and with his help, I carved out a time to get away for an hour every Sunday afternoon.  It became the most wonderful and transforming time!! Most often, I would drive over to a local pond and sit in the van.  Sometimes, I would play worship music and simply sit.  Sometimes, I would read my Bible.  Sometimes, I sat in silence.  One thing was certain, every time He showed up too.  Eventually, my whole family grew accustomed to my date’s with God and they seemed to even derive some pleasure in the fact that I was doing it.  I am forever grateful for this time.

What I learned was, when I respected myself and my walk with God, those nearest to me would somehow also feel loved.  Isn’t that crazy?  Also, I have learned that if I can’t walk out my life with Christ unashamedly in front of my family, then how can I do it anywhere else?  If I can’t walk free of the fear of man at home, then how can I when I’m out in the world?

It all starts at home.

Fear not; for I am with you:  Don’t be dismayed; for I am your God:  I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.  Hebrews 12:1

The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.  Proverbs 29:25

 

To piggy back on yesterday’s message I wanted to offer up this message.

There was a time when I lived a much different life than I do now.  I was wallowing in my sinful lifestyle.  I made one poor choice after another.  I was not trustworthy and knew nothing of honor.

But then God.

God, in a series of different events, came crashing in on me and after a point, I never looked back.

What you should know is, because of my “previous life”, riddled with willful sin and rebellion, I could say I am disqualified from ministry.  Others who knew me before could decide I will never be trustworthy.  But what I’ve discovered is, the Lord’s transforming power within me has been so redeeming that He restored to me the very influence that He had intended for me to have from the beginning.  I couldn’t sabotage my way out of it.  I couldn’t force Him to take away influence.  He built it into me.  He did it.  He did it on purpose.  For His purposes.  I have yet to discover them fully, but I’m willing to walk it out now.

I will never forget the first time I posted a Bible verse on facebook.  I was so nervous because many of my “friends” on there also knew me in my youth and I worried that shouts of “Hypocrite” would come.  But as I posted it, I realized, that voice was the enemy.  I had been redeemed and it didn’t matter how others responded, it didn’t change the redemptive work He had done.

When I first heard God instruct me to write a years-worth of devotionals and post them on facebook, I was nervous again.  But I’ve seen the most beautiful things happen because of this act of obedience.  People send me private messages sharing personal things from their hearts and asking for prayer.  I have some faithful readers who encourage me with comments.  I treasure every single one.

The message today is, when you surrender to the idea that God can and will use anyone to reach you, don’t forget He can also use you!  No matter what.  You are useful to Him.  There is nothing you can do to permanently disqualify yourself from being used to minister to others.  All He needs is willingness.

So, the next time you remember God can use anyone, don’t forget that includes you.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.  Ephesians 1:7

I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist.  Return to me, for I have redeemed you.  Isaiah 44:22

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story- those He redeemed from the hand of the foe.              Psalm 107:2

I have noticed, as we are searching for a new home church, sometimes I struggle to let my guard down and receive simply because I don’t know who is speaking.  It’s hard to go to a strange church and allow yourself to be vulnerable to God’s touch when you don’t know anyone.  Trust is earned.  But what God convicted me of last week was, it’s really never about the speaker or worship leader, it’s always about Him, and He can and will use anyone He chooses.  I am not going to church to worship others, I’m going to worship Him, and He’s always worth it.  100% of the time.

This is a principle that I already have been taught, but I needed to relearn this during this moment.  As a person who is very discerning, it can be hard for me.  Hard to look past what I see inside a person and just allow God to move within me.  There is a time to focus on the discernment and a time to just go into a place and allow God to minister to me however He chooses, with whomever He chooses.  At church, I go to receive and give ministry, and I can trust Him in that.

He will protect me.  He will make sure I only receive what He intended.  I always ask Him to protect me and my family.  I pray over us all the time to be protected body, mind, spirit and soul.  It covers all the bases and leaves us free to live life to the full without being anxious about the who’s and what’s. Does that make sense?

My message today is, as you walk with Abba, stay open to Him moving.  Don’t get caught up in deciding He can’t use a certain person to minister to you.  That, my friend, is really pride.  I’ve been so guilty of it, that’s why I really want to get this point across.

We keep stumbling over each other as we walk toward Christ, when we are really meant to be walking together.  Partnership and trust is the name of the game.  I don’t get to judge who God uses.

He is capable of using a donkey to get His message across.  He uses adults and children alike.  He uses who He chooses.  As you read the story of Balaam’s donkey, use it as a reminder of just who and what God can use.

Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials.  But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him.  Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him.  When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field.  Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.  Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides.  When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it.  So, he beat the donkey again.  Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left.  When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff.  Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”  Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me!  If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”  The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day?  Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” “No,” he said.  Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn.  So, he bowed low and fell facedown.  Numbers 22:21-31

As I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting lately, I have noticed God has built upon every previous season of my life.  One season led to another and they were all purposeful and necessary for my growth and the growth of my marriage and family.  God is amazing and when you take a moment to look back, you too will see each season of your life doing the same thing.  It’s like different threads in a huge lifelong tapestry.

So, what brought this all to mind was, I am so grateful for the season in Pennsylvania because it is where I really discovered myself.  Who I am in Him.  My value to Him.  My ministry strengths.  And those were all necessary for this transition to Oklahoma.  Settling in here and being confident in our family has made everything so much easier.

Before we moved to Pennsylvania, I went through a long season of discovering Who God was.  See how He did that first?!  First, He really introduced Himself to me, and I discovered depths of worship in the confines of my own home.  Chris moved to PA a year before the rest of us, so I really had some time to develop a thorough love affair with the King of kings.  What others viewed as a hard situation of having 4 kids under the age of 8, homeschooling one, nursing another, endless diapers, and loneliness, ended up being a season of wooing from the Father.  Yes, it was a hard season, no doubt about it, but when I reflect on it, the main thing I remember is His Presence carrying me through every day.  It was when I really met Him.  I had been saved a long time, but to develop real relationship was something that needed to be deliberate and focused upon.

That season launched me into PA.  Now we have been launched here.

So, I guess what I’m presenting to you is this, if you feel lost in your season, never fear!  First of all, it won’t last forever.  Second, every season has a reason.  Search it out.  Find the heart of your season.  Discover the depths of growth.  Surrender to God’s hand sculpting you.  Third, reflect on your previous seasons and celebrate how far you’ve come and what you’ve seen God do!!  Celebrate His loving hand in your life.  He is worthy, always.  Even in my hardest seasons, I’ve seen His faithfulness.  We had a season of marriage that I have always referred to as the dark ages, and even then He was with me.  Even then, He made good use of hard situations.

He has always been with me.

We’ve talked about seasons before, but when it occurred to me that I’m walking out change far better than ever before, I knew I needed to honor all He’s done.  He sculpts us, not so we’re miserable, but so we know Him better and can enjoy our time on earth as ambassadors of the faith.  Celebrate His guiding hand today!!

He has made everything beautiful in its time.  Ecclesiates 3:11

But You are the same, and Your years have no end.  Psalm 102:27

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night, that person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither- whatever they do prospers.  Psalm 1:1-3

I think about these verses all the time.  I often hear the words, “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither- whatever they do prospers.”

I long to be so full of His Spirit, that I am like that tree.

Since God knew every day I would live before I even breathed one breath, and since He knew all the obstacles I would face, He made available to me all I need.  If I am like that tree, then when troubles come, and obstacles present themselves, I can tap into that root system and have all I need.  Every single time.

God has provided streams of His Spirit for us to draw from, at all times.  He has made Himself ready for us.

Living in PA, I became familiar with maple syrup.  It was very common to drive past large wooded areas that were clothed with blue piping, connected to the trees for the maple to be pulled from.  I don’t know a lot about the process, but I was told that a cold winter was good for maple production.

Isn’t it also true that in life, when we face seasons of great challenge, we discover a reserve from deep inside.  Something we may have never discovered apart from that struggle.  It can lead to a great “maple” production.  To borrow the analogy again.

It’s hard to know what you’re made of if your never tested.  If you never face winter.

But when seasons of challenge come, if you’ve invested in being deeply rooted by His streams, then rest assured, you will make it through.

Investments you make today, can be the very thing that carry you through hard times.  Conscious decisions to sit in the Presence of God and to worship Him in Spirit and truth, can be just the thing to keep you tapped into those deep rivers of His Presence.

Take time today, to work on that root system.  Tap into the waters that carry Life.  Worship Him and let Him fill you up.  In His Presence is the fullness of joy.

Today, as I was running I saw a bright shining light above my head and a beautiful golden crown appeared.  It was laid upon my head and I heard the Lord say, “You are crowned with My goodness.”  Then I saw a bookmark in the middle of a book and it marked a season, or a new chapter filled with the goodness of God.

The day this devotional is posted will be one day after my birthday, and when I saw the above vision, God showed me that it was all about my birthday, and the new year I am moving into.  Last year I turned 40 years old.  I never really thought that would bother me, but I found myself thinking, “More than likely my life is half over, and what have I accomplished?”  I felt the burden of wanting my life to matter and to live out the promises God has spoken over me.  Then I felt as if I was running out of time.

But today, as I was running, my perspective changed, and I felt a burden lift and I had the thought, “I have only begun to live out my promise.”  Full of courage and power, I knew in that moment that I am just now getting to the “good stuff”.

They say, “The best is yet to come.”  It’s become a cliché thing to say, but today, for me, it’s truth.  God is crowning my year with the bounty of goodness. I choose to receive it.  I receive the goodness, pressed down, shaken together and running over.

I feel that some of you struggle to receive this same goodness.  I see the Father standing before you and yearning to release His goodness over you, but life has been long and hard, and you don’t even know how to comprehend something good.  God is good.  There is nothing in Him that isn’t good.  You can trust Him.

I am in a season of learning how to not be expecting bad things.  I am re-learning how to process life.  I am learning a new level of optimism.  I am breaking up with worry and doubt.  Do you struggle with these things?  If you do, this could be the first day you step out of the prison of disappointment.  There is no better birthday gift you could give me than for me to know that you have decided to embrace the goodness of God.  That you are choosing to start letting Him rewire your mind, so you can receive good things.

Let today be a marker in the book of your life.  A bookmark showing a new chapter of walking in His goodness.  Today, let the story of your life be re-written to reflect the Presence of His goodness in your life, and a new perspective.

You crown the year with Your bounty, and Your carts overflow with abundance.  The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.  The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.  Psalm 65:11-13

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him?  You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.  You made him ruler over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet:  all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.  O Lord, our Lord how majestic is Your name in all the earth!  Psalm 8:3-9

Years ago, I came face to face with a lie I was believing.  That lie said that if I wasn’t working in ministry or missions full-time, then I was doing something wrong.  Not long after, God began to show me how He needs us to all fulfill different roles and without those in the workforce, there would be no funds for those in missions and full-time ministry.  We all have different positions to fill.  I began to realize that what I had been believing was from underlying themes I had heard spoken from those serving in different ministries, but they were not releasing truth in those statements.  God’s truth was that He will work through my life no matter where I spend it.  Whether as a stay at home mom, or a woman in the workforce, or a missionary He will use me.

Today, while I was running I was listening to a sermon and he mentioned how when Paul was working making tents, they would take his towels and headbands and send them to those far away and God would heal them.

It reminded me of something, we are the ones who limit our influence.  God can use me anywhere and anytime according to His purposes, because I always carry His spirit inside.  It’s not like I take off His spirit and leave it at home, so I can go to work or go about my daily chores at home.  No!  I carry His Presence and Spirit everywhere I go, all the time.  Isn’t that a fantastic reminder?!

His Spirit is not only strong over me when I’m in the midst of deep worship and praying, His Spirit is always on me.  Like the blood flowing through my veins, He is always moving within me.

No matter where you find yourself going today, and no matter what you are doing, won’t you take a moment and intentionally partner with Him?  Ask Him to use you today at work.  If you stay at home, then ask Him to release His spirit through you as you clean or do chores.  Ask Him to bring divine appointments your way today.  If a friend or relative calls you out of the blue, ask God how He wants you to bless them today.

Be on the lookout for opportunity, but also be aware that you are leaving a trail of the Holy Spirit everywhere you go today.  You are His representative.  All day, every day.

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured, and the evil spirits left them.  Acts 19:11-12

You are good, and what You do is good; teach me Your decrees.  Psalm 119:68

I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders.  I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.  My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before You.  Psalm 9:1-3

Today, I was listening to a sermon and he referenced a moment when Moses asks God,

“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11

To which God replied, “I will be with you…” Exodus 3:12a

This got me thinking, sometimes our perspectives are so off.

When God places a calling on our lives, or an idea in our mind, and the question in our heart is, “How can I do this?” the answer is, “It’s not about me, it’s about Who is with me.”

It’s never ever been about me.  It’s always, for eternity, been about Who He is.

When you hear of people doing great things for the Lord, instead of feeling jealous or defeated about your own life, look at yourself and ask, “Do I count on myself too much?  Do I really see that You are the One Who does all things?”

God, shift my perspective to include all of Who You are.  When You instruct my heart, let my response not be the fear of me not being enough, instead train my heart to look only for You and what You are capable of doing.  Nothing is impossible for You.  That means if You call me, then You will provide.  You don’t just make a way for me, You are the way.

Take a moment today and just rest in God’s Presence.  Let the height and depth and width of His infiniteness fall upon you.  When you really “see” Him, then nothing seems impossible.  Nothing seems too big.  Look into His eyes and see the eternity that He sees in every glance.  Can you imagine seeing eternity all the time?  He sees eternity all the time.  Let that soak in.  The next time you question His plans for your life and if He wants the best for you, remember friend, He sees eternity and He alone knows what’s best for you.  Even on your best day, you can only know what is temporary.  He knows all from beginning until the end.  He knows you.

He knows what’s best, and He is with you always.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20

For nothing is impossible with God.  Luke 1:37

So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:18