Recently while running, I saw a person taking off glasses and then God handed them new glasses with a new prescription.  With those new glasses on they could better see God’s hand moving in their life and His presence all around.

It made me ask, “God, will You check my glasses to make sure I have the right “prescription”, so I can see You better?”

Today, I would like for you to think about how you see the world.  How do you process life as it happens?  Do you look at situations from a place of victory, or as a victim?  Does life seem to “happen” to you, or do you take on each day with enthusiasm?  Do you process each pain in your body as a new sickness you must bear, or do you thank God daily for blessing your physical body?

These small words and conversations we have with ourselves do matter.

The Bible reminds us:

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.  Proverbs 18:21

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.  Or take ships as an example.  Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.  Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.  James 3:3-6

I think we can discern from this that what we speak matters.  Well, if our “eyes” aren’t seeing what God sees, then the overflow of our heart will likely be fear and doubt etc.  But if we put on the lenses of the Holy Spirit, then we will see life through victory and power.  There is no challenge we will fear because we will know God is moving in our lives.

Today, I encourage you to ask God to check your “vision”.  Let Him test out your spiritual eyes.  Ask Him to open them if you have never experienced seeing life that way before.  He will show you all you need to see, if you ask.  We can all agree, I hope, that there is a lot going on in the world that we can’t see with our physical eyes, and that’s why it’s so important for us to know God this way.  To let Him show us how to view the world properly.  To let Him open our spiritual eyes to see as He sees.

God, open my eyes so I can see You moving in my life.  Let me perceive when You are moving in a situation.  Help me act with confidence in Your Sovereignty.  I honor Your Presence in my life today.  In Jesus name, amen.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.  That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:18-21

Years ago, God took me through a process of realizing that I am beautiful.  This may seem vein to you or unimportant, but a woman longs to be called beautiful.  We seem to be made that way.  During this process I came across a lady who makes customized cuff bracelets.  When you placed your order, you could have her pray and listen to receive a word to make it a prophetic cuff.  As soon as I saw this, God said, “Do this”.  So, I did.  Later she messaged me that she heard God say, “Beautiful”.  That He wanted me to know I am beautiful to Him and then she gave me the following verse reference.

The nations will see your vindication, and all kings your glory; you will be called a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.  You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God.  No longer will they call you Deserted or name your land Desolate.  But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married.  As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.  Isaiah 62:2-5

That certainly grabbed my attention.  She had no clue who I was or what my journey looked like.  I knew this was straight from God and look at the lengths He went to in order to deliver this message to me.  I randomly found this woman’s jewelry and in an unusual move, I looked at her site and discovered the prophetic pieces and then heard Him say, “Do this”.  Then she listens to Him and He delivers this awesome message.  Straight from His heart to mine.

In my formative years, I never felt beautiful.  I didn’t have a steady voice in my life saying I was beautiful.  I began to act as a person unworthy of being treated with honor and respect and love.  Instead, I took whatever scraps I could find and avoided guys and people who built me up because it felt so unnatural. I didn’t know how to process encouragement.  I was always certain that people who encouraged me were lying to me.

That may seem crazy, but when you’ve never known your true value it can seem offensive.  I’ve seen this played out in others lives over and over again, so I know it’s not just me that struggled with this problem.

How we perceive ourselves and our value to the Father directly relates to the life we lead.  It directly relates to how we allow others to treat us.  It directly relates to the kind of company we keep and the honor that we do or don’t offer to others.

It’s important for the garden of our souls to be full of deep rich soil in which our roots can grow and be nourished and become strengthened.  You are important.  You are valuable.  You are beautiful.

Take a moment and search your memories, was there a time when God went above and beyond to tell you He loves you?  If you can’t remember such a time, then ask God to let you know just how much He loves you.  The only catch is, you will have to be paying attention to little things that occur over the next few days, otherwise you may miss the moments He speaks love to you.  I pray this helps you learn to rejoice in His love over you.  He is so in love with you, beloved.  You are always on His mind.

How priceless is Your unfailing love!  Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of Your wings.  They feast on the abundance of Your house; You give them drink from Your river of delights.  For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.  Psalm 36:7-9

While running the other day, I saw a huge mountain.  I thought, “God, I need You to move that.”  But just as suddenly it became a stone, or pebble and I kicked it hard out of my way.  Immediately, I heard the phrase, “Making a mountain out of a molehill?  I make mountains into pebbles.”  Sometimes God’s sense of humor is so much fun.  I love how He loves a good laugh coupled with a very sobering point.

Isn’t it true that we often see a problem and over time we let it take on a life of its own as it grows and grows in our mind into a much bigger deal than it should be.  That’s how we can know we’ve taken our focus off God.  Any problem looks teeny tiny when looked at through the eyes of the Father.

We have all been guilty of becoming consumed and completely pre-occupied with our troubles, but what I’m trying to intentionally practice right now is continually re-focusing my heart, mind and spirit on God.  Any time a stretching situation happens right now, I feel God gently tilting my face back toward Him.  He is partnering with me in this because He desires my focus more than I do.  Meaning, when I decided to begin intentionally focusing on Him through every moment, He was more than willing to help me accomplish the task.  In fact, I imagine He is the One Who gave me the desire in the first place.

Do you have a mountain in your life right now?  Is there anything that is trying to rob your focus?  Are you wrestling with a situation or person?

If any of this applies to you, then I challenge you to take back your focus.  Yes, you can change it.  Yes, you are responsible for you.  No, nobody can steal your focus, but you do give it away at times.  So today, take it back!  Take a minute and repent to God for anytime you’ve lost focus on His face.  Tell Him of your struggle and ask Him to realign your gaze toward His face.  I guarantee He’s been waiting for you to ask.  He will be so excited to look you in the eyes.  He loves you.  There is no condemnation in this place.  He is full of grace and understands our struggles, but know this, changing your focus from being problem oriented to God oriented is not a one-time event.  It must become a practice and like any new muscle that you exercise, it will take training.  I promise you though, the longer you walk it out, the easier it will get.  Without a doubt, it’s easier for me now than ever before.

So, let God turn your mountain into a pebble today.  Kick that darn pebble out of the way and embrace a Kingdom perspective.  Embrace the gaze of the Father.  He loves you without end.

The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.  The heavens proclaim His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory.  Psalm 97:5-6

Look! The Lord is coming from His dwelling place; He comes down and treads the high places of the earth.  The Mountains melt beneath Him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.  Micah 1:3-4

The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai, before the Lord, the God of Israel.  Judges 5:5

Before I tell you the meaning of this Name of God, let me first say, this is the name I woke up in the middle of the night hearing repeatedly.  Like a recording, the name circled around and around my thoughts.  This is a name that previously, I struggled to really understand.  In the week preparing to write this particular devotional, I have frequently gone to God to ask how to explain it.  But one thing is certain, He wants it included.

Qanna means:  Jealous

Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, Whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.  Exodus 34:14

God calls Himself Jealous.  I think we may need to take note of that.

When I was struggling to even begin to comprehend this name of God, He took me to a thought.  As a parent, I seem to have an innate jealousy where my children are concerned.  What I mean is, I really want to know my kids love me and I want to know they enjoy being with me and living in my home and basically living life with me.  In some small way, I think this begins to touch on our Jealous God.  He is Creator of the entire universe.  He took time to create every detail of your being.  He wrote every moment of your life before you lived even one.  He deserves all our hearts and lives.  He deserves to be our One God.

Later in scripture He speaks about how He feels about lukewarm.  He doesn’t like it.  He seems to be an “all-in” God.  He gave us all He had and wants all we have in return.  When we are consumed with our love for Him, then giving our everything is such a natural response, isn’t it?  It’s when we are distracted and carried away with our lives that we hold back.  And just like a parent, He is not okay with that.  He wants all our affection.

He’s the Giver of all good things.  All He’s done has been for us.  Now we get the privilege of returning those affections.

I ask you to take a moment today and access your heart.  Have you allowed earthly idols to take residence in your life?  Anything that draws or dulls your affection for the Father is a false idol.  Does that stir up any conviction?  It does for me.  Now that you’ve brought light to anything standing between you and the Father, I encourage you to take time to confess to Qanna and commit again to follow Him alone and to let no other god stand between you again.  He is truly worthy of all praise and honor and glory, forever and ever.

You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.  Exodus 20:4-5a

For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. Deuteronomy 4:24

I know your deeds; you are neither cold nor hot.  How I wish you were one or the other.  So, because you are lukewarm- neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of My mouth.  Revelation 3:15-16

Jehovah Shalom means: God is Peace

Who doesn’t need to know Jehovah Shalom?

With so much turmoil in the world around us, with so much uncertainty even within America, it can seem the enemy is standing in direct defiance to Jehovah Shalom.  Attempting to rob our peace day by day.  All that helps me realize, when I walk in peace and with Jehovah Shalom, then I am standing in direct opposition to the enemy.  There’s no place I’d rather be.  One of our greatest weapons of warfare is to learn how to walk in peace.  Not allowing the fear darts the enemy throws at us, to de-rail any of our plans or steal even a moment of our thought life, to never allow the enemies spirit of fear to stand between us and our Lord Jesus Christ, Jehovah Shalom.

It’s really that serious.  It’s also really that simple.

When we walk in peace, we are partnering with the God of the Universe.  When we allow fear a foothold in our life, we are actually walking in agreement with the spirit of fear.  I don’t imagine any of us would intentionally set out to do that.

Now that you know, how will this change your daily response to fear?

Fear is a decision.  You can decide to say no.  I’m not saying it will be easy, but it IS possible.

If you are currently struggling with fear, then I encourage you to pray this prayer:

“God, I confess that I have been partnering with fear.  Right now, in Jesus name, I break all agreement and partnership with fear of any and every kind in my life.  God forgive me.  Help me forgive myself and teach me how to walk in my newfound peace with You.  Lord, when situations happen that previously evoked fear within me, make me aware of it and give me the courage to stand up to fear and embrace Jehovah Shalom.  You are peace, so if I am in You, then I should also be at peace.  Teach me how to stand.  I trust You.  I trust Your heart for my life and the lives of others.  Thank You for Your peace, in Jesus name, Amen.”

So, Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord is Peace.  To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.  Judges 6:24

The God of Peace will soon crush satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Romans 16:20

Rejoice in the Lords always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:4-7

A year or so ago was the first time I heard this name of God.  It met me in a time of trouble and has remained a constant name in my life.

Jehovah Shammah means: The Lord is there

Wow.  I love that.  I know it’s close to Immanuel, but to me this name means the Lord is there.  He is already in the circumstance that you are fearing.  He is already in the future.  He was in the past.  He is here now.  Wherever it is you are looking, God is there.  He is there already.  I just can’t reiterate this enough.  God is there.

So why should we worry about tomorrow?

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.  Matthew 6:34

We know God is there.  If you are struggling, particularly, with the future right now.  I implore you to sit before the Lord and call out to Jehovah Shammah.  Praise our God Who is already in your future.

We also know He has good plans for our lives.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11

So, can’t we trust this God Who is Immanuel and also Jehovah Shammah?  He is here with us now and is already in our future.

I see a cup of tea right now. When you pour the hot water over the tea leaves, you must let it steep before you take a sip.  Right now, God has poured the truth of His Sovereignty over your heart by teaching You His name Jehovah Shammah.  Now He wants you to soak in that awareness.  Let it soak into your very being, your soul and spirit, so you can fully know and believe He is there.

The God Who was, and is, and is to come.

Oh Jehovah Shammah, how great You are!  You are sovereign over all my life.  Your steadfast Spirit has been with me all my days.  You alone know my whole life and You are trustworthy.  Thank You for Your protection and provision over my life.  Help me release control, and surrender and submit to Your Spirit more and more every day.  You alone are worthy.  I adore You, in Jesus name, amen.

 

“I am the Alpha and Omega,” says the Lord God, “Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8

 

The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits, and the name of the city from that time on will be: The Lord is There.  Ezekiel 48:35

Jehovah Tsidkenu means:  The Lord our Righteousness

In His days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety.  This is the name by which He will be called: The Lord our Righteousness.  Jeremiah 23:6

Who can be righteous on their own?  No one.  God is our Righteousness.  It is through Jesus alone, we are saved.  It was by His stripes we were healed.  It is He alone, Who lived a sinless life.

The moral of the story:  Stop striving to be righteous on your own.  Stop trying to achieve His love because He’s already made a way.  He lived the only life worthy of such a sacrifice.  He alone is God our Righteousness.

Take a moment and let the Righteousness of Jesus wash over you.  Stop for a moment and see Who He really is.  See the full scope of what He achieved on the cross.  Not one of us can provide what He has provided.  Not one of us is capable of reaching the Father, except through Him.  He is the Way.  He is the Truth. He is the Life.

We all sin and fall short of the glory of God.  It is through Jehovah Tsidkenu that we are able to be sanctified and it was He Who created a bridge to heaven.  He made the way.

God made Him Who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5:21

Let that sink in for a minute.  He who had no sin became sin for us.  Have you ever had a moment in your life, when you felt you were treated unjustly?  Well friend, I think maybe you need to lay down that right.  I am convicted by this verse.  I have felt unjustly treated many times, but the longer and more closely I walk with Jesus, the more I see that I have no right to demand my rights.  If I want to walk like He did, then I know He Who sees, is also He Who is my righteousness.  He knows.  My reward is in heaven.  No matter how things fall on this earth, I know I will receive a reward in heaven.  No matter how poorly I may be treated by people, I know God loves me.  I lay down my rights, at the cross.  I lay it down to receive His righteousness.

God, I lay down my rights to walk in Your righteousness.  You alone are righteous.  You make me holy.  Everything I am or have comes from You.  Thank You for being all I need.  Thank You for laying down Your rights, that I might walk in Your righteousness with You.  You are love.  I adore You, in Jesus name, Amen.

Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.  Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.  Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret- it leads only to evil.  For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.  Psalm 37:1-9

This is the name I had never heard before.  El Roi means: God Who sees.  I love that.  Especially right now, this time in my life feels like a lot of things are hidden from others view.  Not intentionally, but He keeps doing things in and through me, but usually in a very small group or in a way that others don’t notice.  Do you know the feeling?  Do you ever wonder if anyone knows that you’re doing anything good for God?  I know, you may be thinking, “If you are holy then it won’t matter if anyone knows.”  But if you’re actually honest with yourself, I believe we all want to be seen.

I want to be seen by Him.  I want to know that He notices me.  In the same way, I love to know my husband is watching and admiring me, I long to know God is keeping a watchful eye on me.

In Genesis, we see this name used for the first time with Hagar.

She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God Who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One Who sees me.”  That is why the well was call Beer Lahai Roi, it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.  Genesis 16:13-14

Truly Hagar’s story is a sad one.  She, Sarai’s maidservant, was given to Abram as his wife when Sarai feared their promise wouldn’t happen through her giving birth to a child.  Hagar obeyed and then in jealousy Sarah abused her.  If anyone needed to be seen, it was Hagar.

Have you ever experienced a wrong done in secret?  I have.  I know what it means to feel the need to be seen by God.

Have you ever obeyed God only to feel mistreated by people?  I have.  I know what it means to feel the need for God to know you’re innocent even though others have misinterpreted your actions.

He sees.

El Roi, You are the God Who sees me.  Every moment, every day.  You know when I come and when I go.  You know my whole life even though I have yet to live it.  I can rest in the knowledge of having Your watchful eye upon me.  Guarding and protecting.  You honor my obedience even when the world misunderstands me.  You know what You’ve asked me to do, so when I obey You I need not fear man’s approval.  You send me out.  You guide me.  You alone know my heart.  You see me when I worship.  You know every time I pray.  You hear every song of worship I sing.  You see me.

 

The Lord will keep you from all harm- He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.  Psalm 121:7-8

O Lord, You have searched me and You know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways.  Psalm 139:1-2

This name of God is another favorite.  Immanuel means: God with us.  I speak this name often.  I love to be reminded that He is ever present in my life.

Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign:  The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.  Isaiah 7:14

Jesus Christ, Immanuel.

Sometimes, we have trouble realizing that God walks with us and is ever-present.  If doubt ever creeps into your heart or mind, speak the name Immanuel.  Immanuel, God with us.  That leaves no doubt.

Where can we go from His Presence?  Nowhere.  Immanuel is God with us.

Am I sounding redundant?  Well, I’m trying to drive home an obvious but often forgotten point.  He is with you every second.  He is in every moment of your life.  There is no place you can hide from His Presence.  There is no place you could go that He would not follow.  Even scripture drives home this point:
Where can I go from Your Spirit?  Where can I flee from Your Presence?  If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will hold me fast.  If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me.” Even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for the darkness is as light to You.  Psalm 139:7-12

There is no place you can go to escape Him.  There is nothing You could do to stop Him from loving you.  There are some things that are so definite.  In a world of “gray”, there is none in God.  He is God with us.  He is love.  He is Alpha and Omega.  These things cannot and will not ever change.  Even if we were to re-write history, we could never remove His fingerprint from the fabric of time.  Even our time represents the life of Jesus, since it’s still based on A.D. and B.C.

No, His presence on the earth cannot be removed by any man or power of darkness.  He has defeated even death, so He could be closer to you.  There is nothing He hasn’t done to draw near to you, to be Immanuel.  He truly lives up to His name.

Thank You Immanuel.  Thank You for never leaving or forsaking me.  Through every season of my life, one thing has remained constant, and that is You.  You alone are the ever present and never changing Presence in my life.  Thank You for loving me so much, You laid down Your life.  Let my heart echo gratitude throughout the heavens.  Let my life be a living sacrifice of love to You. You are all I need.  In Jesus name, amen.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Psalm 46:1

For over a week, God has been telling me to commit one full week to exploring seven of His names.  I am very humbled by this, because to me it feels like such a privilege.  He has appeared very eager for this portion of the devotionals.  When I sat down to decide the seven names to include in this week, He immediately spoke them to me.  It was so Him, in fact, that I didn’t even know one of the names was a name of God until He spoke it to me and I looked it up.  And with another name, I have woken up several times over the last week with that name in my head and being very stirred by it.  So, without further ado, here is the first of the seven we will learn.

El Shaddai means: God Almighty or the All Sufficient One.

As one who grew up in the eighties and nineties, the song El Shaddai by Amy Grant is part of the soundtrack for my life.  If you’ve never heard the song, I strongly suggest you give it a listen.  Even though, as a child, I didn’t know what that name really meant, it still resonated within me every time I heard or spoke it.

Today, I want to encourage you to meditate on the fullness of this name.  God is All Sufficient.  What does that mean to you?  Where can you place your doubt that God will come through for you, if you truly believe He is El Shaddai.

If you are facing any need in your life right now, whether it’s a physical, spiritual, emotional, or financial need God IS the answer.  He can absolutely provide all that you need through His abundance.  In other words, in the light of His abundance we have no lack.  So, position your heart and mind today, in the Light of the All Sufficient One.  He is capable of providing for every need we will ever have.  Nothing is outside of His reach.  No need or even desire of our heart is unknown to Him.  He cares about the little things.  He cares about the big things, and He will NEVER let you down.  Rest in the wings of an abundant Father today.  Feel His provision over every part of your life.  He even holds your dreams near His heart.  He cares for you.

If a need begins to dominate your day, I encourage you to pray to God and say, “El Shaddai, I know You have all that I need.  Right now, I am in need of __________.  Thank You for providing all I need to cover that.  Help me walk in the confidence of Your abundance over me.  You are All Sufficient and I love You, in Jesus name, amen.”

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (El Shaddai)  Psalm 91:1

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El Shaddai, walk before me and be blameless.  I will confirm My covenant between Me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.  Genesis 17:1

The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard from the outer court, as the voice of El Shaddai when He speaks.  Ezekiel 10:5