Have you noticed that we classify certain qualities as “holy”, while leaving God out of interactions with others?

I think it’s weird.

I have found such blessings in inviting Holy Spirit to lead me in everything I do.  Whether it’s washing dishes, cleaning toilets, interacting with daily schedules, interacting with my family, leading worship, speaking/teaching, grocery shopping, spending time on the internet…anything.  I invite Holy Spirit into my entire life.

Do you?

I hope you do.  But if not, I hope after today you do.

Many years ago, when I was learning to hear God speak to me, I immediately gave Him full access.  Meaning, I invited Him into everything I did, every thought I had, every choice I made.  In those years it was popular for church culture to talk about being led by the Spirit, but they’d say you don’t have to ask God if you should have Wendy’s or McDonald’s for lunch.  It’s so funny the little things that were so popular to say back then. 

(Also, a side note, at that time people ate at fast food places on the regular.  Nobody was talking about food health then.  I can hear some of you saying, “Well, I wouldn’t eat at either”  which is completely irrelevant to this conversation.)

The point was, the churches I was around were trying to make sure people weren’t “bogged down” in trying to listen to God.  They’d say, “He doesn’t care which of those places you eat, so just make a decision.”  I get what they were trying to say, but I think the real result was generations of people who compartmentalized where God does and doesn’t fit in our lives.  And where God does and doesn’t have influence in our lives. 

The truth is that is should never be viewed as inconvenient to include God in anything.

In our fast-paced world we’d much rather make a hundred off the cuff decisions, rather than wait for five minutes to hear God speak.  Listening to Him really isn’t all that complicated.

We are best served when we learn to simply invite God into our day and then remain sensitive to Holy Spirit’s leading throughout. 

I have felt God say to me, “I just want you to choose, Lisa.”  I have felt God lead me in things that feel completely menial, only to discover He was about to show me how the menial can completely enrich and satisfy our lives. 

Today’s devotional is simply about giving it all to God.  Don’t overcomplicate it, rather spend enough time with God to be able to feel the slightest nudge He gives you.  If you’ve ever ridden a horse, you know what I mean.  They feel everything.  The slightest turn or body movement or tension is felt by that horse, and they will respond.  Be like a horse.  Pay close attention to Holy Spirit’s leading and grow as a person. 

That’s where I believe wisdom blooms.  The Spirit leads you toward growth opportunities.  The Spirit keeps you safe.  The Spirit opens your eyes to others around you, making you more aware and compassionate.  The Spirit shows you things the world can’t see.  The Spirit is your best friend.

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.  He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.  He will glorify Me because it is from Me that He will receive what He will make known to you.  All that belongs to the Father is Mine.  That is why I said the Spirit will receive from Me what He will make known to you.”  John 16:13-15

Behold: to perceive through sight or apprehension.  To gaze upon.

Come let us behold our risen Lord.  Come and gaze upon His glorious face.  It is He Who saved us.  To Him belongs all the glory, honor, and praise both now and forevermore.

Today I want to encourage you to behold our Savior. 

I wonder what might happen if you would make it a regular practice to simply behold our Lord…

I intentionally reset myself by gazing upon His face.  I don’t need to know everything, but I do need to know Him. 

Knowing Him is the greatest privilege of my life.  Being known by Him is a tremendous honor. 

To love and be loved is the greatest gift on earth, isn’t it?

Close your eyes. 

Take a moment and ask God to be with you now.  Ask Jesus to show you His face.  Then gaze upon Him.  Look into His eyes.  What do you see?  He can hold the whole world and eternity of time in His eyes.  He holds the peace and gentleness of a lamb in His eyes.  In His eyes you can find justice.  In His eyes you can see who you truly are.  In His eyes you can see tomorrow.  In His eyes there is a holiness that cannot be found anywhere else.

Gaze upon Him and learn about Who He is. 

Jesus, I ask that You allow us to gaze upon Your glorious face.  Show us Your glory.  Let us see ourselves in Your eyes.  Give us a glimpse of eternity.  Set our hearts by Your gaze.  We are Yours.  The sheep of Your pasture.  We have chosen to be chosen by You.  Thank You for choosing us.  You are worthy beyond all worthiness.  We humbly come before You now, asking to be seen.  See our hearts.  Show us any way in us that is unpleasant to You.  Remove all unrighteousness from our hearts.  Lead us in Your way, Yahweh.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Fear the Lord, you His holy people, for those who fear Him lack nothing.  The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.  Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.  Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips form telling lies.  Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.  The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are attentive to their cry; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth.  The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  the righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.  Psalm 34:9-20

I’ve been on a multi-year journey of learning how to use my words.  When I was a child, I felt I had no voice.  I wasn’t allowed to have an opinion or voice concern.  I wasn’t included in conversations about the family.  I was told to remain quiet.  When my brother would pummel me, I’d get in trouble for screaming.  I felt that I was the one who must always remain unvoiced.

When I grew into a young adult and had the opportunity to begin to use my words, I found none.  In those years, I’m ashamed to say, I cussed an awful lot.  I had nothing of substance to say.  It’s like the communication part of my brain was stunted.  The growth was blocked.

Then I found a real relationship with Jesus and it’s as if I immediately had a barrier removed and my words became powerful and effective…both in prayer and with people.  I discovered that God created me to be a communicator.  A teacher.  Not just a worshiper, but a worship leader.  A writer.  I began to realize that my voice was powerful because of the anointing of Holy Spirit.

No wonder there had been such a strong fight over my voice from a very young age.

Now that I’ve grown so much and understand more about who I am, I’ve been considering the parts of scripture that detail the power of our words.

I have been pressing in consistently to learn about how to use my prayers.  How to be more effective.  How to pray prayers that are answered.   

We could all be much more effective if we’d learn how to use our words. 

Look at scripture…

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

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  Ephesians 4:29

You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it.  John 14:14

It’s so important to begin to ask God to convict you of every idle word you speak.  It’s a hard thing to ask, but it’s worthwhile. 

God has increasingly been convicting me of my words, more and more.  But I’ve noticed a lot of good fruit coming from that surrender.

It’s time for us, as the body of believers, to begin to take our words seriously.  These are intense times, and we need the power of our words.  I encourage you to discover this power.  Lean into God about it.  Listen and respond. 

Say what is true.  Say things in faith.  See the miraculous.

I’ve had a rough time processing disappointment my whole life.  When I was young it was kind of framed as, well this is what’s happening…now move on.  I honestly believe that people are so afraid of others being disappointed that we try to force them through it and onto the next phase of emotions, whatever that may be.

But today

I’m

Disappointed

We’ve got a whole lot going on in our lives right now.  But at the epicenter there is Naomi’s graduation party and two days later Chris and I will renew our vows to celebrate our 20^th wedding anniversary.

You see, we eloped.  I will never and have never regretted that decision.  Actually, I’m really glad we did it that way.  God prompted us to do so.  It was obvious then and now that it was part of His special plan for us.  It was a glorious day that we didn’t have to share with anyone.  Our moment in time, if you will.

When we eloped, we always had the intention of renewing our vows much later.  And now is that time.

It’s the perfect time actually.  God has done amazing things, both in our marriage and our family.  It’s become glaringly obvious that this timing and circumstance is also His plan for us. 

But as with all plans, there is room for disappointment.

We are having a very small ceremony at our home.  We painstakingly chose exactly who we wanted to have present for this day.  I gave over a years notice to everyone so they could begin planning…but you know how life goes.  Things happen and some can’t come for one reason or another.

Why can’t that be disappointing for a moment?

With each notice of not coming there comes a flood of emotions and thoughts.  We all know people make time and space for that which is most important.  It’s just true.  So, it does cause a sting when they choose not to participate in a special moment in your life.  Let’s be honest about it.  This is true.

But it’s not a reason to hold onto disappointment.

When I got notice of the four disappointments I had to stop and take a moment.  I let the ugly thoughts parade through my mind…I just didn’t let them stay.  If I had stopped myself from even thinking them, I’d still be trying to avoid them.  But having allowed them to come through and being able to weigh each one for lie or truth, allows them to move on and thereby, me to move on. 

Then my husband lost his wedding ring in the river during a joyous fishing trip with just him and our boys. 

Disappointment and joy in one fail swoop.

That’s hard.

That was the moment I realized how important this vow renewal truly is.  When we married, we had a quarter machine ring, bought in the spur of the moment, for me.  Chris had no ring.  So, we renew without a ring, and it doesn’t matter.

You know what does matter?

It matters that we’ve fought so hard for our marriage.  It matters that we’ve built a family unlike anything either of us had when growing up.  It matters that we are more devoted to each other now than we ever have been.  It matters that we’re both willing and excited to renew our vows.  It matters that our kids will be there.  In the end, as long as our family of six is there…that’s all that matters.

When disappointment comes knocking at your door…let what matters be the answer.

You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing Your praises and not be silent.  Lord my God, I will praise You forever.  Psalm 30:11-12

When God gives you a vision for your life, it’s usually big.  Too big for you to orchestrate on your own.  A vision of a family legacy can feel impossible.  Seeing properties and generations and thinking of handing down each part to our children, it can feel like a pipedream.

But here’s what I know to be true…

I don’t know how we’ll get there, but I know where we’re going.

When I can’t see the ins and outs of a vision from God, then I must trust.  I mean, if a dream isn’t impossible by all earthly stretches of imagination, then it’s not likely from God anyway…right?

His thoughts aren’t our thoughts.  He can see all of time at once.  He knows every decision, every twist and turn, every move we will make…so He’s the only One Who can show us the way forward.

It never fails to amaze me the way people hear from God, then attempt to take charge of whatever vision He’s shared with them.  That’s the opposite response from what it should be.

Every time God shows me something, my first response is simply, “Yes.  I receive that.”  Then, I say, “Now come and do that thing You’ve shown me.”

I receive the vision, then release it back to Him.

Catch and release, if you will.

I hold a vision for the massive dream God has given me for our family line.  I hold it loosely, as to allow God to shape and mold every part.  In the meantime, I wait.  I pray about it coming, I believe in it completely, and I’m making room for it in my heart and watching God make room for it in the hearts of our family.

The beauty of this waiting season is intense.  The fruit of this waiting season is seemingly the size of the fruit they found in their recon mission into the Promised Land.  Sure, we’ve seen giants in the land before us, but I refuse to allow that to cast a shadow on the joy.

The fruit.

It’s always been about the fruit.

God gave us the vision of where we’re going, and we had no idea that our greatest work in the waiting would be to truly establish our family dynamic.  To grow together and cultivate our first farm…right within these walls…family.

You can’t have a family farm without the family.

The family won’t want to be a part of that farm if they don’t first feel valued and established in the home.  We’ve been growing healthy heart connections.  Establishing healthy relationships.  Learning to love and grow together.  A joyous time.  A full time.  A worthy expedition.

So, it’s true…

I don’t know how we’ll get there, but I know where we’re going.

To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.  All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.  Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.  The Lord works out everything to its proper end- even the wicked for a day of disaster.  Proverbs 16:1-4

I wonder what would happen if your life was reduced.  I wonder what would last.  I wonder what would “cook off”. 

Have you ever made a sauce?  One of the key steps is to allow the sauce to reduce.  When it reduces, the flavors grow more intense, and the texture thickens.  It’s a key step in the process of sauce making.  If you skip this step, then the sauce will be runny and not as flavorful.

I worry that far too many of us skip the reducing stage of our spiritual “cooking”…if you will. 

That important part of life where you allow the Lord to give and take away.  It’s the step where He builds true and lasting character.  He’s interested in maturing us…this is that step. 

When life is reduced…when all of the wastes of time are gone, then what?

Then we must allow our heavenly Father to adjust the seasoning of our heart and mind.  We allow Him to add whatever He wants to add.  We trust Him to adjust our “flavor”. 

Our urge will be to fill all the empty space as quick as possible because it’s uncomfortable.  But I implore you not to do so. 

Be empty for a time.  Feel that emptiness and become comfortable with it.  See the holiness of the emptiness.  Then invite God to fill every space.  Every nook and cranny.  Let Him flood you with every good thing He has stored up for you.

Embrace His filling.  It’s quite different from the world. 

When God fills us, we become lighter.  It’s a holy heaviness…the heaviness that feels light.  Isn’t God a wonder?! 

Would you surrender to a slow simmer in your life?  A time during which you wait with the intention of being changed.  A chance for God to highlight the waste in your life and a chance to allow Him to remove those things.  Then after the reducing is finished, enjoy the empty as you wait to be filled.

It’s a process that many resist and some will flat out refuse.  But none regret.

Who do you want to be?

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us.  Romans 5:1-5

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

You may think this topic strange for a devotional, but in my mind, anytime we redirect our affections and attention to God, we are operating in devotion…thus the thoughts are devotional material.

This week, in particular, I’ve been hearing this thought in my mind, “Why would anyone allow someone who plays pretend for a living, tell me how to live?  Why would anyone allow a reporter who reads from a script to tell them how to think?”  Thinking of Hollywood’s and the medias influence over people is overwhelming and honestly, crazy.  Being rich and famous does not make someone smarter than you.  Being wealthy and popular doesn’t make a person’s decisions more informed than yours. 

Holy Spirit lives inside of each believer.  Holy Spirit gives wisdom and direction.

It’s time for a revolution of people returning to the still small voice and forsaking the big screen.  Turn away from influencers and return to our internal Influence.  Holy Spirit.

We’ve been caught in a web of lies, deception, and half truths for far too long.  It’s time to have our own opinions again. Awakening to discover we’ve lived our entire lives in Egypt can feel overwhelming.  Realizing that our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents also lived in Egypt can seem intense.  But it’s true.

Come out of EGYPT!!!  Awaken, bride of Christ!!!!!  Come alive dry bones!!!!  It’s time to move out of Egypt.

The longer I marinate in God’s presence.  His all-consuming fire.  The more I realize that most things I was raised to believe are not true.  They are not helpful.  But as I allow God to unravel me from the bondage of a culture of lies, I am finding a peace and a tenacity I’ve never known before.

My roar is coming up in bubbles from down deep in my soul.  My spirit is stirring, and I am seeing with new eyes.  I notice.  I notice things that most don’t.  I am aware. 

I refuse to be lulled back to sleep.

It’s time for the church to arise.  Wake up bride of Christ!!!

Shake off the shackles that you were born with and move in the spirit.

When God calls you to move away from the herd and to instead follow His leading it can feel scary.  I know.  But I’ve never once regretted it.  Neither will you.  Sure there is a price to pay sometimes, but it’s well worth it in the end. 

Every time I think our family is finished rewiring; God shows me something else.  Something deeper.  We are, as a family, reevaluating everything.  Everything.  And the more we consider things, the more we continue to change, be refined, and move to the beat of another drum.  The drum beat of heaven.  It resonates through our home and into all we do. 

Confidence is no longer found in going along with others.  Confidence is not a byproduct of any earthly thing…true and steady confidence comes from above.  From our heavenly Father. 

It’s time to tap into heaven for everything…ourselves, our marriages, our children, our future…our country.  Imagine a country whose majority was led by Holy Spirit.  Whose leaders were full of Holy Spirit and gained all their wisdom from heaven.  I believe it’s possible…and as always, must begin at home.

As we dream for a reformed country, let’s begin to live that way at home.

Be very careful, then, how you live- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.  Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.  Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.  Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 5:15-20

It’s easy to take the most important things in life for granted.  Today I want to encourage you to reflect on the most important thing in all our lives.

The very most important thing.

Jesus.

I believe that many of us grow so accustomed to the relief of being bound toward heaven that we begin to sometimes take for granted that gift.  The gift of highest value. 

Jesus died on the cross for all our sins.  Just some of us will accept that, unfortunately.

Can you even imagine?  He gave all…yet so many deny that beautiful gift of salvation.

I think we must always stand in remembrance.  Bring your heart back to the moment when He first came into your life.  Remember who you were right before He eclipsed the position of your heart with His fullness.  A total eclipse of the heart, as it were.

He came and covered every wrong thing in you.  Completely covered.  His love is an overflowing kind of love.  A love that never runs dry.  Never holds back.  Never relinquishes its place in your life…unless you decide to turn away from it. 

When we stand fully in the light of His love, we are whole.  When we turn away from it, we become full of holes. 

Come and stand in the light of His love again.  Remember that first moment.  Remember the time when you were so drawn to His love that you couldn’t refuse.

He is like a whirlwind of life.

Never forget that the only reason you were willing to surrender to Him was because God chose you.  He chooses us.  He gives us understanding.  He opens our eyes and our hearts. 

Once we are opened to Him, how can we then close off and not offer others the same grace we have received.  The more we give, the more we receive.  It’s a win-win. 

Remember.  Remember Him today.  His sacrifice.  His love.  His beauty.  His holiness. 

He is worthy of all our praise.

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit- fruit that will last- and so that whatever you ask in My name the Father will give you.  This is My command: Love each other.  John 15:16-17

God has placed a word in the hearts of all His children.  We each have something to share.  Some of us may share many things, at many times throughout our lives.  Some are called to preach and teach…although many who do aren’t truly called to it, but that’s a subject for another day.  Still some of us are called to speak one message.  Spoken loud and true, that one message could affect far more than another’s hundreds of messages.

Remember Stephen.

Stephen is fascinating to me.  He spoke out in public in a large forum, one time, that we hear of and it was because others were jealous of him.  They couldn’t stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke…scripture says.  So, they got some men to lie about him.  It seems there are always people who are willing to bear false witness against another, doesn’t it?

Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people.  But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him.  They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia.  None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.  So, they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.”  Acts 6:8-11

When Stephen was questioned, he spoke such truth and with such abandon that they stoned him to death.  Even upon his death he asked God to forgive them.

Stephen was a man who lived, moved, and breathed in the Spirit.  Remember, he was described like this…

Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people.  Acts 6:8

His position?  Running the food program.  Not the glamorous position usually reserved for the up-and-coming stars.  Stephen didn’t seem to need recognition, or the proverbial stage.  He knew who he was and Who God was and wasn’t afraid to share.

Stephen had one moment, and that moment was recorded for all of time, in Scripture. 

No matter what your word is, or how big the stage to present it, just do it.  The world needs to hear what God has revealed to you.

I feel that many times people hide their giftings and words because they are taught that the preachers and prophets have it all taken care of, but nothing could be further from the truth.  It’s not a title that gives you authority, it’s God.  Your God given authority mixed with a heart of humility will impact the world far more than you realize.

I have set it in my heart to always share.  Whether I’m working in and with a church, or if I’m alone, I find ways to share what God has given me to share.  People need people.  The church needs the truth. 

Never be afraid to share what God has given you to share.

The Lord wasn’t in the storm or the earthquake, He was in the stillness.  Remember this story about Elijah in the cave?

We’ve talked about it before, but I’m drawn to it again today.

If God is in the stillness, then why do we talk so much?  If His voice is a still, small voice then how can we hear it if we’re talking and, in the noise, so much? 

We must find stillness in our lives if we are to actively hear God speak.  We must find a refuge from distractions if we are to know His heart.

I believe that we often choose distraction.  It’s become a god of this age.  It numbs and helps people to not need to deal with issues in their lives. 

Unfortunately, in this age of technology, we must fight to have quiet. 

Being still is becoming a lost art for most of us. 

It’s not too late.

Today I encourage you to get away and rediscover that still, small voice.  The One you’ve been hearing since you were being formed in your mother’s womb.  Press past the discomfort and awkwardness and reconnect with God. 

Maybe you’ve never heard Him speak…then invite Him to come and speak to you in a way that you can hear.  Maybe it’s a thought.  Maybe it’s a smell that evokes a memory.  Maybe it’s a warm feeling that lets you know He is near.  Whatever way He chooses, receive it. 

Be still and know.

When lies are so present on the earth and even within the church, we must learn to hear God for ourselves.  We don’t need a priest or pastor or prophet to hear for us.  Sure, they can be helpful, but what if you find yourself in need and nobody else is around?  We need to know His voice. 

Some people say to me that they don’t believe we need to hear God, but to them I would say…

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”  John 10:27

Ears to hear and eyes that see- the Lord has made them both.  Proverbs 20:12

He says, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Psalm 46:10

To answer before listening- that is folly and shame.  Proverbs 18:13