God’s Word stands firm.  We read it in Scripture, but do we truly believe it?

We must always remind ourselves that God never changes.  In this ever evolving world, where many people…even “pastors”…have begun to try to say Scripture is outdated.

The Word of God never becomes outdated.

Your eternal word, O Lord, stands firm in heaven.  Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth You created.  Your regulations remain true to this day, for everything serves Your plans.  If Your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy, I would have died in my misery.  I will never forget Your commandments, for by them Your give me life.  Psalm 119:89-93

As followers of Christ, we must always remain tethered to the truth in Scripture.  Now, more than ever, we must return to Scripture.  If you are reading Scripture regularly, you would definitely know that nothing that’s currently happening is a surprise.

I know I’ve written about some of this before, but I won’t stop.  It needs to become a daily reminder because the lies are so consistent.  It’s so easy to begin to be turned toward the lies without even realizing…so it’s paramount to be intentionally consuming Truth.  Intentionally being steeped in God’s Word.  Intentionally staying close to Jesus.

When lies scream at us every day, they can tend to begin to turn us away from the Truth…unless we are constantly immersed in Truth.  We must make daily Bible reading a part of our lives.  Let the Good News be your main news source. 

It’s a time to intentionally focus on what is true.  Turn off the TV, turn off the phone and get outside and listen to the Lord in nature.  Read the Word.  Pray and listen.  Listen some more.  Stay steeped in what is true.

We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer.  People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives.  Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.  Proverbs 16:1-3

I ask you to take some time today and ask yourself what is true.  Have you stayed pure to God’s word or have you begun to turn.  Where have you allowed the yeast of the world to influence your growth. 

Maybe you haven’t at all.  But maybe you have.  It’s always good to take a moment and make sure.  Stay tethered to the Truth and you can fully live. 

As I was in worship at the church we visited last Sunday, I saw an angel standing…no…towering behind me.  A huge white angel with wings.  It was so giant.  I could feel myself able to lean into its comforting softness during worship, but also noticed the sword it carried in a sheath.  Clearly ready to protect.

God was reassuring me that I could let my guard down and simply worship under the protective watch of heaven. 

Then as preaching started, I saw/heard the Lord showing me the many fruits of my labor.  This season of walking in a small circle…family…I’ve wrestled with worrying about whether I’m hiding out or being hidden.  Suddenly I knew the answer.  I’ve been a missionary here with my family.  Leading them.  Teaching them.  Living before them.  He brought us to that church Sunday to offer me a respite.  A time of refreshing.  He blessed all of us that day, but for me it was a time of revealing that I’ve been doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.  I’m focused on the thing He desires.  Raising a family that is strong in the Lord and strong in who they are created to be. 

They watch me.  Every morning, they know I rise before them and sit at His feet.  They count on it.  It makes them feel steady.  They know that I pray all throughout the day.  They even tell me not to pray when we play games because it gives me an unfair advantage.  Ha! 

What a glorious reputation to have.

The simple, sweet, small…is so undervalued.

I have found the greatest value in simply being.

I don’t need your reassurance; I only need the Lord’s.  I don’t need your praise; I only want His.  I want to know that He is proud of me. 

The ministry of home is far too undervalued.  The feeling that we should be so much more than “just” mothers.  What a lie.  It’s the most important thing I’ve ever done…until I get to be a grandmother. 

I wonder what would happen on the earth if mothers and fathers took their place and realized the importance of home. 

Today I implore you to consider the impact you have on your home.  No matter your season.  There is always someone who needs a mother or father.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been at church and prayed that a father figure would come and place a caring arm around my shoulders and offer some comfort.  I can’t recount all the times I wished a mother figure would come and offer wisdom and courage to face new things in my life. 

Holy Spirit has become all of that for me.  Thankfully.  But I know God desires to use His people in this capacity as well…if we will allow Him.

Rise up mothers and fathers!!  Rise up!! Come and take your place!  Learn to be healthy mothers and fathers.  Lean into Holy Spirit and learn.  The world needs you now.

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.  Proverbs 22:6

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.  Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.  They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.  Psalm 127:3-5

God brings different people into our lives at different times.  Some for longer than others.  Some are around, then leave for a time and come back.  Some walk with us in brief but meaningful seasons. 

You simply never know what each relationship will be or become. 

Today we reconnected with a dear couple that we had a brief but extraordinarily meaningful relationship with years ago in Pennsylvania. 

Being around them again, it honestly felt like we never were apart.  It was a holy moment.  A sacred time. 

Being in this long season of transition and solitude has been tough sometimes.  I’ve even questioned whether or not we’re doing the right thing, over and over.  Today as we visited a church where they were ministering, God used the worship time to speak to me about all of this.

He showed me what He’s been doing in our family.  He reminded me that we are doing exactly what He’s asked us to do.  We are right where He wants us, doing exactly what He’s asked of us.  What more could we need?

It’s funny how every question I had melted away during one holy interaction with people who love and respect us. 

Love and respect. 

I have to be honest; I haven’t felt loved and respected by a church in a really long time.  Today I was.  As our friend stood to preach, he first honored us in front of that body.  He recounted some powerful interactions we had years ago.  He called us what we are.  Things he saw in the Spirit about us, that we know are true.  We felt recognized in a humble and truly meaningful way.  At the end of service when he began to prophesy over people, he first came to our family and spoke over us as a couple then each member of our family individually. 

Friends, I cannot express the healing that happened in my heart today. 

Never forget the beauty of true friendship.  Never forget that no matter what season you are in, if you remain open and willing, God will bring about times of refreshing. 

Going to this church today was a choice we made.  A choice with a cost.  It was 2 hours and 45 minutes from our house, and I’d drive it a hundred times just to be in God’s Presence the way we were today.

Today I breathed again.

Today’s devotional is about noticing when God tugs you to do something or to go somewhere.  Just go.  Just do it.  Hidden blessings live in these moments.  Receive the blessings He has set aside for you.  Lean into the sweetness of friendship and true fellowship. 

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!  It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down the beard, running down Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.  It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.  For there the Lord bestows His blessing, even life forevermore.  Psalm 133

As I worshiped this week I began to sing and see…

I empty myself to become full.

Yes!!  It was like a lightning bolt struck my heart.  When I am emptied, I am full.  Full of Jesus.  Full of Holy Spirit.  Do you get it?

In order to be filled with God, we must be empty of everything else. 

Oh Lord, I want to be completely emptied of myself so I can be full of You and Your Spirit.  I want to live and move and breathe in You.  I desire to be so immersed in Your Spirit that I can never be fooled or swept away by worthless teaching.  I realize that to walk with You the way I desire means that I will be rejecting most of this world.  It has no pull on me.  I don’t desire this world.  I desire You.  Leaving the ways of this world behind seems to be a natural response to wanting more of You.  Lord, draw me deeper.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The longer I walk with Jesus, the more I see that almost everything I’ve known and been taught was not true.  I keep reaching into a reality that I can’t quite see yet.  That spiritual reality that is happening all around us all the time, yet most never see. 

Isn’t it fascinating that there is a spiritual world happening around us all the time?  Isn’t it fascinating that this realm influences us so much, yet most don’t even know it exists? 

The worldly version of this exists in the global health organizations that bind and torture our world right now.  They once worked to bring globalism in secret, yet over the past several years more and more people know they exist.  For many years they were able to operate virtually undetected.  For everything God does, the enemy attempts to create a counterfeit. 

If we can believe and understand that the enemy has been working through those organizations.  Shouldn’t it make it easier for us to see that God is moving behind the scenes in all things too?

God is moving.  He is the One exposing the globalists and their schemes.  We must take heed, responding to them by emptying ourselves and asking God to fill us with courage and truth.

“At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.  For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you ahead of time.”  Matthew 24:23-25

This morning, I read a portion from John 14:21-31.  I encourage you to go read it for yourself.  I’ve read it many times, but today it was as if I could hear Jesus and the disciples literally having this conversation.  You know, one of those beautiful moments when the Word really speaks.

In this portion Jesus tells the disciples exactly what is about to happen.  He tells them that He will be taken by the ruler of this world, but he has no power over Him.  He tells them that nonetheless He will do what the Father requires of Him.  It’s a breath-taking moment. 

Today as I read, I felt my breath catch in my throat as I could see Jesus speaking to His friends. 

This time when I read it, I could see it as one of those moments when I, as a parent, give my children specific instructions.  It was like the times when I would sit them down and say, “Ok, this is exactly what’s about to happen.”  Then I go through step-by-step details and let them know that I’m telling them so they can have peace about it.  I have done that so many times with my kids.

This is how Jesus was speaking to His disciples.

It’s so infinitely interesting the way they all seemed to forget as soon as it started to unfold, except for John.  It was this morning when I realized he stayed in peace.  John understood.  How else was he capable of being the one disciple sitting at the cross and comforting Jesus’ own mother. 

John had something the others didn’t.  He obviously got it.

The scripture has gone into great detail to let us know exactly what’s coming at the end.  In several books of the Bible, we are told what people will be like, what atrocities will occur, etc.  These days that are unfolding before us now shouldn’t be a surprise. 

Even watching different spiritual leaders fall and seeing immense weakness within the church shouldn’t be as shocking as it is.  He told us these things were coming.

I want to remind you here of one part that has always gripped me. 

At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.  Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.  Matthew 24:10-14

The part of this that terrifies me is this, “The love of MOST will grow cold.”  It says, most, not some.  Not even many.  Most. 

Oh Lord, for whatever part of the end I am here, please keep my love strong for You.  Establish Your word in my heart so firmly that no one and nothing can cause me to stumble.  Guard my heart and mind.  Never let me be fooled by the false.  Tether me to the Truth.  Hold me, Lord, without You I could never make it.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I have been praying every day for more understanding.  I want wisdom and knowledge, yes, but I want them tethered to understanding.  Wisdom and knowledge can feel worthless apart from understanding, even though they aren’t.  The Bible makes it clear that we won’t understand everything.  So, we walk the tightrope of living in wisdom and knowledge…with whatever understanding we receive.   This is the space that trust and faith fills. 

If you listen to constructive criticism; you will be at home among the wise.  If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.  Proverbs 15:31-32

If you are like me and desire to grow in your understanding, this scripture gives us the key.  We must listen to His correction.  Being disciplined is mentioned in scripture multiple times too.  Discipline is found in a willingness to be corrected. 

To be a disciplined person I must listen.  I must surrender my own will.  I must be honest. 

I long to grow in understanding.  It’s worth it to me to be corrected. 

I can remember several integral times in my life when correction from God led to big blessings.  Those times led me to be transformed more into His likeness. 

Foolishness is rampant on the earth.  It’s almost like people wear their foolishness as a badge of honor.  They live their lie and demand that others participate in it.  Foolishness seems to be king in our current political and social landscape.  Fools are promoted for reasons that have nothing to do with qualifications or being fit for the job.  Therefore, many institutions are crumbling as they cannot be sustained in a culture of ignorance.

We need wisdom more than ever.  One point of wisdom is to have peace with that which you cannot understand.  And to lean into understanding that which you can.  And the ability to know the difference. 

We can trust God to give us wisdom in any situation.  We can also trust that if He desires us to have understanding, He will also give that.  But if He doesn’t then we must lean into trust.

This devotional feels like I’m circling around and around.  And honestly, I am.  We won’t know in any given situation whether we will be blessed with understanding until we ask.  So, courage would say, “Ask and be satisfied with whatever answer you’re given.” 

Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus. 

Integrity seems to be a waning quality.  It’s integral to our walk with Jesus though.  We need to be a people of integrity to witness to the world.  To walk in truth.  To agree only with truth.  To be joyful.

Yes, integrity brings the fruit of joy.

Let’s read this scripture…

Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.  Joyful are those who obey His laws and search for Him with all their hearts.  They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in His paths.  You have charged us to keep Your commandments carefully.  Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!  Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with Your commands.  As I learn Your righteous regulations, I will thank You by living as I should! I will obey Your decrees.  Please don’t give up on me!  Psalm 119:1-8

There’s a reason that people of low scruples are so angry and miserable.  They know internally, even if they don’t want to admit it, that they are living a lie.  Liars know they are lying.  They may be able to fool themselves into believing it for a while, but inevitably that time runs out and the truth is standing right there like a brick wall they run into. 

One day the Truth will stand before every man and woman, and we will be held to account. 

With that knowledge it’s obvious why those living in a lie are miserable.  It’s because their eternal part, their spirit…knows they are living a lie.  When you have an internal conflict with who you are and what you are doing, you are always miserable.

We don’t do anyone a favor by participating in their lie.  Yes, I know I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating.

What is integrity?

Integrity:  The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.  The state of being whole and undivided.

When you are living a lie, you are living divided.  That’s no place to be.  That’s what breeds the bitterness and resentment.  These people are actually not mad at you and me, they are mad at themselves. 

Are you living a life of integrity?

Are you lying to yourself about things?

Today is a great day to surrender yourself to God again and ask Him to shine His light into your soul and reveal any places within you that are partnering with lies.  Be bold and let Him have access.  Then allow Him to bring those lies into His presence so you can experience the Truth. 

The Truth shall truly set you free.

Do you know God?  Do you know where you’ll go when you die? 

These are two of the most important questions we can answer.  The way you choose to live your life reflects your answers. 

Why is it that non-believers are always so freaked out about things?  The environment…sickness…what others think and do…etc.

If you have no hope for eternity, then you will live in panic and grasp for control today. 

Look at this scripture…

It was time for supper and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.  Jesus knew that the Father had given Him authority over everything and that He had come from God and would return to God.  So, He got up from the table, took off His robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and poured water into a basin.  Then He began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel He had around Him.  John 13:2-5

This is so breathtaking. 

Because Jesus was firm in His identity… and because He knew from where He had come and to where He would return…his response to knowing so much pain and suffering faced Him…was choosing to wash feet.

This convinces me more than ever that we must be so confidently tethered to our eternity with God that we live our lives with the same confidence. 

Truly knowing who we are and Whose we are creates humility in our hearts and quiet confidence in affliction.

We can only live life with intentional humility when we understand eternity.  Honestly, at this point in my life, I wonder how many people are truly saved.  I know a lot of people say they are, especially here in the south, but most don’t really act like it when courage and humility are needed. 

Ask yourself, do I truly know that I know that I am saved?  Do I know that I will spend eternity in heaven? 

If you answer adamantly yes to both questions, then I encourage you to ask God to give you the confidence and humility to walk out your days on earth more like Jesus. 

Remind yourself of this when obstacles come your way.  Think about this when you need to choose humility.  We are not meant to be of this world.  We come from this world.  We live in this world.  But we are not of this world.

I’ve written about passion many times before, I know.  But this week God kept highlighting passion to me.

I saw Holy Spirit pour over me as liquid gold.  I saw this gold residing inside of me.  I knew it was liquid gold passion.  Oozing passion.

Passion is a difficult word, for many, myself included.  Because the world is fallen and so perverse, it’s often a challenge to accurately demonstrate passion. 

The world would show passion in all things sexual.  All things perverse.  Or they would show it in excess.  All types of excess.

For everything God has created to be pure, the enemy attempts to counterfeit.  Passion is no exemption.

God is obviously passionate.  We are made in the image of God; therefore, we are passionate by nature.  But many of us are shamed for our pure passion.  Or mocked.  Or misunderstood…etc.

It’s time to embrace passion.  To lean into God and learn what holy passion looks like. 

Do any of us truly know what passion is?  I’m not sure.  I know I’ve seen self-serving passion, but holy passion…I don’t know.

The counter to the unholy passion we see strewn across all things right now is holy passion.

Our churches and families don’t need more bling, they need more passion in the Holy Spirit.

If we will allow God to come and unleash the passion inside of us.  The passion He placed within us…then the whole tide will turn.

We can’t allow the gnashing of teeth by the enemy to deter us from coming forward with Godly passion.

Today I encourage you to get into your secret place and ask God to release His passion within you.  Then ask Him to lead you in that passion.  Ask Him to stoke the fires within your heart so that you could be a light to the world.  Leading them out of darkness.  Showing them something real, not a version of godliness…but the real God.

Pure, holy, and true.

Be enthusiastic to serve the Lord, keeping you passion toward Him boiling hot!  Romans 12:11

I am passionately in love with God because He listens to me.  He hears my prayers and answers them.  Psalm 116:1

We are blessed.  If we have Jesus in our hearts, we are so very blessed! 

Today I want to focus on some larger chunks of scripture and just marinate in their glory.  Just spend some time thinking on the glory of God and the wonder of His kindness and mercy toward us.  He is a wonder.  He is wonderful. 

Oh Israel, trust the Lord!  He is your helper and your shield.  O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord!  He is your helper and your shield.  All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord!  He is your helper and your shield.  The Lord remembers us and will bless us.  He will bless the people of Israel and bless the priests, the descendants of Aaron.  He will bless those who fear the Lord, both great and lowly.  May the Lord richly bless both you and your children.  May you be blessed by the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.  The heavens belong to the Lord, but He has given the earth to all humanity.  The dead cannot sing praises to the Lord, for they have gone into the silence of the grave.  But we can praise the Lord both now and forevermore!  Praise the Lord!  Psalm 115:9-18

This scripture is ripe with promise.  The types of promises that should bring us a great comfort.  It makes it clear that if we fear the Lord…we should also trust Him…and if we do, we WILL be blessed.  Both us and our children will be blessed. 

It’s worth it to fear the Lord.  It’s an action that has assured outcomes.  Generational outcomes.

Let’s look at one more portion of scripture for today…

I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.  Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!  Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me.  I saw only trouble and sorrow.  Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Please, Lord, save me!”  How kind the Lord is!  How good He is!  So merciful, this God of ours!  The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and He saved me.  Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me.  He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.  And so I walk in the Lord’s presence as I live here on earth!  I believed in You, so I said, “I am deeply troubled, Lord.”  In my anxiety I cried out to You, “These people are all liars!”  What can I offer the Lord for all He has done for me?  I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the Lord’s name for saving me.  I will keep my promises to the Lord in the presence of all His people.  Psalm 116:1-14

I love this so much. 

He hears our prayers.  So, we keep praying.  He is kind.  He is good and merciful.  He protects those with childlike faith. 

I also love how this scripture reminds us that when we believe in Him, we will come to Him when we are troubled.  I wonder how often you do this, as opposed to the times when we try to get ourselves in order before we come to Him.  It takes trust to come to God with your mess and varied emotions.

I encourage you today to come to God with whatever you have in your hand.  Good or bad.  Simply come to Him.  Trust Him like a child would.  Know that His promises are true and rest in His presence.