We are to bloom where we are planted.  We aren’t supposed to wait.  We are meant to embrace every season and stage of life and simply bloom. 

I’ve noticed that many times people want to wait and bloom once circumstances are perfect, or as they think they should look.  But if we wait, we may never bloom. 

Life will never be perfect. 

We must learn how to embrace every season.  The good, the bad, the indifferent.  We can bear fruit in all seasons.  There is always fruit when we walk with God.  Always. 

Have you been blooming?

I ask God all the time, “What does it look like to bloom in this season?”  Then I lean into His heart and listen.  Inevitably, I always see a way.  There’s always good to be found.  We only need to look for it. 

It doesn’t matter what others think about your life.  It doesn’t matter what others think about the way you follow Jesus.  What matters is if you are following Him. 

We can’t expect everyone to love the way we follow God.  He is often unexpected, in our earthly opinions.  He leads with eyes that see eternity, we follow with a very limited understanding…this also means that others can’t see the big picture either, so if they disapprove, it could be based on that limited knowledge. 

So, who should you trust more?

Eyes that see eternity or eyes that see now?

I choose God.

I will bloom as He leads and where He leads. 

I choose a life lived on the road less traveled.  That’s where He resides. 

The Bible is clear that there is a road less chosen.  So, why would we expect to be finding ourselves in unison with many when it’s clear the road is less populated. 

The road less traveled. 

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate.  The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.  But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”  Matthew 7:13-14

Believers often find ourselves on the less populated side of history.  We have to be ok with that. 

To walk with God is to walk separate from the world.  I dare you to bloom where He plants you.

I went for a walk the other day, and as I did, I felt very settled inside.  I realized that many things thatonce caused me to shake, wonder, and feel insecure, have simply fallen away.  I don’t care about much of the nonsense that used to worry me and distract me. 

I feel settled.

I’m where God has me.  I’m doing exactly what He’s asked me to do.  I feel good about Who He is and who I am.  I feel focused and sure.  Settled.

Do you?

It was not too many years ago that I most definitely wasn’t feeling settled.  Instead, I was trying to fit into the mold of others’ expectations.  That’s a miserable place to be, especially since those same people cared nothing for me or my family.

I’ve learned that often times, the things we place above our own family and even our calling from God, are things that have zero regard or interest for us.  Instead, we are serving man for man’s pleasure, not God’s.  I hope I never do that again.

When we begin to walk in who God made each of us to be, we find joy, confidence, steadiness, success, love, and we are settled.  Rooted, if you will.

I’d much rather be those things, wouldn’t you?

Today I encourage you to look around your life and take stock.  Are you in your current relationships outside the home because you are seeking something to fill you and validate you, or are you following God? 

Be honest with yourself. 

Have you ever given God Lordship over your friendships?  I encourage you to take inventory of the people you surround yourself with.  Hold each friendship before the Lord and ask, “Is this something You desire for me, or should I let this relationship go?”  When I was in my twenty’s I began to give friendships to God and it’s, by far, one of the best things I’ve ever done.  There is so much protection in it.  He’s never allowed negative relationships to linger in my life, ever since.  I’m so grateful.

When you allow God to “weed” your life, you will be much more settled.  Removing the negative voices or influences.  Removing the selfish and hindering relationships.  It’s all so important in our journey of growing.  Give God what’s His…your whole life…and He will in return, give you a settled life.

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him.  Let your roots grow down into Him and let your lived be built on Him.  Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.  Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.  For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.  So, you also are complete through your union with Christ, Who is the head over every ruler and authority.  Colossians 2:6-10

I have observed that there are basically two types of people, those who see through eyes of hope and those who don’t.  Of course, you can further nuance this, but I don’t plan to do so today.

I have wondered why hope wanes in some who get well into a path and face trouble, while others face the same type of difficulties and remain in a deep seeded hope?    There is something deep inside of some of us that, even when faced with great difficulty, holds to an internal hope that won’t let go.  While others seem determined to feel sorry for themselves. 

I don’t know which camp you fall into, but I do know that if you find yourself a person who can’t remain hopeful in affliction, you can always be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

The truth is, we all face troubles of many kinds throughout our lives.  All of us.  We can’t measure one person’s problems against another’s…because there are so many different factors involved within each of our lives that make things hard.  We do better to simply realize that we all face problems of many kinds. 

The thing we observe that is most important is how people weather these storms. 

We each have a path; we can each choose paths. 

If God directs you down a certain path and you refuse, then face troubles in your disobedience, I wonder why you would blame Him.  If God sets you on a path, but then He begins to move in a different direction, yet you won’t change because you are so hyper-focused on the first one and can’t trust Him in the change, why would you blame Him when troubles come?  Finally, if God places difficulty in your path to strengthen you for other things, why would you be mad about that?

The following verse is very eye opening…

Those who follow the right path fear the Lord; those who take the wrong path despise Him.            Proverbs 14:2

This boils down a lot of what we see in people…even believers.

Fear of the Lord leads us in the right direction, that’s true, but the second part of the verse is shocking…it demonstrates that when we choose wrong, we are hating Him.  When we decide not to follow His lead, we are showing we despise Him.  That’s pretty black and white, isn’t it?  It makes me desire to check in with Him more often to make sure that He and I are still on the same path.

That’s what I do all that time.  I ask God if I’ve gone off track, or if I’m just learning something new through the challenges. 

When we made the big family changes that I’ve talked about multiple times, and then we faced a lot of challenges, I kept checking in with God and asked if we were being punished or trained.  It’s been a long season of strength training and reshaping.  It’s been hard, but really good at the same time. 

You can tell the difference between “disobedience” hard and “strengthening” hard, if you pay attention.

I encourage you to take heart today.  Look at your life and ask God, “Am I having these troubles because or disobedience or are you teaching me something?”  Then listen.  Listen and feel.  Let God show you where He is and what He is doing.  If you need to make a course correction, then do it.  If you are where He wants you and it’s just hard, then re-focus and keep going.  It’s that simple.

“But it you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve.  Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates?  Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live?  But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”  Joshua 24:15

Fathers are very important to the home.  They are crucial for the family unit to remain strong.  But today I would like to provoke the women toward growth.

A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.           Proverbs 14:1

I have noticed, over the years, that many women…wives and mothers…desperate to have godly families are constantly sabotaging their families by the way they are trying to force what only God can build. 

As a mother and wife, my first response to the conviction of Holy Spirit to make changes in our family dynamic, is to ask God to come in and do it.  Surrender is the response, not strong arming all the family.

What I’ve most often seen is women trying to strong arm or manipulate their families to get in alignment with God.  We all know that is not the way forward.  That’s not a good way to implement real and lasting change. 

Change comes when God moves our hearts. 

As wives and mothers, we must learn to give God the room to make changes in the hearts of our family members. 

When I was a new wife and mother, I often felt such fear over conviction that I would immediately try to force or cajole the family into making changes.  I felt desperate to force the change from fear.  I lived in constant fear. 

Now, years later, I have learned that God hasn’t asked me to be the acting Holy Spirit in our home. 

I’ll never be holy or righteous enough to be anyone’s Holy Spirit.  None of us will be.  We would do well to remember that.

We lead our children better when we bring our own selves under the direction of Holy Spirit and leave the rest to God.  Sure, we can have moments when we are led to speak truth and offer direction or correction.  But that is far different from forcing and manipulating them.  When we’re honest with ourselves, we can discern the difference.

Discernment is crucial.  If we feel lacking in that, all we need to do is ask God for more of it.  Discernment is huge.  We must discern the moments to allow God’s hand to move in our families’ lives; versus the times when He is asking us to do or say something.

God, please show us when to remain quiet.  Lead us in Your way and teach us to discern what You want us to do to partner with You.  Show me whenever I’m trying to become Holy Spirit in my family’s lives.  Please forgive me and lead me forward in confidence…Confidence in You.  Thank You for loving me.  Thank You for loving my family.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.  When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.  She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.  Proverbs 31:25-27

As I was thinking about life and the way we live; thinking about what we believe to be important…I heard in my spirit, “The standard of the world comes with the weight of the world.”

What a deep and true statement.

When we follow the standard of Jesus we find peace.  Our lives are light and full of life. 

When we follow the standard of the world, we find nothing but a deep cavern of expectations we can never fulfill.  We ourselves bound by earthly expectations that don’t reflect heaven at all.  We find a yoke of difficulty…self-made difficulty.  Things we can’t live up to. 

Scripture says,

Then Jesus said, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you.  Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”      Matthew 11:28-30

When we partner with Christ we live from rest.  We are taught by a humble Father, Who is gentle and that teaching gives rest.

What an amazing concept! 

God’s instruction is nothing like the teaching of the world.  His standard is higher than man’s.  Though it’s higher, it is easier.  Lighter.  Restful.

When we follow the world, we find ourselves being used as a work horse.  There’s a standard in the world that is never satisfied…both in the church and outside of the church.  The religious spirit is never satisfied.  The liberal spirit is never satisfied.  It’s never enough.

Our God is more than enough, so when we bring to Him our very best, He meets us with more than enough.  The world meets us with a vacuum. 

If you are feeling worn out and left ragged by life, I encourage you to take some time today and meet with God.  Ask Him if you’ve taken on the weight of the world.   If you have, it’s simply time to realign.  Ask God to forgive you and place you back under His yoke.  Take His yoke upon you and learn from Him.  It’s not too late.

God, help me to remain in Your yoke.  Teach me and lead me in Your ways.  Cover my eyes from the distractions of the world.  Let me be wholly focused on You and Your ways.  Teach me to follow You.  Show me the way.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I want to piggyback on yesterday’s devotional with a deeper topic.

There are moments in the dreaming season when God brings in a change of plans.  We have spoken about this regarding Abraham and Isaac, remember?

There are moments in the dream fulfillment process when God brings about a change of plans.  What is your response to these moments?

White knuckled resistance is often the first one.  Tantrums and pouting is often the second. 

But something beautiful happens when we decide to partner with change.  Some of the greatest dreams fulfilled in my life came through the route of change.  Of surrender. 

From the ashes I have seen God bring the most beautiful things.  As He burned down all my presumptions and preconceived notions, I found something far more beautiful.

From the fires of surrender, the phoenix of reformed dreams emerges. 

Fire is necessary for forging.  To soften the metal, it must get very hot.  Then it’s pounded into shape…why would we imagine that our lives would be full of ease and leisure when we know we are going to be forged in the fire? 

We’ve talked about these topics before, but they keep coming up again…so I’m going to keep talking about them. 

In this season of the earth, we must be more willing to change and be changed.  We must learn to let go of what we thought things would be, to embrace what will be.  It’s so much better than we imagined.

In our little family, we’ve seen so many blooms of dreams fulfilled lately.  They look much different than we imagined, different than I imagined, but so much better.  They were only able to be formed because we became willing to live the life God was giving us, not the one we imagined as best. 

The best we can imagine, and the best God has for us, these are two very different things.

One will disappoint.  One will be far more than we could ask or imagine. 

Won’t you decide today to let God be the Leader of your life?  I have decided to followJesus, no turning back.  No turning back.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.  “And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.  For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.  “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth.  They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.  It is the same with My word.  I send it out, and it always produces fruit.  It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.  You will live in joy and peace.  The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!  Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow.  Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up.  These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of His power and love.”  Isaiah 55:8-13

Have you ever had a dream?

Have you ever fully believed that God gave you that dream?

What was your response to that?

Sometimes God gives us a desire, a glimpse of a dream, then we take it in hand, white knuckled and demand it to come to fruition based on our limited knowledge and understanding.  We fuss and cry and are angry with God for not giving us what He promised.

We miss the whole point.  Can God lie?  No.  Then why don’t we act like that’s true?

When God gives us a dream in our hearts, He is giving us an opportunity to learn how to trust.  It’s an opportunity to learn more about Him.  It’s an opportunity to grow and mature.  A chance to develop a deeper relationship with Him. 

Yet often we become like spoiled children and throw a fit because it’s not happening the way we wanted it to.  We accuse God.  We berate Him.  We turn away from Him.  We act like we’ve been forsaken…but I wonder if we are not the ones who have forsaken…our first Love. 

At times we are like that toddler who was given a toy, then they yank it away from everyone and shout, “Mine!” when someone tries to show them how the toy works.  There they are with a gift, but they don’t know how to use it because they are being selfish and greedy.  They are so afraid of losing the toy that they hold it instead of learning how to play with it.

Our dreams should never become more important to us than God.  Yet they often do.  We often act like that toddler I just described.

But it’s never too late to make a change. 

Dreams are like hope.  They can motivate us toward the future.  They give us a chance to watch God be the conductor of the orchestra of our lives.  It’s exciting…but only when we take our hands off and allow Him to do whatever He wants to do.

Our dreams most often must die before we see them brought to life.  Meaning, we have to let go of all assumptions, release all expectations, remove our hands from the controls, and allow God to do as He will or won’t do. 

There are dreams that I’ve died to and never have seen again…so far.  There are other dreams that I’ve laid down, walked away from, saw die, then suddenly as if out of nowhere…they were reborn.  But you know how it goes, when something is reborn it’s better than it was originally. 

One plant goes to seed and produces many more plants.  I see dreams the same way.  Sometimes, most of the time really, they need to die so they produce a greater harvest. 

Hold onto hope friend.  Be patient.  Let God be God.  He is the dream.   

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, Who created all the lights in the heavens.  He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.  He chose to give birth to us by giving us His true word.  And we, out of all creation, became His prized possession.  James 1:17-18

I have noticed many people struggling with hope.  Whether it’s in their own family life, or because of the craziness in the world…many are struggling to remain in hope.

Friends, as long as God is still God, there is reason to hope.  Never forget that.

When we lose hope it’s because we’ve lost sight of God. 

Just now as I typed these words, I saw myself holding a heavenly hand.  Then I felt that hand slipping out of mine…and it was simple and clear…when we stop holding the hand of God, we stop having hope.  We don’t have to let it slip away.

But what we do need to do is this…whenever we feel hopelessness threatening us, we remind our hearts and minds that God is real.  That He is already in our future, therefore, we have eternal hope.

Fear comes when we imagine our future apart from God.  It’s that simple.

So many things in life are simple…don’t you see that’s why one weapon of the enemy is to throw as much confusion into the mix as possible? 

For example, God created them male and female.  That’s simple.  The enemies lie is easy to see then…there are countless genders, he says.  Look at those two statements side by side and tell me how it’s not simple.

We choose to trade the truth for a lie when we choose to allow everything to become complicated.

There is right and there is wrong.  It’s that simple.

We can’t let others desire for us to feel sorry for them to dilute that.  Right and wrong do exist.  It’s a moral foundation we desperately need. 

When we boil down life to it simple state, we find God again.  Self can grow so large and in such subtle ways that many well-meaning believers have been led astray.  I implore you, today, return to the simple and find renewed hope!

And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when He returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from Him in shame.  Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children 1 John 2:28-29

The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul.  The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.  The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart.  the commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.  Psalm 19:7-8

I have noticed that more and more people do not want to receive any sort of criticism.  They don’t want to be accountable.  They don’t want to be questioned in any way, rather they demand that even their folly be held up as truth.  It’s nonsense.

This pendulum, I believe, has been swinging back this far because for a long time there was such an emphasis on accountability.  That wasn’t a bad idea at its root, but it became a very perverse thing.  Leaders were not walking in the same accountability they demanded from their flock.  Or if they were in some sort of accountability, it was only with other leaders like them, who were afraid to truly correct them, lest they cause a rift.

We must stop allowing the mistakes of the past to destroy our present and future.

Here is what God says:

If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept correction, you will be honored.  Proverbs 13:18

I understand some of the reasons people avoid criticism.  First of all, it can hurt.  Second, I have received some very unfounded criticism from some very self-serving and hypocritical people in the past.  I get it.  But we’d be fools to imagine that just because some people are that way, we don’t need to be corrected by anyone.

I’ve discovered the best Adviser.  When I remain sensitive, God has a gentle way of correcting my heart.  I’ve noticed that He mostly uses others to correct us if we’ve first ignored Him on multiple occasions.  He wants to instruct our hearts.  He wants to be the One teaching us, it’s just that sometimes we simply ignore that still small voice…so He brings in another to assist.  You can disagree if you’d like to, but this is honestly the way I see it.

We all need correction sometimes.  None of us is immune.

God makes it clear that He will show us the way to go…

But you have received the Holy Spirit, and He lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true.  For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what He teaches is true- it is not a lie.  So just as He has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.  1 John 2:27

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.  John 14:26

If we have Holy Spirit within, then we carry all truth inside of us.  He will show us the way to go if we simply listen and obey.  It’s that simple.

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.  For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions.  These are not from the Father but are from this world.  And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave.  But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.  1 John 2:15-17

It’s funny how things change. 

I remember before I had kids, I thought I knew all the answers to parenthood.  I would watch others and criticize them in my heart while they worked at parenting.  Then I had kids, and the great humbling began.

Likewise, when I finally surrendered my whole life to God, at first, I became insufferable to others in my pridefulness and being “right”.  I always say, the pendulum swings far over at first, then it levels out.  In other words, I had been so dead in this world, doing so many bad things, that when I came to Jesus I went as far from that as possible in an attempt to right myself.  Then I ran into grace and that’s finally when I hit the wall that showed me how to be saved by Jesus alone, not my own works, lest I boast.

Does this make sense?

Sometimes, when we’ve not yet tried a thing, we think we have all the answers but don’t.  Other times, we learn we’ve been so wrong that when we attempt rightness, we become insufferable.

I’m sure, if you’re being honest, that you’ve experienced at least one of these phenomena. 

Let’s be real though, none of us is righteous on our own.  Not even one.

Jesus is everything.

Right now, as I typed those three words, I saw myself pouring a water jug over Jesus’ feet.  In a moment of holy surrender, I pour out my attempts to be “right” and simply come to receive.  To find rest. 

What would happen if we became generations of God’s people who learned how to simply dwell.  How would this change the way we interact with the world?  What if our politicians were those who dwelled.  What if we elected those who relentlessly pursued Christ, fasting and praying frequently.  Those who refuse to apologize for the faith which we know all need, lest they be surrendered to the flames of hell.

Oh Lord, have mercy on us.  We are weak without You.  Our ways are such a failure without You.  Come and emblazon our hearts with passion for Your presence.  With wisdom and understanding of Your Word.  Let the evangelical and Biblical Christians be merged.  Let those who’ve only focused on Presence, enter the healing waters of Your word.  Let those who deny the works of Holy Spirit and only read the Word, have face to Face encounters with Who You truly are, and in doing so, become awake to Your steadily moving hand in Holy Spirit’s activity on the earth today.  Let the two sides come together, God.  Burn the “platforms” and let the true believers become the leaders.  Let those who abandon themselves to You be those who lead others.  Come in power, authority, and truth.  Release grace, true grace, over Your body that we could lead in confident and trustworthy truth.  Oh God, rescue America.  Your nation.  Let our foundations cry out for redemption, in Jesus’ name.  Come Holy Spirit invade this country and set us back to rights.  Come Lord and unlock us from the administrations of hell.  You are the only holy One.  We are called to be set apart.  We have been slowly invaded since shortly after our conception and continuing over many, many years, laying a foundation for the onslaught occurring today.  Come and deliver us from the evil one, bent on destruction.  Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.  (Matthew 6:13)

But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done.  The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.  If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward.  But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss.  The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.  Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?  God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple.  For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.  Stop deceiving yourselves.  If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.  As the Scriptures say, “He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.” 1 Corinthians 3:13-19