Have you ever felt like you were suffocating? As if the pressures and uncertainties of this life had become weights upon your chest and you struggled to even take the shallowest of breaths? I certainly have. There are times when I feel so pressed in upon from every side that my breath is cut short by the pressure. I am aware that many of you may be feeling exactly this way right now.

I have good news, though, God is the breath of life. It’s amazing how just typing those words made my lungs suddenly fill up with air.

Friend, when we acknowledge Who God is, then we come into agreement with all that He does. It affords us so much grace. God is the breath of life. It was the air from His lungs that first filled Adams body, and He’s been doing it ever since.

Today, I want to offer you an opportunity to lean into the Father’s chest and listen to Him breathing. Imagine that life giving breath breathing over you as you lay on Him. Can you feel the rising of His chest with each inhalation? Do you feel the peaceful release of His every exhale?

Stop. Take a moment. Listen. Lean.

He’s breathing over you. Do you feel your own breathing becoming steady now? Isn’t it amazing how that works?!

I pray that every time you feel you chest tighten or your throat close up with all the fears of life, you’ll choose to stop. Stop and take a moment to listen and lean. Hear His breath, and feel His chest rise and fall and let Him give you your breath back.

Prayer Moment: My hope is that today you will take multiple pit stops and allow yourself to re-center. Lean into the Lord and allow Him to give you your breath back. He is never in a rush, so take your time. Remove yourself from the orbit of this life and come into the orbit of heaven as you breathe and listen. He loves you and longs for this intimate encounter with you.

Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. Genesis 2:7

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Job 33:4

Thus says God, the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and what comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it.            Isaiah 42:5

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”                 John 20:21-22

It feels as if so many things are out of balance during this time. It’s hard not to feel like a political pawn, as if my life is only as significant as my vote. Watching some over-reaching politicians attempt to force their “enlightened” directives over our lives, makes me feel sick. The complete arrogance of it all is, at times, suffocating. Every day feels like a fight to establish equilibrium.

Equilibrium: A state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced. A calm state of mind. A state in which a process and its reverse are occurring at equal rates so that no overall change is taking place. A situation in which supply and demand are matched and prices stable.

Given all of the above definitions of that word, it’s obvious to see why we are in such a battle with chaos. The opposing forces in our lives are in an all-out tug-of-war, it would seem. But that doesn’t mean we cannot achieve this “calm state of mind” that is also a definition of the word.

If we allow God to constantly be renewing our minds, then we are much more likely to maintain some sort of balance even in the most pressing set of circumstances. We are called to “no longer be tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching. This is probably a good time to read the verse in full.

Until we reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Ephesians 4:13-14

And the verse I mentioned before this…

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. Romans 12:2-3

I know I’ve used both of these verses before, but they are so powerful and bear repeating many times.

During this time when the enemy is using the weapon of fear to try to steer the world, we must fight him off and find our equilibrium every single day. One of our greatest weapons during this specific battle is a sound mind. Believe me, it is a weapon. Through keeping a sound mind, we remain open to further instruction from the Father.

Prayer Moment: Friends, I won’t lie to you, when fear is roaming the earth, we have one choice, to partner with it or to partner with God. To make it more plain I would say, when we partner with fear then we are partnering with a spirit that is NOT from God and is in fact of the enemy. So, when we partner with peace we partner with God. It’s time to choose.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and a sound mind (or self -control).  2 Timothy 1:7

There have been so many times when I have felt as if life is a dance. The swaying back and forth and the dips and lifts and spins. Even having my toes stepped on or stepping on someone else’s toes. It all feels like a dance to me.

When you begin to dance, you don’t go into it having already decided the moves you will dance and the way you will dance before you hear the music. No, the only way to dance successfully is to first listen to the sound, style, and rhythm of the music. From there you can use whatever moves are appropriate for that particular piece.

Life is much like this. Every day presents us with a new song. This is one reason that quiet time is so desperately important. If we don’t first rise early and listen to God to determine the rhythm of the day, then we are much more likely to be stressed out or disappointed.

Living out this strange quarantine time and even when life opens back up and we begin to acclimate to normal living again, it is and will be very important to establish our tempo with God. He knows what our days should look like, we can trust Him to walk us exactly where and when we should go.

This “downtime” has presented us with a unique opportunity to reset. Why not make the most of this time by learning to establish a routine with God. Even though we aren’t leaving the house much right now, I still rise well before my children so I can have time to fully wake up and be with God before I am thrust into mothering for the day. This has been an extremely important practice for me for many years now, so I knew when all this chaos began, one of the biggest gifts I could give my family was for me to have a steady and deliberate pace.

My children, and most children for that matter, find comfort and stability in having a routine. That fact has not changed. So, as their mother I have given them that gift. I wake them up at a certain time every weekday morning and we begin remote school at a certain time, and we eat lunch and dinner together as a family every day, etc. It has brought a harmonious balance to this time. It’s made this forced and unwelcomed quarantine time much more tolerable, in fact, we have ended up enjoying the strengthening of our family bonds.

Finding blessing in all circumstances, that’s my style.

Prayer Moment: Whether you already rock having a steady schedule or not, it’s never too late.  Maybe you love a schedule, but struggle with letting it go sometimes in order to live life fully, I too have found that to sometimes be my struggle. Whatever camp you are in, take a minute and allow God to shine His light on your day to day activities. Give Him permission to change the music, if He needs to do so. I promise, you will not regret it. Let’s all fight to find the fullness of this time when the enemy sought to isolate us. Instead, wouldn’t it be great if we all came out of this with more solid family units? That’s what I am fighting for right now.

Let’s revisit an old and familiar verse in a new translation….

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me- watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythm of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. Matthew 11:28-30

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

We are always and at all times called to be the light of the world.  Today I encourage you to press into God’s heart and ask Him exactly how you are to let your light shine right now. Don’t let quarantine be an excuse to shut off from everyone and just survive. We are called to shine our light no matter what is going on. There are always ways and opportunities for us, as believers, to shine. Remember, God is light.

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7

God is always light, in Him there is no darkness. I just love that!

We are called to make disciples of every nation, even right now from our homes. What can you be doing to advance the kingdom of God right now? It definitely starts at home. Right now, I am remote schooling all four of my kids, and while its been stretching and a huge change, its also become a great time to pour into each of them one on one. This opportunity is unique and I plan to make the most of it. I sit with my two youngest through each of their classes and we work together through their homework. It’s been a beautiful interaction. We all meet on the deck for lunch every day and we linger longer than normal. We laugh and talk and simply enjoy being a family. You see, I am being the light of the world when I love my family well. I have also been sowing into the Facebook world by making, first scripture reading videos of encouragement and now worship videos. This was quite a stretch for me, but when God directed me to do this, I knew I must take hold of the opportunity to share His peace with the world.

Circumstances don’t dictate my calling. I am called as a worship leader and encourager, so I simply needed to listen to God’s direction in order to discover my way to release that during this time.

Prayer Moment: Your calling also remains the same. I encourage you to take some time today to ask God how He would have you continue walking it out with Him right now. I also encourage you to lean into the beauty and glory of family. Yes, we are all together more than ever, but no, that’s not a bad thing. It’s the key. Revival on the earth begins with family. We are living in a huge opportunity. Take hold of it and see what God will do!

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew28:18-20

During this time of many conflicting reports, it can be so overwhelming. I’ve heard a lot of people, even believers, who seem to be recklessly spouting off one bit of uninformed news after another and without realizing it they are adding to the confusion and stress of this time.  It has caused me to pause repeatedly. Years ago, God showed me the importance of the tongue and how important it is what we do and don’t say. He also showed me that it’s important how and with what we partner.  When I hear two words about a situation, I will look for the one that carries peace and promise, and I will partner in that direction.

Friends, during regular life, and definitely during more stressful times like this, we have a choice to partner with fear or promise.  I choose promise.

I can actually feel when a word is being driven from the root of fear and you can rest assured that I will avoid it, and likely distance myself from the carrier of that word.  I am always looking to surround myself with those who carry promise. It matters. If this is a new practice to you, then I guarantee it will change your life! By doing this you will increase your ability to hear and know the truth. We all add fuel to the fire by what we say, the only question is which fire are you fueling? Are you adding fuel to the fear or adding to the promise? We are responsible for every word we speak. That’s a heavy weight to carry, but it’s also such a divine invitation to partner with heaven by what we speak.

There are a lot of lies and liars in this world, we must be so set on the voice of wisdom that we can discern the spirit behind the speaker.

Here are some verses from Proverbs that help me to stop and remember the importance of every word.

How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver! The highway of the upright avoids evil; he who guards his way guards his life. Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasing words promote instruction. Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it, but folly brings punishment to fools. A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.  Proverbs 16:16-24

Prayer Moment:  Friends, now more than ever we must seek out wisdom and discernment. The only true wisdom comes from God. We are in a day and age when we must ask Him to open our eyes and to give us each a truly discerning heart. We are navigating hard waters, but with wisdom and discernment as our oars, we can make it through. I encourage you to lean into God and ask Him to increase your supply of wisdom and discernment. He is willing.

As I sit and write this morning, I am in my own home and have the privilege of being completely alone. As a wife and mom of four this is a real rarity, and I will cherish each moment. This is not because I don’t love my family, quite the contrary, this is because I love them.

Knowing myself and that I need alone time to refuel and re-energize means that I will seek out these moments and use them to sit in the stillness, get tasks done, eat some good food, worship, write, and any other thing my heart desires.  These are things that refill my tank.

For many years, I carried a deep guilt at the thought of needing some pockets of alone time. Then I realized this was some unhealthy and unnecessary expectation that I had allowed to be placed upon me. The enemy was using that guilt to keep me exhausted, both physically and emotionally. It kept me in a place where I was always pouring out and struggling to find any time to be filled, but as you know, a person cannot give what they do not have. Now, I make it a priority to find pockets of alone. I rise before my family every day. I do this completely intentionally, so I can sit with God and have my tea and coffee and then be emotionally ready to embrace each member of my family. I do this because I love God and want to spend time with Him. I do this because I need to.

So, this next couple of days, I am receiving a kiss from God, in the form of alone time, and I am simply grateful. His presence was here when I woke up. His Spirit keeps falling on me as I write. We are enjoying one another. Earlier I began to feel like I should orchestrate my day, so I get the most out of it, and then I felt the gentle nudge to just be still. So, I made a decision to walk out this day at God’s tempo, not mine and I will listen to His invitation to do or not do things, then I know when this day ends I will be full.

Prayer Moment:  Friends, even during this time of quarantines and restrictions, it is important to tend to your soul. What are you needing? God will make a way for you to receive the things you need. Just be honest with Him, He already knows. Ask Him to provide ways for you to connect with Him. If you refuel from being with others, then ask Him for creative ideas to have that place in your heart filled. He will do it. He knows who you are and what you need, He made you the way you are, don’t be ashamed of it.

How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in You. In the shelter of Your presence You hide them from the intrigues of men; in Your dwelling You keep them safe from accusing tongues. Psalm 31:19-20

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Proverbs 14:30

 

 

Now that the world has been mostly shut down, and our lives feel largely out of our control, now what?  Where do we go from here?  Have we lost all sense of independence and safety?  I should hope not.

This is one place we can rest.

If the Lord delights in a man’s way, He makes his steps firm, though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.  I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.  They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.  Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.  For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake His faithful ones.  Psalm 37:23-28

Scripture is simply bursting with words affirming us and reinforcing the truth that we are a blessed people.  Now is the time to be so immersed in scripture that you go to it before you listen to the world.  If you feel scared by reports you hear, then go to the word and remind your heart that you are a chosen people, set apart for God’s goodness.

Even in the trouble He reminds us that He as overcome the world.

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

When I lean on this verse it grants me so much peace.  When I hear “bad” news and it makes me feel unstable, then I recite those words to myself and as I lean on them I become steady again.

The Bible is a weapon.  It’s time for God’s people to partner with Holy Spirit and get into the word.  It’s time to speak verses out loud in our homes and as we go here or there.  It’s time church.  Our time has come.  It’s time to pick up an actual Bible and lay aside the phone for a minute.  Let yourself experience the feeling of the pages as you thumb through it and read.  It’s time to pray and ask Holy Spirit to guide you to the passages that are for your strengthening today.  It’s time.

Prayer Moment:  Now what?  Church arise! How?  Get in the word and listen to Holy Spirit as He guides you to the truth and encouragement that you need.  Spend a little extra time in your prayer closet seeking His face.  It’s time to seek God’s kingdom first.  The time is now for our reverence to lead us into a deeper encounter with the King of kings.  He holds this world in His hands, we can trust Him to lead us now.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Matthew 6:33

Over the last few days, especially, I have felt a deeper invitation from the Lord.  An invitation to come where few will go.  To the deep.

Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your waves and breakers have swept over me.  Psalm 42:7

The deep places of God cry out to our deep places and likewise, the depths within us cry out for His depths.  It’s a beautiful exchange.

This time of isolation is an invitation to discover, or rediscover, a deeper walk with Abba.  So often, in the busyness of our days we can begin to have a more surface relationship with Him.  Or some of us didn’t yet realize that we could have something deeper.  Now is the time.

This could be the fruit of all of this craziness that we are enduring.  A deeper exchange with God.

This devotional will be short because, it too is an invitation.  This devotional is an invitation to go away to your prayer closet and really begin to press in to the Deep.  Ask God to draw you to a deeper place within Him.  Don’t be afraid.  You simply need to surrender to Him.  He will lead you, and you can rest assured that He won’t lead you where He won’t go.  There are parts of God that few will ever know, this side of heaven, because they are not like anything you can know on this earth.  I’ve seen things.  I’ve heard things and felt things, and sometimes I can’t explain them, but isn’t that the beauty of it all?!  My God is mysterious and so infinite that I can’t reach the fullness of Him, but I will never stop trying.  Never.

Prayer Moment:  If you are willing, then pray this prayer.  God, I long to reach deeper into You.  I want to know You more.  My body aches with the desire to know more and more of You.  As the verse says, “As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after You.”  I am longing for You in ways I can’t express with words.  Only You can fulfill my longing.  I surrender to whatever You want to show me today.  Take me as deep as I can go.  You know my heart, I want to know Yours better.  Come and take me away with You.  I am surrendered. I’m all in.  In Jesus name, Amen.

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.  2 Chronicles 16:9a

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  Isaiah 43:18-19a

Loophole: An ambiguity or inadequacy in the law or a set of rules. 

When God spoke this word to me, I knew in my heart exactly what He was saying. As a follower of Christ, when there is a struggle in the world, even though my family may be affected in different ways we still walk it out abundantly.  We find ourselves being provided for in miraculous ways, both financially and relationally.  We carry a peace so firmly rooted in our core, that the tumultuous ways of the world, while still around us, don’t carry us away.  We (followers of Christ) seem to live in a loophole.

Let that sink in.

I have observed many people walk through very challenging situations, and those who are closely knitted together with the Father are always afforded so much protection, provision, support, etc. it is amazing.  When our family deals with trials we still find ourselves walking in an almost unearthly place through the whole event.  In my heart and mind, I am always certain we will make it through and that better things are coming, and they always do!

God has placed within His people, the DNA of heaven.  We have been grafted into God’s family line, through Christ Jesus, and now we can rest in our Father’s hand.  It’s time again, to remember Who your Daddy is.

Even though you already know what I’m about to write, it bears repeating all throughout our life.

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are grafted into the family line of God.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone.  In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Holy Spirit.   Ephesians 2:19-22

Prayer Moment:  God, thank You for grafting me into Your family.  Help me to always remember my position in Your house as I walk out the day to day life I lead.  Give me a clearer vision of how You would have me move forward each day.  Help me to step into the authority You have given to me as Your daughter.  Bless me as I learn more about what it truly means to be Your daughter.  Remove all poverty spirit that would threaten to block me from stepping into more of You, in Jesus name.  Give me the wisdom and courage to face each lie that comes to threaten me.  Show me Your truth every day.  Soak me in Your presence every day.  I adore You.  In Jesus name, Amen.

…and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root… Romans 11:17b

I continually seem to be receiving invitations from the Holy Spirit to step out in different ways (ministry opportunities).  These invitations are solely coming from the Spirit, not from people on this earth.  I find myself following a unique and different path.  It’s my own walk with God.  From the wellspring of relationship, I have found the deep connection with the Father that leads to His leading….for lack of a better word.

Here are a few things that I’ve learned about following His voice and saying “Yes” to the promptings of Holy Spirit.

First, just say “yes”.  Don’t take a minute to think about it or try to figure out the how’s.  When you feel the Holy Spirit wash over you in an undeniable way, and you suddenly feel the fullness of a directive from God, just agree, He will work it all out for you as you go.  The “yes” is your job, the working it out is His.  Whenever I surrender to this process, I find Him working in truly mysterious ways that I could never comprehend. We see with earthly eyes and limited understanding.  He sees from eternity.

Second, partner with His word, don’t direct it.  When God says He wants to do something in or through me, then I simply say “yes” and continue to walk out life still listening, but not trying to contrive the outcome on my own.  I simply remain aware that He is working, and I will know when it happens.  Too often, in my past, I’d hear God say He wanted to do something, and I would suddenly feel consumed with the task of getting it done.  It led me to make many mistakes and to actually stop partnering with God’s timing because I would try to push the agenda through, or I would become a grumbling complainer and throw a pity party, wondering why His plan was taking so long.  How this must grieve the Father.  He had tried to share a secret with me, and I had taken it over and become ungrateful, I believe we’ve all fallen prey to this downfall.  It grieves my heart so much.  Now I see this mistake for the foolishness that it is.

Third, never let a directive from God supersede your relationship with Him.  Don’t become more focused on what He said He will do, than you are on praising and worshiping Him.  He is more important than any word He’s ever spoken.  Remaining in a constant state of patient reverence keeps my heart in check.  It stops me from glorifying myself and what He’s done in and through me and keeps me focused on my first Love.  He is everything.

Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list, but hopefully it will give you some things to consider and will serve as a way to begin a conversation with the Father.

Prayer Moment:  God, forgive me for anytime that I have taken Your word and handled it improperly.  Continue teaching me how to steward Your word.  I love you, Abba.  You are more important to me than anything else. Keep my eyes focused on Yours so that I will remain in partnership and relationship with You always and in all circumstances.  I am Yours, both now and forever.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.  The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.  Psalm 147:5-6

Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget My words or swerve from them.  Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.  Wisdom is supreme; therefore, get wisdom.  Though it cost all your have get understanding.  Proverbs 4:5-7