in your lane ...

‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper and every tongue which rises against you in judgment is already condemned’  Isaiah 54:17

 

Stay in your lane –

It is usually said flippantly as a polite – not at all polite – way to say,

Mind your own business!

Yet, sometimes we need to remind ourselves and speak this to our own selves

 

But, what does that look like, practically and spiritually?

It looks like us fixing our eyes, minds and hearts on the right things

It is you & I staying out of matters that are not in our control

It is each one of us rejecting the impulse to ‘counsel’ God

It is each one of us focusing on all we know to do that is right

We stay in our lane and God stays in His lane … as only He can do

There is a story in the book of Esther –

Esther was a young Jewish girl. She was taken to the palace of the king and eventually became queen where she was tasked with being a voice to help save her people. It is a wonderful Bible account and one which had lasting implications. We will delve into Esther’s story later this year. But today, I would like to focus on the backstory of Esther’s cousin Mordecai.

 

Mordecai raised Esther after the death of her parents. He also served faithfully in the king’s court. However, he was hated and despised by a man named Haman – a man who would ultimately be responsible for plotting the destruction of the Jewish people [the very plot Esther had to fight against]. But before Haman set out to destroy all of the Jewish people, he set his sights on destroying one particular Jewish person, Mordecai – even erecting a gallows on which to hang Mordecai.  

Long story short, Mordecai ‘stayed in his lane’ by continuing to focus on what he knew to be right. He did not have to worry or think about any of Haman’s evil plotting against him individually. The Bible does not note whether Mordecai was even aware of Haman’s plot to attack him personally – to take his life and rob him of a future. Mordecai did not know – but God was fully aware of everything that was transpiring. And Haman ended up getting caught in the very trap he set for another. He reaped what he attempted to sow into the life of Mordecai, ultimately being hanged on the very same gallows which were erected at his command. And Mordecai kept living, traveling in his God-ordained lane.

Understand and know –

As we ‘stay in our lane’ … we free God to fully occupy His lane

We remove troublesome ‘traffic’ from His lane & what He is doing

Not that we could thwart the plans of God;

God is an expert at being & showing who He is

Yet we frustrate ourselves when we jump lanes and try to be God; and while we may want them to ‘get got’ now, God knows best

The battle is not ours – it belongs to the LORD

He is perfectly capable of working out His plans for us

He has good plans –  to prosper and not to harm, to give a hope and future (Jer. 29:11) and He promises that no weapon formed against us shall prosper.

He puts all things, situations – and people – in their designated lane

But, He does it in His time … in His way.

Esther is one of two books in the Bible that does not mention God

            But His presence and providence is evident

Likewise – you may not be able to see God in your current situation

            But He is ever working for your good and for His glory

No weapon formed against you shall prosper.

They can lie, cheat, manipulate and plot to steal from you

But, what God has for you is for you – and when He determines it is time for you to move forward, to spring forward into the plans and purposes that He has for you, nothing can stop it!

 

‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him,

who have been called according to His purpose.’

Romans 8:28

spring time

‘Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.’  

Isaiah 43:19

Springtime –

It is a brand new season;

A time for flowers and trees to bud

A time for things which laid dormant through the winter

          to spring to new life

A time for planting in anticipation of the showers of Spring

It is a wonderful time of the year – naturally and spiritually

It is the time of year where we reflect upon the sacrifice of Christ;

            But more importantly upon His resurrection

His death would have been meaningless if He did not rise again – but He did!

So it is with each one of us individually

The instances of death  - dreams, hopes, desires - it would all be pointless without some sort of redemptive quality

As such, we have this assurance from the LORD: ‘I will give you back what you lost in the years when swarms of locusts ate your crops. It was I who sent this army against you.’ Joel 2:25GNT

He will give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a disheartened spirit. [Isaiah 61:3]

This is not a word for everyone – for there are seasons for everything … ‘a time to every purpose under heaven.’ (Ecclesiastes. 3:1) To you I say, ‘wait on the LORD and be of good courage. Wait patiently for the LORD.’ Psalm 27:14 Your time is coming.

However, if this is your 'now' word, you will know. It will resonate deeply in your heart and soul with what the LORD has been whispering to you of late. It will ignite a passion, excitement and mind-boggling anticipation, causing hope to spring to life in a tangible way. To those of you, I say, get ready! The LORD [not myself] says, “Look … See! Be astonished! Wonder! For I  am doing something in your days – you would not believe it if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5 

Have a Blessed Day!

 

‘… the old is passed, behold all things are made new.’

II Corinthians 5:17 DRB

REST

Good Morning!

I pray all is going well with you this morning –

Hopefully, you have been able to get some much needed rest this holiday weekend

Rest – it is an important element which often gets overlooked

It is so essential to … REST

I know that it sometimes feels as though there is no time to REST –

Yet, our bodies [and our lives] cannot function properly without times of refreshing

There is a story in the book of I Kings which tells of a day in the life of the prophet Elijah:

‘He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die.’ I Kings 19:4

 

Here we have a mighty man of God, on the heels of a great victory

            He had called down fire from heaven … and it fell! I Kings 18:38

Yet, here he is one chapter later completely despondent

What happened?

The battle had exhausted him and left him utterly undernourished – spiritually & physically

And what was God’s prescription?

What grand solution did Jehovah-Rophe, the LORD who heals, offer?

REST, EAT, GET IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD

‘Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” … He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat for the journey is too much for you.”' I Kings 19:5-7

 

THE JOURNEY IS TOO MUCH

We have not had to call down fire from heaven –

Yet many of us have felt that the journey through 2020 has been too much, ‘way too much’

But – take heart

Despite the reality of the challenges, there still remains a REST

‘Thus far, you have survived 100% of the toughest moments life has thrown your way.’

 

LIKE AN INFANT

I had a discussion a while back with my friend where I was sharing the importance of REST

I told her there are times when I get restless, impatient and downright cranky;

            whining and sometimes crying; wanting to be consoled and left alone all at once

In those moments, I shared with her, I imagine a scene plays out in heaven…

The angels are gathered around the throne and they are completely perplexed:

‘My LORD, WHAT is wrong with her?!’

And I imagine the LORD calmly responding,

‘She’s fine … she just needs a nap. She’s tired and hungry and she needs her Heavenly Father.’

 

It used to be that way when my sons were infants. It was not often but they would have those moments when they would start to get ‘fussy’. They were tired, or hungry [sometimes both] and they needed REST! Sometimes all they needed was to know that I was close by, that I was present ...and then they could REST.

 

It is amazing what a little rest will do – emotionally, spiritually and physically

It also helps our perspective, so we may see more clearly

But the act of rest it is not a one-time occurrence

We must be intentional about seeking out regular moments of rest & rejuvenation

Forty days after that encounter with the angel of the LORD, Elijah was in a cave;

And the LORD came to him where he was:

‘The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” I Kings 19:11

Even if you are too weary from the current journey and for the next journey,

The LORD will meet you right where you are

He is the Omni-Present One …there is no escaping His presence

 

HIS PRESENCE IS KEY

The refueling – whatever that may look like – is great

            Water, food, exercise, prayer, meditation

The rest – in all its forms – is helpful

            Naps, sleep, sitting in silence

But the getting in the presence of the LORD – it is absolutely essential

His presence is key!

 

This morning –

Whether you only have today or the remainder of this week heading into the new year;

Be intentional about carving out meaningful moments of rest, in His presence

Take time to pursue and enjoy REST –

recovering from the present journey and preparing for all that is to come

 

Have a Rest-Filled & Blessed Day!

‘He gives His beloved rest.’  Psalm 127:2

‘The LORD provides for those He loves, even while they are sleeping.’ Psalm 127:2

BLESSINGS THAT BAFFLE

Greetings Friends …

I pray all is well with you tonight - 

It has been a while since I’ve written

This has been a challenging year … to put it mildly

Yet, something gripped me today was I was listening to music and working

 

I was listening to a compilation of songs by Elevation Worship and Chandler Moore and in that video, they start singing a blessing:

‘The LORD bless you, and keep you,

Make His face shine upon you … and be gracious to you

The LORD turn His face toward you … and give you peace’

 

The blessing was not the part that gripped me.

I have prayed that same blessing many times – over my friends here

No – it was something else and not just the words of a verse

 

As they continued, this chorus resounded:

May His favor be upon you and a thousand generations,

And your family and your children and their children, and their children

May His presence go before you, and behind you, and beside you, all around you, and within you – 

He is with you, He is with you

In the morning and the evening,

In your coming and your going, in your weeping and rejoicing

He is for you … He is for you

 

And in an instant – I was completely overcome and undone

The words of that song took on such great depth and perspective

I suddenly found myself effortlessly transitioning from singing to praying … to crying; intense in prayer … in the natural and in the spirit

And even though I was the one praying – it took me by surprise

 

You see – today – I was not praying for myself,

I was not praying for my three sons

I was not praying for my dad or my best friend

I was not praying for my friends here

No – I found myself instead, praying with tear-filled eyes

            For every person who hates me

            For those who despise the very thought of me

            For those who have plotted and conspired against me

 

In the past – I have prayed for those who do not know Him

I have prayed they would have a genuine encounter with Him

And I thought I was doing something ‘good’ … because I could not bring myself to pray for the destruction of those who come against me –

But it is not enough to not pray for destruction

            There must be prayer for direction, for protection, for construction

 

Anyone in Christ is a new creation

The old is passed away … all things are new

II Corinthians 5:17

 

That is what was special and different about today –

I am not certain I can fully convey what transpired

Something snapped … in a good way!

I found myself keenly aware that – as I sang and cried and prayed –

As I made declarations for people who hate me…

Something profound was happening in the spirit, in the heavenly realm

 

I can pray for change in the world

But true change in the world begins with change inside of individuals

And that is only found in Christ

 

‘Bless those who curse you and do good to them that hate you …’ Matthew 5:43-47

 

BLESSINGS!

BLESSINGS THAT BREAK THE BACK OF CURSES

But my prayer is not just for an introduction or an encounter –

I was – and am – praying for the kind of blessings that chase you down & overtake you

The kind of blessings that surround you and envelope you

BLESSINGS THAT BAFFLE THE MIND!

 

May His favor be upon you as well my friends –

For your family, and your children, and their children, and their children

 

Have a Blessed Evening!

Dive-Favor ...

‘For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God…’ I Thessalonians 4:16

Just posted a message [recession proof...] last week about God's faithfulness and how He has kept me these past three years - in health, in peace, in faith and in my home

Well guess what I got seconds after completing the writing of that blog?
A notice regarding my home & an ad in the local paper to sell it at auction this month

So I wrote my friend and asked her to pray
My intent was to ask her to pray for divine favor
But, in my haste, I accidentally typed 'dive-favor’

So she wrote me back, letting me know she was already praying
And then she asked, 'Just what is Dive-Favor?'
I thought to myself, it was just a typo, haha ;D

BUT, then I responded...

DIVE - an intransitive verb is defined as the following:
1. to plunge, especially headfirst; to execute a dive; submerge
2. to come or drop down precipitously; to plunge one's hand into something; to descend in a dive
3. to plunge into some matter or activity; to lunge especially in order to seize something

HENCE
- Dive Favor would be the type of God-Favor that plunges into one’s life headfirst
- Dive-Favor is a favor that submerges itself in the recipient’s life
- Dive-Favor is a favor which comes down or drops down precipitously ...thrown down suddenly and abruptly
- Dive-Favor causes God to plunge His hand into my circumstances
- Dive-Favor causes God to plunge into the matters and activities of my life
- Dive-Favor lunges at my circumstances in order to seize them

HOW POWERFUL IS THAT!!!!!!

‘He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and fortress; my God, in Him I will trust’ Psalm 91:1-2

With every breath I continue to proclaim,
Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised!

GOD is about to cannonball into my situation and my prayer is that it will be so explosive that it will splash up and soak everyone connected with me!

Looking for some Dive-Favor today ...
Praying that you’ll get some too!!!