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Beginning Anew

Recently, as I awakened one morning and looked out the window, I saw a clear sky over treetops in a way I never had before. This continued over the next few days. 

From the very first sunrise, our Lord began to speak to my heart. He revealed that these sunrises of new days are for those with child-like faith and wonder—those who have awakened to Holy Spirit’s revelations over the years. 

These beloved ones are beginning to come into the manifestations of their hearts desires, even greater than they imagined as a child. God has made their futures bright and is leading them now to continue to show them the way. They will see that the wilderness they once found themselves in has become the stepping stone to their expansive freedom.

God has come in with a consuming fire to burn up obstacles that once came against them—the same obstacles He didn’t cause but purposed and used to bring them higher in Him. “They have served their purpose,” says The Lord of Hosts. What used to plague them no longer will. They are free from what was sent to hold them back. They have been made strong in Him for such a time as this, beyond what they could see back then.

God’s fire will also help these beloved ones not look back. He has set them on a clear path at a new altitude and range with eagle clarity and focus, heading straight into His promises. Nothing below them concerns them, as God has broken them through into a beautiful new life that will honor Him in a new way. These beloved ones will experience His beauty of a new day and in a new area to them. 

Our Lord reminded me of a key scripture that He highlighted to me and that I clung to ten years ago, which is Song of Songs 2:13. It asks us, “Can you not discern this new day of destiny breaking forth around you? The early signs of my purposes and plans are bursting forth. The budding vines of new life are now blooming everywhere. The fragrance of their flowers whispers, ‘There is change in the air.’ Arise, my love, my beautiful companion, and run with me to the higher place. For now is the time to arise and come away with me” (TPT version).

In this passage, the “signs” of His purpose and plans are described as “early.” The “vines of new life” are described as “budding.” But now, the day of destiny is right in front us. It’s in clear sight from a higher perspective. 

In this passage, the early signs have given way to the latter signs of right now, just before big-shift promises are made complete. Do you see these latter signs? Do you also realize that you still need to continue to come away with Him as you navigate the soar? For only in Him do we live and move and have our being.

In addition to this key scripture, Holy Spirit also highlighted Matthew 11:30 to me four times, confirming that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He’s revealing that much has been lifted off of His beloved ones to live and move again as He intended in Acts 17:28, which is to function forward, knowing our identity in Him. 

“It will be as though it never was,” says The Lord of Hosts regarding the pain of the past, “as you continue to step into My glorious future for you.”

The Lord then took me to Isaiah 35 to remind me of His glorious promises for His redeemed. As I re-read this chapter, He reminded me of specific promises that are about to come on the scene as He brings about big shifts. 

In verse 1, He speaks of the desert blossoming “like a rose” and rejoicing (Is 35:1)! He says in verse 2 that “Every dry and barren place will burst forth with abundant blossoms, dancing and spinning with delight!” He speaks of “magnificent beauty” and “awesome glory.” He cites “the beautiful grandeur” of Himself.

He goes to say in verse 4 that “He is breaking through to give you victory! He comes to avenge your enemies. With divine retribution, He comes to save you!” He says in verse 10 that “Ecstatic joy will overwhelm them; weariness and grief will disappear!”

All of this is for those who walk with God and have allowed Him to do deep work in them. I encourage you to read Isaiah 35 and jot down what Holy Spirit reveals to you, specifically, about His purposes and strategies forward. 

Pray with me if you will . . . 

Dear Lord, 

Thank You for deliver us up out of former places into our futures. Please help us to continue to abide in You to produce as much fruit that pleases You. I trust You to navigate us all the way into Your completed promises. 

In Jesus’ Mighty Name, 

Amen. 

This devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.

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New Order

Recently, I watched an interview with Candace Cameron Bure, in which she said our Lord gave her a Word for 2023. The Word was “Joy.” 

This brought to mind someone close to me, who also does the same—asks our Lord for a single Word for the new year. 

And so, I decided to do it, too, one morning. Immediately, Holy Spirit showed me the Word “Order” in a Word-vision. 

I wasn’t surprised, because it’s what He has me doing right now. Also, I’ve been realizing that the work of bringing order is going to take some time. 

Right now, order for me looks like reorganizing and repairing my home space in preparation for big shifts ahead. With this new order, God is making my load light, as in Matthew 11:30. 

He is our God of order.

Order pleases God. It is His desire and nature. It is His wisdom. It is harmonious and facilitates the proper function and sequence of purpose, change and time.

Order is the state or condition of a thing (Webster’s). Right order is often the result of obedience, submission and walking with Him. 

Order is what Jesus trained His disciples in and what He left for us to awaken to and practice in our unique circumstances as we seek more of Him in our midst. 

According to Holy Scripture, order reflects discipline and commitment of our faith in God (Co 2:5). It reveals our position of dignity, rank and character (Strong’s #5010). It can be an arrangement in time that expresses a position of fashion, quality and style that generally depends on one’s God-given talents, experiences and resources (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon).  

Order is a verb.

I think of order mostly as a verb, since it’s a dynamic, ever changing framework, into which blessings fit as we grow. Order doesn’t prevent us from coloring outside of the lines in expressions of creativity. But rather creates boundaries that facilitate our enjoyment of God’s goodness as He continually expands it in our lives.

So, for me, order is pretty exciting. And those who have a gift of administration may enjoy the organization element of it, too. But for others, order may not feel so extraordinary. 

Here’s how it can benefit you . . . 

Since order is linked with authority in governing, to bring order is to be aligned with authority over that which God places in our stewardship. Therefore, order is an invitation to synchronicity and increased efficiency with God. 

Order is a kind of expression of being the head and not the tail. To reign with God victoriously, void of the downward pull of confusion. 

New order comes with a purposed grace to actually help facilitate space for God’s newness in our lives. 

Re-order comes with mercy, relative to how God has grown us and where He’s calling us. It’s an invitation to come up higher and reign in peace, knowing He has purposed our endeavors. 

We can have purpose without peace, but when we do, this should awaken us to the need for more order. God will show us the way as we walk with Him in faith.

As our capacity of blessings changes, order must correspond to facilitate peace. Therefore, building order facilitates the flow of life, freeing us to be available. 

Beautiful Order

1 Corinthians 14:40 TPT instructs us to do “all things in a beautiful and orderly way.” Here, the Word “beautiful” means respectful and “with the right design” (TPT study note). 

Over the years, God has restored many back to His “right design.” And He fiercely safeguards this righteous order from those who would try to tear it down through disrespect and discouragement (1 Co 5:11). He invites His restored ones to participate in greater expressions of His right order outwardly.

Lift & Shift

Several years ago, Holy Spirit said to me very clearly, “Get your house in order.” Thankfully, He gave me the understanding of what He meant. He was bringing about a big shift, and He desired that heavy burdens of the extraneous be lifted from me. 

So, with His directive, my husband and I began at the foundation level (garage and basement) of our home and made our way to the attic to clean out items that needed to go. We went through plastic tubs, drawers, cabinets and closets. It took us a year-and-a-half. 

When we finished, God moved us out of state into new roles of blessing, where we remained for eight years.

Now, here we are again: cleaning out, storing and re-storing—bringing new order to the level that pleases God for another big shift forward.

Pray with me if you will . . . 

Dear Lord, 

Thank You for bringing a better order into our lives. Since order is a beautiful facilitation of new life for us, bring it on. Thank You for helping us make room for all things new that are of You for us right now and forward. 

In Jesus’ Mighty Name. 

Amen. 

This devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.

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Successful Ways

When God is with us in our endeavors, we succeed. This awakens fear in our enemies and love in those we lead. 

David is an example. 

1 Samuel 18:14-16 NIV say that “In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him. When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.”

So, the key to success is submission to God. Where’s there’s faithfulness, there’s a powerful synchronicity in relationship that includes honor and grace-favor.

Proverbs 3:3-4 TPT say, “Hold on to loyal love and don’t let go, and be faithful to all that you’ve been taught. Let your life be shaped by integrity, with truth written upon your heart. That’s how you will find favor and understanding with both God and men—you will gain the reputation of living life well” (Strong’s #7922).

We simply cannot lose when we trust and obey God.

Joshua is another example. He was known for his careful obedience. 

God’s instruction to him was “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful” (Jos 1:8 AMP).

The Word “successful” (Strong’s # 7919) here means to be prudent, to gain understanding, which is to build Godly wisdom, insight, discernment and intelligence. 

Right now, I’m seeing God bring a trail of in-road connections that will support us through some big shifts just in front of us. These connections will help us by warming and strengthening our hearts for new levels of work beyond. 

God is revealing His truth and promises in ways that will get through to us. He’s helping our attitudes along by perfecting us. He’s making us into sharp, swift instruments as we continue to align with His Word. 

Ephesians 4:22-24 TPT are key. They say, “And he has taught you to let go of the lifestyle of the ancient man, the old self-life, which was corrupted by sinful and deceitful desires that spring from delusions. Now it’s time to be made new by every revelation that’s been given to you. And to be transformed as you embrace the glorious Christ-within as your new life and live in union with him! For God has re-created you all over again in his perfect righteousness, and you now belong to him in the realm of true holiness.” 

He is fashioning us to flourish even more. He is changing our anointings.

We’ll find a new boldness that’s rooted in His true strength and power. Gone will be the hard-heartedness of our pasts. As un-resolve continues to be uprooted, no longer will we attract more pain.

Since we become what we behold, Holy Spirit will cause us to release residual falsehoods that once kept us bound. 

Where the enemy intended to bind us by blinding us, the curse will be reversed when we come into more of His truth. Former wounds will be bound and wholeness will prevail.

Where truth is restored, integrity is restored. Wisdom becomes a joy as we are reset to succeed in areas where God can trust us with more. 

This kind of deliverance is, in itself, a type of success, where we prevail over that which once hindered us and our inherent promises by driving out ungodliness and taking possession of what God says is ours (Strong’s#3423). 

We see this in David’s mission and in Joshua’s, where they constantly overcame that which tried to overcome them. 

They built victories into their lives by first dwelling in it.

Willing to lay all down for His Kingdom, they were made strong in our Lord. They understood that their blessings came with persecutions (Mk 10:30). Yet, they were still faithful.

They depended on God for unique strategies that grew them to know Him and honor Him more. They fought their way through opposition and fulfilled their uncommon purposes with these divine strategy. 

They understood God’s priority and timing. They knew when to rise and where to establish. They knew what to accomplish and how to endure. They knew how to take a stand (Strong’s #6965). And they trusted God to lead them. 

They learned along the way by reaching for God to lead them beyond themselves. They experienced incremental successes that led up to the fulfillment of God’s big promises. And we can do the same. 

So, pray with me if you will…

Dear Lord, 

Thank You for being with us along our journeys of rebuilding (Ne 2:20). Thank You for making us successful, for enabling us to dwell in Your victory and for causing us to advance and prosper (Ne 1:11; Strong’s #6743). Show us Your ways, Lord. Give us Your wisdom and help us receive it and apply it all along Your paths for us. For Your Kingdom’s sake.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name, 

Amen.

This devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.

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Reconnected Blessings

Sometimes, God allows an experience to awaken us to what He’s doing. And sometimes, the enemy tries to attack in the very area in which we’re about to be blessed.

But we can turn to God and ask Him to open our eyes to see, know and understand what He’s revealing in this very hour. Here’s what He showed me:

God is bringing together blessed connections that will produce expansions of the new life He has worked in us. He is revealing processes and evidence of Christmas miracles that He’s working and has been working in the lives of those for whom we’ve prayed.

He is revealing the deeper ways in which He has worked:

He showed me that, for one, He has brought in a commanded, generational blessing through a spouse, resulting in a job promotion.

For another, He has brought in new physical life through a medical miracle, where He revived and sustained a person’s body.

And for another, He is making a way of escape from abuse by crumbling fortresses in hearts, causing a family to fall forward into Him by using two dynamite prayer warriors to intercede.

God has no shortage of Christmas miracles He is working right now in this very hour! If you need one, cry out to Him with your whole heart!

Our Lord is also revealing to us to “not let the fear of past mistakes be a hindrance of the present breakthrough.” Where some tried to help in misguided ways in the past, they are a thing of the past. God has done a new work in them over time and is now presenting them as an ever-present expression of His help to breakthrough for others.

This requires humility, discerning of spirits and courage, which we can receive from our Lord and trust implicitly.

As He expands our lives, we can reach for God first and ask Him, “Is this of You? If it is, let it be yes and amen. It’s not, may it depart from me as far as the east is from the west.” God will honor this earnest prayer and will show you the way to go.

Right now, He is offering us new life, new wine, new places, new positions, new prayer partners, fresh Words of encouragement and confirmation to those who are willing to fully submit to Him and His ways.

Gone are the old limitations for the willing! It’s a new day of the miraculous, of multiplicity.

God has more for those who have not given up and it’s manifesting right now. Rewards and recompenses are here and are just beginning to be presented. Don’t miss this move of God.

It’s not too late. Repent of anything that you have beheld that is not of Him. Cry out for his rich mercy. Fully submit to Him and His ways—however He desires to deliver. He will do it.

This is a season of birthing Holiness! And God welcomes us as recipients. As we open up to Him, He is opening up doors of restoration to us. He desires that we receive them in the fullness that He offers. Our joy can be made full as He delivers us into His promises.

Glorious Christ child, given to us on earth and in eternity, is with us all the way. He is Emmanuel (Matt 1:23). He is the Way, the Truth, the Life. Let us come and adore Him. Let us receive all He has for us.

Just as He was with Mary and in Mary through the delivery of divine promise, our Lord is with us in our hour of great need. It matters not who is against us, as His Presence prevails as the dominant One.

As death tries to rear its ugly head, nothing will stop the of river of God flowing to those who align with Him and go His way. We can finish this year strong in Him for a new, fruitful beginning before us. He will bring us through and has fostered these expressions of His love and blessing in our lives.

Many of the blessings are coming through those already in our lives or ones we once lost connection with that God is reconnecting. We did not experience certain manifest blessings through these people before, either because we weren’t walking with The Lord or because it wasn’t His time yet. But now it is, and it’s just beginning. We can look for and expect more manifest blessing to be produced through these reconnections. Not by our might, but by His Spirit flowing through them and us.

So, come, let us adore Him!

Thank You for reconnecting us with Your best blessings of our lives, Lord. Thank You for bringing together the broken pieces into Your wholeness that produce a multiplicity of blessing. Thank You for fixing us to flow through us like a river of power to build Your Kingdom. Thank You for enabling us to receive and operate in the commanded blessings through reconnections.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name!

Amen.

This devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.

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Rebellion vs. Redemption

We know that God sent His only begotten Son to save us from our rebellion: to recover us, restore us, cure us and make us well (Jn 3:17). To have relationship with Him as our Redeemer.  

One of the most prominent ways I’m seeing Him work right now is in the area of relationships in that He is miraculously redeeming them.

I’m referring to healthy relationships He desires us to experience for His higher purposes. I’m talking about close relationships with family and friends from whom we may have lived at a distance for a time. Maybe even years.

God is bringing them back around again. He is restoring them as He has grown each individual. And this time, they will prove better than before as He reveals more of His purpose to do good works for His Kingdom. Together.

As we go forth, we will sense and know God’s purpose in it all.

He will even reveal the work He has done in individuals to show others He has redeemed them. He will go so far as to have the redeemed ones help the wronged ones in a way that only they can. And in all of this, God will humble hearts.

He has been building powerhouses of individuals, who have allowed Him to work within them. And now, He’s aligning them with others to create a strong, outward bond for His good pleasure and for expanded Kingdom work. This could only happen, as He has renewed their minds and hearts individually.

He has made them lasting for relationships that will last (Jn 15:16).

Gone are the old rebellious ways of the past, as He converges us closer to the pinnacle of purpose than we’ve ever been. It hasn’t peaked yet. We’re just getting started. There’s so much more forward.

And it won’t be just about one event, even if the one event is a big one. There will be a multiplicity. A string of events, where one will affect the other. Not in a ripple effect, per se, where the impact fades, but in a sequence of separate events, impacted by the ones before.

God has greater glory and broader expansion He can entrust to us now, as we’ve learned to trust Him more.

Perhaps you’ve noticed Him rearranging your surroundings, instructing you to “go this way,” helping you to not miss His promises. Perhaps you’ve begun a new project that you cannot finish yourself. And now, He’s bringing in the help you need. Or maybe, He’s promoting you into your heart’s desire—progressing you with honor to your new, next assignment.

Watch for relationships to be restored in the midst. He will warm our hearts with old ones made new and sustainable. He will position us to put into practice the work He’s done in us. He will strengthen us with new-found relationships.

His methods may prove serendipitous. Suddenly, a door will close and another one will open. Then another and another. And one of the most beautiful elements in it all is His redemptive strength of truth.

We will bear witness to a lovely view of His strength as we see it work on our behalves in new areas (Ro 12:2 TPT). It will pour through us to connect with others fearlessly to accomplish tasks. We will experience the deep development He once did now work on our behalves outwardly. We will see His victory in our lives in new ways as He does, by His grace-work, what we didn’t see as possible earlier in life.

This reminds me of the redemptive work in Jericho, using Rahab’s cord in which two Israeli spies ultimately took hold of the cord not easily broken for greater freedom (Jos 2:15, 18; Ec 4:12).

What looked impossible proved accessible in a cyclical process when the two spies returned to impact this fortified city and rescue Rahab and her family (Jos 6:17, 22-23, 25).

So, get ready for fortresses to crumble and for our Way Maker to reveal Himself in ways that will shock, awe and amaze. We can expect a whole new outcome, as it won’t be like before. God is bringing us into position right now, where we will experience breakthrough after breakthrough. Connection after connection. Wholeness. Fluidity. And an abundance of blessing.

Pray with me, if you will…

Dear Lord,

Thank You for redeeming us so Your redemption can flow through us. Thank You for restoring Your fountain of life in our souls so we can flow in Your river of power to impact progress. Thank You for taking us to new places to accomplish Your will. Thank You for producing lasting fruit through us for Your glory. May we please You in all we do.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name.

Amen.

This devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.