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Remaining Faithful – Part 1

Recently, our Lord brought to mind a visual from my past to remind me of His timeless fruit of faithfulness. And it is this:

Twenty years ago, God moved me onto an island, where I would live for four years. During this time of consecration, He showed me a daily visual, which was an hourglass-shaped pond out back of my home. 

I lived in very close proximity to the western expanse of this pond, which was a metaphor in itself, as it hinted of my future.

As I drew back the curtain from my sliding glass door each day, most times I would spot turtles that had climbed onto the base (foundation) of a fountain that was anchored in the center of this western expanse.

Sometimes, the turtles seemed like permanent fixtures, as I would watch them day after day. At times, they would irritate me, because they didn’t seem to move much at all.

If that wasn’t enough, a blue heron would often fly in and stand on his spindly legs at the western-edge of the pond. This heron would remain for what seemed a long time, waiting for a koi fish to swim his way. 

Clearly, he had amazing vision and was able to see gold in the water.

Finally, after getting my attention one day, I realized our Lord was beginning to do a deeper work of patience in me through all of this. He was teaching me about faithfulness in the stillness of the wait, not only for this time in my life, but also for what He was about to send me into after my island experience.

God also showed me that, although these remarkable pond animals could be slow, they were strong and victorious because of their faithfulness to do the right thing at the right time.

They faithfully showed up.

They were faithfully patient.

They were faithfully purposed.

And they received the rewards for which they came. 

God used this pond to teach me that, as He leads us from our wide place through an uncomfortable narrow place and then out into a new expanse, we are to remain faithful to follow Him in all three places, even in the details of His time and His ways. 

To receive manifest victory.

This path requires daily trust and obedience to divine strategy.

It requires daily intimacy with God, hearing His voice and seeing His perspective.

It requires patience with ourselves and others. 

At that time in my life, I was working as a flight attendant, flying up to ten destinations a day, while meeting writer deadlines for multiple high-profile publications, as well as my own newsletter. 

God had made me lightning fast in this schedule!

Efficient, like a fine-tuned machine.

But He had more.

He was doing a new thing, and it began by maturing me in some new areas—taking my soul deeper in Him to take me higher and farther with Him.

To do a deep work for His greater glory.

God enabled me to understand that, as we remain faithful in the transformation, we can stand faithful in the transportation to greater blessings.

God will take us to new places as we allow Him to transform us. 

And there’s no way to get around the patience and intimacy factors—to our benefit.

Our faithful submission to God is easier in the deep unknown when we love Him.

Our healthy sense of self-worth is directly linked with our faithfulness to follow Him.

It’s where we experience His fullness of faith, which is the very definition of faithfulness that leads to a fountain of abundant life.

Romans 1:17 TPT tells us that “This gospel unveils a continual revelation of God’s righteousness—a perfect righteousness given to us when we believe. And it moves us from receiving life through faith, to the power of living by faith. This is what the Scripture means when it says: ‘We are right with God through life-giving faith!'”

This faithfulness involves a commitment to living out God’s truth without wavering while being dependent upon Him.

It involves full surrender. 

And ascending higher with God.

Therefore, in order to reach pinnacles of promise, we must commit to express faithfulness unto our Lord as willing obedience without limitation.

So, friends, where has your patience been tested lately?

Therein lies the area of divine calling and breakthrough, which you will receive if you will not buy into enemy lies, trust God and remain faithful to His revealed Words of truth.

If you do this, He will lead you from one expanse through a narrow path, by making a miraculous high-way for you, to then enter into His new expanse for you.

If you are in need of a breakthrough to complete God’s next step for you, then pray with me, if you will…

Dear Lord, 

Thank You for Your gift and strategy of faithfulness and that, by Your Spirit, I can remain faithful to You. Thank You that You have already made provision for me in my path, every step of the way. Help me to choose faith to believe You for greater things—to be confident in You and receive all You have for me. Reveal Your next step for me in Your new places for me. I pray against delay. And I trust You to bring me into fruition, as I faithfully obey You at Your Word. Thank You for Your faithful witness. Thank You for validating our journey together with signs, wonders and “all kinds of powerful miracles” (He 2:4 TPT).

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

Amen.

Friends, join me next week for Part 2 of Remaining Faithful.

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

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God of Wonder (Awe & Wonder) – Part 3

In Part 2, I talked about how God has many of us in new settings right now—expanded places for His fulfillment of destiny. I described a neighborhood He led me to drive through as a visual of where He has led us and why.

Since having written Part 2, I’ve actually walked through that neighborhood twice. And as I did, God opened my eyes even more to see a message full of metaphors for those who continue to follow Him (2 Co 4:16):

My new walk through this neighborhood was on a mountaintop that is predominately level, revealing a holy ease in this prepared pinnacle of expanse. Sidewalks border streets, many of which are lined with mature, fragrant boxwoods and tall, oversized trees, which reveal a rich history, firmly rooted in fertile soil. 

Established. 

Over time.

The homes are orderly.

It is a place where generational promises are fulfilled, where we can be strong, firm and lasting, as the houses that surround (De 31:6-7).

Walking here, I knew God set us free from past resistance, even from the immediate past. His light shines brighter here in this glorious place, where He can do greater works through us for greater impact.  

This is a cultivated place, like the gardens of our hearts, where persistence has won (Ps 112:7). We can continue to grow in the beauty of our Lord here, walking out fulfillment. Able to cut through new opportunities before us, having been refined by His fire.

As He has gone before us (De 31:8).

And although we are always learning, God has removed the training wheels in this new level. He has given us eyes through which to see His way with greater clarity, so we can now proceed with greater assurance in Him.

We know we can do the work, because He proved us in the secret place. We can trust that He will continue to enable us by His Spirit of Grace.

As we put our hands to the plow, we will do so in greater authority as God continues to reveal His assignments, purposes and paths. 

God will bring key people to join us on this walk to form an increased convergence of His power to make a bigger, sharper instrument, like an arrowhead, that will hit the mark with tremendous impact.

Multiplicity that will come in and go out. 

By His mercy.

He will continue to give us eyes to see and a heart to know as he fits us together and enables us to occupy at this pinnacle level to achieve much.

As we continue to trust and obey Him, we will experience God finishing what He began in this fitting place of fulfillment.

This new, level place is one of wonders, where we will see God show up in miraculous ways as we co-labor with Him. 

Our victory will be certain as we submit to Him. 

Psalm 139:13-16 reminds us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made and that God’s works are wonderful. 

Psalm 66:3 TPT says, “For he’s the awe-inspiring God, great and glorious in power! We’ve never seen anything like him! Mighty in miracles, you cause your enemies to tremble. No wonder they all surrender and bow before you!”

Isaiah 41:10 offers us a strategy, saying, “Do not yield to fear, for I am always near. Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God. I will infuse you with my strength and help you in every situation. I will hold you firmly with my victorious right hand.” 

So, friends, God has readied us by leveling hindrances in us to level giants before us, which can be the challenges that come with new opportunities.

God has transformed us to transport us farther into our destiny.

It’s time to go out on assignment with God and experience His power on our behalf and flowing through us as miraculous wonders (Ac 4:30). 

So, let’s thank Him…

Dear Lord, 

Thank You for who You are: Our “one and only God” (Ps 86:10 TPT).

Thank You for Your “forgiving love” that “makes you so wonderful. No wonder you are loved and worshiped” (Ps 130:4 TPT)!

Thank You that Your “unforgettable works of surpassing wonder reveal” Your “grace and tender mercy” (Ps 111:4 TPT).

Thank You for opening our eyes to see “What miracles! What wonders! What greatness belongs to you” (Ps 86:10 TPT)!

Thank You for positioning us in a beautiful setting, a new level of honor made easy by Your prevailing Spirit of Grace. 

Thank You for making us into the virtuous women of Proverbs 31:30 as we live “in the wonder, awe, and” reverential “fear of” You…praised throughout eternity.”

Thank You for helping us walk out the fulfillment You have for us here, seeing Your glory in the midst of this mountaintop experience.

We need You, Lord. Help us to honor You every step of the way.

We beseech Your great wisdom as we head farther with You into this new land of divine promise.

Thank You, Lord, for enabling us to know You more in this. For leading us deeper into our destiny, where we’ll become even more involved in what matters most to Your heart. 

You are our God of breakthrough and follow-through. You are our Finisher, and we love You. 

We thank You for opening this “fountain of life within” us as we worship You “in wonder and awe” (Pr 14:27).

Thank You, Lord, that “to the farthest corners of the planet people will stand in awe, startled and stunned by your signs and wonders. Sunrise brilliance and sunset beauty both take turns singing their songs of joy to you” (Ps 65:8 TPT).

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

Amen.

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

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God of Wonder (Awe & Wonder) – Part 2

I believe God is restoring us to child-like wonder (Ps 86:10). Leading us to an expanded place of beauty—that which is lovely to us. 

A reflection of treasure as pure gold that blesses us. 

To set us into a place of provision for dreams to come true as He brings us closer to Him. 

God is using the wonder of our new settings (surroundings) as important tools to transplant us from past glory to new glory.

A couple of weeks ago, on January twelfth, I ran an errand on the far end of town. On my way back, I followed GPS, which led me through an alternate route into a beautiful neighborhood that I had only visited once before. 

I didn’t expect GPS to lead me this way. The first time I had visited this particular neighborhood was to look at Christmas lights a couple of weeks earlier, which Holy Spirit prompted me to do. 

Both times, in driving through this neighborhood, I experienced the most wonderful feeling, like God was waiting for me there.

This new-to-me place was a new setting—a visual—of what God is doing and where He’s taking me beyond these drive-by days.  

And God will do the same for you. 

He will cause us to experience awe and wonder that will open us up, refresh us and re-set us to receive His manifest promises He placed in our hearts.

So, the next day after running my errand, during quiet time, Holy Spirit revealed another, more meaningful look at the route He lead me through to arrive at this beautiful place: I had to pass through two circles, through a small downtrodden section and past an old church.

God revealed to me the symbolism and the feeling of awe of how, in my preparation, He led me upward through two cycles of bondage, through a hard place, then beyond lies, into this new beginning of expanded blessings.

I reflected on how God had to uproot ungodly roots before He could progress me along this new route.

In realizing this, even more, He filled my heart anew with gratitude for getting me unstuck, bringing me past former hardships and into child-like wonder of exploring His beauty that He had just for me. 

He enabled me to see the big picture from His perspective and without pain from my past.

He delivered me, transported me, and reset me. 

He positioned me for new growth.

Are you seeing God’s beautiful place in your own life?

How is He bringing you into your bright new year?

What new path is He setting you on?

Are you experiencing gratitude that He will honor?

God is leading us into more of His goodness—past the painful process of reconstruction into the wonder and joy of His completion and expansion phases of restoration. 

He desires to surround us with Him and reflections of His beauty in a new way. 

To enjoy.

Have you asked Him to open your eyes to see and ears to hear His way?

Have you received His faith to believe much more of His best for you?

I have no doubt the beautiful neighborhood is a picture for now of what God has more of forward.

A vision and experience of wonder to establish more wonder. 

Even in the former things, as He makes all things new and opens them up in our lives, like a gift to be unwrapped.

A treasure waiting to be received. Pure gold waiting to be uncovered even more. 

It was part of God’s plan all along, as He brings us into greater fulfillment of His restored, abundant-life cycle with the light of freedom in which to grow.

A place where God can transplant us without killing us, because He has rooted us so deeply in Him. It is a place where He can cause us to flourish faster in His wonder and as His wonder, because He enabled us to experience Him as Love in high Heavenly places.  

This is a place for which our God of wonder has prepared us to grow miraculously in the expanse of having overcome.

This is a place of holy ease, where we can expect to experience wonder after wonder as He has causes us to wonder with Him and realize He has made us into a wonder along the way.

Each of us are a living miracle, who can experience rapid growth as we have crossed over to the sunny side of the mountain, where He continues to warm our hearts again.

Now that He has strengthened us in Him, lifted our burdens and opened our eyes, we can expect to see more of His miracles from this vantage point of victory.

He has positioned us to step into the beginning of the multiplicity that is the wonder of the work that He has been doing behind the scenes all along. 

God is continuing to take the former things of our lives, including relationships and projects, to make them new again. He has removed the pain associated with them and has reformed them. When they come around this time, we will see them in the richness, the fullness of God in it as He intended—to be a true blessing of abundant life.

His higher purposes will prevail. We will receive wonders, as our eyes continue to be fixed and focused on His goodness.

So, pray with me if you will…

Dear Lord, 

Thank you for making me a wonder. As such, enable me to align with Your wonder and receive all the blessings You have for me in this new, beautiful place. Enable me to grow in the direction You desire to lead me. At the rate You desire to grow me to expand Your Kingdom on earth. 

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

Amen.

Friends, join me next week for Part 3 of Wonder of God (Awe & Wonder).

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

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Wonder of God (Awe & Wonder) – Part 1

I love the story of Elijah at the fire pits (a.k.a. the altars of sacrifice) in 1 Kings 18:37-39 where God’s power, as consuming fire, came down and set water ablaze to make Himself known as authentic in the face of unbelief.

To make Himself known above every false god.

Through this phenomenon, this wonder, God fulfilled His purpose: to reveal Himself with power and authority and to turn hearts back to Him, hearing every tongue confess His Lordship and seeing every knee bow (Philippians 2:8-11).

Face to the ground.

Finally, void of doubt. 

This is the supernatural power and purpose of wonders performed only by God. 

And He is about to increase them in the earth. 

God promises us He will restore hearts and relationships by the same wonder-working, dunamis power of Holy Spirit that worked through Elijah in Malachi 4:5-6 and through John the Baptist in Luke 1:17.

Our wonder-working God is reconnecting people to His righteousness by restoring our reverential fear of Him (Ex 15:11, Is 29:14).

Through wonders that cannot be humanly explained.

Wholeness is key. 

God tells us in Joel 2:12 that as we turn to Him with a whole heart, “every hindrance is removed and broken fellowship is restored.”

God abounds in lovingkindness and revokes evil when we obey Him. He blesses us so we have “the means with which to serve Him” (Jo 2:13-14 AMPC).

In other words, He causes us to be blessed to be a blessing, which expands His Kingdom on earth.

And wonders are His efficient tools to impact many, even simultaneously, in accelerated times.

In short, wonders are God’s powerful causes and effects of miracles only He can perform. 

They are life-changing for those who witness them and are experiential for the soul, affecting the body as well, with lasting impact.  

Wonders are undeniable.

And awe opens the door to wonders, which produces even more awe (Ac 2:43 TPT).

Like for Elijah, the wonders we experience can begin with signs of awesome revelation—the supernatural, insightful understanding of who God is and how He wills to work.  

Elijah knew to instruct people on how to set up the altars as a stage for God to reveal Himself in a mighty way to them. 

The people were instantly delivered from unbelief into God’s truth as they witnessed His astonishing wonders right before their eyes.

This brings us to an important point: Where we set our eyes is where we are positioned to go.

God uses wonders to propel us forward swiftly, which is why we are to look to Him alone (and not our circumstances) for advancement (Is 60:22 NIV).

Knowing this, are you positioned to experience God’s wonders?

What signs (revelation) has He given to you?

Those revelations (signs) contain the dunamis power to produce the fruit of astonishing wonders in and through your life (Ac 4:30). 

On New Year’s Eve, our Lord reminded me that He has pinnacle moments of accomplishment as markers of destiny right before us and that the way there is through His amazing miracle-working power as we willingly go forth with Him. 

As we extend child-like faith, He will bring us into places of achievement we could never do on our own.

Accomplishments where He alone gets the glory. 

A few days later, on January third, our Wonderful Counselor revealed to me that He is taking us back to the wonder and awe that we recognized at a young age to fulfill dreams He placed in our hearts. 

This time around, He is bringing us into His fulfillment with greater wisdom and a sure foundation, having been made stronger in Him to establish His Kingdom on earth.

These dreams and ambitions of our youth, seen from a learned perspective, will produce even greater joy, wonder and awe of knowing God and seeing Him move on our behalf. 

He will do it and, when He does, it will feel like it happened overnight.

He will transport us there.

During this shift, especially, we are to be careful to make decisions based on His high way of righteousness, not turning back to any counterfeits. 

We can know that our best days are before us with Him and that He will take us beyond them into exponential increase. 

So, pray with me if you will…

Dear Lord, 

Thank You for Your miracle-working power that produces wonders in my life. I repent of all my sins and relinquish all bitterness to You. Deliver me from every hindrance and fill me with Your Spirit anew. I invite You to make my heart whole and restore me to youthful wonder. I invite Your signs of revelation. Enable me to receive all You have for me. I wait in wonder (Ps 96:9). Thank You, Lord, for helping me win bigger and better as You make me more like You. 

In Jesus’ Mighty Name.

Amen.

Friends, join me next week for Part 2 of Awe & Wonder. 

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

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Peace Understanding – Part 2

Hebrews 12:1 TPT says, “As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So, we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us.”

Friends, it’s time to throw off every hinderance from our powerful path of peace.

It’s time to give every wound to Jesus and hand over every limitation in our lives. It’s time to invite Him to heal our hearts, so we don’t perpetuate cycles of pain inwardly or outwardly.

It’s time to run as the overcomers He made us to be, because it’s time for our Jabez prayers to manifest. It’s time to see the goodness of God in His expanse for us.

“Oh, that you would bless me,” Jabez prayed, “and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain” (1 Ch 4:10 NIV).

Friends, it’s time to be awed.

It’s time to be lifted above what once held us back and step into God’s beautiful and lofty place, as He continues to make us authentic, like Jacob.

“Let the king be enthralled by your beauty,” Psalm 45:11 NIV tells us, “honor him, for he is your lord.”

Friends, it’s time for action.

Two questions we can ask ourselves and God to gain His truth and understanding are: 

  1. What am I under, meaning what am I submitted to? 
  2. And how am I standing?

In other words, am I submitted unto The Lord God Almighty, operating in His character and ways? Submission is important because it’s the only way we will be able to finish our race victoriously (Mk 8:34).

Isaiah 26:3 AMPC says, “You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.”

So, a few weeks ago, Holy Spirit highlighted condemnation to me as a hindrance to our strength of peace.

He brought to mind the forgiven adulteress in John 8 and led me to take a deeper look. 

Holy Spirit revealed to me that hopelessness had taken root in this woman’s heart, which caused an inward attitude of condemnation that she projected and acted on outwardly. This lie of hopelessness in her heart perpetuated cycles of condemnation in her life.

It was a trap for this woman and for Jesus (Pr 1:17-19 TPT).

Friends, we cannot have peace if we don’t have hope, because hope is an anchor and a stabilizer that sets us on our Lord’s path of peace (He 6:19).

In this woman’s case, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, stood for truth and met her where she was to set her free, right in front of her accusers. The accusers (who were aligned with the devil) judged her outward appearance and distanced themselves from Jesus as He brought conviction to their consciences (1 Sa 16:7, Jn 8:9).

The accusers couldn’t stand because they didn’t operate under Jesus’ strength of truth and peace.

Instead, that gang operated under gossip, not Gospel; and covert collusion, not divine collaboration. They weren’t aligned with the compassionate heart of Jesus, and they didn’t want to be.

This is why we have to go deep with God—so we can escape evil and run the distance with Jesus. We must go all the way to promises fulfilled and not stop in the desert of our souls.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 TPT reveal that every Word from God “has been inspired by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness. Then you will be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you.”

There are key pinnacles of victory, in the various facets of our lives, that are set before us in this fitting time. As Holy Spirit delivers us out of cycles of darkness.

To the extent that we let our Lord reign in our lives is the extent that He will prosper us. It’s not so much of a reward for enduring hardship as it is about the deliverance from hindrances during the hardship that frees us up, so God can shine in and through us most brightly (Jn 1:5, 8:12 AMPC).

God is our only hope to conquer our mountain of flesh and the enemy’s lies.

He is the Lord of the breakthrough that enables us to conquer enemies that work through our flesh, such as the sins of condemnation and false judgment that we see the gossip gang project in John 8 (2 Sa 5:20, Is 28:21 TPT study note).

John 8:8 TPT says, “And then he bent over again and wrote some more words in the dust.”

Just like for the forgiven woman, the powerful and true Words of Jesus sets us free on a path of peace. 

This is good news, especially for those of us who walked through the training of divine discipline to live in greater holiness and experience the harvest of the “peaceable fruit of righteousness” (He 12:11).

Jesus changed the forgiven woman’s atmosphere, environment and life.

When Jesus said, “Dear woman, where are your accusers? Is there no one here to condemn you?” He spoke that shift (of attitude) into being. He revealed fresh vision to her.

When Jesus said, “…I certainly don’t condemn you either. Go, and from now on, be free from a life of sin,” He re-set her on a path of new life (Jn 8:11 TPT, Ro 8:11).

For this forgiven woman, it was time to walk out her salvation, “time to be made new by every revelation” that was given to her (Ep 4:23 TPT).

It was time to walk deeper into her divine destiny.

If you’ve been living your life under condemnation, it’s time for a pivot of deliverance and true intimacy.

It’s time for clear vision and direction. 

It’s time for a path of peace.

It’s time for manifest victory.

Remember Romans 10:11 AMPC, which says, “…No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed.

If you’re ready, pray with me if you will…

Dear Lord, 

Thank You for Your destiny plan for me. I confess, as sin, having operated in any and all hopelessness and condemnation. I renounce this disobedient behavior and every spirit that’s not of You. I forgive others and myself for any and all imposition. I receive Your forgiveness offered to me by the finished work of the cross. I invite You to uproot any and all hopelessness in my heart and restore my true foundation of hope. I receive Your new path of life for me. I choose to follow You as my faithful glory cloud by day and my fire by night, leading me out of all darkness into the fulfillment of Your promises to me. Open my eyes, Lord, to see Your goodness as You make my path straight, merciful and peaceful (1 Pe 1:3-5 TPT). Help me to know my worth through Your eyes. Thank You for Your grace of redemption. Thank You for working out my salvation.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

Amen.

Friends, as we close, remember Mark 8:34 TPT, where Jesus tells us how to remain in His light. He says, “…If you truly want to follow me, you should at once completely disown your own life. And you must be willing to share my cross and experience it as your own, as you continually surrender to my ways.”

To God be the glory.

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