True Value: Our Intrinsic Worth

Psalm 139:17-18 TPT assure us, “Every single moment you are thinking of me! How precious and wonderful to consider that you cherish me constantly in your every thought! O God, your desires toward me are more than the grains of sand on every shore! When I awake each morning, you’re still with me.”

Friends, value is intrinsic to God.

Our truest value is God in us and God with us.

The origin of value is worth.

He is worthy.

His inherent worth, which is fixed, inseparable and innate, is sealed in our spirit, where His legal approval, substantiation and confirmation flow congruently.

1 Peter 2:7 TPT tells us, “As believers you know his great worth—indeed, his preciousness is imparted to you…”

But do we know this truth deep in our soul? In our mind, will and emotions? Do we know that Jesus is our validator, our strength, that He is our Treasure, and that we are His (1 Pe. 2:9).

Do we know that He is the Pearl of Great Price? Gold?

Do we know in our soul that, of everything God willed into creation, He values us most?

We were bought by Jesus’ priceless blood, which is worthy beyond measure.

He pursues us with His relentless love.

To reconcile us to His greatest intimacy.

He is a father to the fatherless, a husband to the husbandless.

He is our Creator.

And we are His handiwork.

He loved us while we were still wayward sinners and brought us into His Kingdom full of rich promises by His amazing grace.

A royal inheritance.

Of security and provision.

For us–His beloved sons and daughters.

The sum total of His precious thoughts of us are vast (Ps. 139:17).

He is our gateway to righteousness.

He gives us His understanding and priceless wisdom to triumph over fear and foolishness.

Praising Him is a strategy He gave us to triumph over wickedness that tries to defeat and destroy us, to steal our anointing, to diminish our hope.

God anoints our mind (Matt. 26:6-7) and our walk (Jn. 12:3). He provides Himself as our Anchor of hope–beyond ourselves and beyond others. He, as a trustworthy hope, who cannot be snuffed out.

God puts His own everlasting faith inside of us, so we cannot lose when we cling to it (1 Pe. 1:7). Faith—the great and consistent equalizer of value, honor, and respect—the confidence of our hope for God to produce His promise.

He helps our unbelief, to know Him as strong when we are not.

So, we can value what He values.

He renews our mind and puts a new heart and spirit in us, so we always have a compass of true life when we tap into Him.

We can receive His blessings that are tied to the condition and action of our heart.

“When our faithful obedience, which is the righteous action of the faith God puts in us, meets God’s faithful grace, a synchronicity of blessing occurs. Good fruit is produced. Treasures are discovered and recovered. Much of value is realized.”

We prosper as our soul prospers (3 Jn. 1:2).

Our soul prospers when we value God, above our ways, as our ultimate authority, who exalts us in due time.

With God we cannot lose.

But without Him we will surely fail.

Did you know that poverty is rooted in insecurity, the cracks of our foundation?

A lack of knowledge of God and His ways leads to a lack of trust in God, which leads to a lack of submission to God, which leads to a lack of His blessing.

Feeling insecure in any particular area of life is a red flag to trust God more. But it’s hard to trust God intimately when we don’t know Him specifically in Word, deed or character.

Our path to finding security in God is to repent from holding onto all that makes us feel insecure, all that opposes His truth, such as fear, hurts, injustices, unforgiveness and unbelief.

To honor God’s infinite glory-worth, we must repent from walking on any path of pain instead of His way, which is faith, love and truth.

When God highlights our insecurity to us, we can thank Him for inviting us up higher. We can simply pray and receive His help to overcome:

Psalm 118:5 TPT tells us, “Out of my deep anguish and pain I prayed, and God, you helped me as a father. You came to my rescue and broke open the way into a beautiful and broad place.”

In Psalm 139:24 TPT, David invites God to “See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on, and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting ways—the path that brings me back to you.”

Luke 3:5 NIV reveals God’s will, which is that “Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.”

God’s Glorious Presence with us reveals His infinite, intrinsic worth. His substance. His essence. His true value in us and for us.

His will is to prosper us (Jer. 29:11).

He desires we know this.

Partnering with God, on the narrow path, honors Him as an expression of respect for His worth and the value He extends to us.

Pray with me if you will . . .
Lord, Thank You for Your worthy Presence in me. I renounce all forms of poverty and receive You as my inherent true value. By Your grace, lead me to experience a deeper inner awakening of Your truth, value, love, life and rest for my weary soul. Purge from me any contemptuous false treasure—especially the idol of hopelessness—by overthrowing it. Heal and deliver me from all that does not please You, so I can have a pure heart of honor toward You and others. Make me into a person of valor, determined to trust and obey You. Help me to guard against entering into any type of bondage forward. Enable me to receive Your finest blessings. Thank You, Lord, for doing that which only You can do. And now, I declare Psalm 139:5 TPT over my life: “You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way, and in kindness you follow behind me to spare me from the harm of my past. With your hand of love upon my life, you impart a blessing to me.” Thank You, Lord. I love You. In Jesus’ Mighty Name. Amen.

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

Radiance Of God: Indwelling & Outpouring

Isaiah 60:1 TPT – “Rise up in splendor and be radiant, for your light has dawned, and Yahweh’s glory now streams from you!”

You’ve probably heard of the adage “tickled pink.” Well, did you know that the color of radiance, according to Webster’s, is a deep pink?

And just like a beautiful deep sunrise, we can experience a divine spiritual daybreak.

We have a lot to look forward to in 2020.

And we don’t have to look back, because you came to deeply understand Romans 13:12 TPT, which says, “Night’s darkness is dissolving away as a new day of destiny dawns. So we must once and for all strip away what is done in the shadows of darkness, removing it like filthy clothes. And once and for all we clothe ourselves with the radiance of light as our weapon.”

Beloved bride, what does God have in store for you?

For what mission has He readied you?

What promises will He manifest?

You learned, during times of testing, that God’s radiant light is both internal and external.

And now you’re ready for more external.

His glorious Presence that you reached for in your time of tribulation brought you protection from that which tried to ensnare you. Holy Spirit gave you revelation when you didn’t understand, and revival of your soul when you felt like so much in you was dying.

God was your lifeline.

He went after the gold in you to forge you higher.

In character and purpose.

To become light.

As glory.

As fire.

To be the light of Christ in a dying world.

Compassion.

Abundance.

Honor.

Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Glory, and the Spirit of Christ, who lives inside of His redeemed.

He is light as He is love.

He is omnipresent.

He is seated on His throne in Heaven, while He dwells in His redeemed through Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 1:3 TPT assures us that “The Son is the dazzling radiance of God’s splendor, the exact expression of God’s true nature—his mirror image! He holds the universe together and expands it by the mighty power of his spoken word.”

Just like He expands our soul to know Him more.

To receive Him more.

His Glorious Presence.

To drive out darkness.

In us and beyond us.

1 John 1:5 TPT reveals God’s nature and character of light, saying, “…God is pure light. You will never find even a trace of darkness in him.”

Daniel 2:22 AMP reveals His enlightenment to us, His omniscience, and His glorious indwelling Presence, saying, “It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him.”

God sustains us to do what He has called and assigned us to do.

So we don’t have to fear, but trust and follow the glory light of God (Love) to bring us into the new places He has for us, knowing that two of the qualities of His glorious light is protection and provision.

God is faithful.

Acts 17:28 TPT reminds us that “It is through him that we live and function and have our identity; just as your own poets have said, ‘Our lineage comes from him.'”

Our Father is for us.

By His Spirit, as we abide in Him, in His radiant light and love, He will continue to lead us forward into greater abundance–spirit, soul, and body.

We are to wrap ourselves in light (Rom. 13:12), just as God wraps Himself in light (Ps. 104:2).

We are to release wrongdoings, forgive others and fan the flame forward.

As the New Year’s folksong goes, “Should auld acquaintance be forgot,” 1 John 2:9-10 reminds us to hold only love and light in our hearts toward others. It says:

Anyone who says, ‘I am in the light,’ while holding hatred in his heart toward a fellow believer is still in the darkness. But the one who truly loves a fellow believer lives in the light, and there is nothing in him that will cause someone else to stumble.

Now, just past the midnight hour, for the Glory of God and for His great Name’s sake (Ps. 109:21), let’s remain in the light of Christ. Let’s remember John 12:46 TPT and Isaiah 61:10 TPT, which say, “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world so that all who trust in me will no longer wander in darkness. I will sing and greatly rejoice in Yahweh! My whole being vibrates with shouts of joy in my God! For he has dressed me with salvation and wrapped me in the robe of his righteousness! I appear like a bridegroom on his wedding day, decked out with a beautiful sash, or like a radiant bride adorned with sparkling jewels.”

Friends, I pray that God will continue to reveal his mysteries that have been “difficult to grasp and understand” (Job 12:22) and that He will expand your sanctuary like a tent through this year. I pray God will continue to light up your path as you walk with Him into your promises, so much so that kings will be blinded by your radiance (Is. 62:2). In Jesus’ Mighty Name, God bless you. Amen.

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

The Grace of Renewal

Psalm 103:3-5 AMP tells us, “Who forgives all your sins, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you [lavishly] with lovingkindness and tender mercy; Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the [soaring] eagle.”

Friends, these verses are talking about our Lord, God, who desires we experience His renewal, which is to gain something beyond what is former. In other words, The Lord desires that we receive something better and something higher than we have previously known.

As we move into 2020, this could mean many things. Who else can know all of the blessings God has for us at the outset, especially since we live from the inside out?

For we Christians, who are spiritually born again by grace, this exit from the old and entrance into the new means that God progressively transforms us into His likeness internally—from darkness into His marvelous light—with the added benefit of His manifest promises (2 Cor. 4:16).

I like how Webster’s defines renew. It means:

  1. RESTORE: To freshness, vigor, or perfection. To make like new. 
  2. REGENERATE: To make new spiritually.
  3. a.  REVIVE: To restore to existence. b.  REBUILD: To make extensive changes in.
  4. REPEAT: To do again. 
  5. RESUME: To begin again.
  6. REPLACE and to REPLENISH.

Webster’s also says that renewal “implies a resurrection and restoration of what had become faded or disintegrated…”

Of course, we know that God makes all things new. So, the beauty of the renewal process is that God doesn’t leave us where we are, but He fills our soul with more of His radiance, His power and His strength as we go.

If necessary, Holy Spirit will even shine His light on the parts of our soul that have stopped believing and lost hope, the parts that are no longer “integrated” with His truth. If this happens, He will lead us to repentance, and bring those fragments into the wholeness of life-union with Him to rebuild the faith He gave us in our soul.

As we come near to Him, He comes near to us with His Presence and revelation-understanding—the truth that sets us free.

Psalm 51:6 TPT says, “I know that you delight to set your truth deep in my spirit. So come into the hidden places of my heart and teach me wisdom.”

Friends, this is one of the best invitations we can extend to our Lord.

Colossians 3:10 TPT assures us, “For you have acquired new creation life which is continually being renewed into the likeness of the One who created you; giving you the full revelation of God.”

As we follow Him into the secret place, The Spirit of Revelation, who is The Holy Spirit, helps us with the part of renewal that is repetition, which is the process of maturity, meaning the daily renewing of the mind with His Word, His perspective, and the restoration of His character.

Colossians 2:3 reveals, “For our spiritual wealth is in him, like hidden treasure waiting to be discovered—heaven’s wisdom and endless riches of revelation knowledge.”

So, God regenerates our spirit, revives our heart, restores our foundation of belief. He propels us forward and offers us more than we had before. 

To live this authentic life of abundance is to live a resurrected life on earth as it is in Heaven. And it requires an ongoing, intimate fellowship with our Lord. 

Even when it feels difficult.

Jesus understood this when He walked on earth in person:

One example is in John 10 when the leaders, who falsely-accused Jesus, tried to seize and stone Him. Confronted with these threats, Jesus declared truth and life. He said that He was in The Father and that The Father was in Him (vs. 38). 

Then Jesus “went back to the place where John had baptized Him” (vs. 40). 

So, you see here that Jesus Himself spoke truth and then returned to the place of new life in the face of captivity and death.

He didn’t get stuck in a bad place, and He didn’t even entertain stubbornness. He certainly didn’t get ensnared in strife.

Instead, Jesus remained in sync with the power of God and miraculously escaped the enemy’s attack. And He headed back to His new beginning—the cross point and centrifuge of true captivation, which is the Presence of Holy Spirit, who refreshes us.

Also, in John 10, as a result of Jesus’ walk, many people followed Him and believed (vss. 41-42).

Friends, God draws people toward His miracle of salvation and renewed life.

Are you willing to follow Him into new life, which is your best life?

He’s waiting for you.

Hebrews 10:19 TPT confirms this by saying, “And now we are brothers and sisters in God’s family because of the blood of Jesus, and he welcomes us to come into the most holy sanctuary in the heavenly realm—boldly and without hesitation.”

Friends, this is our inheritance. 

God never leaves us or forsakes us.   Even in the face of giants, the deliverance of spiritual renewal involves a continual process that strengthens our soul in The Lord. God faithfully guards us through this process to bring His faithful promises to fruition for us and through us. All for His glory. 

Therefore, we mustn’t get discouraged by what we see in our circumstances. But rather trust God at His timing and ways, which are true to His character and plan for our lives.

Isaiah 40:31 TPT instructs us in regards to His strategy to keep us strong in Him. It says, “But those who wait for Yahweh’s grace will experience divine strength. They will rise up on soaring wings and fly like eagles, run their race without growing weary, and walk through life without giving up.”

I like how one of the endnotes (c) for this verse in the TPT version references not giving up. It says, “The outer court is where we walk, the Holy Place is where we run, and we soar like eagles (into the heavenly realm) in the Holy of Holies.”

Don’t you love that?!

Friends, God is inviting us to soar with Him in this new year, this new season, and this new era. 

Let us come near to Him in the most intimate place and receive His revelation and wisdom. Let’s obey His leading and submit our hearts to Him fully, allowing Him to renew us however He sees fit along the way. Let’s experience His abundance in new ways and on new levels as He helps us overcome our limitations by His grace that empowers us to soar.

Ephesians 4:23 TPT tells us, “Now it’s time to be made new by every revelation that’s been given to you.”

Friends, I pray The Lord’s finest blessings to you in every facet of your life in this new year and beyond. 

To God be the glory!

Happy 2020!

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

Resurrection Life—Here & Beyond

We know that Jesus’ crucifixion wasn’t The Father’s final Word.

And we know that because of Christ’s resurrection, we as believers could be re-born.

As His redeemed, God’s Spirit of Life is sealed in us.

Galatians 2:20 TPT tells us, “My old identity has been co-crucified with Messiah and no longer lives; for the nails of his cross crucified me with him. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives his life through me—we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that he gave himself for me, and dispenses his life into mine!”

Romans 8:11 says, “Yes, God raised Jesus to life! And since God’s Spirit of Resurrection lives in you, he will also raise your dying body to life by the same Spirit that breathes life into you!”

Ephesians 2:6 TPT reveals, “He raised us up with Christ the exalted One, and we ascended with him into the glorious perfection and authority of the heavenly realm, for we are now co-seated as one with Christ!”

So, we see here friends, that we are both seated with Jesus in the heavenly realm, while He lives inside of us now on earth.

This means that Jesus is our super power inside and out!

Psalm 18:1 TPT assures us, “Lord, I passionately love you and I’m bonded to you, for now you’ve become my power!”

When we Christ-followers know our true identity in Him—that we are His chosen, His treasured, His beloved, His co-glorified (Rom 8:17) to bring Heaven to earth—and we relinquish the pride of our ways to Him and submit to His ways, He can work His resurrection power through us to bring light to a dark world. Unhindered.

Psalm 36:9 TPT says, “To know you is to experience a flowing fountain, drinking in your life, springing up to satisfy. In your light we receive the light of revelation.”

Psalm 17:11 TPT tells us, “For you bring me a continual revelation of resurrection life, the path to the bliss that brings me face-to-face with you.”

So, here we see that Christ is our true fountain of life (Ps. 68:26).

We can live in Christ’s continual unveiling of Himself and His mysteries when we seek Him and submit ourselves to Him.

Psalm 119:29 NLT says, “Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions.”

Ephesians 1:9 TPT says, “And through the revelation of the Anointed One, he unveiled his secret desires to us—the hidden mystery of his long-range plan, which he was delighted to implement from the very beginning of time.”

Jeremiah 33:3 reveals, “Call to Me and I will answer you, and tell you [and even show you] great and mighty things, [things which have been confined and hidden], which you do not know and understand and cannot distinguish.”

What a blessing to have Jesus and Holy Spirit working on the inside of us to guide us on His path to live a greater life—a higher life, an uncommon, and an abundant life for Kingdom purposes.

Jesus is the Way. He is the Truth. And He is the Life (Jn. 14:6).

With Him, we can soar!

God assures us of an unveiled, risen life that can bring us to life on the other side of the betrayal of sin and the sin of betrayal.

His way is the only way that works for our good continually.

In fact, it’s important to even align our words with His, because “The Word of Life has power to continually deliver us” (Ja. 1:21). So, speak powerful words of life that “give life” (Prov. 18:21).

Romans 8:7, 13 TPT tell us, “For no matter how hard they try, God finds no pleasure with those who are controlled by the flesh. For when you live controlled by the flesh, you are about to die. But if the life of the Spirit puts to death the corrupt ways of the flesh, we then taste his abundant life.”

Who doesn’t want abundant life?

Since our ways always lead to a limited outcome and disappointment, why wouldn’t we choose the way of Jesus that never disappoints?

Jesus is true to Himself and true to His Word.

God’s promises work in our lives when we believe and follow through with actions of faith to His instructions—both written and revealed.

Friends, you will never regret His love at work for you.

God’s Spirit will strengthen you in Him to stay the course as you depend on Him.

When you feel embittered, He will bring justice as you hand Him your self-justification.

He will forgive you as you turn toward Him and forgive others.

He will restore to you even more than the enemy stole from you.

His grace will come through for you in every situation as you reach for Him.

He will satisfy all your needs and make your crooked path straight.

He is a good God who desires to share His faithful life and good works with you.

No matter where we are, it can be a new day for us!

We are always on His mind.

No matter what.

Pray with me, if you will, Psalm 43:3…

Lord, Thank You that You have seated me in heavenly places and that Your Spirit of Life lives in me. “Pour into me the brightness of your daybreak! Pour into me your rays of revelation-truth! Let them comfort and gently lead me onto the shining path, showing the way into your burning presence, into your many sanctuaries of holiness” (Ps. 43:3 TPT). Thank You for helping me bring honor to You, Lord. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Friends, rest assured, this year can be a new beginning of fresh vision and manifest expressions of His love for you.

I pray that you will receive God’s wisdom for your life, and “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…” (Eph. 3:16 NIV).

Isaiah 60:1 TPT invites us to “Rise up in splendor and be radiant, for your light has dawned, and Yahweh’s glory now streams from you!”

“Once we carried the likeness of the man of dust, but now let us carry the likeness of the Man of heaven” (1 Cor. 15:49).

Until next week, may God bless your every facet of life.

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

Happy New Year With Love!

This wreath hangs on the front door of a historic church on Main Street in downtown Greeneville, TN.

Glynn and I were blessed to celebrate New Year’s while on vacay in the Caribbean. Mind you, I was sick when we arrived (but quickly recovered), and we worked every day except two!

While there, The Lord led me to snap some fabulous photos to be used on social media for 2020. And He enabled my small creative-tech-editorial team and I to craft and post our first month of video-devos for this new year. I am amazed and excited daily about what The Lord has done and is doing! I marvel at how He brought (and is still bringing) all the many pieces together step-by-step so SWIFTLY to make this (His) ongoing project happen.

If you would like to receive these weekly video-devos in your email inbox, please subscribe now, as the first one is scheduled to be emailed January 5, with subsequent ones to follow each Sunday throughout 2020.

Thank you for your prayers as God continues to reveal to us how to do His assignments.

To Him be the glory!

Special thanks to Salem Web Network, which graciously re-posts these video-devos on their platforms, including iBelieve.com.