Solid Foundation – Part 2

Ten days ago, The Lord highlighted the restoration of ruined cities to me (Is 61:4).

Three times. 

He then led me to Psalm 118:14-15 AMPC, which says, “The Lord is my Strength and Song; and He has become my Salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents and private dwellings of the [uncompromisingly] righteous: the right hand of the Lord does valiantly and achieves strength!”

Psalm 118:15 TPT says, “…My loud shouts of victory will echo throughout the land. For Yahweh’s right hand conquers valiantly!”

Holy Spirit also reminded me of Isaiah 9:6-7 TPT, which says…

The responsibility of complete dominion will rest on his shoulders, and his name will be: The Wonderful One! The Extraordinary Strategist! The Mighty God…Great and vast is his dominion. He will bring immeasurable peace and prosperity. He will rule on David’s throne and over David’s kingdom to establish and uphold it by promoting justice and righteousness from this time forward and forevermore.

Friends, God is a finisher.

Even when circumstances look scattered, chaotic and impossible, God is sovereign and is still working to give ravaged places and even personal projects new life and bring them to a good, highly-purposed completion. 

He is never without a victory-strategy to bring greater restoration, making things better than before.

Even if we need an overhaul, it just means that our God is patient and will draw us nearer to make us more solid in Him. 

More solid like Him, the Foundation who laid His life down for us to live as “immoveable,” which means “will not budge.” And “stable,” which means unchangeable. And “steadfast,” which means “standing fast without buckling or giving way” (HELPS Word-studies).

“Mighty God” in Isaiah 9:7 means “the God of battle” and “Champion God” (TPT Bible study notes).

He will fight for us and never lose!

When God is in something, we can always trust Him to ultimately prove it to be victorious as we obey Him.

We must keep our faith in Him always, as He is seated in what He establishes and has a commitment to see us through.

What exactly is God igniting in you in this hour?

What is He leading you into?

How are you seeing Him touch your efforts?

What wonderful thing is The Wonderful One birthing through you for His Kingdom?

Verse 7 continues on, saying that God rules on the throne and over the kingdom “to establish and uphold it by promoting justice and righteousness.”

To “establish” here means to be set up, fixed, fitted, firm, made secure and enduring as we determine, with God, to be faithful.

As we rule and reign with Him, He sustains us, comforts us, refreshes us, strengthens us and stays our hearts with determination, truthfulness, right discretion and vindication that doesn’t quit. 

This is the God we serve. 

Never give up on His appointed times for justice.

They are solid ground that we can trust. 

God will not forget. 

Psalm 89:14 TPT assures us by saying, “Your glorious throne rests on a foundation of righteousness and just verdicts. Grace and truth are the attendants who go before you.”

Have you ever had an encounter with The Lord, where He reveals an important event up ahead for you that you know would be impossible without His intervention? Then He, not only confirms the event through two or three witnesses, but He consistently encourages you over time by revealing more and more bits until the event occurs?

By leading us in this “treasure hunt” style, God not only refreshes our hope, He awakens us more and more until the fullness of time for the event, where we fully mature to receive. 

We come to realize that The Lord had to go before us to set it up well in advance, because so many elements have to come into place over time in, not only our lives, but others.

All along, He leads us along a solid foundation of righteous character and conduct, further into vindication, as He sees it—justifiable.

This is a journey where we can trust Him implicitly as He leads us into His plan for righting wrongs.

Exponentially.

The Lord gave me a Word of wisdom in this regard, which is…

When we get honest and grow to a place of knowing better and fully forgiving, we receive better than what would have been.

This is a divine re-set as in Isaiah 22:20-23 by His grace and truth.

This is what is meant as surpassing victory, and it begins by believing the victorious work of the cross, our secure place.

Romans 8:37 AMPC tells us, “Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.”

Surpassing means “a large amount or high degree; exceeding, excelling, or extraordinary” (Dictionary.com). 

“Surpassing victory” means to “prevail mightily (Strong’s #5245) and to be “beyond conquer,” to the extent that we are “completely and overwhelmingly victorious” (HELPS Word-Studies).

I believe God, in His rich mercy and amazing grace, will do for the people and cities that turn to Him and prove to be uncompromising.

Revelation 3:21 AMPC assures us that “He who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant him to sit beside Me on My throne, as I Myself overcame (was victorious) and sat down beside My Father on His throne.”

“…Thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ’s victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere,  For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which exhales] unto God…” (2 Co 2:14-15 AMPC).

To Him be the glory. 

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

Never Give Up

I am loving hearing so many preachers share fresh messages of transformation, over inspiration these days: revealing the “how to,” not solely the precepts that help us along our path of righteousness.

I have long awaited. Maybe you have, too.

Surely, we are in a “suddenly” mode of breakthroughs for our lives, having experienced incremental advances for a long time. I see points of breakthrough converging in my life in five major areas, which I will share in later posts.

For now, I feel led to share a story about John

John was someone my husband, Glynn, worked with for a few years. During their first year, Glynn would occasionally share nuggets of concern with me about John and ask me to pray for his salvation.

I did.

John became even more personal to me the following year, when he transferred to a different job site and invited Glynn to join him.

Glynn did join him, and I followed to make a temporary home for us.

Newly positioned, I was able to finally meet John in person. A bar was the only place John was willing to semi-socialize. So, while he hid away in a few different dark bars in-between hospital visits, Glynn and I met him twice.

Since no place is too dark for Jesus to shine His light, it’s what Jesus would have done.

John had been diagnosed with cancer, and his prognosis wasn’t good.

I saw John in passing at the new job site occasionally.

From the first moment I met him, God showed me a lot for the purpose of knowing better what to pray. Each time thereafter, my heart felt more ignited to press in for John.

Because I KNEW IN MY SPIRIT I was on divine assignment, no matter how resistant John was outwardly toward God (or my outreach), I was determined to not give up praying for him.

Stay on the path of your divine assignment.

No. Matter. What.

God had set my heart on Him in this regard.

I soon met John’s wife Stacy, who was a believer with a few serious health issues of her own.

I prayerfully and secretly met with Stacy. She didn’t have anyone else, locally, to help her. We were all new in town, and God had opened a door for me to reach out.

Over time, I saw incremental improvements in both John and Stacy. John even allowed Glynn to pray over him in the hospital a couple of times. We did the same for Stacy, who was greatly willing.

Sadly, within a couple of years, both John and Stacy passed into eternity. First Stacy, then John months later.

Just before John passed, I felt an urgency to press into God for him like never before. I would ask Glynn for updates on John’s health and his willingness toward salvation. But the reports were mostly negative. Still, I held onto hope that God would turn John’s heart, even if it was in his final moments on earth, alone with God.

Only God knows what people say to Him during their final breaths.

When we received word that John had passed, we wept. Glynn and I both loved John, as God had graciously put compassion in our hearts for him.

I felt a great desire for resolve rise up in my heart concerning John’s salvation. I had to hear from my Lord on the matter. I needed a confirmation directly from Him. I believed in my spirit all the prayer God had me pray would not return void, that God would never disappoint.

Still . . .

I NEEDED IT TO BE SETTLED IN MY SOUL ON A LEVEL THAT ONLY GOD HIMSELF COULD SATISFY, SPECIFICALLY REGARDING JOHN. I NEEDED CLOSURE.

So, for privacy sake, Glynn and I drove to a nearby park in an open field. We sat in our vehicle and prayed. I asked The Lord to show us a sign that John had been saved. I asked God to show me a rainbow RIGHT NOW as a sign that our beloved John made it to Heaven.

God’s revealed promise.

IMMEDIATELY AND SUDDENLY, through our windshield, we looked up to see the gray rainclouds above us break open. TWO RAINBOWS appeared!

Our hearts wept as we thanked God and rejoiced over John’s salvation!

It has been a couple of years since John’s passing. Every time I think of him now, I feel elated for him, for where he is, and for what God did for him. I know in my spirit and in my heart that John is rejoicing in Heaven, too.

I hope this story encourages you to willingly and eagerly agree with God when He puts someone on your heart to pray in their salvation. I hope you will willingly and eagerly set your heart on God and never give up, believing and pressing in for them until God’s time to release you.

We can trust God to bring to fruition the seeds of prayer He moves us to pray, even for the most impossible people.

His mercy triumphs over judgment to everlasting.

Be encouraged!

To God be the glory!

“Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you!” -Psalm 27:14 TPT

“Everyone who believes in Him will never be disappointed.”  -Romans 10:11 TPT

“Go and rescue the perishing! Be their savior! Why would you stand back and watch them stagger to their death? And why would you say, “But it’s none of my business’? The One who knows you completely and judges your every motive is also the keeper of souls—and not just yours! He sees through your excuses and holds you responsible for failing to help those whose lives are threatened.” -Proverbs 24:11-12 TPT