Monthly Archives: May 2018

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

A Transforming Trip Through 2 Timothy – Part 8

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“…All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:12-17

The Truth of God’s Word, rightly known and understood, makes us adequate and equips us for good works. Since even our greatest good is as filthy rags apart from the work of God in us, the work of the Spirit in bringing truth of the Word to life in us, transforms our filthy rags to good works that honor God as Lord, fulfilling His purpose in and through us.

Dig in Beloved and feast yourself on The Word of God, seeking the Teacher for understanding. Be made new through the inspired Word of God that is profitable for training in righteousness.

“Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them….” 2 Timothy 3:12-17 NASB

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

A Transforming Trip Through 2 Timothy – Part 7

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Beloved, there is a True Faith in the One True God that taps into His True Power, and that relationship is necessary for the Liberating Transformation we desire. Without this Power at work in us, we cannot progress to a true transformation that lasts.

Think of the butterfly. It starts as larva, having the mere potential of life. In the natural, before the larva becomes a butterfly, it crawls the earth in a worm state. It’s course leads it to cocoon. The cocoon state is where the worm meets True Power that works transformation, turning the caterpillar into the beauty of the butterfly.

Beloved, the cry we lift to Father now and in tomorrow’s day of focused prayer is a call to cocoon with God for the experience of His True Power to work amazing change in us.

Read the following passage carefully, Beloved, and, seeking truth of your own heart in Christ, realize that if you fall into any of these things spoken of by Paul’s warning to Timothy, they warn of reliance on a false faith in a false idea of who God is and how He works. It is a signal of a cause for sin that can only be addressed in sincere faith in the True God by the True Power He provides. If you find yourself or those you pray for in these verses, transformation begins now, on knees of repentance with a heart ready to do business with The One True God.

“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.”

2 Timothy 3:1-9 NASB

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

A Transforming Trip Through 2 Timothy – Part 6

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“Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:21

I don’t know about you, Beloved, but I believe that the goal of life on earth for the Christian should be to be this “vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” According to the scripture, attaining that goal requires we be “cleansed of these things.”

Paul begins in verse 14 with the charge for Timothy to remind those he is ministering to of the truths found in verses 1-13. I recommend reviewing those encouraging words. Then verse 14 begins a list of specifics we must seek God’s cleansing from, things that determine whether we are vessels for honor or dishonor.

1. Don’t wrangle about words. Some beliefs in the Christian faith are not worth fighting about, only serving to cause dissension and separation in the Family of God, leading “to the ruin of the hearers”. (I.e.: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 and Romans 14) Instead we are to behave in a manner approved by God, accurately handling His Word.

2. Next we are warned to “avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness,” which spreads like gangrene. A hot topic I believe fits here is to speak against our national leaders, as if God had nothing to do with their appointment, having no purpose for their appointment. We go against God when we assault their character and purpose, as it is God who raises up one and brings down another for His purpose. Such rhetoric can upset the faith of the immature in Christ, causing them to stumble or fall away.

3. Then Paul advises that “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.” Wickedness is any word or deed that goes against God, refusing His Lordship, or setting a bad example, thus defaming His Name through rebellion against His will and way.

4. Paul concludes chapter 2 with the encouragement to “flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.“ We are to “refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.”

The goal of the vessel of honor is to be filled up with and to spill out the Spirit of God, so that God may grant to those receiving our witness repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth. The hope is that others “may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”

Beloved, our own freedom from sin and liberty in righteousness frees others who watch with desire for the same. “Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. …”

2 Timothy 2:14-26 NASB

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

A Transforming Trip Through 2 Timothy – Part 5

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As we seek the transforming power our Father desires for us, we began where all healing begins, by seeking a right relationship with God, making sure we walk, live, and breathe with a clear conscience. While doing that, we must do a faith check, making certain we are walking in Christ with sincere faith. Third is our need to realize our part in kindling afresh the gift God placed in us for His purpose and glory. With that, we must realize, receive, possess, and fully live out the grace of God in us. Next we must understand the Word of God and know how to apply it’s truths to our daily life.

“Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” 2 Timothy 2:7 NASB

When we first begin to grow, we learn a lot through the teaching of others. But for every child of God, there comes a time when He expects us to grow in our ability to learn from and through the Spirit of God in us.

The Spirit, in all His fullness, is given to each individual in Christ. The full work of the Spirit lives and breathes in us: from convincing us of right vs. wrong, to comforting, teaching, and empowering us, the Spirit does His work. And this work of the Spirit thrives in the soil of a surrendered heart that seeks God, with a whole heart that is pliable, and ready to grow in Christ.

This truth is vital in a world where false teachers and false teaching is its destiny. We must be like the men of Berea, who did not just receive the word spoken to them, but they searched out the scripture for themselves, confirming the message before receiving it as truth (Acts 17:10-12).

If we truly desire the transforming power of God in our lives, we must be people of the Word of God, able to receive the teaching of the Spirit and discern truth for ourselves. And we must pray the word for those we desire to see transformed.

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

A Transforming Trip Through 2 Timothy – Part 4

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BE STRONG IN THE GRACE that is in Christ Jesus.

Wow. Chillin’ over that! God’s mercy and His grace makes me excited.

Mercy!

Mercy covers us, a blanket of Jesus’s blood flowing over every part, parcel, nook, and cranny. Jesus paid the price we owed and the blood that flowed covers us who believe and receive Him, covering the ugly of sin so God the Father can look on us and we can have a relationship with Him. God’s mercy through Christ makes us the righteousness of God in Christ.

Grace!

Grace is the power of God. That power flows to us through Christ, granting us strength and ability to do righteousness. With that defining parameter, note Ephesians 2:8-10.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10 NASB

God sent his grace to empower us with faith to believe, so that by the faith powered by Him, we might receive the free gift of mercy in Christ. It is not something we can boast about obtaining, for it is all powered and provided by God, who has a work to accomplish through us as recipients of grace.

This call to be strong in God’s grace is two fold. We are to be strong recipients of His grace, strong in our personal relationship with Him, which is by grace. And we are to be strong in the work God desires to accomplish through us as His witnesses, His ambassadors, His bond-servants.

“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NASB

Realizing our need of God, we surrender to Him who grants grace to empower our righteous deeds and actions.

“”I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:1-5 NASB

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation, Prayer

A Transforming Trip Through 2 Timothy – Part 3

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Kindle afresh the gift of God within you. Apparently, according to 2 Timothy 1:6, when the exuberance of our ministry and the gift of God in us is dulled, there is something we must do to rekindle that fire: that zeal. To even begin to understand what Paul is speaking of, we need to see the context of this verse.

“I am calling up memories of your sincere and unqualified faith, the leaning of your entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness, a faith that first lived permanently in the heart of your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am fully persuaded, dwells in you also. That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the gracious gift of God, the inner fire that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands with those of the elders at your ordination. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but He has given us a spirit of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. Do not blush or be ashamed then, to testify to and for our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for His sake, but with me take your share of the suffering to which the preaching of the Gospel may expose you, and do it in the power of God.” 2 Timothy 1:5-8 AMPC

Apparently seeing Paul’s experience of suffering for the faith, I’m sure coupled with his own experience of persecution, raised up a spirit of fear in Timothy that caused his faith to wax and wane, thus hindering the work of God’s Spirit in Him. We cannot tap into the power of God when fear and doubt get a grip.

Today, Beloved, we evaluate our ministry in Christ, our zeal of service and the fire of our gifting. Are we serving in the fullness God has for us, or has some fear, some hardship, or some worldly desire robbed our faith, our trust, our belief, thus dulling the work of the Spirit in us? Take time today to renew your commitment and flex those faith muscles that trust God for each step and every breath. Kindle afresh the gift of faith within you, the leaning of your entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness.

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but He has given us a spirit of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.” (Vs. 7)

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

Seven Healing Balms for Exhaustion – 4

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Healing for the exhausted begins with a life surrendered to Him as Lord. It requires an adequate diet that feeds the body its need rather than feeding its fleshly indulgence that is set to steal, kill, and destroy an effective life of surrender. And the body needs to move. Exercise aides ones ability to truly rest. Today, as we continue our look at the seven healing balms to heal the exhausted, we see our need of restful sleep.

Sleep! Oh how it seems to elude us when we need it most. It sounds weird, but exhaustion can actually hinder ones ability to sleep. One, it makes us feel like we can’t sleep, our mind being unable to relax. And exhaustion messes up the body’s chemistry, truly robbing our ability to sleep. Two, exhaustion robs our desire to cook or to eat in healthy ways, causing bodily issues that hinder sleep. And three, it robs of energy to move, causing us to sit too much, which makes our bodies ache, and robs our ability to enter the type of sleep cycle that aids restoration.

Sleep is important, and the lack of it makes one dysfunctional. I don’t know of much worse than being so tired, I can’t function, and I am that a lot these days. Like with food, the right type of sleep fuels the body’s needs. During sleep is when everything from cells to organs, go through a time of recuperation, rejuvenation; the old goes out, behold, new things come.

With Johnny’s schedule (working 8 or 9 AM to 9 or 10 PM, Monday through Thursday), coupled with his health issues that threaten his life, leaving us to desire to spend as much of our precious time together as possible, we go to bed late and get up early. However, sleep is necessary for health and healing, and the type of sleep needed begins with entering God’s rest.

God calls us to His rest, which is necessary for health and healing. We sleep best when we are good at entering that rest. Entering God’s rest requires two things of us (see Hebrews 1-4): the first necessary thing on our part is faith that flows out of trusting belief in God. Second is our obedience to Him that flows out of our love for and faith in Him. When we fail to enter this rest, that is when we most frequently fall prey to an uneasy conscience, worry, fretting, questioning, plotting, and planning that robs of restful sleep.

We must be still and know that God is God. Then we must go to bed. Father is showing me my need to not allow myself to be the cause of our staying up later than is necessary. When it is necessary to be up late, a nap the next day is a good habit to follow.

Sleep is necessary, and the right type of sleep that cycles normally through all the stages of sleep is vital to healing rest. Our body cycles through wakefulness, light sleep, deep sleep, and REM (Rapid Eye Movements), where dreams occur. All that we have covered thus far aids and fuels that healthy cycle: a surrendered life that enters his rest protects the mind so it can sleep. Right foods that feed the body its need protects from discomfort that hinders sleep. And moving the body through exercise and rewarding work heightens our body’s ability to enter a restorative rest cycle. All we have covered thus far works together as allies to restful, restorative sleep; and sleep may well be the greatest, most needful healing balm for the exhausted mind, body, and soul.

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

A Transforming Trip Through 2 Timothy – Part 2

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“For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you….” 2 Timothy 1:5 NASB

Today God calls us to be mindful of our SINCERE faith. We know that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11), but do we realize the need of sincerity of faith?

Beloved, we can’t just say, “I believe” and that be good enough when there is no truth to it or when belief is aimed at the wrong target. God desires truth with Him, and that requires truth with self, for without truth with self, their can be no true repentance.

Jesus honored the one who said, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). The man realized he had a degree of sincere faith to believe, but it was shaky and insufficient with the doubt that floated around inside, hindering full trust to believe. Like him, it is better for us to be honest with God and open to His transforming help, than to lie to self trying to make ourselves believe when true trust in Him is missing. Note here that faith, belief, and trust are intertwined. True, sincere faith, believes God and trusts His will.

Consider the areas of your own life that desperately need the transforming power of God to work there. Consider your faith in God for that area of concern. Is your faith sincere, being focused on His ability to do what is needed, or is your faith focused on the need of faith in getting God to do what you want? Is your faith merely a mustard seed that hasn’t been planted yet, much less sprout to grow? A small amount of faith that trusts God’s faithfulness and knows He can is better than great faith in ones need of faith.

I pray what I’m trying to say makes sense to you, Beloved, because this is important. Faith focuses fully on God. It believes God can and trusts His will for us, knowing He will do what is best for all concerned. Small faith of this kind is a seed that can grow, and God loves growing it. Being truthful with self and God opens us up for His work to empower our faith, increasing faith to us, while cleansing us of any doubt.

Faith that is misplaced or that is falsely motivated, focusing on self’s ability to have faith instead of on God’s faithfulness, is NO FAITH AT ALL. Test your faith, Beloved, and pray for self and for the faith of those for whom you seek God’s transforming power.

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

A Transforming Trip Through 2 Timothy – Part 1

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Reading through 2 Timothy, I keep sensing there is something there for me to see and understand. Today I finally get it.

In preparing us for the day of prayer coming up on the 24th, 2 Timothy has many truths we need to possess in preparation to pray for and to receive God’s liberating transformation in our personal areas of need. The first need is this:

“I thank God, whom I SERVE WITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day,” 2 Timothy‬ ‭1:3‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Beloved, our first need in ministry, including in the ministry of prayer for self and others, is for a clear conscience. This clear conscience is twofold:

First, a clear conscience surrenders all sin. We must seek the Father to reveal through His Spirit in us all areas of personal sin in need of repentance. Sin in us will hinder our prayers for self and others. It will hinder our own liberating transformation. So we must cleanse our own spiritual house and clear our conscience.

Second, a clear conscience is one that holds to the truth known. What we know of God; the things we know true of our relationship with Him and our service to Him; all we know true of His gifts in us and our fruit bearing in Christ: our full assurance of conscience in these things is vital for our journey forward.

So, today – and for as many days as it takes – confess and repent of sins; and confess, profess, and possess the truths you hold firm within you.

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

Trust God’s Promises

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“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” Psalms‬ ‭32:8‬ ‭NASB‬‬

I posted this beautiful promise of God to friends today. One expressed gratitude for the truth of Father’s faithfulness to direct our path and asked us to pray for Him to direct her path in a decision she is facing. I started to reply agreement when this question hit my heart, “Why do we ask God for what He promises to do?”

It hit me that the need is not for God to do what He does; it is for us to have ears to hear, eyes to see, a mind to know with understanding, a heart to trust His faithfulness, and a willing spirit of obedience that believes His timely provision.

I noted a Scripture the other day that tells us to remind God of His promises. I asked, “Why, Lord? It’s not like You forget.” It dawns on me that the practice of reminding Him, reciting to Him what we know of Him, is not for His sake, but our own: strengthening our faith, solidifying our belief, lifting the muscle building weights of comprehensive understanding.

Got a need? Recite God’s promises with grateful heart, Beloved, and request your need so you can hear, possess, and walk out His directives with faith’s hope.

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

Seven Healing Balms for Exhaustion Part 3

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Exercise

Sometimes our “tired” is due to sitting too much. This happens to me. When I’m I’m stressed or depressed, and overly tired, I tend to sit too much, desiring to meet my need of rest. The thing is, sitting too much can actually hinder the body’s ability to rest well or to sleep well, and it increases depression. Thus, the encouragement of God’s Spirit to give focus to exercise is good wisdom.

Beginning with prayer and worship:

Prayer and the worship of the Triune God is a spiritual exercise that works wonders in a tired, body, mind, heart, spirit, and soul. Leaving issues at God’s feet lifts weight off of weighed down shoulders and stressed knees. Praise and worship strengthens the heart, lifts and eases the mind, and brings renewed vitality to life.

Work that body:

God made our bodies to move, lift, walk, bend, stoop, and work. When we fail to do that, a sundry of disease processes move in: inflammatory diseases, bone and joint maladies, heart, lung, and vascular disease, to name a few. Then we can add to that depression, appetite issues, insomnia, and more. And let’s not forget the excess weight, increased fat stores beyond the need of a healthy body, and decreased muscle mass and tone.

Exercise works our bodies, putting a good stress on it that strengthens function. A good work out and frequent movement increases endorphins that lifts mood, curbs hunger, and increases energy. Thus it makes sense that the Spirit of God would instruct me to get serious about this area of my health journey in this difficult season of life.

I cannot tell you the number of times hunger and out-of-control appetite has quieted or completely stilled with a good, brisk walk. Exercise actually increases energy levels and aids sleep. So, exhausted friend, let’s “Keep it moving!” (Deron Buboltz, Grow Young Fitness Motto)

13 Unexpected Benefits of Exercise

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

Seven Healing Balms for Exhaustion: Part 2

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Yesterday we covered my need for surrender. I am a stress eater and one stressor is tiredness, which is created and exacerbated by stress, good or bad. Vicious circle, I know. Today, a major area in need of my surrender to the Lordship and reliance on God is in my way of eating.

Diet (beginning with God’s Word).

God’s Word is what led me to realize that surrender is my number one need. God’s Word constantly and consistently instructs and encourages my perseverance, even when I’m tired. Exhaustion tends to hinder ability and desire for God’s Word. Remaining faithful to Him, trusting His ability to get through the fog of exhaustion and to help us is key to our ability to seek and find this vital nutrient. So feasting on God’s Word is my first dietary need, for it keeps me close to God, in a position of pliable-surrender. There, I am best able to deal with…

Diet (the things we physically eat)

The diet we need is not some fad thing that may take weight off, but be of no benefit to our body. These types of diets are generally unsustainable, leaving us to put the weight back on quickly. These fall into the category of things that have no benefit against fleshly indulgence (Colossians 2:23). We go on such fad diets, usually with the simple goal of losing weight, often with little thought toward working long term change in our appetites and desires. We go on “diets” with full intent to return to “normal eating” when we’ve reached our goal.

God led me long ago to the conclusion that “diet” simply means the things we eat. We are all on diets. The question is, are we eating to feed our flesh its desires? Or are we eating to provide fuel for a healthy, well functioning body?

When we eat to fuel our healthy function, our way of eating or diet becomes our way of life; it becomes our new norm. We don’t start it only to finish it and return to old ways. It’s not here for a time; it’s a habitual way of eating that is here to stay. It does not feed our flesh its indulgences. It feeds our body its need. We lose weight naturally by simply feeding our body it’s functional need. We keep it off the same way.

My struggle with stress eating leads me to feed my flesh its indulgence, instead of feeding my body its functional need. Surrender is vital to my freedom from the dictates of stress eating. Surrendering whatever is stressing me to God’s care brings peace to mind and soul. Surrendering my desires to God allows Him to form a good appetite within me and to energize my follow-through. In this way, proper diet strengthens my body, while God empowers my faithfulness to overcome fleshly indulgence. This, my friend, is the best, most freeing diet I’ve ever possessed.

“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NASB

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation, Prayer

What to Do in the Long Night

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First Timothy 4:12 is vital instruction at any age, especially in a Long Night Season. A long night can leave a person feeling lost and without direction, not knowing what to do in the situation or in life. This is the answer! Pray these things.

“Let no one look down on you.” Job made it known to his friends that their opinion had no basis in truth. We must know ourselves before God, keeping His opinion in mind when accusation comes.

Continue to be a godly example in speech (the way we talk), conduct, LOVE, faith, and purity. When we don’t know what to do, do these things and we will come through shining like gold.

Believe! Cling to faith in Father. Know Him, trust His promises, take Him at His Word despite what eyes see, emotions say, and the deceptive heart feels.

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

Seven Healing Balms for Exhaustion: Part 1

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This morning God led me to Jericho our town, praying for myself and others who are in a very deep seated exhaustion. As I did, He gave me thought for 7 areas of focus to empower rest and heal energy. Thus, the first of what will likely be seven posts outlining these things that are necessary for a life of strength.

SURRENDER!

First and foremost, I must live a surrendered life. Specific areas He pointed out include:

Concern for family and friends.

We have many family issues that are outside the realm of my control; and I am walking with several friends who are in the same boat. Only God can do anything about these things.

Worry and fretting drains energy. Though I don’t perceive worry and fret very often, my grief for loved ones is deep. I must take care to watch against enemy incursion, bringing these things up in ways that hinder surrender.

Diet! “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

I’ve been really working to surrender myself to the Lordship of the Father, bowing to His will and influence on my appetite and eating habits. He tells us through Paul’s experience that He desires to perfect His power by that power finding it’s place in our weak areas, thus doing its work in strengthening us. Power that sits, doing nothing, is wasted energy, unable to complete its course.

I am learning this surrender. It is a hard lesson, realizing that my greatest strength is truly my weakest vulnerability without surrender to God’s power perfected in me.

Wise use of time and energy.

I can’t stand seeing things around my home so neglected. It really bothers me. It’s oppressive, robbing of joy, which robs of strength. This is another area in which I simply must surrender to God, trusting my times and epochs to Him (Acts 17:24-28).

Right now my time and energy is needfully focused elsewhere as I take care of my husband, whose greatest desire is for me to take care of me. I simply must surrender the dust to God, knowing He empowers time and energy for all things in due season. Stressing it only wears me out and robs of true rest, the joy of the Lord, and enjoyment of my husband in these days.

Next post, part 2, Diet.

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation, Prayer

Protection in the Night

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The long night: it’s hard for me to see myself as being in a Long Night. I’ve been in a night of true darkness, but in this one, though I know the darkness threatening to overwhelm me, the Light is very near and dear. At the same time, I know of little more difficult than the threat to the life of a mate, except maybe the loss of a child. And being in a place to trust God while not knowing which way His healing will take gets long and can bring a deep weariness we don’t fully know how to handle. So God leads my heart in prayer today through song.

Today, as I cried out to God, needing His clear touch, He led me to Jericho my town while listening to my favorite worship playlist. Hitting the mix option, each song came in perfect order to minister to my heart and form my prayer in this night-watch. Now I thought God was changing the preplanned focus for today, but He isn’t.

Beloved, in the Dark Night Season, when we struggle to find the light God illumines all around that darkness, that is when we are most vulnerable to the lies and misdirection of the enemy that hides out in dark, waterless places. We can believe we are useless to God here. We can beat ourselves up for every flaw our deceived heart points to. We can blame self for every evil we see in our sphere of influence. We can forget that God is with us. Such struggles as these and more can make the dark, darker still. Today we pray for those in dark places to know the truth and be protected from the false.

Songs to pray through:

Still, by Hillary Scott

Glow in the Dark, by Jason Gray

Hope in Front of Me, by Danny Gokey

Scripture in context: 1 Timothy‬ ‭4:1-10‬ ‭NASB‬‬