It's (not always) All Good

We are confident that God 

is able to orchestrate everything 

to work toward something 

good and beautiful 

when we love Him and 

accept His invitation to live 

according to His plan.

Romans 8:28

One of today's maxims is:

"It's all good."

It is a lie. It is not all good.

People want to think that everything 

works out in the end.

That is not true for everyone.

But the Bible describes certain people 

who do have the right to say, "It's all good."

For those who love God and live 

according to His plan, 

He really does orchestrate everything to work

toward something good and beautiful.

So we have confidence-- 

not in the ability of happenstance

to work out the details of circumstance--

but in the character of God.

Every day I need to reset my confidence in Him.

"That's not what I thought it would look like.

Oh, but You are able to orchestrate 

that situation and turn it for good."

The Lord can pour His favor on us

and cause us to be blessed 

even in the midst of circumstances 

that don't seem good.

It is called favor.

It is found in His presence.

Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love 

shall follow me all the days of my life, 

and through the length of my days, 

His presence shall be my dwelling place.

Psalm 23

May He Give You Peace

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ 

give you grace and peace.

May the Lord of peace Himself give you 

His peace at all times and in every situation.

2Thes 1:3, 3:16

The Christian faith is such a paradox of 

the "and" and "the both."

Sometimes I feel that I can't ask for peace

because Jesus IS my peace.

And He is.

But Paul prays for the Thessalonians

that God our Father and the Lord Jesus

would GIVE them grace and peace.

Do we have peace or does He give peace?

I love that the answer is yes.

Jesus is the Lord of peace.

Since He lives in us, we have His peace.

And He can also give us more peace.

There are times I can walk in what is there.

But a greater peace is available for 

those times and situations that

confront us and reveal what is not there.

Those times that take our breath away.

Those situations that shout to us

that maybe everything is not going to be ok.

Those times that make us stop and look up.

"Jesus, would You give me Your peace

at this time for this specific situation?"

The more that I know Him and trust Him,

the more peace He is able to give.

"May God give you more and more peace 

as you grow in your knowledge of Jesus our Lord."

2Peter 1:2

My desire is to be unrattled by life.

But greater still is my desire to

grow in my knowledge of You, Jesus.

Because as I grow, You provide more peace.

Every day is an opportunity to see

that I need to know You more.

Jesus, I need more of You.

That is my greatest confession.

When I confess my need for You,

You lavish me with Your presence.

And I find peace.

For my grateful soul.

Narrow Places

For you are my hiding place;

You protect me from trouble.

You surround me with songs of victory.

The Lord says, “I will guide you along

the best pathway for your life.
    

I will advise you and watch over you.”

Many sorrows come to the wicked,
    

but unfailing love surrounds those

who trust the Lord.

Psalm 32:7,8,10

Hezekiah's plans to protect the city's resources 

required that water from the springs of Gihon

be tunneled into the pool of Siloam.

Tunnels are dark and narrow places.

But inside the tunnel, power is generated

and life sources are channeled

to where they are most needed.

This seemingly dark and narrow place 

that many are in right now isn't bad;

but it is definitely not comfortable.

In a tunnel, you can't see very far ahead.

There is a sense that it might go on forever.

The narrow path can make us feel

that something is wrong.

But the Lord's promise to us is that

He will guide us along the path.

He will advise us and watch over us.

He surrounds us with songs of victory

and unfailing love.

When my steps seem uncertain

and I begin to worry about the future 

beyond where I can see,

the Lord gently reminds me to trust Him.

(the tunnel of Gihon Springs)

Hold My hand and allow Me to guide you,

watch over you, and advise you along the way.

In these narrow places, I am preparing you

for another level of My glory.

You have wanted to remain 

in the wide open spaces of yesterday,

but I have orchestrated this time of transition.

It has left you feeling disconnected, uneasy, unfruitful.

But it is I that has led you to this narrow place.

Trust My leading and hold on to My hand.

Ask My advice with every step

and you will rest secure knowing I've got you.

You simply cannot focus on the tunnel.

Lift your eyes up to the realm where I am.

You didn't wander into this tunnel aimlessly.

I have sovereignly led you here.

And I will lead you out.

My unfailing love is walking with you--

for a greater power than you had before.

That My glory be released in a greater way.

Trust Me.

The Pool of Siloam

As Jesus was walking along, 

He saw a man who had been blind from birth.

The disciples asked whose sin caused the man's blindness.

Jesus explained that it was not a sin issue.

“This happened so the power of God could be seen in him..." 

Then He spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, 

and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. 

He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.”

So the man went and washed and came back seeing!

John 9

There is great significance in this passage right now.

The original pool of Siloam was built by the Hebrews

as part of a military strategy to protect

the city’s supply of life-giving water.

By tunneling the water inward,

they made it more difficult for

their enemies to sustain strength.

It also enabled them to protect the resources

they had inside the walls of the city.

The water was channeled through the tight places

of Gihon Springs, with surging waters

leading to the pool of Siloam.

A prophetic word came forth recently that

spoke of a narrow channel with a picture of

glory running out of a spring.

Jesus told the man to wash himself in the pool of Siloam.

He had already healed him with the salve.

The man needed to go to the pool,

not for healing, but for washing.

He washed himself in glory,

the result of God’s power surging through

the narrow places of springs.

 It became a bridge for him to go forth with new vision.

I believe Jesus is touching our eyes at this season.

We have seen with yesterday’s prescriptions,

and He is placing salve on our eyes for today.

I am being challenged on all sides to recognize

all that is taking place right now.

As Jesus is covering my eyes with salve,

it feels like I am seeing less.

But I also sense the narrow places where

God is preparing to release His power.

He is showing me the pools of His glory

that I need to wash in.

I don’t know all that this means,

but I know that I am contending for

something greater than I can see.

There are springs, narrow places, pools,

bridges, glory and an angelic host available

that we may not only receive the sight we need

for this next stage of our journey,

but that we might go forth

fully clothed in the power of God.

Lord, I want to wash myself in the pool

and come out with vision for today.

You are opening minds to think Your thoughts

and resetting heartbeats to regain momentum.

I continue to ask for Your strategy

that I may contend for this next season.

I want my pace to be lockstep with Yours.

Stand with Me

This is a bit different than the normal reflection

from a time spent in the presence of Jesus.

I had been reading a prophetic word from Chuck Pierce,

and it resonated with everything I had been sensing.

Just yesterday I wrote about being in a dry and weary place.

This helps bring clarity to that place and 

releases a prophetic strategy for moving beyond.

Always always always, clinging to Jesus 

and trusting Him is the answer when

we are not sure what is happening around us.

But I so appreciate how He uses others in the body

to point us in a direction that releases hope

and gives strategy for moving forward.

He is recreating momentum in our lives.

I want to travail so that whatever is 

currently closed down may be flung wide open.

Lord, give us keys for understanding that we might

press all the way into our next season of fruitfulness.

“I am the Ancient of Days, 

and I’m recreating a momentum for your life. 

I am slowing you down 

so I can accelerate you in days ahead. 

For the enemy has attempted to wear you down. 

The enemy has attempted to change laws and 

change times to begin to stop you 

from accomplishing My will. 

The enemy has attempted to trap you 

by getting you out of My timing. 

But the Ancient of Days is now 

rising over you to reset your pace ahead. 

Stand with Me and travail... 

and your pace for the future will be re-ordered.

“He is coming as the Ancient of Days, 

and there is an ancient key that He carries. 

And in the carrying of this key 

you have seen the enemy take his place 

between you and the promise at this level. 

Press in, press in and contend with the enemy 

because even over the next 21 days

I will give you the strategy to contend with 

the one who contends with you. 

And then as you have pressed the 21 days, 

I will hand you the key of the Ancient of Days, 

and then I will contend with the one 

that has contended with you!

“Many hearts have been wearied and many, 

many minds have grown cold in My thinking process. 

But I am resetting heartbeats, and I’m opening up 

what’s been closed down.

I’m restoring and I’m causing you to walk

in a time that escaped you in one season. 

If you will set your pace with Me, 

the next 7 years I will produce greatly for you 

and My storehouses will be made full.”

Word: http://www.glory-of-zion.org/communications.php

Image: pinterest.com/pin/34128909648371924

Sandy Scenery

God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; 

my inner self thirsts for You, 

in a dry and weary land 

where there is no water. 

I cling to you;

Your strong right hand holds me securely.

Psalm 63:1,8

Some days just feel dry.

Like the horizon stretches endlessly

and sand is the only scenery.

I begin to wonder if I am somehow responsible

for the dry and weary land and whether its

my fault there are are no flowing streams

or grassy fields of green.

But the pathway of those thoughts,

the ones that say I am just not doing enough,

only leads to despair.

So I rehearse the thoughts

that come from a different source.

The source that leads me back to Him.

God, although I feel like I'm planted in sand,

in a place where there is no water,

I say that You are my God.

I cling to You, knowing that

Your right hand holds me securely.

You are my source of water and the

antidote for all weariness.

Your presence is my promise.

Today, that promise is my weapon 

against the onslaught of the enemy.

I cling; You hold securely.

All the peace I need.

Image: pinterest.com/deonva/christ-in-us-the-hope-of-glory

And the Wind Died Down

OK, flip the coin.

There is another side.

Peace is our refuge in the storm.

But, He doesn't always want

to still us in the storm.

Sometimes He wants to still the storm.

Jesus insisted that the disciples 

get in the boat and go on ahead.

Mark 6:45

Various translations say that Jesus 

"compelled, made, insisted, caused" 

the disciples to get in the boat 

while He went off alone.

He was setting them up that He might

teach them something about Himself.

The boat was somewhere in the middle of the lake. 

He could see that the disciples were struggling hard 

because they were rowing against the wind. 

Not long before morning, Jesus came toward them. 

He was walking on the water and was about to pass by.

When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, 

they thought He was a ghost and started screaming. 

All of them saw Him and were terrified. 

But at that same time He said, 

“Don’t worry! I am Jesus. Don’t be afraid.” 

He then got into the boat with them, 

and the wind died down.

Sometimes Jesus wants to show us

His power over the winds.

"I am Jesus. Don't be afraid."

He gets into the boat with us,

and the wind dies down.

I need to be able to call on His peace and 

stand still no matter what is going on.

But I can also ask that He would 

get in the boat and speak to the storm.

He came to them "not long before morning."

I don't know the exact hour that He will come.

The disciples had been struggling and 

rowing against the storm for a while.

Jesus saw their struggle.

I am not sure why it says that 

He would have passed them by.

It wasn't their faith in Him that 

got Him to get into the boat.

They were terrified.

And yet, His kindness and mercy led Him 

to get in and speak tenderly to them.

Jesus, You are so merciful.

You are so kind.

Thank You for not only 

wanting to still my heart;

thank You that sometimes 

You come and still the storm. 

Image: pinterest.com/pin/154318724702440848