2 Chronicles 27-28; Revelation 14; Zechariah 10; John 13

Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone. ~ Zechariah 10:1

 

What an awesome statement, for it doesn’t just say to ask the Lord for rain, but it says to ask the Lord for what you need, what you desire, in its due season.  This is significant to me because there’s been something I’ve been wanting from the Lord for so long and as of yet, the Lord hasn’t said it’s time.  So it’s been a long walk of trust.  On this long walk, there’ve been many times I’ve been afraid my desires would never come true.  But today’s reading has been about hope and trust and the rewards that follow faithfulness.

 

In the reading in 2 Chronicles 27, we find that Jotham “ordered his ways before the Lord his God,” (6).  Ordering his ways before the Lord means the path he followed was fixed and firm before the Lord.  But it doesn’t mean that it was easy.  And I forget that part.  When the Lord makes me a promise or gives me a bold desire in my heart, I tend to expect that the path will be easy, with no distractions and few complications.  But just as that wasn’t the case in Jotham’s time and life, it’s not the case in ours.  And there were many who got distracted and walked in ways that were detestable to the Lord, an example is in 2 Chronicles 28.

 

But I don’t want to miss out on all the things God has promised me and follow those fears to distraction.  When I was sharing this with a friend, she gave me the same advice my dad also gave me, which is the same advice in Zechariah 10:1: ask the Lord to reveal to you His season.  Through patterns of fulfilled promises, the Israelites learned God’s seasons.  They call the rainy season springtime, because that’s when the Lord said He would send His rains.  As His daughter, it’s my responsibility to continue to seek after my Father and ask Him to reveal to me His timing—His due season—for my desires and dreams to be fulfilled.  It is also my responsibility to not get distracted from it, but to keep my path firm and fixed before the Lord.

 

Thank you, Father, that You do send the rains in the springtime just as You promised.  And like you promised to reveal Your seasons to the people of long ago, I trust that You’ll show me the way and the timing—Your perfect timing—for the desires You’ve placed in my heart and the things You’ve called me to do.  Though I may not always know the way, I will always order my steps along Your path for I know You will guide me along this journey.  In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

Hpotts5

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2 Chron 9; Jude 1; Zeph 1; Luke 23

She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes… ~ 2 Chronicles 9:5-6

 

Imagine you are the Queen of Sheba, your land is filled with all sorts of riches and you rule it well.  From a land far away come stories of a great king: a man so wise, people line up to hear him speak, a man with such great leadership, people come from around the world to learn from him.  You try to ignore it, but such stories have never been told about one man, let alone a king, so you decide to travel to this far away land and seek out the truth for yourself.

 

When you come to the land, you find the people are unlike those in any other lands, for they serve their king out of a sense of joy and love, not out of fear.  When you enter the king’s chambers and meet with him, you are speechless…  It was all true, you utter.  In fact, there is more to this man than just wisdom and great leadership.  He shines a light like you have never seen before, but now that you have seen it, you want that light, too!

 

As brothers and sisters of Christ, we have that same light within us and the closer we draw to Christ, the more His radiant light is reflected upon us.  It’s His radiant light that others see shining within us and it’s that light that they can’t seem to turn away from and want for themselves, even if they don’t understand it.  It’s like being in a dark room and suddenly a light is switched on.  At first you try to shield your face, but the longer it’s on, the easier it is to see and when it is turned out, you feel a sense of emptiness inside.  It’s that same feeling of emptiness that those without the light inside of them feel once they’ve been exposed to it: they want to have it in their own lives.

 

Father thank you for giving us this light that we might shine it for others to see.  I pray that if we don’t feel like we are full of your light, that we would draw closer to You till we become reflectors of Your radiant light.  Lord, sometimes we struggle and don’t always reflect Your light to its full glory.  Lord, I pray that in those times we would draw ever closer to You till we are a perfect reflection of Your true light and life.  I thank you for who you are, Lord.  It’s in Jesus’ Name that I pray, Amen.

Heatherpotts5

1Chron.21; 1Pet. 2; Jonah 4; Luke 9

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. ~ 1 Peter 2:2-3

 

The word “taste” means to experience.  With this being my second pregnancy, I can say that I’m not at all surprised by a lot of the things happening in my body, whereas with my first pregnancy, everything was unexpected, and sometimes scary.  For example, I’m not surprised—though annoyed—that I can’t tolerate any sugary foods or dairy products.  Once you’ve experienced something, you feel a little more comfortable the second and third times around (not that I plan to be pregnant a third time around).  But it’s like that with faith.  The first time you experience faith, or the Holy Spirit, or even the voice of God, it can be quite scary because you’ve never experienced anything like it before.  But once you’ve experienced God and the power of His Holy presence, you’ll never want to miss out on it again.

 

God longs for us to spend daily time with Him, not just for the “experience,” but for the relationship.  But it’s through that intimate relationship that we are able to experience, to taste, the goodness of the Lord.

 

Father, thank you for our relationship and the times I’m able to step into and experience Your Holy Presence.  Help me to desire and to seek after that intimate time with You on a daily basis.  Father, I pray that You would be with us today and always.  In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Heatherpotts5

2Kings 24; Heb. 6; Joel 3; Ps.143

And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. ~ Hebrews 6:15 NASB

 

I must confess that this verse bothered me when I first read it, because I thought patiently waiting meant perfectly waiting, and I recall that Abraham didn’t perfectly wait, which is where Ishmael came in.  But then God began to minister to me and pointed out that He cannot lie and when He makes a promise, He is faithful to fulfill it: “God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised…God did this so that…we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure,” (vv. 17-19).

 

So what does that mean to me?  God has laid out His purpose for me, which includes ministering to His people through my writing.  Some time ago, I applied for a job that I thought would fulfill me, as it would pay me to write and put my words in front of God’s people.  I remember I asked a friend to pray for me and she said to thank God that even if things didn’t turn out the way that I think they should, it’s because His plans for me are far greater than I could ever think, ask, or imagine. I didn’t get the job; but looking back on it today and knowing the things that have transpired since, it was not God’s design for me to have that job, nor was it part of the promise that He made to me when He placed the desire to share His Word with His people in my heart.  I know that God’s fulfilled promise is still before me and is part of the journey I’m on and I can walk with confidence and assurance of that, as I hold to the hope that is the anchor for my soul.

 

Father, I pray that You would be with us today.  For those of us who are still awaiting fulfilled promises in our lives, I pray that we would hold to You as the anchor of our souls and not to worldly things, which so quickly vanish.  Father, as the body, I pray that we would stand firm together and encourage one another to praise and thank You, for You have already fulfilled the promises You have made—because Your Word says you cannot lie—even as we await experiencing the fulfillment of those promises in our lives.  Father, thank you for Your reminder today and for being with us, always.  In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Heatherpotts5

2Kings 9; 1Tim. 6; Hos. 1; Ps.119:73-96

How long do God’s promises stand?

How do God’s promises stand?

How can we tap into them in our lives?

Your word, LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you. ~ Psalm 119:89-91

 Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands. They stand this day according to Your ordinances, For all things are Your servants. ~ Psalm 119:89-91

 If Your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have revived me. ~ Psalm 119:92-93

Revive means “to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live forever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.”

God’s promises stand firm FOREVER!  They stand because He ESTABLISHED them to do so.  We tap into them when we DELIGHT ourselves in God’s Words.

So of the things that mean “revive,” which one do you need?

I need them all.  I desire them all.  And since they are available to me, then I will stand on them all—and I will keep standing until they have been fulfilled in my life.

Father, thank you for your promises and that they stand firm forever.  Thank you for reminding me that I can choose to stand on them and not sink into the muck.  Do I believe that this is a battle? Yes.  Do I believe that I will continue to have to battle?  Yes.  Do I believe I have to lose?  No, because Your Words—which are buried in my heart—tell me that I am more than a conqueror and I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.  I pray that whatever parts of “revive” we need, that You would lead us to Your Promises and that we would be able to stand on them.  I pray that we would stand with and for and by each other.  Lord be with us today.  Give us comfort, protection, rest, and Your peace.  Continue to supply all of our needs.  It’s in Jesus’ Name that I pray, Amen.

Heatherpotts5