Mountains

While driving to work one morning, I had to pull over and take pictures because the wonders of the sky demanded it.  I live in a rural town that is flat and abundant with fields of corn and cotton but that morning as I looked at the sky, I felt as if I lived high up in the mountains.  The longer I drove; I experience euphoria at such a surreal view.   I was amazed!  The clouds looked like strong, powerful and impenetrable mountains.

A thought came to me, “How often do we look at events and situations in our lives and see mountains that aren’t really there?  How often has the enemy of our souls caused us to fear with false images?

Pastor Tony Davidson teaches fear is, “False Evidence Appearing Real.”   False evidence appearing real can paralyze us, cause us to procrastinate or even doubt God.  False images and lies can prevent us from following the path Father has set before us and can hinder his purpose in our lives.

In the year to come, situations, challenges and tests will come your way.   Take a good look at each of them as they arise.  Do not put your faith in what you can see.  Believers walk by faith and not by sight.  Faith is a very powerful weapon against the enemy and without it we cannot please God.

Pastor Davidson also taught FAITH is “Father’s Assurance In The Heart.” Father sent the Holy Spirit after Jesus’ resurrection as an assurance that He will do exactly what He said He would do for us and in our lives.

John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

Are you facing mountains or clouds that will swiftly dissipate?  No matter what you face, God is able to see you through.  He loves you and has a good plan for your life.  May your 2018 be everything God intends.

 

Uninterrupted Peace

Psalms 91:1-4 “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  ² This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust him. ³ For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. ⁴ He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.”

Every January, I fast and give myself to the Lord as my first fruits offering.  I also ask Him to reveal what areas in my life I need to grow in so that I can study His word and direct my prayers in line with what He will be doing in me and for me in the coming year.  He has never failed me.  Sometimes I’m slow in hearing His answer, but I eventually get it.  This morning while sitting at a red light, trying to calm down it hit me.  The Lord wants me to focus on maturing in peace this year.

One year my lesson was love, another joy was the focus.  Two years ago He almost daily reminded me to live in the present and not stress about tomorrow.  I will never forget the very first time the Lord began to speak to me about an area I needed to be delivered from.  It was taking short cuts.  I wanted to take short cuts in everything.  He taught me that there are no spiritual shortcuts.  That was a hard and laborious few years.  That lesson took several years before I passed the test.

I sometimes joke about having driver’s Tourettes, not the kind where you swear and use ugly hand signs to people.  I sometimes find myself yelling, hitting the seat next to me or sighing and muttering, “Are you kidding me?”  All the while I am exhaling to prevent my blood pressure from rising, and from ramming my car into the back of the car in front of me.  I don’t feel like this every day or every time I get behind the wheel, but this morning, it hit me.

As I sat at the light praying that the Lord would keep me from running into the car in front of me, He reminded me that I took time to talk to Him this morning, but I did not wait for Him to talk to me.

My peace had been interrupted because I didn’t wait to hear from the Lord.  I took my eyes off the Most High and I allowed the noise what I needed to do today drown out His voice which calms me and draws me to the place of peace before I get in my car..

This past Monday, I was led to look up  these scriptures on peace;. Romans 8:6 – “So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” (NLT)

So why did I want to run into the car in front of me?  A guy in front of me was kind enough to let a driver in front of him but then he decided to slow down, so we missed the green light.  I should not have gotten angry, but I did.  I allowed my peace to be interrupted.  As I sat there struggling with my emotions, the Lord brought Psalm 91:1 to my mind.  As I meditated on that verse, my peace returned.

Although I daily strive to walk in peace, this morning it briefly eluded me.  Before this month is over, I know my peace will be tested again.  In order to pass the next test, I will need to wrap myself in Romans 12:8 – “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” (NLT)

How do I know this you may be wondering?  It’s the way the Lord rolls.  See I asked the Father to mature me in the Fruit of His Holy Spirit so that I am able to be the woman He purposed for me to be.  Galatians 5:22 “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (NLT)

The Father does not allow anything to sneak up on us.  He provides every believer with tools to overcome and win.

So the peace lesson – Father knows that I am easily distracted and that I must purposefully meditate on His word and keeps my eyes on Him so that my peace, the peace only Christ Jesus can give helps me to remain under His protection.

Living under the shadow of the Lord protects every believer from the traps and the snares, which are set before us and designed to prevent our growth.  Living under the Lord’s shadow allows the Holy Spirit to bring us back to earth when the old nature wants to rise up and behave ungodly.

I am happy to say that as quickly as my temper flared this morning, the peace of God covered me.  I prayed for forgiveness, plugged my phone in and listened to the bible for the duration of my drive to work.  I don’t like it when my peace is interrupted and I will do whatever it takes to get back under the Lord’s wings.

Living under the shadow of the Lord provides “uninterrupted peace.”