When I got married my mom whispered to me, “He’s a keeper!” As we apply this to the Lord, I want to announce to you, The Lord, He’s a keeper.”
Psalm 121:5-8 “The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night.
The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.
Last night I heard an emphatic announcement made in heaven. Heaven announced “THE THIEF HAS BEEN CAUGHT!” It was clear, undeniable, and emphatic. There was no room for uncertainty about what was said. All night long it reverberated in my spirit over and over again, “The thief has been caught.” I’m sharing it with you as a puzzle piece, because I was not told what thief, so I’m watching for the manifestation of this announcement. It was so emphatic I don’t think we are going to miss which thief, but let’s watch for “The thief has been caught.”
Years ago I was in worship and I saw a sword come and strike the earth, when it did it separated the wicked and the righteous, on either side of the sword. However, both the righteous and the wicked were on their faces. The wicked in repentance for their sins and the righteous in the awe of God. The fear of the Lord hit everyone when this sword struck the earth.
This morning in prayer, the Lord reminded me of this vision he showed me many years ago, but He updated it to what He is about to do on earth. The Lord is going to strike the earth with a stone and it will strike the iron and clay feet as mentioned in Daniel 2:34-35.
While Moses was told to strike the rock in Exodus 17, God is saying, He is going to take the rock and strike the feet of the iron and clay kingdom and it is going to fall once and for all. This is not some way in the future event, it is nearer than we even realize. God Himself is about to strike the feet and the whole thing is going to fall.
Just like the sword that struck the earth, this rock, when it strikes the earth is going to bring the fear of the Lord across the whole planet. Everyone is going to feel the shaking when this rock hits the feet, some will fall on their face in repentance others will fall on their face in awe of God, but all will fall on their face as the fear of the Lord is going to be experienced by all. This is pictorial language not literal, we are not about to be hit by a meteor or asteroid. But we are about to see the fall of the iron and clay kingdom once and for all and God alone is going to get all the glory.
Daniel 2:34-35 “You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver ad the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”
Psalm 117:2 “The truth of the Lord is everlasting!”
That means the word of God; the presence of God; the power of God; and the voice of God is enduring through all time. When you really think about that, it makes trusting God desirable, because what He says in His word is enduring, you can bank on it.
I see the demonstration of the enduring power of God becoming a reality in ways we’ve only read about. I see the word of God bringing radical transformation to situations people have tried to process through but to no avail. I see a brand new creation arising out of you and out of me. I see Jesus lifted high!
Those who work earn wages and when those wages for work are given those wages are under the will of the worker. We now have a decision to join Jesus and say not my will but yours be done or continue to exercise our will and do what we want with our wages. Many people can’t surrender their will that is why they love “working” and “earning” wages so they can do what they want with their money. People even view the stimulus money they received as their money because they pay taxes. More exercising of “my will” being done as they buy something yet again.
The greatest challenge believers have is surrendering their will, especially if they “earned” what it is God is asking them to surrender. Our will is exercised so much it is the hardest thing to surrender because it is strong. I would purpose that “our will” is what gets in the way of us experiencing the grace of God that is unlimited power to succeed in every area of our life. Our will’s strength is why we struggle to hear God let alone obey what we hear. Doing our thing, our way, is our will at work and is the reason we struggle with the words of Jesus that say, “Not my will, but Yours O God be done.”
Practice surrendering your will if you want to do God’s will and watch grace empower you to do more, love more, give more, Be more than your will ever could. Loose yourself from the power of your will, your way and you will find real life.
Matthew 10:39 “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”
We have seen the ministry of men/women and watched men/women get glory. This is a fading glory, it does not last. Yet men/women still pursue the fading glory. The desire to be seen, heard, acknowledged, honored, is prevalent in many cultures around the world. The praise of people is palatable in many places, from sports and politics to pulpits and boardrooms. All seeking to be the one who stands in the fading glory even for a moment.
The Bible is good medicine for us to take daily like our vitamins because it keeps us healthy, grounded, alive and free. While others are pursuing a fading glory of clicks, likes, shares, numbers, platforms, microphones and titles, the Bible tells us to pursue the Living God. It directs us to glorify Him, to bless His name, to announce His praise. Trust me blessing the Lord releases more healing to us than the praise of any person could give us.
Psalm 115:1 “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, But to Your name give glory”
David said, I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord (Psalm 122:1).
This past year has taught us that what we thought was freedom can be taken away in a moment. We thought in this country we were free to worship, until they shut down churches. We thought we were free to speak but then they said you must wear a mask. After experiencing draconian restrictions on our God given freedoms, on this day, I hope you, like me can join David with a new resolve, anticipation and excitement as we announce to every restriction, I’m going into the house of the Lord and I am glad!
Maskless I am going to worship loud, with hands raised high. With others I’m going to sing the songs of the Lord. With a wide open heart, ready to give I am going to bring a gift to the Lord. And with ears circumcised, I am going to hear the word of God. If I learned one thing in lockdown, I learned freedom is better than control; Liberty is better than lockdown; and as for me and my house we will worship the Lord.
No going back to Egypt, lockdown or masks for me, I’m free! Internally and externally I’m joining millions of others around the world declaring I am free to worship my God without restriction or reservation. This lockdown will boomerang on them as a generation is about to shout unto God with a voice of triumph! Here comes the roar of the lion of the tribe of Judah.
Psalm 113:5-6 “Who is like the LORD our God, Who is enthroned on high, Who humbles Himself to behold The things that are in heaven and in the earth?”
I was praying this Psalm today and this verse jumped off the page as the Lord reminded me that He never asks us to do anything He hasn’t done or isn’t doing. Many times people view God as sitting on a throne sending out commands for us to follow, do, obey. But that’s not what He’s doing at all, He wants us to be one with Him. He wants us to have His nature, His character, His heart, so we are on earth what He is in heaven.
The more we know Him, the more we are invited to become like Him. He is humble, that’s why we are to be humble; He is generous that is why we are to be generous; He is strong that is why we are to be strong; He is faithful that is why we are to be faithful. He wants us to be like Him, that is why He reveals Himself to us.
It’s no wonder David said, “What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet” (Psalm 8:4-6). Only Yahweh wants us to know Him so we can be just like Him. There is no other god, like our God!
It’s 7:15am and my son wanted to swim before breakfast. The pool is quiet, with only the sound of a water wall in the background. Sitting here poolside, I am awed by the power of the sound of running water. It’s relaxing, inviting, enjoyable and the perfect sound for reading, writing, meditating.
Water is a common theme in the Bible, we have wells, springs, rivers, pools all communicating spirit truths using natural images. God created all things for our enjoyment and in that place of enjoying we find Him in the sound of running water.
It’s Friday, the weekend is here and the season is changing. May you take time to find God in the things you enjoy, for His voice is like the sound of many rushing waters and He leads us beside still waters. His fingerprints are everywhere we find enjoyment.
Have you ever done a “gifts” assessment to find out what “gift” God gave you? It was a big deal in churches when I got saved. It’s not as prevalent now a days, but it’s true, we are all gifted, actually in many ways. My question to you is, did you know your “gift” is going to make room for you?
Proverbs 18:16 says, “A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.”
Your gift makes room for you and your gift brings you before great men. Therefore, I have two questions for you, what is your gift and are you developing it, so your ready, confident and activated to step in to the door that opens for you because of your gift?
The gift was a free gift, built into your DNA by God, but you are responsible to steward that gift by developing it. Development brings confidence, which is true humility, and activation of it knocks on doors for you that you know nothing about. Great doors of opportunity are opening and your gift is what is making room for you. Steward your gift, then you’ll be ready for the open door!
