Open Our Eyes

We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:8-9

God is so amazing!  He moves heaven and earth and orchestrates all things to work together for my good (Romans 8:28).  Now, when we are walking through the valleys in our lives, it doesn’t feel good, it doesn’t look good, and we may not see how it will ever be good.  But we can rest assured that if we are in Christ and He is in us that we have the power within us (through Christ Jesus) to turn this situation around.  It’s all about perception and having our eyes opened to more truth.  God said, “Lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes,” (Isaiah 54:2).  When God makes us a promise, it’s also a call in our lives to make more room and time for Him and what He wants to do in our lives.  It’s a call for us to go deeper than ever before with Him.  As we go deeper, He opens our eyes wider and shows us more truth.  It’s all about perception.  The things I see and know today, I wasn’t ready for even two months ago.  The things He will teach me tomorrow will be built upon the things He’s teaching me today.  Psalm 23:4 says that even though today I might be walking in the shadow of the valley of death, tomorrow, God may reveal that the shadow I thought was death was really the shadow of the cross and He had to open my eyes so I could see it clearly.  2 Corinthians 1:8-9 says that I had to be brought to a point in my life and walk to realize that I can’t do it on my own, but must rely completely on God.  And that’s ok, because God longs to work amazing miracles in my life!

Life is full of light and shadows.  Oh, the joy and oh, the sorrow, oh, the sorrow / And yet will He bring the day from night.  And yet will He bring dark to light / When shadows fall on us, We will not fear, We will remember, When darkness falls on us, We will not fear, We will remember, When all seems lost, When we’re thrown and we’re tossed, We’ll remember the cost, We’re resting in the shadow of the cross. ~ “Shadows” David Crowder Band

Power Thoughts

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect* the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. ~ 2 Corinthians 3:18

Last night I visited the small group “Power Thoughts,” where several amazing women are taking charge over their thoughts and their lives.  This book, by Joyce Meyer, teaches us to take our thoughts captive.  It forces us to examine the things we’ve heard and believed about ourselves.  It asks us to look at ourselves through the eyes of a loving God, who wants nothing but the best for us.  And it asks us to walk in boldness—boldness to believe that God loves us enough that He would not want us walking in anything less than in knowing the Truth about how He sees us.

This verse says that we are being transformed into God’s likeness—this is a process and doesn’t happen all at once or even in a few days.  A process takes a certain amount of time, and even Paul said that he didn’t have it all together, but “I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me,” (Philippians 3:14 TM).  That’s what God asks of all of us, that we would keep reaching out for Him, keep our eyes fixed on Him, and keep moving toward Him.  The one thing all the women had in common last night was their desire to live for a God who called them to reflect His glory in their lives by learning who they are in Him.  Amazing women, all of them!

When I Call

When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted. ~ Psalm 138:3

One of the things I love about my God is that He always answers me when I call.  Now, I don’t know if He answers me because I expect Him to, or if I expect Him to because He always answers me.  Sometimes His answers are simply to show me He loves me:  “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me,” (Isaiah 49:16); and “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do,” (Ephesians 2:10).  Sometimes, He answers me with gentle encouragement: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak…but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint,” (Isaiah 40:29, 31).  And sometimes He answers me with bold and challenging encouragement: “Therefore, thus says the LORD, ‘If you return, then I will restore you— Before Me you will stand; And if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman,” (Jeremiah 15:19); and “They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.’ [But I prayed],’"Now strengthen my hands,’” (Nehemiah 6:9).

No matter what situation I’m in and no matter what I’m going through, I know, without a shadow of a doubt that my God will answer me when I call Him.

Even Though

Even though I walk through the darkest valley of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. ~ Psalm 23:4

This scripture starts out by saying, “Even though…”  Even though is a conjunction meaning, “despite the fact,” or “regardless.”   In other words, “While I recognize that I’m currently in this situation, I fully expect it to change.”  In this scripture, the speaker recognizes that he is in the “valley of the shadow of death.”  The word “death” can be a physical death, an emotional death (such as distress), a mental death (such as depression), a relational death, it doesn’t give complete clarity.  Regardless of what you are facing or feeling, you don’t have to stay in that place. 

Romans 8 talks about life through the Spirit versus life through the flesh: “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.  The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace,” (vv. 5-6).  Regardless of how you got into this valley, if you have the Spirit of Christ living in you, then you already have the power within you to come out of it.  That is why the speaker in Psalm 23 can say, “I will not be afraid.” 

Whatever you are facing today: trials in your marriage, with your kids, with your family, health issues, financial issues, others, know that even though this trial may seem insurmountable, God is with you.  He is walking close beside you and you don’t have to be afraid.  He longs to comfort and protect you and show you the way out.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but [a Spirit] of power and of love and of a sound mind. ~ 2 Timothy 1:7

~Heather Potts~

Don't be afraid; just believe

While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler, "Your daughter is dead," they said.  "Why bother the teacher anymore?" ~ Mark 5:35

There is a passage in the Book of Mark that talks about the dead girl and teaches us some things we need to remember when we ask Jesus for something.  1) Go the distance.  Jairus asked Jesus to come to his house to heal is daughter but before they got there, several people tried to get Jesus' attention.  However, Jairus didn't just give up and go home, he continued to wait for Jesus to make His way through the crowd and come with him.  2) Block out the nay-sayers.  After Jesus agreed to go with Jairus, two men came and reported that his daughter was dead.  But Jesus ignored them and said, "Don't be afraid; just believe," (v. 36).  When we've prayed for something, people are going to try to tell us to give up.  We must learn to block them out and keep focused on the power we have with us in Jesus.  3) Keep just a few close and put out the rest.  Ever heard of crowd mentality?  It's when one person in a crowd gets everyone else in the crowd to go along with what they say.  Keeping just a few people around you, sets up a barrier between you and those who would laugh at you and tell you it can't be done.  And those around you can remind you of the promises of God when you are feeling low and wanting to give up.  When Jesus went to the house of Jaius, there were many who were crying and wailing because they saw that the little girl was dead.  Jesus said that she wasn't dead and put out all who said she was.  Then He went inside with the few He had brought with Him and commanded the girl to rise...And she did.

Whatever you are facing, whatever you've asked and believed God to do in your life, following this example will help you get there.  And in the end remember the words of Jesus, "Don't be afraid; just believe."
~Heather Potts~

Expectation Builds Strength

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. ~ Isaiah 40:31

My two favorite holidays each year are Christmas and my birthday--and my birthday is Flag Day, so it's an actual holiday.  Every year, I look forward to them with great anticipation and excitement counting down the days till one of these two holidays arrives.  I know that it's going to be perfect!  I may not know everything that's going to happen on the day, but I know it's going to be amazing!  The anticipation builds as the day draws closer.  And when the day finally arrives, I'm not let down.  This scripture says, "they that wait upon the Lord shall have their strength renewed."  At first glance, that seems a bit off to me.  "Waiting" is generally not a fun act, because it's defined as being inactive and as something neglected for a time.  That sounds completely different than something that would build strength and encouragement.  But remember, the original text was in Hebrew and the original word is qavah, meaning "to expect."  We understand expectation.  When we are expecting something, we are looking forward to it and anticipating that it will happen.  Anticipation and expectation all build excitement and that, I can see, as building strength!

In his blog, Be Life Giving, Alex Anderson said that Jesus expected that His prayers would be answered and as sons and daughters of God, and as the body of Christ, we should expect nothing less, (http://belifegiving.blogspot.com/2011/07/ladies-and-gentlemen.html).  He said that as Jesus expected, we, too, should expect to have our prayers answered.  Don't just wait around--as the world waits--for your prayers to be answered.  Instead, expect that they will be answered.  Expect it, with great anticipation, as you would expect your favorite holiday to come this year.  Expect it; picture it; look forward to it!  Those who look forward to something with great expectation and anticipation will have their strength renewed.  They will be able to keep moving forward, because their expectation motivates them.  Keep looking in expectation!
~Heather Potts~

See by Faith

The more I seek you, the more I find you.  The more I find you, the more I love you. ~ "The More I Seek You," Kari Jobe

Five or ten years ago, it was common to see WWJD everywhere, on bracelets, Bible covers, t-shirts, etc.  The concept was if Jesus was here, what would He do or how would He respond.  What if we rearrange that a little bit and change our focus.  What if we determine to see and hear Jesus in everyone; how differently might you respond?  You see, when you focus on Jesus, and look at the world through spiritual eyes, you're no longer seeing fleshly earth suits, you're looking past that into the pain or the joy of who they are underneath.  Now, by faith, cover them in the love of Jesus.  Do they become easier to love if you see Jesus instead of whatever their earth suit is doing?  Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me," (Matthew 25:40).  We all want to do everything for Jesus, but sometimes, there are people we don't have that same attitude toward.  If you saw the face of Jesus instead of theirs or recognized His affect instead of theirs, would it make it easier to act and respond in love?  Ask God to anoint your eyes, to give you spiritual eyes, that you may see by faith instead of by sight.  Even Star Wars knew, "Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them."

We live by faith, not by sight. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7
~Heather Potts~

Lay them down

Take my fret, take my fears, all I have I'm leaving here.  Be all my hopes, be all my dreams, You're my delight, my everything. ~ Only You, David Crowder Band

Jesus said, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest...Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you...Cast all your anxiety on the Lord, because he cares for you," (Matthew 11:28; Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7).  All of these verses beckon us and tell us that we have a part to play.  Jesus wants us to live worry-free, fear-free, and care-free.  Looking at your life, perhaps you are wondering how to do that.  If He is a perfect God, can't He just take these things from me?  No, because He gave us free will and we choose to pick them up again and again when He has asked us to lay them down, to give them to Him, and not take them back upon our shoulders.  In his devotional, The Daily Chase, Tommy Tenney writes, "God would not tell us to 'lay aside' something if we were not fully capable of doing it.  It is not that we cannot; it is that we will not. We have established habits and imposed things upon ourselves that have nothing to do with the gospel," ("The Job of Unloading is in Your Portfolio, Not God's").  Jesus has given us a prescription, a plan, for us.  He says, "Lay down your way, your thoughts, your agenda, and take up Mine.  I promise that I will sustain you, if you will only let Me.  I promise that you will have rest, if you will only listen to Me.  I promise that you will not stumble and fall, if you will only follow where I lead you to go."

~Heather Potts~

Who do you expect to see?

Part of perception is expectation.  When I look at you, who do I expect to see?  God says, "See, I am doing a new thing!  Do you not perceive it," (Isaiah 43:19).  The answer depends upon what we expect when we look; through which lenses are we looking?  The word perceive is defined as recognition through the senses, but we know that our senses can deceive us and, therefore, we must look through better lenses than our human eyes.

Expectation is like a filing cabinet.  We have different expectations for different people for different reasons.  Think of all of those expectations as locked up in a filing cabinet and when someone approaches, you open your file on them and review it as the two of you interact.  If Lucy's file is filled with "gossip, cheat and liar," I'm bound to react to her in a very bound-up and protected manner, regardless of how she is acting or treating me.  I cannot  see her any other way, because my lens is colored with those expectations and I can't see clearly through them.  If, however, I read "grace-giver, confidant, encouragement, and BFF," I will view her through the lenses of those expectations and my reactions will be quite different.

If you determine to see Jesus in everyone, you will see them differently and you will respond to them differently, as well.  Jesus said, "Fix your eyes on Me.  What you are going through is just a dance and I am your partner.  Consider how you would act in response to Me.  Keep your eyes firmly set upon My face and your issues will begin to melt away."


Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. ~ Proverbs 4:25

Dance with Jesus

Fix your attention on God...Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. ~ Romans 12:2

God is so amazing!  He always knows what we need, even if we don't.  He says, "Fix your attention on Me."  That word "fix" means to hold tightly, firmly, to become set, permanent.  Pastor Justin spoke this weekend about how the enemy is sizing you up, trying to keep you away from Jesus and trying to distract you from being effective.  With our eyes fixed on Jesus, the enemy can't distract us, because He is all we see.  But it's when we take our eyes off Jesus, even for a split second that it's easier for the devil to get in the next time and with every look away from Jesus, there is suddenly more and more distance between Him and us.

But Jesus is always there, waiting for you to notice Him.  And when we do come back to Him, and draw close again, He leads us in a dance.  When you are dancing with someone, you are close.  When you dance with them long enough and focus on them, you can feel their movements and you begin to flow with them.  As they step, you step.  As they sway,  you sway.  Jesus wants you to dance with Him.  He wants you to feel His heart beat and for yours to beat with His.  He wants you to feel Him breathing and for you to breathe with Him.  He wants you to feel the fluidity of His motions and have you move in step, in motion, with Him.

Fix your eyes upon Jesus.  The places He's leading you to and the things He's asking you to do, He'll show you the way.  Keeping close to Jesus allows us to move in immediate response to His request.  Just dance with Jesus.

Cling to God

Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them.  You must not serve them or bow down to them. ~ Joshua 23:7

I was listening to an old sermon entitled, “How to Stop the Pain.”  In it, Pastor Alex said that when we’re hurt by events in our lives, sometimes we will make a vow that we won’t do those things or live that way, etc.  He said that when we make these vows, it’s because we’ve judged something and the very things we thought we were swearing against seem to follow us throughout our lives, but they are worse for us than for those we judged.  For example, if your parents got divorced and you saw the pain it caused in your family, you may have vowed that you were never going to live like that.  Except that in your life, things are much worse.    Jesus said that we are not to swear or make vows, not “by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool,” (Matthew 5:34).  The Bible also says that if we swear, “by heaven or by anything else…you will be condemned,” (James 5:12).  These seem to be very harsh words, but when we swear, or make an oath, or take a vow, we are binding ourselves to these things.  The word “condemned” is from the Greek word krisis (which is where we get our word “crisis”), means “separation,” (blueletterbible.org).

God said that instead of binding ourselves to foreign things—things that are not of Him—we are, instead, to “hold fast to the Lord your God,” (Joshua 23:8).  In our most desperate hour, we tend to shut everything and everyone out.  We make vows which we think will protect us, but really cause us more pain and anguish.  God wants you to cling to Him, bind your fate to Him.  He promises that if you do, He will continue to fight for you and move the things that would attack you out of your path.  If you’ve been hurt and made a vow of any kind, it’s not too late for you.  God simply asks that you release the person or thing you’ve judged.  Let it go.  Ask God to forgive them and to forgive you.  What He wants most in the world is to not have anything separating you from Him.  Lay down those things and draw near to Him today.

Every promise [God gave] has been fulfilled; not one has failed. ~ Joshua 23:14

Training

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. ~ Proverbs 22:6

Often times, this verse is referenced so that parents will teach kids about Jesus, so that as they grow up, they will always have Jesus.  I think this also refers to other types of training that kids receive.  Kids learn by hearing, seeing, and doing.  Usually the "doing" is based upon what they've heard and seen.  If children experience acceptance, security, love, grace, forgiveness, joy, and freedom, then as adults, they will both show it to others and seek it out for themselves.  But, of course, the flip-side of that is also true.

Kids don't pay attention to, "Do as I say, not as I do."  Generally it's more, "Monkey see.  Monkey do."  Jesus told His disciples that they were to obey the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, but they mustn't do as they saw others do, (see Matthew 23:2-3).  Several times, Jesus said, "Come, follow me."  Jesus wants to retrain our brains.  He wants to show us a whole new way of living: in freedom.  In church we sing, "In Your Freedom I Will Live," by Hillsong.  In God's kingdom, we are all little children.  God wants the opportunity to train you up in the way you should go.  No matter what you've lived through or what you've done, God has the power and the desire to teach you a new way: His.  All you simply have to do is ask and receive.

Lord, I know that I haven't been fully in the position you want or have designed for me.  Help me to lay down my former training and agenda.  Help me to forgive anyone whom I've judged for not showing me Your way.  Help me to release them, and Lord, please forgive me for judging them.  Father, I truly want to be a child and live in freedom in Your Kingdom.  Please train me up in the way that I should go.  In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

You Answered Me

On the day I called, you answered me ~ Psalm 138:3

Today was my Grandma and Grandpa Erkilla's 59th wedding anniversary.  I wish my grandma was still alive to have celebrated it.  My grandparents had an amazing love for each other, but even more so for God.  One of my favorite qualities about my grandma was that no matter her age, she was always a kid in God's Kingdom.

Sadly, not every marriage is a Grandma and Grandpa Erkilla and not every wife knows she is a kid in God's Kingdom.  Many marriages never make to 59 years; some never even make it to two.  The Bible says, "On the day I called, you answered me."  It's comforting to know that when I need Him, I can call out to God and He will take time from answering prayers, opening doors, revealing things, and spend real, personal time with me.

No matter what you're going through, what struggle you may be facing, know that God loves you immensely! He will always stop to answer your call.  He wants to cuddle with you and hold you in His lap and comfort you.  He wants you to know how important you are to Him and that in His Kingdom, no matter your age, you should be free to be a kid.

Victory Belongs to the Lord

As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky, and more of them died from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites. ~ Joshua 10:11


This is a great battle story about how God told Joshua fight against enemy kings and defeat them.  Joshua was obedient and did as God commanded. This verse says that these kings "fled before Israel".  But who does it say was winning the day for Joshua?  Was it his army of mighty men?  No, it says that the Lord killed more of the enemy with hailstones than the Israelites killed with their swords.  This is because victory truly belongs to the Lord.  We start to fail and falter when we begin to think that we are the cause of victory in our lives.  But the truth is that God doesn't need us.  He didn't need us when He created the heavens and the earth and He doesn't need us to defeat a human enemy.  But the crazy and amazing thing is that God wants to use us.  He searches the hearts of all the men on the earth, looking for someone who will be a vessel that He can use.  All it takes to be a vessel for God is a willing heart and obedience.  God wants to do a mighty work in and through you, but He can't do it if you won't be open to Him.  Open your heart to God today and see what He won't do in your life.

Deciding Factor

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." ~ Luke 5:4-5


There are over 3,000 promises in the Bible and for each one, there is a premise--something we must do in order to get the promise.  In the verses above, the promise is the catch and the premise is to put out into deep water and let down the nets. But between the promise and the payoff (the promise fulfilled), there is the deciding factor--the time in which we determine if we are going to be obedient.  Obedience is doing what was asked of us the first time and with a good attitude by someone in authority.  Waiting till something is convenient, or going through the motions grumbling all the way, is considered by most parents as disobedience.  God's the same way: He wants us to obey when He calls and with a good attitude and not when and how we feel like it.  All of the heroes  we have in the Bible would be lost to us if they had each waited till they felt like it.


The next time someone in authority over you--whether it's God or your boss--asks you to do something, be determined to do it.  Now, the person doing the asking may not be the one doing the rewarding, but God knows your heart and He will reward you.


I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve. ~ Jeremiah 17:10

Shelter of Protection

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ~ Psalm 91:1

This past weekend at church we had a Q&A series, where the church members could ask questions anonymously to a panel of pastors and leaders. One question was, "Why can't I submit to my husband's authority." Both Pastor Mark Childers and Women's Encounter Leader Kim Anderson fielded this question. They said that unless your husband is asking you to do something illegal, unethical, or unsafe, you need to submit. Kim took it one step further and said that God blesses things that are in order and that our husbands' authority provides us an umbrella of protection against the enemy's attacks. If we think of God's--and our husbands'--authority like a beach umbrella, which casts a shadow to cover your whole body, and our authority like a cocktail umbrella, which covers only a single hair, which umbrella of authority would you rather stand under?

Sometimes it's hard for women to remember that it is both for our protection and blessing that God has given us order for our lives, like a chain of command. The person above us in the chain of authority is our husband and the One above him is God. When I try to circumvent my husband's authority by ignore his direction and doing the thing I think is best, I'm opening myself up for attacks that could have been avoided.

Kim also said that following your husband's authority is a choice. It may be a struggle and you may not want to, but you are still able to choose it. If you've been struggling to submit to your husband's authority, ask God to help you. We may not always understand the reasons, but in the end, it's in our best interest to do so, whether because of blessings or protection for our lives.

Who is at Your Core?

Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. ~ Psalm 40:4

It was a year ago that I learned that a "trust," as used in this verse, is a core, center, or security. Do you know what happens when you don't have God as your core? Things begin to pick away at you, at your physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health. Suddenly the things that used to roll off your back now prick you all the way down. It's caused by a lack of time and trust.

The Bible calls us to give our first portion--the first tenth--back to God. Most people only equate that with money, but I think that it's time, also. Did you know that if your waking hours are from 6am to 10pm, a total of 16 hours, then ten percent is 96 minutes, or about an hour and a half. I've noticed in my life that when I don't spend regular, dedicated time with God first thing in the morning, the rest of my day doesn't seem quite right and I tend to struggle more. Can you afford to not spend your first 96 minutes with God?

The other part of our struggling is out of a lack of trust. It's not that we don't have it, but it's where we've put it. This verse says that the blessed man makes the Lord his trust. Those who look to false gods, such as money, work, relationships, or other things, do not have peace and rest in their heart because they no longer have God at their core. And that's what it all boils down to: Who is at your core? What are you dependent upon to get you through? Let me assure you, if you are waiting for your job, your marriage, your family, or even your hobbies to complete you and fill you up, you're never going to get there. Those things may be a part of you, but if God is not your core, those things will begin to disappear because they were never meant to support you.

Take a few minutes and examine your life. If you are struggling in any one or more of these areas--physically, mentally, spiritually, or emotionally--perhaps you've moved God out of the center and put something else at the core. Ask God to reveal it to you so that you can give God His rightful place back in the center of your life.