Uniquely Called

God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible. ~ 2 Timothy 1:7 MSG

If you hadn’t figured it out by now, I love to write! I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. My mom says I’ve been telling stories about Jesus since I could talk. I’m honored by and have thoroughly enjoyed the writing projects that God has led me to along the way. I recently heard two different perspectives on writers. The first said, “Aren’t there enough writers? Why do we need more?” And the second said, “God is raising up a whole new generation of writers. We need more writers.” I absolutely love that second quote, and not just because I am a writer, but because it totally refutes the enemy’s lies. So many times he has said, “Why do they need you? It’s already been written, already been spun, already been done.” But my God whispers to me and say, “But they need you to tell your story. I’ve called you for a specific and different purpose than others.” Those people God called me to reach might not hear what He has to say if I don’t fulfill my calling and my dream.

Jeremiah 15:16 says, “I have been called by Your Name.” We love, follow, and serve a creative God. He is so creative that He has uniquely designed and given each of us a calling for a specific purpose. Can you imagine?! If you put a handful of writers in the room who all write in similar styles, they will still have been called to uniquely touch different people in different ways and for different purposes because they have individually experienced life.

God has called and designed you for a specific purpose. Don’t let the enemy stop you from reaching those who need to hear what God has called you to say!

©Heather Potts 2016

He Understands

LORD, you understand; remember me and care for me. ~ Jeremiah 15:15 NIV

When I read today’s verse, Holy Spirit whispered, “Jesus does understand.” Like many other families, we’ve been under enemy fire. Sometimes the attacks come in little things like when Savannah’s strong-willed streak appears and she pees in front of the toilet instead of in it. But sometimes it’s the bigger things like when we have exactly enough diapers to get Elizabeth through church and then we will be completely out of diapers and without money to buy more. Or when there’s more month than there is food in the house. And just to add insult to injury, the enemy comes and steals sleep night after night after night.

But every time I come into my Daddy’s presence and cry, “I am so tired! I need Your help to get me through today,” that’s when Jesus says, “I know. I’ve been there.” Until this season, I’ve never understood 2 Corinthians 12:10, “For when I am weak then I am strong,” (NIV). When I humble my heart, enter His presence, and ask for His help, He binds His strength and power with my faith and I am able to persevere by His power alone. It’s been through those times that I become strong and stronger still. Persevere is the Greek word hypomonē which is “the characteristic of a man who is unswerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith…even by the greatest trials and sufferings,” (blueletterbible.org).

It’s impossible to do anything by our own strength and power. But when we invite God’s power to be infused with our own, there is nothing God can’t or won’t do through us.

©Heather Potts 2016

Jesus Will

The Lord said, “Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose” ~ Jeremiah 15:11 NIV

I love Savannah’s heart, passion, and trust. She’s been making a lot of “Jesus will” declarations lately.  She can’t always remember the names of her favorite shows or songs, so she makes up her own names and then it’s up to us to decipher. For example, “Pluto” is “The Goofy Movie” and the “Bear Show” is “Fun and Fancy Free.” She also calls “Zacchaeus” the “Monkey Song.” If you aren’t familiar with the song, Zacchaeus is short and climbs up a tree to see Jesus, but Jesus tells him to come down because He’s going to Zacchaeus’ house today. My assumption is that Zacchaeus climbed a tree like a monkey and that’s why she calls it the Monkey Song. One night, Savannah said, “The monkey will bite me…but Jesus will protect me.”  Then a few days later, a toy of hers broke and we weren’t able to fix it. But Savannah wasn’t worried. She looked at me quite certain and said, “Jesus will fix it.”

“The LORD said, ‘Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose; surely I will make your enemies plead with you in times of disaster and times of distress,’” (Jeremiah 15:11 NIV). As I was studying this scripture, I dug into the commentaries and in essence God said, When the way looks threatening and you feel danger closing in on you, trust in Me.

My 3-year-old trusts that Jesus will. What do you need from Jesus today? A job? Healing? Protection? Financial provision? Restoration in relationships? Wisdom and discernment? “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,” (Psalm 103:2 NIV). Whatever you need in your life today, be as bold as a 3-year-old and declare over it, “Jesus will!”

©Heather Potts 2016

Give It Everything

Give it everything you have, heart and soul. ~ Joshua 1:7 MSG

Several months ago, I wrote a devotional called “More.” In essence, it’s the constant battle between opposing forces. For example, when Peter stepped out of the boat to move toward Jesus, there were more opportunities for him to drown, but there was also the possibility that he’d walk on water. When David approached the battle line to fight Goliath, there were more opportunities for him to be slaughtered and the Israelites to become slaves, but there was also the possibility that he’d kill the giant.

The truth is, we won’t know the possibility of success until we try and give it everything. When I ran my 5K in December, I didn’t push myself due to a myriad of reasons, and I ran my slowest pace ever. While it was still fun, I was disheartened by my time. A couple weeks ago, Holy Spirit said to give it everything, to push myself and hold nothing back. I walked a 5K much faster than I ran it back in December. 

We won’t know what God can do in and through us until we give Him everything, holding nothing back.

Fear will always be present, because the enemy will always be present. The question is: what will you do with the fear? Will you allow it to paralyze you, completely stopping you from doing the very thing you long to do? Will you allow it to amputate you, decreasing your impact by choosing a “safer” route? Will you allow it to deter you, steering you away from your promised land for the next 40 years? Or will you use it to propel you, catapulting you to the very place and in front of the very people that God wants you to impact for His glory?

How much will you give God?

©Heather Potts 2016

Yet Examplify

We’re not keeping this to ourselves,
    we’re passing it along to the next generation—
God’s fame and fortune,
    the marvelous things he has done.

~ Psalm 78:4 MSG

“Play my church song.” That’s Savannah’s constant request whenever we’re playing music, even if she’s just heard “Not Ashamed” 5 times in a row. She loves her worship music! And the more “bounce” it has to it, the better. What better way to praise God than in the company of your kids? I can honestly say, it wipes away all the frustrations from the day’s battles when I watch my girls worship God. And it’s not even the high-powered worship sessions, it’s also the tender moments when she asks at dinner or before bed, “Can I pray?” Absolutely! Yes, you can pray! But her next question is always, “How do I pray?” And isn’t that what we’re teaching the next generation: how to walk closely and intimately with Father God in all the ways that we have, and even more?

My girls want to pray, dance before God, sing worship songs, and read the Bible. Why? Because it’s what they see their parents doing. Whether it’s our own kids, kids at church, or those in the neighborhood, the next generation is looking for someone to lead them. Psalm 78:5-7 teaches us what to do and why:

He planted a witness in Jacob,
    set his Word firmly in Israel,
Then commanded our parents
    to teach it to their children
So the next generation would know,
    and all the generations to come—
Know the truth and tell the stories
    so their children can trust in God,
Never forget the works of God
    but keep his commands to the letter.

With our actions, with our words, and by our example, what are we teaching the next generation? We’ve been commanded to teach them the truth about God. Let’s determine we’ll yet exemplify Him.

©Heather Potts 2016

Yet Expect

If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently. ~ Romans 8:24-25 NLT

“Haven’t Met You Yet” by Michael Bublé was popular when I was pregnant with Savannah. Brad claimed it as his “Daddy-Daughter” song because she was already wrapping him around her little finger and he hadn’t met her, yet. Yet marks a spot in time and says, “Up to this point, I haven’t experienced it, but I fully expect that it will happen.”

At some point in life, we all had hopes and dreams. Since most of us aren’t living those dreams, something must have happened along the way. When hope is deferred—due to continuous disappointments—the heart becomes sick, but when the door opens enough that you can see and feel breakthrough, you feel alive and passionate again, (Proverbs 13:12). Anything worth having—and the things you appreciate the most—are the things you achieve through perseverance, prayer, and faith. There are many things I’ve had to wait for and many more that I’m still waiting for God to fulfill.

Waiting can be so hard, because while we’re trying to stand firm, the enemy is daily trying to beat us down so we’ll give up and not do the things God has prepared in advance for us. But we are encouraged to be strong, not grow weary, and not give up, because when we persevere we will see the reward at the proper time, (2 Chronicles 15:7; Galatians 6:9).

©Heather Potts 2016

Yet Stand

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. ~ 1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT

Has this ever happened to you: you’re exhausted from lack of sleep over many nights, you have more month left than you have money, and your kids chose today to throw themselves on the floor in tantrums because they kept you up all night and then decided not to nap. And just when you thought the worst was behind you, someone says something that you’d normally blow off but happened to hit you the wrong way at the wrong time…  That was me the other day. God bless my husband! He knows me so well and when he saw the storm brewing in me, he gently helped me to see the situation without the emotional interference.

The enemy knows that if he can wound us the right way at the right time—after several lashings—he’ll win because we’ll quit. I didn’t quit, but exhaustion was really making it a challenge to think clearly. The enemy was taking full advantage of it, plaguing my mind, “Don’t they know what you’ve been through?! How dare they treat you like that!” But as soon as I entered my Father’s presence, He said, “You are not the victim anymore.” And He’s right! I am not the victim! I am the victor and I have the victory!

The enemy does not want to give up territory and he will keep coming after us until we show him time and time again that we will not relent. But as the scripture says, we must be on guard, watchful, awake, aware. The enemy is always looking for an opening. When we let our guard down, be certain he’ll use that opportunity to his full advantage. Therefore, cast aside the victim mentality, remembering always that you have the victory. Declare to the enemy, “I will yet stand!”

©Heather Potts 2016

Yet Praise

But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.

~ Psalm 71:14 NKJV

The enemy’s hope in beating us down is to feed into our fears and get us to question God’s faithfulness. Once we begin to question Him, the enemy again comes after us in hopes that we’ll doubt that God will come through this time. And once we begin to doubt, the enemy condemns us for doubting. And he tries to get us into an endless cycle of fear, doubt, and condemnation.

There are days of victory and triumph, but then there are seasons of testing, trial, and refinement. In those seasons, that’s when the enemy peppers us with his seeds of doubt and fear, in hopes we’ll say, “Though God came through before, I don’t see Him moving this time…Can He really get us out of this situation?” Our family has been under heavy fire for a full year and some days it’s all we can do to come before our Father and say, “We need You!” But when we do, His Spirit encourages us and we can say, “I’ll yet praise You.”

Yet is used to emphasize a comparative: Though what’s desired is not what’s seen, I’ll yet, moreover, still do this.

Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:

The faithful love of the LORD never ends!

His mercies never cease.

Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.

I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”

~ Lamentations 3:21-24 NLT

Though it’s been a hard road and one I definitely would not have chosen, I have seen more miracles and an outpouring of God’s faithfulness and blessings this past year than I think I’ve seen in my whole life.

If you’re finding it hard to breathe, press in to Father God and ask Him to encourage your heart. And when the enemy comes knocking tell him, “Though what’s happening hurts, I will praise my God yet more and more because His faithful love never ends!”

©Heather Potts 2016

Determined

Because the Sovereign LORD helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore, I have set my face like a stone,
determined to do his will.
And I know that I will not be put to shame.

~ Isaiah 50:7 NLT

Isaiah 50:4 is a scripture I hold close to my heart. It reminds me that these are God’s Words, which He teaches me, and then enables me to share with His people as an encouragement and light to them. But I put so much of myself into my writing that the enemy tries to make it all about me—what will people think about me; what might they discover about me. And the enemy tries to trap me in a painful place—in the places that people experience but never want to speak about, for fear that the darkness will suddenly rise up and overtake them.

But my God whispers to my heart and He says, “You are not your past. You will not be humiliated. You will not be put to shame. Your history is a part of My story for My Glory.” Over and over, He reminds me that I am His and He holds me gently and securely in His righteous right hand. Therefore, I will set my face like flint, like stone, determined to do His will. I will not allow the enemy to come between me and God’s calling anymore. I will stand up to the enemy and the darkness and declare, “DON’T YOU DARE!!! I am healed, whole, and a teacher for the living God. You will not stop me, nor force me back. I will stand my ground and keep pressing forward. I am a daughter of the King and a warrior for His Name! And you, Satan, are under my feet!”

You are not your past—not the things that happened to you or the things you’ve done. You have been crucified with Christ, so you no longer live. Christ lives in you and your life is lived by faith through the Son of God, (Galatians 2:20). If the enemy is working so hard to keep you in a place of condemnation and fear, aren’t you curious as to why? What is he afraid will happen if you stand up and speak out?

©Heather Potts 2016

The Every Days

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace ~ Isaiah 55:12 NIV

The every days. We all have them.

It’s realizing that the enemy has a plan for you, but God’s plan is still greater.

It’s suffering for a night, but waking up to joy and Jesus singing over you in the morning.

It’s the picnics with your kids celebrating nothing more than Tuesday.

It’s the weird charges in your bank account causing you to be in the hole, followed by blessings from Father God.

It’s potty training and wanting to cry when your 3-year-old pees right in front of the toilet.

It’s a text from your spouse, just to let you know they think you are the greatest!

It’s burnt dinners, belated birthday wishes, and that relative who still spells your daughter’s name wrong.

It’s when everything at the monthly meeting goes wrong AGAIN, no matter how much you prepared in advance to ensure it wouldn’t this month.

It’s running late for work and getting stuck in traffic.

It’s exercising when NOTHING in you wants to, but then feeling so good you know you’ll do it again.

It’s celebrating as your friend’s dreams come true!

It’s laundry and dishes and toys everywhere.

It’s a warm cup of coffee in the morning before sunrise.

It’s discovering that plate of food in the freezer, where you put it to cool but then forgot to serve it to your kids the night before.

It’s overcoming what you seriously thought was going to end you and then knowing how to deeply and personally pray for someone else.

It’s standing up to the liar when he tells you that you’re nothing.

It’s the moments when you question God’s calling and He says, “It’s not your reputation on the line; it’s Mine.”

It’s waiting for God to show you the next step.

It’s perseveringly pursuing the passion burning deep inside you.

It’s the sweet moments when Father God reminds you that He loves you, always and forever, no matter what.

It’s realizing that no matter what, God still holds the whole world—you and me—in His hands.

The every days.

©Heather Potts 2016

Threat Terminated

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. ~ Ruth 4:13 NASB

Did you ever consider that the attacks against you aren’t about you at all?

The enemy knew what Ruth’s descendants were called to, so he positioned his attack against Ruth. Ruth was a Moabitess and he assumed if he could take away everything, she’d crumble and go back to what was familiar. But the hand of God was strong on her and even when her mother-in-law begged Ruth to leave, Ruth refused. Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, became bitter when her husband and both of her sons died. In her despair, Naomi felt it would be better to be alone, but Ruth wouldn’t leave. Ruth’s decision would forever change her life and the lives of countless others.

Last August, God told me to attend our church’s weekly morning prayer meetings, where we pray over our community.  At one of the meetings, God gave me a vision of our children—not just my girls, but the whole community of children who are currently being raised up—reaching out to, loving on, caring for, encouraging, healing, and helping those who were lost, hurting, and in need of a Savior. Then Holy Spirit said to me, “It starts with you.” He said my girls have a calling on their lives, but their journey will be strengthened as my marriage and walk with God are strengthened.

The next generation needs us to fight the fight before them, pray for them, and cling to God and His calling for our lives. If Ruth had not stuck with Naomi, had not gone to work in Boaz’s field, she and Boaz would not have met, married, and become great-grandparents to David… The enemy knows God’s plans for our lives and it makes him afraid. So he hunts, attacks, wounds, and keeps coming after us all in an attempt to keep us and future generations from fulfilling God’s plan.

If you are under fire and it feels like the hits just keep coming, one after another, declare as David did: “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me,” (Psalm 56:3-4 NASB).

©Heather Potts 2016