Full

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzw6A2WC5Qo

Feel Invincible ~ Skillet

 

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. ~ John 10:10 NIV

 

Two weeks ago, the school gym was very full! The gymnasium/school lunchroom was full of people, full of noise, full of decorations and chairs for the upcoming musical. It was full! But it wasn’t just full for fullness’ sake. It was teeming with life and laughter. There was happiness and joy. The sound was the endless chatter of classmates and friends. The space and sound were full.

 

That’s the kind of life Jesus said He came to give us: a life filled with His Word, nature, and character. Jesus’ kind of full is not just filled to the top. Just as the noise in the gym didn’t stay contained there, but rather spread out beyond the walls, Jesus gives us life that is full to overflowing. Full is defined as, “exceeding abundantly,” (G4053 - Perissos - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV), n.d.). An abundance is, to be, “²well supplied with something; ³richly supplied, as with resources,” (“Definition of Abundant,” n.d.-b). An abundance is like Scrooge McDuck, from Disney’s Ducktales, swimming in his warehouse of money. Exceeding abundance is like 1 million warehouses of money.

 

God’s not talking about money in John 10:10. This is Christ’s life—the Spirit filling you up, full to overflowing in all the fruit of the Spirit, the promises of God, and in all the blessings, grace, and favor of the Lord. The zŏē life of God is real and genuine. It’s active and vigorous. It’s from God and is devoted to God. It’s the promised portion in this world and is “to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body) and to last forever,” (G2222 - Zōē - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV), n.d.).

 

Every May, my calendar gets really full, just like that gymnasium. Between the kids’ end-of-the-year projects, field trips, and concerts, in addition to Mother’s Day celebrations, birthdays, and miscellaneous end-of-school playdates, I’m not sure if we could pack much more into the month. Every year, I can look at it as overwhelming and dread it or remember the zŏē life of God that’s been given to me and enjoy it.

 

Whether it’s your family’s calendar or a hard season of life, as Christ followers, we have been given the zŏē life of God, not just to carry us through our lives, but to greatly impact the lives of others. Let’s challenge ourselves to walk in the fullness of the life that Christ came to give us.

©Heather Potts 2023

On the Side without a Shield

 

https://youtu.be/tgw1hIcW34k

Surviving the Game ~ Skillet 

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand [the side not carrying a shield]. ~ Psalm 121:5 AMPC

If the right hand is your working side, why did the verse also specify that the Lord’s on the side not carrying a shield. As a warrior, your shield gives you protection. When you feel protected, you won’t run from the enemy. Instead, you’ll either stand your ground, or advance in battle. 

I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. ~ Psalm 16:8 AMPC

If the left side carries the shield for protection and confidence, then the Lord provides that for you on your right side. He stands at your side and gives you a weapon to wield.

Last week, I had the opportunity to walk one of the 3rd grade classes through the temptations of Jesus. We discussed the importance of knowing scripture as a way to overcome temptation. Just as we weren’t given a sword to hang it on a belt, we weren’t given a Bible to keep it closed on a table. There’s nothing scary about either scenario. But swinging a sword and studying scripture...that makes us a dangerous threat to the enemy.

 For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword … ~ Hebrews 4:12 AMPC

But we were created to do more than just fight. We are God’s workmanship, called to do the good works He planned in advance for us, (Ephesians 2:10). That reminds me of Nehemiah and the Jews who worked to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. As they worked, the enemy came against them. Because the opposition was so fierce, “[those] who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked,” (Nehemiah 4:17-18 NIV). That sounds like a rather clunky way to work. But if you are expected to be a warrior--defending yourself and your home--as well as a worker, you’d need to do both. Though the expectation is still there for us, it’s not as literal as this picture.

Most of us will not have to fight and work that way, but we’re still expected to do both. I think, at some point, we have all fallen into the trap of believing that spiritual warfare is for one season, and doing God’s work is for another. But the truth is, we are called to do them simultaneously. God gave us weapons for spiritual warfare so that we could fight and remain standing, while doing the work that God prepared for us.

Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that … you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ~ Ephesians 6:13 NIVUK

The Lord is your keeper: your guard, preserver, and Shepherd. 

The Lord is your shade: as near as your shadow for your protection and

refreshment. 

He’s on your right side: on your working side - providing skills, wisdom,

guidance, perseverance, strength, courage, determination, and

encouragement. 

He’s on the side not carrying a shield: on your warfare side -

providing spiritual weapons, like the sword of the Spirit.

The Lord has positioned Himself to be near to you, providing everything you need, in every circumstance. Whatever you need today, receive it from Him and get moving!

©Heather Potts 2021

Now to Him

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWsSkL8SMjo

Terrify the Dark ~ Skillet

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. ~ Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV

Most authors dedicate their books to loved ones in honor of their encouragement. In Ephesians 3, Paul dedicates his letter to God, saying: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. Have you ever wondered how much is immeasurably more?

Because Elizabeth and I can’t have regular ice cream, we try to find new frozen yogurt bars. Last time, I helped Elizabeth make her selections. I assumed Brad was helping Savannah, but we quickly discovered Savannah helped herself! When she was done, Savannah’s frozen yogurt towered twice as high as the top of her container! While our excited and very full Savannah knew she’d gotten more than everyone else, it was nothing compared to God’s immeasurably more. Immeasurably more means, “beyond measure; more and greater than all,” (blueletterbible.org). That’s the God we serve, the One to Whom Paul dedicated his letter.

It wasn’t enough for Paul to tell us who God is, he also wanted us to know that God uses His power at work within us. The God who is incomprehensibly powerful chooses to display His power by working in and through our lives. Let that sit in your heart till you feel incredibly empowered by God to do anything He asks.

When you’ve lost the faith and fight to go on, God empowers you to take another breath and another step. When you’re wearied by the constant changes, God enables you to focus on His unchanging nature and faithfulness. When you’re overwhelmed by the hopelessness and anxiety of others, God inspires you to encourage those around you.

No media report or circumstance is more powerful than our God! With that in mind, what will you do and who will you impact with God’s immeasurably more empowering you?

©Heather Potts 2020

Hoisted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TzB4FaPODc

Anchor ~ Skillet

Swirling, pulling, dragging me down, the waves are churning all around. Fear and anxiety bind my arms and legs, sucking me down and down in a whirlpool of worry. I have taken my eyes off of my Lord—off of my Jesus. I’m so sorry. Sorry I made the fear and circumstances higher than You. Forgive me. Like a flash of light, His anchor of hope is thrust into the water, breaking up the ties that bind me. I am freed and grab hold of Him, my Anchor of Hope. Holding tightly, the Anchor is hoisted from the churning seas. As I cling tightly to my Anchor, I see the storm rage on all around—the clouds black as night, the seas churning and swirling, the waves slapping, the rains driving—but I am kept safe. I cling to my Anchor, my Love, my Hope, my Father, who is strong, firm, and steadfast.

When we take our eyes off of Jesus—even but a moment—we can get caught up in the waves of worry and the riptides of fear and anxiety which eventually suck us into a whirlpool, dragging us down, down until we are lost. But turning our hearts back to Jesus, we can hold to His hope and peace. If you’ve been caught by the whirlpool of worry with fear and anxiety binding you, turn your heart and your eyes back toward your Anchor of Hope, cling to Him, and He will lift you from the sea.

We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us ~ Hebrews 6:18-20 MSG

©Heather Potts 2020