Trust

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je3lmscEkBc

Arrows (I Will be with You) ~ Bethel Music, We the Kingdom

 

Blessed is the man who makes
    the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
    to those who go astray after a lie!

~ Psalm 40:4 ESV

 

What do you trust?

Most of us trust many things without even realizing it: our furniture to hold up when we sit or lay down, our electricity and water to turn on, the sun to rise and set, our money to be in the bank, etc. What happens when that trust is betrayed? How do we respond when circumstances are drastically changed, and we don’t even know what we can trust?

 

Psalm 40:4 says, “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust.” The word, “trust” means, “refuge, security, confidence,” (H4009 - Miḇṭāḥ - Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon (Kjv), n.d.). We find a sense of security in a great number of things, very few being a complete trust in the Lord. But the things in which we take refuge and comfort—like our seat at church, the dollar amount in the bank, our address, our relationships, or even the condition of our Bibles [mine’s currently falling apart]—are all fleeting and eventually give out, get used up, or fade away into a distant memory. The only true thing we can trust is Jesus’ love and faithfulness toward us.

 

When I looked up verses on the Lord being my trust, several verses included statements about the Lord being my refuge, strength, and shield. When we make something fleeting the source of our trust, we are binding ourselves to it. When it disappears, so does our sense of security. However, because the Lord is unchanging and unending, so is the seat of our trust and security when we center our lives around Him and make His words—His promises—the core of our security. Then, nothing will stop, shake, or move us!

 

Lately, I’ve been studying Peter and his faith before and after jumping out of the boat to walk towards Jesus. When I make the Lord my trust, as Peter did, then I can walk by faith—even walk on water—because then I won’t even see the water.

I will only see Jesus, my trust.

©Heather Potts 2023

Where Do You Find Security?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoL2W9MuA9k

Peace ~ We the Kingdom

 

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord… ~ Jeremiah 17:7 NIVUK

 

The other day, one of my nieces tried to help Elizabeth clean the top of her dresser. Because it’s become her treasure trove, Elizabeth cried when anyone suggested throwing away anything. The incident reminded me of a time, when I was about Elizabeth’s age, that several of my treasures were found in the garbage. After a sewage backup, I remember discovering boxes of my things at the curb. I was hurt and angry at my parents for throwing away my things. I was a kid and didn’t understand that things couldn’t just be cleaned and returned to the house. All I knew was that it happened, and I had no control to stop it.

 

Many of the people we see as heroes are those who suffered experiences outside of their control. Though the experiences affected them, they didn’t stay in a place of hurt and didn’t let “victim” become their identity.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

The overwhelming desire to wallow in the muck of the things that happened to them died when they surrendered their hearts to Jesus, as it is with us when we surrender. The draw to dwell on the past continues to lose influence as we surrender more of our hearts and minds to Jesus.

 

At some point in life, we’ve all lost things, whether physical or relational. Loss tears at our sense of security, which comes from God’s design, that only He can fill. Trying to fill it with anything else leaves us feeling empty and alone.

This is what the Lord says: ‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will… dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.’ ~ Jeremiah 17:5-6 NIVUK

When we tire of what the world cannot guarantee and get to a place of surrender, the “cursed” one becomes “blessed.”

‘But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water… It does not fear when heat comes; … It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.’ ~ Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIVUK

 

If you’ve been living in the “parched places” in any area of your life, it’s time to surrender it to God. Trade in the salt lands for a life planted by the Living Water and watch as that area begins to bear fruit.

©Heather Potts 2022  

Wherever-Whenever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UUZXgKo7ic

Dancing on the Waves ~ We the Kingdom

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. ~ Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

While some days feel great, others feel more like this:  

How NOT to have Quality Time with God in 5 Easy Steps

1. Wake up late

1. Rushing definitely helps clutter and rattle the mind!

2. Get distracted

1. Pulling out the grocery or to-do list will help distract you.

3. Keep your Smartphone handy

1. Interrupting texts, emails, and updates will get you off-course in no time flat!

4. Fuss at yourself

1. Self-condemnation fills the mind with so many loathsome thoughts, there’s no possible way to concentrate.

5. Quit

1. Give up and go on with your life. Who needs quality time with God, anyway?

While this is a little tongue-in-cheek, I bet you can relate to one or more things on that list. The enemy works to distract us from our time with God. He hates it--fears it--when we “get down to business.”

When the girls were very little, I was really missing the hours of quiet time I’d had with God before they were born. But with a toddler and an infant, long-gone were quiet minutes, let alone hours. I remember feeling shameful when I told the women in my mom’s group that I had no time for God, because the earlier I got up, so did my kids. And by the end of the day, I was too tired to even give God my leftovers. One of the women in our group gave me some much-needed wisdom. She said God gives us what we need in each season and stage of our lives. She said God doesn’t care what it looks like or when and where it happens; He just wants a relationship with us. God and kids spell “love” the same way: T-I-M-E. It doesn’t have to be a big production. They just want us to be near and have us “present” with them.

Maybe this isn’t your season for an hour of quiet time. Maybe this season is a prayer-walking during your lunch break, or a worship session in your car during your 30-minute commute. My friend Andrea used to say that God created us all differently, but knows us intimately enough to speak in ways that we need and will hear. Maybe yesterday was a wash and the time you tried to carve out just didn’t pan out like you’d hoped. Brush yourself off, move on, and try again. Or better yet, ask God when and how you can meet with Him. If you’re listening, I bet He’ll both tell and show you. He promised that when you seek Him, He’ll be found by you.

©Heather Potts 2021

Rinnâ

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4KEgwLDLHw

Don’t Tread on Me ~ We the Kingdom

The Lord your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.

~ Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV

I grew up in a pool, and for many years, on a swim team. Though I competed in other events, I preferred backstroke, because I could see my friends cheering me into the wall. It helped to have friends and family cheering. It’s a lot harder to keep up the discipline of a strong finish when no one’s there for you. I use the analogy of swimming, because it’s what I know, but it’s true of every sport and all of life. The reason stadiums hand out annoying noise-makers is to encourage the players, especially when their team isn’t winning. It helps to know you’ve got someone in your corner, someone who’s on your side.

As I sat down to pray this morning, the line “He will rejoice over you with singing,” from Zephaniah 3:17, seemed to leap out at me. The phrase, “over you with singing,” is the Hebrew word rinnâ, which means, “shouting for joy.” I have some friends who are walking through hard battles. Sometimes, especially when the battle is long, it can feel like God is “busy elsewhere,” and has forgotten us. But the truth is, He’s always with us and never loses sight of us. In fact, He’s constantly cheering us on, encouraging us, and shouting with joy and pride at our progress:

Come on, Son! Come on, Daughter! You’ve got this! You’re more than a conqueror! You’re an overcomer! Don’t give up! I’ve got you. Don’t quit! Just a little bit more. Just a little farther. You can do this. I’m right here with you!

Hebrews 12:1 says we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, people of faith sent by God to encourage us and show us the way. Just like it encouraged me as people cheered for my swimming, we’re encouraged and strengthened when we know we’re not alone. Regardless of who’s telling us we can’t, God sent His Spirit to dwell within us, reminding us of what we can do in Him. My prayer is that, as we allow God’s love to quiet us, shutting out the noise, we’ll hear Holy Spirit cheering us all the way to a strong finish.

©Heather Potts 2021

Greatest Story

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QFibRYApr8

Child of Love ~ We the Kingdom

 For I the Lord your God hold your right hand; I am the Lord, Who says to you, Fear not; I will help you! ~ Isaiah 41:13 AMPC

For Savannah’s birthday, we’d planned to surprise her with tickets to Saturday’s Lifest event, so she could see Crowder, her favorite band. When I told a friend our plans, she said she had some extra FREE tickets for the FULL event, if I wanted them. I was over-the-moon excited and thankful - both to God and to her!

The other day, when I asked a friend what his family’s plans were for the weekend, I also asked if they were going to Lifest - a 4-day concert with numerous Christian bands and speakers. His response made me sad. He said, “All concerts are the same. If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.” For many things I would likely agree. But just like each time you read God’s Word He touches your heart in a different way, when you’re singing His praises, His Spirit speaks to your heart differently each time.

Let me assure you, God’s presence was there and He was moving in people’s hearts and lives. I saw it in the way two teenagers worshiped God with their whole hearts. I saw it in the way people were moved to tears, to their feet, and to shouts of joy. I also saw it in the way Elizabeth and Savannah danced and lifted their hands to Jesus - which has to be the best gift God could give a parent. God was in that place! But He’s not just in our town for this concert. He is everywhere you are, when you are worshipping Him. 

Psalm 22:3 says God inhabits the praises of His people. He abides, sits, dwells, lives, and remains with you, as you worship Him. What are you walking through today? Yesterday and last night, we heard from several artists who said they came from a place of pain, shame, and brokenness. If God will do it for them, when they were nobody anybody knew, don’t you think He’ll do it for you, or your loved ones? The very same God, Who creates worlds with a single word, Whose Spirit brings dead bones to life, is the same ALMIGHTY GOD Who is able to make a broken life, broken marriage, and broken heart into the greatest story ever told! Don’t let today be just another song, another concert, another day. Let today be the beginning of the greatest story God ever told with your life!

©Heather Potts 2021

Are You Sharp?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iwjtVNNVG4

Cages ~ We the Kingdom

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. ~ Proverbs 27:17

Over the past few weeks, Proverbs 27:17 keeps coming up in my studies. I think people like the idea of this verse, but when it really comes down to it, we shy away from it. The Bible App depicts this verse as an axe head being sharpened by a sharpening stone, with sparks flying from the point of friction. The friction, I believe, is the main reason we tend to steer clear of relationships, or opportunities, that would lend to making us stronger, better, sharper, and more godly versions of ourselves. Friction hurts! 

In a time of easy, quick-fixes to whatever ails us, we don’t want to invest in something that will likely bring discomfort, even if it will help, heal, and/or sharpen us. We then find ourselves in a paradox.

• In opening ourselves up to others, we risk our trust being shattered.

• In removing our masks, putting aside the facade, and coming out of our cages, we risk getting hurt.

• In giving love away, we risk being rejected.

But on the flipside…

• Opening ourselves up to others allows us to be known by them and them by us.

• Removing our masks, putting aside the facade, and coming out of our cages affords us the opportunity for real relationships where intimacy and trust are built.

• Giving love away creates room in our hearts to receive more of God’s love, character, and spiritual fruit.

When we’re not in relationships that, lovingly, challenge us, we will grow dull over time. When we become dull, we tend to withdraw, believing the lie that we’re of no use to others. But when we allow our “dull” selves to be surrounded by and open up to others, the dullness starts getting removed. Then, not only do we become sharper, we also get excited about and seek out others whom we can help sharpen.

The first few steps in anything new are always the hardest, because they involve the greatest risk. But if we want to live Proverbs 27:17 lives, then we must be willing to step outside of ourselves, leave the quick-fixes behind, and get closer to sharpening stones--people who love God, live for Him, and are wanting to invest in you. We need each other!

As iron sharpens iron…

©Heather Potts 2021

Don't Get Derailed

 https://youtu.be/o4KEgwLDLHw

Don't Tread On Me ~ We the Kingdom 

Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. ~ 1 Peter 5:8 AMP

When we were little, it was common fun to lay coins on the railroad tracks, then see how the train had flattened them. At some point, however, a report came out, saying that coins on the tracks could derail the train, damaging the train, and possibly killing the engineer. Though the report was later debunked, it was reported that snow, ice, and rocks had caused trains to derail.

If a small pile of rocks are enough to derail a train, how much more could the cunning, conniving devil derail us from God’s plans? Think about it: the average train travels about 26 mph and weighs anywhere from 1,500 to 18,000 tons. In comparison, the African elephant, the largest land animal, weighs between 2 and 7 tons, and the Blue whale, the largest of all creatures, weighs about 198 US tons. It’s doubtful that the elephant or the whale would get put off course by a few rocks, and yet a train, which weighs 10 times or more than either animal, is in danger of derailing from what wouldn’t bother them. 

How does that relate to us?

1 Peter 5:8 says the devil prowls around like a lion, looking to devour you. He’s hunting and studying you, waiting till you’re weak and easy prey. Maybe he won’t kill you, but as long as he can derail you from following God’s plans, he’s won. Perhaps as a young child, you felt God’s call on your life, and knew where you were to follow. Then in college, someone you highly respected was harsh towards you. After a few more similar blows, you chose to take another path, turning away from God’s initial calling.

We live in a 3D world with time and space constraints. But God, who is a Spirit being, lives outside of time and space. He, who was before the beginning and will be after the end of time, knows all of time and is not restrained or defined by its rules, (Revelations 1:8). Though the enemy thought he’d won, because at age 20 you followed another path, God used all those years, trials, hurts, and victories to shape you and the calling you would step into much later in life. If God, who is no respecter of persons, will do that for one person’s calling, won’t He also do it for others, including those called to be teachers, parents, astronauts, dancers, painters, writers, pastors, doctors, lawyers, zoologists, park rangers, presidents, actors, and anything else He lays on your heart? The answer is yes, for everyone who turns to and follows Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Maybe you're realizing that you let hurts and other things derail you from God's calling. Don't despair. Remember God's promise from Ephesians 2:10, that He has a plan for you. Now that you know, do three things: 1) Pray. You’ll never get anywhere without God’s guidance. Ask Holy Spirit to guide you each step of the way. 2) Stay Focused. This world has lots of distractions--many, even good. But the world’s good will never measure up to God’s best for you. Be determined to follow where God leads. 3) Stay Alert. The devil is still trying to thwart God’s plans, and he’ll keep using hurts, lies, and distractions to do it. Fortunately, you're no longer ignorant to his schemes. Now, stay alert and don't get derailed!

©Heather Potts 2021

Treasured Moments

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWeXVnRm6R8

Light of the World ~ We the Kingdom

 

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ~ Luke 2:19 NIV

 

When Savannah was an infant – and our only child – we took tons of pictures, not wanting to miss a single moment. At her first Easter egg hunt, she did something cute – as all little kids do – and I missed getting a picture of it. That’s when her godfather said that I won’t be able to get a picture of everything and that somethings I’d just have to treasure.

 

In our morning devotion time, the girls and I talked about Luke 2:19 and why Mary treasured and pondered the events in her heart. Though we’re excited to celebrate Christmas with family and food, on December 26, Christmas will be over. Then what? Savannah said, “That’s when we play with our presents!” 😊 True, but presents get used up and worn out, and then what? Because Christmas is about more than just presents, there’s more to enjoy than just toys.

 

This year let’s be like Mary and not let the season fly by in a flash and then be gone. Instead, let’s store up special moments with friends and family and ponder the miracle of Jesus in our hearts.

©Heather Potts 2020