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

The Secret Place

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTHS4W1bPj8&list=RDGMEMMib4QpREwENw3_jAc0YgNwVMHTHS4W1bPj8&start_radio=1

Run to the Father ~ Cody Carnes

HE WHO dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. ~ Psalm 91:1 AMPC

My kids love to play hide-and-seek. They love to find new places to hide while the other is distracted and then yell, “Boo!” when they’re discovered. Regardless of where they hide, they always know to come find me in my “secret place” in the mornings. I’ve always had a “secret place,” where I could “get away” with God.

The other morning, burdens hung heavily upon me. I sat on my bed, writing my prayers to God about all my frustrations, fears, needs, and worries. When my pen stopped, Holy Spirit called me into the secret place. As soon as I stepped inside, I could feel God’s presence envelope me.

There’s nothing mystical about the floor of my closet, with my clothes hanging near my head. I know God will meet me anywhere. But here, I’ve asked questions and received answers; I’ve done research and found God’s treasures; and I’ve spent countless hours in battle through prayer and have seen results. The secret place is not about a location, but an expectation. When I enter the secret place of the Most High, I know He’ll meet me here.

The other morning was no different. Almost as soon as I sat down, the words, “He will quiet you with His love,” leapt from the verse I have taped to the wall, (Zephaniah 3:17). As I cried tears of a child who is known by her Father, all I could do was thank Him: Thank you for knowing me so well. Thank you for hearing me, and for ensuring that I hear You, too.

Where do you go to “get away” with God? Because His Spirit lives inside you, God is always with you. Remember, it’s not about location, but expectation. Where do you expect Him to meet with you?

The Lord your God is with you,

he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing.

~ Zephaniah 3:17 NIV84

©Heather Potts 2020

No Fear in the Flood

https://youtu.be/2uYiHiJTN6Y

My Feet are on the Rock ~ I AM THEY 

...When the enemy comes in like a flood... ~ Isaiah 59:19 NKJV

Has your life been flooded by the enemy, lately? We've had multiple illnesses since Christmas and now the flu. When everyone is sick, or not able to work to care for sick kids, you start to feel alone. The enemy goes to great lengths to isolate, and ultimately destroy, us. When we're too sick to attend church, life groups, and school, we become isolated, which makes us easier prey.

But when you're in Christ Jesus, you're not alone. "The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves…" (Zephaniah 3:17 NIV). Though the enemy floods your life with hardships, remember Who is by your side. "In every circumstance, even when the enemy comes in like a flood, you will know that your best friend is a Lion and you need have no fear," (Cooke, Graham. "The Kind Intentions of God." The Soaking Compendium. 2019).

Isaiah 59:19 doesn't end with the enemy's attack, but with the Lord's victory: "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will put him to flight." You're not alone in this fight. The Lord is with you: He rejoices over you with singing, quiets you with His love, refreshes your soul, forgives all your sins, heals all your diseases, redeems your life from the pit, crowns you with love and compassion, and satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s, (Zephaniah 3:17; Psalm 23:3; Psalm 103:3-5).

Remember, when the enemy comes in like a flood, Victory is already on your side and His Name is Jesus!

©Heather Potts 2020

His Songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awkO61T6i0k

Raise a Hallelujah ~ Bethel Music

The voice of the LORD is powerful; The voice of the LORD is full of majesty. ~ Psalm 29:4 NKJV

The devil uses fear and doubt as he seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. Fear and doubt are huge roadblocks for all who want to move forward into God's calling, as well as for everyone standing and believing in the promises and miracles God has for us.

As we keep seeking God, the enemy keeps sending spiritual giants, each one larger than the last. But in studying these past few days, I've noticed a recurrent theme: God sings over me. It's not just to refresh my soul, though there are those times, too, but to protect, strengthen, and deliver me.

Behold, God, my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid, For the Lord God is my strength and song; Yes, He has become my salvation. ~ Isaiah 12:2 AMP

You are my hiding place; You, Lord, protect me from trouble; You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance.  ~ Psalm 32:7 AMP

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” ~ Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

The voice of the Lord is powerful! Psalm 29 says the Lord's voice "strikes with flashes of lightning…shakes the desert…twists the oaks and strips the forest bare…" (vv. 4-9). The same God who spoke the world into existence is singing, shouting, and rejoicing over our trials and circumstances.

Whatever you are facing today – whatever giants are staring you down – join the Lord as He sings, today. Worship Him. Praise Him. Join Him in shouts of deliverance over those giants!

©Heather Potts 2019

Change

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqa8O1ktxk8&list=RDcqa8O1ktxk8&start_radio=1

Hidden ~ United Pursuit ft. Will Reagan

Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. ~ Psalm 37:4 NKJV

Have you ever tried to make a change in your life, but couldn’t, though you tried again and again? Whether it’s overeating, overspending, yelling at your kids, overwhelming schedules, substance abuse, addiction to pornography, or something else, Paul said it best: I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do, (Romans 7:15). Have you ever considered that the issue isn’t your issue?

In Soaking in Expectation, Graham Cooke encourages us to shift our focus from discipline to delight, saying that we can’t force change, but when we delight ourselves in the Lord, His desires become our desires. The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you … (Zephaniah 3:17 NIV). God delights in you, even with all your faults. But He wants the best for you, so He’s changing you from your old self into His masterpiece.

In the medical field, change is written as a triangle. The triangle represents your life: God is the top point, while you and the issue are the bottom points. The more you focus on the issue, the closer you will get to it and the further away you’ll be from God. But the more you focus on God, delighting yourself in worship, reading His Word, and spending time with Him, the closer you will draw to Him, growing further from the issues, until eventually, they aren’t issues any longer.

God doesn’t want us stressing over issues or wearing ourselves out trying to get rid of them. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still, (Exodus 14:14 NIV). He’s asking us to trust that as we draw closer to Him, His love will overshadow everything else. After all, true and lasting change comes as Father God changes us from the inside out.

©Heather Potts 2018

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

From the Inside Out and With Everything ~ Hillsong United

Behold

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2Q-rslQpPE

Behold the Lamb ~ Bayside Worship

And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” ~ John 1:36 NKJV

It’s normal for me to wake to songs being sung over me (Zephaniah 3:17). But this time was different. The past two weeks have been a flurry and blur for me and each time I tried to spend time with God, something always stole away my attention. No matter what, I couldn’t focus. Yesterday at 2am, the Lord woke me, again with this song, and called me out of bed.

My heart cried out to God, as I felt so distant from Him. Over and over, this song repeated to me and I began to write it down, as it was the only thing I could hear. Again I cried, my desire to be nestled in my Father’s arms, drinking in His every word for me. And still, the song repeated, each time louder than the time before. I continued writing the words, over and over, until peace replaced the anxiety. Then I opened my Bible and read Jeremiah 50, “’In those days, at that time,’ declares the LORD, ‘the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the LORD their God. They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it… My people have been lost sheep…They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place,’” (vv. 4-6). That was exactly how I felt. But crying out to God, He called out to me as He sang, “Behold the Lamb.”

The Greek word for behold means, “Don’t miss this! This is new and unexpected!” Sometimes we can allow life’s distractions to steal the fervor we once felt. But as John the Baptist cried out to those standing nearby, “Don’t miss the Lamb of God! He brings something new; not at all what you were expecting.” Don’t become jaded. Instead, turn and fully look into His beautiful face. And when you do, you will behold the Lamb of God.

©Heather Potts 2016

Blow Out "I Can't"

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

The other day, I woke up with the song “I Need You More” in my head. It wasn’t until my almost 4-year-old yelled from her bedroom, “Mommy, I peed on my bed and got poopy on the door,” that I heard the song in context. Savannah is a very strong-willed child but she has her very sweet moments of complete obedience for us, as well as others. Throughout the day, we had times of calm and fun, but also times of struggle and testing.

That night, I went running before dinner. During my run, God said, “It’s time to blow-out the ‘I-cants’. It’s time to take on ‘I can’ as your crown of victory.” The things I can’t do have been mounting: I can’t get her to listen to me. I can’t get her potty-trained. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t… And truly, I can’t make her do anything. But I can sit her in my lap, giving her my full attention, and teach her God’s Word. I can encourage her to deposit His Word in her heart. I can pray that God’s Word will minister to her, grooming her for greatness. I can believe what scripture says, “As we teach our children about Father God and His Word, it will stimulate, penetrate, teach and be impressed diligently upon their hearts and minds. Our girls will put their confidence in God and not forget His words, but keep His commands…they won’t be stubborn nor will they be a generation whose hearts are not loyal or faithful to God. They will be an example and set a pattern for the believers in speech, conduct, love, faith and moral purity,” (Deuteronomy 6:7, Psalm 78:6-8, 1 Timothy 4:12).

Running, opened me up to my Father, allowing Him to quiet me with His love. If you’re struggling with what you can't in your life, it’s time to blow them out and put on your crown of victory, remembering we can through Christ!

©Heather Potts 2016