His Faithfulness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuPP2Kxyo00

There is a King/What Would You Do ~ Elevation Worship

...great is your faithfulness. ~ Lamentations 3:23 NIV

My heart sank when I saw the actual bill total. I knew it was coming, but it was almost double what we expected. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of “making plans” for the difference. Brad tried to remind me of God’s faithfulness in the past, saying our plans were only slightly delayed. I confess that my emotions were so charged that thinking rationally or logically wasn’t going to happen. All I could see was that our plans were ruined, and it hurt.

Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that the Lord’s faithfulness is a “Get Out of Jail Free” card, so that we won’t have to feel the pain of consequences. But it’s not. Faithful means trustworthy, to make secure. As our Father, God allows us to feel the pain of our choices to help us understand the consequences. But He’s faithful to walk with us through them, as He knows and sees how it hurts us to endure.

Though it hurts to part with such a large amount of money, my mistake wasn’t in underestimating the amount owed. My mistake was in forgetting to Whom this money belonged. But even in my mistake and in getting mad that I had to part with it, the Lord showed His faithfulness, again, by allowing me to see that He provided enough to cover this bill before I knew it was owed.

Perhaps during this COVID-19 season you’ve lost perspective and have forgotten the Lord’s faithfulness. Today is a great day to remind yourself, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is [His] faithfulness,” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV).

©Heather Potts 2020

No 5 Walking

https://youtu.be/-fpUvEKd91w

No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus ~ Steffany Gretzinger

Confess and acknowledge how you have offended one another and then pray for one another to be instantly healed, for tremendous power is released through the passionate, heartfelt prayer of a godly believer! ~ James 5:16 TPT

Before it closed, our girls took turns praying on the way to school. Savannah typically opened with, "Let no one get 5 walking." At the girls' school, 5 Walking could be issued for a myriad of reasons, from not turning in homework to talking during a test. 5 Walking meant you walked the perimeter of the playground for the first five minutes of recess. To a child who wanted to be with his or her friends, that was a big deal!

After a few months, I asked why Savannah prayed for no 5 Walking. She said it was because she wanted kids to do what was right, kind, and respectful. To a 7-year-old, the best way to help her classmates was to pray that they'd make better choices, and thus avoid painful consequences. Who else needs someone praying like that for them? I know I do.

The great news is that we have it! Jesus is constantly before Father God, interceding on our behalf, (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1). Though the enemy is continually spewing our faults before the Throne, Jesus is relentlessly and fervently speaking to Father God in our defense.

In these days of physical and social distancing, it’s important to keep our focus on Jesus. The enemy is working overtime to overwhelm you with anxiety. He’s pouring on condemnation, saddling you with a sentence. We need to realize that our “5 Walking,” our eternal death sentence, has been paid in full! As this Easter season approaches, remember that the same Jesus who died, rose again, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, did it all for you! Today, reclaim your peace and rest in Jesus, who loves you and is praying the best for you. 

©Heather Potts 2020

Gateway of Hope

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6xSOMdt_2g&list=RDa6xSOMdt_2g&start_radio=1&t=2

Only You ~ David Crowder Band

But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt. ~ Hosea 2:14-15 NLT

Having lived near the Gulf of Mexico for many years, we were taught that the reason so many people die when caught by a current has nothing to do with the strength of the swimmer and everything to do with strategy. Instead of wasting energy swimming against the current, you should swim parallel to it. Eventually, the current will end. If you haven’t exerted all your energy trying to swim against it, you should be able to swim back to shore.  

The same is true in many of the battles we face. If we try to fight them in our own strength, we’ll lose. But if we prepare for the fight, then, with Christ’s help, we can overcome. Maybe you are battling an addiction (drugs, emotional eating or spending, pornography, etc.). If you try to “not give in,” eventually you will, and suffer physical and emotional consequences. If you, instead, find an accountability partner and the two of you begin to pray and make a plan of victory, when the temptation arises, you’ll know how to overcome.

Perhaps a loved one has walked away from the Lord. Begging won’t cause them to turn. Seeking God, strengthening your own relationship with Him, and praying scripture over them is the best strategy with this current. Then, when they come to you, you will know how to respond to and love them.

The reason the enemy fights to keep you and your loved ones trapped is because he’s afraid of what God will do through you and them. But you have something far greater than an enemy: you have a Husband and His Name is Jesus! Your Husband is the head and is responsible for the direction and welfare of His household. Because we have free will, God allows us to wander into the muck. Sometimes, it takes the muck to hear the Lord call your name and whisper, “Come away with Me, so I may speak tenderly to you and turn your Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope.” And when we choose to turn, He's right there, welcoming us into intimacy with Him.

Whatever you or your loved ones are battling, I pray you would draw away with your Love, with Jesus. Allow Him to heal your heart, turning your Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope.

https://youtu.be/lSwCOs-uXzU

Lifehouse Everything drama

©Heather Potts 2019