Answered Why

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiyQsHKnCvc&list=RDaiyQsHKnCvc&start_radio=1

Blessings Everywhere ~ Elevation Worship

 

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good… ~ Genesis 50:20 NIV

 

People are naturally curious. Sometimes our curiosity leads us to seek out the answers. Other times, it leads us to demand them, feeling it is our right to know:

Why? That’s not fair! Why this? Why me? Why now? Why!

I have often heard my children sound just like that, as have I to God.

 

Personally, there have been many times my asking – or demanding – has been met with no specific answer, and definitely not when I felt it was timely. But then other times, God has brought a very fast answer to our questions to show us that He is still God and He is for us. The latter has been our experience in our current situation. Sparing the details, God made it very obvious that His hand was all over this, including bringing much needed peace in the middle of the situation.

 

The next time you are facing something you don’t understand, ask God to send you in the direction of His peace. It may not lead to specific answers to your “why,” but at least you’ll know you’re going on His path.

 

Father, I thank you that sometimes you answer us, immediately and specifically. But Lord, I also thank you for the times You simply hold us close to your heart, so that we can rest in Your peace. Hold us today, Lord. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

 

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~ Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

©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  

Gone Fishing

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk5mlyYMOBs&list=RDnk5mlyYMOBs&start_radio=1&t=0

Dear God ~ Cory Asbury feat. Anna Asbury

 Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass. ~ Psalm 37:5 AMPC

When I was 3 or 4, my grandpa took me fishing. He got my line ready and all I had to do was drop it in the water. In less than a minute, I caught a fish! My grandpa took off the fish, rebated my hook, and I dropped it back in the water. Then I caught another fish! My grandpa took the second fish off the hook, rebated it, and my line went back in the water. Then I caught a third fish. As the story goes, this cycle continued another five or six times. But then, when I didn’t catch anything—after about two minutes—I looked at my grandpa and said, “This is boring.”

 I certainly had it made at 3- or 4-years-old. My grandpa did all the work and all I had to do was wait for the fish to bite. God offers the same to us if we’ll let Him. Through Jesus, God has done the heavy lifting in our lives and offers us the opportunity to partner with Him, to share in the experience of the things He’s called us to do and enjoy watching His victorious outcome. Sadly, though, we’re convinced we need to “make it happen” and, as a result, we run ourselves ragged trying to do it ourselves.

In love, Father God looks at us and says, “There’s a better way, dear child.” Psalm 37:5 says we’re to roll each of our cares onto the Lord, then we’re to lean on and be confident in Him, and then He will bring it to pass. The world says, “To get anything done – and done right – you have to do it yourself.” The way of the world is heavy and downright exhausting. God’s way, however, gives us peace, rest, and a burdenless load.

 In life, you can try to do everything yourself – even try to make the fish bite. Or you can partner with God, allowing Him to bear the weight of the responsibility, and just enjoy the adventure He takes you on – even when you don’t catch any fish.

©Heather Potts 2021

Eradicating Shadow Monsters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSBwg3FH_54

Fill This Place ~ Red Rocks Worship

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ~ John 1:5 ESV

Perspective: what you see and know.

On March 17, 2015, Brad received the first of two failed spinal injections. Following were spinal surgery, infection, and a month of daily IV antibiotics at a clinic 30-minutes away, all with our two toddlers in tow. My perspective was overwhelmed, at best.

By the end of the day, yesterday, March 17, 2020, I was exhausted. A team of us helped teachers prepare families to do schoolwork from home for at least three weeks. The unknown and what ifs are the scariest part, like a shadow monster in a child’s bedroom.

Consider it: alone in her room, a child watches as the shadow monster emerges. Not knowing what it will do to her, she cries. Dad comes in and turns on the light, eliminating the monster. Then, Dad turns off the light. While the child sees only the monster, Dad sees and begins to reveal the truth. One part of the shadow is from the lamp shade, another part is from a coat hanging on the bed post, and the last part is from a tree branch outside. Once the shadows are picked apart and the fear subsides, the child can sleep in peace.

Perspective is so much of our reality. In 2015, my outlook was bleak. But looking back, I see how God was strengthening us, drawing us ever closer to Himself. We learned to lean in and listen much more carefully. We also learned that God was truly our only Source and would, in fact, provide all we needed.

Today, my prayer is that God would pick apart the shadow monster, eliminating our fears in His light. Remember, He’s with us, holding our hands, and giving us what we need as He walks us through this season.

©Heather Potts 2020

His Name Is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXAzt4pUr3Y

O Holy Night ~ Carrie Underwood

For unto us a Child is born …
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

~ Isaiah 9:6 NKJV

Today was… different for each person I encountered. In a way, it reminded me of September 11, 2001, when everyone felt scattered, out of sorts, beside themselves, and gripped with fear.

The city where we live in Wisconsin is considerably smaller than where we used to live. In Florida, most places were typically a 30-45-minute drive… out of "season." Here, everything is "smaller." There's much more of a community feel, that stretches beyond the walls of your church. And I think that's why today was so… hard.

Word began to spread, about mid-morning, of a stabbing and shooting at one of the local high schools. The incident ended quickly, and students were evacuated off-site to be reunited with their families. But hours later, the fear – fear for friends and family members who attend and/or work at that school, fear of the unknown, and fear of could "our school" be next – was still overwhelmingly high.

On my way home from life group, I remembered a teaching about fear. My friend, Pastor Kim Anderson, wrote the book Live Not Die, in which she says that regardless of the battle before us, we must deal with the fear, first. What is the opposite of fear? Faith. And the opposite of anxiety? Peace.

Whether you are feeling shaken from a high school trauma, or the stress of bills, or any number of other anxieties the enemy would love to pour on you, it's time to stop the cycle of anxiety and tell the fear it must flee! Call upon the Name that is above all names, especially fear. His Name is, "Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace," and He's waiting to comfort and to walk with you.

©Heather Potts 2019

On that Dark Day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0FBb6hnwTo&list=RDn0FBb6hnwTo&start_radio=1

Goodness of God ~ Bethel Music

God ’s name is a place of protection— good people can run there and be safe. ~ Proverbs 18:10 MSG

Today is a hard day for so many, as they remember the events of this day eighteen years ago. The stories surrounding that day are too numerous to count. I pray that this story gives you hope, even as we remember that dark day.

He got up, got dressed for work, kissed his girlfriend good-bye and headed out the door.  Today was the day it would all change for him.  He was starting a new job, a new way of life.  After orientation, his boss showed him to an office and asked him to file while she was in a meeting.  A while later, he began to hear a commotion.  People were yelling and running.  He stuck his head out of the office and saw the burning twin towers on TV and the reporter talking about the concerns for the President.  Then someone in the office said, “Air Force One is across the street!  Should we evacuate the building?” No one gave an answer, for they were all staring at the TV in horror. He moved back into the office and closed the door, his mind whirling.

In John 14:27, Jesus said He came to give us peace, but He wasn’t talking about a world without war. Jesus' peace is a feeling of quiet confidence and complete trust. That's easy to say when there's no conflict. But what about days of tragedy? And how do those who don't know Him find peace on dark days?

Standing in that office, leaning up against the door, he was afraid.  “What if I die today?  What if they take out the President’s plane and this office with it?  What if my girlfriend was right and I miss it?”  He began to remember what his friends had said one night after work, so many years ago.  They had talked about a Savior. Not a mean God, but One who wanted to love him and who would accept him.  Sliding down to the floor, he said, “God I give you my heart.  From this day forward, I’m Yours.”

The TV stations all reported the number of lives lost that day. It's gut-wrenching to recall and reread the stories. My heart is broken for the families who all lost someone on that dark day.

But there is hope! In John 17:15, 18, Jesus prayed that God would not take His disciples out of the world but would protect them from the evil one while they were in it. He said, "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world." He knew the risk of losing even one soul to hell for eternity was far greater if messengers weren't sent to share His story and His Name.

On that dark day, when so many lives were lost, at least one soul was saved. On Tuesday, September 11, 2001 my husband gave his life to Christ! 

Lord, thank you for his friends who told him about You long before I ever knew him. I pray that for those who don’t know Peace—who don’t know You—that they would turn to You. Send someone into their lives and to tell them about You. Thank you for wanting us to be Yours. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

And I will give them a heart to know (recognize, understand, and be acquainted with) Me, that I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart. ~ Jeremiah 24:7 AMP

©Heather Potts 2014, edited 2019

Pineapple

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rezg4jYFoj0

Fruit of the Spirit

Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.] ~ John 14:27 AMP

I like pineapples. From the hard and prickly outside, you wouldn’t know how tender and juicy they are inside. To save money, I decided to buy whole a pineapple and cut it myself. The first time was a flat-out fail! I didn’t own a sharp enough knife. But then a friend gave me a knife that was supposed to “cut through anything.” And it did, including the pineapple!

Waiting on answers to life’s circumstances can sometimes feel like trying to cut into that pineapple. The tender, juicy fruit feels unreachable without the proper tools. We’ve been waiting on answers to some things going on in our lives. Nothing health-crisis related, but still, things we’d like to get answered, so we know how to proceed. When I read today’s scripture, I realized I’ve been missing peace. When I’ve got peace, everything else works itself out, including waiting for answers.

I’ve been trying to crack open these problems to get to the desired results, but I forgot to strap on my peace. The best part about having the fruit of the Spirit is not that there are multiple to choose from for each situation. Scripture says the fruit of the Spirit is…  We get them all for every circumstance we face. Are you facing some circumstances where the answers feel far away? Take a moment and review the fruit of the Spirit. Which attributes haven’t you been operating out of, but really need to bring along? God has given them all to us, shouldn’t we honor Him and utilize them all?

©Heather Potts 2019

White Release

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNqo4Un2uZI&list=RDJgdnN5fvZfQ&index=3

It is Well ~ Kristene DiMarco

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows … ~ Isaiah 53: 4 NKJV

Coming back to my hometown, Brad was especially concerned that dark shadows may be lurking around some corners. Fortunately, that hasn’t been the case. But a few days ago, something unexpected happened that dredged up muck from the pit and past. I didn’t realize it was upsetting me till today. I pulled into our parking lot, left a message asking a friend for prayer, and got out of my car.  As I walked toward our apartment in the falling snow, I felt the soft, white release. I felt God’s gentle reminder that He’s already healed me, taking away all the fear and shame.

Walking in the snow, I felt as free as a child, God’s child.

Are there burdens or unexpected old muck weighing on you? You don’t have to let fear, shame, or pain drag you into the pit. You can be free, feeling as light-weight as gently falling snow.

Father, thank you for the reminder that You’ve already paid for and taken it all for me. I pray that anyone who desires the freedom and peace You offer would give You everything, so You can wash them as white as snow. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

… And by His stripes we are healed. ~ Isaiah 53:5 NKJV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FHwdx5BIvc&start_radio=1&list=RD-FHwdx5BIvc

Jesus Paid It All ~ Kristian Stanfill

©Heather Potts 2019