Testimony

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony… ~ Revelation 12:11 NKJV

For the past several weeks, life’s been testing us: Brad’s been sick, the girls have been waking me most nights, Savannah’s been fighting getting dressed, Elizabeth’s been chewing the binding off our books, and to top it all off, I’ve been seeing lightning flashes in my field of vision. Concerning the latter, I consulted a friend who told me to get it checked out. Fortunately, the optometrist didn’t see anything, but was concerned about the lightning and sent me to a retinal specialist. I was calm upon leaving the optometrist’s office, but became anxious when the time came to see the specialist.

After numbing and dilating my eyes, they had me watch a video explaining retinal tearing and detachment. The fear and anxiety were high! But I said, “No! I don’t have a spirit of fear. I have a spirit of a sound mind!” I was OK in the exam room until the doctor said he needed to push on my eyes with a Q-Tip. The right eye hurt so badly. I jumped at the pain, every muscle tightening. But when he switched to the left eye, something amazing happened: I heard a choir of angels singing boldly, “Oh praise the Name of the Lord our God. Oh praise His Name, forevermore. For endless days, we will sing Your praise. Oh Lord, oh Lord, our God!” It was so powerful and triumphant that I hardly noticed as the doctor pushed on my left eye. He said there’s nothing wrong with my eyes—he thinks (maybe) something to do with migraines, but he’s not sure and wants to check my eyes again in a month.

This was such a huge praise experience, I just HAD to share it with you! Revelations reminds us that our enemy is overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of OUR testimony. My prayer is that this testimony encourages and helps you remember that we will overcome!

©Heather Potts 2017

Hidden

No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. ~ Luke 11:33 NIV

Recently, a friend was surprised to learn that reading my work in front of others terrifies me. She said, “But you share all the time.” In my mind I replied, “But I’m hidden.” When I write, I feel invisible, safely hidden behind a wall where no one can see me. This imaginary wall hides me from facing the fears that say, “What if they don’t like it? Or worse, what if they ask on what authority I have to write it?” But God is faithful to remind me that I stand upon the authority given through Christ Jesus and it doesn’t matter what others think, because, it’s not my reputation on the line; it’s His, (Matthew 28:18; Hebrews 6:13-18 MSG).

Maybe, like me, God has called you to step out in faith and speak in public, write and publish a book, start a business, homeschool your kids, change careers, or do whatever it takes to achieve His call on your life. The enemy, aware not only of your calling, but also of the lives it will touch and change if you do as you’ve been called, stops at nothing to defeat you before you’ve even begun. In her book, Fervent, Priscilla Shirer asks, if the enemy is working that hard to keep you from moving forward, “Aren’t you at least a little bit curious what he’s trying to keep you from experiencing?”

Just like you wouldn’t hide a lamp under a bowl, God doesn’t want you to hide the gift and desire He’s birthed within you any longer. Let God’s light shine brightly for all to see, that they may be drawn to His presence! God wants to use you. Commit to stepping out, today, and let His light shine through you, for all to see!

©Heather Potts 2017

Yucky Goo

And I will give them one heart [a new heart], and put a new spirit within them. I will take from them the heart of stone, and will give them a heart of flesh [that is responsive to My touch] ~ Ezekiel 11:19 AMP

Last year, God said He was going to remove all the impurities from my heart in order to make room for what He wanted to do in my life. I began to pray over myself, that I’d live my life through the filter of the Holy Spirit. I especially asked that God would remove from my heart anything that was not of Him and fill me with His life.

This past August, the need for that prayer became evident as Savannah struggled through the change of having to start school. Though Savannah was excited, the change scared her and she clung to any form of control she could muster, including refusing to get dressed…every single day. We tried everything we could think of, but the most effective was prayer: praying with and for her, and praying over our parenting. One particularly rough morning, Holy Spirit told me to pray my prayer for her on the way to school. I did. After a few weeks, Savannah participated in the prayer, asking God to remove the “yucky goo” from her heart (the things that don’t belong), and replace it with the Fruit of the Spirit.

God’s still working on my heart, reminding me to surrender and cast aside the impurities—things that don’t belong. I wish it was a one-time-and-done event. Unfortunately, I’ve allowed circumstances and people’s careless words to shift my focus, which fills my heart with yucky goo things. But God continues to lavish His love upon me, calling me, again, to surrender those things to Him, so that He can replace them with His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control—the Fruit of the Spirit.

Maybe, like me, you’ve allowed people or circumstances to shift your focus, filling your heart with yucky goo, when what you really need is His love, joy, or peace. But He’s a faithful God and He’s waiting for us to confess and surrender those things to Him. His desire is to replace the yucky goo with a new heart, one that’s filled with His Fruit. The choice is ours. Which will you choose?

©Heather Potts 2017

Prepared pt. 2

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; ~ Psalm 23:5 NKJV

Sitting in an empty parking lot, we reviewed our options: Brad was unable to work, had failed to elect short-term disability, and chose to reject car payment insurance. Due to our two small children and a disabled husband, I was unable to work. We had no local family support and no savings or emergency fund. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of our painful and long story. The enemy planned and primed the situation, bringing about every ounce of pain, fear, and strain.

But God was prepared.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me… ~ Psalm 23:4 NKJV

IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES

Though the devil meant to harm and destroy us, God used it for good, (see Genesis 50:20). That season was devastatingly painful, but God walked with us the whole time. At the very moment when the enemy thought he had won, God brought healing and restoration. But God didn’t stop there! In the presence of the enemy—who was already burning with anger after his loss—God brought about and wrote down a story of healing and beauty and victory.

In the presence of my enemy, God has prepared a table before me.

Whatever you are walking through—even if it’s bad, even if it’s worse—know that God is walking with you. And He’ll bring you through, so that you can sit down at the table that He has prepared for you.

©Heather Potts 2017

Prepared pt. 1

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; ~ Psalm 23:5 NKJV

When something is prepared, it’s “put in proper condition or readiness,” it’s arranged or “put in order,” (dictionary.com; blueletterbibible.org).  My husband has decided to step out in faith and start his own business. Since he’s the only one working, the lack of constant, precise income can be terrifying. But God prepared us. Without funds to hire help, that makes me his “assistant/secretary/bookkeeper.” But God prepared us. As they say, “In order to make money, you have to spend money.” But God prepared us.

YOU PREPARE A TABLE BEFORE ME

From 2007-2014, I worked in the advertising department of a local newspaper. Beginning in 2010, my role also included meticulous calculations of sales rep reports, commissions, and reconciliation, as well as department budgeting, and manager expense reporting. My training was all hands-on: “dig in and figure it out.”

In 2015, God allowed us to lean on Him, by removing the “safety net” of Brad’s stable job and income through back injury and job termination. After recovering, Brad worked wherever he could, including temp and consulting work, but nothing produced the same income and budgeting stability.

Last month, we recognized it was time to start Brad’s business. Our tax return covered not only the cost of the business start-up, but also living expenses for a few months until the business produced an income.

God is preparing the table—the means, the needs, the blessings, the supply—and He’s doing it for all of us, His beloved children. No matter what you’re going through today, ask God to show you how He’s prepared you to be successful in this season and what you can learn so you’ll be successful in the next.

©Heather Potts 2017

Submit Your Plans

in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight ~ Proverbs 3:6 NIV

I’ve always been a planner—on everything from birthdays to budget items. They weren’t bad plans; who plans to fail. But because I didn’t ask God first, it was like I was planning to fail because I failed to ask God for His plans.

In November, 2015, God drew out the plans for a small group He wanted me to lead. He called it, “Princess Bride,” (no, not the movie). The curriculum pulled from a lot of scripture and many books by strong Christian authors. As the small group semester approached, I sat down and wrote the notes for each session. I had the whole thing planned. The first session went…well…it wasn’t that exciting, honestly. But then something AMAZING happened: God came into the room! Just like the lyrics for Bryan & Katie Tolwart's song, When You Walk Into the Room, say, “When You walk into the room everything changes...”

God’s presence changes everything—thought processes, how your body functions, even your plans, even my plans. And because we serve a gracious God, He didn’t trash my plans. He just changed them to match His. The lessons from there on out were so impactful—not just for the other girls, but for me, too—that I waited with expectant hunger for God to show up and change my plans. He did it that whole semester. That one semester so rocked my world, my prayers, my expectations, and my planning that anytime something comes up, I take it to God first and ask Him what He’d like me to do with it. Don’t get me wrong; I’m still a planner. But because I look with expectancy, as Isaiah 40:31 says, I know that I can rest in Him and trust His plans.

What plans do you need to turn over to the Lord? Invite His presence into the room and see what He doesn’t change in your life.

©Heather Potts 2017

Posture to Receive

 [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith… Just consider and meditate on Him… ~ Hebrews 12:2-3 AMP

Sick babies.

Sick and/or worn down parents.

Little to no sleep.

Exhaustion has given way to…anxiety…and worry that tonight will be like the previous two: awakened every hour…

And at 10:33 tonight I find myself asking my Father, “Why?” And He stirs worship—a need for worship—in my heart. As the music sweeps over me, I hear the lyrics, “Would you come and tear down the boxes that I have tried to put You in / Let love come teach me who You are again /…/ Come and do whatever You want to,” (In Over My Head, Jenn Johnson). As the music crescendos into the climax, I can feel Holy Spirit rush into the room and crash over me.

Control. All my life, I’ve liked control. But God told me to let go. During a recent fast, God showed me I have been holding on to too many things too tightly. And He said it was cutting off my life’s supply. He showed me that a clenched hand can neither give nor receive life. He reminded me of when I would choke on water while swimming as a child. When choking, you’re instructed to raise your hands above your head, which opens up your airways to receive oxygen, to receive life. The same is true in spiritual matters. When we lift our hands in surrender, turning over control to Jesus, we have finally put ourselves in a posture to receive from our Father.

Let Go. In his book, Circle Maker, Mark Batterson said, “If you seek answers, you won’t find them, but if you seek God, the answers will find you…You need to let go and let God…by resisting the temptation to manufacture your own answers to your own prayers,” (65). Trust and surrender go hand in hand. If I never let go, I can never expect to be amazed by all the ways God wants to answer my prayers.

If, like me, you’ve found yourself holding on to things you need to let go of, simply lift your hands in surrender to Him. Breathe His life in deeply, fill your lungs fully, and exhale slowly. Now rest and receive from Him.

©Heather Potts 2017