Hoisted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TzB4FaPODc

Anchor ~ Skillet

Swirling, pulling, dragging me down, the waves are churning all around. Fear and anxiety bind my arms and legs, sucking me down and down in a whirlpool of worry. I have taken my eyes off of my Lord—off of my Jesus. I’m so sorry. Sorry I made the fear and circumstances higher than You. Forgive me. Like a flash of light, His anchor of hope is thrust into the water, breaking up the ties that bind me. I am freed and grab hold of Him, my Anchor of Hope. Holding tightly, the Anchor is hoisted from the churning seas. As I cling tightly to my Anchor, I see the storm rage on all around—the clouds black as night, the seas churning and swirling, the waves slapping, the rains driving—but I am kept safe. I cling to my Anchor, my Love, my Hope, my Father, who is strong, firm, and steadfast.

When we take our eyes off of Jesus—even but a moment—we can get caught up in the waves of worry and the riptides of fear and anxiety which eventually suck us into a whirlpool, dragging us down, down until we are lost. But turning our hearts back to Jesus, we can hold to His hope and peace. If you’ve been caught by the whirlpool of worry with fear and anxiety binding you, turn your heart and your eyes back toward your Anchor of Hope, cling to Him, and He will lift you from the sea.

We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us ~ Hebrews 6:18-20 MSG

©Heather Potts 2020

Where He Met You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCnfXk2HM0k

My Soul Sings ~ Housefires

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. ~ Luke 15:20 NIV

In the “Parable of the Lost Son,” the son demanded his inheritance, left, and squandered it all. At his lowest point, he decided to go home, hoping to just be a hired hand. But his father, who’d been watching for his son’s return, ran to him and immediately welcomed him as his son who’d come home, (see Luke 15:11-20). As Christ-followers, we remember being fully aware of our unworthiness when we turned toward Jesus. But filled with compassion and love for us, Jesus forgave and welcomed us home. He ran, meeting us where we were on our journey.

Luke 15:20 says the son was “still a long way off” when his father ran to him. Just as the father didn’t wait till his son was all the way, Jesus met us at the exact place where we were when our hearts turned toward Him. In that moment, our lives didn’t look redeemed. Rather they looked messed up and crazy, because we were “still a long way off.”

I have some friends who are waiting till they “look the part” and are “perfect” before they’ll meet God. The last time I met with them, it was awkward, but Holy Spirit reminded me this is where they are—it’s as far as they’ve come on their journey toward Jesus. If the Lord was willing to meet me where I was, who am I to not meet someone else on their journey?

Where are your co-workers, neighbors, friends, and family—children, parents, siblings, etc.—on the road to meeting Jesus? Just as Jesus ran to meet you where you were, ask Holy Spirit to help you meet others right where they are on their journey and show them the way home.

©Heather Potts 2020

In His Palms

https://youtu.be/nGncW_ueyHA Ain't No Grave ~ Bethel Music See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. ~ Isaiah 49:16 NIV As I was praying for a friend this morning, Holy Spirit reminded me of the significance of God's putting us in the palms of His hands. Hands have two primary purposes: carrying and working.  After my children were born, they were placed in my arms. The palms of my hands supported each girl's weak and fragile head and body. Don't you think that the God who fashioned us in His image holds and supports us there, too? And why not? Have you looked at your palms? In their relaxed state, they are bowl- or cup-shaped, perfectly designed to gently cradle the things we love and are precious to us. Your hands are also fashioned for working, molding, and shaping things. My kids love crafting dough and clay. They enjoy making beautiful and even silly things. They put a lot of effort into their art, similarly to how God delicately works to shape our hearts and lives to greater reflect His. As we prepare for the celebration of His Resurrection, take a moment to reflect on how Jesus was hung on the cross. He was held by nails in His hands. The nails left a lasting mark, forever engraving you—the one for whom He died—in the palms of His hands. He was bruised, beaten, and nailed - crucified - to bring us peace, healing, forgiveness, and life everlasting. The gentlest and most compassionate way Jesus did and does carry and care for you is in His hands. ©Heather Potts 2020