Holy Spirit Eyes

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5AkNqLuVgY

Give Me Your Eyes ~ Brandon Heath

 

Love... Always looks for the best... ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4,7 MSG

 

People are messy.

We carry baggage longer than we should, allowing our circumstances to dictate our responses toward others. Weary and wounded, we’re almost daring someone to say something, as if it gives us permission to pounce upon an unsuspecting victim. People are messy.

 

But God is holy. And trustworthy. He is generous and gracious.

 

Some years ago, I started asking God to give me Holy Spirit eyes, so that I could see people and circumstances the way He does. In my early 20’s, as my relationship with Jesus grew, and as I saw other Christians pray boldly—on behalf of myself and others—I believed this was something I could and should ask.

 

Though God honored my request, it didn’t make me perfect. I still get to choose the lens through which I see. When I allow my circumstances to get the better of me, then I will only see people through pain, or frustration and fear. But when I remember that I am a child of God—and not of my circumstances—then I get to see! Having your eyes anointed by Holy Spirit allows you to see the leadership qualities in the boy who’s been fighting with everyone. It allows you to see otherwise hidden beauty. But it also allows you to see pain just below the surface of someone who is hurtful. This gift isn’t for personal gain, but for healing.

 

Being anointed with Holy Spirit eyes, allows you to see truth about others, the way God sees, enabling you to pray or speak life over others, setting them free, (John 8:32). “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news ...” (Isaiah 52:7 NIV). Lord, anoint us with Holy Spirit eyes, that we could speak truth and life over circumstances and others. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

©Heather Potts 2020

Your Rescue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYR0xP1j4PY&list=RDgYR0xP1j4PY&start_radio=1&t=0

Rescue ~ Lauren Daigle

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

~ Psalm 91:14-16 NIV

In Lord of the Rings: Two Towers at the battle for Helm's Deep, the soldiers are exhausted. They’ve been fighting all night with no hope of help or rescue in sight. But as dawn breaks, Theoden calls on the king to ride out to meet the battle. On horseback, spurred on only by hope, the men charge out into the think of their enemy. Surrounded on every side, it appears as though their courage has gained them nothing. But look! There, on the hilltop, they see him: Gandalf. With victory in his hand and an army by his side, he charges down in light and glory to defeat the dark enemy and win the battle.

That’s a great battle scene because of the triumphant ending. But in real life, our battles aren’t won in a tidy two- to four-hour timeframe. Most last weeks, months, or years. If the king’s soldiers were ready to give up after just a few hours, how can we be expected to hold on to hope for months or years? Because we have someone greater than Gandalf. We have the King of kings and the Lord of lords and He holds charge over the angel armies. He’s fighting for you in the heavenlies, even when you can’t see it.

Lauren Daigle’s “Rescue” says:

I will send out an army to find you in the middle of the darkest night. It’s true. I will rescue you.

I will never stop marching to reach you in the middle of the hardest fight. It’s true. I will rescue you.

Whether you’re facing the darkness of night or the exhaustion of the hardest fight, you can bet your King, Father God, has already dispatched His angels to fight for you. And you can know that He’s standing and fighting with you.

Don’t give up, oh son, oh daughter. The Lord promises: I will protect him and be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him. I will rescue him.

©Heather Potts 2020

How Do You Eat an Elephant?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM46ME7pAoU

One Step at a Time ~ Psalty

The LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? ~ Proverbs 20:24 NLT

A little girl overheard her mother say, “Doing that is like trying to eat an elephant!” Later that day, while playing at the park, the little girl asked a man, “How do you eat an elephant?” The man didn’t want to deal with it, so he walked away. The girl asked a few more people, but none would answer her. Finally, she asked an older couple sitting on a bench. The couple looked at each with a knowing smile. Then the husband said to the little girl, “We’ve always found it’s best to eat an elephant one bite at a time.”

Surrounded by faculty and staff at Tuesday’s in-service, I felt a bit overwhelmed for all the changes and needs this coming year brings. Even though the administration has done an excellent job of preparing and coaching everyone through the plans for this year, the task still seems a bit daunting. At the same time, I have several friends who are looking to make huge changes in their lives.

In each of our lives, we will face mountains that seem as impossible to climb as eating an elephant whole. We may try to ignore the mountain or find a way around it. We might even back way up to get a good running start. But try as we might, we’ll never be able to make it in a single leap. Unfortunately, the only way to conquer the mountain is to take it one step at a time. Your progress may feel slow at first. You may even slip or slide back a few times. But keep going and you’ll get there.

Regardless of the particulars of your mountain, it’s still just an elephant you’re trying to eat. And, as the little girl learned, the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.

©Heather Potts 2020