Monday, July 31, 2023

They're Just Threats

Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you … ~ Isaiah 41:10 AMPC

I was awakened at 2:22am, at the end of a horrible nightmare. It was then that Holy Spirit reminded me of a truth from a previous Sunday’s sermon: “[Satan] threatens us with things he can’t do.” The pastor’s words are a good reminder that the devil is “a liar and father of lies,” (John 8:44). Satan comes not as a herald of truth. He is only a propagator—a spewer—of lies.

His lies come in the form of words, threats, and even physical attacks on the body. Literally two hours after submitting my book for publication, I was hit with weird physical pain. Though it was only discomfort at first, the pain became very intense. As the pain got serious, so did my stance against the enemy’s attack. You don’t fight a fire by running away, but with Holy Water: The Name of Jesus!

After an overnight battle, which included prayer, worship, and communion, I checked-in with a nurse to ensure I wasn’t ignoring something. I heeded her physical recommendations and continued my prayers. Thankfully, God knew I was going to face this battle, so He prepared me in advance.

In preparation for publishing my first book, I’ve been reviewing a lot of other authors’ books, especially their layout and covers. As I was flipping through the pages of Kim Anderson’s book, Live, Not Die, I reread her battle plan. Though her book is about her battle with and victory over cancer, this is still spiritual warfare. Kim Anderson’s words reminded me to not just speak scripture over my life, but to also speak life and health to all my body parts. By adding her battle plan to mine, and continuing to look to Jesus for my healing, I was feeling 100% by the following evening.

Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health [physically], just as [I know] your soul prospers [spiritually]. ~ 3 John 1:2 AMP

Being wise to the devil’s schemes doesn’t keep him from attacking me, (hello, 2:22am!). It also doesn’t mean I am always quick to recognize his attacks. But as the Lord remains faithful to equip me for incoming attacks and to walk with me when they arrive, I know that with Christ I can overcome.

So don’t worry, because I am with you.
    Don’t be afraid, because I am your God.
I will make you strong and will help you.
    I will support you with my right hand that saves you.
~ Isaiah 41:10 ICB

God is Omniscient: ALL Knowing.

God is Omnipotent: ALL Powerful.

God is Omnipresent: Always Everywhere.

There is no time or place to which God’s knowledge, power, and presence do not extend.

When we remember who God is, how can we fear anything the devil might threaten?

©Heather Potts 2023

*Check out my new site and my new book, available to pre-order today!

 


 

Monday, July 17, 2023

The Lord's Symphony

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2U7ffUM5Ec

So Will I (100 Billion X) ~ Hillsong United

 

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

~ Psalm 96:11-12 NIV

 

Have you ever needed a moment (or two) for yourself? Have you ever wanted to step away for a short break? When you did, where did you go? Because it was a nice summer day and the rest of my family was elsewhere, I went to a trail near our house and sat on a bench.

 

As I sat there, surrounded by grassy fields, trees, and wildflowers, I thanked God for the quiet, beautiful day. The sun was warm on my skin, (meaning this redhead couldn’t stay out very long), the breeze was soft, and the scenery was peaceful. And that’s when I heard it: the Lord’s symphony.

 

Even though it was void of the noises of my house, work, or people rushing to and fro, that field was teeming with life. Multiple kinds of birds were calling to one another. A nearby creek was running. The wind was tickling the leaves in the trees, on the bushes, and on the hanging vines. Even the plane flying high overhead joined in, all combining to create the Lord’s masterpiece.

 

And who gets to hear it? For whom did He make it?

 

Is it alone for the deer, ducks, and dogs?

Is it for bugs, butterflies, and bumblebees?

Is it for the fish, frogs, and fireflies?

 

Yes, and it’s also for walkers, runners, and bikers.

It’s for the kids in their yards and the parents watching nearby.

It’s even for the busy people, those rushing to and fro, on their way somewhere.

 

The Lord composed His symphony for you and for me – for any who will stop and enjoy what His hands have made with us in mind. Take a moment today and enjoy the Lord’s symphony.

©Heather Potts 2023

*Check out my new site and my new book, available to pre-order today!

Thursday, June 22, 2023

I am Known

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8gKXu6J2wE

Jesus Loves Me ~ Chris Tomlin

 

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.”

~ Isaiah 43:1 NKJV

 

I sat down, yesterday, to write in my journal, but then began to cry. They weren’t tears of sadness, but of knowing…that I’ve been known, seen, and loved.

 

El Roi is the God who sees you. This isn’t just a quick glance. El Roi knows your deepest, most intimate needs, desires, and even fears. He has dug away the dirt that’s been piled up and packed down and found the tiny seed that was buried deep inside your heart. This seed is almost too afraid to barely whisper, “See me,” because it really wants God to “Love me”.

 

It doesn’t matter how the seed got buried so far beneath the surface. Any number of circumstances, including lies, could have shoved it there. What matters is that you are seen. You are known. And you are loved!

 

Because God knows you, He calls you. But He does more than just call you.

He…:


sees you.                             knows you.                         made you.                          

designed you.                    freed you.                            loves you.                           

covers you.                        carries you.                         trains you.                          

heals you.                          satisfies you.                      blesses you.       

fights for you.                   protects you.                      stretches you.                   

prunes you.                       feeds you.                           teaches you.                      

counsels you.                    instructs you.                     forgives you.                     

prays for you.                   cares for you.                     protects you.

helps you.                         clothes you.                       restores you.                     

refreshes you.                  empowers you.                 replenishes you.               

provides for you.             transforms you.                 walks with you.                

has redeemed you.         is faithful to you.              strengthens you.             

renews your power.        nourishes you.                  invites you to His Table.

And more!


I encourage you to take some time and ask El Roi—the God who sees you—what facet of His love, which part, specifically, He wants you to focus on today and in your current season. Maybe today it’s just remembering that you are known: really, truly, and fully known.

©Heather Potts 2023

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Trust

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je3lmscEkBc

Arrows (I Will be with You) ~ Bethel Music, We the Kingdom

 

Blessed is the man who makes
    the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
    to those who go astray after a lie!

~ Psalm 40:4 ESV

 

What do you trust?

Most of us trust many things without even realizing it: our furniture to hold up when we sit or lay down, our electricity and water to turn on, the sun to rise and set, our money to be in the bank, etc. What happens when that trust is betrayed? How do we respond when circumstances are drastically changed, and we don’t even know what we can trust?

 

Psalm 40:4 says, “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust.” The word, “trust” means, “refuge, security, confidence,” (H4009 - Miḇṭāḥ - Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon (Kjv), n.d.). We find a sense of security in a great number of things, very few being a complete trust in the Lord. But the things in which we take refuge and comfort—like our seat at church, the dollar amount in the bank, our address, our relationships, or even the condition of our Bibles [mine’s currently falling apart]—are all fleeting and eventually give out, get used up, or fade away into a distant memory. The only true thing we can trust is Jesus’ love and faithfulness toward us.

 

When I looked up verses on the Lord being my trust, several verses included statements about the Lord being my refuge, strength, and shield. When we make something fleeting the source of our trust, we are binding ourselves to it. When it disappears, so does our sense of security. However, because the Lord is unchanging and unending, so is the seat of our trust and security when we center our lives around Him and make His words—His promises—the core of our security. Then, nothing will stop, shake, or move us!

 

Lately, I’ve been studying Peter and his faith before and after jumping out of the boat to walk towards Jesus. When I make the Lord my trust, as Peter did, then I can walk by faith—even walk on water—because then I won’t even see the water.

I will only see Jesus, my trust.

©Heather Potts 2023

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

But God

  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwijX74r7tk

Do You See What I See ~ Elevation Worship

 

…This is what the Lord says to you: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” ~ 2 Chronicles 20:15 NIV

 

What do you see when you look at this picture? Art for a “Handle with Care” or “Fragile” poster. Permission to get new plates. Help with eating smaller portions. Broken relationships. Pain and scars. All of these are valid. I see a tagline and it read: “But God.”

 

I have had friendships and relationships that looked just like that plate: broken, separated, not put back together. Sadly, I allowed too many to stay that way. Some, however, I refused to let go and went back to God again, and again, until He changed the situation, me, or both, and made us stronger than ever.

 

How do we get from shattered to strengthened? Years ago, I read a story about Eastern European vase-makers. They create paper-thin vases and paint each one by hand. When the paint has dried, they pass it off to the next person, who drops the fragile vase into a metal box where it’s shattered into hundreds of pieces.

 

Why do you think they make the vases so fragile, then paint them, only to drop them? Why did Joseph tell his brothers, who intended to harm him, “Do not be afraid,” (Genesis 50:19). Why did Jahaziel say to King Jehoshaphat, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army,” (2 Chronicles 20:15). Why did Jeremiah say to the people of Israel, “Do not…be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them,” (Jeremiah 10:1). Because they knew victory was on the other side.

 

The vase-maker takes the broken pieces of the vase and then, painstakingly, glues the pieces back together. Why? As Paul said, “For when I am weak, then I am strong,” (2 Corinthians 12:10 NLT). When you break your leg or arm, the broken bone heals and is not likely to break again in that same place because it’s stronger after it’s been broken. The same is true with the vase. The vase-maker glued the broken pieces together but didn’t just leave them that way. Like Christ works all things for our good, the vase-maker covers the glue with gold paint to accentuate the strengthened places.

 

All the men who had encouraged others knew something about the situation:

·         Joseph: but God intended it for good, (Genesis 50:20).

·         Jahaziel: the battle is not yours, but God’s, (2 Chronicles 20:15).

·         Jeremiah: But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding, (Jeremiah 10:12).

As soon as we understand that “but” negates everything prior to that word, then, though our situation looks bleak, with no hope, God comes in to heal, strengthen, and accentuate the strengthened places. Because He’s no respecter of persons, what He’s done for others in the past, He’ll do for you in your present and future.

 

When you’re feeling defeated and think things are hopeless, remember:

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever, (Psalm 73:6 NIV).

©Heather Potts 2023

 

Friday, May 19, 2023

Full

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzw6A2WC5Qo

Feel Invincible ~ Skillet

 

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. ~ John 10:10 NIV

 

Two weeks ago, the school gym was very full! The gymnasium/school lunchroom was full of people, full of noise, full of decorations and chairs for the upcoming musical. It was full! But it wasn’t just full for fullness’ sake. It was teeming with life and laughter. There was happiness and joy. The sound was the endless chatter of classmates and friends. The space and sound were full.

 

That’s the kind of life Jesus said He came to give us: a life filled with His Word, nature, and character. Jesus’ kind of full is not just filled to the top. Just as the noise in the gym didn’t stay contained there, but rather spread out beyond the walls, Jesus gives us life that is full to overflowing. Full is defined as, “exceeding abundantly,” (G4053 - Perissos - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV), n.d.). An abundance is, to be, “2well supplied with something; 3richly supplied, as with resources,” (“Definition of Abundant,” n.d.-b). An abundance is like Scrooge McDuck, from Disney’s Ducktales, swimming in his warehouse of money. Exceeding abundance is like 1 million warehouses of money.

 

God’s not talking about money in John 10:10. This is Christ’s life—the Spirit filling you up, full to overflowing in all the fruit of the Spirit, the promises of God, and in all the blessings, grace, and favor of the Lord. The zŏē life of God is real and genuine. It’s active and vigorous. It’s from God and is devoted to God. It’s the promised portion in this world and is “to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body) and to last forever,” (G2222 - Zōē - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV), n.d.).

 

Every May, my calendar gets really full, just like that gymnasium. Between the kids’ end-of-the-year projects, field trips, and concerts, in addition to Mother’s Day celebrations, birthdays, and miscellaneous end-of-school playdates, I’m not sure if we could pack much more into the month. Every year, I can look at it as overwhelming and dread it or remember the zŏē life of God that’s been given to me and enjoy it.

 

Whether it’s your family’s calendar or a hard season of life, as Christ followers, we have been given the zŏē life of God, not just to carry us through our lives, but to greatly impact the lives of others. Let’s challenge ourselves to walk in the fullness of the life that Christ came to give us.

©Heather Potts 2023

Thursday, May 4, 2023

Stand at the Ready

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQmmS7HbhkE

Stand ~ Newsboys

 

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ~ Ephesians 6:13 NIV

 

This morning, the Lord woke me, first to pray for my own children, then for all children. The theme throughout the prayer was that they would stand:

Stand for the Truth.

Stand on the Truth.

Stand up for each other.

Stand up for righteousness.

Stand up in prayer, humbling themselves only unto the Lord.

Stand firm.

The Lord closed out the prayer by saying, “Let them put on their Armor and Stand at the Ready.” As I pondered, “stand at the ready,” Ephesians 6:13 immediately came to mind. The final word, “stand” means, “to stand ready or prepared,” as well as to be “one who in the midst of the fight hold his position,” (G2476 - Histēmi - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV), n.d.).

 

It’s no coincidence that today is the National Day of Prayer. Today, as you’re praying for our nation and leaders, please also pray for our children. Pray for their protection and the covering of Holy Spirit. Pray that they’d be given a Spirit of wisdom and of revelation. Pray that they’d not be swayed by their peers or by evildoers, but that they’d cling to what is good in God, alone. Pray they’d be godly leaders, following only after Christ. But above all, pray that they’d stand.

 

Father, we lift up all children to You, today. Anoint them with Your Spirit. Help them to stand strong, stand firm, and to stand their ground. Help them to draw a line in the sand and put the devil “on notice,” not allowing him to take any more ground. Then, Lord, sound the charge! Call them to fight for others until they are freed to stand in Your victory! Father, I pray that today would be a game-changer, and that we’d recall this day as the day You called us to Stand at the Ready!

I pray all these things in the mighty Name of Jesus! Amen.

~Heather Potts

*It’s not copyrighted. Please share! Please pray!