He is Not a Man

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ~ Ephesians 6:10-11 NIV

Recently, our family has endured many attacks. They’re like little dogs nipping at your ankles, causing your ankles to bleed overtime. The physical pain creates a wound in your mind and heart, leading you to want to avoid those dogs at all costs. Yesterday, when the enemy was reminding me of recent “dog bites,” Holy Spirit whispered, “He is not a man.” In other words, the Attacker is not a person or group of people, but Satan himself.  Daniel 10:1-14 explains that we’re in spiritual warfare.

How do you win spiritual warfare while enduring a physical affront? Sing it • Silence it • See it • Say it.

Sing it: Worship. Throughout the Bible, the trumpeters or worship leaders were out front, rallying the troops, headed for war. Keeping God’s praise on your lips opens your heart to knowing His.

Silence it: Hold your tongue. Proverbs 18:21 says the tongue has the power of life and death. Pray that your words would be always with grace, seasoned with salt, and spoken only as God directs.

See it: Pray for enlightened eyes. We don’t often see the truth or know the best way to deal with our physical needs in a spiritual battle. But Holy Spirit can give us a Spirit of wisdom and discernment (enlightened eyes), helping us know what we need to do physically—like setting up healthy boundaries or changing a habit—while also directing us through this spiritual battlefield.

Say it: Speak God’s Word. Ephesians 6:10-20 tells us to dress in the full armor of God, taking up the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, enabling us to defeat the enemy and advance God’s Kingdom.

Whatever you’re facing today, remember that people are not your enemy—Satan is—but Jesus has given us the victory! That is a reason to celebrate, even in the midst of battle.

©Heather Potts 2016

A Gathering of Flowers, part 3

No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. ~ Hebrews 12:22 NLT

Most people don’t know that when I was in high school I wrote and tried to publish two Science-Fiction novels. The rejection letters all said the same thing: “Not original enough.” It’d been done before; they didn’t need me to do it again. That rejection hurt and I never tried my hand at Sci-Fi again. It was a good decade before I’d even post anything on a blog. The devil thought he’d beaten me; he thought he had the victory. The devil was wrong!

Over the course of the last 10-15 years, God has been strategically surrounding me with people who’ve been encouraging me in my writing. Though I’ve allowed God to lead me to write more transparently, I often battle the fear that says, “The world has enough writers; why do they need you?” But God’s Word reminds me, “Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame,” (Isaiah 50:7 NIV).

A friend recently said she believed God was calling all His writers; no, there aren’t enough in the world. I believe that extends to all artists. How often does a single picture, song, poem, book, devotional, etc. move you? The handful of artists that are seen today can’t expose the whole world to what God wants to share with them. He needs YOU! In order to make the sweet aroma of Christ stronger, God needs ALL His flowers. A Gathering of Flowers is a collection of creativity, beauty, and fragrance gathered together for one purpose: to share God with the world. If God has placed a dance, poem, book, drawing, speech, or song in your heart, won’t you let Him use it to reach His people?

©Heather Potts 2016

A Gathering of Flowers Part 2

“In that coming day,” says the LORD, “I will gather together those who are lame, those who have been exiles, and those whom I have filled with grief. Those who are weak will survive as a remnant; those who were exiles will become a strong nation. Then I, the LORD, will rule from Jerusalem as their king forever.” ~ Micah 4:6-7 NLT

One day, our friend stopped by and as soon as he got out of his car, he ran over to our ditch and said, “Do you know what this is?” Since we are not plant people, we had no clue what he was seeing—though we wanted to know what could possibly be so exciting in our ditch. “It’s Milkweed!” he exclaimed. Milkweed is where Monarch Butterflies lay their eggs. Our friend dug the Milkweed from the ditch and replanted it in our butterfly garden.

Sometimes we find ourselves in the ditches of life—through our choices or through circumstances beyond our control—and God is waiting to see what we’ll do. We each have the choice to give up and die or thrive and encourage others to do the same. God is watching the fields, valleys, and ditches. He’s looking for those whose circumstances are bleak, but don’t allow it to overtake them. Instead, they find the nutrients and richness of their surroundings and utilize them in order to stand firm when others wilt and die. God then pulls them out and replants them into larger gardens where they can continue to thrive, making the whole garden stronger, healthier, and more beautiful.

If you’ve been feeling a lot like that Milkweed, something many overlook and disregard, take heart! Father God sees you as precious and He is gathering you in order to replant you so you’ll grow stronger and shine brilliantly.

©Heather Potts 2016

A Gathering of Flowers

I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive. ~ Jeremiah 29:14 NKJV

I love playing outside with my girls because they are always bringing me gifts: an assortment of leaves (yanked from a bush) and wildflowers (plucked from a ditch). They grab the things which catch their eye, rarely keeping these beauties for themselves. Instead, they grab as many as their hands will hold and bring them to me. They are so proud of their findings, thinking they have found the best the world has to offer.

That’s how God sees us—as His treasures, His flowers. He is gathering His flowers together, His sons, His daughters. He doesn’t gather as a florist would—picking only the pristine and those that would gain a sale, discarding the dried up and wilting flowers. No, Father God reaches—just as a child—and selects the wild flowers from the ditches, the clovers from the fields, the leaves on the ground, and even the roses on the bush. He gathers them all together, arranging them to bring about the sweetest, harmonizing fragrance. Deeply He breathes in the rich aroma. He exhales and says, “Perfect.”

If you’ve been feeling worn out, dried up, wilted, or useless, then come to the feet of Jesus. Let Him gather you to Himself, showering you in His love, reviving and refreshing you. Only when you are revived and refreshed in God’s presence will you release that sweet aroma, which is pleasing to Him.

©Heather Potts 2016

Rollercoasters

I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!

If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.

~ Psalm 139:7, 9-10 NLT

You know those people who, while riding rollercoasters, throw their hands up, laugh, and seem to really be enjoying the ride? I’m not that person. But somehow, I got talked into riding the Cheetah at Busch Gardens. A friend convinced me that this ride didn’t feel at all like a rollercoaster and I’d like it. The ride was everything I expected… It was smooth, fast, and SCARY! I screamed and cried the WHOLE ride, and continued to cry and shake when it was over.

Recently, I was talking with a friend and likened my life to that of a rollercoaster: fast, out of my control, and filled with lots of turns and drops. I wanted life to feel more like a smooth cruise down a lazy river. But that’s not reality. And truly, we’re much stronger now than we’ve ever been.

So why the fear? The sudden curves tend to catch me off guard. But through my dependence upon and closeness with Christ, I’m better able to be like the other rollercoaster riders: throwing my hands in the air, relinquishing my control, and laughing, remembering that through Christ we have the victory and He will bring us through this, too.

If, like me, you’ve been looking for a way off the rollercoaster of your life, then it’s time we change our perspective. Christ came so we could have life to the fullest, which include victory and laughter. I’ve discovered the closer I draw to Christ, I’m purposefully throwing my hands up in joy and praise, laughing as I realize I was never in control of anything.

©Heather Potts 2016

Obedience

‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “…With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon” ~ Jeremiah 27:4-6 NIV

In Jeremiah 27, God tells the Israelites that they are going to serve Nebuchadnezzar, his people, and his land. God said He would destroy any—the people and their land—who did not serve as God commanded. At its core, God was saying to trust Him and walk in the way He commands. God is laying a test before His people: will you trust and follow only in the ways that feel good and right? Or will you commit yourself fully into My hands and follow Me regardless of how it looks, feels, or seems to you?

Historians regard King Nebuchadnezzar as brutal, powerful, and ambitious. Sitting in the comfort of your home, it could be easy to miss this important message, but please hear it: God doesn’t always ask us to do things that make sense and are comfortable, but He expects us to be obedient, regardless.

What has God called you to do that doesn’t make sense, but you feel a peace about following where and how He leads? Or what has God asked you to do that is uncomfortable and possibly a little painful, but you know that He’s using it for your growth and His glory?

Today, pray this prayer and see where He takes you: “Lord, though the road doesn’t always look the way I think it should, I will follow You.”

©Heather Potts 2016

Count the Cost

For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it ~ Luke 14:28 NKJV

I dislike shoe shopping.

I have small feet and am very picky about how my shoes look and feel. But since I’ve taken up running, having properly fitting running shoes is a must. But I put it off… Until I saw that I had literally worn away the tread on my shoes. So I started shoe shopping, with no luck. Praise God my genius husband told me to research the best shoe for my strike and foot. I discovered that I strike on the ball (vs. heel) of my foot, likely from years of dancing. And my feet roll outward (vs. inward) as I step. There were 3 shoes that were best for me. I felt more confident knowing both the type and cost. And after the next shopping excursion, I came home with running shoes specifically designed for me.

The Bible says that before beginning anything new, it’s best to “count the cost,” determining what you’ll pay in money, time, and energy. Saying “yes” to something means saying “no” to something else. As you begin, ask “What is the cost, what is the benefit, and does the benefit outweigh the cost?” If the benefit doesn’t outweigh the cost, perhaps now isn’t the proper time to begin or take on this particular project. The cost in getting new shoes was high. But the benefit was a savings from one or more injuries, possibly medical expenses, fun time missed with my family, and lost wages if Brad had to miss work to care for me. In the end, the benefit far outweighed the cost of getting proper shoes.

What endeavors are you thinking of undertaking? What desires are you wanting to fulfill? Weigh the cost against the benefit and then seek godly counsel—especially God’s first and foremost. When you do, you’ll get the answer for both direction and timing.

©Heather Potts 2016