October 30

Don’t you love waking up on a lazy Saturday morning to a gentle autumn rain? I like it more when I’m in the mountains, watching the leaves fall and breathing in the cool, crisp air. This morning, I have everything but the mountains and the falling leaves, so I would say it’s close to perfection. It’s not often that we get cool weather in Florida this time of year, but when we do, it’s cause for celebration; and by celebration, I mean a comfy blanket and a hot cup of coffee. 

I can see the beach from my couch, and though I’m entirely comfortable where I am sitting, I can see the tumultuous waves crashing against the shore; they are big, the kind surfers love to ride. But, here I am, tucked safely under the wing of the Father, who lets me watch the world around me in an uproar and the recompense of the wicked, and I’m pretty cozy here with no intentions of leaving his presence. 

If you are worked up today and anxiety is knocking on your door, take a moment to breathe and remember to whom you belong. God wants you to be at peace and know he has everything under control; let the pieces fall where they may because they are shattered on purpose to reveal his perfect placement. Relax and enjoy your weekend.

Today is an excellent day for Psalms 91; read it and speak it over your life.

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He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. 

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. 

Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. 

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. 

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Psalms 91

October 29

At 3 am, we were awakened by a fierce wind that sounded like it would blow us away. As usual, God placed a word in my mind to chew on, and at three this morning, the word was “tempest,” which is a windstorm. As encouragement for you today, though the enemy will come at you hard, understand that the LORD is not against you; therefore, deliverance is yours. The wrath of God that the Bible often speaks of is against the enemies of the LORD. Though it may feel like tribulation, we should not worry because he loves and protects us, and we have the promise of eternal life. It is our enemies who will see the thrust of God's vengeance. He chose us, we accepted his offer to enjoy his presence for eternity, and he is true to his word; on that we can count. 

Keep your eyes on Jesus, and he will give you courage as you watch worldly events unfold.

They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you.” Jeremiah 1:19

When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous is established forever. Proverbs 10:25

looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. Hebrews 12:2-3

October 28

When Richard constructs a building, I always show up to watch the foundation pour, it’s not the first step, but something is interesting to me about the process. There are many steps prior to the foundation pour, like the footers, which have steel rods and blocks. Then it’s sprayed to kill all the bugs, then more steel is laid down, and heavy wire mesh to prepare the ground for the concrete. I’m sure there’s more, but that’s all I see. Richard makes sure I know the day that the trucks are coming because he knows how much I love to watch. God gave me a passion for seeing this portion of the development of a building for a reason, probably because it’s biblical.

Imagine being around when God prepared the foundation of the earth. When God mentions it in the Bible, I think about it like the slab of a building. Imagine the anchors and the steel that it must have taken to pull all of that together! 

My imagination runs wild when I hear that the earth is God’s footstool. I think about what educators have taught and imagine a floating, round stool with God’s feet contouring to its roundness. It doesn’t make sense, but that’s okay; one day soon, we will have all of our questions answered, but until that day, I will rely upon the truth of what God has revealed in his Word and try to piece it together with the science taught.

And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; Hebrews 1:10

Thus says the LORD: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? Isaiah 66:1

October 27

We were coming back from Clearwater on Sunday, and I began to notice abandoned cars on the side of the roadway. I continued to see them down the interstate until we made our exit. When I see things repeated, I think about what message God may be trying to tell me. I can’t think of any reason to leave your car; if I broke down, I would wait until a tow truck driver came to rescue me. Were these vehicles stolen, and they broke down on the thief? Were the drivers too fearful of the traffic to stay with their car? Were the tow truck drivers too busy to help? Symbolically, an automobile can represent people who are part of a ministry or their ministry gift. I think what God was trying to show me is that many people have stalled out, or have broken down, and have left their calling. 

If you are getting burned out, you need to rest, regroup, and possibly change the trajectory of your ministry. There are too many people in this world that need our help. The compassion we have, because we are children of God, and have his mindset most of the time, gives us an advantage over worldly counselors. So, before you become broken, ask God to charge your battery, give you some fuel, and restart your engine because you need to be about the Father’s business. Don’t sit on the side of the road too long; you are needed!

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24

and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. Philemon 1:6

October 26

For most of my life, I’ve considered myself a tolerant human, that is, until recently. Now I watch as people, whom I felt were warriors, get in line with the masses and follow absurd protocols. I have never thought of myself as rebellious, but here I am, rebelling against things I feel are harmful. If you are with me on current issues, stay strong, don’t give in to the hysteria. The world is sharply divided, and it is the governments who are dividing us. We must stand together for our freedom, or we will become slaves. The Bible tells us in Titus 1:3,

“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work.” 

However, we must remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their refusal to worship the gold image of Nebuchadnezzar. They were willing to go to the grave in obedience to God against the government authorities; we need to be like them. In the same chapter, Titus 3:9-11, Paul writes:

“But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.” 

When it’s the government stirring up division, we should remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, separating ourselves from government tyranny yet staying together as one in our community of Christ-followers. Stay strong, we are at war, and with any conflict, there will be casualties, so stay armored up.

October 25

How much longer can we hold on? I feel like we may be losing our grip as our liberty slowly slips away as each day passes. I’m not crushed or worried because of the hope I have in Jesus. He is our rock and fortress; if God decides to allow the devil to continue with his antics, who are we to tell him what to do? Everything we have was given to us by God; if he decides to allow it to be taken, that’s none of our business. If you haven’t read the book of Job, you need to take some time to read it. God allowed the devil to do what he wanted to Job, but not unto death. He lost everything he had, including his health and his family. In the end, God restored everything he had more abundantly than what had been taken from him because he remained faithful to him. Hold on tightly to Jesus; he is our hope for the future. Be encouraged! If all we have is Jesus, then we have everything we need!

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, Titus 2:11-12

And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. Job 1:21-22

October 24

Throughout my life, I’ve met some very notable people. Specifically, two who’ve overcome obstacles that the devil used to try and harm them, but because God had a different plan, they overcame their adversity.

My first superhero was a young woman I met through a crisis pregnancy center where I worked as a counselor. She came in for help after giving birth to her son. She was raped, got pregnant, and instead of getting an abortion, she chose to spare his life and raise him. Being a single mother, she had to work twice as hard, but she got a good job, raised a healthy, happy boy, and last year she purchased her own home. There’s more to this story, but she overcame many hardships and is now thriving.

My next superhero is another young woman; I don’t know her whole story, but she got mixed up in illegal drugs and had her four children taken away. She was determined to get off drugs and get them back. It took her a bit of time, but she worked diligently through the system, got a car, a good job, and a home. After testing clean for a significant amount of time, she got her children back and is raising them alone. I’ve watched her knock down one goal after another. She is tenacious and unrelenting. Her struggles are real, but she’s making it. 

The devil still tries to throw them a punch now and then, but he didn’t win! I’ve overcome a few obstacles myself, we all have, but what the enemy intended for evil, God used for good. Praise him today for all the adversity you’ve come against and won!

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20