He goes before me

God knows I'm a visual girl. Not that I have to see to believe. However He often uses something visual as life lessons for me. So today's lesson was a simple, but comforting one. I was on a 12 mile hike with my son-in-love, as I affectionately call him. And as we walked this unfamiliar terrain he went ahead of me picking up branches, large stones or anything that might be a hindrance, throwing them off to the side to clear the path for me. I realized that if I just followed him he was leading me well. So I stayed in step with that and just enjoyed the trail. 

Then God started talking to my heart. 

He said "Anna this is how I go before you in life... as you walk and spend time with me, fellowshipping with me, I'm going before you and making your way straight.  I'm lovingly getting everything out of the way that may hinder you or cause you to stumble. Just enjoy life and trust me. I got this!" -Jesus

As we came to the end of our hike I received this timely text message of the scripture below from a dear friend. I love when God confirms our heart talks so clearly.

"Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you." 

Proverbs 4:25 

I'm expecting!

Every morning I pass by this little nest tuck away in a wild shrub in the middle of a field I walk through. A month ago that shrub looked dead and barren. However, in just this short time it's budding and about to hold mama birds bounty! I love to see the miracle of life even in the smallest creatures. So each day I check it expecting to see life come forth. 

God has been talking to me about living my whole life with that same expectation I have checking that nest for eggs everyday. He wants us to live with such a heart of expectation and to believe that even in the most dead and barren places of our life, He's about to bring forth something alive and beautiful! 

“Thine expectation shall not be cut off.”

And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!

Isaiah 30:18  

Set apart not aside

Sometimes life's disappointments can really makes us feel set aside.  However there could be a higher and greater purpose when things don't line up the way we planned. Consider Joseph for a moment.  At first glance his life could look like a story of being set aside. He was thrown into a pit then sold into slavery. All by the hands of his brother's who were jealous because he was "daddy's favorite". And that's just the beginning of his 13 year ordeal where most of it was spent forgotten in prison for something he did not do. Well if that's all we knew about the story we would surmise, yes he was set aside.  However because we know the whole story, we know what Gods ultimate plan was for Joseph. We realize he was really being set apart not aside. He had been given an assignment that required preparation. Sometimes God's preparation for our life requires a season of being set apart.  Don't mistake that season for being set aside. Like Joseph, know at the end of that season you will be able to confidently say ....what was intended to harm me, God intended for good to accomplish what is now being done, so I could save the lives of many people.  

Stay abiding in Him.

you're being set apart for something greater then you know. 

Your giving the devil a heart attack

Did you ever have one of those seasons were you're getting hit from every side?  Instead of getting all caught up in those fiery darts did you ever stop and wonder why? And I don't mean in a why God me kind of way. I mean in a why God is the attack so ferocious? What are you about to do in my life that the enemy is terrified of?  Recently in one of those seasons in my life I witnessed how terrified the devil trully is of God. I received a phone call from a distraught person. They spewed and cursed and even mocked my walk with God. Seriously all I could do was feel such compassion for this person who really is hurting and is allowing the enemy to totally control their mind and actions.  So at the abrupt end of that call, perplexed I looked at God and said,  "what was that?!".  Within that hour I received another phone call from a dear sister in the Lord who said, "I have a word from the Lord for you". God says "you are given the devil a heart attack." And immediately I was like you know what I know that because he just called! Now that phone call made total sense to me. When we stand in the face of adversity no matter what is hitting us and keep our face on God we give the devil a heart attack. He does not know what to do with people who continue to worship praise and honor God when everything around them says they should curse Him. But like Job instead we say...

"Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him"!

So if the devil calls you up today spewing some verbal vomit lie to you. Send him a dread bomb. 

Let me tell you what that is.  Based on this scripture in 2 Chronicles 20:29.  And the "dread" of God was on all the kingdoms of the land when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.

Now pray this....

I send the dread of the Lord into the enemy camp....fear, apprehension, anxiety, worry, concern, foreboding, unease, fright, panic, alarm, terror and sheer horror! 

In Jesus name amen! 

Those are some of the definitions of dread that's what I call a dread bomb! 

STAND and let the dread of the Lord consume you enemies! 

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12