So Let It Rain

I was listening to a song by Misty Edwards the other day..."My Soul Longs for You". In that song, she says, "I believe You will come like the rain".

That night I had a dream. In it, the Presence of God was so thick that it was actually falling like rain. People were ecstatic. Drenched. Joyful and basking in it.

I decided to return in my Bible to a verse I had read the day before. It was about God raining down righteousness. Immediately I saw the words "Psalm 72:6", so I turned there instead.

The verse states, "May he be like rain that comes down upon the mown grass, like showers that water the earth." Upon the mown grass? I certainly feel like he is doing some pruning in my own life. I'm being prepared for the rain. How about you? Do you feel the pruning? The cleansing?

Lord we call it forth today--the rain. The fresh anointing of your presence. So let it rain!!

Mountains

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, "Thy God reigneth!" Isaiah 52:7

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12

The mountains saw Thee and they trembled; the overflowing of the water passed by; the deep uttered his voice and lifted up his hands on high. Habakkuk 3:10

And Jesus said unto them, "Because of your unbelief; for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, `Remove hence to yonder place,' and it shall remove. And nothing shall be impossible unto you. Matthew 17:20

There are many verses in the Bible that contain the word "mountain(s)". It is interesting to look them up and a lot of them are very significant when meditated upon.

Any mountains in your life? They are as nothing to the Lord. All things are possible with Him.

Faith and Finances

Proverbs 3:9-10 says, "Honor the Lord with your wealth, and with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing and your vats will brim over with new wine."

The previous verses tell us to trust in the Lord and in ALL of our ways acknowledge Him. This definitely includes finances. We can't just go around frivolous...the Bible also says for us to know the state of our assets.

He promises in His Word to supply ALL of our needs. As we acknowledge Him and walk in His ways, He will give us all that we need according to His riches in glory (Philipians 4:19)

And we are to walk by faith. There is no other alternative on the road of peace. Hebrews 10:38-39 says that if we are righteous we will live BY faith. And if we shrink back, He will not be pleased with us. If we believe we will be saved.

What is hindering your belief today? Bitterness? Disappointment? Let it go -- and see how good our God is!

Pause, Wait and Rest

Never underestimate the power of a rest. In music, there are notes and there are also rests. I was reminded of this in my favorite devotional, "Streams in the Desert". A rest is very important to a musical piece. It gives the remainder of the piece emphasis. It promotes the tune.

Our lives are like a work of musical art. There are the comings and goings of every day life and then there are the "rests". Psalm 23 says that He leads us beside quiet waters.

Don't be afraid to pause, wait and rest. Especially when you feel like you need a break, or need to hear from God.

I Kings 9:11-12 says,

"And He said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;

¹²And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a sound of gentle stillness and] a still, small voice."

Elijah found God where he least expected Him. In the pause, in the wait, and in the rest.

I Remember

"And he put on them the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be stones of memorial or rememberance for the Israelites, as the Lord had commanded Moses." Exodus 39:7

It can be a good thing to "remember".

As I woke up early this morning, just a few minutes ago actually, the air was crisp and cool. I remembered stepping outside at 3 am in Kansas City after a long conference. I remember how awesome it was to serve the Lord among ten thousand believers, and I remember the early rainy morning I left to move back home.

I remembered waking up in Spain after a long flight, and also the long nights there and the sounds of the courtyard natives singing, dancing and having a great time.

I remembered traveling to West Virginia to set up free car washes and loving the mountain air.

I remember the cold, crisp air in Rome blowing across my face as we made our way across the city, and the faces of thousands of refugees who had no blankets in below freezing weather. I remember Paul's prison and how I wept just being there. I remember seeing the altars of the martyrs where one supposedly said, "You can turn me over now--this side's done."

I remember the air in Paris and how overcast the weather was, but how intensely romantic!

I remember Jesus. I look through ten years of journals and see request after request of "Lord, please send my husband!" I remember our first kiss. :)

I remember leading a worship team in college --going to churches to share God's heartbeat with them through worship. I remember our first trip to serve, where one of my band mates lost his life in a van his first semester in college. I remember saying "No" before we left to driving that vehicle.

I remember having my life "together" and being very independent, and also when I gave it all up to go on a mission trip. I remember the bed my mother made for me in their single wide trailer and the crisp cool air inside of it.

It was a cold morning this morning. It reminded me of many other mornings and experiences.
I'm all about new beginnings. "Remember not the former things" Isaiah 43 says. However, when we pause to reflect on all that He has done for us, then our heart is stirred to hope for a better tomorrow.

I like what Heidi Baker said, "When you find out how good He is, then you find He is even better than that!"

I am looking forward to more great adventures with the Lord. They are just around the corner in the cold crisp air.

A Tribute To My Mother

I realized yesterday just how much my mother means to me. I really don't know if I can put this into words without sounding trite, or like I want to elicit emotion. These are just the facts and something I hope will inspire and challenge each of us.

Yesterday afternoon after work I had about five hours of Christmas shopping ahead of me. My mother asked if I could come by the hospital (where she goes each day for radiation treatments). She and my dad had a Christmas gift for Brian and I.

So, gladly I went and my dad left to do some errands. It was my job to see her over to physical therapy after she got out of her treatment session. She came out and said, "Oh, I forgot I have to see the doctor today before I go." My first thought was, "I wonder how long this will take". Then I thought, "Well, I would like to visit with her so it's probably working out for the best."

A side note: recently I have begun to see who in my life is most important. That is, who really cares for me. To be fair, I know that I need to BE a friend to have a friend (Proverbs 18:24). But here's what is different about a mother's love: You don't have to be her friend for her to be yours. She will love you unconditionally.

So we are sitting there waiting for the doctor (mind you, my mother's right hand is swollen twice its normal size and her left hand is slowly regaining it's function. She can hardly pick up a cup) and she says, "Open your Christmas gift--I wrapped it myself." She had taken a piece of tissue paper and wrapped up a gift for me, and one for Brian. There wasn't even any tape on it, so I know she probably refused my dad's help and insisted she do it herself. Somehow, that tissue paper means more to me than the gift.

Her wrapping our gifts symbolizes a couple of her best character traits: making the most of what she has and giving her very best to me. She always has and always will. For many years she worked a full time job, got her college degree and sent me to a private school. When I saw the effort she put into "wrapping" our gifts, I forgot about all the shopping I had to do and sat with her, waiting for the doctor, relishing our time together.

So remember this Christmas that no one can take the place of your mother. If you have a mother she probably has made mistakes, but take time to appreciate her. It is a time for family. I am so thankful to have my mother in my life this Christmas. Each day is a gift for us to cherish one another. Merry Christmas!

Prosperity

Psalm 35:27 says, "Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause;

And let them say continually, 'Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His Servant'."

John 10:10 is one of my favorite verses. It says that the enemy comes to steal kill and destroy, but Christ came that we might have life and have it ABUNDANTLY.

You do the math.