Jonah 4:1 – “But it greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry.”

We may deny it, but many have been angry with or at God.   It may be latent and seething beneath the surface if it is there.  The account of Jonah is an example.   After he finally fulfilled God’s directive, Jonah got mad because God didn’t smash the Ninivites like a bug.  (Jonah 4:1) 

Jonah didn’t like what happened, so he went to sulk in seclusion.  Sometimes, isolating ourselves is a revelation that there is disappointment and even anger toward the Lord beneath the surface.  Why?   Often, we deem that He failed us or, in Jonah’s case, embarrassed him.  Jonah was upset that his prophecy had not happened.   It may result from desiring something and God not doing what we wanted, at least not like we wanted it done.

Jonah went to sulk, and God supernaturally grew a plant to shade him.   Then, to add insult to injury, God sent a worm and killed the plant.  Jonah became furious.  God asked, “Jonah, do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?” Jonah said, “You bet I do.  I have reason to be angry, even if it kills me.”

God used that as an object lesson to expose the root of his anger. 

Jonah 9:10-11 He laid it all out.  Jonah had compassion on a plant he had no investment in but not a city filled with people over 120,000 who were innocent.   God asked, “If the plant deserved compassion, shouldn’t people as well?”  In that, he was bringing Jonah to face the reality that his anger was because he didn’t get what he wanted when he wanted it and how he wanted it. 

We cling to our disappointments and let seething anger bubble beneath the surface.   If we realize that anger, hurt, pain, disappointment, and perpetual sorrow of the heart can be signs of latent anger toward God, we discover the doorway to freedom. 

God Never fails! His ways are higher than ours; sometimes, He acts or doesn’t act.  He knows what we don’t know.  He sees what we can’t see.  If we truly trust Him, rather than becoming angry, we would rejoice, knowing that even when we don’t know and can’t see, He is doing it for the overall good.

I frequently ask myself if there is any hidden anger in my heart toward God.  Are the disappointments roots of hidden bitterness?  Does the past bind me, or am I free to be who He has designed?  Do I truly trust Him, even when I disagree with Him?

My prayer for myself is, “Lord, purge all hidden or open anger from my heart.   Purge what I call disappointment but is anger from me.  Make me free to be who You called me to be.”  As Job said, “Even if You were to slay me, I will trust You.”

When all anger is gone, true freedom comes, new doors open, and new paths are revealed.   We get stuck because we hold on to hurts (anger).  Today is the day to become totally free.  This is for me, but embrace it if it resonates with you.

May the Lord be with you, enabling you to release any hidden anger and walk into His total freedom today!

Daniel 11

My prayers are for peace, power, prosperity, and revelation to be experienced daily.   I ask God to enable you to embrace life fully and move into the next phase of His plan for you.  That divine encounter will lead you deeper into the kingdom realm.  That joy will overflow your heart, and your eyes will see the miraculous and live the kingdom’s manifestation in a greater measure.  God’s plan and purpose is to free us from the torment of earthly cares.

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word, something from Daniel 11 gripped my heart.   Daniel 11 and the first part of 12 speak of the Antichrist and the rapture of God’s people going home. 

But that is not what gripped my heart.   Daniel 11:24 reveals something that transcends this time in the Last Days and speaks to any time.  In a time of tranquility (ease & calm), he will enter the richest parts of the realm…”  When we are at ease, we often let down our guard, and through subtlety, the enemy comes sneakily to capture and deceive.

He comes to the richest part or most treasured part or the part with the greatest potential and seeks to subvert God’s purpose and divert our attention.  We let down our guard in ease, success, productivity, and prosperity.  In difficulty, we tend to pray with focus and purpose.  In trouble, we either restore our confidence and focus on God or embrace “woe me.”

In tranquility, we forget about the enemy.  The most dangerous time spiritually is when we are at ease.  That is why we must always focus on God.  He must be kept in the forefront of our minds and hearts.

We are more than conquerors but easily defeated if we fail to be vigilant, armed, and equipped.

In times of ease, we tend to focus on ourselves. If we let down our guard and an attack comes, we panic. To avoid panic, we must remain vigilant in difficulty and in ease. Ease is for rest and refueling for the war, not to become idle.

Beware, your adversary, the devil, is a sneaky snake.  Resist him by focusing on God.  Give him no opportunity.   Our hearts will be filled with something.   It will be God or self.  Life is not about us. It is about the kingdom.  Nothing stays the same, and we move from one phase to the next.  Life is day by day, and each new day is to be lived to the fullest.  What we focus on consumes us, equipping us or opening us to deception.

Be victorious.  Be joyous.  Be focused.   It is your heritage!  May today’s victory be extravagant, and your peace be powerful!

Ephesians 1:3 – “ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,”

Here, the apostle Paul begins with a powerful, sometimes overlooked statement—a revelation that changes perspective. He said that the Father, through Jesus, “Has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”

Notice that the tense is past tense, “has.” It is done.  Why do we not have them evident all the time?  They are done IN the heavenly places.  Where do we see ourselves?  In earthly places, right?

We have All or Every Spiritual Blessing in the heavenly places but operate in earthly places.   That is a problem.  How do we tap into what IS in the heavenly places while living in earthly places?  Having a consciousness of the reality of those blessings is vital.  Having a modified or renewed mind is necessary.  

We must think with God’s mind, which is only possible through the Holy Spirit.  We take our thoughts captive and focus on God through His Word, Covenant, and Promises.   We think of life, reality, and ourselves as He thinks.  It is not a natural occurrence.

Ephesians 1:17-22 demands deeper study.  God desires to give us the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation.   But more than just a gift, it is in His Full Knowledge!  Whoa, Nellie, who has that?

God’s desire for us is to have the eyes of our hearts enlightened.   The heart has eyes!  Next, let us know what the Hope of His calling is.   I do not hope to be called.  Not our calling but His!   Why Jesus came to earth.   Also, He desires that we know the Riches of the Glory of His inheritance in the saints (us). 

We must be aware of what we mean to God and what we provide for God!   We need to know, see, and embrace the Surpassing Greatness of His power toward us.  Deity indwells us!

Now, back to the blessings IN heavenly places and how to access them.

Ephesians 1:20-23 reveals the place Jesus occupies in the heavens.  We are in Him and made to sit with Him in the heavenly places.   (Ephesians 2:6).

If your blessings or possessions are in one place and you are in another, they are yours, theoretically, not experientially.   But if you are where they are, you have them in reality.

Our problem is that we make spiritual things super mysterious.  God says, “You have this and that; it is done.”  But only if we learn to access them.  We access them through agreement with God and understanding that we are in Christ, seated in the very place where the blessings are.

Let us allow the Holy Spirit to help us change our understanding.   Transform our minds and develop the spiritual eyes in our hearts and minds through discipline to see, say, believe, and live what He says.  Let us determine that we are going to guard against stinkin’ thinkin’ and begin to think God’s thoughts.   They are in the Word.

Remember that in Jesus, you have no lack except lack of sight. The devil blinds our minds and causes us to think one-dimensionally, but God wants us to tap into His realm and bring what is to where we are. Thy Kingdom come…

Today is the day to rethink our thinking and replace flawed, limited earthly logic with God’s person, power, and promises.

Victory is yours.  Look for it!  May God’s Best pursue you relentlessly today and every day!

Habakkuk 2:2 – “Then the LORD answered me and said, “Write down the vision and inscribe it clearly on tablets, so that one who reads it may run.”

What is your vision?  What is the vision of your heart?  What is your dream?  What has God birthed in you? Can you write it down?  Can you detail it clearly so those who read it can implement it?  Have you written it down?  That is a question I have asked myself: Can I?  I am not sure, but I can.  Have I?  It needs to be completed.

What is not articulated cannot be completed. God’s vision and purpose are never ambiguous. They are clear. The question for each one is, do we have a clear vision? Can we, or have we put it into words on paper as a guide and goal?

The spoken and written have power, drive purpose, and inspire faith.  Where there is no vision, there is disjointed and distracted living.  We get sidetracked unless we are focused.   It may take time and prayer to articulate the vision, but if it is God-given, It Cannot Die!

As we put into print our dreams, desires, and goals (Vision), the Holy Spirit and angels begin to work to bring the pieces together.   Too often, we live with unconnected visions that we do not understand ourselves, much less give a guide to others.

The Word of God is powerful.    It transforms, and assurance flows into our hearts through the Word of God, resulting in boldness and determination.  

Today and tomorrow or as long as it takes, Think the Vision.  Ask God to enable you to write it out not necessarily for sharing but for course setting, faith-building, and assurance.   It will become a lamp and light because it is God’s word to you.  His word(s) illuminate.

God’s plan for you requires you to participate in the process.  He will not make or allow you to be a puppet or stay a spiritual child.  He wants to give you the Kingdom and has made it available.   It only awaits your involvement and investment of your whole self.

God wants us to do what He has called, inspired, equipped, and is preparing us to do.   Pull Down Strongholds!  We have authority; it is time that we begin to use it.  We have the power of God in us; it is time for us to demonstrate it.  He designed us to be victorious, so Why Not Today?

I hope you will begin a new and exciting journey in Jesus today.  No weapon or enemy can stand.  They may come but without victory because You Are in Christ!

May God’s Best Be Yours Today and Overflow from Your Heart!

Zechariah 3:7 – “And the angel of Yahweh testified to Joshua, saying, 7 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘If you will walk in My ways and if you will keep the responsibility given by Me, then you will also render justice in My house and also keep My courts, and I will grant you access to walk among these who are standing here.”

In Zephaniah 3, we read about God being in our midst in His might and power, filled with love and singing to me.  Joyful singing from God to us.  Wow!

In Haggai, we read God’s warning about trusting our own abilities, pushing God to the back burner.  The call was to enable us to examine ourselves and our ways. 

In Zechariah, we see God’s pathway to His presence.  Return to Me so that I can return to you.

God says, “So that I may or can.”   He will not intrude or violate our will, but He will come where invited. God was revealing His heart, where He found a repentant people and promised to be a wall of fire around them, displaying His glory.

Something to capture in our hearts is revealed in Chapter 3.  Joshua was in the presence of God and angels, and the devil was there accusing him (remember Job).  Joshua, the priest, had on filthy clothes.  The angel gave him clean clothes (salvation).  “I have made your iniquity pass away from you and will clothe you in festal robes (like a wedding garment).”  They put a clean turban on his head. (Thoughts, mind transformed mind.  Every thought is captive.)

Zechariah 3:7 – “IF (that pesky little word) you will walk (live) in My ways and IF you will keep the Responsibility given by Me, THEN you will also render justice in My House AND Also keep my courts, AND I will grant you Access to walk among those standing here.”  [Emphasis mine]

Some questions loom large.

• Courts of God! 
• Walk among those standing here? 
• Where? 
• In the presence of God, angels, and those in the courts of God. 
• We are invited to come into God’s courts and presence with clean hands and pure hearts.  
• We have been granted authority and power.

What is our part? We are to walk in His ways and keep the responsibility (assignment) given to us. All else is counterproductive and unimportant. In that condition, we have open access to God’s courts and presence. There, we realize that we function not by might or power but by God’s Spirit.

What does this say to us now?  We have God’s promise of cleansing, peace, protection, and power.  Therefore, we can take authority in our own situation, family, environment, or surroundings.   Speak the Word.  Obey the voice of the Spirit of God.  Receive God’s grace and provision.  Stop limiting yourself and God.  Expect the promises to be realities; they are in God.

May God’s Grace guard your hearts and minds today and every day!

Joshua 24:15 – “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Today, as I reflected on some humorous thoughts, the Holy Spirit impressed upon me some serious things.  But it was the moments of humor that led to some life reflections. 

For example, the George Jones song “Choices” caused me to reflect on the reality that it is a series of choices, and each of them has consequences.  I recalled some humorous events that arose out of some choices I made and my embarrassment.  I will not go into them; sorry, they are private!

Another came from the TV program Hee Haw, and the song they always sing is about “Bad Luck.”  The lyrics began: “Gloom, despair, agony on me Deep, dark depression, excessive misery.  If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.  Gloom, despair, and agony on me.” 

That song was funny as they sang it, but reflecting on that mindset is profoundly saddening.  Yet, multitudes live in a measure of that mindset and expect the worst rather than anticipating the best of God. 

That mindset brings fear, and fear brings torment, imprisons, and paralyzes, robbing us of faith and hope.  But God’s Promises are sure, and God Never lies.  If He says it, He means it, and it breaks God’s heart when we doubt Him.  

Sadly, too many believe God theoretically but not experientially. Too many believe that God’s promises are for the select of the elect super saints, and they do not see themselves in that number. After all, we are only human, right? Right and wrong! Jesus said He has all authority and power, and He authorized us to walk in that authority and exercise that power—Why Not Now?

I urge you to determine that you are going to Trust the Word of God and the God of the Word.  Determine that you are going to think thoughts founded upon what God said.  Determine that even if you make a wrong choice, you will not give up and give in, but you will turn to Him and receive His restoration.

Remember that the only way the devil can win and we can be defeated is if we GIVE UP!  If we quit, we cannot win, so do not give up!  Simply, right?  Yes, it is because God has provided all we need to be who He says we are.  We have the Blood of Jesus, the Power of the Holy Spirit, the Truth of the Word, the Armor of God, and Authority!  Therefore, we are More Thank Conquerors; why not live like God is telling the truth?  Because He Is!

I sincerely pray that each of us will be able to see life differently today.  That we will be filled with hope and expectation.  That we will no longer talk down to ourselves and talk ourselves out of God’s promises but will embrace them and, with eager anticipation, face the day with hope, joy, and peace. 

This is the day of victory; receive it!  May the Blessings of the LORD be your covering today!

Lamentations 3:22-24 – “Surely the kindness of the LORD never ceases and his mercies never fail.²³ They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.²⁴ The LORD is my portion, says my soul; therefore I will hope in him.

My heart leaped as I was reminded that God’s love and mercy NEVER end!  The compassion of God is without measure.  His love, mercy, and compassion are new every morning because He is faithful, and He is our portion.  In 3:49, the prophet expressed remorse over his and Israel’s failure.   He said, “My eyes pour down unceasingly without stopping.”  Then he set a time on it – “Until Yahweh looks down from heaven and sees.”  If He sees, He will act.

In 1 Corinthians 3:21-23, we find an indispensable catalyst to right thinking, which produces right living.

“…For ALL THINGS belong to you.” (v.21). He repeated it at the end of v.22.

In v.23 – “and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.”

We worry and fret over stuff.  We see our troubles, needs, lacks, powerlessness, and inadequacy, but here we read Everything Belongs to Us!

The problem is that we do not believe it.  We believe it theoretically, but it is not who we are.   It is true that we profess because it is in the Bible, but we do not see it as ours experientially.  We do not see ourselves as worthy or spiritual enough.  Satan steals our hope and faith, and we relegate that truth to the super saints or to be enjoyed in eternity rather than now.

If it is true that All Things belong to us because we belong to Christ and He belongs to God, why do we struggle with the Promise? Our need is to have our minds reprogrammed. The only way to do that is to guard our lips, protect our eyes and ears (what we watch and listen to), and be careful how and what we allow to come into our consciousness.

We must change how we talk.  We must discipline ourselves to say what God says, not what we see or hear from the devil, others, or circumstances.   We must say what God says.  We must agree with God.   It is true that whatever we agree with, we give power to.

Abraham believed in hope.  He hoped in what he believed.  It was hopeless and impossible, But God said it, and he chose to agree with God.

Therefore, today, decide that you will allow no more negative or defeatist words or thoughts to exist in you.  Determine that if God said it, no matter what you see, you will agree with God even to death.  Nothing will shake you from your confidence in Him.

May the God of all peace be with you today and guide you through this leg of your life journey!

Ezekiel 22:30 – “And I searched for a man among them would build up the wall and stand in the breach before Me for the land, so that I would not bring it to ruin; but I found no one.”

Today can be a day of divine encounters.   We may entertain Angels unaware and people who can further our work and walk.

Ezekiel was given a word of judgment and warning for the nation.  What a word that was.  God had proposed and planned judgment but hoped for someone (just one person) who loved and cared enough to intercede for deliverance. 

Imagine that God was looking for just one person.  That one could build up the wall (become a spiritual covering).  One person could become a human wall between God’s wrath and the people—one person who loved enough to do what could cost them their lives. 

If God found one person, the judgment would be averted.  But no one was found.   Not even one loved enough and was willing to become selfless enough.  Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith in the Earth?”  Will there be anyone who loves enough to act as a wall and stand in the gap to be a human shield?  Will there be any selfless people?

1 Corinthians 13, the Love chapter is not just about human and romantic relationships. It is the heart of God.  Love is selfless, and love gives completely.

Some use 1 Corinthians 15:10 to justify spiritual inadequacy, “BUT by the grace of God I am what I am…”  That was not an excuse but a revelation of the current condition, not the finished product.   Paul said, “Although I’m not perfect, I continually seek to be.”  He was continually being transformed into the image of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 16:14 sums it up: “Let ALL that you do be done in love.” The question that the Spirit of God asked was, “How much do you love?” We must constantly remind ourselves that love is an action word, not simply an emotion. Love does not just offer words.

Therefore, when we see the impending judgment.  Judgment that is impossible to miss; the question is, “How much do we love?”  Can we go about our business, live unaffected lives, see the eternal destruction, and not act?

I am crushed personally because of my negligence in this.   My selfishness is condemning me.  While multitudes are standing at the gate of destruction, my infrequent intercession is overwhelming.

I urge you to pray from the heart: “Lord, forgive me for not being that one who builds the wall and fills the gap.  Help me to become consumed with compassion and commitment to be the volunteer You desire and need. Help me to have the heart You have, that NONE BE LOST!”

If it resonates, receive it and act upon it.  

May the Grace, Mercy, Peace, Love, Provision, and Power of the Lord be with you today and every day!

Job 33:3-4 – “For the ear tests words as the palate tastes food. 4 Let us choose for ourselves what is just; Let us know among ourselves what is good.”

I am sometimes conscious of dreams and have even had some that could be identified or defined as night visions.  In those, I was conscious that God was speaking to me. Many consider those occurrences rare and even unusual. Some discount them completely, believing that God no longer communicates with us except through the Bible. The Bible is invaluable, but God is a communicator, and He will unveil the truths of His word and life in many ways, including dreams in the night.

Think about it.  When are your mind and spirit less distracted than when you are sleeping?  What better time for the LORD to communicate His desires to us than when we are in a slumber, our minds relaxed, and we are not thinking about the ten thousand things we encounter daily?

I am convinced that we consider those times of communication from God rare because we do not expect to hear from Him then.  Sometimes, we do not expect to hear at all.  But, from Genesis to Revelation, we read, “God said…” He is the Speaking God and desires to communicate His wisdom, words, and will to us.

I have learned that sometimes, I was unaware of what God had revealed in my night dreams or visions.  I would encounter something and unexpectedly discover the wisdom, knowledge, or ability to handle it, and I knew it was beyond my pay grade of understanding or expertise. God had somehow revealed to me what I needed, and when I needed it, it was extracted from the data files of my mind and heart and implemented. That is exciting!

In the Book of Job, Elihu, the fourth critic of Job, said something powerful about the ears testing words like the palate tastes food.  We test words, but whose and what words do we test? We test people’s words, and consciously or unconsciously, we test the words of God, too. If we want to understand the Words of God accurately, we need to commune with Him regularly and openly.

I encourage you to ask the LORD each night before bed to open your heart to receive whatever He wants to communicate. I encourage you to invite the Holy Spirit to give you dreams and night visions so that you will know what you do not know, hear what you have never heard, and walk in His fullness like never before.

Hearing in the natural is not learned, but understanding is.  We need to learn How to Hear.  When we open ourselves to hearing God, He takes that opportunity to communicate more fully.  He will communicate to the level we open ourselves to Him.  I want to hear Him so that I can walk before Him in a manner pleasing to Him, beneficial to the Kingdom, and redemptive to the world.

Today, I pray that the Lord will begin communicating to us in dreams and night visions through circumstances and His Word! May the Holy Spirit reveal the deep things of God to our hearts and train our minds to hear and obey.

I pray that the Lord will help us to gird up the loins of our minds and be ready for action. May He open the Door of Heaven so we can see and hear what He is saying and doing! May He enable us to do the works Jesus did and move into the place of greater works for the Kingdom! “Father, meet all the needs of my friends and open our minds, hearts, eyes, and ears to see and hear. We receive! Amen!“

May the speaking God speak to your heart in every way possible to lead you into His freedom and truth!