Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call on me in prayer, and I will answer you.  I will show you great and mysterious things that you still do not know about.”

Once again, I was stirred in my spirit during the night.  I believe I heard an extremely urgent warning and call to prayer.   I hesitate to announce what I believe I heard for several reasons.

• I am sure I would be treated like Jeremiah because it goes against the flow of what many are prophesying.
• Another is that I want to be sure I heard God.   If I did, He will confirm it, and I will declare it without regard to people’s opinion of me (that is unimportant).

Once again, as I was awakened, the clock was 3:33, and this time, I had zero doubt that it was God’s call to prayer and sensed that it was a call for ALL TO PRAY, not just me.

Today, the Book of Jonah was part of my reading.   No, I’m not running away from declaring a word from God, but it reminded me of God’s compassion and intense love for mankind.  When Jonah delivered the message of impending judgment, they repented, and God relented.

In Micah, I was reminded of God’s desires.  Micah 6:6 asks a question we should be asking: “With what should I enter the LORD’S presence?”  Then, in verse 8, we are informed of God’s desires.  “He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the LORD really wants from you: He wants you to carry our justice, to love faithfulness, and to live obediently before your God.”

A storm is brewing in this world, but there is hope!   If we diligently pray, repent, and return to God wholeheartedly, I believe there is HOPE!

We must have the faith, confidence, and commitment of the 3 Hebrew children.  They did not bow, and they did not burn.

2 Corinthians 4:7-18 reveals that Hope is the source of our strength.  “But we have this treasure in clay jars so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.  We are experiencing trouble on every side but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed…” He reveals the secret to this confidence in verse 18.  “because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen.  For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.”

Regardless of the circumstances, our focus must be on God.   Pray for God’s justice to prevail.   Seek to have and manifest God’s love, love others, and live obediently to His precepts.  In that position and condition, we will experience the Psalm 91 provision and be able to declare, as Paul did in 2 Corinthians 4: We are survivors, thrivers, who live confidently, knowing that no matter what, we stand because He can!

Our part is effectual fervent prayer, total commitment, and complete obedience.  His part is to shield us and carry us through.  Don’t fear the storm!

Have a fantastic day in the presence of the LORD!   Call upon Him, and He promises to answer you! 

Jeremiah 42:10 – “If you will only stay in this land, I will build you up.  I will not tear you down.  I will firmly plant you.  I will not uproot you.  For I am filled with sorrow because of the disaster that I have brought on you.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, I was challenged regarding prayer, faith, expectation, and God’s response.

In Jeremiah’s day, when Babylon captured Jerusalem, a group came to the prophet for a word of direction.   They wanted to flee to Egypt but sought the prophet’s direction.  He said (my paraphrase), “Stay put, don’t go.  If you stay here, in this storm, I will take care of you, and you will be safe and prosper.”  (Jeremiah 42:10).

They didn’t listen, placing themselves under the curse proclaimed in Jeremiah 34:17 – “Therefore, I will grant you freedom, the freedom to die in war, or by starvation, or disease.”   Simply put, you will choose your destruction by your disobedience.  Don’t blame God for your wrong choices.

Obedience brings favor, while disobedience brings disaster.   In Acts 12, we see something incredible about God’s favor.  Herod was on a rampage, seeking to kill the apostles.  He had killed James and had Peter in prison, planning to execute him, too.   They could have all run and hid, but had remained faithful to God’s call.

The church was earnestly praying for Peter.   Prayer is powerful, even if it is not coupled with expectation.   We are told that the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous have success.   It did not say ‘expectant’; it said ‘fervent’.  It’s far more powerful if expectation is part of the equation, but still powerful and evidence of another reason to ALWAYS pray and not faint.

God delivered Peter, and when he went to the house where the prayer meeting was taking place, they did not believe he was there.   They told Rhoda, “You are out of your mind!”

Never stop praying. God is working, and using this example, we see that He honors earnest, fervent prayer.  Ask and keep on asking.  Knock and keep on knocking.   Seek and keep on seeking.   Be not weary in well doing (earnestly fervently praying is well doing), for the harvest (answer) will come in God’s timing.

Stay where God has planted you and do what He has instructed you.  Pray earnestly and fervently without ceasing.  He will surprise you!   He never fails!   Expectation (faith) amplifies its power, but pray regardless of your level of expectation.  He is still God!

May your day be filled with His presence, and may you achieve His purposes in your life!

Joel 2:12-13 – “Yet even now (in the midst of judgment), says the LORD, return to Me with all your heart – with fasting, weeping,  and mourning.  13.  Tear your hearts, not just your garments.  Return to the LORD your God,  for He is merciful and boundless in loyal love (covenant unending unconditional love) – often relenting from calamitous punishment.”  

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I was drawn to the reality of judgment.     If that alone had been my focus, it would have depressed me.   However, as I read in Joel, I saw God’s judgment in the context of God’s purpose of restoration.   I saw God’s incredible mercy, and I was encouraged and comforted.

The chorus that used to be sung about the Army of the Lord always troubled me.  The Army of that chorus was characterized or described as an army of different kinds of devouring locusts sent for judgment.   They rushed on the city, climbed on the walls, and were called the army of the Lord.  It was judgment, and they were bringing destruction.  I could not get excited about that. 

However, I can get excited about what Joel declares in Joel 2:12-13.   The reality is that even in judgment, God is merciful and compassionate, seeking restoration.

In Joel 2:25, we see God’s heart for those who repent.  “I will make up for the years that the ‘arbeh-locust consumed your crops, the hasil-locust, and gazam-locust – My great army that I sent against you.”    He continues telling them they would move from lack to plenty.

Then, in verses 28-29, we have that incredible promise of a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit.   But notice how he begins the promise,  “After All This…”   After the incredible judgment of the Day of the LORD.  After the hearts have been brought to repentance, the overflow of Revival, Renewal, and Restoration will come!

In verse 32, God’s guarantee is, “It will so happen that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered.”   Judgment is coming to this world, but God’s love, mercy, and grace are too!    If we seek Him with our hearts, we may not escape the pain of the judgment, but we will be delivered.   God will not abandon us. 

In times of judgment, we need the Body of Christ to be a functioning Body.   We strengthen each other.   We have hope even in times of hopelessness.   

I see the dual or parallel.  There will be judgment and revival coming simultaneously.   Those who turn to God with a whole heart will be delivered!    We will be able to rescue others as well. 

Don’t be shaken by the coming shaking.   Hang on to your hat; visions, dreams, and a mighty overflow of the Holy Spirit are about to burst forth.  As the darkness deepens, the light grows brighter.  As evil abounds, grace abounds even more.  As destruction comes, restoration comes to the heart that is hungry and surrendered.

It is a choice!  God’s love opens the door for victory.  Walk through it!   Things are about to get really exciting.   It will be frightening for those who are uncertain and rebellious.   It will be exciting for the fully surrendered and committed.

Although judgment is coming, so is Mercy and out of Mercy Revival, Renewal, and Restoration!

Hosea 8:7 – “They sow the wind, and so they will reap the whirlwind!”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I was reminded of the timeless truth of “The Law of Harvest.”  I saw something I had not considered in this law or principle.   Our attitude toward the Word of God and the Word from God through His messengers is sowing, and sowing produces a crop to be reaped.

Hosea 9:7 – “The prophet is considered a fool – the inspired man is viewed as a madman – BECAUSE of the multitude of your sins and your intense animosity.”

The more sinful a people become, the more they disregard God’s Word and the more they vilify His messengers.   Sin and animosity (anger and hate) permeate our world today.  When we reject God’s Word and turn on His messengers, we are sowing a crop of destruction and judgment.   Sowing to the wind produces whirlwinds.

Hosea 10:13 – “But you have plowed wickedness; you have reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of deception.   Because you have depended on your chariots, you have relied on your many warriors.”

When we sow seeds of confidence in human ability and ignore God’s principles of righteousness, the harvest is injustice.  It stems from deception, causing us to believe we can fix it with our own abilities.   We sow seeds of confidence in man and reap a harvest of deception.

This principle or law affects every dimension of life.   If God is truly our focus and pursuit, we are open to His message and the messengers He sends.   If we allow hate to be planted in our hearts, we reap injustice and judgment.

We are citizens of the kingdom and have been invited to live in the presence, power, and provision of that kingdom.  Seek God first, and He adds.  Sowing and reaping.  We give Him our everything, and He gives us His everything.

That illustrates the Law of Harvest.

• We reap what (in kind and type) we sow.
• We reap later (growing time) than we sow.
• We reap more (multiplicity) than we sow.

If we sow a slight breeze, we reap a hurricane.    If we sow a little animosity, we reap full-blown hate.   If we sow a little compassion, we reap an overflow of agape.   If we sow faithfulness in a small thing, we reap God’s faithfulness in all things.

What we sow, we reap, and each crop touches other dimensions of life.  It becomes like a snowball rolling down a hill.   It goes faster and gets larger.   Let’s sow seeds and deeds for the life we desire!

We will reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow, but we have to sow!    Sow to the harvest you desire to reap!