John 3:30 – “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

As I reread the words in Exodus 3:14 – “I AM that I AM” something stirred in me powerfully.  I was reminded of a recent event in my time of prayer, reading, and musing on the word of God. 

Something is stirring in me powerfully.  About 10 days ago, I sensed that the LORD was speaking to my heart a message that was for me and others, including some entire congregations.

I believe God still speaks today, and in my heart of hearts, I believe He was speaking to me.  I share it with you, and if it resonates and you can embrace it, I believe it will be meaningful.  If you do not, that is your choice and privilege. 

I believe the LORD spoke to my Spirit and said, “The LORD your God would say to you, ‘You say you desire my power, presence, miracles, and gifts to operate in your life and among you.  If that is truly your desire, then give me space, time, place, and opportunity to manifest myself.   I do not want your performance; I want you!  I want your heart, your thoughts, and your love.  I want you to be an empty vessel that I can fill.” 

As I contemplated what I was hearing, I heard,“You do not have to be busy!  You do not have to be afraid of silence.  Be still in My presence, and in that stillness, I will reveal Myself. I desire to release things to you, through you, and in you that you dare not even ask.  I want to use you to bring in My harvest.  I want to use you to set captives free.  Only as you give Me time, space, place, and opportunity will you see the manifestation of My power, presence, and miracles.   Be Still!  Be Still!  Be Still!   If you genuinely believe that I AM real, BE STILL!”

I continued in meditation and prayer and heard this conclusion, “Sometimes you need to stop talking, stop singing, stop doing, and LISTEN!   Be Still!  Be Still!  Be Still, and I Will!   Be still, and I will make it real.  Be still and let Me fill your house!”

Evil abounds, but God’s grace abounds much more!  The harvest is ripe, and the world needs us (all of us) to be who God says we are – Overcomers and Vessels He can use for His chosen purposes.     I want His Power, Presence, Miracles, and Gifts to operate in me and through me!   I want to pull down strongholds through His Name and Power!   I want to see the powers of darkness put to flight!

I know this was for me, and I believe it could be for others as well.   If it resonates with you, embrace it!   God is the Living God!  He is the Speaking God!  He is the Almighty God!   We are more than conquerors through Jesus!     I never want to limit God by my doubt, hesitance, and fear!

Lord, help us to empty ourselves so that we can be filled with You!

Judges 6:12-17 – “The angel of the Lord appeared and said to him, “The Lord is with you, courageous warrior!” ¹³ Gideon said to him, “Pardon me, but if the Lord is with us, why has such disaster overtaken us? Where are all his miraculous deeds our ancestors told us about? They said, ‘Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” ¹⁴ Then the Lord himself turned to him and said, “You have the strength. Deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites! Have I not sent you?” ¹⁵ Gideon said to him, “But Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Just look! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family.” ¹⁶ The Lord said to him, “Ah, but I will be with you! You will strike down the whole Midianite army.” ¹⁷ Gideon said to him, “If you really are pleased with me, then give me a sign as proof that it is really you speaking with me.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, God’s patience and purpose filled my thoughts. Repeatedly, Israel rebelled, then repented, and God restored them. The cycle seemed endless.

Finally, before his death, Joshua challenged them in Joshua 24:13-15. He invoked the Blessing – This is what God has given you. He gave the Charge: reverence Him, serve Him in sincerity and truth.  Come out from among them and be set apart to God. Then, he asked for a commitment. Make up your mind – God or the world?

In God’s mercy, He chose a deliverer named Gideon. In Judges 6:12-17, we see the progression that inspired faith and courage and produced victory.

• Verse 12 – The Identity. God revealed who Gideon was, not who he thought he was.
• Verse 13 – we find Gideon’s question. If this is true, then why this? We’ve all been there.
• Verse 14 – God gives the commission – You go in this might, you possess and deliver Israel. What might? The might of God in Him and through Him.
• Verse 16 – we have The Promise – I will be with you. That weight of those words carried him to and through his objections to His promise.
• Verse 17 – we have the confirmation. Out of the promise and confirmation, we have Chapter 7 – the Completion of the Deliverance.

The strength of the confidence in the Word of the LORD kept Gideon strong and defeated fear.  An army of 32,000 reduced to 10,000 is reason to fear. But 10,000 reduced to 300 is beyond the pale. God, have you lost your mind?  He remembered the promise, “I will be with you.”  He knew the Pentateuch, and that 1 could chase 1000 and 2 would put 10000 to flight.   

Against all odds, He trusted God! What are you facing today?  God is with you. Christ is in you. As Joshua challenged, it is your choice. We can be one who turns back or one who goes forward, declaring – God is with me. Therefore, I am undefeatable! Your choice!

Lord help us to see ourselves as You see us and live as who You declare us to be!

Joshua 18:3 – “So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long do you intend to put off occupying the land the Lord God of your ancestors has given you?”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, the word “procrastination” filled my consciousness.    What do we procrastinate?  Why do we plead with God to do everything for us?  As I reread the account of Caleb in Joshua 14:6-12, I was amazed at one declaration. He said, “I was 40 when I received the promise. I’m 85 now and still waiting on the promise. But, I’m as strong now as I was then to go out and come in from war.”

Can we say that?  We can say, in some cases, I’ve been waiting, but not that I’m as strong as a seasoned citizen as a person in their prime.  Some argue this was figurative language, forgetting that those who went through the wilderness had clothes and shoes that never wore out. And, “they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength.” Caleb’s confession is a factual reality!   He said, “Give me THIS mountain!”   What is your mountain? Are you ready to take it?

In Joshua 18:3, we encounter procrastination again. They had failed to possess the promise. They were waiting on God to do it for them. There are some things God has promised that are waiting on us to become realities. He would do for us what He has commissioned, empowered, and equipped us to do.

We act like the song of youth camp, “Here we sit like birds in the wilderness waiting to be fed.” God has spread the table of promise before us. It is a self-serve buffet, but we are waiting to be served. Get up, go forward, possess the promise in the Name of Jesus! His blood bought it. His Spirit guarantees it. His word gives us the revelation.

Joshua 21:45 declares that not even one of God’s promises failed. That’s our God, this is our day! Go forth and possess your promise!

Lord, help us to be activators, not procrastinators!

Joshua 1:6-9 – “Be strong and brave! You must lead these people in the conquest of this land that I solemnly promised their ancestors I would hand over to them. ⁷ Make sure you are very strong and brave! Carefully obey all the law my servant Moses charged you to keep. Do not swerve from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful in all you do. ⁸ This law scroll must not leave your lips. You must memorize it day and night so you can carefully obey all that is written in it. Then you will prosper and be successful. ⁹ I repeat, be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, the thought of the power of obedience to produce courage and dispel fear flooded my heart.  Obedience is either rooted in love or fear. One flows from a transformed heart, and the other is a flawed attempt at self-preservation.

One acts because of love, rooted in trust, and the other out of selfishness and avoidance of pain.  In Joshua 1, God issued the call to Joshua. He began by forcing Joshua to face life. Moses is dead. In v.6, 7, and 9, He said, “Be strong and very courageous. He gave Joshua assurance of the presence!

The command could be embraced by each of us. God had an assignment for Joshua that required confidence (faith) in God. It would require courage to withstand the opposition from without and from within. The outside is readily apparent, but the within is not always easily recognized.

We tend to shape our path of life based on ease and preference. We even convince ourselves that God has instructed or promised us things that would make those desires a reality. We fantasize about what we will do when it happens. But God’s assignment is not based on our ease or preference but His eternal purpose. Jesus did not prefer the Cross; it was certainly not easy or painless, but it was the eternal purpose of God. His desire was obedience because of love, and that gave Him the courage and strength to do it.

Our assignment is to love God with our all. Out of that condition, we discover our position of being seated with Jesus in heavenly places and possessors of all spiritual blessings, armed with mighty weapons and overcomers. Out of that love, we die to self and seek Him. Out of that love, our lives are no longer our lives but channels through which His love touches the world. It was for the JOY set before Jesus that He went to the Cross. What Joy? Our Redemption and the Love of God.

God desires willing obedience out of love, not forced compliance out of fear or self-preservation. Be strong and very courageous! The life we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God. In Him, we live and move and have our being. He is our life. Loving Him costs nothing but costs everything! Serving Him is the source of life’s greatest joy!

Lord, enable us to be obedient and from that obedience have the courage to stand!

Deuteronomy 30:5 – “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, some verses filled my thoughts.   In Deuteronomy 30:6, Moses spoke of having circumcised hearts, enabling them to love God with their entire person.  They knew the commandments, but Moses knew that unless their hearts were changed, they would not successfully follow the commandments. Heart vs. Mind.

In Acts 11:17, we find the revelation that God is not bound by man’s traditions, doctrines, ideology, or philosophy. The question is, “What do we do when God dismantles our doctrinal positions and invalidates our traditions?”   We can be like the Pharisees and seek to destroy what we disagree with, or follow God’s move and modify our minds to fit His purposes.

Paul made an interesting statement in Acts 14:22 about entering the kingdom by tribulation. I do not discount persecution, but suggest that this could be viewed as overcoming difficulty and pressing in with unrelenting persistence. Only those unwilling to quit short of having God’s presence will enter in. Living with the kingdom fully manifest in our hearts enables us, like Paul and Silas, to praise in prison.

It is one thing to know about the material, but another to be transformed by the Truth. Knowing it intellectually is only step one, not the destination. Embracing it in the heart transforms and transformed lives and changes cultures.

Lord, help us to be one with Your Word, not simply know the language. Let our walk be greater than our talk.