Praise = Triumph, Restoration, Redemption
(19)“Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.(20)“The beasts of the field will glorify Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I have given waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My chosen people.(21)“The people whom I formed for Myself Will declare My praise. ——-Isaiah 43:19-21 (NASB)
Why does our God want us to praise Him? Is He an ego-maniac? No, He wants us to praise Him because true praise is an expression of love. Plus, He inhabits our praise (Psalms 22:3)! The more we praise Him, the more we pull down the plans of the enemy.
In a practical sense, praising the Lord brings our minds out of our situation and focuses us on Him. In the spiritual reality, praising the Lord allows His Presence to flow without interference. It creates a place of thankfulness in our hearts. And being thankful is also an expression of love.
Not everyone has positive experiences with their earthly father so at times it is difficult for them to relate to God as Father, the more we know Him, the more we are thankful and filled with praise, the more His Presence will heal all the places we missed from any lack in in our earthly parents. The praises we sing give us refuge under His wings. They give us triumph over circumstances. They bring His restoration and redemption to our lives in a River that flows unrestrained through us.
Stand Still and See the Salvation of the Lord
(14)Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (15) and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (16 )in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.—-Ephesians 6:14-16 (NASB)
Anyone who has ever operated in the anointing of the Holy Spirit knows that to stand and watch Him do the work is an amazing experience. I was asked to do a short one-person drama one Sunday, and the Lord literally took over. It seemed as though I was watching from backstage! People in the audience started to weep and shout amen, and I had no idea what was really going on. Later, they explained to me what happened–the Lord told the story of the woman with the issue of blood through me. . . and I was completely clueless. God was my shield and fortress, and He did the performing that touched hearts!
Whatever our appointed task is at the moment, God wants us to let Him do it. Fear always threatens us first—“You can’t do it,” or “God doesn’t want you to do it, you’re not worthy,” or any number of other negative thoughts are thrown our way like flaming arrows straight to our hearts. In biblical times, flaming arrows were often shot by the enemy. If those arrows came at the shield, they would be ineffective. If there was no shield, death would result. Faith tells us that our God will take care of us, and that knowledge, that understanding, , is a shield against everything that threatens us!
Being confident in God’s protection and love allows us the freedom to do whatever is necessary for His Kingdom. It allows us the ability to handle any of our personal problems as well. Psalm 91 tell us that if we dwell in God, His wings cover us from anything that may be kindled against us–everything from plagues to terrorist attacks. The operation of His anointing for the gifts of the Spirit works the same way–when we abide in Him. He works through us.
Whether it’s an assignment that requires anointing to complete or a situation of spiritual warfare, stand still with your shield and watch God work for you, with you, and through you! Everything He has appointed for your to do will be accomplished.
(This information was used by permission from “Whispers of Heaven” by Rosalie Storment and Faye Higbee, copyrighted 2011)
The Expectancy of Abundance
(6) And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. —-Hebrews 11:6 (NASB)
Over the last several years, we have heard many prophets and speakers talk about abundance from God. We know that in John 10:10, Jesus Himself proclaimed that He came to give us an abundant life. So why do we have such a difficult time believing it?
The words “more abundantly” in John 10:10 come from the Greek work perissos, which mean exceedingly, more than extraordinary, over and above abundant. Remember the passage that tells us that eye has not seen nor ear heard the wonders God has for us? (1 Corinthians 2:9.) Or the one that promises He will give us more than we can ask or think? (Ephesians 3:20.) He’s trying to tell us that if we will just Know Him, and trust Him, He will grant us the fullness of His Kingdom, and everything we could possibly need on earth. Our cup will overflow (Psalm 23)!
The problem comes when we attach our ideas onto God’s promises. Our idea of abundance often only encompasses being wealthy in the financial sense, or something we may want at the moment of our prayer. God’s mind doesn’t work like our, so we get discouraged easily when things we expect seem to fall through. Our expectancy isn’t in what God has, it’s in what we want.
Your word for today is this: God’s Hand of help is here. He is waiting to pour out abundance upon you. Joy, peace, love, redemption, restoration, hope, destiny . . . all those things He will pour out on you, and more (over and above). His ways may be different than our plan, but His plan will work much better! Get ready to step into the new day prepared for you! It is going to be overflowing with abundance.
(This information was shared with permission from “Whispers of Heaven” by Rosalie Storment and Faye Higbee, copyrighted 2011)
Landmarks Passed
(28)Do not move the ancient boundary Which your fathers have set.————Proverbs 22:28 (NASB)
In the Book of Joshua, chapter 4, Joshua took 12 stones (one for each tribe) from the middle of the Jordan River and set them up in the Israelites‘ lodging place as a landmark, honoring the miracles given by the Lord when He parted the Jordan River for His children to walk through to the other side on dry ground. Landmarks also were used as property boundaries for each clan, and it was considered a sin to move them, just as it is illegal today to move a property marker.
God gives us landmarks in our lives, not to stay in one place, but as remembrances of what He has done in our lives. He never changes! We can use those times, those markers to help us move forward into the new places that God has for us. That’s why we shouldn’t move these landmarks or throw them out. We must pass them instead.
One landmark day in my own life was a class I had to take for my former job. I’ve never been a big lover of heights. In planes, I’m fine. Hanging off cliffs or tall objects, not so much. We were required to put on a harness and climb a telephone pole about 38 feet tall. The pole swayed as I started the ascent, which totally freaked me out, even though I was in a perfectly safe harness. I forced myself not to look down, but kept my eyes on the spike that were the foot and hand rests. As I got to the top, my leg hung up on the last spike and the pole began to sway even more. I couldn’t free my leg and fear tried to grab me. Since I could go no further upward, I pushed away the fear and reminded myself that I was in a safe harness. So I jumped! Everyone below me clapped that I had overcome a tremendous fear! I realized that if I could do that, I could overcome anything. It was a landmark day.
All of us are given landmarks in the times and seasons of our lives. We are not to camp by those landmarks, but move forward into the promises of our Lord God’s Presence with us in all that we face will establish His purposes for us. We don’t have to fear; we can move forward into destiny!
(This information is shared with permission from “Whispers of Heaven” by Rosalie Storment and Faye Higbee, copyrighted 2011)
Hope for Tomorrow
(1)Hear my cry, O God; Give heed to my prayer. (2)From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (3)For You have been a refuge for me, A tower of strength against the enemy. (4)Let me dwell in Your tent forever; Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Psalm 61:1-4
While the whole Bible is filled with honesty, the entire book of Psalms is probably the most honest of them all. All of us can relate to David, who goes through sorrow, anger, and joy as he traverses different parts of his life. In all of it, he comes back to trust the Lord and reminds himself that God is the One who takes are of His people.
One of the most difficult things to do is stand in joy, praise, song, and hope when everything around us is falling apart. Often our joy is stolen by the circumstances. My second year in Christ, I was in such a bad situation that my countenance was continually sad. I was broken and felt like what I can only term as a wilted flower. It was as if I had been cut down and had no source of strength, even though I loved the Lord. In time, God walked me through the “valley” and I grew closer to Him. But it was not an easy time, and it was not a time for Christians to decide I was worthy only of condemnation. Yet some did. Thank the Lord for those who chose to encourage instead of condemn.
Many of our brothers and sisters are in that place right now. We only need listen to the prayer requests around us to know that circumstances in the earth are meant to destroy us. How do we stand? We stand by praise. We faith by faith. We stand by the love of our fellow Christians. When we are going through troubles, it is not the time to judge one another. It is not the time to manipulate, condemn, or demand from one another. It is time to pray, love, encourage and help back onto their feet those who have been attacked.
When the heart is in sorrow, keep in mind nothing works normally. I laughingly say that my brain cells are on vacation and they have left no one in charge. When the mind is occupied with trouble, it needs all the help it can get to function correctly. We are that help. We are the Army of the Living God. We are the bearers of His love to one another. We are the bearers of His peace to the broken. There is hope for all who love Him!
(This information was used with permission from “Whispers of Heaven” by Rosalie Storment and Faye Higbee, copyrighted 2011)
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