Choosing to See Chariots

What do you see when faced with problems? Victory or defeat? Do you see it as something that you are passing through or as something that will forever be at your side?  We all can quote the victory chant when the end can easily be seen but as the days turns to weeks and weeks turn to months and months to years, there is a tendency to loose the cheer and lose our ability to see change coming.

Reading today’s devotional from Streams in the Desert reminded me that it is my choice on how I view the test and trials that come my way. Will I see them as chariots transporting me from places of immaturity to maturity, weakness to strength, indifference to compassion, lameness to mobility? Or will I refuse to confront them and see them only as boulders crushing down upon me keeping me locked in, tied up and shut out?

Can I share with you the portion that caused my mind to go a churning this morning as I read?

Once our eyes are opened by God, we will see all the events of our lives as, whether great or small, joyful or sad, as a “chariot” for our souls. Everything that comes to us becomes a chariot the moment we treat it as such. On the other hand, even the smallest trial may become an object crushing everything in its path  into misery and despair if we all it.

The difference then becomes a choice we make. It all depends not on the events themselves but on how we view them. If we simply lie down, allowing them to roll over and crush us, they become an uncontrollable car of destruction. Yet if we climb into them, as riding into a car of victory, they become the chariots of God to triumphantly take us onward and upward. Hannah Whitall Smith

Now I know that life can throw some pretty difficult challenges our way and sometimes for the life of me I can’t see anything but doom and gloom. But it is at those times that I can pray, Lord open my eyes that I might see.

Overwhelming Victory

Just wanted to share a scripture God brought to mind today before I head out to work.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. Romans 8:35,37 (NLT)

I’m sure it’s probably a familiar scripture but while I walked this morning and pondered on some things in my life, He reminded me that no matter where I am, He is there also. Don’t let the events of our lives skew your view of Christ’s love for you.

Proclamation

The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity], Luke 4:18 (Amplified)

God's Spirit is on me; he's chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor,
Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, To set the burdened and battered free, to announce, "This is God's year to act!"  Luke 4:18 (The Message)

My prayer for you is that you’ll see what you haven’t been able to see. I’m praying that where you’ve been lame (emotionally & spiritually) there will be mobility. Lame-Places you couldn’t perceive walking out of, walking through, walking in or getting over. That you’ll walk in freedom in those places that you’ve been constricted. That TODAY you’ll experience a new level of deliverance. In Jesus name

Celebration Time Come On!

The other day I was talking with a lady, who has been confined to a bed for almost a year. Her legs immobile with the ability to lay in only one position. Excitedly, she told me about how she was able to stand (although bowed over slightly) briefly on her legs. These were the same legs in which she was unable to lift up even a few inches off the bed. Although she hadn't been able to stand long, she was praising God about the little movement she could see. Movement toward wholeness. Movement toward restoration.

The question on the table is how often do you celebrate or even recognize the little victories in your life? There's been places in my life and yours I imagine that have been straightly shut up. Places of immobility. Locked up places. Your voice, passion, dreams, hopes, emotions, will, heart, and mind are a few places that the enemy can seize. But can you celebrate the little changes that are bringing you closer to complete restoration? Many times we are so focuses on the fact that Lord this is still not the promised place that we miss the little victories along the journey. Just like the Israelites, who didn't get full possession of the promise land all at once neither do we. Exodus 23:30 says: Instead I will force out your enemies little by little and give your nation time to grow strong enough to take over the land. I also like Deut 7:22 So don't be intimidated by them. God, your God, is among you—God majestic, God awesome. God, your God, will get rid of these nations, bit by bit. You won't be permitted to wipe them out all at once lest the wild animals take over and overwhelm you. But God, your God, will move them out of your way—he'll throw them into a huge panic until there's nothing left of them. He'll turn their kings over to you and you'll remove all trace of them under Heaven. Not one person will be able to stand up to you; you'll put an end to them all.(The Message)  So don't be intimidated that the big victory has not been achieved. God-the Awesome, Majestic One- is with you. As you journey with Him, He's changing you…your mind, emotions, will, desires, attitude, and heart. He's making you strong bit by bit. So CELEBRATE the little victories…COME ON!!!!