There’s a Vast Difference Between Living BY Alarms & Living IN alarm

There’s a vast difference between living BY alarms & living IN alarm. For the most part, I don’t need a morning alarm, as I usually awaken right before it sounds (if I go to bed on time!😉) It’s the varied appointments throughout the week, however, that require alarms to remember what’s next.

The thing about alarms, (for me at least), is that they can move beyond their purpose of alerting you what’s next & tempt you to panic. That feeling has become a common one lately & it’s not awesome.

In fact, my fight or flight “Holy smokes, I gotta go!” reaction not only affects my own heart, but just last week I saw my friend jump, visibly reacting to my reaction!😳 It was kinda funny in the moment, but in all honesty, I left my meeting with her & wept a little on my way to the next thinking, “Not cool, Kimberly…”

Aside from clearing the calendar or making it more systematic, how can this change?

I just read Psalm 89:14-19, & as I typed the question above, I heard this whisper from the Father for all asking the same thing:

“Your circumstances need not change, but your perspective does.

Righteousness & justice are the very foundation of My throne. You need not strive for them. Simply come into My Presence & watch them unfold.

Unfailing love & truth walk before Me as attendants. They also walk before you as you follow Me.

Happy are those who choose to worship Me in any circumstance, for even though darkness encroaches on every side, the light of My Presence will cause it to flee!

Remember-alarms serve a single purpose to keep you walking in integrity, but don’t forget that you first follow Me, & when you do, My unfailing love & Truth become your attendants.”

Oh Father, You are so faithful to whisper sweet nothings from Your Word! Your Word is timeless, always relevant, steadfast & true!

You never fail to keep Your promises! In fact You said IN Your Word, that You will never take back a single Word You said, because in Your holiness, You cannot lie!

We take You at Your Word today! May the Presence of our eternal God be the first thing we remember when alarms alert us to move. May we move only in Your wake! When tempted TO alarm BY an alarm, alert us to move in Your Presence first, reminding us that unfailing love & truth walk before us as attendants!

#OneYearBible

April 21st One Year Bible Readings

JOSHUA 22:21-23:16

LUKE 20:27-47

PSALM 89:14-37

PROVERBS 13:17-19

God’s Faithfulness Never Short Circuits

We recently had a light switch that suddenly seemed faulty. It controlled the light in my bedroom closet & every time we turned it on, it’d cause the circuit breaker switch to flip causing an entire portion of the house to lose power.

I’m certainly not an electrician, but what I did know is that the electrical circuit was being interrupted somewhere. It took us a bit, but we finally realized that the lightbulb was the source of the problem.

I’m a super visual learner, so that memory surfaced as I read a small verse that carries B-I-G impact in Psalm 89.

The Psalmist reminds us of the power, strength & glory of God, & then right in the middle of praise, he asks a question:

Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O Lord?

He answers himself with four simple words:

You are entirely faithful.

Wow, I thought, I know some people that I’d characterize as “faithful” but I know of none who are ENTIRELY faithful!

The etymology of that phrase means to be completely surrounded by faith, like an electrical circuit that cannot be broken.

His faithfulness a never short circuits. His power to light up a situation is always available, it’s the recipient of the power that’s the problem.

I’m not sure how it happened, but when we finally went to replace the lightbulb, we discovered that it was partially unscrewed so it was not completely connected to the source of power!

When the Israelites finally settled into the promised land, Joshua 22 affirms that not a single one of ALL the good promises God gave to Israel was left unfulfilled; everything He’d spoken came true!

We serve an omnipotent God Who is the very Source of everything we need-provision, protection, redemption, salvation & even reconciliation. He has the power to make things happen & the all-encompassing faithfulness TO make them happen! We just need remain fully plugged into the Source!

Father, forgive us for our wandering ways. We let the cares of this life cause us to wander from Your Presence & then we wonder why You seem so far away. Surround us today like an electrical circuit with Your Presence. You know our needs even before we utter a word. Thank you that You’re the ever-faithful Source of all things!

#OneYearBible

April 20th One Year Bible Readings

JOSHUA 21:1-22:20

LUKE 20:1-26

PSALM 89:1-13

PROVERBS 13:15-16

Are You Willing to Become an Ass for the Lord? He Has Need of Kingdom Carriers!

When was the last time you wept? Like not a silent cry, but an all-out deep groaning of grief that cannot be contained? That’s what I asked myself as I read Luke 19 today.

Luke writes of Jesus’s triumphal entry on “Palm Sunday” into Jerusalem, the City of Peace. Before he reaches the gates, Jesus sees Jerusalem ahead & begins to weep. His is not a silent cry, but one of great grief…so great that the word used for “weep” means expressing uncontrollable, audible grief.

What would cause such a strong reaction? Why did the mere sight of the City of David move our Savior to tears?

The Son of David weeps because the city of peace does not recognize the very personhood of Peace, the descendant of David who came to seek & save the lost.

He cries, “Oh, how I wish today that your people would understand the way to peace.”

He uses two of His own names in His cry…

• The Way

• Peace

The Way to eternal life & the very Source of Peace is among them, but they do not recognize Him.

All of this emotion unfolded as Jesus rides an unsuspecting donkey, fulfilling the prophecy of the coming Messiah.

The donkey isn’t His. Jesus sends his disciples to find a colt, untie it & bring it to Him to ride upon. He tells His men, “if anyone asks why you are taking it, just say, “The Lord has need of him.” (KJV)

Y’all, the Lord has need of US! Are we willing to let ourselves be untied from our will & our ways so that we might carry the Good News of our Messiah?

He weeps for our friends & family who do not know The Way to eternal Peace! Will we willingly become carriers of the Kingdom of God? The eternal peace of anyone we encounter depends on it!

Will we carry His Presence above OUR will, on top of our emotions, as supersedent over our thoughts? 

When we truly understand the Divine burden we bear, the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, all other work pales in comparison. All other secondary purposes are kept in their proper place.

The Lord has need of you!

The Lord has need of me!

Will we carry The One Who weeps with uncontainable, audible grief for the lost souls who know not Peace?

There’s no greater weight than I’d like to bear…how about you?

#OneYearBible

April 19th One Year Bible Readings

JOSHUA 19:1-20:9

LUKE 19:28-48

PSALM 88:1-18

PROVERBS 13:12-14