Recently I found out that someone I loved and trusted, a very dear friend, had betrayed me. They had been deceiving me for years, they pretty much had a double life going. I don’t think there is any greater pain than to know you have been betrayed by someone you love.

The Lord said He would never leave us or forsake us. He will never ever betray us. Yet He was betrayed and took betrayal for us. That is what we hold onto. In times of trouble we hold onto the fact that He won’t do what others have done, even though it also happened to him. Yet we cannot understand any of that until we understand how much He loves us.

How can we know His love? By resting in His presence daily. If you knew which would be an easy day and which would be a hard day, you might be able to get away with only praying some days. But trust me, those hard times would sneak up on you unexpectedly anyway. Life is like that.

I need Jesus every morning even more than I need a cup of coffee.

When I spend time with Him first He prepares me. I can get through anything as long as I know He loves me, but I am human, I need to be reminded. Daily.  And He tells me He loves me. Every time I stop to listen.

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Beau Barton brought us back to Paul and Silas in prison. They weren’t there because they had done something wrong. They were there because they were doing right.

The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.  Acts 16:22-24

That right there would have most of the Spirit filled church rebuking the enemy. Most would be speaking in tongues and demanding their release because well after all they are sons of the King! But not Paul and Silas, they took the beating knowing God himself was in control. How many of us have that faith? Not many I am afraid. Then after they took that beating they began to worship. There was no sound check. There was no air conditioning, there was no electric keyboard. There was no fancy stage or even an offering taken. There was pure I-love-you-Jesus worship. There was total dedication. There was if-I-live-I live-and-if-I-die-I-die but either way I will worship you, worship.  And what happened? Everyone was set free! Everyone! Not just Paul and Silas but everyone!

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. Acts 16:25-26

Worship changes things. True worship delivers folks who don’t even know they have chains on them. So what are you going to do about that situation you are in? I know what I am doing

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These are just the local pictures. The big city ones were much worse as was the video on the news of the building floating down the interstate that eventually crashed into a semi and came apart. The middle TN area has this past weekend experienced on e of the worst weather related tragedies ever recorded. And yet much of the media has not even noticed. Thousands without power, the downtown area of Nashville and Franklin flooded, water supplies tainted and compromised and dead bodies being pulled from cars that are under water. Local here we had downed fences like never before, our pond/lake left it’s banks and threatened to come in our house, but instead ran underneath it. We have lots of messy clean up and repairs to do but praise the Lord, not so much as a chicken hurt to the best of my knowledge. Our friends were not so fortunate. I received a local prayer request for a family whose husband tried to rescue his two children from a raging creek. One was saved but one was not and the father and husband lost his life. There is a grieving woman who now is minus her loving husband and a 15 yr old daughter. There have been lots of lives lost and much destruction. Yet none of it surprises heaven. And unlike the leadership of this country the Lord will not remain silent when we ask for help.

I don’t believe in accidents. I don’t believe in a powerless God. I don’t believe that the enemy has ultimate power in a believers life. I believe Jesus knew exactly what was going on and still does. I believe He is speaking to us always. I believe His ways are higher than ours and I believe that He loves us with a love so deep that we as mortals cannot even understand it. I believe He will do what is ultimately best for us.

I have not been without my own trials in life. I have a child in the arms of Christ. I know all about pain and suffering. More than I would ever wish on anyone. And I also know enough to not let things go without asking the Lord, “what are you saying to me?” I know better than to not glean what the Lord has for me and those around me in every situation. I would rather go straight to Canaan than to walk around the mountain for 40 years.

I encourage you to not let trials happen in vain. Sometimes they could be punishment, and if so you won’t need to wonder why, none of us is ever disobedient without the Lord gently reminding with the mercy of a loving parent before He gets out the spanking rod. But many times He just has a message, or wants to change our direction. Or many times He has a gift for us, something that can only be understood when we are in a broken state.

I encourage you to have the courage to become the clay and let Him handle your life. You won’t be sorry.

(this event actually happened over the May 1 weekend but fell within the April publishing schedule)

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Most folks these days are too busy trying to hide things from the Lord rather than asking Him personally to uncover them.

He wants us to come clean before him. You can’t use a dirty rag to clean up the town. It is only when we get real with Him that He gets real about using us. When was the last time you asked Him to clean the dark closets of your heart?

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalms 139:23-24

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So all that to say, HE does not need my invitation or permission to interrupt in our lives but  He wants it. Because then our plans become HIS plans and that is where things start to get really good.

Many are the plans in a man’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.  Proverbs 19:21

It is when we are at that point of submission, of admitting that WE are not on the throne that HE takes His place on the throne in our lives. It is then that things begin to change. Sometime they get really uncomfortable but that is all part of the growing process. It is time that the Body Of Christ take off the diapers and learn to to flush the toilets! Allow the King of Kings to do some spiritual spring cleaning in our hearts. Allow him to de-clutter and purge what needs to be purged. Allow Him to direct rather than just suggest. Ask Him to interrupt your day! Then thank Him for the results .

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When she hears my voice she will come, she will follow me anywhere, she loves me.

Wow, I wonder how many of us God can say that about. Wouldn’t you love to be known for that trait? That you follow His voice anywhere. How often do we? Follow Him that is.

Why is that, why do so few of us follow His voice. we recognize it, we know it is His. Yet just like most of our horses we are too busy stuffing ourselves with what we want, trying to get it before the next guy. Gluttoning our flesh with our own desires, the things of this world. All the while Jesus desires to give us something better, something even more fulfilling than what we think is the best. So it is really up to us. We can glutton on the stuff in the field, or we can harken to His voice and get the best from His barns.

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