PROPHETIC WORD: You’re God’s special harvester!
Isaiah 61:11 (ESV)
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all nations.
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is whispering: This is a season of new beginnings and wide open doors — ones you’ve never seen before — and you must trust Me. Look with spiritual eyes and hear with spiritual ears. I cannot be discerned in the natural. You will need to have complete confidence and trust in the supernatural. My anointing will be poured upon you in the secret place when you enter the throne of grace and spend time at My feet. My love will overflow your life in epic proportions. This is a season of new beginnings, sudden exits, and a time of great fruit – but it only comes when you fully surrender to My perfect will. You’ve reached the culmination point of this current season, and years of faithfully trusting Me will be rewarded. This is not the ending but the start of your life. I want you to be ready. Get into the spirit of Elijah and run full throttle into your future! You’ve been in a shelter of protection, but the beginning of a new season is here. It’s time to come out. Do the works of Jesus because My Son showed you the way. Start at the Sheep Gate and minister and love the heartbroken, wounded and those who can’t stand alone. Speak and write the words that I put in your mouth.
I will bring forth the dream buried deep within your heart, but it will require My viewpoint and strategy. I will renew your hope and prepare you for a new race ahead. My precious one, I have a beautiful future that awaits you, but it’ll require you to dig deep. I cherish your relentless desire to chase after My truth. You are a rugged, indestructible arrow hidden in My quiver. With Me, all things are possible, so keep your tenacious spirit and run with endurance into a future that I have carved with My bare hands. I hold your destiny in My hands. You are an overwhelming conqueror, a super victor, My beloved child created in My image. Get your heart ready and be ready. “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you…” (Isaiah 60:1)
PUSH OUT INTO THE DEEP WATERS
Jesus said to Simon, “There is nothing to fear. From now on you’ll be fishing for men and women.” They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him. (Luke 5:10-11, MSG)
Jesus was so revolutionary because He took the initiative and called His followers. In New Testament times, students would seek out teachers, but Jesus did the complete opposite and picked His disciples. The Lord still works in the same exact way.
He chose you. You were selected.
He says, “Come, follow Me,” or “Go behind Me as a disciple.” Jesus catches your attention so that you can’t help but follow. He then equips you and prepares you to “catch” people for a greater glory.
Discipleship is the norm for those who believe in Christ. It requires a lifetime commitment to surrendering your own plans to follow your Creator into unknown places. The very root of discipleship is based on discipline.
In Matthew 28, Jesus releases an official commissioning to the 11 disciples. He claimed all authority in heaven and on earth, and now He was instructing the disciples to go based on that same authority. The Greek word exousia means “official right to power,” and Jesus passed the baton to the disciples. They were to provide a witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ to new lands, spaces and fields and go wherever called. They were to “make disciples of all nations,” proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ. When the Lord commissions you to work on behalf of the Kingdom, it comes with power and authority!
Jesus promised to be with the disciples until their earthly duties were fulfilled. Although He wasn’t there in the physical world, Jesus would send the Holy Spirit as a constant presence. The Holy Spirit came upon the believers at Pentecost and the church exploded in a short time. Over two thousand years later, the commission is still the same. The work continues. You are a crucial part of the Lord’s ministry, and your due diligence will change the lives of others. Whatever the Lord puts in your hands (your gifts, talents, skills, viewpoints, bravery), all have a purpose for this lifetime. You are not here by accident, and the Father is commissioning you, so get ready!
With this commissioning comes a responsibility to care for God’s sheep. We are called to carry one another’s burdens. The deeper you go with Christ, the spirit of gentleness will become a fruit basket to help others! We are to step forward and bear the weaknesses of those around us.
God sure loves faithful servants who genuinely want to help others for the greater good.
Galatians 6:1-6, TPT
My beloved friends,
If you see a believer who is overtaken with a fault, the one who is in the Spirit should seek to restore him in the Spirit of gentleness. But keep watch over your own heart so that you won’t be tempted to exalt yourself over him. Love empowers us to fulfill the law of the Anointed One as we carry each other’s troubles. If you think you are somebody too important to stoop down to help another (when really you are not), you are living in deception.
Let everyone be devoted to fulfill the work God has given them to do with excellence, and their joy will be in doing what’s right and being themselves, and not in being affirmed by others. Every believer is ultimately responsible for his or her own conscience. And those who are taught the Word must share all good things with their teacher.
We Harvest What We Plant
Galatians 6:7-10, TPT
God will never be mocked! For what you plant will always be the very thing you harvest. The harvest you reap reveals the seed that you planted. If you plant the corrupt seeds of self-life into this natural realm, you can expect a harvest of corruption. If you plant the good seeds of Spirit-life you will reap beautiful fruits that grow from the everlasting life of the Spirit.
And don’t allow yourselves to be weary in planting good seeds, for the season of reaping the wonderful harvest you’ve planted is coming! Take advantage of every opportunity to be a blessing to others, especially to our brothers and sisters in the family of faith!
Note: Planting “good seeds” means releasing the name of Jesus wherever commissioned. Good seeds can be prayer, devoting your time to a cause, helping those in need, spreading the gospel, studying in the secret place to help others gain clarity, speaking wise words, teaching children, and planting seeds of hope and love into the atmosphere. The Lord loves a cheerful giver, and there are some seasons where your time and love are the greatest gifts. Do not grow weary in doing good, for we will reap a harvest at the proper time if we do not give up! Jesus will help you and show you who to help!
We are also called to provide material “blessings” to those in need. God loves small acts of kindness. Give a gift card to someone enduring cancer treatment, provide a hotel stay for those without a home, provide extra to a waiter who is hard at work, contribute to teachers, give to prison ministries, and pay for a single mother’s groceries. The chances to serve are limitless when you participate in Jesus’ way of living. He’s always going to highlight someone in need. They will literally appear right on your doorstep.
“MAKE WAY FOR THE KINGDOM…”
In Mark 1:15, there’s a collision between the old and the new. John the Baptist, a forerunner who paves the way for Jesus, is imprisoned. Jesus has just endured 40 days of testing in the wilderness. He comes out with a new zest and prepares to call His first disciples. A new order has arrived. But first, Jesus announces, “The time has come! The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
The Kingdom of God is active and dynamic and is not controlled by the world. King Jesus rules from the throne of grace. First, Jesus gives two commandments, which are still the same for His people today.
Repent (metanoeō) – turn away from idols and other forms of worship and trust the Lord Jesus. When someone repents, they change their lives for the better. This is the turning point. True repentance requires a change of heart and behavior.
Believe (pisteuete en) – Commit yourself wholeheartedly to the Lord Jesus. The very act of “believing” requires actions that must follow authority.
Right now, we are in the 40 days between Resurrection and Ascension; we are also in the midst of the 50 days between Resurrection Sunday and Pentecost. Change is at hand. Some of you must prepare to set sail into your future! The cargo ships are arriving!
In Romans 15:29, Paul announces that he intends to visit Rome. He says, “I am convinced that when I come to you, I will come packed full and loaded with the blessings of the Anointed One!”
The Greek word pleroma denotes FULLNESS. The term is also used to describe a cargo ship brimming with people and goods! In the Body of Christ, we all make up the Lord’s cargo ships that carry the Gospel of Christ to distant lands and places for more significant commissioning. God’s ways are limitless. The Lord is asking you a question today: will you become a devoted vessel who aims to carry the heart of the Father wherever called? The workers are few, but the harvest is plentiful!
Some of you are God’s pioneer evangelists, called to teach and share the good news to a generation who has become lovers of self and devoted to an “anything goes” mentality. God will give you a unique way to deliver His signs, wonders, and miracles; the power will be displayed through the work of your hands. The Holy Spirit will take over when you surrender all. God will lace the words you speak, write, deliver, create, sing, perform and share in a way that pierces the heart of His people.
“He must become greater, I must become less…” (John 3:30).
A faithful gospel ministry will permeate with the unmistakable aroma of Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit will be released so that only God will get the glory.
“For our gospel came to you not merely in words, but in mighty power infused with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction” (1 Thessalonians 1:5, TPT). Continue to wholeheartedly serve the Father and live transformed lives as a witness of the resurrected King.
We are amid harvest season – an appointed time by God when people rapidly grow in Christ. The “first fruits of the Spirit” (Romans 8:23) will be released through the Lord’s sons and daughters to awaken the land! Transformation is here.
Look how far you have come! Jesus loves you very much and He is PROUD of your endurance! Keep going! God has great hope and a future planned for you! If God is for us, who can ever be against us?! King Jesus always wins!
Here are some directions:
“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” – Exodus 14:14
Look for the rainbow in the sky. God remembers His covenant with you and this will be a sign (Genesis 9:14). A covenant is a binding agreement between two people who work together for a common purpose. When something is bound, it cannot be broken.
Reflect on this verse this week — “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34).
REMEMBER GIDEON IN THIS SEASON
Gideon was threshing wheat down in a hole when the Angel of God appeared to him. God called him a “mighty man of valor” even though Gideon came from the self-proclaimed “weakest tribe!” In Gideon’s sight (and others), he was basically the water boy on a football team and the runt of the litter. He even considered himself the weakest in his own family. His self-esteem was very low, and he lived in a defeated place.
However, God saw him as a warrior! The Lord will tear down your viewpoint of self when you follow Him. He accelerates those in the back to come to the front because you are holy and beloved in His sight!
You are His warrior child!
The Angel of the Lord told Gideon that he would save Israel from the hands of the Midianites and God would be with him! God is still using ordinary people to do extraordinary things even today! He brings victory to His people! Do not fear, and do not give up! God will work wonders through you!
“When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’
“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
The Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’”
In Judges 6, God’s grace and mercy are displayed through persecution. The oppression of the Midianites made God’s people turn back to God. They had started to serve the world and idols, and the Lord had enough. They did whatever pleased them. Before turning back to God, they had to become humbled. After a long season of humiliation, fatigue, unfruitful living, trials and tribulations – the people finally returned to the Lord. After they prayed and cried out to the Lord, He sent a prophet. Then Jesus Himself appeared to Gideon under a tree.
Christians generally believe that when the Old Testament mentions “angel of the Lord” this is Jesus in the flesh (also called a theophany).
Gideon was from the weakest tribe and the smallest and weakest among them. Yet the Lord looks at the heart! Gideon was down in a winepress, doing humiliating work in a sunken place. Most people threshed wheat up on a hill because the wind would help separate the chaff (worthless stuff) and carry it away. Gideon, however, had to do the hard work down in a hole because he was afraid of the Midianites. During the harvest season, the Midianite army would overpower the Israelites and steal all their grain and harvest. So Gideon decided to go low and hide from the enemy to protect the work. Gideon knew quite well that it was easier to work in a higher place, but fear sent him down in the deep. He kept working and then an Angel of the Lord intercepted his life right there in that same place.
Isn’t it interesting that when God calls someone, they are always in a place of working with their hands already? The work is usually not glamorous either. Moses and David tended the smelly sheep. Peter was fishing when Jesus came calling. Elisha was plowing oxen, Ruth was gleaning the leftovers, Paul was making tents, Jesus was constructing and building, Nehemiah was a cupbearer, Lydia was trading purple dyes, and Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress. They weren’t “kings” to society; they were simply doing the work of the common folk, and God used their gifts and talents to change the world.
So there Gideon was, down in a pit, when the Lord appeared and said: “The LORD is with you, a mighty man of valor!” (Judges 6:12). Gideon is called into God’s service, and although he might appear “weak” to others – God put a victorious plan in motion through this man. God chooses the perceived “weak” among the people to change history. Never despise small beginnings. The Lord is going to use you.
God will sometimes appear through something you even fear because it requires you to lean on Him even more. Gideon was called for greatness, but fear of persecution initially paralyzed his potential. God promised Gideon safety, security, and deliverance. The Lord sent signs. Gideon was called to remove idols from the people. It raised persecution and chaos all around him, but Gideon remained faithful. The persecution of his own people eventually built up his faith muscles for an even greater victory against the Midianites.
“The Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon…” (6:34); a supernatural force is at work when this happens. God empowers people for specific assignments to carry out a more significant purpose on His behalf. The Spirit of God will come upon you to carry out the mission He’s commissioned you to do this next season. Wait for Him! You won’t miss it!
THE LORD IS WITH YOU, MIGHTY WARRIOR!
PROPHETIC ENCOURAGEMENT
“The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly.” Isaiah 60:22 NIV
There is a sound of swift change heralding forth in this hour! “Speedily, rapidly, happening quickly or promptly!” The Bridegroom is reawakening His universal body of believers from a deep slumber to usher in a season of abundant favor and supernatural provision.
Some of the Lord’s children who have faithfully and patiently served the Kingdom will now experience a bumper crop of epic proportions.
Bumper Crop – A vast and productive harvest. Jesus told his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38).
Many have been planting seeds of uncertainty for years, and you obediently trusted the Lord without knowing what would eventually grow! He’s going to surprise you! There will be lots of spiritual surplus for those who have faithfully put their hands to the plow and worked for the Kingdom!
This is the turning point, and things will speed up and change swiftly. This is what the Holy Spirit has been speaking to my heart….
We are coming upon a season of God’s appointed times. Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks) is May 25-27, 2023, and Pentecost is May 28. Prophetically, God still speaks on a Hebrew calendar. This is one of the very best times of the year! Some of you have been in a holding position for longer than you expected and endured many trials and tribulations, but the camels are on the horizon! New hope abounds!
Sivan (May 21-June 19, 2023) is the third month of the Hebrew calendar, and the third Hebrew letter is “Gimel” – a picture of a camel. In ancient times, camels arrived bearing treasures, gifts and surprise packages! The Lord is still the best Gift Giver, and He’s coming for you!
Be eager and excited for what might be awaiting….
1 Corinthians 12:4-7
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
Gifts of the Spirit:The power to speak the message of wisdom
The power to speak the word of knowledge and give understanding
Faith (more than just saving faith, but miraculous and superabundant faith! These people have ‘simple trust’ - they take God at His word, period. God gives them the supernatural ability to ignite the same kind of faith in the atmosphere! Many times they are great encouragers!)
Gifts of healing, the power to heal
Power to work miracles
Prophecy (the gift of speaking God’s heart to the people)
Distinguishing between spirits (radical discernment, the ability to distinguish Truth and sound doctrine from false religion, false prophets and deceptive ideology that does not come from Jesus. The gift often highlights the motive. Jesus must always be the center of ministry).
Ability to speak various tongues (languages they’ve never learned) inspired by the Holy Spirit. These are actual languages versus groaning and praying in tongues. It’s usually a free-flowing language that springs forth and comes with the supernatural power of the Spirit! There’s always a purpose for its release; the person with the gift might be called on to speak to someone in their vicinity who speaks the same language, and God has a special message for them. Other times, like in Acts, the language demonstrates God’s supernatural power! For instance, if you start speaking in free-flowing Aramaic without learning the language, it will bring glory to God and help others! It’s a miracle!
Ability to interpret the foreign language and tongues to hearers of the Word. For supernatural tongues to come with power, there must be an interpreter, and God always has a reason for them to be used. When used in the modern church, the gift is used to communicate the Lord’s Word to a person of another language, there would be a purpose, and it would be done in an orderly way (1 Corinthians 14:40).
The Father is constantly releasing extravagant favor on His children, but the month of Sivan is a very special time in the Bible. In the Old Testament, the Lord gave His Word at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19) and the wheat harvest in Lev. 23.
Then, in the New Testament, God gave the gift of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) on the exact day! When we think of gifts, sometimes our minds go straight to financial provisions, but the Holy Spirit brings more fabulous surprises that have an eternal impact! He can bring revelation knowledge to show you precisely what to do, speak new dreams and visions in the night hours and even bring radical healing to your body! He can strengthen your faith and align you with the right people to help move you forward. He can divinely inspire a new business model or bring you a greater level of authenticity so that you can relate to people from all walks of life. And then, the very best gift of all is LOVE. Unconditional love. God is going to saturate your world in love.
Some of you will be "moving from one place to another." This can be physical or in the spirit as you ascend from glory to glory. I'm also hearing "I will level the playing field." Remember, Gideon was down in the winepress when the Angel of God appeared. He was thrust upwards at a moment's notice and put into a place of leadership despite his qualifications. God didn't need to call a town hall meeting to tell others about the change at hand – and the same will happen in your life. God does what He wants to do, period. So "give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you" (1 Peter 5:7). Jesus has your back! Nothing can stop you from becoming all you were created to be!
Prepare! Get ready! A new anointing, breakthrough and transformation will emerge as you transition into God's new order. The Lord has been extremely careful and intentional with you this season to care for you, even in tiny matters. He's never lost sight of you for one second, and what didn't make sense before will soon come into focus.
The most important thing is to receive and get to work and use it! There will be unstoppable acceleration and FAVOR the moment you step forward and get to work for the glory of God! He must be the focus. Begin at the sheep gate and serve those who are spiritually wounded. Minister to the heartbroken and wounded. Give financial provisions to those who need a chance to stand again.
Pray for a fresh wind to envelope your careers, ministries, occupations, skills, talents or abilities and then use the gift Jesus gives you! He will always show you when it's time to move on to something else, but until then, give it your very best!
You are God's rising star! Your next season is here, so get excited! A life-changing opportunity is coming for someone! If you have a strong pull to a specific career, calling or assignment — press in — and do not give up! Do not quit! Fight for what you believe in!
Remember, there is always discomfort and uncertainty between massive periods of transition. You're in the birthing canal of destiny. The Lord says to someone, "I'm going to bring it to you. You don't have to stress, chase, or worry about it. I'm going to bring it to you. Heaven is waiting for you to just trust the Lord Almighty."
When God shows us something, we tend to only have an old frame of reference, but this will be totally different from anything you’ve experienced before. You have to just trust King Jesus more than ever! Some of you are walking into an Ephesians 3:20 moment in time.
Now to Him who can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
It's time to set sail, release your hold on the shoreline, and go deeper into God's ocean of grace. You can rest here and abide in the Father's calming presence. Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. God is doing a new thing; now it springs up! Do you not perceive it?
Soar with the wind!
FEED THE SHEEP
Psalm 100:3
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
A rebuilding season has been unleashed, and the beams are rising! In Nehemiah, every bolt, latch, beam and gate had a purpose. God is very intentional about the way He builds. The plans are delivered, the blueprints are put in place, and now we must pick up the hammers and start to build. Everything Jesus has called you to do is significant and has a mighty purpose. Lives are attached to your obedience.
When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, the city was in ruins. He did a couple things before he started rebuilding.
He prayed and went over the plans with the Lord.
He surveyed the situation. Numerous gates had to be repaired.
The Sheep Gate was the first gate to be rebuilt, and the priests were responsible for it.
Fast forward to John 5 in the New Testament. The Sheep Gate was located near the healing waters where disabled people (blind, lame, paralyzed) gathered. Jesus would soon come along and heal a man crippled for 38 years. It seems the man had no prior knowledge of Jesus, but the Lord went straight after this lost sheep. Jesus saw him lying there and asked, "Do you want to get well?" The man explained his predicament, and Jesus commanded him to "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." The man was healed.
This miracle occurred near the Sheep Gate at Bethesda, meaning "house of mercy" or "house of kindness."
It's fascinating how the Bible weaves together the Old and New Testaments, and the Scriptures are in perfect harmony. In Nehemiah 3, Eliashib, the high priest, was assigned to build the sheep gate with his brethren. It was the entrance to where the animals were brought to the temple for sacrifices.
Jesus Christ then became our high priest, and He is the sacrificial Lamb of God (John 1:29, 1:36). Only through Him can we enter the Kingdom of God. He is the entrance to the House of Mercy and Kindness. Believers of Christ are called sheep all throughout the Bible.
John 10:27-30
Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of."
Before Jesus ascended into Heaven in John 21, He gave Peter a three-fold mission and commission. Jesus asked Peter three times if the disciple loved His Savior and friend? If so, Peter was called to demonstrate that love by caring for Jesus' sheep. Those called to "work" for the Kingdom of God do not have their own sheep. Everyone belongs to Him. Shepherds correct and instruct from a place of love, and we must always guide with a sincere heart like our King.
"Feed My lambs" (v. 15) – The Greek verb used has a broad meaning, reflecting a Christian leader's calling to pasture, nurture, feed, tend and protect the spiritual livelihood of those entrusted in their care.
Some Christians are "babes in Christ" with various understandings of Biblical truths, so they require comfort, care and patience like lambs. The Lord mentioned the lambs first because new believers are the building blocks of the faith. We must never forget to put them first. Jesus loves the lambs because He is the Lamb of God.
"Tend My sheep" (v. 16) – This is the authority of one entrusted to care for the lives of others. The Greek word poimaino means to nourish, supply needs, govern and even tend to the soul's needs.
Peter would later write, "Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers" (1 Peter 5:2).
"Feed My sheep" (v. 16) – By the third time, Peter would have understood that his calling was now to protect and defend God's people. Jesus miraculously provided fish when Peter was first called to be a disciple. That act was repeated with a catch of 153 fish, representing people from every tongue, nation and background. A short time earlier, Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times. Now God is restoring and commissioning him with three directives.
Jesus gives Peter a chance to redeem his three denials with three affirmations of his commitment to the calling. Peter will never forget that he will be called to "feed Jesus' sheep" for the rest of his life. It will come with great persecution and even martyrdom, but Peter will help lay the church's foundation as we know it. The point? Two thousand years later, the body of Christ is still alive and well, and God places people – like you – at a specific place and moment in time to keep the movement going. Your life is not an accident. Your calling is not an accident. Your skills, talents, platform and life's passions are not accidental. All of it is to be used to feed the lambs, tend the sheep and feed the sheep. God has called you to provide for and protect His people.
The Lord often works through the mundane and the mud. Caring for sheep is not glamorous. It won't earn appreciation or applause. It requires one to show up each day and do the small things. Feeding takes work. Sinful behavior and misdirection can cost "lambs" their lives, so leaders must take their calling very seriously. One word delivered, teaching explained, or a loving comment expressed can genuinely change a person's life. FEED THE SHEEP.
The Spirit of God wants us to remember that salvation is a benefits package. We're not just trying to get to Heaven, but we can walk in victory now. With Jesus, we really do live in fullness. God is here to set us free and walk with the spirit of liberation to minister to the wounded, heartbroken and those bound by oppression. God chose you! You're His Gideon.
Ephesians 4:12 is a mandate for your life: “Their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their ministry works; as they do this, they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ.”
It's time to set sail. It's time to allow the wind of the Holy Spirit to carry you into the deep waters with the Father.
You've reached the threshold season = a crossover point, an entrance into something new. It can be a place, a moment, or a season of time.
You already know that God is preparing you and He’s been doing deep work in your life. Now you have arrived at the threshold when everything is unleashed in rapid order. A threshold season can draw you closer to the Holy Spirit, and you'll desire to linger and abide in His presence for longer. He will illuminate your heart to understand deeper spiritual truths. There will be signs and stirrings all around you. It might feel uncomfortable as the Lord pushes you out of your comfort zone. The winepress had a purpose, but you are destined for leadership now. As you move forward, here are some things to remember.
Pray and just talk to the Lord often because He loves you. He absolutely loves time together!
Release the past. Ruth would have missed her current season if she had held onto her old identity. She was ready to enter unfamiliar territory and decided to take the first step toward her future when she left everything she knew and walked towards the future. She was willing to get dirty, work and collect the scraps. Ruth humbled herself and didn’t care who ridiculed her because there was no one else to care for her and Naomi. She was in her place of purpose when Boaz noticed her. Ruth’s destiny came into focus. Keep working! Your Kinsman Redeemer will spot you in the field!
Your greatest battle yet might be ahead of you, and it might not be what you think. You might have to defeat yourself. Old mindsets, fears and even bloodline issues must be broken. The Lord will do whatever is needed to get you in His perfect alignment. There is a TRUTH worth fighting for (this is BIG); in the Book of Jude, he reminds the believers "to vigorously defend and contend for the beliefs that we cherish" (v. 3).
You made it to the Door. God pushed you to the Door, and it's been a journey for years. Sometimes you had to crawl along this narrow path of life. Other times you clawed out of the pit of despair to get back on the track. In some seasons, you rested. Other times you sprinted with the wind of the Holy Spirit thrusting you ahead. Then slow and steady, you found a safe place with Jesus. To actually cross the threshold, it will require extreme trust, extreme surrender, and the hand of God at work. Walk in expectation, be humble and just believe. Sometimes you seek out a calling; other times, God brings it to you. There is a Door open in front of you.
The Father keeps repeating, "Safe, secure." This is the theme of Psalm 91. God is portrayed as a bird, sheltering young chicks under His wings like a loving Parent. He shall cover you with His feathers of protection; there is nothing to fear. God is your refuge and strength. You can abide and rest under His mighty wings. Abba Father is protecting you! Do not be afraid!
GOD IS OUR PROTECTOR
PSALM 91, GNT
Whoever goes to the Lord for safety,
whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty, can say to him,
“You are my defender and protector.
You are my God; in you I trust.”
He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers
and from all deadly diseases.
He will cover you with his wings;
you will be safe in his care;
His faithfulness will protect and defend you.
You need not fear any dangers at night
or sudden attacks during the day
or the plagues that strike in the dark
or the evils that kill in daylight.
A thousand may fall dead beside you,
ten thousand all around you,
but you will not be harmed.
You will look and see how the wicked are punished.
You have made the Lord your defender,
the Most High your protector,
and so no disaster will strike you,
no violence will come near your home.
God will put his angels in charge of you
to protect you wherever you go.
They will hold you up with their hands
to keep you from hurting your feet on the stones.
You will trample down lions and snakes,
fierce lions and poisonous snakes.
God says, “I will save those who love me
and will protect those who acknowledge me as Lord. When they call to me, I will answer them;
when they are in trouble, I will be with them.
I will rescue them and honor them.
I will reward them with a long life;
I will save them.”
