 Ephesians 6:14 (NKJV): “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth.”
When Paul tells us to gird our waist with truth, he is not just talking about the truth of God’s word. That is already in his lineup of God’s armor. He is talking about operating in truth in our lives—all truth in all things.  The Lord has been speaking to me in a very soft and subtle way recently; one prominent way is the transformation He is revealing through creation. I believe this same type of transformation has happened, is happening, and will continue to happen in all of us. The flower you see accompanying this writing is an amaryllis.
 As I was sitting outside under the covering of a Gazebo in prayer and meditation with the Lord in Hawaii, I was amazed at how God created Oahu‘s watering system. On a normal day in Oahu, it rains about 2 billion gallons of water. 1/3 of this water runs off into the ocean. 1/3 of this water is soaked up by the trees and vegetation, and 1/3 of this water sinks into the aquifer, deep below the island.
 Desperate for more
Awaken my soul Prick my heart Wake up my soul Where I live, in the Appalachian hills and valleys, or "hollers" as we West Virginians call hollows, edible goodies are tucked away in the nooks and crannies, scattered all throughout the land.  As you read this meditation, consider these two verses: “Adam and his wife were both naked and felt no shame.” (Gen 2:25) Here we read and witness God’s intention for marriage. This verse is directly followed by “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord had made. (Gen 3:1) Just six verses later we read, “Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realized they were naked. (Gen 3:7)
 This morning, I was walking through thanksgiving to the Lord for specific blessings He has poured out throughout my life. He brought to my attention many times when He was having mercy on me in various seasons of my life when I was trying to get it right and obey, and yet sometimes failing and falling (especially in my early adult years). God was merciful with me.
 This morning in prayer, a spirit of repentance came over me and sorrow for my own sin and others’ sin. I wasn’t aware of a particular sin that I had committed; but a great awareness came over me of sin which I was not aware or could not see. As I was looking over the land and the nation in the Spirit, I saw that there are actions of obedience that each person could have made, that were like strategic dominos, effecting far greater results over a period of time, than anyone on earth could imagine.
 “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:17)
Abide forever means live forever, but it means more. It means those who do the will of God will stand forever, will remain forever, will live in God forever, will endure forever, will be strong forever. Those who do the will of God are sustained by His absolute eternal staying power to remain alive and active on the scenes of eternity and all that’s on the horizon of forever.  When you build, first you must build the foundation.
When you plant, first you must prepare the soil. When you travel, first you must secure a vehicle of travel. There have been many in the kingdom who plant and water seed, but do little to prepare the soil. Therefore, they suffer loss of a harvest or significant diminishment of a harvest.  If you have what you need for the day, you have what you need. Be careful not to get caught up in the trap of “never enough” Do not say I need more. Instead, be faithful with what you have been given, and you will be given more.
Throughout time, if the farmer needed a greater harvest of corn, he saved out more seed corn and sowed the corn as seed. Those who fall into the trap of saying they do not have enough, usually spend their time consuming their seed corn and asking for more; and thus, sowing less. There is nothing wrong with asking for more. But we are instructed to cooperate with God in our obedience and sowing. |