Good Morning Holy Spirit! Let your presence fill this place as you grace me with your sweetness.


Only one thing is profitable and that my friend is sitting at the feet of Jesus. He brings so much life to you and he refocuses your eyes on things that are important.

My heart is stirred to know you better.

Keep yourself still and know me as God. Settle your thoughts, your desires, and your fears for the future.

Think about my character, my unchangeable goodness. You keep me in perfect peace because my thoughts are stayed on you. At this moment, at this time there is no doubt only complete trust.

I Peter 5:5-10

Vs5

Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

To clothe yourself speaks of action. I think it is a decision to walk in humility, of course with the Holy Spirit’s help. The very thought of God opposing me is frightening. Think about that for a moment. That puts a little fear of the LORD into being proud or it should anyway. I like the part where it says He gives grace to the humble. Grace here is defined as being an empowerment from the Holy Spirit to meet this evil tendency (pride) and all others fully.

Vs 6

Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you

This is what we are to do. We are to be meek and unassuming thinking more highly of others than we do of ourselves. This is not being unhealthy and it is not having low self-esteem. It is walking in gentleness and meekness the way Jesus did. He is our great example of humility. He walked in perfect love towards people even though he was God in the flesh.

He will exalt or lift us up in due season. What does that look like? I think it is working things out for us in every situation; causing all things to work together for good. Also, it feels good to honor one another, showing respect and gratitude.

Vs7

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you

I can hear the Father saying, “Child, throw it to me. It’s much too heavy for you to bear.”

You were not equipped to carry this load of anxiety, worry and cares. Our Father cares for us! I was thinking today about the crazy love we have for our new granddaughters. It’s very similar to the love we feel for our own children. I guess I never thought I could love so deeply. Recently as I was pondering my relationship with God, He broke into my thoughts. “I love you more than what you feel for your children and grandchildren. I know you perfectly inside and out. I want to meet you early and just spend time with you the same way you did with them.”

WOW! Doesn’t it feel really good when you know you are held in special esteem by someone?

He cares! What a great Father we have.

Vs 8

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

We are told by Peter in this passage of scripture to be self-controlled and alert. This says to me to not let my guard down.

Be conscious of your actions, staying completely submitted to God.

What makes our minds fuzzy and confused?

Different things to each of us, I am sure.

For me it is:

• Watching too much television.
• Spending too much time in soulish conversation.
• Computer time

I think anything that preoccupies our time and our thinking can cause our minds to become spiritually dull.

Balance is the key word here as well as moderation.

You do not want to be taken off guard. For me it manifests in impatience with my husband. Also doubt, fear, and unbelief are big ones that I have to guard against.

Why are we admonished to be self-controlled and alert?

We absolutely do not want the enemy to get a foothold into our thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

We are warned over and over in scripture to guard our hearts and our eyes.

Vs 9

Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

We have been given amazing and effective tools to defeat the enemy:

• Holy Spirit living inside of us
• Powerful Name of JESUS
• Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God
• Grace which is an enabling power from the Holy Spirit

We are not alone in our battles! We are part of the beautiful Body of Christ! We are living in the Kingdom of God with great Kingdom benefits!

Vs 10

And the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself establish, strengthen, settle and perfect you.

He has all the grace, as much as we need, when we need it.

Start asking him for it when you are struggling with attitudes or when you are tempted.

Grace is real and tangible! I can literally feel its power covering me when I need it. It is peaceful and has a sense of well being. It is being covered with a blanket of strength in the midst of chaos and stress.

The 10th verse goes on to say we are called to his eternal glory in Christ.

What on earth does that mean?

We are called to experience Christ’s power and goodness forever. We are partaking of this heavenly goodness now and forever.

That even though we suffer through various trials and afflictions we are called to greatness in Christ!

Jesus Himself will:

• Establish us
• Strengthen us
• Settle us
• Perfect us

Beginning now and continuing forever and ever!

I have incredible hope for my future and for yours!

An excerpt from my journal and a quiet time with the LORD:

My desire, my great hope is for you to need me desperately. I want interaction with you. My heart is stirred within me when I hear you say, “Father I need you!” “I can’t do this on my own!”

II Chronicles 20:12, 15, 17
O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you. He said: Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.

Our position is abiding in Jesus, and entering the rest of God!

There is an authority that Christ has given to us as believers a few examples of this is:

Matthew 16:19
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

John 20:23
If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.

Luke 9:1
When Jesus had called the twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Christ said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, Go and make disciples of all nations.”

I believe the church has become too independent of Christ. Yes, I strongly believe in knowing who we are in Christ. In fact my husband and I are teaching a Bible study on this very topic. It is necessary for the converted believer to renew their minds and become transformed in their thinking. This brings us great stability and balance to our lives. But, even as I was pondering these truths I looked up the great commission and found that I was misquoting it. I was thinking, all authority was given to me meaning the church. In truth Jesus was saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth was given to me, now go and make disciples of all nations.”

John 17:20-22
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one.

We also walk in this shared authority because we are one with the Father and with Jesus. Keep in mind it is shared, not autonomous.

There are times when we are definitely called to intercessory prayer. I had a few days this week where I needed to pray in the Spirit and also was praying the word of God out loud. It was a battle coming against my mind. I am usually very stable in my thoughts, but beginning on Sunday my mind was racing with thoughts. Suspicion, doubt and fear were coming against me furiously. I began praying against it in the authority that I share with Jesus. I then had a good friend and my husband pray for me. Sometimes, I can battle and see results this time I needed help.

There are also times when we are to stand in what we know to be true, and let the LORD battle for us. This is entering the rest of the LORD.

Exodus 14:14
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still
Oh my goodness! How many of us can receive this word from the LORD?
This truly requires an incredible amount of trust. You need to know and become very familiar with the LORD. When you really know his character you are able to rest and let him take care of you.

II Chronicles 32:8
With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us fight our battles. And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the King of Judah said.

Let me say this again. Our position is abiding in Jesus and entering the rest of God!

In the past three years I have had two very difficult jobs. I was persecuted terribly by co-workers to the point where I heard the LORD say, “Enough” The situations had to do with gross injustices in the work place. The first job the LORD suddenly removed me from it, and the second job He removed the person who was causing the hostile work environment. She had been with the company for eight years, but was removed because she was so hostile towards me. Amazing, how we do not have to battle in the natural. God is a mighty warrior.

Isaiah 30:15-18
“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’ Therefore you will flee! You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses,’ Therefore your pursuers will be swift! A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee away, till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.” Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!


Psalm 147:10-11
His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Let us repent this day of being independent of the LORD. We cannot live in this world without abiding in Him! Let us repent of our spiritual arrogance. Apart from Christ I can do nothing!

Let us enter the rest of the LORD…ceasing from our own labors and being co-laborers with Him!