Holy Spirit, I welcome you. Speak to my heart; treasures from Heaven.

*
I am opening up beautiful pathways into the heavenly realms. Still yourself once again and listen

I am singing, I am singing
singing for the King of Kings.
I am singing, I am singing
singing for the King of Kings

Bring forth shouts of joy
Bring forth shouts of joy

For the Great King
For the Great King
He has defeated our foe!

Psalm 20:1-8 Amplified Version
May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high (and defend you); Send your help from the sanctuary and support, refresh, and strengthen you from Zion; Remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice. (Selah) pause and think of that! May He grant you according to your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans. We will (shout in) triumph at your salvation and victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; He will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. Some trust in and boast of chariots and some of horses, but we trust in and boast of the name of the Lord our God. They are bowed down and fallen, but we are risen and stand upright. O Lord, give victory; let the King answer us when we call.

This is an amazing declaration from King David. It speaks volumes of his relationship with God. He had been anointed King of Israel, but the present King named Saul would not step aside from his throne. To make matters worse, Saul was relentlessly pursuing David to kill him. So, we can safely say David needed to be encouraged in the LORD. There are times when we are going to have to press in and declare as David did in Psalm 20; the Lord is my strength! Life is difficult and there are many assaults on it, but we can walk in strength and in the favor of the Lord!

2 Samuel 22:50-51 Amplified Version
For this I will give thanks and extol You, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name. He is a Tower of salvation and great deliverance to His king, and shows loving-kindness to His anointed, to David and his offspring forever.

I read this entire chapter in 2 Samuel, and I would recommend that you take some time to study it in completion. It is again a declaration of victory by David when the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. We are included in this blessing as we are David’s offspring; we are accepted in Christ at salvation!

Thank you Father: For your great examples of strength put forth on behalf of your servant David and also us! I delight in you; I rejoice in you, I will extol your name forever! Your praise will continually be in my mouth. Who is God that He thinks of me? He is great and powerful; Awesome in his deeds for man!

*
I will bestow honor and favor where it is due~
Rejoice~ be filled with joy!
I have overtaken the plow and the one sowing the seed.
A great harvest is coming!
A great expansion is coming!
Sowing the word of the Lord brings great fruit and bounty.

Amos 9:13-15
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.

I know that this is a promise to the nation of Israel, but I receive it also! I say to you the days are coming that you will see your petitions, your intercessions being answered by the Lord. The cries of your heart for a broken humanity satisfied with God’s heart manifested in them. New wine represents being filled to overflowing with the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit. The broken people torn by the enemy will be whole again. Once they were alienated from God; but now they are being brought back into relationship with Him. These precious people made in the image of their Creator will once again have hope! They will begin to rebuild what has been destroyed by the enemy. The outcome of all of these beautiful promises is fruit. We were all created in God for good works! I can speak from experience; having been very torn and broken. I am restored completely! This is God’s heart’s desire for his creation. He wants us whole, complete and fruit bearing. In response to his word, God says to our enemy, “Never again to be uprooted!”

Good Morning Holy Spirit—
You have awakened me with your voice; “Come away, come away!”


Open my ears to hear your truth. Open my heart to more understanding.


*
I have a gift for you today. It is the gift of absolution. You have held on for too long. Let go of the obligation that you have felt; to hold things together. Release it all to me. The past obligations, the present obligations and the ones in the future need to be released to me. Your healing will quickly appear.
*

Wow! Holy Spirit is amazing. I love my kingdom life!

I feel I should give a little background at this point in writing of this sweet encounter. I have been experiencing a condition called gastritis. It is an inflammation of the stomach lining. I have had this condition for about 5 years, but it has become acute in the past few months. I experience nausea and burning in my stomach, and my appetite is very poor. I recently underwent tests and they concurred with a previous diagnosis of gastritis. I have been seeking the LORD for my healing and have felt very strongly that it was coming, as there is not a significant way to get relief from this.

So, after a not so great night of nausea and the like, I am awakened by a familiar voice beckoning me to come away.

He said, “A gift of absolution.“ My first thought is, “What could you mean?’ So, I grab the Webster’s dictionary and look the word up. I was raised Catholic and had some understanding of what it means to be absolved.

Absolution: To loosen from. a formal freeing from guilt or obligation.

Immediately, I have understanding into what is being said to me by Holy Spirit. To be absolved from something implies a setting free from responsibilities or obligations. I am a peacemaker. I have always been active in conflict resolution. I have been this way from the time I was old enough to speak. I take on things I have no business taking on. One of those things was not my doing though. It was spoken over me at conception and was repeated time and time again.

I was born to middle aged parents in 1959. They were not excited about a sixth child. But of course being Catholic they would go through with the pregnancy. My mom went to her priest to discuss her unenthusiastic discovery. She was with child at the age of thirty-nine. The Priest told her, “She may be the very one who takes care of you in your old age.” That statement in itself isn’t damaging, and I wouldn’t say it was a curse, but it became a chain around my neck. It was spoken over me many times over the years. I think it is called manipulation. So, unknowingly I took this obligation to heart. I carried it for many years. My husband and I even moved in with my parents in their elderly years and cared for them. I am not saying that caring for your aging parents is a bad thing. It is good as long as you are doing it from a heart of love. I loved my parents, but I think I was operating from an obligation spoken over me.

So, getting back to this morning and the encounter with Holy Spirit; I began to pray. I released any preconceived, self-imposed obligations from my past; releasing all guilt for falling short in loving from a pure heart and a pure motive. I broke free from those words spoken over me many years ago. I did all of this in the authority given in Jesus Name. I also dealt with the present, because unhealthy lifestyles are repeated and repeated for generations. I don’t want this to go any further. I submitted all future dealings with people to Holy Spirit. He is able to teach me how to love without being obliged in any area.

I love the people of God and do not in any way think it’s a burden to serve. Please hear my heart on this subject. There is healthy service, bearing one another’s burdens, being Christ to them. This is good! What Holy Spirit was addressing in me was something I unknowingly took upon myself. This was not good. I was in bondage. This was slavery!

Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Wow! I am so thankful for Jesus! He is faithful to his children, and will not let us stay in our old mindsets. I spent a few hours this morning listening, releasing, and appropriating. The result is freedom in Christ.

John 8:31-36
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

We are sons and daughters of the King if we have believed in Jesus. I no longer want to live in any form of slavery! Some forms of slavery I have willingly walked in to; others I have unknowingly found myself in. Holy Spirit knows all things and is our advocate. He promises to lead us into all truth! I am so thankful!

Psalm 107:1-2
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say this, those he redeemed from the hand of the foe!

So, after appropriating what Holy Spirit was saying to me; I remembered he said, “My healing would quickly appear.”

Isaiah 58:6-9
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen; to loose the chains of the injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter, when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away form your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer.

The above passage of scripture says it all. This is the heart of our Father and because I am made in his image and I desire to do what He says, it is likewise my heart!

I am excited about walking in good health! Presently, I am feeling none of the symptoms of gastritis! I plan on walking in this healing.

Good Morning Father!

I am thinking about all the different times you have spoken to me, and that started me thinking about how you spoke to some of the Patriarchs of the Bible. You are so relational, wanting to communicate to us your love, your affirmation, and your desires for our lives!

Abraham was a great man of God. We all know that. Let us look at how God began speaking to him. In the beginning he was called Abram. Later because of his faith in God his name was changed to Abraham signifying that he would be the father of many nations.

Abram was the son of Terah. They were from the land of Ur. I believe this is present day Iraq. We are not told why, but Terah set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to take his family to live in Canaan. I believe Terah was being directed by the unseen God, because God had a plan that was to be orchestrated through Terah’s son Abram. This reminds me of a scripture in Proverbs.

Proverbs 20:1
The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.

When they came to Haran, they settled there.

Genesis 12:1-4
The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So, Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him.

The LORD singled Abram out and began speaking to him of his purpose in life. He was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. When God speaks to his children, faith is imparted in a remarkable way. Abram left all that was familiar to him. His country and culture, his people, and its pagan worship.

Why?

To follow the One true God who had given him incredible hope for his future!

Hebrews 11:8-10
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

God always speaks with an end in mind and it involves his purposes and plans for our lives.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

These plans are prepared in advance! Our part in following these plans is to seek the Father, listen to what he tells us and then to be obedient.

God had such an amazing plan for Abraham’s life that would stretch throughout generations! Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.
It is because of Abraham trusting and believing God that I and many other people have come into the kingdom.

Ruth is another person in our Judeo-Christian heritage. She was grafted into the vine in an interesting way. Ruth was from the country of Moab. Moab was one of the sons of Lot. The Moabites were a pagan people involved in idolatry and worshiped many gods. Elimelech and Naomi moved from Judah with their two sons to live in Moab because of a famine in their land. Elimelech died and Naomi was left with her two sons to live in Moab. They married Moabite women. Ten years later both of these sons died. Naomi decided to return to Judah once the famine was over. She encouraged both of her daughters-in-law to stay with their people in Moab. Orpah listened to her mother-in-law and stayed in her homeland, but Ruth would not give up. Ruth made a declaration to her mother-in-law found in the book of Ruth.

Ruth 1:16-17
But Ruth replied; don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”

I love this passage of scripture! A portion of it is engraved in my wedding band. Ruth is making a declaration of commitment to Naomi, yes, but also to her LORD. I believe Ruth was converted during her marriage to Naomi’s son. God made himself known to her. She renounced her pagan upbringing turning to the God of Israel. In the above passage of scripture she declares him as LORD. Ruth knew him! Faith rose in her heart, and she was filled with faith and declared,” Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.” Ruth found great favor in Judah and went on to marry into what would be the lineage of our Savior Jesus Christ! Wouldn’t you say that God had an amazing plan for this little Moabite girl? He singled her out and began to speak destiny to her. It is through Ruth’s faith and testimony that I believe today.

As I think about all the men and women in the Bible, I am smiling on the inside and out. They delight my heart because of their faith and trust in this unseen God.

• Moses with his awkward low self-esteem was really a Deliverer.
• Gideon hid in the winepress to thresh the wheat in fear of the Midianites, when God saw him as a mighty warrior.
• God singled out Esther, an insignificant Hebrew girl, living in a time of great persecution to deliver her people.

Then there are my favorites such as Nehemiah, Isaiah, Hosea, and Zerubbabel. All were average men who took the time to listen to God and obey Him! What amazing exploits they all did because they stepped out in what they knew God was planning for them. His purposes took precedence over their own thoughts, ambitions, and desires. When God begins to share his heart for humanity with us; we become passionate to do what he is asking us to do. There is a burning in our hearts; we are compelled to do it.

John 16:13-15
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

We are no different than these men and women of God. Seemingly insignificant but filled with the same Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. God is speaking and sometimes whispering in our ears. Go this way-

Isaiah 30:21
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, this is the way, walk in it.

The LORD longs to be gracious to us. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are so relational. Their desires run deep, for their children. We desire good things for our natural and spiritual children. In the same way God longs for us to be fulfilled in Him, but so much more.
He has specific purpose for each of us individually. So, if we have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying to us, He will enlarge our thinking. Go here….and do this…..

This is a word I received in my quiet time on September 20 of this year.
I have captured your heart as you have sought after mine. Steady yourself and learn from me. I have so much to share with you. Be steadfast in all that you do. Learn from me. I only followed the Father and did what he told me to do. Follow this example.

Jesus is the Son of God and yet He always met His Father early and received His directives from Him. We should do likewise!

Colossians 2:2-3

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.





Holy Spirit….. I am asking for all of these things!

• The full riches of complete understanding
• To know the mystery of God, whom is Christ
• Reveal the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ

I know that all the promises are yes and amen to all who believe!
I have expectation of more revelation!
You are giving me a more complete understanding of who Christ is and, I am determined to do my part by digging these nuggets out of your precious Word!

A word from the Lord after my prayer above:

It’s yours! When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you. It is my good pleasure to reveal Christ to you in ever increasing fullness. There are many facets to God Almighty! If you lived to be very old you would only scratch the service of his complete goodness. Seek after the Many-faceted One as if you were seeking after a lost treasure. You will not be disappointed or turned away!

Let’s look at the word complete as it pertains to understanding in the preceding verse.
One definition of complete is, thorough or perfect, lacking none of the parts; full; whole; entire.
I want that kind of perfect understanding! Don’t you? I can think of at least ten things right now that I need better. No, not better, I want perfect, complete understanding. The Lord says in the above scripture that he wants us to have the full riches of complete understanding!

Psalm 147:5
Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

This understanding that is available to all of us who are His children, well it’s limitless!
I can keep asking, and asking, and asking. He does not grow weary of our questions. He delights in us coming to him.

Matthew 7:7-8 Amplified version
Keep on asking and it will be given to you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking and the door will be opened. For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, the door will be opened.

Sometimes I feel less than equipped to write these cassia offerings. I quip, “I am not educated enough.” I don’t entertain that thought, and other thoughts we won’t mention in this blog. I have this “knowing” that it is not me entirely. It is not just me. Holy Spirit inspires me when I sit down for my quiet times with Him. He imparts understanding of the scriptures and then I write!

Psalm 119:130-131
The entrance of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands.

He…the Lord, the Holy One, the Many-faceted One, gives understanding of the scriptures and then I write. You may not enjoy writing like I do, but we all need understanding of so many things pertaining to life.

This understanding in the above scripture was given so that we would know the mystery of God, namely Christ.

How do we know Christ?
To know someone implies intimacy. In Biblical history to know someone meant you had sexual relations with that person. One of the definitions of the word know, simply means to be acquainted or familiar with.

Some ways of getting to know Christ is by spending time with him. Communication is essential to building a strong relationship. The Apostle Paul compared Christ’s relationship with the Church to the marriage relationship, in Ephesians chapter five. Include him in your decision making, hence ask and keep on asking.

And, of course studying the scriptures is essential to knowing him; it also shows us how he lived his life. Jesus said that He sent the Holy Spirit to help us. Fellowship with the Holy Spirit is vital to knowing Christ. In 1 Corinthians Chapter two the author talks about how the Holy Spirit searches the deep things of God and reveals them to us.

My favorite part of this scripture is the final sentence. Let’s look at it. “In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” We can rephrase that. In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

This is where we get to dig for the hidden treasure that is available to all of us who believe.

God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him. Who? In Christ all the fullness of God Almighty dwells. Oh my goodness! This is exciting, because we have access to all that fullness through Christ! I love wisdom, I ask for it always. When I think of all the things I need, wisdom is at the top of my list.Wisdom is the power to judge rightly and following the soundest course of action, based on knowledge, experience, understanding, etc. It is having good judgment. I am so thankful that I had access to this hidden treasure as I was raising my children! We can’t go it alone and be successful in life. I am very dependent on Jesus!

I am going to close this rather lengthy cassia offering with two short parables Jesus told to his followers.

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

I believe this with all my heart. And I live in expectancy of incredible hidden treasures in my life. This amazing walk we have with Jesus in his kingdom of love is full to overflowing with surprises and discoveries for us.

To name just a few:

• Special encounters with people…including salvations, walking them through physical and emotional healings,
• Speaking words of encouragement at just the right time.
• Blessing someone financially or preparing a meal for a family.
• Finding incredible revelation in the scriptures
• Connecting with the heart of Jesus during worship.
• Having the knowledge to solve difficult problems
• Knowing the cure for cancers of all kinds.
• Creativity of all kinds, including painting, writing, singing, song writing, playing an instrument, dances.
• For me, having the Holy Spirit download a children’s story in my dreams.

Last year my husband and I went to a writer’s conference in California. A large church hosted it and the keynote speaker was the author of “The Shack”, William P. Younge. He was truly a humble man. After he spoke to an audience of probably a thousand people, he came down into the audience to pray with people. I witnessed him embracing someone as he prayed on their behalf. He was given that incredible book by the Holy Spirit. Yes, it was based on a true life tragedy that would have broken most people but God turned this tragedy into a treasure for him.

That same week during the conference Holy Spirit gave me back a beautiful memory that I had blocked out for many years. My husband and I are co-authoring this little memory that has been turned into an amazing story of redemption! I believe with all my heart that God has given me a treasure in this book. I am so excited and looking forward to its completion.

That is the amazing God Almighty that we serve!
Seek him and keep on seeking him! He will be found by you!

I was listening to a worship song on the way to work, and several scriptures were kicking around in my mind. I began pondering, meditating on the goodness of our God. His Sovereignty was the theme that was at the forefront and as always was bringing peace and joy to my heart.

Psalm 29:10-11
The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; The LORD is enthroned as King forever. The LORD gives strength to his people; The LORD blesses his people with peace.

I love the fellowship I have with Holy Spirit! He is forever my friend, my ally. All I have to do is begin talking to him and he typically responds. There is a familiarity that is comfortable. Like my husband or close friend, he is my companion.

When I read a scripture like the one in Psalm 29, I am taken aback by it. I stop and reread it and say to myself, “whoa” I am not familiar with this!

Who is this, that sits above natural disaster? Who is this, who is King forever?

This is a healthy Fear of the LORD! I believe we need a good steady dose of it! Why? Knowing who God is, and what He is capable of doing, puts our lives in proper perspective. This doesn’t negate who we are in Christ or our authority as co-laborers. It actually works together beautifully.

I operate in this kingdom of love by faith, as Holy Spirit leads me into all kinds of kingdom stuff.
I rest knowing my Father God is sovereign, and has the best in mind for others and me.

Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you, when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

How many of you in recent times have felt the waters of life were overtaking you? Issues of life have been rather difficult in this season, and I have cried out, “save me!” This is an amazing promise of deliverance. I believe God is there lifting me up and saying to those waters of circumstance, abate! Abate!

Mark 4:38-39
Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

Jesus said to me recently as I was crying out to him. “I will take care of you and I will see you through this situation; just know who I am. I am everything you need me to be at any given time in your life.”

Then he said these words, “ Still yourself child.”

Psalm 37:7
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him

Psalm 46:10
Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

I can trust that God is over all circumstances in life! I don’t have to be in fear of our government, any foreign government, bad decisions, good decisions, and the earth quaking in many regions, floods, famines, and pestilences, nuclear, and biological warfare.
I need to know my God; and then I need to still myself before him. Rest comes when faith is put into action.

Isaiah 30:15
This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength

Again the LORD says to me, “Quiet yourself and trust me. Think upon my character. I am the warrior you need. I am the gentle shepherd directing you “this way,” I am the roar of the lion when the enemy gets too close.

In the quietness and trust of your heart rests you salvation. Salvation is many things including our eternal security when we put our trust in him. It is also, deliverance from strongholds of addiction, incessant doubt and fear. Really it encompasses anything we have need of regarding life.

Jesus has set us above and not beneath the issues of life, all we need to do is to know him, trust him and still ourselves. He is faithful and will come through for us!

Psalm 5:11-12 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.




As the armies of nations came against Jerusalem and are still threatening her, I stand mighty and strong to deliver! I declare that I will deliver her! I am faithful to the covenant I have made with Israel. I will also be faithful to you and your descendants. You do not have nations assaulting you, but you have demonic and soulish forces pressing in on you. I say to you that I will be strong and mighty on your behalf. Cry out to me as Isaiah and King Hezekiah did so many years ago. I will send my angels to have charge over you. You will come forth victorious!

I Chronicles 16:15
He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations.

I was struggling this week with attitudes of my heart that were not pleasing to me or to my Father. I began by confessing known and unknown sin. Holy Spirit is able to search my heart and reveal what is known and what is hidden from me. I found great solace in His Presence and His word. I love searching the Old Testament for real life situations that tell of a surrendered heart and a willing God. I found such as that this week. I studied the life of Moses, but who really caught my attention was King Hezekiah! I would like to share out of 2 Chronicles Chapters 29-32.

King Ahaz was Hezekiah’s father and preceded him as King of Judah. Ahaz did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD. He was an idolater and engaged in many evil practices during his reign. Ahaz did away with the furnishings of the Temple and shut it’s doors.

Hezekiah became King of Judah, after the death of Ahaz his father. Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The scripture tells us that in the first month of his reign, King Hezekiah reopened the temple doors and repaired them. It is always interesting to see what our President does the first few days of his presidency. I believe it says a lot about his morals, his character, and his agenda that has been mostly hidden through out his campaign. King Hezekiah did not waste any time. This was priority to him! He had lots of wisdom for a man of twenty-five. I believe he had to have had a godly mother who taught him how his father David loved and served the God of Israel.

Hezekiah knows of the many regulations of getting the temple reopened. He calls for the priests and the Levites to consecrate themselves. He gives orders to refurnish the temple.

2 Chronicles 29:10-11
Now I intend to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. My sons do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense.

He knows how to get in right standing with God. He desires peace in his kingdom. He has lived in chaos and oppression for too long. His father openly welcomed spiritual darkness by his evil practices. He states I am going to make a covenant with God. He knows God’s character is good and just. He wants his favor! He is beseeching the priests, and the Levites to do their jobs.

The priests and the Levites were obedient to the King’s requests. They did everything according to the Law. They slaughtered goats and presented the blood as atonement for the sins of Israel. The Levites sang and worshipped the LORD. This was part of consecrating themselves, and then it was time to bring thank offerings to the LORD.

2 Chronicles 29:35-36
So the service of the temple of the LORD was reestablished. Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly.

Look at this beautiful picture of redemption. Let’s bring this into New Covenant for a better understanding. We come before the LORD soiled with sin; we apply the blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. We are forgiven. We worship Him because he is so worthy to be loved and praised. He inhabits our praises and we experience more release of our bondage. We are overflowing with gratitude because of his mercy and sweet deliverance. This is readily available to all of us who call on his Name!

The LORD spoke this to me in my quiet time before him:
Quiet yourself with love. Love covers a multitude of sin. Love covers.

2 Chronicles 31:20-21
This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God. In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.

This hit me hard as I read Hezekiah’s story this week. He did everything he knew to do that pleased God. The word says, “and so he prospered.”

2 Chronicles 32:1
After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah.

Wow! What on earth could this mean? God saw Hezekiah’s faithfulness and his wholehearted worship. He prospered him. He allowed the King of Assyria to invade Judah. That doesn’t seem to fit in the flow of this sentence. Yet, it is there in 2 Chronicles as big as you please. This is such an amazing testimony of how Hezekiah was definitely tested and how he did not waver. I believe with all my heart that God is more concerned about perfecting our faith than making life easy for us.

I Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith- of which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Can we all agree with this scripture? Well, it’s not always easy when you are suffering grief in all kinds of trials. I believe it’s hard to say thank you LORD for perfecting my faith during the process, but oh how sweet when we come out on the other side. I can honestly say thank you for all that I have been through. I would not be the woman I am today apart from the hardships, trials, sorrows, and disappointments of my life.

Let’s get back to Hezekiah’s story for just a bit longer.

2 Chronicles 32:7-8
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of the flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles. And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

This is such a proclamation of faith! He encouraged or imparted courage to his people. He stated so profoundly, the king of Assyria was coming against them with the arm of the flesh but the nation of Israel had the LORD God to help them.

I John 4:4
You dear children are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

The king of Assyria taunted them by saying, “How then can your god deliver you from my hand?” “Just as the gods of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.”

The enemy is ruthless and he will taunt you the same way as the king of Assyria taunted the children of Israel. It happens in our mind. He comes against us with fear foremost but also with doubt and unbelief. We have to stand our ground as Hezekiah and Isaiah do.

2 Chronicles 32:20-21
King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this. And the LORD sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the leaders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons cut him down with the sword.

This is exactly what we are to do. We need to cry out to the LORD! He will send his angels with a charge to fulfill His own desires concerning us. The LORD wants us to step out in faith, trusting him to save us. He will in turn send forth help. What a sweet victory this was for Hezekiah, Isaiah and the Israelites! What a sweet victory it is for us also! The enemy will be cut down by the power of the Holy Spirit in us and through the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God!

Hezekiah’s story is told also in Isaiah chapters 37 and 38. I enjoyed reading it in both 2 Chronicles and Isaiah. I discovered both of these books were being written about the same time in Israel’s history. Some of my favorite scriptures are found in Isaiah chapters 40 and 41. It makes more sense to me now that I have studied Hezekiah’s story in Chronicles. These chapters in Isaiah are proclaiming God’s strength and our victory in relying steadfastly on Him!

It is through humility and self-giving that we are truly satisfied. It is when we pour ourselves out that we in turn are filled to overflowing. Filled with grace upon grace.

Matthew 16:25
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

This is what I call upside down thinking or Kingdom thinking. Jesus was speaking the heart of the Father and it would be to our advantage to understand this. In giving of ourselves in abandonment to the Father firstly and then secondly to one another an amazing thing happens. We are filled with a love so big that we would lay our lives down for the sake of our Savior and his kingdom. We are invited to share in this amazing kingdom experience, as we selflessly give the love we receive away. Destructive self-centered living results in you and I becoming very shallow and cold hearted. Kingdom living is all-inclusive. It is for everyone to accept and enjoy. The Spirit inside of us compels us to share this good news with everyone.


Matthew 18:4
Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

I have been thinking about “going low” - abasement, humility, bearing one another’s burdens. My goal is to listen to Holy Spirit’s leading, being obedient to what he says to do, and then being quiet. Love covers. Love bears all.

My question to the Holy Spirit this day is, “Why is this the right way?”

“Open my heart to this secret wisdom.”

As I began studying this truth out, I began to see a common theme throughout the old and new testaments. Humility is an attribute of my Father’s character and he mixes it with mercy, mercy, and more mercy!

Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good, and what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

THE LORD IS A JUST GOD.

The LORD is fair in his dealings with people. I think one of the best ways to understand the word justice is to take a look at its opposite, injustice. Injustice simply means to be unfair or wrong in your judgment of something or someone. I can tell you from experience injustice is a bitter pill to swallow. I probably hate injustice more than most bad deeds. It is so unfair. Typically you cannot fix the issue, because it is coming from a tainted character. So, when I see a God who’s actions are so just, so fair, so unbiased, it makes me smile. I love the character of our Father.

God also deals with us in a spirit of grace. He sees our past hurts and our present struggles. He is actively at work molding our future. This is who God is. He is a just God. He requires us to operate in the same spirit of grace.

Zephaniah 3:5
The LORD within her (Jerusalem) is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice and every new day he does not fail; yet the unrighteous know no shame.

Pride and arrogance are attitudes of a cold heart and the fruit of these are injustice. Our God is the opposite. As we walk clothed in the humility of Christ, we walk in love and dispense justice to our fellow man as it is due him.

Proverbs 21:3
To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

This is such a simple principle. He is not yearning for sacrificial giving. He wants you to do what is right and just. This is pleasing to the LORD.

THE LORD IS A GOD OF MERCY.

Psalm 103:17
But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children.

Every act of God is coming from a place of amazing love! This is his character. He is justice expressing itself through love. He is righteousness being given to a people who are really undeserving. He is forgiveness being poured out to sinners. He is extraordinary compassion shed abroad in our hearts.

Joel 2:13
Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

God is not after sacrifice, but a heart that is contrite. He is not looking for an outward demonstration of circumcision, but one of the heart. Humble yourself before him and he will run to you. He is full of grace and love. He is fair in his judgments.

THE LORD IS FULL OF HUMILITY.

I Peter 5:5
Clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Another way of saying, “clothe yourselves” is cover yourselves. Put on grace as you would a dress or shirt. I think we can do this simply by declaring it. “I put on humility today. I choose to walk with a humble heart, filled with mercy and justice.” In doing this, God responds with more grace. Grace is a supernatural, tangible source of power from the Holy Spirit. I do not want to oppose or to be opposed by my Father. Let’s commit to pleasing the Father in our actions.

Colossians 3:12-14
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the LORD forgave you, and over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

I continue to enjoy reading Hannah Hurnard’s book Hines Feet on High Places. It seems to be a book I go back to for that secret wisdom from the Spirit. I would like to share two excerpts from this beloved book.

For it is only up on the High Places of Love that anyone can receive power to pour themselves down in utter abandonment of self-giving.

This is the law by which we live, it so sweet to give and give.