In the renewable energy sector in Germany, when the wind doesn’t blow, it’s called dunkelflaute–a period of “dark doldrums” with little or no wind and heavy cloud cover. At these times, meagre or no energy can be generated.

            During ancient times, ships sailing the seas of the world faced the same challenges. They were “becalmed”–unable to move due to lack of wind. During Roman times, crews on ships sailing the Mediterranean, dependent on wind and current, sometimes had to wait for days, or even weeks for a breeze. Although smaller vessels could use oars, the travel in this fashion was slow and exhausting.

            Today, in the modern world, wind provides renewable energy, assists with seed dispersal and pollination, regulates weather, and creates diverse forest landscapes. Without it, many things come to a standstill.

            The physical world is a mirror of the spiritual world. Without the wind of the Holy Spirit, there is no energy or movement to propel us forward spiritually. Jesus said, “the wind blows where it likes, you can hear the sound of it but you have no idea where it comes from and where it goes. Nor can you tell how a man is born by the wind of the Spirit” (John 3:8 Phillips).

            We can’t deny the presence of the wind when trees sway and rain is driven sideways. Likewise, we can’t deny the work of the Holy Spirit when lives, formerly hostile to God, are transformed by the saving grace of Jesus. Or when we see the gifts of the Holy Spirit operating, bringing blessing to those who yield to His power.

            Is the wind of the Holy Spirit blowing in your life? If it isn’t, our Christian walk can become slow and tedious, even motionless, going nowhere. But take heart. There’s good news. The wind of the Spirit is always blowing. The question is, how do we raise our sails?

            Firstly, we need to acknowledge and repent of our sins. God fills repentant hearts. “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy” (Proverbs 28:13 NLT).

            Secondly, we need a continual infilling of the Holy Spirit. It is a daily process, not a single event. “Stop getting drunk with wine, which leads to wild living, but keep on being filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18 ISV).

            Thirdly, our minds require daily renewal through God’s Word. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2 NLT).
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            Fourthly, experiencing the fullness of the Holy Spirit necessitates a life of submission. “Now yield and submit yourself to Him [agree with God and be conformed to His will] and be at peace; In this way [you will prosper and great] good will come to you” (Job 22:21 AMP). Submission brings blessing.
            The Holy Spirit is always moving. Hoist your sails and catch His wind now.
 
Inspiration for this article was provided by Pastor Bill at Faithworks Centre outside of Charlottetown, PEI.

        “Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You’ve heard, of course, of Job’s staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That’s because God cares, cares right down to the last detail” (James 5:11 MSG).

        Staying the course, persevering, not giving up, standing in faith, unwavering. In the midst of trials, temptations, and disappointments, perseverance is often easier said than done.

        When I think of perseverance, two Old Testament characters come to my mind – Noah and Daniel. Let’s look at each of them a bit more closely.

NOAH

        In his second epistle, Peter calls Noah a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5). The writer to the Hebrews wrote that “by faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7 NASB).

        Jesus referred to the days of Noah when He talked about His return. “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:26-27 NLT).

      We don’t know how long it took Noah to build the ark. Some suggest 120 years based on Genesis 6:3 – “Then Jehovah said, ‘My Spirit must not forever be disgraced in man, wholly evil as he is. I will give him 120 years to mend his ways” (TLB).

      Based on the size of the ark, it had to take a long time to build. And all that time, Noah preached, day after day after day. And NO ONE heeded his warning. NO ONE repented. If anyone demonstrated perseverance, Noah did!

      Think how Noah’s heart must have ached. I’m sure friends, relatives, neighbours, acquaintances heard his preaching. But NONE of them paid attention. He could have become discouraged. He could have remained silent. He could have given up. But he didn’t.

      Because of Noah’s preaching, no one who was lost in the flood could say they didn’t have the opportunity to hear destruction was coming, and avail themselves of the safety of the ark.
 
 
DANIEL

        Daniel was a young man when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon captured Jerusalem and took him and members of other noble families and the royal family to Babylon. As an exile, everything familiar in Daniel’s life was gone.

        A worshiper of the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Daniel was given the name Belteshazzar, which means ‘Bel’s Prince’. Bel, which means “lord,” aka Marduk, was the patron deity of Babylon.

        The purpose of changing the names of Daniel and his three friends was to indoctrinate them into the religion and culture of Babylon. But even though the four young men had to answer to the names of foreign gods, they never forgot their allegiance to the one true God, Yahweh.

        We see their unwavering loyalty to Yahweh in their refusal to eat the king’s food,  bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue, or pray to the king. In the face of fiery furnaces and hungry lions, they persevered.

     The Scripture never records that the four Hebrews ever felt sorry for themselves, or compromised, or allowed the Babylonian religion and culture to seep into their souls. Instead, they kept their eyes fixed on the living and true God, NEVER wavering. They lived by 2 Chronicles 15:7, “But as for you, be strong; don’t give up, for your work has a reward.”
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           Today, in light of those who have gone before us, let us do as the Apostle Paul admonished – to persevere, and “not grow tired of doing good, for, unless we throw in our hand, the ultimate harvest is assured” (Galatians 6:9 Phillips).

        God is calling His people to come up higher.

        In the book of Haggai, God asked the returned exiles why they were living in luxurious homes, while His house lay in ruins. God told them that because they were not rebuilding the temple, although they planted much, they harvested little. They ate, but weren’t satisfied. They drank, but were still thirsty. They wore clothes, but were cold. Their wages disappeared as if they were putting their money into pockets with holes.

        Then God told His people to go up higher – “’...to go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord’” (Haggai 1:8 NLT).
God is telling us as believers to go up higher in the advancement of His Kingdom.

       The apostle Paul wrote, “...but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own” (Philippians 3:12 AMPC).

       Like the apostle Paul, God has given each one of us a specific calling and the anointing to fulfill that call. “For by the grace [of God] given to me I say to everyone of you not to think more highly of himself [and of his importance and ability] than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has apportioned to each a degree of faith [and a purpose designed for service]” (Romans 12:3 AMP).

       The captain of a ship cannot steer a vessel tied to the dock. Likewise, God cannot direct us if we refuse to step out in faith. Jesus said, “Don’t you have a saying, ‘Four more months and then the harvest?’ Well, what I say to you is: open your eyes and look at the fields! They’re already ripe for harvest!” (John 4:35 CJB).

          Some may declare, “we’re not ready.” Were the believers ready on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell on them and approximately three thousand souls put their faith in Jesus as their Saviour? No, they weren’t prepared. But empowered by the Holy Spirit, they learned as they went. The same is true today because our God never changes.

            Across North America and around the world, God is softening hearts. We must not miss this opportunity. As believers, we need to ask God to show us our part as one of the harvesters, and then be obedient. He has made us for such a time as this.
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            Let’s share the good news of the Gospel with love, discernment, and compassion. And let us not forget the battle has already been won, “..for the One who is living in you is far greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4 TPT). May we obey God’s command to go up higher to extend His kingdom for His glory.

            “Therefore, you are to store up these words of mine in your heart and in your very being. Tie them on your hand as a sign; put them at the front of a headband around your forehead...” (Deuteronomy 11:18 CJB).

            When my husband and I were in Jerusalem, both in 2010 and 2019, we saw Orthodox Jewish men wearing small, black leather boxes called tefillin on their foreheads and non-dominant arms. Also known as phylacteries, they contain scrolls of parchment with the writing of specific passages from the Torah (first five books of the Hebrew Bible). These Jewish men are obeying God’s command in Deuteronomy 11:18.

            Thinking about this brought a question to my mind. When the storms of life hit, what is the first thing I do? Do I run to God’s Word, or do I try to figure things out myself? Each of us needs to spend some time answering those questions.

            One of the goals of Satan for the believer is to dislodge us from the Word of God. He’s been doing it since the Garden of Eden. “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1 NKJV).

        If the evil one can plant seeds of doubt in our mind about the veracity of God, while whispering lies at the same time, and we succumb, he wins. When satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus always answered, “It is written” and quoted from God’s Word.

            So, though we may not wear phylacteries, let’s carry God’s Word deep in our spirits.

            When the world distracts and confuses, let God’s Word shout louder

            “We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ” ( 2 Corinthians 10:5 MSG).

            When we’re overwhelmed, let His Word focus us.

            “For wherever I am, though far away at the ends of the earth, I will cry to you for help. When my heart is faint and overwhelmed, lead me to the mighty, towering Rock of safety” (Psalm 61:2 TLB).

            When faced with weighty decisions, let His Word lead the way.

            “I will teach you and tell you the way to go and how to get there; I will give you good counsel, and I will watch over you” (Psalm 32:8 VOICE).

            Dear God, our prayer is that You imprint Your Word deep into our innermost beings.

            In Matthew 6:9-10 (VOICE), Jesus prayed, “Our Father in heaven, let Your name remain holy. Bring about Your kingdom. Manifest Your will here on earth, as it is manifest in heaven.”

            The kingdom of God is not just for the sweet by and by. It is for the here and now. In Matthew 10:7-8 (TPT), Jesus tells us what the kingdom of God entails. “And as you go, preach this message: ‘Heaven’s kingdom realm is accessible, close enough to touch.’ You must continually bring healing to lepers and to those who are sick, and make it your habit to break off the demonic presence from people, and raise the dead back to life. Freely you have received the power of the kingdom, so freely release it to others.”

            The kingdom of God is His reign and rule breaking into our world to heal bodies, transform lives, and offer hope. “But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you...” (Acts 1:8 AMPC).

         “And it shall come to pass in that day that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be consumed in the presence of the anointing” (Isaiah 10:27 JUB). The anointing of the Holy Spirit removes burdens and destroys yokes!

            God doesn’t change. “...Jesus doesn’t change-yesterday, today, tomorrow, he’s always totally himself” (Hebrews 13:8 MSG). “I am the Lord, and I do not change...” (Malachi 3:6 NLT). God still heals. Why am I not seeing more of His healing power flowing through me to others?

          The currency of God’s Kingdom is faith. “No one can please God without faith...” (Hebrews 11:6 GNT). The children of Israel saw greater signs and wonders than any generation before them. Yet they continually provoked God by their unbelief. “How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel” (Psalm 78:40-41).

          My heartfelt prayer is that I do not limit the Holy One by unbelief. Remember Jesus in His hometown of Nazareth? “And He did not do many works of power there, because of their unbelief (their lack of faith in the divine mission of Jesus)” (Matthew 13:58 AMPC).

           I believe pride and the fear of failure hinder Christians (including me), from stepping out and allowing God’s miracle working power to flow through us. Both are rooted in a self-centered perspective rather than in a Christ-centered one. “...’God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble” (James 4:6 MSG). Dear Lord Jesus, may I be among the “willing humble”.

        I’ll close with Philippians 4:13 (AMP). “I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose-I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]”

 
            A portal can be described as a gate or a doorway. In the spiritual realm, it is a point of access between the earthly and the divine. For those of us who have invited Jesus to be the Saviour and Lord of our lives, God desires to use our bodies as portals for His glory.

            In the previous blog, I wrote how God can use our mouths, eyes, ears, as well as the centre of our beings, the source of our thoughts, emotions, and will, also known as our hearts, to bring glory to His name. In Part Two, I want to look at how we can use our minds, feet, and hands to honour Him.

OUR MIND
         When we are born again, our spirits are made new and alive in Jesus. “Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 AMPC).

        Someone has written that the problem with our minds is not only that they are finite, but that they are fallen. Our souls (mind, emotions, and will) need to be renewed by aligning them with God’s will and His Word.

       “Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes” (Romans 12:2 TPT, bolding mine).

       We replace the error of the world’s way of thinking with the truth of God. And God’s truth is revealed in His Word. God’s Word sanctifies us. Jesus prayed to His Father, “Make them holy – consecrated – with the truth - Your word is consecrating truth” (John 17:17 MSG).

        We bring glory to God when we dedicate our minds to knowing Him.

OUR FEET
            God wants to direct the course of our feet. “Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil” (Proverbs 4:26-27 NIV).

            When we allow Him to direct our feet, “...He opens before me the right path and leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness so that I can bring honor to his name” (Psalm 23:3 TPT).

            Allowing God to use our feet to share the Gospel puts a smile on His face. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who bring the happy news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns” (Isaiah 52:7 TLB).

            And when we put feet to our faith in service to Him and His kingdom, God is pleased. “Don’t just listen to the Word of Truth and not respond to it, for that is the essence of self-deception...” (James 1:22 TPT). “If you listen to the Word and don’t live out the message you hear...you perceive how God sees you in the mirror of the Word, but then you go out and forget your divine origin” (James 1:23-24 TPT).

            God desires for us to use our feet to fulfill His divine plan for our lives.

OUR HANDS
            Jesus used His hands to wash the feet of His disciples, feed the multitudes, break the bread, serve the wine, perform miracles, heal the sick, and raise the dead. When Jesus sent out His twelve disciples, He told them, “You must continually bring healing to lepers and to those who are sick, and make it your habit to break off the demonic presence from people, and raise the dead back to life. Freely you have received the power of the kingdom, so freely release it to others” (Matthew 10:8 TPT).

            Jesus has given us His authority and the Holy Spirit to follow His command in Matthew 10:8 to use our hands to extend His kingdom. We bring Him glory when we obey.
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            I close with the words of the Apostle Paul. “And so...I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living sacrifice, holy – the kind he can accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?” (Romans 12:1 TLB).

 
            A portal can be described as a gate or a doorway. Spiritually speaking, it is a point of access between the earthly and the divine. In Genesis 28:12, Jacob had a dream of a ladder reaching to heaven, with angels ascending and descending on it. Jacob named the place Bethel, “house of God” and the “gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17).

            In the Old Testament, the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem served as earthly portals for God’s presence to dwell on earth. In the New Testament, the tearing of the temple veil at the moment Christ died, can be seen as the opening of a new portal, granting believers access to God through Jesus and allowing for a personal relationship with Him.

              The Person and work of Jesus can be seen as the portal of salvation and eternal life. Jesus said, “Yes, I am the Gate. Those who come in by way of the Gate will be saved and will go in and out and find green pastures” (John 10:9 TLB).

          When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us. “Have you forgotten that your body is now the sacred temple of the Spirit of Holiness, who lives in you? You don’t belong to yourself any longer, for the gift of God, the Holy Spirit, lives inside your sanctuary” (1 Corinthians 6:19 TPT).

         The Holy Spirit acts as a portal in the life of a believer, facilitating communication and interaction between the born again person and God.

            It is God’s desire to use our bodies for His glory. I would like to look at seven parts of our bodies and how God can use them as portals, or gateways, to further His kingdom here on earth. In this post, I will look at four – heart, mouth, eyes, and ears. In the next post, I will look at the last three – our minds, hands, and feet.

1. The Heart

           In Scripture, our hearts are considered the centre of our beings, the source of our thoughts, emotions, and desires, or will. Jesus said, “...A person full of goodness in his heart produces good things; a person with an evil reservoir in his heart pours out evil things. The heart overflows in the words a person speaks; your words reveal what’s in your heart” (Luke 6:45 VOICE).

            A heart transformed by God is essential to living a life that glorifies Him. God desires to make our hearts more like His, filled with His love and compassion, with a desire to do His will.

         Transformed hearts bring glory to God by living lives of obedience, sharing God’s plan of salvation with others, and using the spiritual gifts given to us. A transformed heart studies God’s Word and prays in order to align our hearts and wills with His. When this happens, God gets glory.

     2. The Mouth
            The words of our mouth are powerful. They can bless or curse, encourage or discourage, hurt or heal, tear down or build up. “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit – you choose” (Proverbs 18:21 MSG).

             When we’re filled with the Holy Spirit, our mouth will “continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name” (Hebrews 13:15).

         Through praise and worship, sharing the Gospel, expressing truth in love, encouraging and edifying others, speaking with kindness and compassion, confessing and repenting from our sin, and controlling what we say, our mouths bring glory to God.
     
      3. Eyes and Ears
          Eyes

            Through our eyes, we appreciate the beauty of God’s creation. The world God designed can teach us important lessons. “Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don’t fuss with their appearance – but have you ever seen color and design quite like it?...If God gives such attention to the wildflowers...don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?” (Luke 12:27 MSG).

               God’s creation helps us to better understand Him and His power. “But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see...eternal power...and the mystery of his (God’s) divine being” (Romans 1:20 MSG).

               Jesus called our eyes the lamp of our body, steering our bodies toward evil and destruction or righteousness and life. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23 NIV).

            With our eyes, we are to watch. We are to discern the signs of the times. Jesus said, “...You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the sign of the times” (Matthew 16:3). He also said, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13).

             Reading God’s word is one of the most important things we can do with our eyes. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 ESV). “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130 ESV).

           As we watch the signs of the times outlined in God’s word unfold around us, we will be propelled to share the good news of the Gospel.
           
           Ears

              We are to be careful what we hear. “He (Jesus) also said to them, ‘Pay attention to what you are hearing! The measure with which you measure out will be used to measure to you – and more besides!’” (Mark4:24 CJB).

              We’re not to have itching ears, going after all sorts of ideas, some of which will be false and lead us in the wrong direction. “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4 NIV).

            We are to be mindful of how we hear. “Pay attention to how you listen! Everyone who has something will be given more, but people who have nothing will lose what little they think they have” (Luke 8:18 CEV).

          The Apostle James  tells us to do more listening than talking. “Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]” (James 1:9 AMP).
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            When we listen thoughtfully and carefully to the needs of those around us, we bring glory to God.

        Chronos is a Greek word for “time,” defined as a sequence of moments, emphasizing the duration of time. It is linear, measurable time, like a calendar or clock.

        Kairos, on the other hand, is an ancient Greek word referring to an appointed time for a special purpose. It can also mean “opportunity”, “season,” or “fitting time.” It is the significance of the moment for action, a particular event, or opportunity, a point in time that can change the course of a life.

        Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 states that there is a Kairos, a right time for everything – a time to come alive and to pass away, to plant and to dig up, to construct and take down, to prepare for battle and to surrender, to embrace and to let go, to battle and to be calm.
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        Zacchaeus in the Bible had a Kairos moment. Jesus was coming to Jericho and Zacchaeus, a tax collector hated by the Jews for collecting taxes for the Romans, wanted to see this famous Rabbi. Being short of stature, he climbed up into a sycamore-fig tree to see Jesus better.

        Zacchaeus could have jostled with the crowd to get closer to Jesus. But I believe his decision to climb that tree was a Kairos moment for him. It resulted in Jesus noticing him, visiting his house, and salvation coming to him and his family because he repented for his wrongdoing and said he would give half his possessions to the poor, and pay back four times anyone he had cheated.

      Jesus told him, “’...Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost’” (Luke 19:9-10 NIV).

        The woman whose bleeding never stopped had a Kairos moment. The problem had been ongoing for twelve years. She’d spent everything she had on physicians and still the bleeding continued. I believe her Kairos moment came when she kept saying to herself, “’If I could only touch his prayer shawl I would be healed’” (Matthew 9: 21 TPT).
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        The Scripture says, “Just then Jesus turned around and looked at her and said, ‘My daughter, be encouraged. Your faith has healed you.’ And instantly she was healed! (Matthew 9:22 TPT).

        And lastly, blind Bartimaeus. It was a normal day for him as he sat along the roadside just outside Jericho begging. Suddenly, he heard a commotion and asked what was happening. When he was told it was Jesus, he shouted for the Man from Nazareth to have mercy on him.

      The crowd told Bartimaeus to be quiet. He could have listened to what they said, but he knew his Kairos moment had arrived. The Scripture says after being told to be silent, he yelled all the louder.
Further proof he knew it was his Kairos moment was that he threw off his cloak – his source of protection from harsh weather, his blanket at night, and what he probably laid on the ground for people to toss their coins onto.

        By throwing down his cloak, he was tossing off his most valuable possession, in faith that Jesus would heal him. When Jesus asked him what He could do for him, Bartimaeus answered, “’...Rabbi, I want to see’” (Mark 10:51 MSG).

     Jesus told him, “’On your way...your faith has saved and healed you’” (Mark 10:52 MSG). The Scripture further states, “In that very instant he recovered his sight and followed Jesus down the road” (Mark 10:52 MSG).

     It is important to recognize our Kairos moments and seize them by faith. Saul in the Old Testament had a Kairos moment when he was looking for his father’s donkeys and ended up at the prophet Samuel’s house, where he was anointed to be the first king of Israel.

        Father God, help us to recognize the Kairos moments You bring to us, seize them by faith, and allow You to use them to take us deeper into the marvelous plan You have for each of our lives. In the precious Name of Jesus, Amen.  

            
          “You become my delicious feast even when my enemies dare to fight. You anoint me with the fragrance of your Holy Spirit; you give me all I can drink of you until my cup overflows...only goodness and tender love pursue me all the days of my life. Then afterward, when my life is through, I’ll return to your glorious presence to be forever with you!” (Psalm 23: 5-6 TPT).

            The cup of God overflows with His goodness. We can never get to the end of God. He is always overflowing. When Moses asked God to show him His glory, the Lord answered him, “...I will cause all my goodness to pass before you, and in your presence I will pronounce the name of Adonai...” (Exodus 33:19 CJB). God’s glory is wrapped up in His goodness.

            God has promised never to leave us dry, because He “will liberally supply (fill to the full) (our) every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 AMPC). God’s cup of goodness has given us a future and forgiven our past through the death and resurrection of His precious Son, Jesus.

             Judges 14 tells the account of a young lion attacking Samson on his way to the city of Timnah in the Judean Foothills. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, he tore the animal apart with his bare hands, continued on to the city, and then returned home.
           
             When he returned several days later, a swarm of bees had produced honey in the lion’s carcass. From this experience, Samson formed a riddle. “Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet” (Judges 14:14 ESV).

            Whatever we’re facing, God is not going to leave us there. Because of His goodness, out of the lion, out of the attack, comes the honey. Hell’s plan is to get us to focus on what we don’t have. That’s what Satan did in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve’s cup was overflowing with everything they needed, but Satan focused their eyes on what they didn’t have and questioned God’s goodness.

            Are we sipping from God’s overflowing cup, or are we slurping? If we’re drinking deeply from the goodness, kindness, and mercy of God, nothing will overcome us.
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            If we’re a sipper, we’ll sit and stare when problems arise. If we’re a slurper, we’ll shout and praise, because with God, our cup runs over. Which one are you?

        Often, Jesus will ask us for something small to unlock something greater. In John 4, Jesus asked the woman at the well for a drink of water. Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans, and saw them as a mixed-race people. The hostility between the two groups ran deep.

        The woman may have thought Jesus was audacious to ask her for a drink. But He did not hesitate to make His request. He knew He was going to offer her something far greater than what He was asking for.

        In John 6, Jesus asked for a boy’s lunch to feed a multitude. The small lunch the boy gave up fed thousands.

        Jesus told a blind man to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. I’m sure Jesus could have healed him then and there, but the man’s act of obedience gained him his sight.

        In 1 Kings 17, Elijah asked a widow in Zarephath during a famine for a drink of water and a piece of bread. She was gathering sticks to make her last meal before she and her son died.

      But she chose to obey, and through her obedience, Elijah, and the woman and her family, were sustained through the draught.

        Miracles can come our way, even when we’re not searching for them. The Samaritan woman was not searching for God. The Zarephath widow wasn’t expecting a miracle. Their obedience unlocked the door to miracles.

        I recently read about a Christian man who was visiting a woman he hadn’t seen in years. She was celebrating a birthday. He asked the Lord to guide him as to what gift he should bring. The Lord led him to a framed picture of the Confederation Bridge, which connects Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick.

        When the man gave the woman the gift, she began to cry. That morning, she had asked the Lord about her purpose and calling. The longing of her heart was to do His will.

        God spoke to her that day and told her she was a “bridge connector” – someone who links people together for divine purposes. The photograph confirmed the word she had received from God.

        What God asks of us may seem small, or even unreasonable. But if we choose to obey, our act of obedience can be the key that unlocks blessings for others, as well as ourselves.
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        God often uses the release of what we hold in our hand to loose what He holds in His.