Today’s Reading:
Psalm 18
Isaiah 21
21 The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea.
Isaiah 21:1-2
As windstorms in the Negev sweep on,
It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land.
2 A harsh vision has been shown to me;
The treacherous one still deals treacherously, and the destroyer still destroys.
Go up, Elam, lay siege, Media;
I have made an end of all the groaning she [Babylon] has caused.
The Spirit of the Lord says,
My grace is sufficient for you. My grace is sufficient for change. From where you are standing, all you can see is the gray wall in front of you. Things look bleak, and you have no visibility. Reach out for My hand, and take a few steps back with Me. You will look out upon a great wide vista. You will see a breathtaking view, and you will realize that things aren’t as dark as you thought. The darkness is there — absolutely. But the light is brighter. The light is greater, and the glorious possibilities are far more expansive than the darkness. The darkness is important to see; but it has become a barrier that obstructs you from seeing My goodness, My endlessness, My vastness, My greatness.
“God, all at once you turned on a floodlight for me! You are the revelation-light in my darkness, and in your brightness I can see the path ahead. With you as my strength I can crush an enemy horde, advancing through every stronghold that stands in front of me. Yahweh, what a perfect God you are! All Yahweh’s promises have proven true. What a secure shelter for all those who turn to hide themselves in you, the wraparound God. Could there be any other god like Yahweh? For there is not a more secure foundation than you. God, you have wrapped me in power and made my way perfect. Through you I ascend to the highest peaks to stand strong and secure in you.”
Psalms 18:28-33 TPT
Step back from the vantage point that only permits you to see the darkness. Breathe in the fresh ocean air. Breathe in the stunning life and grace and possibilities. Feel the salty breeze and the sunlight kiss your skin. Breathe it in, and know that I Am God. Breathe it in, and know that I Am peace eternal. Don’t be so focused on the darkness and on the barriers that you can’t see My goodness, that you can’t daydream about wild and amazing possibilities for the future. Don’t let the darkness hem you in or constrain you. Step back and reset your gaze on the endlessness and vastness of Me.
8 Then the lookout called,
Isaiah 21:8-10
“O Lord, I stand continually by day on the watchtower,
And I am stationed every night at my guard post.
9 “Now behold, here comes a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs.”
And one said, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon;
And all the images of her gods are shattered on the ground.”
10 O my threshed people, and my afflicted of the threshing floor!
What I have heard from the Lord of hosts,
The God of Israel, I make known to you.
Together we can storm a troop. Together we can set 10,000 to flight. Whom or what shall you fear? I Am the Lord of All. Don’t let the darkness obscure Me from view. Don’t let the darkness overtake your perspective. Back up and see. It is clear that I Am greater. I have overcome, and you will see a new wave of overcoming again. The darkness will be overcome. It won’t stand forever. Darkness will crumble before your eyes. You will see it.
How to Respond
- Take some time to refocus. Step away from the news and social media for a while if you are feeling overwhelmed by the darkness. Spend more time in the Word of God. Ask Him to point you to the passages that will refresh you, remind you of His greatness and expansiveness and give you new vision.
- Pray, Holy Spirit, thank You that You are here guiding us, comforting us and leading us in paths of righteousness. Show me how to get a fresh perspective, a right perspective of all that is going on in the world. Help me to reset my eyes and my heart, my hope on You. Help me to refuse to be overwhelmed or overcome by the darkness that I see. Your light is brighter, and it shines in me.
- Declare, the vastness, the goodness, the endlessness and the perfection of the Lord is so much greater than the darkness that I see.
- Decree, the Lord’s goodness and light will overcome the darkness. It will overwhelm and bring destruction to darkness in my day. I will see it.
For more encouragement from Glory & the New Wine, check out the post from this day in 2022: Choices Will Be Laid Bare
And in 2021: Great Harvest of the Great Awakening
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