The Introverted Evangelist

Shielded by His All Consuming Power : " In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one ." (Ephesians 6:16) You may feel like you're  sinking  in anxieties. However, no matter how  surrounded  you may be, you cannot be  invaded . Fear cannot penetrate the  shield of protection  that the Holy Spirit erects around us. We're  sheltered  from every attack, because the One who dwells within us has made His  all-consuming power  readily available to us in any and every battlefront. " But recognize today that the Lord your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the Lord has promised ." (Deuteronomy 9:3) Take up the Sword  of His Word.  Proclaim the promises  of God, and by doing so you destroy the enemy's devices. I...

Gaze Gratefully Into His Goodness: " Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, That we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, And of Your own we have given You."  (1 Chronicles 29:13-14) We stand in awe of You , O God. We are filled to overflowing with wonder and thanks. For all that we have has originated from You. Every good thing that makes us smile in our lives has come straight from the  nail-scarred hands of generous grace . " Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning ." (James 1:17) We can trust that You bless the pure in heart, and therefore, by the power of the blood of the Lamb,  we are held in this abundant life forever  - for all eternity. Now that is truly something for which to give many thanks! We can't help but praise you out of the  fullness ...

Truly Joyful and Abundant Life in Christ : " And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. " (2 Peter 1:4) Often times the enemy tries to tempt us,  deceiving  us by  luring  us into what he propagandizes as fun. When in reality, what he's forcing down our throats is not at all beneficial or enjoyable to our souls or the wellbeing of our hearts. What the enemy promotes as so fanatically great and desirable is actually  poison  for our spirits that ends in eventual  demise . When in the thick of a battle, such as temptation, it's imperative to have a  Scriptural Sword  with which to slay the adversary. Take Second Peter 1:4, written above, for example. In this verse, we can see, plain as day, that God has indeed planned great and  precious promises  for our lives. Want to...

The Beauty of Seeking His Face: " My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up ." (Psalms 5:3) This morning, as I stumbled out of bed preparing to tackle another Monday morning's to-do list, I lifted up my eyes - just as King David wrote in the Psalm above. As I looked up, I was  lavished  in the love of the Father.  Warm ,  golden  morning light came flooding in through the windows. Beautiful light,  heavenly light  shone in my groggy eyes and  enlightened  my soul. I am thankful for early  morning fellowship  with the Father in the light of His glorious Presence. Selah. " Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. " (Isaiah 60:1-2) May this week present the wondrous joy-gift of being...

It is Well With my Soul : Each moment wasted complaining is a moment that could be spent delighting in the Holy One. Let the warm light of His Presence outshine all dismal dread. Don't let the enemy get you down, when Jesus wants to lift you up above your circumstances and into inextinguishable joy. Just close your eyes and reach out to His glorious Face. "You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You." (Isaiah 26:3) "And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him." (Colossians 3:17) Also, shoutout to the Amplified Bible for being so, well, amplified and chock-full of character and exhilarating vocabulary. I love reading His Word and soaking in His wonder. Let's...

We Struggle But He Strengthens : Difficulties  don't equate to  defeat .  Hardships  do not have to be  hindrances . Allow your  trials  to build  trust , and your  struggles , for  spiritual strength . " Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. " (Psalms 27:3, 5) Allow God's infallible ways to  wash away your woes . He knows what is best, and He is working all things for our  good . " And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. " (Romans 8:28) Let these  struggles  you face right now bring you closer to the  Source of strength , that is, the  Almighty Sovereign Lord .  May your Saturday be ...

Nothing Can Spoil God's Plans : " A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. " (Proverbs 16:9) My child, you're  frustrated  with your current situation because you're trying to take the reigns from My hands. You're trying to take over  control  and make things happen as fast as you can, so that you might come Home sooner. But My  dearly beloved  one, your striving is self-imposed and it hurts My Heart. I want you to know something very important:  you mean more to Me than you can even begin to imagine .  I gave all so that you could be right here, right now . " And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God. " (Acts 5:38-39) Do you  doubt  My plan for your life? Are you  worried  I've given all these lovely people around you wonderful, p...

The God of Exceeding Abundance/Be Our Vision: I want more of  You  God. I want Your  glorious essence  to fill me at every moment. When I'm sailing rough seas,  I only want to look towards you . I want Your goodness to take me over and  conquer  my  doubts . I want You and You only to be my  anchor  and my  vision . I want all that You are to mightily overwhelm all I don't have. I am  inadequate , but You are  incorruptible . I don't have what it takes to be great and successful on my own accords. However, I do have You, Lord, and You make  all things possible . You take all my insufficiencies and transform them into  more than enough . You are my Lord, my true first delight. You're the God of  exceedingly ,  abundantly  more than I could ever imagine, and this is the  power  that is working  inside me right now . Even while it's  quiet . Even when all is  still , I am sure...

Foundation of Faith: "Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!" (Psalms 105:4) When my world spins out of control, may I not cling to what is seen but to the hands of the Almighty King. No one else can save me. May I always return home to the hands that bear the scars of Love. Not one is greater than the Great I Am. I'm found in this foundation of freedom. Thank You, Lord. Thank You for all You've done. Thank You for saving my soul, fighting for my freedom, dying for my deliverance, and rising up for my redemption. You are my living hope, and when all is in upheaval, help me to draw back to this truth. "The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident." (Psalms 27:1, 3) You're absolutely everything to me, O God. I will cling to only You. When the ...

His Plan is Bigger Than Our Wildest Dreams: "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us" (Ephesians 3:20) "For with God nothing will be impossible." (Luke 1:37) I lay my head down, close my eyes, and listen for the sound of His mercy song. I take my fears, and I cast them off into the hands of His great lovingkindness. He cares. "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) I lift these empty hands high to the Father above. I release all resistance, I hand in my hesitation. I take all my doubts and definitions of possible to the Cross, where the veil was torn and eternity changed. Where sin lost its hold on me. There the price was paid once and for all. Now I await... What shall He do in these bones? What is His plan for this hungering soul? One thing is for sure, He won't leave me empty and He won't let me fall. He is the Lord, the Lord over al...

Prayer is So Much More: "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him." (Matthew 6:7-8) In the past year especially, the Holy Spirit has really been teaching me about what it means to lead a life of prayer. A true life of prayer doesn't squeeze into a specific form or ideal, but rather is genuine and ultimately heart-filled. How do we break the habit of repetitive prayers that seem to trickle off our lips simultaneously? We've got to throw out the idea of finding a "prayer pattern." This has been a real point of importance in my personal walk with the Lord. Prayer patterns are poisonous! Don't let your time of prayer become a routinely tedious task. Don't let your prayers become a mundane monologue you just spout out mindlessly. Prayer is so much more than that! Prayer is...

Mercies Anew Every Morning: "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23) "The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy." (Psalms 103:8) I am so undeserving, yet this, this rushing river of redemption is where I stand. I stand here now in the midst of all this mercy. In Your all-encompassing grace, O Lord, I shall dwell and delight all my days. Your mercies are new for me each day. Every single morning I can rise up and take courage, for this is the foundational truth upon which I stand. This confidence takes me into Your presence humbly, yet boldly. It is never too late for me to receive Your glorious gifts, because the door to Your tender heart of compassion never closes. I am always welcomed into Your wondrous Presence with open arms. Nothing separates us. Nothing can set up a blockade, for Christ my Cornerstone has ...

Receiving God's Great Gifts: "Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations." (Psalms 100:3-5) We are His people. We are the Lord God Almighty's chosen children. What a wondrous truth in which we boldly live! He has redeemed us to Himself and brought us into His own family. Our home is found in His courts and in His arms. We're covered by His love and never failing forgiveness. I'm overwhelmed to be standing here in this rushing river of glorious grace. ~~~~ God, You are all this life needs, all this heart craves, and all this soul seeks. You're everything to me. Regardless of my circumstances, I always find peace that surpasses all understanding in Your Presence. "Be anxio...

I've Tasted and Seen the Light of Your Delivering Love: "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles." (Psalms 34:17) You hear my cry of distress, my cry out of this crushing confusion. You hear me, O God, You listen and You light the way that leads to freedom. You will deliver me from this disquietude. You have delivered me. You have delivered me from the snares of darkness. The menacing snarl of misery, this burden, has been broken off. You lift me from desolation and place me on Your path of peace and never-dimming light - true light which the darkness around can never overshadow. "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (John 1:4-5) Cast away these shadows that hold me hostage. Carry me into the promises of these tomorrows You have planned for me. I know in You there's always hope, a hope so close I can almost taste it. Re...