A Woman's Walk

[Judy Harder]

Brokenheartedness to Breakthrough
by Margaret D. Mitchell

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,"  -Luke 4:18

An interesting thing happened to me last week. While walking in my neighborhood, I was struck in the eye with a rock that was intentionally hurled at me from a car driving by. Yes, it was painful. Yes, it was shocking. And yes, I lost part of my vision. But the incident also hurt my heart.

I believe God purposes everything that touches us. And my heart had no understanding of this incident. So I immediately sought the Lord. Then I watched Him turn this tragedy into triumph step by step.

Alone on the street, I saw (with my good eye) that a woman had just turned into her garage on her way home from work. I sought her help. And she called 911 for me and stayed with me until help arrived. The EMTs checked me out, and the policeman took vital information before giving me a ride home. By this point, it was nightfall. I immediately called my husband and texted three of my best friends, asking them to pray for me. They each assured me they were on the job, and I knew they were. I had been praying throughout.

Although I didn't fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning that night, I felt the peace that surpassed all understanding. I knew God was with me. Although I could not see entirely during those hours, I rested in the comforting presence of the Lord. I knew He had heard their prayers. It was otherwise unexplainable.

When I awoke the next morning, my vision had greatly improved, even though my eye looked worse. While searching scriptures that morning, the Lord immediately gave me Psalms 27:3  "Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident." This explains exactly what was happening in my heart. There was no fear, only perfect confidence in the Lord.

I called my insurance company and found a local in-network opthalmologist. Thankfully, he saw me that same afternoon. I received a hopeful report, a prescription for eye drops and an appointment to return the next day to see a retina specialist that was otherwise booked two years in advance.

During my opthalmologist visit, one of my friends emailed an invitation to me to attend a special healing service at a local church that night. I sensed I should go. My friend is Catholic, and I am not. But that didn't matter to either of us because we both understand that God is bigger than any denomination or doctrine.

During this charismatic Catholic advent service, the priest spoke about the opposite of sin being praise, how praise shifts the atmosphere and lifts oppression off of us. He also spoke briefly of Saint Lucy, whom I knew very little about. Then we praised God for hours, which was so lovely and intimate. I could feel such peace and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

After the praise session, I received prayer from a married couple in a corner of the sanctuary. It was then that I learned that Saint Lucy's eyes had been plucked out because she had chosen to follow Jesus. Saint Lucy decided that she would rather be without eyes and live for the Lord than to see and be without Him. In the end, God miraculously restored her eyesight. The married couple prayed that God would miraculously restore mine; and they prayed for me to receive an increased anointing to pray for others to have restored vision.

My heart soared with fresh hope. It had a renewed purpose outside of myself. It had joy and zeal to see how the Lord would continue to restore me so I could help restore others.

In God's kingdom, nothing we go through is wasted when we turn to Him. I am amazed at how fast He can pivot circumstances. He is the God of the impossible. And we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).

Comfort and joy now fills my heart. I believe there is no greater gift that sisters and brothers in Christ can give to each other than prayer.

What tragedy or heartbreak have you experienced? Do you have family and friends to pray for you? If not, you can do what I often do: Ask God to raise up intercessors day and night to pray for you. Psalm 34:18 tells us that God is close to the brokenhearted. God has different methods of healing, and He is not limited in resources. How has He restored your heart, your body and your emotions? Has He healed you over time or instantaneously? Maybe both? How has God turned your pain into power to help others? How has He supplied all your needs? How has He rescued you?

May this season of miracles shine brightly within your heart and upon those you love. May God's glory prevail over all your circumstances and turn your tragedies into triumphs. And may you feel more love and power that God longs to give you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

Choose Forward
by Margaret D. Mitchell

"Take courage as you fulfill your duties, and may the LORD be with those who do what is right."  -2 Chronicles 19:11

I love how God moves us forward when our divine assignments are completed. I love how when we process through the journey God's way, we finish right on time—His time. What assignment have you recently finished? And where are you going next? If you don't know, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal His answer—His purpose and plan for your life at large and in your new season.

A job well done feels good. It gives us a sense of accomplishment and builds our faith and confidence, our trust in the Holy Spirit and God's word for the next mission.

It is important that we intentionally keep our pathway clear along the journey by following the leading of the Holy Spirit and consistently making right choices.

Is there anything holding you back from finishing on time, finishing well or simply doing the job right? Any hindrances, little foxes? Has there been anything annoying you in your mission at hand? Maybe a stack of "I'll get to it eventually" documents at home or at the office that confronts you daily? Is it something you really need to accomplish or is it something you can delegate or contract someone to do for you? Sometimes, the process is well worth spending the money to get rid of the hassle, the impending pressure. Maybe it's something you can toss out all together? Does it have real value or perceived value? What's pressuring you, robbing you of peace, joy? What are the root causes to annoyances or ungodly cycles and patterns in your world?

For months now, I have seen evidence of the Holy Spirit moving swiftly in setting people free from stumbling blocks during these accelerated times in which we live and work. And as I see God serve new projects on my plate, I have chosen to pray a very bold prayer: "Lord, please remove everyone and everything out of my life that is not of You for me in this season." Sometimes, we can grow familiar with ungodly things and patterns that we let linger. We can tend to dismiss them, minimize them in our minds; and they can become little foxes that we learn to step around; but the clutter can slow us down, discourage us and cause us to feel a subtle sense of defeat. Such is a ploy of the enemy.

Sometimes, we have to come away with the Holy Spirit and ask Him to shine His light on the issues at hand to enable us to see them clearly. Sometimes, there are strongholds, which have to be dismantled through repentance and an intentional change of habits.

Recently, I sat in a church service with family and friends, and a woman came forward to say a special prayer. She said, "Lord give us the courage . . . " Immediately, I thought, "No, He has already "given" us the courage. We need to "take" the courage He has already given to us with us everywhere we go. It is our choice to intentionally receive the courage that God has already given us and to step up to apply it to our lives to accomplish the mission at hand daily, moment by moment, step by step. It is not enough to simply know Biblical principles. God's word is living, active, sharper than a two-edged sword. When we take God's courage forward with us, we can take dominion, take possession and subdue as the Lord leads in the areas in which He has call us and assigned us. As we do choose forward, His favor will be upon us to get it right and to finish well.

Hebrews 12:1  tells us, " . . . let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." May we receive the fulfillment of every promise from God (Hebrews 10:36) and know that shrinking back is not an option (Hebrews 10:38).

As the New Year approaches, I encourage you to spend some special, uninterrupted time with the Holy Spirit and ask Him to shine His light on the little foxes that could otherwise prove to be a hindrance going forward. Resolve to resolve the issues and forget those things behind. God has much for you to accomplish and much for you to enjoy in the New Year ahead. May God be pleased with all your efforts in this season and beyond. God bless you and Happy New Year!

Pray: Father God, thank You for every opportunity for strength and clarity. Thank You for going before me and making a way and for being my rear guard. Thank You that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Open my eyes to Your assignments. Help me to take courage and to step into all that you have for me, accomplishing Your will Your way in my life as I help build Your Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

Hope Restored
by Margaret D. Mitchell

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us," - Ephesians 3:20

When I ask God for provision, I also ask Him to help me receive His provision. I do this for two reasons: One, I am mindful that His provision can come in a form I do not expect and I may not understand initially. Two, I am aware the enemy can intercept God's provision, once it has been released from heaven, before it manifests on earth.

Are there provisions you have asked God for but have not seen the manifestations of yet? If so, why? This is a legitimate question for the Holy Spirit. Is the manifest provision just not God's time yet? Has there been enemy interference? Is there some type of blockage within you, such as unforgiveness or fear, that is causing you to not receive or see the manifest provision? Do you need to let go of something first? Or does God have something better for you?

The Holy Spirit sees and knows all things; and He is your helper. If you ask Him for His perspective, He will answer you.

Always pray, "Enable me to receive Your truth," because sometimes, we just don't want to face God's truth. Facing God's truth requires discipline. We can make the biggest messes of our lives if we do not live in God's truth. His plan is always better than ours, even if we don't understand it at first.

Likewise, when we pray for others, it is best to ask the Holy Spirit to enable them to receive His will, not ours or theirs.

Proverbs 13:12  tells us, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."

Without hope, we may not receive the promises of God. Hopelessness is a barrier that says, "I don't believe You anymore God. You've forgotten me." Hopelessness is a form of self-pity, and it can be at the root of fruitlessness. Look around. Do you see any excellent fruit? Hopelessness affects the quality of every aspect of our lives—our homes, our relationships, our jobs, etc.

Long-term hopelessness can even open a door to a spirit of hopelessness, which can attempt to defeat our desires from being met at all. It can try to shroud us like a cloak of grayness, causing us to not even bother to ask or expect God's best anymore for decades. This can even happen early in life, when we are children, when we feel powerless to change our difficult circumstances, when we feel that things will never change on our behalf. This spirit can stay with us into and throughout adulthood until God exposes it for the purpose of breakthrough.

Hopelessness can happen to Christians when the road has gotten so hard for so long that it becomes too painful to hang on and not see the promised provision manifest. The enemy lies to us and tries to cause us to believe we have been forgotten and are unworthy to receive God's finest blessings. We are called to be gentle as doves and wise as serpents. So we must be savvier than the enemy. He is strategic. But so is God, and so are we. And we are strongest through Jesus, who is stronger and savvier than we alone or the enemy. (Hebrews 2:9 tells us that we are created "a little lower than the angels." The enemy is simply a fallen angel from heaven who is not redeemed.) If you are feeling hopeless, your heart needs to be healed. Repentance is the first step to getting unstuck.

When God reveals root issues of hopelessness, repent of having believed the enemy's lies, of having aligned our minds with them, of having adopted them and of having behaved out of them. Repent of these lies as idols over God's truth. Repent of unbelief, doubt and hopelessness—all of which are the opposite of God's very nature. Recite scriptures about belief, assurance and hope, which are God's truths. Doing all this causes you to go deeper with God and will help deliver you into His light of truth. As you see a new level of intimacy emerge, your heart will be touched by the mercy and grace of God; and you will be awed at how the Holy Spirit helps you. You will come to know His love even more. And you will be able to trust Him more the next time an issue arises. You will be better prepared, more on guard, savvier against the enemy's devices. You will be stronger.

Your best strategy for fighting battles of hopelessness is to get God's vision for your life. To receive God's vision, simply ask Him for it; pray your heart out to Him concerning the matter. Surrender your will to His. Ask Him to reveal any root issues that have held you back. Then praise and worship Him in the midst while you wait. Also, get into God's word (The Holy Bible); and ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate the scriptures to you that will best illustrate His heart to you concerning the matter(s), and speak them out as affirmations until you either have peace or until you see God's provision manifest.

God has no shortage of resources. In terms of receiving God's provision, I sometimes have to remind myself to expect the unexpected. And it's okay to ask the Holy Spirit for confirmation. Don't let the enemy deceive you into accepting second best or "Ismael" (as opposed to Isaac). Don't let him intercept manifestations of provision through personal shame, unworthiness or guilt trips over your past sins. Know who you are in Christ. Know that once you repent, Father God sees your sins no more because He sees you through the blood covenant of His Son, Jesus. (Only the enemy rubs our noses in our former sins.) Know God's word so that you can stand firm in His truth. Choose to believe God's truths over the enemy's lies, and pray in Matthew 6:10: "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

If you are coming out of hopelessness, you may feel uncomfortable in the new place of restored hope. So it is important to keep moving forward until your hope feels like second nature once again. Remember, If God is saying, "I give this to you," who are you to say, "I will not receive it" in the face of God? Receiving is an act of love. It says, "Yes, I will receive what you have to offer. Yes, I accept what you labored to give me. Yes, I affirm that your gift is worthy."

Choose to get used to God's provision, His abundance. Massive breakthrough requires massive honesty. The extent that you "take courage" and confront issues that have held you back, to the extent that you repent, to the extent that you receive God's best provision, this will be the extent of freedom and blessing that will manifest in your life.

May God fully restore His hope in your life. Amen.

 

[Judy Harder]

My Father's Business
by Margaret D. Mitchell
www.godsloveatwork.com

"...I must be about my Father's business"  -Luke 2:49 (KJB)

Don't you just love these words spoken by a young Jesus—with all their intonations, their simple logic and purity of heart?

Jesus knew His first place was dedication to Father God, to be directly connected to Him intimately, to linger and to learn. It was His heart's desire in His young journey and nothing could get in the way.

You have to love Mary's reaction to her missing son in verse 48, "Son...why have you done this to us?" Initial panic over a missing child is understandable, but to think that Jesus intentionally did this to afflict her, leaves us to wonder why she didn't think of God's purpose first instead of her own. I believe that her heart was so invested and connected to her sweet child that Father God had to remind her that her beloved Son Jesus was growing up and that He was His first.

Jesus was drawn to His Father and the people and things of His Father—the teachings, the Temple. He must've felt such a fulfillment spending three days in the there with the religious teachers—finally someone who could converse with Him on His level. Verse 47 tells us, "Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers." And nothing or no one could distract Him, not even his mother from spending more time in His Father's house.

Father God reminded Mary that their Son was growing into His divine destiny. When she found her Son physically, Mary found God's Son in her heart. Father God awakened her. Mary had a change of heart on her day of finding Jesus. Verse 51 (NIV) tells us that Mary "...treasured all these things in her heart." Mary's discovery was pivotal—a gift of renewal from Father God through His Son, The Sacrificial Lamb, during the Passover season.

In verse 49, Jesus asks His parents rhetorically, "Why were you searching for Me?" His parents didn't understand at first. But Mary was able to break through her fears and limited perspective. Jeremiah 29:13 reminds us that we will seek Him and find Him when we seek Him with our whole heart.

I love how, as God grows us, He gives us promptings, discoveries and heart awakenings, understandings; and the bigger the discovery, the bigger the catalyst. We can expect them and choose to see them through God's eyes first. As Jesus learned at the Temple, so did Mary learn in her heart.

God always has something great for us—a revelation, a learned truth, a directive, a forewarning, an expression of His love. He is so active and alive. Is there anything more wonderful than being with God in His dedicated places—both physically and in our heart?

Where are some of the places of discovery God has led you to? How have you seen Him sync up those closest to you with His vision and purpose for you?

[Judy Harder]

From Regrets to Rest
Week of January 12, 2014

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." -2 Corinthians 7:10

Do you ever find it necessary to glance back at your past to move forward into your future? Not like Lot's wife, who turned to salt when she looked back upon something she shouldn't have. But is the Holy Spirit pinpointing an open-door issue in your past that legitimately needs your attention so He can produce more fruit through you?

Father God desires we live in the freedom His Son died to give us, and He has need of us to accomplish His will on earth as it is in heaven.

Concerning your present and future, a good, honest, soulful reflection can be a necessary precursor to your hopeful, faithful expectation. When reflection is met with lingering regrets that have caused the most pain in our lives, it's time to face the truth that holding onto those regrets will actually cause more pain going forward because they inhibit the fullness of God's blessings in our lives. Regrets affect our growth, our direction and our passion—from the inside out.

The dull sadness of regrets will dim our light to the world around us and even multiply over time, as the decisions we continue to make in life are influenced by the regrets we never released at the cross. God doesn't just forget about regrets. He forgets about the sins we repent of—big difference. Holding onto regrets is holding onto destructive idols.

Regrets don't just go away on their own, no matter how hard we try to minimize or ignore them. God, in His never-ending grace and rich mercy, knows just how to awaken us with conviction to lovingly see, understand and address the neglected and unresolved issues in our inner being so that we can be restored to wholeness, and His authority and power can reign in our lives in practical, everyday ways.

If we will allow Him, He will put us on top of situations by His grace. John 8:32 tells us "...the truth will set you free." God's word is firm and faithful and does not return void.

Just as we should repent of our sins, forgive others and right wrongs we have inflicted upon others, we should also right wrongs we have inflicted upon ourselves, because we are the ones who are accountable for making the decisions that opened the doors for the enemy to impose affliction upon us.

Our souls grieve—possibly even for years—until the wrongs have been made right. And as our souls grieve, The Holy Spirit grieves along with us. We must ask the Holy Spirit, "Have I left a final measure of restoration out of the equasion by not righting a wrong or releasing a regret?" The Holy Spirit will reveal the remainder of His formula to provide His whole solution. And prayer and fasting may be necessary to hear from Him.

The Holy Spirit may gently and swiftly lead us to each wrong decision that caused unnecessary pain, like a sequential series of connect the dots. And with each dot, He may have us apologize to ourselves for making each wrong decision. With each apology comes deep, inner healing and perfect rest restored to our hearts and closed doors to former afflictions. The cracks in the foundation of our hearts will be filled, and we will be restored to the solidity of His authority alone.

God's restoration often comes in layers, especially in dealing with our emotions. He is careful to pinpoint each area as needed, as we trust Him to do so. We are so blessed to have Him on our side. It is important that we take care of ourselves, not forgetting how important we are to Him, not ever believing the enemy's lies that we aren't worthy of receiving God's best, no matter how many wrong decisions we've made. God will always redeem us when we apply His truth in love to our souls. Remember, in Christ, there is no condemnation or shame.

When done consistently, this application of God's love will multiply restoration, which will prove greater than the results of our former regrets. We will become more emotionally and spiritually mature, and God will open a door for us to reach out to help others in the same light. Selah.

[Judy Harder]

From Carelessness to Renewed Hope
by Margaret D. Mitchell
Week of January 19, 2014

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." -2 Corinthians 10:5

Carelessness comes in like a little fox. It is an attitude born of woundedness that is rooted in hopelessness. It can perpetuate into a stronghold, little by little, until its grip is firm and visible. Carelessness can be seen outwardly in a neglected personal appearance, isolation, tardiness and hoarding to mention a few variations of a person having given up.

When people stop caring inwardly or outwardly, it's because they feel powerless to fix whatever afflicts them, and they don't want to feel the pain of the affliction anymore.

Unbelief vs. God's Truth

The open door to carelessness is our own unbelief of God's truth that He has made provision to help us. Somehow, we came to believe the enemy's lie that God isn't operating on our behalf, that He just doesn't care enough to help us and that's it has become too difficult to keep hoping. This is an ungodly mindset.

God's truth is that we always have victory in Jesus. Anytime we cannot see our way out of our circumstances is an invitation to ask, seek, and knock for God's answers until we do see them His way. Matthew 7:7 tells us, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." The Holy Spirit can help us awaken to God's truth on the matter, to know more of Him and His ways better. God always has a solution for us because He is for us.

To think that we have to solve matters on our own is overly self-reliant because we are not co-laboring with God. In doing so, we have left God out. This is self-idolatry and a false (over) responsibility. It is pride to believe that we have all the answers. God is the only One who does.

Since we cannot change others, we must lean upon God to do the changing and hold tightly to His word of hope, declaring His truth and reminding Him of it through prayer, a great power tool He has given us. God will always equip us and deliver us when we resolve and restore His way. We just need to submit the matter to Him and trust Him to work His grace in our situation from start to finish.

The enemy tries to wound our soul to block God's blessings for us and through us. He tries to afflict us so much that disabling pain, instead of empowering love, overflows from us. This is defiled multiplicity—a perversion of our witness to afflict many at once, like a ripple in a pond.

Be Mindful

We must be mindful about the condition of our soul. We must intentionally decide whether to pour out affliction or affection towards others. This can be a great challenge when our own hearts are being afflicted on a daily basis, such as in cases of emotional abuse or long-term injustices. We may even need to physically step away from our circumstances and perpetrators, if possible, to allow The Holy Spirit to minister to us in the gentle, secret place.

We must face truth and take an honest look at our thoughts and the attitudes of our hearts. What initially wounded us? Have we rationalized (depended on our own understanding; Proverbs 3:5) our way into hopelessness, to fearful to entrust God with our whole heart? What kinds of idols and counterfeits have we allowed to creep in and lay a pathway to further affliction? How do our dots connect from hopelessness to carelessness? Deep wounds cannot be glossed over.

Regardless of our circumstances, whatever doesn't line up with God's truth must go. We must intentionally decide to not be held hostage by the enemy's lies anymore.

Restoration

Restoring hope begins with restoring God's order inwardly. Repentance is the first step. We must repent of adopting unbelief (iniquity) over God's truth and acting out of the unbelief (transgression). Whenever we adopt a lie of the enemy over God's truth, we must repent of idolatry and renounce the enemy's place in our soul. Ask The Holy Spirit to come and heal your heart of woundedness and refill your soul with His captivating love.

God can restore us quickly once we come into His truth. He desires we pass the faith tests along our journey through life. It's simply a matter of us awakening to more of His truth and activating it, as He leads us from glory to glory.

Luke 1:37 reminds us that "For nothing will be impossible with God." Matthew 17:20-21 is clear that "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

It is critically important to get with The Holy Spirit and ask Him to search our soul to reveal all areas that have fallen prey to the enemy's devices and to know what His methods are for overcoming them. Prayer and fasting together are power tools on steroids. So if you're not hearing from Him immediately when you seek Him, you may need to fast until you do. There are some great resources available online to help you know how to fast properly to maintain good health and seek God simultaneously.

Prayer:

Dear God, please search my soul to reveal to me any carelessness and hopelessness of which I need to repent. I seek Your truth to bring conviction and deliverance. What do You desire to awaken my soul to? Please open my eyes, ears, mind and heart to help me see and know this as You do. Thank you for your mercy and grace Lord. I choose to trust you in this, and I await Your response. Amen.

[Judy Harder]

Honor
by Margaret D. Mitchell
Week of January 26, 2014

"These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."  -1 Peter 1:7

To honor is to value something or someone, like Jesus, with an inherent sensitivity to the price that was paid. Typically everyone wants to be honored, but our flesh may not want to honor others as often as God desires to honor us. Especially when we go through the storms of life, we often don't feel like honoring anybody.

No matter what season or challenge is before us, it's important to remember that honor is a facet of sacrificial love. And just as Jesus came to serve us and to pay a price of His blood for us to have eternal life—even when we didn't deserve it—our submission to Him and respect for others must precede our being honored by Him.

Proverbs 15:33 affirms that "Fear of The Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor." The fear of The Lord provokes us to seek righteousness; and when we seek righteousness, we receive honor from God as a reward.

If we do not choose to humble ourselves to God, according to His word, the enemy can try to humiliate us through dishonor. He can attempt to provoke us into strife, the pride of which breeds humiliation (Proverbs 20:3). Our negative responses to his provokes can be accessed from a hole in our armor that stems from a root issue yet to be resolved. And because it hasn't been resolved, we unwittingly allow enemy access. In any relationship, dishonor begets dishonor. It is cyclical cannibalism. What we retaliate, we perpetuate.

Many years ago, when I was much younger, I recall disrespecting my mother with my mouth. I felt I was being treated unfairly during a particular season, and I retaliated by attempting to wound her with my words. It worked...for a short time. Then one night, I had a visitation from an Angel of The Lord in a dream. The angel appeared so bright white that I had to squint to see him. The Angel captivated me in his presence, saying very clearly and profoundly, "Stop disrespecting your mother!" The fear of The Lord came upon me so abruptly that I woke up feeling terrified. I knew God meant business.

When we lose sight of honor, we simultaneously lose dignity. Our existence feels hardscrabble. We feel more like a scrub pine than an oak of righteousness. In this condition, our fruit becomes scrappy, diminished in impact, size and substance over time.

But when our fear of God overrides our fear of man, God does us a favor by bringing conviction and leading us to repentance, thus positioning us to receive His finest blessings once again. God's grace is always bigger than our sins, and He loves us too much to leave us unattended.

After my dream, I quickly apologized to my mother and released the situation to God. I knew about Ephesians 6:3, which says, "If you honor your father and mother, 'things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on earth.'" I knew I didn't need more trouble in my life.

The Bible says much about honor. Here are a few scriptures:

"It is an honor for a man to cease from strife..."  -Proverbs 20:3

"Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor."  -1 Peter 2:17

"Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other."  -Romans 12:10

Just as God is patient with us, forbearing with us as He perfects us by His grace, we can extend the same grace to others if we invite The Holy Spirit to help us. Romans 2:7 affirms to us that honor is a reward of patience. So instead of magnifying or minimizing our circumstances, we can starve foolishness by turning away from it and trusting God to work out the issues His way and in His time. Doing so will prevent us from growing weary and will keep us in a place of humility, righteousness and honor.

What are you willing to sacrifice to honor God and His beloved? Remember, God never leads us to give something up without promising something greater.