The greatness of His power us-ward

Posted by Admin on Mar 19, 2014 in Connection | Comments Off on The greatness of His power us-ward

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know…what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. Ephesians 1:18a; 19b

That snowy morning God spoke to me quite a bit about my part of our relationship and how to recognize looseness on my end of that connection with Him. But connections run two ways—He reminded me about His commitment to do His part, as well.

It would be absolutely impossible for us humans to be personally accountable if God refused to uphold His end of the connection. We could try—but we would fail again and again. But because God is God; because He is good; and because He is gracious, He provided His Son as an atonement for our sin so that through Jesus, we could be empowered to walk in newness of life and to receive the grace necessary to sustain a close connection with Him.

The apostle Paul wrote, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know…” In order to access anything, it is beneficial to know that it exists and is available. Someone may have set hundreds of thousands of dollars aside in an account for you, but if you don’t know about it, the money just sits there—unknown and unaccessed—while your financial needs pile up, unmet.

Along with other momentous truths, one thing that God wants you to know is this: that His power is surpassingly great toward you who believe. I like how the King James Version says it: “…that ye may know what is… the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe”. The exceeding greatness of His power is “us-ward”. In other words, you can read it this way: God has locked and loaded the exceeding greatness of His power me-ward—and He’s not afraid to use it!

All of “the immeasurable and online 24h generic cialis unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power” (Amplified) is focused on you, and God is more than willing to unload it on your behalf. He wants you to become so intimately knowledgeable about His willingness to use His power “you-ward” that it will be as natural for you to trust Him as it is to breathe.

Everything in your life; everything in your heart, mind, and personality; everything that has anything to do with you is something about which you can access the exceeding greatness of His power “you-ward”.  In fact, your end of the connection with the Lord can be made snug and secure only because His end of the connection provides the power to make it secure.

When you were little, you learned your ABC’s and math facts by repetition. You learned how to tie your shoes and ride a bike through trial and error—through practice—over time. You may have thought at first that “el-em-en-o-pee” was a big, fancy letter; you may have computed 2 + 3 to equal six every now and then; you may have hopelessly knotted your shoelaces a time or two; and you probably wiped out while learning to ride your bike a few times. But with every miss, you got up and tried it again. And eventually, you conquered.

Have you suffered a couple or so “misses” while seeking to receive from God? Take a lesson from “little you” and get up and keep on going. Don’t let your past failures—whether through misinterpretation, miscalculation, misunderstood instructions, or unbalanced attempts at moving ahead—steal from you the joy of your salvation. The Lord remains the same; His mercy endures forever; and His power will always be you-ward.

So get back up. Say those ABC’s. Calculate that math fact. Tie that shoe. Ride that bike. And trust God once again. He will make things clear; He will illumine your darkness; He will not fail.

And pray. Pray for the eyes of your heart to be enlightened to know—to really know—what is the surpassing greatness of the power of His connection “you-ward”. This is a prayer He delights in answering.

Dorothy

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, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and without prescription cialis super force ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Connection—even when you don’t get your way

Posted by Admin on Mar 18, 2014 in Connection | Comments Off on Connection—even when you don’t get your way

After leading the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses learned that God would not allow him to enter the Promised Land. Faithful Moses had disobeyed the directive of God at Meribah, and as a result, the Lord revealed to him that neither he nor Aaron would be crossing into Canaan with the rest of Israel.

Here’s what happened. Miriam, Moses’ sister, had just died, and the Israelites, after journeying relentlessly for decades, came to Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin. They were weary, hungry, and thirsty—and utterly miserable. “The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, ‘If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! Why then have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here? Why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink’” (Numbers 20:3-5).

It’s bad enough to be around angry, contentious souls when you can feel your car keys in your pocket, ready and waiting to facilitate your escape. Moses and Aaron had no such recourse. They sought God; He revealed the plan.

“Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink” (Numbers 20:8).

Moses took the rod, and instead of speaking to the rock, he beat it with the rod, like the Lord had commanded long ago at Rephidim (see Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11).

To us humans, the difference between speaking to a rock and striking it may seem like no big deal, but in God’s eyes, Moses was disobedient. He had chosen to approach the command of the Lord his own way.

Although hundreds of rich and meaningful sermons have been preached concerning Moses’ choice at Meribah, I don’t want to focus on any of these worthwhile topics: his poor decision; the difference between speaking to and striking the rock; the symbolism involved; or the consequences of Moses’ disobedience. Instead, I want to look at the solid connection between the Lord and him despite Moses’ failure to obey.

You see, Moses’ relationship with the God of Israel did not end at Meribah. God continued to lead Moses, to provide for Israel, and to do the miraculous among them. Unlike some Christians who cut others off after being offended, God did not give Moses the cold shoulder from then on. No, He remained faithful to the man of God, and Moses maintained his connection to the Lord despite the heartbreaking consequence of his disobedience.

This is a huge and all-encompassing lesson to learn in your walk with God. What do you do when things flat-out don’t go your way? How do you approach life and your relationship with the Lord and others from that time forward?

Consider Moses. His heart’s desire was to lead God’s people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Even after that fateful day at Meribah and the stunning pronouncement of the Lord, “…you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them” (see Numbers 20:12), Moses continued to lead the people and to serve God faithfully. And before his death the man revealed that he had pleaded with the Lord, “Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon” (Deuteronomy 3:25), but God, the God to whom he was connected, said, “Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan” (see Deuteronomy 3:26-27). God allowed Moses to see the desire of his heart; he was not allowed to enter. Moses chose to cling tightly to God, nonetheless, and died, leaving behind the overarching testimony of faithfulness to the God who loved him.

God is not unfair; He is righteous in all that He does. And when things don’t go the way you had hoped; when the desires of your heart remain unmet; when it seems that everyone else is blessed but you, what will you do? Will you throw in the towel? Will you leave it all behind? Moses could have—but didn’t.

Sometimes we don’t see the forest for the trees. Have you ever been so distracted by all the little pieces to the faith-puzzle that you missed out on the big picture of God’s never-failing, abiding love? Has your desire ever grown to be so all-consuming within you that it even overshadowed the Lord Himself? Was the direction you insisted upon going second- or third-best (or much worse), and all the while God was urging you elsewhere? Often what seems to be God’s rejection actually stems from our own frailty and human thinking—not recognizing the leading of His love and care.

Don’t let the disappointments of life or failures in faith unravel your connection with the Lord. His love toward you never fails; He is faithful to you till the end; and He is both your anchor and your high tower when everything around you falls apart.

If things don’t go your way, recognize this: You are connected to Someone far greater than all the blessings you could ever desire all wrapped up and tied together in a massive bundle. You are connected with the One whose love is better than life itself (see Psalm 63:3).

Let your attitude be this: Nothing shall ever be able to separate me from my tight connection with the Lord—including not getting my way.

Dorothy

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Don’t drift away

Posted by Admin on Mar 17, 2014 in Connection | Comments Off on Don’t drift away

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. Hebrews 2:1

Before I dove into the devotionals that snowy morning, this verse from Hebrews came up within me, along with a portion of verse 3 from the same chapter: “…how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”

I understand by experience that drifting can be dangerous; I’ve been on enough float trips on Missouri streams to know that if I don’t use my paddle skillfully and watchfully, the canoe drifts wherever the river takes it. Drifting is especially hazardous during high waters following the spring rains; trust me—been there, done that. Sure, it can be relaxing and more “chill” to settle back and just let the river do its thing, but on more than one occasion, simply drifting along has resulted in getting caught in the rooty snags of fallen trees, capsizing the canoe, and losing coolers, eyeglasses, car keys, or wallets!

You can always get a new pair of glasses or set of keys; wallets and their contents can be replaced; and usually you can fish your cooler out somewhere downstream.

But Hebrews speaks of a different kind of drifting. Hebrews speaks of drifting nonchalantly away from your connection to the Lord. This sort of drifting is the effortless floating away from the things you’ve learned in your relationship with Jesus. This type of drifting occurs with ease when you neglect what you’ve heard, seen, and received in the Lord.

And this kind of drifting can get you into trouble. Snags, snares, and snafus await drifters at every bend, ready to snatch oblivious floaters. Quite honestly, the Word is clear: such neglect of your connection with Jesus has consequences (see Hebrews 2:2).

Then I read Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest entry for that day, and he wrote, “Have you ever felt the pain, inflicted by the Lord, at the very center of your being, deep down in the most sensitive area of your life?” (See http://utmost.org/have-you-felt-the-pain-inflicted-by-the-lord/.)

Oh great, I thought, let’s read about pain. But when God fingers issues in your life, it is the sign of His tender love for you, not disdain or disgust. Hebrews 12:6 states, “For who the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives” (NKJV). And verse 11 addresses the pain of correction: “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (emphasis added).

In fact, the writer of Hebrews also insisted that if you never experience the uncomfortable touch of discipline or correction in your walk with Jesus, then you are illegitimate—you’ve never been born of God (see Hebrews 12:8).

As much as most of us don’t enjoy owning up to our flubs, flaws, or failures, nevertheless, the way of discipleship, the way of growth, and the way to yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness in your life involves just that—owning up to your flubs, flaws, and failures as you become aware of them.

So what was the Lord correcting me about? I had grown lax in giving Him first place in my day. I had allowed gadgets and media to consume my time before I gave Him a chance to speak, and as a result, I was actively laying a foundation of distraction to start my day. Betcha I’m not the only one dealing with this issue!

When you give God the right to correct you, you submit to Him. And as you do so, He can build upon that foundation, brick by brick, the scaffolding and structure of your life, and then He can direct the flow of the river within you to accomplish great things through you.

Yield to the training of His discipline; it will produce in you the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Dorothy

Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, otherwise they will not come near to you. Psalm 32:9

The morning connection with God

Posted by Admin on Mar 14, 2014 in Connection | Comments Off on The morning connection with God

O God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
I will seek You in the morning
I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You’ll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days
“Step by Step” © 1991 BMG Songs, Inc. / Kid Brothers of St. Frank Publishing / ASCAP / All rights reserved

One of the most profound disciplines I’ve bought into over the years is that of seeking God in the morning. I’d love to say that I’ve been consistent with this practice day by day, week by week, year by year, over the span of nearly forty years. Unfortunately, I cannot say that.

I can say this. The Lord taught me the value of seeking Him first thing, and as a result, I’ve almost always had some sort of fellowship with Him before I head out the door.

Like most of you, I’ve gone through ebbs and flows with the Lord in the mornings. More than once, when carnality and chaos seemed to rule the day, He would gently remind me, “Seek Me now—and give Me first place in the morning.” And every time He redirects me after I’ve been “too busy” to start my day in the Word and prayer, I pull myself out of bed the next day, find my Bible, a pen and paper, and start reading and talking to Him. Without fail, He shows up and highlights Scriptures and wisdom to my heart.

After a season in my life when I flirted with some carnality, the first thing God led me to do was to reestablish my time with Him in the morning. I purposed to set aside 6:30-7:00 before I left for work to spend time in the Word and prayer. (I had consistently prayed for longer periods of time as a younger believer, but I had to start over again with what I could realistically do. I’ve observed that sometimes we put bigger goals before ourselves than we can handle; when we fail, we give up. Start small; conquer that, and then increase as the Lord leads.)

As I remained faithful to my half-hour with God, the peace, revelation, joy, and blessing flooded back into my life. It always amazes me how God shows up when I obey Him.

I was one of those backwards things who didn’t have a lot of technology in my home. Well, when I finally went online, let’s just say I was swept away. You see, I love to study and think and learn about what’s going on in the world, and I discovered that every morning I had all of the world’s issues laid out before me with a click of a button. Of course, I’d pray and seek God, but something just didn’t feel right.

Clear as a bell, in March of 2010, the Lord told me, “Don’t even look at the news until after you’ve spent time with Me each morning.” And again, when I put my hand to the seeking-God plow first thing in the day, peace, revelation, joy, and blessing flooded back upon me in even greater measure.

And then I got my first iPhone less than a year ago. (Told you I was technologically backwards.) I learned how amazing it was—an alarm clock, email, news, weather and so much more—all at my fingertips! And what do you know, but I started checking my emails first thing (I’m not on Facebook, or I would be checking that, too) and one thing led to another, and I had journeyed around the world, to international meetings and crime scenes before I even got out of bed! Several conspiracies were unfolded before my eyes and I even learned about all of the sales waiting for me on everything from storage cabinets to cat food.

Oh, I would pray—way later in the morning—and feel about as spiritual as an empty potato chip bag.

And conviction came over me again. Lord, I’ve let go of what You told me in 2010. I’ve put all this other stuff before You. I need help!  And it all happened on that snowy morning I told you about.

I knew I would hear from God if I opened up my devotionals, and right there in Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, I read, “Be ready in the morning, and come up…present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. And no man shall come up with thee” (Exodus 34:2,3; KJV).

In the morning. God had spoken again. Not only did He want me to present myself to Him each day, but He also said this: “And no man shall come up with thee.” Not emails, not the news, not the forecast, not sales, not the latest conspiracy—no man shall share that time slot which I have reserved just for the two of us, I sensed Him saying to my heart.

“And no man shall come up with thee.” That man—my iPhone—and the other man—my laptop—now stay in another part of the house when I go into the early morning secret place with God.

As you can see, for such an intelligent person, I’ve been a slow learner. But oh, the joy of connecting with God in the morning before the world around me clamors for attention! Nothing that beckons for my notice can compare to the sweetness of early morning fellowship with Him.

Top of the morning to you!

Dorothy

In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. Psalm 5:3

I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Proverbs 8:17; KJV

Connection vs. disconnect

Posted by Admin on Mar 13, 2014 in Connection | Comments Off on Connection vs. disconnect

Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” 1 Samuel 17:26

Connection vs. disconnect. The difference can be subtle in a time of peace, but when giants arise to taunt the armies of the living God, or when voices opposed to sound doctrine amass in the land—insisting that good is evil and evil is good—the contrast can become gravely stark.

The life of David—the shepherd boy, psalmist, and king of Israel—bears witness to this disparity. Our own lives also attest to the rewards and consequences of each—seasons of connection to the Lord and lapses into disconnect.

As a young man, David was sent to Israel’s front line with food for his brothers. When he approached his destination, David heard the Philistine champion, Goliath of Gath, defy the ranks of Israel, threatening them with defeat and enforced servitude (see 1 Samuel 17:8-10; 23). King Saul and his mighty warriors of Israel and were greatly dismayed and fled in terror (see verses 11 and 24).

But young David, fresh from shepherding sheep and singing out the depths of his heart to God, stood among them and asked in disbelief, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” He could fathom neither the display of defiance toward God nor the timidity of the warriors gathered. David would take him on—and bring him down.

From the reservoir of strength within him, built up in private, intimate fellowship with God, he stood fast when challenged by Saul: “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth” (see verse 33).

David recounted his testimony birthed from connection with the Lord. “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God” (verses 34-36).

He summed up his thoughts, giving honor to God: “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (verse 37).

The rest is lauded history. David did his part, God did His part, and Goliath did his part—he died. And David became a rock star in Israel, loved and adored by all—except King Saul.

Fast forward

“Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1).

Many years later, long after David was crowned king in Saul’s place, in the spring of the year when kings went out to battle against one another, David stayed at home. Bible commentator David Guzik explains, “In that part of the world, wars were not normally fought during the winter months because rains and cold weather made travel and campaigning difficult. Fighting resumed in the spring” (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide_2Sa/2Sa_11.cfm).

King David was not unaware of this yearly threat to Israel’s sovereignty—although they took breaks, the enemies of Israel never gave up in their quest to decimate God’s people. Despite the menace to his country, David remained at home. In his commentary, Guzik quotes G. Campbell Morgan who wrote, “In the whole of the Old Testament literature there is no chapter more tragic or full of solemn and searching warning than this” (ibid; emphasis added).

It was his tight connection with God that drove David’s indignation at the taunts of Goliath; in the power of that connection the shepherd boy defeated the giant. Now, when his nation needed him again, his connection had grown lax; the godly outrage at the threats of the enemies of God had faded into comfortable nonchalance; the king figured that Joab could handle it—or perhaps he felt that no significant threat existed at all.

In that place of loose connection and resulting unguardedness, while relaxing on the roof, David—the giant-slayer, the king, and the beloved psalmist of Israel—saw someone pretty, and he wanted her. He sent for Bathsheba and bedded her despite the fact that she was married to one of his warriors. When she later informed him that she had become pregnant, he plotted to cover his sin by bringing her husband Uriah home from the battle for a few nights with her, in hopes that Uriah would be none-the-wiser when Bathsheba’s belly started to swell.

However, Uriah refused to join his wife, declaring, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing” (see 2 Samuel 11:11). His zeal for Israel and those who served stood in sharp contrast to the carnal complicity of the king.

David conspired, therefore, to do away with the godly warrior and wrote in a letter to his chief officer Joab, “Place Uriah in the front line of the fiercest battle and withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and die” (see verse 15).

Indeed, Uriah died in battle and David took the man’s wife as his own. And to re-quote G. Campbell Morgan, “In…the Old Testament…there is no chapter more tragic or full of solemn and searching warning than this.”

Connection vs. disconnect: The challenge emerges on a daily basis. You know that if you draw near to God, He  will draw near to you. You have read in the Word, Choose life that you may live. Yet without missing a beat, the enemy of your soul prowls around as a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. How can your foe devour you if you are tightly connected in faith, love, and passionate pursuit of your God? He can’t—unless you allow him to entice you to loosen that connection.

Pay attention to this tale from the life of David, and make it your aim and lifelong pursuit to keep your connection with God sound, stable, and strong.

Could it be that from your connection with God the Light of Jesus will blaze brightly through your life and souls will be pulled out of sure death? Perhaps yours will be the connection with the Lord from which springs a giant-defeating blow or mighty restraint upon the agendas of darkness.

Is it worth it to maintain that tight connection with the Lord? Ask David.

Dorothy

Question: How loose is tight enough?

Posted by Admin on Mar 12, 2014 in Connection | Comments Off on Question: How loose is tight enough?

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants… Deuteronomy 30:19

I taught in elementary and middle schools for over thirty years. And every year—make that almost every day—someone thought they needed to test the boundaries. Maybe she’s moved the line. Maybe she’ll just give in. Maybe she didn’t mean it. They had that urge to test the limits; they were just checking.

Unfortunately, God’s people aren’t much different than a lot of the kids I taught. I’ll bet thoughts like some of the following have crossed your mind at least once since you began your walk with the Lord:

• Just how far can I go until it’s too far?
• Just this once won’t hurt, will it?
• How long can I play with this fire before I get burned?
• How close can I get to the edge before falling off?
• Do I really have to put forth any effort on my end of the deal with God, or can I do whatever I feel like from here on out?

In the Old Testament, the Lord God said through Moses that He had set a choice before His people—life or death; blessing or the curse. The route they took was entirely up to them. The rewards—and consequences—that manifested in their lives would likewise play out according to the decisions they made—life or death; blessing or cursing.

But the Lord didn’t stop there. He told them the proper choice to make at every junction before them—life. Life is always the appropriate choice to make. Life and blessing are always available to every one of us; they are always a decision away—even when the alternatives seem more appealing or less challenging.

Notice what the Lord said through Moses: So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants…

Your decisions are your own. However, those decisions impact everyone else around you, extending for generations. Even as a single woman without children, I am keenly aware that my choices effect far more than myself. My choices and yours—as insignificant as they may seem in the grand scheme of things—carry far more weight on the scales of eternity than we can even imagine.

So how do you choose life? The Lord continued as He spoke through Moses: “…by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them” (Deuteronomy 30:20).

How do you choose life?

• By loving the Lord your God
• By obeying His voice
• By holding fast to Him

The pattern was set from the beginning. The boundaries were drawn. Blessing and life have always been wrapped up in one key pursuit: connection with God.

Connection is established when you love Him. Connection is established when you obey His voice. Connection is established when you hold fast to Him.

So how loose is tight enough? When speaking in reference to the One who died an excruciating death to bridge the gap of separation between you and God, looseness of connection emerges as an impoverished choice—a choice attended by things pertaining to death and the curse.

Connection to the One who loves you is as uncomplicated as loving Him, as straightforward as obeying His voice, and as raw as holding fast to Him. The simplest person on earth can connect with Him to the uttermost; the most learned and astute among us discover that they barely scratch the surface of His limitless love as they draw near to Him in close connection.

Connection to the One who loves you is available to you in full measure. Love Him, obey Him, hold fast to Him. Anything less is depriving yourself of the best Life has to offer.

Dorothy

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6

Connected to the source

Posted by Admin on Mar 11, 2014 in Connection | Comments Off on Connected to the source

I had one of those dreams last year that stuck with me, but not due to its entertainment value. This dream was disturbing, and frankly, annoying. It falls into the category  of frustration dreams—you know, the kind when nothing you do works; you’re lost in a familiar building (for me that place is usually a school); nobody’s listening to you—that type.

But this dream was more straight-forward and made more sense in real life than the common frustration dream. I think that’s why it was so disturbing.

In this dream, I entered my home before dark one summer’s evening and turned on the lights. Nothing. I went from room to room trying to find a switch that worked. None did. However, when I looked up at the ceiling fan, it was operating. The power was on, but the lights would not work.

I inspected each light fixture all over the house—whether ceiling, stove, sink, or table lamp. Each one was fully stocked with bulbs—perfectly good bulbs. I knew the power was on but the lights were not shining.

I climbed up onto my bed and was aware in the dream of the instability of my footing on the mattress. With legs shaking and feeling like a novice surfer on a large wave, I reached up to the bulbs in the ceiling fixture—each one in its place—and then discovered the problem. Every last bulb in the house was just one or two revolutions away from connecting with the power.

When I awoke in the morning after the dream, I didn’t think much about it and went on with my day.

Later, like a bolt out of Heaven—when I was telling someone about the dream—I realized what it signified. My dream was a tutorial about the power and the light operating within me—and the Church.

First, the dream was set in my house. Therefore, it applied to me just as much as it did to anyone else—probably more. Keep this in mind when God reveals issues to you—let Him search your own heart first. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1, KJV; emphasis added).

Here’s what I saw: The power in the house was on. Nothing was wrong at the electric company’s end—I knew that because the ceiling fan was doing its thing. The light bulbs were all in place—they appeared to be properly installed.

What I know: There is nothing wrong with the power of God in our time. It is every bit as strong as it was when Elijah and Elisha lived, when Peter, Paul, and John preached, and indeed, when Jesus walked the earth. The power is most definitely ON.

This dream opened my eyes to a small adjustment I needed to maintain so that Jesus—the Light of the world—could shine through my life. This “fine-tuning”, I believe, is applicable to anyone else hungering for more of God, as well. Here’s what I gleaned:

• The electricity that was being used was unhindered in operating the ceiling fans. In other words, coolness and comfort were maintained—perhaps prioritized. In my life and in most churches—at least in this nation—the environment is cool and comfortable.

• Every single light bulb was manufacturer-ready and in its place. They looked just right; they appeared to be 100% functional. In the same way, there’s nothing defective with you or me—the people God has pulled out of the world and placed in His Church. Each one of us is capable of 100% functionality.

• None of the bulbs produced any light. No corresponding heat was produced, either, and the house stayed cool. In my dream, the bulbs that were capable of lighting my house were not lighting up. A benefit of that was the lack of heat on a hot summer’s day, but again, no light was shining. When light shines, heat is produced. When you or I start shining, often persecution heats up. One way to avoid the heat is to keep the lights off.

• It took some effort to discover the problem. I had to get up on furniture I don’t normally climb on; I had to force myself out of my comfort-zone to problem-solve. It’s easy to complain or point a finger at others or at issues; it’s much more uncomfortable to endeavor to honestly seek God for the cause so the problem can be solved. Although it may feel precarious—very shaky—to step out of the security of “everything’s great” to face off with besetting issues, the results that come from God are worth it.

• The problem wasn’t in the power or in the bulbs themselves or even in their placement. The power was on; the bulbs each had the appropriate wattage; each bulb was in the right spot; they just weren’t connected to the power. They were mere millimeters away from connection.

We must never take it for granted that because God’s power is present and we are in position to be used that we are actually fully connected to the power. Connection at full revolution is the only sure way to produce light. Heat will be generated as well, but we can’t let that stop us from seeking full connection to our Power Source. Heat is produced when light shines; but when the heat is on, God’s grace and glory flourish all the more.

May the Lord grant all of us the grace we need to turn those“bulbs” the one or two notches it takes to connect with Him at full strength. And may we keep that connection tight on an ongoing basis.

Dorothy

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5