|Shut the Door to Sin|

By Melody Mohnhaupt

     Do you remember getting into fights with your siblings when you were younger? A quarrel would break out, and before you knew it, you were running for your life! You would bolt into the nearest room for safety, race in the doorway as fast as possible, and slam the door behind you. But, if you had fast siblings (like I did), I’m sure, a time or two, they slid their foot in the frame RIGHT as you were attempting to shut them out. At that point, you knew you were in trouble. Once they got their foot in the door, and had that opening, they had the opportunity to fight their way in. 

     What does this have to do with sin? Well, we all go through situations that involve us battling sin at some point or another. Some sin is more difficult to battle against. When we finally come to that place where we make the choice to repent and shut the door to sin, we need to ACTUALLY shut the door completely! Even though it may hurt like crazy, and some might not understand fully, unless that door is sealed and bolted, the enemy can find his way back in. He will look for any crack that might let him in; and boy is she sneaky. 

     For example, one thing that I’ve struggled with through the years is boys. Shocker. Like most girls, I enjoy attention every once in a while. I’d love to find my significant other and who doesn't want to be adored? So, I had engaged in a few relationships. Because I was raised as a Christian, and genuinely wanted God’s will (in the long run), my soul and spirit constantly battled with each other. My soul would tell me how nice, funny, attractive, and caring these guys were. My spirit would line them, as well as our relationship, up with the Bible, and each time, I knew I wasn't measuring up to God’s standards for me. 

     Realizing that these relationships were not God’s will for me, and in some cases, even causing me to compromise my walk, scared me. Because of this, a time or two, I broke things off. I told myself I wanted God’s will, and tried to move on, but I never shut the door completely. I ran away from the problem thinking I was fine, but I left the door open just enough for the enemy to get his foot in. 

     Let me give you an even more specific example. Once, I broke off a relationship with a guy that I knew deep down in my heart was not God’s will for me. I felt that nagging reminder all throughout the relationship, but ignored it. Once I finally broke things off, I thought all was well. However, I told him that if he ever needed me, he was free to contact me. I wanted to remain friends. But I didn't realize I was keeping that door open. He would contact me every now and then telling me he missed me, asking to see me, and would express his feelings toward me. This was SO difficult to stand against. Not because I still had feelings, or wanted those things in return, but I was so afraid to hurt him more than I already did. 

     Because I was weak, I gave in. And before I even realized it, we were back together. The second time around our relationship lasted a few years. By accepting something for myself that was out of God’s will for me, I had opened a door that brought the enemy straight into my life. I learned how to completely ignore the voice of the Holy Spirit to the point that I didn't even hear Him anymore. That is a place I never want to be again. Thankfully, the Lord rescued me from that relationship (even though I had no desire, at the time, of being rescued).

     Fast forward a few years, and lo and behold, I found myself nearly in the exact same situation. I thought I had learned by lesson, but apparently I hadn’t. It’s true what they say; history really does repeat itself. But only if you allow it to. I was tired of fighting and allowing Satan to get his foot in. No more.

     I finally made the decision not to let that happen again. I slammed the door in the enemy’s face, locked it, and gave the key to Jesus. I realized that God has so much for me, but if I kept messing around, I would never see those promises. I had to discipline myself to wait for His perfect will. Which meant closing the door to the things that we not God’s perfect will. Thank God for His mercy, because that is exactly what I am now doing. 

     God has doors lined up for you to walk though and receive the blessings He has waiting for you on the other sides, but He will never allow you to open them, until you completely shut the doors to sin. It hurts sometimes. I get it. But, if you don’t, your spiritual destiny could be at risk. You could abort all the plans He has for you. Why keep the door open to something that is keeping you from the fullness of God’s abundant favor in your life?  

     Whatever your door is, whether it’s something similar to what I faced, or it’s forgiving other, drugs, alcohol, anxiety, worry, immoral thoughts or behavior of any sort; don't be afraid to shut it. And when you do, keep it shut! Give your key to Jesus too. He is asking you to trust in him. Have courage and know that He has another door with something so much better waiting for you on the other side.

|Be Bold, Princess|

By Caitlin Hunt

​Luke 7: 37 & 39 ESV “And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”

There I was at 15 years old, on my knees, completely sobbing inside of a grave. I had finally reached my breaking point; I could no longer handle living my life listening to the constant whispering of lies from The Enemy. Ever since my 13th birthday, when one of my classmates told me that I was fat, ugly, & only had friends because they felt sorry for me, I hated myself & the way I looked. From that day forward, Satan crept in & continually whispered lies into my ear.

“You are so ugly.” “No man will ever love you” “God can’t use you; you’re just a number to Him.” “Your life will never have eternal significance.” “You’ll never be pretty if you don’t lose weight.”

I believed every word. I let his whispers consume me & pierce my heart. I hated those words so I decided the only way to get them to stop was to lose weight & fast. The quickest way to accomplish that? Not eat. But I couldn’t just not eat, my friends would notice at lunch and my parents would notice when we ate dinner together. I decided that I would eat to keep up appearances but I would go to the bathroom during class & sneak away after dinner to throw up. It worked! When I returned to school in the fall, people started to notice. The popular girls commented on how great I looked and for a moment, it made me happy. But, the whispers didn’t stop, they only grew worse. Fast forward 2.5 years to summer camp where we had dug a huge “grave” where we were to go down in it individually to pray & ask the Lord what we needed to “die” to, what we needed to give up to Him, or if we needed to offer our life in dedication back to Him.

Mary offered her precious flask of alabaster to Jesus & anointed his feet with it using her tears and her hair. What Mary did was an act of love. She gave her best- a gift of great value & cost to her. It was also a heart-felt act of humility & reverence. Jesus knew that Mary loved Him, she could have kept the flask for herself. She would have still been a follower of Jesus, but imagine what heavenly gifts could she have given up by holding onto her earthy treasure?

I had to ask myself if I could be as selfless and devoted as Mary. Could I give up my precious possession, my image of my self-worth, and lay it at Jesus’ feet as an act of devotion and surrender to the Lord? 

What about you, Princess? Are you bold enough to give up that which is treasured to you to honor God & to be an example to those around you? Is it a dream? A selfish desire? Is it a relationship with another person? Really take some time to pray about it and ask the Lord to speak to your heart about what is keeping you form fully surrendering your life to Him.

You may have noticed that in verse 39 Mary was judged by a religious Pharisee. The sad truth is that once we have become dedicated to Christ, willing to offer our life & possession to Him, a lot of people will not understand; even Christians. They could be jealous, they may not understand, or they could be “self-righteous” & condescending. Don’t let them make you doubt the value of your offering! Don’t be afraid to step out boldly for Christ, no matter what the outcome may be.

My prayer for you, beautiful one, is that you will take the little treasures locked inside your heart and lavish them on the Lord. That you won’t hold back and that you would worship Him with extravagant, unashamed praise! That you will dedicate your life in ministry to Him & to bless those around you. BE BOLD, dear Princess! Don’t let anyone stop you from your God given calling.

And finally, if you are like me, struggling to see your beauty; please keep these scriptures written upon your heart. 

Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God is in your midst,  a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness;  he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” And Psalms 45:11 “and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him.” 

The King of kings created you just as you are. He delights in who you are & in your beauty! Never forget what a treasure you are to Him, YOU are his precious daughter! You make His heart sing!

|Guarding Our Spiritual Gates|

By Kenya Gossett 

“Oh be careful little ears what you hear, for the Father up above is looking down with love. Oh be careful little ears what you hear. Oh be careful little eyes what you see, for the Father up above is looking down with love. Oh be careful little eyes what you see.”

Sound familiar? That is a shortened version of the Sunday school song that we all grew up listening to. It’s simple and light-hearted, but in all reality it’s still a warning that we should adhere to. Our Father up above hears all, sees all, and knows all.  

We need to realize that our eyes and ears, are a gateway that leads either to life or destruction. Whatever we download and save into the hard drive of our mind, will flow out of our mouth and be evident in our walk on this earth. 

In a world filled with deep darkness, perversion, foul language and lust, it can be difficult for a Christian to walk untainted. There is temptation around every corner. There are attacks coming against the church, trying to take down leaders with sin. TV and movies have no shame in flaunting homosexuality, adultery, fornication, witchcraft and sorcery. Music has become so demon possessed and twisted, from what God originally wanted it to be. It’s the norm, but it comes from satan himself. He has crept into all of these situations making it look so innocent, and sadly people have become numb to it. They can sit in a movie and listen to actors curse their God, or they could watch TV shows with fornication and vulgarity in every scene. They can put earphones in and listen to explicit lyrics with a "cool beat", not realizing that it is opening doors for the enemy to come in and pollute their thoughts. The enemy is so subtle! It may seem harmless at first but the Word says that satan comes as an angel of light. He'll make it look innocent, but over time, it will kill you. Your conviction and fear of God will be gone. 

It is a dangerous game that we as Christians should not play. It breaks the heart of God when we entertain such things and let me tell you, it is not worth it!

Romans 12:2 AMP

“And do not be conformed to this world (any longer with its superficial values and customs) but be transformed and progressively changed (as you mature spiritually) by the renewing of your mind (focusing on Godly values and ethical attitudes), so that you may prove (for yourselves) what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (in His plan and purpose for you.)”

The hard drive that we have is a powerful device. but hallelujah, it is not too powerful for the Holy Spirit to come and press the delete button. It’s because of the blood of Jesus, that we can have a clean slate. But we still have a responsibility to guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

We still have a choice to make. Are we going to renew our mind and press that delete button or are we going to let ourselves be enticed by the flesh? 

1 Corinthians 10:13 AMP

“No temptation (regardless of its source) has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience (nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance) but God is faithful (to His word- He is compassionate and trustworthy), and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability (to resist), but along with the temptation He (has in the past and is now and) will always provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it (without yielding) and will overcome temptation with joy.”

You see, God gives us a choice. When temptation arises, He provides a way out. It’s in that moment that we need to crucify the flesh, and walk in the Spirit. I love the end of that verse “you will be able to endure it, without yielding and will overcome temptation with joy.” 

When you choose right, it produces JOY. It’s the best feeling in the world when you not only get a victory but when you know that you just shut the door in satans face! 

You take ground in the Spirit and the enemy hates that. Even recently, I was able to overcome a few things and immediately the enemy came right back in with the same battle. I had to rise up and say “NO. I have been delivered, I have been covered in the blood. Jesus conquered the grave, so that I could conquer this.” and Praise God, it lifted. 

but I’ve learned how important it is to keep a heavy guard in front of my spiritual gates. The enemy is relentless in his pursuit to bring us down- he will go through every avenue and will use every little thing to trigger something in our mind that is not of God. 

I want to protect my anointing. I want to stay pure and holy before a Holy God. I want to keep His light in my eyes. I want to continually hear His Word. and most importantly, I want to speak words of life over myself and over the body of Christ. 

Luke 11:34 AMP

“The eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is clear (spiritually perspective, focused on God), your whole body also is full of light (benefiting from Gods precepts) But when it is bad (spiritually blind) your body is full of darkness (devoid of Gods word).”

So I want to encourage you, if you are struggling with anything listed above- it is time to call down the hosts of Heaven to guard every gate. I guarantee you that the Lord will not deny that request, nor will He withhold His blood from covering you. 

It’s not easy to take away things that the flesh loves, but in the end it produces a beautiful, victorious life. So I challenge you to make an effort in setting yourself apart. Only you know the things that the Lord is calling you out from, and that’s between you and Him. We all have to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12) But you can do it! I know this because God has delivered me from SO much. It IS possible. It may be a process but it can be done. 

When unwanted thoughts come flooding in or when a temptation starts dangling right in front of you, think on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by Gods word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things. (center your mind on them and IMPLANT them in your heart.)” Philippians 4:8 AMP

and if you battle condemnation over past mistakes or current battles that you feel like you can’t overcome, you need to know that you are not too far gone. There is nothing that Jesus can not fix or cover. 

I want you to pray Psalms 51:7 and Psalms 51:10-12 over yourself.

vs. 7 “Purify me with hyssop, and I WILL be clean. Wash me, and I WILL be whiter than snow.”

vs. 10-12 “Create in me a CLEAN heart, O God, and RENEW a right and steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.”

God is going to do just that for you when you come with a repentant heart. Amen!

My last encouragement is simple and I will end with this. 

Just be careful, precious ones :)

|Satan Doesn't Have My Number Anymore|

By Melody Mohnhaupt

Do you ever feel crippled? Like you want to push past a hurdle or change an unwanted area in your life, but get overcome by oppression or fear? Do you feel incapable? Do you feel like you have big dreams, but get told they are “too big” or “not realistic”? Is it hard to keep your joy and focus on the Lord? Do you find yourself doubting?

If you answered ‘yes’ to some of these questions, let me tell you this. Satan is working overtime on you. His whole mission is to steal, kill and destroy. He wants to steal your hope, kill you joy, and destroy God’s vision for your life. 

I was speaking with someone a few days ago who was stuck in a rut. She was telling me how sometimes she gets so inspired by the Lord and He gives her visions and dreams that she desires to fulfill for His glory. She knows God has more in store for her, and that she is not bound to the life of poverty that she has come to know so well. And yet, she feels paralyzed by fear. She explained how she knows God’s goodness because she’s seen Him come through for her time and time again, but sometimes still can’t bring herself to take that step of faith into the unknown. 

The grip over her soul is so strong. That voice in her head repeatedly tells her, “You’re not good enough, smart enough, Christian enough, wealthy enough, and so on. People won’t take you seriously. How will you get there? What do you have to offer? A better life is just out of the question”. Just like the serpent in the garden that brought doubt into Eve’s heart with his, “Hath God said?”, causing her to be blinded and deceived; ultimately leading to the fall of man. When over and over again in the word God PROMISES to take care of us! He assures us, “I did say! You, my child, just ask and I will give! Knock, and I will open! Seek, and you will find! I will never forsake you or leave you. You will never beg bread! You are my child and I adore you and I want the very best for you.”

Unfortunately, a lot of the time, we don't really believe it. If we did, we would see His goodness overflowing and overwhelming our lives. We are too afraid to take those steps, expecting Him to come through for us. So, instead, we wait around in our comfort zones. We never take steps of faith big enough that would require God’s divine intervention. We never pursue those passions in our hearts, because, well, “What if He didn't come through and I turn into a laughing stock? Or lose my house? Or my job? Or turn into a bum on the side of the road?” (Don’t act like those thoughts have never crossed your mind! We all know they have!)

Now, don't get me wrong! I’m not saying you should make foolish decisions! God expects us to use His wisdom and seek Him diligently before any decision in life to assure that it is in accordance to His will. But, He also wants us to walk by faith. He wants His people to be a people who live outside the norm. He wants people in the world to look at us and know that the only way our life turned out so greatly, (when many expected us to crash and burn) was because God was the one orchestrating it all! 

Just look at God’s example in the Bible. It wasn't the Pharisees (the sophisticated, wealthy, knowledgeable scholars of the word) that God used to do His work! It was the smelly old fishermen and despised tax collector! That way, God would get the glory. You see, if Jesus chose the Pharisees as His disciples, many might have thought that what they accomplished (and why there were worthy of being chosen) was because of their social and status. Instead, God used the most unlikely people, so that when others saw them, they knew it was only God that could have moved before them.

I’m sure even the disciples of Jesus thought, “This guy must be crazy! Have you seen the bunch He picked to be His followers?” And maybe that’s how you're feeling about yourself too. “What? God must be crazy! How could he use me? There are many better people to choose! My “dreams” were probably stupid anyway!”

Believe it or not, every dream, passion, interest and talent you have was given to you by God for a reason. He put that in you to fulfill His purpose through you. He was intensional in every detail of your design. 

Maybe you’re sixteen and you are seeking God’s purpose, but have no clear sense of direction. Maybe you're pushing sixty and you feel like your time to be used by God is long passed expired. No matter your situation, God still wants to use you. You can’t lose hope! If He has called you, He will equip you! And, my darling, HE HAS CALLED YOU!!! 

So if you have negative thoughts about your life or even about yourself, I encourage you to speak out against those lies! Satan is a low down, dirty liar. He will convince you that your biggest fears, doubts, and insecurities are the most stable realities. 

It’s time to stand up and say, “NO! Satan doesn't have my number anymore!” You know why? Because you aren't going to give him that power over you anymore. As soon as he tries to plant his deceitful words into your mind, you CAST DOWN those vain imaginations; those thoughts that only bring you down, keep you from your vision, and steal your joy. Say, “Na-uh Satan. I don't think so! You're a liar! But you know whose words I WILL believe? The words of my Father!”

When Satan tries again, (because believe me, he will!) just laugh and say “Satan, what is it that you don't understand? I took your phone, went through your contacts and deleted my number. You have no way of contacting me anymore! I will not even receive your words anymore! That hold you once has on me is broken! I’m not afraid! I am capable, I am loved, and I need you and every negative thought to get far, far away from me, because I’m done with you!”

“… you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one”. 1 John 2:14

Amen and Amen!

|He Took The Sword|

By Kenya Gossett

Recently, I watched a powerful 1959 film called, “Ben-Hur”, that has left me pondering on it ever since. Now, I’m not the best at story telling, so please bear with me: but the story follows Judah Ben-Hur, a wealthy Palestinian prince and merchant in Jerusalem, battling the Roman Empire at the time of Christ.

The trials he faced, seemed to be endless. He was betrayed by his closest friend. He was condemned as a slave to the galleys for 3 years. He lost his wealth. His mother and sister were stricken with leprosy while in prison. and he almost lost the woman he loved over the bitterness in his heart. 

It’s a beautiful story of redemption and healing, because ultimately he finds salvation at the foot of the cross and realizes that Jesus was the man who showed so much love and compassion to him in his times of need. It was amazing to see how all through out the movie, Jesus was always there. He was tied into everything.

As the movie ends with the crucifixion; it was seeing the power that occurred after Jesus took His last breath that inspired me to write this. The next scene was so perfect for the place I was in because the week prior to watching this film, the Lord was already speaking to my heart about redemption and the beauty of His blood. 

As Judah stood at the cross, beholding His Savior: his mother and sister, Miriam and Tirzah, were hiding in the caves not too far from the cross of Calvary. There was complete and utter darkness that surrounded them until the moment Jesus said “It Is Finished”. When it was close to His final moment, the thunder and lightning started to rumble and crack- the rain began to pour- and the wind was blowing every object in its path. Then, it suddenly stopped. The fear that gripped them was gone. The sun started to come out, and the precious blood of Jesus began to flow from a stream that the rain created, past the cave. Miriam and Tirzah were unaware of the miracle that just took place, until they looked at each other and saw nothing but faces that were healed. The blood that covered the earth and passed by, cleansed them from their leprosy. 

The simplicity in this was so powerful to me. I was in tears as I saw how the blood changed the lives of every individual. The ending scene shows Judah coming home with a totally different light in his eyes. It’s like he could barely walk over his excitement of being Born Again. The first and last words that came out of his mouth, pierced me. He told Esther (his love interest) of his experience at the foot of the cross and said “His voice took the sword from my hand.”

The blood of The King on the Old Rugged Cross, not only washed away the infirmities of his family, but the voice of the Messiah, took away the sword of anger- bitterness- and the desire for revenge against Rome that he so tightly held on to. Wow.

All of that would have killed the man he was destined to be!

This made me examine my own self. What sword do I carry in my hand? What could potentially kill me?

I’ll be honest, the biggest sword I have held, is the sword of fear. Fear over what will happen next in my life. Fear over what people think of me. Fear of death and fear of losing those that I am closest to. It has gripped me for so many years. It’s even been an uphill battle to truly be confident in who I am and what I am called to do. But I can now confidently proclaim that because of the blood of Jesus, every fear is gone. He took it from my hand, so that I can face tomorrow. 

Every fear of people, every past mistake, and every failure in my way of thinking, is GONE. I can be what I’ve been destined to be because of a sacrifice that was made for every human being. 

The only sword that I carry now, is truth, hope, love and a pure confidence. Towards myself and towards others. Hallelujah!

So I want to ask you. What sword do you carry? Is it Anger? Bitterness? Lust? Lack of self confidence? Jealousy? Sickness? Shame of your past? You too can overcome because JESUS LIVES! His blood washed it all away. You have been redeemed! BE FREE.

He died and rose again, so that we wouldn’t kill ourselves and abort who we are supposed to be in His Kingdom. He died and rose again, so that we could have a Heavenly way of thinking and truly walk in the victory that was given us. 

So to whoever is reading this: He took the sword. All you got to do now is BELIEVE IT. 

|The Journey: Even When You Cannot See| 

By Livy Jarmusch 

“And they said to one another, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road and while He opened up the scriptures to us?’” Luke 24:32 

Sometimes life can be confusing. It’s like the road map is turned upside down, the GPS isn’t working, and all the road signs that are supposed to tell you where to go, are in another language! They say that life is a beautiful journey. They say that it’s not about arriving at your destination, it’s all about the joy of getting there. But when you’ve been on the road for eighteen hours, you’ve run out of snacks, and you can’t find a place to take a bathroom break, it isn’t quite so fun anymore! 

Do you ever wish that you could just hurry up and get there? Dash to the next mile marker in your life, and graduate High School? Fall in love, get married? Get that new job you’ve been hoping for? 
Wouldn’t it be easier if you could have a head-on, insta-collision with destiny, like…tomorrow? Just imagine how blissful it would be to wake in the morning and find yourself smack-dab in the middle of God’s perfect plan for your life! Maybe you’d be a successful business woman, serving as a missionary in a foreign country, or finally recording the album that you’ve been dreaming about your whole life! 

Whatever it is that you’ve been waiting for, I’m sure you can relate. Maybe you’re longing for a new door of opportunity to open. Are you desperate to hear a fresh word of direction from God, about your life and your purpose? Maybe you’re wanting some clarity about confusing or hurtful things that are happening.

Wherever you’re at on this journey of life, I know that we’ve all reached the point where we’ve pulled off to the side of the road, shut off our engines, slammed our heads on the steering wheel and cried out, “God, where are you? I’m totally lost! I need direction! I need to hear your voice. What in the world are you doing? Are we just going around in circles? Just give me SOMETHING to work with here!” 

How strange a season it is when we lift our voices to Heaven, and hear nothing in return. 

The Bible says, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all of your heart. I will be found by you declares the Lord, and I will restore you…” Jeremiah 29:12-14

On those days when I’m seeking (and I’m pretty darn sure that I’m seeking with all of my heart!) and I don’t get any clues, encouragement, cute little love letters from God, or radical “burning bush” experiences, I can begin to wonder what’s wrong. In moments like that, when God feels so distant and far away, it’s easy to panic. I know the truth that He will never leave me or forsake me, and He hears every prayer. He is perfectly faithful…so what in the world is going on?! 

The Lord is always speaking to us. His favorite thing to do is reveal who He is, how much He loves us, and the amazing plans that He has for our lives! He loves to reveal the reality of what’s happening in Heaven, which is His perspective, and make that manifest in our lives. The job of the Holy Spirit is to guide us into all truth, and take the things that belong to the Father, which belong to Jesus, and declare them to us! (John 16:13-14) So if God is always speaking, why can’t we hear Him? 

The Book of Esther is one of my favorite examples of a time when God appeared to be silent. Esther’s story is so unique. The Bible is full of story after story of God revealing Himself to His people in dramatic, ground-shakingly epic ways! The Red Sea opened, manna came down from Heaven, lions' mouths were shut, miracles were performed, miraculous wars were won, and God’s hand and voice were so clearly seen! To many characters in the Word, God revealed a new part of His nature and character. To Hagar, He was El Roi, “the God who Sees.” To Abraham, He was El Shaddi, “the All Sufficient One.” To David, He was El Sali, “the God of my Strength.” To the woman who had been bleeding her whole life, Jesus revealed Himself as “Healer.” To the woman who had been caught in the act of adultery, Jesus reveled Himself as “Redeemer.” To Paul, Jesus revealed Himself as “Strength made perfect in my weakness.” 

But in Esther’s story, God’s name is never mentioned. He doesn’t reveal a new part of His character by splitting open the heavens and performing a miracle. God’s name is nowhere to be found. Not even once, through the whole book! God never speaks through a prophet, “Thus saith the Lord!” or confirms his promises by wetting some fleece like he did for Gideon. As the Author of Esther’s story, God never signs His name in a big fat Sharpie marker. The flashing neon light of God’s presence and direction is nowhere to be seen. But when I read the book of Esther, my heart burns within me. I don’t see the Author’s name, but I know He has been there. Signs of the Author’s style, voice, and faithfulness are seen so clearly. His presence, His voice, and His direction within this book are so clear, if only you know what you’re looking for. I recognize the work of His providential hand, maneuvering every person, event, and word, according to His perfect plan. But do you think Esther was aware of this? Was she getting a play-by-play of God’s plan, or do you think she looked at the upside down road map in front of her, and asked God, “What in the world are You doing?!”

The Lord is revealing His name, nature, and character every single day. It may not be in an obvious, burning bush or sea-splitting way, but He is speaking, moving, and directing. Every line and scribble in my life that appears to be so messy, out of place, or just plain puzzling, is there for a purpose. The Author is weaving together a most beautiful story. I just don’t see it yet. As much as I don’t like to admit it, sometimes I’m like the guys who were walking down the trail of life in Luke 24. In their story, Jesus had just risen from the dead. The miracle of all miracles had taken place! These guys had every reason to be excited, whooping and hollering for joy, because God was working in their life in such an amazing way! But they were so confused. They were afraid, and perplexed, and totally blinded to the most beautiful thing that was happening right before their eyes. 
“Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. 
And He said to them, ‘What kind of conversation is this that you are having with one another as you walk and are sad?’
Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, ‘Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem and have you not known the things which happened there in these days?” 

They continued to explain to Jesus everything that had happened, the report of the resurrection, and how some friends from their group went the tomb and didn’t see Jesus there. As these men walked on the road with Jesus, “He expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, Jesus revealed Himself in a way that these men had never heard before. It was so different from what they were used to, they didn’t even know that Jesus was talking to them! 

Finally, when they got to their house and broke bread together, something that they were used to doing in the past, “their eyes were opened and they knew Him, and He vanished from their sight.” 

Suddenly, everything made sense. When the Spirit of wisdom and revelation hit them, they could see clearly. They had the “a-ha!” moment they had been aching for, and everything was clear and sunny and bright again! Jesus was alive! And He had been WALKING with them that whole time! 

“And they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened up the Scriptures to us?’”

I love that verse. Even though they couldn’t see Jesus in the way they were used to seeing Him, and God wasn’t doing things the way He used to do, their hearts still burned within them. They knew Him by the Spirit, and they recognized that He had the Words of life. Something inside of them was drawn to what Jesus was saying. They didn’t know why, but a magnetic force pulled them in and tugged on their hearts. God was doing a brand new thing in their lives, and even before their minds or human understanding could comprehend it, their spirits knew. Their hearts burned with passion and fresh fire as He spoke.Sister, you are never traveling down the road of life all on your own. Just like the men in this story, Jesus is right there with you, guiding you, speaking to you, and opening up the Scriptures to you, whether you can recognize Him or not! Maybe you don’t feel God holding your hand like He used to, as you would joyfully blaze forward on this trail, and you’re wondering why you can’t feel the warmth of His presence. Perhaps in the past, Jesus lifted you up on His shoulders every time a freaky snake would jump out to attack; but now you’re standing there, shaking in fear, because you’ve got a sword in your hand, and you need to kill the snake. Maybe He used to always sing the same song over your heart, a lullaby of sorts, and suddenly He changed the dial on the radio so you don’t recognize the tune! Any of these shifts and changes can cause us to freak out. But we must remember and hold fast to the truth: the Lord is doing a new thing. Just because I can’t recognize it, or make sense of it yet, doesn’t mean He’s not with me and guiding every step of this process. 

What if Esther compared her story to the stories of what God had done in the past? What if she didn’t step forward in boldness to save her people, because she didn’t have a burning bush experience? Sometimes we can get so used to Heaven's manna from the past, that we don’t step into what God is doing in our lives right now. The manna stopped so that God’s people would press forward and take the Promise Land! 

If you’re feeling a little bit clueless, still not sure how to read your map or what to do next, I want you to take a deep breath. You’re not lost. Your tank might be out of gas, you may not be able to read the road signs, and your connection to Heaven might seem a little shaky, but I promise you this: God is with you. He will never leave you or forsake you! You know that you are chosen by God to be His royal Princess Daughter; He delights in you, He adores you, and He has amazing plans for you. Let that be enough. 

If everything in your world seems out of whack and off kilter, remember that God is still penning your story. He’s in mid-stroke. You can’t see everything that He’s doing behind the scenes. Let that be okay. 

Trust the Author.

Blessings, Livy Jarmusch

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|Esther of the Month: April 2016|

Tatiana Klein

Before March seventeenth 2016 my knowledge of India was meager and food related. As a California girl from a private christian school, India existed only in my imagination. I was completely oblivious to the wonders kept in the borders of India. However, God was fully aware of my ignorance and he decided to bless me with a journey to India. I believe that He was eager to allow me the pure pleasure of loving his children on the opposite side of the world. 

My school holds annual service trips in the spring, which depart to countries all around the world. I had originally applied to go to a different service trip, and ironically enough, I was thoroughly opposed to even applying to go to India. Obviously, the Lord was patiently waiting to prove his plan for me to be much greater than any plan that I could dream up. 

The months prior to my journey were jam packed with preparation: mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I had been specifically praying for God to "break my heart" for the things that break His, in hopes that I could be a vessel for Him to channel His current of unconditional love. 

Our mission for the trip was to fill the libraries of "dream centers" in the poorest parts of India (Dream center: a place for orphans, and children in dire situations to live, hear the word of God, and thrive in a loving environment- coined by the founder of the organization: Good news India). We were also in preparation to hold a day of activities and a night chapel for each dream center.

Once we landed from the flight that lasted an eternity, 
I could not keep still from my excitement to see these children. Little did I know that God was about to shatter my heart for these precious children of India. 

Each day that came presented me an opportunity to unload the massive amounts of love that were stored in my heart. The Lord blessed me with so much energy, despite the lack of sleep and exponential rate of sickness in the group. I constantly felt incredibly energetic and thrilled to play with these children and be blessed by their faith. 

The kids that I befriended will be embedded in my mind like diamonds. Quickly after I met each group, would I see priceless character. Every child I met showed great reverence to our team and treated us like royalty. They were so eager to give me all their love and comfort. I felt ridiculous being treated so, because it was apparent to me that they were precious and much more worthy of glorification. 

Amidst the devastating public and waves of heat lived the children whose eyes sparkled with vitality. There was a raw joy and sincerity about their smiles. Never in my entire life had I seen such a genuine display of emotion, and never had I loved anything so instantly.

The Lord sure did answered my prayer, and He did not spare any detail. He broke my heart for the impoverished youth of India, and I am immensely thankful for it. I know now the urgency in God's heart to spread love and joy to all His children living in the world. 

-Tatiana Klein

You too can make a difference, by visiting http://goodnewsindia.org. By sponsoring a child for only $35 a month, you can help give these precious ones food, housing, and education.