His reality has to become mine.

I’ve written before about a time in my life when the Lord shared a story with me. A season when He spoke to me through that story and the words I wrote about what was happening in that story became life for me. They become my reality, truer than the lack I saw in front of me, the story I was moving in and toward.

Perhaps that sounds a little strange…but here’s what I know. This world is hard. Agonizingly confusing, stressful, and filled with unanswered questions. But He is true. Faithfully unchanging, peace-giving, and the place of rest we need whether we realize it or not. So in certain seasons of my life He’s called me to choose what He says over what I see. And it’s been worth it every time.

Maybe today I’m writing these words mostly for myself.

I need to remind myself that this is where I stand. I need to declare the truth He’s told me so I can keep walking in the unseen reality. If you are needing to come along and hear the proclamation, I welcome you to walk next to me today. If you’re just curious what in the world I’m going on about, I welcome you along too. Just know that today, I need to write this. That’s all there is to it.

So, the story…

Here’s the current chapter of the story: Our story takes place in the land the Lord has given us. We’ve walked through portions in different seasons, and arrived at this open field where we currently stand, with the direction to work the ground here. So that is what we have done. Seeds have been planted, and we’ve seen one seed sprout up in to life. We know this portion of our land represents our family, and that the growth represents physical life. We’ve been waiting on the next step, praying, often times feeling frustrated and seeking answers.

And then I see it. Much like the Israelite’s fighting for one section of their promised land at a time, I see that the enemy still fights for this portion of our land. He and his army are still attacking us here; attacking our belief, our resolve, our knowledge of truth. I see us stand in praise on this ground that has become our battlefield…and instantly I watch the enemy fall around us. Totally unable to fight against the power and might of the One whom we praise and the truth of Who He is that is released as we choose Him here through praise.

Everything bows it’s knee before Him.

I can’t describe in words the effect on me of seeing that enemy army fall on its face all around us as we praise. The confidence, joy, peace that fills is overwhelming. The worship grows and I know that He is able to sustain us, to do this miraculous work, to be faithful to His promises. And so we continue from that place of victorious worship, again awaiting what is next.

And then He speaks.

This moment takes my breath away. I watch as we stand in praise, the enemy having fallen and slunk back. And then I see Him begin walking the perimeter of this part of our land. And I hear His precious voice…Declaring and speaking life. ‘Like thunder’ doesn’t even begin to describe it. And as He declares life, full grown trees and shrubs and plants of all kinds instantly spring up from the ground. I am watching Him declare into being right before our eyes. And I’m in complete awe.

“Hold your place in praise”.

That’s what I hear Him say to us. “Hold your place in praise” – this life-giving work is His to do. We are to continue to praise, to voice out loud our awe and thanks and pure delight in who He is.

He doesn’t stop there. Now I see us walking with Him around the perimeter of this portion of our land, now teeming with growth and life. And we are directed to join Him, to partner with Him as His son and daughter, with the authority we’ve been given. We are to proclaim the Name and life power of Jesus over everything He has raised up here. We are to call it down, on earth as it is in heaven. We are to lay claim to what He’s given. We are to exercise our role in enforcing His rule.

So that is what we do.

With joy and amazement and conviction, we declare His life. We speak out His written word. We declare His praise over all of this. We are reminded of the belief of the centurion in Matthew 8, and the truth that His WORD is enough. So we declare with faith the words about us and our family He has spoken to us. And over all of it we declare with conviction who He is.

And His reality hits.

It strikes fast, this realization that something has shifted here, something has happened, something is different now than it ever was before. As we have seen Him raise up life and have joined Him in declaring and proclaiming the power of Jesus into that life, something has happened. And in realizing it we fall to our knees in amazement with worship that can’t find words. He walks close to us and I realize I’m exactly where I need to be: on my knees worshipping at His feet.

Delighting ourselves in Him.

And that’s where I currently find myself. Just so in awe, so in love with Him, so amazed and thankful at what I’ve seen Him do.

I know what He has done. I know what His word is. And His word is enough. I’m so amazed.

And I believe with everything in me that what I’ve seen in this story He so graciously writes out for me, is my reality. I know He has breathed life. I know that it will be on earth as it is in heaven. And I keep declaring it.

You see, the enemy that slunk away wants to creep back in.

That army that is against everything life and truth and love would like nothing more than to slide back on to this land, (preferably undetected for as long as possible, they can get much further in that way), and wield their usual weapons of fear and doubt and sadness. But they literally can’t if I keep declaring truth. They are immobilized by praise and the undeniable declaration of who He is.

This is why I write today. Because I needed to fight. I needed to make war through my worship and my declaration. And sharing my belief and confidence and love for Him with you seemed like a pretty good way to do that.

And it worked.

So thank you for indulging me, coming along for the walk, listening to the story. I pray that you find some fight here today, too. That maybe if you joined me needing your weapons sharpened and your strength renewed you found that here today.

If you’re still struggling or you’re not sure what all this is about, please reach out to me. I would love nothing more than to talk with you, help you find your story, gird you up for your fight. It’s so worth it, my friends. Victory is ours.