Willows by the Watercourse

“I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring; They will spring up among the grass like willows by the watercourses.”  Isaiah 44:3-4

Father, we ask for you to pour Your waters onto those who are thirsty and flood the dry ground of those with abortion wounded hearts.  Father, as You know, the Deeper Still Ministry is needed beyond our borders, in other states and nations.  Father, we ask for You to pour out Your Spirit on the chapters that are emerging and bless the offspring from Deeper Still.  Father, we pray for the chapters to spring up like willows by the watercourses, fully nourished and fruitful.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

New chapters of Deeper Still are in the birthing process and many more haven’t been conceived yet.  God knows when and where these chapters will spring up.  As these new chapters are being planted, they will need to be nurtured and watered with the Spirit of the Living God. 

In verse 3 above, God says He will pour water on Him who is thirsty and floods on the dry ground.  Water and floods are often used in Scripture to depict abundant blessings and are also used to denote the influence of the Holy Spirit (Bible Hub-Barnes Commentary). 

God is saying that He will pour out His Holy Spirit on those who are thirsty and bless them abundantly! Amen!

 

In verse 4, the He says, “They will spring up among the grass like willows by the watercourses.”

Willow trees in our western culture symbolize grief, such as in the weeping willow.  However, in the places where the willow originated (China), it symbolizes vitality and growth.  This symbolism comes from its ability to reproduce easily from cut branches. 

Interestingly enough, I found 5 more facts about willow trees that I thought mirrored perfectly the heart of Deeper Still as it is beginning new chapters. 

       1.  Willow trees not only sprout easily, they are fast growers. 

       2.   Willows have medicinal properties that alleviate pain and bring healing.

3     3.  Willows are used to build.

       4.  Willows need to have the proper soil and need an abundance of water (Holy Spirit).

       5.   Willows help prevent erosion. 

As Deeper Still grows and becomes all God has for it to be, may the new chapters grow in vitality, may the pain of the past be shed as hearts are healed, may the ruins of many desolations be rebuilt and restored, may the roots be ever in the right soil and watered abundantly, and may Deeper Still help prevent the erosion of our culture, our nation, and the world.  Amen!  

Ruins to Redemption

“They are constantly in my thoughts.  I cannot stop thinking about Your mighty works.  Oh God, Your ways are holy.  Is there any god as mighty as You? You are the God of great wonders!  You demonstrate Your awesome power among the nations.”  Psalm 77:12-14

Oh Lord God, You are constantly in our thoughts!  Your mighty works are constantly on our mind.  Your ways are holy and there is none as mighty as You.  This past weekend at the Deeper Still Retreat, You demonstrated once again Your awesome power.  You amaze us.  You are the God of great wonders.  We praise Your name.  Amen.

 

In the book of Nehemiah, we find that Jerusalem had been lying is waste for about 150 years.  That is a long time and no doubt the Israelites had almost given up on rebuilding.  I know from personal experience that when something has been in ruins for a long period of time, the task of rebuilding can seem daunting.
 

Perhaps, they adapted to seeing the bricks lying around and didn’t think much of it after a while.  After all, it is just the way it has always been.

 

Many of the participants that come to the Deeper Still Retreats might be able to relate to these Israelites.   From years of having the enemy beating them down, the task of rebuilding might seem overwhelming.
 

However, the city walls of Jerusalem that had laid in ruins for 150 YEARS, were rebuilt in only 52 DAYS!  When God decides it is time to rebuild, it doesn’t have to take a long time.  God is never overwhelmed with our mess.

 

At the Deeper Still retreats, participants come with 20, 30, 40, 50 plus years of living in ruin. I am continually amazed at the transformation from ruins to redemption that basically takes place in a little over 24 hours!  And He did it again this past weekend (of course He did!)

 

Will you praise the Lord with us today as we celebrate His glory and redemption in the lives of His sons and daughters who were restored and rebuilt this past weekend!!  Oh Lord, You are indeed a God of great wonders!  We praise Your Name!

Wheat, Wine, and Oil

“For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, streaming to the goodness of the Lord—for wheat and new wine and oil, for the young of the flock and the herd; their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more at all. “  Jeremiah 31:11-12

Father, we thank You that You have redeemed Your sons and daughters.  Lord, as we just celebrated the death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus, we thank you for sending Jesus as our Ransom and that He rescued us from the power of death and sin.  Father, we sing and praise You for the work You will do in the lives of all the participants coming this week to the Deeper Still retreat.  We praise You for the wheat, new wine and oil in their lives.  We thank you that their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

As I was reading the verses above, the words “wheat, new wine, and oil” caught my eye.  After doing some research, I found the following very interesting:

Wheat represents harvest or seeds sown in a field along with what is produced from those seeds.

New wine represents life (or new life), joy, celebration, and abundance.

Oil is representative of the Holy Spirit.

 

God’s people received wheat, new wine, and oil. 

 

This weekend, I pray for the participants to receive a harvest in their lives and that they would then be free to plant seeds and produce fruit for a harvest.  I pray they would leave with new life full of joy, celebration and abundance through the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

The next verses say what will happen next.

“Then shall the virgin (pure and unspotted) rejoice in the dance.  And the young men and the old, together;  For I will turn their mourning to joy, will comfort them, and make them rejoice rather than sorrow.  I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 31:13-14 (parenthesis added)

God calls His beloved, “virgins”.  Because of His Blood, we are pure and unspotted in His sight.  He alone turns mourning into joy, saturates our souls with abundance, and satisfies us with His goodness.   He alone is our Randsom and Redeemer.  Lord, we thank You for all You will do this weekend in the lives of every participant and that they will rejoice and praise Your name!  We praise Your name.  

One in Three

“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory  of the Lord is risen upon you….Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be nursed at your side.  Then you shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy.”  Isaiah 60:1, 4-5

Father, we ask for Your glory to rise on the ministry of Deeper Still so that You may be glorified.  Lord, I pray that we would arise and shine and lift up our eyes.  We thank You that you are bringing Your sons and daughters with abortion wounded hearts from afar into Your loving arms and care to find freedom and healing in You.  May they then also become radiant and their hearts swell with joy.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Statistics reveal that approximately one in three women will have an abortion.  Think of this—when you are praying these prayers along with us for freedom and healing for those with abortion wounded hearts, you are praying for every third person you will see today.

 

This statistic also includes men.  For every woman with an abortion wounded heart, there is also a man attached with a wound of his own.   This statistic is staggering when considering the gravity of one in three people being held captive by the sin of abortion.  One in three people feeling enslaved, bound up, and unable to fulfill the call of God on their lives due to wrestling with lies of unworthiness, shame and guilt.  One in three robbed of their full potential in Christ, not because of what they did, but because of misguided thoughts of forfeited destiny.  God needs His sons and daughters free.  He needs them to step out on the water in faith, to run to Him with open arms, and do the work He has called them to do. 

God is waiting for His children to be healthy, healed, and whole.  He needs them.  The world needs them.   Oh, there is so much at stake here.  Thank you for praying for the one in three today.  Your prayers are impacting the world. 

As mentioned above, for every woman with an abortion wounded hearts, there is a man with an abortion wounded heart as well.  There is a retreat coming up at the end of April, the 25th-27th in the Knoxville, TN area.  If you know of any men who need healing from a past abortion, there are still spots for men.  Please go to www.godeeperstill.org for more information.  Don't hesitate or delay!  It is only about 1 week away!   

Ebenezer Stones

“Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].”  1 Thessalonians 5:24 (Amplified Bible)

Father, we thank you that You are faithful and utterly trustworthy.  Thank you that You will fulfill Your call for Deeper Still and that You keep Deeper Still Team Members in Your loving care and protection. We remember and thank You for Your faithfulness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

1 Samuel 7: 12-14

12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen[a] and called its name Ebenezer;[b] for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.

God is always faithful.   Samuel set a stone up as a reminder to the Israelites of the Lord’s faithfulness.  He called the stone, “Ebenezer”, which means, “the rock of help” and then declared, “Till now the Lord has helped us.”

 

The Lord subdued Israel’s enemies and delivered His people.  We can be assured that the Lord will subdue the enemy and deliver His sons and daughters.  He has been faithful in the past and He will continue to be faithful in the future.  He will do what He has said He will do.  He will fulfill the call and do it, we just need to trust.

 

As new chapters of Deeper Still are being started, let us remember God’s faithfulness in the past and expect His continued help moving forward.  He who has called us, is also faithful to do it. 

Below is another Ebenezer Stone from the Illinois Deeper Still Chapter, a barn board  beautifully displaying God’s faithfulness.  

Please pray for the Illinois retreat this weekend!  It is April 4-6^th.   Thank you so much for your prayers!!!  

Provision

“v. 5 Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread...v. 10 all who are gifted artisans among you shall come and make all that the Lord has commanded…v. 21 Then everyone came whose heart was stirred and everyone whose spirit was willing and they brought the Lord’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments.” Exodus 35:5, 10, 21

Father, we thank you that you provide skilled artisans with willing hearts to bring their gifts and talents as a beautiful offering to You in the ministry of Deeper Still.  Father, thank you for their hearts being stirred so that these gifts can be used in Your service.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I was overwhelmed when I read over the prayer of provision list for Deeper Still.  On this list were the verses above plus some others from Exodus 35 and 36.  The reason my heart was in awe was because of a skype conversation the day before.    In this conversation, Judy Townsend had shared about how God was providing for every need for the Deeper Still Illinois Retreat and in some pretty crazy ways!

 

She explained how when they needed a “Mother Mantle” ( which is a very heavy and ornate cape-like garment), to place over the ladies who attend the retreat as a symbol of restoring their “Mother Mantle”,  that someone who was a Renaissance costume designer showed up and willingly offered to create it for them.  Now, I am not sure how abundant Renaissance costume crafters are in Illinois, but I don’t know very many in Tennessee (actually, I don’t know of any!)!

Then, Judy went on to share how God provided pottery jars to give to the ladies as a reminder of God’s love and care and how He keeps our tears in a bottle (Ps 58:6) and is close to the brokenhearted.  Apparently, a person who has a degree in Pottery (who knew one could get a degree in Pottery, right?) offered his talents to make these tear jars.

And then she shared how a team member had taken some old wood from an abandoned barn and how God used several people to transform these broken and damaged pieced of wood into beautiful works of art to display at the retreat.  Below is a picture of one of these barn boards.

Isn’t it amazing how God transformed what the world would consider rubbish or garbage and turned it into a beautiful work of art?  It is such a visual representation of what God does in all of our lives.  He gives us beauty for ashes, He restores the broken and makes all things new.  Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom indeed! 

God is just too much!!  He continues to overwhelm me with His goodness and provision .  I hope these examples today encourage you in how He is interested in the smallest and intricate details not only for Deeper Still, but also in your life.

Thank you for your continued prayers!  He hears and He answers. 

Beauty in Waiting

“Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.  For our heart shall rejoice in Him.  Because we have trusted in His holy name.  Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.”  Psalm 33:20-22

Father, our soul waits for You.  Lord, we thank You that You are Deeper Still’s help and shield.  Our hearts rejoice in You.  We trust in Your holy name.  We ask for Your mercy to be upon Deeper Still for we hope in You and wait on You.  We ask for You to bind the team members of Deeper Still together as we wait and trust and hope in You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Today’s devotional is inspired by the Head of the Illinois Deeper Still Chapter, Judy Townsend, and Deeper Still worship leader Kay Smith. 

“Our soul waits for the Lord.”  “Wait” in this passage comes from the Hebrew word chaka, and according to Strong’s, its primary meaning is to tie or bind together like a cord. 

Therefore, to wait is actually to bind together like a cord.  As we wait on the Lord, we are tied to the Lord and He is tied to us.  He won’t let go.  He has us.  We just need to trust and wait.  He will act. 

This is so beautifully applied to the Deeper Still team.  As a team, we WAIT with arms locked, woven into the Cord as the source of our strength and endurance. As we wait completely bound and secure in the Cord of our Savior, we can be OPEN to see how He moves and move with Him, completely unified in Him.  

As we all move together in one cord, He uses all of our unique stories of redemption in order to sew a tapestry together that is beautiful AND SO FULL OF HIM!!

We just need to wait and be open to His moving.  He is making something beautiful. 

The first Deeper Still of Illinois retreat is coming up in just a couple of weeks, April 4-6!  Please be in prayer for this new territory of Deeper Still!  Thank you for your prayers!!!