Tag: stronghold

hedgeaway Home

Karla Lees

Yesterday, I startled a sweet little bird as I took my Nordic poles out for a spin.  Like the giant to Jack, I must have appeared a formidable threat.

Before those of you who have met me laugh too hard at that thought, I don’t mention it because of what I did, but rather what the bird did that split second after encountering me.

Along the boundary lines of this property is a hedge.

That wee bird headed for its entrance point in that hedge so quickly, I almost missed it.

An entrance way now made visible from all the traffic made by this tiny bird.

When trouble comes and appears like a giant above us, we too have a hedge we can run to for safety & protection.

God.

He is our Stronghold, our restful hiding place. In His Presence giants shrink to their proper size when aligned with His grandeur & majesty.

The truth is? Like that bird, we can be easily startled by anything  coming our way.

We don’t have to remain that way.

Today, join me in hiding away in His embrace.  Jesus made the pathway known back to our true Home.

It’s up to us to choose where we want to live.

Because our bodies are just the outer shell for the eternal spirit within.

We can choose where our spirit will live.  In the shadow of giants or in the shadow of His Presence.

I can assure you, no giant will appear to be larger than God when you begin to measure it against the God of the universe.

Cancer, debt, mental illness, abandonment, infidelity, loss?

God is bigger.
Greater.
All in.
Cheering you on.
Loving up on you.
Your safe place for all the emotions swirling within.

You can stay living in the land of giants, fearfully always looking over your shoulder….or staying close to Him throughout your day. Knowing with a plea or thought, He will remind you He is with you in less than a split second.

We can fly in His Presence.

We need to remember when the giant’s shadows begin to appear…..

Our hiding place is His embrace, always and forever.

Like that bird, may we fly into His stronghold at the first sign of trouble, and live secure knowing He is all we need for all we face.

image

its banner time

Karla Lees

A banner is a declaration of who an army belongs to and whose name they fight over.

“Stronghold- The Secrets Behind the Wall” by Beth Kinder

The Lord is my Banner.

Exodus 17:16

So far today, I have forgotten two things i was supposed to remember to do this morning, and remembered to find something I had been looking for for the past 2 days.

My short term memory has been affected by my recent fall, and I find myself relying more heavily on sticky notes & Keep reminders to keep on top of what I need to know.

The funny thing about this short term memory issue I currently have?

I am so excited every time I read the Word!

He’s making it new, fresh & alive with each Word.

Its as if its for the first time all over again, which for me & my recent studying, is actually true!

These truths I shared above are just a few of the ones I am trying to etch into my heart, and remember every step along the way.

God is the banner over me.

I am His, and He is mine.

I belong to Him, His at great cost.

He fights for me, my Captain.

I am part of His army, lifting His name high for all to see.

If I forget where I put a piece of paper, my favorite pants or my glasses, no biggie in the big picture.

If I forget His banner over me is love, grace, mercy, refuge, truth & so much more?

I might take a blow I wasn’t prepared for, because i stepped out of His Stronghold.

There are two strongholds in the spiritual realm: His, and his enemy’s.

I want my spirit to be living in the True Stronghold, no longer flirting with or stumbling into the enemy’s counterfeit one.

My spirit’s true Home is with its Maker, the One who died for me to become fully His as I was, and who is reshaping me to become who He knew I could be in His hands.

The enemy’s plan is to distract me from His truth, to lure me off the path with a trail of stale breadcrumbs instead of feasting on the Word which gives me life.

I need to know who He is in order to remember who I am, & come fully to life in His hands.

image
God is my Banner.

He is More than Enough.

He is Love.

He is Truth.

He is covering me, and has it all covered.

All my hope is in Him.

His promises never fail.

He is my anchor in the storms.

Dig deep into the Word.

He is a treasure within just waiting to be found!

when the enemy begins his assault, run for Refuge

Karla Lees

When you are moving forward into the new place God has called you to, or the dream is spreading its wings and starting to unfurl, the inevitable usually happens.

The enemy begins his assault.

His assignment? To stop you from being free in Christ. To hinder you from becoming who God designed you to be. To block you from what God has for you to do for His kingdom, for His glory.

His challenge?

We are on the Winner’s side.

God has announced for all who will hear it that the enemy will not win.

He is only a created being.  He is not the Creator.

The enemy comes to try and tear down but is no match for the pace of the Builder’s renovations.

The enemy is trying to win at checkers, while God is playing strategic chess.

Those who are created cannot outsmart or outknow or outwit the Eternal Creator who knows all.

If you are feeling a little battered or worn from this latest assault, draw your comfort from the Lord as you move into His stronghold, the secret place of refuge God has designed for you to hide in, safe in His strong loving embrace.

His protection? Impenetrable.

His strength? Unshakeable.

His love? Everlasting.

His Words? Eternal Truth.

His plans? Always come to pass.

His Presence? More than enough.

His Protection? Rock solid.

The enemy may do his best, but we have the Best Provider for all we need as our defence.

We need never fear when God is on our side, for He is up for the task of defeating our enemy, for He is the reason the enemy tries so hard to wound us.

The enemy may have been created by God, but He certainly has deluded himself as to his ability to take down the Maker of All.

Keep in mind, the enemy will try to lure and snare us in his attempt to wound us.

Our God is greater.

If you are weary from the skirmish, take comfort in knowing God wins the war.  The battle belongs to Him, and He will come to your defence when you cry out to Him.  His covering is the shield He will place about us as He keeps us safe.

If you have been wounded in the battle, know that His healing awaits. He is longing to bind up your wounds and restore you.

Keep your eyes fixed on your Defender, not the destroyer.

Don’t be afraid; don’t pay any mind to this vandal horde. This is God’s war, not yours. 2 Chronicles 20:15 MSG

Father, as Jesus was one with You and in You, so can we be. Draw me closer to You than I can ever imagine. May Your walls of refuge & defence hold strong against the enemy’s assault. YOUR PLANS WILL PREVAIL, LORD. We know how the story ends, and the Winner has been announced forever. May I hear Your voice above all the clamour and chaos, and may Your Word release peace & order as Your Presence grows stronger within me as I seek You. You are more than enough, always, for all I need, always.  Amen.

In the Lord I take refuge. Psalm 11:1a

image

If you long to be free to run towards Him in a new way, visit http://www.strongholdthebook.com for free resources and info on a fantastic bible study designed to lead you from what binds you to His safe house . If you live in the California area, visit http://www.remade – ministries.org for more info on March 14th’s Break Free workshop.

pressed to release His fragrance

Karla Lees

I am in a season of being pressed.

Not to be broken & destroyed, but so that I can release Him more fully within me & to those around me.

Maybe you can relate.

I had a glimpse another pressing season was headed my way with some words spoken a few weeks ago, and then I got clearer direction as I soaked & waited.

There are three books He is calling me to work through & bring what gets pressed in me to Him- either because it needs to go, or He is releasing it to flow.

The first is to press the past out of me and lead me to a deeper rest.

The second is to break out from the beliefs & ways I have hidden myself away, to lead me to deeper relationships.

The third is to press through into the full release of freedom He has for me, and to move into His stronghold, to make God my refuge in a way I have not yet experienced.

I am excited enough to want to jump up & down with excitement, and scared enough to want to toss my cookies, all rolled into one.

Can you relate?

I heard clearly today that on the other side of our deepest hurts is the greatest freedom where we are meant to roam.

I don’t want my fear & desire to stay the same to hold me back from all He has for me.

image

The first book is Finding Spiritual Whitespace by Bonnie Gray.

I am so weary from trying to hold all my broken pieces together for so long.

God is calling me out of hiding and into wide open spaces of grace & rest unlike any I have known before.

The second book is Scary Close by Donald Miller.

I have read half of the first section, and it is truly scary close how much this book is already resonating within me.

The third book has not yet been released, and was written recently by a new sister and fellow writer Beth Kinder, called Stronghold.
(Remade Ministries)

image

Freedom awaits, and the cage door is opening.

I plan on running through it, albeit with tears, headlong straight into the embracing arms of Jesus, Daddy & Spirit.

It is going to be rough trying to work full time while I am undergoing open heart & brain surgery, but He is reminding me He is more than enough for ALL my needs, and this is the time.

Are you ready to leap towards the flight of freedom &  or allow fear to keep you bound & tethered?

Join me.  Press in for what He has for you today, in this season.

A richer, deeper faith awaits, along with a new level of wholeness for your life.

He will release a new sense of His presence within us, and we will become a sweeter fragrant aroma as a result.

NOW is the time for freedom!

PS. I will be asking God each time i hang out with Him where i am meant to  work through that visit. Where to start, & where to stop.
An avid reader, I have a tendency to speed read, and He is wanting His words of freedom to soak in & take root as He uproots the weeds of my heart & mind.  Allowing Him to take the lead declares my belief I am safe in His hands, and willing to go wherever He leads.