And We Know It Not

 

God is here. He is omnipresent; that means that God is everywhere that we are.

Wherever we are, God is. He is present observing each of our lives unfold.

The Word assures us that God is not far from each of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being.

It is through him that we are able to live, to do what we do, and to be who we are. As your own poets have said, ‘We all come from him.’ – Acts 17:28 (ERV)

Jacob, in his “aha moment”, exclaimed, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not – Genesis 28:16 (KJV)

And therein lies our problem, we know it not. God is with us, He is here, and we know it not.

Do you truly grasp the concept of your omnipresent God?

Do you truly grasp that there is no place He is not?

We cannot conceive of a place where God is not. This truth seems to be above our basic comprehension, too lofty for the limitations of our imaginations.

"Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?" David asks God in Psalm 139:7 (NRSV read verses 1-12)

We are never outside of the presence of God. We read it, we say it, but we do not truly understand the enormity of such a truth. 

That God’s all-pervading presence is ever before us and around us.

But alas, like Jacob, we know it not. That is our trouble, we do not know it; we do not know that truth. If we did, what a difference it would make.

Knowing and understanding and believing that God is here is an awareness that too many of us do not have. We pray for and seek the manifestation of God’s presence when it is already here.

Beloved, God is with you even when you are utterly unaware of it. But as you open yourself to the work of His Spirit within, the more God will be revealed to you. God will manifest Himself to you, for it is the Spirit Who shows you the Father and the Son and draws you nearer into relationship with God.

 

Amen †

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “And We Know It Not” © 2015 revisited September 15, 2025

Freedom from Anger

 

God knows that there will be times when we will become angry and has given instructions on how we are to deal with it in His Word.

Ephesians 4:26 tells us to not sin when we are angry and not to remain in anger. Apostle Paul continues in verse 27, warning that staying angry opens the door for the devil to gain a foothold in our lives.

Beloved, please understand that if we allow anger to take root in our hearts, we make room for the devil, and he will seize that opportunity to create a stronghold.

Then, in Colossians 3:8, the Apostle says, to “put away and rid yourselves [completely] of…anger, rage, bad feelings toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips!”

Anger is a very negative emotion which can easily promote sin, so today let us pray in earnest for God to teach us how to take control of anger.

 

Pray...

Almighty God, I realize that anger creates an atmosphere of bondage in my life. My desire is to be free from outbursts of anger and the energy that creates hostility.

Lord at those times when anger wants to get the better of me, let me hear Your small still voice above the din of life, reminding me that I have no control of another’s behaviour, but I do have control over my own.

I am aware that I can influence the reaction of others by the way I act. I confess that the way I react or act is always a choice.

Forgive me Lord for my ungodly behaviour.

Forgive me for using anger as an excuse for sin.

Forgive me for returning evil for evil.

Forgive me for my display of prideful anger.

Lord, help me to forgive anyone who has offended me who I need to forgive, bring that person to mind and cause me to be quick to forgive them.

Teach me how to live above the level of temptation and deliver me from evil.

All this I pray in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Freedom from Anger” ©2013 revisited September 14, 2025

Generous Giving

 

In Luke 16:9 (NIV), it is written, “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”

More often than not, when people read the parable of the shrewd manager in Luke 16:1- 15, it is misunderstood.

They become perplexed that Jesus should tell His disciples, and us, to “use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves”. What exactly is our Lord really saying to us here?

Let us take a look at the verse that comes before, where Jesus says, “the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light”

The word shrewd, immediately conjures up a picture of utter trickery and scheming, which aptly describes the manager’s behaviour in the preceding verses, and so it should, but shrewd also portrays a sense of having sound judgment, sharp intelligence, keen awareness, being resourceful, prudent, clever, and astute. 

And, it is in this regard that Jesus was encouraging His disciples, and is exhorting us, to act.

Jehovah Jir-eh Ministries Outreach

Jesus, in this parable, impresses upon us, as His followers, the value of being wise in the use of worldly resources, specifically money. 

Jesus is saying that we are to use money, not for our selfish enrichment but as a tool to serve others, to bless others, and to give generously to those in need.

Beloved, this parable is a lesson in financial stewardship and responsibility. 

Jesus is teaching us how to be shrewd managers of money, how to be wise in financial matters, how to make prudent decisions regarding our worldly wealth, and how to be genuine and generous in our giving, all to enhance the work of His Kingdom here on earth.

 

Amen †

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Generous Giving” ©2013 revisited September 13, 2025

Sing and Shout for Joy

 

Sing, O barren one who did not bear; burst into song and shout, you who have not been in labour! (Isaiah 54:1 NRSV)

In obedience, you have done all that God has told you to do but all your efforts have borne no fruit, and you’re falling into despair because you just don’t understand what God is doing.

Nothing seems to be working out for you.

Everything He has told you to put your hands to has resulted in a dead end.

There’s an emptiness that you feel inside you.

You’ve been mocked, chastised, and ridiculed for continuing on without seeing the results that you expected.

You are so sure that the voice you heard was God’s voice; you know that what you have been following are His instructions, yet the promised birth has not happened and you’re about to doubt.

But God wants you to make a joyful noise to the Lord (Psalm 100:1 NRSV).

God wants you to sing in the midst of your barrenness.

God wants you to break into joyful shouting.

God knows that you can’t hear the voice of doubt if you’re singing and shouting in joyful triumph, all you will hear is your own voice, singing and shouting His praises.

God wants you and all those around you to hear the sound of victory.

God is on the verge of turning everything around. He is about to effect a miraculous change in your life; a change that will reveal His glory to a skeptical, unbelieving world.

So, sing and shout for joy,

He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD. (Psalm 40:3 NLT)

Amen †

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Sing and Shout for Joy” ©2014 revisited September 12, 2025

A Familiar Verse from a New Perspective

 

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” – Matthew 19:21 (NASB)

This verse is extracted from Jesus’ parable of the rich young ruler who had, just moments before, professed his strict adherence to the Commandments, which, in his estimation made him complete. But here, Jesus is telling this young man what it would take for him to be truly complete; not in him but in Him.

First the rich young ruler was instructed to “…go and sell your possessions”

He was required to part with all of his earthly possessions, all that he considered of great value in his life.

Jesus was telling him to empty himself of everything he felt he was and had, everything that he defined himself by, his self-exalted identity.

Next, he was required to “…give to the poor”

To give himself, in cheerful service, to those who were in lack; not just in need of the material but who were spiritually impoverished.

Jesus, considering this young man’s vast knowledge of the Scriptures, was exhorting him not to claim ownership of such but to use this knowledge to enrich the lives of others.

Jesus went on to explain that, by taking these two steps, these acts of selfless love, he would be, in fact, depositing the value of the knowledge of God into the hearts of others, and in so doing he will have treasure in heaven, the Kingdom of heaven within [see Matthew 13:44].

Finally, through these acts of compliance, the young man would reveal his intention to become Christ’s true disciple and it’s then Jesus will say, “come, follow Me.”

Beloved, are you willing to empty yourself, giving up all your possessions and give to the poor in genuine discipleship?

When we are willing to give up all that we value most – our independence, our material possessions, our self-reliance, our own efforts, our ‘success’, our friends, our lifestyles, our hard-worked-for positions, our best-Christian perception of ourselves, our “let my light so shine before men, that they may see my good works, and glorify me here on earth” attitudes, and every other ‘valuable’ – only then will we find ourselves complete.

Only then can we firmly declare, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing, because, I am complete in Him” [Psalm 23:1; Colossians 2:9-10].

Amen †

 

 

Shelley Johnson “A Familiar Verse from a New Perspective” © 2014 revisited September 11, 2025

Quenching Your Spiritual Dehydration

 

Are you so dehydrated that even your bones feel dried up?

This is no normal dry spell where a drink of cold water quenches your thirst. You’ve tried everything but nothing you do is satisfying this dryness that you’re feeling.

That’s because your thirst is not physical but spiritual. You’re in a spiritual drought, in the middle of a dry-bones valley with no hope of quenching your spiritual dehydration.

“…the middle of a valley; it was full of bones…and they were very dry.” (Ezekiel 37:1, 2 NIV)

Right now, even though all you see around you is desert, know that there is hope, for God has provided a source of full and everlasting satisfaction for your spiritual dehydration.

Only God can make springs gush forth in the valleys (Psalm 104:10).

water reservoir Chile

Only God can change deserts into springs of water (Psalm 107:35).

And, to anyone who is thirsty, it is only God who gives water as a gift from the spring of the water of life (Revelation 21:6).

This God-given Spring is a spring that never runs dry.

This never-ending flow of rehydration is available to whosoever believes in His Son Jesus Christ.

Jesus Himself tells us of this wonderful thirst-quenching spring of water when He said, “…those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14).

Also, in John 7:37-39 we read, “…Jesus…cried out, Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me, and let the one who believes in Me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ Now He said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive…”

Beloved, this precious water is the Holy Spirit promised to anyone who believes. The indwelling Spirit of God is the source of this spring of everlasting satisfaction. Only He can quench your spiritual dehydration. How wonderful it is to have this bubbling spring of water within you that completely satisfies even to the bone.

Amen†

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Quenching Your Spiritual Dehydration” ©2014 revisited September 10, 2025

Love is a consuming fire

 

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. – 1 John 4:8 (ESV)

for our God is [indeed] a consuming fire. – Hebrews 12:29 (AMP)

So, since “God is love” and “God is a consuming fire”, can we conclude that Love is a consuming fire?

Here’s why…

God, through the work of His Holy Spirit in us, teaches us how to love.

Spirit teaches us God’s way of love, authentic Love.

Now, looking at both Ephesians 4:23 and Psalm 51:10, we could say that God’s love cannot exist in us unless we are renewed in spirit. It follows then that we must get rid of the old ideas, beliefs and ways of thinking which are natural – carnal, of the world – and replace them with a spiritual sensibility.

The only way to do this is by allowing Spirit to renew our minds through the process of purification.

God purifies us by fire, in the form of trials or challenges or tests.

I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. – Zechariah 13:9 (NLT)

Just as gold is purified by thoroughly burning away the dross, so too is the process of our purification where the scum of slag will be removed from our lives (see Isaiah 1:25).

Beloved, this is what God’s Love does in you and to you; the fire of God’s Love consumes you, and you are made beautiful.

Through this often-painful process, He gives you “beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3).

And like the phoenix, a symbol of early Christianity, is burned to ashes and reborn a thing of beauty, you are reborn after experiencing the consuming fire of God’s authentic Love. All that is ugly in you is burnt up, and what emerges is the beauty of God’s Love expressed through you.

Amen †

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Love is a consuming fire” ©2013 revisited September 9, 2025

 

The Lord makes the Bitter, Sweet

 

The sojourning Israelites, thirsty, came to a place called Marah (bitterness) but could not drink the water there because it was bitter.

They began to complain bitterly against Moses, adding their bitterness to an already bitter dilemma.

Moses cried out to God about this situation. And under God’s direction, threw a certain tree into the bitter water and the bitter water became sweet.

Then they came to Marah, but they could not drink its waters because they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah (bitter). The people [grew discontented and] grumbled at Moses, saying, “What are we going to drink?” Then he cried to the Lord [for help], and the Lord showed him a tree, [a branch of] which he threw into the waters, and the waters became sweet. – Exodus 15:23-25 (AMP)

The Lord provided the tree that turned the bitter undrinkable water into sweet refreshing water fit for His children to drink.

And when they had finished and fulfilled everything that was written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. – Acts 13:29 (AMPC)

The tree at Marah is symbolic of the cross of Jesus, and just as that tree turned the bitterness into sweetness, so Jesus, Whom the Lord provided, turns our bitter situations sweet.

Beloved, is a “bitter waters” situation before you today? Remember all that Jesus accomplished for you on the cross and cast Him into your situation; He is the solution to “bitter waters” situations. Only Jesus can take away the bitterness you’re faced with and make it sweet.

Jesus sweetens all that’s bitter in your life! Hallelujah!

Amen †

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “The Lord makes the Bitter, Sweet” ©2013 revisited September 8, 2025

What about Leah?

 

When the Lord saw that Leah was loved less than Rachel, he made it possible for her to have children, but Rachel remained childless. – Genesis 29:31 (GNT)

Have you ever loved someone who did not love you? Have you loved someone who made you feel almost invisible? That was Leah’s fate.

Long story short…

You see, Jacob, that same Jacob who, through trickery, got his twin brother Esau’s birthright, was sent by his father Isaac to his uncle Laban’s home to marry one of his daughters. Jacob’s mother, Rebekah, was Laban’s sister.

Anyway, on the long journey, Jacob eventually came to a well, where he met some shepherds, he asked them if they knew Laban and it just so happened that this was the well from where his uncle’s sheep were watered.

While still engrossed in conversation with these shepherds, a very beautiful shepherdess, sheep in tow, approaches the well and Jacob finds out that it’s Rachel, his uncle’s daughter. Elated to have finally found his relatives, he gives his cousin a kiss and begins “to cry for joy”

From that moment, Jacob was smitten.

Rachel takes Jacob home to her father who is overjoyed to meet his nephew.

After a month of living and working there, Laban tells Jacob that he can’t continue working for free and offers to pay him. Jacob refuses to accept wages, instead he tells Laban that he’ll work for him for seven years if he’ll allow him to marry Rachel afterwards.  Laban agreed and Jacob gladly worked for seven years which “seemed to him but a few days, he was so much in love” (Genesis 29:20 TLB).

Okay, so seven years passed and as agreed, Laban hosts a grand wedding. That night the marriage was consummated, next morning, Jacob woke up beside Leah, not Rachel.

Needless to say, Jacob was not happy at all; why would he? As a matter of fact, he was enraged and confronted his uncle, “What sort of trick is this? I worked for seven years for Rachel. What do you mean by this trickery?” (v 25 TLB)

Hmm, the trickster was tricked.

Laban, unfazed, answered calmly, “It’s not our custom to marry off a younger daughter ahead of her sister, wait until the bridal week is over and you can have Rachel too—if you promise to work for me another seven years!” (v 26)

Well, Jacob, truly in love with Rachel, agreed to work for another seven years.

In the meantime, Leah had to live with this man knowing that she was not his first choice or his choice at all. She had to endure the humiliation of watching her husband work hard for seven years to get the woman he loved, when she’d already seen the seven years of labour he’d done before that, again highly driven with the same purpose in mind.

Sadly, we have treated Leah the same way. How?

We, like her husband Jacob, have ignored Leah as we have focused all our attention on Rachel. She seldom receives a mention, not even in passing. Leah is barely spoken of from pulpits and in bible study groups, but we can’t hear enough about her younger sister.

Do we even think of Leah?

Why has Leah’s heartache been overlooked?

She is never the main feature in any sermons, instead she is a dismissed bible character, relegated to obscurity.

But Leah was a real woman with real emotions, wanting to be loved.

Isn’t that what we all want? To be loved? To be seen? To be acknowledged, noticed, validated and valued by the one we love?

You and I have been Leah. You and I have loved but felt unloved. You and I have worn our hearts on our sleeves only to have our exposed hearts trampled upon.

And this is not a woman’s dilemma; men have also been Leah.

But God heard Leah’s silent cries, and He hears yours and mine. God hears us…every unspoken word, He hears.

And God saw Leah’s broken heart, and He sees our broken hearts, yours and mine. God sees us…every indiscernible shard of brokenness, He sees.

And God felt Leah’s anguish, and He feels our anguish, yours and mine. God feels what we feel…every painful ache, He feels.

And, God experienced Leah’s rejection, and He experiences our rejection, yours and mine. God experiences our loveless lives…every drop of the love we’ve poured out that has been spurned, He has experienced.

Beloved, the love of another human being does not define your worth.

“the Lord saw that Leah was unloved” and “he enabled her to have children” (Genesis 29:31 NLT)

The Lord saw and He acted; He sees, and He acts.

God gave Leah love, His own, together with the kind of love that only a child can give to a parent. A love that isn’t seeking anything in return, a love that is pure without the unnecessary attachments, a love that’s unconditional.

God gave her children upon whom Leah could shower her fierce love and who will respond in like manner.

Beloved, it is the Lord who provides our needs, whatever that need may be and in the best manner He sees fit.

He sees and He will act.

God saw the love that Leah required, and He satisfied that need.

We, you and I, always have the love of God. He loves us with an everlasting love (see Jeremiah 31:3)

Leah’s is an example of how God works, how He intervenes in our stories.

Though trapped in a love starved marriage, Leah’s union with Jacob was necessary, for she gives birth to 6 of his sons, including Levi, from whom the Levitical Priesthood emerged, and Judah, king David’s lineage.

Though on the surface Leah is seen as love denied, a deeper dive into her story, reveals aspects of love that surpass romantic love.

Beloved, there is so much more to Leah’s story that we have failed to see but let’s leave it for another day. Amen?

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “What about Leah?” © September 6, 2025

 

 

 

 

Your Reaction bears the Fruit

 

You are going to react to every circumstance that you face, whether the situation is good or bad, you will react. Your reaction in good times is easy, the real test comes when you are facing difficult, unfavorable, and trying circumstances.  The action you take then especially, will determine the fruit that you bear.

That fruit can either be bad or good, and will depend solely on you. In other words you cannot always control the circumstances that come your way but you surely can control how you react to those circumstances.

Will your reaction result in fruit that will be beneficial to you or will it bear fruit for death?

You can decide to indulge your human nature and complain, groan, get angry, hate, use obscene language, be filled with ire, keep malice, become envious, and allow strife to flourish in your heart or you can trust God to work the fruit of His Spirit in you, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23), trust Him to work things out, put away all negative responses, count it all joy, thank Him, and praise Him even in the midst of your dilemma.

You have freedom of choice but one way will lead you to bear fruit for death and the other will lead you to bear fruit for life. Proverbs 10:2 says that if you do the right things, then your actions can save you from death.

In Deuteronomy 30:19 God tells us to choose life. Shouldn’t you then, choose life?

Focusing on yourself and the circumstance will result in your reacting in the wrong way but if you begin praising God, thanking Him and seeking His wisdom, your reaction will be very different. God will be occupying your attention and your reaction will be based in faith and trust in God and that will bring out good fruit in you.

James 3:17 says to seek God’s wisdom in every circumstance because God’s wisdom is full of good fruit.

Psalm 1:3 says that when you bear good fruit, you will prosper in all you do.

Beloved, your aim should be to bear good fruit whatever the circumstance. So, no matter what you’re going through right now, find strength in the Lord your God (1 Samuel 30:6), depend on Him to bring you out (Psalm 71:20), wait on Him (Proverbs 20:22), and always react in love (Proverbs 10:12).

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Your Reaction bears the Fruit” © 2017 revisited September 6, 2025

 

What I Believe

 

under His canopy

The scripture says, “I spoke because I believed.” In the same spirit of faith we also speak because we believe. – 2 Corinthians 4:13 (GNT)

I believe that God cares for me because He takes care of all His creation

I believe that God is intimately concerned with bringing justice to my causes

God, I pray for You to resolve conflicts in my life – I faithfully believe that You will do so

I shall not lose heart as I fix my eyes on God

I believe and trust that God will correct any times I have been taken advantage of

I believe that God is aware of my situation, He knows every detail, and He will right every wrong

God created this world from nothing, so, I believe that my Creator God can and will repair and restore whatever I have lost

I believe that if I cast, completely let go of, all my anxieties on God, He will take care of me

I believe that I am in the hands of the Living God!

I speak what I believe...

Amen †

 

 

Shelley Johnson “What I Believe” ©2013 revisited September 5, 2025

Restore my brokenness!

 

When was the last time you had a good bawl? No, not cry but weep, a snivelling wail from the heart where tears and snot combine and fall from your chin?

You know, sometimes we can be so pious in our crying out to God that it stifles our being honest with Him.

If there’s a time to be yourself, to just let all your defences down and expose the true you, it’s when you come to God.

Beloved, He already knows what’s in your heart. He already knows what you’re carrying deepest within you. So, why not be real? Just be yourself.

You want God to move upon your life, but you’re holding back from Him.

You want God to restore your brokenness, but you approach Him with an air of aloofness.

This may sound foolish but even though God already knows everything about you, He still wants you to reveal yourself to Him. God wants you to let it all out – the anger, the hate, the bitterness, the resentment, and the pain – because that’s how you’ll get free. Don’t you want to be free?

You’ve carried the burden of your brokenness far too long. God wants to restore what’s been broken in your life. Will you not let Him?

Sunrise over Balata Trinidad

It’s a brand-new day, aren’t you willing to be real with God and allow Him to be real with you? Yes, it is painful for you, but it will yield good results.

David, of whom God said was a man after His own heart, was incredibly honest, open, and transparent with God and through it all, remained confident that God would restore his brokenness. Just read the Psalms he wrote, and you’ll see what I mean.

“You have sent troubles and suffering on me, but you will restore my strength” – Psalm 71:20 (GNT)

David held nothing back; his writings express a roller-coaster of emotional highs and lows, joy and sorrow, pain, fear, elation and praise. David poured himself out to God – everything he was, and everything he felt.

We have all been broken in one way or the other. We are like broken vessels, and only God can fully restore us.

Beloved, God is the Restorer of your brokenness.

Isn't it time you had a good bawl?

Go to God, drop your hands down and pour yourself out and shout, "Restore my brokenness!"

 

Amen †

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Restore my brokenness!” © 2015 revisited September 4, 2025

Three Days’ Journey

 

Sunrise over Cane Garden SVG

God says “Restore!”, I say “Restore!”

This is a new day, a new beginning. It’s my time to believe, it’s my time for restoration!

Today marks the last day of our three-day journey. Three days which signalled a call for restoration. It may be the last of the three days, but it is certainly not the final day to see God’s restoration power at work in our lives.

Three days’ journey symbolizes our progression into a new beginning. Throughout the Word of God, we see three-day journeys repeated again and again.

It took the Israelites three days’ journey from Egypt to the wilderness, where they received a new beginning.

“Let us take a three-day journey into the desert…” – Exodus 3:18 (NIV)

Further on, in Exodus chapter 15, we see where the Israelites travelled in the desert for three days without finding water. Then God revived them by making the bitter waters of Marah sweet.

Also, in Matthew 15:32, a great crowd of over four thousand who had been with Jesus for three days without having anything to eat, was miraculously fed with just seven loaves and a few fish.

Jonah’s burial in the belly of a great fish was three days and three nights, after which he was restored to life to continue his journey to Nineveh. It took Jonah three days to walk through this vast city after which the Ninevites received restoration and a new beginning (see Jonah 3).

God says “Restore!”, I say “Restore!”

So too our three days’ journey shall not be without effect. God is about to perform a great restoration in our lives – yours and mine. Just as we have seen the supernatural power of God to restore at work in these instances, know that that same supernatural restoration power is at work in your life now.

Beloved, God has shown us what is possible with Him, if we would trust Him and believe that He exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

I declare,

The Lord is even today working toward my full restoration!

God says “Restore!”, I say “Restore!”

Amen †

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Three Days’ Journey” © 2015 revisited September 3, 2025

The Season of God’s Restoration

 

Sunrise over Hakone Japan

Joel 2:25 (KJV), as it is written,

“And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, My great army which I sent among you.”

God says “Restore!” I say “Restore!”

I believed therefore I speak…

This is the Season of God’s Restoration over my life. Father, Restore!

I experience an unprecedented manifestation of God’s restoration in every area of my life. Father, Restore!

God’s restoration is always greater than the original and I receive His much-more restoration, for God has taught me how to be a gracious receiver. Hallelujah!

This is the Season of His Restoration!

I declare,

God will restore to me the years that the locust has eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm – the swarming locust, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust – His great army which He sent among me and my family. And, we shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the Name of the Lord our God, Who has dealt wonderfully with us; and we, as God’s people, shall never be put to shame. This is God’s promise to me – I receive it in Jesus’ Name. It is already established in heaven. Father, Restore! Restore it all!

I declare,

Everything super-abounds to me and my family! We are engulfed in God’s great restoration power – from broken relationships to dwindling finances, even the hairs on our heads – God has restored it all. Hallelujah!

I declare His restoration over my life. I declare His restoration over the lives of my family members.

I believed therefore I speak…

I have stepped into the Season of God’s Restoration, and I graciously receive God’s super-abounding restoration! Hallelujah! Praise be to God!

God says “Restore!” I say “Restore!”

Amen †

 

 

Shelley Johnson “The Season of God’s Restoration” © 2015 revisited September 2, 2025

Restored Fellowship

 

Sunrise Over Havers BVI

Isaiah 42:22 (NKJV), ...and no one says, "Restore!"

Listen, if God says "Restore!", then you say "Restore!"

The word for the next three days is "Restore!". It must be on your lips, in your thoughts, and deepest within you.

God desires to restore to you everything that has been lost…

“then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes…” –  Deuteronomy 30:3 (NIV)

God desires to restore to you everything that appears to be dead and dry (Ezekiel 37:1-14) in your life.

The life that God made enter the dry bones in Ezekiel chapter 37, is the same life God will breathe into every dead situation in your life. Are you ready to receive resuscitation, revival, and restoration?

What about your relationship with God? Do you even consider that? Has something been lost? Is it alive or dead, or dying or non-existent?

Have you become so mired in life's circumstances that you've lost sight of Father, Son, and Spirit? Do you have a relationship with Him?

The time has come to take an honest look at the life you're living, and specifically, at where God is in your life. Yes, an honest look. And after you've done that, if you decide to go on this journey of restoration, let your relationship with God be your first step.

“…indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” – 1 John 1:3 (ESV)

Adam’s fall from grace in the Garden by his wilful disobedience to God, created a loss of fellowship with God for all mankind which has also placed us in a state of separation from God – spiritual death (see Romans 6:23); but God in His love and mercy has a plan to restore us to complete fellowship with Him and to give us spiritual life.

God’s awesome plan consists of the work of grace through His Son Jesus Christ and is not accomplished through any efforts or sacrifices on our part. Jesus Christ shed His blood for our restoration.

Remember, Jesus paid the price in blood for our reconciliation with God.

Remember, Jesus paid the price in blood to free us from the sentence of spiritual death.

Remember, Jesus paid the price in blood so that we can be born again as new spiritual creatures in Christ.

Beloved, our ultimate destiny is to be restored to the full fellowship of God by recognizing and accepting the finished work of His Son Jesus Christ on the cross.

Now, as you think on this journey of restoration, I pray the Lord of peace Himself gives you peace at all times and in every way. Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Restored Fellowship” ©2013 revisited September 1, 2025

Abram Planned to adopt a Son

 

Did you know that Abram planned to adopt a son? Yes he did, his name was Eliezer, he was Abram’s servant from Damascus.

Long story short…

War had broken out between enemy nations, as the fighting escalated, the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah joined the battle. They were defeated and the enemy absconded with all their possessions, abducted Abram’s nephew Lot, who lived in Sodom, and held him captive.

When Abram heard of this and that Lot and his possessions had been taken, he amassed 318 of his trained fighting-machine-men and went after these out-of-place disrespectful captors.

Abram and his men repossessed all that was taken, and freed the people, including Lot.

All of this you can read about in Genesis chapter 14.

Upon their return, Melchizedek, the High Priest, gave them food to eat and pronounced a blessing on Abram, while the king of Sodom, offered the plunder to Abram as a “thank you” but he refused saying,

“I make a promise to the Lord, the God Most High, who made heaven and earth. I promise that I will not keep anything that is yours. I will not keep even a thread or a sandal strap so that you cannot say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ I will keep nothing but the food my young men have eaten…” – Genesis 14:22-24 (NCV).

In chapter 15 verse 1 we read that God Himself promises to greatly reward Abram.

After these things happened, the Lord spoke his word to Abram in a vision: “Abram, don’t be afraid. I will defend you, and I will give you a great reward.”

And it is in Abram’s response to God that we learn of his plan to adopt.

You see, Abram was now several years older than when God first promised to make him “a great nation” (Genesis 12:2). I am sure you can understand his “frustration”.

Imagine, you’re 20 years old when you receive a Word from God, you are now 55 years old, and you haven’t seen any sign whatsoever of this promise coming to pass. You, like Abram, will be wondering if what God has said will ever happen. You will start to make your own plans.

That’s what Abram did. After God spoke of giving him “a great reward” Abram must have been like, “Well I’ve been waiting all this time for this promised son but the possibility of Sarai conceiving at her age, looking a little bleakish. So, my slave Eliezer from Damascus will get everything I own after I die.” After a slight pause, Abram continued, “Look, you have given me no son, so a slave born in my house will inherit everything I have.”

It is at this point that Abram’s planned adoption was revealed. Abram planned to adopt a son in the form of his most trusted household servant, Eliezer.

However, “The plans of the heart belong to a person, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.” (Proverbs 16:1 NASB), in other words, you may make your plan, but the Lord has the final say or the last word.

And we see just how true that is in Genesis 15:4-5 (NCV) with God’s reply to Abram,

“He will not be the one to inherit what you have. You will have a son of your own who will inherit what you have. Look at the sky. There are so many stars you cannot count them. Your descendants also will be too many to count.”

How does one respond to that? How did Abram respond to that? That was a good and proper “Shut your mouth!”

God assured Abram that above all else, He was his great reward, even if there was no promise.

Abram needn’t be afraid or anxious or concerned, for God was on his side so he would receive the promised son.

Before this exchange, even though God had spoken to him, because time was going without any manifestation or fulfilment of the promise, Abram could not perceive the possible, he was only seeing the impossible. Sarai, on the flip side of menopause, was way past child-bearing age and Abram was ten years older than her, so he was not holding out hope.

But God!

Beloved, the Lord says this,

“So also will be the word that I speak— it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do.” – Isaiah 55:11 (GNT)

What has the Lord promised you? For what Word are you awaiting fulfilment?

“But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!”

The Lord’s words to Habakkuk (2:3 TLB) still apply today. You must hold on, be patient and trust that what God says He will do He will surely do.

Abram’s response, in Genesis 15:6, was to believe to be true what the Lord said to him. “And the Lord accepted Abram’s faith, and that faith made him right with God.”

This must also be your response – believe God. Only believe!

Other than God’s word, Abram received no tangible evidence of the son that was promised. Like Abram, stand on the word of the Lord, exercise your faith, for God keeps His promises (see Psalm 145:13) and remember always “These two things cannot change: God cannot lie when he makes a promise, and he cannot lie when he makes an oath.” (Hebrews 6:18 NCV).

Sometimes God’s word does not compute but if you have chosen to travel along the spiritual path, then you must understand that more often than not it requires walking by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Along this path, you’ll need to not rely on your fluctuating emotions. It’s tough but it’s doable.

Beloved, God is not limited as we are. We think that it is impossible for a 90-year-old woman and a 100-year-old man to have a child, but God! He transcends the impossible.

Nowadays, with the world seemingly topsy turvy, it’s even more critical for us to trust God with what appears to be impossibilities. Don’t go adopting your own plan. If you are frustrated, anxious, confused and doubtful, go to God. Ask Him to open your eyes to the impossible and activate your belief.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Abram Planned to adopt a Son” © August 30, 2025

 

 

 

 

 

A Lonesome Road

 

Jesus told them, “A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child.” – Mark 6:4 (MSG)

Jesus had been all over the region performing miracles, healing the sick, casting out demons and relieving the demon-possessed, yet in Nazareth, His own hometown, He could do nothing. His own people could not benefit from His powerful ministry because they refused to believe that He was the promised Messiah. As a matter of fact, Mark 3:21 tells us that Jesus’ family thought He was crazy, saying of Him, “He is out of his mind.” (ESV).

Can any of you relate?

Your spiritual journey can be a lonesome road. You’d imagine that your family would be your biggest supporters, they’d be your most zealous cheerleaders and encouragers but surprisingly it is those that are closest to you that turn out to be your most ardent critics.

If there are people who do not believe in you, then you can be sure they are family members, friends and neighbours. Strangers will respond to you more readily than your own brothers, sisters, parents and other relatives – they’ll quickly see your spiritual calling and respect it but not those loved ones.

When someone came to Jesus to let Him know that His mother and brothers were outside wanting to speak to Him, Jesus asked, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” After which, pointing to the circle of people seated around Him He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.” (see Mark 3:33-35).

You see, your loved ones know you only in the flesh, so it is difficult for them to view you any other way.

“Who is this new person; this Bible studying Word processor? Isn’t she so-and-so’s daughter? Where’d she suddenly get all this spiritual talk from; all this wisdom and understanding?”

That’s exactly what was said about Jesus in His hometown.

Everything that you may be subjected to on your spiritual journey, Jesus went through. Jesus lived it and even at the height of His ministry, His relatives and neighbours completely ignored Him and cut Him down verbally. The saying “Familiarity breeds contempt”, is never more apparent than when a person is called into ministry by God.

For instance, look at David; not one of his brothers, or his father, believed that God had a great purpose for him to fulfill. In their eyes David was the least likely. He was the youngest, only good for tending sheep, ruddy and scrawny at best.

Not even the venerated prophet Samuel, who God sent to anoint Israel’s future king, could ever imagine that this whisper of a boy was God’s choice. So flabbergasted was Sanuel that God had to tell him, “the Lord does not see as man sees” (1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV).

Moses, at 80 years old, still hiding out in Midian, a shadow of the man that he once was, now stammering and unsure of himself, was God’s choice (Exodus 3).

Gideon did not believe in himself, but God believed in him. God knew the person He’d created and chose Gideon and his army of a mere three hundred men to defeat a multitude (Judges 6:11-24 & 7:2).

So you see, it doesn’t matter whether the people you’re in this life with recognize you as God’s chosen vessel or not, all that really matters is that God has chosen you and you recognize yourself as such.

Your job is to listen to God and not the endless chatter of those surrounding you.

You must do what God has called you to do, despite what your family, friends, neighbours or relations say or think or believe.

God knows you in spirit and only those that have been given eyes to see will see, others may never understand your calling.

“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” – Matthew 12:50 (ESV)

Obedience is thicker than blood.

Apostle Paul, in Galatians 1:10, encourages us to please God and not give into the pressure of men to do otherwise. To the congregation at Galatia he wrote,

“If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (ESV)

Similarly, Solomon in his God-given wisdom, tells us that “The fear of man brings a snare, but whosoever puts his trust in the LORD shall be lifted up.” (Proverbs 29:25 JUB).

Beloved, if God has called you, then trust Him, you will be safe. The sting may be hurtful but do not stray from what you’ve been called to do and who you’ve been called to be.

There will be “noise”, expect it.

There will be persecution in varying forms, expect that too.

Expect the jeers, the taunts, the demands and commands, the hissy fits, expect the mockery, the spewing of Scripture verses taken out of context in an attempt to prove you wrong.

Expect it all!

Every single person who’s called to the purpose of God has had to endure the same. Jesus Christ was not exempted, He endured the worst, so consider yourself in excellent company.

The psalmist wrote,

“You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow His directions, doing your best to find Him. That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road He set.” – Psalm 119:1-3 (MSG)

I pray that Almighty God will give you the wherewithal to endure the lonesome road, and that you will not be distracted from His call upon your life, that you will remain steadfast and when you’re feeling weak and defeated you will garner strength from Him, remembering always, that when you are weak He is strong. In Jesus’ name I pray.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “A Lonesome Road” © 2017 revisited August 30, 2025

 

 

 

A Circumcised Heart

 

Julie Blossoms by Danae

There are many Scripture verses throughout the Bible telling us about our hearts. This indicates to us that the condition of our hearts must be very important.

For instance, in Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV) we learn that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” and in verse 10, the Lord says that He searches our hearts.

Apostle Paul also weighed in, in Romans 1:21, telling us that our hearts can be foolish and darkened.

Other verses let us know that our hearts can be hard, tested, firm, perverted, broken and contrite.

Spiritual seeds can be sown in our hearts.

From our hearts we can act, make our own plans, and do the will of God.

With our whole hearts we can trust God and love Him.

Our hearts can be changed, made pure and, our hearts can be circumcised.

“Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart…” – Jeremiah 4:4 (KJV)

When the Bible speaks of the heart it is not referring to your physical heart but to a place that is much deeper inside you.

According to Psalm 103:1, it’s the “all that is deepest within me” part of you – your inmost being from where the rivers of living waters flow (John 7:38). It’s where the deepest activity of the Holy Spirit takes place, beyond our conscious thoughts.

When the Bible speaks of the circumcision of your heart, it’s about the severing of anything that will keep you from being a person whose heart or spirit is right before God.

Circumcision of your heart is the casting off of your fleshly nature (the old life) and the sins of the flesh (see Colossians 2:11-13). This is an inner, unseen circumcision performed by the Holy Spirit (Romans 2:29), who cuts away whatever is useless in, and a hindrance to your new life.

When God told Abraham to literally circumcise himself and every male, eight days old and older (read Genesis 17), it was symbolic of their new beginning.

Today beloved, your new beginning will commence with a circumcised heart.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson "A Circumcised Heart" © 2016 revisited August 29, 2025

A Curious Comment Part Four

 

But why out of the seven did he choose Zipporah?

Moses agreed to settle down there with the man, who then gave his daughter Zipporah (Bird) to him for his wife. – Exodus 2:21 (MSG)

In Luke 5:4 we read,

Now go out where it is deeper (NLT) Here, Jesus was speaking to Simon (Peter).

Too many of us prefer to remain on shore or venture only to where the water gently laps the sand; it’s where we feel safe or most comfortable, and that’s okay. But Jesus Himself tells us to “go out where it is deeper”.

Are you ready? If not, remain where you are, in your comfort zone, on the surface of the pages. If you are ready, let’s dive right in…under the surface where the words come alive.

Zipporah was already pregnant.

Wait, wait, before you, like Haman did for Mordecai, build a gallows for me, stay under the surface of the words for a while longer.

Let us move forward in bible time to 2 Samuel chapter 11. David and Bathsheba. Remember? David has his way with Bathsheba while her husband, Uriah, is away fighting in David’s army.

Later she sent word to David: “I’m pregnant.”

And what did David try to do? Remember? David called Uriah back home and tells him to have relations with his wife, because king David’s plan was to pass this baby off as Uriah’s to avoid the scandal.

Ezekiel chapter 22 tells us of all the lewd activities that were commonly practiced in those days and after Moses lead the Israelites out of Egypt, God’s commandments in Leviticus 18, condemned and forbade their incestuous sexual conduct. And these people were Israelites.

At that time there was no Christianity, no Holy Spirit indwelling to convict. There was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob worshipped by the Israelites and there were gods, worshipped by Gentiles.

Reuel and his daughters were Midianites. Gentiles. You may argue saying “But Abraham was his grandfather” and you are correct, but his father Midian was cast away by Abraham (Genesis 25:1-6). Midianites worshipped multiple gods. Reuel was an idol worshipping priest, owner of an idolatrous temple, which more than likely, as was customary, would have housed temple prostitutes.

There is no mention of Reuel’s wife, or the mother of his seven daughters. It would not have been uncommon for Reuel to have an incestuous relationship with one or all of his daughters.

Moses himself, before Exodus chapter 3, did not know God either. For all intents and purposes, he was an Egyptian, educated in Egyptian ways and customs, after all he was only 3 months old when he was given to Pharoah’s daughter to be raised as her son.

Beloved, understand that these biblical characters were real people living at a real time in history.

Stay under the surface of the words for a while longer.

Zipporah was already pregnant.

Reuel, the priest, saw Moses as a solution to his problems. It wasn’t just about sheep.

If David’s initial plan hadn’t failed, Uriah would have believed that the baby Bathsheba was carrying was his.

Moses believed that Gershom was his son, his firstborn son, but Moses did not “refuse to let him go”

God had spoken,

And I say to you, Let My son go, that he may serve Me; and if you refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay your son, your firstborn. – Exodus 4:23 (AMPC)

Zipporah understood what was about to happen, her father was refusing to let them go and she knew the truth.

Stay under the surface of the words for a while longer.

And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” So He let him go. Then she said, “You are a husband of blood!”—because of the circumcision. – Exodus 4:24-26 (NKJV)

So, beloved, we are back where we started.

Zipporah’s curious comment, spoken not once but twice. She calls her husband, “a husband of blood” after she performs her son’s circumcision.

But before we even get to Zipporah’s curious comment, we need to fathom her curious action.

A 40-year-old man’s mother performs his circumcision. Why? And, as a Midianite, how did she know to do so? This is yet another one of those things Scripture dose not spell out for us.

Was it instinctive? A woman’s intuition? A gut feeling? Or was it something else? The Lord was there, at the encampment. Could the Lord have spoken to her? We are not told.

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter…” – Proverbs 25:2 (HCSB)

Just as God spoke to Hagar, the Egyptian mother of Ishmael, so too He may have spoken to Gershom’s Midianite mother. Somehow, Zipporah knew exactly what needed to be done to save her son’s life and she did not hesitate to cut off his foreskin. After which the Lord “let him go”

Gershom’s circumcision was necessary for them to be “cut off” from Midian. They could not move forward into this new beginning without this separation. A cutting off that was at once literal and symbolic.

And, with his mother’s act of courage, Gershom was no longer “Stranger” but a Jew, he belonged, he belonged to a new tribe – Israel – he belonged to God; he was now Moses’ son.

Zipporah saved them all, Gershom, her son, Moses, her husband, Eliezer and herself. They were all set free from bondage to Jethro and to Midian. This was a foreshadow of what was to come.

Beloved, God speaks to all individuals in different ways, both Jew and Gentile, slave and free.

Stay under the surface of the words for a while longer.

“Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” …Then she said, “You are a husband of blood!”—because of the circumcision

Zipporah’s act had also cut off her tie to her incestuous father, her blood relative. The removal of the foreskin in circumcision represents the removal of sin. Her action enabled her disconnection from that sinful act and the sinful nation of Midian and its idolatry. Every blood tie was now severed for herself and for her son. God had set them free. She too belonged.  

She cast the foreskin – her sin – not at the feet of her earthly husband but at the feet of the Lord, the Bridegroom, her “husband of blood” to whom she was now tied, “because of the circumcision”.

Zipporah was not speaking to Moses when she made that curious comment; she was crying out to the Lord who was there with them. She was making a declaration to the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and Gershom.

She broke with her sin-filled past. She was now connected to God. When Zipporah circumcised Gershom’s foreskin, her heart was also circumcised (see Jeremiah 4:4). Hers was an inner circumcision, made, unseen, by the hand of God.

Bird was now free.

photo courtesy O'Reilly Lewis

Beloved, never be afraid to “go out where it is deeper”, for you do not know where the Lord will take you. Proverbs 25:2 continues, “and the glory of kings to investigate a matter”

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “A Curious Comment Part Four” © August 27, 2025