Kym Nixon

Common sense is wisdom acquired experientially and collectively. It guides decisions and actions. It can if God's actions operate outside of normal known and accepted parameters. Minds have to be open to supernatural occurrences to accept outside the norm.

God is innovative and creative when solving problems. He can use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. His ways are counterintuitive. He is a supernatural provider. Elijah trusted God. The point made is that practicing Jews' diets were kosher. God only knows where the raven got the food. But Elijah had to trust God that if the food was not kosher due to the type of food or delivery method, that God had ordained it. God will always provide for His children. He promises to all throughout His word. He is God in that He cannot lie. His word is faithful and true. We can trust Him as Our Jehovah Jireh to provide for all our needs according to His riches in glory.

It takes a lot of courage to go counter to the culture of the elite and powerful. The deception Ahab was under put him in a unique position as king to lead an entire nation into idolatry and sin. To challenge this delusion that Baal brings rain and fertility creates cognitive dissonance. So, the initial challenge to a deeply held belief will immediately be met with resistance. That's a problem when the power and authority of a region is the resistor. There can be accusations of treason, imprisonment, and even death in extreme cases. Especially if there's any type of superstition or belief in witchcraft and cursing. Elijah could be seen as a sorcerer who has brought about a curse against the fertility god that prevented much needed rain for sustenance.

It means that I recognize His greatness, beauty, sovereignty, blessings in my life and I care about His feelings and honor Him as He deserves. I try to always praise Him whenever I can. It's an honor to be loved and cared for deeply by the maker of heaven and earth. Who am I that He should care for me and know me? The only thing I can truly stand on is not my greatness, but His alone.

The oil running down the beard onto the clothing. I see this as the anointing that breaks yokes of bondage and differences in the body. Lasting unity is difficult because people want to be right and are afraid of being tainted by deception. Obstacle is pride.

Davidic covenant is God's promise that his throne would last forever, that the royal kingship would be preserved through his bloodline. Solomon built the temple where the ark of the covenant would dwell, which is where the Lord would meet with His people and atonement would be made. The Kingship came through Jesus when He made atonement. He was the Lion from the tribe of Judah, born through David's bloodline. Jesus will set up the throne in Jerusalem and rule and reign forever.

Because He doesn't always explain Himself. It's normal to question why. But resting in the unanswered questions is a sign of spiritual maturity. I like being in control of situations and knowing and understanding what is going on. When I am not in control or don't understand, I have trouble living in my own skin. I just want to escape because I'm uncomfortable in the waiting. When God doesn't explain things to me and I'm left without closure, it sets me on edge. I wouldn't say I get angry with God, I just get extremely uncomfortable. I have to try to meditate on God's goodness and faithfulness, His kindness and mercy towards me. I have to think back to the times He came through for me, many times undeserved or not even asking Him for resolution. He just always seems to know. Hope in the Lord is confident expectation that He is who He says He is and will do what He has said He will do.

It frees us from shame, guilt and condemnation, those things that cripple us and prevent us from walking in freedom and assurance of our calling and destiny. It bolsters our faith because we see His faithfulness and everlasting kindness. Knowing God has forgiven me for all the awful, dirty sins I've committed, many times hurting others, I cannot stand in judgment of others as holier than thou, but am humbled by the knowledge of His grace. That is how I am able to extend grace and mercy to others because it's been extended to me undeserving. Expectancy is high. Hope is all encompassing. Faith is stirred.

My life has been a series of ebb and flow and mountaintops and valleys. I can think of those times when everything was going wrong and I felt oppressed and afflicted, God was always there to pick me up and place my feet on solid ground. There have been times God has delivered me from the cords of the enemy. Some people have tried to entrap or destroy me. God has never let them, even in times I know I was the one in the wrong, He preserved me for reasons only known to Him. But I am grateful. Stew about it, lash out, hold it in and implode, withdraw. I am usually able to forgive rather quickly after an offense. There have been times where I thought I forgave. But then at the mention of their name or the sound of their voice, something icky rose up in my inner being and I knew there were still sour grapes. I've learned to just go back to the Lord again and tell Him I thought I had forgiven but apparently not, please help me. It usually works. I have to gain God's heavenly perspective on my enemies, allowing me to see them the way He does and see the situation the way He does.

It means to have a reverential respect for Him and be in awe of Him, to love Him so much that we wouldn't intentionally sin against Him to be rebellious. God has given me the best husband I could have ever hoped for. My parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, and in laws all love me very much. I have never felt rejected or abused by any of them. My children and grandchildren are amazing. I wouldn't have hand picked anyone else. I have a nice home. I love my pets. I have the greatest friends. My church is stellar. God gave me a ministry to fight human trafficking. There have to be struggles to over come because this develops character. If everything came easy, we wouldn't appreciate it and maybe take it for granted. Faith doesn't always result in physical prosperity, but we will always have what we need. His word promises this, that we don't have to worry about basic human needs. There is always spiritual prosperity available to us. Prosperity is flourishing where we are planted.

God has to bless the work of our hands in order for us to prosper. We can work all day and night, use our own wisdom and past experiences to guide decisions, strategize, and execute a well devised plan based on human intellect. However, it's much more work without the return on investment we can see when God is involved. He can open doors, change hearts, guide events to a specific end in ways we never could. We can't just pray and expect God to send blessings out of thin air. He could. But I've learned that generally it's a partnership. God expects us to take action based on His logos and rhema words and allow His to line everything up. But we have to act and move forwards or likely nothing will manifest. Faith and trust are verbs that lead to some type of action or it's not faith and trust. It's hope, not expected anticipated hope but wishful thinking. We take our Sabbaths, intentional rest at appropriate times. Children are a heritage meaning they are our legacy, carrying our family traditions and DNA into the world. They are a gift from God to us, they will be there for us when we are old to take care of us as we took care of them when they were helpless, at least that is the way it's supposed to work, they are a source of love both ways and an extension of ourselves.

I think God doesn't always come through immediately because He is growing us in character and perseverance. Sometimes when things come too easy they are not appreciated as much. We have to grow in our faith. The only way that is going to happen is through trials and testing. We can't be fickle with our faith. God is weeding out false converts through the long haul of testing the fruit we are bearing. We must bear good fruit to be successful in the kingdom. This comes through a pruning process that is sometimes painful but necessary. It also weeds out pride and self sufficiency making us dependent on God for our provision. We can shout for joy before seeing our prayers answered. That is faith, decreeing and calling forth that which is not as if it is and believing that it will happen. This can make us joyful in the waiting, knowing that God is able, He working all things together for our good, He is faithful, He loves us and has a plan for our lives, and His Holy Spirit testifies inside of us as to these truths.

The Lord is the solid rock upon which I stand. He provides, sustains, comforts, heals, and loves me with an everlasting love. He is sure and true. I have zero doubts about His love and good intentions for me. He is unshakeable. Our current president and his administration is so corrupt. We just had the SOTU address. I didn't watch it because I get so angry at all the gaslighting. But I've seen clips and heard pundits and friends discussing it. It's hard to fathom how blind people can be. To tell us that the economy is better and inflation down is such a slap to the face when we all are struggling with exorbitant food and gas prices. They think we are blind, just because they say something is true doesn't make it true. Good people suffer by the unrighteous leaders and it gives others permission to sin. We begin to travel down the path of unrighteousness and become desensitized to sin.

I know the Lord has delivered me from danger many times in my life. I can think of so many times I drove under the influence, worse yet with other people in my car. There were two occasions when I was younger and made foolish decisions that have cost other young people their lives. One example is while I was traveling from MS to FL, I connected with a trucker and his passenger. They invited me to a party in FL and I was going to go with them. Worse yet, I allowed the passenger to drive my car while I road in the truck with a total stranger, just to experience it. When he started pulling out *********** and suggesting sex, I knew I was in trouble, but I managed to escape when we stopped at a truck stop. I think I'm lucky to be alive. Saving me from danger of myself was when I tried to commit suicide at 15 years old and the Lord saved me. There's no explanation how I did not die or at least end up in the hospital. He has watched over me and loved me. I am indebted to His protection. I felt convicted today to pray for my President of whom our beliefs are 180 from each other. Every decision he makes, every time he speaks makes me cringe. But I'm praying for the deception to fall from his eyes and that salvation enters his house today, that he will repent from his ungodly decisions and make things right.

People have deserted the church for several reasons. Some have been hurt by the church, disagree with the church's stance on contemporary cultural hot button issues, such as gay marriage and abortion, find it antiquated, boring, irrelevant, oppressive. Our culture has been desensitized. We haven't taught our children, moms and dads working and letting television and music industry and gaming raise the kids. People feel they can go it alone without church fellowship because a spirit of independence, indifference, jealousy, offense has estranged Christians one from another. Every has their pet doctrines that makes it more difficult to find unity. Pride is the biggest issue. It's important to pray for the peace of Jerusalem because that is God's heart. These are His chosen people. My entire lifetime, Jerusalem has been in turmoil and controversy. Peace is a part of the name of this city. I need to decree Shalom. Seeking the good of God's house is fellowship, harmony, no backbiting and slander, support financially, prayer.

I look back throughout my 60 years on this earth. God has been with me all along. I can think of so many interventions and unexplained blessings that just over flow into my life on a daily basis. I can get distracted and overwhelmed by circumstances. But if I really start to focus on details of my day, I can count many blessings, big and small. He always seems to have my back, even when I know I don't deserve it. He comforts me, encourages me, corrects me, instructs me, guides me, and loves me. I think of so many times when I know I deserved judgment and the lightening bolt moments. He could have exposed me, my faults and failures to the world. But He covered me, His love has covered a multitude of sins. He keeps me safe. He has taken care of my children and family supernaturally. I've learned through the years after the fact of times my children were in danger and I was oblivious. But He watched over them and brought them through. I feel like a bubble of protection or shield around me. He lets me know when I'm getting too close to the edge and ready to fall over the side. He preserves my life. I owe Him everything and I know it. He evens the score when I'm being mistreated. I feel Him coming to my rescue. Likewise, when I am the one who is wrong, He lets me know in no uncertain terms so I can repent and make it right and not have this heavy weight on my soul. I feel so blessed to have God in my corner, rooting for me, cheering me on, and watching over me all the days of my life.

Stress pulls us away from God when our minds are so consumed with our problems that we lose sight of God's ability to guide us through it. Stress can draw us closer when we realize that we can't handle the situation in our own strength but remember to call upon the Lord who is our help in times of trouble. I try to hand over my stressors, getting better at it but certainly haven't arrived. I'm asking Him to intervene in a few situations I'm facing.