from pastor Rich Allcorn 

The GOD Whom we serve is an awesome, great and mighty God!  His power is beyond anything you could ever imagine!  And so is HIS joy!  I remember once when it seemed like the weight of the world was on my shoulders ... my joy was in jeopardy and my strength in my spirit man was very weak.  I was losing hope! 

One night, GOD came into my room, and HE sat right down in the middle of my back as I lay there on my bed in tears.  I suddenly felt this warmth begin like a wave made by a large rock when it is dropped into a pond!  The wave began from the place where GOD sat down on me and it rippled out to the entire length and width of my body!  This ripple, this wave ... was a move of JOY that began at first as a warm feeling in my body!  Then, as it continued it became a "coolness", like the brisk morning air in Colorado on a Spring day!  It was ... it was "refreshing"!  And HIS joy spread throughout my entire body!  I began to laugh!  Oh, the joy that came over me was one beyond measure!  Nothing could make me sad that night, as GOD sat there on my back, and as HE laughed there, with me!  I will never forget it! 

Whatever it is that you are dealing with ...  whatever it is that you "see" before you as an obstacle in the path of your destiny, that is holding up GOD's plan for you ... 

"Know ye this, saith the Lord God of Hosts, that MY JOY shall overcome any sadness that you will ever encounter!  And MY LOVE shall overcome any loneliness or anxiety that you might be dealing with!  For these are but the tools of the enemy, to distract you and to take your focus 'off' of ME and onto your surroundings!  Remember the day in which my servant Peter chose to step out of his comfort zone, and leave the boat of safety as he knew it, in order to walk with MY Son upon the waters?  Did you not notice that Peter "walked" on the waters?  And did you not see that he traveled the entire distance from the boat to where MY Son waited?  It was only at the time in which he was to receive the fullness of his efforts that Peter began to look at his surroundings and take notice of the wind and the seas!  And it was not until he began to take his focus and his mind and his attention "off" of MY Son and HIS direction for Peter's life, that he began to sink.  It was not until Peter took his attention "off" of MY PLAN for him that his failure began to appear!" 

"In this very same manner and in this same fashion, is your current situation, for you have allowed your surroundings to become your focus and the target for your attention!  That focus is not on ME but on what lies around you ... your circumstances and your surroundings.  For these are the things of the natural, the things that are ... 'seen'.  I have said in MY Word that 'things that are seen are ... temporary!  They are subject to change!'  And this situation that you now face is no different than the waters on which my servant Peter walked!" 

"The key", says the Lord, "is to bring your attention and your focus back ... to ME.  Bring your eyes upon MY calling for you, and upon MY plan for your life.  Hold your attentions and fix your gaze upon MY greatness and MY power and MY love ... for YOU, saith the Lord GOD, and in so doing YOU - WILL - SEE - YOUR - DELIVERANCE!" 


This word came to me as I sat down to write the article for this session.  Wow!  Praise GOD!!!   That was "awesome"!  Folks, it is true!  That is a word for you, and it is a word for me too!  We are to turn our gaze and our attentions back to GOD, and back to HIS plan for our lives!  Nevermind the things that we are so concerned about us!  Adopt the laughter of one that seems like a fool to the world, when you have only chosen to embrace the "joy of the Lord" in your midst!  You have decided that your faith in GOD, and in HIS Word to provide your answers, and your trust in HIS faithfulness, are enough that you should be overcome with ... JOY, in the name of Jesus! 


This week, take time to just get quiet before GOD and "picture" HIS ... GREATNESS!!  See in your minds eye, the wonderful POWER that GOD has, and how small and how tiny your surroundings must appear in HIS presence!  And while you consider HIS greatness, and HIS love that HE has for you, remember that YOU are a creation of purpose!  GOD created YOU for a special reason, and an assigned task and plan await you!  Think about it!