Our inner character is revealed as we face impossible circumstances. Whether behind closed doors or in the open, it is a testimony to those around us. Daniel had been appointed as one of three governors to oversee the 120 satraps in the kingdom under King Darias.

Daniel 6:3 says, “Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.”

The ugly head of jealousy rose up. The governors and satraps searched to find some fault in Daniel. Verse 4 says that they couldn’t, “…because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him.”

They devised a plan to have him destroyed. They convinced the king to make a decree that could not be changed. The decree said that anyone who petitioned any god or man except the king would be cast into the den of lions.

Daniel knew about the decree. Verse 10 says that he went into his upper room. He opened the windows toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times that day.

As I was memorizing Psalm 40:10, I thought about a personal application. It says, “I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly.”

In Jesus’ prayer He asked the Father to protect His followers. Verse 18 says, “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” Why did Jesus come? He chose and trained disciples to take His message of salvation to the world. 

Mark 16:15 is our commission as well. It says, “…Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

What happens when we walk into a dark place and light a match? The light overcomes the darkness. Let us be proclaimers of the gospel through all that we say or do. My dad always had a car with Scripture on it. His motto was: preach wherever you go.

Hosea 10:12 says, “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.” What causes the soil of our hearts to become fallow? Verse 13 says, “…You have eaten the fruit of lies, because you trusted in your own way….”

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” We trusted the Lord for salvation. With that same trust, we follow Him moment by moment.

Fallow ground has clods of hard compacted dirt. Joel 1:17 says, “The seed shrivels under the clods…” Haggai 2:19 says, “Is the seed still in the barn?…” Mark 4:16 was about the seed sown on stony ground. Verse 17 says, “…they have no root in themselves…”

If you would like to explore more about spiritual cultivation, I encourage you to get my book or ebook entitled, “Cultivating Our Heart: repurposing fallow ground.” Fallow ground diminishes our abiding in Christ that alone bears fruit for His glory. John 15:8.

I typed this sentence to a mentee. “That is where we get the truth that keeps our hearts free of emotional swampy ground where alligator lies lurk.” It reminded me of this verse in the Amplified. Proverbs 13:15 says, “Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the transgressor is hard (like the barren, dry soil or the impassable swamp).”

Past unresolved issues are not erased at the moment of salvation. The Holy Spirit helps us to resolve and bring closure through our journey of progressive sanctification. It is during our journey that we learn to guard our heart with all diligence. Proverbs 4:23.

We also learn how to acknowledge and release sins against us. Luke 17:1 says, “…It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!” When they come, we circumvent them from festering by not judging the offender.

Matthew 7:1 says, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” It is like catch and release fishing. The moment we are offended, we forgive and release it to the Lord. Our True Judge.

2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” Though this verse is in the context of giving, we can make personal applications. 

We need to wallpaper this truth in our hearts ~ God is able. Think of it through the eyes of your relationship with the Lord. Are you thirsty for more? Think of fallow ground. Your heart is the soil. It is dry and uncultivated. It needs to be saturated and tilled through His word.

That’s our journey of progressive sanctification ~ designed to water our hearts through intimate communion with the Lord. We will never arrive this side of heaven. It is a pursuit, not a destination. 

Mark 4:26 was about the farmer who planted seeds. Verse 27 says, “And should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.”

John 10:10 Amplified says, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”

I love to picture John 1:16 as one piled on top of the other. In the Amplified it says, “For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received (all had a share and we were all supplied with) one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift (heaped) upon gift.”

Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” The Amplified ends with, “…do superabundantly, far over and above all that we (dare) ask or think (infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desire, thoughts, hope, or dreams).”

The Greek word for abundantly means: superabundance, excessive, overflowing, surplus, over and above, more than enough, profuse, extraordinary, more than sufficient. “…My grace is sufficient for you…” 2 Corinthians 12:9.

I have a PRAISE to share with you. You may remember that I fell November 2024. That was why I didn’t post for several months. I was in a hospital bed for 44 days and nights. I needed lots of PT to regain flexibility.

My PT kept referring to the fact that my problems came from my upper thoracic scoliosis. I told him that I would ask the Lord to heal it. HE DID! I have had many God-shifts since 2006. Last Thursday He orchestrated another major shift. At first I thought my back had spasmed. I could not straighten up on Thursday or Friday. Saturday all my muscles hurt, I could walk upright, and I even drove my car.

This morning my brain dr. affirmed that my upper thoracic had indeed moved. She said it was amazing, and encouraged me to pray now for my middle thoracic to be healed. I will do that. I love how He does what is impossible for others to do. I’m 78+ so indeed it is a miracle. All glory goes to God alone, who is my Healer and Sustainer.

Picture now a bathtub with the water spilling over the sides. The floor gets saturated. Jeremiah 31:14 says, “I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.”

Psalm 16:11 says, “…In Your presence is fullness of joy…” Psalm 63:8 Amplified says, “My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You; Your right hand upholds me.” Here is a new song. Do you believe that the Lord takes pleasure in your time with Him?

Your Pleasure

Sweet sweet incense of your heart. It’s such a delight to Me. I hover over you and flood your being with My pleasure. My pleasure is your birthright.  So many give it away. How I long to hold each one if they only quiet would be.

My pleasure breaks through the hardpan places created when you withhold your heart. O you don’t remember them but I know all things wholly not in part. Nothing can withstand My pleasure. All former resistance melts away. My pleasure is liquid love that knows no barrier.

Psalm 36:8 says, “They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and you give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.”

Ephesians 3:19 Amplified helps me understand the word fullness. I encourage you to drink in these words as you read them. It says, “…that you may be filled (through all your being) unto all the fullness of God (may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself)!”

Does that describe your relationship with the Lord? As I was memorizing Psalm 36:7-10 I thought about David’s words. For him, the house of the Lord was a tabernacle in Jerusalem. He wrote Psalm 122, a song of ascents. 

Verse 1 says, “I was glad when they said to me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.” For us it can mean meeting with folks in our churches. However I meditated as I was memorizing. I believe we can liken it to our intimate communion with the Lord ~ our whole being saturated with His Presence.

Our circumstances do not define us. We are to turn our adverse circumstances into praise. Paraphrasing Habakkuk 3:17. Though there will be no figs, no grapes, no olives, nor food nor herds, yet…

Verse 18 says, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” I love verse 19 in the Amplified. It crescendos saying “The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk (not stand still in terror, but to walk) and make (spiritual) progress upon my high places (of trouble, suffering, or responsibility)!”

Here is our focus when we are troubled on every side. We are IN Christ. We are chosen in Him to be holy, blameless, adopted, accepted, redeemed, and forgiven. He is always working everything in our lives according to the counsel of His will. Ephesians 1:4-7, 11. In Him we are righteous. 2 Corinthians 5:21. The next time you are troubled? Drink deep from the well of your salvation. Isaiah 12:3.