God's Favor

Yesterday, as we all know was Monday. Enough said, it was Monday.

This week my Monday started Sunday night! It's bad enough Monday is Monday, but when it starts a day early that's just more than any one girl should have to deal with!

My car tags are up for renewal in Sept., I received the notice from the State a couple weeks ago. I didn't open it, I knew when it was due, why open it and have to worry about the money for tags a month in advance?

I knew there would be plenty of financial challenges between now and the end of the month and I didn't want to add the cost of tags to my list. So in my Scarlett O'Hara fashion I "filed" it unopened!

I did notice someone posting about the cost of tags going up in Fl. but I decided they certainly wouldn't do it till the beginning of next year.......silly me!

Sunday, the beginning of my Monday, I happened to see on the news the price for the tags was going up not just up, but UP almost double, Sept. 1, Tuesday.

As I sat it total shock, visualizing a calendar in my brain, with today as Sunday, Monday came next and was the 31 I suddenly realized what all the fuss was about!!

I had NO money to get my tags and only one day to orchestrate the purchase of 2 years worth, to "put it to the State" for hiking the cost of my tags!!

Florida was graciously allowing all born Sept-Nov to buy tags at the low low cost of what we had been paying, enabling us to avoid the hellacious fee hike they were about to impose on us for two years.

I needed to come up with $71 in less than 24 hours!! Remember, no money in the bank!

Immediately, I went into panic mode.

Where was I going to come up with that kind of money that fast??

I sent a text message to my youngest son who said he might be able to help out with one year. Whew..at least one year taken care of.

Out of sheer lunacy, I sent my ex an email reminding him how long it had been since I'd seen an alimony check and perhaps he could send me a little something to help out. Now, that was a move of a desperate woman.

All this on Sunday night, Monday hadn't even arrived yet!!!

I had to let my friend know about this financial burden the State was imposing on us because her birthday is in Nov., now two of us were trying to scramble to raise funds for these tags!! I had to share with her, misery loves company! Plus, I wanted her to pick up on the savings if she could.

My friend offered to pay for mine and hers on her card and gave me all her information. How sweet was that??

As we were plotting our attack on the tax office, her from her work and me from my home we discovered:

A. tax office didn't take phone orders

B. Neither of us could go stand in line, she worked and Amy was using my car

C. Couldn't go on line because the renew web site was shut down!! Of course everyone inFlorida who's birthday was Sept-Nov. was trying to get on to get their tags.

Are you getting the picture here? This was a time crunch, an all out assault against the tax system and we were bound and determined to win.

War had been declared!

I took all the info. I needed from my friend and proceeded carefully moving forward into attack position.

The web site was down. I called, was put on what seemed like a never ending hold, finally I got though. Victory was in my reach!

Armed with credit card and ready to do battle I was informed they didn't do phone orders.

I don't remember what I said but groveling and tears were involved.

OK she would help me, but not on someone else's credit card. Panic set in, then I remembered Amy put her rent money in my checking account that morning. Full speed ahead, I whipped out my card and gave her my numbers. Yes.... victory!!!! I won, two years of tags for a mere $71 WHOO HOO!!!!

With one victory down, no one could stop me from finding a way to get my friend's tags. After all, her giving me everything but her first born was a verbal temporary power of attorney, at least in my mind.

I checked the news, it didn't look good for anyone not standing in concert ticket sized lines. I saw they were issuing vouchers if the web site went down.... BINGO... had to get voucher at all cost....

I called back, waited on hold, disguised my voice just in case it was the same person from the enemy camp answering the phone. Introduced my self with my new temporary identity, kind of James Bondish, don't you think??

Was told the vouchers were issued if their access to the State web site went down. Ouch, temporary set back.... think fast.....all I remember is more groveling, more begging for mercy.

The next thing I remember was giving "my" tag number, then "my" address, all "my" pertinent information....Victory was at hand!!!

Mission accomplished!!!

After catching my breath, doing an "in your face" victory lap and allowing the adrenalin to stop pulsing through my body I reflected on the whole scenario.

I was geared up, I was pumped, ready to do whatever I needed to do to make this happen, but.....

God allowed me to have the victory. His favor had people doing what they normally don't do, in a crazy situation that should have turned out very differently.

Luke2:14 NIV tells us, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to men on whom His FAVOR rests.

Peace? There was no peace. I was fighting a battle, on my own....No peace

Looking back, isn't hind sight wonderful, I had no need to go into "crazy mode", God had it all planned for me. All I had to do was take one step at a time, proceed in His anointing and the whole issue wouldn't have been like a circus!

We operate under a different set of laws. His Kingdom operates differently and when we are grafted into His Kingdom we are placed under His mantle of Favor and Grace.

So, next time I go into battle, I must stop, check my Battle Gear and then proceed to victory.

I know He was getting a chuckle out of my antics. He must have been thinking "Silly Girl, don't you know I have it taken care of? You have favor with the King, your Father, what do you have to worry about?"

You have unmerited favor with the King of Kings also. What ever battle you face today, His favor rests upon you.

Blessings

Princess, Daughter of the King of Kings

Mother of Princesses and Princes

Grandmother of Royalty

Battle Gear, Your Shield

In addition to all this, take up the Shield of Faith, with which you can extinguish ALL the flaming arrows of the evil one. Eph.6:16 NIV

I read one type of ancient shield was made of leather. Before battle the shields were soaked in water, this way when the flaming arrows of the enemy hit the shield the fire was extinguished.

Our Shield of Faith as Christians is God. His word, His protection, His provision.

Ps. 33:18-20 NIV tells us, "The eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose Hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine, We wait in hope for the Lord; HE IS OUR HELP AND OUR SHIELD!"

"Every word of the Lord is Flawless, HE IS A SHIELD to those who take refuge in Him." Prov.30:5 NIV

We think of a shield as a physical barrier designed to protect us from what ever we see as a threat.

In the arena of Spiritual Battle, God Himself is our Shield.

When we immerse our selves in the Water of the Word, our Spiritual Shield, God is able to extinguish all the enemies arrows that are targeted toward us.

Another function of the Shields that the Roman Soldiers carried was to form a "tent". By linking the shields and forming a wall of protection, the enemies arrows couldn't penetrate because each solider was linked to the one next to him by his shield.

We each have our own Shield of Faith that protects us, providing we pick it up daily as part of our Armor.

When we link up with our Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, and our Shields are attached, no power of the enemy can penetrate through the Shield of Faith that is formed when two or three gather together in His Name. We can confidently march toward the front lines of battle.

By ourselves, our Shield of Faith is more than sufficient to protect us and our household from attack, but the real power is linking up with the community of believers and marching together as the Army of the Lord's.

Shoulder to shoulder, shield to shield, the enemy's forces have to flee in defeat. Our personal faith multiplied by many when we connect our Shields of Faith.

God has made provision for us for total and complete victory. That is so exciting, God Himself has all ready charted our course for victory!!

Time for a Happy Dance here!!!

As we put on the Whole Armor of God we can stand, knowing the enemies attack is going to fall short of it's intended target.

Our Shield of Faith is ready for us to pick up and utilize on a daily basis. Every morning we are to put on the Whole Armor of God

Lord, I thank You that You have made provision, and supplied us with the proper Battle Gear to insure complete victory over the enemy.

What do you do each day to prepare for that day's Battle?

Who do have in your life to link your Shield of Faith with?

I would be honored to be considered a Sister of Faith, to link my Shield with yours.

Our assignment is to dress ourselves for battle and stand in faith, God will bring the victory!

Blessings,

Princess, Daughter of the King of Kings

Mother of Princesses and Princes

Grandmother of Royalty

Battle Gear, Your Sword

Ephesians 6:17 tells us to, "Take the helmet of salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the WORD OF GOD." NIV

For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double edged Sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts (which are protected by the Helmet of Salvation) and attitudes of the heart. Heb. 4:12 NIV

He made my mouth like a sharpened Sword, Is.49:2 NIV

I could go on adding scriptures referring to the tongue, mouth, lips, words but I'll just use these

three.

In preparing for Battle, we as trained warriors must make sure we have our sword with us. How else are we going to fight the enemy?

Every other piece of our Battle Gear is defensive, designed to protect a certain part of our body.

The Sword, however is offensive. With our Sword, the Word of God, we attack the enemy's lies and cut them apart.

With our Sword we can offensively attack the enemy in regard's to our household.

What ever our battle is, with the sword we can attack, and allow God to bring the victory in our lives by the effective use of His Word which is Alive and Active.

So many times we let our speech line up with what we see with our natural eyes rather than allowing the Spirit to speak through us to attack and defeat the enemy with what we say.

Using God's word to attack a situation is opening the door for God Himself to fight the battle for us. His word will not return void, and when we use it in accordance with our manual (Bible) victory is promised. If we can get out of the way and let God be God.

When we speak to a situation fully aware the Word is Active, knowing it will bring about God's perfect will we can stand firm in our Battle Gear resting in the sweet victory that is ours.

With our helmet firmly in place to protect our mind, all we hear is God's word, and in turn all we speak is God's word. Ripping to shreds the lies of the enemy, who, by the way, wants you separated from God, so you have no power.

Filling our selves with God's Word is the only way to be able to sound the Battle Cry when we go on the attack.

If we are fighting disease, wayward children, foreclosures, unemployment, repossessions, immorality, anything, being filled with the Word of God is the only way we can be assured of victory.

Grasping this one concept will change your prayer life.

GOD'S WORD IS ALIVE

Something has to happen to each one of us in order to fully grasp that sentence.

Yes, we know the Scriptures, we've heard it preached, we get goosebumps when we pray, we cry, we sob, we lay face down, we get on our knees, we walk around, we anoint with oil, we shake our fists, we repeat written prayers, we do do do and it seems our prayers don't go past the ceiling.

Not that any of that is bad or of no account, but if it's not working something is missing.

We have to grow to the place where we can, with out a doubt, with no reservations, no "if it's God's will", no tears, no dramatics, just KNOW, with every fiber of our being GOD'S WORD IS ALIVE AND ACTIVE!!! Happy Dance here!.

At that point, when we speak, all Heaven will jump and move to align itself with what we've just said.

How much more power can a girl want or need??

Are you excited yet??? I am!

Put your Helmet on, open your mouth and sound the Battle Cry over what ever situation you are facing.

Watch the Sword of the Spirit, the very Word of God, slice and dice through the enemy's lines and hand you the victory.

It's His word it HAS to come to pass, it HAS to bring victory.

You have to be so trained and prepared for battle that the very sight of the enemy's activity sends you into a Battle Cry that shakes Heaven and moves mountains.

All I can say is drench yourselves in the Word, it's life, it's power and it's victory.

Blessings,

Princess, Daughter of the King of Kings

Mother of Princesses and Princes

Grandmother of Royalty