Have You Battened Down Your Hatches?
- Heather Baird
- Mar 27
- 3 min read
God's been speaking to me a lot about oil and tending our lamps. The 10 virgins. Matthew 25.
Earlier this week, a friend shared with me a dream and told me to read Joel 2. The past few days I've been camped here. It's a warning. “Blow the trumpet. Sound the Alarm! Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand-"
The Day of the Lord refers to God's wrath, the Tribulation (Revelation).
She pointed out verse 9. "They Rush upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows.
This morning I had a dream. When I woke up, I heard the whisper, "That's your open window!"
It was vivid and emotionally charged. It involved people and a situation I’ve been personally struggling with. I’ve been angry and irritated. Bitter if I’m honest. Ephesians 4:31-32
In Joel 2, there's a section titled Rend Your Heart. It's all about repentance. I've learned repentance isn't just about forgiveness, it's about turning from that sin or behavior, 180° turn.
When I googled biblical repentance, this is what it said, “a profound change of mind, heart, and direction, involving a conscious decision to turn away from sin and turn toward God. Rooted in the Greek word metanoia (change of mind) and Hebrew shuv (return), it is a total life transformation, not just remorse, resulting in a lifestyle of obedience to God. “
I had to repent this morning. Turn my mindset and attitude around and back into a position towards my Father’s heart. My prayer has been David's, "Create in me a PURE heart, O God, and renew a steadfast (right) Spirit within Me." Psalm 51:10
For the past year or so, Rick Renner has been warning that a storm IS coming! His key phrase has been, “BATTAN DOWN the HATCHES!” In the South you see hatches placed over windows and doors in preparation for hurricanes.
1 Peter 5:8 says Satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for those he can devour. Thieves/burglars are called prowlers. We need to storm and burglar proof our "homes".
Perhaps you haven’t yet made your home in him (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19-20). Sometimes I think we complicate it. I heard a testimony a few years ago. This woman was in the hospital. She had hit rock bottom, literally at her end. A life riddled with trauma, abuse of every kind, drug addiction, her body diseased. The doctors told her she was going to die.
She found herself on the floor violently racked with sobs, overwhelmed with grief and anguish. She couldn't even utter words. She said she saw a hand reaching down and knew it was Jesus. He had always been there. Reaching down. But that day, she decided to reach up and grab his hand. She said a feeling of cleansing and love washed over her on the floor of that hospital room. She was healed. Her life was transformed.
Sometimes all we have is brokenness, our mess, and a “Help! I need you!” That’s all He needs. He’s been waiting. He loves you, more than you can ever imagine.
I’ll end with a promise. Joel tells us that if the people will obey, turn, and repent, God will send them new wine and oil! Enough to satisfy and sustain! He’s ALL we need!
John 3:16 -16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 5:8- 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 4:16- 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
Jeremiah 31:3- 3 …“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”
Romans 8:38-39- 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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