I grew up my entire life in the Seattle, Washington area. You’ve probably heard about the rain there. Well, it’s not a myth. Although the Pacific Northwest is a gorgeous and amazing place to grow up there is rain. Not just some rain, but tons of rain. I had such a huge collection of rain boots and rain coats while living there I could have clothed an entire girl’s school for fall! When Israel and I were four years married and our daughter Phoebe was just a year old we moved to Orlando, Florida to take on a new youth pastoring position. The strangest thing happened to us. We would wake up every single morning and low and behold the sun was up and shining brightly in the sky AGAIN!!! It never ceased to amaze us. Day after day, year after year the sun was shining. This was a phenomenon that we knew nothing about. Coming from Seattle, when the sun showed it’s warm face in the sky, literally everyone would be at the park, on a walk, mowing the lawn, basically doing everything and anything that they wanted to do outside because who knows when the sun would shine again!
You learn to live differently underneath dark clouds than you do in sunshine.
I am so expectant for Devoted Conference this year. When I first read the theme, I knew that God had big plans for us.
Isaiah 60:1-7 in the message bible says this:
“Get out of bed, Jerusalem!
Wake up. Put your face in the sunlight.
God’s bright glory has risen for you.
The whole earth is wrapped in darkness,
all people sunk in deep darkness,
But God rises on you,
His sunrise glory breaks over you.
Nations will come to your light,
kings to your sunburst brightness.”
I think that we can all agree that there is darkness covering this world. My question is this, has there ever been a better time for the daughters of the Living God to wake up, put our face in the sunlight and allow the Glory of God to arise in us? Light is more spectacular in the dark! I love that this verse doesn’t say…find a way to shine. That is a lot of pressure! It says that God’s bright light has risen for us. How refreshing to think that all we have to do is be a reflection of the light of God that has risen for us?
One last verse to think on today and it’s found in Ephesians 5:14
“Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Have you ever been living life, but if you were honest, sleep walking through life? I know that I have! Mostly after having my babies, but sometimes I have felt asleep through trials, sadness, mourning, confusion, busy-ness, you fill in the blank. Paul talks in Ephesians about the darkness that tries to lull us to sleep in our lives. So many people are sleep walking and don’t even realize that life is passing them by. There is a huge difference between living, and being alive!!! I believe that this year at Devoted Conference, women are going to be woken up by the great light of God. They will rise and shine, and all of the earth will be drawn to them for hope, peace and life in Jesus!
Let’s pray together for that:
Father God, we come together today as your women. Women filled with expectancy for what is to come. Women who can look back and remember that it was the light of God that caused them to be made whole. That caused them to shine. We lift up every single girl who is coming to Devoted this year. You know their story. We ask you to arise and shine in all of our lives. Holy Spirit will you come and breathe life once again into our hearts, minds, bodies and spirits? We lift up Pastor Sharon to you God. As she runs ahead carrying the torch for all of us to follow, will You strengthen, refresh, and pour out Your Spirit even more on her? We rise up and call her blessed in Jesus’ name, Amen.
I can’t wait to see you all very soon at conference!
Love,
Rachel Campbell