NOT BY POWER, NOT BY MIGHT

BUT BY MY SPIRIT SAYS THE LORD

I was watching the air show, Wings Over Pittsburgh, the jets and other aircraft fly. Skill, speed, and power. The sound not only deafens the ear but causes even your inward parts to tremble. This display of acrobatic – air – awe caused me to lift my hands and shout as they flew overhead in a speed that was hard to follow. These machines, one by one, demonstrated their uniqueness, flaunted their grandeur with pride and elegance. As a whole they represented one thing. America.

A patriotic filled day until the last of the Thunderbirds landed. A team of six pilots who work tirelessly for hundreds of hours and tens of days on orchestrating their precise maneuvers. Calculating every longitude, latitude, air speed and distance. When the last plane landed, I raised up a "Thank You, Lord" for keeping all safe. 

Cheers were heard from all over as the crew thanked the people for coming. People picked up their chairs and belongings and headed for home. But the show was not over.

In the midst of all this grandeur, excitement, entertainment, and patriotism was…a butterfly. This butterfly was flapping his wings in a wonderful frenzy. In fact, if you’ve ever watched one for a while, you would agree they have a lot of happy going on. I could hear the Spirit of the Lord whispering, "Watch, Janis." As I did it was almost as if this little one was saying, "Look at me, look at me. Look what I can do." I could not hear the fluttering wings, nor did its presence cause the air waves to reverberate. It did not leave a fueled smoke trail to follow in lightning speed. What I can hear is this butterfly’s pilot say to us:

"This aeronautic display comes from the very breath of God. For without it, there is no life.

Psalm 104:24-30 O Lord, how many and varied are Your works! In wisdom have You made them all; the earth is full of Your riches and Your creatures. Yonder is the sea, great and wide, in which are swarms of innumerable creeping things, creatures both small and great. There go the ships of the sea, and the sea monster which You have formed to sport in it. These all wait and are dependent upon You, that You may give them their food in due season. When You give to them, they gather it up; You open Your hand, and they are filled with good things. When You hide Your face, they are troubled and dismayed; when You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. When You send forth Your Spirit and give them breath, they are created; and You replenish the face of the ground. (Amp) 

The Lord’s creation makes Him visible. 

Romans 1:20 says; For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made-His handiworks. So, men are without excuse-altogether without any defense or justification.

This butterfly has no need to know its longitude or latitude. It need not worry where to go or when. Its master is the Lord and He has its flight plans."

Maybe his “lot of happy” comes from the clearly discernable fact that it was once bound in a cocoon. But now it is free!! He remains an ongoing visual of becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus. He represented one thing, a created being, being who he was created to be with no pride. This butterfly is only one of an inconceivable number of God’s creatures. It is unique in and of itself. So too are we.

Unique, every one of us. His creation, every one of us. His demonstration of love for us is Jesus, freely given and once received should cause us to raise our hands to Him and shout to Him our praises.

John 8:36

So, if the Son liberates you – makes you free men – then you are really and unquestionably free. (Amp)

Our uniqueness coupled with the breath of God creates the kingdom here on earth. We then, glorify God while He takes us from glory to glory. You see, He has each of our individual flight plans. He goes before us and is our rear guard. Our blessed assurance is that, absent from the body, we are present with our Lord. It is not pride we wear, but the righteousness of Christ. As a whole we represent the body of Christ, His bride for whom He is coming back.

Is there an area in your heart that is bound? A place where the Spirit of the Lord wants to breathe His life? Afflictions, fear of any kind, wounding, disappointment, or resentment? Ask the Holy Spirit to search every chamber and then give Him permission to set you free.

Proverbs 4:23

Watch over your heart with all diligence for from it flow the springs of life.