Dear Friends,I hear the Lord saying to the weary: “I am your Lifeline and your Rescuer!” In a vision this week, I saw the Lord Jesus holding a thick rope which extended from heaven to earth. His desire was to rescue His people by drawing them up higher with Him in the Spirit. The ones who took hold of the Lord to ascend in this way were deposited on a cloud in the heavens. All around them was darkness. I heard the Lord say that He was a “Lifeline” and a “Rescuer.” When I asked the Lord about the cloud, which was very high above earth and surrounded by a vast space, He spoke into my ears a verse from Psalm 18:19: “He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.”
As I studied this verse in context, the Lord began to speak about His ability and desire to rescue the people He delights in from dark, perilous times.
He emphasized the contrast between the enemy’s cords of death (which ultimately pull unbelievers to their destruction) and His cords of compassion. As believers withstand increasingly difficult battles on earth, Christ’s strong cords of love are available to draw us close to Him. He wants to provide much-needed spiritual refreshment and “rescue” for those who seek Him! I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies. The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. (Psalm 18:3-5) I believe there is a fresh call to enter into the realm of the Spirit through prayer and worship. Doing this will provide rest and give a deep breath of life to believers who are weary from the enemy’s relentless attacks. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me. (Psalm 18:16-19) 
I hear the Lord saying: “The enemy pressures you with deadlines; I provide you with lifelines!” Again, I see the contrast between the time-sensitive pressures of earth, which are dictated by Satan’s evil agenda, and the “timeless” feel of the seasons and processes of heaven, where God moves at the speed of relationship. While God is sovereign over the earth, governing and protecting us as we live in “occupied territory,” the world itself is still under enemy rule. As Psalm 18 so aptly describes, we experience war, loss, and the pressures of “training for reigning” even as we remain under fire. The secret to survival is learning to rest and trust the One who holds time in His hands! GO AT THE SPEED OF RELATIONSHIPThe enemy’s pressure to produce, perform, persevere, or even reach breakthroughs of faith in short amounts of time is meant to hide the untroubled truth that our relationship with Christ exists within an eternal continuum. We are being prepared and perfected as Christ’s partner and Bride, and He has all the time in the world for us! The Lord is a Master at building relationships. I believe the Lord is reminding His Body that His goal is not primarily to USE us, but to LOVE us. The idea that we have to produce or perform by certain dates and times can be toxic to the soul and deadly to the Spirit. He loves us - and lovers take time with each other! The antidote to Satan’s agenda for weariness and destruction is not frustration, anger, or revenge, but a measured following of the Spirit, who always guides our feet into peace. What we do not finish here on earth will be carried on by those who follow us, while we support and cheer them on from heaven. TAMMUZ: A MONTH FOR GOD'S CHILDREN TO WORSHIPA beautiful scripture in Genesis 33:12-14 reveals the heart of God for His children. Brothers Esau and Jacob have just been reunited after a separation of roughly 20 years: Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.” But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.” Jacob’s goal of settling in Seir with his family did not override His desire to love and protect the little ones who traveled with him. By going at a slower pace, Jacob also built shelters at Sukkoth and built an altar to the Lord (“El Elohe Israel”). In other words, like David carrying the ark, Jacob worshiped as he went. He honored the relationships and situations unique to him rather than conforming to any pressure or impatience on his brother’s part. These scriptures hold keys for us today! Jesus echoes this sentiment when He says in Matthew 19:14, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” Jesus did not mean that only children are the possessors of heaven. Yet a child’s pace is dramatically different from that of an adult. They are far less hurried as they observe and delight in everything along the way! They are curious learners; and of necessity followers, since they are still unfamiliar with the world and its ways. Their faith and trust is built as they fully engage in life. As the Lord Jesus delighted in children, so God delights in you as His child. Just as the Son of Man made time and space for children, so God wants to do for you. 
During this Hebrew month of Tammuz, waiting and worshiping are keys. Israel failed the test in the wilderness by worshiping a golden calf. Moses, however, responded to God’s invitation to ascend, wait, and worship God. Moses’ obedience became Israel’s lifeline. God has perfect timing. All His ways are peace, when we let Him lead. His leadership will be our victory! As trials on earth increase, I see Jesus providing the way of escape for those who will embrace Him. He is setting His people securely on high places and training our hands to war from a higher place of perspective and spiritual victory. Worship and prayer will create the “holy pauses” each day that will allow you to reach up and take hold of your spiritual Lifeline. As you meditate on David the worshiper’s Psalm, ask the Lord to draw you up with His cords of compassion until you are resting in your Rescuer’s wonderful embrace! Deborah 
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Deborah Perkins 
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March 2023
AuthorA severe hearing loss from childhood caused Deborah Perkins to develop what she now calls her secret weapon: tuning in to God's voice. A Wellesley College graduate and an award-winning writer, Deborah is now a wife and mother of 3 boys. Deborah has devoted over 25 years to professional and lay Christian ministry in New England and beyond. Her passion is inspiring people to cultivate greater intimacy with God. 
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