He's never really, actually GONE, you know.

I have recently been through what I would think of as a pretty dark time in my life. Anytime you let Satan get a hold of your thoughts and you believe his lies, you are heading into the darkness. But even then I knew God was there. He was with me. He was shaking his head and I could feel his tears and anger at my betrayal, but I could still feel him beside me. He never left. I thank him every day for that now.

I didn't really try to hide myself from him -- not proactively anyway. But everyday, and every moment that I knew I was still living in the "lie" I turned my back. I couldn't bear to face Him because in my heart I still knew the TRUTH. I thank the Lord every day for the TRUTH that he has placed in my heart.

One day I woke up with supernatural strength. I knew it was from Him. I had the strength to fight the demon whose voice had become so familiar to me. It was God's victory!!

You see -- he never really leaves. And he never will. He may allow His presence to be felt more strongly one day and not at all on another day. I am just so glad that he stayed with me and that I could FEEL him there.

Please pray for me. It is a daily struggle. In fact, it is something that most of us struggle with each and every moment. We don't live day-to-day, we live moment-by-moment.

I pray today that you have peace and feel God's presence. I pray that you have the strength to rebuke the enemy's lies.

God be with you.

I had a dream this morning. The dream itself is of very little significance, but it made me realize something very important.

I was standing in front of someone with whom I was having a conversation, when I said, "The world around you is empty." At that point everything around me transformed into nothing but a gray shadow. Everywhere around me was completely dark, with only small flecks and swirls of light every now and then. It felt like I was moving at a very high speed, and it sounded like wind was rushing past me. Everywhere I looked was just grayness with those flecks of light. You might compare it to when you rub your eyes for too long and see the swirls. Except I couldn't open my eyes. The darkness was all around me. I became scared that I was vulnerable so I spoke a short prayer "God protect me from evil." At that point I began to try to wake myself up, and I eventually succeeded.

In the brief moments after waking, I was still scared of what I might see in my bedroom. I think that is a common experience after dreaming. When you are not yet fully awake, and you feel like somehow what was in the dream could still come and get you. Minutes later as I was beginning to awaken more fully, the words kept playing through my head "The world around you is empty."

Remember that movie The Matrix (the first one)? Toward the end Neo is in the matrix and is able to look around him and he sees the computer code. He realizes that physical boundaries like the laws of gravity do not apply to him, because he is simply inside a computer program.

My dream has left me feeling like Neo. I look around me and I can still see the darkness and the emptiness of this world. I realized something that I so easily forget -- This world is not my home. This body is nothing but a sack of dirt and dust. This earth nothing but a big empty rock. Why do I look to a rock and dirt and dust to bring me joy and happiness?

I am then reminded of the vastness of God. The millions of light years that it takes to get across our universe cannot even contain him. I think that in a way, our spirits are similar. For some reason we think that our spirit resides in our body. I don't think that is true. I think our spirit cannot be contained by our bodies. Our physical body is merely a small and insignificant pawn, being controlled by our minds for a very short period of time. It is in and with our spirit where we truly reside -- our true self.

I pray that today you will realize the emptiness of this world and be comforted by it. Your true self cannot be contained by this world. Do not look to anything here or flesh and bone to satisfy you.

Lord, please help us to remember daily of your great glory and infinite power that is so vast and so unimaginable by us while we are still here. Help us to find peace in the fact that even as insignificant as this world is, you choose to live with us and inside of us through the power of your Holy Spirit, who is with us. Please help us to remember these things.