God is a God of perfect timing. The idea that we as individuals are imperfect, we can’t possibly comprehend the intricate nature of the timing God allows to bring everything into perfect alignment. The supernatural shifting that takes place beyond what we can see manifests things in a way that when we look back, truly identify what God gave, and what he took away, it lines up to God bringing forward a version of ourselves that we independently would never have been able to create on our own. His ways are beautiful, intentional, and timely. The danger is when we start to inflict doubt into that.

When we have a petition we make to God, we pray about it, and then follow up with Google Gemini, ChatGPT, or someone/something else, we dilute the power that was intended for that circumstance. We submit to a manufactured version of an answered prayer. You form your own blueprints, as temporary as they may be, to create your own version of peace. In today’s day and age, it’s just so dag-gone easy to do. The danger of the level of artificial intelligence that’s coming to us at such a rapid pace is that we are becoming more and more in tune with ways to separate from God. In the moments where we become afraid of a certain health issue, or the loneliness becomes too intense to bear on your own, or the aggravation toward others heightens to an unhealthy place and you don’t know what to do with the anger, or the fear of rejection overtakes your constant thoughts, even the questioning of if you are in the right relationship, are you a “good parent,” how to get him or her to “notice you,” “is there a God,” and “which one is the right one?” A.I.’s got all the answers. But each of those moments were meant to bring you to a place of holy submission, a reverence for the knowledge and power of the One we serve. If I can urge you to consider one thing, pay attention to the ways that technology has interceded into your life. if you notice that there’s a gap in how frequently you choose A.I. over Christ, God might be gently nudging you to close the gap, or pull the plug altogether.

The humility of a spoken word toward our insanely-loving Father in Heaven, the faith to stand on the belief behind it, and the diligence to wait for a response, meditating on His words with intention. That is how we abide in the shadow of the Almighty. We are all children of God, but kids need guidance. Kids have a habit of taking the mile when you give them an inch, and time & time again need redirection. You may see the destruction they’re headed for, but sometimes you as the parent have to let them hit the pitfall so that they can identify in the future what to or not to do, and who is there to help them when the pitfall arises. God is always training us up, building us, guiding us, blocking, defending, loving, and enduring all of the ups and downs with His arms wide open. But when we decide to go a separate way that doesn’t include God, we invite ourselves into living a life apart from His covenant, and that’s a scary land my friend. Depression, anxiety, fear, habitual anger, loneliness, addictions, adultry, immorality, the list is crazy boundless. The reality is that when we separate from God, we choose to invite the spirits of darkness into our dwelling places, our families, our own bodies. We start to embody the culture of the demonic realm as though it’s a part of us. We slowly stop convicting ourselves and begin to actually identify with the spirits, as though deliverance isn’t needed, as though God just “made you an angry person, ” or you “can’t help how much you’re in love with that person’s spouse,” or sometimes we’ll even call it out directly but still choose to adopt it. Things like “I’m letting my demons out tonight,” or “it was the demon in me.” In. Me. We make declarations like that about the only body we’re given in this lifetime. And God, being so loving, so selfless, so open hearted, not only does He give us space to navigate all of this, but when we finally become ready to surrender, and allow God to enter in, not only will He always meet you where you are, but He’ll clean you up in a way that others will be impacted by your transformation too. When you walk into a super clean house, you feel it. You don’t know the specifics of what happened or how often they clean, what they used, etc. You just know it’s a home you enjoy, a home that gives you peace. Because a home that abides in cherished love and care is the home that draws people in, every single time.