God placed an internal alarm clock inside me that awakens me about 4:00 each morning. He put the alarm clock there about 12 years ago when He commissioned a writing anointing in my life. Those early morning hours of stillness have become a creative retreat between the Lord and me. 

For the last year on numerous occasions, I have looked over at my bedside illuminated digital clock to see it reading “3:57.” Number 3:57 always reminds me of my years as a cop. That numeric designation is the caliber of the handgun I carried on duty. It was a Smith and Wesson Model 19 Combat Magnum. That weapon was securely holstered on my side as a street cop, a SWAT operator and later as a detective. A .357 Magnum is a very potent round. The revolver is dated in its technology for modern police work, but the caliber still exceeds the power levels of most semi-autos carried today.

I shared all that gun/caliber information to lead you to something the Lord did yesterday. When Jan and I finished taking communion, she talked with me about an area of my life that could lead to compromise if not dealt with. I had a rational explanation for what took place, but she was right. It could and would lead to compromise. I was firing a puny caliber of rationalization in my defense that was not powerful enough to penetrate deep into a developing half-truth in my life. My excuse did not hold up under the powerful wisdom of God’s Spirit expressed through my wife. I confessed my rationalization before the Lord, and Jan prayed over me. My faith fired a fatal shot into the heart of deception.

We are in a season of history where we need to carry a powerful expression of faith – a faith of a sufficient caliber that can overcome even our most well-crafted rationalizations and compromise. This kind of faith is able to penetrate deep into the falsehoods and lies we have allowed to live and lead our lives. This moment in our collective spiritual history requires that we take aim and destroy any emerging work of hell. Our ability to rationalize an area of our life must be shot in the heart with truth. Only a faith that is inspired by the revelation of God’s Spirit has that kind of penetrating power.

What took place yesterday between Jan and me has raised my spiritual sight to a new level to recognize a new horizon. I am expecting to see or hear a fresh revelation approaching in the distance that I would have missed had I still lived head down walking into the future with a potentially dangerous compromise still present and directing my steps. Something was shot dead yesterday in the spiritual realm through confession and repentance. The way forward is now safe.