Have you ever felt like you've gone around the block a million times and the scenery isn't changing? Has it ever seemed as if you were in the wilderness making many trips around the mountain? I can truly say that I have. Even more bewildering are my thoughts and emotions at times where I've glanced back over my shoulder, longing for the Egypt I was delivered from because of how long it seemed to be taking to just, get there! I feel like a kid in the back seat of a car on a road trip asking, “Are we there yet, are we there yet?"
Thankfully, by the Lord’s grace, He's enabled me to continue this journey, buckle down and stay the course. It’s not a time to put it in ‘park’ but now is the time to move forward. It's the season of breakthrough and yet it is the season of rest - resting in His provision and resting on His promises.
Today His Grace is upon us to be successful at moving on and I will strike while the iron is hot. I will move through the open door. Surely is a good thing to reach out to the open hand of our Lord and obtain the blessing while it is open and let Him lead us and guide us. He can lead and guide because He knows the way - He's made the way! He IS THE WAY.
The Angel of the Lord is stirring the pool of Bethesda and I will step down into its waters and be healed. Do we trust Him? Most certainly He will bless us and lead us all the way into the Promised Land.
It is written, He knows the plans He has for us. Plans to bless and prosperous us and not to harm us. To give us hope and future. Jeremiah 29:11
Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be. Job 8:7
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Unique or Like Others?
After many weeks of busy activities such as travel, commitments, and conferences, I have been attempting to fine-tune my energy output and obtain balance in my life. You see I began to wonder again if this pace and this fatigue level was really leading me in the right direction to what the Lord is calling for me to do? Is what I've been experiencing just the hard work that goes along with the 'program' and I just need to lean into it and keep going? Or am I just spinning my wheels and need to rethink my approach?
You see, I have been passing through a wilderness season (in the exodus from my Egypt-captivity of addiction and abuse) of my life, to cross over my 'Jordan' or place of decision and learning to trust the Lord, in order to resolve to never look back, and to slay my 'giants' of shame and rejection up ahead in my personal Jericho. Then on to enter my promised land – my place of peace and rest and provision from God.
Then, after lots of prayer, seeking advice, and searching the Word, with the Holy Spirit's help, I was able to pause, be still, and listen to what the Lord was saying to me for this next chapter of my life. And so it was. I happened across this book called *Soul Print by Mark Batterson that began:
"There has never been and never will be anyone else like you. But that isn’t a testament to you. It’s a testament to the God who created you. You are unlike anyone who has ever lived. But that uniqueness isn’t a virtue. It’s a responsibility. Uniqueness is God’s gift to you, and uniqueness is your gift to God. You owe it to yourself to be yourself. But more important, you owe it to the One who designed you and destined you."
I am in awestruck wonder at the goodness and the mightiness of our God! Thank you for answered prayer! How wrong I was to think it would be easier to conform and to become what others expected me to be. Fear of being unique, as he would say later in the chapter, is hypocrisy at it's worse.
So I give thanks to God for clarity, direction and for inspiration, and I pray and if you are so inclined, join along with me, "Praise the Lord. Jesus I thank you. God Who made the heavens and You made the earth. Lord of heaven's order, King of Kings and Lord of lords. God of all creation, Master of the universe and Darling of heaven. You are the Lover of my soul and champion of souls - our Consummator and my Liberator. You are the God that created the sun and the moon and the stars, and you also created me. You are the God that completes that which you start and You will perfect that which concerns me. Amen"
“Alas, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! There is nothing too hard or too wonderful for You–”
Jeremiah 32:17 AMP
The LORD will complete what his purpose is for me. LORD, your gracious love is eternal; do not abandon your personal work in me.
Psalm 138:8
*Soul Print by Mark Batterson
You see, I have been passing through a wilderness season (in the exodus from my Egypt-captivity of addiction and abuse) of my life, to cross over my 'Jordan' or place of decision and learning to trust the Lord, in order to resolve to never look back, and to slay my 'giants' of shame and rejection up ahead in my personal Jericho. Then on to enter my promised land – my place of peace and rest and provision from God.
Then, after lots of prayer, seeking advice, and searching the Word, with the Holy Spirit's help, I was able to pause, be still, and listen to what the Lord was saying to me for this next chapter of my life. And so it was. I happened across this book called *Soul Print by Mark Batterson that began:
"There has never been and never will be anyone else like you. But that isn’t a testament to you. It’s a testament to the God who created you. You are unlike anyone who has ever lived. But that uniqueness isn’t a virtue. It’s a responsibility. Uniqueness is God’s gift to you, and uniqueness is your gift to God. You owe it to yourself to be yourself. But more important, you owe it to the One who designed you and destined you."
I am in awestruck wonder at the goodness and the mightiness of our God! Thank you for answered prayer! How wrong I was to think it would be easier to conform and to become what others expected me to be. Fear of being unique, as he would say later in the chapter, is hypocrisy at it's worse.
So I give thanks to God for clarity, direction and for inspiration, and I pray and if you are so inclined, join along with me, "Praise the Lord. Jesus I thank you. God Who made the heavens and You made the earth. Lord of heaven's order, King of Kings and Lord of lords. God of all creation, Master of the universe and Darling of heaven. You are the Lover of my soul and champion of souls - our Consummator and my Liberator. You are the God that created the sun and the moon and the stars, and you also created me. You are the God that completes that which you start and You will perfect that which concerns me. Amen"
“Alas, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! There is nothing too hard or too wonderful for You–”
Jeremiah 32:17 AMP
The LORD will complete what his purpose is for me. LORD, your gracious love is eternal; do not abandon your personal work in me.
Psalm 138:8
*Soul Print by Mark Batterson
Monday, July 4, 2016
Independence Day
Last night as I laid down to sleep I said to myself, "Over the course of years I have waiting a long time for different relationships in my life to turn around." (significant others, family etc.) The Holy Spirit unexpectedly said to me, "Waited? That's called denial." Whoa. Talk about a reality check!
Wikipedia defines Reality as the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined or hope they are – emphasis mine. In the past I had believed the lie that said what's real is only painful so I must cling to 'make-believe' truths. So for years I pursued this fantasy or that, like an addict chases their next fix, of finally being able to arrive in order to be in the right 'space'. Soon however pain, disappointment, and regret would replace the temporary rush of high feeling that my fantasy life provided because there was no reality, truth or bases to the future I was trying to create for myself.
Thus, my prayer today is, "Lord give me a supernatural ability to accept and believe the truth and to come out denial. Even Jesus said to Peter about believing, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 16:17) Therefore, it truly is a gift to believe the truth, and I don't want to take that lightly or take it for granted.
Going a little further, in reality, the truth can be about good things and is not always something that is hard to swallow. So today, I accept the truth, God's truth - I have been liberated. I have decided to walk out of the 'wilderness' and receive, whole heartedly and without reservations, the life God has for me. This I know requires trust and I ask for and receive His strength and power to do it.
Wow, talk about Independence Day!
“you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:32 GNB
“For the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control.”
2 Timothy 1:7 GNB
Wikipedia defines Reality as the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined or hope they are – emphasis mine. In the past I had believed the lie that said what's real is only painful so I must cling to 'make-believe' truths. So for years I pursued this fantasy or that, like an addict chases their next fix, of finally being able to arrive in order to be in the right 'space'. Soon however pain, disappointment, and regret would replace the temporary rush of high feeling that my fantasy life provided because there was no reality, truth or bases to the future I was trying to create for myself.
Thus, my prayer today is, "Lord give me a supernatural ability to accept and believe the truth and to come out denial. Even Jesus said to Peter about believing, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 16:17) Therefore, it truly is a gift to believe the truth, and I don't want to take that lightly or take it for granted.
Going a little further, in reality, the truth can be about good things and is not always something that is hard to swallow. So today, I accept the truth, God's truth - I have been liberated. I have decided to walk out of the 'wilderness' and receive, whole heartedly and without reservations, the life God has for me. This I know requires trust and I ask for and receive His strength and power to do it.
Wow, talk about Independence Day!
“you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:32 GNB
“For the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control.”
2 Timothy 1:7 GNB
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