Transformation
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
~Psalm 127:1
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
~Psalm 127:1
Leap of Faith
Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you." ~Matthew 9:29
Don't we all wish we could have a little more faith? I'm in a season where God is making it clear that I must expect Him to do great things--things far beyond what I could have imagined or thought in my own mind (Isaiah 64:4). Welcome to the harvest (although I'm not quite seeing it yet). But God wants us to BELIEVE Him for one! You can trust Me; I am faithful, He says.
I love the above Matthew scripture because faith depends so much on our perspective and how we see. Lord, open up our eyes so we can SEE! Perspective is everything! We have to get God's perspective on our lives--now, in the past and future. With His perspective we see things clearly through the light of His Truth (which sets us free to dance) and not through the lens of Satan's lies.
Our satisfaction and joy should come from God alone (not from our circumstances) and if you aren't feeling it-- I promise you there is a lie from the enemy that you are believing. Go to God and ask Him to reveal that lie (or lies). Ask Him to help you come clean. Once you have accepted the truth, you are free to love, laugh and dance no matter how bad your circumstances may be. I learned this in the valley. I learned it the hard way, but I'm so glad I finally learned. I pray what I learned with help you too?
Are you ready to believe God for something bigger, greater? Take a leap of faith--believe and obey. I think we will all be blown away by what our Great God can do :)
Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
I love the above Matthew scripture because faith depends so much on our perspective and how we see. Lord, open up our eyes so we can SEE! Perspective is everything! We have to get God's perspective on our lives--now, in the past and future. With His perspective we see things clearly through the light of His Truth (which sets us free to dance) and not through the lens of Satan's lies.
Our satisfaction and joy should come from God alone (not from our circumstances) and if you aren't feeling it-- I promise you there is a lie from the enemy that you are believing. Go to God and ask Him to reveal that lie (or lies). Ask Him to help you come clean. Once you have accepted the truth, you are free to love, laugh and dance no matter how bad your circumstances may be. I learned this in the valley. I learned it the hard way, but I'm so glad I finally learned. I pray what I learned with help you too?
Are you ready to believe God for something bigger, greater? Take a leap of faith--believe and obey. I think we will all be blown away by what our Great God can do :)
Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. ~Psalm 27:13-15
The Goodness of the Lord
Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor. ~Ruth 3:14
The threshing floor is where the heads of grain would be broken from the stalks. This was done with either oxen trampling the stalks or by a threshing sledge. You can imagine that this can be a rather painful experience if we put ourselves into the shoes of the wheat. Yet, I believe God puts us through this process to refine us, mold us and transform us into His image for His Glory (Isaiah 28:23-29). Ruth certainly experienced this after her devastating losses (death of her husband, brother in law, father in law and leaving her homeland). However, I believe the LORD is saying in the above scripture (in symbolic terms) that He is going to exalt her so high, that no one would ever even know of her threshing floor experience, unless they were told of the very humbling circumstances that God allowed into Ruth’s life to prepare her for His Glory. This of course came to past as she is the great grandmother of King David and eventually of Jesus Himself. Yes, it is true that God does indeed exalt the humble (James 4:6) She started on the threshing floor, and God put her on a high place!
You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name." -Psalm 91:13-14
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name." -Psalm 91:13-14
My hope and prayer is that this will encourage you today. I know this Word has encouraged me. I don't know about you--but I'm ready for the harvest! It's been a long time coming ;)
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart. ~Psalm 37:4
So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it
will never be stricken with panic." Isaiah 28:16
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain. ~Isaiah 40:4
And He shall give you the desires of your heart. ~Psalm 37:4
So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it
will never be stricken with panic." Isaiah 28:16
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain. ~Isaiah 40:4
Who or what is the cornerstone of your life (Isaiah 28:16)? If it's not Jesus, then you are on shaky ground. Sure, circumstances can make us happy for a while, but if they are our foundation, then we are sure to fall as soon as one thing goes wrong (and it's only a matter of time before it does). If our whole world rises and falls based on our circumstances or another person (maybe a friend, spouse, parent, etc) then have idolized that circumstance or person. God wants to remove all the high places in our lives to allow us to make Him our solid foundation so we can live on an even plain (Isaiah 40:4). If Jesus is our cornerstone and foundation, we can live out of the JOY of a relationship with Him. Only Jesus is the abundant supply of living water. We must have this living water to have abundant life. Thus, if you want abundant life you must have Jesus as your foundation. Once He is the cornerstone of our lives, we cannot be moved by any circumstance or person. Think about how powerful that is!!! No human or circumstance has the ability to move you or me! We can live on a constant, even plain of worshiping God and being in a state of joy that only knowing and pursuing Him can bring. People will let us down eventually. They also will never fully live up to our expectations. However, God never fails and He never stops loving us. We can live in 100% security based on His love for us and His character.
Do you want to be fully satisfied? I believe only Jesus Christ can satisfy the deepest longings of our heart. Is your cup empty? Do you know that as a believer you can take your empty come to Jesus Christ and He will fill it overflowing with the Living Water? Do you realize that your empty cup can be filled this way no matter how terrible or great your circumstances are? You see, our cup never runs over because of our circumstances, but because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. That's why we can have life and have it abundantly no matter how deep and dark the valley is that we are walking through.
Are you waiting for God to give you a desire He has placed on your heart? Do you realize that God can fulfill that desire completely with Himself while you wait for it to come to fruition in your life? God let Abraham understand this:
Do you want to be fully satisfied? I believe only Jesus Christ can satisfy the deepest longings of our heart. Is your cup empty? Do you know that as a believer you can take your empty come to Jesus Christ and He will fill it overflowing with the Living Water? Do you realize that your empty cup can be filled this way no matter how terrible or great your circumstances are? You see, our cup never runs over because of our circumstances, but because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. That's why we can have life and have it abundantly no matter how deep and dark the valley is that we are walking through.
Are you waiting for God to give you a desire He has placed on your heart? Do you realize that God can fulfill that desire completely with Himself while you wait for it to come to fruition in your life? God let Abraham understand this:
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
~Genesis 15:1
~Genesis 15:1
While Abraham was waiting for God's promise for a heir, God assured Abraham that He was enough and He alone was His "exceedingly great reward." God did keep His promise to Abraham and gave him the desires of his heart with Isaac, but I believe Abraham learned to let God be enough for him in the process. Will you? Will you let God show you that He is enough? I believe waiting teaching us that God alone is enough, while it also stretches our faith.
God bless you on your journey. I pray that you will allow God to show you that He, alone, is enough. With Jesus as your cornerstone, your joy will be complete on solid ground.
God bless you on your journey. I pray that you will allow God to show you that He, alone, is enough. With Jesus as your cornerstone, your joy will be complete on solid ground.
Abraham's Promise
Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” ~Genesis 15:5
I've been in a season of my life (and I still am) where I've had to rely on God for everything. I realize God has done this to build up my faith in Him and His sovereignty. I've learned that the waiting kind of faith is the hardest. It's easier to do, do, do and have faith than it is to sit on the sidelines of life and wait and have faith that God will move. Sometimes God puts us in circumstances where we cannot do what He has called us to do until He moves and provides us with what we need for our calling (these are seasons of preparation for what is to come). God promised Abraham a promised heir so that his descendants would be many and he would be the father of many nations. Abraham waited for 25 years until God fulfilled the promise. However, Abraham's faith became so great after Isaac was born that when God told him to go sacrifice his only son Abraham turns and says "We'll be back!" on his way with Isaac up to the altar. Abraham had such faith in God after he waited 25 years for God to deliver, that he knew he would be returning with his son one way or another because he relied on God's faithful character which he had already witnessed. God would not take away what He had promised to give Abraham so that he would become the father of many nations.
Look around today at all the Christians in the world. We are all Abraham's descendants. God is still faithful to Abraham today. In fact, as every day that goes by before the return of Christ, God is increasing his promise to Abraham! Abraham's blessing keeps getting bigger and bigger every time a new person accepts Christ as their Lord and Savior! I am amazed by God's fierce loyalty and faithfulness to His children. What has God promised you today? Are you trusting in Him and waiting for Him to fulfill His promise? Or are you giving in to doubt and despair? Perhaps this devotional by Oswald Chambers will lift your spirits: IS YOUR HOPE IN GOD FAINT AND DYING?
Many Blessings!
Look around today at all the Christians in the world. We are all Abraham's descendants. God is still faithful to Abraham today. In fact, as every day that goes by before the return of Christ, God is increasing his promise to Abraham! Abraham's blessing keeps getting bigger and bigger every time a new person accepts Christ as their Lord and Savior! I am amazed by God's fierce loyalty and faithfulness to His children. What has God promised you today? Are you trusting in Him and waiting for Him to fulfill His promise? Or are you giving in to doubt and despair? Perhaps this devotional by Oswald Chambers will lift your spirits: IS YOUR HOPE IN GOD FAINT AND DYING?
Many Blessings!
His Highest Joy
May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouthif I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
my highest joy. ~Psalm 137:6
Seasons of waiting are difficult. Whether it is a test of time, love, patience, etc, they are hard. I believe God uses these times to really stretch us and see if doubt or faith is in our hearts. During seasons of waiting, I like to reflect on who God is. Particularly His goodness. Our God is Jehovah Jireh--the One who Sees or the Lord Who Will See Too It or the Lord Who Provides. Our God is Provider. There is no other provider outside of Him. When we reflect on God's character and who He is our doubt begins to fade, and we begin to see the sun again. Let us rest in His presence. We don't have to worry, stress, freak out, or doubt. We can begin to trust Him and rest in His promises and grace. He is a good God, and He will give us the strength and faith to wait.
Thank you, God, for your provision. Amen.
My apologies for taking so long to post a new blog post! Summer has been very busy for me (shouldn't it be the opposite?). Anyways, I'm looking forward to things calming down soon before things gear up for the rest of 2010. God is true to His promises, and this is what He has lead to share about tonight:
He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:5-6)
Silent Night Majesty
He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:5-6)I love how righteousness and believing God go hand in hand. Not only in the passage above but also in Habakkuk 2:4 where God tells Habakkuk that the righteous will live by faith.
Abraham believed what God told him and as a result God counted him as righteous. Go outside at night and look at the stars. Look at the promise that God has made Abraham. Has it not already come to pass? All of God's loyal followers from Abraham's seed are now so many that they cannot be counted. It brings tears to my eyes. Yes, Abraham is our father. In Christ, we also are one of his descendants.
What has God promised you today in Christ? Will you believe God and have righteousness credited to you? We have to live by faith. We have to trust God no matter what--there is no other way to live. Remember that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). You cannot please God unless you believe Him. Remember that the next time Satan tempts you to doubt. God is faithful and true to His promises. For all the promises of God are "yes!" in Christ! (2 Cor 1:20)
Is there is something you are struggling with today? Pray. Stand firm in faith. Trust God to see you through. He is the great almighty Deliverer. He will see you through. Be still and know that He is God.
My prayer is that this image will give you peace as you are still before God and meditate on the wonderful works of His hands like the stars. Go outside and let God romance you with His creation. Be still before Him and most importantly, believe.
Abraham believed what God told him and as a result God counted him as righteous. Go outside at night and look at the stars. Look at the promise that God has made Abraham. Has it not already come to pass? All of God's loyal followers from Abraham's seed are now so many that they cannot be counted. It brings tears to my eyes. Yes, Abraham is our father. In Christ, we also are one of his descendants.
What has God promised you today in Christ? Will you believe God and have righteousness credited to you? We have to live by faith. We have to trust God no matter what--there is no other way to live. Remember that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). You cannot please God unless you believe Him. Remember that the next time Satan tempts you to doubt. God is faithful and true to His promises. For all the promises of God are "yes!" in Christ! (2 Cor 1:20)
Is there is something you are struggling with today? Pray. Stand firm in faith. Trust God to see you through. He is the great almighty Deliverer. He will see you through. Be still and know that He is God.
My prayer is that this image will give you peace as you are still before God and meditate on the wonderful works of His hands like the stars. Go outside and let God romance you with His creation. Be still before Him and most importantly, believe.
Refined As Gold
“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”
~Isaiah 48:10
“I will bring the one-third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”
~Zechariah 13:9
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness.
~Malachi 3:3
God allows certain trials and tribulations in our lives so we can refined for His Glory. The more He cuts away, molds, and shapes us, the more we become like Christ. I've learned that God wants me to have a Holy attitude when tribulations come. Will I trust Him and lean on faith that He is using this for my good? Or will I have another meltdown?
One of the biggest way God uses circumstances in my life to refine me is in seasons of waiting. Especially when I'm waiting for deliverance. Am I going to complain or trust His timing? Am I going to be patient and believe God knows what He is doing or freak out?
I've found that for each level of blessing comes new levels of challenges and trials. I'm willing to bet that what God is using to refine you now is the very thing that is going to build up your faith so you are ready for the next major work He is going to do in your life. Let us not grow weary in persevering in the refining fires, but let us look at it as a major season of preparation for what is ahead. God knows what is before us, and He knows the end that He wants to bring us to. He also knows what we need to endure now before we get there to that end. He is a good God-- let's remember that, too.
Patience
Patience conveys the idea of someone who is tremendously strong and able to withstand all assaults. -Oswald Chambers
The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. ~Ecclesiastes 7:8
This can hurt sometimes, doesn't it? We want to be all settled in, move to the next thing, aim for the next target, but God tells us to wait. We are in a go-go-go society that keeps moving so when God tells us to wait we go, "huh?" Maybe we think we are being irresponsible by waiting and not taking action. But really we allow God to set ourselves up for a blessing when we respond in obedience by waiting. We allow Him to move and act on our behalf:
Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
~Isaiah 64:4
What a joy it is to see God come through for us! So many times He wants to do something for us but we rush ahead of Him! We have forgotten to rest and "sit still" before the Lord when He tells us too:
Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.” ~Ruth 3:18
I'm in a season of resting and sitting still before the Lord. It's been difficult for me to understand that I don't have to act because God is acting for me in ways that I don't see or understand. It is really a trust factor that comes into play here. But during this time of being patient, I've learned to find joy in waiting on the Lord. He is so sweet to us that He gives us rest when He knows we need it. He knows what our abilities are and are not so He will act when we cannot. He is our provider and takes care of all of our needs. He is working on providing for our needs long before we even have them! He really, really loves us! I've found so much joy in mediating on God's goodness, graciousness, and love for us while I sit still before Him. He never ceases to amaze me with His Glory!
So I pray for all of us that are in seasons of sitting still to be patient. To wait in Joy. After all, the Joy of the Lord is our strength and it is an honor and privilege to wait on the God who loves us in a way that is far beyond what we can even comprehend.
Had I Not Believed
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.
~Psalm 27:13
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.
~Psalm 27:13
I was having a rough day-- spiritually-- when I was creating this. I decided to get it all out in the artwork. The Lord honored my requested and this came out. It's confirmation in a way. I think some times we get so on edge about different circumstances in our lives that we can start to feel we are off track. After this was created, I knew I wasn't off the mark but right on it instead. What peace came over me to know I'm where He wants me to be. It's a waiting game most of the time (it seems) but this valley, too, shall pass until the Lord gives me clarity on the next great thing He has up His sleeve.
Ultimately, I’m amazed that God still moves through me even in times I don’t feel at all on the mark. Maybe I’m closer than I appear to be. Maybe you also feel the same?
Ultimately, I’m amazed that God still moves through me even in times I don’t feel at all on the mark. Maybe I’m closer than I appear to be. Maybe you also feel the same?
The past several years of my life have been... interesting. At least, that's the most positive way I can put it. I'm amazed at how God has transformed me through the devastation and the pain. I suppose the biggest thing I've learned is how God has His hand in *everything.* The steps of the righteous ARE ordered by the Lord. I know now that He is in fact the author and the finisher of our faith. God has been building up a solid rock of faith in my life during the last few years. Perhaps He has done the same with you. I learned that faith is not built on the mountaintop of Glory but in the valley of destruction. God is a hurricane. A loving one. Fierce--but loving.
So with a new decade upon us, I leave us with two images (perhaps the last 2 that will be created this year-- depending on how my week goes). I know for me, the first one represents the last few years of my life and the second one represents what is to come in His perfect timing. I pray the Lord will speak to you through these images-- wherever you are in your walk with Him.
All the GLORY goes to God. May He get the glory out of our lives in 2010! Amen.
So with a new decade upon us, I leave us with two images (perhaps the last 2 that will be created this year-- depending on how my week goes). I know for me, the first one represents the last few years of my life and the second one represents what is to come in His perfect timing. I pray the Lord will speak to you through these images-- wherever you are in your walk with Him.
Double for all Her Sins
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
~Isaiah 40:2
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
~Isaiah 40:2
Pursued by Glory
And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God. ~Deuteronomy 28:2
All the GLORY goes to God. May He get the glory out of our lives in 2010! Amen.
A Time and A Season
There is a time for everything,and a season for every activity under heaven.
~Ecclesiastes 3:1
I am so thankful that God cannot be thrown into boxes. I am so thankful that God cannot be confined by our circumstances. I am so thankful that God cannot be defined by our limited view of Him. I am so thankful that God orders our steps and saves us from ourselves. I am so thankful that God commands the times and the seasons in our lives according to His Wisdom and Purposes. I am so thankful that God is God and nothing can separate us from His Love through the power of the shed Blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross. I am so thankful that He keeps us in His hands after we have accepted Jesus as Savior.
Thank you Lord for Your infinite Wisdom. Thank you Lord for Your Sovereignty. Thank you Lord for Your infinite Grace. You are so good, Lord. We thank you.
Thank you Lord for Your infinite Wisdom. Thank you Lord for Your Sovereignty. Thank you Lord for Your infinite Grace. You are so good, Lord. We thank you.
Trust
“Faith, as the Bible teaches it, is faith in God coming against everything that contradicts Him— a faith that says, “I will remain true to God’s character whatever He may do.” The highest and the greatest expression of faith in the whole Bible is— “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15).” ~Oswald Chambers
Thank you Lord, for that mustard seed of faith that we need to trust You. You are the author and finisher of our faith and thank you Lord for taking the time to complete every good work in us. We are Your craftsmanship and You are our Maker.
Thank you Lord, for that mustard seed of faith that we need to trust You. You are the author and finisher of our faith and thank you Lord for taking the time to complete every good work in us. We are Your craftsmanship and You are our Maker.
Rise Above
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there.” ~Exodus 24:12aFrom the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. ~Psalm 61:2
You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet. ~Psalm 8:6
There comes a time in your life when God will call you up higher on the mountain to be alone with Him. You don't pick the time-- God does. He orders your steps. He orders your circumstances. Like the Psalmist says, "When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I" (Psalm 61:2). When life becomes crushing and unbearable. When faith is the only thing you have left. When people (family, friends) turn their back on you. When the ones you helped have all walked out. When tragedy or trauma hits. When stress and pressure builds up and you become like a bomb just waiting to explode. It's time. It's time to go up higher on the mountain with the Lord.
During a season in my life when God called me up higher on the mountain, He revealed something important to me. My life circumstances were crushing, but what He told me on the mountain was soothing. He showed me Psalm 8:6. He reminded me there that He has put all things under our feet. He said to me, "Rise above." Then I got it! The higher up on the mountain we go with God the more things He puts under our feet. The closer I draw to my Lord the more I identify with HIM and the less I identify with my crushing circumstances. The more I see Jesus and focus on Him the more I rest in faith and not doubt, fear, worry, or despair.
Is He leading you to the Rock? Is He calling you up higher? Go to Him. Go higher. Draw near to the Lord. Let Him lift you up and put all these crushing things under your feet. The higher you go up on the mountain with the Lord the farther below your circumstances will go under you until they vanish and you can only focus on the One who called you. Peace.
During a season in my life when God called me up higher on the mountain, He revealed something important to me. My life circumstances were crushing, but what He told me on the mountain was soothing. He showed me Psalm 8:6. He reminded me there that He has put all things under our feet. He said to me, "Rise above." Then I got it! The higher up on the mountain we go with God the more things He puts under our feet. The closer I draw to my Lord the more I identify with HIM and the less I identify with my crushing circumstances. The more I see Jesus and focus on Him the more I rest in faith and not doubt, fear, worry, or despair.
Is He leading you to the Rock? Is He calling you up higher? Go to Him. Go higher. Draw near to the Lord. Let Him lift you up and put all these crushing things under your feet. The higher you go up on the mountain with the Lord the farther below your circumstances will go under you until they vanish and you can only focus on the One who called you. Peace.
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But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
~Isaiah 43:1-2
Our walk with God is a journey. Life is a journey. Are we content? Do we always want to be one more step ahead? Or one more stage or season ahead? We miss so much along the way. Let's just accept where we are. Right now. With life and God. Let's let God do a work in us right now. Right where we are. He accepts us where we are. Do we?
It's a journey. Let's view it as a journey--not looking for end points. God will faithfully lead us to different places as He chooses. None of it is wasted time because He has already redeemed us in Christ. What was broken is already mended in Him. Sometimes we just don't let Him take us there to the place of mending because we are so stuck on wanting to be somewhere else in life. Here we are now. Let Him finish His work now. Before the next stage has begun. Peace.
Rivers in the Desert
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
~Isaiah 43:19
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
~Isaiah 43:19
The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it.
~1 Thessalonians 5:24
~1 Thessalonians 5:24
He is able. Do we believe that? He is able to do far more than what we even ask for. Remember the widow who had one jug of oil in 2 Kings 4:1-7? She fears losing her sons to slavery in order to pay off her debt. All she sees before her is that one jug of oil. She knows this is not enough to pay the debt. Elisha tells her to borrow all the jugs she can and to fill them from that one jug of oil. So she does and it is enough to pay off her debt. Not only is it enough to pay the debt but she has enough left over to live off of. God provided for her needs. He did not abandon her.
After being in the desert for a long time sometimes it is hard to believe that God can bring forth a river. But God has order our steps in this manner to stretch our faith. Are you in the desert right now? Do you believe that God can bring forth the rivers right where you are to provide for your needs? Are you staring at what you have (one jug of oil) instead of looking to what God can do with what you have to provide for everything? God is the Master Provider. He fed the 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish (John 6). He is able! He able to do beyond what we ask! So often we bring one little jug to God and ask Him to only fill it. But He wants us to bring many jugs to Him and ask Him to fill them all. When we step out on faith in an area of obedience God will provide for us. We need to have the faith to ask Him to move the mountain instead of being paralyzed by fear. When we step out on faith in an area of obedience, God always responds. He is delighted with our faith, and He is delighted that we asked. We ask because we have faith that He is able! I'm so thankful that we worship a God who is always able to do far more than what we even think to ask! He is God. And He is our Provider. Amen.
After being in the desert for a long time sometimes it is hard to believe that God can bring forth a river. But God has order our steps in this manner to stretch our faith. Are you in the desert right now? Do you believe that God can bring forth the rivers right where you are to provide for your needs? Are you staring at what you have (one jug of oil) instead of looking to what God can do with what you have to provide for everything? God is the Master Provider. He fed the 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish (John 6). He is able! He able to do beyond what we ask! So often we bring one little jug to God and ask Him to only fill it. But He wants us to bring many jugs to Him and ask Him to fill them all. When we step out on faith in an area of obedience God will provide for us. We need to have the faith to ask Him to move the mountain instead of being paralyzed by fear. When we step out on faith in an area of obedience, God always responds. He is delighted with our faith, and He is delighted that we asked. We ask because we have faith that He is able! I'm so thankful that we worship a God who is always able to do far more than what we even think to ask! He is God. And He is our Provider. Amen.
Mourning into Dancing
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.
~Psalm 30:11-12
The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
~Genesis 1:2-3
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
~Genesis 1:2-3
I love how God can turn the bleakest, darkest, most miserable places into a place of dancing and rejoicing! That's what this artwork is all about.
In the beginning, there was darkness, and all God had to do was say, "Let there be light." And there was light! Do you know that God can breathe life into anything? Do you know that He can resurrect anything? Your relationships, your health, your financial situation, etc. Like the above Genesis scripture tells us, light came out of a dark place. All God had to do was speak. God can certainly speak over our desolate situations today and breathe them back to life!
We have to look within during the dark times. Greater is He who is in you! The same power that conquered the grave lives inside of us! Look for the well of water that is never empty inside of Jesus. He will sustain you until God speaks light over your circumstances.
I didn't realize that the process of building solid faith is done in a very dark, depressing, discouraging, and despairing place. But then again, I don't know anyone who gained their faith basking in Glory on the mountain top. It's in the dark valley where we are called to step out on faith and believe God's promises and believe He is good despite how bad our situation might be. That is a place where faith is built! Surely, no one gets there without a struggle and a fight! In fact, some of you may be in the battle for your life right now. Times like that require great faith to pray, "Thy Will be done." It's easy to pray, "Lord, have Your way!" when everything in your life is going good. But when everything you touch crumbles to pieces, when everything is falling apart and nothing comes together, when all hell has broken loose around you, it's a different story-- a faith story to pray, "Thy Will be done!"
Out of the darkest times of my life, I look back and see how God built a solid foundation of faith in me. I may have been backed up into a corner and surrounded by chaos in a pit that kept getting deeper, but God was using it all to make a prayer warrior out of me. He will equip you for your calling in a tough place. Know that you cannot do what God has called you to do, no matter what it is, without great faith. But once we go through what we have to go through to build our faith, God will show us how He has been there all along anxiously waiting to turn our mourning into dancing. God won't bless us with our calling or next stage in life until we are ready for it. We'll stay in the valley as long as it takes to build up the necessary faith. But once we are ready, God will swiftly bring us out of the dark as He speaks light over our lives. Glory be to God!
In the beginning, there was darkness, and all God had to do was say, "Let there be light." And there was light! Do you know that God can breathe life into anything? Do you know that He can resurrect anything? Your relationships, your health, your financial situation, etc. Like the above Genesis scripture tells us, light came out of a dark place. All God had to do was speak. God can certainly speak over our desolate situations today and breathe them back to life!
We have to look within during the dark times. Greater is He who is in you! The same power that conquered the grave lives inside of us! Look for the well of water that is never empty inside of Jesus. He will sustain you until God speaks light over your circumstances.
I didn't realize that the process of building solid faith is done in a very dark, depressing, discouraging, and despairing place. But then again, I don't know anyone who gained their faith basking in Glory on the mountain top. It's in the dark valley where we are called to step out on faith and believe God's promises and believe He is good despite how bad our situation might be. That is a place where faith is built! Surely, no one gets there without a struggle and a fight! In fact, some of you may be in the battle for your life right now. Times like that require great faith to pray, "Thy Will be done." It's easy to pray, "Lord, have Your way!" when everything in your life is going good. But when everything you touch crumbles to pieces, when everything is falling apart and nothing comes together, when all hell has broken loose around you, it's a different story-- a faith story to pray, "Thy Will be done!"
Out of the darkest times of my life, I look back and see how God built a solid foundation of faith in me. I may have been backed up into a corner and surrounded by chaos in a pit that kept getting deeper, but God was using it all to make a prayer warrior out of me. He will equip you for your calling in a tough place. Know that you cannot do what God has called you to do, no matter what it is, without great faith. But once we go through what we have to go through to build our faith, God will show us how He has been there all along anxiously waiting to turn our mourning into dancing. God won't bless us with our calling or next stage in life until we are ready for it. We'll stay in the valley as long as it takes to build up the necessary faith. But once we are ready, God will swiftly bring us out of the dark as He speaks light over our lives. Glory be to God!
Many are the Afflictions
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
~Psalm 34:19
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. ~2 Cor. 4:17
Everything we go through is with purpose. Some pits we get ourselves into and others God throws us into. Just look at the life of Joseph (Start Genesis 37). We have to trust God in these moments of blindness that He has a plan with good intentions for us (Jeremiah 29:11). In these times of afflictions, faith is built, and we are made stronger.
I didn't understand that if I wanted to get strong and be a warrior in God's Kingdom, then I would have to suffer through many things. I have found that oftentimes, at our weakest point, God will kick us while we are down through an affliction, but only to build us up stronger. He will use the affliction to make us strong. The hardest times in my life have been the most forming times. I can easily look back and see God forming my clay vessel with His hands and breaking off the bad branches that didn't bear fruit, but restoring the wound and allowing it to heal into a healthy branch that can be used for His purposes.
God has to break our will first before He can truly use us. We are of no use to God if we constantly assert our own will over His. We have to learn to go when God says, "Go" without questioning Him. We have to learn to wait when God says,"Wait" without questioning Him. It is through these afflictions that work for us we learn to trust God completely, build up strong faith in Him, and grow stronger in the process.
After suffering through many trials, I've noticed how fearless I've become. Things that use to phase me don't bother me anymore. I can handle this because my God has brought me through and out of the darkest of pits! No one conquers fear without going into the battle and finishing the fight. These are the things that warriors are made of.
Let God work through the process you need to go through in whatever affliction you are dealing with now. Let Him has His way with you. Sometimes you have to go through what you go through. Through this you will learn to trust Him and hold on to Him for dear life. He will get you out in His perfect time. It may take a day, or it may take ten years. But our God is a faithful God, and He will always bring you out.
We don't jump from mountain top to mountain top, but we have to go through the valley of the shadow of death before we can reach the next mountain top. You will find that God is there in the midst of it all carrying you all the times you could not even walk yourself. Glory be to God!
I leave you with this scripture that comforted me during times of affliction:
I didn't understand that if I wanted to get strong and be a warrior in God's Kingdom, then I would have to suffer through many things. I have found that oftentimes, at our weakest point, God will kick us while we are down through an affliction, but only to build us up stronger. He will use the affliction to make us strong. The hardest times in my life have been the most forming times. I can easily look back and see God forming my clay vessel with His hands and breaking off the bad branches that didn't bear fruit, but restoring the wound and allowing it to heal into a healthy branch that can be used for His purposes.
God has to break our will first before He can truly use us. We are of no use to God if we constantly assert our own will over His. We have to learn to go when God says, "Go" without questioning Him. We have to learn to wait when God says,"Wait" without questioning Him. It is through these afflictions that work for us we learn to trust God completely, build up strong faith in Him, and grow stronger in the process.
After suffering through many trials, I've noticed how fearless I've become. Things that use to phase me don't bother me anymore. I can handle this because my God has brought me through and out of the darkest of pits! No one conquers fear without going into the battle and finishing the fight. These are the things that warriors are made of.
Let God work through the process you need to go through in whatever affliction you are dealing with now. Let Him has His way with you. Sometimes you have to go through what you go through. Through this you will learn to trust Him and hold on to Him for dear life. He will get you out in His perfect time. It may take a day, or it may take ten years. But our God is a faithful God, and He will always bring you out.
We don't jump from mountain top to mountain top, but we have to go through the valley of the shadow of death before we can reach the next mountain top. You will find that God is there in the midst of it all carrying you all the times you could not even walk yourself. Glory be to God!
I leave you with this scripture that comforted me during times of affliction:
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
~1 Timothy 6:6
~1 Timothy 6:6
Let's learn to be content in being Godly and obedient to the Lord and let God handle the rest.
A Father's Promise
O LORD God, do not reject your anointed one.
Remember the great love promised to David your servant.
~2 Chronicles 6:42
Remember the great love promised to David your servant.
~2 Chronicles 6:42
This is a very personal piece for me. I had a vague idea what I wanted to portray when I started, but God moved very powerfully in this piece. This woman has come from the mountain top of the Lord and walked through the dry and barren desert to get to her Heavenly Father's promise. It has been a long, hard and very painful journey, but she knows that her God never fails. Along the way God has whispered ever so delicately in her ear "the purpose is greater than the pain."
Sometimes it is so hard believe that God truly loves us when everything in life seems to be working against us. God will back us up into a corner and ask, "Do I favor you?" The answer has to be "yes," because God would not take the time to plan out one tragedy after the next in our lives. (I'm sure some of you all reading this can really testify...) It almost gets to the point where it is easier for God to bless than to strike out against us, but He chooses the latter.
Along the way I've realized that I have to pay the price for my anointing. Jesus, Joseph, David, Paul, Jacob, Esther, etc. all paid the price for theirs. Why would I be any different? The greater the anointing-- the greater test. I've realized in the midst of many tragedies that God does favor me-- despite what my life circumstances say. Only until God has taken every good thing out of Job's life does he say, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You" (Job 42:5). When God goes out of His way to take the good out of your life-- to the point where it gets almost comical (you start to laugh because you can't cry anymore), then your eyes have seen God. Then you know Him. You know it doesn't depend on you, and it's not up to you. It's up to Him. The time will come when He will bless, but in the mean time all you can do is believe-- the purpose is far greater than the pain.
God will keep His promises, and they will all come to past in His perfect timing. He is a faithful God who never fails. Be at peace during this time of trial even though it has been long and there may be longer still to go. There is a glory coming for you after this if you remain faithful to His plan for your life. When it's your time to be blessed-- then it's your time, and the devil can't stop! We will reach the lush forest of promise in due time if we do not lose heart.
Remember David's words before He became King:
Sometimes it is so hard believe that God truly loves us when everything in life seems to be working against us. God will back us up into a corner and ask, "Do I favor you?" The answer has to be "yes," because God would not take the time to plan out one tragedy after the next in our lives. (I'm sure some of you all reading this can really testify...) It almost gets to the point where it is easier for God to bless than to strike out against us, but He chooses the latter.
Along the way I've realized that I have to pay the price for my anointing. Jesus, Joseph, David, Paul, Jacob, Esther, etc. all paid the price for theirs. Why would I be any different? The greater the anointing-- the greater test. I've realized in the midst of many tragedies that God does favor me-- despite what my life circumstances say. Only until God has taken every good thing out of Job's life does he say, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You" (Job 42:5). When God goes out of His way to take the good out of your life-- to the point where it gets almost comical (you start to laugh because you can't cry anymore), then your eyes have seen God. Then you know Him. You know it doesn't depend on you, and it's not up to you. It's up to Him. The time will come when He will bless, but in the mean time all you can do is believe-- the purpose is far greater than the pain.
God will keep His promises, and they will all come to past in His perfect timing. He is a faithful God who never fails. Be at peace during this time of trial even though it has been long and there may be longer still to go. There is a glory coming for you after this if you remain faithful to His plan for your life. When it's your time to be blessed-- then it's your time, and the devil can't stop! We will reach the lush forest of promise in due time if we do not lose heart.
Remember David's words before He became King:
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.
~Psalm 27:13
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.
~Psalm 27:13
Consolation
To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
~Isaiah 61:3
“ My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the LORD loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”
~Hebrews 12:5-6
We all make the mistake during difficult times of casting the image of our former or maybe present abusers onto God. What a terrible mistake to make! Our abusers are out to victimize us, and they hurt us out of hate and out of spite. We must check our hearts, do we accuse God of the same thing? God disciplines us always out of love and never out of anything else. God is love! Whatever we endure in this life, no matter how painful it is, we can be sure that God can turn it around and get the Glory and use it for our good! God is always in control of our circumstances. Never think that something happens to you that God didn't see coming. The opposite is true, of course. God has seen the end from the beginning. God has a way of working in His mighty power where He is 100% in control of our circumstances and at the same time does not violate anyone's free will. This is how powerful our God is! Nothing happens to you that God is not in complete control over. His Word will not return to Him void and at the same time it will not violate man's free will! God's power is endless!
God will sometimes back us into a corner and isolate us from everyone. We realize in those moments that we truly love God more than we love anyone or anything else. We realize in those moments why we fight the battle of each day and who is in control of all of it. He will use each trial and struggle to tear us down in the bad areas and build us up stronger in the good areas. Oh, what a God we serve! He is constantly pursuing us and working actively on our behalf even in our sleep. He does everything with purpose which is far greater than any pain because after we have endured many trials we realize we are no longer afraid of the enemy's tactics because God will use whatever is meant for evil for our good. The enemy thinks he is in control but he is not. God constantly turns around what the enemy does for our good. God would not allow it otherwise.
After each storm of life we can expect to be consoled. Isaiah says Jesus came for it! When we are embraced by God's deep and abiding love for us we reject any notion that God could be like those who have hurt us so deep in the past. In fact, God uses those very wounds to transform us into doers of His Word and sets before us a very great purpose for which we are anointed for. Jesus paid the price for His anointing and so must we. But when we get to Heaven we realize how much greater the joy it is to have shared in Christ's sufferings and to suffer for His sake because how much more we grow and know the Lord because of all the trials and tribulations of life. We are here to be prepared for eternity and to fulfill the tasks for which we are anointed for. There is no other reason to live other than to do what God has called every one of us to do. Before we get there and while we are there we pay the price, but Christ has long since paid the price for all of our sufferings and it is only because of what He did that we are able to endure. Faith is the victory! Amen.
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
~Isaiah 61:3
“ My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the LORD loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”
~Hebrews 12:5-6
We all make the mistake during difficult times of casting the image of our former or maybe present abusers onto God. What a terrible mistake to make! Our abusers are out to victimize us, and they hurt us out of hate and out of spite. We must check our hearts, do we accuse God of the same thing? God disciplines us always out of love and never out of anything else. God is love! Whatever we endure in this life, no matter how painful it is, we can be sure that God can turn it around and get the Glory and use it for our good! God is always in control of our circumstances. Never think that something happens to you that God didn't see coming. The opposite is true, of course. God has seen the end from the beginning. God has a way of working in His mighty power where He is 100% in control of our circumstances and at the same time does not violate anyone's free will. This is how powerful our God is! Nothing happens to you that God is not in complete control over. His Word will not return to Him void and at the same time it will not violate man's free will! God's power is endless!
God will sometimes back us into a corner and isolate us from everyone. We realize in those moments that we truly love God more than we love anyone or anything else. We realize in those moments why we fight the battle of each day and who is in control of all of it. He will use each trial and struggle to tear us down in the bad areas and build us up stronger in the good areas. Oh, what a God we serve! He is constantly pursuing us and working actively on our behalf even in our sleep. He does everything with purpose which is far greater than any pain because after we have endured many trials we realize we are no longer afraid of the enemy's tactics because God will use whatever is meant for evil for our good. The enemy thinks he is in control but he is not. God constantly turns around what the enemy does for our good. God would not allow it otherwise.
After each storm of life we can expect to be consoled. Isaiah says Jesus came for it! When we are embraced by God's deep and abiding love for us we reject any notion that God could be like those who have hurt us so deep in the past. In fact, God uses those very wounds to transform us into doers of His Word and sets before us a very great purpose for which we are anointed for. Jesus paid the price for His anointing and so must we. But when we get to Heaven we realize how much greater the joy it is to have shared in Christ's sufferings and to suffer for His sake because how much more we grow and know the Lord because of all the trials and tribulations of life. We are here to be prepared for eternity and to fulfill the tasks for which we are anointed for. There is no other reason to live other than to do what God has called every one of us to do. Before we get there and while we are there we pay the price, but Christ has long since paid the price for all of our sufferings and it is only because of what He did that we are able to endure. Faith is the victory! Amen.
Faith
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. ~Hebrews 11:1
The position of faith is one of the toughest places you can ever be placed in. And yet, without the positioning, no faith can ever be built or grown. Faith is built in tough places. God promises us something and He puts us between a rock and a hard place and by faith we still believe. It was by faith that Abraham was credited righteousness (Romans 4:3). It is by faith that we are righteous. It is by faith that we please God (Hebrews 11:6). It is by faith that we learn to know God and see His power manifest within and among us. It is by faith the heart grows fonder toward its Creator because we start to see how much we really truly believe Him against all odds.
Perhaps what I love the most about faith is the relationship it produces between us and God. If I have faith, I will have to discuss my life circumstances every day with my Lord until I receive what it is I've been promised and what remains hidden, unseen. Thus, faith produces dialogue with God throughout the battle of circumstances. In this battle, perhaps faith is what really teaches us how much we truly love the God we serve. If I didn't love God so much I probably wouldn't believe. I probably wouldn't go through the trouble, the pain, and the heartache of believing when circumstances seem impossible.
In the mists of the raging battle of circumstances, faith provides a window for God's power to manifest itself in ways we've never thought possible. With this power comes even more belief. More faith is built up already for the next "impossible" mission of faith. This power also brings repentance of doubt, despair, and unbelief. It's then that we truly realize that our Savior can move the mountains. All we have to do is take heart, believe, and have faith.
Ultimately, it is God's love that fuels the car of faith. When we run out of steam and are on the verge of exhaustion we must refuel with God's love so the car of faith can continue despite the odds. God's love for us reminds us of His goodness and His faithfulness and His wholeness. His love strengthens us so our faith does not fail. His love reminds us whose child we are and how passionately we are cared for. Most importantly, His love completes us. Faith is impossible without God's love. If you have hit a wall of circumstance in your faith journey, then refuel on God's love. Faith is impossible without it. Remember you are loved unconditionally by a God who is always good and never fails. In the end, you will know Him like you've never known Him before. And, ultimately, I think that's the point of faith.
