sUrrENDer

Have you ever looked at that word, "surrender"?  I've looked at it a thousand times.  It actually has a special place in my heart.  It's one of the first words I clearly remember writing in big letters when I started counseling.  Recently, I thought I'd try my hand at some creative lettering.  I wrote the word in large letters and as I went to go over the vowels in a different color from the consonants, I saw the word in a whole new way.  SURRENDER.  I stopped.  In my mind, thoughts started to swirl around.  I wrote it again. . . and again and again.  Then, since I love to create digital art, I created a new visual.

All I could do was stare at the words that appeared within the word itself.    U END.  Think about it, if you are surrendering, you are giving up some kind of authority, maybe all your authority over yourself or something that belongs to you.  U End.   I've been mulling over that word for a few days.  Then, tonight in our worship service, God flooded me once again with His presence and spoke to me.

"I'll throw my weakness into your greatness."  The  words of this refrain echoed in my head and caused me to sit down, pick up my pen and write.  And again, the words just flowed:

When I surrender my weakness to Your Almighty power, I can do all things to glorify Your Name.  Surrender - "U END" - where I give up the selfish pride, the reliance on my own thinking,  my own strength, and my own belief that somehow I control any aspect of my life.  You, my Lord, are glorified and Your name is made greater through me when I surrender.  

"I am in my Father, and you in Me and I in you." (John 14:20)

There is no room for darkness with the light.  We must surrender the deepest parts of ourselves, the places that hold us in bondage.   

U END.  I END.  God is the beginning of all beginnings.  If He can breathe life into all creation, speak the light into all existence, and raise Jesus from the grave, He can begin a new thing in you.   

It is by His supernatural love that all things are possible; through the ultimate sacrifice, a love offering so great that only life could ensue once the veil of darkness has been stripped away.   

Like the sun breaking through the dawn sky, life awaits.  He's calling you to surrender. 

Don't be afraid.  There is peace on the other side of chaos.  There is life after death, on this side of Heaven.  

Come to Me, all you heavy burdened.  Come, take my yoke as it is light and full of mercy and grace and peace.  Lay it all down at the cross.  Let the redeeming flood wash over you and give you life.  My love is waiting. Arms open wide, with no condemnation or shame.  Your past is as far as the East is from the West; it has sunk to the bottom of the ocean floor.  I see your sins no more. 

The light of my Son's face, shining, gleaming, smiling; saying "they chose Me, Father," is what I see. 

Put on the new man as I have taken away the old.  I have overcome and because My Spirit lives in you, you are a conqueror. 

Take up your rightful place.  Let my love rise up within you and SHINE. 

A city on a hill cannot be hidden. So shall it be with you!  Let your light so shine before men that they see ME.  You shall be free to be who I have destined you to be.  Breathe in my life-giving breath.  Rest in me and trust that I see you!  I know you by your name. 

I am the One who has rescued your soul.  I am the One who has welcomed you home.  I am the one who is Savior of all. 

My love surrounds you.  I am the reason you came, to encounter my Love.  Let the Spirit of My love overflow in your heart, overcome you "like a tidal wave, crashing over you, rushing into to meet you, like  a hurricane that you can't escape, tearing through the atmosphere," My love is FIERCE! 

How can you be lost when I have called you found?  Pursued, chased, sought.  You are loved beyond measure. 

No more shall you hide in the dark.  I have come to bring you life, life more abundant, and in it you will find a peace everlasting, undeniable, overwhelming and complete.   

Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 96:10) and I AM your deliverance.   

The time to sUrrENDer is now.  Don't let the fear of the future hold you back from the glorious destiny that awaits you.  Life begins when you are ready to end.

I'm all in.  Are you?

Whom do you aspire to be?

If you are anything like me, you want to be more than you are.  We are always comparing ourselves to another woman who seems to have it all together.  What we don't see is that none of us really have it all together.  Impeccably dressed, well-manicured, flawless makeup, charming children and handsome husbands all seem to indicate a perfect family life.  But, we've all heard the cliche':  "You can't judge a book by its cover."

Behind all the outward perfection, there is likely to be a woman who is a complete and utter mess. Beautiful jars on the outside, but shattered pieces on the inside.  Many of us don't want to admit it, but we feel like failures for not living up to what we perceive should be the epitome of womanhood and not the woman whom we are called to be. 

Many of us struggle with the notion of the Proverbs 31 Woman.  I know I do.  I have often thought that she was a woman of myth, a fictional character that could never materialize in the here and now. Even the ladies of days past strove for the perfection that we have come to believe the Proverbs 31 woman exemplifies.  What we fail to see is that the Proverbs 31 Woman is built into our DNA.  We just have to learn how to tap into her.

I personally have struggled with balancing my "Mary" with my "Martha."  Domestic Engineer, I am not.  I never really had the chance to learn those core skills as I was shooed away from the kitchen and when it came to cleaning, well, let's just say that those expectations were higher than Mt. Everest. It's not that I don't know how to clean, I just don't like it. It's not that I don't want to cook or plan meals, it's just that I don't have that skill set yet.  (Notice I said "yet."  I'm going to be changing that very soon.)

In the past couple of days, the need to make a shift in my thinking has become more and more urgent.  My family deserves more than I have previously given.  My  husband, who travels extensively, deserves to come home to a clean, tidy house and a home cooked meal once in a while.  It has been my own unwillingness to embrace that which is within me that has caused me to fail.

In my quiet time, I asked God to help me understand what He wanted of me.  He was very clear.  "Get your house in order."  I knew that was not a dig at my lack of domestic skills.  God was asking me to take care of my family.  He also told me this:  

"Your worth is not measured in your ability to cook or clean. Your worth is measured at the cross. I know you by your name.  Not the dirt and the grime.  But, I have called you to a purpose.  To love Me above all else and follow my commandments.  In loving me, you will find your true worth, the cost of My Son's very life for you.  In serving me, you will find joy, hope, peace, contentment and the affirmation will be in knowing that you have pleased me.  Your family will feel  loved and cared for.  You are my vessel through which I can care for My son and My little child.  I can perform many miracles, but I still need you to see that you are here on purpose; for such a time as this.  Yes, I will use you in others' lives, but right now, I want to use you in the lives of your family.

Who can find a capable wife?

        Her value is far beyond that of pearls.

Her husband trusts her from his heart,

        and she will prove a great asset to him.

She works to bring him good, not harm,

        all the days of her life.

 and works with willing hands.

She is like those merchant vessels,

      bringing her food from far away.

It’s still dark when she rises to give food to her household

        and orders to the young women serving her.

  and from her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She gathers her strength around her

        and throws herself into her work.

She sees that her business affairs go well;

        her lamp stays lit at night.

        her fingers hold the spinning rod.

She reaches out to embrace the poor

        and opens her arms to the needy.

  since all of them are doubly clothed.

She makes her own quilts;

        she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

        when he sits with the leaders of the land.

She makes linen garments and sells them;

        she supplies the merchants with sashes.

       she can laugh at the days to come.

When she opens her mouth, she speaks wisely;

        on her tongue is loving instruction.

She watches how things go in her house,

        not eating the bread of idleness.

        her husband too, as he praises her:

“Many women have done wonderful things,

        but you surpass them all!”

        but a woman who fears Adonai should be praised.

Give her a share in what she produces;

        let her works speak her praises at the city gates.

She procures a supply of wool and flax

She considers a field, then buys it,

She puts her hands to the staff with the flax;

When it snows, she has no fear for her household;

Her husband is known at the city gates

Clothed with strength and dignity,

Her children arise; they make her happy;

Charm can lie, beauty can vanish,

Proverbs 31:10-31 (Complete Jewish Bible)

"Do you see?  You are more than what you believe yourself to be.  Stop preaching to other women what you yourself do not believe and grasp hold of.  You are more than what you see in the mirror.  You are more than what you see around you.  Take hold of your destiny and purpose in ME first and the desires of your heart will be fulfilled."

As I read the Scripture that I have read so many times before, my mind was flooded with words, adjectives; no, they were attributes of the Proverbs 31 Woman.  These words came quickly as I read them and I soon found myself creating word art so they would stand out on the page.   And, then, because I am so visual (and a wee bit on the creative side), I turned my lesson into something I could print and put in front of me as a reminder.

As you read the words in the image below, let them soak into your spirit.  This is who you are!  Who you were created to be!  It's so easy to lose sight of who we are as women when we are living in a culture that demeans and defiles the institution of family.  The family unit needs us to be the very women of God we have been called to be.  You and I each have our own destiny to fulfill.  But, we have to recognize that God has endowed to us a gift in the trust He has given for us to care for His children.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to take my rightful place in my home, in the divine order of God's kingdom.  I am ready to embrace the attributes of the Proverbs 31 Woman.  She is who I aspire to be. And, before long, I will be the one whose "children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.'" Proverbs 31:28-29 (ESV)

Feel free to download the image above by clicking on it and saving it to your device.

A Little Bit Martha and a Whole lot of Mary

The story of sisters, Mary and Martha, as told in Luke 10: 38-42 can be found in myriads of articles on balancing your life as a woman. A simple Google search returns 71,400,000 results in a mere 0.47 seconds.  So, why am I still trying to figure it out?

We all know that Martha was the "busybody" and Mary was more the "free-spirit."  We also know that in today's culture, you need a healthy balance of both in your personalities.  Yet, what if you are a whole lot of Mary and only a little bit Martha?  Where do you go from there?

First, and foremost, GET RID OF THE LABELS.  It's too easy to get caught up in who you are and who you aren't according to this world's standards, even the standards that are set before us by our closest loved ones.  It's soul-crushing when someone you love tells you  that you don't measure up to their expectations.  It's especially hard when you feel like you've made major strides in areas of life where you have felt weak.  Regardless of the "deficiencies" that have been pointed out to you, you don't have to live in the shadow created by hurtful words.

If you haven't guessed it by now, I am a whole lot of Mary.  I relish the idea of sitting at the feet of Jesus, talking, sharing, learning, growing.  Eventually, I'd notice that there were things to be done and people to attend to, but I'd probably be a wee bit late in making the mental switch from eager learner to eager hostess.  Don't get me wrong.  If you come to my home, I will do my best to prepare for you and serve you.  And, herein lies my problem.  I'm eager to serve, just not necessarily to serve the right people at the right time.

What's interesting to me, is that as I reflect upon the Mary and Martha spirits, I realize that I'm Martha in a lot of ways.  I AM a busy body.  Not only do I have my hand in a multitude of social connections, but I get bored easily, so I move from one thing to another without completing the first 10 things I started.  I'm uber-creative and I haven't found a way to channel that into "Creative Housecleaning 101" or "Cooking by Numbers 102 (maybe those numbers should be switched around. . .,now,  where was I?)  Instead of being a "Susie Homemaker" kind of Martha, I'm a whole other kind of busybody.  I thrive to help and encourage and inspire others.  If you know your color personality type, I'm a Yellow/Red (the ultimate extrovert).  I bet Mary was a Yellow/Red too.  But, when you look at the Blue/Green nature of  Martha,  how she prepared and analyzed and got offended, it makes me wonder if I really have a Mary spirit after all.

I do know who I am.  I am more than a conqueror!  I am the daughter of a King that is not moved by the things of this world and who goes before me in all things!  I am a warrior in God's mighty army!

But, I do need to find my softer, gentler side.  Not that I don't have one, but I need to learn to tap into it while I am at home.  Something happens when I enter my house.  I'm not sure what to call this phenomenon but I can tell you that I switch from being a Martha to a Mary in about a 1/2 second flat. 

Which are you?  Are you the Martha that loves to clean and cook and is great at taking care her family?  Are you the Martha that runs headlong into other people's problems and issues and lets them consume her life?  Or are you Mary?  Sitting at the feet of Jesus, not really counting the cost, soaking up her surroundings and allowing all else to fade into the background.

Now that I think about it, there is yet another Mary to consider.  Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Who was she most like?  It's not my place to suppose, but I imagine that she had a little bit of all of them in her.  We don't know much about her, except she was favored of God, humble, willing to serve and faithful to the will of the Father.

I think I'd like to be like Jesus' Mary.  It's a very high bar to set, but what an amazing example of a woman after God's own heart.. . after all, half that heart was hers.

The Eyes With Which We See

Trials.  We all have them.  We often associate that word with emotional and mental states.  However, we do have trials of a physical nature.  Health trials can be the most perplexing because we often do not understand them.  From cancer to cold sores, we experience illnesses in the physical and give very little thought to how they are associated with our sickness in the spiritual.

The eye.  Quite a remarkable organ. It has the ability to refract and reflect light.  I had quite a difficult time drawing one.  As a matter of fact, I didn't like what I had drawn until I used the filter on my phone to create the image you see above.  Using the right filter setting, my drawing became more realistic.  I actually was glad I had that filter setting available to me. 

Someone very close to me has an eye infection.  We do not know the source of it, but it has continued to be a plague of sorts for well over the last two years.  During a recent prayer asking for healing, the Lord struck me with a thought.   "It's not a matter of the physical eye, but a matter of the eyes of the heart."

Most of us have heard it said that God does not look at the outward man:  1 Samuel 16:7,  "Adonai doesn’t see the way humans see — humans look at the outward appearance, but Adonai looks at the heart.”   And Jeremiah 17:10, "I, Adonai, search the heart; I test inner motivations; in order to give to everyone what his actions and conduct deserve.” (Complete Jewish Bible)  God has the real perspective about us.  Do we?  Most likely not.  While we constantly turn things one way or another to evaluate them properly, we  also have to remember that we cannot always look at things through our own eyes.  We must tap into the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit that lives within us to truly see what is going on in and around us (not to mention to us).

"We concentrate not on what is seen but on what is not seen, since things seen are temporary, but things not seen are eternal." I Corinthians 4:18 (Complete Jewish Bible)

It's not that we are looking at things through rose-tinted glasses.  Life seems too challenging for us to think it's all sunshine and roses.  However, as 1 Corinthians 13:12 says, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." (Complete Jewish Bible)  I know, you've vaguely heard that before and now you're asking, "what does that even mean?"

Let me share this verse in two other translations:

For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God]. (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)

At present we are men looking at puzzling reflections in a mirror. The time will come when we shall see reality whole and face to face! At present all I know is a little fraction of the truth, but the time will come when I shall know it as fully as God now knows me! (J.B. Phillips New Testament)

When we evaluate our lives through our mind's eye, so -to-speak -  our own thinking and emotions -  things become muddy, "blurred," and "puzzling."  We get so caught up in our own version of things that we lose sight of reality and begin to own facets of the situation that we are not meant to own, and quite frankly, are in error.  We begin to internalize that erroneous thinking and then stress, anxiety, and fear take over us.  Before we know it, we are experiencing the physical manifestation of all that is churning within us and our bodies begin to fail us.  We seek medical help from the best we have available to us at our current price point and we forget that the Spirit of the Great Physician is living inside the very soul that inhabits our broken flesh.

So, what is the answer?  Where do we turn if all that is manifesting on the outside is a direct correlation to what is ailing us on the inside? 

We must learn to use our spiritual eyes, tuning in to that still small voice that guides us, and then we will begin to find joy, peace, direction and most of all, clarity in whatever situation we find ourselves. 

Galatians 5:25 says "If the Holy Spirit is living in us, let us be led by Him in all things." (New Life Version)  Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit would come.  As a matter of fact, Jesus had to leave us in order for the Spirit to descend.

"But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I don’t go away, the comforting Counselor will not come to you. However, if I do go, I will send him to you. " John 16:7 (Complete Jewish Bible)

And, why was it so important that the Holy Spirit come?  He told us that, too: 

“If you love me, you will keep my commands;  and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another comforting Counselor like me, the Spirit of Truth, to be with you forever. The world cannot receive him, because it neither sees nor knows him. You know him, because he is staying with you and will be united with you. . . I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Counselor, the Ruach HaKodesh [Holy Spirit], whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything; that is, he will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:15-16, 25 (Complete Jewish Bible, emphasis mine)

We often quote Philippians 4:13 without really considering what it means.  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  But do you know why you can?  It is a very important truth that we all need to know that we know that we know! 

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" for "He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness" because "the same Spirit of Him who rose Jesus from the dead dwells in you." (Philippians 4:13, 1 Corinthians 12:9, Romans 8:11)

It seems strange to ask it this way, but with what eyes are you looking at your life?  Do you use the corruptible vision of the flesh? Consider how often that vision is corrected with lenses that amplify, clarify and enhance what we see.  Are those lenses reliable or can they easily be broken and shattered?  Our lives are not much different.  Broken hearts, manipulated emotions and layers of anger, resentment and pain skew how we see ourselves and those around us.

But it doesn't have to be that way.  We can see clearly!  We have been given the power of the Holy Spirit and the streams of Living Water which can cleanse and heal our wounds, emotional, spiritual, mental and physical.   It may not happen overnight.  But as you allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind and heart, your spiritual eyes will begin to focus on that which is  "excellent , ...admirable, ... all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise." (Philippians 4:8, Common English Bible)

We can be healed from the inside out.  It is a choice.  But first, we must "fix our eyes on the things that [we] can't see now" (from Hillsong United's song "Here Now (Madness)").  And, when the unseen is finally revealed out in the open, the Light will penetrate the darkness and all the blessings of Heaven will fill the earth and the mysteries of God will be revealed.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,  even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love  he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,  to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,  which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight  making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:3-14 (English Standard Version, emphasis mine)

Spiritual Reboot - Time to RISE UP

As I sit here to write, I am in awe of the things that God shows me.    Not only does He reveal Himself through His Word, but the Spirit inside me seems to be growing in greater sensitivity to the things to which He's drawing my attention.   A word from a complete stranger, a nudge from the outpouring of a sweet friend's soul and that deep, newly discovered well that is rising up within me.

"Aslan is on the move."

This line from the adapted screenplay of C.S. Lewis' "Chronicle of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" has been echoing in my head since yesterday afternoon.  I'm learning to "marinate" in a new word from the Lord before I put my thoughts on paper (well, screen).  However, tonight, a sweet sister said "I am already seeing Him move," in reference to dedicating herself to more intimate time with God over the last few days.  Confirmation.  A new move of God has begun.

In the movie, the land of Narnia has been encased in a season of ice. Wickedness infiltrated the land.  Not unlike our current culture, pain, fear and cold-heartedness ruled.  Yet, a new dawn came.  A new move of the One who could save them all.  In the story, the lion is the metaphor for Jesus.  While no one spoke of where or why he had been prior to the Pevensie children's arrival in Narnia, no one could deny that he had been in the background, working and preparing.  Beaver said it all in one line:  "Aslan is on the move."

A new dawn.  A new awakening.  A new move of God.  God is on the move and the children of God can feel it in their bones.  Like Ezekiel in the Valley of the Dry Bones, the breath of God is reviving His people.

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.  I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.  Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.  (Ezekiel 37:7-10)

And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. (Revelation 21:5-7)

God is on the move. I can feel it in my spirit.  A spiritual awakening unparalleled in all history is upon us.  Now.  Make no mistake about it.  We are living in the end times, my friends.  He is empowering His people.  His army is making ready and the enemies are shaking in their boots. 

“Rise up and shine, for your light has come. The shining-greatness of the Lord has risen upon you. For see, darkness will cover the earth. Much darkness will cover the people. But the Lord will rise upon you, and His shining-greatness will be seen upon you.  Nations will come to your light. And kings will see the shining-greatness of the Lord on you. (Isaiah 60:1-3)

He is calling a nation.  A nation not bound by political or geographical lines.  This Nation is a great one.  The anointing of the Lord is undeniable.  And, women of the Lord - He is calling you! 

Adonai gives the command; the women with the good news are a mighty army.  Kings and their armies are fleeing, fleeing, while the women at home divide the spoil." (Psalm 68:12-13, Complete Jewish Bible).

Inside each of us is a warrior crying out for victory.  Only you can choose which kingdom you will serve.  Will you choose the icy cold, heartless kingdom that shrouds itself in darkness or will you RISE UP and take your place on the front lines as a mighty warrior clothed in the Armor of God? 

We don't have to live behind a veil  Jesus tore down the only barrier that God had placed between Himself and His children on that day at Calvary.  The veil has been torn away!  We have right standing with God as long as we submit to His commanding authority in our lives.  We can have a new beginning. We hold ourselves back with our own thinking and self-doubt.  None of that is of the Lord.  He gives to us a new song!  Like the hard reboot on your computer, HE IS our new beginning. 

Will you not join me in this new move of God?  You will not be sorry.  A new dawn is rising.  God is on the Move.  Can you not hear Him call to you? 

This is why it is said: "Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." (Ephesians 5:14)

Hearing the Love Song of God

Have you ever heard a song and thought, wouldn't it be nice if (fill in the blank) was singing it to me?  I know when I was younger, I swooned at the thought of a boy pledging his love to me through song.  Alas, that never happened, save for a dedication or two. 

Tonight was different, however.  At the close of our worship service at church, we sang a song that we have sang collectively on many previous occasions.  I began singing along with everyone else in the room, but before I knew it, tears began to creep into my eyes and I was kneeling on the floor.

Here is the chorus we sang:

"You are the love of my life

You are the hope that I cling to

You mean, more than this world to me

I wouldn't trade You for silver or gold

I wouldn't trade You for riches untold

You are, You are my everything."

(Hillsong United "You Are")

While the rest of the room was pouring their heart out to their Creator, I heard a still small voice, deep within me, whisper "This song is for you."

About now, you might be thinking, "Yeah, right, Michelle.   God doesn't say things like that (nor does He speak to people)."  And, I would have to strongly disagree with you.  He did, indeed speak to me, and much more at that!

As I listened to the harmonies around me, I continued to hear Him speak to me.  I tried to survey the room and as I did, I began to feel a sadness that was not my own.  I began to identify the feeling that someone who is very close to the Lord shared with me and I understood it.  The Holy Spirit was grieving. 

It may sound strange for me to say that when I know, in fact, that the praise of God's people were being lifted up to Him.  But, I heard something much different deep in my soul.  And, here is what He said (which He had me write during the remaining choruses):

” I love you so much that I gave my life for you - the very life of my Son - the very breath of heaven, poured out to redeem you. The words of this world are hollow and fleeting. I want more of you than your lip service. I want your every thought, every emotion, every secret, every worry, every joy, every sorrow, every praise. I love you more than you can ever fathom. "Don't praise me with your lips and dishonor me with your mind, body or spirit. "The very Spirit that rose my Son from the grave lives in you.  Allow Him to move in and through you. "I AM your ever present hope and salvation. "Come and drink from My Well."

 "Oh, if they only knew.  They praise me in one minute, and curse me in the next.  They hold each other to a higher standard than they hold themselves.  Do they not know that I see them?  I see deep within their hearts and they cannot hide from me."

Our pastor had just finished a sermon on finding God in the secret place.  This concept is not new to me as I have been under the teaching of someone who has been groomed in the secret place.  What is the secret place, you ask?  It's the place where you and I meet with God, individually, with no pretense and no filter.  Where our sins are laid bare and our souls are stripped down to their core.  It is the place where God lives in us and through us.  It is where the depth of our relationship with our Heavenly Father is measured against the plumb line of God's righteousness, His grace, and His mercy. 

You and I are at war. . . a war for the very essence of our being. . .a war for our eternal souls.  When do we stop and see that our lives are more than just hollow existences on a blue and green spinning orb?  When do we stop believing the lies of this world and realize that our true worth lies in the eyes of our Creator?  The enemy is powerless without God's divine intervention.  Nothing is outside the reach of God.  While we may  never understand the nature of the battles to which we have been called to fight, we must look to the Author and Finisher of our faith, the very Breath of Heaven, Himself, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, our Redeemer.  Our peace can only be found in utter surrender to the One who has already won the war and secured our future victory.

I know I've said it before, and I believe it is worth repeating, if you or I were the only one on the earth, Jesus would still have come to save us!  Can you not hear the ache of His heart? 

”I love you so much that I gave my life for you - the very life of my Son - the very breath of heaven, poured out to redeem you. . .I love you more than you can ever fathom."

"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30)

God wants to love us.  He has already displayed the ultimate expression of His love for us at the cross.  But, He will not demand it from us.  He is a righteous and just God, who is tender and kind.  He is a gentleman and will not force Himself on a hardened heart.  But, more than anything, God wants us to come to Him, crawl into His arms and finally experience the peace that our soul longs for.  Oh, for our hearts to long for Him as David's did! 

As the deer pants for the water

So my soul longs after you

You alone are my heart's desire

And I long to worship you

You alone are my strength, my shield

To you alone will my spirit yield

You alone are my hearts desire

And I long to worship you

 I want you more than gold or silver

Only you can satisfy

You alone are the real joy giver

And the apple of my eye

 You're my friend and you are my Father

Even though you are my King

I love you more than any other

So much more than anything

(Martin J. Nystrom)

Again, you can read that song from the perspective of the worshiper, longing to commune with his Creator. 

But, if you listen closely, you can hear the Creator softly singing back, "As the deer pants for the water, So My heart longs after you,.You alone are My heart's desire And I long to be loved by you."

Rooted in Momentum

Momentum -" the impetus gained by a moving object."  Well, according to Google's definition, at least. 

But, what about momentum in God?  Have you ever experienced that?  What does that even mean?  Can an unseen God propel us forward in a tangible world?  I know for myself, the answer is an immediate "yes."

As early as the time of Moses, the Lord has moved His people forward.  "Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”  (Exodus 3:10) This was no ordinary sending. . . first, God called Moses.  When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” (Exodus 3:4).  We must first be listening for God's voice when He calls us.  It's not always as clear as that of a burning bush or a ringing bell (or a trumpet for that matter!).  It's a more often than not, a soft, still whisper in the depths of our soul.  It's a pause, a breath, a just stopping short of what we were about to do on our own.  And, when He has our attention, God tells us to MOVE.  He may be sending us, like He did Moses, or he could be calling us out of our comfort zone for something bigger than ourselves.

“The LORD our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negeb and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them.’ (Deut. 1:6-8).  

When we don't move on our own, after the Holy Spirit has prompted us to move, God will move us!  But, it doesn't have to be so hard!  If we would just be sensitive to His leading.  He has promised us to take us beyond ourselves and into His glory.  We need not understand the process, we just need to OBEY.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Prov. 3:5-6

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

 ...“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior...." Isaiah 43:1

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you." Psalm 32:8

I could continue with Scripture after Scripture, promise after promise.  The question is, do you and I truly believe in and lean on those promises?  

On a minute by minute basis, you could scrutinize my life and say that I do not.  I could easily be called a hypocrite.  Yet, aren't we all?  We all contradict ourselves in one form or fashion.  It's inevitable.  We're human!  Yet, if you really want to look at my life, I would hope that you would see that my life has become an outpouring of what has been poured into me.  Living Water. . . it runs deep within my soul.  My roots have been soaked in the glory of the Living God and my cup runs over with blessing.  While I still experience pain, depressed moods, challenges and mountains, I am learning to lean on what my Heavenly Father has given me - stability in Him.  I am rooted.  

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought,  for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

Rooted.  So, how then do I enter into His momentum?  It's kind of complicated when you are looking in from the outside.  However, it makes complete sense when you really look at what is happening. 

I am rooted in Jesus.  He is more than my Redeemer, He IS.  When you find yourself immersed in the ever present Spirit of the Living God, you can rest in the strength and power He commands.  Rooted in Him, but free to be the Daughter of the Most High King, a Daughter of Sarah, a sinner cleansed white by the Blood of the Lamb and so completely attached to the Rock of my Salvation that I can move forward by His will and authority and power.  

We are not our own.  We like to think that we are in charge of our own lives.  However, we are either fellowshipping with the Light or the Dark.  The choice is a personal one, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

Momentum.  Moving forward, yet steadfast. The impetus of God at work in our lives, to shine more glorious for His sake and to lead many more to the Well.