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Blessing in the Brokenness

For those of you who know me, my story may or may not be familiar to you.  I write because I am now at liberty to do so.  And, now, I can share why I have that liberty.  The journey is not over yet, as I am constantly being reminded that there is "Blessing in the Brokenness". . . 

"Broken"              

adjective bro·ken \ˈbrō-kən\

: separated into parts or pieces by being hit, damaged, etc.

: not working properly

: not kept or honored[1]

Broken.  Ponder that word for a minute.  What does it mean to be broken?  Have we ever really looked at that word?  It's definition seems so simple if we apply it to an object or a promise. 

But, what does it really mean to be broken?  Have you ever lived in that place?  What does brokenness look like?  I can tell you.  I used to live there.

Twenty-two months ago, almost to the day, I was broken.  Not just broken, but shattered.  My heart in a million pieces, I walked out of my house, said goodbye to my then six-year old daughter, and just walked away.  I turned my cell phone location services off and then on again.  I turned the cell phone off and on again.  Tears streaming down my face, all I could think of was does my daughter know how much I love her?  Will they tell her?  Will he, speaking of my husband, equally in a place of brokenness, tell her that I love her?  I just walked and cried.   My heart cried out to God, who seemed so far away.  My body moved forward towards the local hospital, the only destination I could focus on that could possibly bring me healing. I texted my husband.  I called my best friend, whom I could not immediately reach.  Moved forward by desperation, I walked 4.3 miles before my husband finally came to pick me up.  And, the sight of my precious daughter running out to me sent my grief deeper into my soul.  Numbly, I walked back to the van and climbed in.  Soon, my best friend called and before I knew it, she was sitting in my living room and then I was sitting in the emergency room on a 72-hour mandatory psychiatric hold.  I don't remember how long it was before the social worker, larger than life on the television screen before me, released me to her care.  As I walked out with her, all I knew was that I didn't know what would happen next and I felt nothing but despair.

The one conscious thought I had was to make a phone call to my husband's best friend. I thought I was calling for my husband, to ensure someone was there for him.  But little did I know how that one phone call would be the beginning of a journey that I can describe as nothing short of miraculous.  The door to the Ministry Of Miracles was opening to me and I didn't even know it.

Our dear friend followed in obedience and made a phone call.  This phone call lead to my husband making a phone call, then another.  And, finally, the instruction came to me.  "I want you to pray about when, not if, you are going to call Bari.  When, Michelle, not if.  Rob has already spoken to her.  She would like to speak to you, too."  I agreed to pray, nothing more.  It's all I could agree to.  Yet, praying seemed so shallow and fruitless. 

But, oh, my Father in Heaven still heard.  He heard the prayers of my husband and our friends and my first call was made two days later on a Saturday night.  "How are you feeling, Michelle?" said a cheerful, but confident voice on the other end of the line.  "Anxious," I said.  "No, you aren't feeling anxious.  You're feeling dread."  How did she know? It was like she could look through the phone directly into my soul.  I tried to shrink further into myself, arms crossed and on the defensive.  But, something pulled me out of that posture.  Someone.  Not just the voice on the other end of the line, but Someone bigger than the two of us.  SURRENDER.  I will never forget writing that word, while laying on my stomach like a teenager, and smiling and laughing.  A new work had begun and my world started to change. 

Today, I walk in liberty.  I stand tall as a Daughter of Zion, a Daughter of the Most High King, a Daughter of Destiny. But this is not just any destiny.  It is a powerful, purpose-filled Destiny that was created before the Earth was formed and my heart existed to possess it.  Today I am rooted in the Living Water that gives me life, the very breath I breathe given to me by the Holy Spirit, poured out over the hours upon hours of counsel, instruction and revelation through the Ministry Of Miracles' principle, Bari.  Strongholds have been broken.  I no longer live with a shattered heart. The chains that once bound me lie scattered behind me.  No longer an empty vessel, the clay from which I was formed has been reshaped and renewed and it now holds the blessings of being raised up and out of captivity.  The scales have long since been removed my eyes and I walk in the light of God's perfect love, perfected in His righteousness, only made possible by Jesus' death and resurrection.  Words simply are not adequate to describe the healing that has mended the broken places in my life. 

Oh, but the blessings were not reserved just for me.  My husband has received counsel and instruction and walks in greater freedom than ever before.  My daughter instantly bonded to Bari and grows closer to God with each passing day.  Gone are the damaged places that kept us in bondage. Hearts and minds that were once under oppression and not working properly, freed and full of life and joy.  No longer are we wounded, living in a fog, feeling dishonored, for we live in the reality of the blessing and honor we receive as children of our loving Heavenly Father. 

Romans 8:9 - 17 says:

"But you, you do not identify with your old nature but with the Spirit - provided the Spirit of God is living inside you, for anyone who doesn't have the Spirit of the Messiah doesn't belong to him. However, if the Messiah is in you, then, on the one hand, the body is dead because of sin; but, on the other hand, the Spirit is giving life because God considers you righteous. And if the Spirit of the One who raised Yeshua from the dead is living in you, then the One who raised the Messiah Yeshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you. So then, brothers, we don't owe a thing to our old nature that would require us to live according to our old nature. For if you live according to your old nature, you will certainly die; but if, by the Spirit, you keep putting to death the practices of the body, you will live. All who are led by God's Spirit are God's sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to bring you back again into fear; on the contrary, you received the Spirit, who makes us sons and by whose power we cry out, "Abba!" (that is, "Dear Father!").  The Spirit himself bears witness with our own spirits that we are children of God; and if we are children, then we are also heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Messiah - provided we are suffering with him in order also to be glorified with him."[2]

Let's go back to that word, "broken."  Brokenness can be and is used by God.  Brokenness is necessary to the process of restoration.  Without being broken, we do not see the hidden places where anger, shame, bitterness, pain and sin hide.  Only when we are broken, can something new and beautiful be revealed.  A diamond's brilliance is not revealed until it has been broken from the layers of rock around it.  On the outside it is ugly and course, but once revealed and refined, we see it for what it really is - beautiful and precious.  Are we not God's precious jewels, born into an ugly and sinful world?  Reread Romans 8:9-17.  We are precious in the eyes of our Abba, Father, who sent His only Son to die a brutal death but was raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit to give us new life.  This new life must be born out of the brokenness that exists deep within our souls, the very brokenness that serves as the fertile ground on which the Holy Spirit cultivates and develops the roots that connect us to the Vine and sustains our lives.

Our blessings came not in place of, but because of and through the brokenness.  I needed to be broken for the Father to bring me to the Ministry Of Miracles.  I needed to be broken further in order to break free of the chains that bound me to the pain of my past.  The deepening bond of my heart to the Father's through the firm, yet gentle voice of Bari had to (and continues to) come as the Holy Spirit works in the depths of my soul through our calls.  And, oh, the overflowing joy!  The laughter and sharing as the Lord healed the hidden places in my husband and me over the last twenty-two months are beautiful and precious.  A song born in my daughter's heart, resonates within me as I reflect upon how even she has been reshaped and renewed though so young.

There is no shame in being broken.  For it is only when we are broken and humbled that we become teachable.  And, when we are teachable, the yearning in our souls is satisfied with the manna from Heaven, the Word made flesh, Jesus.  We can then enter His courts with praise and sing "Holy, holy, holy is ADONAI, God of heaven's armies the One who was, who is and who is coming!" (Revelation 4:8).[3]

Walk through the door.  The Father is waiting.  The Spirit is drawing.  The Ministry Of Miracles is the Ministry of the Miraculous.  I am living proof.  And, I praise Him with all that I am. 

For more information on the Ministry of Miracles, please visit www.ministryofmiracles.org.

[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/broken

[2] http://www.biblestudytools.com/cjb/romans/8.html

[3] http://www.biblestudytools.com/cjb/revelation/4.html

It's okay to be weak.

In the last several posts, I have championed strength.  As a matter of fact, I'm in the middle of another Spirit-filled post about victory.  However, as I reflected today on the weakness I have in my physical body (courtesy of this season's version of "flu"), I realized, it's okay to feel weak and vulnerable and still have strength within you.

Many of us have quoted Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9  (I have often quoted it, myself):

"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 

But oftentimes, we leave out verse 10, which completes Paul's thought:

"For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

So what does it mean to be weak?  Is it a negative thing?  Perhaps by the world's standards.   Professor Google defines the term as "(1) lacking the power to perform physically demanding tasks; lacking physical strength and energy, or (2) liable to break or give way under pressure; easily damaged."  In society, showing mercy is considered weak, being honest can make you the "weak link," and being physically lacking often is used to describe a person as a whole as "weak."

But, if being weak is lacking in the world, how much more is it desired in the Kingdom of God?

If we are not weak (vulnerable), we cannot be broken and molded.

Jeremiah 3-4:

So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. "And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the Lord came to me:  “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

If we are not weak, we cannot we be restored and made whole.

Luke 5:5-9 

One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”  “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.” Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking!

If we are not weak (vulnerable), our hearts cannot be open to God's plan:

Luke 1:35-38

"And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her."

Yes, God's mighty power is made greater in our weakness, but perhaps it's when we are willing to be weak, that God can do His greatest work in and through us.  As I have written before, it is through surrender that we gain our greatest blessings and power.  When "we end," Christ begins!  It is in and through right standing in God that we have the ability to tap into our inheritance in Christ.  And, Christ freely gave that right to us at His most vulnerable point in life, His death on the cross.

Strength in Christ is essential and being a warrior in God's army requires a lot of spiritual fortitude.  Yet, even warriors must show their weaknesses from time to time.  It's how truces are made.  Yet, they never lose their edge, their confidence, their readiness, or their focus.  Instead, they let the softer side of themselves be used for a greater purpose. 

Whatever weakness you find yourself in today, rest in knowing that God's grace is sufficient for you and He will carry you forth as long as you take the time to rest in His loving kindness and let Him turn your weakness into His glory.  

Failure is not an option!

Have you ever had that feeling that you if you just had one more day, one more hour, one more ounce of "umpf" in your step, that you could reach your final destination or goal?  I know I do.  I've had so many thoughts swirling around in my head, ideas, inclinations, and yet, the Lord impressed upon me to think on the story of Joshua and the City of Jericho.

We all know the story.  God told Joshua that Jericho was His.  He gave Joshua instructions on how to conquer the city (see Joshua 6).  The familiar children's hymn comes to mind, "Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho.  Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came a-tumbling down."

The thought occurred to me, what if Joshua hadn't completed the full seven marches around the city over the course of seven days?   What if he stopped just short of the finish line?  Would the walls still have fallen down?  Would the annals of history been the same? 

While I could amuse myself with the possible alternate outcomes, the bottom line is this:  we will never know.  My gut feeling is that the walls wouldn't have come "a-tumbling down."  In fact, I don't believe that the Lord would have allowed Joshua to fail.  I think He would have given Joshua a good talking-to and sent him to finish what he had begun.  I don't believe that failure was an option for Joshua.  And it's not an option for you or I either.

I can hear some of you of saying, that's ridiculous!  Failure just happens. It's how we learn. Didn't Edison prove that with the light bulb?  However, I would tell you that we are not talking about the same thing.

I know I've written before about knowing who we are in Christ.  Our identity in Him is the foundation upon which we build our lives.    If we do not know who we are, we cannot accomplish our purpose.  And we cannot be without purpose.   Purpose is what drives us to succeed.   We fail when we do not know how to succeed.  But, we have been given everything we need to have victory in life.

Paul said in Hebrews 12:1-4

So then, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us, too, put aside every impediment — that is, the sin which easily hampers our forward movement — and keep running with endurance in the contest set before us,  looking away to the Initiator and Completer of that trusting, Yeshua — who, in exchange for obtaining the joy set before him, endured execution on a stake as a criminal, scorning the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Yes, think about him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you won’t grow tired or become despondent.  You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in the contest against sin.

I have to be honest.  I have read that Scripture multiple times, but as I was just reading it again, I saw something that struck me differently this time.  "...put aside every impediment — that is, the sin which easily hampers our forward movement — and keep running with endurance in the contest set before us,  looking away to the Initiator and Completer of that trusting..."  What is it that hampers our forward movement?  Sin.  What sin, you ask?  Any.  Sin is sin.  Whether we believe our sin to be "little" or "big," it's all the same to God.  But, there is something else.  Whom do we look to? ”. . . to the Initiator and Completer of that trusting..."   Our forward movement is entirely dependent on our trust in God. (check out my post here for more on that subject)  Without our trust in Him, we are merely stopping short of what we are called to do and the fulfillment of all that God has purposed for us 

Joshua put his trust in God.  He took of his shoes.  (Joshua 5:15).  In biblical times, removal of your shoes was to give up your authority over yourself.  It was a complete act of submission.  Not only did Joshua obey, but he trusted God for the future.  His declaration is probably  hanging in your home or in the very least, you have recited it over your family:  "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord!" (Joshua 24:15) But what would have happened if Joshua hadn't had enough faith in the God of his ancestors to complete the assignment at Jericho?  Would we still have that declaration to speak over our homes today?

Joshua understood the importance of moving forward in God.  He didn't question the command to march around the city.  He trusted and obeyed (more on that here).  It took a lot of faith to take a city without an embroiling battle.  For a warrior of God, marching in silence had to be difficult to do.  Yet, we are called to move forward in faith.   Jesus didn't die on the cross so you and I could stand by and be idle!  Blessings need our participation to come to fruition!  We must complete the assignment as it is given, and not stop just short because we can't see the outcome.  We have to believe that God's outcome is far better than what we hope for and perseverance will pay off!  So often we stop just one or two steps from our being able to sound the trumpet of victory and we never even know just how close we've come.

". . . Keep running with endurance. . ."  Keep on marching around your Jericho.  You have everything you need to succeed inside you! 

Failure is not an option in God.  Our victories have already been won.  It's up to us to claim them.

For or Against?

The push and pull of life can get you down.  From the moment we open our eyes, it seems we are ready for battle.  Whether it's fighting your body to get up and at 'em, dragging your kids out of bed or it's "time to make the donuts," life seems like a constant fight.  Some days we wake up with the fight in us, and some days we feel defeated before we even move a muscle.  The how and the why seem to escape us most days.  Oftentimes, we look to Heaven and wonder where our Champion is.  The reality is He has never moved.  It is we who have stepped away from the protection He freely offers us.

We often hear or even quote Romans 8:31:  "What, then, are we to say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"  We say it when we don't know what to say.  When seemingly insurmountable circumstances face us, this Scripture is meant to bring comfort and peace.  Back up a few verses and you'll find Romans 8:28, "Furthermore, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with his purpose."  Read all of Romans 8 and you will find evidence of God's constant protection, provision and peace.  I believe that all these Scriptures are true.  But, I have a question for you. . .

Are you for or against God?

From the beginning of time, God predestined each and every one of our lives.  Yes, He knew we would betray Him, curse Him, and doubt Him.  He even knew we would fight Him.  Desperate to hide their sin, our first parents hid themselves, lied to their Creator and suffered the consequences of fighting who they were created to be.  We are foolish to think we are any different than they.  And, just as they had a choice, we, too, have the free will to be for or against the very one who breathed us into being.

So, why do we fight?  What is it that we fight against?  Are we really fighting our Creator?  What has He done that causes us to fight Him so? 

Nothing.  We can shake our fists and cry foul play during our darkest hour, but in the end, we will end up on our knees.  King David lamented in  Psalm 42, "I say to God, my Rock, why have you forgotten me?"  Even Jesus Himself, . . ." uttered a loud cry, “Elohi! Elohi! L’mah sh’vaktani?” (which means, “My God! My God! Why have you deserted me?”)" (Mark 15:34, Complete Jewish Bible).  Even so, both David and Jesus rested in knowing God was always for them.

I could recite a litany of Scripture for you.  Instead, I ask you to look deep inside yourself and tell me what you see.  To truly understand how fiercely God loves and fights for us, we must understand who we are. 

Consider these words:  

Sealed.  Protected.  Purchased.  Cherished.  Beloved.  Redeemed.  Saved.  Set Apart.  Blessed. 

The common denominator between those words is YOU.  You may not feel that you fit the description at this very moment, but the truth of the matter is that you are all these things.  God, from the beginning, set out to show you that you are priceless, loved beyond measure and absolutely worth fighting for.  So, why do we claw and scratch and fight our way through life as if God is keeping us from the very life we deserve? 

Because we deserve better.  We deserve what God has planned for us.  In our efforts to attain all that we believe we are entitled to, we let our emotions, our circumstances and our surroundings define us instead of the truth.   Time after time after time, humankind has bent its ear to the darkness, listening to the lies that tell us that we will determine our worth.  Yet, our worth was settled long before you or I heard hurtful words, long before Jesus suffered on the cross, long before Moses struck down an Egyptian, long before Cain killed Abel and even before Eve took a bite out of the forbidden fruit.   "In the beginning, God. . ." 

As God spoke life into all creation, He knew our own hearts would fail us.  As He laid the foundation of the world, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:27).   We were created in His own image, in the very image of God.  We don't have to know what He looks like, because all we have to do is look in the mirror.  We may not always like what we see, but the truth of the matter is WE ARE created in the very image of the great I AM.

So, who are we really fighting against?  The war within ourselves is very real, and we constantly feel like we are fighting against God and everything that surrounds us.  But, when we stop and think about the fight, do we really fight against the very One that gave us life?

The answer is a resounding "no."  We are caught in the middle of a mighty war.  Satan would have you believe that you must fight against God to get what you want out of life.  He twists and manipulates our thoughts, our emotions and our actions.  The Father of Lies would have us believe that we are unlovable, unworthy and that somehow God doesn't think we're deserving.  The truth of it all is that he is the one that has fallen from grace. Determined to make his war ours, he takes pleasure in turning us against each other and ultimately against the Lord.  God did give us free will - the will to choose His way or choose our own - and Satan will stop at nothing to bring us under the influence of the very sin he perpetuated before all time began (see Isaiah 14:12-17).

While it may seem like we are merely helpless pawns in a spiritual game of chess, the truth remains:  God IS for us and we are not helpless!   Whether or not we see His hand on our lives, He is always there, guiding our paths, allaying our fears, healing our hurts, and championing our cause.  We're the ones that get in the way of our own blessings.  We are a stubborn, rebellious, ungrateful, prideful, self-righteous, think-we-know-it-all people.  We have been that way from the beginning.  But, just as our ancestors of old had a choice to follow God or their own foolish hearts, we too, can follow either path.

So, who are you really for?  Are you for or against God?  His position never changed.  The real question may be, are you for or against yourself?  Let us go back to Romans 8, this time in verse 29:

"Because those whom he knew in advance, he also determined in advance would be conformed to the pattern of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers; and those whom he thus determined in advance, he also called; and those whom he called, he also caused to be considered righteous; and those whom he caused to be considered righteous he also glorified!"

I think we can add to our list of adjectives:  Predestined.  Righteous.  Glorified.  LOVED.

How can we fight against such love?  Love that gave up so much, the very lifeblood of all humanity, given for us, to ensure we would love and be loved by our Heavenly Father. 

It's not easy to stop fighting.  The fight burns within us as we seek justice for all that it at odds with what we believe to be good and right.  But, I will ask you again, are you for or against God?  And, this time, don't be so quick to answer.  If you're anything like me, you'll be reevaluating your battle plan and ensuring you're on the right side of the fight.

The Formula for Success

We all look for it, yearn for it. . . the formula for a successful life.  Books a plenty have been written on it, as well as seminars, webinars and the like.  The "how-to's" and "wherefores" of success in this life seem to favor the rich, the famous and those with the mind for business.  "And you, too, can have all this and more if you just send me $19.95 plus shipping and handling. . ."  

But, what really defines a successful life?  Is it all just oversized homes, ridiculously fast cars, shiny jewelry and servants at your beck and call 24-7?  To many, even most, that may be exactly what they think equals success in this life.  But, I believe there is so much more.

Don't get me wrong, I love nice things.  I like to be comfortable and enjoy my surroundings.  But, things don't define me.  Oh, you could label me successful by observing my middle-class lifestyle  (if such a class even exists anymore).  However, stuff is stuff.  And, I have been ridding my life of the kind of stuff that limits my ability to truly be successful.  Simplicity is often times our best and kindest companion.

In light of all this, I have been pondering this question as to what makes life work.  Without hesitation, I can tell you that God is the center of all that is good and right in my  life.  But some may ask why.  What is it about God that moves me, inspires me, and makes me who I am?

The secret lies in my relationship with God.  Now, wait. . .before you start skimming down the page or click on an ad, hear me out.  It is through my relationship with God that I have discovered the true formula for success.

When you think about what makes a relationship work, what word comes to mind?  I'm sure there are many, but I will spare you the headache and give one to you.  TRUST.  Trust is a fundamental component to all successful relationships and our relationship with God is no different.   

Trust is the "firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something."  (Thank you, Professor Google).  However, if we look to God for a definition, the Scripture that comes to mind is 2 Corinthians 5:7 "for we live by trust, not by what we see." (Complete Jewish Bible,  hereinafter "CJB").  Most of us know this verse to say "for we walk by faith, not by sight." (English Standard Version).  

Trust.  Faith in the unseen, moved to action by an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God.  Most of us are familiar with the "trust test" whereby you stand in front of someone and free fall backwards in complete confidence that the person standing behind you will catch you before you hit the ground. Our trust in God is no different.  Confidence, being so grounded in Him that following Him and His plan occurs without giving it too much thought.  "Fix[ing] our eyes on the things that we can't see now." ("Here now" (Madness) by Hillsong United))  Trust is that component to which no form can be given, it just exists.  Whether you earn it or it's given, trust is fundamental to our success in life.

What does trust look like, when it comes to God?  For that, let's look at another word:  Obedience.  (Some of you just cringed, but again, stick with me here.  . .)

Obedience, according to Professor Google, means "compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority."  Again, let's look at it through Scripture.  Jesus is the perfect example of obedience, in all His ways, but most importantly because Jesus, being fully human, yet fully God, "humbled himself still more by becoming obedient even to death —death on a stake as a criminal!!" (Philippians 2:8, CJB).  Obedient to the Father's will, obedient unto death, even when He felt the grief of what He faced in His frail humanity, Jesus still prayed “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, let not my will but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42, CJB, emphasis mine). 

Trust.  Obedience.  Both powerful words on their own, but together, even more so. We've heard them strung together in that beautiful hymn by John Henry Sammis:

"Trust and obey,

For there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus,

  But to trust and obey."

Did you catch it?  Read it again.  Trust and Obedience, when partnered together, bear the most glorious fruit!  "To be happy in Jesus [is] to trust and obey."  Happiness, joy, contentment.  These are the true measurements of success.  Jesus, Himself, said in John 14:

 “Don’t let yourselves be disturbed. Trust in God and trust in me. In my Father’s house are many places to live. If there weren’t, I would have told you; because I am going there to prepare a place for you.  Since I am going and preparing a place for you, I will return to take you with me; so that where I am, you may be also.  . . . Trust me, that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me. But if you can’t, then trust because of the works themselves. Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever trusts in me will also do the works I do! Indeed, he will do greater ones, because I am going to the Father. In fact, whatever you ask for in my name, I will do; so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me for something in my name, I will do it.  “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. . . . Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me, and the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”  . . . “If someone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Someone who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words — and the word you are hearing is not my own but that of the Father who sent me. . . this is happening so that the world may know that I love the Father, and that I do as the Father has commanded me.  (CJB, emphasis mine)

Do you see it now?  Trust and obedience produce the favor of God.  

 "Trust + Obedience = Blessing."

Paul echoed Jesus' teaching in Philippians 2:12-16:

So, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey now when I am away from you: keep working out your deliverance with fear and trembling, for God is the one working among you both the willing and the working for what pleases him. Do everything without kvetching or arguing,  so that you may be blameless and pure children of God, without defect in the midst of a twisted and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the sky,  as you hold on to the Word of Life. If you do this, I will be able to boast, when the Day of the Messiah comes, that I did not run or toil for nothing. (CJB, emphasis mine)

Trust + Obedience = Blessing.  "If you love me, you will obey my commandments."  Trust is a core element of love.  If you cannot trust someone you love, how pure can that love be?  And, true obedience is born out of love.  Some may argue that fear creates obedience.  Interestingly enough,  God agrees: "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?" (Deuteronomy 10:12-13, ESV, emphasis mine)

Even in the Garden of Eden, God asked His children to trust and obey.  "The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat from the fruit of the trees of the garden, but about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, ‘You are neither to eat from it nor touch it, or you will die.’” (Genesis 3:2-3, ESV)  In other words, "Trust Me.  Obey Me.  For if you do not, the blessings will cease."

The proof is undeniable.  Blessings are not handed out to the prettiest, smartest, richest, or most clever.  Blessings are bestowed upon those who have placed their trust in and give their obedience to an all-knowing, all-seeing, ever-present, ever-loving God.  We measure success based on the outcomes of what we do, how we act, and what we say.  There is truth to that line of thinking, however, we must be mindful of Whom is truly measuring those outcomes.  

True success is attainable in this life.  It is gained through hard work, pure motives and good stewardship.  All these things still boil down to these simple words:  

"Trust and obey,

For there’s no other way

To be happy in [all things],

  But to trust and obey."

The Story of God

The Story seems so familiar.  Humble beginnings.  Born in the secret place.  Born fully human, yet fully God.  Born in such a way that He would know and be known by His creation in such an intimate way.  Son of God, Son of Man.  Born to suffer, born to die.  Born to bring Life, Light and Truth to a dark world.  Born to conquer death and the grave.  Born to ascend to the right hand of the Father.  Born to send the Comforter, the Spirit of the Living God, to indwell the hearts of men.  Born to bring His story to earth and make it ours.

Each of us comes from broken beginnings.  Even as our first parents felt the pain of their sin in the Garden of Eden, so we, too, come to a world shrouded in darkness and pain.  Yet, His Story has always included us.  Before the beginning of the ages, God saw the need for His love sacrifice and made it so.  And, today, God with us and God within us writes the story that sings the song of His beloved.

You, yes, you.  You are His Beloved.  You are the pages upon which He writes.  The Blood of His Son, Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, the ink.  You are the story of His love.  Your life tells of His redemptive work in such a time as this.  No one can tell your story like Jesus.  No one can wear the beautiful life that He has clothed you with but you.  Every moment of your life has, does and will continue to serve a purpose - to glorify your Father in Heaven and bring His wayward children home. 

 “You are light for the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Likewise, when people light a lamp, they don’t cover it with a bowl but put it on a lampstand, so that it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they may see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven."  (Matthew 5:14-16 Complete Jewish Bible)

Embrace your story, His Story in you.  You never know when your light will shine so brightly that it will impact someone you've never met.  You never know when someone will need your God story to find healing, purpose, and life within themselves.  The God Story in you could be the spark that lights the God story in someone else.