“Goodness”

While going through some of my things, trying to organize and size some things down, I found an interesting note that I wrote a while back. As I read my note I began to reflect on the goodness of God…

I think sometimes in the midst of circumstances or daily life we forget to worship God and recognize His goodness. A person can believe for a long time and they cannot understand why an answer has not come. I believe that the main reason an answer is delayed is due to the fact that we as people, forget to worship God and remember His goodness. Even in the midst of circumstances God is good. If we would worship God in spite of circumstances I believe that the breakthroughs that people are waiting for would come.

God is faithful and good all of the time. If, as God's people, we would recognize that God is bigger than our issues and just worship Him in the midst of our issues, how much more would we see the things of God in our lives? I believe greater breakthrough would come as we magnify God. What do you do when you have prayed and done all that you know to do in a situation or circumstance? You stand for what you need yet nothing seems to be changing… Maybe we are not able to see God's goodness in the midst of it all. Maybe as we glorify God the circumstances will fade away. God's goodness remains regardless of our situations.

Really, if we see and believe in the goodness of God we would be more excited to worship Him. The good book says that He inhabits the praises of His people. We want His presence in the middle of whatever is in our life. God is the one who makes the difference. When God inhabits the praises of His people that is where He is free to move in our lives. When we praise Him for His everlasting, never-changing goodness that is where God moves freely.

Take some time to worship God for His goodness. There is always something negative to focus on, make a new choice to focus on His goodness. You will be amazed as you see God show you His goodness as He is free to move in every circumstance you face. As we magnify Him everything else fades away. As we allow God to be bigger in our lives, then the circumstances are forced to change. God is good. It is easy to spend so much time thinking of what could be, what should be or even what we hope things will be. For me, I want to spend more time focusing on God's goodness because I know as I magnify Him He is free to move in every area of my life and free to show His goodness, His faithfulness, His love, His mercy, His grace, His justice… What is it in your life that you need to see God's goodness? Begin to magnify and praise Him and see how God will come in to meet you right where you are.

“Dream”

Over the past couple of months I have been working on an event for the Ladies Ministry titled "Dream". We had our "Dream" event a few weeks ago and it was great! We were able to launch our latest series and we have begun to study Hannah and the details of "entrusting your dreams to God". With all the focus on dreams it has got me thinking a lot about what that means or what that even looks like.

Too many times I think we give up on our dreams or shrink back on pursuing our dreams because we buy in to the lies of the enemy. Are we afraid of something? Are we unable to trust that God is big enough for our dream? Do we doubt the possibility of the dreams we really have in our hearts? I think if we are honest with ourselves we would see that we have most likely hit each one of these places at one time or another. After posing these questions to myself I began to hear the Holy Spirit encourage me once again with a new set of questions. Doesn't God have bigger dreams for us than we even have for ourselves (1 Cor 2:9)? Isn't God, God Almighty (Gen 17:1-2)? Doesn't the greater one live on the inside of us (1 John 4:4)?

This process of questioning brought me to a new place as I began to remember some truths I had heard before; for starters, the issue of God being big enough for what I have dreamed of. Something interesting about God is that He is already as big as He is ever going to be… God is already as big as He needs to be. The question is not, "is God big enough?" The question is: "Is God big enough inside of me, inside of you?"! We need to magnify God in us, in our situations and in our dreams (Ps 34:3). We need to see God as bigger than anything we face or feel.

Just a thought, but didn't God reveal Himself as God Almighty? God revealed Himself as El Shaddai to Abram, to His people and to us. When God revealed His heart and His character as El Shaddai, He clearly let it be known that He was able to handle any situation that confronts His people; that He was self sufficient, almighty, able. God is saying that He is bigger than any obstacle and that He will always fulfill His promises to us despite any problem!

Be encouraged to pursue the dreams that God wants to birth in and through your life (Phil 3:14)! Magnify God in you – He is big enough, He is able, He is Almighty! Dream big and know that God is with you.

“Gathering”

Over the past couple of days I have watched my son become attached to some of his stuffed animals. I realized today that my son (Isaiah) would try to gather up ALL of the toys within the area that he could see. As Isaiah would reach for each toy he began to get very frustrated with the fact that his arms got full very quickly and he had no more room for the ones that he still wanted to hold. Isaiah could not pick and choose; he wanted to hold them all! As I have noticed him doing this my thinking went to how amazing it was that Isaiah did not want to leave out any of the toys, it was impressive that he wanted to gather them all up. But, today, something struck me when I watched him become frustrated. How often do we do this in our lives and ministries? We try to gather up more than we should and only end in frustration.

The concept of handling everything seems admirable and is even taught in our culture as the way it is to be and we label it responsibility. How productive can we really be if we are frustrated? How productive can we be if our arms are too full to reach for the details God is calling our attention to? For me, I have been working towards getting things off of my plate in order to make room for the things God is directing my undivided attention to. Not that any of the things I am doing are "bad" but they are overloading me to the point of interfering with other important things. I have seen for a while that God has placed people around me that are capable of doing things that I have always done and that I need to open the door to them to do new things in their life. Not only is it what they are called to but it frees me to do more precisely what I am called to. How interesting that my choice to not overload not only helps me avoid frustration but will also bless another simultaneously.

I love seeing Isaiah gather all of his toys and love each one of them with a big giant hug. However, there will come a day when he will have to choose which ones to hold and which ones to let another hold. The frustration we experience when we are overloaded is not because we are inadequate or irresponsible. Maybe we just need to choose which "toys" to lie down and bless another with and which "toys" to put our undivided attention on. God is specific and strategic, always having the big picture in mind. As each of us focus in, become more specific and precise, it is going to be amazing to see all that God brings together for His Glory! Let's make sure we are hugging the right toys and not walking in frustration.

“On The Other Side”

Years ago I heard a message where a man spoke about people waiting on the other side of my obedience. This thought goes along with what I have been writing the last couple of weeks. Stepping out of the boat, action required on my part to see God do the inconceivable, and now what my actual obedience means. The message I heard on the idea of the people waiting on the other side of my obedience has stuck with me for about 15 years! I think of this often and recently it seems to be magnified in my thoughts. If I am not obedient to God in this moment the people that would be affected by God in me may miss out. Don't get me wrong I do believe like with Esther and Mordecai if we drop the ball that God will raise up another so that no one misses what He has for them. But like Esther I believe we were born for such a time as this! Why would I want to pass the opportunity along for someone else to step up and fulfill the roll I was really called to? If God is leading me I want to obey so that the big picture God sees for my life and the impact that my life is to have will be completed!

I think of things like timing. My husband just began an educational program that has been years in the making. The timing has been perfect and I have wondered why that is? Then I realized that the open doors God has lined up for us were not ready until now - open doors for things in the future that I cannot see yet that He has prepared for us; divine appointments with others in the program that just happen to be there at the same time as he is. My thoughts can go on and on with this. God is a big picture God and our obedience in this moment will affect our next moment and the people that will be there.

His leading is not just about us in this moment. His leading is about us in every moment. What God has for me to do in this life is to have an impact here. There is great purpose in what God leads His people to do. Think of if Abraham had not gone up to the mountain to sacrifice Isaac as God instructed? Then God would not have revealed Himself as the God who provides. We know that God provides because of Abraham's obedience! Think of if Esther chose not to obey? There is so much strategy revealed in Esther's obedience! Think of the ramifications in our life if we do not obey? What does God want to reveal through our obedience? Who does God want to touch through our obedience? There are people waiting on the other side of my obedience to God!

 

“The Inconceivable”

Sometimes the "smart" thing to do is not what you are supposed to do… What seems smart to us may not be the way God leads. I have been throwing this thought around in my mind for a while. God is great and mighty and time and time again throughout His Word we see how He defied human logic and did things that were inconceivable to man. Time and time again we see how God asked His people to take steps in line with the inconceivable or impossible, asking His people to trust Him the whole way and they did! I know that God never changes yet I wonder why so many of us are not trusting God for the inconceivable anymore?

The God I believe in is the same God that parted the Red Sea for His people to walk across on dry ground! Not only did He give His people a pathway to walk on but He also took care of the enemy in pursuit of them by total annihilation! This is the same God that makes a way for me today! This is the same God that told Noah to build the ark with no logical evidence that what he would build the ark for was anywhere near possible. This is the same God that told Abraham to go up the mountain to sacrifice Isaac giving him full confidence that He would provide all he needed. God has never failed on a promise He has made yet we are not really living like we trust Him.

On one side I am sad that I have dishonored God by not trusting Him to the fullest possible extent and on the other side I am eager to trust Him more. I want to see the same God that led Mary and Joseph and countless others in the Word by dreams and visions. I want to walk in the place where God's power is displayed having full confidence that He is the same today! One conclusion I have come to is that in every situation where God displayed His power His people were required to carry out an action. We want God to show up big in our lives but we are standing still wondering where He is. I think God is waiting on us and we have been waiting on Him? What actions are we pursuing in response to Gods direction in our lives? Abraham had to go to the mountain with Isaac, Noah had to build the ark, the children of Israel had to get to the place where they needed to cross the Red Sea, and the list goes on. Following after God requires a little faith and a whole lot of obedience which is visible by our actions. I am excited to see God show up in every area of my life as I follow after Him. Today, I want to see God do the inconceivable in and through my life as the God who never changes!

“Safety In The Boat?”

I have been thinking a lot about the risk involved in getting out of the boat and going for something in faith with God. Everything in me says that I will be better off following after God than I would ever be staying where I am at! Where I am, in the safety of the boat, will never achieve what I am called to or what I desire or even the impact that God wants my life to have. I have thought: "Lord, what about when the wind and waves come?" My thought being, that in the safety of the boat I will be protected… Then I thought about Peter, when he took the risk to get out of the boat. Peter only began to sink when he lost his focus on Jesus. The most interesting part of Peter's experience to me is that the wind and the waves were affecting both those in the boat and Peter. Who was more safe; those in the boat or Peter? Those in the boat most likely were not too comfortable with being tossed about, maybe not sure how bad the storm would get before it passed. Peter seems unbothered by the storm when his focus was on Jesus and even when he saw the wind and waves and was shaken, beginning to sink, he was able to cry out and Jesus helped him. Really the safest place appears to be out of the boat with Jesus!

Why do we hesitate to trust Him and get out of the boat when He calls? Why do we think that staying in the boat will be safe? The safety of the boat is an illusion! The safest, strongest place is out on the water with Jesus! I am called to a life of faith and that has corresponding actions. How long do I talk about doing something great for God? I look back at the truth in the Bible and I see how time and time again God did things through His people that defied human logic and turned things around with amazing reversal. Why do we not trust Him to show up like that in our daily lives? Is not God the same yesterday, today and forever? He is the God that parted the Red Sea for His people to cross over. He is the one that had Noah do things that made no sense to any human being at the time, yet it was the "water walk" that Noah was called to. God is the God of miracles and I do believe that to be true and I long for my life to line up with that truth… God has shown Himself trustworthy time and time again, not only in the Bible but in my life. I, for one, am getting out of the boat to walk with my almighty, trustworthy, faithful Lord and I can hardly wait to see what He does next!

“Good Enough Faith”

I like to post a blog once a week. For the last two weeks I have struggled to post something. Not because I did not have anything, but because I was still thinking about what I did have. My initial struggle within myself was to write about a "good enough faith". I have been perplexed at the people around me and I see so many settle for what is good enough and not cry out for more than enough from our more than enough God. I do not want to settle for the barely get by mentality when God tells me that ALL things are possible with Him. Today, I sit here writing and thinking that there is a shift in the people of God. A shift from a good enough mentality to a more than enough mentality; because the move that God wants to do in His church and through His people is going to take the more than enough faith in the more than enough God! Those of us that have settled are going to begin believing God for more than enough in every situation that concerns us.

When my husband and I believed for children we could have just said, "Lord, give us a healthy baby" and yes, that would have been incredible. After being told that with all the technology we have I would only have a 20% chance of ever conceiving and an unknown chance to carry to term; something rose up in me that said God can do so much more than the just enough! Now, we have two healthy babies, boy and girl twins. I find myself at a similar crossroad today. My husband and I are in transition and we are taking some bold steps. Once again I find myself asking God to show up with more than enough! Once again I sense a shift in my Spirit where God's children will stop holding back, stop justifying the good enough and begin to ask our more than enough God for His more than enough provision, strength, confidence, love, freedom, peace, miracles…

I actually had a conversation with some friends about this and asked what keeps them from asking God for more than enough? The common response was that they thought of others being worse off than them so that they should not ask or that they felt like they were being greedy. I proposed a question; what if the enemy is trying to rob you from the more than enough to limit the help that you could be to those worse off situations, or just trying to rob you of blessing because that is what the enemy does? Do we not think that God wants his children to be blessed in every area of life? We have not because we ask not. Ask and receive that your joy may be complete. Come before Him boldly. God is a big mighty God without limit – why are we hesitant to ask Him for greatness???

“Boogity, Boogity, Boogity”

My husband and I like to watch NASCAR racing. We each have a favorite team and we enjoy the thrill of a loud roar of a very fast and effective engine. It is amazing to watch them go as fast as they do and stay in control (most of the time). One of our favorite announcers says something at the start of every race that has become very famous in NASCAR: "Reach up there and pull those belts tight one more time! Boogity, Boogity, Boogity let's go racing boys!"

Today I feel like this is the cry of the Holy Spirit's heart. That we as His people would pull our belts tight, hold on and run the race He has set out for us! To just say "Boogity, Boogity, Boogity" let's go for it! Let's rev our engines, let's go with God with great speed and force, and let's use everything available to win the race we are running! I feel an excitement building in the Spirit as God is moving on the hearts of His people to step out of their "boats" and walk on water with Him, to trust Him fully and run without looking back or looking to either side but with focus and determination, with zeal and complete strength.

Oddly enough this phrase that has become a trademark of this very well known announcer and former champion racer was not born with him. This phrase or a portion of it has been "used for over 60 years, the story as told by this announcer is that, as a driver, he got tired of hearing his spotter or crew chief say "green, green, green" at the start of every race and wanted to hear something more original." That made me think… How long has God been yelling in our head phones "green, green, green"? He is there as our "spotter" and "crew chief", He is orchestrating every detail and putting in to place all that concerns us, He is encouraging us and cheering us on and he is doing all of this as one who has been where we are. Maybe we have stopped listening because we are tired of hearing "GREEN, GREEN, GREEN!". The spotter is yelling, the crowd is on their feet and cheering and if we do not step on the gas full force at the drop of that flag at the start of the race we will miss our chance to win. I believe today is the start of a new race for God's children and that He is changing it up with a cry we can hear and obey: "Reach up there and pull those belts tight one more time! Boogity, Boogity, Boogity let's go racing boys!"

“Display”

I have been reading and studying in Psalms lately and a few weeks ago I was focusing on Psalm 77. Since that day I have not been able to get out of my mind verse 14, which says: "You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples." In particular the word "display" has been the focus of my meditation. What does it mean to display something? As I have been thinking and praying about this I have become more and more excited about what this means for my life and for my walk with my Lord. On my inside I am worked up as I immediately thought of the fact that when something is "displayed" everyone can see it, feel it, hear it, experience it, be affected by it; it is evident, and real. It also got me thinking about who the "peoples" are? Wait a minute! I am God's "peoples" you are God's "peoples!" God's miracles and power are to be displayed in my life. This is not some far off distant hope or something good I happened to read in my Bible one day. This is what I have begun to cry out for, to see God's power and miracles displayed in my life and displayed through my life.

Curiosity got the best of me and I looked up the word "displayed" in the dictionary, it literally means to unfold, to put or spread before view, to make evident, to exhibit ostentatiously and it is synonymous with the word show. Some other Bible translations use the words "made known" and "demonstrate" in place of the word "display". It seems whatever way I focused on this verse the bottom line is clear; God is one who does miracles and displays His power in my everyday normal life! For too long in my own life I have been waiting for the God I have heard and read about to show up when really He has just been waiting for me to take Him at His Word and believe Him. This week I have continued to think about this verse and trust that God is the God of miracles in my life, today, and He is the one who "displays" His power in my life and in my circumstances!

God is not a behind the scenes God, far off or distant. God wants to be known and seen and glorified for being evident and real in our daily lives. God longs to do miracles and to display His power – that is who He is, not something He does occasionally. God IS the God who does miracles; who displays His power among His peoples! God is!

“Need or Gift?”

A few years back I was involved in heading up a significant project. I was well able to do it and excited to be involved. However, I found myself met with many frustrations both internal and external with no real solution in sight. After the project I spent a good deal of time reflecting. Reflecting on the mistakes I made, on the things that could have been different, and on how to do it better the next time. In my reflection, I was wise enough to seek God and heard Him clearly tell me: "Just because you can do this job does not mean that you should." I have remembered that and applied it to many things that I set out to do and I frequently have asked myself "should" I do this? Interestingly, over the last six months or so I have felt this truth being revived within me only now to a greater degree. Now, I am hearing the Lord tell me that I need to move out of the "need" and into my "gifts." My husband and I have spent considerable time seeking God on this topic and even in the midst of what God is speaking to us personally I sense Him speaking this to the Body as a whole. We have spent too much time doing what "needed" to be done. Yes, there is a season where this is required of us, but I believe it to be a short season of fulfilling the "need" before God moves you into your "gift." Too often I see people getting stuck in the "need." Maybe due to fear – will anyone take my place if I step out of this area? Maybe due to a false sense of security – if I step out I am moving into unknown territory… I can only say this because I have contemplated these thoughts and have been the one who stays in the "need" longer than I was supposed to. I do believe we are in the season where every gift needs to be operational! God is calling His anointed to enter into their anointing. You and I are God's anointed! Now is the time to use your gifts that God gave you. Now is the time for each of us to be perfectly positioned to build the Kingdom and see His Glory come. We are people of faith, right? Why do we not trust God to fill the areas of need with those that are gifted for it? As each of us step out of the need and trust God, as each one takes their gifted position, I believe that all the "needs" will automatically be filled. Don't we serve a God that is big enough to cover every area? I believe that God gave gifts to His children so that they would be operational and be used to build the body of Christ! Let's step out of the "need" and into our "gift"!

“Dressed for Faith”

My husband and I were watching one of our favorite movies together last Sunday night: "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe." I know there are many parallels that can be made from this movie, but this one struck me as brilliant for where I am right now and for where I believe the body of Christ to be right now. In one particular scene Lucy, my favorite character in this movie, just came back from seeing Narnia for the first time; she has shared what she saw with her siblings but no one believes her and one sibling even made fun of her. In the next scene it shows Lucy getting up in the night; as she sits up on her bed she looks down at her house slippers and some boots – she chooses to put on the boots… It got me thinking, how many times do I hear something from God or see something in His Word that I know to be true but I dress in the slippers instead of the boots? Not only did Lucy believe what she saw regardless of the response she got from others, she chose to dress appropriately for what she knew she saw. It caused my husband and me to have a great conversation about how we are "dressed." It is good to take stock of what I believe and then to see if I am walking in the way that is conducive to receiving what I believe. How many times do we say we believe something but we are wearing the slippers instead of the required boots? If we really believe then we must dress appropriately in that. Are our actions lining up with what we claim to believe? Is my life lining up with what I claim to believe? There is something in me that continues to tell me that God is up to something amazing right now and I long to be a significant part of that. Am I ready? Am I dressed accordingly? Am I dressed in prayer, time in the Word or Godly relationships? Am I dressed in a right attitude that is seeking God in spite of what I see with my natural eyes? Am I dressed as an encourager of God's Word or am I complaining? We always have a choice, at every crossroad there is a choice. Am I going to choose the slippers or the boots? Am I going to go for what I know to be true or am I going to shrink back? My vote – let the slippers lie under the bed, put on the boots and run into the territory you know that God is showing you to take! Make the choice to dress according to your faith in every area of your life.

“Promises, Promises”

I find myself at a place, where I am really crying out to God to grow my local church and to grow the areas of ministry that I am involved in. I am saddened sometimes that it seems no one wants to press in for the bigger or better or more. Why is this? Is it a defense we have within ourselves in an effort to prepare for disappointment if nothing happens? Are we living in the concept that it is better to be happy with what you have rather than ask for more and possibly be disappointed if the more never comes. My prayer is that this view is shaken off of us! In a book I recently finished reading the author states that He believes God for church growth because he knows "without a doubt that the best thing that can happen to my community, my nation and the world is for the church of Jesus Christ to be strong and powerful. We are the salt of the earth and without the church, the world would have no hope at all." I agree completely! I do not want to settle for the church that is maintaining, I want to see the church thrive as people are added to our number daily. There are people with needs to be met and hearts to be touched and I believe for most of them the only way is for God to reach and touch them. If the church settles in with "we are good enough" and does not press in, then I believe there are people that are left without receiving what God has for them. There is more at stake here than just saying I go to a big church or this ministry is thriving. God wants to have growth and God wants to see us thriving because He knows that when this is occurring people are being changed by His presence. The heart of God is for people to be reached and needs to be met so why aren't we stepping up and agreeing with God? God promises to add to the church, He promises to meet our needs, He promises to heal the sick, He promises to provide for our every need, He promises to overcome in and through His church! I, for one, am crying out to see the promises of God manifested in and through my life and in the life of my local church. God promises that we will see "greater things" than what we have read about in the Word. I am ready to enter in to the "greater things" that God has. I am ready to receive more of His promises and I am ready to see others experience more of the promises of God as we all begin to walk with Him to a greater degree. After all promises are for receiving! Faithful Lord, I thank you that you are the God of many promises. A promise is a promise – the ball is in our court, we are either going to go for the promise or we are not. Promises, promises come!

“Best of the Best”

A while back God was showing me something and it moved me to write a letter to a group of Ladies that I was in a small group with. I hope that it encouraged them at the time and I hope it encourages you, now. I have been thinking a lot about that letter and wanted to pass it on. I believe that a lot of people, including me and my husband, are being positioned for something amazing! The following is a portion of the previous letter I wrote and I find it speaking to me still.

 

I have an interesting story to share about when my twins were ten months old. From the time my twins were six months old I had been feeding them food with a spoon. Whenever I put the babies into their high chairs to eat they would cry, more so my daughter Jael. When they were ten months old there was one day that I began thinking: wow, I have been doing this five times a day for four months now and still every time Jael cries. I am very perplexed by this because I figured that by now she must know that I am about to give her something she likes. Not only am I going to give her something she likes, it is something she needs. I was also thinking that I make all of my own baby food and I trust that I am giving her the best of the best and still I cannot figure out why she cries? I am simply putting her in the perfect position to receive the best of the best. She does not like to sit there, she does not like the straps, and she does not like the tray. Now when I begin feeding her, she is fine and loves it. But – every time I put her in the chair it is the same thing. Why doesn't she know the process yet?

 

Now the amazing thing is as I was thinking these things to myself I felt the Holy Spirit give me the answer: "This is exactly how the children of God are! I am simply positioning them for the best of the best and they cry."

 

To me we are sometimes in uncomfortable positions for a moment but we need to simply trust God that He is merely lining us up for the best of the best! Maybe the uncomfortable situation you are in right now is simply God positioning you. Trust your Father that He knows He has the best to give you and He will not withhold it from you! You can trust God even though we cannot see that He made the best of the best, knows it is good, that you will like it and that you even need it. So even though we cannot see past the chair we are in or the straps or the tray we can believe God that the best of the best is on the way!

 

I want to have the perspective that any battle or uncomfortable situation in my life that I face is God's opportunity to do something great in and through my life!

“The Who”

For a while now I have been spending time praying the Word over situations that I petition God for, either for myself or for a situation I am interceding for. I enjoy praying this way and I have found many moments where I sense the Word developing in my life as I meditate on the truth in this way. However, I have found myself spending a lot of time imagining how the answers to my petitions would play out. Not that having a "vision" in this regard is bad, but I was spending a great deal of time in my imagination – aka: day dreaming. Recently I came across a verse, Proverbs 10:11, that says one who chases fantasies lacks judgment. I began to pray about this, as I know that God wants us to dream big and see Him fulfill those big desires in His children. I really wanted balance in my life where these truths were concerned. How do you dream big for the things that only God can do in your life but at the same time not be chasing fantasies? As I was praying I heard the Holy Spirit speak to my heart, "Stop meditating on the "How" and focus on the "Who!"" This has become a powerful revelation in my life. The "How" is irrelevant! The only thing that matters is the "Who!" God alone is the "Who" that I need to focus on. Only God can bring my dreams into the reality of this world. I do not want to shrink back in my dreams and desires but I do want to take them to the only source that can make a way. I want God to be big in my life. However He brings my dreams into existence I can trust that it will be amazing and without lack.

 

Another aspect of where my focus tends to go is due to fear. I think I focus on the "How" because I am afraid it won't happen and I convince myself that my hope stays alive when I play out a scenario in my thoughts. I call these fears the "What if's" or the "How Long's." What if this thing I long for never happens? How long will I have to wait for the answer? These are valid questions! As I began to focus more on the "Who" again the Holy Spirit encouraged me with the Word in Psalm 34:4 "I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." Not only does the "Who" encourage me in my dreams and desires, He delivers me from my fears and He answers! The bottom line for me: dream big and focus on the "Who!"

What Time Is It?

So many times it seems I have cried out to God for something amazing in my life to be met with what feels like disappointment. Recently, I have begun to notice a certain way of talk among believers, myself included. The talk I hear professes: "it must not be the time for that" and we walk away satisfied that this must be the reason. However, I find myself bringing a new question to the Word about timing. Are we asking the Holy Spirit what time it is or are we simply justifying what we see with our eyes to make our soul feel better? We have the Holy Spirit and the gift of discernment. We should be discerning the time, not simply using it as justification when things go wrong. Now, I know there is an element of God's perfect timing in things and yes, there are those circumstances where we need to wait on God. In discernment and living a Spirit-led life we should be able to discern the differences. Remember, the enemy that comes to steal, kill and destroy? What if it is time for God to move BIG in our lives but we stopped pressing in because we bought into the twist of the Word that the enemy brings to get us to back off. The tricks of the enemy have not changed; he is still deceiving with a little truth that has a twist. There is a movie quote that I saw in an advertisement for "Australia," "Just because it is, doesn't mean that is should be." What do you see that is, that maybe should not be? How many times have we settled for what is and chocked it up to the "timing of God" when really we need to be pressing in because the enemy is trying to rob us? The timing of God is not an unknown when we have the counselor and helper with us! What is it that God has placed on our hearts to do for His glory? I believe that now is the time to press in stronger than ever to see the things of God revealed through our lives. Now is the time for us to see God as the Mighty King that He is. "I have learned that it is better to obey the Holy Spirit at the risk of failure than never to try to see the glory of God manifested," written by Dr. Paul Yonggi Cho. I agree! We need to be asking what time it is and obey the Holy Spirit so that we can see the Glory of God manifested once again in the lives of His people.

 

“Fight or Flight”

 

Sometimes, when I am in a battle for something I waver between pressing in and running in the opposite direction. Then, the battle becomes about fighting or running and not about the actual issue at stake. I was thinking about this in my prayer time one day and really asking God what that is in me that wants to run for the hills when it gets difficult. I began to remember my battle with infertility. I wanted children, not just any children, I wanted God to open my womb and give me children from my womb. Every Doctor's report said that it was unlikely and even with all of our current technology the report was that I had a 20% chance of conceiving and an unknown ability if I could ever carry to term. Sounds grim, I know. But there was something in me that was not going to back down in believing God for my desire. No matter how many bad reports, miscarriages, bad doctors, bad comments made by good friends, etc, I was still going to trust God. Why? Because the desire to see God answer me in this specific way was so great that running no longer became an option! Don't get me wrong, it was a journey to get to this point. Now, in my current battle and the question I am asking myself and God: what is it in me that wants to run? Simply, I need to let the vision that God has placed in my heart sink down to the point that running is no longer an option!

 

In my current battle I am pressing in for God to use my life to a greater degree, that the gifts He has given me would flourish and that more people could be touched by Him in my life. Sounds like a nice desire. However, I find myself wavering between "Yes, God!" and "forget it, get me out of here," thus, the issue that began this questioning. As I was listening to the Holy Spirit and remembering certain aspects of previous battles it became clear; the desire to see God move through my life needs to become greater. I would have never given up on the idea of having children, not for one second! Why would I give up on any other desire that God has placed in me? There were many frustrations and painful moments throughout the infertility battle but the desire and push never changed. The frustrations of this or any battle should not be enough to cause my push to change. I will continue to press in and allow the desire that God has placed in my heart to grow and I will continue to press in and see God show up in my life! Running is no longer an option!

Hungry for More!

Friday May 29, 2009

 

I find myself in a place so hungry for more of God that I can hardly stand it. I look around and think, "Where are the others who are hungry for the power and presence of God?" It seems that so many have grown cold and those that are left proclaiming that they are hungry are not doing much to go after more of God… I find myself discouraged and longing for a camaraderie that exists among those on the same path towards the same goal. I go to a great church and I know that God is on the move there; but still I long for more. I have great Pastors, good friends, an amazing husband – but still, I hunger for more than what I am currently experiencing. I want to see that "more than enough God" fill my life with His "more than enough" character and miracles… I see people starving in their marriages, in their health, in their finances, in their god given gifts because the power of God is absent. I do not think it is absent because of God! I believe that God is stirring a hunger in His people, like He is in me, so that we will cry out for more of Him. A few months back I felt an urgency to get involved in an intercessory prayer group, one that was already established, and press in for our churches, our Pastors, ourselves, etc. That has proven to be a difficult task in itself. I thought I was on to something with a friend of mine, but no luck as of yet. I am still on the hunt for that intercessory prayer group where I can join with others, from various churches to cry out for more of God. I pray I find it soon as I sense a real urgency to intercede!