Overwhelmed

There are times when I become overwhelmed with my limitations. All the can'ts seem to fly at me at lightening speed from every direction. When all my failure seem to sit and judge me. When needs seemed piled up as high as Mt. Everest. And my inability to fulfill these needs are quite apparent. It can paralyze me, and cause me to give up all hope. Except that.... when I think of how I can't, I remember that God can. What a wonderful opportunity for my King to reveal Himself to be limitless, powerful, and completely able to meet every need. So instead of hiding in a corner sucking my thumb, I go before my King with boldness, knowing that He has everything I need. Everything. And He willingly supplies every single need in abundance. He witholds NO GOOD THING from me. His timing and His wisdom is perfect. He considers ever possible option, and chooses the best option. The one that brings me the Highest possible good. He chooses the perfect option for me, and every other person affected. And the option He chooses reveals His majestic glory.

I need only to ask my Father.

To trust.

To wait.

To receive.

Oh Lord, my time is limited. My plate is full with so much to do and I can't juggle it all. There are so many needs. I don't know what to do. The problems mount up seemingly against me. So many are looking at me, depending on me. I'm just a woman. I need your help. My body is weak, and there are unknown problems going on inside of me. But you see them. You are greater than all these things and my eyes look to you.

Oh mighty God, reveal yourself and rescue me! Swoop down in royal fashion and deliver me from the waves that threaten to drown me. I'm doomed unless you come.

I'm calling.

I'm waiting.

Come Jesus, Come.

If You're Waiting

If you're waiting for a blessing from God, be the blessing someone else is waiting for. 
If you're waiting for healing, be an instrument of healing someone else for someone.
If you're waiting for provision, be the provision someone else is waiting for.
If you're waiting for a big breakthrough, be apart of someone else's breakthrough.
If you're waiting for an answer to prayer, be the answer to someone else's prayer
If you're waiting to hear from God, speak the words of God to someone who needs to hear from Him.
If you want to be forgiven, give the blessing of forgiveness to someone.
If you want others to be gracious and patient with you, be gracious and patient with others.
If you really truly want to be loved and accepted  unconditionally, love and accept others unconditionally.

Don't delay. Do it today.

40 Days of Discovery- Day 36

Honestly, I've lost track of the days.

Today was a difficult day.  A day that I felt unmotivated, uninspired,and  tired, tired, tired of the same old struggles.  Tired of being tired.  Tired of waiting. 

But I keep pressing.  I keep praying.  I won't stop until I touch the hem of His garment.

And tonight I heard the voice of my Jesus.  It wasn't anything new, really.  It was his reassurance.

He loves me.
He has a plan for me--and it is GOOD!

He said that he's preparing me.  He said I'm like an unwrapped gift under the christmas tree.  Really?  A gift?  Sometimes I feel like I'm all wrapped up--but not in a good way. Sometimes I feel like I just want to break free.  But from what?  There's so much inside of me that wants to be free.

The Father says that feeling of not being content where I am is from Him.  He doesn't want me settling.  He doesn't want me comfortable being less than His best.

I thank you Father.  I thought I was losing my mind today.  Yes, I am hormonal and I'm sure that was  part of the problem, but I thank you that there is more.  I'm thankful for my family, for my children, for the opportunity to serve them, but I was made for more than cleaning, cooking and homeschooling.  I was made for more.

And if I don't embrace ALL of me, then none of me will be effective.  
I'm a better mom, wife, teacher, etc. when I'm walking in my full calling.  I know that there is more.  I just don't know what that looks like in this season of life.  But the Father assures me, that I will have enough time, and energy to do ALL that He's called me to do.  I believe I'll have more energy than I have now.

   

Blessings on Your Life

All these blessings will be upon you and be your constant companion IF YOU OBEY Yahweh (the unchanging, ever-present, self-existing one; the one who reveals Himself to His people) :

You will be blessed wherever you are, whether in the city or in the country.

You will be blessed to bear many children.

And all of your work will produce MUCH  fruit.  Your business will flourish, and your ministry will be effective.

You will always have plenty of food to eat.  Every need will be met with abundance.

It matters not if you are coming or going, blessing will always be near.

Those who rise up against you in order to harm you will be defeated before your very eyes.  Yes, they will come to you in confidence and strength, but they will run from you like roaches scattering when the light turns on!

Your investment and savings will be blessed.  Every venture, and business idea will be successful.

The Lord will set you apart from others as special.  You have a special purpose—a holy calling.  But you must:

Obey ALL of the Lord’s commands.  You must walk in His ways.  His ways are not the ways of man.

Then all people on the earth will see that you are a child of the Most Holy.  They will be afraid to do you harm.  YET you will find favor with them because they think so highly of you. 

You will have ABUNDANT PROSPERITY!  You will overflow with every good thing.  The Lord will open the gates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that you don’t have the capacity to hold it all.  Everyone you encounter will benefit from your overflow.   You will be a channel of blessing to your extended family, your community, the nation and even the world!

He will send EVERY needed resource in order for your work to prosper.  He will provide the right environment for you to succeed.  All of your efforts will be productive and effective.  (The curse of sin has no power over your work.  Hallelujah!)

You will have so much that you can give freely to many who are in need, and never have need yourself to borrow from others.  You will provided exactly what you need AT THE RIGHT TIME! No Loans!  No Credit cards!  No Debt!  Ever!

You will be a leader, not a follower.  You will set the trend for others to follow.

But you must focus your thoughts on giving your full and complete devotion to none other than God—carefully listening to His voice and following all His instructions exactly.  (Don’t worry about whether it makes sense.)  

If you do, You will always be at the top and never at the bottom!

Pay attention.  Focus.  Don’t get off track.  Don’t be distracted by the world’s promises of pleasure, immediate gratification, or its promise of popularity or quick success.  Don’t follow any of their methods of using debt, deception, using people for their own selfish gain, devaluing the work of others in order to make the largest profit margin, or abusing the environment.  Don’t use their marketing schemes that appeal to man’s sinful cravings, stirring up desires in people in order to get more sales.  Don’t do it!  Resist greed, wastefulness, and overspending.  

Pursue God.  Not the blessings.  For God, Himself is the blessing, the treasure, the inheritance.  In Him we have ALL that we desire and need.

WAIT ON HIS BLESSINGS, for His blessings always come without regret. They always come at the proper time. His blessings, truly satisfy.

A modern day paraphrase of Deut 28: 1-14 (with a few other scriptures added)

Do you know Him?

 Do you know Him?  I wanna know.  Do you know Him? 

I heard this song as a child growing up.  I didn't understand the significance of the question then, but now I have a much better understanding.  These are questions that people who call themselves followers of God should be asking themselves.  Do I really know Him?  I'm not speaking of an intellectual knowledge here.  Yes, I know there is a sovereign creator of the universe who is omnipresent, omnipotent, all wise,  perfect, holy, righteous...  The question is: Do you know Him?  I don't want to know what you know about Him.  I don't want to know what you've read about Him or heard about Him.  I don't want to have a theological discussion about his invisible qualities.  What I really want to know is:  Do you have an intimate relationship with the King of the Universe?

Do you know Him?

I love being a momma.  I've been blessed with 4 children that I know very intimately.  From the moment they were conceived, they've been near me.  I've cared for almost  every need.  I heard just about every cry.  I've celebrated the joys, and tried to kiss away their pain.  I've watched them discover the world around them, and I've answered their questions, questions, questions.   I know these children.  I have intimately experienced their weaknesses and strengths.  I've listened to their dreams.  And we've simply spent time together simply enjoying life--looking at the clouds, laughing at something funny their dad has said, or ballroom dancing in the kitchen.  I've taught them most of what they know.  From the word "mama", to how to read, to the first law of thermodynamics, to the word of God.  I know these kids, and they know me.  It's taken time.  It's taken commitment.  It's taken love.  It's taken perseverance.  It's hard work! Intimacy doesn't come to the faint of heart.  It doesn't come for free. We've had to walk through disappointment, discouragement, struggles, pain and lots and lots and lots of tears.

And I'll be honest, pain makes you want to close off your heart to others.  You want to protect yourself from the pain.  But when you protect your heart from pain, you also keep yourself from receiving love.

So what does any of this have to do with knowing Him?  Well, everything--mostly.  Have you taken time to know God's heart?  Have you listened to His dreams, His vision, His purpose for you and all of mankind?  Have you spent time with Him enjoying life--taking in this world He's made, laughing at His jokes (He made jokes, you know), or simply dancing with Him?  Have you let Him teach you?  He knows everything there is to know, and He says that He gives wisdom freely to those who ask.  He's been near you from the moment you were conceived, and even planned every one of your days before you existed.  He's heard your every cry and met your every need.  He knows you--through and through, and He loves you--completely.

Do you know Him?

So you've chattered away, telling Him every thing you want.  Telling Him what you want Him to do.  Sometimes, telling Him what you think He wants you to say.  You know. (clearing throat here) Noble prayers. Godly prayers.  Beautiful prayers.  Have you stopped your soliloquy long enough to listen to Him?  It's hard to know someone you've never listened to.  Listen.  That means  you may have to endure some silence.  It'll feel awkward at first.  You may not even be able to silence your own thoughts.  You'll want to give up, but if you will persevere , you will be rewarded with a faint whisper.And as you continue to listen intently, that faint whisper will become louder and louder until you begin to hear a beautiful symphony.  It's been playing since the beginning of time--and even before that.

The more you know Him, the more you'll know yourself.  You'll discover treasures that He's placed inside of you.   You'll discover that  you've been given everything that you need to live life victoriously, purposefully, productively, and joyfully.  You'll discover that you don't have to be held down by chains of fear, depression, past failures, guilt, shame or anything else.  You've been given a tremendous gift.  It's there.  Actually, I should say, He's there.  The gift is the Holy Spirit.  (Of course you have this gift only if you've accepted the love of Jesus Christ.)  It is through the Holy Spirit that we can know Him.  And it is by knowing Him that we are able to be more like Him.

Do you know Him?

I pray that God would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Amen.

  Ephesians1:17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

COL 1:9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. [10] And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

It's too late! There's no hope for me.

Waiting is hard.

I know God is taking me to a new place, but right now I'm waiting.  And it seems to be God's way to keep us in the waiting room until it seems all hope is gone.  The Holy Spirit took me to Lazarus's death this morning.  Jesus waited until Lazarus had been dead 4 days before he arrived.  Lazarus, Mary and Martha were his good friends.  Why didn't he come right away when the messengers told him that Lazarus was sick?  Mary and Martha expressed their disappointment to Jesus.  "Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn't have died"  Even bystanders made the same observation.  "Couldn't this man who opened the eyes of the blind have kept Lazarus from dying?"

Do we not often feel the same way?  Lord, why didn't you answer me when I ask for .....?  Lord, why did you let ________ happen?  Lord, why did you delay in coming to my aid?  Where are you God?  Why are you taking so long?  We're not alone in feeling this way.  David expressed the same frustrations. 

PS 13:1 How long, O LORD? 
Will you forget me forever?  
How long will you hide your face from me? 

So did Jeremiah.

LA 5:20 Why do you always forget us?   
Why do you forsake us so long?

So, you understand how Mary and Martha felt.  When Jesus commanded the stone to be removed from Lazarus' tomb, Martha expressed her hopelessness.  It was too late now.  His body was already decaying.  There was nothing Jesus could do.  At least, that's what she thought.

But then Jesus says, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

And if you know the story, you know that Lazarus was brought back to life.  It wasn't too late!

Do you find yourself in that place today?  Is it too late for hope?  Do you feel disappointed or abandoned by God?  Is your situation too far gone to be turned around? Do you see NO LIGHT at the end of the tunnel?

Jesus says to you today, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"  God still has amazing plans for your life.  He hasn't forgotten you. 

Expect Him to do something unexpected in your life.  Expect Him to astound you.  Expect Him to do the impossible.  That's His specialty!  In the meantime, keep your eyes on the Hope-giver.  Keep seeking Him.  Keep obeying Him.  Keep yourself open to you, that you might receive His lavish blessings.  They will come when you least expect it, and in ways that are beyond your imagination.

It's not too late.  There is hope.

When Trouble Comes

When jobs are loss
When good health is far from us
when children are in rebellion
when all we can see is everything we don't have
when it seems we'll never smile again
when the pain just won't cease
when our tears become a rushing river
when those we trusted, betray us
when everything we've built, crumbles to the ground
when the memories of the past haunt us
when our failures torment us
when there seems to be no hope
no light at the end of the tunnel
no "bright side" to look at
when giving up seems like a viable option
when fear has us by the throat--sucking away all life
when trouble comes...

We cry out to the One who is able to deliver
and
He
responds
                   in our favor
He rescues
He is close to the brokenhearted
He comforts
He strengthens
He provides
He protects

I will wait in eager expectation that my God will deliver
I           will           wait
For you CAN NOT disappoint
You CAN NOT fail
You CAN NOT be stopped
My Master
My God

The Waiting Room

Those who wait on the Lord, shall have their strength renewed. They shall soar on wings like an eagle. They shall walk and not be weary. they shall run and not faint. paraphrased from Isaiah 40:31

You've done all you can do, and then nothing. Nothing seems to be happening. Your prayers seem to be bouncing off the ceiling. God doesn't give you any further instruction, except....wait.
Why is it the Lord tells His people to wait so often? We've waited on cars, a house, financial provision, debt elimination, jobs, contracts, business, babies, healing... a myriad of things. And we're still waiting on some of these things now. There have been times, including now, that I've waited until I'm weary of waiting. God continues to press me to wait even longer. When I think I've had it, and I cry out to God that I can't wait any longer, he simply replies, "Wait a little longer."Then I find new strength that I never knew that I had. It's been there all along. He knew that, but I'd never have known if He hadn't pressed me a little farther--a little bit longer.

In fact I often feel like the athlete training for competition. I'm saying," Coach, that's good enough." The coach says,"No. You can go a little further."
"How much further", I ask.
"Until I tell you to stop." He replies.
"No, I don't like that answer. I need to know there's an end in sight."
"There is."
"Is death my end?"
"Oh, no I would never push you that far. I love you. You'll stop when the time is right. Just trust me."
"I guess I have no choice. I can't do this on my own. If I give up now, I've failed and I have no where else to go. Ok, I'll persevere."
"Yes, persevere. At the end you'll discover things about yourself that you never knew you had. But I'll tell you a secret. You've had them all along because I gave them to you in the beginning."

The waiting room is a wonderful opportunity to, "Be still, and know that He is God." Stop trying to "make it happen" or "figure it out". Let God do what He does best--be God. We're lousy at trying to be God.

EX 14:13 ..."Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today... [14] The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

May you find His peace as you wait on the God that never fails.

Alecia