Sweet Abandon

I know... I haven't blogged in AGES... I'm going to try to do better! I felt this was noteworthy and thus, I'm back...

A couple of weeks ago I felt God whispering this to me. I wasn't in prayer. I didn't even have my journal handy. I just typed it in on the notes of my phone. I came across it today and thought I'd share. So here it is:

"There can't always be absolutes in all things, hard core evidence. That's where faith comes in. I want sweet abandon from you. Surrender to belief... you're out on a limb when you believe without seeing. That's where I want you. Anyone can believe with concrete evidence. Whether it's for salvation or for the answer to a prayer... will you blindly believe for what you can't actually see?"

In Matthew 16 the Pharisees and Sadducees came seeking a sign. He answered in verses 2-4:

"When it is evening, ye say, it will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face fo the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign..."

I want to blindly believe... no sign required. I've fleeced Him many times and He has always answers with signs and wonders. But.... what if He doesn't? I want to believe no matter what! Unanswered prayers... we still believe. We're still trusting you. You always know what's best, Lord. I abandon my thoughts, my interpretations, my will to yours.

Asleep In the Light

Romans 13:11 “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”

I Thessalonians 5:2-6 “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober.”

On May 24th I had a dream that shook me to my core. It was about the rapture. In the dream I looked up and could see something different in the sky, like the sky was distorted. In that instant I knew the rapture was about to take place. I started warning those around me, “This is it! The rapture is about to take place!” I closed my eyes and everything seemed to happen in slow motion. I began to lift into the air and then everything stopped. I was able to go back in time to moments before. I distinctly remember that I was with church people, people of like faith, almost as if I was supposed to remember that most of all. When I went back to the moments before it happened, I really began to fervently tell everyone again… this is it! This is it! They all looked at me like I was crazy. I could tell they were making fun of me. No one would believe that the rapture was really about to take place. It was just like the days of Noah…

The next morning in prayer I was so shaken by this dream. I just couldn’t get away from it. I felt God saying that His people, not just the world, but HIS people are asleep in the light. We live as though He isn’t coming.

Amos 6:1 “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion…”
Ease here translates rest, quiet, secure…

Amplified says, “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion and to those on the mountain of Samaria who are careless and feel secure…”

That’s the thing… we’ve become so self sufficient, so secure in our little world… we aren’t looking for the city built by God… we want to stay here, do things our way.

Ephesians 5:15 “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

He IS coming back! I had shared this with our young marrieds class at church this past Sunday. I was expressing how we don't talk about the rapture enough... that we don't live with that expectancy that He could come at any moment. The very next evening we had walked to our neighbors without telling Cam. We left our phones (which we NEVER do!). He came downstairs and couldn't find us. He told me later that his heart was pounding and he was about to cry thinking he had missed the rapture. He finally went outside and saw the neighbor's light on and ran over there HOPING we would be there. You can imagine his relief! He had no idea that I had spoken on this so I thought it was pretty neat that God confirmed His word to me and reassured me that my children are aware that He is coming soon!

Sons & Daughters... Oh, the Privileges!

We all remember the story of the Prodigal. He wanted his inheritance early. He wasted it away with rioutous living and found himself at the end of his journey eating with the swine. He humbles himself and asks to come back as a hired servant. His father pulls out all the stops and has a huge celebration for the prodigal son, killing the fatted calf. This is the story we always focus on but in prayer God reminded me of the other brother. He was not so happy about this celebration. He tells the father, "Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf."

It's the typical sibling statement, NOT FAIR! I love what the father tells him:

Luke 15:31 "And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine."

That sounds really familiar. We don't fully take advantage of our privileges as sons and daughters of God. We don't receive all He has for us because we don't even realize nearly all the benefits we have as His children.

Psalm 103:20 " Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits."

Psalm 68:19 "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation."

Psalm 81:10 "...open they mouth wide and I will fill it."

Expectation... what are we expecting? We receive what we expect. How big are we willing to believe? Remember Matthew 13:58, "And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief."

Matthew 21:22 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

He says we must come as a child...

Luke 18:17 "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein."

Let's not make it harder than it is. Children don't lie awake wondering if their parents paid the light bill or bought groceries for the week. They just lay down in peace knowing that they will wake up with all their needs met. They enjoy the journey. Let's enjoy the journey. Don't sweat the details. Sure, we have to do our part, but let's lay our burdens on our Father. He can handle it. We are His children. He loves us. It's that simple. Don't forget who you are.

Words Can't Hurt Me

Have you ever had someone just lash out at you verbally? It is so hurtful, especially when it is without cause. This has happened to me more times than I care to count. I have to remind myself many times that "hurting people hurt people." More importantly, I have to remind myself to get into His Presence and let Him make all things new.

Psalm 31:20 "Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues."

There in His Presence I am safe from "the strife of tongues." Nothing can harm me there. In that safe place, I am not affected by hurtful words and opinions of others. Hide me, Lord. I rest in the shadow of your Presence.

Blessed Brokeness

There are so many words I hear Him saying to me during this time of sacrifice. I don't know where to begin. So, I won't elaborate. I'll just copy from my prayer journal. You interpret however you feel just in case He may have meant it for you too.

"I know the path that you take. I will lead. Trust My guiding hand. Expect the supernatural. Live in a spirit of prayer. Bear My burdens. Let your heart be grieved for what grieves Me. Let intercession break forth. As you pray in the Spirit, strongholds are broken. I change the things you cannot change. Give it ALL to Me. Turn it all over to Me. Be hidden in Me. Seek the deeper things.

I’ve been there at every turn. I’ve felt every hurt. Never forget Me as the God who healed your wounded heart. Bring that type of brokenness before Me. I am near to the broken hearted."

Psalm 51:16-17 “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give [it]: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Psalm 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.