Early this morning I sat quietly in my time of prayer... I'm trying to do that more. I do speak, but I'm trying to listen MORE than I speak. I felt Him bring this scripture to my remembrance, so I looked it up.
Isaiah 30:15 "For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not."
Searching this scripture out more closely I learned that confidence here means "trust". He truly wants us to have that quiet confidence and trust that He is in control of every little thing. This is what I felt Him saying:
"I see everything that concerns you. In quietness and confidence will be your strength. Rest quietly in knowing I hold every answer in the palm of My hand. There's nothing that goes unnoticed with Me. I long to move on your behalf. Trust Me and allow Me to work.
I prepare you for each day. That's why it's so important to seek Me early. I know what your day holds before it even gets started. Don't worry that you don't feel alert early. I am there in the quiet stillness. I am in the unexpected things. Marvel not at all I will use to fulfil My purpose. Storms and uncertainty... All to confirm that your confidence can't be shaken when you're built on the rock of My firm foundation. There's nothing that you face that I don't already have the answer for. Wait and watch Me work."
Then I thought of this song by Hillsong:
"When the oceans rise and thunder roar, I will soar with you above the storm. Father, you are king over the flood. I will be still and know you are God."
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
185th Post
Yesterday I had someone tell me, with tears in their eyes, that this blog ministered to them last week. As you may or may not know, I have quit blogging a thousand times in my mind... but each time... something like that will happen. So I want to say thank you. Thanks to all of you for reading. He's still speaking... I just hope I'm listening enough to His voice. He gently nudges us on when we think it's time to do something different. Do you ever feel that way? He is always in control... I have to remind myself of that so often. I only want the plans He has for me.
Jeremiah 29:11 from The Amplified version, "For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome."
Why would we want anything else? ...any other plan? He has our well being, hope and peace all planned out!
Jeremiah 29:11 from The Amplified version, "For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome."
Why would we want anything else? ...any other plan? He has our well being, hope and peace all planned out!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Broken Cisterns
As you can see, I'm on a roll. I know I was silent a while but I was journaling... so, now I'm taking the time to share it all. I'm so amazed at how He speaks to us. He has been dealing with me a lot lately about us being vessels of living water. He prompted me that... "I long for My children to be fountains of living water springing forth but so many have hewn cisterns, broken cisterns that hold no water... they have shaped their lives to be vessels that hold no water."
Jeremiah 2:13 "For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."
I felt Him ask me "what is causing holes in your vessel?" This caused me to think about ways we keep ourselves whole... a worthy vessel, unspotted from the world.
Galatians 5:16 "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."
I pray He helps me to walk in the Spirit... not giving in to what my flesh wants... I want to be a vessel that holds all He wants to pour into me. A whole vessel is able to pour out what He gives into the lives of those He intends. A life poured out... that's what I keep hearing Him say...
Jeremiah 2:13 "For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."
I felt Him ask me "what is causing holes in your vessel?" This caused me to think about ways we keep ourselves whole... a worthy vessel, unspotted from the world.
Galatians 5:16 "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."
I pray He helps me to walk in the Spirit... not giving in to what my flesh wants... I want to be a vessel that holds all He wants to pour into me. A whole vessel is able to pour out what He gives into the lives of those He intends. A life poured out... that's what I keep hearing Him say...
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Changing Seasons
Call me completely crazy... I don't care. But... I can assuredly say that I do hear from Him. Communication is a two way process and so many times we do all the talking but don't wait to hear what He has to say. I'm #1 on the guilty list for this. He has been slowly, gradually teaching me to listen. It has changed my life! Have you ever had a really huge misunderstanding with someone only to later learn that things were not as they seemed? You didn't fully understand that until you actually talked to them about it... that's what happens with our Abba Father so many times. I will get so bent out of shape sometimes but then... I finally take the time to listen to what He's saying back and I'm so relieved, happy, peaceful, grateful... too many emotions to name. That was the case the day He spoke this to me. Right now I don't even remember what was going on in my world, but I did journal what He said and I remember feeling such relief and understanding. This was His answer:
"So many times I wait to see if the changing seasons of your life will affect the time you set apart with Me to hear My voice. As you pass that test, I bless those seasons and pour out more favor... I stretch your capabilities and giftings."
Daniel 2:21 "And he changeth the times and the seasons..."
"So many times I wait to see if the changing seasons of your life will affect the time you set apart with Me to hear My voice. As you pass that test, I bless those seasons and pour out more favor... I stretch your capabilities and giftings."
Daniel 2:21 "And he changeth the times and the seasons..."
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Digging Wells
His whispers to me...
"Those who keep their lives clear of this world's agenda and way of thinking will hear My voice so clearly. Redig the wells every day... clear out all that would distract. The maintenance is easy when tended to daily. Free flow of My Spirit... My words become a normal part of your life... it's a gradual retraining.
Genesis 26:18 "And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them."
In verse 19 Isaac's servants digged in the valley and found there a well of springing (living) water. I pray His Word will take root in my life and spring forth like a living well.
Isaiah 12:3 "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation."
John 4:14 "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
"Those who keep their lives clear of this world's agenda and way of thinking will hear My voice so clearly. Redig the wells every day... clear out all that would distract. The maintenance is easy when tended to daily. Free flow of My Spirit... My words become a normal part of your life... it's a gradual retraining.
Genesis 26:18 "And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them."
In verse 19 Isaac's servants digged in the valley and found there a well of springing (living) water. I pray His Word will take root in my life and spring forth like a living well.
Isaiah 12:3 "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation."
John 4:14 "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
In The Waiting
Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
When searching this scripture out more closely, I learned that this can also mean "they that diligently serve the Lord" shall "change" their strength... so I'm wondering... if we diligently serve Him WHILE we're waiting, if possibly He gives us new strength, a greater strength than we had before? I believe it!
The day He gave me this He seemed to whisper... "Be patient as you wait for Me to unfold My plan. You MUST know that I am ever working on your behalf. I don't bring the waiting to punish you... I am working out the things unseen."
So, maybe you're in what I call "the waiting"... I've been there many times. Don't fret about it... embrace it. Look around for what He's teaching you while you wait. The answer is already there in His plan. You just haven't stepped into the reality of it yet. It's just beyond what you can see. He's a great God! So mindful of the details. He only wants to teach us a little in these times of waiting.
Greg Long sings a song called "In The Waiting". There have beens so many times in our lives that this song has ministered to us. The first time I remember was right after Cameron was born. He was four weeks early and we had to leave him in the NICU because his lungs weren't developed yet. We drove up to our house and this song started playing on the radio. We just sat and cried. Here are the lyrics:
"I want a peace beyond my understanding
I want to feel it fall like rain
In the middle of my hurting
I want to feel Your arms as they surround me
And let me know that it's okay
To be here in this place
Resting in the peace that only comes
In the waiting"
When searching this scripture out more closely, I learned that this can also mean "they that diligently serve the Lord" shall "change" their strength... so I'm wondering... if we diligently serve Him WHILE we're waiting, if possibly He gives us new strength, a greater strength than we had before? I believe it!
The day He gave me this He seemed to whisper... "Be patient as you wait for Me to unfold My plan. You MUST know that I am ever working on your behalf. I don't bring the waiting to punish you... I am working out the things unseen."
So, maybe you're in what I call "the waiting"... I've been there many times. Don't fret about it... embrace it. Look around for what He's teaching you while you wait. The answer is already there in His plan. You just haven't stepped into the reality of it yet. It's just beyond what you can see. He's a great God! So mindful of the details. He only wants to teach us a little in these times of waiting.
Greg Long sings a song called "In The Waiting". There have beens so many times in our lives that this song has ministered to us. The first time I remember was right after Cameron was born. He was four weeks early and we had to leave him in the NICU because his lungs weren't developed yet. We drove up to our house and this song started playing on the radio. We just sat and cried. Here are the lyrics:
"I want a peace beyond my understanding
I want to feel it fall like rain
In the middle of my hurting
I want to feel Your arms as they surround me
And let me know that it's okay
To be here in this place
Resting in the peace that only comes
In the waiting"
Monday, May 10, 2010
Feed My Sheep
As I catch my breath after a week of moving, He has been dealing with me about the busyness. Here's what I've felt Him saying:
"Hearing Me is so simple when I am given access into your day. I want My children to learn this... make room for Me in your day... even in the midst of rushed, hurried schedules. Let nothing crowd out My voice... crowd out the time with Me. It is vital to being led by Me.
Give your life away. There can be no selfish motives, no thought of what's best for you. Let Me take care of that. As I told Peter, feed My sheep. If you'll take care of My sheep, I'll take care of you. Remember that I first asked him if he loved Me. You show you love Me by taking care of what's dear to My heart.
John 21:17 "He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep."
"Hearing Me is so simple when I am given access into your day. I want My children to learn this... make room for Me in your day... even in the midst of rushed, hurried schedules. Let nothing crowd out My voice... crowd out the time with Me. It is vital to being led by Me.
Give your life away. There can be no selfish motives, no thought of what's best for you. Let Me take care of that. As I told Peter, feed My sheep. If you'll take care of My sheep, I'll take care of you. Remember that I first asked him if he loved Me. You show you love Me by taking care of what's dear to My heart.
John 21:17 "He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep."
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
"Moving" Thoughts...
Don't give up on me... I'm coming back... we've been moving, thus the lack of posts. Long story short, we are moving back into the house we built a few years ago.
I did have a thought in the middle of all this packing up though. We got all of our stuff out of the house we've been living in. It's an older home so it had a yucky funny smell when we moved in. We've had all our stuff in there and have made it ours while living there and it smelled so nice (most of the time). After moving all of our stuff out and coming back for the last few things and to clean... (ugh!) guess what? The smell was back! How weird is that? No doubt someone has smoked in the house and some of the carpet hasn't been replaced so there is an underlying smell that may never go away unless you rip out all the old and put in new. I was explaining to our teen that it's just like sin. You can mask it for a while but it is still there. We have to allow Him to rip out all of our fleshy heart and put in a new one! All things are made new!
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
I did have a thought in the middle of all this packing up though. We got all of our stuff out of the house we've been living in. It's an older home so it had a yucky funny smell when we moved in. We've had all our stuff in there and have made it ours while living there and it smelled so nice (most of the time). After moving all of our stuff out and coming back for the last few things and to clean... (ugh!) guess what? The smell was back! How weird is that? No doubt someone has smoked in the house and some of the carpet hasn't been replaced so there is an underlying smell that may never go away unless you rip out all the old and put in new. I was explaining to our teen that it's just like sin. You can mask it for a while but it is still there. We have to allow Him to rip out all of our fleshy heart and put in a new one! All things are made new!
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
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