The Storm Will Cease!

Spend some time seeking the Lord. He has some things to say to you that will affect your decisions in the coming weeks. Press through the unbelief that so easily hangs like a cloud over your life and pursue His peace. There are practical issues that you need to put aside for a while so that you can concentrate on Him. Meditate on His word. Bring your requests to Him because He cares about you, about every detail. Off load everything that causes a heaviness on your soul and though nothing seems to be happening, there will be a shifting, and a shaking, and things will fall into place.
'I am bringing you into a new place of Peace. It is deeper than you have known before. There is no end to My Peace. It will heal and soothe and be a balm within you. You need this Peace for the times ahead. Soak in it! Proclaim it within you and without. Speak Peace to every troubled area of your life. Speak blessing and sing spiritual songs. There will be a change!'
'And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, PEACE BE STILL. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm' Mark 4:39

Stand Still And See!

If you are in perplexity, trials and unusual difficulties, shut up to the right and left, what do you do? God's word to you is  STAND STILL! But you need to listen carefully to the Lord at this time. Despair would whisper in your ear, telling you that you may as well lie down and die, give up. But God would have you take courage and wait, for the victory will come. Don't wish ot die before your time, thinking it better to be with Christ. There is more for you to do, so finish your course.
Cowardice will come and whine to you telling you to retreat, and that it is too difficult being a Christian. That you seem to have more troubles that when you did not know God. But don't listen, stand still for a while and gather new strength, because this season will pass and you need what you have gained for the next season.
Another voice is one that urges you to precipitate something, do something, and that it is a waste of time, or idleness, to stand still. You feel an urge to get something moving to make a way for yourself out of your predicament. But don't act. Wait for the Lord who will open the way and do everything for you.
Presumption boasts and tells you that you should expect a miracle and march straight into the sea because it will open up! it tells you to believe God's word, and get on with it, don't just stand there.
But God is looking for your faith in Him alone. He says, 'stand still', wait in expectancy for further action, new orders will come. Wait patiently for the still small voice, for it will come, and then you will move forward at His time.
God who made the clouds that can cover the sky with ominous darkness, and the storm that stirs up unwanted debris in your life, this God can change the scene in a moment. There are clear skies after the rain and in the clarity you will hear Him say 'go forward'.
'Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord' Ex 14:13

Do Not fear.

The Egyptians were pursuing the Israelites and thought they had them cornered at the Red Sea. They were trapped and there was no way forward. It was a dark night of fear and uncertainty. But God in His mercy came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. The Angel of the Lord which had gone before in the form of a cloud moved from before them to behind them, and the cloud appeared as darkness to the Egyptians, but was light to the Israelites Ex 14:20. At the same time God was preparing a way of escape for His people. A strong east wind blew all that night and made the sea dry land. The children of Israel crossed the Red Sea on dry land because the waters were like walls on either side of them. When the Egyptians tried to pursue the waters covered them and every one was drowned in the sight of the Israelites Ex 14:29 they saw them dead on the sea shore.
We so often think that we have to work the miracle needed for our deliverance. But God has provided the means whether practical or spiritual to come to our aid. He takes care of His own and has provided for every eventuality. Our problem is that we believe He can do it, but question 'how'. No one would have guessed that the Red Sea would be parted by a strong wind and the people would pass over dry shod. They also saw with their eyes their enemies, who had kept them as slaves for four hundred years, gone before their eyes! Our Moses stretched out His hand on the cross so that we could escape the enemy!
You time of deliverance will come. Do not fear because of the delay. God is working out a better plan for you than had you been delivered sooner. You will see your enemies sinking before you and covered from your sight to trouble you no more. You will have a more powerful testimony because of this. Many will hear it and find the strength to trust through their dark night.

Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”  Isaiah 35:4

Just Obey!

There is always a place of refuge when you are in the will of God. Elijah had told King Ahab that it would not rain for two years 1 Kings 17: 1-16. This was the word of the Lord. Then he is told to go and hide himself by the brook Cherith. He spends time at this Wadi, and the ravens feed him bread and meat every day, and he drinks from the brook. We will hear from God like Elijah when we are doing His will. He protects and provides. The ravens must have come to the brook and dropped their food whilst they drank, and Elijah picked it up. But when the brook dried up the birds no longer came.
When the source of help dries up it is time to move on. God had already prepared the next provision. This time it involved a human being who provided out of her own need. She shared what she had, expecting to die as her resources had gone. Because of her willingness to give to another human being she and her household had food for many days until the rain came.
God does not always ask us to do logical things! Somehow the act of obedience, whatever that may be, opens a miraculous door of provision. But it happens in response to obedience, not through us trying to manipulate God.
This provision can be in the area of the natural, and the spiritual. There is always a cost to obedience. It is not easy at the time. But there is always the grace to help us take that step. Obedience opens a door and gives us new revelation into the heart of God.
'Do whatever He tells you' John 2:5

Drop It!!

There are some things that just have to be left behind. You cannot carry everything, and everyone with you, as you journey along this way. Letting go is not easy. But God is there to help in these difficult decisions. It really is a relief to put things down for the Lord to pick up. Whilst we are worrying and fretting about matters He cannot work on our behalf. The control has to pass from us to God, and we can do that by ceasing to worry. It is only when we abandon all to Him that He is free to attend to it all.
Just empty yourself at His feet. Empty your heart of the good and the bad! Pour it all out and watch Him work. Especially in the area of regret. Don't carry your remorse for things said and done in your relationship with others, or decisions you have made. Maybe you could have done things differently, but it is no guarantee that things would have worked out any better. Some relationships turn sour even though they started well. The only thing left to do is 'Let Go'. You cannot go back and change things. Leave it all to God. He knows how to deal with your problems, and He wants you free of the entanglement.
'Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage' Gal 5:1

God IS Enough!

The main problem in your thinking is that you wonder if I am sufficient for you! You question My power to keep you from falling, to uphold and sustain you, to deliver you from fear, to provide for your needs, ALL your needs.To be your God!
You forget that I have chosen you, not you chosen Me. I chose you as my own, My child, My inheritence. It is YOU I want, and it is YOU I will keep. The whole of My will and plans are centred in YOU.
I came to seek for you, to find you when you were lost. I came to be and do everything for you, asking only one thing, that YOU love Me and and put Me first in all things. As you do that by freewill choice, then you give Me permission to reveal more of Myself to you. I am enough, and all sufficient.
I will not force My affections upon you, nor invade your soul without invitation. You have to WANT me, want My will in your life, and want to love Me. I work to win your affections, and I delight to see you delight in My presence.
When I withold conscious feelings of My nearness it is only to strengthen your love for Me and your resolve to keep close. You are strongest when I seem furthest away! Your faith is developed through struggles and trials. And it is the quality of your faith that I am developing in you. YOUR CHARACTER IS VERY IMPORTANT. It is being formed during your time on this earth, so that it may shine in the next, count in the next, and be ready for the new era I am bringing you into. Reign with Me. I am preparing your throne of authority, but you must be ready to take up that place in humility and godliness. I can't have My children with deep flaws in their character for they will not reflect Me.
There is no oportunity in the next life to make a mess of things, like you have done in this kindergarten stage. You will emerge from your crysilis in splendour able to take up your life in freedom and purity.
When you feel that I have forsaken you and I am not able to sustain you, remember this, what I am doing now you will not understand. But you will understand later on because I will reveal it to you. Would it not be better for you to remain faithful now, although you cannot see? Because later on there will be no going back to change things. You can only move forward.
'He has said, I will never leave you, or forsake you. So that you may boldy say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me.' Heb 13:6

I Am Alive!

I AM the answer to your prayers. I AM the answer to your deepest longings. I AM the answer to your fears. You often gaze in the wrong direction. You look at others, their needs and their blessings. But I AM the One to look to. You do not get some peace, or some help, or some strength when you pray. I AM the answer. The answer is ME. I come to you. I give Myself to you. I AM the blessing. I AM ALIVE!!

'I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and death' Rev 1:18

Chambers of the Soul

These are places deep inside of us that we cannot enter in on our own.  The Holy One of Heaven says:

I have the keys.  Allow Me, my beloved.  Come into the secret place and commune with me there.  It is when you become transparent before Me that I am able to start unlocking those chambers, that as yet, are untouched.
It is also in those chambers where the unleashing of all your fears, your dreams, your hopes and desires can manifest and be used for your good.  You must know that only I have the power, the wisdom and the love with which to do it.  All of creation cannot exhaust My supply.  Ask of Me, my beloved, and you shall surely have it.

I answer:
My Lord and my God; there is nothing I can hide from You.  My whole being is naked before You.  I am weak and vulnerable, as a newborn babe.  Only from the secret place does Your Spirit strengthen me.  Your Word flows through me day and night like a steady waterfall.  Without it, I would dry up as the dust of the earth and aimlessly blow here or there.
I am utterly lovesick for You, my King.  You have ravished my heart beyond comprehension.  I yearn for the heavenly home You have prepared for me.  I plead with You to unlock the hidden chambers, so I can come closer.  May I have another moment with You in Your courts?  THEN my heart will not faint.

The Lord replied, “You will never be denied”.  Selah!

Submitted by Donna Norris N.C. USA

Do Not be Afraid

I woke up this morning with these words on my mind, "I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not: and when you are converted, strengthen your brethren " Luke 22:32 where Jesus speaks to Peter about Satan desiring to have him and sift him like wheat.
Jesus did not tell Peter that he would avoid being 'sifted' but rather that Jesus Himself had prayed personally for Peter that his faith would not fail. And Peter experienced the answer to that prayer, though he had to pass through deep waters as when he denied Christ.
Because it was the first thing I thought of when I awoke, I felt God was telling me that Jesus himself, personally, had prayed for me. And that though I was being sifted my faith would not fail. I felt loved, secure, and strengthened. When God speaks to us, whether it be within as a still small voice, or through the scriptures, or by some other means, we are always encouraged and helped. There is never any condemnation, only LOVE.
God was telling me that though the sifting, wrought through the actions of Satan, was heavy and dark, He was allowing it. That I was being tossed one way then the other, and the instruments used were sharp causing pain, but the outcome was for the strengthening of the Brethren. There was a purpose in it all. I was becoming stronger than ever, my faith was unfailing because He had prayed for me!
How does He pray for us? Through the Holy Spirit who intercedes with prayers and groanings, and is in His brethren all over the world who are in tune with the Spirit of God. He is not confined to one place, or in one person. He is in all who believe, and they pray His prayers for Him. God can even give a worm teeth!! He can radically change a situation. He will not fail you, nor will your faith fail.

' Do not be afraid O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I Myself will help YOU..........See I will make YOU into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them and reduce the hills to chaff. YOU will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and agale will blow them away. But YOU will rejoice in the Lord and glory in the Holy One of Israel'. Isaiah 41:14,15

Such a Time as This!

Esther was raised into the position of queen for a specific purpose. God worked through human circumstances to bring her into an influential place. Her heart had been prepared and she was equipped for the task that lay before her, the deliverance of God's people. Above all things she was abandoned to God (Mordecai, symbolic of the Holy Spirit) and said "If I perish, I perish".
As we are obedient to the Lord He places us in positions where we can influence people and circumstances around us. Some things we cannot change, but there are things that we can change. Focus on the things you are in a position to change, and don't fret over the things you cannot change. There is a time to speak out and not remain silent! Your words may be just the very thing that effects change for the good. If you remain silent when God wants you to speak and act, He will raise up someone else to do the job. But you will be in lack because of it. But first make sure that you have entered the throne room of God and spoken out on the behalf of those you are involved with. Stand in the gap. Interceed for them. Present your requests to the King, and He will stretch out the sceptre to you!
'If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this' Esth 4:14.

Dig Your Well!

Today I will give you water. Water in abundance. Everlasting water that will quench your thirst and flood your dry soul. Are you thirsty for Me? Then sing! You may not feel like it. It may seem strange to you, but do it. Sing! Allow your innermost being to rise up and petition Me for streams to flow out of you. You do not need people to bless you. You have Me. I will bless and restore your soul.
Where there is no water, where you are in spiritually dry conditions, and all those around you are in unbelief, you can call to Me. I will refresh YOU. Dig your own well. Sing! sing! to it. The water will begin to bubble and rise and then you can move on in the refreshing that will come to you.
'They continued on to Beer, the well where the Lord said to Moses, "gather the people together and I will give them water." Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up O well! Sing about it." Num 21:17 Beer was a place that had involved weeping and mourning for the Israelites. It was there that they sang the song of the well!

Be Wise

You will reap! Just be patient. You have sown many seeds over the years. Different seeds take varied amounts of time before they germinate. Usually the ones that germinate quickly also fade quickly! if you are after long term fruitfulness go for sowing the larger seeds that take more time to grow. Some Cactus in the desert can take over twenty years to grow, but see how they tower above the scenery and how they store water!
Be careful where you plant your seed. Test the ground first. Do not waste your time sowing into poor soil. Not everyone wants to be saved. Not everyone wants to honour the Lord and live a righteous life. Not everyone wants to do good. Make sure that you are praying about the things God wants you to pray about. Some people will not respond to your prayers, so don't pray for them. Ask God who and what you should be praying for.
Treat everyone with grace and respect, even the girl at the supermarket till! But be wise in who you open your heart to, and who you trust. Trust the Lord only.
'Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces' Matt7:6

Cheer Up!!

Jesus told His disciples that in Him they would have peace, but in this world they would have trouble. "But", He says " Take heart", cheer up, do not be afraid, "I have overcome the world" Jn 16:33. He is telling them that because He has done it, they can do it too! There is a WAY through it all, there is an end to it. We cannot overcome by running away. There comes a time when we have to face all that is against us, and STAND in faith, trusting that He who has overcome will give us the strength to overcome too! Like father, like son! We have the same family trait as Jesus, if we believe in Him and have His Spirit within us. He leads us in triumph, and we are more than conquerers. We are able to do all that He requires of us through faith in Him. Feed your soul on His word. It brings a boldness and tenacity that can come no other way. Multitudes have gone before, experiencing all that you go through, and have prevailed because of their undying love for Jesus.

'I know that you feel weak and helpless, that your struggles seem to be endless. You overcome in one area and then find that you are attacked in another area. But do not be despondant, or doubting. I am working in hidden ways through it all, to strengthen your character and make you the person you are destined to be. Come and drink beside still waters and rest in green pastures. Abide in Me. The storm will pass. I speak "peace be still".Though satan has desired to have you, he cannot pluck you from my hand. You are safe hidden in Me.
'Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivers him out of them all' Psalm 34:19.

Accept His Will

When the angel came to Mary and announced that she was highly favoured by God and would give birth to Jesus, she was 'greatly troubled.' She wondered, and replied "how will this be?" because she was a virgin. It is easy to look at the 'how' when God speaks to us, either through our convictions, or through His word, or through His servants. It was a natural question that Mary needed answered, and she got her answer to it.
The angel said that "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." That is how God does His works. And all we need to do is submit to His word, believe what He says to us, and receive the Holy Spirit. The angel told her that nothing is impossible with God. And she believed it!
We could think that if an angel came and spoke to us concerning God's will for our lives, then we would know it was true and then believe! But we are in the Church era, where we walk by faith, not by sight. Maybe He will send an angel, but more likely He is asking us to trust His word, and believe it. Even Mary had to surrender to the word of God for her. She said " may it be as you have said". Her hearts attitude was one of submission, and she said "yes" to what God was asking of her. God did the work, He performed His will in her life, she just had to accept it.
'Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished'. Luke 1:45

Love Never Fails

The people around us need God's love! Not the kind that is sexual, or platonic, but the eternal pure love that never changes in it's quality. We are meant to show that kind of love to others. Not to the same degree as Jesus did, but the same quality. Not the same quantity that Jesus had, for He gave His life on the cross for the whole of mankind. But we are meant to love one another as He loved us, with the same purity. So each person that comes our way, every relationship that we have and all our prayers are meant to display that pure quality of love from God.
We need God's love. It is so easy to forget He loves us unconditionally, through and through, and will never reject us or leave us alone. If we do not believe He loves us, then it is impossible for us to love others with His love. That love fills our hearts by the Holy Spirit, freely given to all who will receive. We just need to receive that love daily and enjoy giving it away! God's love flows like a golden river ever outwards from Himself. It is not hard work for Him to love the world, the peoples and His creation.
Let it flow into your heart today. The flow can be blocked through unforgiveness, resentment, or anger. But running to the Father in childlike need, saying sorry, letting Him pick us up, sets the river flowing again. Then it freely flows into us and out of us, and is not hard work!
'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.........Love never fails..............Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.'
1 Corinth 13: 4, 8, 13

More Than Overcomers!

I have heard it said that God gives grace as we overcome. We have to determine to overcome through His help, and He does help us. But we have to take the first step, out in the cold, as it were, almost as if God was not there! And that can be painful, but when we know what we have to do, then we have to get on and do it. We may not feel like it, it may seem almost impossible, but no one can do it for us. However, as we take one little step towards victory and decide to overcome, then God steps in with all the power of heaven for us!
The battle may be hard, but the victory is assured with God on our side! God is for us, not against us. He wants to work things out for the very best, but we have to go along with Him in it all. Even if we draw back, there is help available for us to start over again! It is our very circumstances, afflictions, difficulties, that are an opportunity for God to work a godly character within us. How we would love to be blessed without any effort involved! let us co-operate with the Holy Spirit at work in our lives, and as we overcome, be partakers of the peacable fruit of righteousness.
'To him who overcomes I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God' Rev 2:7

Watch Where You Walk!

A fox came blatently to my front doorstep and deposited his droppings! I was amazed that it had come so close to the house as we live in a city area. We nearly trod in all the muck, and then it would have gone into the house on our shoes. It was good that we were looking where we were stepping because we were not expecting any fouling in that place!
The Lord says 'Watch where you are walking. You are living in perilous times. Keep your feet clean. don't walk in the counsel of ungodliness. People will try to give you wise advice, but it is worldly and not My counsel. Listen to my still small voice and look for confirmation of every decision you make. When you have a thought, or a good idea, immedietely hand it over to me to hold for you. I will return it if the way is right and open it up for you. Be careful where you step because there is ungodliness all around. Be careful what company you keep. Be willing to lose if you are not sure. I will guide you with My eye. I will keep close watch over you and protect you. You make sure that your feet walk in my ways. Watch out for pride, for it will cause you to fall'.
'Keep back your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright' Ps19:13

The Good Shepherd.

Still your mind and let my Spirit work. Whilst you are actively stressing and worrying about 'how' things will work out in your life, you are hindering the moving of my Spirit. Your thoughts are not my thoughts. You can only see shadows of that which is to come. Suddenly things can change. I want to protect you and keep you in harmony with Me. So yield again! do not re-act to situations, give time for things to settle, and you will see that everything was working together, behind the scenes, for your good and growth.
Can you fit again into the clothes that you had as a child? can you turn time backwards? can you enter your mothers womb again? Some things are not possible! you have outgrown your childish ways. The only way is forward, in trust.
Does the butterfly want to become a caterpillar again? if you asked it that question it would laugh at the ludicrous thought! it enjoys being a butterfly, why should it return to the state of a grub? So it is with you. You outgrow each stage and are transformed into the next stage of your life. At the right time you will fly!!
Some people try to re-live their youth, they act like teenagers again. But it is not of any use. You cannot return. Set your sight on the best yet to come. Desire the maturity that comes from abiding in Me. You will find that when the time comes to enter your future destiny, that you will slip into it comfortably and easily because you allowed Me to prepare you. Let Me take care of tomorrow. I know the way that you take, because I have gone before you and made everything ready. Fall in with My plans!
'The sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out...........he goes ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice' John 10:3,4

Guidance

Don't be in a rush to do the will of God! He knows your heart and your willingness. You can afford to give Him time to speak to you over the decisions you are about to make. He does not move in haste, but does often move quickly, when He chooses. Let Him counsell you through different channels.
The quakers of old had four things that had to harmonise before they took important steps in their lives. The first is the Scriptures. God leads us in line with Bible principles. You are likely to come across the same verse, in some way, two or three times at random. It is unlikely, with all the number of verses in the Bible for that to happen. So listen to it and ponder! Then there is what Hannah Whitall Smith called 'sanctified common sense'. When you return to God the gift of common sense that He has given you it becomes 'sanctified'. In other words God won't ask you to do something totally stupid! Then there is a deep inner conviction that grows through prayer. If it is not of God it will fade away after a while. And finally there is godly counsel. Present your leading to friends who you can trust and who hear the voice of God.
When all four things harmonise, are in agreement, it is safe to move on your leading. God has told us that we can ask for wisdom and it is 'wise' to do that! do not rush ahead on a 'hunch' or a word from someone else. Personal prophesy always confirms what God has already told us.
'Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established'. Prov15:22

Things Are Working Together!

God is on your side! He works day and night through His agents of mercy in this world and in the unseen spiritual world. Give Him time to bring things together. Much of what He does is 'behind the scenes'. Just because some things are invisible it does not mean that they are not there! it takes time for an acorn to grow into an oak tree! Hidden first in the ground then in the forest, and after many years it emerges, tall and strong, for many to see. He is putting things into place for you and preparing the way. But most of all He is getting you ready for what He has planned for your future. You do have a future. You are important to Him. There are things on this earth that only you can accomplish. So you have to be ready for the next phase. Do not fear failure because of the past. All things work together for good, and your mistakes should have made you wiser.
Watch for the new people He will soon bring into your life. Do not cling onto those that you have worked with before. Their time in your life is over. You have to move on. People are diverse in their gifts and character. He is bringing the one's that He has chosen at this time. So watch and listen carefully.
'Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? Heb 1:14

Jesus Prays

It is exciting to see answers to prayer! It makes us realise that God is alive, interested in our pleas, and able to keep His promises. In fact, prayer is vital. Sometimes the answers come in surprising ways. Other times the answers come softly and slowly. But one thing is sure, praying for others involves compassion, and self abasement. It can be hard work praying for other people day by day when we don't get any feedback, or even thanks. But when we do pray we join Jesus in His great high priestly ministry of intercession. To know the power of His resurrection we have to enter into the fellowship of His sufferings. And we can do that through prayer. One day we will see the result of our sacrificial prayer and be amazed! Wherever you are, whatever your circumstances, you can pray. And prayer does change things. Someone has said that prayer is the Christian's vital breath. Jesus brought all His petitions to His father. He spent nights on the mountainside because His work in the day was dependant on His life of prayer. His life was one long prayer poured out to God for the world and those around Him. True prayer brings 'action', it calls forth the power of God upon the earth and into the lives of those we pray for. Through prayer we become the answer to others. We become His heart, His hands and His feet, that others might find Life. Through prayer we become Jesus on this earth giving ourselves that others might see what God is like.
'And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends' Job42:10

Be Mature

There comes a time when you have to accept that you are no longer a child in your walk with God. If He treats you like an adult, trusts you with authority, then you have to behave accordingly. When things seem unsure to you, and you do not know what is happening, running to Him and crying for comfort does not work.
If you cry 'daddy' daddy' everytime the milk is spilt, you will not get a response. That is if you are moving into maturity. You have to trust your Father that He knows best and is removing you from creature comforts to strengthen, harden your faith. A plant that has been grown under artificial conditions, in a greenhouse say, needs to be hardened off before it is put out into position in it's place. God cannot do much with 'soft' people, those who wimper and whine at every adverse circumstance. He wants trained soldiers, those whom He can use in battles and will stand their ground.
So He is training you and treats you according to your spiritual experience. That is why He will withdraw His conscious presence for a while. Not because you have grieved Him, but because He is teaching you to stand on your own two feet. Your will is crucial to your usefulness in Kingdom work. You have to 'CHOOSE' His ways whether you like what is happening or not, feel Him close or not. He will not always explain the 'why' of a situation. He just wants you to trust.
'Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child'. Ps 131:2

Nearer Your Goal!

You are nearer your goal than when you started, so give it your best and keep going. The seeds that you have planted will come to fruition at the right time. Ok! it seems that nothing is happening and no one is looking, or seeing the amount of effort you are putting in. But God watches and says that a reaping is guaranteed. Your life touches many others and the quality of your faith shows endurance. It is your gaining ground each day, bit by bit, that speaks of a righteous life in the sight of God. And it is Him that you are doing it for. He is looking! You shall reap what you have sown, and more than you have sown, because all will multiply. That which you have done in secret will be rewarded openly and God will be honoured because of it. 'Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up' Gal 6:9.