Hold Fast!

An old sea captain once said that when the storms get severe and they are threatened with disaster, that they turn the ship into a certain position and fix it there. Then weather out the gales, holding fast. There is a time to hold onto the Lord with all your might. Prayer does not seem to work, for all has been prayed. Faith seems to fail and the heavens are as brass. Then stand fast! wait for the storm to abait. Hold onto God, lash your self to the mast, for you will come through. The black clouds will lift and the thrashing winds will wear themselves out with their fury. You can't do anything but wait for this attack to pass, for it will pass. Nothing can move a child of God who has fixed their heart on His mercy and might. God will prevail for you, He is on your side, working behind the scenes, and bringing new strength through it all. You have to pass through this, there is no going round, but you will come out stronger than when you went in!

 'My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise' Ps 57:7

I Will Bring You Out!

Don't allow yourself to become despondant over the needs that you see in my work on earth. I have visited my people and assessed their situations. Many lack because they do not call to me, and are not willing to give themselves sacrificially. They must love me with all their heart, and cleave to me in all their ways. But I am gracious and overlook their mistakes when they reach out to me with honest hearts. I am not just there to provide things, I desire to give Myself. Pray for them to focus on Me and Who I am.
I hear the cries of my people. I see them struggling with heavy burdens. Just as I delivered the Israelites from Egypt, so will I intervene again for them. I am raising up 'Deliverers' who will deeply care, intercede with tears and groanings, and they will lead my people to their destination.
Stand in the gap for them. Pray to your heavenly Father for them. He is good, and will supply in unexpected ways. Take your eyes off your own problems which keep you looking inward, but look upward and outward. There is still much you can accomplish. In fact you will achieve more for me in the coming years than you ever did in those that have passed. You are on earth for My kingdom purposes and will see the fulfillment and fruition of your labours. They are not in vain. Don't get bogged down by it all! Rejoice! I hear and answer.

'I am the Lord, and will bring you out from the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you of their bondage, and I will redeem you with outstretched arm, and with great judgements: And I will take you to me for a people, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God' Exodus 6:6,7

A humble Heart!

Naaman was an important man. His name means 'pleasantness'. He was in favour with the king of Syria and was the commander of the army. Everyone respected him. But he was a leper. On one of the raids into Israel they captured a little servant girl, who became a maid to the Queen. She is not named in the Bible, but must have been well liked, and also liked Naaman. In passing she mentions that there was aprophet in Israel who could heal Naaman of his leprousy. The king gets to hear of it. Amazing how a snippet of news can travel to the right ears, isn't it? And without any requests from Naaman himself, a letter is written to the king of Israel, with gifts for him. So off he goes, to meet with the important dignitaries of the country. Almighty God can pull a few strings when needed!
He did not like it when Elisha sent his servant with instructions to Naaman telling him to go to the River Jordan and wash in it seven times. Naaman expected some great happening with the Prophet calling on the name of the Lord and waving his hand over the leprousy. What he really wanted was some great display of magic! Not to be told to dip in the muddy Jordan. But he had good servants who told him that he should do what the prophet said. So he went to the Jordon and dipped in it seven times as instructed 2 Kings 5:13. No more, no less! And he was made clean.
It is so easy to think that God would have us do some great thing to accomplish the purpose at hand. However, He is looking for humble hearts that will obey. He often calls us to do things we don't want to do, or be with people we secretely despise, as a test of our willingness. God does not measure in small or great, He just measures in our obedience. Obedience can open a wide door! What are you putting off doing because it seems so small and insignificant?

 'Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another because, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.'
1 Peter 5:5,6

Quietly Trust!

Jesus tells us not to take anxious thought about tomorrow. He does not say that we are not to think about tomorrow, make plans, or to pray about the future. But we are not to worry as it is fruitless and unprofitable. None of us can control our circumstances, or add anything to our lives by worrying. It is a habit pattern of thinking that can cause us great distress and halt our progress in life. We are really saying that our heavenly Father does not care about every detail of our lives, when we worry! Has He not said that even the hairs on our head are numbered?
Most of our troubles are imaginary. Our forebodings about the future, our forecasts about what will or might happen are just predictions and unfounded fears. The Lord can, and does deliver from them. So if you are burdened today, bring it all to Jesus, with thanksgiving, because He cares about you. As you discipline yourself to lay the weights down at His feet, so you will experience release and deliverance from the scourge of worry. The thing to concentrate on each day is to put God first in every thing and live righteously in our relationship with Him and with others. As we seek His kingdom first everything else falls into place. Our heavenly Father knows what we need, and will take care of the practical things in our lives. Our job is to seek Him and feed our souls on the spiritual things available to us. What does it profit us to gain the whole world , yet lose our own soul?

 'Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will begiven to you as well.Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own' Matthew 6:33,34.

Who Are You Serving!

The way to increase and blessings in the Kingdom of God is by using what you have, then God gives you more. You can't ask for more if you are not using fully what you have already been given. God tests our stewardship and promotes us according to what we do with what we have. The water of life has to flow out of our innermost being to stay fresh. One of the key qualities of a Christian has to be their honesty. In speech and action!
'Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?' Lk 16:10,11 God waits to see if our motives are right in serving Him.Then He will bring spiritual and material increase. You cannot serve God and money! Lk 16:13.

Enjoy!

I saw a picture of someone in a narrow one seater rowing skiff. The boat was skimming over the surface of the water so easily. The person rowing was in a steady stride, pulling on the oars with ease. It was not a race. It was a picture of freedom. But the freedom was ordered not haphazard. Muscles and experience were being built into the rower. And they were enjoying it.
The Lord says that your efforts are not in vain. They will become exhilarating as you continue to pull forward in a disciplined manner. And you will gain much ground through the momentum of spiritual excercise. With your oars of faith and trust working together nothing will hinder your progress!

 'Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak'. 1 Corin 8:9

New Things!

You have lost some things along the way. These will be returned to you. You are in a time of recovery. Your mind is being restored and sharpened. The scriptures that you have studied over the years will become new again and very relevant to your daily living. Listen for the reminders because you will need to act on them. They will give you guidance in the new direction you are taking. The small still voice will suddenly penetrate into your mind, then you will know that it is the Holy Spirit speaking.
This is all for a purpose. There is a work for you to do and you need spiritual tools to accomplish it. You have also lost some of your physical strength. That also is being renewed. When God moves He touches the whole person. With the recovery of mind and body will come a new zeal and vision.You will have the spiritual capabilities to bring into being things that were not there before. This will happen in its due order, so rest in His love. You will not become overwhelmed because I have prepared you for this time through the things you have suffered. You are ready!

 'As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. "Oh, my lord," he cried out,"it was borrowed!" The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float'. 2 Kings 5,6.

A Bright Future!

It is time to give your mind an overhaul! Take some thought about your thoughts! Stop allowing yourself to dwell on imaginary disasters that 'might' happen in your life. There is no need to wallow in morbid thoughts and plans for I have a bright future for you. My plans, says the Lord, are for good and not for your harm. My plans are for your fulfilment and enjoyment, not for sadness and emptiness.
Get rid of the dark imaginings and renounce negative thinking. Discipline your mind again to take hold of My blessings of freedom and love. If you continue to feed on unhelpful thoughts your days will be heavy and unfruitful. I desire you to dance with Me into your future, expecting that I will always provide the grace you need for every situation. It is time to lighten up! leave your baggage behind and let regrets go. You will find that the healing you need will become a reality and sorrow will vanish as a shadow.

'Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ'. 2 Corinth 10:5

Now is the Time!

Now is the time to turn your faith into action! Just take small steps towards your goal. If you sit back and keep deliberating on things your motivation will die. This is not a time to think things over, you have done that. Now move forward with purpose and wisdom. Plans mean nothing unless you do something. Thoughts are useful ,but need to bear fruit. Let your fear and hesitation go!I will lead you each step of the way. Do not fear disaster, or keep changing your mind. I am able to step in if you make a wrong decision. Signs and wonders follow those that believe. Trust Me.

 'I will instruct and teach you in the way which you should go. I will guide you with my eye'. Ps 32:8

Prayer of Faith!

God's goodness is shown through His general providence. He makes sun to shine upon the evil and the good alike. But there is another privilege for the Christian, that is His special providences, those are the blessings we get when we pray. Blessings we would not receive if we did not pray in faith. These provisions are especially given because they were specially asked. The prayer of faith is the mightiest force in the world. God governs the world by it. We get special protection, special deliverance, special blessings, and special comfort because someone is praying. Have you ever felt a comfort in your soul and thought to your self 'someone is praying for me'? Pray especially for someone today!

 'And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well: the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned he will be forgiven.' James 5:15

Breakthrough Will Come!

Don't think that the work you do for the Lord is insignificant. It may seem small at the moment, but seeds grow, if they are properly watered. God who started the work will bring it to completion. He is watching over it and protecting His interests, even though you feel He is leaving you to struggle on your own. He understands what you are going though. Keep praying about these things, because your prayer accomplishes much. Pray until you are assured of breakthrough! The breakthrough always comes first in the spiritual realm, then manifests in the physical. This takes time, because the enemy will try to hinder on every side. But he has lost the battle; you just need to wait for the victory to be revealed. Be in an attitude of praise!

'The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; and his hands will also complete it' Zechariah 4:9 Don't despise the day of small things 4:10.

Fear or Faith!

Be careful about making decisions out of fear. God leads by His peace and you can afford to wait for His peace to settle in your heart before you move forward. Fear pushes us to hasty decisions, and causes us to panic and try to keep control of our lives. God's peace leads gently and there is a feeling of 'rightness' about the proposed plans. Fear brings a darkness that shadows the ability to think things through calmly. Peace brings light and there is no claustrophobic pressure with it. Bring everything to the Lord for His guidance and then wait for Him to reveal the next step. Overcome fear by faith, and do not walk into unsure situations. Avoid evil where you can, and test all things. Some things seem good and right at the time, but later on reveal shaky foundations. The enemy would like to trip us up and can present us with a set of actions that 'seem' good. But they are arranged to lure us away from what God had planned for us.

 'God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind' 2 Tim 1:7.

Tested and Tried!

Temptations will come! If you want to live a godly, righteous life, obedient to the Lord, then you will be tempted. Often a season of temptation precedes a season of great blessing. Just as Jesus was led into the wilderness, after His baptism, to be tempted of the devil. So we are often led by God through a time of testing. But God never tempts us, though He allows us to pass through sometimes dire and unusual temptations.
After Jesus had been tempted He returned from the wilderness experience in the power of the Holy Spirit and was anointed for His work on earth. And likewise, we receive a new anointing of the Holy Spirit when we resist the lies and temptations of the devil.
Temptation is NOT sin. Though the temptations can be so subtle that we think that we are sinning because sometimes they are so awful, and they come in a form that mimics our own thoughts. Sometimes they come in the form of a throw back from our past. Something that once was sin in our lives, but has been cleansed and forgiven through the Blood of Jesus, can seem to return and we think we have fallen. It is then that Scripure is so helpful. Soaking the mind, and heart in the word of God keeps us from slipping into the devil's trap. He will use anything to try to seperate us from God and His Word and lead us into unbelief.
The whole process is allowed by God to strengthen us, to increase our faith, and to show the devil that we are truly, in word and deed children of Righteousness. Our faith has to be tested and tried! Endure what you pass through, as a soldier of Christ. Be strong, stand firm in the faith, and surely in due time, it will pass, when the purpose has been accomplished. Do not give way to it, because then it becomes sin because we have acted on it. Then you can go and strengthen your brethren, for we all pass through seasons of temptation.

' There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able to; but will with the temptation also make a way to eascape, that you may be able to bear it'. 1 Corinth 10:13

He Will Speak!!

An important part of the Christian life is receiving instructions from God. We have the Bible to teach us, but also we need that word to come direct from the Lord in our particular need or circumstances. It has to be living and vital for each day. We can count on God to teach us His way, and show us His path in special difficulties or times of perplexity. Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice. And there is nothing more wonderful than when He speaks into the heart with a direct word of instruction, encouragement, and enlightenment.
There is something He wants to say especially for you! Not for others, but for YOU in your circumstances and life. He is so interested in your life and longs to communicate His purposes to you. But you need to wait quietly before God, in your times of prayer, in your heart as you go about your daily tasks. Show God that you are 'waiting' to hear what He has to say to you. He WILL speak, when you are ready to hear.

"Show me thy ways, O Lord; Teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: For thou art the God of my salvation: On thee do I wait all the day" Psalm 25:4,5

Ask Again!

When things do not go acording to plan, and doors shut before you. Do not despair. God has other purposes that you do not know. He will reveal in His time. But if you are in the dark about a situation trust that God knows all.
Often doors shut in preparation for change. And change with God is always for the better. We tend to like the status quo. We do not want things to be disrupted around us. Most of us want peace at all costs! But then something that appears haphazard happens and we panic. People we could depend on go their own way; suddenly they are not there anymore. Familiar surroundings that brought us comfort disappear; we can't rely on them anymore. We lose our job; our friends forget us; no one wants to listen to our problems, everyone is too busy with their own.
We can feel that we are falling apart and do not know what to do, how to go about things, or make decisions. The things that we thought were jogging along ok cannot give us the sense of security we need. Where do we go? what do we do?
We look to the Lord, who has been our help in the past. We stand firm in faith, trusting that He will uphold us, and be our strength for each day, each circumstance, each problem. We remember how He came to our aid. He will do it again. He will carry us through. Because He is faithful. Ask Him again. Come with your petitions again! He is able to do more abundantly than we can ask or even think.

 'If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it WILL be given him' James 1:5

He Protects the Faithful!

This new flow of creativity that you have rediscovered will gather momentum. You will find that you have a new ability to tackle tasks that have seemed impossible to you before. This will happen gently. Just be careful not to take on too many responsibilities at one time. So don't spread yourself too thinly. This is a time for you to focus on essential things I am calling you to do. Watch out that you do not try to do too much in one go, just because you are eager to enter into the new flow. And reject any unfruitful things for you won't have the time to sustain them in the coming months.
Start that which you can continue. You can always add other things as you go along. This is a time of meaningful friendships, relationships, and ministry for you. So don't be afraid that it will fade away after a while. Be aware that some people will want to start with you but are not totally committed.
You are about to gain much ground for the kingdom of God. Your inner circle needs to be in unity and clear in purpose. Don't link closely with those who have their own hidden agenda. They will try to drag you down and feed negative thoughts into your mind Ask God for wisdom.

 'For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones'. Prov 2:6-8

Spiritual Exercise!

I saw a picture of someone in a narrow one seater rowing skiff. The boat was skimming over the surface of the water so easily. The person rowing was in a steady stride, pulling on the oars with ease. It was not a race. It was a picture of freedom. But the freedom was ordered not haphazard. Muscles and experience were being built into the rower. And they were enjoying it.
The Lord says that your efforts are not in vain. They will become exhilarating as you continue to pull forward in a disciplined manner. And you will gain much ground through the momentum of spiritual excercise. With your oars of faith and trust working together nothing will hinder your progress!

 'Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak'. 1 Corin 8:9

Come to Me!

The Lord says " Come to Me and sink into My love. There is a refreshing that will gently wash over you as you linger in My presence. Just as a child snuggles into its bed at night and relaxes in the warmth of the blankets, so you come and nestle in My love for you. Sink down, relax and let me take control. Do not be in a hurry to move from this position for you will find the healing there that you need. Let your soul be at rest and abide (stay put) in the experience. Don't be hasty over decisions, or plans, allow the waters to flow over you and soften your heart and motives. Your spiritual eyes have become weary with trying to see through the fog of many emotions. Now is the time to let all that go and rest in My love. I will show you the new pathway you must tread as you awake from your rest. Do not fear complacency. This is ordained of Me. There will be new vigour and direction, but wait for it to come from my Spirit".

'Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.' Matt 11:28