Psalm 18 Part Two

This verse, I have realized will take me weeks to get through. There is so much to take and eat from this verse. I will only address "The Lord is my rock" this time.

What are some qualities of a rock? they are hard, they can be both small enough to pick up and throw, and also large enough to climb up and stand high upon. They are also known as "stones".

How are these qualities of a natural rock a means to revealing Christ, our Rock? God is Omnipotent (All-Powerful; Rev. 19:6) and He is our ultimate strength (Ps. 46). Christ is a solid rock in which we can stand upon and build upon without worrying if our building will shake and fall (Matt. 7:24-29; Ps. 62:6-9) because He is the Most High (Ps. 47:2; 61:2; 121; Dan. 4:17). Christ is the Living Stone and we are to be the living stones that build up the spiritual house (1 Pt. 2:4-10). Those who are disobedient will stumble on this Rock and those who are rebellious will be crushed by this Rock (Matt. 21:44; Luke 20:18).

In each quality of a natural rock we can find a hidden piece of who Christ is, as our Rock. Christ is more than able to give us the right piece of Him so that we can overcome and conquer in each area of our life. That is, after all, the desire of His heart, that all would be overcomers and conquerors; being able to be more than conquerors in every area of our life (Rom. 8:31-39). He gave His life to save us and help us through each trial and temptation (Jn. 3:16). Our Rock has given His all and is our Helper (Ps. 54:4-5; Heb. 13:6).

God bless!

Psalm 18 Part One

Lately, it has been a great struggle to do anything. Any way I go, I find opposition and struggles to be faithful to do the tasks that have been set before me. So, with these struggles, I have put my nose into Psalm 18 and will blog about all that the Lord reveals to me and that the Holy Spirit brings to my remembrance. I hope that these posts will serve as a strengthening and encouragement to you; just as the Lord strengthens and encourages me too.

Psalm 18:1 begins with a cry of the hearts who seek after righteous things. I will be reading from the NKJV, and it says, "I will love You, O LORD, my strength." Those who love the Lord are those who seek righteousness; they seek to find out what displeases the Lord and what He hates and they avoid doing that and walking in those ways in their own life. To love the Lord is to fear the Lord because the fear of the Lord is what keeps us from sin. Sin is what God hates, it is not part of God's perfect plan for us, and it causes us to fall short of His best for each of our lives. We love the Lord, but, at times, this love must grow and be strengthened. The love of a 5 year old towards his/her parents is different than their love for his/her parents when they are 30 or married. Their love for each other has grown and strengthened. It is strengthened through the history they experienced and fought through together. This love spoken of here is not an immature love, or something kind that someone is saying to the Lord, but, indeed it is a love spoken with history that has drawn this person closer to the Lord. They have seen the Sovereignty of the Lord and they have become more attracted to Him. Those who say these words are those who realize that they cannot because more pleasing or more righteous without Him.

Let this be an ongoing cry and passion of our own hearts towards our LORD.

What is Your Identity?

Sometimes I thought that it would have been easier to be an animal. They have no worries, they do not have a worry about self preservation of image, etc. They always seem content and sure that they will find what they need to stay alive one more day. However, I overcame that thought. It might be an easier route, but that is not the identity that the Lord has assigned to me. I am to be a human. A woman! We all have identities that are hidden and revealed. The thing that we worry about the most are those things which actually are hidden. We are so focused on our own faults and errors that we truly believe that others see them as clearly as us and are judging us. The truth is, we all are doing the same thing about ourselves. We all focus so much on our own self that we do not truly see another persons true identity.

Whether you believe it or know it yet, God is our Creator and He created everyone and everything for a very specific purpose! There is NOTHING that the Lord has created that can be deemed pointless from the beginning. There are dessert and dry wilderness experiences that we will face in our walk through life. During those times we will feel meaning things (empty, pointless, wandering aimlessly, etc). However, despite those thoughts, He does have a satisfying point and purpose for our life. We have to press through those hard and dry moments and be that faithful servant who serves the Lord despite what the circumstances around us look like.

Moses told the Lord that He could not speak (Ex. 4:10), however, the Lord took his mind and caused Moses to see things differently. Moses saw speaking as something that was pointless, hopeless, meaningless in his own life, but the Lord open it up in Moses and it blossom into a beautiful and bold ministry for Moses. God took Moses mouth and used it to set the captive (Children of Israel) free.

Naomi, who lost everything and began to see her life as pointless (not a suicidal pointless). Her name was changed to Mara, which means "bitter" (Ruth 1:20). However, the Lord was not finished with Naomi. He gave her a faithful daughter-in-law who stayed with her, took care of her, worked to bring food in. Naomi, who could not offer Ruth anymore sons, was not able to offer Ruth someone else in the family. Someone who was in a great position, who truly loved her and Ruth him. Naomi was able to give Ruth wisdom in handling situations that Ruth had never experienced or understood before because of different cultures.

We see, through these two examples in scripture, that the Lord took the meaningless and the bitter experiences and turned the tide. Do not make conclusions based on how you feel or what you see because we write others off and even ourselves off sooner than God does. He is a God of second chances and if we made a mistake, then He is more than able to restore. He is able! Do you truly believe? He is the God who created the Heavens and the Earth and nothing is greater or too difficult for Him!

Instead of telling God all of the things you cannot do; tell Him how you are an open vessel that is willing to be used to fulfill, by His grace and strength, the things that you are ordained, by God, to do! If you say you cannot, then you will not. If you place your trust in Him and understand that your are only a tool that is being used by God, then things will happen and lives will be changed. What is your identity? a cracked vessel that has given up or a restored vessel who believes in the God who is more than able!?!?

Many blessings!

"Love One Another; as I Have Loved You!"

One of the main themes that the Lord seems to be repeating over and over in my life is the message of Love. Christ gave to us a new command after He died and rose again. We find this command in John 13:34, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." It is something that is precious and everyone wants to feel and experience it. I must confess that recently, one of my friends who once was walking with the Lord returned. The Lord strongly convicted me (I'm glad to say immediately He convicted me) of my attitude towards her and expectations of her. You could say that they "stank". They were rude, recording of wrongs, not hopeful, etc...The Lord reminded me something that I heard all throughout my childhood and teenage years: God's heart is towards the backslider. This cause me to realize that my heart should also be towards the backslider. Now that does not mean that we should give them ministry and positions in the church immediately and act like nothing happened. Even King David had to reap from the sin that he sowed. However, we are not to continually remember or talk about the backsliders faults and sins. We should not talk of how much they missed and how they have wasted so many years because our God is more than able to restore those lost years. 

After I repented of my wrong thoughts and expectations towards this person I felt free to actually love them the way the Lord wants us to love our brethren. The last thing someone who has fallen and scrapped up their leg is for you to hit it our push them back down on it again. That is the same towards the backslidden. They are tender, still has hurt, burdens, bondages', etc and the last thing they need is for us (the church) to push them backwards. Love! It is one very small word and yet if we use it correctly, it holds great power.

What is love? I Corinthians 12:4-8a (NIV) tells us what love really is, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..."

Moving down to verse 11 it says,"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." Part of putting away childish things is by learning the importance of loving one another as Christ loved us. He accepted us with our imperfections. He does not want to stay that imperfect person, but He received us with open arms and was patient and kind. He was not rude, not self-seeking, not easily angered, not proud, but He was the opposite of those things, Love! We must learn to put aside, little by little and day by day, our childish opinions, thoughts, mentalities, beliefs, etc...We, believers, must realize that God's heart truly is towards the backsliders. 

Jesus loves them and He does not desire to see anyone perish, just as 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV) tells us, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." We must be patient when we see someone come back to the Lord. Do not expect a quick change, but do not continually bring back up their faults and errors. We all have them and that is the last thing we need to remind someone of. Then in verse 13 of I Corinthians 12, "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." Love will look for the positive and the good in someone and will talk about it, nurture it, and help the person to grow stronger. Just as a mother looks at her child and talks about the positives, the child hears those words and is encouraged by those kind words and then wants to do more good. That is the same for the backslider; it is vital that we help them get back up, strengthen them, and bring them to the place where they are on stable ground once again. The best kind of teacher is one who raises up pupils who succeed higher then them self. We must help the backslider and not push them back into what the Lord has brought them out of (hurt, offense, weakness, etc). 

Love one another as Christ has loved you! If you cannot see the love that Christ has shown you and daily tries to show you, then cry out to Him and ask Him to open your eyes to what you cannot see. Do not believe that God does not love you because truly He does. He loves each and every one of us and if it were not so, then He would not of created us or given us a purpose/plan in life. Listen and learn to feel the love and compassion of our Father so that you can then go out and show that love to others. " What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy" (Rom. 9:14-16, ESV).

God bless!

Taste and See that the Lord is Good!

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." 

James 5:16

"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." 

Psalm 34:8

These two pieces of scripture are very precious to me. I want to share them with you, my fellow Readers, because the Lord has ministered much to me and I want to pass it on to whomever else needs encouragement. 

You see, as a human being, I am flawless and I see those flaws everyday and I wish everyday that they were not there. Lately, the Lord has been speaking to me the importance of showing goodness to those around me. When someone makes a mistake or is forgetful, I confess that I do not respond to them in the right or good way. The Lord also reminded me that I am also not the only human being who has faults. Just because you cannot see someones faults or do not hear them talk about their faults; it does not mean that they are not there. I always saw people as being perfect and that I am the only one who has faults. This is a self-centered mindset that I needed to get ride of and the Lord is helping me still to get ride of it. 

The reason we must show goodness to those around us is because we are not here to condemn people when they make a mistake. It is better to avoid being unkind or harsh to someone because usually after we are unkind to someone about a fault they have, we then face a situation where we find that same fault in our self. I have experienced this too many times. I hope that I have learned my lesson :P haha 

Tasting the goodness of the Lord is to experience and know the Lord's goodness. When we taste His goodness it can help us to then show/share that goodness to others. For example, when someone gives you an out of the blue gift you then feel wonderful and want to do the same thing for someone else. Once we taste His goodness we then want others to taste it too. 

When dealing with faults of our self or others; we must be gentle, kind, and patient. Beating our self or others up when we see our flaws is not the solution. Our Lord brings these things to the surface because He is saying to us that it is time for the spoon to come in and remove that bitter tasting flavor in the soup bowl. 

I do hope this makes sense to you or is an encouragement to you. If you have not tasted of the Lord's goodness, then cry out that you may taste and see that the Lord is good. Also, when a flaw comes to the surface in your life, do not condemn yourself or try to push it back to the bottom. When you see a flaw in another person(s) life, be patient, kind, and loving. Know that you are not the only one going through a trial even if it may seem to you so obvious. Pray for your brother when you see them in a state of struggle.

God bless!

Total Surrender

A thought for today: "Total Surrender"

This is instant and yet progressive. One must purpose within their heart that they will be totally committed and yet one must also be tried and found true to that commitment they made. There are struggles and trials and we will stumble and fall at times, however, it is the after response that is vital. We must get back up and realize that we just stumbled upon a vision of reality of our self. Our Heavenly Father sees our faults and sins that we struggle and battle through, but He also has the solution. When it is time to have a "total surrender" moment He will bring the area to the surface and when it comes to the top we must let it go and not push it back down to the bottom.

We can be on fire and have a passion that releases words of commitment and statements of "I SURRENDER ALL!", but then when a trial comes along and we mess up, one tends to germinate thoughts that bring confusion within our hearts. I know that I am guilty of this! Those moments are not for us to feel like we are the worse person on the earth and that we have messed up and the Lord will not forgive us. Those moments are the Lord quietly speaking to us that it is time to surrender this area.

I have been studying Jonah and also the Kings (in the book of Chronicles). One thing that has been drawn to my attention is all of their desires. That is what the decision of surrendering boils down to, desires! Jonah did not desire to see his enemies come to repentance and experience the mercy of God. He wanted to see them experience the wrath and anger of God. There were some kings who were righteous and there were some kings who began doing the things that pleased the Lord, but eventually forsook God and did not uphold His laws and were destroyed (killed). One king in particular, Joash (also known as Jehoash; 2 Chr. 24). He was taught and counselled by his uncle, a priest, but once his uncle died, he forsook the law of the Lord and his end was not good.

At the end of the day, we will find it easier to surrender if we allow our Heavenly Father to kill the desire to do those things which are wrong. I believe God part of the reason God chose Jonah to go to Nineveh was because He wanted to deal with an area in Jonahs life that was not surrendered to God. At times we will face difficulty because the Lord wants to bring bitterness, resentment, anger, etc... to the surface and have it removed so that when we act we do not act in our own emotions.

Paul better puts it, "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." (Rom. 7:19). Do not be discouraged, but when you find yourself doing what you should not do (criticizing others, speaking harshly to others, etc...) cry out to God in that moment and ask Him to lay the ax to that root and kill that desire to do it. Understand too that IT DOES TAKE TIME! The Lord has a different watch then us. Change does not happen overnight, although we do wish it to be true, it does not happen that fast. Do not be discouraged or condemn yourself when you fall or stumble in your walk. The enemy wants us to stumble, fall, and stay down in that pit of discouragement and confusion. Our response after the revelation is vital and may we remind ourselves daily that it takes practice for something to become a habit and a part of us. Practice what the Lord teaches you and you will find one day yourself doing it and wonder, "When did this happen? It is now a part of my life. Praise the Lord!" I know that I have had those moments and so I can tell you that if you have not had that experience, it will come. Just keep doing what the Lord tells you to do and you will make it!

Be encouraged Readers!

He is in Complete Control!

A missionary spoke at my church tonight and what she said left a great impression on me. It makes so much sense and yet is the greatest debate and doubt that dwells within most human beings who believe in God. Her words were simply this:

"Either God is in control or He is not in control!" - Audrey Kropf

The enemy is like a thief that comes in to steal. He comes to steal what seems so important and what we make to be our stability. However, once he does this, he also steals our peace. If we have our trust and our hope in God, then we will not put so much value and importance on earthly things. Another great thing that this missionary said was this, "If the enemy comes to steal, then it is because God is the one who has allowed it." Therefore, we do not need to lose our peace because God is in complete control even from before time was created.

Are you willing to follow the Lamb wherever He goes (Rev. 14:4)? Make the Lord that one and only thing that you delight in and He will lead you to places where we never would have imaged we would go. We can go there because there is peace. Instead of worry about things, or trying to figure out what is going on, take those steps (whether in light or darkness) and know, within your heart and with your whole heart, that He is in complete control.

"Either He is in control or He is not in control!" 
God bless!

We are the Joshua Generation!

I had the thought today on Joshua Generation. We are the Joshua Generation. What does this mean? How does this affect us? Well, it affects us more than I think we really realize. We are a generation that will bring us in to a new move of God. In order for this to happen we need to be molded, shaped, and formed in to someone who can be not only bold and courageous, but someone who can handle the great pressure and mantle that God wants to bestow on us. I get these words:

We are the Joshua Generation

With boldness and courage

We must press in with our all

No more turning back!

You have given promises to us

The land and heathen

We will fight with our all

For You are our All in all!

We cannot become stronger if we keep going back to our old bad habits. We must shake that old dust off of us, no longer touch it, and strive to move on. We cannot be conquerors if we have our hands full with vain things. We have to let them go and allow God to take things out of our lives (even if they are good). We must give Him our all so that He can be our All in all. 

I want to encourage those who read this: do not reminisce on things of the past. Whether they were good or bad, whether you regret or want to relive, do not look back. We want to have minds that are willing to be changed. Do not hold on to an old mindset for it will eventually shut the Holy Spirit down and limit God in your own life. Out with the old and in with the new. The biggest opponents to revivals are those who experienced the old revivals. Why? because they wanted to experience the old revival and see a repeat of that, but God is greater than repeats. He is able to greater things than that which has already occurred. Let go of your mindset (I am not saying to go free and wild with your thoughts); allow the Holy Spirit to be free in you to do new and greater things. 

May you be encouraged and seek to know more and not settle with the old!

God bless!

In the Slough of Despond

Bunyan, John. "The Pilgrim's Progress." The Pilgrim's Progress - Google Play:
"Now I saw in my dream, that just as they had ended this talk they drew nigh to a very miry slough that was in the midst of the plain, and they being heedless did both fall suddenly into the bog. The name of the slough was Despond. Here therefore they wallowed for a time, being grievously bedaubed with dirt ; and Christian, because of the burden that was on his back, began to sink in the mire. 

Then said Pliable, Ah ! neighbour Christian, where are you now ? Truly, said Christian, I do not know. At that Pliable began to be offended, and angrily said to his fellow, Is this the happiness you have told me all this while of ? If we have such ill speed at our first setting out, what may we expect betwixt this and our journey's end ? May I get out again with my life, you shall possess the brave country alone for me : And with that he gave a desperate struggle or two, and got out of the mire on that side of the slough which was next his own house : so away he went, and Christian saw him no more."

What does it mean to be in the slough of despond? One who is in the slough is one who has become dejected and lose confidence. They are in a state of unhappiness and low spirits. One doesn't seem to know where he/she are at or what is going on. However, our response is what is the most important. Pliable became offended, angry, and left the path. We have to go through these experiences in order to be brought to a newer level of maturity. Don't give up, but press in. Christ is always near and is able to help us. 

The last thing you want to do is sing, but David shows us that this is a great way to lift up a cast down soul. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name. For He has done great things for us!"

God Bless!

Heat and Pressure on Max

Lately, the Lord has been turning up the heat and pressure in my life. It seemed, in the beginning, to be ridiculously hard, but now I have doubts about this. It's only ridiculously hard when I try and fulfill God's will in my own strength. I need His strength and His grace to go through it and endure to the end of it all. God does not bring us through trials to crush us and destroy us. He brings us through the fiery furnace to try us and to burn away all the meaningless things that are attached to us. His works have a perfect purpose, it's to make us tried and true.

I felt (I sometimes still do) overwhelmed by it all. I want to encourage all who read this, Don't give up! Keep pressing in because God does not make us go through things we cannot handle. His work is perfect and all His ways are just! Submit, be obedient, keep and treasure His commandments within your hearts. Sometimes I just sit and cry because of how overwhelmed I feel, but that's okay, God wants to hear our hearts. Tell God how you feel and allow Him to come and speak to you in your circumstances. He wants us to know Him even more through each experience He brings us through. If we go through a trial and come out not knowing anything more about God, then I would be worried. We want to go through those trials, meet with God and have an encounter with Him.Coming out of the wilderness leaning on our Beloved (Jesus Christ) and having an experience that the enemy cannot possibly take away from us.

Looking at one other reason why we want to go through the heat and pressure is because God wants and needs to enlarge us now. When revival comes there will only be more and more pressure and heat. Those who already have the light and know Jesus will have no rest because they will be busy taking care of those who are lost and desperately looking for the right way. God needs to expand us more and more to be able to hand the pressure that He knows we are going to go through during this end revival. I don't want to say, "No more Lord!" I must go on and press in and endure to the end.

Press in with all of your strength, don't give up for God is here! He is here. He's always near. He won't let go, so don't you fear!

God bless!

Imparting of More New Faith

Today our church gathered together to pray for revival. One of the ladies shared something with the congregation and it really hit me on the forehead along with a "duh" after it. One of the many keys to obtaining a breakthrough in our life is, asking God to impart His faith in us. Just as Peter couldn't take the leap out of the boat and onto the water without Jesus' faith, the same it is with us. We cannot do it on our own, but we need Him to draw us and impart His faith within us. Having faith to see what once appeared to be a mountain before us, is now a small and conquerable hill/bump.

I sometimes wondered why I didn't have a fire within my heart as much as others did. Now I am learning that it is because I lacked asking God to make it real to me. Revival is something many long for, but is it really real in you? Is there a burning fire of desperation to see God move personally, locally and corporately? There should be and the only way there can be is when we ask for that fire. God can give us that faith and He can help us to expect something new. Not holding on to the old experiences, but having open hands and hearts to receive new faith for something new.

God is lately, impressing on my heart to ask Him more. I never really understood what that meant until now. I only saw it in the light of mine own eyes. Now, I realize that God wants me to ask Him more questions and to find out what His mind is in more areas of my life. It's not quantity so much, but it is learning to ask and be dependent more and more on Him. I must learn to start asking God, more and more, for His imparted faith. Also, allowing the faith, which is already imparted in me, to grow and come to a greater maturity.

God bless!

Are You Leaning on Your Beloved?!?

I just completed a class on the book of Song of Solomon. It has been a very encouraging, enlightening and motivating book for me!

Through reading, what most would call a "love letter", there has been a stirring within me to desire new growth in my spiritual life. To become a little more mature and to have a deeper relationship with my Beloved Heavenly Father. We can only come into His presence when He draws us, but what makes Him want to draw us? It is a heart that is wanting to do what is right and pleasing to Him. I want to have that heart that yearns for more of Him and desires to do what is right. Having all these hindrances, idols and distracts cut off from me and out of my life so that I can be just one step closer to Him.

Reading through the different stagings of the Shulamite woman's response to the relationship she had with Solomon; it posed the question within my heart, how do I view my relationship with Christ? Am I making all the callings and saying all the commands? Yes, I am ashamed to say that that is what I saw when I looked upon my relationship with Christ thus far. I had the opportunity to go and minister at a nursing home today and I felt the Lord's presence there with me. It was so wonderful and I didn't want to let it go. He place upon my heart to share about experiencing His love each and every day. There are so many dimensions of His love as we read in Ephesians 3:17-18. He wants us to experience new love every day. I come to the point that I didn't want to go to the nursing home in the first place. I had a lot on my plate already, but I decided to go anyways. I allowed God to make that decision and it turned out better than I imagined. I no longer want to be the one who is "running the show" in our relationship. I must learn, now, to start asking God what He thinks in every word, situation, and decisions I have to face.

I share my heart with you in hopes that you can examine your own heart and desire too a deeper relationship. One that is you totally leaning on your Beloved. Coming out of the trials of valleys and wildernesses where you are leaning more and more on your Beloved. It won't always be easy, but remember that we serve the same God of Jacob. Jacob had character flaws, but he had a heart that desired to do what was right and God worked on him to free him from the hindrances. He came out of those experiences leaning on the Lord. As you continue to have a heart that desires to do what is right and you obey what He says, then He will help you through it all. He will bring you in the trial, remain with you faithfully through the trial, and you will find yourself coming out of it leaning on Him.

God bless!

Along Life's Narrow Way

Thinking about this new year and my heart's desire is not to fulfill my wants and my ideas of "happiness". I want to draw closer to my Creator. As I reflect on times past and realize what I have done, I see that I am nothing without Him! I want, not only more of Him, but also I want God to be my all in all. I say that He is my everything and I want my actions to reveal my words to be true! I don't want to be one who is full of words, but to be one who has actions to prove my words to be true. I this year to be one where I draw closer to the Lord and have the actions that prove that He is my all in all!

Below the image are words that the Lord has given to me. You can call it a poem if you want, but this is a cry of my heart. May it minister to you as it has to me :) 

Along Life's Narrow Way

You are my Light and Salvation;

Only in You will I trust.

Shine Your light deep with my heart,

And help me to walk in Your ways.

Lead me, Lord, I pray.

Cleanse me with Your living Word.

Guide me with Your light and Spirit,

Along life's narrow way.

You are my Rock and my Fortress;

Only on You will I stand.

Though Satan may temp me,

Still I choose to follow You!

Help me, Lord, to obey.

Direct me by Your Grace.

Sustain me with Your love,

Along life's narrow way.

- Rebecca M. Anderson

God bless!