When did you last do an audit of the words you speak? Are you speaking “faith and life” or “fear and death”?

Late last year we were facing another challenging medical situation with our daughter, Victoria. I found myself going down that path of fear. I was spending time with God, a lot actually due to a broken wrist slowing me down! In these times I was primarily looking for reassurance and comfort. I was not speaking faith into Victoria’s situation.

Something changed in the Be Still moment

But then something changed.

During one of those quiet times with God, I was sitting on a seat in the park, asking Him for a word for our family for this year, 2024. Yes, another Be Still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10) moment. He drew my attention to an image that was directly in front of me - two rectangular sandstone blocks, with a narrow gap in between.

Beyond the gap, the grass ran down to the wide open expanse of the lake. As I looked at this image, God gave me these words, “I am the Way Maker.” 

Don’t we all love the Way Maker song

"Way maker
Miracle worker
Promise keeper
Light in the darkness
My God
That is who you are"

What a powerful declaration of Who God is.

God's Word speaks life

God gave me three scriptures to go with the image:

“This is what the LORD says - he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters,” Isaiah 43:16 NIV

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 NIV

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 NIV

Three life-giving scriptures, asking of us, Do we have the faith to believe that God made a way through the sea? Do we trust that He is making a way in the wasteland? Do we have the courage to keep walking on the narrow road that leads to life?

God in His graciousness had given me a way to speak faith and life into Victoria’s situation. 

God encourages each one

A bit more on this story about the way maker word ….

At the beginning of each year when I get a word for our family, I make an A4 poster, laminate it and give a copy to each family member, so they can have it ready on hand for encouragement throughout the year.  I'm under no illusion as to what has happened to these posters in the past - I've seen them peeking out from under a pile of papers on desks!

But this year was different - perhaps because it had the photo of the sandstone blocks and the way through. This year some chose to put the poster on the wall above their desks, some on the wall near their beds. But all put it in a visible, easily accessible place. I need that extra bit of encouragement so I have two posters - one near my desk, and one near my side of the bed! 

The Way Maker makes a way

Since the beginning of January, there have been at least 8 significant crossroads for people in our family, and each time, we have called on this word from God, declaring, “God you are the way maker, we are trusting that you will make a way through this - Your will be done, in Jesus Name.” 

God knew that each person in our family was going to need to speak ‘faith and life’ into situations this year, and that each would need His encouragement to do so. God always knows!

In each circumstance God has clearly made a way, showing us that He is sovereign, powerful, gracious and kind. Often too in these situations, it has felt like God has been asking us these questions, Do you trust Me in this situation? Do you have the patience to wait? Will you humble yourself and acknowledge that I am Lord of All? Oh God so wants us to mature!

Maturing in our faith

James speaks to us about this maturing process, 

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 NIV

I’m not always a fan of the maturing process, even though it always yields good fruit - I just have to remind myself of that. Joyce Meyer says, 

“The Bible talks about purification, sanctification, sacrifice and suffering. These are not popular words; nevertheless, if we are to be Christlike in character, we must sometimes go through difficult circumstances to learn His ways. I struggled with this process for a long time, but I finally realised that God was not going to do things my way. He placed people and situations in my life that caused me to want to quit this whole process, and He did not want an argument from me. He only wanted to hear, “Yes, Lord. Your will be done.”" The Everyday Life Bible, Joyce Meyer, Page 2060

It is only the beginning of March, so it is going to be very interesting to see what the remainder of the year brings with a word like “I am the Way Maker”

The power of the tongue

So getting back to the words we are speaking, are they “faith and life” or “fear and death”? Further on in James Chapter 3, we read about the power of the tongue. Verse 5 says,

“Even so the tongue is a little member, and it can boast of great things. See how much wood or how great a forest a tiny spark can set ablaze!” (James 3:5 AMPC)

Funnily enough, I was listening to my husband doing his Sunday morning radio program on Rhema 99.7FM yesterday morning, and I heard him sharing on this scripture too. God must really want to say something about the power of the tongue this week.

I know there are times when I have said things, mainly to my family, that I have regretted as soon as they have come out of my mouth. 

The tongue can spark a fire

It's an interesting analogy that James draws with the tongue and the starting of a forest fire. I have certainly experienced the power of my tongue starting a war of words in our home, and it hasn’t been pretty. I have regretted the words as soon as they have come out, but like that spark in the forest - once it is out, it is very difficult to contain! Of course in hindsight, I know it definitely would have been better to leave the room, or at the very least take a long pause and count to 10 (or maybe 100)!

Warren W. Wiersbe, in his commentary on James, Be Mature, Growing up in Christ, reminds us that Jesus experienced the wrath of the tongue,

“Fire burns and hurts, and our words can burn and hurt. One of the sorrows our Lord had to bear when He was here on earth was the way His enemies talked about Him. They called Him a “man gluttonous and a winebibber” (Matthew 11:29) because He graciously accepted invitations to dine with people the Pharisee did not like. When He performed miracles, they said He was in league with Satan. Even when He was dying on the cross, His enemies could not let Him alone but threw vicious taunts into His face.” Be Mature - Growing up in Christ, Warren W. Wierbse, Page 102

Can we tame the tongue?

So can we tame the tongue? Yes we can. But not by ourselves. We need God’s help. With the help of the Holy Spirit we can develop the fruit listed in Galatians. We can display that fruit through our speech and communications:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Imagine if every word we spoke came from the place of love, loving Jesus and loving people, with our selfish desires nowhere to be seen (or heard!).

Imagine if our words brought peace into a situation, rather than adding fuel to it.

Imagine if the way we communicated was always from a place of forbearance, exuding patience and never with that, ‘Will you just hurry up’ tone.

Imagine if we had self-control and chose not to speak on occasions and let the Holy Spirit bring conviction.

The Holy Spirit can help us

The good news is that with the help of the Holy Spirit, these things can become a reality in our lives. It probably won’t happen overnight (that certainly hasn’t been my experience), but rather little by little as we let the Holy Spirit do transformative work in our lives - the consecration process.

Here are a couple of specific scriptures that have helped me in this area - 

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14 NKJV

Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.
Psalm 141:3 NIV

I have found both these Psalms are wonderful prayers to pray regularly, especially before any tricky conversations.

Are you speaking "faith and life"?

So back to those two questions I started with, When did you last do an audit of the words you speak? Are you speaking “faith and life” or “fear and death”?  

If, in considering the answers to these questions, you feel the Holy Spirit is nudging you to make some changes, so you can speak more "faith and life" into your life or those around you, then let's pray and ask Him for that help.

Holy Spirit, we thank you that you are a gift in our lives to help us become more like Jesus. Please help me to mature so that Your fruit, love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, are very evident in my life, especially in the words I speak and how I communicate. Thank you that you will help me so that the words I speak will be acceptable to you. Thank you that you will put a guard over my mouth in those moments when I want to say something that is going to inflame a situation or hurt someone. Thank you for your graciousness towards me, and that you will continue to help me, even when I get it wrong. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.

Looking for more encouragement?

Are you looking for more resources to help you draw closer to God, please check out my other blog posts and podcasts.

Have you ever said to yourself, “There is not enough time to do all this.”?  I have and it's normally followed up with a huge sigh of exasperation! Then the Holy Spirit reminds me of something I heard a few years ago, “God will always give you enough time for what He wants you to do.”

Press pause! Does that mean I am doing things that God doesn’t want me to do? Does that mean I am doing things differently from how He wants me to do them? Sounds like it is time to check in with God and find out.

Getting direction from God

Let's look at those questions again, firstly "Am I doing things that God doesn't want me to do?" Or it could be asked this way, "Am I going in the direction God has for me?" In Psalms, we read,

“The steps of the God-pursuing ones follow firmly in the footsteps of the Lord, and God delights in every step they take to follow him.” (Psalm 37:23 TPT).

So when we have those thoughts of "There is not enough time" perhaps it is a good idea to pause and check in with God on the direction we are taking. Oh! there is again, that "Be Still and know that I am God" attitude. Maybe a prayer like, "God, am I doing what you want me to do? Am I following the path you have for me? Please show me if I have gone off track and am doing things that are outside your will for my life."

Jesus is a wonderful example of only doing what His Father, God, our Heavenly Father, told him to do. In the Gospel of John we read that Jesus said,

"I do what my father tells me to do. I do that so that the people of this world can know that I love my father.” (John 14:31 PEV)

An aside: Jesus had complete clarity about why He was being obedient to His Father, "so that people of this world can know that I love my father."  The Passion Translation says it this way,

"I am doing exactly what the Father destined for me to accomplish, so that the world will discover how much I love my Father." (John 14:31 TPT)

So a question for us - "Do we have that level of clarity about the motives of our actions?"

Right direction, but not sure on the "how"

Perhaps the answer is "Yes," we have clarity on our motives. We are confident we're being obedient to God and going in the direction He is leading us. However, we are still feeling overwhelmed with all that has to be done, "There is not enough time to do all this!"

So then we need to look at the "how" and ask the question, "Am I doing things God's way?"

We have the direction, but we need more of God's wisdom on how to take each step. In the book of Proverbs we read, 

"A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life]. But the LORD directs his steps and establishes them." (Proverbs 16:9 AMP).

We know there are often many ways to get to the end goal, but not all are efficient, and not all are the ways God wants it done.  We need to remind ourselves that God’s ways are higher,

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts."
(Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV)

God's ways are higher - always - not just sometimes. God knows the bigger picture.

God has the bigger picture

We don’t even know what will happen later today, or tomorrow, or next year. Receiving a ‘surprise’ medical report or receiving an unexpected promotion at work, reminds us of that.

James 4:13-15 tells us,

“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15 NIV)

And so it is with the plans we make, we might have some ideas on the outcomes, but we don’t know for sure. But God knows.

Ask God for wisdom

So getting back to the question, "Am I doing things God's way?" James also tells us we can ask for God's wisdom and He will give it to us, 

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault; and it will be given to you." (James 1:5 NIV)

We need to ask God for His wisdom on the "how."

Recently my days have been very full, and I have been asking God each morning to order the tasks I have on the list. I knew my plan wouldn't be the best for me or my family, but I had confidence in God, that He has the bigger picture and He would fit it all together perfectly. And He has - leaving me very surprised at the end of the day with what had been achieved. Thank you God - your ways are astronomically higher than mine!

God's plan vs AI

Interestingly, last week I was talking to someone about the busy-ness of the week. During the conversation I asked her if the Holy Spirit brought me to her mind, could she please pray for me, that I would clearly hear from God on what tasks to do each day. She agreed and then told me about electronic calendars now using AI to order people’s schedules. 

I don’t know about you, but I would much prefer to trust God, the creator of Heaven and Earth, to order my day, rather than a man-made algorithm. As we read in James 4, God alone knows what the day will bring, and what tomorrow will bring, and how we need to prepare for it. 

Pride and casting our cares on Jesus

So why is it sometimes that we don't go to God to get His wisdom, but rather we press on, doing things our own way and often ending up in a pickle?

For me the answer is simple, Pride! I take pride in being independent, knowing the best course of action, not having to ask anyone for help. Yes, I know - plenty to repent of in that list! God has been helping me in these areas for the past 30 years, gently, and sometimes not so gently, showing me that I need to be totally dependent on Him.

When are feeling overwhelmed we always have the option of pausing, acknowledging God, yes, there it is again, "Be still and know that I am God." and asking for His help. We can give all of our cares to Him as it says in 1 Peter 4,

“Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” (1 Peter 4:6-7 AMPC)

Humility is key

Humility is a key here, because it is us saying that we can't do this alone. We don't have what it takes. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Humility as, "freedom from pride or arrogance: the quality or state of being humble." (Merriam-Webster)

I recently read this about humility in one of John Maxwell's books,

"What is humility? My friend Rick Warren says, "Humility is not denying your strengths. Humility is being honest about your weaknesses. All of us are a bundle of both great strengths and great weaknesses and humility is being able to be honest about both." My belief is that humility is a choice every day to give credit to God for our blessings and to other people for our successes." (Good Leaders ask Great Questions, John Maxwell, page 33).

Humility gives us freedom. As we acknowledge that we need God's help, we take the pressure off ourselves. 

A matter of trust

We don't need to have all the answers anymore, rather we trust God and His wisdom.

Proverbs 3:5-7 says,

"Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions, with all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go. Don't think for a moment that you know it all, for wisdom comes when you adore him with undivided devotion. and avoid everything that's wrong." (Proverbs 3:5-7 TPT).

So today, let's choose to trust that God has the perfect plan for our lives. Let's choose to trust that when we ask Him, He will give us the steps to follow His path.  And trust that He will always give us enough time to do what He wants us to do.

Looking for more encouragement?

Are you looking for more resources to help you draw closer to God, please check out my other blog posts and podcasts.

Saturday morning was damp and humid, perfect mosquito conditions. Sometimes walking in this place can feel like mosquito feeding time! However, this morning I realised no mosquito had come near me. My thoughts moved to the insect repellent I had put on before walking. I have two types of repellent I use, a spray from one brand, and a roll-on from a different brand. Today I applied the roll-on and it was definitely providing the full protection and I was grateful.

God's protection

Oh, my brain suddenly started going off, thinking about all the parallels between putting on the protection against mosquitos and putting on the protection God gives us to keep us safe from the enemy in the spiritual battles we face each day. Ephesians 6 is one of the chapters in the Bible where the Apostle Paul gives us some very clear directions about putting on the armour of God. He says,

“Put on God’s whole armour [the armour of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11 AMPC

Is the protection effective?

The armour that God supplies is the best! No questions there. 

But with the mosquito repellent, from my revelation on Saturday, I know that there are different levels of protection. I wonder if it is the application method (ie roll-on vs spray) or the repellent content that makes the difference? or both? Perhaps I might have to do a test on that! But in the interim, I will make sure that I am prepared and have the roll-on repellent with me for future walks. 

Protection preparation

So that brings up another question, how prepared are we when it comes to protection on our spiritual walk? How many times have you heard someone say "we are in a spiritual battle"? What does that mean to you? The Apostle Paul explains about the spiritual battle,

“For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly [supernatural) sphere.” Ephesians 6:12 AMPC

The spiritual battle is real

Just as mosquitos and the impact of their bite is very real, so are the spiritual enemies of God. This week someone shared with me about a dream they had where a demon came into their room and said “I am real”. This person’s response was to go to God’s word and seek after the truth. The truth in God's word is one of the pieces of armour God has given us - “the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17). 

We need to know about the spiritual armour we have access to and be daily putting it on.  Joyce Meyer says,

“It is important for us to see that we cannot fight darkness with darkness. I believe the best way to resist and overcome our powerful spiritual enemy is not by venting our anger and frustration in some fleshly manner. Rather, we need to put on our spiritual armour as described in Ephesians 6:13-17 and yield ourselves to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit within us as we pray (see Ephesians 6:18).” The Everyday Bible - Joyce Meyer, p1945

Gaps in the protection lead to distraction

Sometimes I am in a hurry to get going on my walk. I forget to apply the repellent to my neck. When I have my hair up the back of my neck can be vulnerable to mosquito bites. I can hear them buzzing around my neck and I spend my walk continually shooing and slapping them away. They become a distraction, impacting on the purpose of my walk, which often is to have conversations with God - talking and lots of listening.

And so too it can be for us if we are not putting on the full armour of God daily. Each part of God’s armour has its purpose. We don’t want any chinks in the armour where the enemy can come in and distract us.

The Message Bible says, 

“Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way prayer is essential for ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” Ephesians 6:13-18 The Message

We are called to pray for one another, as each one of us is in this spiritual battle - some days it is just more evident than others. The Passion Translation says,

“Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all his believers.” Ephesians 6:18 The Passion Translation.

The indispensable weapon

A final word about God’s Word, the indispensable weapon. One of the first books I bought when I became a Christian, aside from a New King James Bible, was The Spiritual Warrior’s Prayer Guide by Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock. It helped me to understand the spiritual battle we are in and the armour God has given us. They say,

“The only piece of the spiritual warrior’s armour which is both offensive and defensive is named last on Paul’s list: “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). William Gurnal aptly describes this piece of armour: “the sword is the weapon continually used by soldiers to defend themselves and to rout their enemies. Thus it illustrates the most excellent use of God’s Word, by which the believer both defends himself and cuts down his enemies.” The Spiritual Warrior’s Prayer Guide - Using God’s Word in prayer and spiritual warfare; Quin Sherrer & Ruthanne Garlock p41.

Build up your storehouse of scripture

So I encourage you to build up your storehouse of scripture. Meditate on it day and night. Ask God for Scriptures and Rhema words you can wield into the atmosphere. They both protect and attack - reminding the enemy of the authority you have in Jesus Name. They are God-breathed words that build faith as you declare them over yourself, your family, your community and nation. 

One of the scriptures I regularly declare over our family is: 

“No weapon formed against you (any member of our family) shall prosper” Isaiah 54:17 NIV

We live in a spiritual world, so let's not be naive and apathetic, but rather be equipped and prepared for each day, putting on the full protection that God has given us.  So we can do all God has called us to do without distraction!

To hear more encouragement from Wendy visit https://drawingclosertogod.org/podcasts

Do you need some encouragement to finish that project?

How many times in your life have you started a project and struggled to complete it? Perhaps you are in that situation right now! Where do you go to get the encouragement you need to finish a project? 

Striving to find a way

So many times in my life I have been unable to find a way through. I strive to find the strategy, to find the key to moving forward.

When I feel myself striving this way, I know there is only one action to take - Be Still. Yes, Psalm 46:10 again! I keep coming back to that very clear command from God - Be Still. Just “Be Still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). It’s as though God is saying, “Will you just stop thinking all those thoughts and listen to Me.” 

Not by might nor by power

Often too God reminds me of the words the angel said to Zechariah to encourage the Israelites to complete the rebuilding of the temple after their return to Jerusalem from exile. The angel said to Zechariah,

“ ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Zechariah 4:6 NIV)

It was a challenging time for the Israelites, they were returning to a city that had been decimated. One commentary says,

“Although the archaeological data is fragmentary, there is enough to suggest that the exiles returned to a shattered urban landscape where considerable effort was needed to simply survive.” (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, p1555).

Encouragement to complete the project

The rebuilding of the temple project seemed impossible to the Israelites. There was so much to be done and limited resources available. The Israelites needed some encouragement to keep focused and complete the project God had given them to do. So God provided that encouragement through Zechariah. Here is what one commentary says about their struggle:

“The community was struggling to rebuild a sustainable economy, and severe limits on resources made rebuilding the temple an almost unthinkable task. For this reason, both Haggai and Zechariah needed to remind their audiences that God controlled the resources.”  (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, p1555). 

Who controls the resources?

An aside (or perhaps a key point!), in the economy we are living in today, it is important to remind ourselves that God still controls the resources. I remember one day last year I was walking and talking to God about my concerns about our finances, a Philippians 4:6-7 prayer. As I prayed a flock of cockatoos flew over, probably about 30 of them, and the Holy Spirit reminded me of Matthew 6:26, 

“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26 NKJV). 

Yes, God is in control and He is trustworthy.

By My Spirit says the Lord

Getting back to completing projects and the need for encouragement, let's have a look at  Zechariah 4:6 from the Amplified Bible,

Then he said to me, This [addition of the bowl to the candlestick, causing it to yield a ceaseless supply of oil from the olive trees] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of Whom the oil is a symbol], says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6 AMPC 

I love how the Amplified Bible gives that fuller picture to help us understand more of what God is saying. Read it again and listen out for which words the Holy Spirit quickens to you, 

Then he said to me, This [addition of the bowl to the candlestick, causing it to yield a ceaseless supply of oil from the olive trees] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of Whom the oil is a symbol], says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6 AMPC 

A Ceaseless supply

These words are quickened to me “ceaseless supply of oil”, followed by "“My Spirit” [of Whom the oil is a symbol]." 

Who is the Spirit? He is the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity. When we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, the Holy Spirit comes and indwells in us. Jesus tells us this in John 14:16-17,

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you."  John 14:16-17 NIV

So with the Holy Spirit living within us we then have a ceaseless supply of God’s power.

The Holy Spirit

The Passion Translation footnote on John 14:16-17 explains some more about the Holy Spirit, 

“The Greek word used here is parakletos, a technical word that could be translated “defence attorney.” It means “one called to stand next to you as a helper.” Various translations have rendered this “Counsellor,” “Comforter,” “Advocate,”  “Encourager,” “Intercessor,” or “Helper.” However none of these words alone are adequate and fall short in explaining the full meaning. The translator has chosen the word Saviour, for it depicts the role of the Holy Spirit to protect, defend, and save us from our self and our enemies and keep us whole and healed. He is the One who guides and defends, comforts and consoles. Keep in mind that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, our Saviour.” (The Passion Translation p630).

Ask the Holy Spirit for help

So what do we do when we need encouragement to finish the project, or perhaps we need some wisdom on how to finish the project? We ask the Holy Spirit for His encouragement and help. Joyce Meyer says, 

“Are you faced with a difficult obstacle? Like the Israelites, you cannot overcome any situation with determination alone. You do need to be determined, but as Zechariah 4:6 teaches, be determined in the Holy Spirit - not in the effort of your own flesh. The Holy Spirit is your Helper; seek His help. Lean on Him. You cannot make it alone. You need Him.” (The Everyday Life Bible - Joyce Meyer (p1451))

No project is too big or small for the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is there available to help with all sorts of projects and problems - nothing is too big or small. 

Last week I was having difficulty doing some formatting in a word document. I tried a few things but they didn’t work, I could feel myself getting frustrated. So I paused and asked the Holy Spirit for help and then I felt a quiet prompting, “Try this,” I did and it worked. Perhaps I should have asked sooner for His help! 

As the year ramps up and the days get busier, sometimes it is a challenge to fit all the tasks and activities into one day and I can once again feel myself getting frustrated and impatient, saying things to myself like, “There is not enough time to get this all done.” But again, a simple inquiry to the Holy Spirit as to what is actually necessary to do today always makes the day flow better. He knows which jobs can wait, and even which jobs are completely unnecessary. 

On the bigger scale, there may be a situation that I have been asked to pray for - a situation where there appears to be no human way for things to change. So people pray, the Spirit moves, miracles occur and situations change. I’ve been blessed to witness this more than a few times in my life. 

These are only a few examples of surrendering something, some project, to the Holy Spirit and trusting that He will bring the right resolution, 

“ ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Zechariah 4:6 NIV)

The parenting project

A final note about a slightly different type of project - parenting. It is a project I find I often need encouragement for! 

Parenting is a major area in my life where I have found this truth, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit"  to be revolutionary. So many times I have wanted to yell and scream and jump up and down and say to our children “Just do it this way!” And honestly, there have been occasions, to my embarrassment, when I have done that and it didn’t end well! I quickly learnt that “Might and Power” wasn’t a good strategy with teenagers! Yes, boundaries are necessary but the implementation has to be right - love, grace and truth is a good starting point. And who is best-placed to give you the specifics of that implementation - the perfect approach for each child? Yes, that is right - the Holy Spirit!

A challenge for this week

So I’ll leave you with a little challenge for this week. The next time you need encouragement with any project, big or small, and you are tempted to just ‘get in there and fix it’ or perhaps even thinking of giving up, then pause, take a breath and declare that this situation won’t be resolved “by might nor by power, but by the Holy Spirit,” and then ask the Holy Spirit for His guidance, making sure you be still so you can hear His answer!

To find out more please visit https://drawingclosertogod.org

Christmas was over a month ago. We were a little late putting our tree up this year, 23 December, but we did get there. Perhaps we will leave it up until February as it adds so much colour to the room. When we take the tree down the room looks very bland. 

It’s a bit like the tree in our garden I shared about a couple of weeks ago, stunning hot pink flowers and fresh green leaves in the summer, and then in winter - just plain brown branches.

That thought leads me to a question, what brings colour into your life? What brings joy into your life?

What dulls the colour in your life?

Or what about these questions, what dulls the colour in your life? What steals your joy?

Ken and I were recently reflecting on our almost 26 years of marriage, talking about the many times we have faced battles that have come to not only steal our joy but to steal our marriage and our family - the physical health battles; mental health battles; financial battles and relationship battles. 

We know that Jesus tells us in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;"

The Thief comes to steal

And we know that reading something and thinking that we understand it, is very different from the reality of living it!

Ken and I have no doubts about why we are still “standing” today. We have a hope in someone so much greater than ourselves.

A hope in Jesus Christ and faith to believe His words in the second part of John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Jesus comes to give us life

Life. Over the years, especially with the journey with our daughter and cancer, my understanding of that word ‘life’ has changed. Often we are so focused on our life right here, right now. But God tells us in James 4:14 that our life here is fleeting, 

“But you don’t have a clue what tomorrow may bring. For your fleeting life is but a warm breath of air that is visible in the cold only for a moment and then vanishes!” James 4:14 TPT

Life on earth is fleeting

What we experience here today on earth is only one part of our life - the fleeting part of our life, perhaps even the dull part of our life when one considers eternity. The apostle Paul knew and understood this well. While in prison he wrote to the Philippians, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:13 NIV.

Life here on earth is not the end game! There is more. Heaven. Eternal life.

There is more

If you are interested in finding out some more about Heaven, I can highly recommend this book that a friend gave me some years ago, Imagine Heaven - Near-Death Experiences. God’s promises, and the exhilarating future that awaits you, written by John Burke. 

Our access to eternal life is faith in Jesus Christ, as Romans 6:23 tells us, 

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I don’t know what is happening in your life right now, but I do know that there is a God in Heaven who loves you. I know that life here has many challenges and we face many battles.

But I also know this, as a person who has been living with faith in Jesus Christ for 28 years, Jesus is our only hope for living life to the full both here on earth and for eternity. There is no other way. 

“This is the true testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life has its source in his Son. Whoever has the Son has eternal life; whoever does not have the Son does not possess eternal life.” 1 John 5:11-13 TPT

Jesus brings the colour into my life

Jesus brings the colour into my life - now and forever. 

He can do the same for you if you choose to receive Him as your Lord and Saviour. If you want to do this now, please pray this prayer* with me:

Father,

You loved the world so much that You gave Your only begotten Son to die for our sins so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). 

Your Word says we are saved by grace through faith as a gift from You. There is nothing we can do to earn salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9).

I believe and confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is Your Son, the Saviour of the world (Romans 10:9). I believe He died on the cross for me and bore all of my sins (1 Peter 2:24), paying the price for me (Isaiah 53). 

I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead and that He is alive today. 

I am a sinner and I am sorry for my sins and I ask You to forgive me. By faith I receive Jesus Christ now as my Lord and Saviour. I believe that I am saved and will spend eternity with You! Thank You, Father. I am so grateful! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Next steps

If you prayed this prayer for the first time, I encourage you to do three things:

1.       Start reading God’s Word (The Bible) today. The book of Matthew is a great place to start.

2.       Find a local Bible-based church and commit to attending each week, so you can grow in your faith, be encouraged and encourage others, and learn more about the purpose God has for you on earth.

3.       Tell a family member or friend about the decision you have made today to receive Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. I pray that they will rejoice with you and encourage you.

*This prayer is based on a prayer in The Everyday Life Bible. 

To find out more please visit https://drawingclosertogod.org

What's your 'go-to' when things aren't working out how you thought they would? Does frustration take over?

For me, being a planner and organiser by nature, frustration is definitely my 'go-to' when things aren't working out as I'd planned. 

The broken wrist

In early December I broke my wrist while renovating a room in our home. Standing on a kiddie step to sand a cornice, I stepped off awkwardly and fell. I screamed. My daughter came running and helped me get up off the floor. Immediately I started planning how I could continue the sanding. I attempted to pick up something with my left hand - but couldn't. My daughter looked at my left wrist and said, "Mum, you need to go to the hospital." I started crying, all these thoughts going through my head, the waiting at the hospital, the thought of not being able to drive and the implications on all the plans around Christmas. I could feel the frustration building.

Be Still moment

Then I took a moment to Be Still and to acknowledge God, as it says in Psalm 46:10. I asked Him what He wanted me to do in this situation, and I had a sense of a 'Slow down Wendy' message (Obviously!). 

Choose to yield

At that moment I could have continued with the negative thoughts about all I wouldn't be able to do due to this injury.  But over many years of having many unexpected medical situations in our family, I've learnt enough from God to know that when He speaks it is best to quickly yield, receive and embrace His words. The "just do it" and in this case it was "Slow down Wendy".  

 Yielding quickly

Another key God has taught me to yielding quickly is thankfulness. Look for the things to be thankful for, as it says in Thessalonians 5:18,

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." Thessalonians 5:18 NIV

In the situation with the broken wrist, I was thankful that I could get up and walk - I didn't injure any other part of my body. I was grateful that I was now going to get the rest I needed - I didn't have to ask anyone's permission to stop!

Now, the cast is off, the bone has healed, and I can drive again. There are movement and strengthening exercises to do but life is back to normal. But I am so grateful that for 6 weeks I had a slower-paced life.

Frustration brings limits

And I am so grateful for all the years that God has been teaching me how to yield and not let frustration overtake me. James 1:2-4 tells us that these trials we face have a purpose,

"My brethen, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." James 1:2-4 NKJV

God matures us through our trials. But I must say, I find it really hard to "count it all joy" when I'm feeling frustrated. The frustration seems to take all my energy, so much so that it limits my ability to think and hear clearly. I can't hear clearly from God or other people who are trying to help me process the frustration. I need a circuit breaker to stop the moments of frustration turning into hours, days, months and years!

The Circuit breaker

With each trial I go through in life, complete with its frustration, something interesting happens - my understanding of God's trustworthiness grows. My ability to go to that place of "Okay, this is frustrating and annoying, but I am going to choose to trust that God has a plan and purpose here." has increased over the years and most times I can relatively quickly yield and go to the place of trusting God.  Of course, sometimes there is still that wrestle and it takes a bit longer - I am a work in progress - and thankfully God is patient and kind.

... is trust!

So my circuit breaker to being overwhelmed by frustration is - Trust! And not trusting in myself and my abilities, but trusting in God.

Proverbs 3:5-6, I'm sure you know it, says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path." (NKJV)

Trusting God with all your heart

For me, as I said, learning to trust God with all my heart is a journey. It didn't just happen like the flick of a switch when I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour, at age 24.

No, it has been and still is a gradual process of letting go of my plans (difficult when a lot of my career was about project planning!); letting go of the trust I have in my wisdom and knowledge (ie I know best); letting go of being led by my feelings, and letting go of the expectations of myself. Basically, it is the process of dying to oneself, and as Jesus said to His disciples,

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23 NIV

Surrender to His Ways

The Passion Translation says it this way,

"If you truly desire to be my disciple, you must disown your life completely, embrace my 'cross' as your own, and surrender to my ways." Luke 9:23 TPT

Surrender. Letting go of my ways and following Jesus' ways. Trusting God.

The catalyst for me to learning how to let go has been the trials of life, those trials that James talks about. With each trial that Jesus helps me overcome I learn more about His character. I grow in my understanding of just how trustworthy He is.  And I learn more about my character and that my frustration at the circumstances I didn't like or want, is highlighting to me the areas where I need to trust God more.

Getting frustrated? Trust God

So next time you feel yourself getting frustrated at a situation or person, take a breath and tell yourself that this is the time to, "Trust in the LORD with all my heart, and lean not on my own understanding; In all my ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct my path."

And perhaps if you haven't already, start writing in a journal about every time you make that choice to trust God and then record what the outcome is. It will become your book of personal testimonies to remind yourself that God is trustworthy.

To find out more please visit drawingclosertogod.org

What are the first words you say to yourself when you wake up? Over the last few months, I have been purposefully saying to myself these words from a childhood Sunday School song (actually Psalm 118:24), "This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." (NKJV).  It is a declaration to my soul. Me, telling myself that God is in control. He made this day (Psalm 118:24). He knows what is to come (Psalm 139:16). He will not leave me to do this day alone. (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Speaking faith 

Essentially I am speaking faith into my day.  Faith that no matter what happens, whether is it no drama (we don't actually have many of those days) or a little bit of drama, or some massive drama (we have had too many of those days!) - This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it!

I'm telling myself that I will choose to keep my eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)...

Be thankful

... and I will keep looking for things to be thankful for. In fact, in The Passion Translation, Psalm 118, where the scripture, "This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it" comes from, is titled, "Glorious Thanksgiving".  Its first few verses say,

"Keep on giving your thanks to God, for he is so good!
His constant, tender love lasts forever!
Let all his princely people sing,
His constant, tender love lasts forever!"
Psalm 118:1-2 The Passion Translation

Awake, my soul

As someone who often speaks to themselves, I always find it reassuring when I hear of someone else who speaks to themselves too. In Psalm 108 we hear King David speaking to his soul as he prays to God for help,

"My heart, O God, is quiet and confident, all because of you.
Now I can sing my song with passionate praises!
Awake, O my soul, with the music of his splendor.
Arise, my soul, and sing his praises!
I will awaken the dawn with my worship,
greeting the daybreak with my songs of light."
Psalm 108:1-2 The Passion Translation

Yes, here is King David at dawn, speaking to himself, telling his soul to sing praises to God.  King David is speaking faith as he asks God for His help in the battle,

"Save us and help us with your right hand, that those who you love may be delivered."
Psalm 108:6 NIV

An aside ... You may have heard Hillsong's beautiful worship song, Awake My Soul, which has some lyrics based on Psalm 108. 

Words Matter

We all know that the words we speak matter. We are often so careful with the words we speak to others. But for those of us who are often speaking to ourselves, we can easily forget to consider what we are saying to ourselves. Just as we need to take our thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), we need to remember the truth of Proverbs 18:21,

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]." Proverbs 18:21 AMPC

This truth applies to the words we say to ourselves and others. Joyce Meyer often speaks about the power of words and she says,

"We have heard the phrase, "You're going to have to eat your words," and Proverbs 18:21 confirms this truth. The words we speak have power to influence our lives. In fact, you may be eating your words right now, and that may be why you are not happy with your life. Your mouth may be getting you in trouble with yourself!"  (The Everyday Life Bible, P993).

What words will you wake up with tomorrow?

So I'll leave you (and me) with a little challenge ... what words will we wake up with tomorrow? Will it be the 'Ugh, I wonder what's going to go wrong today,' with a generally unenthusiastic tone? Or will it be a statement of faith, such as "This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it," combined with a thankful attitude that His grace is sufficient for us today.

To find out more please visit drawingclosertogod.org

In our garden we have a hot pink Crepe MyrtIe (I had to google to find out what type of tree it was!). It blooms in the height of summer, bringing a huge splash of colour to our garden. I love it, often exclaiming to the children as we drive in the driveway, “Look at the tree, look at the tree, it is so beautiful.”

Of course in the winter it looks very different. Just a trunk and branches. No leaves. No hot pink flowers.

Seasons

God tells us in Ecclesiastes that there are seasons,

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV.

In September 2020 I felt that nudge from God that my season for writing this weekly blog had ended - Permanently or temporarily - I didn’t know, but I obediently stopped. A few weeks later in October 2020, we found out that Victoria would have to re-commence chemotherapy treatment for a year. 

Is it time to start again?

Midway through 2022 I wondered, is it time to start again? But I didn’t get a clear “yes” from God so I just waited. And then in Oct 2022 we received the news Victoria was going to need brain surgery, so clearly not the right time to start writing again - there were other priorities!

Maybe now?

Then in May 2023, it seemed as though it may be the right time to write so I put together a plan for the first couple of months of blog posts, planning to start in July. However, that timing wasn’t right either, as some new health challenges appeared for Victoria in June of which she is still contending with.

Or maybe now?

But here we are today, the first Sunday in 2024. My husband has recently started as the Sunday morning announcer at a local Christian radio station. He is up and out of the house early so I have a quiet few hours to myself. Victoria’s health continues to be challenging, but God is giving us each the daily grace we need to do that journey well. So I am sensing that it seems as though my next season of writing is finally here!

Now, where to start?

So where to start? I have read over the blog post plan I wrote last year and it still seems relevant - thank you Jesus for going before me and making a way!

When I reflect on the past three years, particularly with the challenges of Victoria’s health, there are many questions one could ask, but how about this one … “How does one live a life of hope when we are faced with so many unknowns?” That word ‘unknowns’ means different things to each of us. For me, with the unknowns of life, I need something unchanging that I can rely on - a firm foundation.

A firm foundation

A firm foundation - a place that I can go, no matter what is going on in our lives, and it will give me strength and faith to get up the next day and keep moving forward. For me, that firm foundation is God’s word - the Bible. That is the place I go to, reading it daily, fully expecting that God will speak to me through it, giving me His wisdom; reminding me that He loves me and that He will never leave me; encouraging me that He works all things together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose; reassuring me that because of Jesus Christ we can have eternal life.

The Bible - the word of God

So over the next few weeks, I’m going to write about some of my favourite scriptures and how God has used them in my life. Today I will leave you with this one …

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 NIV.

I encourage you today, to find a physical space, perhaps it is sitting under a beautiful blooming tree like our Crepe Myrtle, and take five minutes to be still and meditate on the truth that there is a God in heaven and He loves you. 

PS: Don’t be surprised if tears come as you receive more of His love. 

Needing some help to 'Be Still?'

Here are some beautiful worship songs that have helped me come to that place of 'Being Still' before God:

Be Still - Kari Jobe
Be Still - Live - Hillsong Worship

To find out more please visit https://drawingclosertogod.org

In my lifegroup we are studying Romans. What a wonderful time we are having getting greater revelation of God's grace, learning more about why and how Jesus set us right with God. Every week we are reminded that it's all about God. Not us. It's all about Who He is, and what He says about us.

Our justification

We are up to Chapter 4. Warren W. Wiersbe in his book, Be right - how to be right with God, yourself, and others, says the following about this section in Romans and our justification ...

Paul's theme in the second section of his letter was salvation - righteousness declared. He proved that all people are sinners; so his next goal was to explain how sinners can be saved. The theological term for this salvation is justification by faith. Justification is the act of God whereby He declares the believing sinner righteous in Christ on the basis of the finished work of Christ on the cross. Each part of this definition is important, so we must consider it carefully.

To begin with, justification is an act, not a process. There are no degrees of justification; each believer has the same standing before God. Also, justification is something God does, not man. No sinner can justify himself before God. Most important, justification does not mean that God makes us righteous, but that He declares us righteous. Justification is a legal matter. God puts the righteousness of Christ on our record in place of our own sinfulness. And nobody can change this record. Warren W. Wiersbe, Be right - how to be right with God, Page 45

God does it all

What truth. How many times to do need to hear this to get the revelation that it is all God's doing, and nothing to do with us.

He declares us righteous .... And nobody can change this record.

Those words that God said about Abraham, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," apply to us too, as Romans Chapter 4:24, 25 tells us ...

But [they were written] for our sakes too. [Righteousness, standing acceptable to God] will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, Who was betrayed and put to death because of our misdeeds and was raised to secure our justification (our aquittal), [making our account balance and absolving us from all guilt before God]. Romans 4:24,25 AMPC

Jesus set us right with God

The Message Bible says it this way ...

But it's not just Abraham, it's also us! The same thing gets said about us when we embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless. The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God. Romans 4:24,25 The Message

When I read this scripture, two songs came to mind ...

Clean by Hillsong United

Nothing but the blood by Hillsong

I don't have much more to say today, other than that - that life-giving truth...

The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God.

And that is more than enough. Thank you Jesus.

Are you right with God?

If you want to be set right with God, and accept what Jesus did you for you, making a way for you to be right with God, then simply say this prayer from your heart, surrendering your life to Jesus Christ. Then seek out a local bible-believing church and connect with other followers of Jesus who can help you on your journey.

Lord Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God. I believe that You became man and died on the cross for my sins. I believe that God raised You from the dead and made you the Saviour of the world.  I confess that I am a sinner and I ask you to forgive me, and to cleanse me of all my sins. I accept your forgiveness, and I receive You as my Lord and Saviour. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Please note, this prayer came from Gerald, K 1997, The Proving Ground - Nine tests that prove your personal potential,  Insight Publishing Group, Tulsa, OK, 106.

To find out more please visit https://wendyrobinson.com.au

What does worship mean to you? Recently I read this statement about worship. It reminded me that worship is not about us.

"Sometimes worship is difficult. We don’t want to praise God or hear God’s voice. Sometimes worship grabs us by the nape of the neck and shakes us up as we come face to face with an ineffable God. Sometimes worship is comforting as we bow down before a God who loves us and gave up everything for us. Sometimes worship is joyous as we praise God who does great things for our world. And sometimes worship is all those things at once. Worship should never be a passive experience, and it is never about us." Postmodern Children’s Ministry – Ministry to children in the 21^st Century, Ivy Beckwith, Page 151.

Let's consider this phrase again ...Worship should never be a passive experience, and it is never about us.

What did Jesus say?

When Jesus was being tested in the wilderness by the enemy Jesus reminded us of Who we are to focus our worship on.

Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” Luke 4:5-8 NKJV

Jesus' words are very clear ...

'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.'

The Message Bible says it this way,

Jesus refused, again backing his refusal with Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God and only the Lord your God. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.” Luke 4:8 The Message

What is worship?

We can think about worship in many different ways. One of the ways we are probably most familiar with is the 'singing time' in church, which at the moment, due to COVID-19, has greatly dimished in the wake of social distancing rules.

I'm so grateful that our church has been able to meet again, in smaller numbers, and have a time of worship, albeit quite differently to what we are used to, but still a beautiful time of worshipping Jesus.

With the absence of the familiar corporate worship time during COVID, we have had to purposefully seek out and embrace alternatives to continue fellowshiping and drawing closer to God. So as with many aspects of our faith during this time of COVID, the small group gathering and our individual devotion time with Jesus has taken on a more central role.

Worship in the small group

For me, my early experiences of home-group / life-group involved a time of worship. While there was some singing during the worship, mostly it was a time of sitting in the presence of God, focusing on the words that declared truth about our Saviour. For example, Lord of All, Hillsong Worship

'Lord I long to see you glorified
In everything I do
All my heartfelt dreams I put aside
To see your Spirit move with power in my life.

Jesus, Lord of all eternity
Your children rise in faith
All the earth displays your glory
And each word you speak brings life to all who hear.'

I'm grateful for those experiences and what I learned. They were one aspect of the equipping that enabled me to start a life-group in 2019, where we normally include a time of worship, sitting in the presence of God, with our heart and mind focused on Jesus, Lord of All.

God prepares the way

How perfect is that for today's scenario of COVID-19 when singing has so many restrictions around it. I love how God goes before us, preparing us for what we need, before we know we need it.

And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8 NKJV

Despite the social distancing restrictions, we can still listen to some anointed worship songs, lay down our concerns from the day and turn our hearts and minds towards God.

Here are a few of worship songs we play:

Find me at the feet of Jesus- Christy Nockels

What A Beautiful Name - Hillsong Worship

Breathe/Rest (Spontaneous Worship) - Cory Ashbury

Goodness of God - Bethel Music and Jenn Johnson

You are for me - Kari Jobe

Worshipping in Spirit and in Truth

In these times though, when our experience of 'church' is a little different, I think it is important to pause and consider the wider definition of worship, and how we are living that out in our lives.

CompellingTruth.org has an interesting article, How can I worship the Lord in Spirit and Truth, refering to our response to John 4:23-24.

But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24 NLT

And here is the same scripture in The Passion Translation ...

From here on, worshiping the Father will not be a matter of the right place but with the right heart. For God is a Spirit*, and he longs to have sincere worshipers who worship and adore him in the realm of the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24 TPT

A side note, or perhaps the key note when it comes to worshipping Jesus, ... the footnote in The Passion Translation says,

*Or “God is breath,” or “God is wind.” Jesus refers to “Spirit” more than one hundred times in the four Gospels.

The transforming power of the Holy Spirit

The power of the Holy Spirit transforms us, over time, into more sincere worshippers of Jesus. His power transforms our lives so we become a reflection of God's love - ie the fruit of the Spirit grows in us ...

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

Here is a more contemporary translation from The Message:

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Galatians 5:22-23 The Message

Worship is not about us

So we have meandered from that original statement by Ivy Beckwith ....

Worship should never be a passive experience, and it is never about us."

... to Jesus' words in Luke 4:8 ...

'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.' Luke 4:8 NKJV

... to Jesus' words in John 4:24 ...

For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24 NLT

... to Paul's words about what happens in us when we allow the Holy Spirit transforms us ...

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

We need to choose to engage in worship

So yes, worship is not about us, but we need to choose to engage in worship. We need to fully engage and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us through worship. Fully engaging means we continually choose to put Jesus first in our lives, acknowledging that He is Lord of All.

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11 NKJV

Today, let's choose to engage fully in worship, however that looks for us - singing, loving, serving, and through that worship allow the Holy Spirt to transform us to be more and more like Jesus in this place.

To find out more, please visit https://wendyrobinson.com.au

During COVID-19 our business slowed down, so Ken and I took the opportunity to learn some new skills, specifically in relation to video recording. A week ago Ken told me about a one month challenge he was going to do with a group Live Streaming Pros, about telling stories and listening to stories.

The 31 Day Challenge

The challenge, 31 Days to being Youniquely you on camera, involves doing a live stream to a private Facebook group, speaking to a question/topic provided by Live Streaming Pros. For example, 'What is holding you back?'

One of the important aspects of the group is the giving and receiving of encouragement to other group members, of which there is 543 globally. It is a fascinating environment with plenty of stories to listen to. There are lots of Christians in the group, learning how to tell their stories in a more effective way. Actually that's why I decided to join Ken in this challenge, to improve my communication skills on video so I can more effectively share stories about Jesus.

However the other morning after I had completed a live stream, I was doing the dishes (because the mundane activities of life have to be done!) and was thinking about how interesting it was listening to people learning how to share their faith and their dreams etc in this group. And I felt God say to me, "I want you to listen to the other stories too and learn from them."

Listen to the other stories

By 'Other stories' I knew God was referring to the people in the group who were obviously from other cultures and religions - remember this group has 543 people from all over the world who want to tell their stories more effectively, mostly with the goal of helping others.

This instruction from God about listening to the stories and learning from them, reminded me of recent messages I had heard at church in relation to The Stolen Generation (Donna Meehan) and Gender-related issues. How easy is it to only listen to the things that make us feel comfortable, rather than the stories that challenge our thinking and hopefully our actions.

So my response to God was, "Okay God, I will listen to the other stories too. Give me insight to hear what is being said and understand more about people. Please help me to listen with my heart."

Of course this 'listening' doesn't only apply to the videos in the lifestreaming group, it applies to all areas of our lives.

Listening to my children

As a mum I haven't always been a good listener, either because I have been too busy to listen, or I have already made assumptions about what I would hear from the mouth of my child, or about the scenario that has played out.

Over the years though I have learned that when I hear the words, 'Mum' it is best to stop and completely shift my attention to the person. Even if sometimes only to say, 'I will just finish this job and then I can speak with you.' Of course I am not perfect at this and sometimes its a couple of hours until I 'finish the job!' But most times I do try to respond with that initial acknowledgement.

Stopping making assumptions has been a little bit more challenging for me, especially as the children grow and change. Sometimes after my 'assumption response' they have had had to say to me, 'Mum, I'm not like that anymore. I don't do that now.' And I've had to say sorry, and make a mental note to myself that they have changed. We can all be better listeners, especially with those closest to us.

But who is going to listen to me?

On the flipside, have you ever felt like, 'Who is listening to me? I am listening to my husband, my children, etc, but who is taking time to listen to me?'

There is One who is always available to listen to us, and doesn't make assumptions about what we are going to say. Yes, He knows us completely, but He listens graciously and loves us unconditionally.

Lord, you know everything there is to know about me.
You perceive every movement of my heart and soul,
and you understand my every thought before it even enters my mind.
You are so intimately aware of me, Lord.
You read my heart like an open book
And you know all the words I'm about to speak
before I even start a sentence!
You know every step I will take before my journey even begins.
Psalm 139:1-4 TPT

How wonderful is it to know that. Before I go to sleep I can chat with Him, leave my concerns with Him ...

Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 TPT

When I wake up I can ask Him for direction for the day ...

Show me Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.
Psalm 25:4-5 NKJV

And then the onus is on me again - to listen to God's teaching and instructions.

God, please help us to listen well

I wonder how much have we missed about life and people because we haven't listened properly? At home? At school? At work? At church? In social settings? Are we listening to stories people want or need to tell us?

Let's ask God today to help us to listen well, listen with our heart (bypassing all the assumptions), and listen for the actions God wants us to take in response to what we hear.

To find out more visit https://wendyrobinson.com.au

Are you a praying person? If not, perhaps today is a great day to start. Keep reading and hopefully, if I've communicated well, you will learn a little about prayer.

If yes, then I really want to encourage you that prayer matters. But remember, the 'how', 'when', 'where' of prayer doesn't matter. Any-way, any-where and any-time is suitable for praying. Even the 'why' doesn't really matter, as God sees our heart. He knows our motives and will respond accordingly. God is gracious. But the 'who' does matter. Who are you praying to? John 14:6 tells us that we are to connect with God the Father, through Jesus Christ, his Son.

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 NIV

Hence we pray, 'In Jesus Name.'

So a few thoughts on prayer ...

Praying for our nation

Now is the time to pray for our country, if you haven't been already. There is so much need, and so many hurting people, what do we pray for? Protection? Provision? Forgiveness?

Yes, all of those things, and perhaps a prayer for everyone in this nation to have greater revelation of God's great love for them, because remember the Bible says,

Our love for others is our grateful response to the love God first demonstrated to us. 1 John 4:19 TPT

Imagine what our country would be like if we all loved each other as God loves us.

To help me pray for our nation, I have set up a music playlist 'City and Country'. It includes

God of this city (Chris Tomlin)
Good Grace (Hillsong United)
Revival's in the air (Bethel Music & Melissa Helser)
Here is as in Heaven (Elevation Worship)
The Blessing Australia (Churches UNITE to sing the blessing over Australia)

Pray for our Governments

A little story... since March 2020 when COVID-19 started to impact more and more on our life in Australia, I began my day with praying for our Prime Minister. Praying for things like wisdom, protection and rest. Then one morning God said to me, 'Why aren't you praying like that for your husband?' So now, I pray those things for Ken, and then our Prime Minister and State Premiers.

But back to God's word and what it says about praying for our governments...

1 Timothy 2:1, in the NIV says,

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1 Timothy 2:1 NIV

The following verse then tells us that it is pleasing to God when we pray for people in authority. Here is The Passion Translation ...

Most of all, I’m writing to encourage you to pray with gratitude to God. Pray for all men with all forms of prayers and requests as you intercede with intense passion. And pray for every political leader and representative, so that we would be able to live tranquil, undisturbed lives, as we worship the awe-inspiring God with pure hearts. It is pleasing to our Saviour-God to pray for them. He longs for everyone to embrace his life and return to the full knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 TPT

Yes, God wants hearts to return to Him and His truth.

Praying for our Christian brothers and sisters

We can also be praying for our Christian brothers and sisters. The Apostle Paul is a great example of praying regularly for those who love Jesus. We know this by what he writes in his letters. Here are a couple of examples.

God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son. Romans 1:9 NLT

Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God's people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called - his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. Ephesians 1:15-19 NLT

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! If the Holy Spirit prompts you to pray for someone and you don't know where to begin, perhaps Paul's prayer is a good starting place!

With some churches still unable to practically meet for 'normal' Sunday services due to COVID-19, it is important that we pray for each other, encourage each other and keep finding ways to stay connected, just as Ephesians 6:18 reminds us.

In the same way, prayer is essential in the ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. Ephesians 6:18 The Message

Another little story ... when our lifegroup (homegroup) meetings had to transition to online due to the COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, the Holy Spirit prompted me to invite a friend from church, who wasn't currently in a lifegroup, to join us. She doesn't live close to us, and it was too far for her to come to our home each fortnight for the meeting. However, the establishment of the online lifegroup provided an opportunity for her to join and connect regularly with other women from church. Now as the social distancing restrictions have eased we are using a hybird approach with both face to face and zoom meetings (as I am sure many other groups are too) so she, and others who are unable to physically attend, can be at the meeting. That's our God - always working things out for good.

So let's be asking God to show us ways to keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out, especially in these interesting times!

Praying for yourself

There comes a time in life when we realise we can't do this life well alone. We need help, someone bigger than ourselves and our world. I recently watched the movies of the true story of Louis Zamperini in Unbroken and Unbroken - the path to redemption. They were a great reminder of this truth.

I remember the day when I had that revelation, almost 24 years ago. And most days since, probably at least once a day, these words have come from my lips, 'God I need your help' for many different reasons, including relationships, finances, health and peace.

We need to be honest in our prayers and ask God for His help. Because of Jesus, we have direct access to God, our Heavenly Father. Hebrews 4:16 says,

Let us therefore come boldy to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace in the time of need. Hebrews 4:16 NKVJ

The Psalms are full of examples of David telling God how he feels, oscilating between fear and faith, and acknowledging where his help comes from. Here is one of my favourites, Psalm 121:1-2

I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength come from GOD, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains. Psalm 121:1-2 The Message.

So if you are wondering if God really understands how you are feeling, I suggest that you take some quiet time to read through the Psalms. There will be at least one Psalm that will reasonates with you. If you are wondering where to start, here is a helpful resource from Jennifer Rothschild, Four Psalms to pray when you need God's help.

And remember, Jesus is praying for you!

Always remember, just as we are praying for others, there are people who are praying for us! And that includes Jesus. Romans 8:34 tells us,

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died - more than that, who was raised - who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Romans 8:34 ESV

Yes, Jesus is interceding for you and me. The Passion Translation says it this way,

"Who then is left to condemn us? Certainly not Jesus, the Anointed One! For he gave his life for us, and even more than that, he has conquered death and is now risen, exalted, and enthroned by God at his right hand. So how could he possibly condemn us since he is continually praying for our triumph? Romans 8:34 TPT

What a glorious thought, Jesus is praying for our triumph!

The Holy Spirit is also praying for us, as The Passion Translation's footnote for Romans 8:34 reminds us ...

Not only does the Holy Spirit pray for us, so does Jesus Christ. Two divine intercessors are praying for you each day. Two-thirds of the Trinity are actively engaged in intercession for us. This is typified by the incident of Moses interceding on the mountain for Israel’s victory with one hand held high by Aaron (the high priest, a type of Jesus, our High Priest) and Hur (or “light,” a metaphor for the Holy Spirit, who prays with divine illumination for our good). See Ex. 17:9-13; Heb. 7:25; 9:24.

Are you feeling encouraged? I sure am.

Are you a praying person?

So I'll ask again, 'Are you a praying person?'

If not, perhaps today is a great day to start. Begin by saying hello to Jesus and telling Him how you are feeling, and asking for His help.

If yes, you know that there is no shortage of situations and people to pray for, so let's continue to pray feverently and be expectant that our God will answer.

Let us hold strong to the confession of our hope, never wavering, since the One who promised it to us is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 The Voice

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Have you experienced a time when you thought to yourself, "I wish Jesus was here with me." I remember a friend, who was having radiation treatment for cancer, saying to me, "Before I go into the treatment room, I stand at the door and say, 'Okay Jesus, in we go together.'" She was declaring that Jesus was going with her into that room, acknowledging that she was not going alone. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that "I am not alone."

Jesus walks with me

That story reminds me of a song, "He walks with me" from Merle Haggard. The lyrics are simple but beautiful ...

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The son of God discloses

And he walks with me and he talks with me
And he tells me I am his own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

He speaks and the sound of his voice is so sweet
The birds hush their singing
And the melody that he gave to me
Within my heart is ringing

And he walks with me and he talks with me
And he tells me I am his own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

You know that feeling you have after spending time with someone who loves you. You feel heard, encouraged, safe and secure. Well that is how we can feel after spending time with Jesus.

But first we have to recognise that He is with us and acknowledge Him.

Recognising Jesus

Let's take a look at a couple of stories where Jesus wasn't immediately recognised.

At the empty tomb

Firstly, at the empty tomb after Jesus' resurrection ...

But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus' body had been laid. They said to her, "Woman, why do you weep?"

"They took my Master," she said, "and I don't know where they put him." After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn't recognise him.

Jesus spoke to her, "Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?"

She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, "Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him."

Jesus said, "Mary."

Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" meaning "Teacher!" John 20:11-16 The Message

But she didn't recognise Him

In regards to Mary not recognising Jesus, let's look at the way other translations say verse 14,

The Passion Translation - Then she turned around to leave, and there was Jesus standing in front of her, but she didn't realise that it was him!

The New King James Version - Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.

Recognise, realise and know

According to the NIV Study Bible, we don't know why Mary didn't recognise Jesus,

"He may have looked different or he may intentionally have prevented recognition." NIV Study Bible, Luke 20:14 Commentary, page 1633.

What about us?

I wonder how many times things have happened in our lives and Jesus has been there and we haven't recognised, realised or known.

Or why we sometimes don't recognise Jesus, or realise what He is doing in our lives? Perhaps this is the moment to ask Him.

Jesus calls us by name

An aside, or maybe one of the main points ... notice that it is when Jesus calls Mary by her name that she recognises him. In the TV series about Jesus, The Chosen (available at the App Store or Google Play), there is a beautiful scene in Episode 1, when Jesus calls Mary by her name and she is redeemed.

The road to Emmaus

Let's have a look at another interaction on that same day, when Jesus was not recognised. He is walking with two of the disciples on the road to Emmaus.

And behold, that very day two of [the disciples] were going to a village called Emmaus, [which is] about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking about all these things that had occurred. And while they were conversing and discussing this together, Jesus Himself caught up with them and was already accompanying them. But their eyes were held, so that they did not recognise Him. Luke 24:13-16 AMPC

In this story it is clear that the disciples did not recognise Jesus because of divine intervention. The Passion Translation says it this way ...

They were unaware that it was Jesus walking alongside them, for God prevented them from recognising him. Luke 24:16 TPT

Jesus is recognised when He broke the bread

In fact, the disciples didn't recognise Jesus until that evening at supper...

Joining them at the table for supper, he took bread and blessed it and broke it, then gave it to them. All at once their eyes were opened and they realised it was Jesus! Then suddenly, in a flash, Jesus vanished before from their eyes! Luke 24:30-31 TPT

Oh my, there certainly was a lot of mysterious things going on at the time, and I don't pretend to understand any of them. But it is good to ask God what He wants to show us through these stories.

Current events - what's going on?

An interesting aside about the conversation on the road to Emmaus, the disciples were discussing the current events of the day ...

And He said to them, "What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?"

Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened in there in these days?

And He said to them, "What things?"

So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.......

....Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ have suffered these things to enter into His glory?" And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." Luke 24:17-27 NKJV

Jesus explains the bigger picture

In our world today, there are certainly many interesting current events to discuss. But notice what happens in this conversation on the road to Emmaus, who brings the wisdom and explains what is going on? Jesus.

John Maxwell comments on this conversation,

"As two grieving men conversed about Jesus' crucifixion, they struggled to understand what it all meant. Jesus saw their confusion and could tell they needed someone to guide them. So He joined them and began to explain His resurrection in light of Scripture (Luke 24:27,45). By the end of their time together, it all made sense." John Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership Bible, Page 1299.

Listen to how The Passion Translation explains the disciples' response when they realised they had been walking with Jesus on the road to Emmaus,

Stunned, they looked at each other and said, "Why didn't we recognise it was him? Didn't our hearts burn with the flames of holy passion while we walked beside him? He unveiled for us such profound revelation from the Scriptures!" Luke 24:32 TPT

What is God showing us?

So what profound revelation does God want to give us today through these stories from Scriptures?

Possibly some of these things, and probably a whole lot more!

1. Jesus will reveal himself when He chooses.
2. When Jesus asks us questions, we need to search our heart and give an honest answer.
3. If we spend time with Jesus and learn to know His voice as Mary did, we will recognise Him when He speaks to us.
4. Jesus knows when we are struggling and will walk alongside us and help us, if we let Him.
5. Sometimes Jesus will do the unexpected, like vanishing at the supper. We won't always understand what He does and that's okay. We have to trust that His plan is good.
6. Only Jesus has the complete picture, understanding how each part of the puzzle fits together, so we need to listen when He speaks.

Jesus walks and talks with us today

To finish today, let's just revisit the words of that song again, knowing that Jesus is with us and we are not alone.

And he walks with me and he talks with me
And he tells me I am his own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

To find out more please visit https://wendyrobinson.com.au

Have you had the experience of crying out to God for many years, and then as the busy-ness of life takes over, the cry is still there, but not so loud? Then one day you have this moment, where the Holy Spirit nudges you and says, 'Look.' You look and see that God is answering that prayer. A smile comes over your face, and your heart feels full. The blindness of busy-ness is lifted.

The blindness of busy-ness

When this recently happened to me, I started thinking about how we often get so focused on other things, that we miss what God is doing. Proverbs 29:18 in The Message Bible says ...

If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. Proverbs 29:18 The Message

When I obeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and looked and saw what God was doing, I did indeed feel and know that I was most blessed.

The Amplified Bible says Proverbs 29:18 this way,

Where there is no vision [no revelation of God and His word], the people are unrestrained; But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God]. Proverbs 29:18 AMP

Ummm ... No revelation of God and His word ... the people are unrestrained...

The blindness in our thinking

Let's look at this scripture for a moment in the context of our thought-life. That is, when our thoughts are not focused on God's truth they can wander wherever they desire. This happens when we are not actively taking our thoughts captive, as God says to do in 2 Corinthians 10:5.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

This is another blindness, not towards what God is doing, but in relation to what we are thinking!

Negative thoughts causing blindness

I experienced this type of blindness recently when I let negative thoughts overwhelm me. They caused me to lose sight of God's word. I couldn't see the good. I couldn't see a positive path forward.

The story

Over the past month our daughter has had nine medical appointments in relation to her left leg, and there are two more this coming week. Attending all these appointments brought back the memories of the multiple hospital visits from her time of having chemotherapy treatment. Late last week, both my daughter and I were at the point of sighing, crying and thinking, 'No, not another appointment,' and 'Will it always be like this?' So strong is the emotional pull of old memories and feelings of despair - grief.

For our daughter during recent years the negative experiences around these ongoing appointments have been offset by the joy and excitement of swimming training and competing at sporting events. But due to COVID-19 restrictions and other factors beyond our control, those activities are currently not happening. So, the question she now often asks is, 'What is there to look forward to?'

What is there to look forward to?

What is there to look forward to? Yes, blindness can stop us looking forward and it can stop us looking to Jesus.

The blind beggar

These thoughts about blindness led me to reading the story of Jesus healing the blind beggar Bartimaeus, recounted in Mark 10 and Luke 18.

Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a great crowd, a blind beggar, Bartimaeus, a son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside.

And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, saying, Jesus, Son of David, have pity and mercy on me [now]! And many severely censured and reproved him, telling him to keep still, but he kept on shouting out all the more, You Son of David, have pity and mercy on me [now]!"

And Jesus stopped and said, Call him. And they called the blind man, telling him, Take courage! Get up! He is calling you.

And throwing off his outer garment, he leaped up and and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, What do you want Me to do for you? And the blind man said to Him, Master, let me receive my sight.

And Jesus said to him, Go your way; your faith has healed you. And at once he receive his sight and accompanied Jesus on the road.
Mark 10:46-52 AMPC

What did God speak to you about as we read that story? For me, there were four things which I share below. But first, lets give thanks for the revelation God brings to us through His word. Remember Proverbs 29:18 that we read earlier,

Where there is no vision [no revelation of God and His word], the people are unrestrained; But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God]. Proverbs 29:18 AMP

Keep asking. Don't give up

Firstly, Bartimaeus called out to Jesus not once, but twice. He didn't give up. Interestingly when this story is recounted in Luke, earlier in Chapter 18, Jesus is teaching the disciples about prayer, saying,

Don't you know that God, the true judge, will grant justice to all of his chosen ones who cry out to him night and day? He will pour out his Spirit upon them. He will not delay to answer you and give you what you ask for. God will give swift justice to those who don't give up. So be ever praying, ever expecting, just like the widow was with the judge. Luke 18:7-8a TPT

Jesus finishes this teaching about prayer with this question, a challenge to me and you ...

Yet when the Son of Man comes back, will he find this kind of persistent faithfulness in his people? Luke 18:8b TPT

Revelation (or reminder)

Keep calling out to Jesus. Let's be people of persistent faith.

Courage to respond

Secondly, when Jesus responded to the blind beggar's call, it appears from the disciple's words that Bartimaeus was a little hesitant to go to Jesus.

So they went to the blind man and said, "Have courage! Get up! Jesus is calling for you!" Mark 10:49 TPT

As we know Bartimaeus did muster the courage, get up and go to Jesus. Imagine if he hadn't. He would have missed that opportunity to receive healing.

The Message Bible says,

They called him. "It's your lucky day! Get up! He's calling you to come!" Mark 10:49 The Message

His lucky day indeed!

Revelation (or reminder)

Sometimes it takes courage to respond to what Jesus asks us to do, but that is part of the faith adventure.

Note: there is a great song that reminds me to take courage: Take Courage by Kristine DiMarco.

Throw off the old cloak

Thirdly, look what Bartimeaus did when he responded to Jesus ...

And throwing off his outer garment, he leaped up and came to Jesus. Luke 10:50 AMPC

It seems like, that to get up, Bartimeaus had to throw off something - his outer garment. The Passion Translation says,

So he threw off his beggars' cloak, jumped up, and made his way to Jesus. Luke 10:50 TPT

He had to throw off the cloak that represented his old life, before he could receive the new life Jesus had for him.

Revelation (or reminder)

This was one of the main points of the story God wanted me to understand. I had to throw off the old memories of years of medical appointments. I had to take those thoughts captive and remind myself that we are in a new season now. This is not the past. God is doing a new thing. Some serious talk to self, declaring God's truth and promises was required. For both me, but for our daughter.

Confidence in Jesus' power

Finally, Bartimaeus had confidence that Jesus could make him well.

Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith [and confident trust in My power] has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and began following Jesus on the road. Mark 10:52 AMP

So a question for us, "Who or what are we putting our confidence in today?"

Revelation (or reminder)

There is only one answer -> Jesus.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life." John 14:6 NKJV

The Blindness and Jesus

So just remember to keep a look out for blindness in your life. The blindness of busy-ness can cause us to miss seeing what God is doing in our lives. The blindness of negative thinking can stop us looking to Jesus, the One we need to have our confidence in.

The importance of confidence in Jesus

Three final thoughts on the importance of confidence in Jesus, and accompanying scripture, because remember what the Amplified Bible says in Proverbs 29:18.

Where there is no vision [no revelation of God and His word], the people are unrestrained; But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God]. Proverbs 29:18 AMP

1. We need to have confidence that with Jesus we can do all things.

I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfil His purpose - I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.] Philippians 4:13 AMP

2. We need to have confidence that with Jesus we can more than overcome.

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37 NKJV

3. And when we can't find that confidence, we need to remember.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power my rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9-11 NIV

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What has God put on your heart to do today? Is it something you regularly do, or is it a little 'out-of-the-box'? This is a story about having the courage to do what God says, no matter how 'weird' it seems, and then witnessing how God blesses others through that obedience. I pray this simple story encourages you to follow through on promptings from the Holy Spirit, trusting that your obedience will bring blessing to yourself and others.

Walking and praying

One of my weekly activities is twice a week walking and praying around the school grounds, normally with a couple of other mothers from school. Most of the time we have no idea how God uses our prayers. We just walk and pray in faith that He is at work in the supernatural. We may never know the outcomes of those prayers, but we trust that in this season it is what God has asked us to do.

Plans change

The presence of COVID-19 put a stop to the walking around the school grounds. But it did not stop us praying together, as we like many others around the world quickly worked out how to pray together online.

No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper. Isaiah 54:17 NKJV

And, again, as I'm sure many people found during this time, the stretching and having to do things a little differently, actually became a blessing.

In our school prayer example, praying online enabled more mums to pray than could usually be present at school, which led to more conversation and deeper relationships.

It's a bit like, the enemy had a plan, and God used it for good, sound familiar ...

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 NKJV

More changes

Now as the restrictions from COVID-19 are slowly reducing, we can walk and pray at school again, albeit in a specified area, the school oval, and with a maximum of three prayers. We are just so grateful to be allowed to pray on school grounds again.

Normally we commence our prayer walk by going around the boundary of the school. Our starting place is the oval. For the past couple of years we have done this on Friday afternoons when sport is on, so the children and teachers were used to seeing us walking and praying.

Last Friday was my first time returning to pray at school, and I was by myself. When I completed my first lap of the oval I thought, "How silly is this going to look, when I walk around the oval again?" As I couldn't go on our normal route around the school due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

It's not about me!

But then, with the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I remembered that it wasn't about me! But rather it was about what God wanted to do in that moment. And I had no idea what that was, so I asked Him, "God, why is it that we are allowed only here, on the oval? I know from a COVID-19 safety perspective why we are here, but why have You got us only here? What is it that You want me to do?"

Pause for a moment and picture this - a sports oval filled 7 classes of children and their teachers, and one woman walking around the perimeter of the oval praying. What do you think God wanted me to do?

We have all been impacted by COVID-19 in different ways, especially teachers who had to completely re-think the way they deliver education very quickly, and implement new strategies effectively and efficiently.

Pray for the teachers

So God's answer to me was simply, "Pray for the teachers on the oval."

So I started on my second prayer lap of the oval. As I walked past each teacher, God gave me a word of encouragement, very specific, which I madly scribbled on a piece of paper. As much as I wanted to, I knew it wasn't appropriate to walk up to them in the middle of their sports activities and say, 'Hi, I felt God wanted to say to you .... '

Previously I had received specific words of encouragement for teachers, normally one or two, but never seven during one prayer walk. This was a little unusual. What was God doing?

What next God?

As I drove home from school I asked God about those words of encouragement, and how specific they were, and what to with them. Do I email each teacher individually, or send a group email including everyone's word of encouragement?

You may think, what does it matter how you deliver the words of encouragement? But more and more I am learning that God is interested in the details. It mattered to Him how they were delivered, because, as He was about to tell me, He had another message to deliver to these teachers.

God's response to my question about the specificity was something like, "This is My body – each one with a role to play and a gift to bring."

The diversity of the body of Christ

I got it! God was wanting to not only deliver a word of encouragement to each teacher, but He wanted to send a message about the wonderful diversity of His body.

It is the same Holy Spirit who continues to distribute many different varieties of gifts.

The Lord Yahweh is one, and he is the one who apportions to believers different varieties of ministries.

The same God distributes different kinds of miracles that accomplish different results through each believer's gift and ministry as he energises and activates them.

Each believer is given continuous revelation by the Holy Spirit to benefit not just himself but all. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 TPT

God's response to the 'How' question was 'send as a group email' to illustrate the diversity of the body.

Later in the afternoon I sent that group email with the words of encouragement and supporting scriptures. The responses I received confirmed that God's message had been delivered and understood. All glory to God, He knows what we need and when we need it.

The 'takeaways' from this story

So there are plenty of 'takeaways' from this simple story. I've listed them below with the supporting example.

1. Make space in your life for God to speak to you (e.g. purposefully set aside time to pray and listen to God)
2. Trust that God is at work in the unseen (e.g. praying for people, students and families, that we don't know)
3. When seemingly barriers arise, be expectant that God will use it for God (e.g. temporary move to praying online)
4. Take your eyes off yourself and put them on Jesus (e.g. worrying about what others will think about repeatedly walking around the oval).
5. When plans change, ask God what He wants to bring from the change (e.g. What were God's plans for us praying only on the oval?)
6. Be ready for God to do things differently (e.g. God's words of encouragement for each of the seven teachers on the oval)
7. Keep asking God for the next step (e.g. how to deliver the words of encouragement to the teachers)
8. God has a bigger plan (e.g. this was about more than words of encouragement, it was about giving a picture of Christ's body - unity through diversity)
9. Obeying leads to blessing others (e.g. obeying God's call to take time to pray lead to His word of encouragement for others).

Obedience will bring blessing

This is a very simple story of how when we obey what God asks us to do, we can be a blessing to others. Just as God wanted to encourage these teachers that they all have gifts and are part of one body, it is the same for us. We all have gifts, gifts to bless others with, however sometimes we just need a little bit of encouragement to get out there and use them!

So I pray that this story encourages you to do what God has put on your heart, and know that He has gifted you for a purpose, far greater than you could have imagined. And whatsmore, you may never know how far the blessing ripples will travel from your step of obedience.

But God has carefully designed each member and placed it in the body to function as he desires. A diversity is required, for if the body consisted of one single part, there wouldn't be any body at all! So now we see that there are many differing parts and functions, but one body. 1 Corinthians 12:18-20 TPT

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Do you remember your most recent dream? What was it about? What did it mean? I only remember a few of my dreams, mainly because they were delivering very clear messages from God. Messages that helped me to re-focus rather quickly! Dreams and messages - don't ignore them.

One of my dreams that I remember most clearly came soon after Ken and I were married. One night we had an argument. Ken went for a walk. I was emotionally exhausted so went to bed, and promptly fell asleep. I had a very vivid dream, with one lasting image - our bed, Ken lying on one side, me on the other side, and a huge snake lying in between us.

On seeing this image I woke up, phoned Ken asking him to come back immediately. He did. We apologised to each other, forgave each other and prayed.

I believe that dream was from God, a warning that there needed to be unity in our marriage as the enemy was already planning on how to cause division, after only a few weeks of marriage.

Yes, God can speak to us through dreams. And He wants us to listen.

King Nebuchadnezzar's dream

A friend recently shared a link to one of Ravi Zacharias' last sermons. In the sermon he illustrated the importance of seeking God's wisdom by recounting a story from the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar's request for the Chaldeans to make known to him his dream and its interpretation. It's a great story of how God delivers messages through dreams.

In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams by which his spirit was troubled and agitated and his sleep went from him.

Then the king commanded to call the magicians, the enchanters or soothsayers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans [diviners], to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

And the king said to them, I had a dream and my spirit is troubled to know the dream. Daniel 2:1-3 AMPC

However, the Chaldeans wanted the king to tell them the dream first, and then they would respond with the interpretation.

Then said the Chaldeans [diviners] to the king in Aramaic [the Syrian language], O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation. Daniel 2:4 AMPC

No man on earth can do that

But Nebuchadnezzar insisted - both the dream and the interpretation. And the Chaldeans continued to resist. They knew they had no way of knowing what Nebuchadnezzar's dream was because, as they expressed, they had felt only the gods could reveal that to the king.

The Chaldeans [diviners] answered before the king and said, There is not a man on earth who can show the king this matter, for no king, lord, or ruler has [ever] asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean.

A rare and weighty thing indeed the king requires! None except the gods can reveal it to the king, and their dwelling is not with [human] flesh. Daniel 2:10-11 AMPC

The Chaldeans did not have a relationship with the one true God, the living God. They didn't have access to His wisdom. The Message Bible says it like this,

The fortunetellers said, "Nobody anywhere can do what you ask. And no king, great or small, has ever demanded anything like this from any magician, enchanter or fortuneteller. What you're asking is impossible unless some god or goddess should reveal it - and they don't hang around with people like us. Daniel 2:10-11 The Message

Nebuchadnezzar wants answers

Nebuchadnezzar obviously wasn't very happy with the response from the Chaldeans. He wanted answers!

That set the king off. He lost his temper and ordered the whole company of Babylonian wise men killed. When the death warrant was issued, Daniel and his companions were included. They also were marked for execution. Daniel 2:12-13 The Message

Daniel did have a relationship with the living God, and he had confidence that God would give him wisdom to respond correctly to the king's request - providing both the dream and the interpretation. So Daniel asked the king for a little extra time to provide an answer to his request.

The mystery is solved

Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel that night in a vision So Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel 2: 17-19 NKJV

Daniel then went back to Nebuchadnezzar and gave him the answer. He prefaced his response with acknowledgement of where the wisdom came from.

Daniel answered the king, "No mere human can solve the king's mystery, I don't care who it is - no wise man, enchanter, magician, diviner. But there is a God in heaven who solves mysteries, and he has solved this one. He is letting King Nebuchadnezzar in on what is going to happen in the days ahead. This is the dream you had when you were lying on your bed, the vision that filled your mind. Daniel 2:27-28 The Message

Godly wisdom

This story makes me think about James 1:5, a scripture I have posted on the wall near my desk,

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5 NLT

God speaks to us through dreams

So dreams and messages ... God uses dreams to tell us about our future, just as He did with King Nebuchadnezzar. And God can give us wisdom regarding the interpretation of our dreams, just like He did for Daniel. We just need to ask Him for His wisdom.

Sometimes God uses dreams to give us information about situations, to give us greater understanding and essentially encouraging us to trust that He has got the situation sorted. God did that for Joseph when he found out Mary was pregnant.

Her fiance, Joseph, was a righteous man, full of integrity and he didn't want to disgrace her, but when he learned of her pregnancy he secretly planned to break the engagement. While he was still debating with himself about what to do, he fell asleep and had a supernatural dream. An angel from the Lord appeared to him in clear light and said, "Joseph, descendant of David, don't hesitate to take Mary into your home as your wife, because the power of the Holy Spirit has conceived a child in her womb. She will give birth to a son and you are to name him 'Saviour,' for he is destined to give his life to save his people from their sins."

... When Joseph awoke from his dream, he did all that the angel of the Lord instructed him to do. Matthew 1:19-21, 24 TPT

God warns us through dreams

Sometimes God uses dreams to give us warnings. Again He spoke to Joseph via a dream, warning him about Herod's plans to kill Jesus.

Now when they had departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."

When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt. Matthew 2:13-14 NKJV

Note, the 'they' who had departed, were they wise men, who had also received a warning from God in a dream.

Afterward they returned to their own country by another route because God had warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. Matthew 2:12 TPT

Note 2: What is it with these Kings who get angry, albiet for different reasons, frustration and fear, and then respond with killing - Nebuchadnezzar and all the wise men of Babylon; Herod kills every baby boy two years old and younger in Bethlehem. This is the fallen world we live in.

God uses dreams to give us directions

In Egypt God speaks to Joseph again in a dream, this time, to give Joseph clear direction on where to go next.

Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead. Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. Matthew 3:19-21 NKJV

But then Joseph is concerned because Herod's son is now in control in Judea, so in another dream God gives Joseph further instructions.

But when he heard that Archelaus, Herod's son, had succeeded him as ruler over all the territory of Judah, he was afraid to go back. Then he had another dream from God, warning him to avoid that region and instructing him instead to go to the province of Galilee. So he settled his family in the village of Nazareth, fulfilling the prophecy that he would be known as the "Branch." Matthew 2:22-23 TPT

God's instructions and our obedience

How obedient is Joseph? After each of these dreams where he received the information, warnings and instructions from God, Joseph did what God asked of him. Furthermore, some of those actions fulfilled prophecy from the Old Testament.

So how important is it that we consider our dreams, asking God if He is giving us a message in them. And how important is it, to do whatever He asks us to do.

God has the big picture

Remember God has the big picture. He has the plan and He will reveal our next step, maybe via a dream, at the right time.

To finish, let's meditate on what Daniel said when God revealed the mystery of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream to him ...

That night the answer to the mystery was given to Daniel in a vision. Daniel blessed the God of heaven, saying,

"Blessed be the name of God, forever and ever.
He knows all, does all:
He changes the seasons and guides history,
He raises up kings and also brings them down,
he provides both intelligence and discernment,
He opens up the depths, tells secrets,
Sees in the dark - light spills out of him!
God of all my ancestors, all thanks! all praise!
You made me wise and strong.
And now you've shown us what we asked for.
You've solved the king's mystery."
Daniel 2:19-23 The Message

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When do you get impatient? I remember years ago someone saying that you know when you are in a hurry when you put a frozen meal in the microwave, turn it on, and then get impatient because it takes 4 minutes to defrost and cook a meal. When I heard that I gained some insight into myself!!!! Yes, it seems like I'm continually on the patience journey.

I wonder if we did a little stock-take of our patience levels for one week what the results would show. For me I'm sure there would be some impatient moments related to technology, my husband and our children. Although by the grace of God, thankfully not as many as there used to be! If we let Him, God will continually transform us.

But the moment one turns to the Lord with an open heart, the veil is lifted and they see. Now, the "Lord" I'm referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom.

We can draw close to him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus. We are being transfigured into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 TPT

The Holy Spirit

The New King James Version says it this way,

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed in to the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV

On this patience journey, there has been one scripture that the Holy Spirit often leads me to when I can feel myself getting frustrated and feeling like I want to step in and take control ...

So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. Zechariah 4:6 NKJV

This scripture always stops in me my tracks.

And I am reminded of a situation a few years ago with an organisation I am connected with, where there was a lot of might and power happening, it was very ugly. After months the situation was resolved, not by the might and power, but by the Spirit.

And I am reminded of situations in our family, where using my own resources and wisdom (my might and power) I have tried and tried and tried to resolve issues. But then one day, by the Spirit, change comes and the issue is resolved.

Developing patience

In this season with three teenagers and one pre-teen, patience is certainly a virtue, and one I am relying on the Holy Spirit to develop more within me.

But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit. Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless. Galatians 5:22-23 TPT

Mary, the mother of Jesus

As a parent, I want patience that endures. I was thinking of a couple of parents we read about in the Scriptures, such as Mary the mother of Jesus. She knew before she became pregnant that the child she was carrying was the Son of God.

But the angel reassured her, saying, "Do not yield to your fear; Mary, for the Lord has found delight in you and has chosen to surprise you with a wonderful gift. You will become pregnant with a baby boy, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be supreme and will be known as the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God will enthrone him as King on his ancestor David's throne. He will reign as King of Israel forever, and his reign will have no limit." Luke 1:30-33 TPT

How patient would Mary have been, knowing that her son had this future ahead of Him, but having to wait on God's perfect timing. I'm sure I would have had many moments of impatience and frustration thinking, "Why don't you just get on with it and do your job now!"

God's timing

We know from John 2, that eventually Mary does ask Jesus to do a public miracle when the wine runs out at the wedding in Cana.

And when Mary realised it, she came to him and asked, "They have no wine, can't you do something about it?' John 2:3 TPT

The footnote from The Passion Translation says, "This is a dilemma that Mary is hoping Jesus will solve by performing a miracle. Mary has no doubt about the power and anointing of her Son."

The story goes on ...

Jesus replied, "My dear one, don't you understand that if I do this, it won't change anything for you, but it will change everything for me! My hour of unveiling my power has not yet come." John 2:4 TPT

Again, lets read the footnote from The Passion Translation, "For Mary, it will change her very little, but for Jesus, this will be his first public miracle and will dramatically change his ministry from this moment on as the crowds see the power he possesses. Jesus knows his miracle ministry will "come out of hiding" by performing a miracle. Yet with Mary's encouragement, Jesus proceeds to do just that."

God knows all the implications

There is so much for us to learn from that story. In relation to patience it shows how important it is that we gain understanding that God's timing is perfect. He has the full picture, and knows all the implications for everyone involved.

For me as a mum I am always learning that God is at work in our children's lives, even when I can't see the physical outworking. Not by my might or my power, but by His Spirit, the transformation is happening. My role is to love and encourage - often with no words, just actions, and sometimes no actions either, but just interceding for them in prayer.

The father of the Prodigal Son

Another story in Scripture that came to mind is the parable Jesus told about the prodigal son. I wonder how long the son was away from home, and how often the father thought to himself, "Come on son, why don't you just come home!"

But the father knew the son had to make his own decision to return home. It was another 'not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit' time.

I found this commentary from Oosterzee, regarding the father ...
"The father has, however, been indirectly working for his recovery, by allowing him to bear all the consequences of his transgressions; he has, besides, been waiting patiently, and keeping both his heart and his house open to him."

-Theological and Homiletical Commentary on the Gospel of St Luke, Volume 2. Johannes Jacobus van Oosterzee, edited by Johann Peter Lange and translated by Sophia Taylor. Edinburgh, 1867.

The father in the parable is just like our Father in Heaven, who keeps His heart and house open to us. He allows us to make our own decision to return to Him, first through salvation, and then each day as we continually yield to Him in different areas of our lives. God is love, and love is patient.

Love is ...

I'm sure you know this scripture, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, often read at weddings (how interesting that Jesus did His first public miracle at a wedding, an event celebrating love) ...

Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one's achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honour. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, it never gives up. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 TPT

When I read this scripture and think about God, these are all the qualities I picture in Him. And these are the qualities He wants to develop in us, including patience, not by our might, not by our power, but by His Spirit.

And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognised as obsolete. We're free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 The Message

The patience journey, only made truly possible when walking in His Spirit. Let's walk that way today.

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It is always worth taking the time to read The Bible. God constantly wants to show us something. Earlier this week I was reading about Jesus feeding the five thousand in Matthew 14:13-21. As I was reading God reminded me that often Jesus does the unexpected. Let’s take a look at the story.

Getting bad news

Jesus has just heard that his cousin, John the Baptist, has been beheaded, thanks to King Herod. Jesus is obviously upset by this news and seeks out some time alone.

When Jesus heard it, He withdrew from there privately in a boat to a solitary place. Matthew 14:13a AMPC.

I don’t know about you, but for me, when I hear some devastating news, I want to be by myself to process what I've just heard. I remember those first couple of days after Victoria was diagnosed with a brain tumour. In the hospital I'd often escape to a small room attached to the Ronald McDonald Family Room, and spent a lot of time there crying and praying. It was called ‘The Quiet Room.’ I was very grateful for that space.

But Jesus didn’t have the luxury of that quiet processing space. Everyone wanted to see Him and speak with Him.

But when the crowds heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities. Matthew 14:13b AMP.

No time to process the grief

The story goes on ...

So when Jesus landed he had a huge crowd waiting for him. Seeing so many people, his heart was deeply moved with compassion toward them, so he healed all the sick who were in the crowd. Matthew 14:14 TPT

Jesus barely had any time alone to start processing the grief of losing someone He loved, but He doesn’t appear to be bothered by it. Jesus does the unexpected. He continues to give practically to the people, meeting their needs. This is a wonderful example of Jesus' capacity to love others when He is in suffering.

John Maxwell says an interesting thing about Jesus' actions,

"One of the greatest remedies for our own suffering is serving others. Servant-leadership becomes a solution for both the one serving and the one being served." (The John Maxwell Leadership Bible, Page 1198)

After Jesus had healed many people, the disciples thought it was time for the crowds to go so Jesus' could have some space and rest.

Toward evening the disciples approached him. "We're out in the country and it's getting late. Dismiss the people so they can go to the villages and get some supper. Matthew 14:15 The Message

The crowd is still on His mind

But Jesus still has the crowd on His mind, and is ready once again to do the unexpected.

"They don't need to leave," Jesus responded. "You can give them something to eat." Matthew 14:16 TPT

The disciples are a little perplexed as they know they don't have enough food to feed the people, which we find out later in the story numbered more than 5000.

And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish." Matthew 14:17 NKJV

The disciples, probably like me if I was in that situation, could only see what they had in the 'natural.' But Jesus saw the potential in the supernatural.

Jesus said, "Bring them here." Then he had the people sit on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples. The disciples then gave the food to the congregation. They all ate their full. They gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. About five thousand were fed. Matthew 14:18-21 TPT

Jesus does the unexpected

Jesus does the unexpected. He feeds more than five thousand people from the starting ingredients of five loaves of bread and two fish.

How?

I don't really know, other than what the Scriptures tell us:

He looked up to heaven (showing His complete reliance on His Father - God).

Note; The Chosen a historical series, beautifully depicts Jesus looking up to heaven before He does a miracle.

He gave thanks to God (acknowledged that everything He has comes from The Father).

He broke the bread into pieces (Jesus took action with what was in His hand)

Jesus is still doing the unexpected today

Jesus does the unexpected in how He provides food the five thousand. He is still doing the unexpected today in our lives, especially in this season of living with COVID-19.

For example, lets take a look at one of the things God values most, relationships. In my world, since the arrival of COVID-19, I have seen and experienced relationships that have deepened through shared experiences; relationships that have been restored as priorities shifted, and relationships that have become more authentic as pain surfaced and is processed. Jesus has done the unexpected. Once again.

What have you seen Jesus do, unexpectedly, in your world in this season?

Lets continue to keep our eyes on Jesus, trusting that He will carry on doing the unexpected, with provision, healing and restoration.

I'll finish with these lyrics from Hillsong United's Song, Shadow Step.

In every way, You never fail
So have Your way, here God
And I'll sing Your praise
Fix my heart to Yours
Ready for the unexpected
Ready for what you will do next

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When the COVID-19 social distancing restrictions were implemented in March 2020, in Australia, I asked God what He wanted me to do during this time. He simply said, 'Tend to your garden." I knew He meant literally, as our garden was long overdue some TLC. But I also knew He was speaking metaphorically about areas in my life, family relationships and other activities I'm involved in. What has God been saying to you during COVID-19?

Tending the literal garden

For me, tending to the literal garden wasn't going to be a complex activity. It just involved a plan - with achievable goals, time, a little money, and sunshine. Over the past six weeks we have transformed our front path, planting seeds to create a border of white cottage flowers. What a joy it has been each morning to walk out the front door and see the growth.

Another section of the garden has been weeded and had turf laid. In the midst of those improvements a stunning white Camellia tree has bloomed, dropping petals white as snow on the newly laid turf. So beautiful.

Our youngest daughter has planted seeds to create flower borders around two trees. The shoots are starting to come through now. Doing this gardening together with her is part of the other 'tend to your garden' that God was speaking to me about.

Tending to relationships

Through our journey of having four children and one with cancer who obviously required more attention, understanding the concept of love languages has been essential. They have helped immensely in working to restore relationships with our other children. For more information on love languages, see 'The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell.'

Over the years we had purposefully implemented routines and strategies to increase the frequency that we 'spoke' each child's love language. Strategies that God used to bring healing into relationships. For example, for those with a love language of Quality Time, we identified specific times during the weekly schedule. They often happened in the car on the way to sporting activities.

So guess what happened when the COVID-19 social distancing restrictions came in? Sport stopped, and along with it those precious Quality Time moments. The flow on-effect? Increased tension and frustration as the love tanks were suddenly running very low!

How do we do this now?

There was frustration for me as well as the children. I was so angry with the enemy for attempting to destroy what God had restored.

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10 NKJV

However, I am grateful for all God has taught me over the years about the enemy's attempts to steal, kill and destroy. A couple of key scriptures that help me in these times of frustration - although sometimes only after I have loudly expressed my frustration! ....

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:12-13 NKJV

So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6 NKJV

God says, 'Do it this way.'

So with the help of the Holy Spirit we have created new ways of 'speaking' each child's love language in this COVID-19 season and possibly beyond. And yes, for one child, that does include time in the garden. Praise God. He always has a plan and it is good.

Another area that I knew God was referring to with the 'Tend to your garden' response was a ministry group I am involved with.

In January this year God spoke to me about doing something new with the group. I was excited about what He had said, but did not know how to implement it. Sure I had ideas, but none of them seemed to be feasible, so I did nothing.

Yesterday I was outside at sunrise preparing the ground for laying the turf before the forecasted rain came, when God spoke to me about that new thing. He said something like, 'Now is the time to do that, and do it this way.' The strategy was brillant, masterful! Thank you God.

In January, how could I have known that COVID-19 would impact our country in this way? And that there would be a flow-on affect impacting the way our group operated? How could I have known that this would be the perfect time to implement what God had spoken to me about? The answer to all these questions is, 'I couldn't have known.' Only God knew.

For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV

Make space to hear what God wants to say

So why am I sharing these stories? Because I really believe God has at least one thing, probably more, He wants to say to each of us during this time. And His words to us, as always, are critical for our future. They give us purpose and the strategies on how to achieve that purpose.

How are you going to make space in your day to hear what God wants to say to you?

For some more thoughts on hearing from God please visit these posts at https://wendyrobinson.com.au
God hears our heart's cry
God's timing and our patience
God is listening - Day 22 - Drawing Closer to God devotion