What up Y’all! I know it’s been a while since I dropped a blog article. I’ve been practicing what I’m about to preach—getting still. Getting still can be a hard thing to do. There is always something to do. So much so, that if we aren’t intentional about getting still—we run the risk of going and going on empty—until we run out.

Even God—the one in whom we are created to reflect his image—modeled rest for us. When intentionally getting still, we aren’t just going to bed early to sleep. Instead, we remove some things from our plate creating the margin for us to refresh—mentally, spiritually, emotionally, socially, and physically.

Getting still refreshes the whole person. We have time to think, see, or perceive things without the stress of always being on a deadline. Sometimes it’s nice to not always have to run to the next thing. We are better able to enjoy life experiences at a steadier pace.

Getting still also better enables us to hear from God preparing us for our next season. Finally, getting more still creates the margin in our lives to have the capacity to handle life challenges. In April of this year, I felt a pulling away from the work of social media and blogging.

This pulling away, allowed me to feel what it feels like to just be. Not to always do, but to be. There is a difference. Doing all of the time can have us in the mindset of always working and never stopping to enjoy the fruit of our labor. That fruit may not always look like money. Perhaps, it’s diligence or an area being exposed that we need to be built up in such as waning belief because we are laboring but not seeing expected fruit. Expected fruit can be a shift or promise from God being fulfilled.

When God does things; however, he doesn’t do them on our timetable, rhythm, or expectation. He does things according to his process. He prizes our inner man to be at a place of quietness, rest, peace, and total surrender to him. Sometimes, constantly working when God is saying to rest is a sign that our trust is in ourselves and our work more than God to fulfill his promise.

God is a jealous God and he will not have any other God before him—not even something that appears good like work, hustle, or grind. These are things held high within our culture without necessarily acknowledging God within the work. The door becomes open for pride if we are successful without acknowledging God and unbelief toward God if we work and do not find the expected success. The Bible makes it clear that those who labor are laboring in vain unless God is within the building of the house (Ps 127:1.)

Even when God called for the rebuilding of the temple of God after the Babylonian exile of Israel, God was in the rebuilding of the temple. He touched the hearts of several different people involved in the process adding favor to see it to completion. It was a process, but it got done with God’s help. In this example, God touched the heart of King Cyrus causing him to give favor to Israel funding the rebuilding. He touched Zerubbabel and others.

This allows us to see that work is not a bad thing unless we are seeking to bring something to pass God has promised without his help—his favor, and his leading. Someone said anything built outside of God will have to be sustained outside of God. This is why those who place the value on hustling and grinding to accomplish success without God’s leading, may find that they are more willing to compromise their character to sustain the success that ensued. God doesn’t want us to build his promises outside of him.

He doesn’t want us worn out and tired from constantly doing and never experiencing the joy of being. So, he calls us to rest. It takes trust and faith in God to do this–to remove our hands from our work and still see it prosper. God knows what he is doing. The margin created during my obedience to God in coming away resting and seeking God has given me the capacity to handle a more stressful time at work, the loss of a close loved one, and a minor surgery. I did not know I would need the additional margin, but God knew.

You see God values us outside of the work we believe he’s given us to do. He values us as his precious sons and daughters. He wants us to rest and enjoy this life he’s given us. This also allows us to enjoy him—God himself. In the slowing down and resting—we notice the promises of God he has fulfilled. We become more patient, thankful, and less stressed. We also become more open to God bringing to pass the things he’s promised—instead of us trying to produce them ourselves.

I would love to encourage you all to stir up your prayer life even more during a time of slowing down to rest. God will put his word in your mouth in prayer so you can prophesy over yourself, your situation, and your family. Write down what God shows you. Allow God to use this time to build you because you matter beyond the hustle and the grind. When it is time for you to return to your work—you’ll have God’s grace and strength to go with you.

A book I am listening to now via audiobook is “God Where Are You?” by John Bevere. It shares about God’s process before he shifts us to our next. This is where I am right now and many of us are within the body of Christ. We can build ourselves up by listening to the Word of God in this book.

 

Last week we discussed the fear of man. We discussed the fear of man operating in religious people who seek to confine others to their understandings, personal convictions, and lifestyles. This is indeed a form of bondage that prevents us from being ourselves and causes us to walk in disobedience toward God by obeying the voice of man over the voice of God.
This is a very serious sin because the church is full of people who refuse to use their gifts, talents, or to walk fully in their purposes because they are afraid of being seen the wrong way. These people have not fully developed into their own identity in Christ, but hang on to the idea of how others see them. They find their worth and acceptance in being seen in a particular light by others. The dangerous part of this however is that God has sown seeds of purpose in each one of us.
The purpose God has sown in us is to reflect Christ leading others to him. Those who impose the fear of men on others seek to lead others to themselves instead of Christ. It is deep. How can someone become free from this?

One must learn who they are in Christ and what God says about them:
Have your own intimate relationship with the Lord. Read your Bible. Fast and pray yourself. God will show you things giving you discernment. You’ll know who is operating out of prophesying the Word of the Lord over you and who is operating out of control only seeking to shape you into a replica of themselves. He will begin to illuminate to you your purpose. Your purpose is what God has called you to do. God has a parable in the Bible about talents he’s given men. In the parable, God was upset because some knew better.

They knew God expected a return on the talent he’d invested, but in fear, the talent holder hid his talent. He never sought to multiply it increasing the return to God who’d given it. Who in your life are you fearing more than God that you are willing to disobey God in hiding your talent?

God’s word tells us to stir up the gifts in us. This particular scripture is of apostle Paul, who shared with his mentee Timothy that he has a gift of faith. He had noticed this gift of faith not only in him but in his grandmother Lois as well.

He is building up Timothy’s confidence to know that the gift of faith is his and it has been a gift that’s been prevalent in his bloodline. Therefore, Paul continues by sharing with young Timothy that he is not to be afraid because God has not given him a spirit of fear. What is Paul saying? Paul is saying operate out of what is coming from God not what is coming from man.

The fear of man comes from man. It does not come from God. We are not to operate out of it.

When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that it’s in thee also.
Wherefore, I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and a sound mind. – 2 Timothy 1:5-7

Next, Paul lets Timothy know that he should not be ashamed of the testimony of Christ, but he must embrace the afflictions that come with carrying our cross. Facing the pressure of the fear of man is all a part of carrying our cross and walking out our purpose. As I said last week, God will send those who will walk with us and support us to remind us that we aren’t crazy. We do need that for our own personal stability. Paul was an appropriate example of that for Timothy. When Timothy faced opposition for walking out who God called him to be; he had the support of the Holy Spirit as well as reminders in apostle Paul, and his grandmother Lois that he was doing the right thing. God will give us discernment to see this when we walk with him.

Once we know who we are; we can become bold:
The Bible says that the righteous are as bold as a lion, but the wicked flee when no one pursues after them. God increases our boldness by allowing us to walk through uncomfortable tests and through the test on to the end of the test we see that we are okay. What we feared was not as big a deal as we’d thought. When we walk with this assurance that God is with us and what we face; he’ll bring us through. We learn there is no reason for us not to be bold.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers us out of them all.

The sin of unbelief is something that will keep us in cycles of sin simply because we don’t believe God is good. We don’t believe in the gospel fully and we don’t believe we are enough to receive God’s goodness. I was reminded of this when viewing a film this past week about Hosea. The film is called, “Sinners Wanted.” The blessing of the Lord could be right before our eyes and we will not see it due to unbelief.  This is what the woman in the film depicted and this is why it is so important that we guard what we allow ourselves to meditate on and we become intentional about building our faith.

But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy (holy, consecrated) faith and praying in the Holy Spirit. – Jude 1:20

We all will have circumstances that test our faith. Years ago, I remember feeling like a bad example and failure while speaking to kids in public schools about healthy relationships and abstinence. The kids would always ask me if I was in a relationship and I’d say no. This one day when I was asked the question, I began to feel the above emotions of guilt and failure. I took a bathroom break in between classes and God spoke to me clearly asking me this question, “Where is your faith?”

Unbelief causes us to become stuck on how things appear, but because God loves us, he gives us his perspective which builds our faith. I share in my first book, “The Single Christian Woman’s Guide” how God bought resolve to the encroaching unbelief that attempted to ensue me through furthering the discussion through his word. In short, God let me know that things would not always be as I’d seen them at that time. There was another side of this singleness journey I had to get to. God has been walking with me and his word has helped to build my faith along the way.

You see our faith-walk is a journey. No one has it all together, but building our faith through God’s word helps us to walk safe, secure, and sound.

Religious people are some of the hardest people to get to believe the gospel because of being blinded by their religious piety. For example, when I was in college, I interviewed a Jehovah’s witness, Jewish priest, Muslim minister, and Christian for a brief documentary presented as a project in college.

The Jew shared how her Jewish place of worship stood on the belief that Jesus was not as honorable as Moses. They did not look at Jesus as the Son of God or savior of the world, but as a good Jew, but not as good as Moses. This was dishonoring to the Biblical fact that Moses along with other figures and scriptures in the old testament only exist to point to Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ is the only way for man to be saved.

Jesus had to go into Egypt to be preserved and grow up into the God-man who delivered his people—all who place their trust in him. Moses likewise had to go into Egypt as a baby to be preserved from the Pharaoh who sought all of the lives of the male children 2 and under. Moses, in the process, learned the Egyptian ways and gained the favor that allowed him to intercede on behalf of the Hebrews—his blood brethren. In this way along with other similarities, Moses was what some Bible scholars call a type of Christ, which is an image-bearer that points directly to Christ.

Even though Christ stood right in front of the religious leaders, they did not recognize him as Christ but instead despised him. Meanwhile, those who were first to worship Christ were called Magi, which are non-religious wise men of the world.

In summary, it skews our perception to operate out of unbelief. Operating out of skewed perceptions is dangerous and leads to sin. It causes us to deny the blessing of the Lord while operating out of a lower than mindset. We have to be diligent with building ourselves up with God’s word to avoid the sin of unbelief.

Unbelief will cause us to give up on trusting in God for our deliverance, freedom, and the right as those made in his image too, like Moses, point others to him. Unbelief will cause us to return to what is familiar rather than stepping out in the unknown of faith.

The earlier mentioned film is a depiction of Gomer and Hosea—a prostitute and man of God who got married in the old testament at God’s command. God commanded this to be a metaphor for Christ and the church. No matter where we are at in our faith-walk, God is still committed to us. He still holds up his end of the marriage when we do not, and this in and of itself should compel us to seek to walk in faith in Christ.

This past week has been like a movie out of the blue a world-wide emergency hit our home soil. Initially, when I’d heard of Corona, I thought it would be like the Swine flu. We’d hear about it for a little while and then it would fade away. However, this pandemic appears to be hitting much differently than the Swine flu. Businesses and the personal livelihood of people and industries have been affected yet in this, I remain thankful because God is faithful and still good.

I can think of a few promises from God that make my soul rejoice even in the middle of uncertainty:
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. – James 1:2-4

I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. – Psalms 37:5
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. – 2 Corinthians 5:1

It’s awesome to know that chaos can be going on all around us, but we have a sureness that we’ll be okay no matter how things pan out. Isn’t that awesome to know? This is why I cannot allow myself to be worried about something like this because my faith is anchored on God’s word.

This doesn’t prevent me from showing concern for others or practicing wisdom in following the instruction given by authority though. We should still do what is in our power to do to help our fellow neighbors. For example, the homeless shelters in our area were requesting additional funds to help keep the vulnerable homeless population safe. That is an opportunity to be a blessing and show the love of Christ to others during this time where we all are facing Corona together.

Let’s count our blessings continuing in the spirit of thankfulness toward the living God as we face Corona. I’ll start by sharing some blessings below as a result of Corona and anyone else willing can feel free to share in the comments below. Keeping a mindset of thankfulness helps us to maintain balance and stability during difficult circumstances.

Blessings:

1. I have slowed down some staying at home more. This has helped me to see the importance of having my margin time for additional rest, reading, and more quiet time with the Lord.
2. I did not have to facilitate a workshop last weekend, but I got that additional weekend to myself.
3. I’m able to work from home remotely with no interruption in my employment.
4. Working from home is causing me to save money in gas and staying in has allowed me to save money in my budget that otherwise would have been allotted toward eating out or hanging out.
5. I got some cheap flights for the remainder of the year.
6. Americans may be receiving a stimulus check.
7. I get to attend four virtual conferences for the price of one due to Corona.

You see, even when things don’t look good and aren’t comfortable to us; God still works in those things to reveal his goodness. Truthfully, anything that draws us closer to God is good. Anything that reveals the character of God is good. I love to see his character and glory on display. Think about the plagues in Egypt and how they revealed God’s glory again and again. Despite the stubbornness of heart that the Pharaoh displayed; he and his people had to bow—submitting to God that he indeed was God. Pharaoh had no choice but to succumb to God’s will.

Our hearts at times can become hardened due to the cares as well as the business of this life, and we can easily forget God becoming stubborn in our way, but God’s goodness allows circumstance that stops us in our tracks getting our attention.

While God may not have caused this virus; he’s certainly using it for our good. I cannot wait to see and hear of the good stories that came out of the Corona-virus pandemic. Be encouraged while counting your blessings and being a blessing to others. Something good will come out of this and God will always be glorified.

This would be a good time to get to know the Lord if you do not already know him. The gift of salvation is free to everyone who believes in Jesus. Read Romans 10:9 and confess it with your mouth while believing in your heart. Pray genuinely to God for salvation and begin to get to know him.

How are you doing with the Corona-virus? What are some blessings you can share as a result of Corona? Are there any challenges that you would like to pray regarding due to Corona?

I believe God is in the process of promoting many of his people. I’m seeing peaks of some of what’s to come in my life, and it is awesome. In the excitement of promotion and new experiences, I personally believe its important to remember why I began. This is integral to maintaining character within the new space.

I am thankful that God allows reminders along our path to cause us to look straight up to him. Looking at the Lord is the ultimate reminder of why. I’m currently studying on people in the Bible who built altars to the Lord wherever they went. Altars to the Lord weren’t just something in the Bible that was for the local assembly of what we would call the church today, but it was for every situation, decision, and place where God’s people were.

We operate in the same way as a King David, who built an altar to the Lord on a threshing floor, which was an unfamiliar place for worship, and yet a necessary place of worship to save lives. In the story, where King David built the altar on the threshing floor he was acting in a place of worship to the Lord, but also a place of intercession for Israel. Israel was in the middle of judgment because David had erred in numbering God’s people.

David had gotten a little off in his position of promotion as the king, but God bought him back to his why by reminding him to build an altar. That altar is that intimate place of worship, fellowship, and raw communion with the Lord. Let’s seek the Lord to help us to continue to have a pure heart in remembering why we are being promoted. Let’s remember our dreams to intercede for others in a position that would bring God glory. Let’s remember that even though there are benefits and favor for us that the benefits and favor aren’t our total motivation.

Let’s not forget Matthew 6:33 has been our roadmap up until this point and it will continue to lead us on the right path. Let’s remember our why.
Read 1 Chronicle 21 to learn of David numbering the people and being corrected by God and told to build an altar.

Have you sensed or seen promotion anywhere in your life? How have you prepared your heart for promotion? Has God worked with you to prepare your heart for promotion?

I’ve been meditating on Esther and Mordecai during my quiet time, and I really believe that God has been using that story to communicate to me that there is a new level of favor, access, and open doors coming to his people that are willing to take the risk of unconventional obedience.

Unconventional obedience is not the norm. It’s obedience that makes us vulnerable and has obvious risks. For example, Esther was in a comfortable position as the queen of the kingdom she ruled over with her husband. She did not have anything to worry about, but her people were in danger.
Thus, she willingly made herself uncomfortable placing herself at risk to approach the king knowing that meant her very life would be at risk. She obeyed anyway being led of the Lord after a fast she had called for both herself and her people to go on.

They were fasting because an enemy of the Jews, Haman, had ordered by law that the Jews would be killed on a particular day of the month. Esther’s obedience along with the obedience of her elder cousin, Mordecai unlocked favor and additional open doors to the Jewish people in that region. Mordecai had been ridiculed for not bowing down to Haman. He’d been made to appear as a fool for his obedience to God instead of to Haman, but God was working behind the scenes for his good.

I believe that like Mordecai appeared to be foolish in holding fast to his conviction and getting in trouble for it; many of God’s people have been holding fast to their God-given convictions and they’ve appeared foolish for it as well. Perhaps, those holding their convictions were not promoted as fast. They had to settle in a humble place for a good while, but that is okay because we learn the Lord best in humility. Our trust grows in him the most in that humble place.

Haman was the very opposite. He was so full of pride. He needed to be humbled and God orchestrated the circumstance in such a way to do just that. Esther, who had already come from a humble place of losing both of her parents and being raised by her elder cousin, already knew how to humble herself. She humbled herself with fasting and prayer. She humbled herself to her king asking him to attend a banquet. Favor was already ordained for her. She just had to obey what God was showing her to do in faith that things would turn out well. The king’s response was, “I’ll give you whatever you want up until half of the kingdom.”

While the king was attempting to sleep the night before the banquet; God would not allow him to do so. He read up on how Mordecai had saved his life. Haman was consulted by the king on what to do to honor Mordecai. Mordecai’s enemy, Haman, was made his footstool. Haman had to parade Mordecai around dressed in the king’s clothes and riding the king’s royal horse. It was only the beginning of the shift of Haman being bought low and Esther and Mordecai being promoted.

The banquet took place. Esther asked the king for her life and the life of her people. Again, although she was comfortable in the king’s house. She made herself uncomfortable to intercede for her people in obedience to God. The king granted her request, hung Haman, promoted Haman’s estate to Esther, and Esther appointed Mordecai over Haman’s estate. Finally, the king gave both Esther and Mordecai his seal to reverse the law that had gone out to destroy the Jews. Instead, the law was re-written to place residents in fear of the Jews given them explicit right to defend themselves.

Had Esther not obeyed, she would never have experienced God’s favor in a greater way. Her people may have still been in bondage and danger of genocide. Had Mordecai not obeyed in honoring the king, he would not have been promoted and honored by the king. What is it that God is pricking your heart to do? In what ways can you display your obedience to God that are uncomfortable, risky, or unconventional, but you know if you obey, doors will be open and God’s favor will ensue?

Yesterday, I was reminded of how specific the hand of God has been in my life. From the job I’ve had to the choice of man, God has allowed in my life. It simply reminds me to continue to rest in God as I trust his plan for me to be the best.

God’s best is more than what we can think up for ourselves. It’s just as the scripture says exceeding, abundant, and above what we can ask or even think (Ephesians 3:20.) I recalled when I’d graduated from college and applied for various jobs in faith. I’d worked at temp agencies and wherever I could in expectation of a good job.

Doors kept being closed in my face. No was a norm with jobs I wanted, but I continued in faith and trusting God. I remember being at an assignment on one of my temp jobs, and a Christian lady said that she’d be praying for me that I’d get the right job—the job that God had for me. This statement implied there was a specific job that God had in mind for my life, and his purpose.

Well, 13 years later, I’ve been at that specific job. That job allows me to travel every year for free experiencing new places and adding to my personal development in so many ways. You see, God did not just want to give me a job. He wanted to give me so much more. Recently, I’ve been promoted at the same job, and I’ll be learning and growing in even more ways.

This job has been worth the wait, and disappointment in the closed doors while waiting for the specific job for me has been all worth it. That’s what happens when God’s hand is on something. We experience God’s fullness without the added stress or pressure of trying to make things happen.

The blessing of the Lord makes rich and adds no sorrow with it. – Proverbs 10:22

Yes, we remain diligent in faith, but after doing all that we can do; we rest in God. As far as love interests are concerned, I’ve not gotten to that blessing yet, but I can expect that it is on its way. The fact that the Lord has led me graciously regarding interests I’ve had in the past; these are all reminders and examples of God’s specificity in my life. Ways God has protected me regarding love interests include: not allowing wrong relationships to pan out, sending prophets to me to lift my spirit when I was down about an interest not working out. God did not leave me in the dark but valued me enough to give me clarity and re-enforce my identity.
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I’m not at all worried about my future. The remainder of God’s history of specificity with me reminds me that not only do I have a future, but I have the best future. Why? Not because I’ve earned it. Not because I’m good, but because God is good and He is trustworthy. God has used my life as an example to show that if you seek to honor God, not to be perfect, but genuine desire to honor him; for example, “Lord, I don’t know how to do this, but I want to honor you. Give me grace, and show me” God will take that and give us the power to honor him.
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There are benefits from honoring and obeying God. I genuinely believe that obedience to God is a way to unlock additional favor in our lives. I’m just thankful to be a recipient of God’s grace and goodness. God is no respecter of persons. What he’s done for me; he will do for others. That is one of my primary reasons for writing and sharing—to encourage others along this path of life to experience the joy of getting to know the Lord for themselves.

My son, do not forget my teaching,
    but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years
    and bring you peace and prosperity.
Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
    bind them around your neck,
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
    in the sight of God and man. – Proverbs 3:1-4 (NIV)