VISION

 Good Morning!

I pray your day and week has been off to a great start

I was so pleased to share some thoughts yesterday on the subject of ‘chosen’

It is such a marvelous thing when we realize that He chose us before we were ever born

Yet – there are times when it is challenging to focus on that beautiful truth

The cracks and fissures and fractures of life make it difficult to see the larger picture

It makes it necessary for us to have a focused VISION

There is a story found In the second book of Kings in the Old Testament –

Elisha and his servant are facing a situation where the issues of life are closing in on them;

Their enemies have encircled them fully

The servant can only see imminent destruction

But Elisha, looking at their situation through eyes of faith, declares,

‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’

‘And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around’ II Kings 6:17

 

What we see is not always all there is –

Perspective is everything

 

In the book of Luke, chapter 4, there is an account given where Jesus enters a synagogue and reads a section of text from the book of Isaiah where it was written of Him,

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because He has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”

 

He found in the scrolls, written hundreds of years before His birth, the declaration of Him being the Chosen one. And we know from Scripture that the plan of salvation was in effect long before anything was penned in the book of Isaiah – Jesus being the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13)

 

Yet – there were so many things which took place prior to the fulfillment of the prophecy

There was time – countless time

There were detours – or apparent detours

There were heartaches and seeming delays

There were points of confusion and disappointments

Indeed, anyone looking from the outside in would likely find it difficult to see how all of the happenings were part of a beautiful and glorious plan.

 

Yet and still – all of the cracks and fissures and fractures were forming something beautiful

He was taking all of those seemingly broken things and creating something glorious for humanity

And He is also making something beautiful for you!

 

Today, if all you can see is the brokenness –

I encourage you to take a step back and see how those cracks are forming something beautiful

Grasp the perspective that they are one part of a huge tapestry of your life and God’s plan

I pray that the LORD would open your eyes to see all the ways He is working

I pray that He would give you VISION to see the larger picture

I pray that you would understand and experience the truth of His Word which reminds us:

‘He makes all things beautiful in its time’ Ecclesiastes 3:11

  

Have a Blessed Day…

      & Merry Christmas! 

2020: STILL ABLE

Good Evening Friends

I pray your day went well today –

We have made it past the middle of the week [since it is the end of the day]

We are also officially and exactly one week into the New Year

Yes – just like that!

This is why it is so important to make the most of every moment;

Because the moments pass quickly.

I have no catchy phrases for 2020 –

No play on words or phrases or promises that 2020 will be a year of perfection

That would be unrealistic and an insult to your intelligence

In life, there is no such thing as perfect

LIFE IS PERFECTLY IMPERFECT!

But there is One who is perfect

One of the first verses I read at the start of this new year was Ephesians 3:20,

‘Now to Him who is able ….’

And – while I read the entire verse,

In reality, we can stop right there

HE IS ABLE

Sometimes we have to remind ourselves of that truth

Indeed, there may be times throughout this year when you will need to remind yourself

HE IS ABLE

I know it is easier said than done

I mean, we are only seven days in with this new year, and we already have:

-         The earth shaking & quaking  in Puerto Rico

-         Missiles soaring in the Middle East

-         Australia still ablaze

-         Violence still occurring at an alarming rate

-         Needs ever-present

It is enough to discourage someone –

At time when we should be filled with expectation,

With the hope of a clean start and new beginning that a new year brings

In fact I spoke to a friend on Saturday who advised,

‘I have not been this depressed since …’

That person went on to tell of a time when they were absolutely overwhelmed.

And while I understood their perspective,

And while I did not in any way desire to minimize their challenge,

I would not have been a friend if I did not seize the opportunity to remind them:

The same God who pulled you through the last time you were ‘in this place’,

He is the same God who is present and working on your behalf today.

He is the same yesterday, today and forever more.

Nothing you are experiencing has caught Him by surprise.

And, His ability to rescue you has not diminished in the slightest degree.

HE IS ABLE

HE IS ABLE & HE IS FAITHFUL

I do not testify to His ability from a place of fun and fancy;

I do not encourage you from a throne of thoughts and theory

No – I boldly proclaim His ability from a place of fire & fury,

A place where my faith has been [and continues to be] forged in the flames

AND STILL –

I know Him to be a faithful God,

I know this … not intellectually but experientially

AND I KNOW FULL WELL –

Whatever 2020 brings, we must walk through it by faith and not by sight [II Cor. 5:7]

This is why I am confident that 2020 is going to be a year of – VISION, VALUES & VICTORY

The entirety of that verse in Ephesians reads:

‘Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.’

GOD IS ON THE THRONE

GOD IS IN CONTROL & HE CARES FOR EVERY SINGLE THING THAT CONCERNS YOU

Have a Blessed Evening!

2020: NEW, NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

Good Morning

Happy Saturday – the first Saturday of this New Year

I pray your new year is off to a great start

There are statistic out there that note –

80% of New Year’s Resolutions FAIL BY FEBRUARY

Less than 25% of individuals stick with New Year’s Resolutions Past 30 Days

Only 8-10% fulfill their New Year’s Resolutions

AND –

There is a less known, less publicized reality

that some New Year’s Resolutions fail within three days

Who wants to own that – much less talk about it?

Which brings us to TODAY

It brings us to our focus on a NEW, NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

Webster’s defines RESOLUTION as: process of resolving, firmness of purpose, statement of the opinion, will, or intent of a body

YET –

As far as I can recall, resolutions [and specifically New Year’s Resolutions] have been associated with stopping certain behaviors and adopting new practice and habits.

HOWEVER –

A resolution, a resolve, a firmness of purpose, a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner does not have to focus on removing something negative. It can center on maintaining & increasing something positive.

If you placed your trust in the LORD in 2019 –

                Resolve to CONTINUE TRUSTING IN THE LORD IN 2020

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him” Jeremiah 17:7

If you hoped in the LORD in 2019 –

                Resolve to CONTINUE HOPING IN THE LORD IN 2020

“For You, O LORD are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth” Psalm 71:5

If you found strength in the LORD in 2019 –

                Resolve to CONTINUE RELYING ON THAT STRENGTH IN THE LORD IN 2020

“ Those who trust in the LORD, will renew their strength; they shall rise up on wings as eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

AND REMEMBER –

Whatever your focus, whatever the resolution,

Keep in mind that ‘His mercies are new every morning’ Lamentation 3:22-23

This means that you can keep moving forward no matter what comes your way.

Happy New Year … Again!

Praying You Have a Blessed Day

     & Restful Weekend

light in the darkness

Good Evening!

I pray you have had a blessed day today. It is a bit late for me to be submitting a post. However, I often find it is best to write when the thoughts are most fresh in my mind and on my heart. And here was the question which has been on my mind today:

Is there ever a time when darkness is preferable to light?

Yesterday – when I got to work in the morning, someone asked me about the tallit I was wearing. She advised that she wears hers when she goes to temple [for prayer]. I responded that I stay in prayer continually.

I find this to be especially true in this season of life. I would like to say it has always been that way. Yet, more than that, I need to be truthful and transparent in my communication. So I acknowledge that it is not always so. If I am completely honest, there are times when I find myself ‘pressing in’ due to an urgency to truly hear the voice of God – to know what He is saying to me, to seek His wisdom.

As I prayed this morning –

I found myself moving in and out of moments of clarity in hearing what the LORD was saying

When my eyes were closed, I would hear Him clearly speaking to me

When I opened my eyes, my sensitivity to His voice would vanish in an instant

This happened repeatedly this morning.

NOW – I am not one of those individuals who believes that one must close their eyes to pray. There are times when it simply is not practical: when I am at work, or driving, or cooking

BUT – This morning, it felt as through the LORD was speaking to me specifically through this element of opening my eyes or closing my eyes during time of prayer this morning.

AND – I kept feeling the press to close my eyes and to focus intently on what He was saying.

In the book of I Kings, the story of the Prophet Elijah is shared regarding a particular circumstance where he was experiencing uncommon challenges. Crying out to the LORD for an end to a season of drought, Elijah’s actions are captured in the section of scripture in I Kings 18:42: “And Elijah … bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees.”

In my post 'On Bended Knee', I note how prayer is a vulnerable position, a place of humility and surrender, a position of trust.

And while we have no way of knowing whether the eyes of Elijah were opened or closed during this time of prayer, we do know that he was not in a place where he could easily see his circumstances or the effects of his prayer – which is why he had his servant to go check for a result. The report came back, ‘There is nothing’. Seven times he had to send his servant to check for the result of his prayer. Yet he was clearly hearing something from the LORD which created an expectation in his heart.

UNDERSTAND –

The appearance of your situation may not always be an accurate reflection of what the LORD has spoken or of who He is.

We are reminded from the post, 'Pray for Blindness?' :

“Eyes and vision are a blessing, but they can also be a hindrance.”

We understand from the post, 'Not by Sight':

“We cannot use situations to determine where we are in life. We must seek the presence of God and read the Word of God to maintain an accurate perspective of where we are in life.”

You may observe with your eyes lack and insufficiency

Yet it does not change the truth of what He said, ‘I will supply all your needs’

And it does not change who He is – Jehovah Jireh, the LORD who provides

Elijah understood the will of the LORD before he ever prayed, for he said to Ahab “…there is the sound of an abundance of rain” I Kings 18:41

Yet, it was Elijah’s ability to keep his eyes fixed on the LORD and not his circumstance which yielded an incredible result: “…the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling … [and] the power of the LORD came on Elijah” I Kings 18:45-46

There are times when we can see more with our eyes closed

There are times when we hear more in silence

There are times when darkness is preferable to light

Keep awaiting the manifestation of what He said

Keep pressing forward and always remember,

‘We walk by faith and not by sight.’ II Corinthians 5:7

May the Lord Bless You Abundantly!

Zenobia

Hallelujah!



Praying you are having a blessed Resurrection Sunday …

 

Planet Shakers – The Anthem Hallelujah

Hallelujah!

you are more ...

'You are more than what you have become'

Sitting in the living room last night with my youngest son, we were channel surfing and happened upon the movie 'The Lion King' right at that point where these words were spoken. And did I ever need to hear that yesterday, at the precise moment that I heard it. I was feeling so very weary from this journey called life.

You are more than what you have become ...

It is so easy to get stuck in the past, and even the present. It can make it difficult to remember and focus upon the truth that He has a future prepared for you ... He has 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future' Jer. 29:11

I wonder just how many people the LORD has had that talk with throughout the ages.

• I imagine He told Abram, 'You are more than what you have become'
• Certainly He spoke those words to Hagar as she attempted to run away (and later as she sat fearfully, watching her son suffer before her eyes). 'You are more than what you have become, Ishmael is more than what he has become'
• I would be willing to guess that He had that conversation with David on several occasions, 'You are more than what you have become'
• I am certain Peter received that message from Jesus, even if not in the exact same words. 'Peter, you are more than what you have become'
• I am convinced Saul heard those words on the road to Damascus. 'Saul, you are so much more than what you have become.' You are more than a religious persecutor of My people. You are my people. You are Paul and there awaits much for you to do and to become.

I believe He whispers it to each one of us ... at various points along our journey. No matter where we find ourselves at present, He is with us. He draws us to Himself and toward His plans and purpose. He speaks with such confident boldness, yet it is intimate and personal at the same time. His words are piercing, penetrating our minds and hearts, but in the very best way. You are more than what you have become! Keep trusting, keep hoping, keep loving, keep persevering, keep submitting, keep sharing, keep growing, keep becoming all that I desire for you to become. He opens our eyes to see, and our ears to hear, and our hearts to feel and hope and dream. And He is so kind, that He will use whatever means necessary to convey the message.

I am more than what I have become
You are more than what you have become ...
Pause, really pause, and meditate upon those words. Embrace the truth of it and, today, let it be a catalyst for change in your thinking and in your doing and in your being.

Have a Very Blessed Day!