Trusting God

A Morning Prayer

/ Bybrendat / 2 Comments

 

songbird

Photo by Donald M. Jones

 

Songbirds tweet in harmony as I willingly and excitedly step into the silence. Silence, after all, is the threshold that one must cross to enter the heavenly realms and the presence of our Precious and Mighty God.

His voice is clearest in the quiet, intimate times and it often seems as if I can hear His very heartbeat. His love for me is overwhelming and I pray that mine for Him is just as obvious and abounding.

As I breathe in His breath, I exhale peace and love. I’m here, Father. Use me. Send me. Heal me and equip me for the journey. Fill me with first trust, then with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

I want to be everything You created me to be; to accomplish all that You planned for me; and, at such time I enter Your Presence for the rest of eternity, to hear these words: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Well done.”

Amen and Ehmen.

 

It’s His job!

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This was written a few years ago as my job struggles were intensifying. I post it today as it speaks to me yet again and I know it will speak to others as well. We all have troubles.  Fill in the blank with yours and KNOW that He has it and you…always and forever. Amen and Ehmen!

Writer’s Note: Some of you who know me, know that I have some pretty major challenges and important decisions facing me regarding my employment. It has been a most dear goddifficult couple of weeks, through which I have had a host of prayer warriors praying on my behalf. I, myself, have been talking to God…a lot…and to others even more…so much so that I didn’t leave much room for listening. This morning when He woke me up for some one-on-one quiet time, that changed. My Lord and Savior never, ever fails to amaze me. Below is our exchange from just a few hours ago. 🙂

June 25, 2016 5:30 AM

I am here, God, and I am listening.

Brenda, my child, have I not always been there for you? No matter what has happened in your job, I have worked things to your benefit and I will again.

But, you, child, must keep the faith. You must not look away at the storms around you, lest you sink, swallowed up by the sea of your own disbelief, discontent and weariness.

You can’t do this on your own. You know this and yet you fret and stress as if you can; as if it is your responsibility and within your control.

I have given you the freedom to make choices. With this comes great reward, but also great risk; for when you let that freedom become what drives you and you leave Me out of the equation, it becomes a snare. You begin to walk a very thin line between choice and self-reliance and it is easier for you to take your eyes off of Me. This becomes stressful and that stress pulls you further away from Me and the vicious cycle continues.

Choose Me, child. I am your Helper. Redeemer. Savior. I love you and care for you and want everything that is best for you. I will never leave nor forsake you. I will never ask you to fight battles in your own power, for those battles will never be won. You must choose to keep your eyes on Me. You must choose to take Me with you into every situation.

And that includes your job. I have this, child. You must choose to trust Me. I will give you the right decision; the right things to say and the right timing; if you will just choose to honestly and completely cast your cares on Me. I will give you clarity. You will KNOW what to do. Just rest in Me. Let Me take this from here. Write your stories. Consult with Me and then send the emails and make the calls that I tell you, when I tell you. I have this.

Go read Exodus 4:12

46A542F5-A195-4875-88C8-BD056C9754EAOh, my sweet, sweet Father. Please accept the tears that are falling at this moment as tears of praise and gratitude for Your great love. It is overwhelming, because I know that I don’t deserve it. I am so ashamed of how many times I focus on my weaknesses instead of the unstoppable power that I have in You. Lord, thank You for continuing to be patient with me. I am so much like Moses who also wrestled with similar struggles. But, I guess you already know that as what You sent me this morning were actually Your words to him when he was having difficulty understanding that You were with him in the mission that You were sending him on; that it was about Your power, not his.

Jesus, thank you. Thank you for never failing me. For being there and giving me such clear answers from Your Word when I seek and listen. I say this every single time, but I have to say it again. I will never get over You planting a scripture address in my mind and heart and me turning to that one verse that speaks the most applicable and perfect words into my situation. That ONE perfect verse out of 31,173 verses. And, in this very case, the NINETEEN most perfect words out of 807,361. I don’t care what anyone says, but that is not, nor will it ever be, a coincidence. That is all YOU! May I never get used to this beautiful gift. May I never forget that You have chosen me. Help me to always choose You. I love you, my dear Father, will all of my heart and soul. I commit this situation to Your capable and powerful hands. My eyes are on You. Please help me to keep them there. Amen and Ehmen.

 

Purpose in the Present Tense

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Good morning, child.

I woke you up this morning to talk about purpose.

You have developed a tendency to see purpose as something that you can postpone until you think the time is right; when you feel you have the time to commit; when you no longer havedear god to worry about how you will pay your bills or when you will be able to retire.

But, child, I tell you in no uncertain terms that this is the wrong way to look at your purpose. You should not shoulder so much burden; for when it comes to your purpose, nothing will ever happen in your power. It is only possible in My power through you. Remember that.

Secondly, purpose is not about tomorrow. It is about the present. It is about My presence. Understand, My child, that because your purpose must be fulfilled with Me by your side, your purpose is meant to be lived and fulfilled in the present, the only place on earth where you can come into My Presence. Resist the urge to wait. Preparation and planning are important, but at a certain point those things can turn into procrastination and procrastination is a tool of the devil.

Stop putting off your purpose. Unfurl it at My feet, today, and jump in. If I have planted the seed, you must trust that I will provide everything that seed needs to not only survive the elements, but to thrive and to grow and produce great fruit.

Remember the parable of the talents? When you put off your purpose, you are like the one who buried his master’s talent. That is not My desire for you. Keep your purpose in the present where I meet with you, child. Keep tending it. Keep adding to it and it will be added unto you. Today, not tomorrow. Don’t worry about tomorrow for I have tomorrow covered and will always walk with you into it so that we can face whatever is there together. Trust Me, child. Trust Me and take a deep breath and dive in. Oh what joy awaits those who fulfill their purposes in Me.

Thank you, Jesus, for continuing to find me worthy of your teaching and purpose. Help me to stay in Your Presence and to follow only You. May Your will and purpose be done through me here on earth just as it is in Heaven. Amen and Ehmen.

Matthew 25: 14-30 (NIV)

The Parable of the Bags of Gold

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Living Persistently in His Presence = Pathway to Perfecting Purpose

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Writer’s Note: It’s been awhile since I spent the first moments of my morning communing with my Maker.  But, no matter how much time passes, He is always willing to meet me; to love me; and to lead me.  He SHOWS up!  Thank God.  Below is this morning’s exchange which started with a blank page and an open heart.

June 20, 2016

Dear God,

I often worry that I am being like King Saul and not being completely obedient to your dear godinstruction? I don’t want to disappoint you and have you pick someone else to fulfill this purpose you have planted deep within me. Please speak to me, for I am listening.

Child, you lack only one thing to completely fulfill My purposes for you and that one thing is trust. Like Peter, this is an area in which you waver and is a direct result of you trying to live in your own power.

I don’t fault you or Peter for this as most of my sons and daughters throughout the bible and history have suffered the same. If this human trait kept people out of heaven, there would be no one here. And, that is not what I want.

What I most desire is that you keep bringing your focus back to Me. Learn to recognize the signs that you are taking back control. Feelings of  worry, confusion, stress, and of being lost are just a few red flags that should make you stop in your tracks. Yes, child, every time you feel yourself trying to take back control, stop and simply whisper My name, out loud or under your breath. I will hear you. Focus on Me. Talk to me. Cry out to Me. And then listen.

I am pleased with you, Child. Know that. You never get too far away before calling out to Me. As long as you keep plugging away, I will continue to bless you in the purpose I have chosen for you. Yes, I would like for you to spend more time with Me. Yes, I would like for you to quit worrying so much about your job and your health. I have you in My care and there is no better place to be. Trust me, dear child. Remember that deer that I showed you recently. He signified that no matter what is going on behind the scenes of your life, you have no reason to fear; for I am in control of it all and you live under the protection of My love, power and will for your life. Nothing, but nothing will be able to take you from Me and from My purpose for you. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Trust me, My child. I am the light behind any shadows that may pervade your life. I show this darkness to you so that you can walk around it and into My Glory light. You are never alone, yet you don’t always see Me here. Read 1 Corinthians 2:15-16. Find it in your Bible. Then look at the study notes in your bible. What does it say, child?

***

1 Corinthians 2:15-16: Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

Study note: No one can know what the Lord is thinking, but through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, believers have insight into some of God’s plans, thoughts and actions. They, in fact, have “the mind of Christ.” Through the Holy Spirit, we can begin to know God’s thoughts and prayers. Are you spending enough time with Christ to have his very mind in you? An intimate relationship with Christ comes only from spending time consistently in His presence and in His word.

Oh, dear Lord, how can I thank You for being so patient and loving toward me? The word consistently jumps out at me as I know that this is where I falter. I am inconsistent when it comes to spending time in Your Presence and Your Word. I let worldly worry and worldly life get in my way. I don’t go to sleep soon enough. I don’t wake soon enough. I numb my mind with distractions. I don’t mean to do this, Lord, but it just happens. And, yet, when I do wake up and call Your name, You are there. Patiently and lovingly waiting. You speak to me on this written page. You send me to just the right scripture in Your Living Word. You love me. You lead me. All I have to do is stand close enough to hear You. Lord, I want this more than anything. Help me to stay close to You and live in obedience to Your leading. I can’t wait to see what You have in store for I know in the deepest reaches of my heart that it is what is best and it will be good.

1 Corinthians 2:9 comes to mind.

“That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, ‘No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.’

*Sigh* Again, twice in just a few moments with You, the perfect Scriptures at the perfect moment. Thank You, Lord, for this morning and this reminder. I love being in Your Presence. There is no place I would rather be. I love You. Bring on this day. I can do anything with You standing right beside me. Amen and Ehmen.