A perfect blend.

…”cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant…” (Deuteronomy 6:11, NIV)

“Vineyards,” my friend, “Google” tells me are a plantation of grapevines. These grapevines are used to grow grapes which in turn, are used to produce wine. So I thought isn’t that the story of our lives, too?

As a plantation of The Lord, we are much like these grapes too. For grapes, when crushed, produce wine. I’m sure the grapes are not a big fan of the crushing process. But as they yield to it, the end product is way better than what the raw material offered in the first place.

I believe that when we come to The Lord, we too are raw. Raw, but full of potential and possibility. These possibilities are drawn into concrete realities through the promises that He lavishes upon us and as we slowly, learn to partner with His promises over our lives, what was once raw becomes very real.

Real because we begin to learn of our truest Identity in Christ and with the help of The Holy Spirit, as we start to walk out the truth of that Identity, we realize that it is an Identity that is birthed in Love and cultivated through the power thereof, but it is also an Identity that learns to entrust the pain and hardship it encounters along the journey to The One who knows fully and works mysteriously to work all things in a way that the end result is always beautiful.

Because Love always makes all things beautiful.

He does not author the pain in our lives, but as His own, we can be confident that when we surrender all our broken pieces to Him, He takes charge.

He takes charge of the grapes in order to turn it into wine. The process may require things like obedience, trust, faith, perseverance and patience. But it is the process where the anointing is produced and we find ourselves declaring with a palpable joy,

…”fine oils have been poured on me…” (Psalm 92:10, NIV)

These fine oils smoothen our rough edges and prepare us to take possession of what He has given us the permission for,

Cisterns that we did not dig and vineyards that we did not plant.

For as surely as we are the vineyards of The Lord, vineyards that He carefully tends and tills; He also promises us vineyards in return.

Vineyards that we did not plant.

Yes. We reap what we sow is true. But in Christ, our inheritance also includes wells and vineyards which we have not necessarily worked for.

I asked Him, why?

I think He says it’s because He is Good. And in His Goodness, He wants to astonish us with His Majesty. He wants us to see what He knew from before time beginning.

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,
The crawling locust,
The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.
You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
And praise the name of the Lord your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you;
And My people shall never be put to shame.
Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel:
I am the Lord your God
And there is no other.
My people shall never be put to shame.” (Joel 2:25-32, NKJV)

Jesus is a quickening spirit. As He makes His dwelling in our midst, He redeems time by speeding up our growth and development in Him. The more we allow His Spirit to go deep and do the work that God intends in line with His loving kindness towards us, the more we grow up into all things in Christ.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'” (Genesis 1:26, NIV)

God always wants us to take dominion, not just over the things that we are required to build, but even over those that He has on our behalf. Things that He already in His foreknowledge prepared for us to take possession of. But for us to really take those steps into our inheritance in Christ, I really believe that we must first know Christ as our inheritance.

For the more we know Him, the more we become like Him and the more we become like Him, the more we become like the wine that when poured out not only serves to quench the thirst of those that it is served to, but also serves to point to The One who says,

“whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14, NIV)

He gives us rivers of living water embodied in the person of The Holy Spirit who is the very one that takes what was once grapes and works relentlessly to transform it into wine only so when served, it can point to The One who made the rivers of living water available in the first place.

Rivers of living water that produce the fine oils we talked of.

Who says water and oil don’t blend?

In Christ?

They are a perfect blend.

Surrender.

“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24, NIV)

I’m talking of a Love so pure that He agreed to even fall to the ground and die, only for the ground to realize that it could not hold Him.

Jesus.

It could not hold Him for He was destined to rise again. As a people that He calls His own, we too are destined to rise and emerge victorious.

But to truly tap into the strength of this victory, we too must allow The Lord to teach us to walk out the paradox of what He did,

“Die to self.”

Dying to self may mean different things to each of us, depending on our journey with The Lord. But to me, dying to self has embarked me upon the path of true life found in Christ.

I have begun to learn that as we lay down selfish ambition, Christ gives us Godly ambition. As we lay down our pride, Christ gives us rest. As we lay down bitterness, Christ gives us forgiveness. As we lay down anger, Christ gives us peace. As we lay down strife, Christ gives us unity. As we lay down our emptiness, Christ gives us fullness. As we lay down our comfort, Christ gives us purpose. As we lay down our need to be right, Christ comes forth as The One who makes all things right.

“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” (Matthew 16:25, NIV)

Jesus is the defender of our hearts and the lover of our souls. He is our hiding place and our safe refuge. He is our bulwark and our fortress. He is our helper and our high tower. He is our prophet, priest and king. He is our portion and our prize.

For He is The One who took The Cross and rose again so that the life He lost is the life we live again.

For our surrender to a Love so tender launches us to live the life we live again – dead to who we once were, but alive to God.

Dying to live.

As I write, a beautiful song entitled, “Touch the sky” by one of my favorite bands, “Hillsong United,” comes to mind. Let me share,

“What fortune lies beyond the stars
Those dazzling heights too vast to climb
I got so high to fall so far
But I found Heaven as Love swept low.

My heart beating, my soul breathing
I found my life when I laid it down
Upward falling, spirit soaring
I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground.

What treasure waits within Your scars
The gift of freedom gold can’t buy
I bought the world and sold my heart
You traded Heaven to have me again.

My heart beating, my soul breathing
I found my life when I laid it down
Upward falling, spirit soaring
I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground.”

Beautiful, isn’t it?

For when our knees hit the ground, the very heart of God is moved. And when the heart of God is moved, Heaven moves on our behalf. And when Heaven moves on our behalf, the impossible suddenly becomes possible.

What once seemed immovable is now being moved. What once seemed intimidating now looks inviting. What we once thought would limit us is now the very pathway to advance us. What we once reckoned would debilitate us is now being renewed.

“For though you are lofty and exalted,
you stoop to embrace the lowly.” (Psalm 138:6, The Passion Translation)

He reaches out for us. He rend the Heavens and made a way where apart from Him, there really was no way.

He made a way then. He will make a way now.

For He never changes.

The war has already been won which tells me that Love never fails. What remains however, are the battles we are called to win through Him, operating from victory, never for it.

For the victory of The Cross is alive on the inside of us, which tells me something more.

Death defeated in the grave of Someone so tender that He gladly chose surrender to give birth and life to millions upon millions of seeds that He lovingly calls, “Sons,” and “Daughters,” is reason enough for us to gladly choose it too.

A surrender to The One who chose it first.

Selah.

The Soil.

…”not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these…” (Matthew 6:29,NIV)

Today, I needed to pay a visit to the grocery store. As I walked back, I happened to come across these wonderful poppies. Basking in the sun, which was stronger than most days of late, they stood tall. They stood pretty. They stood like they owned the space. Drawn to their majesty, I couldn’t help but take a click, a click that eventually took me straight to the verse I’ve shared.

So I checked up. My research on Google informs me that when a plant needs to grow, it starts off as a tiny seed. This seed embedded in the moisture of the soil slowly begins to crack and grow roots. Once the roots are strong enough, the plant begins to emerge and then, it breaks through the soil; thereby embarking upon its journey of budding, blooming and blossoming forth.

Likewise for us.

We are the seed of Heaven, planted in the soil of our Father’s affection. His Love when experienced gives us the desire to now grow roots in the very soil that first, made us. Roots so strong that they provide a firm foundation for us to stand on and build upon. As our roots in The Father’s Love begin to get stronger still, He allows us to break through.

Just like this marvelous poppy plant seems to be effortlessly growing Heavenward, so do we.

Held within the arms of Perfect Love through all our vulnerabilities that are a vital part of our growth and development in Him, and rooted strongly in the very soil that birthed us; we too can bud, bloom and blossom forth. Just like this pretty poppy plant.

The seed never worries about the process of growth. I don’t imagine that it thinks to itself things like, “I wonder when I will finally become a plant and shine?”

No.

It simply rests in the soil and trusts the process. And as surely as it trusts, it grows.

Likewise with us.

Our process of growth in Christ will be made complete only on the other side. So while we are travelling as friends and pilgrims on a sacred journey on this side of Eternity, we can rest in Him, a rest that inevitably gives way to a simple child like trust.

Brings to mind the following verse,

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)

When our roots in the soil of His affection will have gone deep enough, I believe we will find ourselves decreeing back to Him,

“Why would I lean on my own understanding when I can trust You?”

I trust You when You call me closer and take me deeper. I trust You when trials and tribulations come my way. I trust You when You call me into the unknown. I trust You when You are breaking through.

Because truth be told, the seed may break through the soil, but when The Soil decides to break through for His seed, there is nothing that can stop Him.

May as well trust.

Blessings.

Seasons change.

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.” (Isaiah 54:10, NIV)

Seasons change.

Old longings come to fruition and fresh passions are birthed. Transitions become a necessary vehicle in our ongoing journey with The Lord. Being renewed little by little, and transformed day by day becomes a lifestyle. Layers of fear, doubt or unbelief are carefully peeled off giving way to a new creation that has agreed to become new from the inside out in order to step into all that The Lord has in store.

For what The Lord has in store is exceedingly abundant. His thoughts and ways are higher than ours. When we think we know what it is that we want, He knows what it is that we need and even goes a step further to not just meet us at our point of need, but to fill us to the overflow.

He wants to give us our inheritance.

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:17, NIV)

God calls us co-heirs with Christ and called to possess an inheritance with Him and for Him. In His Name, it is already ours. But just like Joshua had to take steps to actually go in and take possession of the promised land that was for the taking, we do too. However, the journey towards that is precisely where we are formed. It is in the in- between space where He renews our perspective the most. We can either look at the promised land as a land of giants, or as a land that is flowing with milk and honey. We can either look at ourselves as grasshoppers in our own eyes or we can look at ourselves as more than conquerors. We can either look at the process towards that as uncomfortable or we can choose to look at it as unstoppable.

We can choose, and truth be told, we will be required to consistently choose. Choose better. Choose life. Choose adventure.

Choose to walk in the fullness of our inheritance in Christ and never settle for anything less than what HE has promised.

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

Very heartening.

Why?

Because anytime that we are called to tread the unknown, we can take heart because His Spirit is ever present with us.

He helps us. He counsels us. He strengthens us. He empowers us. He comforts us. He guides us. He loves us. He never lets go.

Because He never lets go, we can.

We can let go of the need to know. We can let go of the need to understand. We can let go of the need to control.

Instead, we can embrace the joy and delight that is found in simple child like trust which rests in the nature and character of its Father,

Unchanging.

For the Truth that sets us free is the same: yesterday, today and forevermore.

“He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.” (Daniel 2:22, NIV)

I will let The Holy Spirit have the privilege to speak to you personally on what this verse may mean to you as you too are journeying along. But to me, this speaks of His Omnipresence. He knows what lies ahead, as the future may seem a bit obscure at times. But we take courage in the revelation that He is The One who goes before and makes all our crooked paths straight. In His foreknowledge, He already knows the path we are on and the way we must walk in this day, this time, this season for the future to unfold the way it needs to in order for us to taste of the goodness of The Lord in the land of the living. Therefore, seeking revelation knowledge through the power of The Holy Spirit to keep us in sync with His foreknowledge becomes not only our portion, but perhaps even our prize.

So, the promised land also comes with a corresponding promise:

Transformation.

For to take possession of that which has our name on it, Jesus will first transform us on the inside as we continue to be conformed to His image from one degree of glory to another; more loving, more forgiving, more gracious, more kind, more courageous and more trusting with each day that He blesses us with.

More trusting in the unchanging character of our Father at a time when we are changing on the inside, with a peaceful and patient expectancy of change, even on the outside.

A change that may come with its fair share of challenges is a change that is in fact, a breath of fresh air. It’s a welcome change as it is something that our Father uses to woo us further into His Presence, which is where the real change happens.

Suffice to say, as seasons change, let them.

His good purpose.

He always does more beneath the surface and behind the scenes than He does in front of us. His Spirit works deeply and gently within us to both, act and will according to His good purpose. And experience tells me that He also does not let anything interfere with His good purpose.

His good purpose is as unstoppable as He is. He is unstoppable when it comes to revealing His Love which is a firm foundation for us to build upon. He is unstoppable when it comes to releasing grace upon grace so we can be divinely enabled and empowered. He is unstoppable when it comes to bestowing blessings and spiritual gifts that equip us to not just know Him, but also, in our own unique ways, make Him known.

His good purpose is beautifully embedded in His kind intentions towards us, intentions that will have us experience His touch of transformation first hand, before we can be conduits that are able to touch and transform the lives of those around us. His Perfect Love casts out all fear and seamlessly brings us into a revelation of our true Identity as much loved children of God who goes to war with anything that threatens to war with those He loves to call His own, and He wins every war He ever wages.

His good purpose is clearly seen in the victory of The Cross. Through His blood sacrifice and Resurrection, He won for us a forgiveness of sins and a newness of life which will see completion only in Eternity. This truth gives us the faith to believe that,

“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32, NIV)

He knows that for His good purpose to come to pass, we will need these things that He calls, “all things.”

“All things” can mean many things to many people. But to me; it exemplifies love, grace, mercy. Wisdom, understanding, discernment. Grit, perseverance, tenacity. Faith, focus, favor.

“All things.”

A beautiful amalgam of “all things” is what makes us pursue His good purpose with fresh zeal and vigor. As we step out, He steps in. And as He steps in, everything changes.

Everything changes for He rearranges. He goes to work and He never does stop.

“My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” (John 5:17, NIV)

Clearly, He never stops working. He never stops orchestrating things in our favor. He never stops releasing promises that keep us in alignment. He never stops working wonders and miracles. He never stops breathing obstacles out of the way. He never stops making provisions. He never stops fortifying us. He never stops backing us. He never stops fighting for us. He never stops even when we do.

For He is unstoppable.

As unstoppable as water breaking through a dam. As unstoppable as a volcanic eruption. As unstoppable as a meteor shower in the night sky.

Unstoppable in His kind intentions towards us and in His good purpose that prevails over us, beautifully revealed in the following verse,

“Let us make mankind in our image.” (Genesis, 1:26)

Why?

So perhaps we can learn to be as unstoppable as He is too.

Selah.

God with us.

I still remember the time I was learning to cycle. Most of it happened on a helipad. The tracks were broader than most and the gusty winds were a delight when they blew in the direction I wanted to go. At times, I would see air crafts flying overhead. And then there were times when my dog was my only companion.

Except that the latter bit isn’t true.

I may not have realized in those days but Immanuel was always with me. Looking back now, I know that He was. He was not just with me on the days that I went on wild expeditions, but was a constant throughout. Even through the seemingly unexciting bits of life. My consciousness of His Presence was zilch, but His consciousness of mine was full.

This one truth I know.

I am not someone who likes to turn back time, but for some reason today I feel compelled to acknowledge that Immanuel was with me, all along. He was with me through the years that I didn’t know Him, and He is with me now that I do know Him. As I write, I recognize that “God with us” is just that – with us.

The years that He encountered me are beyond anything I could ever describe. He encountered me when I needed Him the most. When I needed to see what Love, Faithfulness and Grace looked like. When I needed someone to hold me close as I felt the world cave in. When I needed someone to fight for me when I was weary. When I needed divine intervention and didn’t even know it.

I needed Him, but He wanted me.

For He cares. He cares about the one lost sheep. He cares about the one that is looking for hope. He cares about the one who is seeking answers to questions that He loves to reveal. He cares about the one who is hiding in shame. He cares about the one who has gone astray. He cares about the one who feels they are too broken to be mended. He cares about the one who feels they have messed up too much for God to love them.

For more often than not, it is then that He reveals Himself.

He reveals Himself as The One who is the very embodiment of Agape Love – a love that comes with no strings attached. For the simple truth of the simple Gospel is that there is nothing we can do that can make Him love us more, and there is nothing we can do that can make Him love us less. For Love is who HE is. And He never changes. He simply smiles down from Heaven and longs for us to receive that Love.

For His Love is pure and it changes everything. It changes the way we view Him, which changes the way we see ourselves which changes the way we see the world around and about us. It gives us beauty for ashes and exchanges our shame for a promise of a double portion. He takes the fragmented pieces of our life and weaves them all so seamlessly that as I write, I realize that His fingerprints have been all over my footprints.

My footprints when I was winning. My footprints when I was losing. My footprints when I finally lost to The One who always wins.

This loss has made all the difference because I finally lost my heart to The One who wants nothing from me, but just that – my heart.

So He can heal it. He can breathe new life into it. He can bring fresh courage into it. He can mend it. He can make it whole again.

And He can hold it close so that now even when life brings its fair share of tribulation, hurt or pain; I know that He will bring me out victorious in so radical a way that it will leave me wiser, stronger, humbler and even more glorious a version of myself than before. More authentic to my core and more trusting in The One that dwells within it.

It’s just who He is.

My journey is my own and so is yours. But I felt that at a time that He is calling us to step into the next dimension of who we are in Him, it calls for a slight pause, and perhaps a praise break simply to not just acknowledge the miracles of God, but as Christine Caine says it best, to acknowledge the God of the miracles.

Why?

Because in our acknowledgement of The One who has brought us thus far lies the power to believe Him to take us further still. Further into His Heart for us. Further into His Character for us. Further into His Destiny for us.

Further into the path that He has already traversed on our behalf, faithfully moving obstacles out of the way that would hinder His Purpose for our lives and instead, making provisions every place that we would need them. The path into the unknown, yet held firmly within the grasp of The One we very well know.

Faithful. Holy. True.

And so close that as we follow in His stead, we will know beyond a shadow of doubt that we never walk alone.

For Immanuel, God with us, will make sure that His fingerprints remain etched out over our footprints even before we tread into the territory that His fingerprints have already made a way for.

It’s just who He is.

Selah.

The deep blue sea.

What’s true in the natural, is also true in the Spirit. Life in the Spirit always has times of what we call, “flow” and ebb.” As surely as the sea has its tides and times, we do too.

We too experience times that produce enormous activity and fruitfulness; times which inevitably give way to times of rest and renewal. The flow always will lead to an ebb, and the ebb, I’m discovering too has a flow.

The flow in the ebb.

The flow in the ebb is a flow of healing and strength. It’s when our soul seeks to rest in the soil that made it, taking in the nutrients that it has to offer. Nutrients that look a lot like love, grace and strength. Nutrients that are the very lifeblood that fuel us in our ongoing journey with The Lord. Nutrients that bring a sense of wholeness, restoration and regeneration in to the deepest crevices of our being; reviving and revitalizing us from deep within. Nutrients that form the very substratum of the ground that The Lord is preparing within us to prepare us for what He has prepared for us.

The hustle and bustle of our daily lives will continue. But I’m learning that when we enter into the period of the ebb, we are slowly learning to travel from a place of rest which comes when we have first carved out a space with The Lord who IS our rest. It comes from being intentional about the rest we seek. It comes from a deliberate choice to want to declutter and realign. It comes from asking our peace to rise up in the midst of noise and distractions. But above all else, it foremost comes from having taken the time to let The Lord pour into us before He gets ready to pour through us the very nutrients that made us whole; the love, the grace, the strength.

It’s the flow in the ebb.

It’s the flow in the ebb which when tapped into gives us the much needed unction and inspiration to want to step into the next dimension. Instead of calling it the flow, I’ll call it the deep blue sea.

The deep blue sea is where we are no longer paddling, but are ready to wade through the waters. Where our hearts have moved to a place where we want the taste, touch and smell of the sun, sea and sand. Where we are eager learners and swift surfers. Where we deftly ride the wave of circumstance, because the rivers of living water stemming forth from our innermost being are just so much stronger.

The deep blue sea is where the Love of our Savior is perhaps, revealed even more. His Love that has us signed up for a life full of adventure. His Love that is a constant through the adventure. His Love that, in and of itself, IS an adventure.

As I write, the lyrics to a melody called, “You make me brave,” by Worship leader, Amanda Cook come to mind. It’s a song that I would sing in my earlier days of seeking The One who was already seeking me out. Let me share,

“As Your love, in wave after wave
Crashes over me, crashes over me
For You are for us
You are not against us
Champion of Heaven
You made a way for all to enter in

I have heard You calling my name
I have heard the song of love that You sing
So I will let You draw me out beyond the shore
Into Your grace
Your grace

As Your love, in wave after wave
Crashes over me, crashes over me
For You are for us
You are not against us
Champion of Heaven
You made a way for all to enter in.”

His Love that made a way for all to enter into the deep blue sea, where the ebb and the flow of the tides translate into the ebb and flow of our very lives. Where the waves that once looked daunting, now look inviting. Where the wind in our sails no longer depends on the atmosphere around us, but rather on The Love that has our atmosphere surrounded.

The deep blue sea is where the flow gives way to the ebb and the ebb gives way to the flow. But to The One that is above the ebb and flow?

Is The One to whom all I owe.

Integrity.

“We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously.” (1 Corinthians 10:13, The Passion Translation)

Years back, I had a revelation from The Lord concerning what we call, “tests.” He told me that He already knows me and what He has put deep down on the inside of me. He is sure. But He wants me to be sure too.

So the thing we like to call, “tests,” are only an opportunity for us to know ourselves. To know ourselves the way He does. For he trusts us. Tests are only sent our way to reveal to us who we are in Him. He already knows. It is for us to know.

This truth has been etched out by Him in my soul ever since. Even before something like a test comes my way, deep down I know that this is something God is using to only peel back another layer of who I am in Him. It is a tool in His Hands to not only reveal His Faithfulness as He walks me through it, but also something that on the other side, becomes a trophy of His Grace in mine.

Why am I writing about tests today?

Because truth be told, life towards the fulfillment of dreams and destiny birthed through the revelation of His Promises will be marked by them. They may come at times when we least expect them, but as His Own, we can rest.

We can rest as surely as Jesus slept in the back of the boat in the midst of a tempestuous storm. His disciples panicked and even thought that perhaps, Jesus didn’t care. When they accused Him of being unkind, He quickly rebuked the wind and the waves till calm was restored and the disciples left with an astonishing revelation as Jesus said to them,

“Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:38-40, ERV)

He simply wanted them to know that they too had the authority to do what He just did. Likewise, as His Children, we too have authority when tests and trials come our way. His Name is what gives us authority and His Character is the essence of our rest. His Name has defeated death and won life everlasting for us, then in the light of this revelation, can we ever be intimidated?

No.

We may feel intimidated, but it can never get the better of us. For He who promised is Faithful.

He promised to never leave us nor forsake us. He promised to be an ever present help in times of trouble. He promised that hope will never let us be ashamed. He promised that even though we stumble, we will not fall for He upholds us with His righteous right hand. He promised that we have a spirit of power, love and a sound mind. He promised that He has hemmed us in, behind and before.

And because He has, we can rest for we know The One whom we have believed. His Love is constant and endless. His Mercy knows no bounds nor limits. His Grace is extravagant and all sufficient. His Majesty reigns and rules. His Supremacy over all things is incontestable. His Sovereignty makes all things possible.

He is the God of Love, Freedom and Purpose. When He speaks, He creates. And what He creates is what we have the privilege and delight to walk into as He takes us from one degree of glory to another. When He releases a promise from His bosom to ours, it not only becomes a guarantee of fulfillment, but also a guarantee that we will overcome.

Why?

Because He is watching to see that His Word is fulfilled.

Through every test or trial that we may encounter, we can rest in the integrity of The One who will be faithful to encounter us even more through it all. And my experience tells me with absolute certainty that when He encounters us, we never are the same again. For He makes sure that we become better than before.

And not just better than before, but even better acquainted with ourselves and The One whom we have believed. The One who not only breathed His very life into our being, but even the plans and purposes that He has destined for us to walk into. The One who enables us to put faith into action, and doesn’t let anything interfere with it. The One who overlooks all that we are not, and delights in who we are becoming. The One who has gone into all our tomorrows and yet is present by our side. The One who bestows upon us a newness of life rich with promises that are designed to bring us closer to the very One we are talking about.

For The One we are talking about is the truest person I know. And because He is True, I can trust. And when I trust, I can rest.

As I hasten to a close, the picture of the mountain that He has led me to use for this post has brought to remembrance one of the songs sung by Worship leader, Steffany Gretzinger; a song I’ve perhaps sung more than once,

“Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful.”

And He never changes.

Integrity.

Inside-out.

“And God-Enthroned spoke to me and said, ‘Consider this! I am making everything to be new and fresh. Write down at once all that I have told you, because each word is trustworthy and dependable.'”(Revelation 21:5, The Passion translation)

“Redo” simply put, means a do-over, and a do-over is what He does best.

We may come to Him wanting a complete rearrangement of our lives, from the inside out. And that’s Good News because that’s exactly what He specializes in.

He specializes in reintroducing us to His Love, over and over again, an experience that reintroduces us to ourselves too. Over and over again. A relational walk thus forged by Love realigns our lives, repositions our posture and reorders our steps. But above all else, it renews our perspective.

Our journey with Him will see us see our lives from Heaven to Earth. It will see us see Him cleansing the lens of our perception such that where we once saw weakness, we now see His Strength made perfect within it. Where we once saw despair, we now see hope. Where we once saw doubt, we now see confident expectation. Where we once saw giants, we now see opportunities to overcome. Where we once saw limitations, we now see growth. Where we once saw ourselves from the natural, we now see ourselves from The Father’s Heart.

The Father’s Heart that calls us by name and calls us, “Beloved.” The Father’s Heart that calls us destined for greatness and destined to rise victorious. The Father’s Heart that calls us overcomers and more than conquerors. The Father’s Heart that calls us mighty men and women of valor. The Father’s Heart that calls us a chosen people, a royal preisthood and a holy nation. The Father’s Heart that calls us treasured and honored. The Father’s Heart that calls us and never does stop.

A response to that call is what renews us, for in our response to Him, He teaches us to not only know Him, but even learn to know ourselves the way He does. It is a renewal of our mind, a revival of our souls and a refreshment of our spirits that positions us to soar.

To me, this journey has been absolutely life changing. I’m learning that the redoing of our lives really has more to do with the rearrangement of our inner world first, before we begin to see the expected ramifications on the outside. Come, they do. But little by little, as surely as we are renewed little by little. Allow me to share one of my widely used passages of Scripture,

“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.” (Matthew 5:8, The Message)

This may mean a million things to a million people. But to me, it captures the strength of cultivating the mind of Christ and gleaning from The Father’s Heart. It is a milestone in our faith walk with Him where we see, think and perceive from Heaven. Problems morph into possibilities as we seek The Father’s Heart for the promises that when partnered with put us above the line of situations and circumstances, straightaway catapulting us into the heavenly places that Christ has already seated us in. These promises which are in Christ, “Yes” and “Amen” launch us into a journey where before we see the culmination of our faith outcome, we see Him renewing us, every single day.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16, NIV)

He laid this verse on my heart as I was whipping my morning coffee. I was led to even read it in the noon. No accident that I’m now even sharing it on this post.

The epiphany for me was that He is always up to something. This filled my heart with an eager expectation as to,

“I wonder what He will renew on the inside of me, this day, Today?”

Definitely brought a smile to my face.

For I have come to know that He is more interested in renewing my inner man before He redoes my outer world. I know His thoughts and ways are higher than mine. I know His rhythm and cadence is perfect because He is. I know that my walk with Him is a mystery unraveled with each day that we walk together. I know that He has a plan for the process, for the process is where water turns to wine and when its time for the wine to be served, He will receive all the glory.

Friends, all to end with a simple confession,

“Before You redo, You will always renew.”

Blessings.

SoulandSubstance27

A perfect blend.

Surrender.

The Soil.

Seasons change.

His good purpose.

God with us.

The deep blue sea.

Integrity.

Inside-out.

Renew