Take heart

“He changes times and seasons, he deposes kings and raises up others.” (Daniel 2:21)

Lysa Terkeurst often says that we do not serve a do-nothing God.

I couldn’t agree more.

Our God is always working for us. He is active, he is not passive. He sees us and He knows us by name. He cares for us and suffers with us. He is moved by the feeling of our infirmity.

There are times when the Lord speaks a promise. He reveals His heart and strategy by the power of His Spirit. We receive the Word at once with joy, but what we perhaps need to remind ourselves consistently of is the Truth that there is always a space of time between the revelation and the manifestation of the Word of the Lord.

“For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3)

The space of time between the revelation and the manifestation of the promise of the Lord is the waiting period. It is a time frame that though tests us and tries us in our walk of faith, is also the strategy of Heaven to refine us.

It is in the waiting that we get to know the Lord better as He works with us, affirms us, guides us, strengthens us and purifies us.

A child meets the Father, a student finds the Teacher, a servant gets to know the Master.

Intimacy is deepened as relationship develops. Our hearts are cleansed, our spiritual muscles grow stronger and it is here that we are prepared for whatever it is that the Lord has prepared for us.

So as I encourage myself with what I believe the Lord has spoken, I encourage you too, dear friend. May you take heart in knowing that our God is Faithful to keep His covenant with us. He may not come when we would like Him to come, but He is ALWAYS on time.

So as I close, I pray that no matter where you are in your journey right now, may the light and life of Christ find you and shine on you. May His peace blanket you and His love strengthen you. And in a world that’s rife with tension and discord, may you take heart in knowing that God loves you and has good plans for your life.

After all, we walk by faith and not by sight, for He who promised is Faithful.

Believe

“‘More’ is never enough, but ‘less’ in the anointed hands of Jesus will always be more than enough.”

In my experience thus far, I’ve noticed that a deceptive snare of the enemy that we, if not careful, can easily fall into, is a fundamental feeling that says,

“Not enough.”

We can feel, from time to time, that if only we had more finances, resources, skillsets or connections that we could then find the rest, satisfaction and solace we need. We tend to strive to make things happen in our own strength and inevitably end up feeling empty and exhausted. While the list of our aspirations seems unending, the state of our inner man seems to be dwindling. We may try to receive affirmation and validation from things that are external in the vain hope that it may serve to satisfy a need that in reality is perhaps embedded in a much deeper root than what meets the eye.

I’m drawn back, as I write, to the Garden of Eden. The crafty serpent slithered over to Eve and tempted her to not only doubt the wisdom of what God had said to Adam and her, but also undermined their identity as image bearers of God. Adam and Eve, as the first beings to be created, were by divine design made in the image of God. They bore the likeness of God. So isn’t it surprising to note how the serpent tricks Eve into believing the lie that if she would eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then her eyes would be opened and she would be, ‘like God?’

She already was. And so was Adam.

I don’t think the serpent has ceased ever since. He continues to plague us with feelings of insecurity and shame based thinking that is rooted in an all pervasive sense that we are not enough or that we do not have enough. His malicious lies, if believed, will always land us on a performance treadmill where we go the distance to prove things that need no proving at all. God’s Word has the final authority and it says that we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us. We are children of God that are in a covenant relationship with Christ where no matter how many promises God has made, they are ALL, in Christ Jesus,

“Yes and Amen.”

God loves us just as we are. We have nothing to prove to Someone who died for us when we were yet dead in our transgressions. We were His enemies when Christ took the Cross to reconcile us to the Perfect Love of a most extravagant Father. He loved us at our worst, and the Good News is that our best won’t move Him either. Performance was nailed to the Cross at Calvary in exchange for an authentic relationship with Father God. There is no striving in His Grace, and as children that dine full at the Table of God’s Love and Truth, we can rest in Christ righteousness, leaving our own at the feet of Jesus.

God is Faithful. He keeps the promises He makes and it is in His nature to provide. One of my favourite Bible verses in this season we find ourselves in is,

“In vain you rise early

and stay up late,

toiling for food to eat—

for he grants sleep to those he loves.” (Psalm 127:2)

An implication of the last verse here is that He provides for us even when we sleep. This Truth goes to reveal the perfect heart of our Heavenly Father. It is in His Nature to provide for His Children, and He doesn’t change. He is a sure hope and a firm foundation that we can safely stake our lives on. Nations will rise and fall, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

Not only are we more than enough as image bearers and much loved children of God, the Truth is that because of our placement in Christ, we get to operate FROM victory, peace and rest; never towards it. We never have to fast forward or strive forward to achieve something that carries an elusive appeal of giving us that which ONLY and ONLY the love of God can.

Whether it’s Identity, worth and value. Whether it’s provision, hope and security.

It’s all found in His Love, His Truth and His Promises. The world may crumble and quake, but we get to stand on the Rock whose Name is Jesus. He fights for us FROM victory because He stands Undefeated. Therefore, as children that belong to Him, we can rest. We can have true peace and bask in the joy our hope inspires. We can learn to trust that His kingdom remains unshaken and we are privileged to be a tiny yet potently significant part of it. We can know deep down in our souls that we are enough and though we may not possess much, the Truth that sets us free is that our God is still a miracle working God and in the anointed hands of Jesus, our two fish and five loaves of bread will not only be enough, but in fact, more than enough.

I recall that all Jesus ever required of us was to believe.

Prophesy.

You’ve been far too kind, God
Held me close like a Father
Called me a little child
Never did You let me wander.

You’ve held me through a whisper
And graced me to hear
The voice that knows me by name
Setting me free from all my shame.

So now I boldly walk in freedom
That You’ve so passionately given
For He who lives within me
Is also the same who fights for me.

He doesn’t give up nor does He let go
His Love, firm and secure
He knows how to woo me
Back into the Heart that sets me free.

So over and over we go
Getting freer more and more
Chasing away all my fear
For it’s pure Love that calls me dear.

He who calls me royalty
Never slumbers nor sleeps
Says He will surely come through
Even if it’s a bit of a waiting.

He means what He says
His ways simply flawless
Knows me through and through
And says He is The God of Breakthrough.
🙌🏻

As were You, so are we in this world.

Lord, give me grace
Meet my every need
As I put my hand in Yours
I ask You to take the lead.

You go before
You stand behind
Thank You, Jesus
For You’re far too kind.

So what does the compassion of Christ look like?
For my near and dear ones
At a time that’s vulnerable
I trust in the Love that is formidable.

So as I seek to lean on You
Would You pour Your wisdom and love?
A marriage between the two
Is where Sweet Jesus, You settle like a dove.

Casting all differences aside
Instead choosing to decide
Humility is where freedom reigns
For even You had to win me over with some sacred blood stains.

So help me to take heart and be strong
You’re Faithful all year long
The process is where You grow me
Still holding me close ever so tenderly.

Where You are is where I want to be
Building where You’re breathing
The center of Your Heart, the center of Your Will
Nothing else do I seek to fulfil.
🙌🏻

A relational journey

To everything, there is a season
And a purpose to every activity under the Heavens
But we don’t always need to know the purpose to follow You
For our purpose is to become just like You.

For through the fire, flood and storm
You lead us through it all
From glory to glory to glory
Even when the story seems a bit of a mystery.

You forge Your Character within us
Deep Love pouring in and creating deep trust
For it’s for relationship You died and rose
So You may deepen it for therein our dependency grows.

And as it does, we are set free
From the need to know it all
For in every circumstance, it’s Your wisdom we seek
The righteous may be bold, but we also know to be meek.

Humble enough to know Your thoughts are higher
Confident enough to know that we’re fully loved
A hedge of protection around our souls
We trust in You, Jehovah Shalom.
❤️

The Word

Your words are precious
More precious to me than the sweetest honey
More sweet, more strong
Deleting all my worry.

Our radiant hope in You reflected through them
A constant source of nourishment
They dispel all doubt and stand tall in us
As we look to You for encouragement.

You’re the best wordsmith in the whole wide world
Weaving Your victorious words together
And leading me to them
Each time I need a breather.

Tabernacling with You is my mercy seat
You know the times even before I feel the need
I find You always waiting and welcoming
As Your Child comes to You, running.

You wrap me in Your loving embrace
Drape me with the robe of righteousness
Remind me of who You are
When You were The One who first came running.

Hallelujah!

Abba!

Dearest of all,

Abba!

Knowing You has changed me.

Knowing You has revealed to me that I’m not doing life by myself, but with The One that is both, a Father beyond compare and a Friend that sticks closer than a brother. Your unrivalled Love has given me courage to remain steadfast in the face of adversity. Your extravagant Grace has empowered me each time I have felt weak or weary. Your endless Mercy has always met me at my point of need, and filled me to the overflow. Your relentless Kindness has bestowed upon me the newness of life which has a way being renewed with the gift of each day we call, “Today.” Your infinite Wisdom has led me into pathways that I now, in hindsight, understand were vital in my process of growth and development. Your unsurpassed Patience with me as you affirm me and strengthen me in the inner man of my spirit is an experience in Spirit and in Truth that humbles me enough to know that if you can be so patient, then perhaps so can I. Your indepth Understanding of me has brought me to a point where instead of seeking to be understood, I now try and understand others. Your perfect Leadership of my life is a testament to the truth that you know what lies ahead and therefore, I can submit to the your ways in the “here and now,” even when the “then and there” seems a bit obscure. Your unsurpassed Power to do what you promise to do leaves me in ever increasing awe, astonishment and wonder. Your incomparable Splendor on full display in the majesty of Creation, whether it is a crimson speck across the sky or a shooting star in the midnight hour that I have yet to see, always serves to anchor me as You pull me close in the midst of whatever it is that maybe going on. Your incontestable Sovereignty to override all of that which tries to override us not only brings forth greater revelations of who You are, but even of who I am in You – a much loved Child that belongs to You.

Abba, I can ramble on and I know that You know I can. But for now, I will simply pause for a bit, take a breath in and say,

“Thank You. Thank You for who YOU are. For I am who I am simply because You are who You say You are.”

Joyfully Yours,

Your Beloved Child.

Salt and Light.

“I am Your Child before I am Your Church.”

The more I walk with The Lord, the more I realize how much He values relationship. He will allow situations and circumstances to manifest, and then invite us to listen to His Voice in order that we may discern what it is that His Spirit is doing in and through the manifested circumstances. I am slowly coming to a point where I recognize that the stronger my relationship with Him, the more I am in sync with Him which allows me to see, think and act the way He does in order to see His will manifest in through whatever it is that I may be experiencing. Perhaps, this is the reason we call our lives as believers a grand adventure with The Lord.

The way we were drawn into a relationship with Jesus is the way it is sustained. His Love is what won our hearts over, and it still is His Love which continues to. In a world rife with chaos and turmoil, we are often spurred to be the salt and light. After all, that is what Jesus has called us to be, and my journey reveals to me that the extent to which we allow ourselves to bask in His Light is the extent to which we can authentically be the light in our tiny part of the world. So, before I “do” anything, I am slowly learning the vital importance of “being” in His Presence. I love how The Bible makes this clear,

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, King James Bible)

This leads me to believe that God is more interested in our “being,” than our “doing,” for He understands that from the overflow of our fellowship will inevitably flow the desire, the resolve and the power to be the salt and light. This is where our striving ends, and our surrender to Him puts us in a place of being able to receive like a child, and as a child. This where we learn to receive His perfect love, unconditional acceptance and matchless grace. This is where we encounter Presence and allow it to transform us into a Child that knows how to host it. This is where our weakness meets His Strength. This is where our wounds begin to heal and our souls finds revival. This is where our hearts start to melt as His Love begins to well up from deep within. This is where authentic transformation in Christ begins.

My experience tells me that our journey is purely relational and transformational, the fruit of which is for the world to savor. We can give only to the extent we receive. It is therefore, important to realize that the foremost thing is to receive the love, the grace, the mercy, the forgiveness, the kindness and the goodness of God in fullness and abundance every single day of our lives. This not only keeps us tethered to His Presence, but takes us deeper and deeper into a relational walk with Him; from the abundance of which can freely flow the goodness that our world needs to see and receive.

As His Child, I first want to receive His Love first thing in the morning. I want to allow His Love to heal me, strengthen me, lead me, guide me and then, compel me. I want to let my “being” with Him define my “doing.” I want to yield more and more to the leading of His Spirit as opposed to what I may have thought is the best way to lead my day. I want Him to take centerstage in my life so that every move and every decision is assured of a favorable outcome. I want to first feel His Heart towards me, and then let that heart reach those that are near to me.

So, I told Him last night that I was first His Child, and then His Church. I want to be the lamp that He can put on a lampstand, but first I want to taste of His Love and Light that can be found only when hidden within His splendor shadow. I want to be the salt and light, but first I want to be salted and lit up from within. I want to be a world changer, but first I need my inside world changed. I want to be sheep among the wolves, but first I want to know what it is to be shepherded well. I want to be who He has called me to be, but first I want to encounter The One who has called me in the first place.

I guess what I’m trying to say is quite simple. In our walk with Christ, our foremost responsibility is to value our relationship over anything else. It is in the relationship that we forge that we get to know Him, and the more we know Him, the more we know ourselves and what it is that we are called to. As I write, the words of Jesus, after His Resurrection as He promised The Holy Spirit to His disciples, come to mind;

“I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49, NIV)

It is abundantly clear that the more we receive “power from on high,” the more we are empowered to be who He calls us to be: the salt and light of the world, His Children and then, His Church.

So be it.

Amen.

Your Love.

“Your Love sets me free from the weight of both, failure and success.”

Before God laid the foundations of the world, He had you and me in mind. He had great plans for us, great thoughts towards us and loved us with an everlasting love. He still does because The Word says,

“For I am the Lord, I change not…” (Malachi 3:6 KJV)

He is steadfast in His Love towards us so much so that He gave us His one and only Son – Jesus through whom we have an explicit demonstration of the unconditional love of God towards us, a love that knew us before the beginning of time and longs to see us in life everlasting. One of my most favorite verses of Scripture is as follows,

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV)

There is undoubtedly a lot to unpack from this, but what is the most comforting is that even before God formed us in the womb, He knew us. He knew us intimately and completely. He knew every tiny detail of our lives. He knew every mistake we would ever make and every detour we would ever take. He knew everything we would think would disqualify us and He STILL loved us, chose us, called us.

It is a revelation of this Perfect Love of The Father that sets us free to be ourselves and to flourish in the calling that we have received in our lifetime. This love reassures us that it keeps no record of wrongs, but instead delights in our attempts. This love not only accepts us wholeheartedly; but cherishes, treasures, adores and esteems us. This love separates our “do” from our “who.” This love does not see who we are not, it is focused on who we are becoming – the righteousness of God in Christ. This love understands all our struggles and frailties, but boldly declares that when we are weak, we are strong for Christ’s power rests on us. This love does not depend on our behavior or performance, but is solely contingent on the character of God, because God is Love.

I really thank God for Jesus. He nailed not only our sin and shame, but also the lie of performance, perfectionism, legalism and religion to The Cross and set us free. Instead, He gave us relationship with The Father. I perhaps have lost count of the number of times I have recited the following verse to myself (and my guess and hope is that perhaps you have too!),

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1, NIV)

So, the question really isn’t if we are loved or not, because we are and one hundred percent at that. The question is, “how do we reciprocate this love?”

I believe the best way to reciprocate this kind of love is to receive it. Fully and abundantly; thereby allowing it it shape all of our life’s responses, choices and decisions. When The Father’s Love has begun to wash over us, like tidal waves, taking us from one dimension of glory to another, a transformation begins. We feel different : light and free. We recognize that we do not have to be perfect, we do not have to perform for acceptance and we do not have to be validated by man. We simply need to receive the Love that first loved us and let it flow organically, spontaneously, freely and horizontally – into the world that is around and about us, till all that are connected to us have a glimpse of the freedom and love The Father has lavishly bestowed upon each and every one of us.

Friends, when we live like that, we begin to live like Jesus. He knew He was thoroughly loved by The Father and from the abundance of that revelation, He was able to stand in the Truth of and thereby, manifest His Identity as The Son of God, which empowered Him to withstand all that He did and accomplish His Purpose. Opposition, rejection, betrayal; nothing deterred Him because He was fully validated by Love.

And the same is true for us too.

However, in our process of learning to live like Jesus, we are going to have times where we fail, we stumble, we fall short. But that is precisely when the strength of our relationship kicks in and we recognize that even though we may have made a mistake or perhaps, dished up a mess; we are STILL covered by Grace and the constancy of our Father’s Agape Love.

THAT is what gives us strength in the face of failure. We are still who He says we are and we are still able to do what He has called us to. Nothing disqualifies that which has been birthed and cultivated by Love. Hence, we continue to remain steadfast and press on towards the mark of the high calling that we have received.

But what happens when we succeed?

I was reading The Bible today, and came across a verse that seems apt to be mentioned here,

“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13, NIV)

Since it is God who works in us through His Spirit what is pleasing to Him, since it is God who gives us the grace we need in our time of need, since it is God who is an ever present help in times of trouble, since it is God who through radical revelations of His Love enables and empowers us to be all that we were created to be and do all that we have been called to do; who gets The Glory?

He does, and that is the purpose of any measure of success that we attain in our lifetime. We have the absolute delight and pleasure of reciprocating God’s Love in times like these by casting our crowns at His Feet and letting it all bring praise, honor and glory to His Highest Name!

All designed in order to help us live life the way God wants us to – light and free. We neither have to be burdened by the guilt of failure nor crushed under the pressure of success; simply because our Identity is tied to neither. Birthed in and redeemed by Love, our Identity transcends this temporal world and finds its origin in and its way back into Eternity. No longer bound to the constraints of the world, we have indeed been set free to blaze trails for generations to come in order that they too may know who they are and whose they are, a beautiful journey of passing on the baton of faith; all made possible because of a Trailblazer who nearly two thousand years ago, descended from Eternity into Earth, to pave a way laced with Grace, Truth and Mercy, a way that is The Only Way and is etched out in the Power and Triumph of His Blood that runs in our veins till today.

So be it.

Amen.