Podcast 33 - Are you looking for a safe place today?

Are you searching for a safe place today?

Are you searching for a safe place to express exactly how you feel today? 

Sometimes when the circumstances around me are in turmoil I picture myself being wrapped in the strong arms of my God, protecting me. His peace settles in me and I am assured of His overwhelmingly tangible presence.   Psalm 91 says it this way,

His massive arms are wrapped around you, protecting you.
You can run under his covering of majesty and hide.
His arms of faithfulness are a shield keeping you from harm. Psalm 91:4 TPT

Talking about running, at other times I want to run away, saying to myself, "It is all to hard, I want to have a simple life - with no responsibility and no commitments." But that's not really life is it? 

In those moments I know there is one place I can always run to - that place of worship and abandonment, that place where I commune with Jesus, that place where the tears come, grateful for His grace and mercy in my life. Grateful for who He is - the one who saves. Knowing that He has the big picture and I need to keep my focus on Him.

Philippians 4:6-9 reminds us of that,

Don't be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God's wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make answers known to you through Jesus Christ. 

So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always. Follow the example of all that we have imparted to you and the God of peace will be with you in all things. Philippians 4:6-9 TPT

A few words that jump out at me as I read that scripture ...

Don't be pulled

Be saturated in prayer

Overflowing gratitude

Tell every detail

God's wonderful peace

Make answers known

Through Jesus Christ

Thoughts continually fixed

Fasten your thoughts

Praising Him

God of peace

With you in all things 

Well actually, that is more than a few words - that is a high level summary for finding that safe place, Jesus, who helps us to push through and find that place of feeling those massive loving arms of God around us.

Let's finish powerful declaration today ....

When you sit enthroned under the shadow of Shaddai,
you are hidden in the strength of God Most High.
He's the hope that holds me and the Stronghold to shelter me, the only God for me, and my great confidence.
Psalm 91:1-2 TPT

Podcast 32 - Mum, Is it okay to have a singular goal?

Mum, Is it okay to have a singular goal?

Last night one of our children asked me, 'Mum, is it okay to have a singular goal? Just one thing you are aiming for.' 

'It depends what that singular goal is. I had a goal in my early 20's, to buy an apartment, and that was all I focused on,' I replied.

'What were your other goals?' she asked.

'None. I didn't have any other goals - just making money so I could live in a nice place and buy nice things,' I replied starting to reflect on how my life had changed since then.

'But surely you had other goals. What happened when you reached that goal - what next? Remember how a few weeks ago that preacher kept asking us 'what next?, then 'what next?', then 'what next?' What was next for you Mum ?' she pressed the point.

'Yes, well that was the problem, after buying the apartment I felt so empty and unfilled that I started asking questions about the purpose of my life, what was it all about? Buying that apartment and the subsequent feelings were one of the catalysts for me seeking Jesus. Now I realise He was using those circumstances to draw me to Himself. And now my singular goal is to do all that God wants me to do with my life.' I responded, amazed at the clarity of this answer as it was three hours after my normal bedtime, so all credit goes to the Holy Spirit.

We had some further conversation about how that singular goal of doing all God wants me to do has many facets in terms of being a wife, a mum, a business person, volunteer, writer, but the motive is the same - all for Jesus. Here is how Paul talks about his change in motive ....

Yet all of the accomplishments that I once took credit for, I've now forsaken them and I regard it all as nothing compared to the delight of experiencing Jesus Christ as my Lord!  To truly know him meant letting go of everything from my past and throwing all my boasting on the garbage heap. It's all like a pile of manure to me now, so that I may be enriched in the reality of knowing Jesus Christ and embrace him as Lord in all of his greatness. Philppians 3:7-8 TPT

As a Christian there is a process that takes place over the years as we press into God, through the good and troubling times. I think the proper word is sanctification. The more we press in, the more we learn of God's character, a learning that feeds that deep yearning to know Him and His love for us more and more. For me, I never want to stop doing that as I am so grateful for the love, grace and mercy He has shown me over the years. The more closely I walk with Him, the more complete I feel every day. 

Let's hear some more from Paul on his singular goal ...

I admit that I haven't yet acquired the absolute fullness that I'm pursing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose that Jesus Christ has called me to fulfill and wants me to discover. I don't depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus. So let all who are fully mature have this same passion, and if anyone is not yet gripped by these desires, God will reveal it to them. And let us all advance together to reach this victory-prize, following one path with one passion. Philippians 3:12-16 TPT

Let's pray,

Jesus, thank you that you love us and you have called us for your purposes. Thank you that you have made us all unique, but with a heart for you.  Thank you that you are continually drawing us to yourself, revealing more of yourself to us. Please help us to run this race you have set before us with passion, not getting distracted, but keeping our eyes on you. Please show us today, what you want us to do and help us to do it in your strength, not our own. In your name we pray and live. Amen.

Podcast 31 - Hearing from God in the morning

Hearing from God in the morning

Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You I do trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Psalm 143:8 NKJV

What a great prayer to start the day with. In fact we have it on the wall in our toilet room - one of my homemade signs.

Here it is again, this time from the Amplified Bible ...

Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,

for on You do I lean and in You do I trust.

Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk,

for I lift up my inner self to You.

Psalm 143:8 AMPC

Cause me to hear ...

This means we need to be listening. What a temptation there is some mornings to get up and get started on the long list of jobs that sit on my desk. I've worked out that I can't be thinking about all those jobs and listening to God at the same time. If I am not purposeful in shutting out the thoughts about the jobs list, they will take over.

Your lovingkindness in the morning,

How beautiful to hear first thing in the morning, before the family awakes and the chaos starts, that you are loved - regardless of what you did or didn't do the day before. To hear that you are forgiven, that His grace is sufficient and that His mercies are new every morning. That is good food for the soul.

for on You do I lean 

Sometimes things in life can feel too heavy to lean on others, but Jesus is always strong enough and more than willing to support each of us.....

So here's what I've learned through it all: Leave all your cares and anxieties at the feet of the Lord, and measureless grace will strengthen you. Psalm 55:22 The Passion Translation

And in You do I trust.

We need to choose to trust Him, no matter what. It's simple - I trust you God, or I don't trust you God. Well it's simple to say the words, but sometimes it's not so simple to trust with our hearts, because we have emotions, disappointment, fears, grief and anger. They need to be processed to enable us to come back to that place of trusting God.

Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk,

How many times have you said to yourself, 'I wish someone would show me what to do next,' or 'I wish someone would tell me which option to choose.' Well, there is a God in Heaven who will show us the next step if we ask Him and listen...

Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go. Don't think for a moment that you know it all, for wisdom comes when you adore him with undivided devotion and avoid everything that's wrong. Proverbs 5:3-7 TPT

 

for I lift up my inner self to You.

  

What does it mean to lift up our inner self to God? Proverbs 5:6 and 7 give us a couple of beautiful phrases like 'become intimate with him.' Think of those people you are intimate with, what does that relationship look like, feel like? Do you have that sense when you commune with God? Here's another one, 'adore him with undivided devotion', again think of those people you are devoted to, how does that compare with your devotion to Jesus? 

We have a God who is jealous for us, He loves us and desires us to love Him wholeheartedly. 

So let's pray Psalm 143:8 with a heart that wants to know more of His love, so we can move further towards that place of fully trusting Him in all things, and love as He loves.

Let the dawning day bring me revelation of your tender, unfailing love. Give me light for my path and teach me, for I trust in you. Psalm 143:8 TPT