Stubborn or resolute?

In a recent conversation I was talking about a child being stubborn, and said laughingly, "Yes, that is something that runs in our family - stubbornness." 

Since that conversation I have thought a bit more about that word - stubborn - and even had a chat to God about it. What do we do with this stubbornness? And I felt him reply, "Not all stubbornness is bad."

Indeed there are a few definitions of stubbornness. The Mirriam Webster dictionary gives these ones ... unreasonably or perversely yielding; difficult to handle, manage or treat; and justifiably unyielding, resolute.

Justifiably unyielding. That is the one that I believe God was talking about. The stubbornness that means we ...

... won't give up on believing in His word as being the final word.

1 Peter 3:22 in The Message Bible says, Jesus has the last word on everything and everyone, from angels to armies. He’s standing right alongside God, and what he says goes.

Over the years I have done some tantrums reminding the enemy that he does not have the victory - only Jesus has the victory.  Stubbornly believing that God's promises are the only way forward. Not giving airplay to any other options.

... Stubbornness means that we will choose to believe that God loves us the same yesterday, today and tomorrow regardless of our thoughts, words and actions or inaction.

2 Corinthians 12:9 in the Amplified version says, But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me.

Choosing to believe that despite what I have done or said, He is there, and He is listening, and He is willing to forgive me, and give me His new mercies day after day after day. 

... Stubbornness means that we will choose to believe that He will not leave us nor forsake us.

Joshua 1:9 in the NKJV says, Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Sometimes going into a challenging situation I visualise Jesus physically with me, fully expecting that I will sense His presence and that the Holy Spirit will give me the words to say. We do not walk alone.

Stubbornness, the resolute kind, is what we want. The resoluteness that Barnabas encouraged the believers in Antioch to have.

Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; Acts 11:23 NASB

And so since that conversation and talking with God, my prayer has become, "God please take this stubbornness and use it for your good. Let there be a passion for you that is unyielding and resolute."

Or, in the words of Psalm 51:10

Create for me a pure heart, O God! Renew a resolute spirit within me! Psalm 51:10 NET

How do I keep my heart open to God?

"Keep your heart open to me," those are the words God whispered to me the other morning as I sat looking through the crystal clear water to the bottom of the lake. It was as though He was showing me how he wants my heart to be, so absolutely transparent. No outside disturbances like the slight breeze that was causing ripples in a less sheltered part of the lake. No pollution, like the impure water that flows from the storm water drain mixing in with the clean lake water.

The question is how? How do I keep my heart open to you Lord? How do I know when it isn't fully open? How do I know when I am subconsciously hiding something from you? You know what is hiding anyway!

This scripture comes to mind ... Psalm 51:10
Create a new, clean heart within me. Fill me with pure thoughts and holy desires, ready to please you. Psalm 51:10 TPT

So is that the answer? Ask you God to create a new clean heart within me? Ask the Holy Spirit to prompt me to sit quietly with you and wait for you to give me a word? And upon hearing that word I will know immediately, an aha moment, a revelation of yes that does need to be confessed. You always knew it was there. I just needed to acknowledge it, to confess it.

How happy and fulfilled are those whose rebellion has been forgiven, those whose sins are covered by blood. How blessed and relieved are those who have confessed their corruption to God! For he wipes their slates clean and removes hypocrisy from their hearts. Psalm 32:1-2 TPT

There it is - He wipes our slate clean and removes hypocrisy from our hearts. What peace comes after confession.

Then I finally admitted to you all my sins, refusing to hide them any longer. I said, "My life-giving God, I will openly acknowledge my evil actions." And you forgave me! All at one the guilt of my sin washed away and all my pain disappeared! Pause in his presence. Psalm 32:5 TPT

Pause in his presence.  How often to we really do that? Completely pause in his presence?

This is something God spoke to me about at the end of last year - the need to more often pause in his presence. In fact, He gave me a very specific scripture .... Genesis 24:21 ..

And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the LORD has made his journey prosperous or not. Genesis 24:21 NKJV

The key words for me were the 'remained silent so as to know whether the LORD', ie for me to remain silent until God speaks. So for the first month of this year, once a week I have gone to a peaceful place and sat, remaining silent until God speaks. After only four weeks it has become one of my favourite times in my week. It is a weekly appointment that I certainly don't want to miss. I still have my daily time with God early each morning, and conversations throughout the day, but they are more times of two way communication. Whereas this weekly appointment is time set aside to remain silent and wait until He speaks. I don't want to miss what he wants to say to me. Because it is always exactly what I need to hear, as Psalm 32 says,

I hear the Lord saying, "I will stay close to you, instructing and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide. So don't make it difficult; don't be stubborn when I take you where you've not been before. Don't make me tug you and pull you along. Just come with me!"
So my conclusion is this: Many are the sorrows and frustrations of those who don't come clean with God. But when you trust in the Lord for forgiveness, his wrap-around love will surround you. Psalm 32:8-10 TPT

Don't let pain, anger, fear and disappointment keep you from having an open heart towards God. Find that time to pause in his presence, listen to what he reveals, confess your sin, ask forgiveness and let him minister his love and kindness to you. Only then we can move towards loving God and others better.

The canopy - God's protection for your heart

Earlier this week I was walking in our local park, making my way to the beautiful bush walk we are blessed to live near. As I walked from the open space with the heat of the summer sun beating down on my head, into the bush with the canopy providing shade and protection, I was struck by the sudden change of circumstances. With only one step I went from the open, unprotected area into the covered, protected place. And wasn't I glad I'd taken that step!

That sudden physical change in the atmosphere made me think about God's covering and protection, and how different life is when we choose to walk under it.

But let them all be glad, those who turn aside to hide themselves in you. May they keep shouting for joy forever! Overshadow them in your presence as they sing and rejoice. Then every lover of your name will burst forth with endless joy. Lord, how wonderfully you bless the righteous. Your favour wraps around each one and covers them under your canopy of kindness and joy. Psalm 5:11-12 TPT

How reassuring the Psalms are .... Your favour wraps around each one and covers them under your canopy of kindness and joy.....
There was a time when I didn't read anything in The Bible except the Psalms. The deep pain in my heart so often resonated with the words of the Psalmist.

Please, God, show me mercy! Open your grace-fountain for me, for you are my soul's true shelter. I will hide beneath the shadow of your embrace, under the wings of your cheribum, until this terrible trouble has past. Psalm 57:1 TPT

Please, God, show us mercy! And He has.
Open your grace-fountain for me. And He did.
For you are my soul's true shelter. And He is.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your embrace. And I do.
Until this terrible trouble has past. And it has.

If the season you are in now is a difficult one for you, I really encourage you to immerse yourself in the truth of the Psalms. God is listening to the cries of your heart and He is on your side.

You've kept track of all my wandering and my weeping. You've stored my many tears in your bottle - not one will be lost. For they are all recorded in your book of remembrance. The very moment I call to you for a father's help the tide of battle turns and my enemies flee. This one thing I know: God is on my side! Psalm 56:8-9 TPT

The end of this season will come. There will be a time when you can declare this, as the Psalmist does in Psalm 57 ...

My heart, O God, is quiet and confident. Now I can sing with passion your wonderful praises! Awake, O my soul, with the music of his splendor-song! Arise, my soul, and sing his praises! My worship will awaken the dawn, greeting the daybreak with my songs of light! Wherever I go I will thank you, my God. Among all the nations they will hear my praise songs to you. Your love is so extravagant it reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness so astonishing it stretches to the sky! Lord God, be exalted as you soar throughout the heavens. May your shining glory be shown in the skies! Let it be seen high above all the earth! Psalm 57:7-11 TPT

Be encouraged, protect your heart and choose to stay under the canopy of His kindness and joy.

Acknowledging God before starting the To do List.

Have you ever woken up thinking how am I going to get all these things done today? Where do I start? Well that was me one morning this week. 

I had a specific time that I had to leave home for an appointment and I had a list of jobs that needed to do be done before leaving. I could estimate the time required for some of the jobs, but for the remainder it was unknown.

Despite the list of jobs, I knew my number one priority was to commune with God. But how difficult it was to focus on Him when that list of jobs was running around in my head! The temptation to just get started on the jobs was so great.

But I knew that if I didn't stop and have time with God before commencing the day, things would not go as smoothly as they could do.

So I turned up the worship song that was playing , O come to the Altar by Elevation Worship, took off my glasses (so if I was tempted to open my eyes I couldn't read my list!!!), and simply said, "Speak to me God, show me how to do this day well."

My heart was ready to receive truth from God. I knew God was there and He wanted to talk to me. Just like He wants to talk to you today. And just like He wanted to speak to Samuel all those years ago ...

Then GOD came and stood before im, exactly as before, calling out, 'Samuel! Samuel!' Samuel answered, 'Speak. I am your servant, ready to listen.' 1 Samuel 3:10 The Message

And then our ever practical God said this to me,

"Wendy, just put one foot in front of the other and do what I’ve asked you to do."

Yes, that was exactly what I needed to hear. There is such truth in His words. They cut through that jobs list every time.

Listen for GOD's voice in everything you do; everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Proverbs 3:6 The Message

Acknowledge Him. I need you God today, and every day, all day.

And you guessed it, I got all those jobs done with ease, in fact with 10 minutes to spare!!!! 

Oh God, why don't I live every moment like this with You guiding every area in my life? Why do I still wrestle in my own strength? Why do I still think that in some situations I know best? Why is there the continual need to learn to yield - the continual dying to self?

"My old identity has been co-crucified with the Messiah and no longer lives; for the nails of his cross crucified me with him. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives his live through me - we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that he gave himself for me, and dispenses his life into mine!" Galatians 2:20 TPT

Thank you Jesus that I have a new life that is empowered by your faith. Please help me to really live as one with you. Please help me to work out my salvation well.

"My beloved ones, just like you've always listened to everything I've taught you in the past, I'm asking you now to keep following my instructions as though I were right there with you. Now you must continue to make this new life fully manifested as you live in the holy awe of God - which brings you trembling into His presence." Philippians 2:12 TPT

Your presence God, what a beautiful place to be. Peace, love and joy are all there, ready to be embraced. Speak. I am your servant, ready to listen.

When we stop, take time to acknowledge God and listen and obey His ways, the result is always magnificent. How can it not be? He is magnificent.

GOD is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness. Generation after generation stands in awe of your work; each one tells stories of your mighty acts. Psalm 145:3-4 The Message

Are you listening to me?

"Mum, are you listening to me?"

"Well, I do know you were talking about ......, but I might have missed some of what you said."

To be honest, I probably missed quite a bit of what they said because when they came to speak to me I continued on with whatever I was doing and only half-listened to what they were saying to me! Too task focused.

I apologise for my inattentiveness, but our child still has that sense that Mum doesn't always listen to me.

Thankfully our Heavenly Father is not like that. He, in His majestically mysterious way, is available 24/7 for each one of us. In Jeremiah, the Lord says,

Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. Jeremiah 29:12 NKJV

God listening to us does not necessarily translate into Him doing what we ask. Just like as a parent we listen to our children's requests, but we don't always fulfill them as we often have a bigger picture in mind. Our Heavenly Father is the same. Our job is to stick with Him, wait and trust. 

But me, I'm not giving up.

I'm sticking around to see what God will do.

I'm waiting for God to make things right.

I'm counting on God to listen to me.

Micah 7:7 The Message

Trust. Trust that His promises are true, despite what we see. How difficult that can be sometimes. We need to remind ourselves of the good things our God has done - starting with our salvation.

This I recall to my mind,

Therefore I have hope.

Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness,

"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,

"Therefore I hope in Him!"

The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,

To the soul who seeks Him,

It is good that one should hope and wait quietly

For the salvation of the LORD.

Lamentations 3:21-26 NKJV

Wait patiently upon the LORD - Not always an easy thing to do. But as we go through trial after trial, hopefully we start to hone that skill of waiting patiently. As in each of those trials we see more and more of our God's faithfulness so our trust levels increase. We come to a place of knowing without a doubt that He listens to us because He loves us, and He has a plan for us.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

Podcast 41 - I will be exalted through the whole earth

I will be exalted through the whole earth

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
Psalm 46:10 NKJV

Being a very task focused person, this is one of the scriptures the Holy Spirit often reminds me of.  It is one of my go-to scriptures when I feel myself getting overwhelmed with life's circumstances. 

A couple of worship songs based on this scripture can often help me get to that place of 'Being still', Be Still by Kari Jobe and Be Still on the Hillsong album, There is more. They are on my 'Be still' playlist!

When I was seeking God on scriptures He wanted me to keep focused on this year, 2019, Psalm 46:10 was one of them. I looked it up in The Passion Translation to help me get a fresh revelation on it ..

Surrender your anxiety!
Be silent and stop your striving and you will see that I am God.
I am God above all the nations, and I will be exalted through the whole earth. Psalm 46:10 TPT

Over the years, my main focus when reading this scripture has been the 'Be still, and know that I am God,' with me speaking to my mind, telling it to settle. 

But last week when I read this scripture from The Passion Translation I felt that God was directly speaking to me from the last part of the verse ....  'Wendy don't fear the future for I am God above all the nations, and I will be exalted through the whole earth.' 

I am... I will 

I had this overwhelming sense of God's power and authority on this earth. That despite what people say and do, He is and always will be the God above all nations, and He will be exalted through the whole earth - as unlikely as that seems today.   Romans 14:11 came to mind ...

Just as it is written:

"As surely as I am the Living God, I tell you:
'Every knee will bow before me and every tongue will confess the truth and glorify me!" 
Romans 14:11 TPT

Which is then followed by ...

Therefore, each one must answer for himself and give a personal account of his own life before God. So stop being critical and condemning of other believers, but instead determine to never deliberately cause a brother or sister to stumble and fall because of your actions. Romans 14:12-13 TPT

Plenty to meditate on there!

But back to Psalm 46:10, where God is declaring Who He is and that He will be exalted. Here is the Amplified version,

Let be and be still, and know (recognise and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10 AMP

Exalt - to elevate by praise; related to 'glorify'  - to give glory (as in worship) (from Mirriam-Webster)

So what does exalting God look like in our lives? What does it look like in my life? What does it look like in your life? Perhaps a better question is what does God want it to look like in our lives?

Let's pray, 

Heavenly Father, 

Thank you for the blessing of having your written word so freely available to us. Thank you for the revelation your Holy Spirit provides when we read it with the expectation that You will speak to us. 

I acknowledge that you are God. Thank you for sending your son Jesus to be my Lord and Saviour. Thank you for giving the Holy Spirit to be my counsellor and guide every minute of every day.  

Please help me to exalt you in the way You want to be exalted. Thank you that your grace is always sufficient and your mercies are new every morning. I love  you.

In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.