Never Alone

Lay it down. 

Release it all to me. 

Step away and step into my presence.

A time of separation and a time of connection. 

A time of tearing down and a time of building.

These were some of the things God spoke to me years ago when He asked me to walk away from a large part of what had become my identity and comfortable place.

Sometimes He asks us to do hard things. And we don't always understand the purpose in His asking or how what He's asked us to do could be for our good. It doesn't always make sense in the moment.

But trusting Him requires surrendering our will for His. Trusting Him requires believing He is working for our good. Trusting Him requires sitting on the Potter's wheel as we take take shape in the palm of His hands. It sometimes means letting our plans and dreams die. And it takes faith.

"My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Ex. 33:14

No matter where He asks us to go, He goes with us. 

On page 97 of our current study (Stressed-Less Living by Tracie Miles with MTOBS), Tracie unknowingly pens a part of my story:

"As we make our faith a priority and learn to trust in God's plans even if we do not understand them or like them, the doors will be flung wide open for God to enter our lives and begin His mighty work. During the wait we are called to fall on our knees just like Hannah and pour out our hearts to Him. We are each called to live life in a state of dependency on Him..."

In Exodus 33:14-18 Moses pleads with God for His accompanying presence and asks to be shown His glory. His dependency is on God and He knows that without Him, He might as well stay home.

At the end of His response to Moses's requests, the Lord agrees to send His presence and to show His glory. Then He says, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock."

There is a place near Him for each of us. In our surrendering to His will and in the realization that we can't do what He's called us to do without His presence and His glory we assume our proper spiritual position. It is here, in this place, that we are more near God than anywhere else.

In verse 21, the word place in Hebrew is MAQOWN, which means: standing place, post, station, city, land, region, place of human abode, etc. MAQOWN originated from the Hebrew word QUWN, which means: to arise, become powerful, to be established, to be fixed, to be valid, to be proven, to be fulfilled, to persist, etc.

When we are in that place near Him, His plans and purposes for our lives begin to take shape. His plans are established. His purposes are fulfilled. And His power can be displayed through our lives.

Also in verse 21 is the word stand. The Hebrew word is NATSAB, which means: to stand, take one's stand, stand upright, be set (over), establish, be stationed, be appointed.

This word is a verb, which conveys an action or a state of being. In that place, we will stand (we must take action, DO something, and BE that which God has called us to be). It is a place of appointment with and by the King of Kings.

The Lord is calling us to Himself. As He does so, He will require things of us that are hard, scary, impossible, and beyond our human abilities. But when we wholly surrender and position ourselves in that place near Him, His presence and His glory will not only sustain us but go with us and enable us to do that which He has planned for us to do.

We are never alone in His presence. And when we don't understand why He's asking or requiring certain things of us, we can rest assured that His plans are so much greater than ours.

Today, He has called you, anointed you, equipped you, and appointed you. 

I believe that place has been created by God and is reserved for each of us. In it is found our destiny and our purpose. There, His grace is abundant to do that which He has ordained us to do. There, His goodness is undeniable. There, His glory is all consuming. It is there, in His presence, in that place that we are so near Him, that we are changed, made whole, healed, and set free! It is there, that we are able to give out what He has placed within us. 

If His presence does not go with me, I do not want to go. 

**************

Joining with Melissa Taylor and a community of women as we seek God and His word in our current Online Bible Study: Stressed - Less Living by Tracie Miles

(Part of this post is taken from a previous post of mine, A Place Near Him)

FEARLESS - My Word For 2011

Fear can be crippling.


And, if you let it, it can steal your destiny.


This plundering thief, if given the power, has the potential to disable your spiritual authority,  take your vision, prevent you from speaking/writing/singing or whatever it is that you are supposed to be doing, and bind your feet together, prohibiting any progression toward fulfilling your purpose.


Scripture assures us that fear does not come from God.

For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. ~2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

and the same scripture in the Amplified Bible:

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

So if not from God, then from the enemy of our soul.  From the one who hates every fiber of our being and wants nothing more than to prevent us from doing our part to further or increase the Kingdom of Heaven.

It's the voice that says you can't do it.  The voice lurking in your thoughts trying to convince you that you aren't good enough and God isn't big enough.  The voice that says if you try, you will fail.  The voice that laughs and says you'll never make it, they won't accept you, you're not smart enough, pretty enough, thin enough, rich enough, you will only get hurt ...


Truth is, some of those things may be true, but they do not matter.


Ever heard the phrase "Do it afraid"?


All throughout scripture we find many examples of ordinary people, like ourselves, who were called to do extraordinary things.  Just like us, they had a destiny, a little (or sometimes a lot of) fear, and a choice.


Open the pages of your bible and listen as God encourages Abram over and over to be not afraid.  Walk with Joshua and hear the Lord say "Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid..."  "Do not fear them..." "Do not be afraid"  over and over and over....

These mighty men needed to be encouraged and reassured that they needed not be afraid because the Lord their God would be with them.  This tells me that they were afraid.  And more than once they pushed through the wall of fear and stepped into the freedom of trust and fearlessness to obtain the victory that was already theirs.

They didn't wait until they were not afraid.  They stepped out with knees knocking and trusted that God would do what He said He would do.  And He did.

We are not offered the luxury of unending days, but with each new dawn we are are drawn closer to the end of our seasons on this earth.  Life as we know it, is short.  There is not enough time to wait until we are not afraid to do that thing which God has been telling us to do.

"Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom."  Psalm 90:12 NLT

 As I write this, I gain strength and can feel courage rising from inside.  By faith, I declare that I will FEAR NOT.  For my God is with me.  I have a destiny and I choose to move forward, not waiting but pushing through whatever fear may try to hold me back.  I am behind because I have allowed fear of man, fear of failure, fear that all my messy places will show - because they will -  to keep me stationary and render me immobile.  But man's opinion is of no value to me.  Without the risk of failure, there can be no success.  And God can and wants to work even in my messy places. 

So for the New Year, 2011, my word is FEARLESS.  God has given me a spirit of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. And I chose to walk in it.

And even when fear is present, I will do it afraid and trust and watch God do what He said He would do.

"Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9 ESV

I pray that you will find the courage to step out and answer the call that you have heard, probably more than once.   And hear God whisper to your soul, "Do not be afraid.   For I am with you."

FEARLESS.  That's my word.  And that is how I will take one step at a time closer to my destiny this year, hand in hand with my Father.

What is your word for 2011?

Please Send Someone Else!

(Re posting from 2008)

Moses felt inadequate and questioned God about sending him to rescue the Israelites.

Ex. 3:11 "Who am I, that I should go and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

 He felt inadequate because he was! ....in himself. But God did not expect him to do it alone or in his own strength.

Again Moses reminded God of his inadequacies and weaknesses (like He didn't already know!) and pleaded with Him to reconsider and send someone else.

v.10 "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."

v.13 "O Lord, puhleeeaaassseeee (emphasis added) send someone else to do it."

First, God's reply was -

v.11 "Who gave man his mouth? Who made him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

and then
 v.12 And God said "I WILL BE WITH YOU"

But after Moses continued to beg to be replaced by someone more qualified or with a Masters in Speech and Communication :-) , God agreed to let Aaron (Moses' brother) go and speak for him.

Moses was so overcome with feelings of inadequacy that he could not trust even God's ability to help him. Been there.

My friend J. (quiltermamma) commented on my last post about the bible stories we heard growing up. No mention of struggles, inadequacies or weaknesses for the most part. (Where's the reality in that?!) Just plain ole superheros of the bible! But truth is, they were ordinary people like you and me. People (superheros) who had struggles and problems and issues. People who when God called them to do something, sometimes didn't think they could do what He was asking! But the one thing that I believe gave them superhero status was that they did it anyway! Even if they whined a little in the beginning (or ran away for awhile!), they eventually obeyed and fulfilled their mission, their assignment. They allowed God to do great things through them.

Each of us has been given an assignment. Probably several assignments. Let's remember what God told Moses, "I will be with you." He doesn't expect us to go alone. He knows our weaknesses and inadequacies. The great thing is, He loves us anyway! And He doesn't change His mind about His plans for us!

I have so often been filled with feelings of inadequacy and thoughts of "I can't" or "There's no way" or "You want me to do what??" or "How, God?" or "Can't you send someone else??" and the list goes on! When the world (and the church) so freely exercises their judgement and takes pride in exposing other peoples' weaknesses, stepping out in faith and doing something you've never done before and don't feel qualified to do can be terrifying! I mean, leaving the wilderness with your GPS set for Egypt can be a little less than exciting! (Especially when the last time you were there you were a wanted man!)

Moses was worried about how the people would respond to him.

Ex. 4:1 What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say "The Lord did not appear to you."

As Moses, I too have also done this many times. The What-If Game. I can sit and play several scenarios in my head of different things that COULD or MIGHT go wrong. What if I mess up? What if I say the wrong thing? What if they hate me? What if? What if? What if?

When we put our eyes on the people and not the assignment, we get into big trouble. People can be scary! (Can I get an amen?) And mean!

So, as I am traveling once again through the Old Testament, I am being reminded that I am a perfect candidate for helping to carry out God's plans and purposes on the earth. My resume is filled with some of the same "qualifications" as Moses and other bible superheros. Not that I should be ok and content with my weaknesses and inadequacies, but that I should not let them be a reason or excuse to give my assignment to someone else or allow them to stop me from fulfilling my purpose. God choose me (and you) even with all of our flaws. We have to learn to trust God's ability, and not our own. He is a big God. And even when we don't, He knows what He is doing.

XO

A Place Near Him

One of my favorite passages of scripture in the bible is found in Exodus 33. Moses tells God that if His presence does not go with him, then he does not want to go. He then asks the Lord to show him His glory.

v. 18 And he (Moses) said, "Please, show me Your glory."

v. 19a ....Then He (God) said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you....."

v. 21 And the Lord said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock."

God said there is a place near Him....

In verse 21, the word place in Hebrew is MAQOWN, which means: standing place, post, station, city, land, region, place of human abode, etc. MAQOWN originated from the Hebrew word QUWN, which means: to arise, become powerful, to be established, to be fixed, to be valid, to be proven, to be fulfilled, to persist, etc.

I believe there is a place for each of us where we are more near God than anywhere else. A specific place. And when we are in that place, He will establish us there, causing His plans and purposes to persist in and through us.

Also in verse 21, is the word stand. The Hebrew word is NATSAB, which means: to stand, take one's stand, stand upright, be set (over), establish, be stationed, be appointed.

This word is a verb, which conveys an action or a state of being. In that place, we will stand (we must take action, DO something, and BE that which God has called us to be).

v. 22 "So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by."

In that place, the glory of the Lord is so great that we, in our current state, cannot handle it. So much so, that God will have to protect us, lest we be destroyed. He told Moses He would make all His goodness to pass before Him and that He would proclaim the name of the Lord before Him. In that place, God's goodness is revealed! And His name is proclaimed so that all who see it will know that it is Him!

I believe that place has been created by God and is reserved for each of us. In it, is our destiny, our purpose. There, His grace is abundant to do that which He has ordained us to do. There, His goodness is undeniable. There, His glory is all consuming. It is there, in His presence, in that place that we are so near Him, that we are changed, made whole, healed, and set free! It is there, that we are able to give out what He has placed within us.

If His presence does not go with me, I do not want to go.

I pray that the glory of the Lord will be revealed in my life, that I might be near Him and know that which I was created for, that He might establish me in His plans and purposes (not my own) and so that others can see His grace and His goodness through me. That I might find that place....

I pray, today, that you might find that place and that His glory is revealed through you!