Tag: chastening

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Slow to Speak and Slow to Anger

Psalm 106:33 (AMP) Because they were rebellious against His Spirit, Moses spoke recklessly with his lips.

Beloved, be not riled. Rather hold your tongue and refuse to be provoked – even on My behalf. There are consequences to every word that falls from your lips; therefore, guard them carefully. Refuse to be baited into fruitless arguments or allow petty bickering to incite you to stoop to its level.

Walk in humility and wisdom, being slow to speak and slow to anger. Weigh each word and seek My Spirit’s counsel, for I AM the only one who fully knows the inner workings of men’s hearts, so ask Me for instruction on what to say and when to say it, and I will advise you with true wisdom that brings harmony. Continue reading “Slow to Speak and Slow to Anger”

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My Word is Bedrock

Hebrews 10:23 (AMP) Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful [to His word];

I AM faithful from generation to generation. My Word is solid and true. My character is unimpeachable. Every promise I have given will come to pass as surely as the sun rises day after day (and in fact even more reliably).

And in the same way you would not beg the sun to rise, but rather simply wait in confidence for it to do so, so you can simply wait on My promises to come to pass without beseeching Me for them to happen. If I have said it, it is so. My word is bedrock.

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Strengthen the Body

1 Corinthians 12:27 (TLB) Now here is what I am trying to say: All of you together are the one body of Christ, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.

Beloved, be intentional to strengthen the connections within the Body. The enemy seeks to divide, so resist the urge to allow your focus to remain on differences or areas of possible offense. Instead look for ways that giftings and strengths can best compliment one another. There is room and purpose for all within the Body of Christ. Each person is vital to success. Because each person is different, it is easy to become tempted by feelings of loneliness, discouragement, or despair. So be vigilant to create connection and build one another up.

Beloved, in the same way that a puzzle cannot be completed if you lose even one tiny piece, so you must ensure that your brethren in Christ are not lost or stolen. Each of you is vital to the whole. Each person is worth the time and effort to draw in and strengthen. And even as your iron sharpens iron and the sparks fly, simply wait for those sparks to fade and choose to live in peace and harmony as one—one strong one. Continue reading “Strengthen the Body”

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Love the Brokenhearted

Psalm 34:18 (VOICE) When someone is hurting or brokenhearted, the Eternal moves in close and revives him in his pain.

Beloved, I love the brokenhearted. I draw near to them, and I bind up their wounds that they may be healed. Are you willing to be My hands and feet? Are you willing to love like Me? To stay with someone in their brokenness and pain, asking and expecting nothing, simply lavishing life-changing love because you are able?

Resist the urge to fix or counsel, beloved, even when it seems so easy or obvious to you. If My breath isn’t on your words and My Spirit isn’t giving unction, they will not just fall on deaf ears but may cause further injury.

Rather, lavish your love unconditionally because that is how I have loved you. Love without reserve or expectation. Simply love. Freely you have received; freely give. Continue reading “Love the Brokenhearted”

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Roadblocks and Inconveniences

Hosea 2:6 (CSB) Therefore, this is what I will do: I will block her way with thorns; I will enclose her with a wall, so that she cannot find her paths.

Beloved, I will not make it easy for you to walk away from Me, nor will I make the road to sin smooth. Like a good father putting up child gates and closing doors, I will block the way that takes you from My will. I will add roadblocks and inconveniences to block your way in an effort to make you pause and see what you’re doing.

Yes, you have free will, and I would never take that from you, but I love you too much to make the path to things that hurt you an easy one to choose. I will do all I can to encourage you to change your mind and choose wisely.

So if you find yourself hindered in every direction, beloved, give pause and look to Me. Don’t assume the enemy is blocking your path because sometimes it is Me. Continue reading “Roadblocks and Inconveniences”

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I Lead You Rightly

Jeremiah 32:19 (VOICE) Your instructions are great, and Your actions are too wondrous for words. You see all that happens on this earth; You know what everyone does, and You deal with each fairly.

Beloved, I AM righteous and I AM fair. I AM trustworthy, and I know and see all. Resist the urge to try to take control, and instead trust My capable hands and My wise heart. I AM not biased, and I judge based on truth.

My perspective is broad, deep, and detailed. I know and understand all the hearts, motivations, and circumstances involved in every situation. You cannot say the same. Only I AM God.

The only way for you to respond fairly in any situation is to trust Me to lead. I see what you do not, but if you allow My Spirit to guide you, you can navigate with My perspective. But to do so, you must yield to Me.

Trust Me when I challenge you not to react. Responding in haste without My perspective will often lead to unnecessary hurt and confusion. When I encourage temperance it isn’t because I don’t care about your feelings or because I want to give someone a pass on their poor behavior, but rather I’m seeing things you do not. Trust Me, beloved. I lead you rightly.

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Lovingly Pruned

John 15:2 (VOICE) My Father examines every branch in Me and cuts away those who do not bear fruit. He leaves those bearing fruit and carefully prunes them so that they will bear more fruit;

Beloved, yield to My loving pruning. I see the areas in your life that are bearing fruit and wish to strengthen those by eliminating the ones that aren’t bearing fruit (or are bearing wrong fruit). Trust Me to know the difference.

I’m not removing areas because I’m mad at you or trying to punish you, so resist the urge to cower or try to cling to that which I’d remove. This isn’t a punishment, it’s a part of healthy growing. So yield, allowing Me to lovingly prune away that which hinders or is unneeded. Trust Me have the wisdom to do so, and to do it gently and in love.

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Love Without Reserve and Love Well

Matthew 5:43-48 (TPT) …How are you any different from others if you limit your kindness only to your friends? Don’t even the ungodly do that?…

Beloved, there would be no need for Me to encourage you to love someone if they were someone you found easy to love. You would do it instinctively. So be mindful not to dismiss My instruction simply because it is difficult, challenges you, or makes no sense to your natural mind.

You do not see the hearts of men as I do, but if you trust My leading, you can navigate the murky waters of their inner workings with ease as you yield to My direction. I will not steer you wrongly.

Remember that simply because things look messy does not mean they aren’t exactly as they should be. When a cook is working on an elaborate meal, it is not unusual for things to look chaotic while the creation is underway, but a masterpiece still comes forth.

Refuse to be discouraged by the work in progress and simply trust My Spirit to lead you rightly. Love without reserve and love well. Continue reading “Love Without Reserve and Love Well”

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Hold Fast to Hope and Believe

Genesis 40:14 (VOICE) But I ask one thing. Remember me when things are going well for you. If you have the opportunity, do me a favor and mention me to Pharaoh. Perhaps he will get me out of this place.

Beloved, you need not curry the favor of man, nor look to them in your time of need. I AM the great I AM, and I AM the One to look to. I AM the One who knows each plan for you and the perfect execution of each.

Look to Me, the Author and Finisher of your faith – the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. I AM God. There is no one higher than Me. Refuse to create an idol by looking to man to “help” when you believe Me slow to answer. Though I may seem to tarry, I tarry not.

Beloved, I know the hour and the moment of your deliverance. Look to Me and trust Me to move at exactly the right time. Embrace each moment, allowing the trials to increase your strength and your faith. Hold fast to hope and believe.

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Don’t Hide

Matthew 5:15-16 (TLB) Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father.

Beloved, you are My show piece – a glorious example of My beauty and grace made manifest in the earth. Don’t hide yourself; hiding yourself means hiding the glory of My handiwork that was created to bless, encourage, and impact the world around you.

Shine brightly, beloved. Refuse to hide who I’ve created you to be by bending to the opinions of man, but instead boldly live a life of authenticity, displaying the true you in all your gloriously flawed beauty that My power and majesty might be made known.