Satisfying Hope

Romans 5:5 (VOICE) And hope will never fail to satisfy our deepest need because the Holy Spirit that was given to us has flooded our hearts with God’s love.

Beloved, stand fast in hope, for I AM your hope. I AM your joy. I AM the life that brings forth more life. Press into Me. Allow Me to saturate you in My love, for in perfect love there is no fear.

No fear that I will let you down, even though your hope is stretched thin. No fear that you are unimportant or beyond My notice; you know how precious you are to Me. No fear because you hope – standing in ready expectation – because you believe.

You know who I AM and who you are to Me. You are Mine, and you hope in Me. And that hope satisfies your deepest needs. Be satisfied in Me.

The Wonder Before You

Isaiah 43:18-19 (VOICE) …Watch closely: I am preparing something new; it’s happening now, even as I speak, and you’re about to see it. I am preparing a way through the desert; Waters will flow where there had been none.

Beloved, I AM doing a new thing; be ready for it. As you keep your gaze on Me, I will guide you with My eye – so stay alert and keep watch. Trust Me to lead and trust Me to know what’s best. I make all things new.

Yield, as I mold and shape you. Trust, as I refine and renew you. I AM transforming you from glory into glory, and I AM always at work in you. Just as a butterfly sheds the unneeded trappings of its past and flies into its beautiful future wholly transfigured, so you must step forth like Lazarus from the tomb – vibrantly alive and made new in Me with no need to look back for the wonder set before you. Continue reading “The Wonder Before You”

Singular Focus and Unwavering Devotion

Isaiah 43:18-19 (VOICE) Eternal One: Don’t revel only in the past, or spend all your time recounting the victories of days gone by…

Beloved, refuse to get stuck in the past or look back with longing like Lot’s wife (Genesis 19:26); rather look ahead with joyful expectation for what I have in store. Behold, the best is yet to come, so it is time to ready your heart and mind to receive it.

Resist the urge to waver in your focus. You cannot move in more than one direction at a time and attempting to do so simply leads you in zigzags and circles that waste your time and energy. Focus on Me – on My path, and then move with singular focus and unwavering devotion. Continue reading “Singular Focus and Unwavering Devotion”

Cling to Hope

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Beloved, cling to hope tenaciously knowing I AM a good God who lavishes His love on His children. Even when things look bleak, remember every story has its ups and downs, pains and pleasures, moments of sorrow and rejoicing; and a happily ever after is dependent on where you stop the tale. Would Lazarus story be as powerful if it ended in the tomb?

So wait for Me to move. Trust that I AM a good author weaving a beautiful tale of glorious redemption where My grace, mercy, love, and power are on full display. My plans for you are good, beloved. So cling fast to hope and wait for Me to move. Though it may not be in the way you expect, it’s always in the way that’s best.

Embrace Trials

Isaiah 43:2 (TLB) When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you.

Beloved, embrace the trials you encounter, knowing I have allowed them for your good. Just as building muscle in weight training requires repetition and increased opposition (weight), repeated trials give opportunity for you to grow strong and build your faith.

The question becomes will you embrace the growing and refining process with joy? Or will you complain throughout the process? Be aware that having joy in the midst is part of what successful maturation looks like. So choose wisely and choose well.

Embrace trials for the character building opportunities they are. Trust that I will never give you more than you can handle with Me at your side. Let your light shine and your character be matured. Lead by example, and demonstrate your trust in Me as you yield to the development plan I set before you by walking it out with joy.

Dream with Me

Ephesians 3:20 (TLB) Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.

Beloved, dream with Me. Your thoughts and hopes are safe here. I want to know the desires of your heart, for what is important to you is important to Me. Refuse to feel small or somehow lesser-than, for to Me you are of the utmost importance. You are the apple of My eye. You have My heart and My attention, and most importantly, you have My love.

And in the same way that when you love someone you desire to lavish them with blessings, so I love to lavish you. So dream with Me. Allow your heart to soar. Hold nothing back, and place those tender hopes in My hands trusting Me to lead you and bless you wisely. I know the plans I have for you and they are GOOD plans. Dare to dream big, for I AM the God of the impossible. With Me nothing is impossible. So stir up your faith, beloved, and dream.

El Gibhor (Mighty God)

Jeremiah 32:18 (NKJV) ‘[You] show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them–the Great, the Mighty God, whose name [is] the LORD of hosts.

I AM El Gibhor, the Mighty God. I AM righteous and powerful, merciful and perfect in my judgment. Nothing is too great for Me. I AM the Lord of hosts with legions of angels at My command, is anything beyond My reach?

Know Who it is you serve. Understand the God you have chosen. I AM the great I AM – beyond your full comprehension – so resist the temptation to try to fit Me into your understanding rather than stretching your understanding to know Me.

I cannot be manipulated or controlled, but I love you and I AM good. Yield yourself to Me, your trust is well-placed here. Partner with Me and together we will move mountains.

Trust Me to Lead or Correct 

1 Corinthians 13:9 (KJV) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

Beloved, listen for My voice. Trust that you hear Me and trust that I will speak. Hold what I share with an open hand, trusting Me to lead or correct. 

Beloved, how do you explain something to someone that is beyond their expectations or comprehension? Know that sometimes, like a sailboat tacking to and fro, making steady – albeit indirect – progress, I will find ways to guide and direct you that may seem indirect or even contrary, but if you will trust and release the leading to Me, you begin to see the route taking shape even amongst all the course corrections. 

I AM not changeable though to you it may seem like I change My mind. I AM directing you in the way that you will best be able to follow, yield to My leading and trust Me to lead. Remember the journey is a primary part of the goal, not just the destination. Continue reading “Trust Me to Lead or Correct “

Be Mindful What Your Actions Communicate

Numbers 20:12 (AMP) But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed (trusted) Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, you therefore shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

Beloved, it is not enough to say you trust Me. When you insist you understand each thing I ask of you, you demonstrate your lack of trust. When you do things how we’ve done before rather than how I’ve instructed for this time, you show a lack of trust. And when you cherry pick which of My instructions you will adhere to, you communicate loudly that you trust yourself more and place your own judgment above My own. Conditional trust is not trust.

Beloved, check your actions to be certain they align with what you desire to communicate. Because habitually choosing your own judgment over Mine not only tells Me you don’t trust Me (as well as communicating that clearly to those around you), but it also demonstrates that you do not love Me as you say you do. Love trusts. Love obeys. Love listens.

So be mindful what you’re actions are communicating, be certain they align with what you’re hoping to express. And in the moments they fall short, repent and adjust your behavior accordingly. Give true love to Me remembering I first loved you. Continue reading “Be Mindful What Your Actions Communicate”

Rest in My Flow

Romans 8:14-16 (TPT) The mature children of God are those who are moved by the impulses of the Holy Spirit…

Beloved, the wise and mature choose to yield to the direction of My Spirit, while the headstrong and shortsighted insist on being tossed too and fro by the whims of the flesh. Choose wisely by which you will be led.

Resist the urge to react to fleshly urges rooted in pride or greed, and refuse to succumb to self-serving patterns of behavior, instead choosing the good of My Kingdom above all. Yield to My leading, just as one might float on the water allowing it to move you where it may, likewise rest in My flow. I will not steer you wrong. Continue reading “Rest in My Flow”