Blossom and Flourish

Matthew 5:43-48 (TPT) …Since you are children of a perfect Father in heaven, you are to be perfect like him.”

Beloved, love like Me. Refuse to allow bitterness, resentment, or pride to take root in your heart. Instead, be perfect – be whole in My love that you might be a vessel not just for receiving, but also for sharing that love.

Refuse to take the bait to love conditionally. Resist the urge to only love those who make it easy. If you aren’t certain how best to love those around you – simply ask Me. Reflecting My heart is the most powerful way to shift the atmosphere. So love and love well, and watch how that life-changing love causes all those it touches to blossom and flourish… including you. Continue reading “Blossom and Flourish”

Tenacious Hope

Romans 15:13 (TPT) Now may God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope!

Beloved, may you be filled with contagious hope. May your hope be so tenacious that no circumstance or harsh words can quell it, no disappointment or confusion can dim it, and no delayed promise or unexpected direction can subdue it.

May your hope be so apparent and so steadfast that those around you can’t help but have their own hope stirred and fortified. As you draw from Me – the fountain of hope, may your reserves be filled to overflowing that you may share with those around from your surplus that you might be known as a releaser of hope.

I AM Listening

Psalm 77:1 (VOICE) I cry up to heaven, “My God, True God,” and He hears.

Beloved, when you cry out to Me, I always hear. No matter where you are or what you’ve done, I AM always listening. I do not turn a deaf ear to you in punishment or neglect. Those who know Me know that does not align with My character.

Just as an earthly parent uses wisdom in granting their children’s requests, so do I. In the moments I don’t respond the way you expected, know that is not a sign of My neglect, but rather of your inappropriate expectations. I’m not a genie in a bottle to call and command, so be sure that is not your expectation.

What I AM is El Chai – the Living God, and I love My children, and am mindful of their needs and their cries – of all things concerning them. So know that I AM present and listening. I will never leave you nor forsake you. So cry out to Me, beloved, for I AM listening.

Continue reading “I AM Listening”

Be Filled with Wonder

Psalm 26:7 (VOICE) From my soul, I will join the songs of thanksgiving; I will sing and proclaim Your wonder and mystery.

Beloved, come to Me like a child – wide eyed and filled with wonder. Ask Me a million questions – you will never wear Me out. I delight in you, and I have wired your curiosity, so resist the urge to be “adult” and tamp it down. Let your exuberance burst forth. Hold nothing back. 

Be wide-eyed and mystified as you relentlessly pursue deeper understanding. Be dogged in your quest for truth. The things of Me are worth the effort, and the intimacy gained in your treasure hunt is prize enough alone. Be swept away in the mystery of Me.

Be Bold in Your Confidence in Me

Proverbs 28:1 (MSG) The wicked are edgy with guilt, ready to run off even when no one’s after them; Honest people are relaxed and confident, bold as lions.

Beloved, be of good character – solidly founded in My Word. Walk with the confidence that comes of right relationship with Me. And then stay in that place. Choose wisely, and walk in integrity. From that solid foundation, live out loud and allow your faith to shine forth. 

Let your actions speak for you, and your words – when requested, support the truths that your life already clearly portrays. Be bold – not in your personal accomplishments and beliefs, but rather be bold in your confidence in Me and who I AM, for I AM worthy.

Be Emboldened

Proverbs 28:1 (TPT) Guilty criminals experience paranoia even though no one threatens them. But the innocent lovers of God, because of righteousness, will have the boldness of a young, ferocious lion!

Beloved, walk in righteousness as a child of the day. For you have been bathed in the Son’s light and reflect Melek Kabowd – the King of Glory, YHVH Ori – the Lord your Light. You are no longer a creature of darkness, so refuse to hide and cower, but rather be emboldened by the One who has redeemed you. 

You have nothing to feel guilty or ashamed of when you walk in the light. And even if you should stumble, beloved, simply repent and realign with Me that your witness may be powerful and your light may not be dimmed. 

Boldness Empowered by Faith

Proverbs 30:30 (VOICE) The lion, which is the strongest of the animals, does not back down from any other creature;

Beloved, be bold without apology. Standing fast may not be popular, but consider whose approval you seek. I will sustain you in trials, and embolden you in times of resistance. “Be wise as serpents and gentle as doves.”

Be like a courageous lion, undaunted by opposition and fully confident. My Spirit within you will sustain you. In the same way that courage doesn’t have to come from a place of fearlessness, but rather a willingness to act regardless of fear, so godly boldness is empowered by faith, not perfection or human chutzpah.

Simply be firmly rooted in Me. Be tuned into My Holy Spirit for direction. And trust My leading enough to step out when directed. In the end, the opinions of man are meaningless, so focus yourself on the things of the Kingdom, which are everlasting. Continue reading “Boldness Empowered by Faith”

Refuse to Cower

Ephesians 3:12 (AMP) in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him [that is, our faith gives us sufficient courage to freely and openly approach God through Christ].

Beloved, refuse to cower. I love My children and welcome them in My presence. There is no reason to cower or hesitate when you know who you are in Me. So refuse to allow guilt, fear, shame, the opinions of men, or any other force to convince you that you are unworthy. For those thoughts do not align with Mine.

Instead, may the truth of your identity find its foundation in My thoughts of you. May your truth align firmly with My Word. And may you walk in boldness rooted in Me. You are the child of the King, so refuse to cower, beloved, and walk in the boldness of your true identity.

Boldness Birthed in the Quiet Place

Acts 4:31 (AMP) And when they had prayed, the place where they were meeting together was shaken [a sign of God’s presence]; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness and courage.

Beloved, boldness is birthed in the quiet place. Godly boldness doesn’t come from being brash or needing to be the center of attention. It is birthed in a place of yielded humility – one of beautiful intimacy with Me. 

In intimacy, My nature is increasingly revealed. And as I’m known, faith in Me is the result. And from that firm foundation of faith, grows a holy boldness that is earth-shaking. When I meet with My children, they cannot help but be changed. And those who have been radically changed cannot keep it to themselves because such truth is too beautiful not to share. 

So meet with Me. Yield in humility. Allow Me to shake you – to realign you and empower you for My good work. Then watch what I will do through you as we change the world together.  Continue reading “Boldness Birthed in the Quiet Place”

Ask Boldly

Luke 11:8 (GW) I can guarantee that although he doesn’t want to get up to give you anything, he will get up and give you whatever you need because he is your friend and because you were so bold.

Beloved, ask boldly. For you know My throne of grace is there and approachable. You have but to come to Me and ask. I consider each and every request you bring. I give all of them the weight and consideration they deserve. 

I will never disparage you or your thoughts, so have no fear. I never think your requests are below my notice. Nor do I find you audacious for dreaming big. I love to know everything that is on your heart. So don’t hold back. Ask, seek, and knock, and then eagerly expect the door to open.