The Good Shepherd

I was sleeping actually, albeit fitfully, when the Lord woke me up to show me a vision I had of a friend. This friend recently lost her husband very suddenly. He left her with tremendous amount of debt and a significant loss of his income to boot. In addition to grieving her husband of nearly 40 years she has a grown daughter that is quite ill and she lives at home so my friend can care for her. I spoke to her recently about all these troubles and I know she is exhausted and afraid. Her grief is so deep. I didn't have much to offer except my prayers. So when I woke up to the vision of my friend and her daughter... which was not pretty by the way. So much so, I am not going to repeat the details, except to say it was very evident that the enemy had a foothold and was wreaking havoc on this little family. My heart hurt for her. So I prayed. I prayed many things for my friends, but I also asked the Lord. "What verse shall I give her so that she can be encouraged." And this my friends is why I decided to blog about it. The verse I was shown was Isaiah 61:3. I had NO idea when I got that passage address, what the verse said. I had NO idea if I had indeed clearly heard from the Lord. I had NO idea WHICH verse exactly God was telling me to share with her... until I read it for myself.

and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

The best part of this is that, it was so clearly from the Lord for her, even if she had heard it a thousand times it was just a small bit of proof for my friend that God SEES her and that He HEARS her and that He CARES for her. HER Specifically. That He loves her! And it is so true of each of us!! I am beyond humbled and overjoyed that God chose to speak to me tonight. It's incredible. And I LOVE that God's word is always relevant and can build people up! It is also more evidence that simply BEING in Gods word and in prayer, knowing "His voice" can be powerful. 

John 10:2-4

 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

El Roi

The God who sees me...

Just like Hagar. This was said to me recently by a friend of mine and then confirmed today by the wonderful miracle that occurred. Take a journey with me if you will. There were things I wanted. Wanted, not needed. Very very specific items. They are trivial in the scheme of things so I pushed them out of my mind. And suddenly, they appear in my mailbox. From someone and her friends who have never met me, but felt Gods urging to send them. It was very sepcifically what I wanted. Without me asking. Yes He is the God who sees me, and He sees you too! 

My post on FB :

Thank you Jesus for loving me and calming my fears and for keeping me close. I received the most incredible blessing/gift in the mail today from one of my sweet spiritual daughters....JUST exactly, what I needed!!! (Wanted) On so many levels. It brought me to tears. 

Thank you to Dallas Farrell for hearing from God and being willing to listen. Thank you to your prayer group also for lifting me up. I am so humbled and honored by Gods love for me. God keeps showing up & I wonder why I ever doubt. 

Powell Paraphrase:

Psalm 73 

Surely the Lord is good to me, even though my feet had almost slipped because I have envied people in the world and wanted what they have. I have been bitter and shaken my fist at God, "It's not fair!" I have said I've done everything right. I have made good choices and been obedient to Gods calling...and yet I have suffered so much. While people who reject Him seem to get everything they want! But God has shown me once again, how He provides. He has reminded me of where I belong. He stays right beside me and shows up in the most incredible ways! He alone is enough for me, regardless of the trials of this life.

Bride to be...

Song of Solomon 3:4
I have found the one whom, my Soul loves...

Take a moment and imagine with me,  a bride-to-be. She's spent hours and hours and hours of time and hundreds if not thousands of dollars on the perfect dress, the perfect hair, the makeup, the nails, the shoes etc...as she prepares to walk down the aisle to see her bridegroom for the very first time, as she anticipates that first glance and the smile meant only for her. Her heart races and her adrenaline is pumping...and she can barely focus, its all surreal and she is barely able to take in every detail that surrounds her ...but she is absolutely ...STUNNINGLY beautiful. And she is happier in that moment than she can recall. Her soon to be husband's breath is taken away at the sight of his beautiful bride. A tear forms in his eye...they lock eyes and her energy and heart rate are elevated. She cannot wait to take this man...

Sometimes I feel like Jesus has spent everything He has and has fully invested himself...He stands waiting with anticipation of His "first look"...and instead of a beautiful blushing bride, eagerly and gracefully coming toward Him, he sees me. A dirty, unkempt, unconcerned, unprepared, underdressed, and worse...indifferent, aloof, selfish and thoughtless woman who spent zero time, money or thought on receiving Him or giving myself to Him. 

I am so thankful that in spite of what He'd see...He WOULD still want me and Love me. He has already invested everything and is not going to stand me up! 

But I can't help wondering: 

What would Jesus really  see as my bridegroom if He were to come tomorrow?

What can I do to prepare myself as a bride-to-be ought to? 

Why is it so easy to forget that He is REAL and He IS returning? 

Why is it, I/We would or have invested more money, more time, more energy, more thought....preparing and planning for an earthly wedding, so concerned with "that first look" of the one we are betrothed to, than we do for our Spiritual and Heavenly bridegroom? 

Random-relevent-middle-of-the-night Psalm??

So I have been going through a tremendous season of pain. Deep heart pain, grief, lonliness. A season of Job where many many things (mostly material, but some people also) have been taken from me. I have been thrust into new and scary and difficult situations and I have had to rely on the Lord financially and physically in ways I have not had to before. To say it's been hell and that I am weary is an understatement. 

But tonight i rejoice once again in Gods word. Once again, my love for Scripture prevails. I wept BITTERLY tonight. Its 2:30 a.m. And I have been up for nearly 24 hours. I am broken. I cried out to the Lord and I asked Him to hear my cries....and suddenly the image, Psalm 61 came to my mind. I thought, are you sure God? Psalm 61? Who reads psalms 60's they aren't the more well known verses. And surely it can't be relevent. Isn't David just lamenting about his enemies for most of those chapters? 

But the Lord was insistent. So I blew my nose, wiped my eyes and looked up Psalm 61 

Psalm 61^[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.

¹ Hear my cry, O God;
    listen to my prayer.

² From the ends of the earth I call to you,
    I call as my heart grows faint;
    lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For you have been my refuge,

    a strong tower against the foe.

⁴ I long to dwell in your tent forever
    and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.^[b]
5 For you, God, have heard my vows;
    you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

6 Increase the days of the king’s life,

his years for many generations.
7 May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;
 appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

⁸ Then I will ever sing in praise of your name

 and fulfill my vows day after day.

Wow. The first part of this...I could have written myself!  It was my personal lament. My personal hearts, ache, longing...for God to show up! 

But even as I read on and chose to receive the promise, that God is my refuge, and I can find shelter in His wings, I realized, also...He has given me the Heritage of those who also feared His name! What a blessing their testimonies have been in my life! I am also not a king or queen per se but by being faithful, I too can be enthroned in Gods presence forever. Both literally in the NEXT life, but isn't that also what I am doing when I am meditating on His word? Especially when He gives it to me in such a supernatural way....His presence is with me, RIGHT NOW! As I read those very words. I can CHOOSE to rest on the promise that no matter what I see or feel ...I am protected by Gods LOVE and faithfulness. And that makes me of course...want to 

sing in praise of your name

 and fulfill my vows day after day.

Halellujah. 

King of the Jungle

No matter what happens in my life, no matter who offends me, or comes against me, No matter how difficult circumstances are. I KNOW who is on the throne! And HE has my back. He sustains me.
Psalm 3:5 
I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZFwLYvPi4c

I feel like JOB sometimes.

Sometimes when life gets hard, I hear the voice of Jobs wife " Why don't you just curse God and die!" Not that my troubles, are anything compared to Job ha ha...but sometimes the temptation is to wallow in misery and blame and question God. Jobs response was "Shall we accept blessings from God and not the bad stuff?" (Powell paraphrased) " The Lord gives and the Lord takes away...Blessed be the name of the Lord" so then I ask God...during my hard moments, "okay...then Lord what do you require of me during this time? What shall my response be to those who hurt me?" And then Micah 6:8 comes to mind "He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Justice, tempered with Mercy and humbly placing myself and my trials and those who have hurt me, at His feet. So. That's what I am going to do! That and Praise God in ALL things. 
Thank you Jesus for your word.

Powell Paraphrase Col. 3: 10-15

Colossians 3: 10-15 POWELL PARAPHRASED

...You have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power & authority. When you were dead in your sins, ... God made you ALIVE with Christ! He forgave all your sins. ... He took it away and nailed it to the Cross. He DISARMED the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the Cross. This was not done by the hands of men, but by Christ. Christ who lives IN you!